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CNN Live Sunday

Arnold Schwazenegger To Campaign For Bush In Ohio; Flu Shot Shortage Not As Bad As People Think

Aired October 24, 2004 - 18:00   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Here's what's happening right now in the news. George Bush and John Kerry are divvying up the endorsements today. And both sides are getting new help to get their messages out. Live reports from the campaign trail in just 1 minute.
Abu Musab al Zarqawi's terror group is claiming responsibility for the killing of 44 new Iraqi soldiers. The soldiers, and their drivers were shot execution style at a fake checkpoint near the Iranian border.

And Iran's controversial uranium conversion plant in Tehran is nearly finished. That announcement comes as Iranian officials say they'll continue talks with Britain, Germany and France. But they will not suspend their nuclear program.

We are down to just 9 days and counting until the elections. So, you might think the presidential candidates would be squeezing in as many campaign stops as possible, but that is not quite the case. Senator John Kerry is putting in a full day in the battleground state of Florida starting with church, and then a pair of campaign rallies.

President Bush, on the other hand, scheduled only one campaign event all day in New Mexico. He spent the morning at his ranch in Texas, and returns there tonight.

We're going to bring you live reports from both campaigns. National correspondent Frank Buckley is following the Senator around Florida. But we're starting with the White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, who's covering the president -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, of course, as Senator John Kerry announces that it will be former President Bill Clinton who is going to campaign for him in the final days leading up to the election. The Bush camp announcing that they've got their own secret weapon they're unleashing in the coming days.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger!

MALVEAUX (voice-over): The Bush camp is unleashing its biggest and brightest stars to campaign with President Bush in his race to the finish. Senior campaign officials confirm California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will travel with Mr. Bush late this week for a high profile trip to the battleground state of Ohio.

Last week, Schwarzenegger broke ranks with Mr. Bush and his party on the issue of stem cell research. But the Bush campaign has been in talks with the governor for weeks to put the two together. Bush aides say Schwarzenegger is arguably the most popular Republican who enjoys mass appeal among the moderates.

Best known as his roll for the Terminator...

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Let's welcome the president of the United States, George Bush.

MALVEAUX: He also gave President Bush's father a boost in his campaign when he introduced him in Columbus, Ohio in 1988 and 1992.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and Arizona Senator John McCain, familiar faces on the campaign trail, will also help President Bush close the deal with the undecideds.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMM. DIRECTOR: President Bush is going to talk about his vision, his plans for the future, appeal to those undecided voters who are still making up their minds. And he'll talk to them directly to help them about what he's doing to help them in their daily lives, and how those differ from Senator Kerry's plans in his record.

MALVEAUX: Bush aides say they are particularly hopeful at improving their numbers among black and Hispanic voters. In the 2000 presidential race, Mr. Bush got 9 percent of the African-American vote, and 35 percent of Hispanics. This time aides say they're confident Hispanic support will be higher and the African-American vote double.

BARTLETT: All Americans, whether you're African-American, Hispanic or not, all want to live in a safe country. And they believe and have trust in President Bush's stewardship in the war on terror.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Now, Carol, right now, President Bush is in New Mexico. That is where he is courting the Hispanic vote. It was back in 2000 when the president lost that state by only 366 votes -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Suzanne. Our next stop is Florida and the Kerry campaign. National correspondent Frank Buckley joins me now from Boca Raton, where it sounds like a party going on -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Carol, right now, Senator Kerry is speaking at a huge outdoor rally here at Florida Atlantic University. Earlier today on this Sunday, Senator Kerry was talking about faith and value and religion as he was trying to connect with those undecided voters who haven't made up their minds yet about John Kerry. And also, speak to supporters who have made up their mind about John Kerry, who he has to get to the polls in order to win. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY (voice-over): Senator John Kerry went to church in Fort Lauderdale to rally an important part of his Democratic base, African- American voters, in a state where questions remain about how many voters were turned away from the polls 4 years ago.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And my pledge to you is, you go out and vote, and we're going to make certain that this time, not only does every vote count, every vote will be counted.

BUCKLEY: From church, Kerry moved on to a nearby performing arts center for a speech about values as he tried to connect with the still undecided.

KERRY: For me, this campaign is about a lot more than a set of policies, it's about a set of ideals, fairness and opportunity; stewardship and community; concern for the middle class and the poor; and the ongoing struggle for the security of our nation and for a more peaceful world.

BUCKLEY: Kerry advisers say the speech, an attempt to reassure the majority of Americans who say they want a president grounded in faith. Kerry said as a Catholic, he disagreed with some bishops who have said he must carry out the positions of the church on issues like abortion and stem cell research.

KERRY: I love my church, I respect the bishops, but I respectfully disagree. My task -- my task, as I see it, and I said this in the debate with President Bush, is not to write every doctrine into law, that's not possible, or right in a pluralistic society, but my faith -- but my faith does give me values to live by and to apply to the decisions that I make.

BUCKLEY: As Kerry talked of valueness the Sunshine State, the man who lost Florida by 537 votes in the last presidential election, Al Gore, appeared at a rally in Tallahassee to try to help this year's Democratic presidential candidate.

AL GORE, FRM. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The stakes are extremely high. The -- don't let anybody ever tell you that elections don't matter. We have seen over the last 4 years that elections do matter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: So today, it was the former vice president, Al Gore. Tomorrow it will be the former president. Bill Clinton is going to appear alongside Senator Kerry in another battleground state, Pennsylvania. They're going to appear together at a rally in Philadelphia.

After that, we're told that President Clinton will actually come down here to South Florida to appear at a rally tomorrow evening -- Carol. LIN: Frank, what do you think John Kerry thinks that Bill Clinton brings to the campaign? Because his predecessor Al Gore stayed away from having Bill Clinton side by side on the campaign trail in 2000.

BUCKLEY: And Senator Kerry has wanted Bill Clinton to come out. He's been getting advice from him via phone. It's been a different dynamic this year. President Clinton has not been able to come out because of his quadruple bypass surgery. But finally the doctors have given him the green light to join.

The Kerry campaign believes that he does a couple of things. One, he's considered a rock star of the Democratic Pary. He really fires up the Democratic base. But secondly, he -- they believe that he can appeal to swing voters, undecided voters, to remind them of how things were in the 1990s when Bill Clinton was the president. And to try to make the argument to them that things can return to that period of prosperity as some saw it with a Senator Kerry as president -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Frank Buckley, thank you very much with the Kerry campaign in Boca Raton.

Well, Senator John Edwards spent the day campaigning across Ohio. The Democrat vice presidential nominee had rallies in Cincinnati, Dayton and Lima. And with its 20 electoral votes, Ohio is a popular place these days. Vice President Cheney campaigns there tomorrow, and President Bush is in Ohio on Wednesday.

Now, the editorial pages of major newspapers are choosing up sides in the presidential campaign. For example, here's a quick update of today's endorsements. Senator kerry won the backing of the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun Times, the Des Moines Register and the Orlando Sentinel. The Orlando paper has not endorsed a presidential candidate in 40 years.

Now, President Bush was endorsed today by the Columbus Dispatch in Ohio and by the Denver Post.

Some big names also are going to be joining the presidential candidates on the road this week in hopes of energizing the party faithful, and the undecided. We talked about Arnold Schwarzenegger, you heard about Bill Clinton. I'm going to be talking with political analyst Carlos Watson about that in the next half hour. And also about the different hats he's wearing these days.

I want to now to the war on terror. Iraq's No. 1 wanted terror suspect is claiming responsibility for a brazen attack. A group led by Abu Musab al Zarqawi said it slaughtered 44 Iraqi soldiers returning home fresh from boot camp yesterday near the Iranian border. CNN's Karl Penhaul has the more from Baghdad.

And a warning, some of the images you are about to see are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a massacre. These Iraqi soldiers and their drivers were forced to lay down in the dirt, each of them shot in the back of the head execution style. This was supposed to be the new face of security and stability in Iraq. These faces are now caked with mud and blood.

These Iraqi soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, were heading home for a few days' break. They left their guns behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator): They were laid down in rows on their faces in groups, with gunshot wounds only to the head. They were executed by these terrorists.

PENHAUL: Burned-out wrecks marked the spot where insurgents intercepted the soldiers minibuses Saturday afternoon close to the Iranian border. As trucks bring the corpses to a nearby military base, Iraqi National Guardsmen stare on the mutiny.

The latest string of attacks suggest insurgents still regard home-grown security forces, police, national guard and the army as easier targets then better equipped, better trained U.S. soldiers. The Iraqi government and its coalition allies say they are still continuing with a plan to stem the surging violence.

Part of that plan hinges on Falluja. U.S. marine jets bombed what commanders say is a control post there Sunday. Without insurgents in fallujah, authorities suggest, then the guerrilla war main wane, a key component to holding elections in January, and bringing attacks like this to a halt. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. U.S soldiers are not easy targets, the Iraqi soldiers are not the only targets. There are continuing attacks against U.S. soldiers. And they're having many ask why they're even there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm doing a job that I'm enlisted to do. I'm going to do that because I enlisted to do it. But I'm doing it for a reason, for me, that means it's not worth being here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The soldier's sentiments. Up next tonight, they went to Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction, but what some U.S. troops found instead is a mission they now doubt.

Plus, flu fears: The shortage of the vaccine supply has many Americans worried, but is it really just a false alarm?

And it's ball time in Boston. Game two of the World Series gets under way tonight. And we've got your preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: In our continuing look at life on the front lines in Iraq, the longer than expected war is not surprisingly leading to some morale problems, or moral problems, even, among American troops some of whom gave their unusually candid opinions on the war to CNN's Jane Arraf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When everything went off, I couldn't tell if we were getting ricochets.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not as if there's no debate here over whether this war is worth fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to stay the course here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're trying to spreading us too thin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weapons of mass destruction, I never thought they existed.

ARRAF: But for these soldiers in Iraq, Sunni triangle, any debate at all is a bit beside the point. They're here in the middle of it and they'll stay for as long as they have to.

MAJ. GRAHAM HOFFMAN, U.S. ARMY: I think there's a little bit of a generation gap. I think the older guys who have read history and that sort of thing see this as a real historical sort of situation, the 19-year-olds don't. And they really are fighting for their friends, they're fighting for each other and as for the unit.

ARRAF: Specialist Tim Hague is here with his brother, 19. Hague is 22.

TIM HAGUE, U.S. ARMY: I'm just here to get my buddies home, you know. Helping the Iraq people is cool, I guess, I haven't killed any terrorists. I killed poor people.

ARRAF: They may have been poor, but they were shooting at us, his buddies remind him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Poo people with guns.

ARRAF: It's a choice, them or us, they all say.

(on camera): For all of the risk soldiers take, a lot of them tell me they won't take the risk of saying on camera what they really believe about this war. They say they get into trouble if they admitted that they questioned whether the United States should even be here.

(voice-over): Some soldiers joined, because of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. But with revelations that there were no weapons of mass destruction or links to 9/11, their belief that unseating Saddam Hussein would make the United States a safer place has worn thin.

MEDIC ANDREW FLYNN, U.S. ARMY: I'm not fighting terrorists anymore, I'm not fighting to find weapons of mass destruction. When we go into Samarra, we're looking into the tunnels looking for, you know scud missiles or nukes or stuff. We're here to make sure all our friends who are still here get back safely. And that's what it's all about now.

ARRAF: Friendships here forged under fire and strengthened over months of terror and tedium are what keep these soldiers going.

In the battle for Samarra, after a long night in a Bradley fighting vehicle, as bullets wiz by and explosions light the sky, the cold light finally dawns. For this soldier from Alabama, there's the bleakness of not believing in what you're doing, but doing it anyway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm doing a job that I'm enlisted to do. I'm going to do that, because I enlisted to do it. But I'm doing it for poor reason. And for me, that means it's not worth being here.

ARRAF: Despite his conviction that this war isn't helping the United States, he says he's just reenlisted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Army may not have all the answers, but it does have enough answers, it does support my family and that's what I'm about. I'm about taking care of my family, no matter what it takes.

ARRAF: Family and friends, what it takes to keep soldiering on in Iraq despite doubts and disillusionment. Jane Arraf, CNN, Samarra.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we've got some other news from around the world right now.

Afghanistan: Preliminary reports from the country's historic elections show interim leader Hamid Karzai with enough support to win the presidency. More than 90 percent of the votes have been counted. But an expert panel is still reviewing allegations of electoral fraud. It may take another week for an official announcement.

In Tokyo, more diplomacy. Secretary of State Colin Powell continues his trip to Asia. He met with Japan's prime minister today. Next stop is China. Powell is trying to get Asian leaders to pressure North Korea to resume six-party talks on scrapping its nuclear weapons program.

And Northern Japan, another strong earthquake was reported just a short while ago. Tens of thousands of weary and frightened residents are spending a second night in shelters, or even out in the open. More than 20 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in yesterday's powerful earthquake.

Now, panic has set in for some people right here in the United States As the vaccine for the flu virus has come up short. But is it really a cause for concern? Come on. Up next, I'm gonig to talk with a doctor and professor from the New York University Medical School who has a very different theory.

And later, politics at the pulpit. How big a role will religion play in this year's ballot box race? We'll find out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The flu shot shortage, if you can believe it, just got worse. About 900 doses of flu vaccine were stolen from a California clinic north of Fresno yesterday. Police say those doses are probably headed to the black market. That theft will likely add to worries about the existing shortage, but really, should it? Our Denise Belgrave reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Actual threat or not, the idea of not being prepared for the flu season is enough to send chills down the spines of thousands of Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need all of us to take a deep breath.

BELGRAVE: But many people, and especially those in high-risk groups, are holding their breath waiting to see if the vaccine shortage will be relieved anytime soon.

DR. NANCY COX, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: Not all of it has been distributed yet. And not everyone realizes that there's vaccine on the way. And that if they don't get it this week, it's not a tragedy, because there will be more available next week, and the week after, and the week after.

BELGRAVE: One California woman died of heat exhaustion while standing in line for the vaccine. Others across the country have also endured hours online, waiting for something that may or may not help them.

COX: We cannot predict with certainty what level of influenza activity will be occurring, or how long the season will be, when it will start. Any of these, we cannot predict with certainty. All of these questions that people -- are on people's minds.

BELGRAVE: And what's on people's minds? An Associated Press poll out this weekend, shows the flu vaccine shortage is causing widespread concern among those with a high-risk relative. And that's four in every ten American families. And the fear of not knowing whether people can get the vaccine has created reactions like severe price gouging, shouting matches, stolen vaccine, and even new criminal penalties for breaking the rules. Social psychologist, Corey Keyes, sees the problem as something more than medical.

DR. COREY KEYES, EMORY UNIVERSITY: We've created a culture of medicine in our society. And that is, we have come to expect that there will be a fix for any problem that could come around. And here we have a potential problem, and Americans are demanding a fix before it's actually happened.

BELGRAVE: And that way of thinking is something all the vaccine in the world can't change. Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And it turns out there are all sorts of problems as people line up for the shots. In Bloomfield, New Jersey, they are holding a Lottery to see who gets a flu shot and residents there are worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLADYS MUSGRAVE, BLOOMFIELD RESIDENT: This is America, we're supposed to be the best of the best. And with this, we're not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, with some 50 strains of flu out there, even if you do get a vaccine, it's certainly not a cure-all. So we want to try to ease some of your fears. Dr. Marc Siegel is an assistant professor at New York University's medical school.

Doctor Siegel, you have a perspective that I think is pretty reasonable given the long lines and the panic that we're seeing out there. You make an interesting point that even if you do get the flu shot, it's only 40 to 60 percent effective. So 40 percent, that's less than half.

DR. MARC SIEGEL, NYU MEDICAL SCHOOL: And that's in a good year. Actually last year, when we had a lot of worry about the flu, it ultimately turned out to be a mild year. And the CDC looked at the vaccine in retrospect and found that it really wasn't helpful at all. So, not only do we not know how bad the year is going to be, but the flu shot is not a cure-all, it's not a panacea. And I think people are getting the wrong idea about it. I really do.

LIN: Yes, because there's no guarentee that you're even actually going to get the flu if you're just the average healthy person.

SIEGEL: Absolutely.

LIN: But it's a lot of the elderly people who are lining up there. And they are in the high-risk category. What advice do you have for them?

SIEGEL: Well, the first thing I would tell them is, you know, the flu does kill about 30 to 40,000 people a year. But most of those deaths are not from the flu, they're from pneumonia or other associated infections. So, I think if we have less vaccines this year, it's a good year to go to your physician early and let them know your symptoms. It's a good year to get a pneumonia shot if you're in a high risk.

LIN: Yes. You're saying that that's actually an alternative. Is that going to work?

SIEGEL: Well, that works for pneumonia. And that's what we worry about the most.

LIN: OK. It's just like skipping a step? Just go straight for the -- just go right to the problem that really could kill you?

SIEGEL: This is the year to do it. And as was said by the CDC, people have the wrong idea that there's some kind of imminence to this. The flu season is generally not until the end of December or January. A flu shot takes about three weeks to take effect. So we still have plenty of time to get flu shots.

LIN: Hey, just kind of a wacky consumer question. If you've taken the flu shot for years and years and years up until this point and you don't get your flu shot this year, do you build an immunity from the previous shots?

SIEGEL: That's a very good question. You probably have some left from the previous shots. You know, the main reason that we push for flu vaccine is so that we can just slow the spread by getting a lot of people to be vaccinated over the years. And that should have a cumulative effect, yes.

LIN: That's pretty good. So, cumulative. How cumulative?

SIEGEL: Well the problem is, that the vaccine itself lasts only for a year. But we have some memory. And I think this means that you'll get a less serious illness, and you're less likely to get the flu.

You know, There's plenty of countries where we don't vaccinate as many people and they do just as well. So this is a healthful thing to get a flu vaccine, it is not crucial, especially for people that are not in high-risk groups.

LIN: Right. And not necessarily life-saving.

OK. Now, we hear there's half the supply available. What if, doctor, they took that supply, and, frankly, watered it down. What if you got a half dose? How effective would that be?

SIEGEL: Well, I think that's another good idea. That hasn't really been tested. But I think a half of a dose would certainly be better than no dose. And I think for people who are in high-risk groups, and by that, we mean chronically ill people, pregnant women, the very young, people with asthma, and healthcare workers, these people, I think, should consider half of a dose. I think that would be helpful.

LIN: All right. So how do you convince a doctor to give you half a dose? Can two people go in and say, listen, you've only got one flu shot to split between us? Can we have our shot this year?

SIEGEL: I think what the doctors have to do is cut it out this terms of holding this flu shot to the people who really need it. We can't give it just to people who put pressure on us, because we get phone calls all the time. LIN: Really? You're advocating that if a healthy 25-year-old walks through the door give me a flu shot, the doctor should just simply give it, then and there, not waiting for the 65-year-old?

SIEGEL: I'm saying not to do that. I'm saying that doctors should hold back...

LIN: I see. For all of the high-risk groups.

SIEGEL: There's a lot of pressure on doctors to do that. Hold back. And yes, if your supply is getting low, consider dividing your supply and watering it down. I think that's an excellent suggestion. But hold it for the people who need it the most.

LIN: All right. Well, we've explored new ideas today. Thank you very much, Doctor Siegel. Let's hope it's not a bad season at all.

SIEGEL: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Here's a quick look now at what's happening right "Now in the News."

An American diplomat was killed in a mortar attack near Baghdad Airport today. The security official was the first State Department employee to be killed in Iraq.

And Israel's cabinet approves compensation for Jewish settlers who leave the Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Families will get up to $350,000. The overall withdraw plan goes before parliament on Tuesday.

A NASCAR team plane with 10 people on board has crashed in Martinsville, Virginia. The fate of the eight passengers and two crew members on board is not known. The twin engine plane was on its way to the Subway 500 race and is registered to stockcar racing team Hendrick Motorsports. We're going to keep an eye on that story because some important people were likely on that plane.

All right. And the nation's capital is remembering one of its most prominent religious leaders. Cardinal James Hickey, the man who led the Roman Catholic Church in Washington for two decades died today at the age of 84. Hickey retired in 2000.

Now, police are calling him the most prolific serial killer in Los Angeles history. Now a record of crime is uncovered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like taking a scab off of a wound that never heals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Up next, how DNA evidence revealed the truth behind 12 brutal murders. Plus, the race to the White House. Just nine days now until the election. What's in store for the final week? I'm going to be talking with political analyst Carlos Watson.

And the fight at Fenway. Can the Sox make it a two-game lead tonight? We've got your preview straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Los Angeles police say DNA evidence links a former pizza deliveryman to dozens of unsolved murders. All of the victims were women, many living in the same Los Angeles neighborhoods. An LAPD cold case unit broke the case. CNN's Donna Tetrault has the story from Los Angeles now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERRI JOHNSON, MURDER VICTIM'S MOTHER: You know, it's like taking the scab off of a wound that never heals.

DONNA TETRAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jerri Johnson has had to live with the agonizing questions in her head for more than a decade, who killed her 29-year-old daughter, Andrea Triplett.

JOHNSON: For 11 years I have walked around in my community. My daughter was found two blocks away from my house. I didn't know if I had looked in that person's face, if I had rubbed shoulders with him. I just didn't know what to look or think.

TETRAULT: But investigators now believe that 37-year-old Chester Dwayne Turner is the man who killed Triplett and 11 other women. Two of them pregnant at the time.

They have dubbed Turner the most prolific serial killer ever identified in Los Angeles history. Extensive DNA testing led detectives to Turner. Already in prison for a prior sexual assault, where he had to submit a DNA sample, detectives working the cold case unit were able to link his DNA to the victims through a DNA database.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just thank god for having this closure.

TETRAULT: All of the murders happened in the city of Los Angeles between 1987 and 1998. All of the victims were sexually assaulted, strangled, their bodies dumped. Many were left alongside the road within miles of this home, where mail is still delivered in Turner's name.

DET. JOSE RAMIREZ, LOS ANGELES POLICE: Our suspect was in the area that these women frequented. So we feel that during that time they came into contact with him. It's just -- not because he is targeting a certain group of women, but because they were easy prey for him. You know, he had what they wanted, which was probably narcotics.

TETRAULT: Now these family members who didn't understand why their loved ones became victims can see what most likely happened and begin to move on.

ROBERT WILLIAMS, MURDER VICTIM'S BROTHER: We have been going through, "what if, what happened, who did this to her," and it's bringing a lot of great closure.

TETRAULT (on camera): Detectives believe there could be other murders connected to Turner. Ten of the 13 homicides allegedly committed by Turner will be filed with the district attorney's office early next week.

Donna Tetreault, for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Coming up at 11:00 Eastern, we're going to be talking with family members of some of the victims. Many actually know each other, never realizing their loved ones may have been killed by the same man. So I hope you'll stay tuned.

All right. Can you believe it? There are only nine days left in the presidential campaign.

And among other things, that means the big names in both political parties will be hitting the campaign trail. The Bush campaign announced that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will stump with the president later this week. And today, the president's one and only campaign event was in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, we've just got nine days to go. And the voters have a clear choice between two very different candidates with dramatically different approaches and records.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Tomorrow, Senator John Kerry shares the stage in Pennsylvania with former President Bill Clinton. It's going to be President Clinton's first campaign appearance since his heart surgery last month. Senator Kerry spent the day campaigning in the all- important battleground state of Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In nine days, Americans will make their decision. How will we find -- how will we find our way forward? My answer is move our economy, our government and our society back in line with the highest values of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: How much will the political heavyweights help their candidates attract the all-important undecided voters? CNN political analyst Carlos Watson is here to talk all about that.

Especially your new show, which is coming up. But first, let's talk politics.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Sure.

LIN: All-star power, you know something about that. You've been talking to a few celebrities yourself. How important is it to get the Arnold Schwarzenegger out on the campaign trail for President Clinton -- for President Bush and President Clinton for John Kerry?

WATSON: They're important for two reasons, Carol. First and foremost, because many of these swing states have been saturated by TV ads.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: So you need something new and fresh to break through to get people to pay attention. Secondly, many of these people can help not just -- not just woo the undecideds, but really stir the base.

So you put President Clinton in Philadelphia because four years ago Al Gore won Pennsylvania by a surprisingly large margin, five percent. And a lot of that margin of victory came out of Philadelphia. Heavy turnout among African-Americans voters. And similarly, Arnold Schwarzenegger could be helpful in Ohio.

LIN: Don't you have a sense, though, that people have made up their minds?

WATSON: You know, yes and no.

LIN: Really?

WATSON: You know, believe it or not, Carol, I'm still one of these people who believes when all is said and done, we're not going to have an election that's decided by one percent or not. I think people are fundamentally going to break in one direction or another. I think we'll have an election that's three, four, five percent.

Now, I know that's not where the polls are today, but I do think that over the next nine days we'll see it. And someone will end up with 280, maybe 290 electoral votes.

LIN: Do you think we're going to know early on? Or is going to go all night, into the next day and then months to come?

WATSON: Well, you know what's been so interesting here is that legal and regulatory bodies, people are saying, well, they're going to be important in the final days. Well, they've already been super important if you think about some of the rulings that have come down already.

I mean, whether or not Ralph Nader is on the ballot in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, you know, that's been very important. If you think about whether or not the 527, the independent political organizations, whether or not their money can be spent, that's a decision that's been made.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And some of these new rulings on provisional ballots, whether or not they'll actually be counted and how they'll be counted if, for example, you cast one in a precinct where you don't actually live.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And so the courts have already been important. And the legal wrangling will only continue going forward.

LIN: Can you imagine? All right. Looking forward to it.

Anyway, looking forward to your special tonight, 10:00 on the East Coast and then again on the West Coast. You talked with some pretty big names, Barack Obama, the rising star of the Democratic Party, Shaquille O'Neal. Heidi Klum, the supermodel.

WATSON: Yes.

LIN: All right.

WATSON: That was the hardest one, Carol.

LIN: I know.

WATSON: I would have rather have been here with you.

LIN: Hours with the woman.

WATSON: Hours with the woman. We actually had a really good time, because whenever you think of her, you think of, you know, "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: You think of Victoria's Secret. But the truth of the matter is, and I mean this sincerely, she's a super shrewd businesswoman.

LIN: Yes.

WATSON: I mean, runs a really complex global company that includes shoes and candies and jewelry.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And we just had a ton of fun together.

LIN: But she said something -- let's play it for the audience.

WATSON: Sure.

LIN: Because this is something that I don't understand what she's trying to get across here.

WATSON: Great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Has it been tough for you being a single mom?

HEIDI KLUM, MODEL: What does it mean exactly a single mom?

WATSON: Meaning that a mother who's not married and who's basically responsible for the child on her own.

KLUM: So you are only -- you are a single mom if you're not married?

WATSON: Oh, interesting.

KLUM: No, I'm just wondering.

WATSON: No, no, no. That's good. Go with that. So you...

KLUM: I don't consider myself as a single mom. You know, yes, I'm not married. But I don't consider myself as a single mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: All right. She -- the father of this child, we think, is this Italian race car driver. Is that right?

WATSON: She -- what was so interesting about this exchange -- and you'll see more of it tonight at 10:00 -- was that she is not just a pretty model who shrinks from any kind of tough exchange. You saw there, she was more than willing to kind of turn the tables on me and say...

LIN: Right.

WATSON: ... you know what? I'm not prepared to accept your label or your definition or someone else's definition of where I am and where my family is.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And it was very interesting. We had a very interesting conversation, as you can see, not just about modeling and not just about business, but about being a single mom. About her new relationship with the musician Seal and kind of how all that comes together.

LIN: Yes, she really had her back up there. I mean, it was -- frankly, I mean, for a supermodel, it was a feminist standpoint. Don't you label me as a single mother, and all the sort of things that go along with the label.

WATSON: And you know what was so interesting to me is that she defied every stereotype. And similarly, when you spent time with Barack Obama, I mean, when you think Barack Obama, you think of two Ivy League degrees, you know, Constitutional Law Scholar, author, all this good stuff.

But as he very plainly tells you, you know, there's another side to him as a teenager. Someone who had trouble with drugs, someone who wasn't focused on school in a very serious way. And so a much broader, a much broader and maybe unexpected picture of all three of these people.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: Shaquille O'Neal.

LIN: Going to graduate school. What is that about?

WATSON: Going to graduate school. Well, you've got to tune it at 10:00.

But, you know, the other thing -- and I keep saying this that grabbed my even more about Shaquille. A couple of things grabbed me.

You know, the graduate school I was surprised. I didn't know he was in graduate school.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: The fact that he's seriously running for political office, I didn't know that. But above...

LIN: What party?

WATSON: Oh, you've got to tune in tonight. I can't give away all the good stuff.

LIN: What party?

WATSON: But here's what I took away, what I really enjoyed about Shaq. He's fundamentally a humble guy.

LIN: Really?

WATSON: I mean, when all was said and done, he didn't have an entourage of 30 or 40 people with him. He wasn't demanding star treatment. He was a nice, easygoing guy who actually speaks in a very quiet voice.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And I had to tease him at one point and say, "Hey, speak up."

LIN: Because he's so big.

WATSON: You know, "I can't hear you." But, I mean, I hope that's the freshness of each of the conversations, that people who you may know for one reason, maybe basketball, maybe modeling, maybe politics, you actually get to see another side of them.

LIN: Right. Does Shaq change diapers?

WATSON: He actually does. And he's got five kids.

LIN: OK.

WATSON: And he's -- he's very serious about being a dad.

LIN: Really?

WATSON: Yes, yes, yes.

LIN: We are going to see it all at 10:00.

WATSON: Ten o'clock.

LIN: Maybe not the diapers, but all right. Thanks very much, Carlos.

WATSON: Carol, good to talk to you.

LIN: Now we know why you call it "Off Topic," something a little bit different.

WATSON: "Off Topic."

LIN: And just one full week left before the election. And the pundits from both sides are coming out in full force. Many in places you might not expect.

Up next, we're going to take a look at the role of religion in the presidential race. And It got hot today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, with the presidential race heating up, supporters of both candidates are reaching out in any way they can to rally voters. And that includes appeals to voters who look to religion to help guide their political decisions. CNN's Elaine Quijano reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can sign up here to volunteer for the Bush campaign.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With just days to go until the election, campaign staffers aren't the only ones pushing hards for votes. Some religious leaders on both sides are aiming their messages squarely at the faithful.

REV. JERRY FALWELL, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: But you've got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops. And I'm for the president, chase them all over the world. If it takes 10 years, blow them all away in the name of the lord.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW COALITION: That does not sound biblical to me. And that sounds ridiculous. The war in Iraq is morally wrong and politically a disaster.

QUIJANO: This election, religion and politics are intersecting on multiple fronts. Not just the Iraq war, but also abortion, embryonic stem cell research and gay marriage.

In Roman Catholic churches nationwide, parishioners are being urged to vote pro-life. And while the Catholic Church isn't officially endorsing President Bush, it's clear the pro-choice position of Senator John Kerry, himself a Catholic, does not fall in line with church teachings.

Kerry's stand on abortion rights has prompted some to call for denying him communion. But Washington, D.C.'s Cardinal Theodore McCarrick doesn't support that, saying he does not want a confrontation over politics at the altar rail.

CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, WASHINGTON: I favor us teaching clearly and absolutely what the holy father is teaching. And that is how we form the consciences of our people and hopefully the consciences of our politicians, too.

QUIJANO: Just how big a role will religion play at the polls? Recent surveys suggest most Americans feel religion is important in their lives. And in a recent Pew poll, when asked whether the president should have strong religious beliefs, 72 percent of registered voters said yes.

DOLORES O'CONNER, CHURCH ATTENDEE: To me, your religion encompasses your morality. You can't separate your religion from your politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, this year, Democrats, who have historically focused their efforts on African-American churches, have tried to broaden out their reach. And Republicans are hoping to turn out Evangelical Christians. GOP strategists say four million of them didn't vote in 2000, and Bush aides believe they can make the difference for the president this year -- Carol.

LIN: We'll see. Thanks very much, Elaine Quijano.

Well, it's only taken the Red Sox and the Cardinals one game to make World Series history. What's in store for game two? Your preview up next.

LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Larry Smith, here at Fenway Park. Believe it or not, some fans and some players don't care about this chilly weather coming in October. I'll have that coming up on CNN SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Boston's Mark Bellhorn was making some noise in game one of the World Series last night. His two-run homer in the eighth inning gave Boston an 11-9 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the highest scoring opening game in World Series history. After their comeback against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox have won five straight post-season games.

Well, the Red Sox send veteran pitcher Curt Schilling to the mound tonight in game two of the World Series. Matt Morris will start for the Cardinals. The Cards had the best record in the majors this season, but have been struggling on the road in October.

CNN's Larry Smith is live at Fenway Park in Boston with the very latest.

Hi there, Larry.

SMITH: Hi, Carol.

That's right, the Cardinals just on and five in this post season on the road. But one of the stories tonight is the weather.

It is -- we've had a light rain here at Fenway Park for the past three and a half hours. Enough that they've actually put the tarp on the field. Again, it's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that if it was a little bit colder, there might actually be snow flurries. But they do expect to play the game on time here, game two of the World Series.

Weather aside, pitching the big story. And Curt Schilling will be the focus tonight in game one.

The 37-year-old led the majors with 21 wins during the season and won the hearts of Red Sox nation with that gritty seven-inning performance in the victory over the Yankees in game six of the American League championship series last week. Despite a dislocated tendon in his right ankle that will require surgery at season's end, he had sutures put in a couple of days ago to allow him to push off on that foot as he pitches in tonight's contest. Schilling, however, is ignoring the pain now that this season has extended into a championship season of late October.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: These are times in your life, not just baseball, but no one believes it's possible but you. When you succeed and you -- when you come through in moments like this, no one can ever question what you're made of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY FRANCONA, RED SOX MANAGER: I know Schilling long enough where I expect him to pitch. That's why he's here. That's why we wanted him so badly, because he'll be a good pitcher through thick and thin.

He's a competitor. He's good. That's why he came here. And he wants to fulfill that. And he will.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Once again, the Cardinals starting pitcher is Matt Morris. He is in his fourth playoff start of this post-season yet to get a victory. Hoping for a better offense from his three, four and five hitters.

The heat of -- the heart of the lineup, just one for 12 combined last night. And, by the way, Tony Womack, the Cardinals second baseman, said a few minutes ago before the game about this weather, he said, "When it comes to October and you're playing for a championship, all you worry about is playing your best. It doesn't matter about the weather. We can get warm when the series is over."

Carol, let's go back to you.

LIN: All right. Positive thinking. Thanks, Larry.

That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," Ralph Nader and Colin Powell.

At 8:00, CNN PRESENTS: "The Fight Over Faith." What does it mean to be an Evangelical Christian in America today?

And at 9:00 Eastern, "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Tonight, former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau joins Larry to talks about her engagement with her ex-student and father of her child.

And I'm going to be back at 11:00 tonight after Carlos Watson's special. I'm going to be speaking to two mothers and friends, both daughters believed to be victims of the LA serial killer.

The hour's headlines when I come back. And then "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" in just a moment. But first, a quick look at what's happening right now.

George Bush and John Kerry each received endorsements from major newspapers today. And both will get new help in getting their messages out. Arnold Schwarzenegger will campaign for Bush and Bill Clinton will join Kerry on the campaign trail.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror group is claiming responsibility for the killing of 44 new Iraqi soldiers. The soldiers and their drivers...

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired October 24, 2004 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Here's what's happening right now in the news. George Bush and John Kerry are divvying up the endorsements today. And both sides are getting new help to get their messages out. Live reports from the campaign trail in just 1 minute.
Abu Musab al Zarqawi's terror group is claiming responsibility for the killing of 44 new Iraqi soldiers. The soldiers, and their drivers were shot execution style at a fake checkpoint near the Iranian border.

And Iran's controversial uranium conversion plant in Tehran is nearly finished. That announcement comes as Iranian officials say they'll continue talks with Britain, Germany and France. But they will not suspend their nuclear program.

We are down to just 9 days and counting until the elections. So, you might think the presidential candidates would be squeezing in as many campaign stops as possible, but that is not quite the case. Senator John Kerry is putting in a full day in the battleground state of Florida starting with church, and then a pair of campaign rallies.

President Bush, on the other hand, scheduled only one campaign event all day in New Mexico. He spent the morning at his ranch in Texas, and returns there tonight.

We're going to bring you live reports from both campaigns. National correspondent Frank Buckley is following the Senator around Florida. But we're starting with the White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, who's covering the president -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, of course, as Senator John Kerry announces that it will be former President Bill Clinton who is going to campaign for him in the final days leading up to the election. The Bush camp announcing that they've got their own secret weapon they're unleashing in the coming days.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger!

MALVEAUX (voice-over): The Bush camp is unleashing its biggest and brightest stars to campaign with President Bush in his race to the finish. Senior campaign officials confirm California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will travel with Mr. Bush late this week for a high profile trip to the battleground state of Ohio.

Last week, Schwarzenegger broke ranks with Mr. Bush and his party on the issue of stem cell research. But the Bush campaign has been in talks with the governor for weeks to put the two together. Bush aides say Schwarzenegger is arguably the most popular Republican who enjoys mass appeal among the moderates.

Best known as his roll for the Terminator...

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Let's welcome the president of the United States, George Bush.

MALVEAUX: He also gave President Bush's father a boost in his campaign when he introduced him in Columbus, Ohio in 1988 and 1992.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and Arizona Senator John McCain, familiar faces on the campaign trail, will also help President Bush close the deal with the undecideds.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMM. DIRECTOR: President Bush is going to talk about his vision, his plans for the future, appeal to those undecided voters who are still making up their minds. And he'll talk to them directly to help them about what he's doing to help them in their daily lives, and how those differ from Senator Kerry's plans in his record.

MALVEAUX: Bush aides say they are particularly hopeful at improving their numbers among black and Hispanic voters. In the 2000 presidential race, Mr. Bush got 9 percent of the African-American vote, and 35 percent of Hispanics. This time aides say they're confident Hispanic support will be higher and the African-American vote double.

BARTLETT: All Americans, whether you're African-American, Hispanic or not, all want to live in a safe country. And they believe and have trust in President Bush's stewardship in the war on terror.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Now, Carol, right now, President Bush is in New Mexico. That is where he is courting the Hispanic vote. It was back in 2000 when the president lost that state by only 366 votes -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Suzanne. Our next stop is Florida and the Kerry campaign. National correspondent Frank Buckley joins me now from Boca Raton, where it sounds like a party going on -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Carol, right now, Senator Kerry is speaking at a huge outdoor rally here at Florida Atlantic University. Earlier today on this Sunday, Senator Kerry was talking about faith and value and religion as he was trying to connect with those undecided voters who haven't made up their minds yet about John Kerry. And also, speak to supporters who have made up their mind about John Kerry, who he has to get to the polls in order to win. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY (voice-over): Senator John Kerry went to church in Fort Lauderdale to rally an important part of his Democratic base, African- American voters, in a state where questions remain about how many voters were turned away from the polls 4 years ago.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And my pledge to you is, you go out and vote, and we're going to make certain that this time, not only does every vote count, every vote will be counted.

BUCKLEY: From church, Kerry moved on to a nearby performing arts center for a speech about values as he tried to connect with the still undecided.

KERRY: For me, this campaign is about a lot more than a set of policies, it's about a set of ideals, fairness and opportunity; stewardship and community; concern for the middle class and the poor; and the ongoing struggle for the security of our nation and for a more peaceful world.

BUCKLEY: Kerry advisers say the speech, an attempt to reassure the majority of Americans who say they want a president grounded in faith. Kerry said as a Catholic, he disagreed with some bishops who have said he must carry out the positions of the church on issues like abortion and stem cell research.

KERRY: I love my church, I respect the bishops, but I respectfully disagree. My task -- my task, as I see it, and I said this in the debate with President Bush, is not to write every doctrine into law, that's not possible, or right in a pluralistic society, but my faith -- but my faith does give me values to live by and to apply to the decisions that I make.

BUCKLEY: As Kerry talked of valueness the Sunshine State, the man who lost Florida by 537 votes in the last presidential election, Al Gore, appeared at a rally in Tallahassee to try to help this year's Democratic presidential candidate.

AL GORE, FRM. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The stakes are extremely high. The -- don't let anybody ever tell you that elections don't matter. We have seen over the last 4 years that elections do matter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: So today, it was the former vice president, Al Gore. Tomorrow it will be the former president. Bill Clinton is going to appear alongside Senator Kerry in another battleground state, Pennsylvania. They're going to appear together at a rally in Philadelphia.

After that, we're told that President Clinton will actually come down here to South Florida to appear at a rally tomorrow evening -- Carol. LIN: Frank, what do you think John Kerry thinks that Bill Clinton brings to the campaign? Because his predecessor Al Gore stayed away from having Bill Clinton side by side on the campaign trail in 2000.

BUCKLEY: And Senator Kerry has wanted Bill Clinton to come out. He's been getting advice from him via phone. It's been a different dynamic this year. President Clinton has not been able to come out because of his quadruple bypass surgery. But finally the doctors have given him the green light to join.

The Kerry campaign believes that he does a couple of things. One, he's considered a rock star of the Democratic Pary. He really fires up the Democratic base. But secondly, he -- they believe that he can appeal to swing voters, undecided voters, to remind them of how things were in the 1990s when Bill Clinton was the president. And to try to make the argument to them that things can return to that period of prosperity as some saw it with a Senator Kerry as president -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Frank Buckley, thank you very much with the Kerry campaign in Boca Raton.

Well, Senator John Edwards spent the day campaigning across Ohio. The Democrat vice presidential nominee had rallies in Cincinnati, Dayton and Lima. And with its 20 electoral votes, Ohio is a popular place these days. Vice President Cheney campaigns there tomorrow, and President Bush is in Ohio on Wednesday.

Now, the editorial pages of major newspapers are choosing up sides in the presidential campaign. For example, here's a quick update of today's endorsements. Senator kerry won the backing of the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun Times, the Des Moines Register and the Orlando Sentinel. The Orlando paper has not endorsed a presidential candidate in 40 years.

Now, President Bush was endorsed today by the Columbus Dispatch in Ohio and by the Denver Post.

Some big names also are going to be joining the presidential candidates on the road this week in hopes of energizing the party faithful, and the undecided. We talked about Arnold Schwarzenegger, you heard about Bill Clinton. I'm going to be talking with political analyst Carlos Watson about that in the next half hour. And also about the different hats he's wearing these days.

I want to now to the war on terror. Iraq's No. 1 wanted terror suspect is claiming responsibility for a brazen attack. A group led by Abu Musab al Zarqawi said it slaughtered 44 Iraqi soldiers returning home fresh from boot camp yesterday near the Iranian border. CNN's Karl Penhaul has the more from Baghdad.

And a warning, some of the images you are about to see are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a massacre. These Iraqi soldiers and their drivers were forced to lay down in the dirt, each of them shot in the back of the head execution style. This was supposed to be the new face of security and stability in Iraq. These faces are now caked with mud and blood.

These Iraqi soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, were heading home for a few days' break. They left their guns behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator): They were laid down in rows on their faces in groups, with gunshot wounds only to the head. They were executed by these terrorists.

PENHAUL: Burned-out wrecks marked the spot where insurgents intercepted the soldiers minibuses Saturday afternoon close to the Iranian border. As trucks bring the corpses to a nearby military base, Iraqi National Guardsmen stare on the mutiny.

The latest string of attacks suggest insurgents still regard home-grown security forces, police, national guard and the army as easier targets then better equipped, better trained U.S. soldiers. The Iraqi government and its coalition allies say they are still continuing with a plan to stem the surging violence.

Part of that plan hinges on Falluja. U.S. marine jets bombed what commanders say is a control post there Sunday. Without insurgents in fallujah, authorities suggest, then the guerrilla war main wane, a key component to holding elections in January, and bringing attacks like this to a halt. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. U.S soldiers are not easy targets, the Iraqi soldiers are not the only targets. There are continuing attacks against U.S. soldiers. And they're having many ask why they're even there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm doing a job that I'm enlisted to do. I'm going to do that because I enlisted to do it. But I'm doing it for a reason, for me, that means it's not worth being here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The soldier's sentiments. Up next tonight, they went to Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction, but what some U.S. troops found instead is a mission they now doubt.

Plus, flu fears: The shortage of the vaccine supply has many Americans worried, but is it really just a false alarm?

And it's ball time in Boston. Game two of the World Series gets under way tonight. And we've got your preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: In our continuing look at life on the front lines in Iraq, the longer than expected war is not surprisingly leading to some morale problems, or moral problems, even, among American troops some of whom gave their unusually candid opinions on the war to CNN's Jane Arraf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When everything went off, I couldn't tell if we were getting ricochets.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not as if there's no debate here over whether this war is worth fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to stay the course here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're trying to spreading us too thin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weapons of mass destruction, I never thought they existed.

ARRAF: But for these soldiers in Iraq, Sunni triangle, any debate at all is a bit beside the point. They're here in the middle of it and they'll stay for as long as they have to.

MAJ. GRAHAM HOFFMAN, U.S. ARMY: I think there's a little bit of a generation gap. I think the older guys who have read history and that sort of thing see this as a real historical sort of situation, the 19-year-olds don't. And they really are fighting for their friends, they're fighting for each other and as for the unit.

ARRAF: Specialist Tim Hague is here with his brother, 19. Hague is 22.

TIM HAGUE, U.S. ARMY: I'm just here to get my buddies home, you know. Helping the Iraq people is cool, I guess, I haven't killed any terrorists. I killed poor people.

ARRAF: They may have been poor, but they were shooting at us, his buddies remind him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Poo people with guns.

ARRAF: It's a choice, them or us, they all say.

(on camera): For all of the risk soldiers take, a lot of them tell me they won't take the risk of saying on camera what they really believe about this war. They say they get into trouble if they admitted that they questioned whether the United States should even be here.

(voice-over): Some soldiers joined, because of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. But with revelations that there were no weapons of mass destruction or links to 9/11, their belief that unseating Saddam Hussein would make the United States a safer place has worn thin.

MEDIC ANDREW FLYNN, U.S. ARMY: I'm not fighting terrorists anymore, I'm not fighting to find weapons of mass destruction. When we go into Samarra, we're looking into the tunnels looking for, you know scud missiles or nukes or stuff. We're here to make sure all our friends who are still here get back safely. And that's what it's all about now.

ARRAF: Friendships here forged under fire and strengthened over months of terror and tedium are what keep these soldiers going.

In the battle for Samarra, after a long night in a Bradley fighting vehicle, as bullets wiz by and explosions light the sky, the cold light finally dawns. For this soldier from Alabama, there's the bleakness of not believing in what you're doing, but doing it anyway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm doing a job that I'm enlisted to do. I'm going to do that, because I enlisted to do it. But I'm doing it for poor reason. And for me, that means it's not worth being here.

ARRAF: Despite his conviction that this war isn't helping the United States, he says he's just reenlisted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Army may not have all the answers, but it does have enough answers, it does support my family and that's what I'm about. I'm about taking care of my family, no matter what it takes.

ARRAF: Family and friends, what it takes to keep soldiering on in Iraq despite doubts and disillusionment. Jane Arraf, CNN, Samarra.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we've got some other news from around the world right now.

Afghanistan: Preliminary reports from the country's historic elections show interim leader Hamid Karzai with enough support to win the presidency. More than 90 percent of the votes have been counted. But an expert panel is still reviewing allegations of electoral fraud. It may take another week for an official announcement.

In Tokyo, more diplomacy. Secretary of State Colin Powell continues his trip to Asia. He met with Japan's prime minister today. Next stop is China. Powell is trying to get Asian leaders to pressure North Korea to resume six-party talks on scrapping its nuclear weapons program.

And Northern Japan, another strong earthquake was reported just a short while ago. Tens of thousands of weary and frightened residents are spending a second night in shelters, or even out in the open. More than 20 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in yesterday's powerful earthquake.

Now, panic has set in for some people right here in the United States As the vaccine for the flu virus has come up short. But is it really a cause for concern? Come on. Up next, I'm gonig to talk with a doctor and professor from the New York University Medical School who has a very different theory.

And later, politics at the pulpit. How big a role will religion play in this year's ballot box race? We'll find out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The flu shot shortage, if you can believe it, just got worse. About 900 doses of flu vaccine were stolen from a California clinic north of Fresno yesterday. Police say those doses are probably headed to the black market. That theft will likely add to worries about the existing shortage, but really, should it? Our Denise Belgrave reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Actual threat or not, the idea of not being prepared for the flu season is enough to send chills down the spines of thousands of Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need all of us to take a deep breath.

BELGRAVE: But many people, and especially those in high-risk groups, are holding their breath waiting to see if the vaccine shortage will be relieved anytime soon.

DR. NANCY COX, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: Not all of it has been distributed yet. And not everyone realizes that there's vaccine on the way. And that if they don't get it this week, it's not a tragedy, because there will be more available next week, and the week after, and the week after.

BELGRAVE: One California woman died of heat exhaustion while standing in line for the vaccine. Others across the country have also endured hours online, waiting for something that may or may not help them.

COX: We cannot predict with certainty what level of influenza activity will be occurring, or how long the season will be, when it will start. Any of these, we cannot predict with certainty. All of these questions that people -- are on people's minds.

BELGRAVE: And what's on people's minds? An Associated Press poll out this weekend, shows the flu vaccine shortage is causing widespread concern among those with a high-risk relative. And that's four in every ten American families. And the fear of not knowing whether people can get the vaccine has created reactions like severe price gouging, shouting matches, stolen vaccine, and even new criminal penalties for breaking the rules. Social psychologist, Corey Keyes, sees the problem as something more than medical.

DR. COREY KEYES, EMORY UNIVERSITY: We've created a culture of medicine in our society. And that is, we have come to expect that there will be a fix for any problem that could come around. And here we have a potential problem, and Americans are demanding a fix before it's actually happened.

BELGRAVE: And that way of thinking is something all the vaccine in the world can't change. Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And it turns out there are all sorts of problems as people line up for the shots. In Bloomfield, New Jersey, they are holding a Lottery to see who gets a flu shot and residents there are worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLADYS MUSGRAVE, BLOOMFIELD RESIDENT: This is America, we're supposed to be the best of the best. And with this, we're not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, with some 50 strains of flu out there, even if you do get a vaccine, it's certainly not a cure-all. So we want to try to ease some of your fears. Dr. Marc Siegel is an assistant professor at New York University's medical school.

Doctor Siegel, you have a perspective that I think is pretty reasonable given the long lines and the panic that we're seeing out there. You make an interesting point that even if you do get the flu shot, it's only 40 to 60 percent effective. So 40 percent, that's less than half.

DR. MARC SIEGEL, NYU MEDICAL SCHOOL: And that's in a good year. Actually last year, when we had a lot of worry about the flu, it ultimately turned out to be a mild year. And the CDC looked at the vaccine in retrospect and found that it really wasn't helpful at all. So, not only do we not know how bad the year is going to be, but the flu shot is not a cure-all, it's not a panacea. And I think people are getting the wrong idea about it. I really do.

LIN: Yes, because there's no guarentee that you're even actually going to get the flu if you're just the average healthy person.

SIEGEL: Absolutely.

LIN: But it's a lot of the elderly people who are lining up there. And they are in the high-risk category. What advice do you have for them?

SIEGEL: Well, the first thing I would tell them is, you know, the flu does kill about 30 to 40,000 people a year. But most of those deaths are not from the flu, they're from pneumonia or other associated infections. So, I think if we have less vaccines this year, it's a good year to go to your physician early and let them know your symptoms. It's a good year to get a pneumonia shot if you're in a high risk.

LIN: Yes. You're saying that that's actually an alternative. Is that going to work?

SIEGEL: Well, that works for pneumonia. And that's what we worry about the most.

LIN: OK. It's just like skipping a step? Just go straight for the -- just go right to the problem that really could kill you?

SIEGEL: This is the year to do it. And as was said by the CDC, people have the wrong idea that there's some kind of imminence to this. The flu season is generally not until the end of December or January. A flu shot takes about three weeks to take effect. So we still have plenty of time to get flu shots.

LIN: Hey, just kind of a wacky consumer question. If you've taken the flu shot for years and years and years up until this point and you don't get your flu shot this year, do you build an immunity from the previous shots?

SIEGEL: That's a very good question. You probably have some left from the previous shots. You know, the main reason that we push for flu vaccine is so that we can just slow the spread by getting a lot of people to be vaccinated over the years. And that should have a cumulative effect, yes.

LIN: That's pretty good. So, cumulative. How cumulative?

SIEGEL: Well the problem is, that the vaccine itself lasts only for a year. But we have some memory. And I think this means that you'll get a less serious illness, and you're less likely to get the flu.

You know, There's plenty of countries where we don't vaccinate as many people and they do just as well. So this is a healthful thing to get a flu vaccine, it is not crucial, especially for people that are not in high-risk groups.

LIN: Right. And not necessarily life-saving.

OK. Now, we hear there's half the supply available. What if, doctor, they took that supply, and, frankly, watered it down. What if you got a half dose? How effective would that be?

SIEGEL: Well, I think that's another good idea. That hasn't really been tested. But I think a half of a dose would certainly be better than no dose. And I think for people who are in high-risk groups, and by that, we mean chronically ill people, pregnant women, the very young, people with asthma, and healthcare workers, these people, I think, should consider half of a dose. I think that would be helpful.

LIN: All right. So how do you convince a doctor to give you half a dose? Can two people go in and say, listen, you've only got one flu shot to split between us? Can we have our shot this year?

SIEGEL: I think what the doctors have to do is cut it out this terms of holding this flu shot to the people who really need it. We can't give it just to people who put pressure on us, because we get phone calls all the time. LIN: Really? You're advocating that if a healthy 25-year-old walks through the door give me a flu shot, the doctor should just simply give it, then and there, not waiting for the 65-year-old?

SIEGEL: I'm saying not to do that. I'm saying that doctors should hold back...

LIN: I see. For all of the high-risk groups.

SIEGEL: There's a lot of pressure on doctors to do that. Hold back. And yes, if your supply is getting low, consider dividing your supply and watering it down. I think that's an excellent suggestion. But hold it for the people who need it the most.

LIN: All right. Well, we've explored new ideas today. Thank you very much, Doctor Siegel. Let's hope it's not a bad season at all.

SIEGEL: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Here's a quick look now at what's happening right "Now in the News."

An American diplomat was killed in a mortar attack near Baghdad Airport today. The security official was the first State Department employee to be killed in Iraq.

And Israel's cabinet approves compensation for Jewish settlers who leave the Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Families will get up to $350,000. The overall withdraw plan goes before parliament on Tuesday.

A NASCAR team plane with 10 people on board has crashed in Martinsville, Virginia. The fate of the eight passengers and two crew members on board is not known. The twin engine plane was on its way to the Subway 500 race and is registered to stockcar racing team Hendrick Motorsports. We're going to keep an eye on that story because some important people were likely on that plane.

All right. And the nation's capital is remembering one of its most prominent religious leaders. Cardinal James Hickey, the man who led the Roman Catholic Church in Washington for two decades died today at the age of 84. Hickey retired in 2000.

Now, police are calling him the most prolific serial killer in Los Angeles history. Now a record of crime is uncovered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like taking a scab off of a wound that never heals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Up next, how DNA evidence revealed the truth behind 12 brutal murders. Plus, the race to the White House. Just nine days now until the election. What's in store for the final week? I'm going to be talking with political analyst Carlos Watson.

And the fight at Fenway. Can the Sox make it a two-game lead tonight? We've got your preview straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Los Angeles police say DNA evidence links a former pizza deliveryman to dozens of unsolved murders. All of the victims were women, many living in the same Los Angeles neighborhoods. An LAPD cold case unit broke the case. CNN's Donna Tetrault has the story from Los Angeles now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERRI JOHNSON, MURDER VICTIM'S MOTHER: You know, it's like taking the scab off of a wound that never heals.

DONNA TETRAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jerri Johnson has had to live with the agonizing questions in her head for more than a decade, who killed her 29-year-old daughter, Andrea Triplett.

JOHNSON: For 11 years I have walked around in my community. My daughter was found two blocks away from my house. I didn't know if I had looked in that person's face, if I had rubbed shoulders with him. I just didn't know what to look or think.

TETRAULT: But investigators now believe that 37-year-old Chester Dwayne Turner is the man who killed Triplett and 11 other women. Two of them pregnant at the time.

They have dubbed Turner the most prolific serial killer ever identified in Los Angeles history. Extensive DNA testing led detectives to Turner. Already in prison for a prior sexual assault, where he had to submit a DNA sample, detectives working the cold case unit were able to link his DNA to the victims through a DNA database.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just thank god for having this closure.

TETRAULT: All of the murders happened in the city of Los Angeles between 1987 and 1998. All of the victims were sexually assaulted, strangled, their bodies dumped. Many were left alongside the road within miles of this home, where mail is still delivered in Turner's name.

DET. JOSE RAMIREZ, LOS ANGELES POLICE: Our suspect was in the area that these women frequented. So we feel that during that time they came into contact with him. It's just -- not because he is targeting a certain group of women, but because they were easy prey for him. You know, he had what they wanted, which was probably narcotics.

TETRAULT: Now these family members who didn't understand why their loved ones became victims can see what most likely happened and begin to move on.

ROBERT WILLIAMS, MURDER VICTIM'S BROTHER: We have been going through, "what if, what happened, who did this to her," and it's bringing a lot of great closure.

TETRAULT (on camera): Detectives believe there could be other murders connected to Turner. Ten of the 13 homicides allegedly committed by Turner will be filed with the district attorney's office early next week.

Donna Tetreault, for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Coming up at 11:00 Eastern, we're going to be talking with family members of some of the victims. Many actually know each other, never realizing their loved ones may have been killed by the same man. So I hope you'll stay tuned.

All right. Can you believe it? There are only nine days left in the presidential campaign.

And among other things, that means the big names in both political parties will be hitting the campaign trail. The Bush campaign announced that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will stump with the president later this week. And today, the president's one and only campaign event was in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, we've just got nine days to go. And the voters have a clear choice between two very different candidates with dramatically different approaches and records.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Tomorrow, Senator John Kerry shares the stage in Pennsylvania with former President Bill Clinton. It's going to be President Clinton's first campaign appearance since his heart surgery last month. Senator Kerry spent the day campaigning in the all- important battleground state of Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In nine days, Americans will make their decision. How will we find -- how will we find our way forward? My answer is move our economy, our government and our society back in line with the highest values of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: How much will the political heavyweights help their candidates attract the all-important undecided voters? CNN political analyst Carlos Watson is here to talk all about that.

Especially your new show, which is coming up. But first, let's talk politics.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Sure.

LIN: All-star power, you know something about that. You've been talking to a few celebrities yourself. How important is it to get the Arnold Schwarzenegger out on the campaign trail for President Clinton -- for President Bush and President Clinton for John Kerry?

WATSON: They're important for two reasons, Carol. First and foremost, because many of these swing states have been saturated by TV ads.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: So you need something new and fresh to break through to get people to pay attention. Secondly, many of these people can help not just -- not just woo the undecideds, but really stir the base.

So you put President Clinton in Philadelphia because four years ago Al Gore won Pennsylvania by a surprisingly large margin, five percent. And a lot of that margin of victory came out of Philadelphia. Heavy turnout among African-Americans voters. And similarly, Arnold Schwarzenegger could be helpful in Ohio.

LIN: Don't you have a sense, though, that people have made up their minds?

WATSON: You know, yes and no.

LIN: Really?

WATSON: You know, believe it or not, Carol, I'm still one of these people who believes when all is said and done, we're not going to have an election that's decided by one percent or not. I think people are fundamentally going to break in one direction or another. I think we'll have an election that's three, four, five percent.

Now, I know that's not where the polls are today, but I do think that over the next nine days we'll see it. And someone will end up with 280, maybe 290 electoral votes.

LIN: Do you think we're going to know early on? Or is going to go all night, into the next day and then months to come?

WATSON: Well, you know what's been so interesting here is that legal and regulatory bodies, people are saying, well, they're going to be important in the final days. Well, they've already been super important if you think about some of the rulings that have come down already.

I mean, whether or not Ralph Nader is on the ballot in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, you know, that's been very important. If you think about whether or not the 527, the independent political organizations, whether or not their money can be spent, that's a decision that's been made.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And some of these new rulings on provisional ballots, whether or not they'll actually be counted and how they'll be counted if, for example, you cast one in a precinct where you don't actually live.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And so the courts have already been important. And the legal wrangling will only continue going forward.

LIN: Can you imagine? All right. Looking forward to it.

Anyway, looking forward to your special tonight, 10:00 on the East Coast and then again on the West Coast. You talked with some pretty big names, Barack Obama, the rising star of the Democratic Party, Shaquille O'Neal. Heidi Klum, the supermodel.

WATSON: Yes.

LIN: All right.

WATSON: That was the hardest one, Carol.

LIN: I know.

WATSON: I would have rather have been here with you.

LIN: Hours with the woman.

WATSON: Hours with the woman. We actually had a really good time, because whenever you think of her, you think of, you know, "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: You think of Victoria's Secret. But the truth of the matter is, and I mean this sincerely, she's a super shrewd businesswoman.

LIN: Yes.

WATSON: I mean, runs a really complex global company that includes shoes and candies and jewelry.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And we just had a ton of fun together.

LIN: But she said something -- let's play it for the audience.

WATSON: Sure.

LIN: Because this is something that I don't understand what she's trying to get across here.

WATSON: Great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Has it been tough for you being a single mom?

HEIDI KLUM, MODEL: What does it mean exactly a single mom?

WATSON: Meaning that a mother who's not married and who's basically responsible for the child on her own.

KLUM: So you are only -- you are a single mom if you're not married?

WATSON: Oh, interesting.

KLUM: No, I'm just wondering.

WATSON: No, no, no. That's good. Go with that. So you...

KLUM: I don't consider myself as a single mom. You know, yes, I'm not married. But I don't consider myself as a single mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: All right. She -- the father of this child, we think, is this Italian race car driver. Is that right?

WATSON: She -- what was so interesting about this exchange -- and you'll see more of it tonight at 10:00 -- was that she is not just a pretty model who shrinks from any kind of tough exchange. You saw there, she was more than willing to kind of turn the tables on me and say...

LIN: Right.

WATSON: ... you know what? I'm not prepared to accept your label or your definition or someone else's definition of where I am and where my family is.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And it was very interesting. We had a very interesting conversation, as you can see, not just about modeling and not just about business, but about being a single mom. About her new relationship with the musician Seal and kind of how all that comes together.

LIN: Yes, she really had her back up there. I mean, it was -- frankly, I mean, for a supermodel, it was a feminist standpoint. Don't you label me as a single mother, and all the sort of things that go along with the label.

WATSON: And you know what was so interesting to me is that she defied every stereotype. And similarly, when you spent time with Barack Obama, I mean, when you think Barack Obama, you think of two Ivy League degrees, you know, Constitutional Law Scholar, author, all this good stuff.

But as he very plainly tells you, you know, there's another side to him as a teenager. Someone who had trouble with drugs, someone who wasn't focused on school in a very serious way. And so a much broader, a much broader and maybe unexpected picture of all three of these people.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: Shaquille O'Neal.

LIN: Going to graduate school. What is that about?

WATSON: Going to graduate school. Well, you've got to tune it at 10:00.

But, you know, the other thing -- and I keep saying this that grabbed my even more about Shaquille. A couple of things grabbed me.

You know, the graduate school I was surprised. I didn't know he was in graduate school.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: The fact that he's seriously running for political office, I didn't know that. But above...

LIN: What party?

WATSON: Oh, you've got to tune in tonight. I can't give away all the good stuff.

LIN: What party?

WATSON: But here's what I took away, what I really enjoyed about Shaq. He's fundamentally a humble guy.

LIN: Really?

WATSON: I mean, when all was said and done, he didn't have an entourage of 30 or 40 people with him. He wasn't demanding star treatment. He was a nice, easygoing guy who actually speaks in a very quiet voice.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: And I had to tease him at one point and say, "Hey, speak up."

LIN: Because he's so big.

WATSON: You know, "I can't hear you." But, I mean, I hope that's the freshness of each of the conversations, that people who you may know for one reason, maybe basketball, maybe modeling, maybe politics, you actually get to see another side of them.

LIN: Right. Does Shaq change diapers?

WATSON: He actually does. And he's got five kids.

LIN: OK.

WATSON: And he's -- he's very serious about being a dad.

LIN: Really?

WATSON: Yes, yes, yes.

LIN: We are going to see it all at 10:00.

WATSON: Ten o'clock.

LIN: Maybe not the diapers, but all right. Thanks very much, Carlos.

WATSON: Carol, good to talk to you.

LIN: Now we know why you call it "Off Topic," something a little bit different.

WATSON: "Off Topic."

LIN: And just one full week left before the election. And the pundits from both sides are coming out in full force. Many in places you might not expect.

Up next, we're going to take a look at the role of religion in the presidential race. And It got hot today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, with the presidential race heating up, supporters of both candidates are reaching out in any way they can to rally voters. And that includes appeals to voters who look to religion to help guide their political decisions. CNN's Elaine Quijano reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can sign up here to volunteer for the Bush campaign.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With just days to go until the election, campaign staffers aren't the only ones pushing hards for votes. Some religious leaders on both sides are aiming their messages squarely at the faithful.

REV. JERRY FALWELL, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: But you've got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops. And I'm for the president, chase them all over the world. If it takes 10 years, blow them all away in the name of the lord.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW COALITION: That does not sound biblical to me. And that sounds ridiculous. The war in Iraq is morally wrong and politically a disaster.

QUIJANO: This election, religion and politics are intersecting on multiple fronts. Not just the Iraq war, but also abortion, embryonic stem cell research and gay marriage.

In Roman Catholic churches nationwide, parishioners are being urged to vote pro-life. And while the Catholic Church isn't officially endorsing President Bush, it's clear the pro-choice position of Senator John Kerry, himself a Catholic, does not fall in line with church teachings.

Kerry's stand on abortion rights has prompted some to call for denying him communion. But Washington, D.C.'s Cardinal Theodore McCarrick doesn't support that, saying he does not want a confrontation over politics at the altar rail.

CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, WASHINGTON: I favor us teaching clearly and absolutely what the holy father is teaching. And that is how we form the consciences of our people and hopefully the consciences of our politicians, too.

QUIJANO: Just how big a role will religion play at the polls? Recent surveys suggest most Americans feel religion is important in their lives. And in a recent Pew poll, when asked whether the president should have strong religious beliefs, 72 percent of registered voters said yes.

DOLORES O'CONNER, CHURCH ATTENDEE: To me, your religion encompasses your morality. You can't separate your religion from your politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, this year, Democrats, who have historically focused their efforts on African-American churches, have tried to broaden out their reach. And Republicans are hoping to turn out Evangelical Christians. GOP strategists say four million of them didn't vote in 2000, and Bush aides believe they can make the difference for the president this year -- Carol.

LIN: We'll see. Thanks very much, Elaine Quijano.

Well, it's only taken the Red Sox and the Cardinals one game to make World Series history. What's in store for game two? Your preview up next.

LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Larry Smith, here at Fenway Park. Believe it or not, some fans and some players don't care about this chilly weather coming in October. I'll have that coming up on CNN SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Boston's Mark Bellhorn was making some noise in game one of the World Series last night. His two-run homer in the eighth inning gave Boston an 11-9 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the highest scoring opening game in World Series history. After their comeback against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox have won five straight post-season games.

Well, the Red Sox send veteran pitcher Curt Schilling to the mound tonight in game two of the World Series. Matt Morris will start for the Cardinals. The Cards had the best record in the majors this season, but have been struggling on the road in October.

CNN's Larry Smith is live at Fenway Park in Boston with the very latest.

Hi there, Larry.

SMITH: Hi, Carol.

That's right, the Cardinals just on and five in this post season on the road. But one of the stories tonight is the weather.

It is -- we've had a light rain here at Fenway Park for the past three and a half hours. Enough that they've actually put the tarp on the field. Again, it's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that if it was a little bit colder, there might actually be snow flurries. But they do expect to play the game on time here, game two of the World Series.

Weather aside, pitching the big story. And Curt Schilling will be the focus tonight in game one.

The 37-year-old led the majors with 21 wins during the season and won the hearts of Red Sox nation with that gritty seven-inning performance in the victory over the Yankees in game six of the American League championship series last week. Despite a dislocated tendon in his right ankle that will require surgery at season's end, he had sutures put in a couple of days ago to allow him to push off on that foot as he pitches in tonight's contest. Schilling, however, is ignoring the pain now that this season has extended into a championship season of late October.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: These are times in your life, not just baseball, but no one believes it's possible but you. When you succeed and you -- when you come through in moments like this, no one can ever question what you're made of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY FRANCONA, RED SOX MANAGER: I know Schilling long enough where I expect him to pitch. That's why he's here. That's why we wanted him so badly, because he'll be a good pitcher through thick and thin.

He's a competitor. He's good. That's why he came here. And he wants to fulfill that. And he will.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Once again, the Cardinals starting pitcher is Matt Morris. He is in his fourth playoff start of this post-season yet to get a victory. Hoping for a better offense from his three, four and five hitters.

The heat of -- the heart of the lineup, just one for 12 combined last night. And, by the way, Tony Womack, the Cardinals second baseman, said a few minutes ago before the game about this weather, he said, "When it comes to October and you're playing for a championship, all you worry about is playing your best. It doesn't matter about the weather. We can get warm when the series is over."

Carol, let's go back to you.

LIN: All right. Positive thinking. Thanks, Larry.

That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," Ralph Nader and Colin Powell.

At 8:00, CNN PRESENTS: "The Fight Over Faith." What does it mean to be an Evangelical Christian in America today?

And at 9:00 Eastern, "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Tonight, former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau joins Larry to talks about her engagement with her ex-student and father of her child.

And I'm going to be back at 11:00 tonight after Carlos Watson's special. I'm going to be speaking to two mothers and friends, both daughters believed to be victims of the LA serial killer.

The hour's headlines when I come back. And then "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" in just a moment. But first, a quick look at what's happening right now.

George Bush and John Kerry each received endorsements from major newspapers today. And both will get new help in getting their messages out. Arnold Schwarzenegger will campaign for Bush and Bill Clinton will join Kerry on the campaign trail.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror group is claiming responsibility for the killing of 44 new Iraqi soldiers. The soldiers and their drivers...

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