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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Tony Blair to Undergo Operation; Preview of Presidential Debate
Aired September 30, 2004 - 17:00 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.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now, breaking news. The prime minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, announces some shocking news. He'll undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. Stay with CNN for breaking news developments. We're following this story. Much more coming up this hour.
Also happening now. Terror in Iraq and the mass murder of innocent children. A massive show of force in the Middle East. And the world is shaken on the very day two men fighting for your vote are set to face off. Will these events around the world affect the race for the president? We're about to find out. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): A bloody day from Iraq to Gaza. More than 80 dead in a day of exceptional violence including dozens of children. A shadow over tonight's presidential debate. What impact will it have?
Bush and Kerry going head to head in just a few hours. We'll get a preview.
Behind the scenes, an inside look at the forum for the face-off. We'll show you what the president and the senator will see.
Off the market. A popular prescription medication pulled after a hidden danger is discovered.
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, September 30, 2004.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Hello from the University of Miami, the site of tonight's presidential debate. Thanks very much for joining us. As President Bush and Democrat John Kerry prepare for a debate on international affairs, there's been some startling news around the world and it's putting this face-off to a certain degree in the shadows.
First the breaking news story we've been reporting now. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair is going to have a heart procedure tomorrow. We're just getting this tape in of the prime minister. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prime Minister, I understand you need some hospital treatment tomorrow. Why is that?
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's this -- I think they call it an atrial flutter that I had last year, recurred again in August. And actually, I mean, it doesn't stop me working and it's not really debilitating in any shape or form at all but this is a time to get it fixed and I'm going for what they call a routine procedure tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will that require you being out of action for a long time?
BLAIR: No, I'll be back at my desk on Monday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how do you feel?
BLAIR: I feel fine. I feel great but it's just -- what happens every so often is you just get a -- a flutter is the right way to describe it and apparently there is a procedure. Don't ask me all of the medical details, but apparently it's a procedure that's reasonably easy to do and fixes it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, without intruding into information that's between you and your doctor, there will be some people who may be concerned that this is connected to something more serious, heart attack, stroke, something of that sort. You've obviously asked such questions.
BLAIR: I certainly have. I don't suppose it's anything that's going to remain private between me and my doctor for very long. No, he assures me that it isn't. And I gather it. It is a well-known procedure, which is why they call it a routine procedure and there's bound to be masses of speculation about it and what it means and all of the rest of it, but, you know, as I say, I'll be back at work on Monday and flat out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Tony Blair announcing just moments ago he will undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. We'll follow that story for our viewers and get some more information as it becomes available.
We're also following other stories happening in the world right now. Devastation, clearly put, in Iraq where children, children have been targeted for death. In just a moment our John King and Candy Crowley will help us examine how all these events will play into tonight's presidential debate, but first to London and that breaking story. CNN's Charles Hodson joining us now live -- Charles.
CHARLES HODSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I think this has been to some extent a bolt from the blue as far as British people are concerned. Only a couple of days ago we saw Tony Blair at his party conference, the Labor Party conference down in Brighton, in southern England. He appeared hale and hearty. He was communicating well. It was a speech which could have gone badly wrong because he had to defend the government's record over Iraq, but that all went very well. It wasn't like last year when he first had this atrial flutter when he came back from a summit in Brussels and looked very ill indeed, went to Checkers (ph), took himself off to Checkers, the prime minister's country house outside London for a few days and people said they had never seen him looking unwell.
Here he was very confident, I think, as you saw in that interview. He is very much trying to downplay this saying that isn't really a heart attack, I'll be back at my desk on Monday and the family will be perfectly happy about this, nobody's too worried about this. But one very crucial thing which also came out, perhaps a bit later on in that interview is that he does plan to stand for reelection to try and get himself elected for a third term, one assumes next year, 2001, that would be the normal timing. He would then continue for the whole of that next parliament which will be for a maximum of five years in practical terms, probably four years and then would not stand for a fourth term.
So his thinking is he feels we have plenty to do. I want to carry on and do it. This is just a minor thing, I'll be back at my desk on Monday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We'll be watching to see if he is. Thanks very much, Charles Hodson with this news. The Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair will undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. We'll watch this story for our viewers.
There are other important stories happening around the world especially in Baghdad where there's been a bloody massacre. Here's CNN's senior international correspondent Brent Sadler.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Series of deadly bomb blasts in the western district of Baghdad. The explosions targeted the official opening of a new sewage system for local residents, a small step in the struggle to improve essential services in the capital. But two near simultaneous car bombs created horrifying scenes as parts of vehicles burst into flames and shrapnel tore into a crowd made up of Iraqi officials, U.S. military personnel and schoolchildren.
It was supposed to be a day of joy with U.S. troops reportedly handing out candy shortly before the attack. But it turned into carnage. U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces helping to evacuate the scores of dead and some 140 wounded.
Among the injured, ten U.S. soldiers, but the enduring images of this attack are those of children killed or maimed, the highest number of child casualties say doctors here in a single attack, sparking outrage amid the grief.
Hours earlier a U.S. soldier was killed when a suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint on the western outskirts of Baghdad also killing two Iraqi policemen. And a second American soldier died in a rocket attack outside the capital.
It's amid escalating insurgent attacks that U.S. firepower is being used almost daily to destroy a terror network in Fallujah west of Baghdad say U.S. military officials that's led by Abu Musab al- Zarqawi. American jets, tanks and artillery units have repeatedly hit suspected al-Zarqawi followers in Fallujah part of a building counterinsurgency offensive say Iraqi officials to insert government control over insurgent enclaves. Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Elsewhere in the Middle East, an Israeli jogger and a medic who tried to rescue her were killed by Palestinian gunmen outside a Jewish settlement in Gaza and at least 25 Palestinians and three Israelis are dead after Israeli troops attacked a Palestinian refugee camp.
The Middle East is expected to be a key issue in tonight's presidential debate here at the University of Miami. President Bush toured the latest Florida hurricane damage before returning to debate preparations. Our senior White House correspondent John King is joining us now live with details and a preview -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, you might call that tour of the hurricane area one of the benefits of incumbency. Mr. Bush able to tour the hurricane damage, offer more federal aid to the citizens of Florida. He believes that might help him in this election. Tonight in this hall though, he will carry the burden of incumbency. The Iraq war is expected to be the major flash point of this debate. It was Mr. Bush's decision to go to war and Senator Kerry of course, his Democratic opponent has been quite aggressive and quite forceful in recent weeks in questioning the rationale for that decision and especially in questioning the administration's planning for post-war Iraq saying the president did not have a comprehensive plan, that he ignored the advice of generals who said he should send in more troops.
So the president's record will be very much be an issue in this the first of three presidential debates. The White House says the president will aggressively defend that record tonight and explain his decisions to the American people and he will as he does every day on the campaign trail try to suggest that he is a forceful leader and that Senator Kerry has vacillated and contradicted himself on Iraq and other national security issues and is not qualified to be commander- in-chief at this point when we're in the middle of the war on terror. The Bush campaign comes in with some momentum. It believes a strong performance tonight could set its momentum on even a greater path, but they do acknowledge that they understand the president simply cannot deflect and criticize Senator Kerry tonight. He has to defend his record -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King reporting for us, thanks, John. John will be with us throughout the night.
The Democrat, John Kerry, took an advanced look at debate stage earlier today. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is standing by.
Candy, what does Kerry hope realistically to accomplish tonight?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a fairly tall order. You have to do -- first of all, put himself out there as having a plan that is different than George Bush's when it comes to getting out of Iraq.
When you look at the latest polls and, believe me, they do as well as the Bush campaign, they look and they see that when asked, who has a plan to get out of Iraq, overwhelmingly voters say, well, it's George Bush. He has got to get it across that not only does he have a plan, but it's different from the one that George Bush is proposing.
In addition to that, while they have kind of pushed back against this notion that George Bush is so likable. They say -- they concede, yes, he's likable, but they also know that their candidate has to in some way connect to this audience tonight. That George Bush, when it comes to -- they give him points on style, and they say, but it's not about style, it's about a war. John Kerry is a serious candidate for serious times.
They also know that these debates are not always and not solely on the facts of the matter or on five-point plans or six-point plans. It's also about that gut feeling. So in some way, shape or form, John Kerry, the man, has to reach out to voters in a way that connects with them without looking as though he's trying too hard.
So it is very much a balancing act. They know that because they believe that there are substantive things that they have to talk about and then there are those less substantive stylistic things that they also have to pay attention to -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Candy Crowley for us, thank you very much, Candy.
Tonight's debate is being held here at the University of Miami at the Convocation Center. It's the home of the Hurricane basketball team. It can hold up to 7,000 people but the audience for tonight's debate will be much smaller and by invitation only.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): The setting will be familiar to anyone who has seen previous presidential debates. Two lecterns in front of a blue backdrop, 10 feet apart, 50 inches high and equally sloped toward center stage.
Adding to the sense of deja vu, the moderator, PBS news anchor Jim Lehrer, who has participated in nine previous debates. Lehrer has been called the dean of moderators. He has been praised for his impartiality, but he has also been accused of asking overly bland questions.
In an interview four years with CNN's Larry King, Lehrer said that criticism doesn't bother him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE" FROM OCTOBER 18, 2000)
JIM LEHRER, DEBATE MODERATOR: For me to be aggressive and beat up on these guys, I'm not going to do that. That's not what I signed on to do and I don't think any moderator should.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Lehrer will ask at least 16 questions. Each candidate will get two minutes to answer. Then his opponent will get 1 1/2 minutes to respond. Lehrer can use his discretion to extend discussion by 60 seconds.
In a last-minute development, the Kerry campaign demanded that timing lights be removed from the lecterns. The lights are designed to show when a candidate's time has expired, but the Kerry camp said they're distracting.
The debate commission has rejected the Kerry request. The two candidates tried to prevent television networks from showing reaction shots during the debate but the networks say they'll ignore that rule. During the Bush-Gore debates four years ago, reaction shots showed Gore sighing while Bush was speaking. Many observers think those pictures hurt Gore's candidacy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And this reminder, CNN's special coverage of tonight's debate here at the University of Miami begins in less than two hours. We're live here beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Extensive coverage leading up to the debate. I'll host our coverage along with my colleagues Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn, CNN's entire election team. Please stay with us throughout the night.
And here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: "Will you watch tonight's presidential debate?" You can vote right now, go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results for you later this hour.
More on our breaking story, that's coming up, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, set to undergo heart procedure tomorrow. What could it mean? We'll talk live to our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Plus, the odds of an eruption. An alarming prediction about Mount St. Helens in Washington State. You'll want to hear what scientists are now saying about this volcano.
Plus, risky relief. A popular painkiller taken off the market after evidence it increases your risk for a heart attack.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(INTERRUPTED FOR BREAKING NEWS)
BLITZER: In a moment, fallout from Iraq. I'll speak live with retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark. He's supporting John Kerry. And I'll also speak with Dan Senor who until recently spent time in Iraq and supports President Bush. They'll join us, plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who am I? Why am I here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: How candidates can trap themselves in the debate. See firsthand some fatal mistakes of years past.
Plus an alarming prediction about Mount St. Helens in Washington state. New information on this volcano.
And you'll hear from the hosts of the site of tonight's debate. The University of Miami students. They're here. They're on the campus. They'll get a chance to speak out to all of us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking forward to see a good spirited debate. I'm looking to see some truth come from both camps and I'm looking to see a good presentation by both of the presidential candidates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Tonight's debate takes place here at the University of Miami. But you can't blame Florida residents if they don't pay close attention after a series of brutal hurricanes. Many more immediate concerns. Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace is joining us live with more on that.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, so many people say they've been focusing more on the hurricanes than politics tonight, the debate, maybe the first time they're really tuning in and everyone agrees the hurricanes will likely have some impact on campaign '04. The question is how much of an impact and who benefits?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): In Melbourne, Florida, cleaning up after the latest hurricane and, frankly, not concentrating on anything else.
JOHN BINDHAMMER, MELBOURNE, FLORIDA RESIDENT: What election?
WALLACE: John and Nancy Bindhammer say they made up their minds before Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Still, will they check out the first debate tonight?
BINDHAMMER: I don't know if we have a TV or not to be perfectly honest.
WALLACE: Floridians are more focused on damages than debates, more consumed with power outages...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The power is all still out.
WALLACE: Than power politics. This has made statewide polling so difficult that it's next to impossible to know exactly where Sunshine State voters stand. With that in mind before the hurricanes, President Bush had a four-point lead with likely voters. In the CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll released last night, his lead in that category now? Nine points. The hurricanes have kept the two major candidates largely off the stump, but one has not been out of sight.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What else do you need?
WALLACE: The president this morning and yesterday visiting areas damaged by Hurricane Jeanne. He has come to the state now after each of the four hurricanes requesting Congress to approve more than $12 billion in federal aid.
TOM FIEDLAR, EXEC. EDITOR, "THE MIAMI HERALD": It works to the president's advantage in that this gives him an opportunity to actually act presidential.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry has only visited the hurricane areas once, careful not to look like he was trying to capitalize on the tragedy.
So the president benefits, Kerry loses? Well, maybe not entirely. The areas hardest hit have been predominantly Republican which raises this question, could GOP turnout be lower than in years past?
FIEDLAR: Does that mean that on November 2 peoples' lives remain enough in disarray that the idea of casting a ballot is maybe secondary to your concerns?
WALLACE: And with thousands of residents still displaced from their homes and absentee ballots unforwardable, it is something we won't know until after the election. .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And then there is this, the deadline for voter registration is next week, Wolf. Early voting gets underway in just about two 1/2 weeks. So the big question is is the state known for those hanging chads in 2000 going to be able to overcome the hurricane complications this year?
BLITZER: A critically important issue. Florida being such a key battleground state. Thank you very much. Kelly Wallace with that report.
We're following a breaking story out of London. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair will undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. We're getting some more information. We'll have that for you. Also, a popular prescription drug has been pulled from the market. Why is this happening? We'll tell you all about that as well.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't, Bernard (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Debate danger, candidates caught in a verbal trap. We'll take a look at some of the more memorable mistakes. Mistakes the two candidates tonight here at the University of Miami will hope to avoid.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to the University of Miami, where the students are clearly excited about what's to happen -- about to happen here on this campus.
Avoiding the debate traps, though, that will be critical for both the candidates, questions that could ultimately end a candidate's presidential dreams. We'll take a closer look at some past examples that both Bush and Kerry hope not to repeat. We'll get to all of that.
First, though, a quick check of some stories now in the news.
BLITZER: Just a short while ago, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, said he'll undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. He says it's to correct what he described as a heart flutter and says he'll be back at work Monday.
In Baghdad, another day of terror. More than 40 Iraqis were killed in two car bombings in that city, including 34 children. The children had lined up to get candy from U.S. troops when the attacks happened.
Mount Saint Helens in Washington state may soon be ready to blow. One scientist says there's a 70 percent chance of a small eruption in the next few days. The earthquake activity that began last week is said to be increasing and a volcanic advisory is now in place.
Pharmaceutical giant Merck is announcing a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of one of its most popular and most profitable arthritis drugs. Vioxx is being pulled after five years and more than 100 million prescriptions. Studies show it increases the dangers of heart attack and stroke.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news. Now back to tonight's presidential debates. Sometimes, the key to winning isn't necessarily what you say. It's what you avoid saying.
CNN's Brian Todd joins us now live with a look at potential debate pitfalls -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And there have been plenty of pitfalls along the way, Wolf. Some of them, the candidates stumble into themselves. At other moments, they're caught by a question they never expected.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): With all of the rehearsals, handling, talking points, could the best advice for the candidate be simply don't get caught in a moment like this?
BERNARD SHAW, MODERATOR: Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?
MICHAEL DUKAKIS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I don't, Bernard, and I think you know that I have opposed the death penalty during all of my life. I don't see any evidence that it's a deterrent. And I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime.
Michael Dukakis' own wife would later call that moment the nail in the coffin of his 1998 campaign. But avoiding traps, those questions designed to throw candidates off or at least get them to reveal themselves, is much easier said than done. Sometimes, the trap isn't even a question, but simply handling one's opponent. Take this exchange over Vietnam between John McCain and the normally-composed George W. Bush.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: You should be ashamed of sponsoring an event with that man there, who had attacked your own father.
BUSH: Let me finish.
MCCAIN: Yes, sir. Yes.
BUSH: John, I believe that you served our country nobly. And I've said it over and over again. That man wasn't speaking for me. He may have a dispute with you.
(CROSSTALK)
BUSH: Let me finish, please. Please, let me finish.
(CROSSTALK)
BUSH: Let me finish.
TODD: Sometimes, the candidates set themselves up; 1976, President Gerald Ford seemingly doesn't understand the Cold War.
GERALD FORD, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.
TODD: Jimmy Carter benefits from that mistake, wins the election, but doesn't seem to have learned from it four years later in a debate with Ronald Reagan. With no trap set, Carter tries for the human touch and appears out of touch.
JIMMY CARTER, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I had a discussion with my daughter Amy the other day before I came here to ask her what the most important issue was. She said she thought nuclear weaponry.
TODD: The self-setup, no candidate may have done it more effectively than Ross Perot's running mate in 1992.
ADMIRAL JAMES STOCKDALE, VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who am I? Why am I here?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Now, we're not likely to hear a line like that tonight, but some of this illustrates how much of a mine field a debate can be. The trap can come in different forms and from virtually anyone participating in the event -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us -- thanks, Brian, very much.
Let's get Some insight now from both campaigns.
Joining us now from the Bush campaign, Dan Senor. He was the chief spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq when it existed, before the new interim government took over. Dan Senor now supporting President Bush.
Dan, thanks very much for joining us.
Since you left -- I don't know if there's a correlation -- the situation on the ground in Iraq, I think you will admit, has gone from horrible to even more horrible. Is that a fair assessment?
DAN SENOR, FORMER COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN: Wolf, I would say that there's definitely been significant violence in recent weeks and certainly today's tragic death of over 30 people.
But it also correlates with progress on the political track. And as we move closer and closer to the elections in Iraq, one of the first free elections in the Arab world, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, members of the al Qaeda networks, other professional terrorists have come into the country, collaborating with some of the insurgents, are trying to thwart the overall effort. And that's really what's going on here. I think it's important, Wolf, to note that in countries from Indonesia and El Salvador to Colombia and South Africa, when there has been violence in the lead-up to elections and during elections, it's important to continue to move forward with the elections. Nothing can defeat terrorists and an insurgency more than free elections. That's what is going to happen in Iraq. That's Prime Minister Allawi's plan. And President Bush has been quite supportive.
BLITZER: But, Dan, there are indications, as you know, and they've been in the open press, that these insurgents are getting some significant support from security forces, Iraqi security forces, from Iraqi police forces, that they, in effect, either close their eyes or they actually collaborate in these kinds of attacks. What do you make of that?
SENOR: When you are building a new security force like we are with the Iraqis in a situation like Iraq, you have to have a very robust vetting process to ensure some of the bad actors don't wind up back in the system. Some do. Some slip through the cracks. When they do, the Iraqis seek to rectify the situation immediately.
While there are some problems, Wolf, I think it's important to keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of Iraqi personnel are serving courageously. They're serving professionally. They are very serious people. They line up each day to volunteer to serve even after they're attacked at these police stations and these recruiting centers. They're serious and they're patriotic. And I think those are the folks we should be working with and paying tribute to.
BLITZER: Dan Senor, supporting President Bush here in Miami -- thanks, Dan, very much. We'll talk to you down the road.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: And coming up, we'll hear from the other side as well, Democratic Senator Bob Graham from here in Florida. He'll join us. He supports John Kerry.
Remember, the candidates' debate coming up in just a few hours. Some key backers are ready to go right now. The Reverend Al Sharpton, by the way, and Congressman Mark Foley, they'll go head to head on this program. That's coming up.
And the crucial youth vote. What are some young people here on the campus of the University of Miami saying? They'll speak out on the debate and the race for the White House.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're looking at a picture of Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is here on the campus of the University of Miami, but he won't -- he has not been invited to participate in the presidential debate tonight. He will be a guest, though, on "ANDERSON COOPER 360. That comes up 7:00 p.m. Eastern tonight. Anderson Cooper will talk with Ralph Nader here at the University of Miami.
Welcome back to our continuing coverage.
The first presidential debate between John Kerry and George W. Bush gets under way in just a few hours. Right now, we're going to get a little taste of what we're all in store for. We're putting supporters of each candidate out there head to head in the Kerry camp, the former Democrat presidential candidate the Reverend Al Sharpton, and backing the Bush campaign, Republican Congressman Mark Foley from here in Florida.
Let me begin with Reverend Sharpton.
How does John Kerry overcome the problem that the Republicans have painted him in, namely that he's wishy-washy, flip-flopping, he goes with the political wind?
AL SHARPTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that he has to confront the president with the facts.
The facts are that John Kerry started down the road with Mr. Bush's map. And when he found out it was in the wrong direction, they're trying to blame him for following the road map they gave him. Like anybody intelligent, when you find out the map is bringing you not to where you were told, you change direction.
So can you imagine the arrogance of George Bush to blame somebody for believing him?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SHARPTON: I think that it is absurd, say, you should have been smart enough, Kerry, not to believe me. You should have known I was misleading you.
I think that is absolutely outrageous.
BLITZER: Doesn't the buck stop, Mark Foley, with the president, the faulty information that caused him to go to war, the weapons of mass destruction that apparently never existed or certainly didn't exist on the eve of the war?
REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: Well, I don't think the buck stops only with the president.
Every other nation had the same information we did. I remind Reverend Sharpton of his quote in February when he was campaigning against both Edwards and Kerry. He said they basically say, I'm against what Bush did, but I'm voting for it anyway. He called it the bait and switch. So I don't think the president has to answer questions about the weapons or systems, because we know what was happening in Iraq was deadly, dangerous to the citizens of Iraq.
I think what Mr. Kerry has to do is find a way to explain why he changes position so many times. And Al Sharpton hit the nail on the head when he said, this is the bait and switch.
BLITZER: But, Congressman, Congressman, I think you will admit, Congressman, that was not the main reason the president gave for leading the country to war, what was good for the Iraqi people. The main reason was what was essential for the American people, namely, the fear of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
FOLEY: Well, Wolf, that's correct.
We were under the impression that there were weapons of mass destruction, as were every one of our allies. The fact that there are none today is, of course, a concern to so many members who voted for the invasion of Iraq. But if you put everything in totality, if you look at what's happened and you look at the attempts to thwart terrorism, I think we started at the appropriate place.
I think Saddam Hussein is a menace.
BLITZER: All right.
FOLEY: I think the work the president's done there is important.
And so the fact of no weapons, yes, is a concern, but the end result, I think, is a safer world for all of us.
BLITZER: All right.
Reverend Sharpton, is the world better off without Saddam Hussein in power?
SHARPTON: I think that the question is the world could have been better off without a lot of things. It could have been better off without North Korea in power. That's not what we were told.
We were not told we were going there because we were going to make it a better world without Hussein. We were told we were in imminent danger. And you can't blame people for believing you.
As for the congressman quoting me, I'm a minister. Sometimes, it takes longer for me to convert people that are misled to the right path. But they got on the right path. The one that led them there wrongly was George Bush, just like he's in the state of Florida. I think it's ironic. We have returned to the scene of the crime that brought him into office in the first place to talk about what he did when he misled America into war.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: Now, let me let Congressman Foley respond to that.
Go ahead, Congressman.
FOLEY: Well, first, I'm glad you're back in Florida, because we could use the business. The tourism is appreciated.
But bottom line is, the president is on moral grounds with what he has done. Again, Mr. Sharpton remembers quite clearly the debate over these issues back in February. We were given information. We had to act on that information. And I think the president, again, did the right thing.
BLITZER: Reverend Sharpton, the other problem that John Kerry has is that the American public, at least according to our most recent polls, is fearful that he is not as capable of handling the overall war on terror as effectively as the president is.
SHARPTON: I think that he has an opportunity tonight and I think he will in the next 30-some odd days to show them, A, that he can, and, B, that the president has not, because how do we say we're safer today when we still see the leadership of al Qaeda at large? How do we say we're safer today when North Korea still has its situation? How do we say we're safer today?
You know, Mr. Bush's supporters say, well, we haven't had another attack. Isn't that amazing to say the way you're safe is nobody's robbed your house, not to say that I've secured it, not to say these measures are in place? Just be grateful that someone didn't break in again. Well, you were the president when the first break-in came. And I think that Kerry is going to bring that fight to Bush.
BLITZER: All right, unfortunately, we're going to have to cut the debate short because we're getting some breaking news coming in.
But the Reverend Al Sharpton, thanks very much for joining us.
SHARPTON: Thank you.
BLITZER: Also, Congressman Mark Foley of Florida, thanks very much to you as well.
I want to go immediately to our Jane Arraf. She's on the phone with us from Samarra in Iraq right now, where there's a major development unfolding.
Jane, tell our viewers what's happening.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, U.S. forces have moved into the city in a major offensive, the biggest offensive in months, to root out insurgents.
They've brought an entire brigade here. We're with the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division and we've rolled in, in Bradleys. Around us, we were hearing RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades, being fired. We are now nearing the middle of the city. The operation is ongoing. It started just a while ago.
And the unit we're with estimates that there may be up to 2,000 fighters here, an enormous number by any standards, if true. And up to 250 foreign fighters in the U.S. Army, the U.S. military; 1st Infantry Division has rolled an entire brigade-sized operation into the city of Samarra to root out insurgents -- Wolf.
BLITZER: It sounds like this could be the largest military offensive since Fallujah a few months back, when Marines had encircled that city, were ready to go in, but in the end were told, don't do it. This looks like a similar kind of situation. Is it, Jane? ARRAF: This one, they don't seem about to stop, Wolf.
Now, we have to remember that this city was essentially off limits to U.S. forces. They had an agreement after the transfer to sovereignty that -- big explosion there -- that the U.S. military would no longer do patrols in the city. The fighting continued. Insurgents were roaming the streets.
And just three weeks ago, the U.S. military came back in, in force. They had not allowed journalists with them until this evening. And we are with those forces who are coming in, in what they describe as a battle for Samarra -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And, Jane, are you embedded with U.S. military troops there? Is that how you got this exclusive information for our viewers?
ARRAF: We are embedded.
We were flown in a Black Hawk helicopter this evening, quite a turbulent flight to avoid possible missiles and gunfire, landed at an airstrip near here, and immediately got into a Bradley to roll into the city. Again, there's a full brigade here -- there are -- oh, my God.
Excuse me. Sorry, Wolf. I'm sorry. That was -- yes, I'm fine. Thank you.
We've got to -- we've got to go, Wolf.
(CROSSTALK)
ARRAF: We've got to go, Wolf.
BLITZER: Jane, I don't know if you're in any danger right now. If you are, obviously, we're going to end this. Are you still there?
Obviously, Jane Arraf reporting from the midst.
Jane Arraf, are you still there?
No, she's obviously not. We've lost connection with Jane Arraf, but she's reporting exclusively for our viewers on CNN here and around the world that there's been a major military U.S. offensive, a coalition offensive against insurgent forces north of Baghdad in Samarra. That's been one of the strongholds of the insurgency. She's watching it unfold right now.
Stay with CNN. We'll get back to Jane Arraf, get some more information for our viewers, the largest U.S. military offensive in some time breaking right now here in Iraq.
BLITZER: We'll take a quick break. More of our coverage from the University of Miami, the debate scheduled for tonight. The first debate between the candidates, George W. Bush, John Kerry, that's coming up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to the University of Miami.
Whether it's national registration drives, hip-hop stars or MTV programs like Rock the Vote, everyone's been trying to mobilize the youth vote.
CNN's Dan Lothian is down here. He's talking to some students on the campus.
Dan, I want to get to you in a moment, but I want to go first -- we've reestablished communications with our Jane Arraf. She's got breaking news in Samarra north of Baghdad.
Jane, fill in our viewers on what's going on.
ARRAF: Wolf, the U.S. military, the 1st Infantry Division has launched a major offensive (INAUDIBLE) battle for the city of Samarra.
They have sent in an entire brigade. This is the biggest offensive in Samarra since the end of the war. And they're doing (INAUDIBLE) to root out insurgents. The soldiers we're with estimate maybe (INAUDIBLE) Bradleys, called in air support to take sectors of the city one by one to regain control of the city, a story -- we may have to go back at any time, Wolf. We may have to jump back into this Bradley (INAUDIBLE) There are (INAUDIBLE) explosions and (INAUDIBLE) with the Iraqi National Guard and U.S. forces to retake this city -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, CNN's Jane Arraf.
We are going to continue to monitor this situation.
Jane, please be safe over there. We'll get back to you, of course, once there's new information, Jane Arraf reporting exclusively, a major U.S. military offensive under way right now in the Sunni Triangle, Samarra, an insurgent holdout. We'll get some more information from our viewers.
Let's find out how students here on the campus of the University of Miami are dealing with history unfolding on this campus later tonight.
CNN's Dan Lothian here at the campus talking to students -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, we're getting a front-row seat to history.
I am joined by four students.
We'll start out with Karen (ph).
You are a Kerry supporter. What is it that you need to see and hear tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they've painted a very poor picture of John Kerry and about how he's not, you know, definitely sure on one side.
I think John Kerry is pretty sure. He knows that we're at war, you know, for a lie, for the wrong reason. And I'd like to see him be a bit more stronger on his side. And I really don't think these allegations that the Republican Party have pinned against him are true.
LOTHIAN: What about the flip-flop issue? A that is something that keeps coming up again. He voted for it. then he voted against it. Is this something that you need him to put to rest tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, definitely, definitely. Sure. I think he will change a lot of people's minds.
LOTHIAN: Great.
Halli (ph), you are a freshman and a Bush supporter. What is it that you need to hear from him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to hear him support -- like, defend himself on all the allegations that Kerry has made against him. And I want to see what he has to say and how he's going to change and how he is going to keep the same, because I loved what he did in Iraq, that he took Saddam out, because I didn't think Saddam belonged there.
And also that I want him to -- that he supported Muslims right after 9/11. So, like, the stuff that he did during his presidency, what I thought was a good thing, and I want it to continue.
LOTHIAN: But nothing will change your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I want to hear what Kerry has to say also. Like, I want to see if, like, what his values are, because all I've heard him say so far is negativity towards Bush. So...
LOTHIAN: OK, great.
Quickly, Matt, you also are a -- who are you supporting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm supporting Bush, but I'm still very undecided.
LOTHIAN: Undecided.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LOTHIAN: So something tonight could change your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. Definitely.
I think that the key issue, of course, is the Middle East, but I'm behind very Bush and his policies on Israel. So that's a key issue that I'm hoping to get into tonight.
LOTHIAN: Talk to me about the students on campus. Are they engaged in the political process? Do they even care about debates?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They care hugely. If you were here this morning, there were protests. There was fights between the Republicans and Democrats. So the students here are getting very actively involved.
LOTHIAN: And they were making a lot of noise earlier.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A ton of noise.
(CROSSTALK)
LOTHIAN: As we look around, we see a lot of the Bush signs here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
LOTHIAN: And some Kerry signs as well.
Jen (ph), talk to me about why you're supporting Senator Kerry and what is it that you need to see tonight from him in this debate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm supporting Senator Kerry simply because he's just right about everything. He's very definite on what he believes in. And I, myself, just completely disagree with Bush.
LOTHIAN: But what is it that he needs to do tonight? We hear so much about the fact that he needs to knock the ball out of the park. What is it that he needs to do for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First and foremost, he needs to hold Bush accountable for all the lies and deception that he's given to this country and he needs to call him out on that.
LOTHIAN: OK. OK, great. Thank you very much -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Dan Lothian with some students here on the campus on the University of Miami. Dan, thanks very much.
Senator Bob Graham is here, the senior senator from Florida.
Senator, thanks very much for joining us.
First of all, what do you make of this U.S. military offensive that's under way in Samarra against these insurgents? Our Jane Arraf reporting that exclusively.
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D), FLORIDA: Wolf, I just caught it a few seconds ago. And I don't know what the full indication is.
I think we've got to have a strategy that does not leave substantial pockets of Iraq to the insurgents. You cannot effectively control a country if you have big cities that are out of your
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: This is one of the areas, this is one of the areas where the president and the senator, the Democratic candidate, agree. They have to fight the insurgents. They have to get Iraqi troops to take over responsibility.
I remember before the war, you were one of those Democrats who thought you shouldn't give the authorization to the president because it would divert attention from the real threat, al Qaeda. Your candidate disagreed with you then, John Kerry.
GRAHAM: And I also thought that the resolution was too weak, in the sense that it didn't give the president the authority to go after major terrorist groups, who would likely, and I think three years later definitely have, grown in strength because of the war in Iraq.
One of my major concerns with what's happening right now, Wolf, is that this administration's trying to hide from the American people what's really happening in Iraq. A couple of days ago, the newspapers carried a story from a private security firm which reported the number of attacks against Americans and others in Iraq. Do you know that today the administration put a full blanket of secrecy over all that information, for the only purpose to keep the American people unaware of what's happening in Iraq?
BLITZER: Can John Kerry carry Florida? I ask that in the aftermath of four hurricanes in six weeks, a lot of people not focusing in on this election.
GRAHAM: The answer is yes. There's no question that politics is not on very many Floridians' minds tonight. If you're looking through the ceiling and seeing the sky, you are not thinking about how you're going to vote on November the 2nd.
But in two or three weeks, people will be back at a point in their lives. They'll begin to focus on the presidential election. And I predict that Florida will be just as significant and almost as close as it was in 2000.
BLITZER: All right, we'll be watching.
Senator Graham, thanks very much.
GRAHAM: Good. Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: And to our viewers, here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Remember, we've been asking you that question. Here it is. And here, you should also remember that it's not -- repeat, not -- a scientific poll.
Please stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news, for our special live coverage of the first presidential debate. It all begins in one hour, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll be here with my colleagues Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn.
Thanks very much for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 30, 2004 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now, breaking news. The prime minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, announces some shocking news. He'll undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. Stay with CNN for breaking news developments. We're following this story. Much more coming up this hour.
Also happening now. Terror in Iraq and the mass murder of innocent children. A massive show of force in the Middle East. And the world is shaken on the very day two men fighting for your vote are set to face off. Will these events around the world affect the race for the president? We're about to find out. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): A bloody day from Iraq to Gaza. More than 80 dead in a day of exceptional violence including dozens of children. A shadow over tonight's presidential debate. What impact will it have?
Bush and Kerry going head to head in just a few hours. We'll get a preview.
Behind the scenes, an inside look at the forum for the face-off. We'll show you what the president and the senator will see.
Off the market. A popular prescription medication pulled after a hidden danger is discovered.
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, September 30, 2004.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Hello from the University of Miami, the site of tonight's presidential debate. Thanks very much for joining us. As President Bush and Democrat John Kerry prepare for a debate on international affairs, there's been some startling news around the world and it's putting this face-off to a certain degree in the shadows.
First the breaking news story we've been reporting now. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair is going to have a heart procedure tomorrow. We're just getting this tape in of the prime minister. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prime Minister, I understand you need some hospital treatment tomorrow. Why is that?
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's this -- I think they call it an atrial flutter that I had last year, recurred again in August. And actually, I mean, it doesn't stop me working and it's not really debilitating in any shape or form at all but this is a time to get it fixed and I'm going for what they call a routine procedure tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will that require you being out of action for a long time?
BLAIR: No, I'll be back at my desk on Monday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how do you feel?
BLAIR: I feel fine. I feel great but it's just -- what happens every so often is you just get a -- a flutter is the right way to describe it and apparently there is a procedure. Don't ask me all of the medical details, but apparently it's a procedure that's reasonably easy to do and fixes it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, without intruding into information that's between you and your doctor, there will be some people who may be concerned that this is connected to something more serious, heart attack, stroke, something of that sort. You've obviously asked such questions.
BLAIR: I certainly have. I don't suppose it's anything that's going to remain private between me and my doctor for very long. No, he assures me that it isn't. And I gather it. It is a well-known procedure, which is why they call it a routine procedure and there's bound to be masses of speculation about it and what it means and all of the rest of it, but, you know, as I say, I'll be back at work on Monday and flat out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Tony Blair announcing just moments ago he will undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. We'll follow that story for our viewers and get some more information as it becomes available.
We're also following other stories happening in the world right now. Devastation, clearly put, in Iraq where children, children have been targeted for death. In just a moment our John King and Candy Crowley will help us examine how all these events will play into tonight's presidential debate, but first to London and that breaking story. CNN's Charles Hodson joining us now live -- Charles.
CHARLES HODSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I think this has been to some extent a bolt from the blue as far as British people are concerned. Only a couple of days ago we saw Tony Blair at his party conference, the Labor Party conference down in Brighton, in southern England. He appeared hale and hearty. He was communicating well. It was a speech which could have gone badly wrong because he had to defend the government's record over Iraq, but that all went very well. It wasn't like last year when he first had this atrial flutter when he came back from a summit in Brussels and looked very ill indeed, went to Checkers (ph), took himself off to Checkers, the prime minister's country house outside London for a few days and people said they had never seen him looking unwell.
Here he was very confident, I think, as you saw in that interview. He is very much trying to downplay this saying that isn't really a heart attack, I'll be back at my desk on Monday and the family will be perfectly happy about this, nobody's too worried about this. But one very crucial thing which also came out, perhaps a bit later on in that interview is that he does plan to stand for reelection to try and get himself elected for a third term, one assumes next year, 2001, that would be the normal timing. He would then continue for the whole of that next parliament which will be for a maximum of five years in practical terms, probably four years and then would not stand for a fourth term.
So his thinking is he feels we have plenty to do. I want to carry on and do it. This is just a minor thing, I'll be back at my desk on Monday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We'll be watching to see if he is. Thanks very much, Charles Hodson with this news. The Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair will undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. We'll watch this story for our viewers.
There are other important stories happening around the world especially in Baghdad where there's been a bloody massacre. Here's CNN's senior international correspondent Brent Sadler.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Series of deadly bomb blasts in the western district of Baghdad. The explosions targeted the official opening of a new sewage system for local residents, a small step in the struggle to improve essential services in the capital. But two near simultaneous car bombs created horrifying scenes as parts of vehicles burst into flames and shrapnel tore into a crowd made up of Iraqi officials, U.S. military personnel and schoolchildren.
It was supposed to be a day of joy with U.S. troops reportedly handing out candy shortly before the attack. But it turned into carnage. U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces helping to evacuate the scores of dead and some 140 wounded.
Among the injured, ten U.S. soldiers, but the enduring images of this attack are those of children killed or maimed, the highest number of child casualties say doctors here in a single attack, sparking outrage amid the grief.
Hours earlier a U.S. soldier was killed when a suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint on the western outskirts of Baghdad also killing two Iraqi policemen. And a second American soldier died in a rocket attack outside the capital.
It's amid escalating insurgent attacks that U.S. firepower is being used almost daily to destroy a terror network in Fallujah west of Baghdad say U.S. military officials that's led by Abu Musab al- Zarqawi. American jets, tanks and artillery units have repeatedly hit suspected al-Zarqawi followers in Fallujah part of a building counterinsurgency offensive say Iraqi officials to insert government control over insurgent enclaves. Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Elsewhere in the Middle East, an Israeli jogger and a medic who tried to rescue her were killed by Palestinian gunmen outside a Jewish settlement in Gaza and at least 25 Palestinians and three Israelis are dead after Israeli troops attacked a Palestinian refugee camp.
The Middle East is expected to be a key issue in tonight's presidential debate here at the University of Miami. President Bush toured the latest Florida hurricane damage before returning to debate preparations. Our senior White House correspondent John King is joining us now live with details and a preview -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, you might call that tour of the hurricane area one of the benefits of incumbency. Mr. Bush able to tour the hurricane damage, offer more federal aid to the citizens of Florida. He believes that might help him in this election. Tonight in this hall though, he will carry the burden of incumbency. The Iraq war is expected to be the major flash point of this debate. It was Mr. Bush's decision to go to war and Senator Kerry of course, his Democratic opponent has been quite aggressive and quite forceful in recent weeks in questioning the rationale for that decision and especially in questioning the administration's planning for post-war Iraq saying the president did not have a comprehensive plan, that he ignored the advice of generals who said he should send in more troops.
So the president's record will be very much be an issue in this the first of three presidential debates. The White House says the president will aggressively defend that record tonight and explain his decisions to the American people and he will as he does every day on the campaign trail try to suggest that he is a forceful leader and that Senator Kerry has vacillated and contradicted himself on Iraq and other national security issues and is not qualified to be commander- in-chief at this point when we're in the middle of the war on terror. The Bush campaign comes in with some momentum. It believes a strong performance tonight could set its momentum on even a greater path, but they do acknowledge that they understand the president simply cannot deflect and criticize Senator Kerry tonight. He has to defend his record -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King reporting for us, thanks, John. John will be with us throughout the night.
The Democrat, John Kerry, took an advanced look at debate stage earlier today. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is standing by.
Candy, what does Kerry hope realistically to accomplish tonight?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a fairly tall order. You have to do -- first of all, put himself out there as having a plan that is different than George Bush's when it comes to getting out of Iraq.
When you look at the latest polls and, believe me, they do as well as the Bush campaign, they look and they see that when asked, who has a plan to get out of Iraq, overwhelmingly voters say, well, it's George Bush. He has got to get it across that not only does he have a plan, but it's different from the one that George Bush is proposing.
In addition to that, while they have kind of pushed back against this notion that George Bush is so likable. They say -- they concede, yes, he's likable, but they also know that their candidate has to in some way connect to this audience tonight. That George Bush, when it comes to -- they give him points on style, and they say, but it's not about style, it's about a war. John Kerry is a serious candidate for serious times.
They also know that these debates are not always and not solely on the facts of the matter or on five-point plans or six-point plans. It's also about that gut feeling. So in some way, shape or form, John Kerry, the man, has to reach out to voters in a way that connects with them without looking as though he's trying too hard.
So it is very much a balancing act. They know that because they believe that there are substantive things that they have to talk about and then there are those less substantive stylistic things that they also have to pay attention to -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Candy Crowley for us, thank you very much, Candy.
Tonight's debate is being held here at the University of Miami at the Convocation Center. It's the home of the Hurricane basketball team. It can hold up to 7,000 people but the audience for tonight's debate will be much smaller and by invitation only.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): The setting will be familiar to anyone who has seen previous presidential debates. Two lecterns in front of a blue backdrop, 10 feet apart, 50 inches high and equally sloped toward center stage.
Adding to the sense of deja vu, the moderator, PBS news anchor Jim Lehrer, who has participated in nine previous debates. Lehrer has been called the dean of moderators. He has been praised for his impartiality, but he has also been accused of asking overly bland questions.
In an interview four years with CNN's Larry King, Lehrer said that criticism doesn't bother him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE" FROM OCTOBER 18, 2000)
JIM LEHRER, DEBATE MODERATOR: For me to be aggressive and beat up on these guys, I'm not going to do that. That's not what I signed on to do and I don't think any moderator should.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Lehrer will ask at least 16 questions. Each candidate will get two minutes to answer. Then his opponent will get 1 1/2 minutes to respond. Lehrer can use his discretion to extend discussion by 60 seconds.
In a last-minute development, the Kerry campaign demanded that timing lights be removed from the lecterns. The lights are designed to show when a candidate's time has expired, but the Kerry camp said they're distracting.
The debate commission has rejected the Kerry request. The two candidates tried to prevent television networks from showing reaction shots during the debate but the networks say they'll ignore that rule. During the Bush-Gore debates four years ago, reaction shots showed Gore sighing while Bush was speaking. Many observers think those pictures hurt Gore's candidacy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And this reminder, CNN's special coverage of tonight's debate here at the University of Miami begins in less than two hours. We're live here beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Extensive coverage leading up to the debate. I'll host our coverage along with my colleagues Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn, CNN's entire election team. Please stay with us throughout the night.
And here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: "Will you watch tonight's presidential debate?" You can vote right now, go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results for you later this hour.
More on our breaking story, that's coming up, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, set to undergo heart procedure tomorrow. What could it mean? We'll talk live to our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Plus, the odds of an eruption. An alarming prediction about Mount St. Helens in Washington State. You'll want to hear what scientists are now saying about this volcano.
Plus, risky relief. A popular painkiller taken off the market after evidence it increases your risk for a heart attack.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(INTERRUPTED FOR BREAKING NEWS)
BLITZER: In a moment, fallout from Iraq. I'll speak live with retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark. He's supporting John Kerry. And I'll also speak with Dan Senor who until recently spent time in Iraq and supports President Bush. They'll join us, plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who am I? Why am I here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: How candidates can trap themselves in the debate. See firsthand some fatal mistakes of years past.
Plus an alarming prediction about Mount St. Helens in Washington state. New information on this volcano.
And you'll hear from the hosts of the site of tonight's debate. The University of Miami students. They're here. They're on the campus. They'll get a chance to speak out to all of us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking forward to see a good spirited debate. I'm looking to see some truth come from both camps and I'm looking to see a good presentation by both of the presidential candidates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Tonight's debate takes place here at the University of Miami. But you can't blame Florida residents if they don't pay close attention after a series of brutal hurricanes. Many more immediate concerns. Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace is joining us live with more on that.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, so many people say they've been focusing more on the hurricanes than politics tonight, the debate, maybe the first time they're really tuning in and everyone agrees the hurricanes will likely have some impact on campaign '04. The question is how much of an impact and who benefits?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): In Melbourne, Florida, cleaning up after the latest hurricane and, frankly, not concentrating on anything else.
JOHN BINDHAMMER, MELBOURNE, FLORIDA RESIDENT: What election?
WALLACE: John and Nancy Bindhammer say they made up their minds before Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Still, will they check out the first debate tonight?
BINDHAMMER: I don't know if we have a TV or not to be perfectly honest.
WALLACE: Floridians are more focused on damages than debates, more consumed with power outages...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The power is all still out.
WALLACE: Than power politics. This has made statewide polling so difficult that it's next to impossible to know exactly where Sunshine State voters stand. With that in mind before the hurricanes, President Bush had a four-point lead with likely voters. In the CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll released last night, his lead in that category now? Nine points. The hurricanes have kept the two major candidates largely off the stump, but one has not been out of sight.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What else do you need?
WALLACE: The president this morning and yesterday visiting areas damaged by Hurricane Jeanne. He has come to the state now after each of the four hurricanes requesting Congress to approve more than $12 billion in federal aid.
TOM FIEDLAR, EXEC. EDITOR, "THE MIAMI HERALD": It works to the president's advantage in that this gives him an opportunity to actually act presidential.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry has only visited the hurricane areas once, careful not to look like he was trying to capitalize on the tragedy.
So the president benefits, Kerry loses? Well, maybe not entirely. The areas hardest hit have been predominantly Republican which raises this question, could GOP turnout be lower than in years past?
FIEDLAR: Does that mean that on November 2 peoples' lives remain enough in disarray that the idea of casting a ballot is maybe secondary to your concerns?
WALLACE: And with thousands of residents still displaced from their homes and absentee ballots unforwardable, it is something we won't know until after the election. .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And then there is this, the deadline for voter registration is next week, Wolf. Early voting gets underway in just about two 1/2 weeks. So the big question is is the state known for those hanging chads in 2000 going to be able to overcome the hurricane complications this year?
BLITZER: A critically important issue. Florida being such a key battleground state. Thank you very much. Kelly Wallace with that report.
We're following a breaking story out of London. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair will undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. We're getting some more information. We'll have that for you. Also, a popular prescription drug has been pulled from the market. Why is this happening? We'll tell you all about that as well.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't, Bernard (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Debate danger, candidates caught in a verbal trap. We'll take a look at some of the more memorable mistakes. Mistakes the two candidates tonight here at the University of Miami will hope to avoid.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to the University of Miami, where the students are clearly excited about what's to happen -- about to happen here on this campus.
Avoiding the debate traps, though, that will be critical for both the candidates, questions that could ultimately end a candidate's presidential dreams. We'll take a closer look at some past examples that both Bush and Kerry hope not to repeat. We'll get to all of that.
First, though, a quick check of some stories now in the news.
BLITZER: Just a short while ago, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, said he'll undergo a heart procedure tomorrow. He says it's to correct what he described as a heart flutter and says he'll be back at work Monday.
In Baghdad, another day of terror. More than 40 Iraqis were killed in two car bombings in that city, including 34 children. The children had lined up to get candy from U.S. troops when the attacks happened.
Mount Saint Helens in Washington state may soon be ready to blow. One scientist says there's a 70 percent chance of a small eruption in the next few days. The earthquake activity that began last week is said to be increasing and a volcanic advisory is now in place.
Pharmaceutical giant Merck is announcing a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of one of its most popular and most profitable arthritis drugs. Vioxx is being pulled after five years and more than 100 million prescriptions. Studies show it increases the dangers of heart attack and stroke.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news. Now back to tonight's presidential debates. Sometimes, the key to winning isn't necessarily what you say. It's what you avoid saying.
CNN's Brian Todd joins us now live with a look at potential debate pitfalls -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And there have been plenty of pitfalls along the way, Wolf. Some of them, the candidates stumble into themselves. At other moments, they're caught by a question they never expected.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): With all of the rehearsals, handling, talking points, could the best advice for the candidate be simply don't get caught in a moment like this?
BERNARD SHAW, MODERATOR: Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?
MICHAEL DUKAKIS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I don't, Bernard, and I think you know that I have opposed the death penalty during all of my life. I don't see any evidence that it's a deterrent. And I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime.
Michael Dukakis' own wife would later call that moment the nail in the coffin of his 1998 campaign. But avoiding traps, those questions designed to throw candidates off or at least get them to reveal themselves, is much easier said than done. Sometimes, the trap isn't even a question, but simply handling one's opponent. Take this exchange over Vietnam between John McCain and the normally-composed George W. Bush.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: You should be ashamed of sponsoring an event with that man there, who had attacked your own father.
BUSH: Let me finish.
MCCAIN: Yes, sir. Yes.
BUSH: John, I believe that you served our country nobly. And I've said it over and over again. That man wasn't speaking for me. He may have a dispute with you.
(CROSSTALK)
BUSH: Let me finish, please. Please, let me finish.
(CROSSTALK)
BUSH: Let me finish.
TODD: Sometimes, the candidates set themselves up; 1976, President Gerald Ford seemingly doesn't understand the Cold War.
GERALD FORD, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.
TODD: Jimmy Carter benefits from that mistake, wins the election, but doesn't seem to have learned from it four years later in a debate with Ronald Reagan. With no trap set, Carter tries for the human touch and appears out of touch.
JIMMY CARTER, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I had a discussion with my daughter Amy the other day before I came here to ask her what the most important issue was. She said she thought nuclear weaponry.
TODD: The self-setup, no candidate may have done it more effectively than Ross Perot's running mate in 1992.
ADMIRAL JAMES STOCKDALE, VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who am I? Why am I here?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Now, we're not likely to hear a line like that tonight, but some of this illustrates how much of a mine field a debate can be. The trap can come in different forms and from virtually anyone participating in the event -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us -- thanks, Brian, very much.
Let's get Some insight now from both campaigns.
Joining us now from the Bush campaign, Dan Senor. He was the chief spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq when it existed, before the new interim government took over. Dan Senor now supporting President Bush.
Dan, thanks very much for joining us.
Since you left -- I don't know if there's a correlation -- the situation on the ground in Iraq, I think you will admit, has gone from horrible to even more horrible. Is that a fair assessment?
DAN SENOR, FORMER COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN: Wolf, I would say that there's definitely been significant violence in recent weeks and certainly today's tragic death of over 30 people.
But it also correlates with progress on the political track. And as we move closer and closer to the elections in Iraq, one of the first free elections in the Arab world, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, members of the al Qaeda networks, other professional terrorists have come into the country, collaborating with some of the insurgents, are trying to thwart the overall effort. And that's really what's going on here. I think it's important, Wolf, to note that in countries from Indonesia and El Salvador to Colombia and South Africa, when there has been violence in the lead-up to elections and during elections, it's important to continue to move forward with the elections. Nothing can defeat terrorists and an insurgency more than free elections. That's what is going to happen in Iraq. That's Prime Minister Allawi's plan. And President Bush has been quite supportive.
BLITZER: But, Dan, there are indications, as you know, and they've been in the open press, that these insurgents are getting some significant support from security forces, Iraqi security forces, from Iraqi police forces, that they, in effect, either close their eyes or they actually collaborate in these kinds of attacks. What do you make of that?
SENOR: When you are building a new security force like we are with the Iraqis in a situation like Iraq, you have to have a very robust vetting process to ensure some of the bad actors don't wind up back in the system. Some do. Some slip through the cracks. When they do, the Iraqis seek to rectify the situation immediately.
While there are some problems, Wolf, I think it's important to keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of Iraqi personnel are serving courageously. They're serving professionally. They are very serious people. They line up each day to volunteer to serve even after they're attacked at these police stations and these recruiting centers. They're serious and they're patriotic. And I think those are the folks we should be working with and paying tribute to.
BLITZER: Dan Senor, supporting President Bush here in Miami -- thanks, Dan, very much. We'll talk to you down the road.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: And coming up, we'll hear from the other side as well, Democratic Senator Bob Graham from here in Florida. He'll join us. He supports John Kerry.
Remember, the candidates' debate coming up in just a few hours. Some key backers are ready to go right now. The Reverend Al Sharpton, by the way, and Congressman Mark Foley, they'll go head to head on this program. That's coming up.
And the crucial youth vote. What are some young people here on the campus of the University of Miami saying? They'll speak out on the debate and the race for the White House.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're looking at a picture of Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is here on the campus of the University of Miami, but he won't -- he has not been invited to participate in the presidential debate tonight. He will be a guest, though, on "ANDERSON COOPER 360. That comes up 7:00 p.m. Eastern tonight. Anderson Cooper will talk with Ralph Nader here at the University of Miami.
Welcome back to our continuing coverage.
The first presidential debate between John Kerry and George W. Bush gets under way in just a few hours. Right now, we're going to get a little taste of what we're all in store for. We're putting supporters of each candidate out there head to head in the Kerry camp, the former Democrat presidential candidate the Reverend Al Sharpton, and backing the Bush campaign, Republican Congressman Mark Foley from here in Florida.
Let me begin with Reverend Sharpton.
How does John Kerry overcome the problem that the Republicans have painted him in, namely that he's wishy-washy, flip-flopping, he goes with the political wind?
AL SHARPTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that he has to confront the president with the facts.
The facts are that John Kerry started down the road with Mr. Bush's map. And when he found out it was in the wrong direction, they're trying to blame him for following the road map they gave him. Like anybody intelligent, when you find out the map is bringing you not to where you were told, you change direction.
So can you imagine the arrogance of George Bush to blame somebody for believing him?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SHARPTON: I think that it is absurd, say, you should have been smart enough, Kerry, not to believe me. You should have known I was misleading you.
I think that is absolutely outrageous.
BLITZER: Doesn't the buck stop, Mark Foley, with the president, the faulty information that caused him to go to war, the weapons of mass destruction that apparently never existed or certainly didn't exist on the eve of the war?
REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: Well, I don't think the buck stops only with the president.
Every other nation had the same information we did. I remind Reverend Sharpton of his quote in February when he was campaigning against both Edwards and Kerry. He said they basically say, I'm against what Bush did, but I'm voting for it anyway. He called it the bait and switch. So I don't think the president has to answer questions about the weapons or systems, because we know what was happening in Iraq was deadly, dangerous to the citizens of Iraq.
I think what Mr. Kerry has to do is find a way to explain why he changes position so many times. And Al Sharpton hit the nail on the head when he said, this is the bait and switch.
BLITZER: But, Congressman, Congressman, I think you will admit, Congressman, that was not the main reason the president gave for leading the country to war, what was good for the Iraqi people. The main reason was what was essential for the American people, namely, the fear of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
FOLEY: Well, Wolf, that's correct.
We were under the impression that there were weapons of mass destruction, as were every one of our allies. The fact that there are none today is, of course, a concern to so many members who voted for the invasion of Iraq. But if you put everything in totality, if you look at what's happened and you look at the attempts to thwart terrorism, I think we started at the appropriate place.
I think Saddam Hussein is a menace.
BLITZER: All right.
FOLEY: I think the work the president's done there is important.
And so the fact of no weapons, yes, is a concern, but the end result, I think, is a safer world for all of us.
BLITZER: All right.
Reverend Sharpton, is the world better off without Saddam Hussein in power?
SHARPTON: I think that the question is the world could have been better off without a lot of things. It could have been better off without North Korea in power. That's not what we were told.
We were not told we were going there because we were going to make it a better world without Hussein. We were told we were in imminent danger. And you can't blame people for believing you.
As for the congressman quoting me, I'm a minister. Sometimes, it takes longer for me to convert people that are misled to the right path. But they got on the right path. The one that led them there wrongly was George Bush, just like he's in the state of Florida. I think it's ironic. We have returned to the scene of the crime that brought him into office in the first place to talk about what he did when he misled America into war.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: Now, let me let Congressman Foley respond to that.
Go ahead, Congressman.
FOLEY: Well, first, I'm glad you're back in Florida, because we could use the business. The tourism is appreciated.
But bottom line is, the president is on moral grounds with what he has done. Again, Mr. Sharpton remembers quite clearly the debate over these issues back in February. We were given information. We had to act on that information. And I think the president, again, did the right thing.
BLITZER: Reverend Sharpton, the other problem that John Kerry has is that the American public, at least according to our most recent polls, is fearful that he is not as capable of handling the overall war on terror as effectively as the president is.
SHARPTON: I think that he has an opportunity tonight and I think he will in the next 30-some odd days to show them, A, that he can, and, B, that the president has not, because how do we say we're safer today when we still see the leadership of al Qaeda at large? How do we say we're safer today when North Korea still has its situation? How do we say we're safer today?
You know, Mr. Bush's supporters say, well, we haven't had another attack. Isn't that amazing to say the way you're safe is nobody's robbed your house, not to say that I've secured it, not to say these measures are in place? Just be grateful that someone didn't break in again. Well, you were the president when the first break-in came. And I think that Kerry is going to bring that fight to Bush.
BLITZER: All right, unfortunately, we're going to have to cut the debate short because we're getting some breaking news coming in.
But the Reverend Al Sharpton, thanks very much for joining us.
SHARPTON: Thank you.
BLITZER: Also, Congressman Mark Foley of Florida, thanks very much to you as well.
I want to go immediately to our Jane Arraf. She's on the phone with us from Samarra in Iraq right now, where there's a major development unfolding.
Jane, tell our viewers what's happening.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, U.S. forces have moved into the city in a major offensive, the biggest offensive in months, to root out insurgents.
They've brought an entire brigade here. We're with the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division and we've rolled in, in Bradleys. Around us, we were hearing RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades, being fired. We are now nearing the middle of the city. The operation is ongoing. It started just a while ago.
And the unit we're with estimates that there may be up to 2,000 fighters here, an enormous number by any standards, if true. And up to 250 foreign fighters in the U.S. Army, the U.S. military; 1st Infantry Division has rolled an entire brigade-sized operation into the city of Samarra to root out insurgents -- Wolf.
BLITZER: It sounds like this could be the largest military offensive since Fallujah a few months back, when Marines had encircled that city, were ready to go in, but in the end were told, don't do it. This looks like a similar kind of situation. Is it, Jane? ARRAF: This one, they don't seem about to stop, Wolf.
Now, we have to remember that this city was essentially off limits to U.S. forces. They had an agreement after the transfer to sovereignty that -- big explosion there -- that the U.S. military would no longer do patrols in the city. The fighting continued. Insurgents were roaming the streets.
And just three weeks ago, the U.S. military came back in, in force. They had not allowed journalists with them until this evening. And we are with those forces who are coming in, in what they describe as a battle for Samarra -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And, Jane, are you embedded with U.S. military troops there? Is that how you got this exclusive information for our viewers?
ARRAF: We are embedded.
We were flown in a Black Hawk helicopter this evening, quite a turbulent flight to avoid possible missiles and gunfire, landed at an airstrip near here, and immediately got into a Bradley to roll into the city. Again, there's a full brigade here -- there are -- oh, my God.
Excuse me. Sorry, Wolf. I'm sorry. That was -- yes, I'm fine. Thank you.
We've got to -- we've got to go, Wolf.
(CROSSTALK)
ARRAF: We've got to go, Wolf.
BLITZER: Jane, I don't know if you're in any danger right now. If you are, obviously, we're going to end this. Are you still there?
Obviously, Jane Arraf reporting from the midst.
Jane Arraf, are you still there?
No, she's obviously not. We've lost connection with Jane Arraf, but she's reporting exclusively for our viewers on CNN here and around the world that there's been a major military U.S. offensive, a coalition offensive against insurgent forces north of Baghdad in Samarra. That's been one of the strongholds of the insurgency. She's watching it unfold right now.
Stay with CNN. We'll get back to Jane Arraf, get some more information for our viewers, the largest U.S. military offensive in some time breaking right now here in Iraq.
BLITZER: We'll take a quick break. More of our coverage from the University of Miami, the debate scheduled for tonight. The first debate between the candidates, George W. Bush, John Kerry, that's coming up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to the University of Miami.
Whether it's national registration drives, hip-hop stars or MTV programs like Rock the Vote, everyone's been trying to mobilize the youth vote.
CNN's Dan Lothian is down here. He's talking to some students on the campus.
Dan, I want to get to you in a moment, but I want to go first -- we've reestablished communications with our Jane Arraf. She's got breaking news in Samarra north of Baghdad.
Jane, fill in our viewers on what's going on.
ARRAF: Wolf, the U.S. military, the 1st Infantry Division has launched a major offensive (INAUDIBLE) battle for the city of Samarra.
They have sent in an entire brigade. This is the biggest offensive in Samarra since the end of the war. And they're doing (INAUDIBLE) to root out insurgents. The soldiers we're with estimate maybe (INAUDIBLE) Bradleys, called in air support to take sectors of the city one by one to regain control of the city, a story -- we may have to go back at any time, Wolf. We may have to jump back into this Bradley (INAUDIBLE) There are (INAUDIBLE) explosions and (INAUDIBLE) with the Iraqi National Guard and U.S. forces to retake this city -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, CNN's Jane Arraf.
We are going to continue to monitor this situation.
Jane, please be safe over there. We'll get back to you, of course, once there's new information, Jane Arraf reporting exclusively, a major U.S. military offensive under way right now in the Sunni Triangle, Samarra, an insurgent holdout. We'll get some more information from our viewers.
Let's find out how students here on the campus of the University of Miami are dealing with history unfolding on this campus later tonight.
CNN's Dan Lothian here at the campus talking to students -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, we're getting a front-row seat to history.
I am joined by four students.
We'll start out with Karen (ph).
You are a Kerry supporter. What is it that you need to see and hear tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they've painted a very poor picture of John Kerry and about how he's not, you know, definitely sure on one side.
I think John Kerry is pretty sure. He knows that we're at war, you know, for a lie, for the wrong reason. And I'd like to see him be a bit more stronger on his side. And I really don't think these allegations that the Republican Party have pinned against him are true.
LOTHIAN: What about the flip-flop issue? A that is something that keeps coming up again. He voted for it. then he voted against it. Is this something that you need him to put to rest tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, definitely, definitely. Sure. I think he will change a lot of people's minds.
LOTHIAN: Great.
Halli (ph), you are a freshman and a Bush supporter. What is it that you need to hear from him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to hear him support -- like, defend himself on all the allegations that Kerry has made against him. And I want to see what he has to say and how he's going to change and how he is going to keep the same, because I loved what he did in Iraq, that he took Saddam out, because I didn't think Saddam belonged there.
And also that I want him to -- that he supported Muslims right after 9/11. So, like, the stuff that he did during his presidency, what I thought was a good thing, and I want it to continue.
LOTHIAN: But nothing will change your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I want to hear what Kerry has to say also. Like, I want to see if, like, what his values are, because all I've heard him say so far is negativity towards Bush. So...
LOTHIAN: OK, great.
Quickly, Matt, you also are a -- who are you supporting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm supporting Bush, but I'm still very undecided.
LOTHIAN: Undecided.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LOTHIAN: So something tonight could change your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. Definitely.
I think that the key issue, of course, is the Middle East, but I'm behind very Bush and his policies on Israel. So that's a key issue that I'm hoping to get into tonight.
LOTHIAN: Talk to me about the students on campus. Are they engaged in the political process? Do they even care about debates?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They care hugely. If you were here this morning, there were protests. There was fights between the Republicans and Democrats. So the students here are getting very actively involved.
LOTHIAN: And they were making a lot of noise earlier.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A ton of noise.
(CROSSTALK)
LOTHIAN: As we look around, we see a lot of the Bush signs here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
LOTHIAN: And some Kerry signs as well.
Jen (ph), talk to me about why you're supporting Senator Kerry and what is it that you need to see tonight from him in this debate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm supporting Senator Kerry simply because he's just right about everything. He's very definite on what he believes in. And I, myself, just completely disagree with Bush.
LOTHIAN: But what is it that he needs to do tonight? We hear so much about the fact that he needs to knock the ball out of the park. What is it that he needs to do for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First and foremost, he needs to hold Bush accountable for all the lies and deception that he's given to this country and he needs to call him out on that.
LOTHIAN: OK. OK, great. Thank you very much -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Dan Lothian with some students here on the campus on the University of Miami. Dan, thanks very much.
Senator Bob Graham is here, the senior senator from Florida.
Senator, thanks very much for joining us.
First of all, what do you make of this U.S. military offensive that's under way in Samarra against these insurgents? Our Jane Arraf reporting that exclusively.
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D), FLORIDA: Wolf, I just caught it a few seconds ago. And I don't know what the full indication is.
I think we've got to have a strategy that does not leave substantial pockets of Iraq to the insurgents. You cannot effectively control a country if you have big cities that are out of your
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: This is one of the areas, this is one of the areas where the president and the senator, the Democratic candidate, agree. They have to fight the insurgents. They have to get Iraqi troops to take over responsibility.
I remember before the war, you were one of those Democrats who thought you shouldn't give the authorization to the president because it would divert attention from the real threat, al Qaeda. Your candidate disagreed with you then, John Kerry.
GRAHAM: And I also thought that the resolution was too weak, in the sense that it didn't give the president the authority to go after major terrorist groups, who would likely, and I think three years later definitely have, grown in strength because of the war in Iraq.
One of my major concerns with what's happening right now, Wolf, is that this administration's trying to hide from the American people what's really happening in Iraq. A couple of days ago, the newspapers carried a story from a private security firm which reported the number of attacks against Americans and others in Iraq. Do you know that today the administration put a full blanket of secrecy over all that information, for the only purpose to keep the American people unaware of what's happening in Iraq?
BLITZER: Can John Kerry carry Florida? I ask that in the aftermath of four hurricanes in six weeks, a lot of people not focusing in on this election.
GRAHAM: The answer is yes. There's no question that politics is not on very many Floridians' minds tonight. If you're looking through the ceiling and seeing the sky, you are not thinking about how you're going to vote on November the 2nd.
But in two or three weeks, people will be back at a point in their lives. They'll begin to focus on the presidential election. And I predict that Florida will be just as significant and almost as close as it was in 2000.
BLITZER: All right, we'll be watching.
Senator Graham, thanks very much.
GRAHAM: Good. Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: And to our viewers, here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Remember, we've been asking you that question. Here it is. And here, you should also remember that it's not -- repeat, not -- a scientific poll.
Please stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news, for our special live coverage of the first presidential debate. It all begins in one hour, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll be here with my colleagues Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn.
Thanks very much for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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