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American Morning

Michael Jackson Trial; Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Meets With President Bush This Morning

Aired April 11, 2005 - 09:30   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everybody. 9:30 here in New York.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I agree. It is in fact just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.

We've got a critical test of diplomacy for President Bush to talk about this morning. He's going to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. That meeting, in fact, starts in just a little more than an hour. Some very serious disagreements, though, to iron out. We're going to find out what we can expect today.

HEMMER: Also Tiger Woods was at it again over the weekend.

O'BRIEN: Yes, he was.

HEMMER: Look at this shot here. Three holes to play -- it's getting tight, it's getting really close. The whole world is waiting and watching, and Tiger throw throws this chip shot toward the hole. It stops for a second. Soledad blows real hard on it, and it goes in. Tiger also says he was playing with a very heavy heart in that round yesterday, too. So we'll explain that in a moment as well. What a finish.

O'BRIEN: That was nice to see.

Let's get a check of the headlines first, though. Carol Costello has got a look for us.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It was a fast finish after a slow start because of all of the rain, right? It was a cool Masters this year. Good morning, everyone.

Now in the news, John Bolton is now officially in the hot seat. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting right now to debate Bolton's nomination to the United Nations. You're taking a look at Senate Richard Lugar there. There's John Bolton. They're getting ready to toss him some very difficult questions. Of course Mr. Bolton is President Bush's pick, but critics say his past criticism of the United Nations disqualifies him from representing the U.S. at the world body. We'll keep you posted.

In Maryland, an investigation into the death of a U.S. Naval Academy student who apparently fell. The body of Midshipman Second Class Jay Michael Dickson was found outside of a campus dorm on Saturday. The Academy won't say where he may have fallen from. An investigation is ongoing. It is the second such case in the last three years.

Former President Clinton is set to announce a new HIV/AIDS initiative. In less than two hours, the former president is said to hold a news conference on behalf of his foundation. Clinton will be joined by international experts and activists against aids.

And the morning commute in Denver is shaping up to be a nasty one after a spring blizzard. Those two words don't go together, do they -- spring blizzard. It dumped up to two feet of snow. A major interstate from Aurora to Kansas closed right now. Hundreds of trucks still waiting it out. Flight cancellations also left hundreds of travelers stranded at Denver's airports. But the good news is, is the storm is winding down this morning, and hopefully they'll return to spring.

O'BRIEN: Forty-six degrees or something there, so it's got to melt.

COSTELLO: True. True.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson trial will pick up this morning where they left off on Friday, presenting evidence of past molestation allegations.

As Ted Rowlands reports this morning, they're trying to convince jurors that where there's smoke, there's fire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Graphic testimony about what Michael Jackson may or may not have done years ago is expected to continue this coming week. Jurors have already heard a number of bombshell accusations, including a former security guard's claim that he saw Jackson performing oral sex on a 9 or 10-year-old boy outside a shower at Neverland Ranch. A former maid says she saw Jackson kiss and touch two boys, including child movie star, Macaulay Culkin. A former chef says he saw Jackson's hand inside Culkin's shorts. Macaulay Culkin himself denies he was ever molested by Jackson.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: What happened at the house? That's what all of these things or people are concerned about.

MACAULAY CULKIN: That's so weird.

KING: What did happen?

CULKIN: Nothing happened, you know, I mean nothing really. I mean, we played video games.

ROWLANDS: Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, attacked the credibility of the former employee witnesses, pointing out that all of them had tried unsuccessfully to sue Jackson for wrongful termination.

JIM MORET, JACKSON TRIAL POOL REPORTER: These are really important witnesses. These are witnesses who aren't talking about the accuser in this case, but they're saying that they saw Michael Jackson act inappropriately with other kids.

The prosecution is trying to show two things -- they're trying to show that Michael Jackson has a propensity for being a child molester, and also show a common plan, or scheme or motive.

ROWLANDS: Jackson is being accused of improper acts against five other children besides the alleged victim in this trial. Only one of the other accusers took the stand. A former maid's son broke down while testifying that Jackson fondled him on three separate occasions, once inside his shorts when he was 10.

None of the alleged prior behavior by Jackson resulted in any criminal charges. Over defense objections, the judge is allowing the prosecution to bring up the alleged acts to try to prove a pattern of behavior.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Also, as the trial continues today, among those expected to testify this week is the mother of Jackson's accuser from 1993 -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: That will be interesting to see.

Well, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets with President Bush this morning to discuss the controversial issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Elaine Quijano is at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas this morning.

Elaine, good morning.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Prime Minister Sharon, as well as President Bush, may not see eye to eye on the issue of Jewish settlements, but today we're expected the two leaders to focus largely on this what they can agree on, Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In roughly three months, Israel plans to remove its troops and thousands of Jewish settlers from 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank. But Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is taking intense political heat for the idea, even receiving death threats.

DAVID MAKOVSKY, INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: I think Sharon has a sincere problem at home with 100,000 protesters, 200 Israelis that are trying to kill him and a party that is very divided and convinced that this is a bad idea. Meeting with President Bush is not going to change that fundamental point.

QUIJANO: Still, Mr. Sharon heads to Crawford with the hope of getting backup once again from President Bush.

It was nearly a year ago, the two leaders stood together at the White House and President Bush made clear he was firmly behind Sharon's plan.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I commend Prime Minister Sharon for his bold and courageous decision to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

QUIJANO: Yet complicating the picture now, Israel's recent call to develop land just east of Jerusalem that the Palestinians claim is theirs. Critics say that would affect what any future Palestinian state might look like, while Sharon argues it would be a natural extension of an existing Jerusalem suburb.

The U.S. calls those plans at odds with American policy. And while the president says he intends to take up the issue of Jewish settlements with Sharon, Mr. Bush also wants to give the prime minister the latitude he needs in the short-term to carry out the Gaza withdrawal successfully.

At the same time, President Bush will urge the Israeli leader to work closely with the new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Yet Israelis say Abbas has not been effective enough in dismantling and disarming terrorist groups.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Still, analysts say with Mahmoud Abbas Israelis and Palestinians have a prime opportunity to move the peace process forward. They see Abbas as a person committed to coexistence, and, they say, it's critical any plans by Israel to withdraw should be coordinated with him -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas this morning.

Elaine, thank you -- Bill.

HEMMER: About 22 minutes now before the hour. Tiger Woods kept everyone interested on Sunday until the very end. And what would the Masters be without a bit of drama? In fact, there was a lot of it on Sunday.

Patrick Snell reports today from Augusta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a double win for Tiger Woods at the Masters. Simply, he beat Chris DiMarco in a one-hole playoff. But Woods also claimed victory over the doubters who questioned his skills after he failed to win in 10 straight majors.

TIGER WOODS, MASTERS CHAMPION: To have, you know, all the criticisms and people think I should, you know, retire from the game, I was hitting it so bad for the past year. What are you doing revamping your swing? Well, it worked out pretty good. And to go through all that, to go through a, I'm not going to be good after I get married, and silenced that.

SNELL: This was perhaps the last time Woods would stroll the same Augusta fairways with Jack Nicklaus, who bid farewell on Saturday. With his ninth career major, Woods once again said hello to his pursuit of Nicklaus' record 18.

WOOD: It's pretty cool to go out and play the way I did this week. I hit some beautiful golf shots this week. And to do that in a major championship setting and do that when it means a lot -- it's pretty cool to be able to do something like that.

SNELL: Woods being fitted for a green jacket is a familiar sight. But missing from Sunday's celebration was his father, who was in Augusta, but too ill to make it to the course.

WOODS: Every year I've been lucky enough to win this tournament, my dad's been there to give me a hug. He wasn't there today. I can't wait to get home to see him, to give him a big bear hug. Thank you.

SNELL: Patrick Snell, CNN, Augusta, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: A heck of a way to end it, huh?

O'BRIEN: But he didn't play that well, really. I mean, he kind of messed up the next shot.

HEMMER: Won the tournament.

O'BRIEN: I mean, it's like hitting that miracle shot, but the next one he didn't...

HEMMER: He bogeyed 17 and 18 after he hit this miraculous shot.

O'BRIEN: He kind of blew the lead, right?

HEMMER: But if he doesn't hit this shot, maybe he loses the entire tournament. But to Chris DiMarco's credit, he forced a playoff, never gave up, including after he stood here and watched that thing drop in there.

O'BRIEN: There's no reason that ball should go in. I mean, it comes to a clear stop.

HEMMER: You're taking golf lessons, right?

O'BRIEN: I am, yes. HEMMER: Throughout your career, young lady, you will hit 10,000 shots, and one of them will stop like that, get another revolution and drop that in.

O'BRIEN: I seriously doubt that, knowing my golf ability. I don't even think one. I could hit a million shots and not even one will come anywhere near that. But I thank you for your confidence in my golf game.

HEMMER: Sure. Well, I think (INAUDIBLE) will be coming back, too.

O'BRIEN: Yes, we'll see.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: If you're looking for a cheap date, who needs dinner and a movie when you've got Wal-Mart? Andy explains that in "Minding Your Business" in a moment here.

O'BRIEN: That is cheap. What, you just going to take the girl to airport?

HEMMER: I don't know. We're going to find out.

O'BRIEN: Well, also this story this morning. If it's good enough for the president, it is good enough for the duck. Ducks protected by the Secret Service. We'll tell you why, up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Well, guarding the president and other VIPs, all in a day's work for the Secret Service in Washington, but now a duck is getting the same protection. A brown mallard built a nest and laid nine eggs right in front of the U.S. Treasury Department. The Secret Service now providing protection for the duck, whose eggs are expected to hatch a bit later this month.

And Craig Tufts is the chief naturalist with the Natural Wildlife Federation. He's live, right in front of that Treasury building. Craig, good morning to you. Tell us, how unusual is this to pick such a public place to nest?

CRAIG TUFTS, NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: It's very unusual for a duck to be so much in the open. We've had ducks nesting in the Pentagon, on the White House grounds, but this duck is completely out in the open. It's only, you know, plants that might provide a coverage, this one little tree and it's sort of sitting right on top of this big pile of mulch right in front of Treasury.

HEMMER: Yes, I understand the Secret Service built a what, a protective barrier around this duck to keep it safe? Is that enough, Craig?

TUFTS: It seems to be. We've been here with her for a couple of hours this morning, and she's pretty much nonplused. She's just sort of taking it in, she's sort of chatting with the visiting pigeons and house sparrows and all of the well-wishers that come by to look at her.

We just had a person come by who I guess has visited her every day for the last week. And she's on sort of a person-to-person basis, in terms of names and stuff like that. People really love the duck.

HEMMER: What have you named her, Craig?

TUFTS: I really haven't named her. You know, maybe another couple of days in this, I'll give her a name. But people are calling her T-Bill, or Duck Cheney is another name. We're just a block or two from the White House.

HEMMER: I like T-Bill in there. We said later in the month, these eggs will hatch. How much later in the month?

TUFTS: Well, we think she started sitting on her eggs about two or three days ago, and the incubation period's about 28 days. So she's still got another good three, three-and-a-half weeks, before she and the ducklings probably head down towards the Tidal Basin.

HEMMER: Where's dad, by the way, Craig?

TUFTS: Excuse me?

HEMMER: Where's father?

TUFTS: Where's dad?

HEMMER: Yes.

TUFTS: Yes, well, it's not as though he's doing the wrong thing. He's just doing what all mallard drakes do. About a day or two after she starts sitting on her eggs, he splits and they'll probably never see their father. But he was around here a while. She was laying eggs. She lays one egg a day, but, you know, this is -- you know, watching things like this, just watching the interaction of people and wildlife, is sort of what we're about.

HEMMER: Yes, that's a pretty popular strip in front of the Treasury Department. How many people are coming by?

TUFTS: Well, there's everybody that goes into Treasury, and a lot of the people sort of know this duck, and then there's been an awful lot of Cherry Blossom Festival traffic until yesterday, but you know, on a regular basis, it seems as though there's maybe 10 or 20 people here every minute, some of them stop by and look at the duck, take pictures.

HEMMER: All right. Listen, good luck.

TUFTS: A lot of people who like the duck.

HEMMER: Craig, thanks for your time. Craig Tufts, National Wildlife Federation. Keep us posted when they hatch, OK?

TUFTS: I will. Will do that.

HEMMER: The T-Bill. Thanks, Craig -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I'm sure Craig knows here in New York City, we have our own very favorite fowl. They're also in the family way. A celebrity hawk, Pale Male, has met Lola. Of course, it was a Jack Cafferty exclusive for a while. They are watching over somewhere between one and three eggs in their Fifth Avenue nest.

Three months ago, the future seemed a little less rosy for the hawks. They were evicted from their 12th story home by tenants of the building. But bird lovers prevailed upon the building owners to take the pair back. Pale Male has already sired 23 offspring since his arrival 12 years ago. Been a busy little bird. I say that as a woman who's got four kids of her own.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, you say yes, you could find everything under the sun at Wal-Mart. TVs, groceries. Pretty soon maybe even a cheap date. Andy's got a look at that. He's "Minding Your Business" up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: You're looking at some live pictures of a small fire that's under way in a building in Central Park this morning. It's near the Heckscher Playground, if you're familiar at all with Central Park. It's also the Wilmond (ph) Rink is kind of across the street, fairly close by. That's Central Park West in the 60s. We're told it might be a bathroom facility. It's unclear why it's on fire at this time, although we should note that there's been construction -- you can even see it in the shot, construction in the area -- and that might have something to do with why this fire has now gotten under way in this building. More on this story, if it merits it, as we continue to follow it.

HEMMER: All right, in the meantime, Wal-Mart, known for its discount prices. Could it become the place for a cheap date?

Andy Serwer knows a little bit about that. Kidding.

O'BRIEN: Oh, that was so hard!

HEMMER: Back "Minding Your Business".

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: There are so many places to go there. It's good to see you back -- I guess.

Is it the Wal-Mart that I know about? Is it the cheap date that I know about? All right, we'll leave that aside. Let's check out the markets, first of all. Stocks trading a little bit higher, up 4 points on the Dow. Lower oil prices helping things out. Ford, however, not helping things out. After the bell on Friday, it said its business was not faring so well, making $900 million less this year, the company said. And Bank of America just came out and said that it thinks the stock will go to 7. It's now at 10. It was 30 a couple of years ago. Not a good situation there for Ford or GM.

Let's talk about Wal-Mart. This is Wal-Mart in Germany. Of course it's a huge company; it's got stores all over the world these days. Here's what's going on, Lonely Hearts Club in Wal-Mart in Germany, two hours a night, two nights a week, they have a singles thing going on at Wal-Mart. You can put a little red ribbon on your shopping cart, and it means, hello, I am available. And other people -- and then you see someone with another red ribbon, and they say, hi, how are you, boy this garden hose sure is cheap, or whatever your opening line would be at a Wal-Mart. I'm not sure what. I'm not that good at it. See, I don't know about cheap dates or dating at Wal- Mart.

HEMMER: Everyday low prices.

SERWER: Yes, OK.

They also have these special sort of areas set up with wine, and chocolate and cheeses and other romantic foods, so if you're too scared to put the red ribbon on, you can just sort of idle up. I don't know, it's only in Germany now. They're thinking about expanding it to other countries, including the U.S. What do you think about it? It might be a question of the day at some point.

O'BRIEN: There was a supermarket that had that. It was well- known. They didn't set aside specific days.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Did you used to hang out there?

SERWER: How did you know about this?

O'BRIEN: It was well known.

SERWER: Feeling the avocados.

O'BRIEN: They asked singles to come by and stop at this particular I think it was a Safeway market, because singles would go there. It was very much on the up and up. It wasn't creepy. It was nice.

CAFFERTY: I'm not doing anything. I'm just sitting up waiting my turn.

O'BRIEN: As usual, innocently sitting there.

CAFFERTY: Singles night at Wal-Mart, you got to be kidding!

Should Representative Tom DeLay resign as House majority leader?

Peter in Virginia writes, "Yes, if the Republican Party wants to remain a viable option, they must show that their calls for ethics and responses to scandals is the same for their own members as it is for the Democrats when they attack at the merest hint of impropriety." Floyd in Ohio writes, "Tom DeLay is symptomatic of a bigger problem that affects all of Congress. Because nearly all representatives have safe seats, they're able to keep their jobs, even if they are corrupt, senile or physically unable to perform their duties."

And Mark in Maryland on a similar vein, "Mr. DeLay has become a disgrace to the Congress and a sad example of what the political process in this country has become. He forged his reputation on the hard-nosed politics of personal destruction during the Clinton administration. And now it looks as though he will prove the old adage that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword."

Not a lot of support for Mr. DeLay in the mailbag this morning.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.

Well, coming up this morning, America's pain at the pump. If you think you have it bad, our friends across the pond have a little advice. It goes like this -- quit whining! Why the Brits have little sympathy. That's coming up ion the next hour with Daryn on CNN LIVE TODAY.

American moment -- AMERICAN MORNING is back in just a moment.

I am struggling today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 11, 2005 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everybody. 9:30 here in New York.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I agree. It is in fact just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.

We've got a critical test of diplomacy for President Bush to talk about this morning. He's going to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. That meeting, in fact, starts in just a little more than an hour. Some very serious disagreements, though, to iron out. We're going to find out what we can expect today.

HEMMER: Also Tiger Woods was at it again over the weekend.

O'BRIEN: Yes, he was.

HEMMER: Look at this shot here. Three holes to play -- it's getting tight, it's getting really close. The whole world is waiting and watching, and Tiger throw throws this chip shot toward the hole. It stops for a second. Soledad blows real hard on it, and it goes in. Tiger also says he was playing with a very heavy heart in that round yesterday, too. So we'll explain that in a moment as well. What a finish.

O'BRIEN: That was nice to see.

Let's get a check of the headlines first, though. Carol Costello has got a look for us.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It was a fast finish after a slow start because of all of the rain, right? It was a cool Masters this year. Good morning, everyone.

Now in the news, John Bolton is now officially in the hot seat. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting right now to debate Bolton's nomination to the United Nations. You're taking a look at Senate Richard Lugar there. There's John Bolton. They're getting ready to toss him some very difficult questions. Of course Mr. Bolton is President Bush's pick, but critics say his past criticism of the United Nations disqualifies him from representing the U.S. at the world body. We'll keep you posted.

In Maryland, an investigation into the death of a U.S. Naval Academy student who apparently fell. The body of Midshipman Second Class Jay Michael Dickson was found outside of a campus dorm on Saturday. The Academy won't say where he may have fallen from. An investigation is ongoing. It is the second such case in the last three years.

Former President Clinton is set to announce a new HIV/AIDS initiative. In less than two hours, the former president is said to hold a news conference on behalf of his foundation. Clinton will be joined by international experts and activists against aids.

And the morning commute in Denver is shaping up to be a nasty one after a spring blizzard. Those two words don't go together, do they -- spring blizzard. It dumped up to two feet of snow. A major interstate from Aurora to Kansas closed right now. Hundreds of trucks still waiting it out. Flight cancellations also left hundreds of travelers stranded at Denver's airports. But the good news is, is the storm is winding down this morning, and hopefully they'll return to spring.

O'BRIEN: Forty-six degrees or something there, so it's got to melt.

COSTELLO: True. True.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson trial will pick up this morning where they left off on Friday, presenting evidence of past molestation allegations.

As Ted Rowlands reports this morning, they're trying to convince jurors that where there's smoke, there's fire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Graphic testimony about what Michael Jackson may or may not have done years ago is expected to continue this coming week. Jurors have already heard a number of bombshell accusations, including a former security guard's claim that he saw Jackson performing oral sex on a 9 or 10-year-old boy outside a shower at Neverland Ranch. A former maid says she saw Jackson kiss and touch two boys, including child movie star, Macaulay Culkin. A former chef says he saw Jackson's hand inside Culkin's shorts. Macaulay Culkin himself denies he was ever molested by Jackson.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: What happened at the house? That's what all of these things or people are concerned about.

MACAULAY CULKIN: That's so weird.

KING: What did happen?

CULKIN: Nothing happened, you know, I mean nothing really. I mean, we played video games.

ROWLANDS: Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, attacked the credibility of the former employee witnesses, pointing out that all of them had tried unsuccessfully to sue Jackson for wrongful termination.

JIM MORET, JACKSON TRIAL POOL REPORTER: These are really important witnesses. These are witnesses who aren't talking about the accuser in this case, but they're saying that they saw Michael Jackson act inappropriately with other kids.

The prosecution is trying to show two things -- they're trying to show that Michael Jackson has a propensity for being a child molester, and also show a common plan, or scheme or motive.

ROWLANDS: Jackson is being accused of improper acts against five other children besides the alleged victim in this trial. Only one of the other accusers took the stand. A former maid's son broke down while testifying that Jackson fondled him on three separate occasions, once inside his shorts when he was 10.

None of the alleged prior behavior by Jackson resulted in any criminal charges. Over defense objections, the judge is allowing the prosecution to bring up the alleged acts to try to prove a pattern of behavior.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Also, as the trial continues today, among those expected to testify this week is the mother of Jackson's accuser from 1993 -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: That will be interesting to see.

Well, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets with President Bush this morning to discuss the controversial issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Elaine Quijano is at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas this morning.

Elaine, good morning.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Prime Minister Sharon, as well as President Bush, may not see eye to eye on the issue of Jewish settlements, but today we're expected the two leaders to focus largely on this what they can agree on, Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In roughly three months, Israel plans to remove its troops and thousands of Jewish settlers from 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank. But Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is taking intense political heat for the idea, even receiving death threats.

DAVID MAKOVSKY, INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: I think Sharon has a sincere problem at home with 100,000 protesters, 200 Israelis that are trying to kill him and a party that is very divided and convinced that this is a bad idea. Meeting with President Bush is not going to change that fundamental point.

QUIJANO: Still, Mr. Sharon heads to Crawford with the hope of getting backup once again from President Bush.

It was nearly a year ago, the two leaders stood together at the White House and President Bush made clear he was firmly behind Sharon's plan.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I commend Prime Minister Sharon for his bold and courageous decision to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

QUIJANO: Yet complicating the picture now, Israel's recent call to develop land just east of Jerusalem that the Palestinians claim is theirs. Critics say that would affect what any future Palestinian state might look like, while Sharon argues it would be a natural extension of an existing Jerusalem suburb.

The U.S. calls those plans at odds with American policy. And while the president says he intends to take up the issue of Jewish settlements with Sharon, Mr. Bush also wants to give the prime minister the latitude he needs in the short-term to carry out the Gaza withdrawal successfully.

At the same time, President Bush will urge the Israeli leader to work closely with the new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Yet Israelis say Abbas has not been effective enough in dismantling and disarming terrorist groups.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Still, analysts say with Mahmoud Abbas Israelis and Palestinians have a prime opportunity to move the peace process forward. They see Abbas as a person committed to coexistence, and, they say, it's critical any plans by Israel to withdraw should be coordinated with him -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas this morning.

Elaine, thank you -- Bill.

HEMMER: About 22 minutes now before the hour. Tiger Woods kept everyone interested on Sunday until the very end. And what would the Masters be without a bit of drama? In fact, there was a lot of it on Sunday.

Patrick Snell reports today from Augusta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a double win for Tiger Woods at the Masters. Simply, he beat Chris DiMarco in a one-hole playoff. But Woods also claimed victory over the doubters who questioned his skills after he failed to win in 10 straight majors.

TIGER WOODS, MASTERS CHAMPION: To have, you know, all the criticisms and people think I should, you know, retire from the game, I was hitting it so bad for the past year. What are you doing revamping your swing? Well, it worked out pretty good. And to go through all that, to go through a, I'm not going to be good after I get married, and silenced that.

SNELL: This was perhaps the last time Woods would stroll the same Augusta fairways with Jack Nicklaus, who bid farewell on Saturday. With his ninth career major, Woods once again said hello to his pursuit of Nicklaus' record 18.

WOOD: It's pretty cool to go out and play the way I did this week. I hit some beautiful golf shots this week. And to do that in a major championship setting and do that when it means a lot -- it's pretty cool to be able to do something like that.

SNELL: Woods being fitted for a green jacket is a familiar sight. But missing from Sunday's celebration was his father, who was in Augusta, but too ill to make it to the course.

WOODS: Every year I've been lucky enough to win this tournament, my dad's been there to give me a hug. He wasn't there today. I can't wait to get home to see him, to give him a big bear hug. Thank you.

SNELL: Patrick Snell, CNN, Augusta, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: A heck of a way to end it, huh?

O'BRIEN: But he didn't play that well, really. I mean, he kind of messed up the next shot.

HEMMER: Won the tournament.

O'BRIEN: I mean, it's like hitting that miracle shot, but the next one he didn't...

HEMMER: He bogeyed 17 and 18 after he hit this miraculous shot.

O'BRIEN: He kind of blew the lead, right?

HEMMER: But if he doesn't hit this shot, maybe he loses the entire tournament. But to Chris DiMarco's credit, he forced a playoff, never gave up, including after he stood here and watched that thing drop in there.

O'BRIEN: There's no reason that ball should go in. I mean, it comes to a clear stop.

HEMMER: You're taking golf lessons, right?

O'BRIEN: I am, yes. HEMMER: Throughout your career, young lady, you will hit 10,000 shots, and one of them will stop like that, get another revolution and drop that in.

O'BRIEN: I seriously doubt that, knowing my golf ability. I don't even think one. I could hit a million shots and not even one will come anywhere near that. But I thank you for your confidence in my golf game.

HEMMER: Sure. Well, I think (INAUDIBLE) will be coming back, too.

O'BRIEN: Yes, we'll see.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: If you're looking for a cheap date, who needs dinner and a movie when you've got Wal-Mart? Andy explains that in "Minding Your Business" in a moment here.

O'BRIEN: That is cheap. What, you just going to take the girl to airport?

HEMMER: I don't know. We're going to find out.

O'BRIEN: Well, also this story this morning. If it's good enough for the president, it is good enough for the duck. Ducks protected by the Secret Service. We'll tell you why, up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Well, guarding the president and other VIPs, all in a day's work for the Secret Service in Washington, but now a duck is getting the same protection. A brown mallard built a nest and laid nine eggs right in front of the U.S. Treasury Department. The Secret Service now providing protection for the duck, whose eggs are expected to hatch a bit later this month.

And Craig Tufts is the chief naturalist with the Natural Wildlife Federation. He's live, right in front of that Treasury building. Craig, good morning to you. Tell us, how unusual is this to pick such a public place to nest?

CRAIG TUFTS, NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: It's very unusual for a duck to be so much in the open. We've had ducks nesting in the Pentagon, on the White House grounds, but this duck is completely out in the open. It's only, you know, plants that might provide a coverage, this one little tree and it's sort of sitting right on top of this big pile of mulch right in front of Treasury.

HEMMER: Yes, I understand the Secret Service built a what, a protective barrier around this duck to keep it safe? Is that enough, Craig?

TUFTS: It seems to be. We've been here with her for a couple of hours this morning, and she's pretty much nonplused. She's just sort of taking it in, she's sort of chatting with the visiting pigeons and house sparrows and all of the well-wishers that come by to look at her.

We just had a person come by who I guess has visited her every day for the last week. And she's on sort of a person-to-person basis, in terms of names and stuff like that. People really love the duck.

HEMMER: What have you named her, Craig?

TUFTS: I really haven't named her. You know, maybe another couple of days in this, I'll give her a name. But people are calling her T-Bill, or Duck Cheney is another name. We're just a block or two from the White House.

HEMMER: I like T-Bill in there. We said later in the month, these eggs will hatch. How much later in the month?

TUFTS: Well, we think she started sitting on her eggs about two or three days ago, and the incubation period's about 28 days. So she's still got another good three, three-and-a-half weeks, before she and the ducklings probably head down towards the Tidal Basin.

HEMMER: Where's dad, by the way, Craig?

TUFTS: Excuse me?

HEMMER: Where's father?

TUFTS: Where's dad?

HEMMER: Yes.

TUFTS: Yes, well, it's not as though he's doing the wrong thing. He's just doing what all mallard drakes do. About a day or two after she starts sitting on her eggs, he splits and they'll probably never see their father. But he was around here a while. She was laying eggs. She lays one egg a day, but, you know, this is -- you know, watching things like this, just watching the interaction of people and wildlife, is sort of what we're about.

HEMMER: Yes, that's a pretty popular strip in front of the Treasury Department. How many people are coming by?

TUFTS: Well, there's everybody that goes into Treasury, and a lot of the people sort of know this duck, and then there's been an awful lot of Cherry Blossom Festival traffic until yesterday, but you know, on a regular basis, it seems as though there's maybe 10 or 20 people here every minute, some of them stop by and look at the duck, take pictures.

HEMMER: All right. Listen, good luck.

TUFTS: A lot of people who like the duck.

HEMMER: Craig, thanks for your time. Craig Tufts, National Wildlife Federation. Keep us posted when they hatch, OK?

TUFTS: I will. Will do that.

HEMMER: The T-Bill. Thanks, Craig -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I'm sure Craig knows here in New York City, we have our own very favorite fowl. They're also in the family way. A celebrity hawk, Pale Male, has met Lola. Of course, it was a Jack Cafferty exclusive for a while. They are watching over somewhere between one and three eggs in their Fifth Avenue nest.

Three months ago, the future seemed a little less rosy for the hawks. They were evicted from their 12th story home by tenants of the building. But bird lovers prevailed upon the building owners to take the pair back. Pale Male has already sired 23 offspring since his arrival 12 years ago. Been a busy little bird. I say that as a woman who's got four kids of her own.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, you say yes, you could find everything under the sun at Wal-Mart. TVs, groceries. Pretty soon maybe even a cheap date. Andy's got a look at that. He's "Minding Your Business" up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: You're looking at some live pictures of a small fire that's under way in a building in Central Park this morning. It's near the Heckscher Playground, if you're familiar at all with Central Park. It's also the Wilmond (ph) Rink is kind of across the street, fairly close by. That's Central Park West in the 60s. We're told it might be a bathroom facility. It's unclear why it's on fire at this time, although we should note that there's been construction -- you can even see it in the shot, construction in the area -- and that might have something to do with why this fire has now gotten under way in this building. More on this story, if it merits it, as we continue to follow it.

HEMMER: All right, in the meantime, Wal-Mart, known for its discount prices. Could it become the place for a cheap date?

Andy Serwer knows a little bit about that. Kidding.

O'BRIEN: Oh, that was so hard!

HEMMER: Back "Minding Your Business".

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: There are so many places to go there. It's good to see you back -- I guess.

Is it the Wal-Mart that I know about? Is it the cheap date that I know about? All right, we'll leave that aside. Let's check out the markets, first of all. Stocks trading a little bit higher, up 4 points on the Dow. Lower oil prices helping things out. Ford, however, not helping things out. After the bell on Friday, it said its business was not faring so well, making $900 million less this year, the company said. And Bank of America just came out and said that it thinks the stock will go to 7. It's now at 10. It was 30 a couple of years ago. Not a good situation there for Ford or GM.

Let's talk about Wal-Mart. This is Wal-Mart in Germany. Of course it's a huge company; it's got stores all over the world these days. Here's what's going on, Lonely Hearts Club in Wal-Mart in Germany, two hours a night, two nights a week, they have a singles thing going on at Wal-Mart. You can put a little red ribbon on your shopping cart, and it means, hello, I am available. And other people -- and then you see someone with another red ribbon, and they say, hi, how are you, boy this garden hose sure is cheap, or whatever your opening line would be at a Wal-Mart. I'm not sure what. I'm not that good at it. See, I don't know about cheap dates or dating at Wal- Mart.

HEMMER: Everyday low prices.

SERWER: Yes, OK.

They also have these special sort of areas set up with wine, and chocolate and cheeses and other romantic foods, so if you're too scared to put the red ribbon on, you can just sort of idle up. I don't know, it's only in Germany now. They're thinking about expanding it to other countries, including the U.S. What do you think about it? It might be a question of the day at some point.

O'BRIEN: There was a supermarket that had that. It was well- known. They didn't set aside specific days.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Did you used to hang out there?

SERWER: How did you know about this?

O'BRIEN: It was well known.

SERWER: Feeling the avocados.

O'BRIEN: They asked singles to come by and stop at this particular I think it was a Safeway market, because singles would go there. It was very much on the up and up. It wasn't creepy. It was nice.

CAFFERTY: I'm not doing anything. I'm just sitting up waiting my turn.

O'BRIEN: As usual, innocently sitting there.

CAFFERTY: Singles night at Wal-Mart, you got to be kidding!

Should Representative Tom DeLay resign as House majority leader?

Peter in Virginia writes, "Yes, if the Republican Party wants to remain a viable option, they must show that their calls for ethics and responses to scandals is the same for their own members as it is for the Democrats when they attack at the merest hint of impropriety." Floyd in Ohio writes, "Tom DeLay is symptomatic of a bigger problem that affects all of Congress. Because nearly all representatives have safe seats, they're able to keep their jobs, even if they are corrupt, senile or physically unable to perform their duties."

And Mark in Maryland on a similar vein, "Mr. DeLay has become a disgrace to the Congress and a sad example of what the political process in this country has become. He forged his reputation on the hard-nosed politics of personal destruction during the Clinton administration. And now it looks as though he will prove the old adage that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword."

Not a lot of support for Mr. DeLay in the mailbag this morning.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.

Well, coming up this morning, America's pain at the pump. If you think you have it bad, our friends across the pond have a little advice. It goes like this -- quit whining! Why the Brits have little sympathy. That's coming up ion the next hour with Daryn on CNN LIVE TODAY.

American moment -- AMERICAN MORNING is back in just a moment.

I am struggling today.

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