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American Morning
Deadly Plane Crash Overshadows NASCAR Event; Bill Clinton Returns To Kerry Campaign Trail
Aired October 25, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: How do more than 300 tons of powerful explosives just disappear? A huge question for U.S. forces in Iraq.
The stars come out, John Kerry turns to the biggest figure in the Democratic Party while the president gets help from "the Terminator."
Triumph and tragedy, a trip into victory lane is overshadowed by a deadly plane crash involving one of the biggest team names in NASCAR.
And get out of the way, a shockingly bold hit and run caught on tape on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. On a Monday, 7:00 here in New York, 6:00 back in our old adopted town of Chicago. We had a good week, didn't we?
O'BRIEN: We did have a good week. Let's move that sign.
HEMMER: You -- are we finished with this then?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Hello. Hey, come on. That'll break.
In a moment here, we are eight days away before election day. That is a week from tomorrow. Both candidates now turning out in big numbs -- names, rather -- to get out that vote.
Later today, former president, Bill Clinton, stumping for John Kerry in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, we know. Some observers think Clinton could just as easily turn off voters as gain their support.
We'll look at the Clinton factor this morning. Paul Begala, Joe Watkins, both sides in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, a flu fact check, the long lines and the flu shot shortage have turned into a campaign issue. But is there really anything the government could have done to prevent it? Elizabeth Cohen is going to take a look at that for us this morning.
HEMMER: All right, Jack. What's happening? Good morning to you.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We have bubba and the barbell in the closing eve of the campaign, right?
HEMMER: Indeed.
O'BRIEN: You could put it that way.
CAFFERTY: Schwarzenegger and Clinton.
Still no October surprise, a week to go before mercifully this thing is over, and we're going to take a look at what might have to happen this week in order for to you change your vote next Tuesday.
We'll take a look in a couple of minutes.
HEMMER: Time is ticking down. Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Top stories now, Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center for us with a look at the headlines this morning.
Hey, Daryn. Good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome back, you guys. Let's start with those headlines.
A series of explosions ripped through Iraq this morning. At least six people were killed in separate incidents in Baghdad and Mosul. None of the casualties are believed to be American.
Meanwhile the U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed that 380 tons of conventional explosives are missing from one of Saddam Hussein's military facilities. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr will have more on that coming up in the program.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is trying to revive stalled talks aimed at keeping North Korea from developing its nuclear program. Speaking from China this morning, Powell says the U.S. is determined to jump start those negotiations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to solve this through the six-party framework. And even though some on the other side have said they would immediately enter into dialogue, I'm not sure that they would find that to be the right thing to do.
The North Koreans would be rubbing their hands at the opportunity to be rewarded for bad behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Secretary Powell is in China as part of a short visit with some key Asian allies. He heads to South Korea later today.
Let's focus here on the U.S., a seventh child has reportedly died this morning after a devastating apartment fire in Toledo, Ohio. Firefighters fought heavy flames Saturday trying to reach the boy and six girls who were trapped in the building.
The names of the children have not been released. The cause is under investigation.
On a much lighter note, the Red Sox are halfway to the World Series title, Boston winning game two at Fenway Park last night beating the Cardinals 6-2. The Red Sox now take their 2-0 series lead into St. Louis tomorrow for game three.
And Bill, before you count out the St. Louis Cardinals, keep in mind they are 6-0 in post-season play this year at home.
HEMMER: Wow.
KAGAN: Yes.
HEMMER: That's a good statistic for Cardinals.
KAGAN: I know.
HEMMER: Sometimes you feel like it's just Boston's year watching these games, though.
KAGAN: I know. It's been fun.
HEMMER: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Sure.
HEMMER: Almost 400 tons of explosives missing from a former Iraqi bomb making plant. Less than a pound of it could blow an airplane out of the sky. A ton could detonate a nuclear bomb.
Where is it? Who has it now? To the Pentagon now and Barbara Starr this morning. Good morning there.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, the new Iraqi government is now officially warning that tons of explosives, indeed 380 tons of explosives are missing in Iraq, and they could be in the hands of insurgents.
All of this coming to light because the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna has received official notification from the Iraqi government that these explosives are missing from the Al Qaqaa weapon storage site. That's about 30 miles south of Baghdad.
Earlier this morning, CNN spoke by telephone with the spokesman for the agency in Vienna.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA FLEMING, SPOKESWOMAN, IAEA: Our immediate concern, though, is that if the explosives did fall into the wrong hands that they could be used to commit terrorist acts and some of the terrible bombings that we have seen happen in Iraq.
So, we informed immediately the multinational forces when we got this declaration from the Iraqi government. And we were hoping that they would have time to recover this material.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: But, of course, no one knows where any of this material is in Iraq. The great concern is that it includes high explosives. The HMX, RDX type of material that is just incredibly deadly.
The uses for some of these explosives, as you say, Bill, could include demolishing buildings, producing warheads for missiles and even detonators for nuclear weapons.
But all of this is just part of the tons and tons of material, conventional weapons explosives, that went missing in Iraq after the war. Pentagon officials have long said that they simply didn't have the manpower to go to every site in Iraq where Saddam Hussein was storing this material.
They know that this has all been missing. They have believed for some time this is the type of stockpile that the insurgents have been using. And all of this couldn't come at a more difficult time because, of course, the latest intelligence analysis out of Baghdad is that the insurgency continues to grow, now a core of about 12,000 fighters.
And they are very well financed, perhaps half a billion dollars of Saddam Hussein's stockpile of money sitting across the border in Syria continuing to finance the insurgents -- Bill?
HEMMER: Barbara Starr from the Pentagon -- Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Just eight days remaining until election day. Both candidates now in a sprint to the finish with all efforts on about a dozen swing states.
President Bush spent time on Sunday in a battleground state, New Mexico. It's a state that Al Gore won in 2000 by fewer than 400 votes. Senator John Kerry was in Florida on Sunday addressing crowds about the economy and about education.
Just six weeks after having heart surgery, former president, Bill Clinton, returns to the campaign fight today. He's going to hit the battleground running, appearing with Senator John Kerry at a rally in Philadelphia.
Paul Begala is a former Clinton advisor. He's also now the co- host of CNN's "CROSSFIRE." He joins us from Washington to talk about the Clinton factor in these final days.
Good morning. Nice to see you, Paul.
PAUL BEGALA, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": Soledad, good to see you again.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. It's nice to be back.
How big of a factor do you think the former president is going to be in all of this?
BEGALA: Oh, gosh. I think he's nothing but help for John Kerry and the Democrats. I mean, he's obviously very, very popular with the Democratic base.
But I checked before I came down here this morning to see where he was in the polls. Now, this is before he had his heart surgery. You'd expect sort of a sympathy surge because of the heart surgery.
But back in June, in the ABC-"Washington Post" poll, Bill Clinton had a 62 percent job approval rating. Sixty-two percent thought he did a good job as president.
Contrast that with George W. Bush, who only gets 48 percent, and that's a good recipe for the Democrats to say, look, here's our guy, Bill Clinton. Remember he did a good job on the economy. We think that John Kerry will do the same thing.
And it's just -- it's a very strong move for Kerry.
O'BRIEN: But that's kind of the key thing, though, isn't it? I mean, how do you translate all the appeal and the charm, frankly, of the former president into John Kerry who, frankly, has a little bit of problem connecting sometimes with black voters and other voters as well.
I mean, if the president, who is recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, is not able to hug and charm and reach out and handshake. Doesn't he not bring as much as he possibly could?
BEGALA: That's a good point. In fact, I generally don't believe in endorsements. I mean, I don't think very many people say Bill Clinton says Kerry is good, therefore I'll be good. Or, you know, Schwarzenegger on the Republican side is going to make me vote for Bush.
But I think what he does do is draw energy. He draws a crowd. He reminds people of good times. He allows Kerry to stand there and give this image that everybody will have on their shows this afternoon, this evening, of the former president and John Kerry.
And then it opens the door, at least, to voters to listen again to Kerry. Maybe, you know, maybe he will have the kind of economic policies Clinton did. Gee, I hadn't thought of that. That's about all it does, though.
That's right. People aren't robots. They are not just going to transfer their votes for nothing.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of how much support and help the former president is giving to John Kerry. There are some reports that he's been on the phone while he's been recovering from his surgery behind the scenes helping out. Is that accurate?
BEGALA: Oh, yes. I can tell you firsthand, Soledad, I mean I -- you know, I talked to him in his hospital bed the night before the surgery and then a few days after and a whole lot since then. And every time we talk, we talk a little bit about how he's doing and his health. But what he wants to talk about is the campaign.
I mean, he is such a great analyst and strategist. And I do know, I mean he has told me that he talks to Senator Kerry frequently. I think John Kerry is very interested in his advice. There's no tension there or anything like that.
And so, you know, I mean why not tap into it? I mean, I certainly, as a Democrat, watched for years, several years after Ronald Reagan left office, watched him help the Republicans. He was such an amazingly talented politician. And it's nice now that my party has somebody like that.
O'BRIEN: Certainly good news for John Kerry. I'm not sure the president, the former president's, doctors will be so thrilled.
All right, Paul Begala, nice to see you. Thanks, as always.
BEGALA: Thanks, Soledad. Welcome back.
O'BRIEN: Quick turn to the other side, Republican strategist Joe Watkins is with us this morning.
Where do you weigh in on this? How much support an endorsement really does give to a candidate?
JOE WATKINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I don't think it gives lots and lots. I mean, people, of course, like Bill Clinton. He's a popular former president. Philadelphia is a Democratic stronghold. And so, he will be playing to the, to an audience that's going to be warm to him.
At the same time, this will be the first public appearance of Bill Clinton in a long time, since the surgery. So, I think people might be a little bit shocked to see him.
He's probably going to be thinner, a little bit more gaunt than he, than they are used to seeing this president. But I don't think that his popularity at all translates to John Kerry. After all, John Kerry is the guy who, the last time he was in Philly, ordered a Philly cheesesteak with Swiss cheese.
O'BRIEN: Everyone knows you can't do that. I know that's your home town, so I'm sure you were shocked and appalled.
WATKINS: That's sacrilege. That's sacrilege.
O'BRIEN: At the same time and as Paul Begala just said, it's not the tap it out and out support, it's the, well, maybe I'll rethink the issues. Well, look at the president standing next to John Kerry, the former president, standing next to John Kerry. I really did like President Clinton. Maybe that translates. I mean, that's sort of what he said.
WATKINS: I don't think so. I don't think so. I think that what Americans look at what Philadelphians will be looking at are where John Kerry stands on the issues. And there's a gulf between the two candidates on the issues.
I mean, let's face it, John Kerry is a guy who is going to raise our taxes. I mean the programs that he's talking about, his healthcare program, is going to cost Americans $1.25 trillion. He's going to have to raise everybody's taxes.
So, I think Americans are starting to think, you know, I don't care whether Bill Clinton stands next to this guy or it's Elvis. You know, I do not support John Kerry.
O'BRIEN: Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger...
WATKINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... is going to be standing next to President Bush. So by that rationale, you say, well then, why bother? The terminator who, frankly, disagrees on some big issues for the president, they are going to be campaigning together, probably toward the end of the week. That's what we're hearing
WATKINS: That's right, in Ohio, I believe. And Arnold has been a very successful...
O'BRIEN: You are saying it's not going to translate anyway...
WATKINS: Well, in Kerry's case...
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: ... on the issues.
WATKINS: Well, in Kerry's case, there's such a gulf between the candidates especially on the values issues. That's going to be huge, I think...
O'BRIEN: Governor Schwarzenegger...
WATKINS: ... certainly in Philadelphia.
Well, think about it, Kerry has been going to black churches trying to woo black voters who aren't as happy about him, aren't as excited about him as they were about Bill Clinton. And this is a guy who supports partial birth abortions. That's a biggy.
O'BRIEN: And President Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger disagree on stem cell research and also the constitutional ban on gay marriage.
WATKINS: But where they.
O'BRIEN: Isn't he standing next to somebody who will completely disagree with him on some major issues?
WATKINS: Well, where they do agree is on all the economic issues.
O'BRIEN: You're juggling my question.
WATKINS: And Arnold has done a great job in California...
O'BRIEN: I didn't ask you where they do agree.
WATKINS: He's done a great job.
O'BRIEN: Where they don't agree, doesn't that give you the visual of here are two guys that don't necessarily agree on, again, big issues in the campaign...
WATKINS: But George Bush is the president of the United States. He's the one that's making policy for the country. And that's the most important thing.
O'BRIEN: All right, Joe Watkins, nice to see you.
WATKINS: Thanks, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Nice to meet you.
WATKINS: Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
You can see former President Clinton with John Kerry. That's going to be this afternoon at 1:00 Eastern time. CNN is going to bring that to you live when it happens -- Bill?
HEMMER: About 12 minutes now past the hour.
Today federal investigators are on the scene of a fatal plane crash in Virginia that has the world of NASCAR in mourning. Bob Franken on the scene live in Martinsville, Virginia with more there.
Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. And they are going to be going back through some very rough country. The main part of the investigation will resume with the first light of dawn, which is probably within the hour, where federal officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Agency will make a very difficult trek into the woods to the crash site -- a crash that turned a victory celebration into a wrenching tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) (voice-over): Instead of celebrating, Jimmy Johnson's crew was praying on pit row after learning that a plane owned by the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashed yesterday killing all 10 people onboard.
Among the passengers Ricky and John Hendrick, the son and brother of team owner Rick Hendrick. The plane, a King Air 200, was en route to yesterday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.
It went down about seven miles west of the Martinsville airport after the pilot had flown out of his initial approach, then crashed into the surrounding, hilly terrain.
Hendrick Motorsports is one of NASCAR's premier racing organizations, a high powered stable includes cars driven by Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Brian Vickers along with Jimmy Johnson. All competed in Sunday's NASCAR race.
UNIDENTIFIED NASCAR DRIVER: We mourn, and we pray. And, you know, be there for each other, and then we just move on.
FRANKEN: After hearing the news, mourners gathered outside the Hendrick company compound in Charlotte, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): And here at the crash site, it is extremely rough terrain, as I mentioned a moment ago. To give you some idea, the site is about a mile off the paved road, but it takes all terrain vehicles, the ATVs, it takes them, Bill, about an hour and a half to get to the site -- Bill?
HEMMER: Bob, thanks for that.
A bit later this hour, we're talking with Marty Snider who covers NASCAR for both TNT and NBC. That's coming up in our 7:30 Eastern time here -- Soledad?
O'BRIEN: A terrible tragedy there.
It's time now for a check of the forecast. Jacqui Jeras is in for Chad Myers, who is off today. And she is at the CNN Center with the latest for us, this morning. Hey, Jacqui, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: All right. In a moment here, the state of the ballot, big changes have been made to try and avoid the chaos of four years ago. But could they end up causing even more problems?
We'll have a week-long series that starts today on this Monday morning coming up in a few moments.
O'BRIEN: Also, the flu shot shortage, what are the facts? What's fiction? We'll take a look at that. HEMMER: Also, some terrifying moments at a gas station. The dramatic story and the end to this all in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING as we continue, on this Monday morning, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: The flu shot shortage has become a hot button issue in the final weeks of this presidential campaign. One of the most frequently asked questions is this -- could the shortage have been averted?
Answers this morning now with our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, doing some flu fact checking for us. Good morning, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Bill, many people say that the warning signs have been there for years, that various experts and expert groups have said that a shortage of flu vaccine, a severe shortage like we're seeing this year, was on its way.
Let's take a look. There was, for example, a general accounting office report in the year 2001 that said, that talked about the fragility of the flu vaccine production system. And then in 2003, the National Academy of Sciences warned about early warning signs of problems.
Now the Bush administration says that they heard those warnings and that their strategy to try to get private pharmaceutical companies which make the vaccine more interested in making more vaccine, or try to get more pharmaceutical companies interested in making vaccine. But many critics say, well, obviously that strategy didn't work.
Take a look at the numbers. At the beginning of the Bush presidency, there were four companies that were making -- that were making vaccine. And now there were -- now there only is one company making vaccine. And they say when you look at that, that says it right there.
Now, let's listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is a spokesperson for the Bush administration on the flu issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATL. INST. ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: It's virtually impossible to correct it overnight, to just turn it around. It has to be a process in which you have a long standing commitment over years and years.
This is an accident that was waiting to happen for literally decades.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Now critics say that knowing all this, the Bush administration should have had a plan B. Some people say that plan B should have been the government taking over the production of flu vaccine.
But the Bush administration says that that proposal, having the government do it themselves, is unworkable -- Bill?
HEMMER: So, we have a lot of things to consider here. You have this comment here about it being a problem for decades and not being addressed properly.
We heard during the debate saying these companies, the margins they work off of are small, which tends to work against the desire of these companies to continue to process this because they just don't simply make the money on it.
Also, the fear of being sued was raised as a factor as well. Through all of this, what is accurate and what is not?
COHEN: Well, it's interesting because in the debates, President Bush chose to talk about the lawsuits. He said, how can pharmaceutical companies go into this business when they fear lawsuits?
And actually on Friday the president signed into law a bill that would actually protect pharmaceutical companies from excessive lawsuits from people who receive the flu vaccine.
But experts I have talked to say that really fear of lawsuits has not really been a problem for flu vaccine suppliers. There are lots of other problems. You just listed some of them.
But fear of lawsuits is not one of them. In fact the man who was at the helm of the Center for Disease Control's vaccine program said fear of lawsuits really was never an issue.
So, it's not a bad thing that the president signed this, but he didn't really expect that it would help very much.
HEMMER: In the meantime, what do we know of the state of the flu season this year already? Is it bad or is it average?
COHEN: So far, there's really not that much of it. There is sporadic activity in nine states. And it's apparently slightly less than was going on last year and has gone on in other years.
So, so far it's not looking terrible. There's just a little bit of activity in some states.
HEMMER: Thanks, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Cohen there at the CNN Center -- Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Well, some pretty amazing pictures to show you this morning. In Ohio, a young woman reportedly in custody now in connection with this. This fiery hit and run crash happened at a gas station. The incident was caught on tape. The car slammed into a gas pump on Friday, nearly crushed a family that was in that other car right there.
The 22-year-old woman is now being held on $25,000 bail. Investigators say she has admitted that she was the driver. The family, as can you see in these pictures, that was in that other car escaped unhurt, fortunately.
HEMMER: Just inches, too, yes.
In a moment here, there have been big changes to try to avoid the chaos of 2000. But could they cause even more problems now in 2004?
The state of the ballot, our week-long series starts today, in a moment, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The average price of gasoline up a nickel in just two weeks. Andy Serwer is here. He is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Hello.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hello. Welcome back to New York.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
SERWER: Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: Nice to be back.
SERWER: The price of gas is surging, Soledad. And when I saw that crash tape, you know, that's precious stuff. Don't hit those gas pumps.
We are now over $2.04 a gallon nationwide according to the Lundberg survey. That matches the highs we saw back in June. It wasn't supposed to happen like this in the fall, but it is.
And, of course, the price of oil has everything to do with that. Your highs across the country, $2.45 in classy San Diego and $1.83 in Tulsa, Oklahoma if you're looking for gas prices.
Now, the price of oil, you can see here, we're now hitting a new high this morning -- $55.67 a barrel. The problem is not in Nigeria, not in Saudi Arabia, not in Iraq. We still have problems in the Gulf of Mexico, but guess where the problems are this morning?
HEMMER: Tell us.
SERWER: Norway, again, back to Norway. That simmering labor dispute by the Norwegian oil workers...
O'BRIEN: That was going on when I left.
SERWER: I know. It's still going on, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Wow.
SERWER: And listen to this one. There is a lock-out that's being threatened by the Norwegian ship owners. They are going to close down all the rigs around Norway. And, of course, Norway is the third largest oil exporter, three million barrels a day.
And the president, President Bush, might want to call this gentlemen. He is the minister of labor and social affairs in Norway, on Dagfinn Hoybraten over in Norway. He is the man in charge of this whole shebang. So, maybe want to get on the phone with him.
O'BRIEN: Hopefully he can clear it up.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: What was his name?
SERWER: Dagfinn Hoybraten.
O'BRIEN: Dagfinn Hoybraten.
CAFFERTY: That's what I thought he said.
HEMMER: Yes, indeed. Indeed.
"Question of the Day." Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Good morning. A week to go before the election, still no October surprise.
However, there are things out there that possibly have a negative effect on these campaigns. You've got the execution of these 50 newly trained Iraqi police officers. You've got 380 tons of explosives missing.
How the hell do you let that stuff disappear? You were told before the war started there's a bunch of this right here on the map. Make sure after the invasion that you pay attention and guard it and make sure nobody can get to it. Now it's all gone. How does that stuff happen?
The Kerry campaign may be a bit desperate. They are going to -- they're going to drag old Bill Clinton out of the sick bed and wheel him out onto the campaign trail. Let him wheeze and limp along for the next week, see if he can help the votes for the Democrat.
You've got the barbell out in California. Schwarzenegger is going to go around speaking Austrian to the voters on behalf of President Bush.
Here's the question: With a week to go, is there anything that could change your vote? Am@cnn.com is the e-mail address.
HEMMER: Eight days and counting.
CAFFERTY: It just gets silly.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes, you're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Still to come, the Monday edition of "90-Second Pop."
A Milli Vanilli moment for pop star Ashlee Simpson -- was her performance on "Saturday Night Live" not live?
And ABC may have pulled the plug on Miss America last week, but never fear, pageant lovers, season two of "The Swan" debuts tonight all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired October 25, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: How do more than 300 tons of powerful explosives just disappear? A huge question for U.S. forces in Iraq.
The stars come out, John Kerry turns to the biggest figure in the Democratic Party while the president gets help from "the Terminator."
Triumph and tragedy, a trip into victory lane is overshadowed by a deadly plane crash involving one of the biggest team names in NASCAR.
And get out of the way, a shockingly bold hit and run caught on tape on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. On a Monday, 7:00 here in New York, 6:00 back in our old adopted town of Chicago. We had a good week, didn't we?
O'BRIEN: We did have a good week. Let's move that sign.
HEMMER: You -- are we finished with this then?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Hello. Hey, come on. That'll break.
In a moment here, we are eight days away before election day. That is a week from tomorrow. Both candidates now turning out in big numbs -- names, rather -- to get out that vote.
Later today, former president, Bill Clinton, stumping for John Kerry in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, we know. Some observers think Clinton could just as easily turn off voters as gain their support.
We'll look at the Clinton factor this morning. Paul Begala, Joe Watkins, both sides in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, a flu fact check, the long lines and the flu shot shortage have turned into a campaign issue. But is there really anything the government could have done to prevent it? Elizabeth Cohen is going to take a look at that for us this morning.
HEMMER: All right, Jack. What's happening? Good morning to you.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We have bubba and the barbell in the closing eve of the campaign, right?
HEMMER: Indeed.
O'BRIEN: You could put it that way.
CAFFERTY: Schwarzenegger and Clinton.
Still no October surprise, a week to go before mercifully this thing is over, and we're going to take a look at what might have to happen this week in order for to you change your vote next Tuesday.
We'll take a look in a couple of minutes.
HEMMER: Time is ticking down. Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Top stories now, Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center for us with a look at the headlines this morning.
Hey, Daryn. Good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome back, you guys. Let's start with those headlines.
A series of explosions ripped through Iraq this morning. At least six people were killed in separate incidents in Baghdad and Mosul. None of the casualties are believed to be American.
Meanwhile the U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed that 380 tons of conventional explosives are missing from one of Saddam Hussein's military facilities. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr will have more on that coming up in the program.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is trying to revive stalled talks aimed at keeping North Korea from developing its nuclear program. Speaking from China this morning, Powell says the U.S. is determined to jump start those negotiations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to solve this through the six-party framework. And even though some on the other side have said they would immediately enter into dialogue, I'm not sure that they would find that to be the right thing to do.
The North Koreans would be rubbing their hands at the opportunity to be rewarded for bad behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Secretary Powell is in China as part of a short visit with some key Asian allies. He heads to South Korea later today.
Let's focus here on the U.S., a seventh child has reportedly died this morning after a devastating apartment fire in Toledo, Ohio. Firefighters fought heavy flames Saturday trying to reach the boy and six girls who were trapped in the building.
The names of the children have not been released. The cause is under investigation.
On a much lighter note, the Red Sox are halfway to the World Series title, Boston winning game two at Fenway Park last night beating the Cardinals 6-2. The Red Sox now take their 2-0 series lead into St. Louis tomorrow for game three.
And Bill, before you count out the St. Louis Cardinals, keep in mind they are 6-0 in post-season play this year at home.
HEMMER: Wow.
KAGAN: Yes.
HEMMER: That's a good statistic for Cardinals.
KAGAN: I know.
HEMMER: Sometimes you feel like it's just Boston's year watching these games, though.
KAGAN: I know. It's been fun.
HEMMER: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Sure.
HEMMER: Almost 400 tons of explosives missing from a former Iraqi bomb making plant. Less than a pound of it could blow an airplane out of the sky. A ton could detonate a nuclear bomb.
Where is it? Who has it now? To the Pentagon now and Barbara Starr this morning. Good morning there.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, the new Iraqi government is now officially warning that tons of explosives, indeed 380 tons of explosives are missing in Iraq, and they could be in the hands of insurgents.
All of this coming to light because the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna has received official notification from the Iraqi government that these explosives are missing from the Al Qaqaa weapon storage site. That's about 30 miles south of Baghdad.
Earlier this morning, CNN spoke by telephone with the spokesman for the agency in Vienna.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA FLEMING, SPOKESWOMAN, IAEA: Our immediate concern, though, is that if the explosives did fall into the wrong hands that they could be used to commit terrorist acts and some of the terrible bombings that we have seen happen in Iraq.
So, we informed immediately the multinational forces when we got this declaration from the Iraqi government. And we were hoping that they would have time to recover this material.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: But, of course, no one knows where any of this material is in Iraq. The great concern is that it includes high explosives. The HMX, RDX type of material that is just incredibly deadly.
The uses for some of these explosives, as you say, Bill, could include demolishing buildings, producing warheads for missiles and even detonators for nuclear weapons.
But all of this is just part of the tons and tons of material, conventional weapons explosives, that went missing in Iraq after the war. Pentagon officials have long said that they simply didn't have the manpower to go to every site in Iraq where Saddam Hussein was storing this material.
They know that this has all been missing. They have believed for some time this is the type of stockpile that the insurgents have been using. And all of this couldn't come at a more difficult time because, of course, the latest intelligence analysis out of Baghdad is that the insurgency continues to grow, now a core of about 12,000 fighters.
And they are very well financed, perhaps half a billion dollars of Saddam Hussein's stockpile of money sitting across the border in Syria continuing to finance the insurgents -- Bill?
HEMMER: Barbara Starr from the Pentagon -- Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Just eight days remaining until election day. Both candidates now in a sprint to the finish with all efforts on about a dozen swing states.
President Bush spent time on Sunday in a battleground state, New Mexico. It's a state that Al Gore won in 2000 by fewer than 400 votes. Senator John Kerry was in Florida on Sunday addressing crowds about the economy and about education.
Just six weeks after having heart surgery, former president, Bill Clinton, returns to the campaign fight today. He's going to hit the battleground running, appearing with Senator John Kerry at a rally in Philadelphia.
Paul Begala is a former Clinton advisor. He's also now the co- host of CNN's "CROSSFIRE." He joins us from Washington to talk about the Clinton factor in these final days.
Good morning. Nice to see you, Paul.
PAUL BEGALA, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": Soledad, good to see you again.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. It's nice to be back.
How big of a factor do you think the former president is going to be in all of this?
BEGALA: Oh, gosh. I think he's nothing but help for John Kerry and the Democrats. I mean, he's obviously very, very popular with the Democratic base.
But I checked before I came down here this morning to see where he was in the polls. Now, this is before he had his heart surgery. You'd expect sort of a sympathy surge because of the heart surgery.
But back in June, in the ABC-"Washington Post" poll, Bill Clinton had a 62 percent job approval rating. Sixty-two percent thought he did a good job as president.
Contrast that with George W. Bush, who only gets 48 percent, and that's a good recipe for the Democrats to say, look, here's our guy, Bill Clinton. Remember he did a good job on the economy. We think that John Kerry will do the same thing.
And it's just -- it's a very strong move for Kerry.
O'BRIEN: But that's kind of the key thing, though, isn't it? I mean, how do you translate all the appeal and the charm, frankly, of the former president into John Kerry who, frankly, has a little bit of problem connecting sometimes with black voters and other voters as well.
I mean, if the president, who is recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, is not able to hug and charm and reach out and handshake. Doesn't he not bring as much as he possibly could?
BEGALA: That's a good point. In fact, I generally don't believe in endorsements. I mean, I don't think very many people say Bill Clinton says Kerry is good, therefore I'll be good. Or, you know, Schwarzenegger on the Republican side is going to make me vote for Bush.
But I think what he does do is draw energy. He draws a crowd. He reminds people of good times. He allows Kerry to stand there and give this image that everybody will have on their shows this afternoon, this evening, of the former president and John Kerry.
And then it opens the door, at least, to voters to listen again to Kerry. Maybe, you know, maybe he will have the kind of economic policies Clinton did. Gee, I hadn't thought of that. That's about all it does, though.
That's right. People aren't robots. They are not just going to transfer their votes for nothing.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of how much support and help the former president is giving to John Kerry. There are some reports that he's been on the phone while he's been recovering from his surgery behind the scenes helping out. Is that accurate?
BEGALA: Oh, yes. I can tell you firsthand, Soledad, I mean I -- you know, I talked to him in his hospital bed the night before the surgery and then a few days after and a whole lot since then. And every time we talk, we talk a little bit about how he's doing and his health. But what he wants to talk about is the campaign.
I mean, he is such a great analyst and strategist. And I do know, I mean he has told me that he talks to Senator Kerry frequently. I think John Kerry is very interested in his advice. There's no tension there or anything like that.
And so, you know, I mean why not tap into it? I mean, I certainly, as a Democrat, watched for years, several years after Ronald Reagan left office, watched him help the Republicans. He was such an amazingly talented politician. And it's nice now that my party has somebody like that.
O'BRIEN: Certainly good news for John Kerry. I'm not sure the president, the former president's, doctors will be so thrilled.
All right, Paul Begala, nice to see you. Thanks, as always.
BEGALA: Thanks, Soledad. Welcome back.
O'BRIEN: Quick turn to the other side, Republican strategist Joe Watkins is with us this morning.
Where do you weigh in on this? How much support an endorsement really does give to a candidate?
JOE WATKINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I don't think it gives lots and lots. I mean, people, of course, like Bill Clinton. He's a popular former president. Philadelphia is a Democratic stronghold. And so, he will be playing to the, to an audience that's going to be warm to him.
At the same time, this will be the first public appearance of Bill Clinton in a long time, since the surgery. So, I think people might be a little bit shocked to see him.
He's probably going to be thinner, a little bit more gaunt than he, than they are used to seeing this president. But I don't think that his popularity at all translates to John Kerry. After all, John Kerry is the guy who, the last time he was in Philly, ordered a Philly cheesesteak with Swiss cheese.
O'BRIEN: Everyone knows you can't do that. I know that's your home town, so I'm sure you were shocked and appalled.
WATKINS: That's sacrilege. That's sacrilege.
O'BRIEN: At the same time and as Paul Begala just said, it's not the tap it out and out support, it's the, well, maybe I'll rethink the issues. Well, look at the president standing next to John Kerry, the former president, standing next to John Kerry. I really did like President Clinton. Maybe that translates. I mean, that's sort of what he said.
WATKINS: I don't think so. I don't think so. I think that what Americans look at what Philadelphians will be looking at are where John Kerry stands on the issues. And there's a gulf between the two candidates on the issues.
I mean, let's face it, John Kerry is a guy who is going to raise our taxes. I mean the programs that he's talking about, his healthcare program, is going to cost Americans $1.25 trillion. He's going to have to raise everybody's taxes.
So, I think Americans are starting to think, you know, I don't care whether Bill Clinton stands next to this guy or it's Elvis. You know, I do not support John Kerry.
O'BRIEN: Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger...
WATKINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... is going to be standing next to President Bush. So by that rationale, you say, well then, why bother? The terminator who, frankly, disagrees on some big issues for the president, they are going to be campaigning together, probably toward the end of the week. That's what we're hearing
WATKINS: That's right, in Ohio, I believe. And Arnold has been a very successful...
O'BRIEN: You are saying it's not going to translate anyway...
WATKINS: Well, in Kerry's case...
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: ... on the issues.
WATKINS: Well, in Kerry's case, there's such a gulf between the candidates especially on the values issues. That's going to be huge, I think...
O'BRIEN: Governor Schwarzenegger...
WATKINS: ... certainly in Philadelphia.
Well, think about it, Kerry has been going to black churches trying to woo black voters who aren't as happy about him, aren't as excited about him as they were about Bill Clinton. And this is a guy who supports partial birth abortions. That's a biggy.
O'BRIEN: And President Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger disagree on stem cell research and also the constitutional ban on gay marriage.
WATKINS: But where they.
O'BRIEN: Isn't he standing next to somebody who will completely disagree with him on some major issues?
WATKINS: Well, where they do agree is on all the economic issues.
O'BRIEN: You're juggling my question.
WATKINS: And Arnold has done a great job in California...
O'BRIEN: I didn't ask you where they do agree.
WATKINS: He's done a great job.
O'BRIEN: Where they don't agree, doesn't that give you the visual of here are two guys that don't necessarily agree on, again, big issues in the campaign...
WATKINS: But George Bush is the president of the United States. He's the one that's making policy for the country. And that's the most important thing.
O'BRIEN: All right, Joe Watkins, nice to see you.
WATKINS: Thanks, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Nice to meet you.
WATKINS: Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
You can see former President Clinton with John Kerry. That's going to be this afternoon at 1:00 Eastern time. CNN is going to bring that to you live when it happens -- Bill?
HEMMER: About 12 minutes now past the hour.
Today federal investigators are on the scene of a fatal plane crash in Virginia that has the world of NASCAR in mourning. Bob Franken on the scene live in Martinsville, Virginia with more there.
Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. And they are going to be going back through some very rough country. The main part of the investigation will resume with the first light of dawn, which is probably within the hour, where federal officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Agency will make a very difficult trek into the woods to the crash site -- a crash that turned a victory celebration into a wrenching tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) (voice-over): Instead of celebrating, Jimmy Johnson's crew was praying on pit row after learning that a plane owned by the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashed yesterday killing all 10 people onboard.
Among the passengers Ricky and John Hendrick, the son and brother of team owner Rick Hendrick. The plane, a King Air 200, was en route to yesterday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.
It went down about seven miles west of the Martinsville airport after the pilot had flown out of his initial approach, then crashed into the surrounding, hilly terrain.
Hendrick Motorsports is one of NASCAR's premier racing organizations, a high powered stable includes cars driven by Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Brian Vickers along with Jimmy Johnson. All competed in Sunday's NASCAR race.
UNIDENTIFIED NASCAR DRIVER: We mourn, and we pray. And, you know, be there for each other, and then we just move on.
FRANKEN: After hearing the news, mourners gathered outside the Hendrick company compound in Charlotte, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): And here at the crash site, it is extremely rough terrain, as I mentioned a moment ago. To give you some idea, the site is about a mile off the paved road, but it takes all terrain vehicles, the ATVs, it takes them, Bill, about an hour and a half to get to the site -- Bill?
HEMMER: Bob, thanks for that.
A bit later this hour, we're talking with Marty Snider who covers NASCAR for both TNT and NBC. That's coming up in our 7:30 Eastern time here -- Soledad?
O'BRIEN: A terrible tragedy there.
It's time now for a check of the forecast. Jacqui Jeras is in for Chad Myers, who is off today. And she is at the CNN Center with the latest for us, this morning. Hey, Jacqui, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: All right. In a moment here, the state of the ballot, big changes have been made to try and avoid the chaos of four years ago. But could they end up causing even more problems?
We'll have a week-long series that starts today on this Monday morning coming up in a few moments.
O'BRIEN: Also, the flu shot shortage, what are the facts? What's fiction? We'll take a look at that. HEMMER: Also, some terrifying moments at a gas station. The dramatic story and the end to this all in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING as we continue, on this Monday morning, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: The flu shot shortage has become a hot button issue in the final weeks of this presidential campaign. One of the most frequently asked questions is this -- could the shortage have been averted?
Answers this morning now with our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, doing some flu fact checking for us. Good morning, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Bill, many people say that the warning signs have been there for years, that various experts and expert groups have said that a shortage of flu vaccine, a severe shortage like we're seeing this year, was on its way.
Let's take a look. There was, for example, a general accounting office report in the year 2001 that said, that talked about the fragility of the flu vaccine production system. And then in 2003, the National Academy of Sciences warned about early warning signs of problems.
Now the Bush administration says that they heard those warnings and that their strategy to try to get private pharmaceutical companies which make the vaccine more interested in making more vaccine, or try to get more pharmaceutical companies interested in making vaccine. But many critics say, well, obviously that strategy didn't work.
Take a look at the numbers. At the beginning of the Bush presidency, there were four companies that were making -- that were making vaccine. And now there were -- now there only is one company making vaccine. And they say when you look at that, that says it right there.
Now, let's listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is a spokesperson for the Bush administration on the flu issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATL. INST. ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: It's virtually impossible to correct it overnight, to just turn it around. It has to be a process in which you have a long standing commitment over years and years.
This is an accident that was waiting to happen for literally decades.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Now critics say that knowing all this, the Bush administration should have had a plan B. Some people say that plan B should have been the government taking over the production of flu vaccine.
But the Bush administration says that that proposal, having the government do it themselves, is unworkable -- Bill?
HEMMER: So, we have a lot of things to consider here. You have this comment here about it being a problem for decades and not being addressed properly.
We heard during the debate saying these companies, the margins they work off of are small, which tends to work against the desire of these companies to continue to process this because they just don't simply make the money on it.
Also, the fear of being sued was raised as a factor as well. Through all of this, what is accurate and what is not?
COHEN: Well, it's interesting because in the debates, President Bush chose to talk about the lawsuits. He said, how can pharmaceutical companies go into this business when they fear lawsuits?
And actually on Friday the president signed into law a bill that would actually protect pharmaceutical companies from excessive lawsuits from people who receive the flu vaccine.
But experts I have talked to say that really fear of lawsuits has not really been a problem for flu vaccine suppliers. There are lots of other problems. You just listed some of them.
But fear of lawsuits is not one of them. In fact the man who was at the helm of the Center for Disease Control's vaccine program said fear of lawsuits really was never an issue.
So, it's not a bad thing that the president signed this, but he didn't really expect that it would help very much.
HEMMER: In the meantime, what do we know of the state of the flu season this year already? Is it bad or is it average?
COHEN: So far, there's really not that much of it. There is sporadic activity in nine states. And it's apparently slightly less than was going on last year and has gone on in other years.
So, so far it's not looking terrible. There's just a little bit of activity in some states.
HEMMER: Thanks, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Cohen there at the CNN Center -- Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Well, some pretty amazing pictures to show you this morning. In Ohio, a young woman reportedly in custody now in connection with this. This fiery hit and run crash happened at a gas station. The incident was caught on tape. The car slammed into a gas pump on Friday, nearly crushed a family that was in that other car right there.
The 22-year-old woman is now being held on $25,000 bail. Investigators say she has admitted that she was the driver. The family, as can you see in these pictures, that was in that other car escaped unhurt, fortunately.
HEMMER: Just inches, too, yes.
In a moment here, there have been big changes to try to avoid the chaos of 2000. But could they cause even more problems now in 2004?
The state of the ballot, our week-long series starts today, in a moment, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The average price of gasoline up a nickel in just two weeks. Andy Serwer is here. He is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Hello.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hello. Welcome back to New York.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
SERWER: Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: Nice to be back.
SERWER: The price of gas is surging, Soledad. And when I saw that crash tape, you know, that's precious stuff. Don't hit those gas pumps.
We are now over $2.04 a gallon nationwide according to the Lundberg survey. That matches the highs we saw back in June. It wasn't supposed to happen like this in the fall, but it is.
And, of course, the price of oil has everything to do with that. Your highs across the country, $2.45 in classy San Diego and $1.83 in Tulsa, Oklahoma if you're looking for gas prices.
Now, the price of oil, you can see here, we're now hitting a new high this morning -- $55.67 a barrel. The problem is not in Nigeria, not in Saudi Arabia, not in Iraq. We still have problems in the Gulf of Mexico, but guess where the problems are this morning?
HEMMER: Tell us.
SERWER: Norway, again, back to Norway. That simmering labor dispute by the Norwegian oil workers...
O'BRIEN: That was going on when I left.
SERWER: I know. It's still going on, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Wow.
SERWER: And listen to this one. There is a lock-out that's being threatened by the Norwegian ship owners. They are going to close down all the rigs around Norway. And, of course, Norway is the third largest oil exporter, three million barrels a day.
And the president, President Bush, might want to call this gentlemen. He is the minister of labor and social affairs in Norway, on Dagfinn Hoybraten over in Norway. He is the man in charge of this whole shebang. So, maybe want to get on the phone with him.
O'BRIEN: Hopefully he can clear it up.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: What was his name?
SERWER: Dagfinn Hoybraten.
O'BRIEN: Dagfinn Hoybraten.
CAFFERTY: That's what I thought he said.
HEMMER: Yes, indeed. Indeed.
"Question of the Day." Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Good morning. A week to go before the election, still no October surprise.
However, there are things out there that possibly have a negative effect on these campaigns. You've got the execution of these 50 newly trained Iraqi police officers. You've got 380 tons of explosives missing.
How the hell do you let that stuff disappear? You were told before the war started there's a bunch of this right here on the map. Make sure after the invasion that you pay attention and guard it and make sure nobody can get to it. Now it's all gone. How does that stuff happen?
The Kerry campaign may be a bit desperate. They are going to -- they're going to drag old Bill Clinton out of the sick bed and wheel him out onto the campaign trail. Let him wheeze and limp along for the next week, see if he can help the votes for the Democrat.
You've got the barbell out in California. Schwarzenegger is going to go around speaking Austrian to the voters on behalf of President Bush.
Here's the question: With a week to go, is there anything that could change your vote? Am@cnn.com is the e-mail address.
HEMMER: Eight days and counting.
CAFFERTY: It just gets silly.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes, you're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Still to come, the Monday edition of "90-Second Pop."
A Milli Vanilli moment for pop star Ashlee Simpson -- was her performance on "Saturday Night Live" not live?
And ABC may have pulled the plug on Miss America last week, but never fear, pageant lovers, season two of "The Swan" debuts tonight all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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