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American Morning

Iran Earthquake; Presidential Pals; 'New You Revolution'

Aired February 22, 2005 - 07:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. It's just half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Bill Hemmer has got the day off, but Miles O'Brien is helping us out this morning. Nice to have you.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hemmer is snowboarding, and we're working.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, he is.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: In just a few minutes, the devastation in Iran this morning after a major earthquake. Whole villages just leveled. The death toll is still rising. We're going to get a report on the destruction just ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: Also, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush are looking like stars of a buddy movie or something, working on tsunami relief and by all accounts becoming friends in the process. Are they really as close as they appear? Kelly Wallace is looking into that for us this morning.

All right, let's check the headlines, too. Heidi Collins is here with that.

Good morning -- Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You were going to say headline Heidi, weren't you?

M. O'BRIEN: No I wasn't. I wasn't.

COLLINS: Yes, you were.

M. O'BRIEN: I didn't do it. I stopped myself.

COLLINS: You got nailed for that last time.

M. O'BRIEN: I stopped myself. I'll never do it again.

COLLINS: Thank you, Miles. "Now in the News" this morning.

President Bush is expected to deliver remarks in the next half- hour at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The president is in the middle of a five-day European tour. His agenda today includes back-to-back meetings with NATO and European leaders and a visit with newly-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. NATO's 26 members are expected to announce support for an alliance program to train Iraq's military.

And a show of support from the first lady. First Lady Laura Bush in Germany at this hour visiting with wounded American soldiers. She also spoke to some 1,500 troops at Ramstein Air Base. The first lady is also expected to meet with schoolchildren from military families.

North Korea appears to be showing signs it is ready to resume nuclear talks with some conditions. According to the state news agency, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-Il, says he is willing to pick up six-party talks, but only if certain conditions are met and the U.S. shows sincerity. Kim Jong-Il did not elaborate further on the nature of those conditions. The announcement comes as a top Chinese envoy is in Pyongyang for talks.

And in California, jury selection reassumes in just a few hours in the Michael Jackson child molestation case. The proceedings cut off a week ago after Jackson was rushed to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. The defense is expected to add more names to its possible witness list today.

S. O'BRIEN: Some pretty big names were on the list last week.

COLLINS: Yes, they sure were. A lot of them.

S. O'BRIEN: Larry King, Kobe Bryant.

COLLINS: Everyone in Hollywood, right?

S. O'BRIEN: Pretty much everybody in Hollywood.

M. O'BRIEN: They're going to have a red carpet in front of the courthouse.

COLLINS: Maybe. And maybe he'll dance again.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Maybe not. All right, Heidi, thanks.

Well, rain and cold have slowed the search for earthquake victims in central Iran. Seven villages in Kerman province were leveled. Over 270 people were killed when the quake struck early this morning local time.

Matthew Chance has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): By all accounts this was a powerful quake, measuring 6.4 in magnitude. A number of remote mud-brick villages are known to be badly hit. Local residents are shown scrambling to pull loved ones from the rubble.

Iranian authorities say the main towns in Kerman province near the epicenter have escaped significant damage. But hospitals in the area are inundated with casualties. Authorities say thousands need treatment. Many others are without shelter, facing a night of freezing weather conditions.

But it could have been much worse. Seismologists say the depth of the epicenter at 26 miles from the Earth's surface may have limited the damage.

DAVID APPELGATE, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: The seismic energy is dissipating as it moves up through the crust. In other words, the nearest person to this earthquake, essentially 26 miles above, as opposed to being just a few miles above. So, there's more time for the energy to dissipate, and that means less intense shaking.

CHANCE: It was in this same remote area of southeastern Iran that an even more powerful earthquake struck over a year ago. Then, the historic city of Bam was virtually destroyed, and more than 26,000 people killed.

Now as then, it may take days for the full extent of the devastation to emerge.

Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Major damage to 25 villages in Kerman province to report -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Former Presidents Clinton and Bush just wrapped up a three-day tour of tsunami-ravaged South Asia. And they've been charged with leading a tsunami relief fund-raising drive. Since then, it seems the former political rivals are becoming pals, believe it or not.

Here with more is national correspondent Kelly Wallace.

That is some breaking news, isn't it?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, Miles. Great to see you.

An aide to President Clinton telling me that in their free time, the two men were talking about everything from global issues to politics to their families. One reporter joking that the two men are almost finishing each other's sentences and quoting each other frequently. So, they're getting along very, very well. But they also point out, this is a friendship that has evolved over time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice over): If you didn't know it, you might think they were running mates not former rivals. Just watch and listen.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's in better shape than I am. I'm having heart surgery, and he's jumping out of airplanes.

WALLACE: Yucking it up and heaping praise on the other every chance they get.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I got a little age on President Clinton. I got a little age going.

WALLACE: The warmth between the ex-presidents was evident last month at the White House.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm honored to be standing here with two former presidents.

WALLACE: But you could also see the bond months earlier in the smiles at the World War II dedication ceremony and in the words at the opening of President Clinton's library.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH: Simply put, he was a natural, and he made it look too easy. And, oh, how I hated him for that.

WALLACE: What happened to the bitterness? And there was bitterness. It was, after all, an election Republican strategists say President Bush never expected to lose to the Arkansas governor.

ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, both are very warm men. And so, you know, it's one thing to be in a political battle as they were, you know, 12 years ago. But, you know, it all goes away.

WALLACE: And something else happens between members of that very exclusive club, only four living members now, the ex-presidents, says Jack Valenti, long-time aide to President Johnson.

JACK VALENTI, FORMER AIDE TO LYNDON JOHNSON: Only they understand the problems, the pressures, the disappointments and sometimes triumphs that presidents deal with.

WALLACE: Could the warmth between 41 and 42 help 43 as he begins his second term, and a woman who may try to become 44? Our Washington observers say possibly, but they say it won't likely end the partisan bickering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it has any relationship whatsoever on what's going on in Washington today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Still, Washington is paying attention; so is the world, Miles. Because both men are commenting that several political leaders they met can't believe that two former opponents are traveling together, saying that would never happen in their country.

M. O'BRIEN: It's like a Hollywood treatment or something. All right. We've been bandying about a lot of numbers. What about 42 and 43, President Clinton and the current President Bush?

WALLACE: They seem to be getting along as well. If you look at the unveiling of President Clinton's portrait in the White House, President Bush, the current president, heaping enormous praise on the former president, so much so that Bill Clinton was somewhat surprised by it.

Also, aides tell me to both men that the two have talked on the phone, especially after President Clinton was on the hospital. The two see a little bit of themselves in each other. They respect the political skills of the other. So, they have formed a respect and a friendship through that.

M. O'BRIEN: Hard to think of a more elite club they belong to. All right, Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.

WALLACE: Sure.

M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.

A. O'BRIEN: A nationwide Amber Alert on today for a pregnant Texas woman and her 7-year-old son. Lisa Underwood and her son, Jayden, were reported missing on Saturday after Lisa Underwood failed to show up at her own baby shower. Later, blood was found at her home.

Underwood's SUV was found yesterday in a creek bed north of Dallas. Investigators have talked with Jayden's father and the father of Underwood's unborn child. Police say, though, they have no suspects at this point.

Its' time to take a check of the weather. Chad Myers is at the CNN center with the latest for us on that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Andy is "Minding Your Business" this morning. He's about to unveil "Fortune" magazine's list of most admired companies.

S. O'BRIEN: And in the "New You Revolution" it's babies, babies everywhere. A crash course in coping with motherhood ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. The spread of democracy is the "Question of the Day."

Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. Thanks, Soledad.

President Bush continues his European reconciliation tour. He's calling on various European leaders to join his campaign to spread democracy abroad, especially in the Middle East.

But a majority of Europeans -- people in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- say it's not the U.S.' job to spread democracy. This according to a new AP/IPSOS poll. Eighty-four percent of the French, as well as majorities in other European countries, disagree with America's role.

The question is: Is it the United States' role to spread democracy abroad?

Jerry in Georgia: "We should first look at ourselves, make certain we're on the right track before acting righteous to the west of the world. Our concentration on spreading democracy seems focused only on those countries where the United States has a vested interest."

Kenneth in Delaware: "We should not be the leader of the free world; we should be an equal partner with other free nations that work together to peacefully achieve freedom around the world."

Paul in Pennsylvania: "Spreading the concept of democracy is fine, but unleashing our military globally in order to pound democracy down the throats of others seems terribly undemocratic to me."

Doug in New Jersey: "It's the role of the USA to defend and keep its own democracy strong. We can sell the success of our own democracy, but our ability to purvey it throughout the world is highly questionable."

And Greg in Nova Scotia: "Spreading democracy is not unlike spreading manure. You can use all you wish on the Cafferty farm. And I view favorable results, I may choose to do likewise. But don't drop a load in my back yard under the cover of darkness with instructions taped to the handle of a shovel."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Oh, those Canadians.

M. O'BRIEN: You betcha. All right.

Well, "Fortune" magazine is out with the -- drum roll please -- most-admired companies. And you've got connections at "Fortune".

SERWER: I do. I work there, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: He works there.

SERWER: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: And therefore has the magazine, which he's not going to hold up, but there it is right in our hot hands, ready to go.

SERWER: Yes, it's a survey of 15,000 executives and directors and analysts. And there it is. The new No. 1 is Dell, Dell Computer. It used to be called Dell Computer. Now it's just Dell. That's Michael Dell on the left and Kevin Rollins, the CEO, on the right. And they're No. 1. GE, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Southwest, a couple familiar names.

A very interesting year for Dell. They turn 21 years old. This company was founded in 1984 in Michael Dell's dorm room at the University of Texas. He was tinkering with computers. He dropped out. His parents didn't like that, but he went on to form this giant company.

Of course, they make computers, sell them directly to customers over the Web and over the telephone. One third of all PCs shipped in the United States are now Dell, an 18 percent market share across the country. And now they're moving into printers and TVs and all manner of other things.

Another big thing happening for Dell this week. Michael Dell turns 40. He's only 39 years old still, and he's worth about $10 billion.

S. O'BRIEN: And his company's been around for 20 something years?

SERWER: Twenty-one years. That's all. You know, it's just an amazing American success story. And it's great to see that, you know, we still have these kinds of stories in this country. Starbucks another one where people just found them and they grow.

CAFFERTY: It kind of turns that argument about stay in school or be a big loaf of Swiss cheese, doesn't it?

SERWER: The same thing with Bill Gates, too. I mean, both of these guys dropped out of college, right?

M. O'BRIEN: They did OK.

SERWER: How about the young people here?

M. O'BRIEN: I think they did OK. They managed to persevere, didn't they?

SERWER: That's right.

S. O'BRIEN: They did all right. All right, Andy, thanks.

M. O'BRIEN: Study up, kids. Still study.

S. O'BRIEN: It's time to check in with the "New You Revolution" this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thekla is thinking about having a baby. So we're kind of getting her ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have one!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Motherhood is no easy task. Is Thekla ready yet? An update ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: It's hard to believe that we're already in the sixth week of our "New You Revolution." We're helping five folks break bad habits and start new healthy ones.

M. O'BRIEN: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN center in Atlanta.

Sanjay, have they lost any of their enthusiasm?

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no, absolutely not. It's six weeks in, and they certainly are hanging in there. The cameras, I think, help a bit.

Thekla is doing especially well. She's one of our favorite participants. She's trying to get physically and mentally fit. That was her challenge for us before she got pregnant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice over): To give Thekla a taste of coping with motherhood, we dropped her in a sea of children. She met with working moms, their babies and "Baby Talk" magazine editor Susan Kane at this very large play group.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thekla is thinking about having a baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we're kind of getting her ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sure you will be nervous, but you'll come to realize that they're not an egg.

GUPTA: Overcoming this fear is only part of getting Thekla prepared for being a mom. Taking prenatal vitamins is, too, which she's finally doing.

SUSAN KANE, "BABY TALK" MAGAZINE: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to find a network of mom friends, so the support is absolutely crucial.

GUPTA: As an attorney, Thekla's legal skills can also play into baby matters, like ensuring enough maternity leave.

KANE: You don't want to be guilt-tripped into a shorter leave than you're legally allowed.

GUPTA: And Thekla admitted she needed help with something else: getting organized.

THEKLA FISCHER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: This is my idea of organization. This is bad. This is really bad.

GUPTA: So, we introduced her to Julie Morganstern, organizational expert and author of "Making Work Work."

JULIE MORGANSTERN, AUTHOR, "MAKING WORK WORK": So you just start your day in control.

GUPTA: Her tips for Thekla? Spend the first hour not answering the phone and e-mails. Instead, focus on one project. Use post-its to keep track of progress. And use a calendar.

MORGANSTERN: Once you have a baby, you can't hold all this stuff in your memory.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And getting ready to start a family can seem overwhelming. So, here are take-home tips on how to get yourself organized. This is what the experts told Thekla. Plan your day, first of all. Having a baby will only add to the day, so plan ahead. It will help you get to do more things done. Also, focus on one project at a time. Multi-tasking may be overrated, and women appear to do it better than men. But get one project done, and you'll be more productive.

What do you think?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, I've got to tell you, Sanjay...

S. O'BRIEN: Multi-tasking is my life.

M. O'BRIEN: ... there are some...

GUPTA: Soledad, do you got anything to add?

M. O'BRIEN: I think Thekla is overanalyzing this whole thing. That's just my take on it. What do you think? I don't know. Can you...

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: I give her props for, you know, trying to think about these things ahead of time. Not everyone does that. She's trying to get a step ahead here.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, yes, all right.

S. O'BRIEN: We haven't seen much of her husband.

M. O'BRIEN: He's in the mix of all of this.

S. O'BRIEN: It's like, you know, that's the most important thing in this whole equation.

GUPTA: He's been traveling. He's in the military. He's been traveling, which is part of her frustration and her planning has been as well.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, gotcha.

S. O'BRIEN: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. How about the other participants? How are they doing?

GUPTA: Well, it also appears that they're getting closer to their goals, all those goals that motivated them to join the "New You Revolution" in the first place.

So here's their weekly update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice over): On the first day of our "New You Revolution," I asked Sandra why she wanted to break her bad habits.

SANDRA GARTH, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: Eight weeks from now, I'm going to be at least 15 pounds down from where I am now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've lost 15 pounds total, that's fantastic.

GARTH: Wow!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great.

GUPTA: She's almost there now, and she still has two weeks to go.

Harald has shed 20 pounds since starting his "New You Revolution." He's shooting baskets instead of eating baskets of fries. And he's learned a good habit: patience.

HARALD FRICKER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: In the past, I have lost 40 pounds in 40 days. Obviously, I've not only lost it and regained it, but then the proverbial "and then some."

GUPTA: Now he can live with the slower results, because he hopes the weight will stay off forever.

LEIGH ANN RAYNOR, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: It doesn't come off as fast as I put it on, does it?

GUPTA: Leigh Ann continues to do cardio, but had to stop one session because her heart rate was getting too high. But she's fine and is back to exercising the next day.

RAYNOR: And I think, you know, total I've lost like four or five inches.

GUPTA: She's following doctors' orders. The result? She's dropping about a pound a week.

For Jonathan's goal to stop biting his nails, he's been facing a new reality.

JONATHAN KARP, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: When I was at the movies on Sunday, I was able to open up a box of candy for the first time, the plastic seal around the candy.

GUPTA: He's still using a nail file to keep the edges smooth, but sometimes he even goes too far.

KARP: I've got another two weeks before I think they'll be in perfect shape.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And we're closing in on the end of the "New You Revolution." So next week, we're going to see if "New You Revolution" has, in fact, made a real impact, a long-lasting one on our participants.

And you also can follow the progress of all of our "New You" participants. E-mail them as well. Lots of interesting e-mails coming in. Log on to cnn.com/am. That's it.

S. O'BRIEN: I know that they appreciate all of the nice support they've been getting. Good for everybody. Boy, they're losing weight like crazy.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: That's amazing.

M. O'BRIEN: It's a real nail-biter, wouldn't you say?

GUPTA: You were waiting all morning to say that, weren't you?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. A lot of these -- I'm very proud of those people for sticking to it.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, they're doing great.

M. O'BRIEN: But as you say, I think in the absence of cameras, where would they be?

GUPTA: That's going to be the real challenge.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

GUPTA: And that's what we're hoping will last longer than just the eight weeks.

S. O'BRIEN: Of course, we work around cameras all the time, and we don't worry about it.

M. O'BRIEN: It doesn't do us any good at all, you're right. OK, a good point.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay, thanks. We'll check in with you next week.

GUPTA: Thank you. All right.

S. O'BRIEN: We are, of course, keeping a close watch on Brussels, Belgium, this morning. President Bush is expected to issue a joint statement in the next 20 minutes or so, along with the secretary general of NATO. We'll bring it to you live when it happens. AMERICAN MORNING is back in just a moment.

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 22, 2005 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. It's just half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Bill Hemmer has got the day off, but Miles O'Brien is helping us out this morning. Nice to have you.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hemmer is snowboarding, and we're working.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, he is.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: In just a few minutes, the devastation in Iran this morning after a major earthquake. Whole villages just leveled. The death toll is still rising. We're going to get a report on the destruction just ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: Also, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush are looking like stars of a buddy movie or something, working on tsunami relief and by all accounts becoming friends in the process. Are they really as close as they appear? Kelly Wallace is looking into that for us this morning.

All right, let's check the headlines, too. Heidi Collins is here with that.

Good morning -- Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You were going to say headline Heidi, weren't you?

M. O'BRIEN: No I wasn't. I wasn't.

COLLINS: Yes, you were.

M. O'BRIEN: I didn't do it. I stopped myself.

COLLINS: You got nailed for that last time.

M. O'BRIEN: I stopped myself. I'll never do it again.

COLLINS: Thank you, Miles. "Now in the News" this morning.

President Bush is expected to deliver remarks in the next half- hour at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The president is in the middle of a five-day European tour. His agenda today includes back-to-back meetings with NATO and European leaders and a visit with newly-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. NATO's 26 members are expected to announce support for an alliance program to train Iraq's military.

And a show of support from the first lady. First Lady Laura Bush in Germany at this hour visiting with wounded American soldiers. She also spoke to some 1,500 troops at Ramstein Air Base. The first lady is also expected to meet with schoolchildren from military families.

North Korea appears to be showing signs it is ready to resume nuclear talks with some conditions. According to the state news agency, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-Il, says he is willing to pick up six-party talks, but only if certain conditions are met and the U.S. shows sincerity. Kim Jong-Il did not elaborate further on the nature of those conditions. The announcement comes as a top Chinese envoy is in Pyongyang for talks.

And in California, jury selection reassumes in just a few hours in the Michael Jackson child molestation case. The proceedings cut off a week ago after Jackson was rushed to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. The defense is expected to add more names to its possible witness list today.

S. O'BRIEN: Some pretty big names were on the list last week.

COLLINS: Yes, they sure were. A lot of them.

S. O'BRIEN: Larry King, Kobe Bryant.

COLLINS: Everyone in Hollywood, right?

S. O'BRIEN: Pretty much everybody in Hollywood.

M. O'BRIEN: They're going to have a red carpet in front of the courthouse.

COLLINS: Maybe. And maybe he'll dance again.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Maybe not. All right, Heidi, thanks.

Well, rain and cold have slowed the search for earthquake victims in central Iran. Seven villages in Kerman province were leveled. Over 270 people were killed when the quake struck early this morning local time.

Matthew Chance has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): By all accounts this was a powerful quake, measuring 6.4 in magnitude. A number of remote mud-brick villages are known to be badly hit. Local residents are shown scrambling to pull loved ones from the rubble.

Iranian authorities say the main towns in Kerman province near the epicenter have escaped significant damage. But hospitals in the area are inundated with casualties. Authorities say thousands need treatment. Many others are without shelter, facing a night of freezing weather conditions.

But it could have been much worse. Seismologists say the depth of the epicenter at 26 miles from the Earth's surface may have limited the damage.

DAVID APPELGATE, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: The seismic energy is dissipating as it moves up through the crust. In other words, the nearest person to this earthquake, essentially 26 miles above, as opposed to being just a few miles above. So, there's more time for the energy to dissipate, and that means less intense shaking.

CHANCE: It was in this same remote area of southeastern Iran that an even more powerful earthquake struck over a year ago. Then, the historic city of Bam was virtually destroyed, and more than 26,000 people killed.

Now as then, it may take days for the full extent of the devastation to emerge.

Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Major damage to 25 villages in Kerman province to report -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Former Presidents Clinton and Bush just wrapped up a three-day tour of tsunami-ravaged South Asia. And they've been charged with leading a tsunami relief fund-raising drive. Since then, it seems the former political rivals are becoming pals, believe it or not.

Here with more is national correspondent Kelly Wallace.

That is some breaking news, isn't it?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, Miles. Great to see you.

An aide to President Clinton telling me that in their free time, the two men were talking about everything from global issues to politics to their families. One reporter joking that the two men are almost finishing each other's sentences and quoting each other frequently. So, they're getting along very, very well. But they also point out, this is a friendship that has evolved over time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice over): If you didn't know it, you might think they were running mates not former rivals. Just watch and listen.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's in better shape than I am. I'm having heart surgery, and he's jumping out of airplanes.

WALLACE: Yucking it up and heaping praise on the other every chance they get.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I got a little age on President Clinton. I got a little age going.

WALLACE: The warmth between the ex-presidents was evident last month at the White House.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm honored to be standing here with two former presidents.

WALLACE: But you could also see the bond months earlier in the smiles at the World War II dedication ceremony and in the words at the opening of President Clinton's library.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH: Simply put, he was a natural, and he made it look too easy. And, oh, how I hated him for that.

WALLACE: What happened to the bitterness? And there was bitterness. It was, after all, an election Republican strategists say President Bush never expected to lose to the Arkansas governor.

ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, both are very warm men. And so, you know, it's one thing to be in a political battle as they were, you know, 12 years ago. But, you know, it all goes away.

WALLACE: And something else happens between members of that very exclusive club, only four living members now, the ex-presidents, says Jack Valenti, long-time aide to President Johnson.

JACK VALENTI, FORMER AIDE TO LYNDON JOHNSON: Only they understand the problems, the pressures, the disappointments and sometimes triumphs that presidents deal with.

WALLACE: Could the warmth between 41 and 42 help 43 as he begins his second term, and a woman who may try to become 44? Our Washington observers say possibly, but they say it won't likely end the partisan bickering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it has any relationship whatsoever on what's going on in Washington today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Still, Washington is paying attention; so is the world, Miles. Because both men are commenting that several political leaders they met can't believe that two former opponents are traveling together, saying that would never happen in their country.

M. O'BRIEN: It's like a Hollywood treatment or something. All right. We've been bandying about a lot of numbers. What about 42 and 43, President Clinton and the current President Bush?

WALLACE: They seem to be getting along as well. If you look at the unveiling of President Clinton's portrait in the White House, President Bush, the current president, heaping enormous praise on the former president, so much so that Bill Clinton was somewhat surprised by it.

Also, aides tell me to both men that the two have talked on the phone, especially after President Clinton was on the hospital. The two see a little bit of themselves in each other. They respect the political skills of the other. So, they have formed a respect and a friendship through that.

M. O'BRIEN: Hard to think of a more elite club they belong to. All right, Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.

WALLACE: Sure.

M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.

A. O'BRIEN: A nationwide Amber Alert on today for a pregnant Texas woman and her 7-year-old son. Lisa Underwood and her son, Jayden, were reported missing on Saturday after Lisa Underwood failed to show up at her own baby shower. Later, blood was found at her home.

Underwood's SUV was found yesterday in a creek bed north of Dallas. Investigators have talked with Jayden's father and the father of Underwood's unborn child. Police say, though, they have no suspects at this point.

Its' time to take a check of the weather. Chad Myers is at the CNN center with the latest for us on that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Andy is "Minding Your Business" this morning. He's about to unveil "Fortune" magazine's list of most admired companies.

S. O'BRIEN: And in the "New You Revolution" it's babies, babies everywhere. A crash course in coping with motherhood ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. The spread of democracy is the "Question of the Day."

Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. Thanks, Soledad.

President Bush continues his European reconciliation tour. He's calling on various European leaders to join his campaign to spread democracy abroad, especially in the Middle East.

But a majority of Europeans -- people in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- say it's not the U.S.' job to spread democracy. This according to a new AP/IPSOS poll. Eighty-four percent of the French, as well as majorities in other European countries, disagree with America's role.

The question is: Is it the United States' role to spread democracy abroad?

Jerry in Georgia: "We should first look at ourselves, make certain we're on the right track before acting righteous to the west of the world. Our concentration on spreading democracy seems focused only on those countries where the United States has a vested interest."

Kenneth in Delaware: "We should not be the leader of the free world; we should be an equal partner with other free nations that work together to peacefully achieve freedom around the world."

Paul in Pennsylvania: "Spreading the concept of democracy is fine, but unleashing our military globally in order to pound democracy down the throats of others seems terribly undemocratic to me."

Doug in New Jersey: "It's the role of the USA to defend and keep its own democracy strong. We can sell the success of our own democracy, but our ability to purvey it throughout the world is highly questionable."

And Greg in Nova Scotia: "Spreading democracy is not unlike spreading manure. You can use all you wish on the Cafferty farm. And I view favorable results, I may choose to do likewise. But don't drop a load in my back yard under the cover of darkness with instructions taped to the handle of a shovel."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Oh, those Canadians.

M. O'BRIEN: You betcha. All right.

Well, "Fortune" magazine is out with the -- drum roll please -- most-admired companies. And you've got connections at "Fortune".

SERWER: I do. I work there, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: He works there.

SERWER: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: And therefore has the magazine, which he's not going to hold up, but there it is right in our hot hands, ready to go.

SERWER: Yes, it's a survey of 15,000 executives and directors and analysts. And there it is. The new No. 1 is Dell, Dell Computer. It used to be called Dell Computer. Now it's just Dell. That's Michael Dell on the left and Kevin Rollins, the CEO, on the right. And they're No. 1. GE, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Southwest, a couple familiar names.

A very interesting year for Dell. They turn 21 years old. This company was founded in 1984 in Michael Dell's dorm room at the University of Texas. He was tinkering with computers. He dropped out. His parents didn't like that, but he went on to form this giant company.

Of course, they make computers, sell them directly to customers over the Web and over the telephone. One third of all PCs shipped in the United States are now Dell, an 18 percent market share across the country. And now they're moving into printers and TVs and all manner of other things.

Another big thing happening for Dell this week. Michael Dell turns 40. He's only 39 years old still, and he's worth about $10 billion.

S. O'BRIEN: And his company's been around for 20 something years?

SERWER: Twenty-one years. That's all. You know, it's just an amazing American success story. And it's great to see that, you know, we still have these kinds of stories in this country. Starbucks another one where people just found them and they grow.

CAFFERTY: It kind of turns that argument about stay in school or be a big loaf of Swiss cheese, doesn't it?

SERWER: The same thing with Bill Gates, too. I mean, both of these guys dropped out of college, right?

M. O'BRIEN: They did OK.

SERWER: How about the young people here?

M. O'BRIEN: I think they did OK. They managed to persevere, didn't they?

SERWER: That's right.

S. O'BRIEN: They did all right. All right, Andy, thanks.

M. O'BRIEN: Study up, kids. Still study.

S. O'BRIEN: It's time to check in with the "New You Revolution" this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thekla is thinking about having a baby. So we're kind of getting her ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have one!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Motherhood is no easy task. Is Thekla ready yet? An update ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: It's hard to believe that we're already in the sixth week of our "New You Revolution." We're helping five folks break bad habits and start new healthy ones.

M. O'BRIEN: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN center in Atlanta.

Sanjay, have they lost any of their enthusiasm?

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no, absolutely not. It's six weeks in, and they certainly are hanging in there. The cameras, I think, help a bit.

Thekla is doing especially well. She's one of our favorite participants. She's trying to get physically and mentally fit. That was her challenge for us before she got pregnant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice over): To give Thekla a taste of coping with motherhood, we dropped her in a sea of children. She met with working moms, their babies and "Baby Talk" magazine editor Susan Kane at this very large play group.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thekla is thinking about having a baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we're kind of getting her ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sure you will be nervous, but you'll come to realize that they're not an egg.

GUPTA: Overcoming this fear is only part of getting Thekla prepared for being a mom. Taking prenatal vitamins is, too, which she's finally doing.

SUSAN KANE, "BABY TALK" MAGAZINE: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to find a network of mom friends, so the support is absolutely crucial.

GUPTA: As an attorney, Thekla's legal skills can also play into baby matters, like ensuring enough maternity leave.

KANE: You don't want to be guilt-tripped into a shorter leave than you're legally allowed.

GUPTA: And Thekla admitted she needed help with something else: getting organized.

THEKLA FISCHER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: This is my idea of organization. This is bad. This is really bad.

GUPTA: So, we introduced her to Julie Morganstern, organizational expert and author of "Making Work Work."

JULIE MORGANSTERN, AUTHOR, "MAKING WORK WORK": So you just start your day in control.

GUPTA: Her tips for Thekla? Spend the first hour not answering the phone and e-mails. Instead, focus on one project. Use post-its to keep track of progress. And use a calendar.

MORGANSTERN: Once you have a baby, you can't hold all this stuff in your memory.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And getting ready to start a family can seem overwhelming. So, here are take-home tips on how to get yourself organized. This is what the experts told Thekla. Plan your day, first of all. Having a baby will only add to the day, so plan ahead. It will help you get to do more things done. Also, focus on one project at a time. Multi-tasking may be overrated, and women appear to do it better than men. But get one project done, and you'll be more productive.

What do you think?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, I've got to tell you, Sanjay...

S. O'BRIEN: Multi-tasking is my life.

M. O'BRIEN: ... there are some...

GUPTA: Soledad, do you got anything to add?

M. O'BRIEN: I think Thekla is overanalyzing this whole thing. That's just my take on it. What do you think? I don't know. Can you...

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: I give her props for, you know, trying to think about these things ahead of time. Not everyone does that. She's trying to get a step ahead here.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, yes, all right.

S. O'BRIEN: We haven't seen much of her husband.

M. O'BRIEN: He's in the mix of all of this.

S. O'BRIEN: It's like, you know, that's the most important thing in this whole equation.

GUPTA: He's been traveling. He's in the military. He's been traveling, which is part of her frustration and her planning has been as well.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, gotcha.

S. O'BRIEN: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. How about the other participants? How are they doing?

GUPTA: Well, it also appears that they're getting closer to their goals, all those goals that motivated them to join the "New You Revolution" in the first place.

So here's their weekly update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice over): On the first day of our "New You Revolution," I asked Sandra why she wanted to break her bad habits.

SANDRA GARTH, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: Eight weeks from now, I'm going to be at least 15 pounds down from where I am now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've lost 15 pounds total, that's fantastic.

GARTH: Wow!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great.

GUPTA: She's almost there now, and she still has two weeks to go.

Harald has shed 20 pounds since starting his "New You Revolution." He's shooting baskets instead of eating baskets of fries. And he's learned a good habit: patience.

HARALD FRICKER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: In the past, I have lost 40 pounds in 40 days. Obviously, I've not only lost it and regained it, but then the proverbial "and then some."

GUPTA: Now he can live with the slower results, because he hopes the weight will stay off forever.

LEIGH ANN RAYNOR, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: It doesn't come off as fast as I put it on, does it?

GUPTA: Leigh Ann continues to do cardio, but had to stop one session because her heart rate was getting too high. But she's fine and is back to exercising the next day.

RAYNOR: And I think, you know, total I've lost like four or five inches.

GUPTA: She's following doctors' orders. The result? She's dropping about a pound a week.

For Jonathan's goal to stop biting his nails, he's been facing a new reality.

JONATHAN KARP, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: When I was at the movies on Sunday, I was able to open up a box of candy for the first time, the plastic seal around the candy.

GUPTA: He's still using a nail file to keep the edges smooth, but sometimes he even goes too far.

KARP: I've got another two weeks before I think they'll be in perfect shape.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And we're closing in on the end of the "New You Revolution." So next week, we're going to see if "New You Revolution" has, in fact, made a real impact, a long-lasting one on our participants.

And you also can follow the progress of all of our "New You" participants. E-mail them as well. Lots of interesting e-mails coming in. Log on to cnn.com/am. That's it.

S. O'BRIEN: I know that they appreciate all of the nice support they've been getting. Good for everybody. Boy, they're losing weight like crazy.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: That's amazing.

M. O'BRIEN: It's a real nail-biter, wouldn't you say?

GUPTA: You were waiting all morning to say that, weren't you?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. A lot of these -- I'm very proud of those people for sticking to it.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, they're doing great.

M. O'BRIEN: But as you say, I think in the absence of cameras, where would they be?

GUPTA: That's going to be the real challenge.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

GUPTA: And that's what we're hoping will last longer than just the eight weeks.

S. O'BRIEN: Of course, we work around cameras all the time, and we don't worry about it.

M. O'BRIEN: It doesn't do us any good at all, you're right. OK, a good point.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay, thanks. We'll check in with you next week.

GUPTA: Thank you. All right.

S. O'BRIEN: We are, of course, keeping a close watch on Brussels, Belgium, this morning. President Bush is expected to issue a joint statement in the next 20 minutes or so, along with the secretary general of NATO. We'll bring it to you live when it happens. AMERICAN MORNING is back in just a moment.

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