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CNN Live At Daybreak

'Hot Topics': New Cable TV Ads Urge Support for Schwarzenegger for President; Hype Over Hybrid Vehicles

Aired November 15, 2004 - 06:29   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.


ANNOUNCER: Live from the Time Warner Center in New York and CNN center in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. A lot to talk about, so let's get right to the headlines at this hour.

Our Jane Arraf is in Falluja with U.S. troops, and tells us the forces are conducting building-to-building searches on the city's south side. The Marine commander there says the city has been liberated, but isolated pockets of insurgents remain.

Increased border security measures go into effect in three places today in Laredo, Texas, and Douglas, Arizona, on the border with Mexico, and at the Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan. Changes include fingerprinting, photographing and running checks on some visitors.

The man who shot President Reagan, John Hinckley, Jr., could learn this week if he gets more time away from the Washington psychiatric hospital where he has lived since 1981. Closing arguments on his request will be heard by a federal judge today.

Weather permitting, NASA plans to conduct the final test today of "scramjet," a new engine technology. NASA hopes the F-43A aircraft can hit 7,000 miles per hour in the testing off the California coast.

To the forecast center in Atlanta and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: New York to L.A. in two and a half minutes.

COSTELLO: Wow! It would be a nice one...

MYERS: About 30, but still that would be -- it would seem a little bit compact in there, though. It seems like a little small little jet.

COSTELLO: It's worth it to get there on time.

MYERS: Right, exactly.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad. MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: It appears a shakeup is in the works at the CIA. At least two top officials recently announced their departures, and reports indicate more resignations are on the way. The man President Bush tapped to lead the spy agency, Porter Goss, has been harshly critical of the agency.

A one-time CIA officer and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee promises to lead with tough love. And his GOP backers say that's exactly what the agency needs. We will get more on the CIA from a man who sat in the big chair. Former Director James Woolsey will be live in the next hour of CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

You know, the politically-minded are already thinking about who should run for president in 2008, and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- boy, that name just keeps coming up. The Constitution would have to be amended for a foreign-born citizen to become president. And new TV ads begin running today in California supporting such a change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot choose the land of your birth. You can choose the land you love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twelve million people have chosen America. Now America wants to choose them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help us amend the Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And in Democratic circles, there is talk of Virginia Governor Mark Warner for president. Let's head live to Washington now for more on these "Hot Topics."

"The National Journal's" "Hotline" editor, Vaughn Ververs, is with us.

Good morning, Vaughn.

VAUGHN VERVERS, EDITOR, "THE HOTLINE": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Do you want to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger first?

VERVERS: OK.

COSTELLO: OK.

VERVERS: You know, I feel like we just -- I feel I like maybe just slept for four years and woke up in the midst of a new presidential election. Didn't we just have one of these a couple of weeks ago?

COSTELLO: You know, it's never too early to talk about the next presidential race. But let's talk about these ads. They begin running in California today. They were put out by huge backers of Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor. Does he have widespread support throughout the country, though?

VERVERS: Well, you know, even more important than maybe people in California and financial backers of his running ads, he's got more important backers here in Washington, D.C., who have introduced or talked about introducing legislation on the Hill to get this ball rolling.

Orrin Hatch, the senator from Utah, this has been sort of a pet project of his for the last couple of years. That's where the process needs to get started off at.

And, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a very charismatic person, and obviously everybody knows who he is. I do think, though, that making this all about one person could be a hindrance to him. You could actually have a backlash if this entire movement is dedicated towards one individual.

I think if backers are really serous about this, what they would be better off doing is going to look at people like Jennifer Granholm from Michigan, the governor there, who was born in Canada. Add some people like Madeleine Albright's name into it to make it a more broad- based argument instead of just making it about Arnold.

COSTELLO: Wait a minute. You're talking bipartisan now, Vaughn.

VERVERS: Well, stranger things have happened. And, you know, it's interesting, looking at the Web site of the group behind this TV ad, they call themselves sort of disaffected Democrats and disaffected Republicans. They don't really (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to an ideology from what I could glean from their Web site. So maybe this is sort of a centrist movement.

COSTELLO: Maybe so. Let's talk about Mark Warner, because his name keeps popping up. He's the -- well, he's in Virginia now, and it's a conservative state. He's a Democrat, and he seems to have all of the accouterments that might make him a good candidate for president, like he loves NASCAR, pro-gun. What do you think?

VERVERS: Exactly. Well, that's why his name and the name of some other prominent southern Democrats, like the governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley, his name has come up in some of these talks. And really that's a total reflection of the Democratic Party's desire and really need to reach out into some of the rural areas, some of these red states in the South.

Probably the most -- the biggest refrain that we have heard since the election is you can't give up on that entire region of the country and expect to ever win an election. And, of course, the only Democrats who have been elected president since John Kennedy have been southern Democrats.

So, there are a lot of people looking in, and there are fewer and fewer of them out there. Mark Warner, a great example of that.

COSTELLO: Vaughn Ververs of "The Hotline" joining us this morning. Thanks, Vaughn.

VERVERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: For all of the SUV drivers with a conscience out there, yes, we know there's at least one or two of you. Just kidding! Carmakers are coming out with a vehicle just for you. We will take a look at this hybrid SUV.

And later on, a big night at the American Music Awards. We'll tell you which artist went home with her hands full.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The demand for hybrid cars keeps growing, as does the price of gas. But there are hybrids out there, and people are driving them. But are they all they're cracked up to be?

Joining me now to talk about the ride and the reviews is DAYBREAK contributor Ali Yelshi.

First of all, welcome to the program.

ALI YELSHI, CNN DAYBREAK CONTRIBUTOR: And welcome to New York, a city full of cars, but they're usually other peoples' cars.

COSTELLO: And thank goodness for that...

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because I would never want to drive myself here.

YELSHI: Well, this is the thing. This is the irony in New York. You're always in a cab or you're on the subway, but fundamentally you want to get out sometime. New Yorkers are famous for wanting to get out of the city. And these hybrids are really at the front end of the trends to put you even further ahead of it now.

The issue is that they're kind of cool to drive now. These hybrid cars -- you're looking at Toyota Prius -- they've become kind of sexy to drive. Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Joel, they all drive these things, 44 miles to the gallon. And this is the Honda now, the Honda Civic hybrid. I spent about a weekend driving one of these. You don't need to...

COSTELLO: So how was it?

YELSHI: It was fine. I mean, they don't need to be plugged in. They work on regular gas. The major complaint is that they're a little bit more expensive than their counterparts, and they're not as powerful. They're not as peppy.

So for people who like these SUVs because they like the ride and they like a little of the power, well, they've got something new coming out this year.

First of all, Honda is kicking it up a notch by making their Accord into a hybrid version. And what it's going to do is it's going to have six cylinders, three of which will switch off sometimes when you don't need them. So you just burn less fuel.

Toyota is coming out with an SUV, the Highlander, which is going to be fantastic. They're also coming out with the Lexus RH400 for those of you who want not only a SUV, but you want to spend a lot of money for it and have the leather inside.

Ford Escape is coming out with them. And then there's the Civic and the Toyota Prius.

Now, just to give you a sense of it, the Civic gets 36 miles per gallon. That's seven better than the regular Civic does.

The Toyota Prius uses a slightly different technology. It can go on either the gas engine or the electric engine or both. But basically what it does is when you don't need the gas engine the car shuts it off, in Honda's case, and lets the electric engine push it along.

COSTELLO: Wow!

YELSHI: And you're saving a lot of fuel. I've got to tell you, I drove it around town for a weekend, didn't feel a thing. I couldn't tell the difference.

COSTELLO: OK. You say a lot of movie stars are driving them, and it's the trend right now.

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: But is there real interest in purchasing this kind of car?

YELSHI: Yes, and I'll tell you why there is real interest. "Consumer Reports" came out with some evaluation. At 1.50 a gallon, the average user of, let's say the Toyota Prius, would save about $500 a year. That's at $1.50 a gallon.

Now, the cars cost a little bit more, but in a lot of states you can use them in the HOV lanes or the commuter lanes.

COSTELLO: That's right.

YELSHI: I know when coming into D.C. you can use it, even one person driving in getting into the fast lane. That's got to be worth a lot of money to people.

It's great on fuel emissions. It allows you to be on the right side of this trend without feeling like you're giving a lot up. The gap is being bridged between the cost and the ability to do the right thing.

COSTELLO: Especially with those SUVs coming out...

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because we Americans like our big, old cars.

YELSHI: You like your big cars, exactly.

COSTELLO: Yes. Ali Yelshi, thank you. We'll see you again tomorrow.

YELSHI: Good to see you.

COSTELLO: The "material girl" says people should try to be a bit less material these days. See, we're on a trend.

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: We're on a theme this morning. Our Richard Quest spoke to the pop queen, Madonna, in London. They touched on politics, religion and motherhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you disappointed -- are you distressed by what you now see as the deep polarization within the United States?

MADONNA, SINGER: On the one hand, I'm distressed, because I don't like the idea of polarization. But on the other hand, I think that's what's happening in the rest of the world. I think we are all polarized. I mean, I think people are becoming either incredibly more superficial and greedy, or there's an equal amount of people who are also searching and trying to find a way to reconcile all of the differences in the world and bring people together.

QUEST: If you could effect one change, just one, what would it be?

MADONNA: To get George Bush to study Kabbalah. Yes, it would be amazing!

QUEST: Maybe Tony Blair could join him.

MADONNA: That's a very good idea.

QUEST: A final thought. If your daughter decided to prance out on the stage in her underwear, singing and (UNINTELLIGIBLE), would you approve?

MADONNA: If she was an adult, there's, you know, not a lot I could do about it. She would be free to make that choice.

QUEST: Would you approve? If she behaved like you -- if she mirrored your life to some extent, as a mother, who has now essentially found a spiritual way of life, would you approve?

MADONNA: Probably not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: There you have it. George Bush learning Kabbalah. I'm just thinking about that. Madonna is really taking motherhood to heart, though. She has a new children's book coming out, and that would be her second book for kids.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Today is New Jersey Governor James McGreevey's last day on the job. McGreevey resigned amidst gay sex scandal. His resignation takes effect at midnight.

And another high-profile murder trial gets under way in California. Jury selection begins today in the trial of actor Robert Blake. He's accused of killing his wife outside of a San Fernando Valley restaurant three and a half years ago.

In money news, crude oil futures sank below $47 a barrel today. Traders are looking for another build-up in U.S. crude stocks.

In culture, a blast from the past. Some of Britain's biggest pop stars have recorded a new version of the 1984 fund-raising hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" It's aimed at helping refugees in Sudan.

In sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers protect their rookie quarterback, and big Ben Roethlisberger goes 7-0 with a 24-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. That makes Pittsburgh 8-1. Ooh, I bet they can smell Super Bowl now -- Chad.

MYERS: They can smell it, that's for sure.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thanks, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Like adult-themed dramas and questionable comedy shows, junk food ads in Britain are relegated to late-night TV. We'll have that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, you're watching DAYBREAK.

COSTELLO: Sex, violence and big backs. In Britain, they're considering a plan to ban television ads that expose kids to too many unhealthy images of fatty foods.

We get more from Keith Bree (ph) of I-TV News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): The advertising industry has long understood the power television has over young minds. It seems the government now believes adverts for junk food are affecting the health of our children. Ads for unhealthy food would become adult viewing under the plans banned before the 9:00 p.m. watershed, along with images of sex and violence.

The government says parents want tighter regulation.

DR. JOHN HETO, MP HEALTH SECRETARY: What people told us, particularly moms and dads, is they expect a high level of intervention to protect children, because the starting point is to let adults make their own informed choices. Even when it's an unhealthy choice, they have a right to do so. But children, more vulnerable and weaker people, need a bit more protection from the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's also expected to be a proposal for a traffic light labeling system. Items marked red will be sold to fat- laden foods like burgers and sweets. Amber will be for things like cheese, nutritious but still high in fat. Getting the green light will be so-called virtuous foods like vegetables in a bid to make them more popular.

We've already heard the government wants to get us fighting the flab with personal trainers on the NHS. The so-called lifestyle gurus would offer advice on everything from fitness to alcohol addiction. There's also likely to be some restrictions on smoking in public.

There's no doubt that our diet contains too much of this kind of food at the moment. The government seems convinced banning daytime advertising of it is one of the best ways to change that.

Keith Bree (ph), I-TV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Next up, the United States, who knows?

Coming up next on DAYBREAK, a look at the American Music Awards. Who won? Who cares?

This is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Twenty thousand music fans have picked their faves, and the winners have picked up their American Music Awards.

"In-Touch Weekly's" Tom O'Neil knows more than a little bit about the AMAs, having written a book about its competitor show, the Grammys. I did a little book plug for you, Tom O'Neil.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH WEEKLY": Thanks a lot. Everybody go to Amazon now and order, order.

COSTELLO: Order, order, order. You know, the American Music Awards, I guess it's highly-rated. Is it?

O'NEIL: Sometimes it beats the Grammys. And the reason for that, Carol, is that they don't have to do that boring stuff, that jazz and classical music. This is all about pop stuff.

COSTELLO: And there were pop stars galore. Usher was the big winner of the night.

O'NEIL: Of course, and he was the big star of the year on the music scene. This guy has sold 6.6 million records this year. He's had four No. 1 singles. Nobody in the past 30-some years of music history has pulled that off.

COSTELLO: That's just insane. Now, you know a little bit about what happened backstage, and actually that's a lot more interesting than who won last night.

O'NEIL: Right. Who didn't win was Kanye West, the rapper who had a meltdown in front of reporters last night. He had three losses for three nominations, and he started carrying on, he was robbed!

COSTELLO: You've got to be kidding.

O'NEIL: No, you know, these...

COSTELLO: So when the stars say that they don't care that they've lost, that it went to the better person, they're really lying?

O'NEIL: They're really lying. And this is just the AMAs. It's not as if it's the Grammys. This is the People's Choice Awards of the music industry. The Grammys are the Oscars of the music industry.

COSTELLO: Like, how is it decided? Like, I know 20,000 listeners picked the winners.

O'NEIL: It's a poll of just the American public. The AMAs were created in the early 1970s because ABC lost the broadcast rights to the Grammys to CBS when the Grammys wanted to go to Nashville, and ABC said, nobody cares about the South. CBS took over the show. It hasn't let go since.

So out of revenge, ABC created these. They've always been a little bogus. But on the other hand, because they're able to focus on pop music more, they've sometimes been more popular.

COSTELLO: Understand. OK. So besides Usher, the big winner, Outkast.

O'NEIL: Of course.

COSTELLO: Of course.

O'NEIL: Well, they dominated music last year and earlier this year at the Grammys. Now, here we see Big Boy, which is, of course, half of Outkast. But where was the other half last night? Where was Andre 3000, huh? That's what I want to know. COSTELLO: Exactly. Where exactly was he? Maybe he was back in Atlanta, which I really doubt.

O'NEIL: Well, there's always whisperings of trouble between these two.

COSTELLO: Oh, I understand. Ooh, you do know a lot of the dirt, you do.

Now, two of the people who presented the awards had a little trouble on stage.

O'NEIL: Yes. Poor Diana Ross gave away the first award of the night. She kind of stumbled through it. And then Anna Nicole Smith, give me a break! What was she even doing there? And then she had some babbling presentation she made. Backstage she lingered so long in front of photographers vamping, they had to pick her up under each armpit and drag her out.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on!

O'NEIL: They did. And her dog, she was backstage with a dog.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's good. Did they have to carry the dog out, too, or was...

O'NEIL: I don't know.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's bizarre. But back to Diana Ross for just a second, because she has seen some hard times recently.

O'NEIL: Yes.

COSTELLO: And wasn't it just the sense she was confused by the teleprompter perhaps? Or was it something more?

O'NEIL: I think so. She hasn't been in the limelight, at least on the positive side, given all of these drunk driving charges and other things she's faced in recent years. It was great kind of to see the great diva back. She was so flustered you felt bad for her.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about a new diva, Alicia Keys, because she was also a big winner last night.

O'NEIL: And she performed twice. And I think that was the highlight of last night. This woman who had swept the Grammys a few years ago is still on the scene, and she's still making great music. And she looked great last night, too. She had a solo number. But the peak moment is when she danced and performed "My Boo" with Usher.

COSTELLO: With Usher.

O'NEIL: It was so great.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's a such a cool song. And they're just friends. They're not lovers. O'NEIL: This is what they say. But, boy, they looked in sync last night on that stage.

COSTELLO: You never know. Tom O'Neil, always fun.

O'NEIL: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see you again.

O'NEIL: Welcome to New York. It's great to have you here.

COSTELLO: Thank you. Thank you so much. And I understand you've brought me a welcoming present, and I can't wait to get that.

O'NEIL: Yes.

COSTELLO: We'll tell you what it is later.

From the CNN global headquarters -- well, actually, we're in New York now. Chad is back in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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


Aired November 15, 2004 - 06:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: Live from the Time Warner Center in New York and CNN center in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. A lot to talk about, so let's get right to the headlines at this hour.

Our Jane Arraf is in Falluja with U.S. troops, and tells us the forces are conducting building-to-building searches on the city's south side. The Marine commander there says the city has been liberated, but isolated pockets of insurgents remain.

Increased border security measures go into effect in three places today in Laredo, Texas, and Douglas, Arizona, on the border with Mexico, and at the Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan. Changes include fingerprinting, photographing and running checks on some visitors.

The man who shot President Reagan, John Hinckley, Jr., could learn this week if he gets more time away from the Washington psychiatric hospital where he has lived since 1981. Closing arguments on his request will be heard by a federal judge today.

Weather permitting, NASA plans to conduct the final test today of "scramjet," a new engine technology. NASA hopes the F-43A aircraft can hit 7,000 miles per hour in the testing off the California coast.

To the forecast center in Atlanta and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: New York to L.A. in two and a half minutes.

COSTELLO: Wow! It would be a nice one...

MYERS: About 30, but still that would be -- it would seem a little bit compact in there, though. It seems like a little small little jet.

COSTELLO: It's worth it to get there on time.

MYERS: Right, exactly.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad. MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: It appears a shakeup is in the works at the CIA. At least two top officials recently announced their departures, and reports indicate more resignations are on the way. The man President Bush tapped to lead the spy agency, Porter Goss, has been harshly critical of the agency.

A one-time CIA officer and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee promises to lead with tough love. And his GOP backers say that's exactly what the agency needs. We will get more on the CIA from a man who sat in the big chair. Former Director James Woolsey will be live in the next hour of CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

You know, the politically-minded are already thinking about who should run for president in 2008, and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- boy, that name just keeps coming up. The Constitution would have to be amended for a foreign-born citizen to become president. And new TV ads begin running today in California supporting such a change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot choose the land of your birth. You can choose the land you love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twelve million people have chosen America. Now America wants to choose them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help us amend the Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And in Democratic circles, there is talk of Virginia Governor Mark Warner for president. Let's head live to Washington now for more on these "Hot Topics."

"The National Journal's" "Hotline" editor, Vaughn Ververs, is with us.

Good morning, Vaughn.

VAUGHN VERVERS, EDITOR, "THE HOTLINE": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Do you want to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger first?

VERVERS: OK.

COSTELLO: OK.

VERVERS: You know, I feel like we just -- I feel I like maybe just slept for four years and woke up in the midst of a new presidential election. Didn't we just have one of these a couple of weeks ago?

COSTELLO: You know, it's never too early to talk about the next presidential race. But let's talk about these ads. They begin running in California today. They were put out by huge backers of Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor. Does he have widespread support throughout the country, though?

VERVERS: Well, you know, even more important than maybe people in California and financial backers of his running ads, he's got more important backers here in Washington, D.C., who have introduced or talked about introducing legislation on the Hill to get this ball rolling.

Orrin Hatch, the senator from Utah, this has been sort of a pet project of his for the last couple of years. That's where the process needs to get started off at.

And, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a very charismatic person, and obviously everybody knows who he is. I do think, though, that making this all about one person could be a hindrance to him. You could actually have a backlash if this entire movement is dedicated towards one individual.

I think if backers are really serous about this, what they would be better off doing is going to look at people like Jennifer Granholm from Michigan, the governor there, who was born in Canada. Add some people like Madeleine Albright's name into it to make it a more broad- based argument instead of just making it about Arnold.

COSTELLO: Wait a minute. You're talking bipartisan now, Vaughn.

VERVERS: Well, stranger things have happened. And, you know, it's interesting, looking at the Web site of the group behind this TV ad, they call themselves sort of disaffected Democrats and disaffected Republicans. They don't really (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to an ideology from what I could glean from their Web site. So maybe this is sort of a centrist movement.

COSTELLO: Maybe so. Let's talk about Mark Warner, because his name keeps popping up. He's the -- well, he's in Virginia now, and it's a conservative state. He's a Democrat, and he seems to have all of the accouterments that might make him a good candidate for president, like he loves NASCAR, pro-gun. What do you think?

VERVERS: Exactly. Well, that's why his name and the name of some other prominent southern Democrats, like the governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley, his name has come up in some of these talks. And really that's a total reflection of the Democratic Party's desire and really need to reach out into some of the rural areas, some of these red states in the South.

Probably the most -- the biggest refrain that we have heard since the election is you can't give up on that entire region of the country and expect to ever win an election. And, of course, the only Democrats who have been elected president since John Kennedy have been southern Democrats.

So, there are a lot of people looking in, and there are fewer and fewer of them out there. Mark Warner, a great example of that.

COSTELLO: Vaughn Ververs of "The Hotline" joining us this morning. Thanks, Vaughn.

VERVERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: For all of the SUV drivers with a conscience out there, yes, we know there's at least one or two of you. Just kidding! Carmakers are coming out with a vehicle just for you. We will take a look at this hybrid SUV.

And later on, a big night at the American Music Awards. We'll tell you which artist went home with her hands full.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The demand for hybrid cars keeps growing, as does the price of gas. But there are hybrids out there, and people are driving them. But are they all they're cracked up to be?

Joining me now to talk about the ride and the reviews is DAYBREAK contributor Ali Yelshi.

First of all, welcome to the program.

ALI YELSHI, CNN DAYBREAK CONTRIBUTOR: And welcome to New York, a city full of cars, but they're usually other peoples' cars.

COSTELLO: And thank goodness for that...

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because I would never want to drive myself here.

YELSHI: Well, this is the thing. This is the irony in New York. You're always in a cab or you're on the subway, but fundamentally you want to get out sometime. New Yorkers are famous for wanting to get out of the city. And these hybrids are really at the front end of the trends to put you even further ahead of it now.

The issue is that they're kind of cool to drive now. These hybrid cars -- you're looking at Toyota Prius -- they've become kind of sexy to drive. Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Joel, they all drive these things, 44 miles to the gallon. And this is the Honda now, the Honda Civic hybrid. I spent about a weekend driving one of these. You don't need to...

COSTELLO: So how was it?

YELSHI: It was fine. I mean, they don't need to be plugged in. They work on regular gas. The major complaint is that they're a little bit more expensive than their counterparts, and they're not as powerful. They're not as peppy.

So for people who like these SUVs because they like the ride and they like a little of the power, well, they've got something new coming out this year.

First of all, Honda is kicking it up a notch by making their Accord into a hybrid version. And what it's going to do is it's going to have six cylinders, three of which will switch off sometimes when you don't need them. So you just burn less fuel.

Toyota is coming out with an SUV, the Highlander, which is going to be fantastic. They're also coming out with the Lexus RH400 for those of you who want not only a SUV, but you want to spend a lot of money for it and have the leather inside.

Ford Escape is coming out with them. And then there's the Civic and the Toyota Prius.

Now, just to give you a sense of it, the Civic gets 36 miles per gallon. That's seven better than the regular Civic does.

The Toyota Prius uses a slightly different technology. It can go on either the gas engine or the electric engine or both. But basically what it does is when you don't need the gas engine the car shuts it off, in Honda's case, and lets the electric engine push it along.

COSTELLO: Wow!

YELSHI: And you're saving a lot of fuel. I've got to tell you, I drove it around town for a weekend, didn't feel a thing. I couldn't tell the difference.

COSTELLO: OK. You say a lot of movie stars are driving them, and it's the trend right now.

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: But is there real interest in purchasing this kind of car?

YELSHI: Yes, and I'll tell you why there is real interest. "Consumer Reports" came out with some evaluation. At 1.50 a gallon, the average user of, let's say the Toyota Prius, would save about $500 a year. That's at $1.50 a gallon.

Now, the cars cost a little bit more, but in a lot of states you can use them in the HOV lanes or the commuter lanes.

COSTELLO: That's right.

YELSHI: I know when coming into D.C. you can use it, even one person driving in getting into the fast lane. That's got to be worth a lot of money to people.

It's great on fuel emissions. It allows you to be on the right side of this trend without feeling like you're giving a lot up. The gap is being bridged between the cost and the ability to do the right thing.

COSTELLO: Especially with those SUVs coming out...

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because we Americans like our big, old cars.

YELSHI: You like your big cars, exactly.

COSTELLO: Yes. Ali Yelshi, thank you. We'll see you again tomorrow.

YELSHI: Good to see you.

COSTELLO: The "material girl" says people should try to be a bit less material these days. See, we're on a trend.

YELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: We're on a theme this morning. Our Richard Quest spoke to the pop queen, Madonna, in London. They touched on politics, religion and motherhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you disappointed -- are you distressed by what you now see as the deep polarization within the United States?

MADONNA, SINGER: On the one hand, I'm distressed, because I don't like the idea of polarization. But on the other hand, I think that's what's happening in the rest of the world. I think we are all polarized. I mean, I think people are becoming either incredibly more superficial and greedy, or there's an equal amount of people who are also searching and trying to find a way to reconcile all of the differences in the world and bring people together.

QUEST: If you could effect one change, just one, what would it be?

MADONNA: To get George Bush to study Kabbalah. Yes, it would be amazing!

QUEST: Maybe Tony Blair could join him.

MADONNA: That's a very good idea.

QUEST: A final thought. If your daughter decided to prance out on the stage in her underwear, singing and (UNINTELLIGIBLE), would you approve?

MADONNA: If she was an adult, there's, you know, not a lot I could do about it. She would be free to make that choice.

QUEST: Would you approve? If she behaved like you -- if she mirrored your life to some extent, as a mother, who has now essentially found a spiritual way of life, would you approve?

MADONNA: Probably not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: There you have it. George Bush learning Kabbalah. I'm just thinking about that. Madonna is really taking motherhood to heart, though. She has a new children's book coming out, and that would be her second book for kids.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Today is New Jersey Governor James McGreevey's last day on the job. McGreevey resigned amidst gay sex scandal. His resignation takes effect at midnight.

And another high-profile murder trial gets under way in California. Jury selection begins today in the trial of actor Robert Blake. He's accused of killing his wife outside of a San Fernando Valley restaurant three and a half years ago.

In money news, crude oil futures sank below $47 a barrel today. Traders are looking for another build-up in U.S. crude stocks.

In culture, a blast from the past. Some of Britain's biggest pop stars have recorded a new version of the 1984 fund-raising hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" It's aimed at helping refugees in Sudan.

In sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers protect their rookie quarterback, and big Ben Roethlisberger goes 7-0 with a 24-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. That makes Pittsburgh 8-1. Ooh, I bet they can smell Super Bowl now -- Chad.

MYERS: They can smell it, that's for sure.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thanks, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Like adult-themed dramas and questionable comedy shows, junk food ads in Britain are relegated to late-night TV. We'll have that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, you're watching DAYBREAK.

COSTELLO: Sex, violence and big backs. In Britain, they're considering a plan to ban television ads that expose kids to too many unhealthy images of fatty foods.

We get more from Keith Bree (ph) of I-TV News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): The advertising industry has long understood the power television has over young minds. It seems the government now believes adverts for junk food are affecting the health of our children. Ads for unhealthy food would become adult viewing under the plans banned before the 9:00 p.m. watershed, along with images of sex and violence.

The government says parents want tighter regulation.

DR. JOHN HETO, MP HEALTH SECRETARY: What people told us, particularly moms and dads, is they expect a high level of intervention to protect children, because the starting point is to let adults make their own informed choices. Even when it's an unhealthy choice, they have a right to do so. But children, more vulnerable and weaker people, need a bit more protection from the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's also expected to be a proposal for a traffic light labeling system. Items marked red will be sold to fat- laden foods like burgers and sweets. Amber will be for things like cheese, nutritious but still high in fat. Getting the green light will be so-called virtuous foods like vegetables in a bid to make them more popular.

We've already heard the government wants to get us fighting the flab with personal trainers on the NHS. The so-called lifestyle gurus would offer advice on everything from fitness to alcohol addiction. There's also likely to be some restrictions on smoking in public.

There's no doubt that our diet contains too much of this kind of food at the moment. The government seems convinced banning daytime advertising of it is one of the best ways to change that.

Keith Bree (ph), I-TV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Next up, the United States, who knows?

Coming up next on DAYBREAK, a look at the American Music Awards. Who won? Who cares?

This is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Twenty thousand music fans have picked their faves, and the winners have picked up their American Music Awards.

"In-Touch Weekly's" Tom O'Neil knows more than a little bit about the AMAs, having written a book about its competitor show, the Grammys. I did a little book plug for you, Tom O'Neil.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH WEEKLY": Thanks a lot. Everybody go to Amazon now and order, order.

COSTELLO: Order, order, order. You know, the American Music Awards, I guess it's highly-rated. Is it?

O'NEIL: Sometimes it beats the Grammys. And the reason for that, Carol, is that they don't have to do that boring stuff, that jazz and classical music. This is all about pop stuff.

COSTELLO: And there were pop stars galore. Usher was the big winner of the night.

O'NEIL: Of course, and he was the big star of the year on the music scene. This guy has sold 6.6 million records this year. He's had four No. 1 singles. Nobody in the past 30-some years of music history has pulled that off.

COSTELLO: That's just insane. Now, you know a little bit about what happened backstage, and actually that's a lot more interesting than who won last night.

O'NEIL: Right. Who didn't win was Kanye West, the rapper who had a meltdown in front of reporters last night. He had three losses for three nominations, and he started carrying on, he was robbed!

COSTELLO: You've got to be kidding.

O'NEIL: No, you know, these...

COSTELLO: So when the stars say that they don't care that they've lost, that it went to the better person, they're really lying?

O'NEIL: They're really lying. And this is just the AMAs. It's not as if it's the Grammys. This is the People's Choice Awards of the music industry. The Grammys are the Oscars of the music industry.

COSTELLO: Like, how is it decided? Like, I know 20,000 listeners picked the winners.

O'NEIL: It's a poll of just the American public. The AMAs were created in the early 1970s because ABC lost the broadcast rights to the Grammys to CBS when the Grammys wanted to go to Nashville, and ABC said, nobody cares about the South. CBS took over the show. It hasn't let go since.

So out of revenge, ABC created these. They've always been a little bogus. But on the other hand, because they're able to focus on pop music more, they've sometimes been more popular.

COSTELLO: Understand. OK. So besides Usher, the big winner, Outkast.

O'NEIL: Of course.

COSTELLO: Of course.

O'NEIL: Well, they dominated music last year and earlier this year at the Grammys. Now, here we see Big Boy, which is, of course, half of Outkast. But where was the other half last night? Where was Andre 3000, huh? That's what I want to know. COSTELLO: Exactly. Where exactly was he? Maybe he was back in Atlanta, which I really doubt.

O'NEIL: Well, there's always whisperings of trouble between these two.

COSTELLO: Oh, I understand. Ooh, you do know a lot of the dirt, you do.

Now, two of the people who presented the awards had a little trouble on stage.

O'NEIL: Yes. Poor Diana Ross gave away the first award of the night. She kind of stumbled through it. And then Anna Nicole Smith, give me a break! What was she even doing there? And then she had some babbling presentation she made. Backstage she lingered so long in front of photographers vamping, they had to pick her up under each armpit and drag her out.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on!

O'NEIL: They did. And her dog, she was backstage with a dog.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's good. Did they have to carry the dog out, too, or was...

O'NEIL: I don't know.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's bizarre. But back to Diana Ross for just a second, because she has seen some hard times recently.

O'NEIL: Yes.

COSTELLO: And wasn't it just the sense she was confused by the teleprompter perhaps? Or was it something more?

O'NEIL: I think so. She hasn't been in the limelight, at least on the positive side, given all of these drunk driving charges and other things she's faced in recent years. It was great kind of to see the great diva back. She was so flustered you felt bad for her.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about a new diva, Alicia Keys, because she was also a big winner last night.

O'NEIL: And she performed twice. And I think that was the highlight of last night. This woman who had swept the Grammys a few years ago is still on the scene, and she's still making great music. And she looked great last night, too. She had a solo number. But the peak moment is when she danced and performed "My Boo" with Usher.

COSTELLO: With Usher.

O'NEIL: It was so great.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's a such a cool song. And they're just friends. They're not lovers. O'NEIL: This is what they say. But, boy, they looked in sync last night on that stage.

COSTELLO: You never know. Tom O'Neil, always fun.

O'NEIL: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see you again.

O'NEIL: Welcome to New York. It's great to have you here.

COSTELLO: Thank you. Thank you so much. And I understand you've brought me a welcoming present, and I can't wait to get that.

O'NEIL: Yes.

COSTELLO: We'll tell you what it is later.

From the CNN global headquarters -- well, actually, we're in New York now. Chad is back in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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