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American Morning

Both Candidates Picking Up Pace Yet Again Today; Defense Rests in Double Murder Trial of Scott Peterson

Aired October 27, 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: Driving home their message with six days left, the candidates trying to finish strong and get out the vote.
The defense rests in the Scott Peterson trial. Did Mark Geragos deliver what he promised?

Beneath the clouds, NASA snaps the closest pictures yet of Saturn's very intriguing moon, Titan.

And on the brink of World Series victory...

(AUDIO GAP)

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

Good morning. Welcome, everybody. We're following the campaign this morning. We're going to hear from Senator Joe Biden and Saxby Chambliss in just a few minutes. We're talking about the disappearance of course of those 380 tons of explosives in Iraq. The Kerry campaign saying that Americans should have been told earlier. The president's team is calling Kerry an armchair general. We'll hear what both of those senators have to say.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this hour, a week from today we could be bringing you election results from 2004. Or maybe not. Later in this show, we'll talk to two of the lawyers who haggled over the last election four years ago about why they think the same thing may happen all over again. You may recognize the names, Ted Olsen, David Boyce, prominent lawyers in their own right. Their our guest this hour, too, on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

Is there going to be an October surprise? Time's running out. Maybe we've already had one. Speculation runs from the terrorists doing something to disrupt the elections to the administration checking Osama bin Laden out of a Holiday Inn Express and bringing him to Washington for a little show and tell. We'll take a look at it in a few minutes.

HEMMER: Don't steal the towels.

O'BRIEN: What?

HEMMER: Holiday Inn.

O'BRIEN: OK, thanks.

HEMMER: Keep up.

CAFFERTY: All right, Bill.

HEMMER: Let's get a look at some of those stories that are in the news this morning. Heidi Collins is at the news desk for us.

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I have no news on towels. I've got a lot of other stuff, though. I want to get straight to it this morning.

In fact, unfortunately, there are more American casualties in Iraq this morning. U.S. officials say a military convoy was attacked north of Baghdad. At least one U.S. soldier was killed, another is wounded. The attack comes as British troops, known as the "Black Watch," began to roll out of southern Iraq toward Baghdad. The move will free some U.S. troops there for planned offenses in other parts of the country.

The Japanese prime minister says his country's troops will stay in Iraq, despite threats from insurgents to behead a Japanese hostage. The video on an Islamic Web site shows what appears to be a member of Japan's military. Officials say an emergency task force is looking into the identity of that hostage and is working to bring him home safely.

Another strong earthquake rocked northern Japan. A 6 point quake was followed late they are morning by a magnitude 4.2 aftershock. Damage has been reported.

And dramatic new pictures of a woman and two small children found buried in a car. The vehicle trapped in rubble by a landslide in last weekend's earthquake. Officials say the woman died hours after the rescue.

A little bit better news, though, for scientists. They're getting their best look yet at one of Saturn's moons. The Cassini spacecraft yesterday made the closest ever fly-by of the haze-covered moon, Titan, from only 745 miles away. Apparently that's pretty close actually. Cassini will release a probe in December to study Titan's atmosphere. Looks kind of cloudy to me. Hopefully they see a lot more in it.

HEMMER: And rumor has it the Red Sox have won another game, by the way.

COLLINS: They are going to like get like...

HEMMER: Hey, hey, hey, easy now. Thank you, Heidi.

Six days and counting until the presidential election. Both candidates picking up the pace yet again today, trying to visit as many swing states as possible between now and next Tuesday. Iowa one of those key states. In the latest Gallup poll, President Bush has a four-point lead among Senator Kerry among likely voters, but Kerry has a one-point lead over Bush among registered voters.

Kerry Wallace live this morning, traveling with the Kerry campaign in Sioux City, Iowa. That's where we start our coverage today.

Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill. Senator Kerry starting his day here in Iowa, the state that really turns his campaign around in January. In his speech this morning, he'll talk about how he is the candidate who will fight for the middle class. At the same time, though, the senator trying to make this race as much about the president's handling of Iraq as anything else.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice-over): At a raucous rally last night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the state where Al Gore won by just 366 votes, Senator John Kerry, for the second straight day, ripping into the president over those missing explosives in Iraq.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Despite the devastating evidence that his administration's failure has put our troops in greater danger, George Bush could not offer a word of explanation to America. His silence confirms what I have been saying for months, that this president rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. And we deserve a better commander in chief.

WALLACE: The senator clearly thinks it's a winning issue for him, pouncing on it at every stop yesterday.

KERRY: Somehow you are safer with him. Safer with him?

WALLACE: With a follow-up punch in a new television ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: In Iraq, George Bush has overextended our troops, and now failed to secure 380 tons of deadly explosives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The ad running in five states soon to be visited by President Bush according to the Kerry campaign.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

WALLACE: Another goal, trying to win over Hispanic voters in Nevada, where Hispanics make up nearly 20 percent of the population, and in New Mexico, where more than 40 percent of residents are Hispanic. A recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll showing Senator Kerry with a strong lead among Hispanics, 56 to Mr. Bush's 36 percent.

In the homestretch, an effort to show the candidate relaxed and confident. As the campaign brings out the big guns to get out the vote, including The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, tomorrow in Wisconsin and Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And the senator, again, focusing today on Iowa and also Minnesota, two states that Al Gore won back in 2000, two states George W. Bush is working very hard to steal away -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kelly, thanks. Kelly Wallace in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Bush campaign also pounding the pavement in that same state of Iowa. The president spending part of Tuesday in Dubuque, where he asked supporters to get their friends to the polls. A bit later, during a stop in Wisconsin, he had a favor to ask of Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Many Democrats in this country do not recognize their party anymore. And today I want to speak to every one of them. If you believe America should lead with strength, and purpose, and confidence, and resolve, I'd be honored to have your support and I'm asking for your vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Back on the road again today and tomorrow, the president is in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. Again six days and counting.

Now Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well looks like the jury won't get to hear from Scott Peterson after all. The defense has rested in the double murder trial.

Here's CNN's Kimberly Osias.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six days, 14 witnesses, and now the defense has rested, without putting the accused, Scott Peterson, on the stand. The final witness, Modesto policeman Michael Hicks. He's the arresting officer in a burglary that happened in the Peterson's Dry Creek neighborhood on December 26th. Two days after Laci Peterson disappeared. Defense attorney Mark Geragos implied it could have been that burglar who killed Laci. Experts say the defense failed to hammer it home for jurors.

JIM HAMMER, ANALYST: I think at the end of the prosecution case, Geragos was in a very strong position to argue a reasonable doubt case, and he did a very -- an excellent job in cross examining most of the prosecution witnesses. But now, again, the jury is going to say, OK, is it the burglars, or is it Scott Peterson, and I think the case is much more compelling it's Scott Peterson.

OSIAS: The prosecution contends Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife and their unborn son Christmas Eve 2002, then dumped their bodies in the San Francisco Bay. Those remains washed ashore that April, two miles from where Scott Peterson had gone fishing.

In June's opening arguments, Geragos promised to show the baby was born alive, after Scott had come under police scrutiny, thereby proving his, quote, "stone cold innocence," but that never happened.

ROBERT TALBOTT, LAW PROF., S.F. UNIVERSITY: I think the jury probably expected more right from the opening statement. Probably from the dramatic presence of Mark Geragos, the jury, I would think, would have expected a dramatic ending.

OSIAS: Monday Scott's parents testified for the defense, largely to provide an explanation for his behavior the day of his arrest, something Scott presumably could have done for himself as a witness. While the defense failed to show that someone other than Scott killed Laci, all it needed to do was raise reasonable doubt about the strength of the prosecution's case.

JOHN PETERSON, SCOTT'S BROTHER: The truth stands on its own. And that we got enough of our case when the prosecution's case was on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was CNN's Kimberly Osias reporting for us. Jury deliberations in this case are expected to begin on November 3th.

HEMMER: Here is one conversation that was not planned. The much-fined radio host Howard Stern getting into it on the air with the FCC chairman Michael Powell. It happened on a radio call-in show yesterday in California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD STERN, TALK RADIO HOST: I've got about a 10 zillion questions for you, because you honestly are an enigma to me. The first question being, how did you get your job? It is apparent to most of us in broadcasting that your father got you your job. And you kind of sit there and you're the judge, you're the arbiter, you're the one who tells us what we can and can't say on the air. And yet I really don't even think you are qualified to be the head of the commission.

MICHAEL POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FCC: I think you have a right to be concerned about the way the indecency fines are done, but rather than attack me personally, you can challenge the regime, but the entire commission has voted on those fines. The commission has a statute that it's required, and I think it's a cheap shot to say just because my father's famous I don't belong in my position.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: For the record, Michael Powell was appointed to the FCC under Bill Clinton's firm. He was elevated to his current position under the current President Bush. We are told that call-in show was not planned yesterday, Were As soon as Michael Powell agreed to take phone calls, the word went across the country, and Howard Stern jumped on the line. Stern has announced that he's jumping to satellite radio to escape the oversight of the FCC, he says, which has repeatedly fined him for indecency on the air over the past several years.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: By the way, rain yesterday afternoon in St. Louis. It cleared out for the game. Just in time for the Red Sox to win another one, too, Rob. One game away now from their worst -- rather their first World Series title -- sorry about that -- in 86 years. Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez fine form last night, led the Sox to a 4-1 win over St. Louis. Three games to none now in that series. Game four later tonight in St. Louis. Ted Fine, our esteemed producer, is on pins and needles, but you can almost see him grinning through the screen, can you not?

O'BRIEN: Yes, is he wearing his jersey in the control room this morning?

HEMMER: He may have. He told a great story. He has a 6-year- old son and a 75-year-old father, and he told his son as long as Papa has never been alive, he's never seen a World Series victory. So we'll see later tonight if it goes down in St. Louis, 3-0 for Boston.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning: she voted for FDR four times, Nixon three times. So who does 100-year-old Beatrice Woods like this year, an important decision for her 20th presidential election.

HEMMER: Also in a moment, hundreds of tons of explosives reportedly missing now in Iraq. What are the political implications? It's been a hot topic on the trail. Saxby Chambliss, Joe Biden, senators are with us in a moment here, as we continue after this on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Nearly 400 tons of missing explosives in Iraq has given Senator Kerry some powerful ammunition in the campaign's final days. Joining us to talk about it this morning is Georgia's Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss. He's in Moultrie, Georgia. And I asked him why the president had not made any statements on this particular issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Well, the fact of the matter, Soledad, is this is a non-story. I mean, we have members of the press who happen to be embedded with 101st Airborne when they went into this area of Iraq on the 10th of April, 2003, and both NBC and Fox are both reporting that these weapons were not seen by them. So you know, this is a situation where John Kerry is once again taken the facts and tried to twist them, and politicize an issue that simply is a nonissue, and that's why the president is not -- doesn't see any reason to respond to questions on this.

O'BRIEN: But the commander of the 101st Airborne actually said that his mission was not securing any explosives. So they didn't do the kind of detailed search that might be required to confirm or deny that there are any explosives there. He says that it wasn't their goal in the first place. So don't those reports lack a little heft.

CHAMBLISS: Well, that's right. But the fact of the matter is that he did find and the news report confirms the fact there were an extensive amount of weapons there, artillery shells and other items that they did find, but there was absolutely no evidence or no indication that RMX, HDX or PETN, which are the 380 tons of explosives that are now claimed to have been looted or stolen, were there. So there is no story here because there was no indication they were there, and when they went missing, we don't know.

O'BRIEN: Senator, Dick Cheney has said this. I want to play a small clip of what he said in Pensacola, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is not at all clear that those explosives were even at the weapons facility when our troops arrived in the area of Baghdad. John Kerry doesn't mention that, nor does he mention the 400,000 tons of weapons and explosives that are troops have captured and are destroying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Let's grant that 400,000 tons of weapons and explosives is a really large number. But at the same time, the IAEA is calling this one site that was not secured one of the most important sites in and around Baghdad. So isn't the vice president kind of missing the point here?

CHAMBLISS: No. What the vice president saying is that John Kerry is totally politicizing an issue where he is misconstruing the facts. You know, he fails to mention the fact that we did secure 400,000 tons of weapons similar to this. And we have destroyed those weapons. We removed the ability from Saddam Hussein to utilize those weapons to kill and harm Americans.

Now John Kerry is taking a myth, the supposed looting or stealing of 380 tons of weapons, and even his own people, like Richard Holbrooke, say we have no idea whether those weapons were there or how they went missing, and he's trying to twist that and turn that to use it to his political advantage, and I think the vice president's exactly right in what he says.

O'BRIEN: But isn't it concerning the idea that you have no idea, or the administration has no idea where those weapons are and when they went missing, when again, the IAEA says this is one of the most important and critical sites in Iraq?

CHAMBLISS: Soledad, let me tell you what is concerning about this to me. Two points, you have the Democrats, John Kerry in particular, coming out now and talking about these weapons going missing. At the same time, John Kerry is an individual who has been so critical of this administration for saying that you went into Iraq knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction. You cannot have it both ways.

Secondly, we simply don't know when these weapons went missing. And they were under the control of the IAEA, which is an arm of the United Nations, the same organization that has carried out corrupt practices with respect to the oil-and-food program, and they are coming under fire for that. Is this a deflection away by the United Nations from that issue? Who knows, but it certainly was not a professional -- not very professional conduct on the part of the IAEA the way they have handled this.

O'BRIEN: Do you find the timing suspicious. Several weeks this has been known about, but of course it's only becoming public days before the election?

CHAMBLISS: Well, it's pretty interesting the story broke in "The New York Times," which is so pro-John Kerry it's unbelievable. And that also the "Times" broke it in advance of "60 Minutes," which we know is pretty incredible right now with respect to the reporting that they do, and they intended to air this on Sunday night before the election on Tuesday. So I don't think there's any question about what politics is involved here. And that's why it's so unfortunate that facts which are just simply wrong are being used to politicize this issue by folks like John Kerry.

O'BRIEN: Senator, Saxby Chambliss joining us this morning. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for your time.

CHAMBLISS: Good to see you. Congratulations on your children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Thank you to the senator for that.

Let's turn to the Democrats now. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is in Wilmington this morning. Let's get right to the statement that Senator Kerry released on Monday. And he basically said, after being warned about the danger of major stockpiles, the administration failed to guard those stockpiles, where these 380 tons of explosives were kept. It's unclear, isn't it, actually who failed to guard them. It's unclear if even U.S. troops were in Iraq when these explosives went missing. Isn't the senator wrong on this?

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: No, let's talk about the facts. I wish we were discussing this the day after this election, because it's so politicized, as has been stated here.

The facts are that the International Atomic International Atomic Energy Commission and Mr. El Baradei on the -- in late 2002 and 2003 warned the United States and reported to the security council the existence of these weapons. They actually put them under seal. They actually put a seal on the door.

No. 2, on July 9, 2003, there's explicit warning to the United States, if you go in these facilities there, it has this HMX and RDX.

No. 3, on May of 2004, in a report from the international community that we -- to us, it said that we, quote, may be helping -- the terrorists, quote, may be helping themselves to the greatest explosive bonanza in history.

Now, whose fault is this? I don't care whose fault it is. It's not the fault of our military troops. The commander who was on site who was in -- quoted today in the newspaper, said they never went in. They stop there. They never broke the seal. They did not know what was in there. And you know why they didn't? Not because of irresponsible, but because they had to move on to Baghdad, because they had too few troops.

O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you, but you say you don't care whose fault it is, but actually John Kerry is very clearly pointing his finger at the administration.

BIDEN: It is obviously the president's fault. There isn't any question. Look, the fact is -- let me read you what General Abizaid said just a year ago when he came into the United States Senate, he said, quote -- "There is more ammunition in Iraq than any place I've ever seen in my life, and it's not securable. I wish I could tell you we had it under control, but we don't." He went on to say, "There is certainly not enough forces anywhere to guard the ammunition in Iraq."

O'BRIEN: But people would argue the IAEA, as you just pointed out, put a seal on these explosives.

BIDEN: Right.

O'BRIEN: Why seal them when you could destroy them?

BIDEN: Oh, come on. Give me a break. Look, this is not the responsibility of the IAEA to destroy the weapons. They were in there as inspectors under a U.N. mandate. They went around looking for weapons of mass destruction. They said, look, this is what they have in this spot right here. We then said, you better get out of there, we're going to war. They got out of there. We went to war. We went to war. We're able to secure the oil fields, the oil ministry, we sent in commandos early for that reason. We sent in commandos for other places we thought were secure. The irony here is we went to stop weapons of mass destruction, and we probably proliferated more weapons of conventional capability than any time in history.

It's not the fault of our military. Our military asked for 380,000 forces to go into Iraq. The secretary of defense said we only need 40. They settled on 250. And we ended up only being able to send 150. Now, that's not our military's fault. The fact is...

O'BRIEN: Senator Chambliss would say, you know what, in all of this, the timing is very suspicious, just coming days before the election.

BIDEN: John Kerry didn't know about this until it was reported in the press. Look, I was on CNN about a year and a half -- a year ago last August. I came back with two of my colleagues from being on site, two Republican colleagues, in Baghdad. We were paying $500 to anyone who would bring in a shoulder-held rocket launcher. I was told by one young captain of a guy coming up to him, paid him $500 for one rocket launcher, and the young guy said to him, can I bring in anymore. He said, yes, you can bring in as many as you want. He brought in a pickup truck full of these rocket launchers.

General Abizaid testified in September of last year, the commander of all our forces there, that there are 650,000 tons, and I don't have enough troops to guard them. John McCain and Joe Biden said, send more troops, we need more troops. John Kerry said we need more troops to secure this. None of that was done because of the ideology of the Defense Department saying we don't need these troops. Look, no matter whether it's HMX, RDX, shoulder-held rocket launchers, there are still stockpiles we haven't been able to guard. There are the facts.

O'BRIEN: Senator Biden, we are out of time. Thank you for joining us this morning. Nice to see you.

BIDEN: Thank you. Thank you.

Quick break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Question of the Day. Jack, good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Six days now until the election. Time running out for that October surprise. Candidates on both sides concerned that the opponent might have something up his sleeve that would give him a last-minute advantage. The term actually dates to 1980 when Ronald Reagan was afraid President Carter would orchestrate the release of the American hostages in Iran on the eve of the election. Speculation this time around has ranged from the Bush administration suddenly producing Osama bin Laden, either dead or alive, to an attack like the Madrid train bombings that influenced Spain's elections. It's even been suggested Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist's announcement about thyroid cancer, or the execution of 49 Iraqis could qualify as October surprises, maybe even that story about all these explosives that are missing.

The question remains whether anything that has happened so far will have a resounding impact on next Tuesday's outcome. Here's the question: What do you think will be this election's October surprise. AM@cnn.com. We'll read some of the answers a bit later.

COLLINS: Good question.

All right, Jack, thanks.

Still to come, it is your Wednesday morning dose of "90-Second Pop." Through with heavy machinery and milking cows, Paris and Nicole go Greyhound, heading for a cubicle near you. Plus, think you've got what it takes to hang with Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay. Here's your chance, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 27, 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: Driving home their message with six days left, the candidates trying to finish strong and get out the vote.
The defense rests in the Scott Peterson trial. Did Mark Geragos deliver what he promised?

Beneath the clouds, NASA snaps the closest pictures yet of Saturn's very intriguing moon, Titan.

And on the brink of World Series victory...

(AUDIO GAP)

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

Good morning. Welcome, everybody. We're following the campaign this morning. We're going to hear from Senator Joe Biden and Saxby Chambliss in just a few minutes. We're talking about the disappearance of course of those 380 tons of explosives in Iraq. The Kerry campaign saying that Americans should have been told earlier. The president's team is calling Kerry an armchair general. We'll hear what both of those senators have to say.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this hour, a week from today we could be bringing you election results from 2004. Or maybe not. Later in this show, we'll talk to two of the lawyers who haggled over the last election four years ago about why they think the same thing may happen all over again. You may recognize the names, Ted Olsen, David Boyce, prominent lawyers in their own right. Their our guest this hour, too, on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

Is there going to be an October surprise? Time's running out. Maybe we've already had one. Speculation runs from the terrorists doing something to disrupt the elections to the administration checking Osama bin Laden out of a Holiday Inn Express and bringing him to Washington for a little show and tell. We'll take a look at it in a few minutes.

HEMMER: Don't steal the towels.

O'BRIEN: What?

HEMMER: Holiday Inn.

O'BRIEN: OK, thanks.

HEMMER: Keep up.

CAFFERTY: All right, Bill.

HEMMER: Let's get a look at some of those stories that are in the news this morning. Heidi Collins is at the news desk for us.

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I have no news on towels. I've got a lot of other stuff, though. I want to get straight to it this morning.

In fact, unfortunately, there are more American casualties in Iraq this morning. U.S. officials say a military convoy was attacked north of Baghdad. At least one U.S. soldier was killed, another is wounded. The attack comes as British troops, known as the "Black Watch," began to roll out of southern Iraq toward Baghdad. The move will free some U.S. troops there for planned offenses in other parts of the country.

The Japanese prime minister says his country's troops will stay in Iraq, despite threats from insurgents to behead a Japanese hostage. The video on an Islamic Web site shows what appears to be a member of Japan's military. Officials say an emergency task force is looking into the identity of that hostage and is working to bring him home safely.

Another strong earthquake rocked northern Japan. A 6 point quake was followed late they are morning by a magnitude 4.2 aftershock. Damage has been reported.

And dramatic new pictures of a woman and two small children found buried in a car. The vehicle trapped in rubble by a landslide in last weekend's earthquake. Officials say the woman died hours after the rescue.

A little bit better news, though, for scientists. They're getting their best look yet at one of Saturn's moons. The Cassini spacecraft yesterday made the closest ever fly-by of the haze-covered moon, Titan, from only 745 miles away. Apparently that's pretty close actually. Cassini will release a probe in December to study Titan's atmosphere. Looks kind of cloudy to me. Hopefully they see a lot more in it.

HEMMER: And rumor has it the Red Sox have won another game, by the way.

COLLINS: They are going to like get like...

HEMMER: Hey, hey, hey, easy now. Thank you, Heidi.

Six days and counting until the presidential election. Both candidates picking up the pace yet again today, trying to visit as many swing states as possible between now and next Tuesday. Iowa one of those key states. In the latest Gallup poll, President Bush has a four-point lead among Senator Kerry among likely voters, but Kerry has a one-point lead over Bush among registered voters.

Kerry Wallace live this morning, traveling with the Kerry campaign in Sioux City, Iowa. That's where we start our coverage today.

Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill. Senator Kerry starting his day here in Iowa, the state that really turns his campaign around in January. In his speech this morning, he'll talk about how he is the candidate who will fight for the middle class. At the same time, though, the senator trying to make this race as much about the president's handling of Iraq as anything else.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice-over): At a raucous rally last night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the state where Al Gore won by just 366 votes, Senator John Kerry, for the second straight day, ripping into the president over those missing explosives in Iraq.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Despite the devastating evidence that his administration's failure has put our troops in greater danger, George Bush could not offer a word of explanation to America. His silence confirms what I have been saying for months, that this president rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. And we deserve a better commander in chief.

WALLACE: The senator clearly thinks it's a winning issue for him, pouncing on it at every stop yesterday.

KERRY: Somehow you are safer with him. Safer with him?

WALLACE: With a follow-up punch in a new television ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: In Iraq, George Bush has overextended our troops, and now failed to secure 380 tons of deadly explosives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The ad running in five states soon to be visited by President Bush according to the Kerry campaign.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

WALLACE: Another goal, trying to win over Hispanic voters in Nevada, where Hispanics make up nearly 20 percent of the population, and in New Mexico, where more than 40 percent of residents are Hispanic. A recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll showing Senator Kerry with a strong lead among Hispanics, 56 to Mr. Bush's 36 percent.

In the homestretch, an effort to show the candidate relaxed and confident. As the campaign brings out the big guns to get out the vote, including The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, tomorrow in Wisconsin and Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And the senator, again, focusing today on Iowa and also Minnesota, two states that Al Gore won back in 2000, two states George W. Bush is working very hard to steal away -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kelly, thanks. Kelly Wallace in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Bush campaign also pounding the pavement in that same state of Iowa. The president spending part of Tuesday in Dubuque, where he asked supporters to get their friends to the polls. A bit later, during a stop in Wisconsin, he had a favor to ask of Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Many Democrats in this country do not recognize their party anymore. And today I want to speak to every one of them. If you believe America should lead with strength, and purpose, and confidence, and resolve, I'd be honored to have your support and I'm asking for your vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Back on the road again today and tomorrow, the president is in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. Again six days and counting.

Now Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well looks like the jury won't get to hear from Scott Peterson after all. The defense has rested in the double murder trial.

Here's CNN's Kimberly Osias.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six days, 14 witnesses, and now the defense has rested, without putting the accused, Scott Peterson, on the stand. The final witness, Modesto policeman Michael Hicks. He's the arresting officer in a burglary that happened in the Peterson's Dry Creek neighborhood on December 26th. Two days after Laci Peterson disappeared. Defense attorney Mark Geragos implied it could have been that burglar who killed Laci. Experts say the defense failed to hammer it home for jurors.

JIM HAMMER, ANALYST: I think at the end of the prosecution case, Geragos was in a very strong position to argue a reasonable doubt case, and he did a very -- an excellent job in cross examining most of the prosecution witnesses. But now, again, the jury is going to say, OK, is it the burglars, or is it Scott Peterson, and I think the case is much more compelling it's Scott Peterson.

OSIAS: The prosecution contends Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife and their unborn son Christmas Eve 2002, then dumped their bodies in the San Francisco Bay. Those remains washed ashore that April, two miles from where Scott Peterson had gone fishing.

In June's opening arguments, Geragos promised to show the baby was born alive, after Scott had come under police scrutiny, thereby proving his, quote, "stone cold innocence," but that never happened.

ROBERT TALBOTT, LAW PROF., S.F. UNIVERSITY: I think the jury probably expected more right from the opening statement. Probably from the dramatic presence of Mark Geragos, the jury, I would think, would have expected a dramatic ending.

OSIAS: Monday Scott's parents testified for the defense, largely to provide an explanation for his behavior the day of his arrest, something Scott presumably could have done for himself as a witness. While the defense failed to show that someone other than Scott killed Laci, all it needed to do was raise reasonable doubt about the strength of the prosecution's case.

JOHN PETERSON, SCOTT'S BROTHER: The truth stands on its own. And that we got enough of our case when the prosecution's case was on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was CNN's Kimberly Osias reporting for us. Jury deliberations in this case are expected to begin on November 3th.

HEMMER: Here is one conversation that was not planned. The much-fined radio host Howard Stern getting into it on the air with the FCC chairman Michael Powell. It happened on a radio call-in show yesterday in California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD STERN, TALK RADIO HOST: I've got about a 10 zillion questions for you, because you honestly are an enigma to me. The first question being, how did you get your job? It is apparent to most of us in broadcasting that your father got you your job. And you kind of sit there and you're the judge, you're the arbiter, you're the one who tells us what we can and can't say on the air. And yet I really don't even think you are qualified to be the head of the commission.

MICHAEL POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FCC: I think you have a right to be concerned about the way the indecency fines are done, but rather than attack me personally, you can challenge the regime, but the entire commission has voted on those fines. The commission has a statute that it's required, and I think it's a cheap shot to say just because my father's famous I don't belong in my position.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: For the record, Michael Powell was appointed to the FCC under Bill Clinton's firm. He was elevated to his current position under the current President Bush. We are told that call-in show was not planned yesterday, Were As soon as Michael Powell agreed to take phone calls, the word went across the country, and Howard Stern jumped on the line. Stern has announced that he's jumping to satellite radio to escape the oversight of the FCC, he says, which has repeatedly fined him for indecency on the air over the past several years.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: By the way, rain yesterday afternoon in St. Louis. It cleared out for the game. Just in time for the Red Sox to win another one, too, Rob. One game away now from their worst -- rather their first World Series title -- sorry about that -- in 86 years. Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez fine form last night, led the Sox to a 4-1 win over St. Louis. Three games to none now in that series. Game four later tonight in St. Louis. Ted Fine, our esteemed producer, is on pins and needles, but you can almost see him grinning through the screen, can you not?

O'BRIEN: Yes, is he wearing his jersey in the control room this morning?

HEMMER: He may have. He told a great story. He has a 6-year- old son and a 75-year-old father, and he told his son as long as Papa has never been alive, he's never seen a World Series victory. So we'll see later tonight if it goes down in St. Louis, 3-0 for Boston.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning: she voted for FDR four times, Nixon three times. So who does 100-year-old Beatrice Woods like this year, an important decision for her 20th presidential election.

HEMMER: Also in a moment, hundreds of tons of explosives reportedly missing now in Iraq. What are the political implications? It's been a hot topic on the trail. Saxby Chambliss, Joe Biden, senators are with us in a moment here, as we continue after this on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Nearly 400 tons of missing explosives in Iraq has given Senator Kerry some powerful ammunition in the campaign's final days. Joining us to talk about it this morning is Georgia's Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss. He's in Moultrie, Georgia. And I asked him why the president had not made any statements on this particular issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Well, the fact of the matter, Soledad, is this is a non-story. I mean, we have members of the press who happen to be embedded with 101st Airborne when they went into this area of Iraq on the 10th of April, 2003, and both NBC and Fox are both reporting that these weapons were not seen by them. So you know, this is a situation where John Kerry is once again taken the facts and tried to twist them, and politicize an issue that simply is a nonissue, and that's why the president is not -- doesn't see any reason to respond to questions on this.

O'BRIEN: But the commander of the 101st Airborne actually said that his mission was not securing any explosives. So they didn't do the kind of detailed search that might be required to confirm or deny that there are any explosives there. He says that it wasn't their goal in the first place. So don't those reports lack a little heft.

CHAMBLISS: Well, that's right. But the fact of the matter is that he did find and the news report confirms the fact there were an extensive amount of weapons there, artillery shells and other items that they did find, but there was absolutely no evidence or no indication that RMX, HDX or PETN, which are the 380 tons of explosives that are now claimed to have been looted or stolen, were there. So there is no story here because there was no indication they were there, and when they went missing, we don't know.

O'BRIEN: Senator, Dick Cheney has said this. I want to play a small clip of what he said in Pensacola, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is not at all clear that those explosives were even at the weapons facility when our troops arrived in the area of Baghdad. John Kerry doesn't mention that, nor does he mention the 400,000 tons of weapons and explosives that are troops have captured and are destroying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Let's grant that 400,000 tons of weapons and explosives is a really large number. But at the same time, the IAEA is calling this one site that was not secured one of the most important sites in and around Baghdad. So isn't the vice president kind of missing the point here?

CHAMBLISS: No. What the vice president saying is that John Kerry is totally politicizing an issue where he is misconstruing the facts. You know, he fails to mention the fact that we did secure 400,000 tons of weapons similar to this. And we have destroyed those weapons. We removed the ability from Saddam Hussein to utilize those weapons to kill and harm Americans.

Now John Kerry is taking a myth, the supposed looting or stealing of 380 tons of weapons, and even his own people, like Richard Holbrooke, say we have no idea whether those weapons were there or how they went missing, and he's trying to twist that and turn that to use it to his political advantage, and I think the vice president's exactly right in what he says.

O'BRIEN: But isn't it concerning the idea that you have no idea, or the administration has no idea where those weapons are and when they went missing, when again, the IAEA says this is one of the most important and critical sites in Iraq?

CHAMBLISS: Soledad, let me tell you what is concerning about this to me. Two points, you have the Democrats, John Kerry in particular, coming out now and talking about these weapons going missing. At the same time, John Kerry is an individual who has been so critical of this administration for saying that you went into Iraq knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction. You cannot have it both ways.

Secondly, we simply don't know when these weapons went missing. And they were under the control of the IAEA, which is an arm of the United Nations, the same organization that has carried out corrupt practices with respect to the oil-and-food program, and they are coming under fire for that. Is this a deflection away by the United Nations from that issue? Who knows, but it certainly was not a professional -- not very professional conduct on the part of the IAEA the way they have handled this.

O'BRIEN: Do you find the timing suspicious. Several weeks this has been known about, but of course it's only becoming public days before the election?

CHAMBLISS: Well, it's pretty interesting the story broke in "The New York Times," which is so pro-John Kerry it's unbelievable. And that also the "Times" broke it in advance of "60 Minutes," which we know is pretty incredible right now with respect to the reporting that they do, and they intended to air this on Sunday night before the election on Tuesday. So I don't think there's any question about what politics is involved here. And that's why it's so unfortunate that facts which are just simply wrong are being used to politicize this issue by folks like John Kerry.

O'BRIEN: Senator, Saxby Chambliss joining us this morning. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for your time.

CHAMBLISS: Good to see you. Congratulations on your children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Thank you to the senator for that.

Let's turn to the Democrats now. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is in Wilmington this morning. Let's get right to the statement that Senator Kerry released on Monday. And he basically said, after being warned about the danger of major stockpiles, the administration failed to guard those stockpiles, where these 380 tons of explosives were kept. It's unclear, isn't it, actually who failed to guard them. It's unclear if even U.S. troops were in Iraq when these explosives went missing. Isn't the senator wrong on this?

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: No, let's talk about the facts. I wish we were discussing this the day after this election, because it's so politicized, as has been stated here.

The facts are that the International Atomic International Atomic Energy Commission and Mr. El Baradei on the -- in late 2002 and 2003 warned the United States and reported to the security council the existence of these weapons. They actually put them under seal. They actually put a seal on the door.

No. 2, on July 9, 2003, there's explicit warning to the United States, if you go in these facilities there, it has this HMX and RDX.

No. 3, on May of 2004, in a report from the international community that we -- to us, it said that we, quote, may be helping -- the terrorists, quote, may be helping themselves to the greatest explosive bonanza in history.

Now, whose fault is this? I don't care whose fault it is. It's not the fault of our military troops. The commander who was on site who was in -- quoted today in the newspaper, said they never went in. They stop there. They never broke the seal. They did not know what was in there. And you know why they didn't? Not because of irresponsible, but because they had to move on to Baghdad, because they had too few troops.

O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you, but you say you don't care whose fault it is, but actually John Kerry is very clearly pointing his finger at the administration.

BIDEN: It is obviously the president's fault. There isn't any question. Look, the fact is -- let me read you what General Abizaid said just a year ago when he came into the United States Senate, he said, quote -- "There is more ammunition in Iraq than any place I've ever seen in my life, and it's not securable. I wish I could tell you we had it under control, but we don't." He went on to say, "There is certainly not enough forces anywhere to guard the ammunition in Iraq."

O'BRIEN: But people would argue the IAEA, as you just pointed out, put a seal on these explosives.

BIDEN: Right.

O'BRIEN: Why seal them when you could destroy them?

BIDEN: Oh, come on. Give me a break. Look, this is not the responsibility of the IAEA to destroy the weapons. They were in there as inspectors under a U.N. mandate. They went around looking for weapons of mass destruction. They said, look, this is what they have in this spot right here. We then said, you better get out of there, we're going to war. They got out of there. We went to war. We went to war. We're able to secure the oil fields, the oil ministry, we sent in commandos early for that reason. We sent in commandos for other places we thought were secure. The irony here is we went to stop weapons of mass destruction, and we probably proliferated more weapons of conventional capability than any time in history.

It's not the fault of our military. Our military asked for 380,000 forces to go into Iraq. The secretary of defense said we only need 40. They settled on 250. And we ended up only being able to send 150. Now, that's not our military's fault. The fact is...

O'BRIEN: Senator Chambliss would say, you know what, in all of this, the timing is very suspicious, just coming days before the election.

BIDEN: John Kerry didn't know about this until it was reported in the press. Look, I was on CNN about a year and a half -- a year ago last August. I came back with two of my colleagues from being on site, two Republican colleagues, in Baghdad. We were paying $500 to anyone who would bring in a shoulder-held rocket launcher. I was told by one young captain of a guy coming up to him, paid him $500 for one rocket launcher, and the young guy said to him, can I bring in anymore. He said, yes, you can bring in as many as you want. He brought in a pickup truck full of these rocket launchers.

General Abizaid testified in September of last year, the commander of all our forces there, that there are 650,000 tons, and I don't have enough troops to guard them. John McCain and Joe Biden said, send more troops, we need more troops. John Kerry said we need more troops to secure this. None of that was done because of the ideology of the Defense Department saying we don't need these troops. Look, no matter whether it's HMX, RDX, shoulder-held rocket launchers, there are still stockpiles we haven't been able to guard. There are the facts.

O'BRIEN: Senator Biden, we are out of time. Thank you for joining us this morning. Nice to see you.

BIDEN: Thank you. Thank you.

Quick break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Question of the Day. Jack, good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Six days now until the election. Time running out for that October surprise. Candidates on both sides concerned that the opponent might have something up his sleeve that would give him a last-minute advantage. The term actually dates to 1980 when Ronald Reagan was afraid President Carter would orchestrate the release of the American hostages in Iran on the eve of the election. Speculation this time around has ranged from the Bush administration suddenly producing Osama bin Laden, either dead or alive, to an attack like the Madrid train bombings that influenced Spain's elections. It's even been suggested Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist's announcement about thyroid cancer, or the execution of 49 Iraqis could qualify as October surprises, maybe even that story about all these explosives that are missing.

The question remains whether anything that has happened so far will have a resounding impact on next Tuesday's outcome. Here's the question: What do you think will be this election's October surprise. AM@cnn.com. We'll read some of the answers a bit later.

COLLINS: Good question.

All right, Jack, thanks.

Still to come, it is your Wednesday morning dose of "90-Second Pop." Through with heavy machinery and milking cows, Paris and Nicole go Greyhound, heading for a cubicle near you. Plus, think you've got what it takes to hang with Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay. Here's your chance, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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