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CNN Live At Daybreak

Health of Pope John Paul; Stage Being Set for Nation's Next Big Court Case

Aired February 02, 2005 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, the focus this hour, the health of Pope John Paul, hospitalized with breathing problems. We'll have a live report out of Rome for you in three minutes.
Plus, the nation's next big court case. The stage is being set. Now the challenge is to reduce the size of the jury pool in the Michael Jackson case.

And the most talked about Eagle in Jacksonville. He's not a marquis player, but he sure is flying high.

It is Wednesday, February 2.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, the head of the Catholic Church is resting in a Rome hospital this hour. Just minutes ago, an aide said there is no reason to be alarmed. Pope John Paul II spent a restful night after being rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. He's been battling the flu.

President Bush heads to Capitol Hill tonight for his State of the Union address. He's expected to push for changes in Social Security and to talk about the successful elections in Iraq.

A divided Senate debated the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. Democrats questioned his position on torture involving prisoners in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Still, the Senate is expected to confirm him tomorrow.

And in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, top hats and tails and a famous ground dwelling rodent. Yes, today is Ground Hog Day, which means -- Chad...

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes?

COSTELLO: We're doomed to repeat this newscast again and again and again until we get it right.

MYERS: Yes, you and me in a hotel in Pittsburgh somewhere. Wasn't that the movie?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Andy McDowell, I think, was in it, right? Wasn't she? That was one of her...

COSTELLO: And Bill Murray.

MYERS: And Bill Murray, right.

It's Ground Hog Day.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Let's get more now on the health of Pope John Paul II. He had a peaceful night in a Rome hospital, but his age and his frail body have many concerned about this hospitalization.

For the latest, let's go live to CNN's Delia Gallagher.

She's in Rome this morning -- hello, Delia.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hoc.

COSTELLO: Tell us about his condition.

How serious is it?

GALLAGHER: Well, I would say this morning there's cautious optimism that this really is just a bad case of the flu. Last night the alarm bells did go off when we saw the pope had been rushed to the hospital. We'd known he had the flu for about three days, but no one quite expected this. And, you know, a late night hospital visit makes people worry.

But we had a few reassuring signs throughout the night, the first being that his private doctor didn't stay the night at the hospital. He left after about an hour. So that seemed to be a good sign, that there was confidence that the pope was just resting. And now we have the reassuring words of Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the pope's spokesman, that no reason for alarm. Everything is calm.

That being said, it will need to be followed closely in the next few days, because obviously the reason that they've taken him to the hospital in the first place is not just for the flu, but to monitor any complications that could arise from the flu, considering we're dealing with an 84-year-old man who has other ailments -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We've heard, Delia, that it's an upper respiratory infection. Sometimes when that condition is really serious, they have to do something to help the pope breathe.

Do you know if any extreme measures had to be taken to help the pope breathe? GALLAGHER: Well, you know, we had no official word on exactly has been done, or, indeed, what the state of health is. The only thing we've had is from the spokesman, who says everything is calm. So it's -- while it's reassuring, it's a little thin on the details, although that's par for the course at the Vatican. They don't like to go into detail about the health or the procedures that are taken.

We have heard some of your doctors, your experts on, who talk a little bit about those respiratory problems and some, you know, there are a whole range of things that can be done, from putting someone on a respirator to simply patting them on the back. So just having respiratory problems is a very broad, broad diagnosis. And there's really no way to ascertain exactly what is happening, what the procedures are inside the hospital.

Perhaps some of those details will come out in the next few hours and the next few days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: A final question for you. I know the flu has gone around Italy.

Did the pope get a flu shot?

GALLAGHER: Well, you know, he does take a flu shot as far as we know. And it was something that struck me, that since November, there's been headlines about this being the coldest winter in Rome. It's still very cold and getting colder, and half of Italy out with the flu. So, in a sense, if you excuse the facile observation, I'm surprised the pope's held out so long. You know, he has hundreds of people coming to him every week embracing him, kissing him, touching him. He's prone, very prone to getting the flu and that may be what we're seeing in these days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Delia Gallagher reporting live from the Vatican this morning.

Thank you.

It's hard to measure the impact John Paul has had during his 27 years as pontiff. He's traveled more than any other pope and he's seen more people in more places than pretty much anybody ever.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is in Vatican City with a look at the pope's popularity.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Around the Vatican, they like to boast that John Paul has personally made contact with more people than anyone else on Earth. Fifteen million alone, according to estimates, have attended his Wednesday audiences in Rome, not to mention the millions and millions and millions who have turned out to see him on his 102 trips abroad. Add to that the billions who've seen him on TV and surely the pope would qualify as the most recognizable figure on the planet. And how has he used that visibility? Some credit John Paul with precipitating the downfall of communism, with confronting dictators on human rights, with reaching out to address divisions between religions. He has used his priestly pulpit to comfort the downtrodden, as he has throughout the underdeveloped world and to confront the powerful, as he did most recently with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George Bush over the war in Iraq.

Even some who know the pope's failings rate him a success.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: You'd be hard pressed to name any global figure who has achieved 100 percent of the things they set out to achieve. I think the measure of success really has to be sort of fidelity to one's own vision and the capacity to make that vision real.

BITTERMANN (on camera): There are many, of course, who do not agree with the pope's vision. Even some members of his College of Cardinals say that John Paul's quarter century has left the church with numerous internal problems -- declining congregations, a declining number of priests, a major sex abuse scandal and a congregation divided on such issues as the role of women in the church, abortion and birth control.

(voice-over): Yet the sheer length of his reign has permitted John Paul to set large goals and achieve them, goals based on principals beyond those of a modern world often driven by profit and provocation. The pope has used communications in a way no human being ever has, helping to move the world in an entirely different direction. No army, just his moral megaphone, as they call it around the Vatican.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Vatican City.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: A bit of breaking news to tell you about right now.

The Vatican has just released a statement on the pope's condition.

Let's head back live to Rome and to the Vatican for our Vatican analyst John Allen -- John, there's a bit of good news in this statement -- tell us about it.

ALLEN: Yes, that's right. We have really two different items here. One is a written statement the Vatican released moments ago indicating that the pope's cardio-respiratory and metabolic indicators, that is, blood tests, are all within normal limits. They're confirming the diagnosis last night that there was an acute respiratory problem related to the trachea, that last night the pope slept for a few hours and that he's under medical care this morning.

In addition, the Vatican spokesperson, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, has told journalists that the pope did not undergo a CAT scan because it was not necessary. In other words, he did not -- the problem was not sufficiently grave to warrant that, that this morning he had a little bit of breakfast and some coffee. He is resting comfortably and was preparing just moments ago to celebrate mass in his room on the 10th floor of the Gemelli Hospital with his private aide, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz.

So the news this morning is, indeed, reassuring. It would appear that the pope's condition is stable and improving.

COSTELLO: Oh, that is good news. And he's preparing for mass on Wednesday. He is something else, isn't he? What a strong man.

ALLEN: Well, you know, those of us who watch him on a day in and day out basis have seen him survive this kind of scare many a time before. I mean he is -- he's got a remarkable reserve of strength and resilience and it would appear that it's coming through for him again this time.

COSTELLO: John Allen, we'll check back with you.

Joining us live now, our Vatican analyst, reporting live from the Vatican this morning.

Thank you.

Tonight's the night President Bush lays out his plan for the next four years. He is shaping his legacy. The president has been practicing his State of the Union address. It times out at about 40 minutes, and that's without the applause. Do not expect to hear what the Democrats are demanding, an exit strategy for U.S. troops in Iraq. What you can expect is for the president to praise elections in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. He'll also talk about his budget, gains in the economy, his energy bill, malpractice lawsuits and topping the list, oh, you know this, Social Security reform.

Here's how First Lady Laura Bush describes the president's objective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: The president will talk about confronting problems that he feels like it's his responsibility and the responsibility of elected officials to confront, and certainly one of those is Social Security, to figure out what we can do, have everybody, the united -- in the United States Congress and the president can come together to make sure that Social Security will be viable in the future, when all of us who are Baby Boomers are on Social Security and then there are fewer, at that point, younger workers who are putting money into Social Security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Tonight, be sure to count on CNN for extensive live coverage of the president's State of the Union address. Our prime time event begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And that brings us to our E-Mail Question of the Morning. What do you want to hear in tonight's State of the Union address? What topics do you think the president should cover. We want to know what you think. So e-mail us at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

The judge in the Michael Jackson case says enough. At 14 minutes past the hour, we'll take a look at what a jury of Jackson's peers might look like.

At 39 past the hour, the pre-game media flurry over a construction workers reaches fever pitch, and he hasn't even had a wardrobe malfunction yet.

And the government is going to help cure a malfunction of another sort what -- that has watchdog groups crying foul. We'll tell you why at 49 minutes past.

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

COSTELLO:

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the U.S. might help train and equip Palestinian forces. Rice heads to the region next week on her first overseas trip as the nation's top diplomat. She'll meet with both Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Pope John Paul II reportedly had a peaceful night at the hospital. The official Italian news agency quotes a Vatican source as saying the pontiff slept rather well. Aides say he has the flu.

In money news, Google's got the goods. The Internet search leader reports sales have doubled, exceeding $1 billion over the past year. And fourth quarter profits were a record $204 million.

In culture, New York Yankees great Yogi Berra has filed a $10 million lawsuit against TBS. He says the cable television network sullied his name by using it without his permission in a racy advertisement for its "Sex and the City" reruns. TBS is a sister network of CNN.

In sports, Emmitt Smith may be ready to call it a career. Several reports say the NFL's all time rushing leader could announce his retirement as early as Thursday. Smith, who spent the last two seasons with the Cardinals, says he wants to retire as a member of the Cowboys. Oh, it was a long retirement for him -- Chad.

He tried, but he just couldn't keep going.

MYERS: Yes, and, you know, he really would like to be traded back to Dallas for just one day so that he could actually retire from that organization. Obviously with that organization a lot longer than he was with the Cardinals.

Anyway, good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

It's on to step two in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. The judge has decided the jury pool is large enough, so on Monday, prosecutors and defense attorneys will start questioning prospective jurors at length.

CNN's Ted Rowlands had more from Santa Maria, California.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dressed in a black jacket and black pants, Michael Jackson acknowledged his screaming fans before going into the courthouse for what turned out to be a short day, and the last of the week. About 250 potential jurors, more than expected at this point, say they are ready to serve for up to six months. The judge canceled court for the rest of the week, ordering everybody back Monday morning.

In court, Jackson stood and smiled as prospective jurors walked in. Courtroom observers described Jackson as attentive, saying he was even taking notes.

DAWN HOBBS, "SANTA BARBARA NEWS PRESS": When he came into the courtroom and he sat down, he pulled out one of those big yellow legal pads and wrote down a note almost as if to himself, folded it up, put it inside of his pocket and the rest of the time he was, indeed, taking notes, like his lawyers were taking notes.

ROWLANDS: The jurors, who have all filled out seven page questionnaires, will be back Monday for individual questioning. The 250 will be whittled down to 20, 12 jurors and eight alternates. The crowd outside the courthouse has thinned considerably from day one of the trial, leaving mainly hard core fans to greet the pop superstar as he comes and goes.

LIDI GYAMPOH, FAN FROM ENGLAND: I've got three children at home. I came and I left them because Michael is -- he is as important to me as like a father would be.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS, FAN FROM WALES: Well, I have my, I think, like a year's worth of savings have just gone on this one week's trip. But it was worth it. ROWLANDS: As he was being driven away for the final time of the week, Jackson hung out the window, one last look for his hard core fans.

(on camera): Attorneys from both sides will most likely use these next few days to pore over those questionnaires, to prepare for Monday, when prospective jurors will be questioned by both sides individually in open court. Michael Jackson is expected to attend Monday's hearing.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Legal exerts say it could take a month before a panel of jurors is seated in Michael Jackson's trial. The 46-year-old pop star has vowed he'll be acquitted and vindicated.

Let's get more on how he's behaving in court, as we take you "Beyond the Sound Bite."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA DEUTCH, ASSOCIATED PRESS POOL REPORTER: Michael Jackson was cheerful, as he was the first day. He was talking animatedly with his lawyers before the session started. When the jurors were filing in, he was still chatting back and forth with his attorneys, looking cheerful, sometimes smiling. He was wearing a black jacket with a kind of a red and gold crest on the pocket and black slacks with stripes up the side, gold and red stripes.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, REPORTER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": And I was really impressed with this very lengthy proceeding this morning. He was highly focused. He was taking notes. He was very engaged. He did not seem to be daydreaming. And I really got the sense that he is aware that he is really fighting for his life and there's sort of a seriousness that emanates out of him that we haven't seen previously.

So that really struck me.

HOBBS: It seems like the words self-employed were the key words. If you got up and said I'm self-employed, then the judge is like OK. And this one man stands up and he says he's self-employed and the judge goes well, do you have any other source of income? And he says just a wife. And so everybody starts laughing.

So when there was that laughter in the courtroom, then Mr. Jackson was, you know, chuckling along with everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Michael Jackson could face more than 30 years in prison if he is convicted on all 10 counts.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, two years after hanging up his helmet, Jeff Thomason says he is the luckiest guy in the world. We'll see what a second chance looks like.

And we'll meet a 9-year-old boy looking for his own second chance as he deals with a monster in his head.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, Chad?

MYERS: Carol?

COSTELLO: Chad, are you ready to laugh?

MYERS: I'm ready, "Late Night Laughs."

COSTELLO: OK. Time to kick off your morning, people, with some "Late Night Laughs."

President Bush lays out his second term goals in his State of the Union speech tonight. But someone's already done it for him, and that would be David Letterman.

MYERS: Of course.

COSTELLO: "The Late Show" -- of course. "The Late Show" host compares Bush's first term goals with his second term agenda.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: First term wrecked the Middle East. The second term, wrecking Social Security.

First term, assured that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Second term, come to think of it, it might have been Iran.

We're going to run a play with two balls now, OK?

First term spent a lot of time and energy running for reelection. Second term already gearing up to run for that elusive third term, that elusive third term.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elusive third term of love.

LETTERMAN: Say what you will about George W. Bush, even in the early picture and the later picture, he's still our cutest president ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Do you think David Letterman is a Democrat?

MYERS: I'm not sure. But I think his writers might be. COSTELLO: Yes.

You know what struck me are the two pictures of George Bush and how much he's aged in four years.

MYERS: I know. And David Letterman hasn't. He looks the same as he did 20 years ago.

COSTELLO: You think so?

MYERS: I think so. Maybe he's taking Propecia, because he still has the same amount of hair.

COSTELLO: I don't think he had very much hair long ago.

MYERS: Well, neither did I.

COSTELLO: Remember our E-Mail Question of the Morning. Please, we want you to e-mail us daybreak@cnn.com. What do you want to hear in tonight's State of the Union address? What do you want the president to say? What topics should he touch on? Let us know what you think. Daybreak@cnn.com.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour.

Pope John Paul II spent a restful night in a Rome hospital, but is he out of danger? We take you live to Rome for an update.

And later on, from construction worker to NFL receiver in just two short weeks. One man's unlikely Super Bowl dream is about to come true. We'll have his story for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you.

Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, new word this morning on the pope's health. A Vatican spokesman says John Paul II's condition is stable and there is no cause for alarm. The pope is in a Rome hospital with a respiratory infection.

Some alarming intelligence about North Korea. According to published reports this morning, U.S. officials believe North Korea might have exported nuclear material to Libya. The reports say the communist nation has also made more weapons grade plutonium.

Overhauling Social Security and staying the course in Iraq -- those are two goals that the president will outline in his State of the Union speech. The president addresses a joint session of Congress tonight. Jesse Jackson joins the effort to free an American hostage in Iraq. Jackson says he'll try to help negotiate the release of Roy Hallums. The American contractor was seen on a recent video pleading for his life at gunpoint.

To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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Aired February 2, 2005 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, the focus this hour, the health of Pope John Paul, hospitalized with breathing problems. We'll have a live report out of Rome for you in three minutes.
Plus, the nation's next big court case. The stage is being set. Now the challenge is to reduce the size of the jury pool in the Michael Jackson case.

And the most talked about Eagle in Jacksonville. He's not a marquis player, but he sure is flying high.

It is Wednesday, February 2.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, the head of the Catholic Church is resting in a Rome hospital this hour. Just minutes ago, an aide said there is no reason to be alarmed. Pope John Paul II spent a restful night after being rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. He's been battling the flu.

President Bush heads to Capitol Hill tonight for his State of the Union address. He's expected to push for changes in Social Security and to talk about the successful elections in Iraq.

A divided Senate debated the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. Democrats questioned his position on torture involving prisoners in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Still, the Senate is expected to confirm him tomorrow.

And in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, top hats and tails and a famous ground dwelling rodent. Yes, today is Ground Hog Day, which means -- Chad...

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes?

COSTELLO: We're doomed to repeat this newscast again and again and again until we get it right.

MYERS: Yes, you and me in a hotel in Pittsburgh somewhere. Wasn't that the movie?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Andy McDowell, I think, was in it, right? Wasn't she? That was one of her...

COSTELLO: And Bill Murray.

MYERS: And Bill Murray, right.

It's Ground Hog Day.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Let's get more now on the health of Pope John Paul II. He had a peaceful night in a Rome hospital, but his age and his frail body have many concerned about this hospitalization.

For the latest, let's go live to CNN's Delia Gallagher.

She's in Rome this morning -- hello, Delia.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hoc.

COSTELLO: Tell us about his condition.

How serious is it?

GALLAGHER: Well, I would say this morning there's cautious optimism that this really is just a bad case of the flu. Last night the alarm bells did go off when we saw the pope had been rushed to the hospital. We'd known he had the flu for about three days, but no one quite expected this. And, you know, a late night hospital visit makes people worry.

But we had a few reassuring signs throughout the night, the first being that his private doctor didn't stay the night at the hospital. He left after about an hour. So that seemed to be a good sign, that there was confidence that the pope was just resting. And now we have the reassuring words of Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the pope's spokesman, that no reason for alarm. Everything is calm.

That being said, it will need to be followed closely in the next few days, because obviously the reason that they've taken him to the hospital in the first place is not just for the flu, but to monitor any complications that could arise from the flu, considering we're dealing with an 84-year-old man who has other ailments -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We've heard, Delia, that it's an upper respiratory infection. Sometimes when that condition is really serious, they have to do something to help the pope breathe.

Do you know if any extreme measures had to be taken to help the pope breathe? GALLAGHER: Well, you know, we had no official word on exactly has been done, or, indeed, what the state of health is. The only thing we've had is from the spokesman, who says everything is calm. So it's -- while it's reassuring, it's a little thin on the details, although that's par for the course at the Vatican. They don't like to go into detail about the health or the procedures that are taken.

We have heard some of your doctors, your experts on, who talk a little bit about those respiratory problems and some, you know, there are a whole range of things that can be done, from putting someone on a respirator to simply patting them on the back. So just having respiratory problems is a very broad, broad diagnosis. And there's really no way to ascertain exactly what is happening, what the procedures are inside the hospital.

Perhaps some of those details will come out in the next few hours and the next few days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: A final question for you. I know the flu has gone around Italy.

Did the pope get a flu shot?

GALLAGHER: Well, you know, he does take a flu shot as far as we know. And it was something that struck me, that since November, there's been headlines about this being the coldest winter in Rome. It's still very cold and getting colder, and half of Italy out with the flu. So, in a sense, if you excuse the facile observation, I'm surprised the pope's held out so long. You know, he has hundreds of people coming to him every week embracing him, kissing him, touching him. He's prone, very prone to getting the flu and that may be what we're seeing in these days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Delia Gallagher reporting live from the Vatican this morning.

Thank you.

It's hard to measure the impact John Paul has had during his 27 years as pontiff. He's traveled more than any other pope and he's seen more people in more places than pretty much anybody ever.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is in Vatican City with a look at the pope's popularity.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Around the Vatican, they like to boast that John Paul has personally made contact with more people than anyone else on Earth. Fifteen million alone, according to estimates, have attended his Wednesday audiences in Rome, not to mention the millions and millions and millions who have turned out to see him on his 102 trips abroad. Add to that the billions who've seen him on TV and surely the pope would qualify as the most recognizable figure on the planet. And how has he used that visibility? Some credit John Paul with precipitating the downfall of communism, with confronting dictators on human rights, with reaching out to address divisions between religions. He has used his priestly pulpit to comfort the downtrodden, as he has throughout the underdeveloped world and to confront the powerful, as he did most recently with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George Bush over the war in Iraq.

Even some who know the pope's failings rate him a success.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: You'd be hard pressed to name any global figure who has achieved 100 percent of the things they set out to achieve. I think the measure of success really has to be sort of fidelity to one's own vision and the capacity to make that vision real.

BITTERMANN (on camera): There are many, of course, who do not agree with the pope's vision. Even some members of his College of Cardinals say that John Paul's quarter century has left the church with numerous internal problems -- declining congregations, a declining number of priests, a major sex abuse scandal and a congregation divided on such issues as the role of women in the church, abortion and birth control.

(voice-over): Yet the sheer length of his reign has permitted John Paul to set large goals and achieve them, goals based on principals beyond those of a modern world often driven by profit and provocation. The pope has used communications in a way no human being ever has, helping to move the world in an entirely different direction. No army, just his moral megaphone, as they call it around the Vatican.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Vatican City.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: A bit of breaking news to tell you about right now.

The Vatican has just released a statement on the pope's condition.

Let's head back live to Rome and to the Vatican for our Vatican analyst John Allen -- John, there's a bit of good news in this statement -- tell us about it.

ALLEN: Yes, that's right. We have really two different items here. One is a written statement the Vatican released moments ago indicating that the pope's cardio-respiratory and metabolic indicators, that is, blood tests, are all within normal limits. They're confirming the diagnosis last night that there was an acute respiratory problem related to the trachea, that last night the pope slept for a few hours and that he's under medical care this morning.

In addition, the Vatican spokesperson, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, has told journalists that the pope did not undergo a CAT scan because it was not necessary. In other words, he did not -- the problem was not sufficiently grave to warrant that, that this morning he had a little bit of breakfast and some coffee. He is resting comfortably and was preparing just moments ago to celebrate mass in his room on the 10th floor of the Gemelli Hospital with his private aide, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz.

So the news this morning is, indeed, reassuring. It would appear that the pope's condition is stable and improving.

COSTELLO: Oh, that is good news. And he's preparing for mass on Wednesday. He is something else, isn't he? What a strong man.

ALLEN: Well, you know, those of us who watch him on a day in and day out basis have seen him survive this kind of scare many a time before. I mean he is -- he's got a remarkable reserve of strength and resilience and it would appear that it's coming through for him again this time.

COSTELLO: John Allen, we'll check back with you.

Joining us live now, our Vatican analyst, reporting live from the Vatican this morning.

Thank you.

Tonight's the night President Bush lays out his plan for the next four years. He is shaping his legacy. The president has been practicing his State of the Union address. It times out at about 40 minutes, and that's without the applause. Do not expect to hear what the Democrats are demanding, an exit strategy for U.S. troops in Iraq. What you can expect is for the president to praise elections in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. He'll also talk about his budget, gains in the economy, his energy bill, malpractice lawsuits and topping the list, oh, you know this, Social Security reform.

Here's how First Lady Laura Bush describes the president's objective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: The president will talk about confronting problems that he feels like it's his responsibility and the responsibility of elected officials to confront, and certainly one of those is Social Security, to figure out what we can do, have everybody, the united -- in the United States Congress and the president can come together to make sure that Social Security will be viable in the future, when all of us who are Baby Boomers are on Social Security and then there are fewer, at that point, younger workers who are putting money into Social Security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Tonight, be sure to count on CNN for extensive live coverage of the president's State of the Union address. Our prime time event begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And that brings us to our E-Mail Question of the Morning. What do you want to hear in tonight's State of the Union address? What topics do you think the president should cover. We want to know what you think. So e-mail us at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

The judge in the Michael Jackson case says enough. At 14 minutes past the hour, we'll take a look at what a jury of Jackson's peers might look like.

At 39 past the hour, the pre-game media flurry over a construction workers reaches fever pitch, and he hasn't even had a wardrobe malfunction yet.

And the government is going to help cure a malfunction of another sort what -- that has watchdog groups crying foul. We'll tell you why at 49 minutes past.

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

COSTELLO:

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the U.S. might help train and equip Palestinian forces. Rice heads to the region next week on her first overseas trip as the nation's top diplomat. She'll meet with both Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Pope John Paul II reportedly had a peaceful night at the hospital. The official Italian news agency quotes a Vatican source as saying the pontiff slept rather well. Aides say he has the flu.

In money news, Google's got the goods. The Internet search leader reports sales have doubled, exceeding $1 billion over the past year. And fourth quarter profits were a record $204 million.

In culture, New York Yankees great Yogi Berra has filed a $10 million lawsuit against TBS. He says the cable television network sullied his name by using it without his permission in a racy advertisement for its "Sex and the City" reruns. TBS is a sister network of CNN.

In sports, Emmitt Smith may be ready to call it a career. Several reports say the NFL's all time rushing leader could announce his retirement as early as Thursday. Smith, who spent the last two seasons with the Cardinals, says he wants to retire as a member of the Cowboys. Oh, it was a long retirement for him -- Chad.

He tried, but he just couldn't keep going.

MYERS: Yes, and, you know, he really would like to be traded back to Dallas for just one day so that he could actually retire from that organization. Obviously with that organization a lot longer than he was with the Cardinals.

Anyway, good morning, Carol.

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COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

It's on to step two in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. The judge has decided the jury pool is large enough, so on Monday, prosecutors and defense attorneys will start questioning prospective jurors at length.

CNN's Ted Rowlands had more from Santa Maria, California.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dressed in a black jacket and black pants, Michael Jackson acknowledged his screaming fans before going into the courthouse for what turned out to be a short day, and the last of the week. About 250 potential jurors, more than expected at this point, say they are ready to serve for up to six months. The judge canceled court for the rest of the week, ordering everybody back Monday morning.

In court, Jackson stood and smiled as prospective jurors walked in. Courtroom observers described Jackson as attentive, saying he was even taking notes.

DAWN HOBBS, "SANTA BARBARA NEWS PRESS": When he came into the courtroom and he sat down, he pulled out one of those big yellow legal pads and wrote down a note almost as if to himself, folded it up, put it inside of his pocket and the rest of the time he was, indeed, taking notes, like his lawyers were taking notes.

ROWLANDS: The jurors, who have all filled out seven page questionnaires, will be back Monday for individual questioning. The 250 will be whittled down to 20, 12 jurors and eight alternates. The crowd outside the courthouse has thinned considerably from day one of the trial, leaving mainly hard core fans to greet the pop superstar as he comes and goes.

LIDI GYAMPOH, FAN FROM ENGLAND: I've got three children at home. I came and I left them because Michael is -- he is as important to me as like a father would be.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS, FAN FROM WALES: Well, I have my, I think, like a year's worth of savings have just gone on this one week's trip. But it was worth it. ROWLANDS: As he was being driven away for the final time of the week, Jackson hung out the window, one last look for his hard core fans.

(on camera): Attorneys from both sides will most likely use these next few days to pore over those questionnaires, to prepare for Monday, when prospective jurors will be questioned by both sides individually in open court. Michael Jackson is expected to attend Monday's hearing.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Legal exerts say it could take a month before a panel of jurors is seated in Michael Jackson's trial. The 46-year-old pop star has vowed he'll be acquitted and vindicated.

Let's get more on how he's behaving in court, as we take you "Beyond the Sound Bite."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA DEUTCH, ASSOCIATED PRESS POOL REPORTER: Michael Jackson was cheerful, as he was the first day. He was talking animatedly with his lawyers before the session started. When the jurors were filing in, he was still chatting back and forth with his attorneys, looking cheerful, sometimes smiling. He was wearing a black jacket with a kind of a red and gold crest on the pocket and black slacks with stripes up the side, gold and red stripes.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, REPORTER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": And I was really impressed with this very lengthy proceeding this morning. He was highly focused. He was taking notes. He was very engaged. He did not seem to be daydreaming. And I really got the sense that he is aware that he is really fighting for his life and there's sort of a seriousness that emanates out of him that we haven't seen previously.

So that really struck me.

HOBBS: It seems like the words self-employed were the key words. If you got up and said I'm self-employed, then the judge is like OK. And this one man stands up and he says he's self-employed and the judge goes well, do you have any other source of income? And he says just a wife. And so everybody starts laughing.

So when there was that laughter in the courtroom, then Mr. Jackson was, you know, chuckling along with everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Michael Jackson could face more than 30 years in prison if he is convicted on all 10 counts.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, two years after hanging up his helmet, Jeff Thomason says he is the luckiest guy in the world. We'll see what a second chance looks like.

And we'll meet a 9-year-old boy looking for his own second chance as he deals with a monster in his head.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, Chad?

MYERS: Carol?

COSTELLO: Chad, are you ready to laugh?

MYERS: I'm ready, "Late Night Laughs."

COSTELLO: OK. Time to kick off your morning, people, with some "Late Night Laughs."

President Bush lays out his second term goals in his State of the Union speech tonight. But someone's already done it for him, and that would be David Letterman.

MYERS: Of course.

COSTELLO: "The Late Show" -- of course. "The Late Show" host compares Bush's first term goals with his second term agenda.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: First term wrecked the Middle East. The second term, wrecking Social Security.

First term, assured that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Second term, come to think of it, it might have been Iran.

We're going to run a play with two balls now, OK?

First term spent a lot of time and energy running for reelection. Second term already gearing up to run for that elusive third term, that elusive third term.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elusive third term of love.

LETTERMAN: Say what you will about George W. Bush, even in the early picture and the later picture, he's still our cutest president ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Do you think David Letterman is a Democrat?

MYERS: I'm not sure. But I think his writers might be. COSTELLO: Yes.

You know what struck me are the two pictures of George Bush and how much he's aged in four years.

MYERS: I know. And David Letterman hasn't. He looks the same as he did 20 years ago.

COSTELLO: You think so?

MYERS: I think so. Maybe he's taking Propecia, because he still has the same amount of hair.

COSTELLO: I don't think he had very much hair long ago.

MYERS: Well, neither did I.

COSTELLO: Remember our E-Mail Question of the Morning. Please, we want you to e-mail us daybreak@cnn.com. What do you want to hear in tonight's State of the Union address? What do you want the president to say? What topics should he touch on? Let us know what you think. Daybreak@cnn.com.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour.

Pope John Paul II spent a restful night in a Rome hospital, but is he out of danger? We take you live to Rome for an update.

And later on, from construction worker to NFL receiver in just two short weeks. One man's unlikely Super Bowl dream is about to come true. We'll have his story for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you.

Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, new word this morning on the pope's health. A Vatican spokesman says John Paul II's condition is stable and there is no cause for alarm. The pope is in a Rome hospital with a respiratory infection.

Some alarming intelligence about North Korea. According to published reports this morning, U.S. officials believe North Korea might have exported nuclear material to Libya. The reports say the communist nation has also made more weapons grade plutonium.

Overhauling Social Security and staying the course in Iraq -- those are two goals that the president will outline in his State of the Union speech. The president addresses a joint session of Congress tonight. Jesse Jackson joins the effort to free an American hostage in Iraq. Jackson says he'll try to help negotiate the release of Roy Hallums. The American contractor was seen on a recent video pleading for his life at gunpoint.

To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

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