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CNN Live At Daybreak

"Political Hot Topics" -- Stem Cell Research; Yasser Hamdi Returns to Native Saudi Arabia; "Scorecard"

Aired October 11, 2004 - 06:30   ET

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


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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news -- Yasser Hamdi has returned to his native Saudi Arabia. It just happened this morning. We have word of that from his lawyer. The U.S. had been holding Hamdi as an enemy combatant for nearly three years. Hamdi went back to Saudi Arabia under a plea deal with the U.S. government.

Actor Christopher Reeve, star of the "Superman" movies, has died at a New York hospital. He was 52. He was being treated for a massive infection when he went into cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma. Reeve was paralyzed nine years ago in a horseback riding accident, and was an advocate for spinal cord research.

And baseball's Ken Caminiti, the National League most valuable player in 1996, has died. His agent says Caminiti suffered from a heart attack. An autopsy has yet to be performed. Caminiti was an admitted steroid user. He was just 41 years old.

Militiamen of Muqtada al-Sara's Mehdi Army are turning in some of their heavy weaponry in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, the first day of the weapons buyback. Elsewhere in the Iraqi capital, two American soldiers were killed, five wounded, this morning in a rocket attack.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Christopher Reeve had been a superman in tireless campaigning for spinal cord research. Reeve was paralyzed by a riding accident nine years ago that broke his neck, but he evolved into a world-wide advocate for spinal cord research.

The actor believed that stem cells held the key to someday reversing his paralysis. He talked about that on "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Do you still think you will walk again?

CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: I certainly have the motto that nothing is impossible. I think the question of whether I will walk is going to depend on politics. It's going to depend on collaboration between scientists around the world. It will depend on economics. A lot of factors that I knew very little about when I was injured eight years ago. And I think my purpose when I was 42 in saying that I would walk by the time I was 50 was to be provocative, to be a voice saying why can't we do this? Don't tell me the reasons why not. Well, now I understand some of the difficulties, not only in terms of the science, but the other forces that I was just mentioning. But I do think that these can be overcome. I just can't put a specific date on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Senator John Kerry mentioned Reeve's name during the second presidential debate. President Bush placed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in 2001. And last week, Kerry accused Bush of restricting the potentially life-saving research because of extreme right-wing ideology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Chris Reeve is a friend of mine. Chris Reeve exercises every single day to keep those muscles alive until the day when he believes he can walk again. And I want him to walk again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Polls show stem cell research has widespread support, and that is part of our "Political Hot Topics" this morning.

Live now, Vaughn Ververs is the editor of "The National Journal's" "Hotline."

Good morning. Vaughn, are you there?

VAUGHN VERVERS, EDITOR, "THE HOTLINE": Yes, I am.

COSTELLO: Oh, good. I was afraid you wouldn't be there. How much do you think that this will enter into politics now that Christopher Reeve has died? And I know that sounds cynical, but let's face it: Politics is a cynical business.

VERVERS: Well, you mentioned that it does have -- embryonic stem cell research does have support in the polls and support among the American people. It's not an issue that a lot of people, you know, will go to the ballot box and vote exclusively on.

However, something like this does have the impact of focusing in on it more. It's going to be in the news for the next several days obviously. There will be an awful lot of discussion about it. It was mentioned in the debate.

There are some strong feelings on the other side. But this will elevate the issue and that works to John Kerry's advantage. Democrats have throughout the fall thought that this was an issue that they could gain traction on, and this is going to help them do that.

COSTELLO: He has to be careful about how he presents this to voters, though, doesn't he? VERVERS: Oh, sure. He doesn't really even need to bring it up other than to express his sadness and the hope that people like Christopher Reeve will eventually be cured of these things. And stem cell research, in his view, is one way to do that.

So, I don't think that he really needs to bring it up. It's going to be brought up. It will be part of the discussion as long as they don't go too far with it and look like they're trying to use it as a political tool.

COSTELLO: Two new political ads are out this morning, Vaughn. And one of them stems from this in "The New York Times" Sunday magazine. It was an article about John Kerry. I want to read you a quote from that article.

This is from John Kerry. He says: "We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance. As a former law enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it to organized crime to a level where it isn't on the rise."

And of course, that "nuisance" word is what captured the Republican Party. Let's listen to a bit of the new ad coming out from the Republican Party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: First, Kerry said defeating terrorism was really more about law enforcement and intelligence than a strong military operation. More about law enforcement than a strong military. Now Kerry says we have to get back to the place where terrorists are a nuisance, like gambling and prostitution. We're never going to end them.

Terrorism, a nuisance. How can Kerry protect us when he doesn't understand...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Vaughn, as you can see, the Republicans are using this. Pretty good strategy?

VERVERS: Oh, absolutely. It's something that the Republicans and the Bush campaign have been particularly good at throughout this cycle. And that is doing their homework, doing their research and picking out these things. If you go through, obviously, and read the entire article in "The New York Times" magazine, it's far more nuance than what the Republicans are trying to say there.

And John Kerry does believe that it's a war, he says in that article. He just believes that eventually when you win this it will be sort of like those other things. It may never ever go away. And Bush has said similar things as well, which is being used in a Kerry response ad.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

VERVERS: So...

COSTELLO: I'm glad you brought that up, because there is a response ad. And we have to show that right now. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Ninety-five percent of containers coming to America go uninspected. But in the first debate, George Bush said we can't afford to fix it. Bush gives Halliburton seven billion in no-bid contracts, 200 billion for Iraq. But to inspect containers, secure bridges, tunnels and chemical plants, Bush says we can't afford it. And on the war on terror, Bush says, I don't think you can win it.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think you can win it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You know, he invoked Halliburton there -- the Democrats did, I should say.

VERVERS: Well, see, and that shows you the differences. The Bush campaign believes that as long as this election is focused on terrorism, the war in Iraq, on national security that they will win. They have the edge on that.

The Democrats believe that you need to sort of inject into that things like Halliburton, things like embryonic stem cell research, and try to get it solely off the issue of terrorism and the war on terrorism, 9/11 and to some extent the war in Iraq. They're trying to get beyond that issue to some extent. So that's why throw Halliburton in there.

COSTELLO: Vaughn Ververs, editor of "The Hotline," thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Let's talk about sticker shock. We don't need to tell you gas prices are rising again. Now, you might say you might want to sit down.

Carrie Lee tells us how much more to expect. She's live at the Nasdaq Marketsite in Times Square.

You mean gas prices are going to go up even more? That's no surprise, though.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Here we go again, Carol, right? Well, last week, the two weeks ending on Friday, gas prices rose very close to $1.99 a gallon.

So, we're getting closer to that all-time high we saw back in May of $2.07 a gallon. We're now at about a four-month high. The reason? Well, crude oil prices rising; in fact, settling out at a new record there: $53.31 on Friday. Also, the effects of Hurricane Ivan, of course, is affecting production as well.

So, we're gaining 13 cents in the past month, and pump prices are now the highest since June 11. In fact, Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Sunday that the record prices are a drag on the economy. He said it creates headwinds for the U.S. economy and takes disposable income away from consumers, Carol, something that a lot of people certainly already know.

Turning to stocks, futures are looking pretty strong this morning. It looks like we could see some buying at the 9:30 bell after two consecutive days of selling. That weak jobs report on Friday is not helping things. Of course, we'll get a lot of profit reports as the week continues.

Tomorrow, Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Yahoo! and Intel are all reporting results for the recent quarter. And we'll see how they do tomorrow.

Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, we will. Carrie Lee live from the Nasdaq Marketsite, thank you.

Another Sunday, another NFL record broken by the New England Patriots. We've got more on their game. The DAYBREAK "Scorecard" is just ahead at 52 minutes past the hour.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: More now on Yasser Hamdi. He was the first detainee in the war on terror to be designated as an enemy combatant by the Bush administration. He was held for nearly three years. As of this morning, he is back in his native Saudi Arabia under a deal with the U.S. government.

Joining us now from northern Virginia is Hamdi's lawyer, Frank Dunham.

Good morning.

FRANK DUNHAM, ATTORNEY FOR HAMDI: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Tell us, has he stepped off the plane? Is he on the soil, on the ground in Saudi Arabia?

DUNHAM: He was when I spoke to him about 30 minutes ago.

COSTELLO: You were on the phone with him while he was getting off the plane?

DUNHAM: Yes, I was.

COSTELLO: Tell us more about what he told you. DUNHAM: He just said it was awesome to be home. And I asked him -- I told him his father was his way to Riyadh to greet him, and he said, "I'm looking at him now."

COSTELLO: So, he greeted his father there as he got off the plane. What will he do now?

DUNHAM: Well, you know, I don't know. I assume he'll have a reunion with his family. He may have some conversations with the Saudi government about where he's been for the last three years. But other than that, I assume that he will try to resume his life as a young college student in Saudi Arabia.

COSTELLO: Are there restrictions placed upon him by the Saudi government?

DUNHAM: None that I'm aware of by the Saudi government.

COSTELLO: So, he can just live his life as he would normally?

DUNHAM: That was the game plan and that was the recommendation of our government to the Saudi government, and I'm assuming that that's what will happen.

COSTELLO: Wouldn't it bother the Saudi government that he was captured in Afghanistan?

DUNHAM: Well, you'll have to ask them about that. I don't do diplomacy. I defended Yasser in the courts here in the United States and negotiated his freedom from United States custody. From her on out, it's between Mr. Hamdi, his government. And I feel very confident that they will see him as I did, as a young man who is an engaging person with a good sense of humor who was caught up in a bad situation, and that he never intended, nor did he, engage in any combat against anyone.

COSTELLO: He had to renounce his U.S. citizenship under this deal. Does he have regrets about that?

DUNHAM: Well, he never considered himself a U.S. citizen. In fact, it's clear that he never knew he was a U.S. citizen until our folks told him that he was. And so, he was, in essence, giving up something he never had and never asked for. He's a Saudi citizen and proud to be a Saudi citizen. And I don't think he has any regrets with regard to giving that up.

However, I've got to say that, you know, when you're been in solitary confinement for three years and somebody puts a piece of paper in front of you that says you can get out of jail free, you sign it and you don't really worry too much about the rest of the print in the agreement.

COSTELLO: All right, Frank Dunham joining DAYBREAK live this morning, thank you very much. He's the attorney for Yasser Hamdi. Yasser Hamdi, deemed an enemy combatant by the Bush administration, he is now in Saudi Arabia. He has met with his father. He's a free man. Let's head live to New York now to check in with Bill and Heidi for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And I'm sure you guys will have much more about this.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And we will, Carol, yes.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You bet.

HEMMER: Carol, by the way...

COSTELLO: Yes.

HEMMER: ... how many candles on that cake, 29 still?

COLLINS: Happy birthday.

COSTELLO: I thought you were going to sing.

HEMMER: Heidi is going to sing.

COLLINS: No, no.

HEMMER: I'm going to sit this one out.

Carol, good morning to you. And if you're just waking up at home, Christopher Reeve has left us. Much more on the actor's life, dying over the weekend from complications, heart failure ultimately. We'll talk about his life and certainly what a legacy he leaves and the struggle that he had in the final years that he had with us here. And Sanjay is back in a moment. We'll talk to Sanjay about that. Also, we'll get a report from the hospital where Christopher Reeve died.

COLLINS: And such an inspiration he was to everyone...

HEMMER: Yes.

COLLINS: ... not just people dealing with paralysis but to everybody really who watched him and followed what he did.

Meanwhile, though, politics now. Two down, one to go, that's for sure. We're going to wrap up Friday's presidential debate and look at what it means for Wednesday's final match-up with reports coming in from the campaign trail. So, we're going to hear from campaign chairpeople, Marc Racicot and also Jeanne Shaheen.

HEMMER: Also, how about this videotape over the weekend?

COLLINS: Unbelievable.

HEMMER: Not just videotape, but real-life stuff.

COLLINS: This is such a beautiful event in New Mexico.

(CROSSTALK) HEMMER: Yes, it's the state of New Mexico, ballooning over the weekend, a frightening scene, too. One wind thrust pushes one of the balloons into a radio tower. We'll talk to the pilot and two young passengers about their terrifying ride and, again, how they got down off that tower as well.

So, we've got a packed show for you, politics and, of course, remembering the life of Christopher Reeve, Carol. So, we'll see you at the top of the hour.

And one more thing for you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes?

HEMMER: Jack Cafferty is back today just for you on your birthday.

COSTELLO: That's so special to me, especially in light of what we've gone through in the past several weeks. Thank you both.

Oh, my Detroit Lions were winners again on Sunday. But what about your team? We'll take a look at some of Sunday's NFL action, including a new standard for excellence being set by the Patriots against the Dolphins. That's just ahead in our DAYBREAK "Scorecard."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Sad news in baseball. An autopsy is being scheduled today on former National League MVP Ken Caminiti. His agent says Caminiti suffered a heart attack. He died yesterday. He was 41 years old.

Our sports contributor, Chris Cotter, is here now to talk more about Ken Caminiti.

It's really kind of a sad life.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: It's really a sad story. And you know, world-class athletes aren't supposed to die at age 41 of a heart attack. So, it just goes to show you right there, you know, compete naturally. I mean, Ken Caminiti is an admitted steroid user. He had problems his entire career.

And people can say, yes, well, you know, there's no proof of this or that. But hey, when you die of a heart attack at age 41, you've done something in your life that has limited your lifespan, and that's what Ken Caminiti has gone through.

COSTELLO: Cocaine was a factor in his life.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: He tested positive for cocaine, yes.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: And that will do it, too, to your heart. COTTER: That's exactly right. He had a lot of demons, and he struggled through those demons. And it's a shame and it's too bad, because Ken Caminiti was a really good baseball player, and I think people would much rather have remembered him for his baseball than for somebody who died way too early, and that's exactly what happened.

COLLINS: Forty-one, that's just -- that's insane.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about something good, the Patriots.

COTTER: Something more pleasant.

COSTELLO: Wow! The Patriots.

COTTER: Right, if you're from the New England area, this is very pleasant.

MYERS: Right.

COTTER: Nineteen in a row for the Patriots. And you knew it was going to happen, because the Dolphins just stink. I mean, they flat out are a terrible football team.

MYERS: Are they going to win a game this year?

COTTER: They may not, because they can't seem to find a quarterback. They can't seem to find anybody to get it done. The Patriots have their quarterback, though. You know, and they can't seem to lose. They do everything right. And here you have David Gibbons catching the touchdown pass and then the defense.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: The defense always comes through for the Patriots. It's the most underrated defense, I think, in the NFL. They create turnovers. They get sacks. They do what needs to be done. They keep teams out of end zone. And there is Bill Belichick...

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) that guy, yes.

COTTER: ... getting the Gatorade shower at the end of the game.

COSTELLO: Can you believe the Cleveland Browns got rid of him? That's just crazy!

COTTER: You know, it was a bad time for the Cleveland Browns in terms of getting, you know, moving to Baltimore and just the timing wasn't right back when he was in Cleveland.

COSTELLO: I think the fans just turned against him. And once they turned against you in Cleveland, man, you're out of there.

COTTER: Yes, they're going to be against you for good.

COSTELLO: You're just out of there.

MYERS: Or Nebraska with Callahan.

COSTELLO: But I bet they're regretting it.

MYERS: It was 70-10 on that game. Never mind, go ahead, I...

COSTELLO: Oh, no. No problem. Let's talk about the Vikings, because that was one exciting game against the Texans.

COTTER: Yes, barn burner yesterday in Houston -- and I mean, this is the type of situation where you have a quarterback who is established in Daunte Culpepper. And then David Carr here, who just got his hair cut last week because they got the win. And so, he's not like Sampson. I mean, he's strong even after the haircut. They're hitting Andre Johnson for the touchdown.

Here's Culpepper and Moss. We've seen this a thousand times, and we'll see it another thousand times. Fifty yards for the touchdown, but David Carr comes back. Just two minutes left in the game on fourth down. It's Andre Johnson again for the touchdown. He just got the ball over being pushed out.

MYERS: Yes, I don't know about that one.

COTTER: Goes into overtime, goes -- maybe a little cooking there in Houston, right? Goes into OT, but here's Culpepper again. Look at that throw...

COSTELLO: Oh, man!

COTTER: ... to Marcus Robinson for the touchdown.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: Too bad for the Houston Texans to lose that game but to come back and to fight that way against a great Minnesota team, a solid effort for the Texans.

COSTELLO: Yes, and I believe the Detroit Lions are tied for first place with Minnesota.

COTTER: I believe they are. They beat Atlanta yesterday. I was at the game, and Atlanta...

COSTELLO: Oh, you poor thing!

COTTER: Atlanta didn't play very well. But the Lions are a fun team to watch. I'll give you that. And I think in a couple of years, they're going to be one of the better teams in the league.

COSTELLO: I'm telling you, they're having a great season.

MYERS: And Harrington can move. You know, it's not like he just sits back there and...

COTTER: That's right.

MYERS: ... waits to get tackled.

COSTELLO: He just can't throw the long ball, Chad. The man didn't throw beyond, like, a three-yard pass the entire game.

COTTER: Well, all of his receivers are hurt, and yet he still was able to lead them to a win. So, that's something to say about him.

COSTELLO: Yes, that Pinner guy, the running back.

COTTER: Artose Pinner.

COSTELLO: Yes.

COTTER: I mean, they don't have any superstars on that team except for Harrington really when you talk about Charles Rogers being hurt. You have Williams hurt. And yet they still seem to be able to find ways to win.

COSTELLO: Because they have heart, Chris, and that's what matters.

COTTER: Whatever.

MYERS: Because don't Lions have heart?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: I need a heart.

COSTELLO: I think we'll go to a break right now.

MYERS: Or was that the Tin Man?

COSTELLO: That was the Tin Man. He had courage. The lion had courage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've been talking a lot about Christopher Reeve. As you know, Chris, Christopher Reeve died on Sunday.

COTTER: That's sad, too.

COSTELLO: He had an infection.

COTTER: Yes, he lived a great life, though. You know, I mean, I think he really did even more so after the accident.

COSTELLO: Yes. He really was a fighter.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: We've been soliciting e-mails from our viewers, and they've sent us their thoughts on his life and his career. And some of them are just so touching.

Let me read one from Dan. He's from Roswell, Georgia. He says: "Christopher Reeve changed my life by always being a fighter and never a quitter, an inspirer and not a defeatist. Though he was crippled physically, he was never crippled by fear. I know God is waiting for him at the gates of heaven. Rest in peace, my dear friend."

MYERS: And on the screen, you're seeing the address if you'd like to send some donations. The family is making requests for the Paralysis Foundation, or their dot-org, of course.

From Michael in Long Beach: "I can only hope that his death puts more emphasis on stem cell research just as Rock Hudson's death put focus on AIDS."

COSTELLO: And this is from Helen: "My heart goes out to Christopher Reeve and to his wife and family. He was an inspiration to many, and to me especially as I live my life in my cruiser" -- which is an electric wheelchair.

So, thanks for the e-mails this morning. They really touched our hearts.

MYERS: Yes, it was very touching stuff today.

COSTELLO: Yes. And thanks for your birthday wishes as well.

MYERS: Happy birthday.

COSTELLO: And I want to hand out a birthday wish of our own to Brian Beller (ph), executive producer.

MYERS: Oh, there he is.

COSTELLO: Yes, we have the same birthday.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: And both 29, right?

COSTELLO: Exactly! It's amazing. "AMERICAN MORNING" 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 October 11, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news -- Yasser Hamdi has returned to his native Saudi Arabia. It just happened this morning. We have word of that from his lawyer. The U.S. had been holding Hamdi as an enemy combatant for nearly three years. Hamdi went back to Saudi Arabia under a plea deal with the U.S. government.

Actor Christopher Reeve, star of the "Superman" movies, has died at a New York hospital. He was 52. He was being treated for a massive infection when he went into cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma. Reeve was paralyzed nine years ago in a horseback riding accident, and was an advocate for spinal cord research.

And baseball's Ken Caminiti, the National League most valuable player in 1996, has died. His agent says Caminiti suffered from a heart attack. An autopsy has yet to be performed. Caminiti was an admitted steroid user. He was just 41 years old.

Militiamen of Muqtada al-Sara's Mehdi Army are turning in some of their heavy weaponry in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, the first day of the weapons buyback. Elsewhere in the Iraqi capital, two American soldiers were killed, five wounded, this morning in a rocket attack.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Christopher Reeve had been a superman in tireless campaigning for spinal cord research. Reeve was paralyzed by a riding accident nine years ago that broke his neck, but he evolved into a world-wide advocate for spinal cord research.

The actor believed that stem cells held the key to someday reversing his paralysis. He talked about that on "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Do you still think you will walk again?

CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: I certainly have the motto that nothing is impossible. I think the question of whether I will walk is going to depend on politics. It's going to depend on collaboration between scientists around the world. It will depend on economics. A lot of factors that I knew very little about when I was injured eight years ago. And I think my purpose when I was 42 in saying that I would walk by the time I was 50 was to be provocative, to be a voice saying why can't we do this? Don't tell me the reasons why not. Well, now I understand some of the difficulties, not only in terms of the science, but the other forces that I was just mentioning. But I do think that these can be overcome. I just can't put a specific date on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Senator John Kerry mentioned Reeve's name during the second presidential debate. President Bush placed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in 2001. And last week, Kerry accused Bush of restricting the potentially life-saving research because of extreme right-wing ideology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Chris Reeve is a friend of mine. Chris Reeve exercises every single day to keep those muscles alive until the day when he believes he can walk again. And I want him to walk again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Polls show stem cell research has widespread support, and that is part of our "Political Hot Topics" this morning.

Live now, Vaughn Ververs is the editor of "The National Journal's" "Hotline."

Good morning. Vaughn, are you there?

VAUGHN VERVERS, EDITOR, "THE HOTLINE": Yes, I am.

COSTELLO: Oh, good. I was afraid you wouldn't be there. How much do you think that this will enter into politics now that Christopher Reeve has died? And I know that sounds cynical, but let's face it: Politics is a cynical business.

VERVERS: Well, you mentioned that it does have -- embryonic stem cell research does have support in the polls and support among the American people. It's not an issue that a lot of people, you know, will go to the ballot box and vote exclusively on.

However, something like this does have the impact of focusing in on it more. It's going to be in the news for the next several days obviously. There will be an awful lot of discussion about it. It was mentioned in the debate.

There are some strong feelings on the other side. But this will elevate the issue and that works to John Kerry's advantage. Democrats have throughout the fall thought that this was an issue that they could gain traction on, and this is going to help them do that.

COSTELLO: He has to be careful about how he presents this to voters, though, doesn't he? VERVERS: Oh, sure. He doesn't really even need to bring it up other than to express his sadness and the hope that people like Christopher Reeve will eventually be cured of these things. And stem cell research, in his view, is one way to do that.

So, I don't think that he really needs to bring it up. It's going to be brought up. It will be part of the discussion as long as they don't go too far with it and look like they're trying to use it as a political tool.

COSTELLO: Two new political ads are out this morning, Vaughn. And one of them stems from this in "The New York Times" Sunday magazine. It was an article about John Kerry. I want to read you a quote from that article.

This is from John Kerry. He says: "We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance. As a former law enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it to organized crime to a level where it isn't on the rise."

And of course, that "nuisance" word is what captured the Republican Party. Let's listen to a bit of the new ad coming out from the Republican Party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: First, Kerry said defeating terrorism was really more about law enforcement and intelligence than a strong military operation. More about law enforcement than a strong military. Now Kerry says we have to get back to the place where terrorists are a nuisance, like gambling and prostitution. We're never going to end them.

Terrorism, a nuisance. How can Kerry protect us when he doesn't understand...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Vaughn, as you can see, the Republicans are using this. Pretty good strategy?

VERVERS: Oh, absolutely. It's something that the Republicans and the Bush campaign have been particularly good at throughout this cycle. And that is doing their homework, doing their research and picking out these things. If you go through, obviously, and read the entire article in "The New York Times" magazine, it's far more nuance than what the Republicans are trying to say there.

And John Kerry does believe that it's a war, he says in that article. He just believes that eventually when you win this it will be sort of like those other things. It may never ever go away. And Bush has said similar things as well, which is being used in a Kerry response ad.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

VERVERS: So...

COSTELLO: I'm glad you brought that up, because there is a response ad. And we have to show that right now. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Ninety-five percent of containers coming to America go uninspected. But in the first debate, George Bush said we can't afford to fix it. Bush gives Halliburton seven billion in no-bid contracts, 200 billion for Iraq. But to inspect containers, secure bridges, tunnels and chemical plants, Bush says we can't afford it. And on the war on terror, Bush says, I don't think you can win it.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think you can win it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You know, he invoked Halliburton there -- the Democrats did, I should say.

VERVERS: Well, see, and that shows you the differences. The Bush campaign believes that as long as this election is focused on terrorism, the war in Iraq, on national security that they will win. They have the edge on that.

The Democrats believe that you need to sort of inject into that things like Halliburton, things like embryonic stem cell research, and try to get it solely off the issue of terrorism and the war on terrorism, 9/11 and to some extent the war in Iraq. They're trying to get beyond that issue to some extent. So that's why throw Halliburton in there.

COSTELLO: Vaughn Ververs, editor of "The Hotline," thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Let's talk about sticker shock. We don't need to tell you gas prices are rising again. Now, you might say you might want to sit down.

Carrie Lee tells us how much more to expect. She's live at the Nasdaq Marketsite in Times Square.

You mean gas prices are going to go up even more? That's no surprise, though.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Here we go again, Carol, right? Well, last week, the two weeks ending on Friday, gas prices rose very close to $1.99 a gallon.

So, we're getting closer to that all-time high we saw back in May of $2.07 a gallon. We're now at about a four-month high. The reason? Well, crude oil prices rising; in fact, settling out at a new record there: $53.31 on Friday. Also, the effects of Hurricane Ivan, of course, is affecting production as well.

So, we're gaining 13 cents in the past month, and pump prices are now the highest since June 11. In fact, Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Sunday that the record prices are a drag on the economy. He said it creates headwinds for the U.S. economy and takes disposable income away from consumers, Carol, something that a lot of people certainly already know.

Turning to stocks, futures are looking pretty strong this morning. It looks like we could see some buying at the 9:30 bell after two consecutive days of selling. That weak jobs report on Friday is not helping things. Of course, we'll get a lot of profit reports as the week continues.

Tomorrow, Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Yahoo! and Intel are all reporting results for the recent quarter. And we'll see how they do tomorrow.

Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, we will. Carrie Lee live from the Nasdaq Marketsite, thank you.

Another Sunday, another NFL record broken by the New England Patriots. We've got more on their game. The DAYBREAK "Scorecard" is just ahead at 52 minutes past the hour.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: More now on Yasser Hamdi. He was the first detainee in the war on terror to be designated as an enemy combatant by the Bush administration. He was held for nearly three years. As of this morning, he is back in his native Saudi Arabia under a deal with the U.S. government.

Joining us now from northern Virginia is Hamdi's lawyer, Frank Dunham.

Good morning.

FRANK DUNHAM, ATTORNEY FOR HAMDI: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Tell us, has he stepped off the plane? Is he on the soil, on the ground in Saudi Arabia?

DUNHAM: He was when I spoke to him about 30 minutes ago.

COSTELLO: You were on the phone with him while he was getting off the plane?

DUNHAM: Yes, I was.

COSTELLO: Tell us more about what he told you. DUNHAM: He just said it was awesome to be home. And I asked him -- I told him his father was his way to Riyadh to greet him, and he said, "I'm looking at him now."

COSTELLO: So, he greeted his father there as he got off the plane. What will he do now?

DUNHAM: Well, you know, I don't know. I assume he'll have a reunion with his family. He may have some conversations with the Saudi government about where he's been for the last three years. But other than that, I assume that he will try to resume his life as a young college student in Saudi Arabia.

COSTELLO: Are there restrictions placed upon him by the Saudi government?

DUNHAM: None that I'm aware of by the Saudi government.

COSTELLO: So, he can just live his life as he would normally?

DUNHAM: That was the game plan and that was the recommendation of our government to the Saudi government, and I'm assuming that that's what will happen.

COSTELLO: Wouldn't it bother the Saudi government that he was captured in Afghanistan?

DUNHAM: Well, you'll have to ask them about that. I don't do diplomacy. I defended Yasser in the courts here in the United States and negotiated his freedom from United States custody. From her on out, it's between Mr. Hamdi, his government. And I feel very confident that they will see him as I did, as a young man who is an engaging person with a good sense of humor who was caught up in a bad situation, and that he never intended, nor did he, engage in any combat against anyone.

COSTELLO: He had to renounce his U.S. citizenship under this deal. Does he have regrets about that?

DUNHAM: Well, he never considered himself a U.S. citizen. In fact, it's clear that he never knew he was a U.S. citizen until our folks told him that he was. And so, he was, in essence, giving up something he never had and never asked for. He's a Saudi citizen and proud to be a Saudi citizen. And I don't think he has any regrets with regard to giving that up.

However, I've got to say that, you know, when you're been in solitary confinement for three years and somebody puts a piece of paper in front of you that says you can get out of jail free, you sign it and you don't really worry too much about the rest of the print in the agreement.

COSTELLO: All right, Frank Dunham joining DAYBREAK live this morning, thank you very much. He's the attorney for Yasser Hamdi. Yasser Hamdi, deemed an enemy combatant by the Bush administration, he is now in Saudi Arabia. He has met with his father. He's a free man. Let's head live to New York now to check in with Bill and Heidi for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And I'm sure you guys will have much more about this.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And we will, Carol, yes.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You bet.

HEMMER: Carol, by the way...

COSTELLO: Yes.

HEMMER: ... how many candles on that cake, 29 still?

COLLINS: Happy birthday.

COSTELLO: I thought you were going to sing.

HEMMER: Heidi is going to sing.

COLLINS: No, no.

HEMMER: I'm going to sit this one out.

Carol, good morning to you. And if you're just waking up at home, Christopher Reeve has left us. Much more on the actor's life, dying over the weekend from complications, heart failure ultimately. We'll talk about his life and certainly what a legacy he leaves and the struggle that he had in the final years that he had with us here. And Sanjay is back in a moment. We'll talk to Sanjay about that. Also, we'll get a report from the hospital where Christopher Reeve died.

COLLINS: And such an inspiration he was to everyone...

HEMMER: Yes.

COLLINS: ... not just people dealing with paralysis but to everybody really who watched him and followed what he did.

Meanwhile, though, politics now. Two down, one to go, that's for sure. We're going to wrap up Friday's presidential debate and look at what it means for Wednesday's final match-up with reports coming in from the campaign trail. So, we're going to hear from campaign chairpeople, Marc Racicot and also Jeanne Shaheen.

HEMMER: Also, how about this videotape over the weekend?

COLLINS: Unbelievable.

HEMMER: Not just videotape, but real-life stuff.

COLLINS: This is such a beautiful event in New Mexico.

(CROSSTALK) HEMMER: Yes, it's the state of New Mexico, ballooning over the weekend, a frightening scene, too. One wind thrust pushes one of the balloons into a radio tower. We'll talk to the pilot and two young passengers about their terrifying ride and, again, how they got down off that tower as well.

So, we've got a packed show for you, politics and, of course, remembering the life of Christopher Reeve, Carol. So, we'll see you at the top of the hour.

And one more thing for you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes?

HEMMER: Jack Cafferty is back today just for you on your birthday.

COSTELLO: That's so special to me, especially in light of what we've gone through in the past several weeks. Thank you both.

Oh, my Detroit Lions were winners again on Sunday. But what about your team? We'll take a look at some of Sunday's NFL action, including a new standard for excellence being set by the Patriots against the Dolphins. That's just ahead in our DAYBREAK "Scorecard."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Sad news in baseball. An autopsy is being scheduled today on former National League MVP Ken Caminiti. His agent says Caminiti suffered a heart attack. He died yesterday. He was 41 years old.

Our sports contributor, Chris Cotter, is here now to talk more about Ken Caminiti.

It's really kind of a sad life.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: It's really a sad story. And you know, world-class athletes aren't supposed to die at age 41 of a heart attack. So, it just goes to show you right there, you know, compete naturally. I mean, Ken Caminiti is an admitted steroid user. He had problems his entire career.

And people can say, yes, well, you know, there's no proof of this or that. But hey, when you die of a heart attack at age 41, you've done something in your life that has limited your lifespan, and that's what Ken Caminiti has gone through.

COSTELLO: Cocaine was a factor in his life.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: He tested positive for cocaine, yes.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: And that will do it, too, to your heart. COTTER: That's exactly right. He had a lot of demons, and he struggled through those demons. And it's a shame and it's too bad, because Ken Caminiti was a really good baseball player, and I think people would much rather have remembered him for his baseball than for somebody who died way too early, and that's exactly what happened.

COLLINS: Forty-one, that's just -- that's insane.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about something good, the Patriots.

COTTER: Something more pleasant.

COSTELLO: Wow! The Patriots.

COTTER: Right, if you're from the New England area, this is very pleasant.

MYERS: Right.

COTTER: Nineteen in a row for the Patriots. And you knew it was going to happen, because the Dolphins just stink. I mean, they flat out are a terrible football team.

MYERS: Are they going to win a game this year?

COTTER: They may not, because they can't seem to find a quarterback. They can't seem to find anybody to get it done. The Patriots have their quarterback, though. You know, and they can't seem to lose. They do everything right. And here you have David Gibbons catching the touchdown pass and then the defense.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: The defense always comes through for the Patriots. It's the most underrated defense, I think, in the NFL. They create turnovers. They get sacks. They do what needs to be done. They keep teams out of end zone. And there is Bill Belichick...

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) that guy, yes.

COTTER: ... getting the Gatorade shower at the end of the game.

COSTELLO: Can you believe the Cleveland Browns got rid of him? That's just crazy!

COTTER: You know, it was a bad time for the Cleveland Browns in terms of getting, you know, moving to Baltimore and just the timing wasn't right back when he was in Cleveland.

COSTELLO: I think the fans just turned against him. And once they turned against you in Cleveland, man, you're out of there.

COTTER: Yes, they're going to be against you for good.

COSTELLO: You're just out of there.

MYERS: Or Nebraska with Callahan.

COSTELLO: But I bet they're regretting it.

MYERS: It was 70-10 on that game. Never mind, go ahead, I...

COSTELLO: Oh, no. No problem. Let's talk about the Vikings, because that was one exciting game against the Texans.

COTTER: Yes, barn burner yesterday in Houston -- and I mean, this is the type of situation where you have a quarterback who is established in Daunte Culpepper. And then David Carr here, who just got his hair cut last week because they got the win. And so, he's not like Sampson. I mean, he's strong even after the haircut. They're hitting Andre Johnson for the touchdown.

Here's Culpepper and Moss. We've seen this a thousand times, and we'll see it another thousand times. Fifty yards for the touchdown, but David Carr comes back. Just two minutes left in the game on fourth down. It's Andre Johnson again for the touchdown. He just got the ball over being pushed out.

MYERS: Yes, I don't know about that one.

COTTER: Goes into overtime, goes -- maybe a little cooking there in Houston, right? Goes into OT, but here's Culpepper again. Look at that throw...

COSTELLO: Oh, man!

COTTER: ... to Marcus Robinson for the touchdown.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: Too bad for the Houston Texans to lose that game but to come back and to fight that way against a great Minnesota team, a solid effort for the Texans.

COSTELLO: Yes, and I believe the Detroit Lions are tied for first place with Minnesota.

COTTER: I believe they are. They beat Atlanta yesterday. I was at the game, and Atlanta...

COSTELLO: Oh, you poor thing!

COTTER: Atlanta didn't play very well. But the Lions are a fun team to watch. I'll give you that. And I think in a couple of years, they're going to be one of the better teams in the league.

COSTELLO: I'm telling you, they're having a great season.

MYERS: And Harrington can move. You know, it's not like he just sits back there and...

COTTER: That's right.

MYERS: ... waits to get tackled.

COSTELLO: He just can't throw the long ball, Chad. The man didn't throw beyond, like, a three-yard pass the entire game.

COTTER: Well, all of his receivers are hurt, and yet he still was able to lead them to a win. So, that's something to say about him.

COSTELLO: Yes, that Pinner guy, the running back.

COTTER: Artose Pinner.

COSTELLO: Yes.

COTTER: I mean, they don't have any superstars on that team except for Harrington really when you talk about Charles Rogers being hurt. You have Williams hurt. And yet they still seem to be able to find ways to win.

COSTELLO: Because they have heart, Chris, and that's what matters.

COTTER: Whatever.

MYERS: Because don't Lions have heart?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: I need a heart.

COSTELLO: I think we'll go to a break right now.

MYERS: Or was that the Tin Man?

COSTELLO: That was the Tin Man. He had courage. The lion had courage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've been talking a lot about Christopher Reeve. As you know, Chris, Christopher Reeve died on Sunday.

COTTER: That's sad, too.

COSTELLO: He had an infection.

COTTER: Yes, he lived a great life, though. You know, I mean, I think he really did even more so after the accident.

COSTELLO: Yes. He really was a fighter.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: We've been soliciting e-mails from our viewers, and they've sent us their thoughts on his life and his career. And some of them are just so touching.

Let me read one from Dan. He's from Roswell, Georgia. He says: "Christopher Reeve changed my life by always being a fighter and never a quitter, an inspirer and not a defeatist. Though he was crippled physically, he was never crippled by fear. I know God is waiting for him at the gates of heaven. Rest in peace, my dear friend."

MYERS: And on the screen, you're seeing the address if you'd like to send some donations. The family is making requests for the Paralysis Foundation, or their dot-org, of course.

From Michael in Long Beach: "I can only hope that his death puts more emphasis on stem cell research just as Rock Hudson's death put focus on AIDS."

COSTELLO: And this is from Helen: "My heart goes out to Christopher Reeve and to his wife and family. He was an inspiration to many, and to me especially as I live my life in my cruiser" -- which is an electric wheelchair.

So, thanks for the e-mails this morning. They really touched our hearts.

MYERS: Yes, it was very touching stuff today.

COSTELLO: Yes. And thanks for your birthday wishes as well.

MYERS: Happy birthday.

COSTELLO: And I want to hand out a birthday wish of our own to Brian Beller (ph), executive producer.

MYERS: Oh, there he is.

COSTELLO: Yes, we have the same birthday.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: And both 29, right?

COSTELLO: Exactly! It's amazing. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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