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CNN Live At Daybreak

Explosions Rock Downtown Baghdad; Latest in Preparations for Elections in Afghanistan

Aired October 04, 2004 - 05:00   ET

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

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


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, explosions rock downtown Baghdad, leaving several dead and injured.
It's Monday, October 4, and this is DAYBREAK.

Well, good morning.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.

Now in the news, a little more than two hours ago, a pair of car bombs ripped through central Baghdad. At least 15 people have been killed and at least 80 others injured. That fire blast happened outside the heavily fortified green zone, the second near a hotel. We'll take you to Baghdad for a live report in just a couple of minutes.

In the Gaza Strip this morning, Israeli forces are not letting up. They are pushing ahead with a sixth day of raids against suspected militants. Palestinian security sources say the latest incursion left two Palestinians dead. Seven were killed on Sunday.

The death penalty, free speech and prison sentences -- those are just some of the issues facing the Supreme Court, which opens a new term this morning.

And Space Ship One is set to launch from California about five hours from now. The ship flew into space last week, as you recall. Now it's trying to become the first privately made manned rocket to reach space twice within 14 days.

But here's the question -- will the weather cooperate with that attempt?

Chad Myers is here with the latest on that -- good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Betty.

It looks pretty good for the weather out there.

NGUYEN: Good.

MYERS: Let's just hope he doesn't barrel roll like he did last time.

NGUYEN: True. MYERS: Forty times he went over and over and over before he finally got it under control. But obviously he made it safely back to earth, because there were pictures of him.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: In other news today, heavy explosions followed by gunfire this morning in central Baghdad. There are casualties. At least 20 dead, scores wounded.

CNN's Brent Sadler is in the Iraqi capital and he has the details.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two powerful car bomb attacks in the central districts of Baghdad. The first targeting an Iraqi Army recruitment center, killing at least 15 and wounding around 80, according to Iraqi police officials. A white sport utility vehicle burst into flames amid bloodshed and panic.

The attack plan was similar to scores of other bomb attacks on Iraq's security forces, aimed at making Iraqis afraid of recruitment into the ranks of the police and army.

In a second blast, early Iraqi reports indicate bombers targeted two armored vehicles presumed to be used by Western...

(AUDIO GAP)

NGUYEN: Obviously we are having some technical difficulties with that report from Brent Sadler in Baghdad.

We'll have much more on that story throughout the show.

In the meantime, we are just about a month away from election day and the presidential race, it's getting tighter. In a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll taken this month, John Kerry appears to be gaining ground on George Bush among likely voters. Both have 49 percent support, while Ralph Nader has 1 percent. Now, last month Bush had a 52-44 percent edge over Kerry, while Nader had 3 percent. The poll has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

John Kerry is hitting the road again this morning with a rally in Hampton, New Hampshire four and a half hours from now. He then heads to Philadelphia for a private meeting with clergy members. Then it's on to a rally in Iowa, where George Bush also is campaigning today.

Well, Kerry says the president has some tough questions to answer about Iraq. He is citing a Sunday "New York Times" article. It quotes CIA sources as suggesting the White House may have ignored doubts about Iraq's nuclear weapons capabilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a story in today's newspapers, on the front pages, the front page of one of America's best known papers, the "New York Times," that raises serious questions about whether or not the administration was open and honest in making the case for the war in Iraq. These are questions that the president must face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Despite Kerry's criticism, recent voter polls show he still trails George Bush on the issue of Iraq. But things are different when it comes to the economy.

More now from CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KERRY: How are you?

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator John Kerry met with locked out steel workers from a titanium plant in Niles, Ohio and took questions at a town hall event as he focused on the economy.

KERRY: Everything is going up in America except the wages of Americans under this administration and I'm going to change that.

BUCKLEY: Kerry's emphasis on the economy coming as a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll indicates more voters believe Kerry would do a better job with the economy than President Bush, 51 to 44 percent. A week ago, the numbers were virtually reversed.

Other poll results show Kerry still trailing Bush on the issues of Iraq and the war on terror. On Iraq, 51 percent believe President Bush would do a better job; 44 percent believe in Kerry. Days before, Bush had a slightly bigger lead, at 55 percent to Kerry's 41.

On terrorism, Bush still holds a double digit lead. 56 percent say Bush do a better job, 39 percent say Kerry. But a week before, it was 61 percent for Bush, 34 percent for Kerry. The poll, taken after last Thursday's debate on foreign policy and homeland security, had its most significant shift among veterans. While President Bush still maintains a 7 point advantage over Kerry among veterans, that represents a 10 point drop for Bush, a 10 point gain for Senator Kerry.

STEPHANIE CUTTER, KERRY CAMPAIGN: But I think what we take out of this poll is that the American people liked what they saw on Thursday night. They saw somebody up there at the debate with the president telling the truth and it was refreshing.

BUCKLEY (on camera): But Cutter and other Kerry strategists are simultaneously downplaying the polls' results. As one senior aide put it, "We'll go up and we'll go down." Kerry campaign officials believe it'll be close to the every end.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Cleveland, Ohio.

(END VIDEO TAPE) NGUYEN: Tax cuts -- that's topping President Bush's agenda today. He's heading from Washington to Des Moines, Iowa, where he will sign a measure that extends three middle class tax breaks. Then the president goes to Clive, Iowa for a question and answer session with supporters. The president's also gearing up for his second debate with John Kerry. The Bush camp is trying to rebound from the first debate. Polls indicate Kerry got the most out of that one.

White House correspondent Dana Bash has more now.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president spent a rare day off the campaign trail on a bike trail, a sport Mr. Bush took up after a leg injury prevented him from running for exercise. It's that love of competition, disdain for losing Bush aides are counting on to rebound from what they only privately admit was a disappointing debate.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Every good team goes back and looks at the tapes and looks at transcripts and does that to see where opportunities could be, you know, found and things like that.

BASH: The president went over some potential opportunities at a Sunday debate prep session inside the White House. While still trying to manage expectations, aides are hoping the format for round two, a town hall, will help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Bush is very comfortable talking to real people and talking to them about the big issues of the day.

BASH: One issue Bush officials would rather not talk about but camp Kerry is counting on, whether the White House brushed aside known doubts about Iraq's nuclear capable in the run-up to war. In September 2002 on CNN's "LATE EDITION," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice warned of aluminum tube shipments to Iraq.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: High quality aluminum tubes that are only really suited for nuclear weapons programs.

BASH: An exhaustive "New York Times" report says Rice's staff knew then the Energy Department had already concluded what was later widely accepted -- the tubes were not for nuclear use.

Rice's response...

RICE: I knew there was some debate out there, but I tell you, I did not know the nature of the debate.

BASH: She says she was relying on a multi-agency assessment and has no regrets.

RICE: If you underestimate the nuclear threat of a tyrant, you make a really big mistake. And I stand by that decision of the administration to this very day.

BASH (on camera): Since last week's debate, the president has tried to shift the Iraq discussion from his decision for war back to what Senator Kerry would do as commander-in-chief. Bush officials feel that is key in making sure that a tightening in the polls doesn't result in a full fledged Kerry lead.

Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: So, when it comes to the presidential race, are you thinking twice? That is the focus of our e-mail Question of the Day. Have you changed your choice for president?

Drop us a line at daybreak@cnn.com. We'll be reading those responses at the end of the hour.

CNN is bringing you the presidential debates live. Dick Cheney and John Edwards square off tomorrow night in Cleveland in the vice presidential debate. That is followed by the second presidential debate. That's Friday in St. Louis. Our coverage starts at 7:00 Eastern both nights.

Have you registered to vote just yet? If you're in one of several states, you don't have much time left. The registration deadline is today in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. So you are running out of time there.

The Supreme Court gets back to business today and a ruling could bust the credit and debit card business wide open. Fred Katayama has the upside and the downside in just six minutes.

It's day five of Israel's assault on Palestinian strongholds in northern Gaza. We have a live update. That's coming your way in 22 minutes.

And thousands of prison sentences are on the line as the Supreme Court decides whether judges have too much power to tack on extra time. More on that in 30 minutes.

Plus, are those pricey cars really worth the money when it comes to vehicle safety? Details in 42 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

NGUYEN: Your news, money, weather and sports.

The time right now is 5:14 Eastern. Here's what's new this morning.

At least eight people were killed in central Baghdad after a pair of car bombs exploded earlier today. At least 80 others were injured. That first blast occurred just outside the heavily guarded green zone. The other was at a hotel.

Prosecutors in the Scott Peterson trial are expected to wrap up their case by Friday. The trial is entering its 19th week. Peterson's defense may last another two to three months.

In money, they are pumping more oil in Russia. Oil production there reached a post-Soviet high of nearly nine and a half million barrels for September.

In culture, a parade of married couples took to the streets in the Philippines to promote marriage, of course. The Catholic Church organized the parade of couples who had been married more than 50 years. The government is considering whether to make divorce legal in the Philippines.

Now to some sports. The Houston Astros won the National League wild card on the last day of the regular season. They'll play the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the playoffs. The Astros have lost to the Braves in three of their last four post-season appearances.

In some parts of the nation, though, Chad, it's feeling a lot more like football weather than baseball weather.

MYERS: It certainly is. They'll have to let the pitchers breathe into their hands to warm them up before this is done.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, security is a big concern in Afghanistan as the nation prepares for a landmark presidential election. That happens this Saturday.

We want to go live now to Kabul and CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour -- good morning to you.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.

And, of course, on the up side, this is the first time in 25 years that the people of Afghanistan will choose their future through the ballot box and not through fighting and warlordism, which has turned this country upside down and torn it apart for so, so long.

Nonetheless, on the down side, the security issue is still a problem. It has hampered, to an extent, certainly, quite a lot of campaign possibilities and it has hampered and marred some of the election voter registration presidential candidates.

Nonetheless, there have been, according to the U.N., some 10 million people registered to vote out of a population of about 27 million people. 41 percent of those registered voters, we're told by the U.N. and their commissions, are women, which is a huge change. Women have not voted. And, as you know, under the Taliban women had virtually no rights whatsoever, certainly no right to public life, and, for the most part, they were kept inside their homes.

Now, it is expected that Hamid Karzai, the current interim president, the man who is backed by the United States and by a great deal of the international community, will draw the biggest part of the vote. But there is, extraordinarily, a woman here who is making history. Her name is Masooda Jalal and she is the first ever female candidate to run for presidency. She is, of course, determined that she's going to win. She says she represents a complete change because she, unlike the men who were the fighters, have, as she says, no blood on her hands. And she says the people of Afghanistan want the first stone of a new Afghanistan to be laid by someone with clean hands.

It is true that her candidacy is a long shot, but nonetheless it is more about change than about winning and more about the symbolic nature of a woman for the first time having the opportunity to run for president in this country, where women's rights, certainly over the last few years, have been negligible. So that is the positive side of the intervention that defeated the Taliban three years ago -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

And you're mentioning that Karzai appears to be in the lead here. Now, looking at this from this point, although the election is supposed to happen this weekend, does it look like that he will be, indeed, the clear winner? Or might there be a runoff in this thing?

AMANPOUR: There might be a runoff. It's hard to tell right now. You know, there's been no polling done. There's been virtually no campaigning, most particularly by Karzai. There was an attempt on his life when he tried to campaign last month and he's ;pretty much been confined to his palace.

But because he's the best known and because he has the most money and support and organization behind him, and because he is and has been the transitional leader over the past nearly three years now, people are expecting him to get the biggest part of the vote. But will he get enough to avoid a runoff? That's not entirely clear at this point.

NGUYEN: Who's his toughest challenger right now?

AMANPOUR: Well, that's a good question. There are, as I say, this woman, Masooda Jalal, who got the -- she was a second to him during the loya jirga months ago. But she was quite a distant second.

The other challengers are members of Karzai's transitional government, for instance, a man called Yunis Quanuni, who was, at one point, in Karzai's transitional government. But he represents what's called the Northern Alliance, the people who basically were the United States' foot soldiers during the defeat of the Taliban three years ago, but who are also somewhat tarnished by their reputation as representatives of the kinds of warlords who kept this country at war for more than 25 years.

So -- and it's not clear whether he will maintain his independent candidacy or, in the end, will he and his fellow people join and support Karzai.

NGUYEN: Nonetheless, history will be made this weekend in Afghanistan.

Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much for that report.

What's hot on the Web? That is straight ahead.

Also, Mount St. Helens shaken but not stirred. Will this Washington State volcano roar again?

And our e-mail Question of the Day. Please send us your responses. Have you changed your choice for president? Mail those responses in to daybreak@cnn.com. That address is on the screen. We'll read that at the end of this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Time now to check our Web clicks this morning. What stories are getting your attention on our Web sites? Well, let's check them out. Go to cnn.com right now.

And first up, Chad, I know you're a big golfer and you've been waiting on your invitation, but Tiger Woods says that he is not getting married just yet. He is just planning a Caribbean vacation.

MYERS: Right.

NGUYEN: But the folks in Barbados say oh no, oh no, they are going to be wedding this week.

MYERS: Well, they're trying to keep their mouths shut, but they're not doing a very good job. Like any big story...

NGUYEN: Yes.

MYERS: Like you come out of -- you know, exactly. The word is Tuesday, getting hitched on Tuesday. He's bought off the entire resort, so nobody can even get in or out of there. But newspapers in Barbados saying Tuesday he will actually marry.

NGUYEN: But we wouldn't know because you would have received your invitation by now.

MYERS: You know, although to get into CNN, there's a lot of security to get a letter through CNN. So it's probably just held up downstairs.

NGUYEN: That's what it is, held up in the mail.

MYERS: Yes.

NGUYEN: All right. You have your first child on the way.

MYERS: I do.

NGUYEN: So prepare yourself as we talk about this next one, because you're going to be seeing a lot of these -- "Shark Tales." That animated movie set a box office record over the weekend...

MYERS: I know.

NGUYEN: ... the highest October box office draw in history. It raked in a whopping -- Chad, listen to this -- $49.1 million in its first weekend.

MYERS: I know.

NGUYEN: Now, that really topped "Scary Movie 3," which was such a huge money maker. It reaped $48 million in October of last year. But that's nothing compared to "Shark Tales." And listen to some of these stars in this movie -- you can hear their voices now -- Will Smith, Robert DeNiro, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, just to name a few of them.

MYERS: Right. And good music, too. They're thinking that's the crossover, that's why it made so much money, because there was great music in it, as well. It just wasn't a "Shrek" with, you know, with a bunch of background music in it. There was actually some star music in it so.

NGUYEN: It's hip.

MYERS: Look at that. They're great colors, though, you know what I mean? Obviously that's going to be a great DVD for a long time. I know they made a lot of money the first day out, bought the first weekend out.

NGUYEN: Right.

MYERS: But can you imagine all the DVDs? Kids are going to be sitting in front of this movie for a really long time.

NGUYEN: This is a money maker for some time.

MYERS: Yes.

NGUYEN: But this morning we also want to talk about something that is a brewing out West. It's been all the talk since Friday.

And is she going to blow some time today?

MYERS: Mount Saint Helens, wow, you know, it's still up to that three. It's called a category three alert. So, yes, they think some type of eruption is imminent. I actually, I have a little animation to show you what's going on. And, obviously, all of the folks on the West Coast very concerned about this. And people in Portland very concerned about it. This is Portland right through here. Mount Saint Helens, that little bump right there. Let me get a little closer to it. You can even see the three dimensionality to it. The top of this mountain is actually 8,000 feet, 8,600 feet in the sky. And the other side is when Mount Saint Helens blew the first time.

Notice how this is a perfect rim, a perfect crater up here. But the other side is actually gone. That's what exploded the last time Mount Saint Helens exploded. This entire side of the crater blew away.

And so now we're looking at it from this side. And most of the pictures you're seeing from TV or on TV are actually of this little area here. It's because you can see better right into this dome.

The area that you see here, this is the dome. It's been bulging, in fact, tens of meters, they're saying, overnight. And they are expecting some type of eruption sooner rather than later.

There it is, but the wind is out of the West right now. That will blow the wind away from Portland. If it blows, though, before 6:00 tonight and it blows big enough, Betty, that wind is going to get up into the middle atmosphere and that will blow the ash right on top of Portland. And that's what the folks there don't want. They don't want all of that dust and stuff back into Portland. For one thing, it's ugly for air travel and it's obviously ugly to live with all that ash. And it's not good to breathe, either.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And we will keep a watch.

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

NGUYEN: Very nice graphics. I love that.

MYERS: Yes. Thanks. They're great, huh?

NGUYEN: Better than "Shark Tales."

All right, here's what's all new in the next half hour.

A look at top stories grabbing headlines around the globe. And the proof is in the pudding -- from the inexpensive to the luxurious, is the car you drive meeting the safety standard or failing the crash test?

This is DAYBREAK for Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": My number one asset is I was born handsome. And I, I mean my looks have, I'll be honest. I mean I'm here because of this face and this body.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some would say Jimmy Kimmel's true asset is his humor. He started in radio then jumped to TV and won the outstanding game show host Emmy for "Win Ben Stein's Money" in 1999. He went on to create and host Comedy Central's hit program "The Man Show," and is currently in his second season of the late night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Kimmel believes internships are the path to success.

KIMMEL: You get in there when you're 18 years old and you work at a place where there's a possibility of moving up. If you're good at it and you work hard, you've got a very, very good chance of moving up the ladder.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 4, 2004 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, explosions rock downtown Baghdad, leaving several dead and injured.
It's Monday, October 4, and this is DAYBREAK.

Well, good morning.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.

Now in the news, a little more than two hours ago, a pair of car bombs ripped through central Baghdad. At least 15 people have been killed and at least 80 others injured. That fire blast happened outside the heavily fortified green zone, the second near a hotel. We'll take you to Baghdad for a live report in just a couple of minutes.

In the Gaza Strip this morning, Israeli forces are not letting up. They are pushing ahead with a sixth day of raids against suspected militants. Palestinian security sources say the latest incursion left two Palestinians dead. Seven were killed on Sunday.

The death penalty, free speech and prison sentences -- those are just some of the issues facing the Supreme Court, which opens a new term this morning.

And Space Ship One is set to launch from California about five hours from now. The ship flew into space last week, as you recall. Now it's trying to become the first privately made manned rocket to reach space twice within 14 days.

But here's the question -- will the weather cooperate with that attempt?

Chad Myers is here with the latest on that -- good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Betty.

It looks pretty good for the weather out there.

NGUYEN: Good.

MYERS: Let's just hope he doesn't barrel roll like he did last time.

NGUYEN: True. MYERS: Forty times he went over and over and over before he finally got it under control. But obviously he made it safely back to earth, because there were pictures of him.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: In other news today, heavy explosions followed by gunfire this morning in central Baghdad. There are casualties. At least 20 dead, scores wounded.

CNN's Brent Sadler is in the Iraqi capital and he has the details.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two powerful car bomb attacks in the central districts of Baghdad. The first targeting an Iraqi Army recruitment center, killing at least 15 and wounding around 80, according to Iraqi police officials. A white sport utility vehicle burst into flames amid bloodshed and panic.

The attack plan was similar to scores of other bomb attacks on Iraq's security forces, aimed at making Iraqis afraid of recruitment into the ranks of the police and army.

In a second blast, early Iraqi reports indicate bombers targeted two armored vehicles presumed to be used by Western...

(AUDIO GAP)

NGUYEN: Obviously we are having some technical difficulties with that report from Brent Sadler in Baghdad.

We'll have much more on that story throughout the show.

In the meantime, we are just about a month away from election day and the presidential race, it's getting tighter. In a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll taken this month, John Kerry appears to be gaining ground on George Bush among likely voters. Both have 49 percent support, while Ralph Nader has 1 percent. Now, last month Bush had a 52-44 percent edge over Kerry, while Nader had 3 percent. The poll has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

John Kerry is hitting the road again this morning with a rally in Hampton, New Hampshire four and a half hours from now. He then heads to Philadelphia for a private meeting with clergy members. Then it's on to a rally in Iowa, where George Bush also is campaigning today.

Well, Kerry says the president has some tough questions to answer about Iraq. He is citing a Sunday "New York Times" article. It quotes CIA sources as suggesting the White House may have ignored doubts about Iraq's nuclear weapons capabilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a story in today's newspapers, on the front pages, the front page of one of America's best known papers, the "New York Times," that raises serious questions about whether or not the administration was open and honest in making the case for the war in Iraq. These are questions that the president must face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Despite Kerry's criticism, recent voter polls show he still trails George Bush on the issue of Iraq. But things are different when it comes to the economy.

More now from CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KERRY: How are you?

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator John Kerry met with locked out steel workers from a titanium plant in Niles, Ohio and took questions at a town hall event as he focused on the economy.

KERRY: Everything is going up in America except the wages of Americans under this administration and I'm going to change that.

BUCKLEY: Kerry's emphasis on the economy coming as a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll indicates more voters believe Kerry would do a better job with the economy than President Bush, 51 to 44 percent. A week ago, the numbers were virtually reversed.

Other poll results show Kerry still trailing Bush on the issues of Iraq and the war on terror. On Iraq, 51 percent believe President Bush would do a better job; 44 percent believe in Kerry. Days before, Bush had a slightly bigger lead, at 55 percent to Kerry's 41.

On terrorism, Bush still holds a double digit lead. 56 percent say Bush do a better job, 39 percent say Kerry. But a week before, it was 61 percent for Bush, 34 percent for Kerry. The poll, taken after last Thursday's debate on foreign policy and homeland security, had its most significant shift among veterans. While President Bush still maintains a 7 point advantage over Kerry among veterans, that represents a 10 point drop for Bush, a 10 point gain for Senator Kerry.

STEPHANIE CUTTER, KERRY CAMPAIGN: But I think what we take out of this poll is that the American people liked what they saw on Thursday night. They saw somebody up there at the debate with the president telling the truth and it was refreshing.

BUCKLEY (on camera): But Cutter and other Kerry strategists are simultaneously downplaying the polls' results. As one senior aide put it, "We'll go up and we'll go down." Kerry campaign officials believe it'll be close to the every end.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Cleveland, Ohio.

(END VIDEO TAPE) NGUYEN: Tax cuts -- that's topping President Bush's agenda today. He's heading from Washington to Des Moines, Iowa, where he will sign a measure that extends three middle class tax breaks. Then the president goes to Clive, Iowa for a question and answer session with supporters. The president's also gearing up for his second debate with John Kerry. The Bush camp is trying to rebound from the first debate. Polls indicate Kerry got the most out of that one.

White House correspondent Dana Bash has more now.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president spent a rare day off the campaign trail on a bike trail, a sport Mr. Bush took up after a leg injury prevented him from running for exercise. It's that love of competition, disdain for losing Bush aides are counting on to rebound from what they only privately admit was a disappointing debate.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Every good team goes back and looks at the tapes and looks at transcripts and does that to see where opportunities could be, you know, found and things like that.

BASH: The president went over some potential opportunities at a Sunday debate prep session inside the White House. While still trying to manage expectations, aides are hoping the format for round two, a town hall, will help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Bush is very comfortable talking to real people and talking to them about the big issues of the day.

BASH: One issue Bush officials would rather not talk about but camp Kerry is counting on, whether the White House brushed aside known doubts about Iraq's nuclear capable in the run-up to war. In September 2002 on CNN's "LATE EDITION," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice warned of aluminum tube shipments to Iraq.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: High quality aluminum tubes that are only really suited for nuclear weapons programs.

BASH: An exhaustive "New York Times" report says Rice's staff knew then the Energy Department had already concluded what was later widely accepted -- the tubes were not for nuclear use.

Rice's response...

RICE: I knew there was some debate out there, but I tell you, I did not know the nature of the debate.

BASH: She says she was relying on a multi-agency assessment and has no regrets.

RICE: If you underestimate the nuclear threat of a tyrant, you make a really big mistake. And I stand by that decision of the administration to this very day.

BASH (on camera): Since last week's debate, the president has tried to shift the Iraq discussion from his decision for war back to what Senator Kerry would do as commander-in-chief. Bush officials feel that is key in making sure that a tightening in the polls doesn't result in a full fledged Kerry lead.

Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: So, when it comes to the presidential race, are you thinking twice? That is the focus of our e-mail Question of the Day. Have you changed your choice for president?

Drop us a line at daybreak@cnn.com. We'll be reading those responses at the end of the hour.

CNN is bringing you the presidential debates live. Dick Cheney and John Edwards square off tomorrow night in Cleveland in the vice presidential debate. That is followed by the second presidential debate. That's Friday in St. Louis. Our coverage starts at 7:00 Eastern both nights.

Have you registered to vote just yet? If you're in one of several states, you don't have much time left. The registration deadline is today in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. So you are running out of time there.

The Supreme Court gets back to business today and a ruling could bust the credit and debit card business wide open. Fred Katayama has the upside and the downside in just six minutes.

It's day five of Israel's assault on Palestinian strongholds in northern Gaza. We have a live update. That's coming your way in 22 minutes.

And thousands of prison sentences are on the line as the Supreme Court decides whether judges have too much power to tack on extra time. More on that in 30 minutes.

Plus, are those pricey cars really worth the money when it comes to vehicle safety? Details in 42 minutes.

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

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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

NGUYEN: Your news, money, weather and sports.

The time right now is 5:14 Eastern. Here's what's new this morning.

At least eight people were killed in central Baghdad after a pair of car bombs exploded earlier today. At least 80 others were injured. That first blast occurred just outside the heavily guarded green zone. The other was at a hotel.

Prosecutors in the Scott Peterson trial are expected to wrap up their case by Friday. The trial is entering its 19th week. Peterson's defense may last another two to three months.

In money, they are pumping more oil in Russia. Oil production there reached a post-Soviet high of nearly nine and a half million barrels for September.

In culture, a parade of married couples took to the streets in the Philippines to promote marriage, of course. The Catholic Church organized the parade of couples who had been married more than 50 years. The government is considering whether to make divorce legal in the Philippines.

Now to some sports. The Houston Astros won the National League wild card on the last day of the regular season. They'll play the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the playoffs. The Astros have lost to the Braves in three of their last four post-season appearances.

In some parts of the nation, though, Chad, it's feeling a lot more like football weather than baseball weather.

MYERS: It certainly is. They'll have to let the pitchers breathe into their hands to warm them up before this is done.

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NGUYEN: Well, security is a big concern in Afghanistan as the nation prepares for a landmark presidential election. That happens this Saturday.

We want to go live now to Kabul and CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour -- good morning to you.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.

And, of course, on the up side, this is the first time in 25 years that the people of Afghanistan will choose their future through the ballot box and not through fighting and warlordism, which has turned this country upside down and torn it apart for so, so long.

Nonetheless, on the down side, the security issue is still a problem. It has hampered, to an extent, certainly, quite a lot of campaign possibilities and it has hampered and marred some of the election voter registration presidential candidates.

Nonetheless, there have been, according to the U.N., some 10 million people registered to vote out of a population of about 27 million people. 41 percent of those registered voters, we're told by the U.N. and their commissions, are women, which is a huge change. Women have not voted. And, as you know, under the Taliban women had virtually no rights whatsoever, certainly no right to public life, and, for the most part, they were kept inside their homes.

Now, it is expected that Hamid Karzai, the current interim president, the man who is backed by the United States and by a great deal of the international community, will draw the biggest part of the vote. But there is, extraordinarily, a woman here who is making history. Her name is Masooda Jalal and she is the first ever female candidate to run for presidency. She is, of course, determined that she's going to win. She says she represents a complete change because she, unlike the men who were the fighters, have, as she says, no blood on her hands. And she says the people of Afghanistan want the first stone of a new Afghanistan to be laid by someone with clean hands.

It is true that her candidacy is a long shot, but nonetheless it is more about change than about winning and more about the symbolic nature of a woman for the first time having the opportunity to run for president in this country, where women's rights, certainly over the last few years, have been negligible. So that is the positive side of the intervention that defeated the Taliban three years ago -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

And you're mentioning that Karzai appears to be in the lead here. Now, looking at this from this point, although the election is supposed to happen this weekend, does it look like that he will be, indeed, the clear winner? Or might there be a runoff in this thing?

AMANPOUR: There might be a runoff. It's hard to tell right now. You know, there's been no polling done. There's been virtually no campaigning, most particularly by Karzai. There was an attempt on his life when he tried to campaign last month and he's ;pretty much been confined to his palace.

But because he's the best known and because he has the most money and support and organization behind him, and because he is and has been the transitional leader over the past nearly three years now, people are expecting him to get the biggest part of the vote. But will he get enough to avoid a runoff? That's not entirely clear at this point.

NGUYEN: Who's his toughest challenger right now?

AMANPOUR: Well, that's a good question. There are, as I say, this woman, Masooda Jalal, who got the -- she was a second to him during the loya jirga months ago. But she was quite a distant second.

The other challengers are members of Karzai's transitional government, for instance, a man called Yunis Quanuni, who was, at one point, in Karzai's transitional government. But he represents what's called the Northern Alliance, the people who basically were the United States' foot soldiers during the defeat of the Taliban three years ago, but who are also somewhat tarnished by their reputation as representatives of the kinds of warlords who kept this country at war for more than 25 years.

So -- and it's not clear whether he will maintain his independent candidacy or, in the end, will he and his fellow people join and support Karzai.

NGUYEN: Nonetheless, history will be made this weekend in Afghanistan.

Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much for that report.

What's hot on the Web? That is straight ahead.

Also, Mount St. Helens shaken but not stirred. Will this Washington State volcano roar again?

And our e-mail Question of the Day. Please send us your responses. Have you changed your choice for president? Mail those responses in to daybreak@cnn.com. That address is on the screen. We'll read that at the end of this hour.

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NGUYEN: Time now to check our Web clicks this morning. What stories are getting your attention on our Web sites? Well, let's check them out. Go to cnn.com right now.

And first up, Chad, I know you're a big golfer and you've been waiting on your invitation, but Tiger Woods says that he is not getting married just yet. He is just planning a Caribbean vacation.

MYERS: Right.

NGUYEN: But the folks in Barbados say oh no, oh no, they are going to be wedding this week.

MYERS: Well, they're trying to keep their mouths shut, but they're not doing a very good job. Like any big story...

NGUYEN: Yes.

MYERS: Like you come out of -- you know, exactly. The word is Tuesday, getting hitched on Tuesday. He's bought off the entire resort, so nobody can even get in or out of there. But newspapers in Barbados saying Tuesday he will actually marry.

NGUYEN: But we wouldn't know because you would have received your invitation by now.

MYERS: You know, although to get into CNN, there's a lot of security to get a letter through CNN. So it's probably just held up downstairs.

NGUYEN: That's what it is, held up in the mail.

MYERS: Yes.

NGUYEN: All right. You have your first child on the way.

MYERS: I do.

NGUYEN: So prepare yourself as we talk about this next one, because you're going to be seeing a lot of these -- "Shark Tales." That animated movie set a box office record over the weekend...

MYERS: I know.

NGUYEN: ... the highest October box office draw in history. It raked in a whopping -- Chad, listen to this -- $49.1 million in its first weekend.

MYERS: I know.

NGUYEN: Now, that really topped "Scary Movie 3," which was such a huge money maker. It reaped $48 million in October of last year. But that's nothing compared to "Shark Tales." And listen to some of these stars in this movie -- you can hear their voices now -- Will Smith, Robert DeNiro, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, just to name a few of them.

MYERS: Right. And good music, too. They're thinking that's the crossover, that's why it made so much money, because there was great music in it, as well. It just wasn't a "Shrek" with, you know, with a bunch of background music in it. There was actually some star music in it so.

NGUYEN: It's hip.

MYERS: Look at that. They're great colors, though, you know what I mean? Obviously that's going to be a great DVD for a long time. I know they made a lot of money the first day out, bought the first weekend out.

NGUYEN: Right.

MYERS: But can you imagine all the DVDs? Kids are going to be sitting in front of this movie for a really long time.

NGUYEN: This is a money maker for some time.

MYERS: Yes.

NGUYEN: But this morning we also want to talk about something that is a brewing out West. It's been all the talk since Friday.

And is she going to blow some time today?

MYERS: Mount Saint Helens, wow, you know, it's still up to that three. It's called a category three alert. So, yes, they think some type of eruption is imminent. I actually, I have a little animation to show you what's going on. And, obviously, all of the folks on the West Coast very concerned about this. And people in Portland very concerned about it. This is Portland right through here. Mount Saint Helens, that little bump right there. Let me get a little closer to it. You can even see the three dimensionality to it. The top of this mountain is actually 8,000 feet, 8,600 feet in the sky. And the other side is when Mount Saint Helens blew the first time.

Notice how this is a perfect rim, a perfect crater up here. But the other side is actually gone. That's what exploded the last time Mount Saint Helens exploded. This entire side of the crater blew away.

And so now we're looking at it from this side. And most of the pictures you're seeing from TV or on TV are actually of this little area here. It's because you can see better right into this dome.

The area that you see here, this is the dome. It's been bulging, in fact, tens of meters, they're saying, overnight. And they are expecting some type of eruption sooner rather than later.

There it is, but the wind is out of the West right now. That will blow the wind away from Portland. If it blows, though, before 6:00 tonight and it blows big enough, Betty, that wind is going to get up into the middle atmosphere and that will blow the ash right on top of Portland. And that's what the folks there don't want. They don't want all of that dust and stuff back into Portland. For one thing, it's ugly for air travel and it's obviously ugly to live with all that ash. And it's not good to breathe, either.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And we will keep a watch.

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

NGUYEN: Very nice graphics. I love that.

MYERS: Yes. Thanks. They're great, huh?

NGUYEN: Better than "Shark Tales."

All right, here's what's all new in the next half hour.

A look at top stories grabbing headlines around the globe. And the proof is in the pudding -- from the inexpensive to the luxurious, is the car you drive meeting the safety standard or failing the crash test?

This is DAYBREAK for Monday.

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JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": My number one asset is I was born handsome. And I, I mean my looks have, I'll be honest. I mean I'm here because of this face and this body.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some would say Jimmy Kimmel's true asset is his humor. He started in radio then jumped to TV and won the outstanding game show host Emmy for "Win Ben Stein's Money" in 1999. He went on to create and host Comedy Central's hit program "The Man Show," and is currently in his second season of the late night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Kimmel believes internships are the path to success.

KIMMEL: You get in there when you're 18 years old and you work at a place where there's a possibility of moving up. If you're good at it and you work hard, you've got a very, very good chance of moving up the ladder.

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