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American Morning
President Summons Members of Cabinet for Meeting; What is Condition Today for Yasser Arafat?
Aired November 04, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Getting back to business. The president summons members of his cabinet for their first meeting since winning the election on Tuesday.
What is the condition today for Yasser Arafat? A flurry of conflicting reports today, including the word now that he's in a coma.
A spectacle at the top of the world. A powerful volcano lets loose from beneath a sheet of ice.
And the new teeth whitening junkies who have used all those gels and strips. Going too far for a whiter smile, 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: Welcome back, everybody.
Still lots to talk about with the election on this morning.
Many people attribute the president's win to his position on values based issues. Was that really the difference?
This morning, we talk to the Reverend Jerry Falwell; also, Sister Karol Jackowski about the impact of religion on political campaigns.
HEMMER: Also, watching and awaiting for a verdict in the Scott Peterson case. Jurors resume deliberations today with a huge amount of testimony to consider. We'll look at the jury's options and what attorneys told them just before they got started.
It is almost over, can you believe it, out in Redwood City?
O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see how long they deliberate for.
HEMMER: Yes, you're right about that.
O'BRIEN: It may be not almost over.
Jack is off today. Toure', though, is taking e-mails.
Let's begin, though, with what's happening in the news.
Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Daryn, good morning, again.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Soledad, good morning.
For that, let's begin in Paris, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition is still in question. Arafat's senior adviser is dismissing reports that the 75-year-old is in a coma. Senior Palestinian officials tell CNN that the Palestinian leader is in critical condition at a Paris military hospital after drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the night. So far, doctors have been silent on the status of his health.
Some first reaction to President Bush's reelection win. According to the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, more than half of the people asked say that they are pleased with the outcome of the election. A majority of Americans say they're enthusiastic or optimistic about a second Bush term. But nearly a quarter say they're afraid of what the next four years will bring.
This morning, subway commuters in Washington, D.C. should expect some delays as federal investigators look into the course and the cause of a train accident. An empty train rolled back into another one packed with people yesterday, injuring at least 20. Witnesses say the operator warned passengers to get out seconds before the impact. Investigators are hoping to get more clues about the crash from a surveillance tape.
And in Houston, sentencing begins today in the first criminal trial from the Enron downfall. Four former Merrill Lynch executives and a former Enron executive were convicted yesterday of conspiracy and fraud. They face a maximum of 15 to 30 years for those charges -- Bill, back to you in New York.
HEMMER: All right, Daryn, thanks.
President Bush says America has now spoken and now with a mandate from the American people, he is ready for four more years. The president thanking supporters yesterday in Washington after taking a call of concession from Senator John Kerry.
A bit later this morning, the president is expected to meet with his cabinet. Many wonder if there will be any changes involving Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld or National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. We will follow that from D.C. for you.
Also today, god and politics, a hot button issue for months leading up to this election. President Bush did very well among churchgoers, outpacing John Kerry by 22 points. We'll talk about the role of morality and religion in politics this morning, welcoming the Reverend Jerry Falwell, founder and chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Reverend, good morning to you.
REV. JERRY FALWELL, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY FOUNDER & CHANCELLOR: Good morning, Bill. HEMMER: Also here in New York City, Sister Karol Jackowski, author of "The Silence We Keep: A Nun's View of the Catholic Priest Scandal."
Sister, good morning to you, as well, and welcome here.
SISTER KAROL JACKOWSKI, CATHOLIC NUN: Good morning.
HEMMER: Reverend, let's start with you.
When we talk about morals, we talk about morals, we talk about faith, we talk about values, when it comes to this election, how did we define that in 2004?
FALWELL: Well, for evangelicals, of course, we have all the same concerns that all Americans have -- safety, security, the economy, etc. But if you're asking what is the -- what's top and foremost in our priorities, it is faith and family. And the plight of the unborn child for us, abortion, is still THE hot button. But accelerating our interests that brought multi-millions of our people to the polls, confusing, confounding all the pundits this time, was the issue of same-sex marriage. It, 11 states had state constitutional amendments on them, on the ballots, and we won all 11 states.
But we early on decided this time, because of the issues of faith and family, the unborn, the same-sex marriage and the war on terrorism, that Mr. Bush had to go back. There are 80 million evangelicals in this country. We mobilized a good number of them.
HEMMER: Sister, the same question to you, how do you define it? In similar terms or not?
JACKOWSKI: Well, I think it's -- we need to draw a distinction between moral values and religious values. And I think the thing that we saw with this election was how divided the country is over the use of government to legislate our religious agenda. And I think that's certainly clear. While there was an overwhelming support of Bush supporters who voted on moral issues, that 55 million voters in this country have a hard time with that. You know, it's the separation of the church and state.
And I think when some people, particularly people who are not religious, who are not particularly believers, who somehow feel that, well, perhaps, we, too, live a moral life that is not driven by a religious agenda, and I think that's going to be the question for the next four years, of how to bring this country together.
HEMMER: Sister, in a moment I'll come back to you and talk about the Catholic vote.
But a second back to Reverend Falwell about this.
Many will accuse the media as misdirecting the country, as not seeing the motivation, perhaps, for 58 million Americans going to the polls.
Did we misread the country in any way? Did we miss the story before it arrived?
FALWELL: Well, I don't know anything about the present company, but I do know that in general, most of the media did miss what's happening. Evangelical Christians are about 80 million persons. I formed the Moral Majority 25 years ago, April '79, and for the first time began to mobilize pastors and people of faith in this country, getting them registered to vote, millions of them. And men like James Dobson, Don Wildman, D. James Kennedy, great American leaders, Presbyterians, Methodist, Nazarene, Baptists, etc. We all came together. And this time, after 25 years, I think we were most successful in getting our crowd to the polls.
And, yes, I think the 15 million increase in persons or 10 or 15 million that voted this time as opposed to 2000, that would be primarily evangelicals.
I'd like to ask the Sister, you know, if she believes -- agrees with Pope John Paul II that abortion on demand is wrong. I would like to hear her feeling on that.
JACKOWSKI: That abortion on demand is wrong?
FALWELL: Yes. Do you agree with Pope John Paul II on the life issue?
JACKOWSKI: No, I don't. I'm pro-choice.
FALWELL: OK. How do you remain a sister in the Catholic Church?
JACKOWSKI: Well, I think there's a great diversity in the Catholic Church on this issue and I think it's also a dividing line among many Catholics.
FALWELL: Not people who take the bible seriously. And I'd, your pope is a great, great, great world citizen.
HEMMER: Reverend, allow me to direct the questions today.
FALWELL: Sure.
HEMMER: And, Sister, maybe you can explain this. How does the president outpace a Catholic candidate by 5 points in this race?
JACKOWSKI: Well, I think he sort of appealed -- you know, there was a lot of play on religious fears in this issue, you know, the fear of terrorism. And I think whenever there's -- you appeal to people's fears, it's the gut instinct. I think people are drawn to religion during times of, whether it's war or any type of crisis. And I think there is a large percentage of Catholics who are -- who do affiliate themself with sort of a conservative moral stance. And I think President Bush appealed to those people, just like I think those who appealed to a more diverse perspective on Catholicism and who are at the more liberal end, you know, found John Kerry's Catholicism appealing.
HEMMER: All right, interesting discussion. We could continue, certainly, and we shall.
Sister, thank you.
JACKOWSKI: Thank you.
HEMMER: Karol Jackowski here in New York.
The Reverend Jerry Falwell there in Lynchburg, Virginia this morning.
FALWELL: Thank you.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Senator John Kerry conceded the election to President Bush yesterday as it became increasingly clear that he could not win the key state of Ohio. The Kerry campaign got Democrats out in record numbers in the Buckeye State, but it was not enough.
Deb Feyerick is live for us at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio this morning -- hey, Deb, good morning.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Soledad.
Well, the battleground predictions were true and really did all come down to Ohio. The Democrats had seen a big opening here because of the loss of jobs and manufacturing over the last four years. The Democrats fought hard for this state. The Republicans fought even harder.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): In Ohio, it wasn't for lack of trying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did a great job, a great job.
FEYERICK: John Kerry received 2.6 million votes, more than any Democrat in the state's history, more than Al Gore, who was narrowly defeated here; more than Bill Clinton, who carried the state twice; even more than native son astronaut turned senator John Glenn.
Yes, Democrats say they met their goal. But Republicans trumped it. President Bush growing his base here, appealing to Christian evangelicals, turning out sky high numbers in the west and southwest parts of the state.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE:
It is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to be able to win Ohio.
FEYERICK: Not enough by nearly 137,000 votes, a margin of victory too great for Kerry to overcome.
KENNETH BLACKWELL, OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE: Everybody should just take a deep breath and relax.
FEYERICK: As in most states, the chief election official here won't know the exact tally for several weeks. Provisional ballots must first be verified, then counted.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
FEYERICK: One CNN analyst called Ohio Kerry's heartbreak hill. Hope ran high among Democrats when Kerry early on won a key county, one that historically picks the presidential candidates. But this time history didn't apply. Conventional wisdom was defied -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Deb, there are reports of nine hour waits to vote in Ohio.
What are the officials there in that state doing about that?
FEYERICK: Well, interesting question. Some students waited more than nine hours, the last ballot being cast at about 2:30 in the morning here in Ohio. The governor now taking a look to see whether perhaps to implement early voting. There's early voting in two thirds of the country, but not here in Ohio. The governor now perhaps considering it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Deb Feyerick at the statehouse in Columbus this morning.
Thanks, Deb -- Bill.
HEMMER: Eleven minutes past the hour, Soledad.
Back to Chad Myers, watching the weather outside.
What's on your mind, my friend?
Good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Airports are on my mind, Bill, actually, now slowing down airports -- Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago and Newark all at least 15 to 30 minutes and we're going downhill from here, not because of temperatures.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Great pictures from Iceland to show you today. A volcano erupting in a remote part of eastern Iceland, underneath Europe's largest glacier. The eruption causing tremors in the area. Pilots were told not to fly their planes through gasses emitted from that blast. Wow!
O'BRIEN: How close were those people to that?
HEMMER: I'm not quite sure, but probably too close.
O'BRIEN: Yes. You can see.
HEMMER: No evacuations issued, though. But that's amazing videotape, huh, just blasting right out through the rock sheet?
O'BRIEN: That is unbelievable.
HEMMER: Out of Iceland.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a full out assault on Falluja looks imminent. But could a rift with Iraq's government pose a big problem there? We're going to take a look.
HEMMER: Also, a trend that proved to be a big problem for John Kerry and other Democrats. Republicans making surprising gains with an important bloc of minority voters. We'll talk about that.
O'BRIEN: And what changes are in store for the war on terror during the president's second term? An expert tells us about an area where the White House may actually have to be softer.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: With daily U.S. air strikes in the Falluja area, there is speculation that a major offensive on the city could happen soon.
With us to discuss the impact of a possible assault, Samir Sumaidate.
He is Iraq's permanent representative to the U.N.
Nice to have you.
Thank you for joining us.
Do you think, with all the talk about an imminent attack on Falluja, do you think it's actually going to happen?
SAMIR SUMAIDATE, IRAQ'S PERMANENT U.N. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, the government must impose its authority on every part of Iraq to ensure that the country is run on proper basis and we are ready for the elections. Elections will be very important and they are coming soon.
O'BRIEN: That being said, you have disagreement within Allawi's own cabinet about what should happen. Obviously, Allawi a supporter of these attacks, potentially a big all out battle in Falluja. And others not so much.
Doesn't that mean a problem?
SUMAIDATE: Well, we had similar differences in the case of Najaf, you will remember, when it was commandeered as a city by the Mahdi Army. It proved the correct decision, to go in, clean the city up, remove the Mahdi Army and remove the threats to the local inhabitants. The people living in Najaf themselves were fed up with being pushed about and terrorized by militias. The same is happening in Falluja. The Fallujans are being subjected to a Taliban like rule. Their houses are being commandeered. They are being threatened and they themselves want the situation to be normalized.
O'BRIEN: We see pictures every day of the violence in Falluja.
Are the people in Falluja prepared for how bad it could be with a full out assault, the numbers of casualties, the numbers of deaths, the devastation?
SUMAIDATE: Many of the Falluja people have extended family outside Falluja and many of them, in fact, have already removed their families out of Falluja. Falluja is now very thinly populated.
The other thing is the level of violence is high mainly because of the terrorists and the insurgents. Most of the violence we hear about are caused by terrorists. The average Falluja citizen wants to get on with his life, send his kids to school, go to work, like every other human being on earth. But they have been put in this impossible position. They cannot go about their life normally. So this problem must be resolved. And I think the rule of law and central government must prevail in this situation.
O'BRIEN: Is there a risk if you clamp down hard on Falluja that maybe you knock out the insurgents there but you encourage insurgents elsewhere in the country, you make them stronger, especially with a very tough battle?
SUMAIDATE: I will use Najaf again as an example, as like a trial run. In the case of Najaf, during the problems, during the actual fighting, the whole of the region in the south of Iraq was seething with unrest and people were unhappy and worried. When this was settled, the whole region was settled. We hope the same thing will happen in Falluja.
And we don't see this as an attempt, as somebody said, to flatten Falluja. This is not the object and this is not what is going to happen. But...
O'BRIEN: You say to free Falluja.
SUMAIDATE: To free Falluja. That is the object.
O'BRIEN: Samir Sumaidate is the permanent representative of Iraq to the U.N.
Thanks for coming in to talk to us about it.
SUMAIDATE: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad, about 20 minutes past the hour now.
The fate of Scott Peterson now in the hands of the jury. Experts say the prosecution may have left some unanswered questions, but the defense failed to answer the biggest question of all. We'll get to that story as we continue in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
The Reverend Al Sharpton weighing in now on his opinion of what Democrats need to do to bring their life back to -- bring their party back to life. He described that with Anderson last night here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Clearly, we cannot keep running imitating the Republicans or trying to play to what they define as the center, which is really the far right. And I think when you confuse the public on your message and then react to the other message, it gives a subliminal message that the other side is more firm in their beliefs and more sure on what they're saying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: A lot of discussion throughout the day on that.
There is a Web site, by the way, called Republicansforsharpton. On it they say what could be more fun? We thought we'd bring that to you today. Get a T-shirt, too.
Toure', you want one?
TOURE', CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: I'd love that. Love to. That would be so much fun. Try to wear that up in Harlem. Wooh!
HEMMER: Toure' is in for Jack today.
O'BRIEN: It could work.
TOURE': It could work, maybe.
So, presidential second terms are usually theatrical affairs. Nixon had Watergate in his second term. Reagan had Iran-Contra. And, of course, Clinton in his second term had Monica.
President Bush embarks on his next four years in the White House with an unprecedented power over Congress and a chance to make a long- term impact on the country.
What do you expect President Bush to accomplish in the next four years?
We've got some interesting e-mails.
Joe from Clifton Park, New York says: "I'm worried all this talk of healing the nation is just more rhetoric. Now that W. has no reelection bid to worry about and a stronger hold on Congress, nothing will stop him in his efforts to undo the constitution. As soon as he gets to put a radical right justice on the high court, we're all in trouble."
Ayesha from New York, New York, who's probably my cousin...
O'BRIEN: Or mine.
TOURE': "I expect the president to raise homeland security by having our forces right here at home. I expect him to create more jobs and job incentives. I expect him to leave personal choices like partial birth abortion to an individual and not make it a government decision."
Connie says: "Bush proved he can work with both sides when he was governor. Unity is from both sides. The Democrats better listen. They need to do a little crossing over."
Ouch, harsh, harsh from Connie.
And John from Miami: "I don't think we can bring the country together under Bush. The blue states should join Canada and let the red states have whatever they want."
O'BRIEN: One of the people who covered, the journalists who covered President Bush when he was governor actually said that he did very well in bringing both sides -- being a uniter. And so we'll see.
HEMMER: I think these results are -- he did 90 percent better with Hispanics than he did in 2000. He did 10 percent better with urban voters, not necessarily African-Americans, but people who live within cities.
O'BRIEN: Better with women.
HEMMER: The youth vote did not show any percentage increase from what happened in 2000 or '96 or 1992.
TOURE': Yes, all that hullabaloo...
HEMMER: All that talk.
O'BRIEN: Yes, where did that go?
HEMMER: That's exactly right.
TOURE': Didn't come -- you know, I was shocked to see that...
O'BRIEN: Look at the money spent on the youth vote.
TOURE': Right. And I was shocked to see that gay people voted for him. It was like 9 percent of that community, you know, after the constitutional amendment.
HEMMER: Well, on the youth vote, more youth...
O'BRIEN: Voted. But percentage wise no. HEMMER: ... percentage wise and they matched the increase in the other groups we saw.
TOURE': The same -- right.
HEMMER: So, thanks, Toure'.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
TOURE': Thank you, Bill.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a key block of minority voters, as we mentioned, shifted toward Republicans this election. We're going to look at why just ahead.
Plus, most people want pearly white teeth. There's a little transition for you. But what happens when they become tooth whitening junkies? Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us to talk about those dangers ahead no AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: In a moment this morning, President Bush with four more years to lead the war on terror. But does Osama bin Laden now have a new strategy to contend with? We'll look at that. We're on terror's trail in a moment on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Look at that shot of Central Park. Isn't that beautiful?
HEMMER: And it's going to get nicer and nicer over the next two weeks, too, as the leaves change. A good looking shot this morning.
O'BRIEN: They've been changing. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the other day. I got this camera. It was gorgeous.
HEMMER: A little bit. Yes, that's right.
O'BRIEN: Well, turning here, the September 11 attacks, as we well know now, defined the president's first term. So how will he meet the terrorism challenge over the next four years? This morning we talk about that with a veteran of special ops and military intelligence.
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Aired November 4, 2004 - 08:00 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.
Getting back to business. The president summons members of his cabinet for their first meeting since winning the election on Tuesday.
What is the condition today for Yasser Arafat? A flurry of conflicting reports today, including the word now that he's in a coma.
A spectacle at the top of the world. A powerful volcano lets loose from beneath a sheet of ice.
And the new teeth whitening junkies who have used all those gels and strips. Going too far for a whiter smile, 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: Welcome back, everybody.
Still lots to talk about with the election on this morning.
Many people attribute the president's win to his position on values based issues. Was that really the difference?
This morning, we talk to the Reverend Jerry Falwell; also, Sister Karol Jackowski about the impact of religion on political campaigns.
HEMMER: Also, watching and awaiting for a verdict in the Scott Peterson case. Jurors resume deliberations today with a huge amount of testimony to consider. We'll look at the jury's options and what attorneys told them just before they got started.
It is almost over, can you believe it, out in Redwood City?
O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see how long they deliberate for.
HEMMER: Yes, you're right about that.
O'BRIEN: It may be not almost over.
Jack is off today. Toure', though, is taking e-mails.
Let's begin, though, with what's happening in the news.
Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Daryn, good morning, again.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Soledad, good morning.
For that, let's begin in Paris, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition is still in question. Arafat's senior adviser is dismissing reports that the 75-year-old is in a coma. Senior Palestinian officials tell CNN that the Palestinian leader is in critical condition at a Paris military hospital after drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the night. So far, doctors have been silent on the status of his health.
Some first reaction to President Bush's reelection win. According to the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, more than half of the people asked say that they are pleased with the outcome of the election. A majority of Americans say they're enthusiastic or optimistic about a second Bush term. But nearly a quarter say they're afraid of what the next four years will bring.
This morning, subway commuters in Washington, D.C. should expect some delays as federal investigators look into the course and the cause of a train accident. An empty train rolled back into another one packed with people yesterday, injuring at least 20. Witnesses say the operator warned passengers to get out seconds before the impact. Investigators are hoping to get more clues about the crash from a surveillance tape.
And in Houston, sentencing begins today in the first criminal trial from the Enron downfall. Four former Merrill Lynch executives and a former Enron executive were convicted yesterday of conspiracy and fraud. They face a maximum of 15 to 30 years for those charges -- Bill, back to you in New York.
HEMMER: All right, Daryn, thanks.
President Bush says America has now spoken and now with a mandate from the American people, he is ready for four more years. The president thanking supporters yesterday in Washington after taking a call of concession from Senator John Kerry.
A bit later this morning, the president is expected to meet with his cabinet. Many wonder if there will be any changes involving Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld or National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. We will follow that from D.C. for you.
Also today, god and politics, a hot button issue for months leading up to this election. President Bush did very well among churchgoers, outpacing John Kerry by 22 points. We'll talk about the role of morality and religion in politics this morning, welcoming the Reverend Jerry Falwell, founder and chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Reverend, good morning to you.
REV. JERRY FALWELL, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY FOUNDER & CHANCELLOR: Good morning, Bill. HEMMER: Also here in New York City, Sister Karol Jackowski, author of "The Silence We Keep: A Nun's View of the Catholic Priest Scandal."
Sister, good morning to you, as well, and welcome here.
SISTER KAROL JACKOWSKI, CATHOLIC NUN: Good morning.
HEMMER: Reverend, let's start with you.
When we talk about morals, we talk about morals, we talk about faith, we talk about values, when it comes to this election, how did we define that in 2004?
FALWELL: Well, for evangelicals, of course, we have all the same concerns that all Americans have -- safety, security, the economy, etc. But if you're asking what is the -- what's top and foremost in our priorities, it is faith and family. And the plight of the unborn child for us, abortion, is still THE hot button. But accelerating our interests that brought multi-millions of our people to the polls, confusing, confounding all the pundits this time, was the issue of same-sex marriage. It, 11 states had state constitutional amendments on them, on the ballots, and we won all 11 states.
But we early on decided this time, because of the issues of faith and family, the unborn, the same-sex marriage and the war on terrorism, that Mr. Bush had to go back. There are 80 million evangelicals in this country. We mobilized a good number of them.
HEMMER: Sister, the same question to you, how do you define it? In similar terms or not?
JACKOWSKI: Well, I think it's -- we need to draw a distinction between moral values and religious values. And I think the thing that we saw with this election was how divided the country is over the use of government to legislate our religious agenda. And I think that's certainly clear. While there was an overwhelming support of Bush supporters who voted on moral issues, that 55 million voters in this country have a hard time with that. You know, it's the separation of the church and state.
And I think when some people, particularly people who are not religious, who are not particularly believers, who somehow feel that, well, perhaps, we, too, live a moral life that is not driven by a religious agenda, and I think that's going to be the question for the next four years, of how to bring this country together.
HEMMER: Sister, in a moment I'll come back to you and talk about the Catholic vote.
But a second back to Reverend Falwell about this.
Many will accuse the media as misdirecting the country, as not seeing the motivation, perhaps, for 58 million Americans going to the polls.
Did we misread the country in any way? Did we miss the story before it arrived?
FALWELL: Well, I don't know anything about the present company, but I do know that in general, most of the media did miss what's happening. Evangelical Christians are about 80 million persons. I formed the Moral Majority 25 years ago, April '79, and for the first time began to mobilize pastors and people of faith in this country, getting them registered to vote, millions of them. And men like James Dobson, Don Wildman, D. James Kennedy, great American leaders, Presbyterians, Methodist, Nazarene, Baptists, etc. We all came together. And this time, after 25 years, I think we were most successful in getting our crowd to the polls.
And, yes, I think the 15 million increase in persons or 10 or 15 million that voted this time as opposed to 2000, that would be primarily evangelicals.
I'd like to ask the Sister, you know, if she believes -- agrees with Pope John Paul II that abortion on demand is wrong. I would like to hear her feeling on that.
JACKOWSKI: That abortion on demand is wrong?
FALWELL: Yes. Do you agree with Pope John Paul II on the life issue?
JACKOWSKI: No, I don't. I'm pro-choice.
FALWELL: OK. How do you remain a sister in the Catholic Church?
JACKOWSKI: Well, I think there's a great diversity in the Catholic Church on this issue and I think it's also a dividing line among many Catholics.
FALWELL: Not people who take the bible seriously. And I'd, your pope is a great, great, great world citizen.
HEMMER: Reverend, allow me to direct the questions today.
FALWELL: Sure.
HEMMER: And, Sister, maybe you can explain this. How does the president outpace a Catholic candidate by 5 points in this race?
JACKOWSKI: Well, I think he sort of appealed -- you know, there was a lot of play on religious fears in this issue, you know, the fear of terrorism. And I think whenever there's -- you appeal to people's fears, it's the gut instinct. I think people are drawn to religion during times of, whether it's war or any type of crisis. And I think there is a large percentage of Catholics who are -- who do affiliate themself with sort of a conservative moral stance. And I think President Bush appealed to those people, just like I think those who appealed to a more diverse perspective on Catholicism and who are at the more liberal end, you know, found John Kerry's Catholicism appealing.
HEMMER: All right, interesting discussion. We could continue, certainly, and we shall.
Sister, thank you.
JACKOWSKI: Thank you.
HEMMER: Karol Jackowski here in New York.
The Reverend Jerry Falwell there in Lynchburg, Virginia this morning.
FALWELL: Thank you.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Senator John Kerry conceded the election to President Bush yesterday as it became increasingly clear that he could not win the key state of Ohio. The Kerry campaign got Democrats out in record numbers in the Buckeye State, but it was not enough.
Deb Feyerick is live for us at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio this morning -- hey, Deb, good morning.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Soledad.
Well, the battleground predictions were true and really did all come down to Ohio. The Democrats had seen a big opening here because of the loss of jobs and manufacturing over the last four years. The Democrats fought hard for this state. The Republicans fought even harder.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): In Ohio, it wasn't for lack of trying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did a great job, a great job.
FEYERICK: John Kerry received 2.6 million votes, more than any Democrat in the state's history, more than Al Gore, who was narrowly defeated here; more than Bill Clinton, who carried the state twice; even more than native son astronaut turned senator John Glenn.
Yes, Democrats say they met their goal. But Republicans trumped it. President Bush growing his base here, appealing to Christian evangelicals, turning out sky high numbers in the west and southwest parts of the state.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE:
It is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to be able to win Ohio.
FEYERICK: Not enough by nearly 137,000 votes, a margin of victory too great for Kerry to overcome.
KENNETH BLACKWELL, OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE: Everybody should just take a deep breath and relax.
FEYERICK: As in most states, the chief election official here won't know the exact tally for several weeks. Provisional ballots must first be verified, then counted.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
FEYERICK: One CNN analyst called Ohio Kerry's heartbreak hill. Hope ran high among Democrats when Kerry early on won a key county, one that historically picks the presidential candidates. But this time history didn't apply. Conventional wisdom was defied -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Deb, there are reports of nine hour waits to vote in Ohio.
What are the officials there in that state doing about that?
FEYERICK: Well, interesting question. Some students waited more than nine hours, the last ballot being cast at about 2:30 in the morning here in Ohio. The governor now taking a look to see whether perhaps to implement early voting. There's early voting in two thirds of the country, but not here in Ohio. The governor now perhaps considering it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Deb Feyerick at the statehouse in Columbus this morning.
Thanks, Deb -- Bill.
HEMMER: Eleven minutes past the hour, Soledad.
Back to Chad Myers, watching the weather outside.
What's on your mind, my friend?
Good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Airports are on my mind, Bill, actually, now slowing down airports -- Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago and Newark all at least 15 to 30 minutes and we're going downhill from here, not because of temperatures.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Great pictures from Iceland to show you today. A volcano erupting in a remote part of eastern Iceland, underneath Europe's largest glacier. The eruption causing tremors in the area. Pilots were told not to fly their planes through gasses emitted from that blast. Wow!
O'BRIEN: How close were those people to that?
HEMMER: I'm not quite sure, but probably too close.
O'BRIEN: Yes. You can see.
HEMMER: No evacuations issued, though. But that's amazing videotape, huh, just blasting right out through the rock sheet?
O'BRIEN: That is unbelievable.
HEMMER: Out of Iceland.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a full out assault on Falluja looks imminent. But could a rift with Iraq's government pose a big problem there? We're going to take a look.
HEMMER: Also, a trend that proved to be a big problem for John Kerry and other Democrats. Republicans making surprising gains with an important bloc of minority voters. We'll talk about that.
O'BRIEN: And what changes are in store for the war on terror during the president's second term? An expert tells us about an area where the White House may actually have to be softer.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: With daily U.S. air strikes in the Falluja area, there is speculation that a major offensive on the city could happen soon.
With us to discuss the impact of a possible assault, Samir Sumaidate.
He is Iraq's permanent representative to the U.N.
Nice to have you.
Thank you for joining us.
Do you think, with all the talk about an imminent attack on Falluja, do you think it's actually going to happen?
SAMIR SUMAIDATE, IRAQ'S PERMANENT U.N. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, the government must impose its authority on every part of Iraq to ensure that the country is run on proper basis and we are ready for the elections. Elections will be very important and they are coming soon.
O'BRIEN: That being said, you have disagreement within Allawi's own cabinet about what should happen. Obviously, Allawi a supporter of these attacks, potentially a big all out battle in Falluja. And others not so much.
Doesn't that mean a problem?
SUMAIDATE: Well, we had similar differences in the case of Najaf, you will remember, when it was commandeered as a city by the Mahdi Army. It proved the correct decision, to go in, clean the city up, remove the Mahdi Army and remove the threats to the local inhabitants. The people living in Najaf themselves were fed up with being pushed about and terrorized by militias. The same is happening in Falluja. The Fallujans are being subjected to a Taliban like rule. Their houses are being commandeered. They are being threatened and they themselves want the situation to be normalized.
O'BRIEN: We see pictures every day of the violence in Falluja.
Are the people in Falluja prepared for how bad it could be with a full out assault, the numbers of casualties, the numbers of deaths, the devastation?
SUMAIDATE: Many of the Falluja people have extended family outside Falluja and many of them, in fact, have already removed their families out of Falluja. Falluja is now very thinly populated.
The other thing is the level of violence is high mainly because of the terrorists and the insurgents. Most of the violence we hear about are caused by terrorists. The average Falluja citizen wants to get on with his life, send his kids to school, go to work, like every other human being on earth. But they have been put in this impossible position. They cannot go about their life normally. So this problem must be resolved. And I think the rule of law and central government must prevail in this situation.
O'BRIEN: Is there a risk if you clamp down hard on Falluja that maybe you knock out the insurgents there but you encourage insurgents elsewhere in the country, you make them stronger, especially with a very tough battle?
SUMAIDATE: I will use Najaf again as an example, as like a trial run. In the case of Najaf, during the problems, during the actual fighting, the whole of the region in the south of Iraq was seething with unrest and people were unhappy and worried. When this was settled, the whole region was settled. We hope the same thing will happen in Falluja.
And we don't see this as an attempt, as somebody said, to flatten Falluja. This is not the object and this is not what is going to happen. But...
O'BRIEN: You say to free Falluja.
SUMAIDATE: To free Falluja. That is the object.
O'BRIEN: Samir Sumaidate is the permanent representative of Iraq to the U.N.
Thanks for coming in to talk to us about it.
SUMAIDATE: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad, about 20 minutes past the hour now.
The fate of Scott Peterson now in the hands of the jury. Experts say the prosecution may have left some unanswered questions, but the defense failed to answer the biggest question of all. We'll get to that story as we continue in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
The Reverend Al Sharpton weighing in now on his opinion of what Democrats need to do to bring their life back to -- bring their party back to life. He described that with Anderson last night here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Clearly, we cannot keep running imitating the Republicans or trying to play to what they define as the center, which is really the far right. And I think when you confuse the public on your message and then react to the other message, it gives a subliminal message that the other side is more firm in their beliefs and more sure on what they're saying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: A lot of discussion throughout the day on that.
There is a Web site, by the way, called Republicansforsharpton. On it they say what could be more fun? We thought we'd bring that to you today. Get a T-shirt, too.
Toure', you want one?
TOURE', CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: I'd love that. Love to. That would be so much fun. Try to wear that up in Harlem. Wooh!
HEMMER: Toure' is in for Jack today.
O'BRIEN: It could work.
TOURE': It could work, maybe.
So, presidential second terms are usually theatrical affairs. Nixon had Watergate in his second term. Reagan had Iran-Contra. And, of course, Clinton in his second term had Monica.
President Bush embarks on his next four years in the White House with an unprecedented power over Congress and a chance to make a long- term impact on the country.
What do you expect President Bush to accomplish in the next four years?
We've got some interesting e-mails.
Joe from Clifton Park, New York says: "I'm worried all this talk of healing the nation is just more rhetoric. Now that W. has no reelection bid to worry about and a stronger hold on Congress, nothing will stop him in his efforts to undo the constitution. As soon as he gets to put a radical right justice on the high court, we're all in trouble."
Ayesha from New York, New York, who's probably my cousin...
O'BRIEN: Or mine.
TOURE': "I expect the president to raise homeland security by having our forces right here at home. I expect him to create more jobs and job incentives. I expect him to leave personal choices like partial birth abortion to an individual and not make it a government decision."
Connie says: "Bush proved he can work with both sides when he was governor. Unity is from both sides. The Democrats better listen. They need to do a little crossing over."
Ouch, harsh, harsh from Connie.
And John from Miami: "I don't think we can bring the country together under Bush. The blue states should join Canada and let the red states have whatever they want."
O'BRIEN: One of the people who covered, the journalists who covered President Bush when he was governor actually said that he did very well in bringing both sides -- being a uniter. And so we'll see.
HEMMER: I think these results are -- he did 90 percent better with Hispanics than he did in 2000. He did 10 percent better with urban voters, not necessarily African-Americans, but people who live within cities.
O'BRIEN: Better with women.
HEMMER: The youth vote did not show any percentage increase from what happened in 2000 or '96 or 1992.
TOURE': Yes, all that hullabaloo...
HEMMER: All that talk.
O'BRIEN: Yes, where did that go?
HEMMER: That's exactly right.
TOURE': Didn't come -- you know, I was shocked to see that...
O'BRIEN: Look at the money spent on the youth vote.
TOURE': Right. And I was shocked to see that gay people voted for him. It was like 9 percent of that community, you know, after the constitutional amendment.
HEMMER: Well, on the youth vote, more youth...
O'BRIEN: Voted. But percentage wise no. HEMMER: ... percentage wise and they matched the increase in the other groups we saw.
TOURE': The same -- right.
HEMMER: So, thanks, Toure'.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
TOURE': Thank you, Bill.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a key block of minority voters, as we mentioned, shifted toward Republicans this election. We're going to look at why just ahead.
Plus, most people want pearly white teeth. There's a little transition for you. But what happens when they become tooth whitening junkies? Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us to talk about those dangers ahead no AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: In a moment this morning, President Bush with four more years to lead the war on terror. But does Osama bin Laden now have a new strategy to contend with? We'll look at that. We're on terror's trail in a moment on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Look at that shot of Central Park. Isn't that beautiful?
HEMMER: And it's going to get nicer and nicer over the next two weeks, too, as the leaves change. A good looking shot this morning.
O'BRIEN: They've been changing. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the other day. I got this camera. It was gorgeous.
HEMMER: A little bit. Yes, that's right.
O'BRIEN: Well, turning here, the September 11 attacks, as we well know now, defined the president's first term. So how will he meet the terrorism challenge over the next four years? This morning we talk about that with a veteran of special ops and military intelligence.
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