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American Morning
Yasser Arafat's Health; President Bush, Senator Kerry Firing Fast and Furious Over Missing Iraq Explosives
Aired October 28, 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. One eye on Yasser Arafat's health, the other on Mideast stability. A new report on the Palestinian leader's condition just out this morning.
A potent campaign weapon. President Bush and Senator Kerry firing fast and furious over missing Iraq explosives. And who's your daddy this morning? Not these Boston Red Sox. They're World Series champions, and they did it in decisive fashion.
And how about the fans back home? We'll see if the city is still standing, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: This Good morning, welcome everybody. Lots going on this morning. We're talking about the Red Sox.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: That we are. How about the guy in the tree, huh? We'll try to get that shot for you again in just a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also, we're talking about the campaign, just five Days to go now. The controversy over missing explosives in Iraq now dominating what the candidates are saying on the trial. We'll talk about that. We're going to chat with Carlos Watson about the electoral count and the scenarios that could lead to each candidate winning.
HEMMER: Also we'll talk about Boston. Certainly can not get by today without that, won their eighth postseason game in a row, swept the Cardinals in four straight to take that World Series title. This one not even close, 3-0 the final last night. Johnny Damon a lead-off home run, fourth pitch of the game in fact. That was the only run the Red Sox would need last night, 3-0 as I mentioned. Live to Boston this morning, we'll talk about the celebration, talk about the team coming home, because Here is a live picture outside Fenway Park, and we do anticipate sometime in this hour for the team to return there to Boston.
Yankee fans, by the way, they're not letting up on this, by the way. Yes, and here -- in the "Daily News" here in New York City on the back page, "Sox sweep Cards as curse takes year off. See you in 2090."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's great. O'BRIEN: They're a little bitter.
CAFFERTY: How you doing? "The New York Times," like it or not, has succeeded in driving the presidential debate during the closing week of the campaign, and a lot of people don't like it, with that front-page story that they ran on this missing explosives in Iraq. Forget the fact there's a lot of questions about whether that story is even accurate or not, it's all the candidates are talking about. We're going to take a look as to whether that's the way things ought to be handled with five days to go in a few minutes.
HEMMER: Good deal. Thank you, Jack.
Let's get to top stories. Top of the hour, to Heidi Collins with us here, and good morning to you -- Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I have other news besides the Red Sox this morning. I want to get straight to it.
Now in the news this morning, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to allow Yasser Arafat to leave his compound for medical treatment if necessary. Arafat attended early morning prayers, but Palestinian sources said yesterday Arafat was too weak to walk. A team of Jordanian are now flying in to check the 75-year-old leader's condition. We'll have a live report from outside Arafat's compound coming up a little bit later in the show. To Iraq now, an explosive team is at the site of a blast in Baghdad. Sources say insurgents targeted a military convoy early this morning, possibly setting off a car bomb. A U.S. soldier was killed, two others wounded.
In Fallujah, U.S. forces are again pounding supporters of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. Coalition sources say troops launched a precision strike overnight. There are reports of casualties.
In Russia, rescue operations now complete as a site of a deadly mine explosion. A methane blast in western Siberia killed 13 miners last night and injured nearly two dozen others. Rescue teams evacuated 67 miners. This is the sixth blast now this year in the very same region. The cause is under investigation.
And did you see it? Not the game, but this. Here's what the sky looked like around midnight last night. The Earth passed directly between the sun and moon. It was the last total lunar eclipse for the next two and a half years. And maybe that had something to do with it.
HEMMER: You think so?
COLLINS: I don't know. The stars lineup. The moon was lunar eclipsed.
O'BRIEN: The people claimed that, absolutely. Could be. Nobody cares. They are happy today. Red Sox nation on top of the baseball world this morning. Boston completed a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals last night, winning their first World Series since 1918, and exorcising those demons that have haunted the franchise for nearly a century.
CNN's Alina Cho live for us outside Fenway Park in Boston this morning. And I'm guessing you've got a little company out there.
Good morning to you, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More than a couple of fans, Soledad. Good morning to you.
In fact, thousands upon thousands of bleary-eyed Bostonians this morning, including the Red Sox themselves, who we understand are on their way back to Boston as we speak. And for the first time in a long time, they are coming back World Series champions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From Fenway through the back bay, Red Sox fans call it the game of the century, the team's first World Series win in 86 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've shocked the world, greatest team ever, best postseason ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't expect it, but it happened, and that's even better.
CHO: At Whiskey's bar on Boilston (ph) Street, where they serve up St. Louis Ribs, they were also serving up a World Series sweep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't believe I am where I am right now. I am about to cry.
CHO: You've been waiting all these years, and now what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now we're going to win the Super Bowl. We're going to go undefeated -- the Super Bowl, the World Series. Beantown, baby, Beantown!
CHO: Throughout the city, police and revelers flooded the streets near Fenway Park. Officers used restraint this time, after a Red Sox celebration last week turned deadly. A college student was killed after police fired a pepper filled pellet and hit her in the eye.
This celebration was marked by two dozen arrests and dozens of injuries, but mostly happy fans, fans like John Little and his good luck charm Yogi. Ever since little changed Yogi's uniform, the Red Sox have been undefeated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't put it in words. There's no way to put it in words.
CHO: One Yankee fan was there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, the earth is starting to spin in a different direction. CHO: Call it reversing the curse, putting the hex to rest. Whatever you call it, Boston has done it, and fans shared the moment with the late Red Sox great Ted Williams.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what he would have wanted!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Family members and staff return to Fenway just a couple of hours ago, and as we mentioned before, more than a couple of fans are here waiting for the team, hoping to get a glimpse of them.
We should also mention that both "The Boston Herald" and "The Boston Globe" rolled out extra editions overnight. They doubled their press runs today. Curt Schilling's spikes and Manny Ramirez's bat are on their way to the Hall of Fame. A Wheaties box is already out we understand, and of course plans are in the works for a big parade here in the city so that fans can celebrate at least one more time -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Beantown, baby! That's what they're saying. All right, we're going to try to bring those pictures of the team returning to Fenway Park when they actually show up.
Alina Cho for us this morning. Thanks, Alina, appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: What a day there, huh?
About seven now minutes past the hour. I want to get to the seriousness now of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's medical condition, a cause for concern again today, not just for his doctors and family, but for the Middle East peace process. And John Vause is in Ramallah, outside of Arafat's compound.
John, good afternoon there. What can you tell us about his condition?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Bill.
We know that Yasser Arafat's condition has improved slightly. He's stabilized. We have been told that he took part in morning prayers. He's also had some breakfast. He's managing to keep that down. He met with his Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei twice today. After the first meeting, Ahmed Qorei left the compound, telling reporters that the Palestinian leader is in a good condition, although last night he did collapse, reportedly slipping into unconsciousness, in and out of unconsciousness, for quite some time.
The news from here, though, is that doctors say they'll make a decision later tonight on whether or not Arafat should be moved from his Ramallah compound to a hospital in Ramallah, or maybe a hospital in Israel or another country, perhaps. Israeli Radio is now reporting that Arafat will, in fact, be moved to a hospital here in Ramallah, an indication that this is still a very serious condition. Now, this morning, the Palestinian prime minister telephoned the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, asking for assistance with the medical treatment for Yasser Arafat. Ariel Sharon agreed to do all Israel can to aid in the treatment of Yasser Arafat, including allowing him to leave the West Bank to seek treatment in another country.
Now, that's a big move for Israel, which has confined Arafat to this compound for two and a half years, all along saying if he leaves his compound here, if he leaves the West Bank, he will not be allowed to return. There has, in fact, been a lot of speculation about what is wrong with the Palestinian leader. Officially his doctors say it's just a serious case of stomach flu, but a lot of speculation in the Israeli media, everything from colon cancer to a possible stroke, maybe even some kind of blood disease -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, it's my understanding his wife may pay a visit. How long has it been since they have seen each other?
VAUSE: They last saw each other in 2001. She lives in Paris, but she also spends time in Tunisia. That's where she's traveling from. She's expected to be by his side in a matter of hours, and that's another indication of how serious Palestinian officials thought Arafat's condition was, certainly last night when he collapsed and reportedly slipped into the coma, or unconsciousness rather -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, thanks. John Vause in Ramallah there, thanks.
O'BRIEN: A mere five days to the presidential election, and both candidates continue their whirlwind tours of the battleground states. Right now, early voting is in some form under way in 32 states. In Pennsylvania, the latest, CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll gives Senator John Kerry a three-point lead among likely and registered voters in that state, and both candidates are drawing on star power. Bill Clinton resumes campaigning for Senator Kerry tomorrow, while Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to appear with President Bush at a rally in Columbus, Ohio tomorrow night.
If it is Thursday then, means it must be Michigan. That is where the president begins his day, and so does Suzanne Malveaux. She is traveling with the Bush campaign. She joins us from Troy, Michigan.
Hey, Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It was just two weeks ago Michigan looked like it was not a possibility for the president. But now those polls show it's in a dead heat. That's why the president was here yesterday. Today he will be back on Saturday. Last night in Pontiac, Michigan, the president left with several dozen African-American leaders, as well as boxing promoter Don King, to try to court the African-American vote.
But despite the fact that he was reaching out to black voters and moderate Democrats, all of that overshadowed by the controversy over those missing weapons. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Bush rolled into Lancaster, Pennsylvania to rally supporters and ask wavering Democrats for their vote, but his first priority was to break the two-day silence over the weapon controversy, to make his case he wasn't to blame for the nearly 400 tons of explosives missing in Iraq.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our military is now investigating a number of possible scenarios, including that the explosives may have been moved before our troops even arrived at the site.
MALVEAUX: At a rally in Rochester, Minnesota, Mr. Bush's opponent, Senator John Kerry, called it more excuses.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You owe America real answers about what happened, not just political attacks.
MALVEAUX: In dueling campaign appearances throughout the day, the candidates hurled harsh accusations at one another, in a bid to convince voters each one would make the stronger commander in chief.
BUSH: If Senator Kerry had his, we would still be taking our global test; Saddam Hussein would still be in power.
KERRY: This is a growing scandal.
MALVEAUX: Both campaigns released competing TV ads to demonstrate their loyalty to the troops. Ironically, all of this came on the day Mr. Bush dedicated to reaching out to Democrats. At stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, with Georgia's Democratic Senator Zell Miller in Tow, Mr. Bush asked Democratic voters to join his side.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now this morning, he'll hold a rally in Saginaw, Michigan, then he travels to Ohio and Pennsylvania. But the big headline, of course, Soledad is going to be tomorrow's event. That is when President Bush, as well as California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, will hold a campaign event together in Columbus, Ohio. The hope is it will be able to attract some of those moderate voters -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux for us, traveling with the Bush campaign.
And in fact, in just a few minutes, we're going to talk with political analyst Carlos Watson about the electoral map and where the candidates stand this morning with their goal to reach that magic number 270.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the final part of our series "Crowded House." Today, how a single mom handles the challenges of raising four children, including her toddler triplets.
HEMMER: Also, in a moment, with a race this tight, all it takes is one state here or there to swing this election.
Carlos Watson shows us what combination each candidate needs to win on Tuesday.
O'BRIEN: Plus, Boston is going to party like it is 1918, and it's about to get even bigger. We are waiting for the Red Sox team to arrive in Beantown. We're going to bring that to you live when it happens. That's ahead as we continue here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Time now for a look at the all-important Electoral College map. With so many combinations of stats still considered in play today, which candidate will reach the needed 270 to become president. Back out to California, Carlos Watson, Mountain View, California, up early today.
Carlos, good morning to you.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Good morning. Good morning.
HEMMER: On the screen, here's a map. OK, the red and the light red is Bush country. The blue and the light blue is Kerry country. But the three yellow states, Minnesota, Ohio, and Florida are lumped together. Why are we putting them together today, Carlos?
WATSON: Because it's really unclear in all three of the cases. Most of the other states, even states that seem to be leaning toward Kerry or Bush, you tend to see polls that show one of them in the lead by four or five points.
But in Florida, in Minnesota, and in Ohio, all those polls seem to be one or two points only. That seems to be fairly consistent across the board.
HEMMER: Let's talk about strategy for each man now, first starting with John Kerry. If he wants to win the White House on Tuesday, stop No. 1 as a heartland strategy. What are you talking about? Which part of the country?
WATSON: So there what I'm saying, not only does he have to win the 13 states that are clearly headed toward him, and the five that are leaning towards him and the District of Columbia, then he has to take three states in the Midwest, so Ohio and Minnesota among the tossups. And then he's got to reach into the leaning Bush category and win Wisconsin. If he does that, those are 40 extra electoral votes, and puts him over the hump at about 272 electoral votes.
HEMMER: All right, that is one scenario, South by Southwest. What? New Mexico, Arizona, what?
WATSON: Hah, flavorful, huh? So you add Florida from the South, and then from the Southwest, you take Nevada and you take Colorado, you do that, you give Kerry another 41 electoral votes, and all of a sudden he has 273, and he's on his way to Pennsylvania Avenue.
HEMMER: All right, that's for Senator Kerry. For President Bush to win a second term, Southern exposure is what you are calling this. Florida is in this mix, I'm certain, Carlos.
WATSON: Hey, no doubt about it, my home state. Right now the president, if you take the 23 states where we have got solidly going toward the president, plus six that are leaning towards him, and you add to that just Florida, he goes from 249 electoral votes, all the way up to 276, and he's the president of the United States for another four years.
HEMMER: OK, that's in the Southeast. What about the Midwest vacation package? Describe that to us.
WATSON: Oh, you've got to like that one. So you take, again, the 23 solidly Bush states, plus the six that are leaning towards him. You add in the Midwest, Ohio. And then you reach into the leaning- Kerry category, and you take Hawaii. Remember, we talked about yesterday that Hawaii is a new wild card state. That would be enough to put the president over 270.
HEMMER: We don't do predictions. But I'm curious to know, you gauge the e-mails throughout the entire day, they're on every Web site that is tracking this election. Do have you a sense, at this point, if one man has more momentum than the other?
WATSON: Boy, it certainly has been close. A week ago even a week and a half ago I would have said the president seems to have the momentum. I think that you saw in Suzanne Malveaux's piece that this whole weapons explosive issue seems to put the president on the defensive a bit. But the last day or two I'd put it on John Kerry. But we've a long road to go before we get to Tuesday.
HEMMER: A long road that's only five days.
Here's what confounds me, though, places that you think would go Democratic, like New Jersey, and Minnesota and Hawaii, as you point out, that the polling that is done inside of those states indicates it is too close to call there. What explains that?
WATSON: You know, again, sometimes it is smaller samples. Sometimes there's some fluidity. In New Jersey, some people think it has to do with the closeness to New York after 9/11. Others think the scandal involving the Democratic governor there Jim McGreevey may be playing a roll. In Michigan, some people say that John Kerry hasn't visited there often enough, that they took for granted a state that Al Gore won by 5 percentage points. So a lot up in the air in each of these states and it is causing people to change their strategies.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carlos. We'll talk again.
WATSON: Good to see you.
HEMMER: Another reminder, election night coverage here on CNN, starts at 7:00 Eastern Time next Tuesday night. We're live at the Nasdaq Exchange. We have graphics galore come election night.
Now, Soledad.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, one of the major airlines avoids going bankrupt, for now.
Andy's "Minding Your Business." That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. One major airline holds off bankruptcy for now. Plus, are sales flowing for the world's largest automaker? Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Let's start talking about Delta Airlines, what we're talking about with the largest airline -- what exactly was the deal that was struck?
SERWER: Well, last night, Soledad, it looks like Delta was able to stave off bankruptcy by getting the pilots union to agree to a package of paycuts probably worth a billion dollars. Leadership has to sign off on the deal this morning. It is expected to happen, though, and it does buy the airline some time.
Some really startling numbers, these in "The Atlanta Journal Constitution," talking about how much exactly these pilots will be giving back. A mid-career captain at Delta Airlines now making about $225,000 a year. The paycuts would probably get that person down to $146,000 a year. That's a cut of about 35 to 40 percent. So very significant. These are highly paid people, but I think they deserve the pay they have people's lives in their hands every day, but it's a tremendous pay cut, I think.
O'BRIEN: Yes, 40 percent. I mean, I'm sure that people have to rethink exactly how they're paying their mortgage.
SERWER: That's right.
I want to talk about GM a little, because you did mention that they have some problem there as well. Looks like they're going to be furloughing up to 9,000 workers early next year at five plants around the country, plants that make pickups and SUVs, and including Oklahoma City, Jamesville (ph), Wisconsin, Arlington, Texas. They made too many of these vehicles this year. Consumers getting tapped out. Also these models getting long in the tooth, and of course higher gas prices, people staying away from those big gas guzzlers.
O'BRIEN: All right. We're talk about the market a little bit later.
Andy, thanks. SERWER: To the Question of the Day -- what's on your mind, Jack? Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Bill.
Five days before the election, and "The New York Times" has managed to capture the debate going into next Tuesday's voting with that front-page story they ran a few days ago on those missing explosives in Iraq. The president, vice president, accused John Kerry yesterday of, quote, "saying anything to get elected." Hey, that's what politicians do, you know. He also -- they accused Kerry of denigrating U.S. forces and their commanders before all the facts are known. There's some question whether that story is even true or not that the "Times" ran.
Kerry fired back, accused the president of neglecting to secure the weapons stockpiles, endangering the troops. The bottom line is there's some missing powerful explosives and nobody knows where they are. The issue is monopolizing the campaign. Both sides fighting to get control and use the story to their advantage.
Here's the question, are the missing explosives what the candidates ought to be talking about five days before we go to the polls? am@CNN.com is the e-mail address, and you can weigh in on your thoughts.
HEMMER: Good deal. Thank you, Jack.
We'll get to that.
Yasser Arafat's condition, too, still front and center for us today. Who fills the void if he has to be replaced as Palestinian leader. Some talks from an ambassador in a moment on that.
Also, the Beantown bash. The champagne's been on ice for 86 years. Not today, though. They're cracking it open. The team is back any moment now outside Fenway Park, as we continue in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired October 28, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. One eye on Yasser Arafat's health, the other on Mideast stability. A new report on the Palestinian leader's condition just out this morning.
A potent campaign weapon. President Bush and Senator Kerry firing fast and furious over missing Iraq explosives. And who's your daddy this morning? Not these Boston Red Sox. They're World Series champions, and they did it in decisive fashion.
And how about the fans back home? We'll see if the city is still standing, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: This Good morning, welcome everybody. Lots going on this morning. We're talking about the Red Sox.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: That we are. How about the guy in the tree, huh? We'll try to get that shot for you again in just a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also, we're talking about the campaign, just five Days to go now. The controversy over missing explosives in Iraq now dominating what the candidates are saying on the trial. We'll talk about that. We're going to chat with Carlos Watson about the electoral count and the scenarios that could lead to each candidate winning.
HEMMER: Also we'll talk about Boston. Certainly can not get by today without that, won their eighth postseason game in a row, swept the Cardinals in four straight to take that World Series title. This one not even close, 3-0 the final last night. Johnny Damon a lead-off home run, fourth pitch of the game in fact. That was the only run the Red Sox would need last night, 3-0 as I mentioned. Live to Boston this morning, we'll talk about the celebration, talk about the team coming home, because Here is a live picture outside Fenway Park, and we do anticipate sometime in this hour for the team to return there to Boston.
Yankee fans, by the way, they're not letting up on this, by the way. Yes, and here -- in the "Daily News" here in New York City on the back page, "Sox sweep Cards as curse takes year off. See you in 2090."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's great. O'BRIEN: They're a little bitter.
CAFFERTY: How you doing? "The New York Times," like it or not, has succeeded in driving the presidential debate during the closing week of the campaign, and a lot of people don't like it, with that front-page story that they ran on this missing explosives in Iraq. Forget the fact there's a lot of questions about whether that story is even accurate or not, it's all the candidates are talking about. We're going to take a look as to whether that's the way things ought to be handled with five days to go in a few minutes.
HEMMER: Good deal. Thank you, Jack.
Let's get to top stories. Top of the hour, to Heidi Collins with us here, and good morning to you -- Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I have other news besides the Red Sox this morning. I want to get straight to it.
Now in the news this morning, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to allow Yasser Arafat to leave his compound for medical treatment if necessary. Arafat attended early morning prayers, but Palestinian sources said yesterday Arafat was too weak to walk. A team of Jordanian are now flying in to check the 75-year-old leader's condition. We'll have a live report from outside Arafat's compound coming up a little bit later in the show. To Iraq now, an explosive team is at the site of a blast in Baghdad. Sources say insurgents targeted a military convoy early this morning, possibly setting off a car bomb. A U.S. soldier was killed, two others wounded.
In Fallujah, U.S. forces are again pounding supporters of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. Coalition sources say troops launched a precision strike overnight. There are reports of casualties.
In Russia, rescue operations now complete as a site of a deadly mine explosion. A methane blast in western Siberia killed 13 miners last night and injured nearly two dozen others. Rescue teams evacuated 67 miners. This is the sixth blast now this year in the very same region. The cause is under investigation.
And did you see it? Not the game, but this. Here's what the sky looked like around midnight last night. The Earth passed directly between the sun and moon. It was the last total lunar eclipse for the next two and a half years. And maybe that had something to do with it.
HEMMER: You think so?
COLLINS: I don't know. The stars lineup. The moon was lunar eclipsed.
O'BRIEN: The people claimed that, absolutely. Could be. Nobody cares. They are happy today. Red Sox nation on top of the baseball world this morning. Boston completed a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals last night, winning their first World Series since 1918, and exorcising those demons that have haunted the franchise for nearly a century.
CNN's Alina Cho live for us outside Fenway Park in Boston this morning. And I'm guessing you've got a little company out there.
Good morning to you, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More than a couple of fans, Soledad. Good morning to you.
In fact, thousands upon thousands of bleary-eyed Bostonians this morning, including the Red Sox themselves, who we understand are on their way back to Boston as we speak. And for the first time in a long time, they are coming back World Series champions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From Fenway through the back bay, Red Sox fans call it the game of the century, the team's first World Series win in 86 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've shocked the world, greatest team ever, best postseason ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't expect it, but it happened, and that's even better.
CHO: At Whiskey's bar on Boilston (ph) Street, where they serve up St. Louis Ribs, they were also serving up a World Series sweep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't believe I am where I am right now. I am about to cry.
CHO: You've been waiting all these years, and now what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now we're going to win the Super Bowl. We're going to go undefeated -- the Super Bowl, the World Series. Beantown, baby, Beantown!
CHO: Throughout the city, police and revelers flooded the streets near Fenway Park. Officers used restraint this time, after a Red Sox celebration last week turned deadly. A college student was killed after police fired a pepper filled pellet and hit her in the eye.
This celebration was marked by two dozen arrests and dozens of injuries, but mostly happy fans, fans like John Little and his good luck charm Yogi. Ever since little changed Yogi's uniform, the Red Sox have been undefeated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't put it in words. There's no way to put it in words.
CHO: One Yankee fan was there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, the earth is starting to spin in a different direction. CHO: Call it reversing the curse, putting the hex to rest. Whatever you call it, Boston has done it, and fans shared the moment with the late Red Sox great Ted Williams.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what he would have wanted!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Family members and staff return to Fenway just a couple of hours ago, and as we mentioned before, more than a couple of fans are here waiting for the team, hoping to get a glimpse of them.
We should also mention that both "The Boston Herald" and "The Boston Globe" rolled out extra editions overnight. They doubled their press runs today. Curt Schilling's spikes and Manny Ramirez's bat are on their way to the Hall of Fame. A Wheaties box is already out we understand, and of course plans are in the works for a big parade here in the city so that fans can celebrate at least one more time -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Beantown, baby! That's what they're saying. All right, we're going to try to bring those pictures of the team returning to Fenway Park when they actually show up.
Alina Cho for us this morning. Thanks, Alina, appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: What a day there, huh?
About seven now minutes past the hour. I want to get to the seriousness now of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's medical condition, a cause for concern again today, not just for his doctors and family, but for the Middle East peace process. And John Vause is in Ramallah, outside of Arafat's compound.
John, good afternoon there. What can you tell us about his condition?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Bill.
We know that Yasser Arafat's condition has improved slightly. He's stabilized. We have been told that he took part in morning prayers. He's also had some breakfast. He's managing to keep that down. He met with his Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei twice today. After the first meeting, Ahmed Qorei left the compound, telling reporters that the Palestinian leader is in a good condition, although last night he did collapse, reportedly slipping into unconsciousness, in and out of unconsciousness, for quite some time.
The news from here, though, is that doctors say they'll make a decision later tonight on whether or not Arafat should be moved from his Ramallah compound to a hospital in Ramallah, or maybe a hospital in Israel or another country, perhaps. Israeli Radio is now reporting that Arafat will, in fact, be moved to a hospital here in Ramallah, an indication that this is still a very serious condition. Now, this morning, the Palestinian prime minister telephoned the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, asking for assistance with the medical treatment for Yasser Arafat. Ariel Sharon agreed to do all Israel can to aid in the treatment of Yasser Arafat, including allowing him to leave the West Bank to seek treatment in another country.
Now, that's a big move for Israel, which has confined Arafat to this compound for two and a half years, all along saying if he leaves his compound here, if he leaves the West Bank, he will not be allowed to return. There has, in fact, been a lot of speculation about what is wrong with the Palestinian leader. Officially his doctors say it's just a serious case of stomach flu, but a lot of speculation in the Israeli media, everything from colon cancer to a possible stroke, maybe even some kind of blood disease -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, it's my understanding his wife may pay a visit. How long has it been since they have seen each other?
VAUSE: They last saw each other in 2001. She lives in Paris, but she also spends time in Tunisia. That's where she's traveling from. She's expected to be by his side in a matter of hours, and that's another indication of how serious Palestinian officials thought Arafat's condition was, certainly last night when he collapsed and reportedly slipped into the coma, or unconsciousness rather -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, thanks. John Vause in Ramallah there, thanks.
O'BRIEN: A mere five days to the presidential election, and both candidates continue their whirlwind tours of the battleground states. Right now, early voting is in some form under way in 32 states. In Pennsylvania, the latest, CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll gives Senator John Kerry a three-point lead among likely and registered voters in that state, and both candidates are drawing on star power. Bill Clinton resumes campaigning for Senator Kerry tomorrow, while Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to appear with President Bush at a rally in Columbus, Ohio tomorrow night.
If it is Thursday then, means it must be Michigan. That is where the president begins his day, and so does Suzanne Malveaux. She is traveling with the Bush campaign. She joins us from Troy, Michigan.
Hey, Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It was just two weeks ago Michigan looked like it was not a possibility for the president. But now those polls show it's in a dead heat. That's why the president was here yesterday. Today he will be back on Saturday. Last night in Pontiac, Michigan, the president left with several dozen African-American leaders, as well as boxing promoter Don King, to try to court the African-American vote.
But despite the fact that he was reaching out to black voters and moderate Democrats, all of that overshadowed by the controversy over those missing weapons. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Bush rolled into Lancaster, Pennsylvania to rally supporters and ask wavering Democrats for their vote, but his first priority was to break the two-day silence over the weapon controversy, to make his case he wasn't to blame for the nearly 400 tons of explosives missing in Iraq.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our military is now investigating a number of possible scenarios, including that the explosives may have been moved before our troops even arrived at the site.
MALVEAUX: At a rally in Rochester, Minnesota, Mr. Bush's opponent, Senator John Kerry, called it more excuses.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You owe America real answers about what happened, not just political attacks.
MALVEAUX: In dueling campaign appearances throughout the day, the candidates hurled harsh accusations at one another, in a bid to convince voters each one would make the stronger commander in chief.
BUSH: If Senator Kerry had his, we would still be taking our global test; Saddam Hussein would still be in power.
KERRY: This is a growing scandal.
MALVEAUX: Both campaigns released competing TV ads to demonstrate their loyalty to the troops. Ironically, all of this came on the day Mr. Bush dedicated to reaching out to Democrats. At stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, with Georgia's Democratic Senator Zell Miller in Tow, Mr. Bush asked Democratic voters to join his side.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now this morning, he'll hold a rally in Saginaw, Michigan, then he travels to Ohio and Pennsylvania. But the big headline, of course, Soledad is going to be tomorrow's event. That is when President Bush, as well as California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, will hold a campaign event together in Columbus, Ohio. The hope is it will be able to attract some of those moderate voters -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux for us, traveling with the Bush campaign.
And in fact, in just a few minutes, we're going to talk with political analyst Carlos Watson about the electoral map and where the candidates stand this morning with their goal to reach that magic number 270.
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O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the final part of our series "Crowded House." Today, how a single mom handles the challenges of raising four children, including her toddler triplets.
HEMMER: Also, in a moment, with a race this tight, all it takes is one state here or there to swing this election.
Carlos Watson shows us what combination each candidate needs to win on Tuesday.
O'BRIEN: Plus, Boston is going to party like it is 1918, and it's about to get even bigger. We are waiting for the Red Sox team to arrive in Beantown. We're going to bring that to you live when it happens. That's ahead as we continue here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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HEMMER: Time now for a look at the all-important Electoral College map. With so many combinations of stats still considered in play today, which candidate will reach the needed 270 to become president. Back out to California, Carlos Watson, Mountain View, California, up early today.
Carlos, good morning to you.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Good morning. Good morning.
HEMMER: On the screen, here's a map. OK, the red and the light red is Bush country. The blue and the light blue is Kerry country. But the three yellow states, Minnesota, Ohio, and Florida are lumped together. Why are we putting them together today, Carlos?
WATSON: Because it's really unclear in all three of the cases. Most of the other states, even states that seem to be leaning toward Kerry or Bush, you tend to see polls that show one of them in the lead by four or five points.
But in Florida, in Minnesota, and in Ohio, all those polls seem to be one or two points only. That seems to be fairly consistent across the board.
HEMMER: Let's talk about strategy for each man now, first starting with John Kerry. If he wants to win the White House on Tuesday, stop No. 1 as a heartland strategy. What are you talking about? Which part of the country?
WATSON: So there what I'm saying, not only does he have to win the 13 states that are clearly headed toward him, and the five that are leaning towards him and the District of Columbia, then he has to take three states in the Midwest, so Ohio and Minnesota among the tossups. And then he's got to reach into the leaning Bush category and win Wisconsin. If he does that, those are 40 extra electoral votes, and puts him over the hump at about 272 electoral votes.
HEMMER: All right, that is one scenario, South by Southwest. What? New Mexico, Arizona, what?
WATSON: Hah, flavorful, huh? So you add Florida from the South, and then from the Southwest, you take Nevada and you take Colorado, you do that, you give Kerry another 41 electoral votes, and all of a sudden he has 273, and he's on his way to Pennsylvania Avenue.
HEMMER: All right, that's for Senator Kerry. For President Bush to win a second term, Southern exposure is what you are calling this. Florida is in this mix, I'm certain, Carlos.
WATSON: Hey, no doubt about it, my home state. Right now the president, if you take the 23 states where we have got solidly going toward the president, plus six that are leaning towards him, and you add to that just Florida, he goes from 249 electoral votes, all the way up to 276, and he's the president of the United States for another four years.
HEMMER: OK, that's in the Southeast. What about the Midwest vacation package? Describe that to us.
WATSON: Oh, you've got to like that one. So you take, again, the 23 solidly Bush states, plus the six that are leaning towards him. You add in the Midwest, Ohio. And then you reach into the leaning- Kerry category, and you take Hawaii. Remember, we talked about yesterday that Hawaii is a new wild card state. That would be enough to put the president over 270.
HEMMER: We don't do predictions. But I'm curious to know, you gauge the e-mails throughout the entire day, they're on every Web site that is tracking this election. Do have you a sense, at this point, if one man has more momentum than the other?
WATSON: Boy, it certainly has been close. A week ago even a week and a half ago I would have said the president seems to have the momentum. I think that you saw in Suzanne Malveaux's piece that this whole weapons explosive issue seems to put the president on the defensive a bit. But the last day or two I'd put it on John Kerry. But we've a long road to go before we get to Tuesday.
HEMMER: A long road that's only five days.
Here's what confounds me, though, places that you think would go Democratic, like New Jersey, and Minnesota and Hawaii, as you point out, that the polling that is done inside of those states indicates it is too close to call there. What explains that?
WATSON: You know, again, sometimes it is smaller samples. Sometimes there's some fluidity. In New Jersey, some people think it has to do with the closeness to New York after 9/11. Others think the scandal involving the Democratic governor there Jim McGreevey may be playing a roll. In Michigan, some people say that John Kerry hasn't visited there often enough, that they took for granted a state that Al Gore won by 5 percentage points. So a lot up in the air in each of these states and it is causing people to change their strategies.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carlos. We'll talk again.
WATSON: Good to see you.
HEMMER: Another reminder, election night coverage here on CNN, starts at 7:00 Eastern Time next Tuesday night. We're live at the Nasdaq Exchange. We have graphics galore come election night.
Now, Soledad.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, one of the major airlines avoids going bankrupt, for now.
Andy's "Minding Your Business." That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. One major airline holds off bankruptcy for now. Plus, are sales flowing for the world's largest automaker? Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Let's start talking about Delta Airlines, what we're talking about with the largest airline -- what exactly was the deal that was struck?
SERWER: Well, last night, Soledad, it looks like Delta was able to stave off bankruptcy by getting the pilots union to agree to a package of paycuts probably worth a billion dollars. Leadership has to sign off on the deal this morning. It is expected to happen, though, and it does buy the airline some time.
Some really startling numbers, these in "The Atlanta Journal Constitution," talking about how much exactly these pilots will be giving back. A mid-career captain at Delta Airlines now making about $225,000 a year. The paycuts would probably get that person down to $146,000 a year. That's a cut of about 35 to 40 percent. So very significant. These are highly paid people, but I think they deserve the pay they have people's lives in their hands every day, but it's a tremendous pay cut, I think.
O'BRIEN: Yes, 40 percent. I mean, I'm sure that people have to rethink exactly how they're paying their mortgage.
SERWER: That's right.
I want to talk about GM a little, because you did mention that they have some problem there as well. Looks like they're going to be furloughing up to 9,000 workers early next year at five plants around the country, plants that make pickups and SUVs, and including Oklahoma City, Jamesville (ph), Wisconsin, Arlington, Texas. They made too many of these vehicles this year. Consumers getting tapped out. Also these models getting long in the tooth, and of course higher gas prices, people staying away from those big gas guzzlers.
O'BRIEN: All right. We're talk about the market a little bit later.
Andy, thanks. SERWER: To the Question of the Day -- what's on your mind, Jack? Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Bill.
Five days before the election, and "The New York Times" has managed to capture the debate going into next Tuesday's voting with that front-page story they ran a few days ago on those missing explosives in Iraq. The president, vice president, accused John Kerry yesterday of, quote, "saying anything to get elected." Hey, that's what politicians do, you know. He also -- they accused Kerry of denigrating U.S. forces and their commanders before all the facts are known. There's some question whether that story is even true or not that the "Times" ran.
Kerry fired back, accused the president of neglecting to secure the weapons stockpiles, endangering the troops. The bottom line is there's some missing powerful explosives and nobody knows where they are. The issue is monopolizing the campaign. Both sides fighting to get control and use the story to their advantage.
Here's the question, are the missing explosives what the candidates ought to be talking about five days before we go to the polls? am@CNN.com is the e-mail address, and you can weigh in on your thoughts.
HEMMER: Good deal. Thank you, Jack.
We'll get to that.
Yasser Arafat's condition, too, still front and center for us today. Who fills the void if he has to be replaced as Palestinian leader. Some talks from an ambassador in a moment on that.
Also, the Beantown bash. The champagne's been on ice for 86 years. Not today, though. They're cracking it open. The team is back any moment now outside Fenway Park, as we continue in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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