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CNN Live At Daybreak

Early Voting; Overseas Interests; Plan of Action; Round Three

Aired October 13, 2004 - 05:30   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: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
"Now in the News."

Fifteen-and-a-half hours and counting, the final presidential debate between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry is in Tempe, Arizona. Gets under way at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. They'll be talking domestic issues, but do not be surprised if Iraq creeps into the debate. CNN, of course, will bring it all to you live.

There is a new lava dome rising inside Mount St. Helens. The volcano has been rumbling since late September and experts say an eruption is still possible. The area immediately around the mountain is now off limits.

At this hour, a plea for money, delegates from 55 nations are in Tokyo for a two-day conference aimed at gathering pledges for funds to rebuild Iraq. Iraqi officials are seeking $34 billion.

They did it to the Atlanta Braves, but can the Houston Astros get by the St. Louis Cardinals? Game 1 of the NLCS playoffs between the Astros and the Cards tonight in St. Louis.

To the Forecast Center now and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm not sure, I think St. Louis might go all the way.

COSTELLO: Oh man, they're good, aren't they?

MYERS: They've really got a great team.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Decision day approaches, the nation picks a leader for the next four years on November 2. It is 20 days out from the general election now. Absentee voting is becoming more and more popular across the nation. Some say it increases the number of people voting. As a result, the Bush and Kerry camps are using new tactics in some regions.

Here's our Keith Oppenheim.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wilma Davis is on a mission.

WILMA DAVIS, KERRY SUPPORTER: And I definitely want to see Kerry elected. And I'll do whatever I can to help (ph).

OPPENHEIM: She's a courier, trained by the state, working for the Democratic Party, volunteering to pick up absentee ballots.

DAVIS: Hi!

OPPENHEIM: Etta Mae Wilson hands over two ballots. She's 87. Her husband Don is 88. Both are voting for John Kerry. Because of health concerns, they're voting from home, something they've never done before.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): Did you feel pretty good about what you did with early voting?

DON WILSON, KERRY SUPPORTER: Yes, I do.

OPPENHEIM: Because why?

WILSON: It's done, and if for some reason we couldn't get to the poll, why, we do have our vote in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Voting on both sides of the ballot.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Four years ago, 20 percent of Iowa's ballots were cast early. In fact, while George W. Bush won the Election Day vote, Al Gore won the absentee vote by enough of a margin to take the state by a nose.

This time around, it's expected close to a third of Iowa's ballots could come in early. People can do it by mail or just pop into an election office.

Tom Cox and his wife Jane came in to cast votes for George W. Bush.

(on camera): Do you have any sense as to whether or not early voting has much of an impact on how people vote in Iowa in general? Do you think it makes a difference?

TOM COX, VOTER: I think it does now. A lot more than it used to.

OPPENHEIM: What's the difference?

COX: More people are voting.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Truth is, no one's quite sure yet if early voting means more voting. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Victory 2004.

OPPENHEIM: But Democrats here are banking on it, believing if they can encourage the party faithful to vote early, they can then devote more energy to the undecideds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I was wondering if we could count on your support.

OPPENHEIM: Republicans are counting on loyalty, that more of their supporters will show up on Election Day than Democrats. Iowans seem to like all these voting options, but some here believe there's a downside.

PROF. DENNIS GOLDFORD, DRAKE UNIVERSITY: If they vote early, they've walked out of the football game in the middle of the third quarter, and there's still a quarter and a half to go, and the whole tenor of the game may change.

OPPENHEIM: In a sense, early voting has already changed the game in Iowa. The question is, has early voting expanded the number of people taking part in democracy? Or has it just shifted the timing of the voters and the tactics of the parties?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Keith Oppenheim reporting.

It's been estimated that absentee voting could be as much as 25 percent of the votes cast in the national election.

Just a reminder, CNN's primetime coverage of tonight's presidential debate in Tempe, Arizona begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The debate itself begins at 9:00.

This presidential campaign isn't just being watched here in the States, there is a big interest in it overseas.

So let's head live to Jerusalem and John Vause.

Hello -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Compared to previous presidential elections, the Democrats and the Republicans here have been running fairly intensive get out the vote campaigns. Now just this morning on the front page of the Pirate's (ph) English edition newspaper, the DNC took out this ad urging Americans to get their absentee ballots if they don't have them, telling them where they can get them.

Now this election is being watched very closely by both Israeli- Americans and Palestinian-Americans but for very different reasons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ABRAMS, ISRAELI-AMERICAN: I made a mistake. I'm with Bush now all the way.

VAUSE (voice-over): David Abrams says his mistake was voting Democrat in the last presidential election. Like many Israeli- Americans, back then he worried that George W. Bush would be like his father, considered by many in this country as pro Arab.

NADEM (ph) KHOURY, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN: Well I voted last election for George Bush.

VAUSE: Nadem Khoury is a Palestinian-American. Like many Palestinians, he voted for George W. Bush because he too thought the son would be like the father.

N. KHOURY: We thought that the son will help take some advice from his father, but it didn't work that way, unfortunately.

VAUSE: Nadem Khoury and brother David moved to the West Bank 10 years ago from Boston. With their life savings, they started a brewery. The last four years have been bad for business. Road closures, curfews and checkpoints have left them struggling to survive. And through it all they believe the U.S. has blindly supported Israel. And come November, both say they probably won't vote.

DAVID KHOURY, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN: With John Kerry ideology what I hear, what I read in the newspapers, I think he will be biased towards the Israelis.

VAUSE: The Abrams family moved from New York. They also live in the West Bank in a Jewish settlement called Afrad (ph). And like the Khoury family, maintain their U.S. citizenship. They say there is no difference between 9/11 and attacks on Israelis by Palestinian militants. And they see George W. Bush as a strong, decisive leader.

ARKOOK (ph) ABRAMS, ISRAELI-AMERICAN: He's the only one that actually stood up there and said either they are with us or you're against us, and he means that. He didn't do the flip-flop. He says what it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those of you who want to hear about John Kerry.

VAUSE: In recent weeks, both parties have been campaigning here.

MARK ZOBER, DEMOCRATS ABROAD: We have particularly targeted Americans from important swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan.

VAUSE: Last election, Israeli-Americans overwhelmingly went Democrat, but the Republicans are expecting a much better result this time. The reward, what many here consider the most pro Israeli White House in a generation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Now last election, 14,000 Americans here cast an absentee ballot. Turnout this time is expected to be much higher. And according to Republicans abroad, 6,000 ex-pat Floridians are eligible to vote in this election. Now Florida is a state which George W. Bush carried in the last election by just 537 votes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And of course many people would dispute that.

John Vause reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.

Afghanistan is set to start counting votes this morning after a peaceful presidential election. That story tops our "Global Minute." Several of Hamid Karzai's challengers are backing off threats to have the election declared illegal. Officials also say a U.N. helicopter was not carrying any ballots when it crash-landed. No one was hurt.

In Gaza, Israeli troops are on the move. Witnesses say a Palestinian man was killed during a raid on a refugee camp today. It's the latest fatality as Israeli troops work to establish a five- and-a-half mile buffer zone.

Also this morning, Yasser Arafat's cousin escaped unharmed after a car bomb exploded near his convoy.

Columbus Day stirs a lot of anger and resentment in Venezuela as supporters of President Hugo Chavez topple a statue of the explorer in Caracas. Chavez blames Columbus for ushering in a so-called genocide of Native Indians. He has even renamed October 12 Indian Resistance Day.

And in western Mexico, no arrests so far in an embarrassing heist of an armored car company. Police say the bandits broke into a vault and stole $10.5 million. The thieves supposedly forced two security guards to help them by threatening to hurt the workers' families.

Flu fighters, in five minutes, can the feds find a way to save those shots for those who need them most?

And in eight minutes, President Bush and John Kerry get ready to face off for the last presidential debate, but will either land a knockout punch with undecided voters?

Which brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning," what do you want to hear from the candidates tonight? We'll read some of your thoughts later on in the show.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In some areas, flu vaccine shots are selling for 10 times their original price. The government says such episodes of price gouging are reprehensible and have pledged to prosecute.

In the meantime, millions of doses of the vaccine are being rerouted, rather, to help high-risk patients.

CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig takes a look for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seniors desperate for a flu vaccine wait for hours in a line that wraps around this Publix grocery store in Sarasota, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm almost 400th in line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't get a ticket, you don't get a shot.

FEIG: They're willing to wait because it's almost impossible to find one since the nation's supply was slashed in half. So the Centers for Disease Control has inked a deal with Adventis, the remaining maker of the U.S. flu shot to reroute about 22 million doses they have not yet shipped to those who ordered it, such as doctor's offices, pharmacies or grocery stores.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC DIRECTOR: We're going first to the people who need vaccine the most and where we can logically predict the greatest number of at-risk people.

FEIG: That's children 6 months to 23 months, anyone with a chronic disease and everyone over the age of 65. So 14 million doses will be sent to nursing homes, pediatrician's offices and VA hospitals. The agency says they are also mapping county by county where flu cases are being reported, hoping to send the vaccine there to stop an outbreak in its early stages. But in the fight for existing vaccine, stories of price gouging abound.

GERBERDING: Shame on the people who are price gouging. This is a reprehensible thing to be doing, I think an immoral thing in this context.

FEIG (on camera): But the CDC's hands are tied when it comes to stopping those raising prices, because laws vary by state and it's up to those state governments to crack down.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In other health headlines for you this morning, there is new reason for obese people to try to cut carbs. Preliminary research suggests low carbohydrate diets can improve the cholesterol levels in extremely overweight people. In obesity, the body tends to be in a state of chronic inflammation. The old (ph) carb diet may also curb that inflammation better than a reduced fat diet.

There are also big health benefits for obese people who undergo gastric bypass surgery. A study finds that 70 to 80 percent of the cases of diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and high cholesterol were eliminated or improved with patients who had the stomach surgery. Two earlier studies found that gastric bypass patients live longer than similarly obese people who don't have the operation.

And all of you soccer moms will like to hear this one, a new study has found that regular long-term participation in soccer greatly improves health. All that running around increases an aerobic capacity, lean body mass and bone density.

For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site, the address CNN.com/health.

Your news, money, weather and sports now. It is 5:46 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

The call to help Iraq is going out in Tokyo. Delegates from 55 nations are at a donors conference. Iraqi and Japanese officials criticize countries for not delivering on earlier pledges to help Iraq.

A roadside bomb in eastern Baghdad has claimed the lives of three American soldiers. Their deaths bring the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq to 1,083.

And money news, reason to celebrate at Yahoo! The company's third quarter profit more than tripled from 2003. The big bump is due mostly to a windfall when the company sold part of its ownership in Google.

In culture, Michael Jackson wants Eminem's new video pulled off the air. In the video for the song "Just Lose It," Eminem dresses up like Jackson and sits on a bed with a group of young boys. So far only BET has agreed to pull the clip.

In sports, the Cincinnati Reds have decided against resigning Barry Larkin. The 40-year-old shortstop originally said he would retire after this season, but he changed his mind shortly after making the all-star team. Larkin spent 19 seasons with the Reds.

It wouldn't be the same without Barry Larkin -- Chad.

MYERS: Carol, you and I both worked in Columbus when Barry played down in Cincinnati.

COSTELLO: Yes, when Cincinnati went to the World Series, Barry Larkin was on the team.

MYERS: Drove down there all the time to see them down at Riverfront.

COSTELLO: Definitely.

MYERS: Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

So how many of you will be tuning in for tonight's final debate between George Bush and John Kerry? Sixty-two point five million Americans watched the first face off and 46.7 million tuned in for the second one. Took place on a Friday night and the number of viewers was down 25 percent. Tonight's debate takes place during a Yankees- Red Sox championship game and that may play into the numbers as well.

But let's talk about tonight's final powwow between George Bush and John Kerry.

Joining us live, our good friends, Mark Ericson and Danielle Carrier, the WOKQ Waking Crew in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Good morning.

MARK ERICSON, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Good morning, Carol.

DANIELLE CARRIER, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Good morning.

COSTELLO: We thought we'd have a little fun with debate talk this morning.

ERICSON: Actually, we wonder if John Kerry might have one of those little chatty portable TVs out on the podium keeping an eye on the Red Sox game while he's doing the debate.

CARRIER: He better.

COSTELLO: That would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

CARRIER: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: And a real test of him, too. But I wanted to ask you guys, during the debate, what phrase you think will be heard the most?

ERICSON: The phrase to be...

CARRIER: The phrase.

ERICSON: The phrase that pays in tonight's debate, I'm thinking you're going to hear President Bush using the world liberal probably a whole heck of a lot.

COSTELLO: Give me a number.

ERICSON: A number, we'll make this into a drinking game.

CARRIER: Thirty-two.

ERICSON: Thirty-two.

COSTELLO: Thirty-two times.

CARRIER: Thirty-two times you're going to hear the word liberal.

COSTELLO: Is that what you want to stick with, Mark, 32 times the word liberal will come through the mouth of George Bush?

ERICSON: Well, Danielle also believes in the Red Sox.

CARRIER: Hey.

ERICSON: Yes, we'll do 32. We'll go with 32 times you're going to hear the word liberal.

COSTELLO: OK, I have a prediction of my own, I say President Bush will say he can run but he can't hide at least two times.

ERICSON: I would imagine that's going to come up a fair amount as well. And I think whether it's in -- they've almost become interchangeable. Homeland security or national security, that's going to be big tonight.

COSTELLO: OK, how many times will President Bush or John Kerry mention homeland security?

ERICSON: I'd say, let's go with 15.

COSTELLO: Fifteen times.

OK, Danielle.

CARRIER: That's it.

ERICSON: I think so, yes.

CARRIER: OK.

COSTELLO: Danielle, your predictions?

CARRIER: Yes. My predictions, I want to hear at least two unnecessary Red Sox references from Kerry, definitely.

COSTELLO: That is perfect. Now here is my prediction for John Kerry. He will say President Bush's energy policy has run out of gas at least three times.

CARRIER: Gas.

ERICSON: Yes.

COSTELLO: You know the run out of gas party says that a lot.

ERICSON: Yes, he does.

CARRIER: Brilliant. COSTELLO: Three times.

CARRIER: Yes.

ERICSON: Yes, he does.

COSTELLO: OK.

ERICSON: And the other thing that Danielle was talking about was the fact that President Bush's tax return at one point Kerry referenced in the last debate did have a tax rebate from a portion of a timber company that the president at one point did own.

COSTELLO: That's right.

ERICSON: And the president made that crack about asking anyone if they want some wood.

CARRIER: I think Kerry is going to ask for a deal.

COSTELLO: A deal on some firewood?

ERICSON: Deal on some firewood.

CARRIER: Why not, it's cold in New England.

COSTELLO: That's a good one, Danielle, I like that one. Let's talk about facial expressions, because I think that by now both men have taken the quirks from their faces, or learned how to control them.

CARRIER: You think?

COSTELLO: Maybe not.

CARRIER: I don't think. I think Bush is still going to have those nice little smirks. And Kerry, it's his eyebrows. Have you ever seen his eyebrows?

COSTELLO: I have indeed.

CARRIER: They move like something I've never seen before.

COSTELLO: Like caterpillars?

CARRIER: Yes. I'm expecting them to have a life of their own. It's interesting to see both of their expressions.

COSTELLO: Do you know how difficult it would be though to know that the camera is on you and you're not talking but you're listening to the other person and a lot of emotions are going through your head? I mean I do that sometimes on the set when Chad is talking incessantly and I have to look at him as though you know I...

CARRIER: It's called nervous twitches.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Chad, are you up there?

MYERS: Carol, yes, listening intently.

COSTELLO: Did you just hear me slam you?

MYERS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

ERICSON: Morning -- Chad.

MYERS: Haybaxter Hack (ph) as they say.

COSTELLO: Do you have any predictions for the debate as far as how many times each candidate will use a key phrase or a pet phrase?

MYERS: You know Christopher Reeve may come up, and I'm wondering how many times each candidate may say that.

COSTELLO: I think John Kerry will mention Christopher Reeve.

MYERS: Yes, I do too.

ERICSON: Actually, a week and a half ago when John Kerry was in New Hampshire, he was speaking at a high school in New Hampshire. Michael J. Fox was with him. They were talking about stem cell research and Kerry did talk about Christopher Reeve during that speech.

COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. So I'm sure it will come again.

I want to read one e-mail from our viewers. That's what I was doing, I was going through these.

This is from -- I just hate when you don't put your name on the e-mail. Somehow when they put their names on e-mail I feel closer to them. But anyway, this is a good one. This person says I would like to see the candidates actually answer a question.

CARRIER: I agree.

COSTELLO: Every time both of these candidates are asked a direct question, they dodge it like the matrix. I would like to hear answers not sound bites. Loving that.

CARRIER: You know, absolutely. I am tired of hearing what they say they are going to do but not tell me how.

COSTELLO: Exactly. We'll talk to you guys again tomorrow after the debate. Mark and Danielle, thank you so much for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Nancy Kerrigan is 35, wow.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the presidential candidates gear up for that final round tonight. A lot is riding on this test in Tempe. We'll gauge the reactions of a group of undecided voters as they watch the debate. Plus, we're live in the post debate spin rooms. Trust CNN for complete live coverage of the presidential debate that's tonight beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 13, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
"Now in the News."

Fifteen-and-a-half hours and counting, the final presidential debate between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry is in Tempe, Arizona. Gets under way at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. They'll be talking domestic issues, but do not be surprised if Iraq creeps into the debate. CNN, of course, will bring it all to you live.

There is a new lava dome rising inside Mount St. Helens. The volcano has been rumbling since late September and experts say an eruption is still possible. The area immediately around the mountain is now off limits.

At this hour, a plea for money, delegates from 55 nations are in Tokyo for a two-day conference aimed at gathering pledges for funds to rebuild Iraq. Iraqi officials are seeking $34 billion.

They did it to the Atlanta Braves, but can the Houston Astros get by the St. Louis Cardinals? Game 1 of the NLCS playoffs between the Astros and the Cards tonight in St. Louis.

To the Forecast Center now and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm not sure, I think St. Louis might go all the way.

COSTELLO: Oh man, they're good, aren't they?

MYERS: They've really got a great team.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Decision day approaches, the nation picks a leader for the next four years on November 2. It is 20 days out from the general election now. Absentee voting is becoming more and more popular across the nation. Some say it increases the number of people voting. As a result, the Bush and Kerry camps are using new tactics in some regions.

Here's our Keith Oppenheim.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wilma Davis is on a mission.

WILMA DAVIS, KERRY SUPPORTER: And I definitely want to see Kerry elected. And I'll do whatever I can to help (ph).

OPPENHEIM: She's a courier, trained by the state, working for the Democratic Party, volunteering to pick up absentee ballots.

DAVIS: Hi!

OPPENHEIM: Etta Mae Wilson hands over two ballots. She's 87. Her husband Don is 88. Both are voting for John Kerry. Because of health concerns, they're voting from home, something they've never done before.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): Did you feel pretty good about what you did with early voting?

DON WILSON, KERRY SUPPORTER: Yes, I do.

OPPENHEIM: Because why?

WILSON: It's done, and if for some reason we couldn't get to the poll, why, we do have our vote in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Voting on both sides of the ballot.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Four years ago, 20 percent of Iowa's ballots were cast early. In fact, while George W. Bush won the Election Day vote, Al Gore won the absentee vote by enough of a margin to take the state by a nose.

This time around, it's expected close to a third of Iowa's ballots could come in early. People can do it by mail or just pop into an election office.

Tom Cox and his wife Jane came in to cast votes for George W. Bush.

(on camera): Do you have any sense as to whether or not early voting has much of an impact on how people vote in Iowa in general? Do you think it makes a difference?

TOM COX, VOTER: I think it does now. A lot more than it used to.

OPPENHEIM: What's the difference?

COX: More people are voting.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Truth is, no one's quite sure yet if early voting means more voting. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Victory 2004.

OPPENHEIM: But Democrats here are banking on it, believing if they can encourage the party faithful to vote early, they can then devote more energy to the undecideds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I was wondering if we could count on your support.

OPPENHEIM: Republicans are counting on loyalty, that more of their supporters will show up on Election Day than Democrats. Iowans seem to like all these voting options, but some here believe there's a downside.

PROF. DENNIS GOLDFORD, DRAKE UNIVERSITY: If they vote early, they've walked out of the football game in the middle of the third quarter, and there's still a quarter and a half to go, and the whole tenor of the game may change.

OPPENHEIM: In a sense, early voting has already changed the game in Iowa. The question is, has early voting expanded the number of people taking part in democracy? Or has it just shifted the timing of the voters and the tactics of the parties?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Keith Oppenheim reporting.

It's been estimated that absentee voting could be as much as 25 percent of the votes cast in the national election.

Just a reminder, CNN's primetime coverage of tonight's presidential debate in Tempe, Arizona begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The debate itself begins at 9:00.

This presidential campaign isn't just being watched here in the States, there is a big interest in it overseas.

So let's head live to Jerusalem and John Vause.

Hello -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Compared to previous presidential elections, the Democrats and the Republicans here have been running fairly intensive get out the vote campaigns. Now just this morning on the front page of the Pirate's (ph) English edition newspaper, the DNC took out this ad urging Americans to get their absentee ballots if they don't have them, telling them where they can get them.

Now this election is being watched very closely by both Israeli- Americans and Palestinian-Americans but for very different reasons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ABRAMS, ISRAELI-AMERICAN: I made a mistake. I'm with Bush now all the way.

VAUSE (voice-over): David Abrams says his mistake was voting Democrat in the last presidential election. Like many Israeli- Americans, back then he worried that George W. Bush would be like his father, considered by many in this country as pro Arab.

NADEM (ph) KHOURY, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN: Well I voted last election for George Bush.

VAUSE: Nadem Khoury is a Palestinian-American. Like many Palestinians, he voted for George W. Bush because he too thought the son would be like the father.

N. KHOURY: We thought that the son will help take some advice from his father, but it didn't work that way, unfortunately.

VAUSE: Nadem Khoury and brother David moved to the West Bank 10 years ago from Boston. With their life savings, they started a brewery. The last four years have been bad for business. Road closures, curfews and checkpoints have left them struggling to survive. And through it all they believe the U.S. has blindly supported Israel. And come November, both say they probably won't vote.

DAVID KHOURY, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN: With John Kerry ideology what I hear, what I read in the newspapers, I think he will be biased towards the Israelis.

VAUSE: The Abrams family moved from New York. They also live in the West Bank in a Jewish settlement called Afrad (ph). And like the Khoury family, maintain their U.S. citizenship. They say there is no difference between 9/11 and attacks on Israelis by Palestinian militants. And they see George W. Bush as a strong, decisive leader.

ARKOOK (ph) ABRAMS, ISRAELI-AMERICAN: He's the only one that actually stood up there and said either they are with us or you're against us, and he means that. He didn't do the flip-flop. He says what it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those of you who want to hear about John Kerry.

VAUSE: In recent weeks, both parties have been campaigning here.

MARK ZOBER, DEMOCRATS ABROAD: We have particularly targeted Americans from important swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan.

VAUSE: Last election, Israeli-Americans overwhelmingly went Democrat, but the Republicans are expecting a much better result this time. The reward, what many here consider the most pro Israeli White House in a generation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Now last election, 14,000 Americans here cast an absentee ballot. Turnout this time is expected to be much higher. And according to Republicans abroad, 6,000 ex-pat Floridians are eligible to vote in this election. Now Florida is a state which George W. Bush carried in the last election by just 537 votes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And of course many people would dispute that.

John Vause reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.

Afghanistan is set to start counting votes this morning after a peaceful presidential election. That story tops our "Global Minute." Several of Hamid Karzai's challengers are backing off threats to have the election declared illegal. Officials also say a U.N. helicopter was not carrying any ballots when it crash-landed. No one was hurt.

In Gaza, Israeli troops are on the move. Witnesses say a Palestinian man was killed during a raid on a refugee camp today. It's the latest fatality as Israeli troops work to establish a five- and-a-half mile buffer zone.

Also this morning, Yasser Arafat's cousin escaped unharmed after a car bomb exploded near his convoy.

Columbus Day stirs a lot of anger and resentment in Venezuela as supporters of President Hugo Chavez topple a statue of the explorer in Caracas. Chavez blames Columbus for ushering in a so-called genocide of Native Indians. He has even renamed October 12 Indian Resistance Day.

And in western Mexico, no arrests so far in an embarrassing heist of an armored car company. Police say the bandits broke into a vault and stole $10.5 million. The thieves supposedly forced two security guards to help them by threatening to hurt the workers' families.

Flu fighters, in five minutes, can the feds find a way to save those shots for those who need them most?

And in eight minutes, President Bush and John Kerry get ready to face off for the last presidential debate, but will either land a knockout punch with undecided voters?

Which brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning," what do you want to hear from the candidates tonight? We'll read some of your thoughts later on in the show.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In some areas, flu vaccine shots are selling for 10 times their original price. The government says such episodes of price gouging are reprehensible and have pledged to prosecute.

In the meantime, millions of doses of the vaccine are being rerouted, rather, to help high-risk patients.

CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig takes a look for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seniors desperate for a flu vaccine wait for hours in a line that wraps around this Publix grocery store in Sarasota, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm almost 400th in line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't get a ticket, you don't get a shot.

FEIG: They're willing to wait because it's almost impossible to find one since the nation's supply was slashed in half. So the Centers for Disease Control has inked a deal with Adventis, the remaining maker of the U.S. flu shot to reroute about 22 million doses they have not yet shipped to those who ordered it, such as doctor's offices, pharmacies or grocery stores.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC DIRECTOR: We're going first to the people who need vaccine the most and where we can logically predict the greatest number of at-risk people.

FEIG: That's children 6 months to 23 months, anyone with a chronic disease and everyone over the age of 65. So 14 million doses will be sent to nursing homes, pediatrician's offices and VA hospitals. The agency says they are also mapping county by county where flu cases are being reported, hoping to send the vaccine there to stop an outbreak in its early stages. But in the fight for existing vaccine, stories of price gouging abound.

GERBERDING: Shame on the people who are price gouging. This is a reprehensible thing to be doing, I think an immoral thing in this context.

FEIG (on camera): But the CDC's hands are tied when it comes to stopping those raising prices, because laws vary by state and it's up to those state governments to crack down.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In other health headlines for you this morning, there is new reason for obese people to try to cut carbs. Preliminary research suggests low carbohydrate diets can improve the cholesterol levels in extremely overweight people. In obesity, the body tends to be in a state of chronic inflammation. The old (ph) carb diet may also curb that inflammation better than a reduced fat diet.

There are also big health benefits for obese people who undergo gastric bypass surgery. A study finds that 70 to 80 percent of the cases of diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and high cholesterol were eliminated or improved with patients who had the stomach surgery. Two earlier studies found that gastric bypass patients live longer than similarly obese people who don't have the operation.

And all of you soccer moms will like to hear this one, a new study has found that regular long-term participation in soccer greatly improves health. All that running around increases an aerobic capacity, lean body mass and bone density.

For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site, the address CNN.com/health.

Your news, money, weather and sports now. It is 5:46 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

The call to help Iraq is going out in Tokyo. Delegates from 55 nations are at a donors conference. Iraqi and Japanese officials criticize countries for not delivering on earlier pledges to help Iraq.

A roadside bomb in eastern Baghdad has claimed the lives of three American soldiers. Their deaths bring the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq to 1,083.

And money news, reason to celebrate at Yahoo! The company's third quarter profit more than tripled from 2003. The big bump is due mostly to a windfall when the company sold part of its ownership in Google.

In culture, Michael Jackson wants Eminem's new video pulled off the air. In the video for the song "Just Lose It," Eminem dresses up like Jackson and sits on a bed with a group of young boys. So far only BET has agreed to pull the clip.

In sports, the Cincinnati Reds have decided against resigning Barry Larkin. The 40-year-old shortstop originally said he would retire after this season, but he changed his mind shortly after making the all-star team. Larkin spent 19 seasons with the Reds.

It wouldn't be the same without Barry Larkin -- Chad.

MYERS: Carol, you and I both worked in Columbus when Barry played down in Cincinnati.

COSTELLO: Yes, when Cincinnati went to the World Series, Barry Larkin was on the team.

MYERS: Drove down there all the time to see them down at Riverfront.

COSTELLO: Definitely.

MYERS: Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

So how many of you will be tuning in for tonight's final debate between George Bush and John Kerry? Sixty-two point five million Americans watched the first face off and 46.7 million tuned in for the second one. Took place on a Friday night and the number of viewers was down 25 percent. Tonight's debate takes place during a Yankees- Red Sox championship game and that may play into the numbers as well.

But let's talk about tonight's final powwow between George Bush and John Kerry.

Joining us live, our good friends, Mark Ericson and Danielle Carrier, the WOKQ Waking Crew in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Good morning.

MARK ERICSON, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Good morning, Carol.

DANIELLE CARRIER, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Good morning.

COSTELLO: We thought we'd have a little fun with debate talk this morning.

ERICSON: Actually, we wonder if John Kerry might have one of those little chatty portable TVs out on the podium keeping an eye on the Red Sox game while he's doing the debate.

CARRIER: He better.

COSTELLO: That would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

CARRIER: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: And a real test of him, too. But I wanted to ask you guys, during the debate, what phrase you think will be heard the most?

ERICSON: The phrase to be...

CARRIER: The phrase.

ERICSON: The phrase that pays in tonight's debate, I'm thinking you're going to hear President Bush using the world liberal probably a whole heck of a lot.

COSTELLO: Give me a number.

ERICSON: A number, we'll make this into a drinking game.

CARRIER: Thirty-two.

ERICSON: Thirty-two.

COSTELLO: Thirty-two times.

CARRIER: Thirty-two times you're going to hear the word liberal.

COSTELLO: Is that what you want to stick with, Mark, 32 times the word liberal will come through the mouth of George Bush?

ERICSON: Well, Danielle also believes in the Red Sox.

CARRIER: Hey.

ERICSON: Yes, we'll do 32. We'll go with 32 times you're going to hear the word liberal.

COSTELLO: OK, I have a prediction of my own, I say President Bush will say he can run but he can't hide at least two times.

ERICSON: I would imagine that's going to come up a fair amount as well. And I think whether it's in -- they've almost become interchangeable. Homeland security or national security, that's going to be big tonight.

COSTELLO: OK, how many times will President Bush or John Kerry mention homeland security?

ERICSON: I'd say, let's go with 15.

COSTELLO: Fifteen times.

OK, Danielle.

CARRIER: That's it.

ERICSON: I think so, yes.

CARRIER: OK.

COSTELLO: Danielle, your predictions?

CARRIER: Yes. My predictions, I want to hear at least two unnecessary Red Sox references from Kerry, definitely.

COSTELLO: That is perfect. Now here is my prediction for John Kerry. He will say President Bush's energy policy has run out of gas at least three times.

CARRIER: Gas.

ERICSON: Yes.

COSTELLO: You know the run out of gas party says that a lot.

ERICSON: Yes, he does.

CARRIER: Brilliant. COSTELLO: Three times.

CARRIER: Yes.

ERICSON: Yes, he does.

COSTELLO: OK.

ERICSON: And the other thing that Danielle was talking about was the fact that President Bush's tax return at one point Kerry referenced in the last debate did have a tax rebate from a portion of a timber company that the president at one point did own.

COSTELLO: That's right.

ERICSON: And the president made that crack about asking anyone if they want some wood.

CARRIER: I think Kerry is going to ask for a deal.

COSTELLO: A deal on some firewood?

ERICSON: Deal on some firewood.

CARRIER: Why not, it's cold in New England.

COSTELLO: That's a good one, Danielle, I like that one. Let's talk about facial expressions, because I think that by now both men have taken the quirks from their faces, or learned how to control them.

CARRIER: You think?

COSTELLO: Maybe not.

CARRIER: I don't think. I think Bush is still going to have those nice little smirks. And Kerry, it's his eyebrows. Have you ever seen his eyebrows?

COSTELLO: I have indeed.

CARRIER: They move like something I've never seen before.

COSTELLO: Like caterpillars?

CARRIER: Yes. I'm expecting them to have a life of their own. It's interesting to see both of their expressions.

COSTELLO: Do you know how difficult it would be though to know that the camera is on you and you're not talking but you're listening to the other person and a lot of emotions are going through your head? I mean I do that sometimes on the set when Chad is talking incessantly and I have to look at him as though you know I...

CARRIER: It's called nervous twitches.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Chad, are you up there?

MYERS: Carol, yes, listening intently.

COSTELLO: Did you just hear me slam you?

MYERS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

ERICSON: Morning -- Chad.

MYERS: Haybaxter Hack (ph) as they say.

COSTELLO: Do you have any predictions for the debate as far as how many times each candidate will use a key phrase or a pet phrase?

MYERS: You know Christopher Reeve may come up, and I'm wondering how many times each candidate may say that.

COSTELLO: I think John Kerry will mention Christopher Reeve.

MYERS: Yes, I do too.

ERICSON: Actually, a week and a half ago when John Kerry was in New Hampshire, he was speaking at a high school in New Hampshire. Michael J. Fox was with him. They were talking about stem cell research and Kerry did talk about Christopher Reeve during that speech.

COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. So I'm sure it will come again.

I want to read one e-mail from our viewers. That's what I was doing, I was going through these.

This is from -- I just hate when you don't put your name on the e-mail. Somehow when they put their names on e-mail I feel closer to them. But anyway, this is a good one. This person says I would like to see the candidates actually answer a question.

CARRIER: I agree.

COSTELLO: Every time both of these candidates are asked a direct question, they dodge it like the matrix. I would like to hear answers not sound bites. Loving that.

CARRIER: You know, absolutely. I am tired of hearing what they say they are going to do but not tell me how.

COSTELLO: Exactly. We'll talk to you guys again tomorrow after the debate. Mark and Danielle, thank you so much for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Nancy Kerrigan is 35, wow.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the presidential candidates gear up for that final round tonight. A lot is riding on this test in Tempe. We'll gauge the reactions of a group of undecided voters as they watch the debate. Plus, we're live in the post debate spin rooms. Trust CNN for complete live coverage of the presidential debate that's tonight beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

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