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American Morning

Iraq Votes; Home Front Impact of Iraq War;

Aired January 28, 2005 - 07:29   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, the beautiful Hudson. It looks good on television, doesn't it, Soledad?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, not so clean on the inside, though.

HEMMER: My gosh! A little bit of ice out there, too, coming down. New Jersey to the left, Manhattan to the right, 5 chilly degrees outside on a Friday morning. And good morning. Soledad is back with us today. She's feeling all right.

O'BRIEN: I feel all right. My voice is hanging in there so far, kind of.

HEMMER: We're going to get stronger through the morning, right?

O'BRIEN: That's right.

HEMMER: In a moment here, all morning we are looking at what's at stake on Sunday in Iraq. In a few moments, Kelly Wallace introduces us to a mother who lost her son in Iraq. Through her pain, she is now reaching out to other U.S. troops. And as that election approaches, she finds herself asking herself some very tough questions. We'll get to Kelly's report in a moment here.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, how do security forces in Iraq persuade voters that they can cast a ballot without dying for their country's future? Iraq's ambassador to the U.N. is our guest. We're going to talk about security and also how Iraq will define its success when this is all over.

HEMMER: All right. From across town right here in our studio is Carol Costello with us now and the headlines.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. And good morning to all of you.

"Now in the News."

Two suicide bombings in Iraq, the latest attack at a school for boys. The building is expected to be a polling place for Sunday's elections. And just two hours earlier, an SUV blew up outside of a police station in southern Baghdad. At least four people were killed, two others injured. An arraignment hearing is expected today for the man suspected in the crash of a Los Angeles commuter train. Juan Alvarez is facing charges which could make him eligible for the death sentence. Alvarez had been scheduled to appear for arraignment yesterday, but prosecutors delayed the court date for medical reasons.

A recall for Ford, a huge recall. The auto company says beginning next month, it will notify owners of nearly 800,000 of its SUVs and pickup trucks of a potential fire risk. Ford says the cruise control switch could cause a fire under the hood.

And a baby boy in New York is in stable condition this morning after undergoing a heart transplant. Due to a heart tumor, the baby was put on life support shortly after being born, but a donor was found, and the newborn underwent transplant surgery on Wednesday. The baby is now 10 days old, and he's hanging in there.

HEMMER: Wow!

O'BRIEN: I believe that I ran into the transplant team that was going to harvest the heart at the airport.

COSTELLO: Really?

O'BRIEN: They told me they were going to get a baby heart to bring back to New York for a transplant.

COSTELLO: Why didn't you invite them on the show this morning?

O'BRIEN: Because they were busy with other things. I think it wasn't their first priority. But that's an amazing story.

COSTELLO: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Carol, thank you very much.

In Iraq and here in the U.S., there is hope that Sunday's landmark election will usher in a new democratic era. There are thousands of candidates from more than 100 political parties. And the Bush administration has lots riding on the outcome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice over): The seeds of democracy taking root in Iraq as the country holds its first free election in more than half a century. Some 14 million resident Iraqis are eligible to vote. They'll choose a 275-member National Assembly, which will write the country's new constitution. And they'll elect members of 18 local provincial councils.

Across the country, 30,000 polling stations, 90,000 ballot boxes and poll workers getting a crash course in this new concept called voting.

The biggest concern is security. Iraqi insurgents are stepping up attacks, especially on polling stations. Few of the candidates have campaigned in public. It's just much too dangerous. Many have been targeted and killed. So getting out the vote will be a giant step in defeating the insurgency.

KEN POLLACK, CNN ANALYST: Their theory is that if the Iraqis come to the polls in large numbers they're going to elect a legitimate government that will basically undermine the underpinnings of the insurgency.

O'BRIEN: It's also a historic day for women's rights in Iraq. For the first time, women will be allowed to vote. Hundreds are running for office. It's expected they'll have a significant voice in the National Assembly.

The Shiite majority is expected to win the most seats. The Sunni minority, which enjoyed tremendous power under Saddam Hussein, is mostly expected to boycott the election and lose political power. That could threaten Iraq's post-election stability.

LAITH KUBBAH, NATL. ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY: If we do not include that community in the process, we're simply handing millions of people to the insurgency.

O'BRIEN: Outside Iraq, more than a quarter-million expatriates living in the U.S. and in 13 other countries are exercising their new rights beginning today. The first votes were cast in Australia this morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The official results are expected 10 days after the election -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, insurgents continue to threaten violence there; most recently, distributing leaflets on the streets of Baghdad, promising death to anyone who votes on Sunday.

Samir Sumaida'ie is Iraq's ambassador to the U.N. He's back with us here in New York on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning, Mr. Ambassador.

SAMIR SUMAIDA'IE, IRAQ'S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Good morning.

HEMMER: You're an Iraqi. You're a Sunni. And when I asked you a short time ago if you're a Shia or a Sunni, you said, "I'm an Iraqi first." As an Iraqi, how do you feel today with your country going to elections in two days?

SUMAIDA'IE: Well, I feel very excited. I myself will be casting my vote today for the first time in my life. And I feel full of anticipation. We know this is a challenging situation. We know it's going to be difficult. We have no illusions about that. But we also know that there is no way back. We are moving forward, and no one in Iraq wants to give satisfaction to the terrorists.

HEMMER: Yes. When you talk about the anticipation you have in two days are often referred to nerves and anxiety. Nerves can be negative. Anxiety can be positive energy, because you're anxious toward a moment. Are you A or are you B?

SUMAIDA'IE: Well, certainly not nervous. I am concerned, and I am anxious that we will get through this stage without too many casualties and losses.

HEMMER: Do you believe Iraqis comprehend at this point what Sunday means to their immediate future and how they'll be governed?

SUMAIDA'IE: I think the overwhelming majority of Iraqis do understand. This is a very important stage on their -- for their future. And I think they will be acting on this basis, despite all of the blood-curdling threats that we see from the terrorists. You will find that millions of Iraqis will defy these threats and go out and vote.

HEMMER: President Bush made a comment yesterday in "The New York Times" during an interview, kind of repeating a comment he made back in the summer. He says if the new assembly votes to have the U.S. military leave, he will abide by that decision. Is that likely?

SUMAIDA'IE: It's not likely, frankly, because until our own Iraqi security forces are capable of filling the security vacuum, no responsible Iraqi leader will want the multinational forces to leave. It will have far-reaching, damaging effects.

HEMMER: One more comment here. Adnan Pachachi (ph) is a Sunni also. He's also a candidate in this election.

SUMAIDA'IE: Yes.

HEMMER: I spoke with him earlier today, and he believes even today that the Sunni turnout will be greater than most people think around the world. But when asked to put a percentage on that, he said about 20 percent. Is that good enough for that part of Iraq?

SUMAIDA'IE: Given the circumstances, it would be good in my opinion. You know, we are talking about really heroic positions being taken by individuals who are facing mortal threat. And to expect such a large -- you know, you find in some very stable countries turnouts as low as that in normal circumstances. When people are facing such threats, I think a percentage like that would still be great in these areas.

HEMMER: Good luck to you and your people this weekend.

SUMAIDA'IE: Thank you very much, Bill.

HEMMER: And after that as well. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.

SUMAIDA'IE: Thank you.

HEMMER: All right -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Many Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice so that Iraqis could have the chance to vote. No one knows that better than one mother from Long Island.

Kelly Wallace had a chance to meet her.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, Doreen Kenny and her family is one of the more than 1,400 families coping with loss in the war. We spent time with her yesterday, and we asked her what she is expecting from Sunday's elections in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice over): In Bay Shore, Long Island, not far from New York City symbol of hometown sacrifice. The gold star means a loved one died in war.

Dorine Kenney lost her son, Army Private First Class Jacob Fletcher, just before his 29th birthday.

DORINE KENNEY, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: Nothing is worth the loss of your child.

WALLACE: We first met Dorine in November, 2003, just days after Jacob was killed in Iraq and she got that knock on the door.

KENNEY: My life changed in that moment.

WALLACE: Despite her grief, she took action, starting a foundation that sends care packages to the troops; 24,000 pounds of goodies and essentials have been sent so far. But her questions and her anger have not gone away.

KENNEY: Anger at the loss of life. Anger at the price we're paying for what we're not completely sure of. Where does it stop? We're going to go into all countries that we want democratic and force that issue and let there be blood shed at the cost of the American peoples' children?

WALLACE: Dorine says she prays Sunday's elections will help Iraqis begin to stand on their own, but fears more Americans will be killed.

KENNEY: Just get them home as quickly as possible. And they're not just soldiers; they're people.

WALLACE: People like her son whose childhood dream was to be a soldier and who became a man who felt good about his mission in Iraq. On the back of this picture with Iraqi soldiers he helped train, he said, "I'm proud of this picture. These are my boys."

KENNEY: I will think of him every day until I die, and I will do what I can to keep his memory and energy alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And we thank Dorine Kenney once again for spending time with us. As we mentioned, she set up a foundation. She looks for donations to try and get those care packages to the troops. If you'd like to help, you can go to www.jacobsprogram.org. And at 9:30, Soledad, another family's perspective, a mother of three who is adjusting to her husband now on his way to Iraq.

O'BRIEN: Such interesting stories. Kelly, thank you very much.

WALLACE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: You'll want to stay tuned to CNN all weekend, of course, for complete coverage of the Iraq election. Our team of journalists are going to bring you every angle on this historic event, from election security to expatriates who are voting around the world -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, it's time for weather now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: One other note here: Iraq's ambassador to the U.N., Samir Sumaida'ie, says he's now getting in his car and driving down to Washington to cast his ballot.

O'BRIEN: To take part in history.

HEMMER: History for him, that's right.

O'BRIEN: Well, from batteries to toothpaste, two giants get ready to form the biggest consumer products company in the world, how it's going to affect us. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

HEMMER: Also, "90-Second Pop" is ahead on why it may be up to comedian Chris Rock to save the Oscars. We'll explain that in a moment when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. From Pampers to Duracell, news of a major consumer product merger and what it may mean for your wallet. Back to Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business." First up the markets.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

HEMMER: Good morning to you.

SERWER: Well, let's talk -- and the merger, we can't not talk about that right off the bat. Procter & Gamble is buying Gillette for over $50 billion. We'll talk about that in a second.

As far as the markets yesterday, kind of up, down and all over the place. Let's check out the board and see how we did. The Dow was down, dragged down by Caterpillar tractor. Nasdaq up just a smidge there, you can see. A lot of stuff happening today. Microsoft announced after the bell yesterday. That stock should be active. Also Honeywell and McDonald's. And GDP, the first read of the fourth quarter will be out at 8:30 this morning. SERWER: As far as this deal goes, it is a giant one, and there are a lot of implications all across the board. First of all, the two companies will be merging, based in Cincinnati, though, which is where Procter & Gamble, of course, has been headquartered for many years.

The reason why these two companies are getting together is to have more clout when negotiating with giant companies like Wal-Mart and Kroger and Target.

Consumers, where do they stand on this deal? Well, it's hard to see prices going down when two big companies like this merge. I'm not saying that it's necessarily true that prices will rise, but it will not put downward price pressure on those prices.

There is some overlap in these businesses. Let's talk about that a little bit. Both of them make deodorants and antiperspirants and toothpaste. And that's why there will be some layoffs anticipated here, probably about 6,000 out of a total of 140,000.

And finally, Warren Buffett, the billionaire out of Omaha, wins again, because he's a big shareholder in Gillette. He looks happy. Of course, he's happy. He made hundreds of millions of dollars again. And he's signed off on the deal, and he said this merger is going to create the greatest consumer product company in the world. It's a dream deal. And to show his support, he's bought even more stock.

HEMMER: Wow!

SERWER: He's happy.

HEMMER: Dream deal?

SERWER: He's always happy, though.

HEMMER: That's a heck of an endorsement coming their way.

SERWER: Yes, it is. It is. But that means they really talked to him before they did it, which is smart.

HEMMER: I think it's interesting to hear what you say about the competition with Wal-Mart, too...

SERWER: Yes.

HEMMER: ... trying to take that on.

SERWER: Right, it's a colossus there.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The "Question of the Day." JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: In "The Cafferty File" yesterday, we had this story about -- pardon me. I'm already catching what you have. I'm going to sue you. We had a story about a North Dakota legislator who wants to ban teachers from college classrooms who don't speak understandable English. Representative Betty Grann (ph) thinks students should get their money back if they can't understand the lectures delivered with thick accents and weird pronunciations in schools where they paid tons of money to go there. They are the paying customer.

The proposed legislation would require university teachers to prove their command of English in an interview before they're allowed to teach. That's the question: Should college teachers have to speak understandable English?

Cindy in Baton Rouge: "Definitely yes. I have two sons at two separate universities. They're both dealing with this problem right now. I appreciate the knowledge that a foreign professor can offer my students. However, if you can't understand their lectures or basic instructions, it just doesn't translate. Fluent English should be a minimum requirement to teach. It's my money that's being wasted otherwise."

Shirley in Dunedin, Florida writes this: "I haven't seen a high school graduate who speaks English in this country in 40 years. They ought to be glad to be in college. Let the ignorant little brats make the extra effort to understand anyone who is willing to try to teach them anything."

OK, Shirley.

John in Florida: "When I went to school, my philosophy classes were all in Latin. Give me plain English. When I shell out good money for an education, I expect to get my money's worth by understanding the professor."

Reg in Thunder Bay: "Come on, Jack. The next thing you know they'll want them to also be in the country legally. Hark. Thus thou hear the approach of the ACLU?"

And finally, Tony in Roscoe, Illinois, indubitably: "Professors and then president Bush."

We're getting a lot of mail.

O'BRIEN: I'm sure, touching a nerve.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Some of it is kind of snotty and sarcastic, which is my favorite kind.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. Those are the ones we'll be running.

CAFFERTY: You said you had thoughts on this.

O'BRIEN: For two seconds, which is at Harvard if you had a professor you couldn't or a TA you couldn't understand, you'd switch classes. But some people, as I think one of your letter-writers pointed out, are worth really struggling to listen to, because they're so brilliant, you know?

CAFFERTY: What if you're in Larry Summers' class, and he tells all of the female students at Harvard they're no good at science and math? Can you get your money back for that?

O'BRIEN: I'm sure he was misquoted.

CAFFERTY: He was not misquoted.

O'BRIEN: I'm being sarcastic.

SERWER: He said it loud and clear.

O'BRIEN: I'm being sarcastic. And I agree. I think he was heard loud and clear.

SERWER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And he speaks excellent English, by the way.

CAFFERTY: Yes, everybody understood every word, and now he's in deep kimchee (ph), as they say overseas.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

In a moment here, the '80s are making a comeback. Thank goodness. I'm kidding. "Miami Vice" to DVC, and now there's word on when the movie starts shooting and some big stars are shipping in, too. "90-Second Pop" after this on a Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Oh, we remember that, don't we? It's time for "90- Second Pop" on a Friday. Here to play this morning, Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent. Crystal McCrary Anthony, author of the "Gotham Diaries." And B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."

Good morning to you. First, let me apologize. I've got a little cold going on.

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: I think you sound great.

O'BRIEN: I sound sexy, huh? You like it, yes.

TOURE: It's very deep, sexy. I'm loving it.

O'BRIEN: Well, thank you. You just had to say that. But let's go right into our segment. "Miami Vice" making a comeback. I was shocked, though, to hear who is going to be in the movie.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Yes. Well, the DVD, first of all, is coming out next week. But just in time for the DVD comes the official announcement that they are remaking a big-screen version. And we've got confirmation this week that Crockett is going to be played by Colin Farrell, and...

CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "GOTHAM DIARIES": What? Am I the only one who (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

SIGESMUND: He's trying to attach himself to good movies now after "Alexander." And the news also came through that Tubbs, originally played by Phillip Michael Hall, is going to be portrayed...

TOURE: Thomas.

SIGESMUND: Oh, I'm sorry. Phillip Michael Hall...

(CROSSTALK)

SIGESMUND: This is going to be portrayed by none other than Jamie Foxx...

O'BRIEN: Which is great, right?

SIGESMUND: ... who is likely...

TOURE: Which is great.

SIGESMUND: Yes, which is likely going to win an Oscar at the end of next month.

O'BRIEN: OK, so...

SIGESMUND: But the most inspired part, Soledad...

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SIGESMUND: ... is that the whole thing is going to be written and directed by Michael Mann, who, if you remember, created the show in the first place 20 years ago and went on to make "Ali" and "Collateral" and "The Insider," great movies.

O'BRIEN: All brilliant. I'll give you that. But can we get back to Colin Farrell? Like, what?

TOURE: Yes, yes. I mean, this movie is so necessary, because this is the first remake that matters to my generation. I stayed up in high school to watch "Miami Vice" every Friday night. But Colin Farrell, I mean, what has he done?

SIGESMUND: He (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

TOURE: You know what it's like? It's white boy affirmative action. You're not successful, and you keep moving up, moving up, moving up. For what? It is!

O'BRIEN: No, it's not.

ANTHONY: Well, it's a chance to reenact your high collar show.

TOURE: Yes, exactly. O'BRIEN: Exactly.

ANTHONY: I did that today. It was my ode to "Miami Vice".

O'BRIEN: You know (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is all going to come back around. All right, let's talk about Chris Rock. To some degree, I think, a lot more is on him now. When you look at the list of the movies that have been nominated, there's no one big movie like "Titanic."

ANTHONY: Sure. I mean, he does not have that in favor for himself this year, with one movie that people are rooting for out there. I mean, like you said, there's not a "Titanic." There's not a "Lord of the Rings." I mean, in fact, the movie that's made the most money so far is "Ali" -- I mean, "Ray," which has only, what, made $73 million. So, the onus is really upon him to...

O'BRIEN: Can he pull it off?

ANTHONY: Well, you know, I think, look, he's the hippest choice they could have made.

TOURE: Right.

ANTHONY: The question is: Is he too edgy? But, by his own admission, I mean, I think he said yesterday that he -- more than any other comedian, he pulls people in to see him just as much in the red states as he does in the blue states.

TOURE: Right, right.

ANTHONY: So, I mean, I think that he can -- his forte really is working the live crowd. But will he be too edgy?

TOURE: He's the only person who is unpredictable. You don't know what he's going to say. So you want to tune in to see, oh, my god, what is he going to say? In the press conference yesterday he also said, why are you not a member of the Academy? Because if you're darker than a brown paper bag you can't get in. Like, he'll say anything! I love that!

ANTHONY: Well, but the problem that he's going to have to avoid, though, I mean, he's going to have to not dominate the audience. And with such a big presence as him, that will be difficult. He's going to have to really try to temper himself as the ringmaster of the Hollywood family reunion.

O'BRIEN: He definitely is funny enough to pull it off. So I'm rooting for him. I love that guy. I hope he can really do it.

Let's talk about one of my favorite artists.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: That's right, B.J. and I have been really following the career of The Game." TOURE: Oh!

O'BRIEN: His new CD/documentary...

TOURE: The documentary.

O'BRIEN: OK, the documentary from The Game. Let's stop for just a moment and really play a little bit from my personal collection.

TOURE: There you go.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, some people write a lot about God in their lives and people who inspired them. But not my guy.

TOURE: No, no, no.

O'BRIEN: He talks about how he was shot five times back in his past when he was a dealer.

TOURE: Look, look, look, if you're wondering if this is gangster rap, both his parents were crips (ph) and he was a blood. So, yes, it's gangster rap. But this is my favorite album right now. I've been listening to it all day every day for a week.

O'BRIEN: You and a lot of other people.

TOURE: This is so great. It sold 600,000 the first week out, right? He's just a guy from Compton. It's just good, hardcore L.A. rap. He's got Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent behind him, producing and rhyming with him. So it just blew up right away.

O'BRIEN: And...

SIGESMUND: Can I say, though?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SIGESMUND: This guy, he has taken the criminal pedigree to the next level. This guy was in a coma.

TOURE: Yes.

SIGESMUND: He was literally in a coma, went in and out of a coma, and that's when he decided that he wanted to become a rapper.

O'BRIEN: Shot five times.

TOURE: Shot five times.

ANTHONY: There is a mystique in the rap world, I mean, shot in a coma.

O'BRIEN: You know what?

TOURE: He grew up in, like, a group home, like, got taken away from his family. O'BRIEN: Crystal, do you want to borrow my copy?

ANTHONY: I have it. I've got some downstairs.

TOURE: You can't borrow mine. I'm saying, you've got to go get your own!

O'BRIEN: You guys, we're out of time. As always, thank you very much -- Bill.

HEMMER: Toure, my iPod is on my desk downstairs if you want to get it.

TOURE: I'll upload it for you.

HEMMER: Thank you.

Top stories in a moment here, including Americans casting ballots for the first time ever, Iraqi-Americans. And for some, the vote is for a country in which they have never stepped foot. The new Iraq, as seen from middle America, after this.

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Aired January 28, 2005 - 07:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, the beautiful Hudson. It looks good on television, doesn't it, Soledad?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, not so clean on the inside, though.

HEMMER: My gosh! A little bit of ice out there, too, coming down. New Jersey to the left, Manhattan to the right, 5 chilly degrees outside on a Friday morning. And good morning. Soledad is back with us today. She's feeling all right.

O'BRIEN: I feel all right. My voice is hanging in there so far, kind of.

HEMMER: We're going to get stronger through the morning, right?

O'BRIEN: That's right.

HEMMER: In a moment here, all morning we are looking at what's at stake on Sunday in Iraq. In a few moments, Kelly Wallace introduces us to a mother who lost her son in Iraq. Through her pain, she is now reaching out to other U.S. troops. And as that election approaches, she finds herself asking herself some very tough questions. We'll get to Kelly's report in a moment here.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, how do security forces in Iraq persuade voters that they can cast a ballot without dying for their country's future? Iraq's ambassador to the U.N. is our guest. We're going to talk about security and also how Iraq will define its success when this is all over.

HEMMER: All right. From across town right here in our studio is Carol Costello with us now and the headlines.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. And good morning to all of you.

"Now in the News."

Two suicide bombings in Iraq, the latest attack at a school for boys. The building is expected to be a polling place for Sunday's elections. And just two hours earlier, an SUV blew up outside of a police station in southern Baghdad. At least four people were killed, two others injured. An arraignment hearing is expected today for the man suspected in the crash of a Los Angeles commuter train. Juan Alvarez is facing charges which could make him eligible for the death sentence. Alvarez had been scheduled to appear for arraignment yesterday, but prosecutors delayed the court date for medical reasons.

A recall for Ford, a huge recall. The auto company says beginning next month, it will notify owners of nearly 800,000 of its SUVs and pickup trucks of a potential fire risk. Ford says the cruise control switch could cause a fire under the hood.

And a baby boy in New York is in stable condition this morning after undergoing a heart transplant. Due to a heart tumor, the baby was put on life support shortly after being born, but a donor was found, and the newborn underwent transplant surgery on Wednesday. The baby is now 10 days old, and he's hanging in there.

HEMMER: Wow!

O'BRIEN: I believe that I ran into the transplant team that was going to harvest the heart at the airport.

COSTELLO: Really?

O'BRIEN: They told me they were going to get a baby heart to bring back to New York for a transplant.

COSTELLO: Why didn't you invite them on the show this morning?

O'BRIEN: Because they were busy with other things. I think it wasn't their first priority. But that's an amazing story.

COSTELLO: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Carol, thank you very much.

In Iraq and here in the U.S., there is hope that Sunday's landmark election will usher in a new democratic era. There are thousands of candidates from more than 100 political parties. And the Bush administration has lots riding on the outcome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice over): The seeds of democracy taking root in Iraq as the country holds its first free election in more than half a century. Some 14 million resident Iraqis are eligible to vote. They'll choose a 275-member National Assembly, which will write the country's new constitution. And they'll elect members of 18 local provincial councils.

Across the country, 30,000 polling stations, 90,000 ballot boxes and poll workers getting a crash course in this new concept called voting.

The biggest concern is security. Iraqi insurgents are stepping up attacks, especially on polling stations. Few of the candidates have campaigned in public. It's just much too dangerous. Many have been targeted and killed. So getting out the vote will be a giant step in defeating the insurgency.

KEN POLLACK, CNN ANALYST: Their theory is that if the Iraqis come to the polls in large numbers they're going to elect a legitimate government that will basically undermine the underpinnings of the insurgency.

O'BRIEN: It's also a historic day for women's rights in Iraq. For the first time, women will be allowed to vote. Hundreds are running for office. It's expected they'll have a significant voice in the National Assembly.

The Shiite majority is expected to win the most seats. The Sunni minority, which enjoyed tremendous power under Saddam Hussein, is mostly expected to boycott the election and lose political power. That could threaten Iraq's post-election stability.

LAITH KUBBAH, NATL. ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY: If we do not include that community in the process, we're simply handing millions of people to the insurgency.

O'BRIEN: Outside Iraq, more than a quarter-million expatriates living in the U.S. and in 13 other countries are exercising their new rights beginning today. The first votes were cast in Australia this morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The official results are expected 10 days after the election -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, insurgents continue to threaten violence there; most recently, distributing leaflets on the streets of Baghdad, promising death to anyone who votes on Sunday.

Samir Sumaida'ie is Iraq's ambassador to the U.N. He's back with us here in New York on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning, Mr. Ambassador.

SAMIR SUMAIDA'IE, IRAQ'S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Good morning.

HEMMER: You're an Iraqi. You're a Sunni. And when I asked you a short time ago if you're a Shia or a Sunni, you said, "I'm an Iraqi first." As an Iraqi, how do you feel today with your country going to elections in two days?

SUMAIDA'IE: Well, I feel very excited. I myself will be casting my vote today for the first time in my life. And I feel full of anticipation. We know this is a challenging situation. We know it's going to be difficult. We have no illusions about that. But we also know that there is no way back. We are moving forward, and no one in Iraq wants to give satisfaction to the terrorists.

HEMMER: Yes. When you talk about the anticipation you have in two days are often referred to nerves and anxiety. Nerves can be negative. Anxiety can be positive energy, because you're anxious toward a moment. Are you A or are you B?

SUMAIDA'IE: Well, certainly not nervous. I am concerned, and I am anxious that we will get through this stage without too many casualties and losses.

HEMMER: Do you believe Iraqis comprehend at this point what Sunday means to their immediate future and how they'll be governed?

SUMAIDA'IE: I think the overwhelming majority of Iraqis do understand. This is a very important stage on their -- for their future. And I think they will be acting on this basis, despite all of the blood-curdling threats that we see from the terrorists. You will find that millions of Iraqis will defy these threats and go out and vote.

HEMMER: President Bush made a comment yesterday in "The New York Times" during an interview, kind of repeating a comment he made back in the summer. He says if the new assembly votes to have the U.S. military leave, he will abide by that decision. Is that likely?

SUMAIDA'IE: It's not likely, frankly, because until our own Iraqi security forces are capable of filling the security vacuum, no responsible Iraqi leader will want the multinational forces to leave. It will have far-reaching, damaging effects.

HEMMER: One more comment here. Adnan Pachachi (ph) is a Sunni also. He's also a candidate in this election.

SUMAIDA'IE: Yes.

HEMMER: I spoke with him earlier today, and he believes even today that the Sunni turnout will be greater than most people think around the world. But when asked to put a percentage on that, he said about 20 percent. Is that good enough for that part of Iraq?

SUMAIDA'IE: Given the circumstances, it would be good in my opinion. You know, we are talking about really heroic positions being taken by individuals who are facing mortal threat. And to expect such a large -- you know, you find in some very stable countries turnouts as low as that in normal circumstances. When people are facing such threats, I think a percentage like that would still be great in these areas.

HEMMER: Good luck to you and your people this weekend.

SUMAIDA'IE: Thank you very much, Bill.

HEMMER: And after that as well. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.

SUMAIDA'IE: Thank you.

HEMMER: All right -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Many Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice so that Iraqis could have the chance to vote. No one knows that better than one mother from Long Island.

Kelly Wallace had a chance to meet her.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, Doreen Kenny and her family is one of the more than 1,400 families coping with loss in the war. We spent time with her yesterday, and we asked her what she is expecting from Sunday's elections in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice over): In Bay Shore, Long Island, not far from New York City symbol of hometown sacrifice. The gold star means a loved one died in war.

Dorine Kenney lost her son, Army Private First Class Jacob Fletcher, just before his 29th birthday.

DORINE KENNEY, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: Nothing is worth the loss of your child.

WALLACE: We first met Dorine in November, 2003, just days after Jacob was killed in Iraq and she got that knock on the door.

KENNEY: My life changed in that moment.

WALLACE: Despite her grief, she took action, starting a foundation that sends care packages to the troops; 24,000 pounds of goodies and essentials have been sent so far. But her questions and her anger have not gone away.

KENNEY: Anger at the loss of life. Anger at the price we're paying for what we're not completely sure of. Where does it stop? We're going to go into all countries that we want democratic and force that issue and let there be blood shed at the cost of the American peoples' children?

WALLACE: Dorine says she prays Sunday's elections will help Iraqis begin to stand on their own, but fears more Americans will be killed.

KENNEY: Just get them home as quickly as possible. And they're not just soldiers; they're people.

WALLACE: People like her son whose childhood dream was to be a soldier and who became a man who felt good about his mission in Iraq. On the back of this picture with Iraqi soldiers he helped train, he said, "I'm proud of this picture. These are my boys."

KENNEY: I will think of him every day until I die, and I will do what I can to keep his memory and energy alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And we thank Dorine Kenney once again for spending time with us. As we mentioned, she set up a foundation. She looks for donations to try and get those care packages to the troops. If you'd like to help, you can go to www.jacobsprogram.org. And at 9:30, Soledad, another family's perspective, a mother of three who is adjusting to her husband now on his way to Iraq.

O'BRIEN: Such interesting stories. Kelly, thank you very much.

WALLACE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: You'll want to stay tuned to CNN all weekend, of course, for complete coverage of the Iraq election. Our team of journalists are going to bring you every angle on this historic event, from election security to expatriates who are voting around the world -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, it's time for weather now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: One other note here: Iraq's ambassador to the U.N., Samir Sumaida'ie, says he's now getting in his car and driving down to Washington to cast his ballot.

O'BRIEN: To take part in history.

HEMMER: History for him, that's right.

O'BRIEN: Well, from batteries to toothpaste, two giants get ready to form the biggest consumer products company in the world, how it's going to affect us. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

HEMMER: Also, "90-Second Pop" is ahead on why it may be up to comedian Chris Rock to save the Oscars. We'll explain that in a moment when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. From Pampers to Duracell, news of a major consumer product merger and what it may mean for your wallet. Back to Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business." First up the markets.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

HEMMER: Good morning to you.

SERWER: Well, let's talk -- and the merger, we can't not talk about that right off the bat. Procter & Gamble is buying Gillette for over $50 billion. We'll talk about that in a second.

As far as the markets yesterday, kind of up, down and all over the place. Let's check out the board and see how we did. The Dow was down, dragged down by Caterpillar tractor. Nasdaq up just a smidge there, you can see. A lot of stuff happening today. Microsoft announced after the bell yesterday. That stock should be active. Also Honeywell and McDonald's. And GDP, the first read of the fourth quarter will be out at 8:30 this morning. SERWER: As far as this deal goes, it is a giant one, and there are a lot of implications all across the board. First of all, the two companies will be merging, based in Cincinnati, though, which is where Procter & Gamble, of course, has been headquartered for many years.

The reason why these two companies are getting together is to have more clout when negotiating with giant companies like Wal-Mart and Kroger and Target.

Consumers, where do they stand on this deal? Well, it's hard to see prices going down when two big companies like this merge. I'm not saying that it's necessarily true that prices will rise, but it will not put downward price pressure on those prices.

There is some overlap in these businesses. Let's talk about that a little bit. Both of them make deodorants and antiperspirants and toothpaste. And that's why there will be some layoffs anticipated here, probably about 6,000 out of a total of 140,000.

And finally, Warren Buffett, the billionaire out of Omaha, wins again, because he's a big shareholder in Gillette. He looks happy. Of course, he's happy. He made hundreds of millions of dollars again. And he's signed off on the deal, and he said this merger is going to create the greatest consumer product company in the world. It's a dream deal. And to show his support, he's bought even more stock.

HEMMER: Wow!

SERWER: He's happy.

HEMMER: Dream deal?

SERWER: He's always happy, though.

HEMMER: That's a heck of an endorsement coming their way.

SERWER: Yes, it is. It is. But that means they really talked to him before they did it, which is smart.

HEMMER: I think it's interesting to hear what you say about the competition with Wal-Mart, too...

SERWER: Yes.

HEMMER: ... trying to take that on.

SERWER: Right, it's a colossus there.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The "Question of the Day." JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: In "The Cafferty File" yesterday, we had this story about -- pardon me. I'm already catching what you have. I'm going to sue you. We had a story about a North Dakota legislator who wants to ban teachers from college classrooms who don't speak understandable English. Representative Betty Grann (ph) thinks students should get their money back if they can't understand the lectures delivered with thick accents and weird pronunciations in schools where they paid tons of money to go there. They are the paying customer.

The proposed legislation would require university teachers to prove their command of English in an interview before they're allowed to teach. That's the question: Should college teachers have to speak understandable English?

Cindy in Baton Rouge: "Definitely yes. I have two sons at two separate universities. They're both dealing with this problem right now. I appreciate the knowledge that a foreign professor can offer my students. However, if you can't understand their lectures or basic instructions, it just doesn't translate. Fluent English should be a minimum requirement to teach. It's my money that's being wasted otherwise."

Shirley in Dunedin, Florida writes this: "I haven't seen a high school graduate who speaks English in this country in 40 years. They ought to be glad to be in college. Let the ignorant little brats make the extra effort to understand anyone who is willing to try to teach them anything."

OK, Shirley.

John in Florida: "When I went to school, my philosophy classes were all in Latin. Give me plain English. When I shell out good money for an education, I expect to get my money's worth by understanding the professor."

Reg in Thunder Bay: "Come on, Jack. The next thing you know they'll want them to also be in the country legally. Hark. Thus thou hear the approach of the ACLU?"

And finally, Tony in Roscoe, Illinois, indubitably: "Professors and then president Bush."

We're getting a lot of mail.

O'BRIEN: I'm sure, touching a nerve.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Some of it is kind of snotty and sarcastic, which is my favorite kind.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. Those are the ones we'll be running.

CAFFERTY: You said you had thoughts on this.

O'BRIEN: For two seconds, which is at Harvard if you had a professor you couldn't or a TA you couldn't understand, you'd switch classes. But some people, as I think one of your letter-writers pointed out, are worth really struggling to listen to, because they're so brilliant, you know?

CAFFERTY: What if you're in Larry Summers' class, and he tells all of the female students at Harvard they're no good at science and math? Can you get your money back for that?

O'BRIEN: I'm sure he was misquoted.

CAFFERTY: He was not misquoted.

O'BRIEN: I'm being sarcastic.

SERWER: He said it loud and clear.

O'BRIEN: I'm being sarcastic. And I agree. I think he was heard loud and clear.

SERWER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And he speaks excellent English, by the way.

CAFFERTY: Yes, everybody understood every word, and now he's in deep kimchee (ph), as they say overseas.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

In a moment here, the '80s are making a comeback. Thank goodness. I'm kidding. "Miami Vice" to DVC, and now there's word on when the movie starts shooting and some big stars are shipping in, too. "90-Second Pop" after this on a Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Oh, we remember that, don't we? It's time for "90- Second Pop" on a Friday. Here to play this morning, Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent. Crystal McCrary Anthony, author of the "Gotham Diaries." And B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."

Good morning to you. First, let me apologize. I've got a little cold going on.

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: I think you sound great.

O'BRIEN: I sound sexy, huh? You like it, yes.

TOURE: It's very deep, sexy. I'm loving it.

O'BRIEN: Well, thank you. You just had to say that. But let's go right into our segment. "Miami Vice" making a comeback. I was shocked, though, to hear who is going to be in the movie.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Yes. Well, the DVD, first of all, is coming out next week. But just in time for the DVD comes the official announcement that they are remaking a big-screen version. And we've got confirmation this week that Crockett is going to be played by Colin Farrell, and...

CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "GOTHAM DIARIES": What? Am I the only one who (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

SIGESMUND: He's trying to attach himself to good movies now after "Alexander." And the news also came through that Tubbs, originally played by Phillip Michael Hall, is going to be portrayed...

TOURE: Thomas.

SIGESMUND: Oh, I'm sorry. Phillip Michael Hall...

(CROSSTALK)

SIGESMUND: This is going to be portrayed by none other than Jamie Foxx...

O'BRIEN: Which is great, right?

SIGESMUND: ... who is likely...

TOURE: Which is great.

SIGESMUND: Yes, which is likely going to win an Oscar at the end of next month.

O'BRIEN: OK, so...

SIGESMUND: But the most inspired part, Soledad...

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SIGESMUND: ... is that the whole thing is going to be written and directed by Michael Mann, who, if you remember, created the show in the first place 20 years ago and went on to make "Ali" and "Collateral" and "The Insider," great movies.

O'BRIEN: All brilliant. I'll give you that. But can we get back to Colin Farrell? Like, what?

TOURE: Yes, yes. I mean, this movie is so necessary, because this is the first remake that matters to my generation. I stayed up in high school to watch "Miami Vice" every Friday night. But Colin Farrell, I mean, what has he done?

SIGESMUND: He (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

TOURE: You know what it's like? It's white boy affirmative action. You're not successful, and you keep moving up, moving up, moving up. For what? It is!

O'BRIEN: No, it's not.

ANTHONY: Well, it's a chance to reenact your high collar show.

TOURE: Yes, exactly. O'BRIEN: Exactly.

ANTHONY: I did that today. It was my ode to "Miami Vice".

O'BRIEN: You know (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is all going to come back around. All right, let's talk about Chris Rock. To some degree, I think, a lot more is on him now. When you look at the list of the movies that have been nominated, there's no one big movie like "Titanic."

ANTHONY: Sure. I mean, he does not have that in favor for himself this year, with one movie that people are rooting for out there. I mean, like you said, there's not a "Titanic." There's not a "Lord of the Rings." I mean, in fact, the movie that's made the most money so far is "Ali" -- I mean, "Ray," which has only, what, made $73 million. So, the onus is really upon him to...

O'BRIEN: Can he pull it off?

ANTHONY: Well, you know, I think, look, he's the hippest choice they could have made.

TOURE: Right.

ANTHONY: The question is: Is he too edgy? But, by his own admission, I mean, I think he said yesterday that he -- more than any other comedian, he pulls people in to see him just as much in the red states as he does in the blue states.

TOURE: Right, right.

ANTHONY: So, I mean, I think that he can -- his forte really is working the live crowd. But will he be too edgy?

TOURE: He's the only person who is unpredictable. You don't know what he's going to say. So you want to tune in to see, oh, my god, what is he going to say? In the press conference yesterday he also said, why are you not a member of the Academy? Because if you're darker than a brown paper bag you can't get in. Like, he'll say anything! I love that!

ANTHONY: Well, but the problem that he's going to have to avoid, though, I mean, he's going to have to not dominate the audience. And with such a big presence as him, that will be difficult. He's going to have to really try to temper himself as the ringmaster of the Hollywood family reunion.

O'BRIEN: He definitely is funny enough to pull it off. So I'm rooting for him. I love that guy. I hope he can really do it.

Let's talk about one of my favorite artists.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: That's right, B.J. and I have been really following the career of The Game." TOURE: Oh!

O'BRIEN: His new CD/documentary...

TOURE: The documentary.

O'BRIEN: OK, the documentary from The Game. Let's stop for just a moment and really play a little bit from my personal collection.

TOURE: There you go.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, some people write a lot about God in their lives and people who inspired them. But not my guy.

TOURE: No, no, no.

O'BRIEN: He talks about how he was shot five times back in his past when he was a dealer.

TOURE: Look, look, look, if you're wondering if this is gangster rap, both his parents were crips (ph) and he was a blood. So, yes, it's gangster rap. But this is my favorite album right now. I've been listening to it all day every day for a week.

O'BRIEN: You and a lot of other people.

TOURE: This is so great. It sold 600,000 the first week out, right? He's just a guy from Compton. It's just good, hardcore L.A. rap. He's got Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent behind him, producing and rhyming with him. So it just blew up right away.

O'BRIEN: And...

SIGESMUND: Can I say, though?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SIGESMUND: This guy, he has taken the criminal pedigree to the next level. This guy was in a coma.

TOURE: Yes.

SIGESMUND: He was literally in a coma, went in and out of a coma, and that's when he decided that he wanted to become a rapper.

O'BRIEN: Shot five times.

TOURE: Shot five times.

ANTHONY: There is a mystique in the rap world, I mean, shot in a coma.

O'BRIEN: You know what?

TOURE: He grew up in, like, a group home, like, got taken away from his family. O'BRIEN: Crystal, do you want to borrow my copy?

ANTHONY: I have it. I've got some downstairs.

TOURE: You can't borrow mine. I'm saying, you've got to go get your own!

O'BRIEN: You guys, we're out of time. As always, thank you very much -- Bill.

HEMMER: Toure, my iPod is on my desk downstairs if you want to get it.

TOURE: I'll upload it for you.

HEMMER: Thank you.

Top stories in a moment here, including Americans casting ballots for the first time ever, Iraqi-Americans. And for some, the vote is for a country in which they have never stepped foot. The new Iraq, as seen from middle America, after this.

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