Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Nomination of John Negroponte to be New National Intelligence Director; Should Your Child's Body Mass be Listed On Their Report Card?

Aired February 18, 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.


KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, the Vatican gives its blessing for a course in exorcism. We'll take you to Rome.
Plus, a film touching on the dark side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What goes through the mind of a suicide bomber?

And flying to Europe? Get bumped from a flight? The airlines might have the perfect I'm sorry -- free money, and lots of it.

It is Friday, February 18, and this is DAYBREAK.

Good morning and happy Friday to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace in for Carol Costello.

Now in the news, the battle for long distance phone provider MCI is not over yet. Qwest Communications says it will make a new offer for the company. On Monday, MCI accepted a takeover offer from Verizon for almost $7 billion.

Vioxx could be returning to your pharmacy. Drug maker Merck says it may put the pain killer back on the shelves, that is, if an advisory panel to the FDA finds the benefits outweigh the increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.

Comedian Bill Cosby can breathe a little easier. A Pennsylvania prosecutor says the allegation Cosby drugged and groped a woman in his Philadelphia home last year just doesn't hold up.

And for the first time, Pope John Paul II reveals his thoughts when he was shot back in 1981. In a new book, the pope recalls believing the bullet missed his vital organs because of divine intervention.

Time for the first check of the weather.

We go to Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers -- Rob, happy Friday.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Happy Friday to you, Kelly.

Chad and Carol out for the second day in a row together. A little buzz around the water cooler now?

WALLACE: Oh, well, I don't know.

MARCIANO: No, no. I'm just kidding.

WALLACE: We've got to look into this.

MARCIANO: Just coincidental.

WALLACE: They're both enjoying much deserved days off.

MARCIANO: You'd better believe it.

WALLACE: So they're back here on Monday.

MARCIANO: Nice to see you again, Kelly.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Now, to our CNN "Security Watch." By this time you probably know President Bush has made his choice for the new director of national intelligence. John Negroponte is a career diplomat.

And as our national security correspondent David Ensor reports, he also faces some very big challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Power in Washington flows to those with access to the president and those with control of budgets and personnel. Mr. Bush sought to make clear the new director of national intelligence will have both.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He will have access on a daily basis in that he'll be my primary briefer.

ENSOR: On the estimated $40 billion intelligence budget, spanning 15 different agencies, the president said Negroponte will determine who gets what.

BUSH: People will make their case, there's a discussion, but ultimately John will make the decisions on the budget.

ENSOR: Former deputy director of Central Intelligence, John McLaughlin, who has joined CNN as an analyst, says Negroponte will have his work cut out for him.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The legislation that empowers him is not as precise as everyone would like it to be in authorizing his powers. The legislation is, after all, the result of compromises during a difficult and contentious time in our country and therefore the language, in many cases, is what I would call kind of spongy.

ENSOR: Critics charge that the intelligence reform law that sets up the DNI job contains too much ambiguity about budget and personnel power. They predict trouble between Negroponte and the Pentagon. RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I don't think a powerful job. This is a miserable job. This is one of the hardest jobs in Washington and it is so undefined, the authorities are so ambiguous and the expectations are so high that it's unlikely to be a successful, fun experience for this person.

ENSOR: But the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee disagrees.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-WV), VICE CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: If we had prescribed in Congress every relationship between each of the agencies, I think that would have been an enormous mistake and we would have rendered this person more useless. This person can exercise power, and I think that's good.

ENSOR: As ambassador in Iraq and before, Negroponte has been a consumer of intelligence, but he has no intelligence experience. His new deputy, however, General Michael Hayden, head of the National Security Agency, is a seasoned hand.

Many present and former intelligence professionals are praising the president's choice of Negroponte.

JAMES PAVITT, FORMER CIA SPY CHIEF: I think he will be a first rate leader of this organization.

ENSOR (on camera): Negroponte called it his most challenging assignment in 40 years. And that may be putting it mildly. Being the first at anything is always harder. But the ambassador has been good at setting up and leading teams in a number of jobs in government. CIA regulars, present and former, are promising him their full support.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALLACE: And Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was asked his opinion of the president's choice for the top intelligence chief.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: He's a terrific person who's done a wonderful job in Iraq and he will be confirmed by the Senate, I have every reason to believe, and do a wonderful job for the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And, of course, be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Turning now to Iran, the country is warning that any attack on its nuclear facilities will be met with a swift and crushing response. That warning is directed at Israel and the United States.

In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared before a congressional committee and talked about Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: On Iran, we have a very clear view that the Iranian regime is out of step with the developments in the Middle East that we wish to see emerge. It is a regime that, both in terms of its internal and external behavior, is out of step. And so what we have tried to do is to work with others to mitigate the effects of Iranian bad behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Two weeks ago, Rice told reporters a military strike against Iran was, as she put it, "not on the agenda at this time."

"News Across America" this morning.

Police near Seattle, Washington arrested a man for apparently shining this laser at passing airliners. Four pilots reported seeing the laser beam near Seattle's Seatac Airport. Police aren't sure why the planes were targeted, but say they believe the man didn't intend any harm. Even so, he faces nine felony counts.

An America West plane was evacuated after arriving in San Diego with a possible bomb on board. A woman who was supposed to get on the flight in Phoenix told security screeners that there was a bomb in her luggage. Her bag was loaded on the plane, but she wasn't. The bomb squad destroyed her luggage, but found no bomb.

Several explosions rocked the neighborhood around a burning bed and breakfast in Connecticut. Police believe paint cans may have led to some of the blasts that sent glass and debris flying into the air. Nearly the entire building was destroyed by that fire.

On a much lighter note, actor Tim Robbins endured a little well intentioned embarrassment while receiving the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award. The award is given out annually by the Harvard University student drama troupe.

Catherine Zeta Jones rcvd the Woman of the Year award last week.

The battle of the bulge could cause some problems for the so- called Borgata Babes. The cocktail servers at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City are being warned they could be suspended or fired -- get this -- if they gain too much weight. Women's groups and the servers' union are upset. The casino says the policy isn't necessarily new, and points out that the policy pertains to both male and female employees.

Well, continuing on that theme, you can say this next story is a weighty issue.

Should your child's body mass be listed on his or her report card? Well, that's what Georgia legislators are deciding.

Reporter Laurie Geary of CNN affiliate WSB in Atlanta has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

FRANCINE THOMAS, PARENT: It's ridiculous. If they go to starting evaluating kids on their weight, then they might as well evaluate kids -- adults on their weight.

LAURIE GEARY, WSB CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Parents are weighing in over a plan aimed at curbing childhood obesity. The bill just introduced under the gold dome requires all local school systems to weigh each student and compute the student's body mass index.

The results will be sent home on the child's report card at the beginning and end of the year. Schools would be required to tell parents if their child is above the normal range.

DR. RICE REBECCA MULLINS, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA NUTRITION DEPARTMENT: In our schools, we already screen for vision and hearing, which is wonderful. And we just want to add height and weight screening to that, as well, so that kids are aware and their parents are aware.

GEARY: Dr. Rebecca Mullins, with UGA's department of nutrition, supports the legislation. She says this is not about embarrassing the child and cites the most recent study about Georgia's kids.

MULLINS: One out of five children in the fourth grade is overweight and that's a real concern.

STEPHANIE BEINFELD, GEORGIA STATE HOUSE: This might be a little wake up call. We're not trying to stigmatize. We're not trying to say, you know, your child is fat. But we're trying to get the message across that you need to be healthy.

GEARY: But students we talked to aren't fond about reading, writing and weighing.

FRANCESCA SMITH, STUDENT: Mainly the report card is to show your grades, not your weight. You don't get into college because of your weight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's nobody's business. That's my personal business.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALLACE: And we thank Laurie Geary of CNN affiliate WSB in Atlanta for that report.

The Arkansas school system, we should tell you, is already grading weight, and this whole issue is being considered in Texas, Pennsylvania and New York. And that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day. Here it is. Should weight be included on school report cards? We are sure you have some strong feelings about this one. Let you know what you think at daybreak@cnn.com.

Well, coming up next here, former Presidents Bush and Clinton continue their tsunami relief efforts. They will get a firsthand tour of South Asia. We'll get a preview of the presidential visit in just six minutes.

And, we're going back to school. The Vatican conjures up a course in driving out the devil. Alessio Vinci reports from Rome in 21 minutes.

Also, European air travelers get cold cash if they're left stranded. Well, European airlines give that new rule the cold shoulder. We'll get the scoop live from London in 34 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

WALLACE: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is about 15 minutes after the hour and here is what is all new this morning.

Some fence mending is ahead for President Bush. He and First Lady Laura Bush leave Sunday for Europe. The president says he plans to remind European leaders of the interests shared by Americans and Europeans.

The makers of Vioxx say they may return the pain killer to pharmacy shelves. That is, if the FDA concludes the benefits outweigh the risks of heart attacks or strokes.

In money, Starbucks is moving beyond coffee, at least a little bit. The company has partnered with Jim Beam to market a coffee flavored liqueur. It is Starbucks' first foray into alcoholic drinks.

In culture, CBS is planning a prime time tribute to anchorman Dan Rather. The network says the career retrospective will coincide with his last day at the anchor desk, which is March 9. Rather has hosted the CBS Evening News for 24 years.

In sports, the now infamous basketball brawl in Detroit has led to a major change in NBA policy regarding alcohol sales. Beginning Sunday, there will be a two drink maximum, no alcohol sales in the fourth quarter and a designated driver program at each arena.

It's time to check the weather.

Rob Marciano in for Chad. I don't know, Rob, those sound like possibly good steps.

What do you think?

MARCIANO: I didn't even think they sold alcohol in the fourth quarter. I mean, baseball games, they stop selling it in the seventh and eighth inning, you know. So that's not out of the ordinary.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: And those are the headlines.

Turning now to former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, they are headed to Thailand today. They will be touring areas devastated by the December 26 tsunamis. The two are raising money for relief efforts and promoting reconstruction.

Our Aneesh Raman is in Bangkok with more on the upcoming visit -- Aneesh, good to talk to you.

So what's the sense so far about this upcoming visit of these ex- presidents?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kelly, good morning to you.

People here are incredibly excited. The two former presidents will arrive tomorrow morning local time and bring with them incredible global exposure back to the lingering legacy of that tsunami, as we're now about a week away from the two month mark.

They'll take a helicopter tour of the worst hit areas -- Kawak, the coastal regions that were most devastated by those waves. They'll also lay wreaths at a Wall of Remembrance that is on Phuket Island. And then tomorrow night they'll hold a dinner with the Thai prime minister.

It's part of a three day trip that will take them also to Aceh, Indonesia; Sri Lanka; as well as the Maldives. It's an effort that the two have been pushing since early January, when the current President Bush enlisted them to really spearhead a fundraising effort, to get Americans to contribute to this devastating legacy that will continue for years to come.

They've appeared often on TV there, notably at the Super Bowl, and they've often been voices heard throughout the world, urging people globally to really contribute to the effort.

And so the awareness that they'll bring with them -- they're not here necessarily to evaluate anything, but more to just gauge the situation and really remind people that this process goes on.

The death toll now still stands somewhere between 170,00 and 180,000 people. But, Kelly, the number of missing is still upwards of 130,000. And it is an important visit, especially for the people on the ground who are still missing loved ones who are now trying to start their lives over, really reminding the world that they can never forget what happened on December 26 -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Aneesh, definitely a great morale boost.

And just as you said, bringing international attention to this story, which, as we know, got tremendous attention two months ago, but not so much over the past several weeks.

Give us a sense of what's going on on the ground in terms of reconstruction. Has the pace slowed a bit or is it still moving fairly quickly?

RAMAN: It's gotten into a rhythm which is, perhaps, the best music the people here could hope for. That initial time was one of chaos. It was one of dealing with really poor infrastructure in some fop the hardest hit areas, like Aceh. Here in Thailand, we're still about six months before the DNA testing of the thousands of corpses that have been exhumed will be complete. A large number of the missing, including half of the foreigners, are presumed to be among those.

But in a lot of these areas, there are refugee camps. They are trying to get people back to work. But the longer-term implications are much more complex. It's not just a matter of getting food and water to those who need it. Now it's a matter of really getting people to restart their lives, industries and livelihoods that are now completely gone, trying to get them to find other work, areas that they can't rebuild, but they have to relocate people from because of fear that something similar could happen again.

So, it's very complex on the ground. There is a rhythm, which is good. But people cannot forget that this is years, if not decades, in the process, this legacy of those waves -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Aneesh, thanks so much.

And we will be watching your reports today and over the weekend, covering the visits of former Presidents Bush and Clinton.

Aneesh Raman reporting from Bangkok.

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, learning to deal with demons. Exorcism classes began this week at the Vatican University. Just ahead, we'll audit the class.

Later, weighing under two pounds but worth every ounce. Only one doctor was willing to perform the surgery this baby needed to stay alive.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Friday, February 18.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And welcome back.

So, is a presidential appointment worthy of a late night laugh?

You be the judge.

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

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: John Negroponte has now been appointed national intelligence director, a new position, national intelligence director, by President Bush. Negroponte, or, as Bush calls him, Ponte, is our current ambassador to Iraq. The current ambassador to Iraq. And I know what you're thinking, well, gosh, why would he leave a dream job like that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Rob, that's what people are thinking, why leave such a dream job inside Iraq to go ahead and try and manage 15 different intelligence agencies.

MARCIANO: He's jpg from the frying pan into the fire, it looks like. I wouldn't want either of those jobs, I know that for sure.

WALLACE: Exactly.

Well, more of the late night comics.

Rob, you may have heard -- we talked about this yesterday -- Kid Rock got arrested after getting into a fight at a strip joint in Nashville.

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

LETTERMAN: Kid Rock recently arrested because he was in a strip club and he punches somebody. Well, now let me tell you something about this. That's not news. That's just not news because that's what Kid Rock does, you see? I mean it's like arresting Jennifer Lopez for getting married.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Ouch, Rob.

Why do they have to keep picking on J-Lo?

MARCIANO: Hey, why have they got to keep picking on my boy Kid Rock?

WALLACE: Well...

MARCIANO: I mean, you know that he's a rock star. I mean, you kind of expect him to do these kind of things. So it's not out of the ordinary and many of us, you know, kind of live vicariously through what rock stars and how they live. So, you know, if he wants the strip joint to stay open an hour longer and he gets into a fight, you know, that's not entirely too surprising.

WALLACE: My god, it should stay open. Well, here, Rob, here's what he said last night about his night in jail. He said it was "beautiful" so...

MARCIANO: Really?

WALLACE: He's taking it all in stride, it seems.

MARCIANO: Hey, he's that kind of guy.

WALLACE: He is.

All right, Rob, well time now for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."

A California man barely escaped serious injury when he accidentally set his own vehicle on fire. He threw his lit cigarette out the window, but it blew back into the back seat. His SUV was destroyed and he lost some hair. He's also likely to face a littering charge.

A Northwest Airlines flight to Orlando was delayed after the plane got stuck in the mud at the Detroit Metro Airport. More than 200 passengers were inconvenienced.

And listen to this. Bat saliva -- that's right -- might be able to help stroke victims. But not just any bat saliva. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have chosen vampire bats for their experiments. They say a genetically engineered version of the saliva can be used to help prevent blood clotting.

Rob, I probably should have mentioned this at the top, give a warning to anyone eating their cereal right now. They might want to hold it. You don't want to listen to hear about bat saliva in the morning television, do you?

MARCIANO: No. No, but, you know, bats are often given a bad rap so it's nice to see that they're contributing to society in a good way.

WALLACE: All right, Rob, well let -- you know, we've been talking about this as our E-mail Question of the Day. Should weight be included on school report cards?

Rob, I don't know what you thought, but when I first heard this, I said no way. Absolutely an outrage.

MARCIANO: Yes. I know you...

WALLACE: Kids have body image problems already.

Won't this contribute to it?

MARCIANO: You would think. And, I mean, perusing the e-mails that we've got in, there's probably only been one or two out of I don't know how many that -- just a very small percentage that have said yes, it's a good idea. Here's one that's just short and sweet. This is from John in New York: "Our children should be conscious of their grades. Let the parents be concerned about their weight." And, you know, others mentioned let the parents and their family physicians deal with it, you know, teachers have a hard enough time trying to keep the ideas on track grade wise, let alone deal with their weights, too.

WALLACE: Exactly.

Well, here's one from Samantha, Plainview, New York. She says: "This is absolutely ridiculous. Children should not be subjected to this. This will show an increase in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia." She said that this is, "Also, the body mass index is not scientific to begin w." But she has some questions.

And then another question, another -- Will writing in, saying: "It is a creepy idea to let public school tell you how large your child is. If schools actually taught science and information instead of just suggesting that there are no wrong answers in life, then this invasion of privacy wouldn't be needed."

So keep those e-mails coming.

Rob and I will go through them and record your thoughts.

Thanks so much, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right.

WALLACE: We'll talk to you in a few.

MARCIANO: See you, Kelly.

WALLACE: Still to come here, inside the mind of a suicide bomber. It is a movie from a different point of view. That at the Berlin Film Festival. We'll take a look next.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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


Aired February 18, 2005 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, the Vatican gives its blessing for a course in exorcism. We'll take you to Rome.
Plus, a film touching on the dark side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What goes through the mind of a suicide bomber?

And flying to Europe? Get bumped from a flight? The airlines might have the perfect I'm sorry -- free money, and lots of it.

It is Friday, February 18, and this is DAYBREAK.

Good morning and happy Friday to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace in for Carol Costello.

Now in the news, the battle for long distance phone provider MCI is not over yet. Qwest Communications says it will make a new offer for the company. On Monday, MCI accepted a takeover offer from Verizon for almost $7 billion.

Vioxx could be returning to your pharmacy. Drug maker Merck says it may put the pain killer back on the shelves, that is, if an advisory panel to the FDA finds the benefits outweigh the increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.

Comedian Bill Cosby can breathe a little easier. A Pennsylvania prosecutor says the allegation Cosby drugged and groped a woman in his Philadelphia home last year just doesn't hold up.

And for the first time, Pope John Paul II reveals his thoughts when he was shot back in 1981. In a new book, the pope recalls believing the bullet missed his vital organs because of divine intervention.

Time for the first check of the weather.

We go to Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers -- Rob, happy Friday.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Happy Friday to you, Kelly.

Chad and Carol out for the second day in a row together. A little buzz around the water cooler now?

WALLACE: Oh, well, I don't know.

MARCIANO: No, no. I'm just kidding.

WALLACE: We've got to look into this.

MARCIANO: Just coincidental.

WALLACE: They're both enjoying much deserved days off.

MARCIANO: You'd better believe it.

WALLACE: So they're back here on Monday.

MARCIANO: Nice to see you again, Kelly.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Now, to our CNN "Security Watch." By this time you probably know President Bush has made his choice for the new director of national intelligence. John Negroponte is a career diplomat.

And as our national security correspondent David Ensor reports, he also faces some very big challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Power in Washington flows to those with access to the president and those with control of budgets and personnel. Mr. Bush sought to make clear the new director of national intelligence will have both.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He will have access on a daily basis in that he'll be my primary briefer.

ENSOR: On the estimated $40 billion intelligence budget, spanning 15 different agencies, the president said Negroponte will determine who gets what.

BUSH: People will make their case, there's a discussion, but ultimately John will make the decisions on the budget.

ENSOR: Former deputy director of Central Intelligence, John McLaughlin, who has joined CNN as an analyst, says Negroponte will have his work cut out for him.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The legislation that empowers him is not as precise as everyone would like it to be in authorizing his powers. The legislation is, after all, the result of compromises during a difficult and contentious time in our country and therefore the language, in many cases, is what I would call kind of spongy.

ENSOR: Critics charge that the intelligence reform law that sets up the DNI job contains too much ambiguity about budget and personnel power. They predict trouble between Negroponte and the Pentagon. RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I don't think a powerful job. This is a miserable job. This is one of the hardest jobs in Washington and it is so undefined, the authorities are so ambiguous and the expectations are so high that it's unlikely to be a successful, fun experience for this person.

ENSOR: But the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee disagrees.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-WV), VICE CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: If we had prescribed in Congress every relationship between each of the agencies, I think that would have been an enormous mistake and we would have rendered this person more useless. This person can exercise power, and I think that's good.

ENSOR: As ambassador in Iraq and before, Negroponte has been a consumer of intelligence, but he has no intelligence experience. His new deputy, however, General Michael Hayden, head of the National Security Agency, is a seasoned hand.

Many present and former intelligence professionals are praising the president's choice of Negroponte.

JAMES PAVITT, FORMER CIA SPY CHIEF: I think he will be a first rate leader of this organization.

ENSOR (on camera): Negroponte called it his most challenging assignment in 40 years. And that may be putting it mildly. Being the first at anything is always harder. But the ambassador has been good at setting up and leading teams in a number of jobs in government. CIA regulars, present and former, are promising him their full support.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALLACE: And Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was asked his opinion of the president's choice for the top intelligence chief.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: He's a terrific person who's done a wonderful job in Iraq and he will be confirmed by the Senate, I have every reason to believe, and do a wonderful job for the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And, of course, be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Turning now to Iran, the country is warning that any attack on its nuclear facilities will be met with a swift and crushing response. That warning is directed at Israel and the United States.

In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared before a congressional committee and talked about Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: On Iran, we have a very clear view that the Iranian regime is out of step with the developments in the Middle East that we wish to see emerge. It is a regime that, both in terms of its internal and external behavior, is out of step. And so what we have tried to do is to work with others to mitigate the effects of Iranian bad behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Two weeks ago, Rice told reporters a military strike against Iran was, as she put it, "not on the agenda at this time."

"News Across America" this morning.

Police near Seattle, Washington arrested a man for apparently shining this laser at passing airliners. Four pilots reported seeing the laser beam near Seattle's Seatac Airport. Police aren't sure why the planes were targeted, but say they believe the man didn't intend any harm. Even so, he faces nine felony counts.

An America West plane was evacuated after arriving in San Diego with a possible bomb on board. A woman who was supposed to get on the flight in Phoenix told security screeners that there was a bomb in her luggage. Her bag was loaded on the plane, but she wasn't. The bomb squad destroyed her luggage, but found no bomb.

Several explosions rocked the neighborhood around a burning bed and breakfast in Connecticut. Police believe paint cans may have led to some of the blasts that sent glass and debris flying into the air. Nearly the entire building was destroyed by that fire.

On a much lighter note, actor Tim Robbins endured a little well intentioned embarrassment while receiving the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award. The award is given out annually by the Harvard University student drama troupe.

Catherine Zeta Jones rcvd the Woman of the Year award last week.

The battle of the bulge could cause some problems for the so- called Borgata Babes. The cocktail servers at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City are being warned they could be suspended or fired -- get this -- if they gain too much weight. Women's groups and the servers' union are upset. The casino says the policy isn't necessarily new, and points out that the policy pertains to both male and female employees.

Well, continuing on that theme, you can say this next story is a weighty issue.

Should your child's body mass be listed on his or her report card? Well, that's what Georgia legislators are deciding.

Reporter Laurie Geary of CNN affiliate WSB in Atlanta has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

FRANCINE THOMAS, PARENT: It's ridiculous. If they go to starting evaluating kids on their weight, then they might as well evaluate kids -- adults on their weight.

LAURIE GEARY, WSB CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Parents are weighing in over a plan aimed at curbing childhood obesity. The bill just introduced under the gold dome requires all local school systems to weigh each student and compute the student's body mass index.

The results will be sent home on the child's report card at the beginning and end of the year. Schools would be required to tell parents if their child is above the normal range.

DR. RICE REBECCA MULLINS, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA NUTRITION DEPARTMENT: In our schools, we already screen for vision and hearing, which is wonderful. And we just want to add height and weight screening to that, as well, so that kids are aware and their parents are aware.

GEARY: Dr. Rebecca Mullins, with UGA's department of nutrition, supports the legislation. She says this is not about embarrassing the child and cites the most recent study about Georgia's kids.

MULLINS: One out of five children in the fourth grade is overweight and that's a real concern.

STEPHANIE BEINFELD, GEORGIA STATE HOUSE: This might be a little wake up call. We're not trying to stigmatize. We're not trying to say, you know, your child is fat. But we're trying to get the message across that you need to be healthy.

GEARY: But students we talked to aren't fond about reading, writing and weighing.

FRANCESCA SMITH, STUDENT: Mainly the report card is to show your grades, not your weight. You don't get into college because of your weight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's nobody's business. That's my personal business.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALLACE: And we thank Laurie Geary of CNN affiliate WSB in Atlanta for that report.

The Arkansas school system, we should tell you, is already grading weight, and this whole issue is being considered in Texas, Pennsylvania and New York. And that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day. Here it is. Should weight be included on school report cards? We are sure you have some strong feelings about this one. Let you know what you think at daybreak@cnn.com.

Well, coming up next here, former Presidents Bush and Clinton continue their tsunami relief efforts. They will get a firsthand tour of South Asia. We'll get a preview of the presidential visit in just six minutes.

And, we're going back to school. The Vatican conjures up a course in driving out the devil. Alessio Vinci reports from Rome in 21 minutes.

Also, European air travelers get cold cash if they're left stranded. Well, European airlines give that new rule the cold shoulder. We'll get the scoop live from London in 34 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

WALLACE: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is about 15 minutes after the hour and here is what is all new this morning.

Some fence mending is ahead for President Bush. He and First Lady Laura Bush leave Sunday for Europe. The president says he plans to remind European leaders of the interests shared by Americans and Europeans.

The makers of Vioxx say they may return the pain killer to pharmacy shelves. That is, if the FDA concludes the benefits outweigh the risks of heart attacks or strokes.

In money, Starbucks is moving beyond coffee, at least a little bit. The company has partnered with Jim Beam to market a coffee flavored liqueur. It is Starbucks' first foray into alcoholic drinks.

In culture, CBS is planning a prime time tribute to anchorman Dan Rather. The network says the career retrospective will coincide with his last day at the anchor desk, which is March 9. Rather has hosted the CBS Evening News for 24 years.

In sports, the now infamous basketball brawl in Detroit has led to a major change in NBA policy regarding alcohol sales. Beginning Sunday, there will be a two drink maximum, no alcohol sales in the fourth quarter and a designated driver program at each arena.

It's time to check the weather.

Rob Marciano in for Chad. I don't know, Rob, those sound like possibly good steps.

What do you think?

MARCIANO: I didn't even think they sold alcohol in the fourth quarter. I mean, baseball games, they stop selling it in the seventh and eighth inning, you know. So that's not out of the ordinary.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: And those are the headlines.

Turning now to former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, they are headed to Thailand today. They will be touring areas devastated by the December 26 tsunamis. The two are raising money for relief efforts and promoting reconstruction.

Our Aneesh Raman is in Bangkok with more on the upcoming visit -- Aneesh, good to talk to you.

So what's the sense so far about this upcoming visit of these ex- presidents?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kelly, good morning to you.

People here are incredibly excited. The two former presidents will arrive tomorrow morning local time and bring with them incredible global exposure back to the lingering legacy of that tsunami, as we're now about a week away from the two month mark.

They'll take a helicopter tour of the worst hit areas -- Kawak, the coastal regions that were most devastated by those waves. They'll also lay wreaths at a Wall of Remembrance that is on Phuket Island. And then tomorrow night they'll hold a dinner with the Thai prime minister.

It's part of a three day trip that will take them also to Aceh, Indonesia; Sri Lanka; as well as the Maldives. It's an effort that the two have been pushing since early January, when the current President Bush enlisted them to really spearhead a fundraising effort, to get Americans to contribute to this devastating legacy that will continue for years to come.

They've appeared often on TV there, notably at the Super Bowl, and they've often been voices heard throughout the world, urging people globally to really contribute to the effort.

And so the awareness that they'll bring with them -- they're not here necessarily to evaluate anything, but more to just gauge the situation and really remind people that this process goes on.

The death toll now still stands somewhere between 170,00 and 180,000 people. But, Kelly, the number of missing is still upwards of 130,000. And it is an important visit, especially for the people on the ground who are still missing loved ones who are now trying to start their lives over, really reminding the world that they can never forget what happened on December 26 -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Aneesh, definitely a great morale boost.

And just as you said, bringing international attention to this story, which, as we know, got tremendous attention two months ago, but not so much over the past several weeks.

Give us a sense of what's going on on the ground in terms of reconstruction. Has the pace slowed a bit or is it still moving fairly quickly?

RAMAN: It's gotten into a rhythm which is, perhaps, the best music the people here could hope for. That initial time was one of chaos. It was one of dealing with really poor infrastructure in some fop the hardest hit areas, like Aceh. Here in Thailand, we're still about six months before the DNA testing of the thousands of corpses that have been exhumed will be complete. A large number of the missing, including half of the foreigners, are presumed to be among those.

But in a lot of these areas, there are refugee camps. They are trying to get people back to work. But the longer-term implications are much more complex. It's not just a matter of getting food and water to those who need it. Now it's a matter of really getting people to restart their lives, industries and livelihoods that are now completely gone, trying to get them to find other work, areas that they can't rebuild, but they have to relocate people from because of fear that something similar could happen again.

So, it's very complex on the ground. There is a rhythm, which is good. But people cannot forget that this is years, if not decades, in the process, this legacy of those waves -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Aneesh, thanks so much.

And we will be watching your reports today and over the weekend, covering the visits of former Presidents Bush and Clinton.

Aneesh Raman reporting from Bangkok.

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, learning to deal with demons. Exorcism classes began this week at the Vatican University. Just ahead, we'll audit the class.

Later, weighing under two pounds but worth every ounce. Only one doctor was willing to perform the surgery this baby needed to stay alive.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Friday, February 18.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And welcome back.

So, is a presidential appointment worthy of a late night laugh?

You be the judge.

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

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: John Negroponte has now been appointed national intelligence director, a new position, national intelligence director, by President Bush. Negroponte, or, as Bush calls him, Ponte, is our current ambassador to Iraq. The current ambassador to Iraq. And I know what you're thinking, well, gosh, why would he leave a dream job like that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Rob, that's what people are thinking, why leave such a dream job inside Iraq to go ahead and try and manage 15 different intelligence agencies.

MARCIANO: He's jpg from the frying pan into the fire, it looks like. I wouldn't want either of those jobs, I know that for sure.

WALLACE: Exactly.

Well, more of the late night comics.

Rob, you may have heard -- we talked about this yesterday -- Kid Rock got arrested after getting into a fight at a strip joint in Nashville.

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

LETTERMAN: Kid Rock recently arrested because he was in a strip club and he punches somebody. Well, now let me tell you something about this. That's not news. That's just not news because that's what Kid Rock does, you see? I mean it's like arresting Jennifer Lopez for getting married.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Ouch, Rob.

Why do they have to keep picking on J-Lo?

MARCIANO: Hey, why have they got to keep picking on my boy Kid Rock?

WALLACE: Well...

MARCIANO: I mean, you know that he's a rock star. I mean, you kind of expect him to do these kind of things. So it's not out of the ordinary and many of us, you know, kind of live vicariously through what rock stars and how they live. So, you know, if he wants the strip joint to stay open an hour longer and he gets into a fight, you know, that's not entirely too surprising.

WALLACE: My god, it should stay open. Well, here, Rob, here's what he said last night about his night in jail. He said it was "beautiful" so...

MARCIANO: Really?

WALLACE: He's taking it all in stride, it seems.

MARCIANO: Hey, he's that kind of guy.

WALLACE: He is.

All right, Rob, well time now for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."

A California man barely escaped serious injury when he accidentally set his own vehicle on fire. He threw his lit cigarette out the window, but it blew back into the back seat. His SUV was destroyed and he lost some hair. He's also likely to face a littering charge.

A Northwest Airlines flight to Orlando was delayed after the plane got stuck in the mud at the Detroit Metro Airport. More than 200 passengers were inconvenienced.

And listen to this. Bat saliva -- that's right -- might be able to help stroke victims. But not just any bat saliva. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have chosen vampire bats for their experiments. They say a genetically engineered version of the saliva can be used to help prevent blood clotting.

Rob, I probably should have mentioned this at the top, give a warning to anyone eating their cereal right now. They might want to hold it. You don't want to listen to hear about bat saliva in the morning television, do you?

MARCIANO: No. No, but, you know, bats are often given a bad rap so it's nice to see that they're contributing to society in a good way.

WALLACE: All right, Rob, well let -- you know, we've been talking about this as our E-mail Question of the Day. Should weight be included on school report cards?

Rob, I don't know what you thought, but when I first heard this, I said no way. Absolutely an outrage.

MARCIANO: Yes. I know you...

WALLACE: Kids have body image problems already.

Won't this contribute to it?

MARCIANO: You would think. And, I mean, perusing the e-mails that we've got in, there's probably only been one or two out of I don't know how many that -- just a very small percentage that have said yes, it's a good idea. Here's one that's just short and sweet. This is from John in New York: "Our children should be conscious of their grades. Let the parents be concerned about their weight." And, you know, others mentioned let the parents and their family physicians deal with it, you know, teachers have a hard enough time trying to keep the ideas on track grade wise, let alone deal with their weights, too.

WALLACE: Exactly.

Well, here's one from Samantha, Plainview, New York. She says: "This is absolutely ridiculous. Children should not be subjected to this. This will show an increase in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia." She said that this is, "Also, the body mass index is not scientific to begin w." But she has some questions.

And then another question, another -- Will writing in, saying: "It is a creepy idea to let public school tell you how large your child is. If schools actually taught science and information instead of just suggesting that there are no wrong answers in life, then this invasion of privacy wouldn't be needed."

So keep those e-mails coming.

Rob and I will go through them and record your thoughts.

Thanks so much, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right.

WALLACE: We'll talk to you in a few.

MARCIANO: See you, Kelly.

WALLACE: Still to come here, inside the mind of a suicide bomber. It is a movie from a different point of view. That at the Berlin Film Festival. We'll take a look next.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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