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American Morning
Commuter Plane Crash in Missouri; Two and a Half Million Doses of Flu Vaccine Coming to America
Aired October 20, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Sighting for votes in Florida -- could an argument over Social Security change this election?
Waiting for sunrise in northern Missouri. Rescuers are hoping to find more survivors of a commuter plane crash there.
Two and a half million doses of flu vaccine coming to America, but will they get here in time?
And three nights in a row of heart stopping play-off baseball. How will Red Sox fans ever make it through game seven?
A look at that on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From Union Station in Chicago, this is AMERICAN MORNING on the road with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
O'BRIEN: We're rocking out this morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I think we have new theme music, do we not?
O'BRIEN: Hey, I love it.
HEMMER: That's a result of Chicago.
O'BRIEN: Good morning, everybody, and welcome from Chicago, where we've been spending the week.
HEMMER: We certainly have. Seeing a lot of this town, too. On Monday we started along the river, the Chicago River. And then yesterday we hopped in our car and we drove across town. There you go, all four of us right there.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is very lame.
HEMMER: I love the horn.
O'BRIEN: You said it but we were all thinking it.
HEMMER: We were at the Magnificent Mile yesterday, Loyola University, right there by the water tower. And today we're at Union Station, one of the great train stations in all of America. The Great Hall here is just such a landmark for the people in Chicago, so it's great to be here in a wonderful and terrific location. This place is just magnificent -- marble everywhere, and the stone everywhere and... O'BRIEN: Giant columns.
HEMMER: ... 50,000 people a day commuting their way right here.
O'BRIEN: It's very beautiful.
We're talking politics this morning. President Bush and John Kerry keep going where the other just came from. They're hitting the swing states with everything they've got. We're going to take a look at the campaign today. Also, we're going to talk to some members of the local media here in Chicago in our segment we like to call "Deep Dish Politics."
HEMMER: Thirteen days, huh?
O'BRIEN: Um-hmm, and counting.
HEMMER: It's almost here.
Also, we'll talk to a photographer who's been on the scene of this commuter plane crash in the State of Missouri. We are getting various reports about what happened late last night. The question today, how could anyone walk away from this crash? We are told through the airline that it occurred upon landing and yet one woman did walk away. We'll talk about what's happening on the scene there, so stay tuned for more on that story out of Missouri today.
O'BRIEN: And Jack's back upstairs. It's nice to have right next to us where we like you.
CAFFERTY: Yes?
O'BRIEN: Umm-hmm.
CAFFERTY: Well, I'm just dropping in for a minute and then I've got to get right back downstairs, because I'm helping to load the trucks.
O'BRIEN: Move along, move it along.
CAFFERTY: It's Wednesday, "Things People Say." We're going to tell you about some famous sayings that relate to Chicago and the authors of same. For example, love -- we'll tell you who said this -- loving Chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose.
HEMMER: Ooh.
CAFFERTY: And we'll tell you who said this, you can get a long way in life with a smile. You can get farther in life with a smile and a gun.
O'BRIEN: Ooh.
CAFFERTY: We're also going to have a guest who's going to talk about some of the most famous architecture in this grand city. We are, in fact, having a pretty good time here and we'll look forward to...
HEMMER: Even Jack admits that.
O'BRIEN: Wait a minute.
HEMMER: I like that.
O'BRIEN: Get that on tape, someone. Quick.
CAFFERTY: Except, except for that snotty little woman in the restaurant last night, which I really didn't like at all. But the food was great. It was great.
O'BRIEN: I ate, the night before, next door, at Hugo's.
CAFFERTY: Just in case they're listening, it was the blonde that works at the front door.
O'BRIEN: Oh, OK. I'm sorry that we went there.
CAFFERTY: I don't know her name.
O'BRIEN: All right, all right, all right.
HEMMER: We'll make it a principle to change it today.
O'BRIEN: Jack, thank you.
CAFFERTY: OK.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to our headlines this morning.
And Heidi Collins has a look at that -- hey, Heidi, good morning again.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and, Jack, before you go, I know you -- now we can say that we've been in Chicago. And in the time we've been here, you have had the largest baked potato, I think, in the world, and that plate of broccoli we had the first night also the largest. So we are good to go with big, huge portions of foods here on this trip.
We want to get straight now to the news this morning.
Federal investigators are in en route to the site of that plane crash we've been talking about in northeastern Missouri. The Corporate Airlines jet went down last night, killing at least eight people. But that number could change. There are at least two survivors, both of them in stable condition. Five people still unaccounted for, though, so we are going to the very latest on the search from the officers on the scene coming up in just a few minutes.
Federal officials working to get extra doses of flu vaccine out and ready for millions of Americans. The challenge now -- getting the vaccines to those who need them most. Bill talked with CDC Director Julie Gerberding last hour. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIE GERBERDING, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: We're very optimistic as these doses come out that the seniors and the very young children and those who need the doses will be able to get them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The Health and Human Services Agency says some 24 million doses are ready to be shipped.
An Army Reservist has pleaded guilty in connection with abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison. Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederick admitted to five charges, including conspiracy and maltreatment of detainees. Several other charges against Frederick were dropped as part of a plea bargain. He is expected to be sentenced tomorrow.
To sports now, the Yankees face off with the Boston Red Sox tonight after the Sox beat them 4-2 last night at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox are the first team now in baseball history to tie a best of seven post-season series after trailing three games to none. Unbelievable comeback so far. It's going to be quite a game to watch again tonight -- Soledad, more from Millennium Park here in just a little bit.
O'BRIEN: All right, Heidi.
Thanks.
It's just 13 days until election day and Senator John Kerry stepped up his attack on President Bush yesterday, campaigning in Pennsylvania and Ohio and Iowa. Senator Kerry begins today in Iowa with a speech on national security. President Bush stumped yesterday at three rallies in hotly contested Florida, where early voting is already under way. The president starts today in Washington, then heads to Iowa and Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In these final days before the election, hot button issues like privatizing Social Security, stem cell research and the "L" word are really mainstays in the campaign.
Joining us this morning from Washington, on the left is Democratic consultant Victor Kamber. And on the right this morning, former RNC Communications Director Clifford May.
Hey, guys, I missed you guys.
Good morning.
Nice to see you.
VICTOR KAMBER, THE KAMBER GROUP: Good morning.
CLIFFORD MAY, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Congratulations.
KAMBER: And you look marvelous.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
Well, thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'd say more and more and more, but we don't have a lot of time, so let's get right to it.
Cliff, we're going to start with you.
And we're talking about the polls all week, really. People talk about the Bush bounce. It does sort of fall within the standard of deviation when they look at polls. But analysts say the president did get a bump up after the last debate. Some people say it's because of Senator Kerry's comments about Mary Cheney.
What do you think? MAY: It's certainly possible. Something certainly has hurt Kerry. Everybody has said that Kerry, not everybody, but certainly on this station and others, people thought that Kerry had been the better debater. I've said before on this program that I don't think people necessarily say oh, that's the better debater, therefore that's who I'll vote for. They're looking for a glimpse behind the curtain, behind the orchestration, behind the spin.
For Kerry to use someone's daughter for political benefit, for his campaign manager to say Mary Cheney is fair game -- I also think for Edwards to say, you know, if Kerry is elected, people will get out of their wheelchairs and walk again, all that, I think, may have left a bad taste in a lot of voters' mouths.
O'BRIEN: Vic, the vice president said what really bothered him the most about that comment about his daughter was that it seemed to be about political strategizing.
Do you find that ironic or do you think he has a point?
KAMBER: Well, I think it's ironic since the only people who have raised Mary Cheney since the debate, frankly, are Republicans at every level. I think it was unfortunate he said Mary's name, Cheney's name. But frankly, she's not an issue. But they've made it an issue, from Mrs. Cheney, Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Mary Matalin, you name it. Every single Republican since last Thursday, at least two or three times a day, says it's an issue for something that they wanted to keep private.
It's not an issue and I disagree with Cliff totally. The fact is that the debates made a difference. They reintroduced John Kerry to the American public. The polling is very close, marginal in any case, some polls ahead, some behind. People are not voting either for or John Kerry because of the Mary Cheney statement. That's a ludicrous concept.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's turn and talk about Social Security.
Here's what Senator Kerry said about the president's strategy. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know what his January surprise is for next year? He said, he said, and I quote him, "We're going to move quickly to privatize Social Security." Those are his words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Vic, obviously lots of debate over that and also what the president has said about privatizing Social Security.
Where is Senator Kerry getting this from?
KAMBER: Well, from the president. I mean he said it in the debate directly, that he believes we should take a portion of the money and -- for the younger people and let them invest it themselves. That's called privatization.
O'BRIEN: But isn't the key point is the younger people? And many people say with a comment like that, he's really trying to scare the older people, the voters, say, in Florida?
KAMBER: I hope he is. I hope he is trying to scare. I hope he's trying to wake up America to say anybody that plays around and touches with Social Security is playing havoc with a plan that we know is successful. And George Bush, last campaign, tried to do -- tried to play with it, and the Congress for the last four years hasn't been willing to touch it.
Now, the president, I believe exactly what Kerry said, if George Bush wins again, that will be one of his plans in January, because he knows he doesn't have to face election again and he can scare the world with it and it doesn't matter.
O'BRIEN: Cliff, do you think... MAY: In every...
O'BRIEN: Go ahead. MAY: Well, I was just going to say, in every election in my lifetime, and probably way before that, Democrats have trotted this out at the end to scare people, that the Republicans want to do away with Social Security. It's not true. Bush never -- Bush has been president for four years. I can't believe anybody is going to find this credible today...
KAMBER: Not do away, Cliff, change it. MAY: Look, well, you know what? Let me tell you something that Republicans and Democrats won't say. We need to reform Social Security in the future or it's not going to be available for people like you and me.
KAMBER: We totally agree. MAY: But it's not going to be done in this way. It's going to have to be done by Republicans and Democrats coming together over a plan, because it's such a political hot button issue. KAMBER: Agreed. MAY: Meanwhile, this idea of, I guess privatization has been polled and it scares people, but, again, as Soledad said, what they're talking about is younger workers who want to may get the opportunity to invest a very tiny fraction of their Social Security payments...
KAMBER: Touch Social Security... MAY: ... into...
KAMBER: ... in privatize (UNINTELLIGIBLE). MAY: This is what you think. You think this is a hot button issue.
KAMBER: You're going to... MAY: You think it's the third rail. But, by the way, it's -- by the way, the front page of the "Washington Post" today, "Social Security Benefits To Rise." This is after...
KAMBER: Cliff... MAY: ... four years of Bush.
KAMBER: Cliff, Social Security... MAY: A Republican Congress.
KAMBER: When you said it before, in your lifetime, Social Security happened in your lifetime and Social Security was a Democratic thing. MAY: You got it.
KAMBER: The Republicans were against it from the very beginning and Republicans would like to change it. They would like to get their hands on the... MAY: I think we should fix it...
O'BRIEN: Oh, you guys obviously... MAY: People would love to get some of that money to invest.
KAMBER: All of us.
O'BRIEN: ... we're not going to resolve it today.
Gentlemen, I'm -- you know what? It's nice to see that things haven't changed in the little time I was gone.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
Victor, I like your haircut. It's cute.
All right, you guys, we'll check in with you later.
KAMBER: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad, thanks for that.
We're going to get to Heidi in a moment here.
First, we want to show you Union Station here, just a little bit here about the Great Hall here at Union Station. You think about the great train stations in all of America, like Grand Central Station in New York, Union Station in Washington. This truly ranks right up there with those two great landmarks in American history. The marble is here and the stone is here. And these giant wooden benches that we'll show you in about 30 minutes from now in the waiting area here that have been carved from some of biggest trees in this entire country. So, about 30 minutes from now we'll give you a tour of what else is here.
Outside, Heidi is at Millennium Park for a tour today -- Heidi, good morning again there.
COLLINS: Good morning once again, Bill.
And what an incredible place to be. This has really become 25 acres right in the heart of downtown Chicago, Millennium Park, something very endeared by many Chicagoans. And behind me, we want to show you one of the reasons. You are looking at the J. Pritzger Pavilion. This is the permanent home of the Grant Park Music Festival. This happens in June.
So far, they have had just an incredible ride. About 40 events have taken place here in this amazing amphitheater type music location. The technology is phenomenal here, very, very high tech. I'm told the musicians love to come and play, people love to come and listen. About 4,000 seats on the inside, 7,000 more people can sit on the outside. It's really an amazing thing. No music coming out of there right now, but it is a beautiful event and beautiful location here behind us.
Also, we want to let you know that Chicago's Millennium Park has actually been described as one of the most significant Millennium projects in the country. It's an incredible world class combination, if you will, of architecture, sculpture and landscape design.
Let's go ahead and take a look at it.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): First conceived in 1997, this Chicago landmark is the crown jewel of the city's park system. Located in downtown Chicago, the nearly 25-acre Millennium Park is a center for everything from interactive art and ice skating, to fine dining and free concerts. The Pritzger Pavilion and Great Lawn make up nearly half the park. An open air acoustic canopy makes it one of the most technologically advanced concert venues in the world.
The Crown Fountain is another of the park's striking features. It has two 50-foot high glass towers at each end of a reflecting pool. In addition to the cascading water, the towers display video images of various Chicagoans and lights. The promenade crossing the park provides an area for year round cultural events. And the 925 foot long B.P. pedestrian bridge provides incomparable views of the city's skyline and Lake Michigan.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: Chicago's Millennium Park, once again, was opened just a little while ago, in July, to the public. And you know what? They were expecting about 50,000 people to show up. Well, instead, 300,000 people came.
HEMMER: Oh, my.
COLLINS: The folks of Chicago once again very, very excited about this and they tell me they've already had one million visitors to Millennium Park -- Bill.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's beautiful. You can see why.
HEMMER: If you come to Chicago, don't miss it. Yes.
O'BRIEN: No question.
HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: You bet.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we're going to serve up some deep dish politics. Some states are reporting some early voting problems, but people here say it's nothing compared to what happened in Illinois four years ago. We're going to take a look at that.
HEMMER: Also, a deadly and fiery plane crash in Missouri late last night. The latest on that search there for survivors. We are told there might be some. And we'll get to that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING as our coverage continues here in Chicago after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: A commuter plane crash in northern Missouri late last night. Rescuers searching that crash site today for five of the 15 people on board. Eight were killed. Two passengers did survive that crash. One of the first on the scene was KTVO's photographer, Courtney Cooper, who's live in Kirksville this morning.
And, Courtney, thank you for your time.
You were one of the first on the scene.
About what time was that last night?
COURTNEY COOPER, REPORTER-PHOTOGRAPHER, KTO-TV: I arrived on the scene around 8:15, which was probably about 20 minutes after the plane had crashed.
HEMMER: And what did you find when you arrived, Courtney?
COOPER: When I arrived I went down a gravel road for about, I'd say two, two and a half miles into an open field. It was actually a bean field. And right where the field and I guess an open wooded area met is where the plane went down. And it was engulfed in flames by the time I was there and the rest of the rescue workers arrived at the scene.
HEMMER: How far was that from...
COOPER: It was kind of...
HEMMER: I apologize for the interruption.
How far is that from the airport, Courtney?
COOPER: I'd say it's about four miles southwest of the airport.
HEMMER: Yes, and do you have much information as to how these two people at least survived this crash?
COOPER: You know, they really haven't released that much information about the two people that have survived the crash. They are in stable condition right now. One woman, we do know, has only suffered a broken arm and was walking around right after the plane had crashed and walked up to rescue workers. The other male had some burns and that's all that I know about his condition at the time.
HEMMER: Yes, I understand the airline has put out a statement.
Did you get a hold of that today, Courtney?
COOPER: They did have a statement and they were basically making the statement toward the families of the victims and just sending out their deepest sympathies and pretty much that they're continuing the investigation as to what happened.
HEMMER: But just to get an idea based on what we know and do not know at this point, the accident occurred upon landing.
Do we have much more information as to why this took place?
COOPER: You know, there really isn't. There's lots of speculation, which, you know, I don't want to get into. But some people are saying that they might -- the plane might have clipped some trees. Some say that the weather could be involved. At this time we do not know that for sure by any means. But that is just some of the speculation that is going around.
HEMMER: Courtney, thank you.
You were excellent.
And to our viewers, this is your first job in television. You've only been on the job there less than a month and...
COOPER: Yes, it is.
Thank you.
HEMMER: ... what a story it is.
So thank you for your time, from KTVO, reporter-photographer Courtney Cooper helping us out along the way in Kirksville, Missouri this morning. Thanks -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we've seen some really amazing architecture here all this week. In just a moment, we're going to take a look at what makes it so special.
That brings us to our next Chicago fun fact.
During the recent $32 million renovation of Union Station, blackout paint was removed from the Great Hall's vaulted skylight. Why had the skylight, in fact, been blacked out? We've got the answer after a short break.
Stay with us.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: And that is a shot from inside the Great Hall here at Union Station.
As you can see right there, that's the glass vaulted ceiling that lies on top of the Great Hall. So the question was, just a moment ago, why did the Great Hall's vaulted skylight have blackout paint on it? It was removed in the renovation. Here's the answer. During World War 2, the skylight had been blacked out to make the station less of a target for enemy aircraft. And during that war, Union Station served nearly 100,000 passengers every day and more than 300 daily arrivals and departures of trains.
HEMMER: And it's still busy, huh?
O'BRIEN: Yes, still busy. Fifty thousand people a day come through here.
HEMMER: Look at that skylight up there.
O'BRIEN: Pretty amazing.
HEMMER: Isn't that wonderful?
O'BRIEN: But you know what's also amazing?
HEMMER: Yes?
O'BRIEN: I don't know if we can get a shot at this, and maybe we'll show it later, these bronze torches, these giant lights that line the entire station, and certainly here in the Great Hall, just amazing. The architecture is fantastic.
HEMMER: They consider it one of the great interior spaces in all of America.
O'BRIEN: Modeled after the original Penn Station, which was demolished in the renovation there. HEMMER: Yes.
A great location.
O'BRIEN: And those are the bronze lights. Beautiful.
HEMMER: We want to get to Jack Cafferty, hanging out again with us here.
Where are you, Jack?
Are you downstairs or upstairs?
CAFFERTY: I'm down here trying to get these commuters off these trains and to their offices on time. We don't want anybody to be late for work.
HEMMER: Good luck.
CAFFERTY: Funny you should mention architecture. Of course, we're inside Union Station, one of the great passenger terminals, probably in the world. They don't build things like this anymore. They haven't for a very long time.
The Chicago skyline, of course, one of the most famous and stunning in all the country. Somebody described this town as the tallest farm town in America. And I guess that's as good a way as any.
HEMMER: Only a New Yorker would say that.
CAFFERTY: Yes?
Blair Kamin is the architecture critic for the "Chicago Tribune," who's with us this morning to give us a little tour of some of the better known architectural addresses in The Windy City.
Good morning.
Nice to have you with us.
BLAIR KAMIN, ARCHITECTURE CRITIC, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Good morning, Jack.
Great to be here.
CAFFERTY: Let's start with the building we're in. This is quite a joint, you should pardon the expression.
KAMIN: It is quite a joint. Union Station and that grand hall that your viewers were just seeing really speaks to Chicago's oversized, grand architectural ambitions.
This is the city of make no little plans, the city that has built the tallest building in America and has one of the world's great skylines. And it's really, with all apologies to New York, America's greatest architectural city.
CAFFERTY: You didn't like that description of the tallest farm town in America, did you?
KAMIN: We ain't no farm town.
CAFFERTY: We ain't no farm town, hayseed. And don't you forget it.
Talk a little about the skyline. Actually, he's absolutely right. You walk around the downtown area and some of the architecture in the downtown area -- and it looks a lot like midtown Manhattan, the steel and the glass and the very modern, sharp angles.
KAMIN: Exactly. Chicago is different from midtown Manhattan, though, in the sense that it has this great front yard in front of it, the skyline, well, what you're seeing here is the jelly bean sculpture in Millennium Park. But this is part of the front yard of Chicago. And you see the skyline reflected in this new sculpture.
And it's kind of like a great cliff, a wall with buildings, not dissimilar, actually, from the buildings that line Central Park in New York City.
CAFFERTY: When you talk about the front yard, are you talking about the lake?
KAMIN: The lake and the parks right behind it.
CAFFERTY: And the parks, right.
KAMIN: And this is a great public realm that really separates Chicago. It's waterfront isn't a series of rotting wharves like in New York City. It's a front yard...
CAFFERTY: Now, now, now.
KAMIN: It's a front yard that everyone shares. It's fantastic.
CAFFERTY: Talk to me a little bit about the Hancock Building. They talk about it like the Eiffel Tower of America or of Chicago.
KAMIN: Right. Well, the John Hancock Center is this muscular exprays (ph) building that's...
CAFFERTY: There it is.
KAMIN: There it is, exactly. And this is a truncated obelisk. It's along Michigan Avenue, the great shopping street. And it's really kind of the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben of Chicago. It's got this blue collar toughness to it.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
KAMIN: But it also has black tie elegance. You kind of... CAFFERTY: You probably know this, too, it also has a window in the ladies room up on the very top where you can see, arguably, one of the great views of the entire city. But there's no window in the men's room. Did you know that?
KAMIN: No, that's...
CAFFERTY: You probably knew that.
KAMIN: We'll have to talk to the building owners about that. But it's really, this is a classic Chicago building. It's sort of like dark, strong, powerful, kind of like a muscle bound Prohibition era gangster.
CAFFERTY: All right. And one of the most identifiable sights in all of Chicago, of course, is downtown right on the river, the Wrigley Building.
KAMIN: Right. And the Wrigley Building is, you know, Frank Sinatra singing "My Kind Of Town." And the Wrigley Building in Chicago is, this is a great building. It's, you can see how white it is. It's got that distinctive clock tower. It's really a building that combines the solidity of classicism with the modernity of a tower like form. And it's a recognizable landmark that Chicagoans just love.
CAFFERTY: Interesting that something so classic and so intricate and so beautiful could be put up by the guys who make chewing gum.
KAMIN: Well, that's true. But actually it was, in a way, a marketing thing for them, because it kind of spoke to the dental, you know, hygiene of chewing gum, the freshness of it.
CAFFERTY: There you go.
KAMIN: So it was kind of building as corporate logo or advertising.
CAFFERTY: All right. And as we wrap up, let's go back out to Millennium Park and talk a little about that. That's where Heidi Collins is hanging out this morning.
KAMIN: Right.
CAFFERTY: And that represents the modern architecture of this great city.
KAMIN: Chicago is an incredible city because it's extending its catalog of great architecture into the 21st century. And Millennium Park is an example of that. You were just looking at Frank Geary's new band shell, the J. Pritzger Pavilion. This is the jelly bean or cloud gate sculpture by Iniskipor (ph), a British sculptor, one of the world's largest sculptures and a fantastic place, with a dome underneath that's attracted scores, thousands of tourists. It's -- it kind of brings the sky, the untouchable down to you so you can reach out and touch it. And it's an amazing thing. And it has a beautiful view of the skyline.
CAFFERTY: That's quite an effect.
Hey, thank you for the tour.
KAMIN: Jack, it was my pleasure.
CAFFERTY: Blair Kamin, architecture critic for the "Chicago Tribune," joining us on AMERICAN MORNING from Chicago.
Back upstairs now to Bill and Soledad.
HEMMER: All right, Jack, thanks.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.
HEMMER: Great tour, too.
7:30 here in Chicago.
The commuter traffic is picking up, as it should.
In a moment here, the president tries to reach two generations of voters. What he's promising older and younger Americans in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING as we continue from Union Station right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired October 20, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Sighting for votes in Florida -- could an argument over Social Security change this election?
Waiting for sunrise in northern Missouri. Rescuers are hoping to find more survivors of a commuter plane crash there.
Two and a half million doses of flu vaccine coming to America, but will they get here in time?
And three nights in a row of heart stopping play-off baseball. How will Red Sox fans ever make it through game seven?
A look at that on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From Union Station in Chicago, this is AMERICAN MORNING on the road with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
O'BRIEN: We're rocking out this morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I think we have new theme music, do we not?
O'BRIEN: Hey, I love it.
HEMMER: That's a result of Chicago.
O'BRIEN: Good morning, everybody, and welcome from Chicago, where we've been spending the week.
HEMMER: We certainly have. Seeing a lot of this town, too. On Monday we started along the river, the Chicago River. And then yesterday we hopped in our car and we drove across town. There you go, all four of us right there.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is very lame.
HEMMER: I love the horn.
O'BRIEN: You said it but we were all thinking it.
HEMMER: We were at the Magnificent Mile yesterday, Loyola University, right there by the water tower. And today we're at Union Station, one of the great train stations in all of America. The Great Hall here is just such a landmark for the people in Chicago, so it's great to be here in a wonderful and terrific location. This place is just magnificent -- marble everywhere, and the stone everywhere and... O'BRIEN: Giant columns.
HEMMER: ... 50,000 people a day commuting their way right here.
O'BRIEN: It's very beautiful.
We're talking politics this morning. President Bush and John Kerry keep going where the other just came from. They're hitting the swing states with everything they've got. We're going to take a look at the campaign today. Also, we're going to talk to some members of the local media here in Chicago in our segment we like to call "Deep Dish Politics."
HEMMER: Thirteen days, huh?
O'BRIEN: Um-hmm, and counting.
HEMMER: It's almost here.
Also, we'll talk to a photographer who's been on the scene of this commuter plane crash in the State of Missouri. We are getting various reports about what happened late last night. The question today, how could anyone walk away from this crash? We are told through the airline that it occurred upon landing and yet one woman did walk away. We'll talk about what's happening on the scene there, so stay tuned for more on that story out of Missouri today.
O'BRIEN: And Jack's back upstairs. It's nice to have right next to us where we like you.
CAFFERTY: Yes?
O'BRIEN: Umm-hmm.
CAFFERTY: Well, I'm just dropping in for a minute and then I've got to get right back downstairs, because I'm helping to load the trucks.
O'BRIEN: Move along, move it along.
CAFFERTY: It's Wednesday, "Things People Say." We're going to tell you about some famous sayings that relate to Chicago and the authors of same. For example, love -- we'll tell you who said this -- loving Chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose.
HEMMER: Ooh.
CAFFERTY: And we'll tell you who said this, you can get a long way in life with a smile. You can get farther in life with a smile and a gun.
O'BRIEN: Ooh.
CAFFERTY: We're also going to have a guest who's going to talk about some of the most famous architecture in this grand city. We are, in fact, having a pretty good time here and we'll look forward to...
HEMMER: Even Jack admits that.
O'BRIEN: Wait a minute.
HEMMER: I like that.
O'BRIEN: Get that on tape, someone. Quick.
CAFFERTY: Except, except for that snotty little woman in the restaurant last night, which I really didn't like at all. But the food was great. It was great.
O'BRIEN: I ate, the night before, next door, at Hugo's.
CAFFERTY: Just in case they're listening, it was the blonde that works at the front door.
O'BRIEN: Oh, OK. I'm sorry that we went there.
CAFFERTY: I don't know her name.
O'BRIEN: All right, all right, all right.
HEMMER: We'll make it a principle to change it today.
O'BRIEN: Jack, thank you.
CAFFERTY: OK.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to our headlines this morning.
And Heidi Collins has a look at that -- hey, Heidi, good morning again.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and, Jack, before you go, I know you -- now we can say that we've been in Chicago. And in the time we've been here, you have had the largest baked potato, I think, in the world, and that plate of broccoli we had the first night also the largest. So we are good to go with big, huge portions of foods here on this trip.
We want to get straight now to the news this morning.
Federal investigators are in en route to the site of that plane crash we've been talking about in northeastern Missouri. The Corporate Airlines jet went down last night, killing at least eight people. But that number could change. There are at least two survivors, both of them in stable condition. Five people still unaccounted for, though, so we are going to the very latest on the search from the officers on the scene coming up in just a few minutes.
Federal officials working to get extra doses of flu vaccine out and ready for millions of Americans. The challenge now -- getting the vaccines to those who need them most. Bill talked with CDC Director Julie Gerberding last hour. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIE GERBERDING, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: We're very optimistic as these doses come out that the seniors and the very young children and those who need the doses will be able to get them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The Health and Human Services Agency says some 24 million doses are ready to be shipped.
An Army Reservist has pleaded guilty in connection with abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison. Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederick admitted to five charges, including conspiracy and maltreatment of detainees. Several other charges against Frederick were dropped as part of a plea bargain. He is expected to be sentenced tomorrow.
To sports now, the Yankees face off with the Boston Red Sox tonight after the Sox beat them 4-2 last night at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox are the first team now in baseball history to tie a best of seven post-season series after trailing three games to none. Unbelievable comeback so far. It's going to be quite a game to watch again tonight -- Soledad, more from Millennium Park here in just a little bit.
O'BRIEN: All right, Heidi.
Thanks.
It's just 13 days until election day and Senator John Kerry stepped up his attack on President Bush yesterday, campaigning in Pennsylvania and Ohio and Iowa. Senator Kerry begins today in Iowa with a speech on national security. President Bush stumped yesterday at three rallies in hotly contested Florida, where early voting is already under way. The president starts today in Washington, then heads to Iowa and Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In these final days before the election, hot button issues like privatizing Social Security, stem cell research and the "L" word are really mainstays in the campaign.
Joining us this morning from Washington, on the left is Democratic consultant Victor Kamber. And on the right this morning, former RNC Communications Director Clifford May.
Hey, guys, I missed you guys.
Good morning.
Nice to see you.
VICTOR KAMBER, THE KAMBER GROUP: Good morning.
CLIFFORD MAY, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Congratulations.
KAMBER: And you look marvelous.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
Well, thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'd say more and more and more, but we don't have a lot of time, so let's get right to it.
Cliff, we're going to start with you.
And we're talking about the polls all week, really. People talk about the Bush bounce. It does sort of fall within the standard of deviation when they look at polls. But analysts say the president did get a bump up after the last debate. Some people say it's because of Senator Kerry's comments about Mary Cheney.
What do you think? MAY: It's certainly possible. Something certainly has hurt Kerry. Everybody has said that Kerry, not everybody, but certainly on this station and others, people thought that Kerry had been the better debater. I've said before on this program that I don't think people necessarily say oh, that's the better debater, therefore that's who I'll vote for. They're looking for a glimpse behind the curtain, behind the orchestration, behind the spin.
For Kerry to use someone's daughter for political benefit, for his campaign manager to say Mary Cheney is fair game -- I also think for Edwards to say, you know, if Kerry is elected, people will get out of their wheelchairs and walk again, all that, I think, may have left a bad taste in a lot of voters' mouths.
O'BRIEN: Vic, the vice president said what really bothered him the most about that comment about his daughter was that it seemed to be about political strategizing.
Do you find that ironic or do you think he has a point?
KAMBER: Well, I think it's ironic since the only people who have raised Mary Cheney since the debate, frankly, are Republicans at every level. I think it was unfortunate he said Mary's name, Cheney's name. But frankly, she's not an issue. But they've made it an issue, from Mrs. Cheney, Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Mary Matalin, you name it. Every single Republican since last Thursday, at least two or three times a day, says it's an issue for something that they wanted to keep private.
It's not an issue and I disagree with Cliff totally. The fact is that the debates made a difference. They reintroduced John Kerry to the American public. The polling is very close, marginal in any case, some polls ahead, some behind. People are not voting either for or John Kerry because of the Mary Cheney statement. That's a ludicrous concept.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's turn and talk about Social Security.
Here's what Senator Kerry said about the president's strategy. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know what his January surprise is for next year? He said, he said, and I quote him, "We're going to move quickly to privatize Social Security." Those are his words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Vic, obviously lots of debate over that and also what the president has said about privatizing Social Security.
Where is Senator Kerry getting this from?
KAMBER: Well, from the president. I mean he said it in the debate directly, that he believes we should take a portion of the money and -- for the younger people and let them invest it themselves. That's called privatization.
O'BRIEN: But isn't the key point is the younger people? And many people say with a comment like that, he's really trying to scare the older people, the voters, say, in Florida?
KAMBER: I hope he is. I hope he is trying to scare. I hope he's trying to wake up America to say anybody that plays around and touches with Social Security is playing havoc with a plan that we know is successful. And George Bush, last campaign, tried to do -- tried to play with it, and the Congress for the last four years hasn't been willing to touch it.
Now, the president, I believe exactly what Kerry said, if George Bush wins again, that will be one of his plans in January, because he knows he doesn't have to face election again and he can scare the world with it and it doesn't matter.
O'BRIEN: Cliff, do you think... MAY: In every...
O'BRIEN: Go ahead. MAY: Well, I was just going to say, in every election in my lifetime, and probably way before that, Democrats have trotted this out at the end to scare people, that the Republicans want to do away with Social Security. It's not true. Bush never -- Bush has been president for four years. I can't believe anybody is going to find this credible today...
KAMBER: Not do away, Cliff, change it. MAY: Look, well, you know what? Let me tell you something that Republicans and Democrats won't say. We need to reform Social Security in the future or it's not going to be available for people like you and me.
KAMBER: We totally agree. MAY: But it's not going to be done in this way. It's going to have to be done by Republicans and Democrats coming together over a plan, because it's such a political hot button issue. KAMBER: Agreed. MAY: Meanwhile, this idea of, I guess privatization has been polled and it scares people, but, again, as Soledad said, what they're talking about is younger workers who want to may get the opportunity to invest a very tiny fraction of their Social Security payments...
KAMBER: Touch Social Security... MAY: ... into...
KAMBER: ... in privatize (UNINTELLIGIBLE). MAY: This is what you think. You think this is a hot button issue.
KAMBER: You're going to... MAY: You think it's the third rail. But, by the way, it's -- by the way, the front page of the "Washington Post" today, "Social Security Benefits To Rise." This is after...
KAMBER: Cliff... MAY: ... four years of Bush.
KAMBER: Cliff, Social Security... MAY: A Republican Congress.
KAMBER: When you said it before, in your lifetime, Social Security happened in your lifetime and Social Security was a Democratic thing. MAY: You got it.
KAMBER: The Republicans were against it from the very beginning and Republicans would like to change it. They would like to get their hands on the... MAY: I think we should fix it...
O'BRIEN: Oh, you guys obviously... MAY: People would love to get some of that money to invest.
KAMBER: All of us.
O'BRIEN: ... we're not going to resolve it today.
Gentlemen, I'm -- you know what? It's nice to see that things haven't changed in the little time I was gone.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
Victor, I like your haircut. It's cute.
All right, you guys, we'll check in with you later.
KAMBER: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad, thanks for that.
We're going to get to Heidi in a moment here.
First, we want to show you Union Station here, just a little bit here about the Great Hall here at Union Station. You think about the great train stations in all of America, like Grand Central Station in New York, Union Station in Washington. This truly ranks right up there with those two great landmarks in American history. The marble is here and the stone is here. And these giant wooden benches that we'll show you in about 30 minutes from now in the waiting area here that have been carved from some of biggest trees in this entire country. So, about 30 minutes from now we'll give you a tour of what else is here.
Outside, Heidi is at Millennium Park for a tour today -- Heidi, good morning again there.
COLLINS: Good morning once again, Bill.
And what an incredible place to be. This has really become 25 acres right in the heart of downtown Chicago, Millennium Park, something very endeared by many Chicagoans. And behind me, we want to show you one of the reasons. You are looking at the J. Pritzger Pavilion. This is the permanent home of the Grant Park Music Festival. This happens in June.
So far, they have had just an incredible ride. About 40 events have taken place here in this amazing amphitheater type music location. The technology is phenomenal here, very, very high tech. I'm told the musicians love to come and play, people love to come and listen. About 4,000 seats on the inside, 7,000 more people can sit on the outside. It's really an amazing thing. No music coming out of there right now, but it is a beautiful event and beautiful location here behind us.
Also, we want to let you know that Chicago's Millennium Park has actually been described as one of the most significant Millennium projects in the country. It's an incredible world class combination, if you will, of architecture, sculpture and landscape design.
Let's go ahead and take a look at it.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): First conceived in 1997, this Chicago landmark is the crown jewel of the city's park system. Located in downtown Chicago, the nearly 25-acre Millennium Park is a center for everything from interactive art and ice skating, to fine dining and free concerts. The Pritzger Pavilion and Great Lawn make up nearly half the park. An open air acoustic canopy makes it one of the most technologically advanced concert venues in the world.
The Crown Fountain is another of the park's striking features. It has two 50-foot high glass towers at each end of a reflecting pool. In addition to the cascading water, the towers display video images of various Chicagoans and lights. The promenade crossing the park provides an area for year round cultural events. And the 925 foot long B.P. pedestrian bridge provides incomparable views of the city's skyline and Lake Michigan.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: Chicago's Millennium Park, once again, was opened just a little while ago, in July, to the public. And you know what? They were expecting about 50,000 people to show up. Well, instead, 300,000 people came.
HEMMER: Oh, my.
COLLINS: The folks of Chicago once again very, very excited about this and they tell me they've already had one million visitors to Millennium Park -- Bill.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's beautiful. You can see why.
HEMMER: If you come to Chicago, don't miss it. Yes.
O'BRIEN: No question.
HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: You bet.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we're going to serve up some deep dish politics. Some states are reporting some early voting problems, but people here say it's nothing compared to what happened in Illinois four years ago. We're going to take a look at that.
HEMMER: Also, a deadly and fiery plane crash in Missouri late last night. The latest on that search there for survivors. We are told there might be some. And we'll get to that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING as our coverage continues here in Chicago after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: A commuter plane crash in northern Missouri late last night. Rescuers searching that crash site today for five of the 15 people on board. Eight were killed. Two passengers did survive that crash. One of the first on the scene was KTVO's photographer, Courtney Cooper, who's live in Kirksville this morning.
And, Courtney, thank you for your time.
You were one of the first on the scene.
About what time was that last night?
COURTNEY COOPER, REPORTER-PHOTOGRAPHER, KTO-TV: I arrived on the scene around 8:15, which was probably about 20 minutes after the plane had crashed.
HEMMER: And what did you find when you arrived, Courtney?
COOPER: When I arrived I went down a gravel road for about, I'd say two, two and a half miles into an open field. It was actually a bean field. And right where the field and I guess an open wooded area met is where the plane went down. And it was engulfed in flames by the time I was there and the rest of the rescue workers arrived at the scene.
HEMMER: How far was that from...
COOPER: It was kind of...
HEMMER: I apologize for the interruption.
How far is that from the airport, Courtney?
COOPER: I'd say it's about four miles southwest of the airport.
HEMMER: Yes, and do you have much information as to how these two people at least survived this crash?
COOPER: You know, they really haven't released that much information about the two people that have survived the crash. They are in stable condition right now. One woman, we do know, has only suffered a broken arm and was walking around right after the plane had crashed and walked up to rescue workers. The other male had some burns and that's all that I know about his condition at the time.
HEMMER: Yes, I understand the airline has put out a statement.
Did you get a hold of that today, Courtney?
COOPER: They did have a statement and they were basically making the statement toward the families of the victims and just sending out their deepest sympathies and pretty much that they're continuing the investigation as to what happened.
HEMMER: But just to get an idea based on what we know and do not know at this point, the accident occurred upon landing.
Do we have much more information as to why this took place?
COOPER: You know, there really isn't. There's lots of speculation, which, you know, I don't want to get into. But some people are saying that they might -- the plane might have clipped some trees. Some say that the weather could be involved. At this time we do not know that for sure by any means. But that is just some of the speculation that is going around.
HEMMER: Courtney, thank you.
You were excellent.
And to our viewers, this is your first job in television. You've only been on the job there less than a month and...
COOPER: Yes, it is.
Thank you.
HEMMER: ... what a story it is.
So thank you for your time, from KTVO, reporter-photographer Courtney Cooper helping us out along the way in Kirksville, Missouri this morning. Thanks -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we've seen some really amazing architecture here all this week. In just a moment, we're going to take a look at what makes it so special.
That brings us to our next Chicago fun fact.
During the recent $32 million renovation of Union Station, blackout paint was removed from the Great Hall's vaulted skylight. Why had the skylight, in fact, been blacked out? We've got the answer after a short break.
Stay with us.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: And that is a shot from inside the Great Hall here at Union Station.
As you can see right there, that's the glass vaulted ceiling that lies on top of the Great Hall. So the question was, just a moment ago, why did the Great Hall's vaulted skylight have blackout paint on it? It was removed in the renovation. Here's the answer. During World War 2, the skylight had been blacked out to make the station less of a target for enemy aircraft. And during that war, Union Station served nearly 100,000 passengers every day and more than 300 daily arrivals and departures of trains.
HEMMER: And it's still busy, huh?
O'BRIEN: Yes, still busy. Fifty thousand people a day come through here.
HEMMER: Look at that skylight up there.
O'BRIEN: Pretty amazing.
HEMMER: Isn't that wonderful?
O'BRIEN: But you know what's also amazing?
HEMMER: Yes?
O'BRIEN: I don't know if we can get a shot at this, and maybe we'll show it later, these bronze torches, these giant lights that line the entire station, and certainly here in the Great Hall, just amazing. The architecture is fantastic.
HEMMER: They consider it one of the great interior spaces in all of America.
O'BRIEN: Modeled after the original Penn Station, which was demolished in the renovation there. HEMMER: Yes.
A great location.
O'BRIEN: And those are the bronze lights. Beautiful.
HEMMER: We want to get to Jack Cafferty, hanging out again with us here.
Where are you, Jack?
Are you downstairs or upstairs?
CAFFERTY: I'm down here trying to get these commuters off these trains and to their offices on time. We don't want anybody to be late for work.
HEMMER: Good luck.
CAFFERTY: Funny you should mention architecture. Of course, we're inside Union Station, one of the great passenger terminals, probably in the world. They don't build things like this anymore. They haven't for a very long time.
The Chicago skyline, of course, one of the most famous and stunning in all the country. Somebody described this town as the tallest farm town in America. And I guess that's as good a way as any.
HEMMER: Only a New Yorker would say that.
CAFFERTY: Yes?
Blair Kamin is the architecture critic for the "Chicago Tribune," who's with us this morning to give us a little tour of some of the better known architectural addresses in The Windy City.
Good morning.
Nice to have you with us.
BLAIR KAMIN, ARCHITECTURE CRITIC, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Good morning, Jack.
Great to be here.
CAFFERTY: Let's start with the building we're in. This is quite a joint, you should pardon the expression.
KAMIN: It is quite a joint. Union Station and that grand hall that your viewers were just seeing really speaks to Chicago's oversized, grand architectural ambitions.
This is the city of make no little plans, the city that has built the tallest building in America and has one of the world's great skylines. And it's really, with all apologies to New York, America's greatest architectural city.
CAFFERTY: You didn't like that description of the tallest farm town in America, did you?
KAMIN: We ain't no farm town.
CAFFERTY: We ain't no farm town, hayseed. And don't you forget it.
Talk a little about the skyline. Actually, he's absolutely right. You walk around the downtown area and some of the architecture in the downtown area -- and it looks a lot like midtown Manhattan, the steel and the glass and the very modern, sharp angles.
KAMIN: Exactly. Chicago is different from midtown Manhattan, though, in the sense that it has this great front yard in front of it, the skyline, well, what you're seeing here is the jelly bean sculpture in Millennium Park. But this is part of the front yard of Chicago. And you see the skyline reflected in this new sculpture.
And it's kind of like a great cliff, a wall with buildings, not dissimilar, actually, from the buildings that line Central Park in New York City.
CAFFERTY: When you talk about the front yard, are you talking about the lake?
KAMIN: The lake and the parks right behind it.
CAFFERTY: And the parks, right.
KAMIN: And this is a great public realm that really separates Chicago. It's waterfront isn't a series of rotting wharves like in New York City. It's a front yard...
CAFFERTY: Now, now, now.
KAMIN: It's a front yard that everyone shares. It's fantastic.
CAFFERTY: Talk to me a little bit about the Hancock Building. They talk about it like the Eiffel Tower of America or of Chicago.
KAMIN: Right. Well, the John Hancock Center is this muscular exprays (ph) building that's...
CAFFERTY: There it is.
KAMIN: There it is, exactly. And this is a truncated obelisk. It's along Michigan Avenue, the great shopping street. And it's really kind of the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben of Chicago. It's got this blue collar toughness to it.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
KAMIN: But it also has black tie elegance. You kind of... CAFFERTY: You probably know this, too, it also has a window in the ladies room up on the very top where you can see, arguably, one of the great views of the entire city. But there's no window in the men's room. Did you know that?
KAMIN: No, that's...
CAFFERTY: You probably knew that.
KAMIN: We'll have to talk to the building owners about that. But it's really, this is a classic Chicago building. It's sort of like dark, strong, powerful, kind of like a muscle bound Prohibition era gangster.
CAFFERTY: All right. And one of the most identifiable sights in all of Chicago, of course, is downtown right on the river, the Wrigley Building.
KAMIN: Right. And the Wrigley Building is, you know, Frank Sinatra singing "My Kind Of Town." And the Wrigley Building in Chicago is, this is a great building. It's, you can see how white it is. It's got that distinctive clock tower. It's really a building that combines the solidity of classicism with the modernity of a tower like form. And it's a recognizable landmark that Chicagoans just love.
CAFFERTY: Interesting that something so classic and so intricate and so beautiful could be put up by the guys who make chewing gum.
KAMIN: Well, that's true. But actually it was, in a way, a marketing thing for them, because it kind of spoke to the dental, you know, hygiene of chewing gum, the freshness of it.
CAFFERTY: There you go.
KAMIN: So it was kind of building as corporate logo or advertising.
CAFFERTY: All right. And as we wrap up, let's go back out to Millennium Park and talk a little about that. That's where Heidi Collins is hanging out this morning.
KAMIN: Right.
CAFFERTY: And that represents the modern architecture of this great city.
KAMIN: Chicago is an incredible city because it's extending its catalog of great architecture into the 21st century. And Millennium Park is an example of that. You were just looking at Frank Geary's new band shell, the J. Pritzger Pavilion. This is the jelly bean or cloud gate sculpture by Iniskipor (ph), a British sculptor, one of the world's largest sculptures and a fantastic place, with a dome underneath that's attracted scores, thousands of tourists. It's -- it kind of brings the sky, the untouchable down to you so you can reach out and touch it. And it's an amazing thing. And it has a beautiful view of the skyline.
CAFFERTY: That's quite an effect.
Hey, thank you for the tour.
KAMIN: Jack, it was my pleasure.
CAFFERTY: Blair Kamin, architecture critic for the "Chicago Tribune," joining us on AMERICAN MORNING from Chicago.
Back upstairs now to Bill and Soledad.
HEMMER: All right, Jack, thanks.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.
HEMMER: Great tour, too.
7:30 here in Chicago.
The commuter traffic is picking up, as it should.
In a moment here, the president tries to reach two generations of voters. What he's promising older and younger Americans in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING as we continue from Union Station right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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