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American Morning
Update on Michael Jackson Trial; Troubled Nomination of John Bolton
Aired April 25, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's 7:30 here in New York. Good morning, everybody, on a Monday. How are you doing today?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Never better.
HEMMER: Really?
O'BRIEN: And you?
HEMMER: On a Monday, I can't say...
O'BRIEN: I'm all right.
HEMMER: Doing OK.
In a moment here, a slew of new accusations came out over the weekend regarding the president's pick for U.N. ambassador, John Bolton. Jeff Greenfield helping us sort them out, and also answering the question whether or not this nomination could be about to collapse. Some say it's 50/50 in D.C., so we'll figure it out in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Michael Jackson is going to have to face his ex-wife in court this week. She, of course, is fighting him for custody of their kids in a separate battle. But we're going to tell you what she is likely to tell the jurors in the molestation case. I tell you, that case just gets nastier and uglier...
HEMMER: Stranger and stranger...
O'BRIEN: Strange doesn't come close. Just ugly.
HEMMER: Another week starting today.
Here's Carol Costello in the meantime looking at the headlines.
Hey, Carol. Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I think creepy was the adjective you were looking for.
O'BRIEN: That was the word I was thinking of. Yes, thank you.
COSTELLO: Good morning to both of you. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News." Rescue crews in western Japan are peeling away crumpled metal this hour. Investigators say a packed commuter train jumped the tracks in an urban area about 250 miles west of Tokyo. A chunk of the train slammed into an apartment building and several vehicles. The death toll now stands at 50 with more than 300 hurt. But both numbers are expected to go up.
Georgia authorities expected to release more information later today in the case two of toddlers missing since Saturday. Authorities have temporarily stopped the search that focused around the children's home about 100 miles from Atlanta. Two-year-old Nicole Kain and her 3-year-old brother, Jonah, were last seen Saturday night. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has questioned the mother. Details surrounding the toddlers' disappearance have not been released.
Sky high oil prices will top the agenda when President Bush meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah. The meeting is set to begin at the Texas ranch later this morning. The president expected to ask the Saudi Arabia leader to increase his country's oil production to stem the rise in prices. Crude is now more than $55 a barrel.
A "CNN Security Watch." Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is touring Grand Central Terminal this morning. Secretary Chertoff is set to speak about rail security in about two hours from now. The Department of Homeland Security has recently announced it will use $150 million to protect rail and transit systems. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
And a rare taste of winter. Rare. What are we talking about? They're used to it in the Midwest. Winter in April. They also got hit hard in the Appalachians. People in and around Cleveland had to get out the plows and shovels as more than a foot of snow fell there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson sex trial say they could wrap up their case against the pop star as early as this week, but not before calling at least one witness who will no doubt get lots of attention.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is among the expected witnesses during what prosecutors say is the final week of their case. Rowe is the mother of two of Jackson's three children. Her testimony, according to the district attorney, will help prove the conspiracy charges against Jackson.
Rowe, who gave up full custody of her children to Jackson, is now in a legal custody dispute with him.
Former Jackson bodyguard Chris Carter (ph) is also scheduled to take the stand this week. Carter, who is facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges in Nevada, is expected to say he saw Michael Jackson give the teenage accuser and his brother alcohol.
Another witness scheduled this week worked for Jackson more than 10 years ago. He's expected to back up a former employee's story that Jackson was seen acting inappropriately with a young boy at Neverland Ranch in 1993.
Courtroom observers say this final week is an important one for the prosecution's case.
JIM MORET, POOL REPORTER: Has this juror heard enough to come to the conclusion that Michael Jackson molested this boy? There are pieces missing. So, the prosecution basically has a week to fill in the blanks to tie it all together.
ROWLANDS: One potential witness that won't be testifying is a battered women's syndrome expert. Prosecutors wanted to bring somebody in to explain the courtroom behavior of the accuser's mother. But Judge Rodney Melville ruled against it, calling it irrelevant.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Defense lawyers have said they may call a laundry list of celebrities to take the stand, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jay Leno and Stevie Wonder -- Bill.
HEMMER: From California to Washington now. When President Bush chose John Bolton to be the new U.S. ambassador to the U.N., the reaction broke pretty much along political lines. But no one thought this nomination would be facing the fight it is today, not just on policy issues, but rather over his personality.
Our senior analyst is Jeff Greenfield. He stops by this morning.
Good morning to you.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: Good morning.
HEMMER: How did we get here?
GREENFIELD: I think what happened was very unusual. You had a series of former colleagues who painted a very unflattering picture of Bolton as someone who tried to punish intelligence officials for not giving them the conclusions they wanted, who threw temper tantrums at colleagues with whom he disagreed, and who may have been less than candid with the committee in describing an interaction with the former ambassador to South Korea, who worried that Bolton sounded a lot like Jack Cafferty did a few minutes ago in talking about North Korea.
But when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gathered to vote last Tuesday, and everyone expecting a party line 10-8 vote to approve Bolton's nomination, Republican Senator George Voinovich from Ohio unexpectedly raised last-minute objections. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. GEORGE VOINOVICH (R), OHIO: I've heard enough today that I don't feel comfortable about voting for Mr. Bolton. I think one's inter-personal skills and their relationship with their fellow man is a very important ingredient in anyone that works for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: That's almost unheard of in Washington, an unscripted moment. So, the vote is now set for May 12, and three committee Republicans -- Voinovich, Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee and Nebraska's Chuck Hagel -- are potential problems for John Bolton.
HEMMER: But there is a pattern of this type of behavior in Washington in the past.
GREENFIELD: In good measure this does look familiar. Yesterday, for example, you had a leading Democrat on the committee, Connecticut's Chris Dodd, called for the nomination to be withdrawn. That's no surprise. You've had in the past couple days strong support for Bolton from Vice President Cheney. And yesterday, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell essentially waved away concerns about Bolton's temperament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY WHIP: Look, we're not nominating somebody here for miss congeniality. I'm not sure this is a standard that many senators could pass. We know that Bolton is a person, a forceful person, a person of strong opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: But we're not just talking about a partisan political divide here. "The New York Times" and "Washington Post" both carried stories over the weekend that former Secretary of State Colin Powell was offering a less than glowing assessment of Bolton for senators.
Now, remember Powell was often at odds with the Rumsfeld/Cheney side of things over Iraq and other issues, Bill. And Bolton is very much in that corner. It didn't help Bolton's cause that "Newsweek" today is publishing reports that the government of Britain -- that was our strongest ally in the war in Iraq -- has raised concerns about what Bolton did in, they say, gumming up attempts to negotiate with Libya and Iran.
HEMMER: How then does this come out, do you think?
GREENFIELD: Well, I mean, you know you don't get predictions out of me. But I think this does come down to one of the oldest rules in politics, one of the few that I count on. That's the your own man says so rule, the way we used to settle arguments during pick-up baseball games. If the committee Republicans can be persuaded that this is simply a way for Democrats to go after a hawkish official because of his views, if they see it as what "The Wall Street Journal" editorial page called a mugging, Bolton is going to survive, because even internationalists like Chairman Lugar are not going to deny the president a choice on policy grounds.
But if a Republican senator on the committee, or two or three, decides that this goes beyond politics, if they become convinced that Bolton lacks the temperament for the job or hasn't been honest with the committee about what happened during past disputes, then the nomination, Bill, will die in committee, or the word will be passed out in that subtle Washington way, and he will withdraw to spend more time with his family.
HEMMER: So, detractors call him a bully, right?
GREENFIELD: They do.
HEMMER: And if he got this job, he wouldn't be the first bully then in Washington to have a particular position of power.
GREENFIELD: Well, the talking point that Republicans make -- and it is certainly true -- is that, look, if you threw every abrasive, nasty person out of Washington, you know, the halls of Washington would be empty. A lot of these people -- I mean, I've spent enough time on the Hill to know -- you get to be a committee chairman and the tendency to decide that you're the emperor is increased.
The problem for Bolton is, first of all, the candor issue. If the committee Republicans decide he wasn't straight with them in his answers, that's a firing offense. I mean, senators take the confirmation process very seriously, even if they're in the same party that runs the White House. That they will not have truck with. And that could be the Achilles Heel for Bolton.
HEMMER: We will see. Thank you, Jeff. Good to see you.
GREENFIELD: They could also nominate Cafferty.
HEMMER: You know what? We'll pull his name on the list.
GREENFIELD: He clearly has the diplomatic skills for the job.
HEMMER: The ideas you bring to our program.
GREENFIELD: I know. There's no end to them.
HEMMER: See you later. Here's Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Bill.
Well, police say that finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili was a hoax. But does it matter to investors? Andy is going to explain the fallout as he minds your business just ahead. And in "90-Second Pop", Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, they team up in "The Interpreter." But find out whether two Oscar winners add up to one good movie. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's time to check in with Jack who has got the "Question of the Day."
Have the viewers solved the nuclear proliferation question?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We're working on it. We'll have this thing handled by 10:00.
Diplomatic efforts to stop North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons are going nowhere. Yesterday, Iran says it will resume uranium enrichment regardless of the outcome of negotiations with Europe. Two years of six-country talks with North Korea produced nothing. North Korea shut down its main reactor this month, possibly to harvest plutonium in order to make more weapons.
So far, the United States has refused to deal with either country directly, one on one.
The question this morning is: What should be done about North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons programs?
Phil in Mantua, New Jersey: "One, impose the most severe sanctions possible. Two, freeze all the assets possible worldwide. Three, after having accomplished one and two, agree to hold a summit conference to discuss their nuclear programs."
Anthony in Nova Scotia: "Until the U.S. dismantles its own nuclear weapons, it has no moral authority to dictate to anyone else what weapons they can or cannot have."
Paul in Pennsylvania: "In order to show the world how concerned we are about nuclear weapons while being committed to preserving world peace, we should nuke both countries."
Gabrielle in Massachusetts: "The best option to deal with Kim Jong Il is to engage him in talks and not further isolate him, because it makes him more dangerous. North Korea has no incentive to back down because it believes the nukes are what is keeping it safe."
And Brian in Georgetown writes: "We have several options available in dealing with the nuclear weapons programs in Iran and North Korea. One, invade Syria. Two, invade Venezuela. Three, allow so many illegal immigrants into this country for cheap labor that it becomes more economical for Iran and North Korea to outsource their nuke programs to America."
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: My head is spinning on that one.
HEMMER: Yes, you still have work to do on this question. CAFFERTY: What?
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And with a heavy layer of sarcasm with all of them.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Really?
SERWER: Dripping, dripping with...
O'BRIEN: It's just helping Andy out.
SERWER: Yes. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Sure. Any time.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
MCI in a quest to halt its merger with Verizon. How is Wendy's stock doing after this chili story from last week? Back to Andy on that.
Good morning.
SERWER: Good morning to you, Bill.
Let's talk about this phone situation first. MCI and Verizon have been trying to get together here for a couple weeks. And you may remember we've been telling you that Qwest s trying to horn in. Every week or so it keeps sending telegrams saying we're going to send you guys more money if you'll do the deal with us.
Well, now they've finally made headway. And why not? They're offering $9.7 billion for MCI. MCI, of course, is the old Worldcom. They've never been so popular. And $9.7 billion is a lot more than the 7.5 that Verizon is offering. So, Verizon is going to have to probably up their bid. Meanwhile, the MCI stock keeps going up and up and up.
Now let's talk about Wendy's here. And are you ready for a stock tip? You knew that was coming. Wendy's stock has gone up a lot over the past week, over the past couple days, after they arrested that woman, that person -- that person who has a rap sheet or a history of litigation against other companies as long as my arm, for perpetrating a fraud against Wendy's with that finger in the chili story. You may remember here.
And here is what's going on. The stock has gone up a lot. And, you know, it's just -- this is like a Cohen brothers movie...
HEMMER: Yes.
SERWER: ... with this finger. I mean, whose finger is it?
O'BRIEN: Have they figured out whose finger?
SERWER: No, they haven't. And they've actually looked at the fingers of all the people who worked in the Wendy's. No, all the digits are there.
HEMMER: The company went through every worker who works there.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Said we're all intact.
SERWER: You know, it's crazy. And, you know, I wonder if they're ever going to figure this thing out. But I'll tell you, I actually feel like going to Wendy's and having a bowl of chili myself. I mean, seriously, you know, supporting this company. I mean, they were really maligned by this woman who just decided -- I mean, she didn't drop flies in the soup.
HEMMER: Right.
SERWER: She dropped...
HEMMER: She made the accusation, right? And it turned out was lying.
SERWER: Yes. They discovered t hat it was not consistent with a finger being cooked in the chili, if we can be so graphic.
O'BRIEN: OK, now -- yes.
SERWER: But maybe not. It's a little too early in the morning.
SERWER: She's got a huge bail now.
CAFFERTY: Is that her?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: That's her, yes. Yes. She's litigated against companies continuously.
CAFFERTY: It looks like she's had a bowl of chili (INAUDIBLE).
HEMMER: There's a track record.
SERWER: Oh, yes, she has a track record of litigating against companies. That's very good, Jack.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
O'BRIEN: I missed it. What was it?
CAFFERTY: Oh, it isn't worth repeating.
HEMMER: A great stock tip, by the way.
SERWER: A good tip.
O'BRIEN: Oh, you're funny.
Ahead this morning on "90-Second Pop", the Beckhams battle with a British tabloid. Why it's striking fear in the hearts of celebrities everywhere, we'll explain on AMERICAN MORNING in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, we love Kelly Clarkson, don't we, this morning? Welcome back, everybody. It is time for the Monday edition of "90- Second Pop." Our pop panelists today, Andy Borowitz of borowitzreport.com. Nickie Gostin of "Newsweek." She's a first-time popper, everybody. Welcome, welcome, welcome. And Josh Elliott of "Sports Illustrated."
Nice to have you all. Let's get right to it.
Nickie, do you want to tackle the movies for us, the weekend box office?
NICKIE GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": Sure.
O'BRIEN: Was it a great weekend for movies?
GOSTIN: No, it wasn't a great weekend for the movies, sorry.
O'BRIEN: OK. What was out there?
GOSTIN: "The Interpreter" was number one. And it turns out that a lot of older people went to the movies this weekend.
O'BRIEN: Older being like how old?
GOSTIN: Over 60.
O'BRIEN: Really?
GOSTIN: Yes.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Wow!
O'BRIEN: Wow!
GOSTIN: And the Ashton Kutcher movie "A Lot Like Love" was number two, but way down number two. It wasn't even close.
O'BRIEN: Well, are both of them good, bad?
GOSTIN: "The Interpreter"...
O'BRIEN: No love from Nickie for the movies.
BOROWITZ: Well, you know, they did, like, some audience research on the Ashton Kutcher thing, and he does not appeal to women over 40 except Demi Moore. That's it. That's it totally. JOSH ELLIOTT, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": And the problem with that is -- I mean, we were talking about this. That name, it's a "A Lot Like Love."
BOROWITZ: "A Lot Like Love."
ELLIOTT: You end up searching for it to a degree that you end up having to describe the movie as "that Ashton Kutcher movie." You know, it's done.
O'BRIEN: But a good movie, everyone would know the name of it. Is it any good? Is he bad? Is it bad?
GOSTIN: It's not bad.
BOROWITZ: Josh and I, we're on the same page about Amanda Peet who rocks. We want Amanda Peet...
ELLIOTT: She needs a breakout vehicle in the worst way that way.
BOROWITZ: Yes. She was my co-star in "Melinda Melinda." But that aside, she rules.
ELLIOTT: You should be (INAUDIBLE).
BOROWITZ: No, no, the 18 seconds we spent on screen together were magic. But she is -- you know, we believe she is gorgeous, she is smart, she is funny. Amanda.
O'BRIEN: You know what? Notice that there are no pictures of Amanda, because we actually were talking about Ashton.
BOROWITZ: Oh, OK.
O'BRIEN: Is he any good in this movie?
GOSTIN: He's Ashton Kutcher. You know, if you like that type of puppy dog cute.
ELLIOTT: That type of intense method acting.
GOSTIN: Right.
O'BRIEN: Then you'll love it. Can we talk about Becks and Posh?
ELLIOTT: Yes, we may.
O'BRIEN: Do you like my fake accent?
ELLIOTT: But this is a morning news show. So, we're sticking to the legal angle here.
O'BRIEN: OK, no gossip.
ELLIOTT: Yes, there is...
O'BRIEN: They have a nanny, who quit or got fired.
ELLIOTT: A nanny, a fired nanny or quit, you know, but we cannot confirm that, so let's not spread nasty rumors.
O'BRIEN: Right. Oh, I'm sorry.
ELLIOTT: She did a Q&A with "News of the World," a very reputable newspaper over there, over the pond. And in it, she discussed parts of their marriage, you know, the fact that they fought a lot, the fact that he once said that he didn't want to be married.
O'BRIEN: Shocking.
ELLIOTT: so she was breaking all of this huge news.
BOROWITZ: No one has ever said such a thing.
ELLIOTT: And the judge, they tried to get an injunction and they tried to stop it, and the judge ruled in the "News of the World's" favor, saying that because their public image is actually a part of -- it's really part of the public domain, that they make money off of this public image...
BOROWITZ: So, they're like Kleenex now? I mean, it's just like they're just a brand?
O'BRIEN: This makes no sense to me.
ELLIOTT: Having lost this case, essentially they now cease to exist. In fact, there is now nothing private.
O'BRIEN: Well, because the one key element is they actually had a confidentiality agreement, allegedly, with this nanny.
GOSTIN: But they make more money from their endorsements than they do from his soccer playing. And the judge, the argument is that all their endorsement deals are based on their being a happy family with no nannies.
BOROWITZ: Well, I bet at times like this Posh really wishes she were sporty spice, because people leave sporty alone. I mean...
ELLIOTT: But I'll say this. You know, what's crazy about this is that, you know, you essentially have these two people who, you know, let's face it, not exactly the paragons of marital bliss. I mean, this is much ado about nothing, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: You think so?
ELLIOTT: But just sticking to the legal angle.
O'BRIEN: I think it's an interesting legal angle is that, you know, anybody who has got a confidentiality agreement, and if you tell a magazine that you're happily wed and you're not, you're in big trouble. All right, let's talk about... ELLIOTT: All right, amend agreement.
O'BRIEN: Amend agreement.
Constantine from "American Idol."
BOROWITZ: Yes.
O'BRIEN: He actually could win. He's pretty close.
ELLIOTT: Yes.
O'BRIEN: He's got a good chance. But his band is actually doing even better than he is. How do you get to do that? His band is called Pray for the...
BOROWITZ: Pray for the Soul of Betty. Everybody's favorite band, Pray for the Soul of Betty. I love them. It's sort of a long name for a band. It was actually originally Pray for the Soul of Betty and Veronica, and they have shortened it. They're kind of rocking by "American Idol" standards.
O'BRIEN: One of them is right now.
BOROWITZ: Yes, they're kind of rocking. Apparently, they made this deal. It's completely separate from "American Idol." They made this deal with Koch (ph), Records, I think is the name of the record company. And I looked it up to see what other artists they had signed to their roster. William Hung. "American Idol's" William Hung. I'm just wondering when you sign a band and you're Koch (ph) Records, is the William Hung thing something you stress or do you just hide that in the meeting, you know?
ELLIOTT: You know, I just have to say...
BOROWITZ: We've got Hung. Sweet.
ELLIOTT: Constantine, the way he makes love to that camera every week, it makes me want to bathe. That's what it makes me want to do. Can America send him home, please?
O'BRIEN: How come he's allowed to do this with his band? Yes, it's a little icky. How is he allowed to do this with his band? I mean, under what rules? I would think that doesn't everybody belong to "American Idol?" You know, they have to go work for Simon?
BOROWITZ: No. Well, the rules of "American Idol," it's like the international law of sea. They must be obeyed. But, no, it's apparently this band thing happened separate and apart. So it's a good thing.
ELLIOTT: It just so happened that all of the other artists they've signed are also former "American Idol" rejects.
BOROWITZ: Right. But now we get to enjoy both Constantine and Pray for the Soul of Betty. O'BRIEN: Well, lucky us.
BOROWITZ: So it's awesome.
O'BRIEN: We end on an up-note, as always. Andy, thank you, and everybody else as well. We appreciate it. Nickie, welcome.
GOSTIN: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: We hope to see you back many more times.
GOSTIN: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Josh, as always, nice to have you.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad. In a moment here, we'll kick off our special retirement series today. It's called "Never Too Late." Today, how much money do you need to retire to be comfortable? Well, a lot more than you might expect. Retirement 101, topic one today in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A month into spring and the snow keeps falling. A massive swirling storm brings more than a foot in some places. Where does this nasty weather go today? A look at that's ahead.
Also, the worst train accident in Japan in decades. Fifty people killed, hundreds hurt, many others are still trapped inside the wreckage.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 25, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's 7:30 here in New York. Good morning, everybody, on a Monday. How are you doing today?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Never better.
HEMMER: Really?
O'BRIEN: And you?
HEMMER: On a Monday, I can't say...
O'BRIEN: I'm all right.
HEMMER: Doing OK.
In a moment here, a slew of new accusations came out over the weekend regarding the president's pick for U.N. ambassador, John Bolton. Jeff Greenfield helping us sort them out, and also answering the question whether or not this nomination could be about to collapse. Some say it's 50/50 in D.C., so we'll figure it out in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Michael Jackson is going to have to face his ex-wife in court this week. She, of course, is fighting him for custody of their kids in a separate battle. But we're going to tell you what she is likely to tell the jurors in the molestation case. I tell you, that case just gets nastier and uglier...
HEMMER: Stranger and stranger...
O'BRIEN: Strange doesn't come close. Just ugly.
HEMMER: Another week starting today.
Here's Carol Costello in the meantime looking at the headlines.
Hey, Carol. Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I think creepy was the adjective you were looking for.
O'BRIEN: That was the word I was thinking of. Yes, thank you.
COSTELLO: Good morning to both of you. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News." Rescue crews in western Japan are peeling away crumpled metal this hour. Investigators say a packed commuter train jumped the tracks in an urban area about 250 miles west of Tokyo. A chunk of the train slammed into an apartment building and several vehicles. The death toll now stands at 50 with more than 300 hurt. But both numbers are expected to go up.
Georgia authorities expected to release more information later today in the case two of toddlers missing since Saturday. Authorities have temporarily stopped the search that focused around the children's home about 100 miles from Atlanta. Two-year-old Nicole Kain and her 3-year-old brother, Jonah, were last seen Saturday night. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has questioned the mother. Details surrounding the toddlers' disappearance have not been released.
Sky high oil prices will top the agenda when President Bush meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah. The meeting is set to begin at the Texas ranch later this morning. The president expected to ask the Saudi Arabia leader to increase his country's oil production to stem the rise in prices. Crude is now more than $55 a barrel.
A "CNN Security Watch." Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is touring Grand Central Terminal this morning. Secretary Chertoff is set to speak about rail security in about two hours from now. The Department of Homeland Security has recently announced it will use $150 million to protect rail and transit systems. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
And a rare taste of winter. Rare. What are we talking about? They're used to it in the Midwest. Winter in April. They also got hit hard in the Appalachians. People in and around Cleveland had to get out the plows and shovels as more than a foot of snow fell there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson sex trial say they could wrap up their case against the pop star as early as this week, but not before calling at least one witness who will no doubt get lots of attention.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is among the expected witnesses during what prosecutors say is the final week of their case. Rowe is the mother of two of Jackson's three children. Her testimony, according to the district attorney, will help prove the conspiracy charges against Jackson.
Rowe, who gave up full custody of her children to Jackson, is now in a legal custody dispute with him.
Former Jackson bodyguard Chris Carter (ph) is also scheduled to take the stand this week. Carter, who is facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges in Nevada, is expected to say he saw Michael Jackson give the teenage accuser and his brother alcohol.
Another witness scheduled this week worked for Jackson more than 10 years ago. He's expected to back up a former employee's story that Jackson was seen acting inappropriately with a young boy at Neverland Ranch in 1993.
Courtroom observers say this final week is an important one for the prosecution's case.
JIM MORET, POOL REPORTER: Has this juror heard enough to come to the conclusion that Michael Jackson molested this boy? There are pieces missing. So, the prosecution basically has a week to fill in the blanks to tie it all together.
ROWLANDS: One potential witness that won't be testifying is a battered women's syndrome expert. Prosecutors wanted to bring somebody in to explain the courtroom behavior of the accuser's mother. But Judge Rodney Melville ruled against it, calling it irrelevant.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Defense lawyers have said they may call a laundry list of celebrities to take the stand, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jay Leno and Stevie Wonder -- Bill.
HEMMER: From California to Washington now. When President Bush chose John Bolton to be the new U.S. ambassador to the U.N., the reaction broke pretty much along political lines. But no one thought this nomination would be facing the fight it is today, not just on policy issues, but rather over his personality.
Our senior analyst is Jeff Greenfield. He stops by this morning.
Good morning to you.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: Good morning.
HEMMER: How did we get here?
GREENFIELD: I think what happened was very unusual. You had a series of former colleagues who painted a very unflattering picture of Bolton as someone who tried to punish intelligence officials for not giving them the conclusions they wanted, who threw temper tantrums at colleagues with whom he disagreed, and who may have been less than candid with the committee in describing an interaction with the former ambassador to South Korea, who worried that Bolton sounded a lot like Jack Cafferty did a few minutes ago in talking about North Korea.
But when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gathered to vote last Tuesday, and everyone expecting a party line 10-8 vote to approve Bolton's nomination, Republican Senator George Voinovich from Ohio unexpectedly raised last-minute objections. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. GEORGE VOINOVICH (R), OHIO: I've heard enough today that I don't feel comfortable about voting for Mr. Bolton. I think one's inter-personal skills and their relationship with their fellow man is a very important ingredient in anyone that works for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: That's almost unheard of in Washington, an unscripted moment. So, the vote is now set for May 12, and three committee Republicans -- Voinovich, Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee and Nebraska's Chuck Hagel -- are potential problems for John Bolton.
HEMMER: But there is a pattern of this type of behavior in Washington in the past.
GREENFIELD: In good measure this does look familiar. Yesterday, for example, you had a leading Democrat on the committee, Connecticut's Chris Dodd, called for the nomination to be withdrawn. That's no surprise. You've had in the past couple days strong support for Bolton from Vice President Cheney. And yesterday, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell essentially waved away concerns about Bolton's temperament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY WHIP: Look, we're not nominating somebody here for miss congeniality. I'm not sure this is a standard that many senators could pass. We know that Bolton is a person, a forceful person, a person of strong opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: But we're not just talking about a partisan political divide here. "The New York Times" and "Washington Post" both carried stories over the weekend that former Secretary of State Colin Powell was offering a less than glowing assessment of Bolton for senators.
Now, remember Powell was often at odds with the Rumsfeld/Cheney side of things over Iraq and other issues, Bill. And Bolton is very much in that corner. It didn't help Bolton's cause that "Newsweek" today is publishing reports that the government of Britain -- that was our strongest ally in the war in Iraq -- has raised concerns about what Bolton did in, they say, gumming up attempts to negotiate with Libya and Iran.
HEMMER: How then does this come out, do you think?
GREENFIELD: Well, I mean, you know you don't get predictions out of me. But I think this does come down to one of the oldest rules in politics, one of the few that I count on. That's the your own man says so rule, the way we used to settle arguments during pick-up baseball games. If the committee Republicans can be persuaded that this is simply a way for Democrats to go after a hawkish official because of his views, if they see it as what "The Wall Street Journal" editorial page called a mugging, Bolton is going to survive, because even internationalists like Chairman Lugar are not going to deny the president a choice on policy grounds.
But if a Republican senator on the committee, or two or three, decides that this goes beyond politics, if they become convinced that Bolton lacks the temperament for the job or hasn't been honest with the committee about what happened during past disputes, then the nomination, Bill, will die in committee, or the word will be passed out in that subtle Washington way, and he will withdraw to spend more time with his family.
HEMMER: So, detractors call him a bully, right?
GREENFIELD: They do.
HEMMER: And if he got this job, he wouldn't be the first bully then in Washington to have a particular position of power.
GREENFIELD: Well, the talking point that Republicans make -- and it is certainly true -- is that, look, if you threw every abrasive, nasty person out of Washington, you know, the halls of Washington would be empty. A lot of these people -- I mean, I've spent enough time on the Hill to know -- you get to be a committee chairman and the tendency to decide that you're the emperor is increased.
The problem for Bolton is, first of all, the candor issue. If the committee Republicans decide he wasn't straight with them in his answers, that's a firing offense. I mean, senators take the confirmation process very seriously, even if they're in the same party that runs the White House. That they will not have truck with. And that could be the Achilles Heel for Bolton.
HEMMER: We will see. Thank you, Jeff. Good to see you.
GREENFIELD: They could also nominate Cafferty.
HEMMER: You know what? We'll pull his name on the list.
GREENFIELD: He clearly has the diplomatic skills for the job.
HEMMER: The ideas you bring to our program.
GREENFIELD: I know. There's no end to them.
HEMMER: See you later. Here's Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Bill.
Well, police say that finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili was a hoax. But does it matter to investors? Andy is going to explain the fallout as he minds your business just ahead. And in "90-Second Pop", Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, they team up in "The Interpreter." But find out whether two Oscar winners add up to one good movie. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's time to check in with Jack who has got the "Question of the Day."
Have the viewers solved the nuclear proliferation question?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We're working on it. We'll have this thing handled by 10:00.
Diplomatic efforts to stop North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons are going nowhere. Yesterday, Iran says it will resume uranium enrichment regardless of the outcome of negotiations with Europe. Two years of six-country talks with North Korea produced nothing. North Korea shut down its main reactor this month, possibly to harvest plutonium in order to make more weapons.
So far, the United States has refused to deal with either country directly, one on one.
The question this morning is: What should be done about North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons programs?
Phil in Mantua, New Jersey: "One, impose the most severe sanctions possible. Two, freeze all the assets possible worldwide. Three, after having accomplished one and two, agree to hold a summit conference to discuss their nuclear programs."
Anthony in Nova Scotia: "Until the U.S. dismantles its own nuclear weapons, it has no moral authority to dictate to anyone else what weapons they can or cannot have."
Paul in Pennsylvania: "In order to show the world how concerned we are about nuclear weapons while being committed to preserving world peace, we should nuke both countries."
Gabrielle in Massachusetts: "The best option to deal with Kim Jong Il is to engage him in talks and not further isolate him, because it makes him more dangerous. North Korea has no incentive to back down because it believes the nukes are what is keeping it safe."
And Brian in Georgetown writes: "We have several options available in dealing with the nuclear weapons programs in Iran and North Korea. One, invade Syria. Two, invade Venezuela. Three, allow so many illegal immigrants into this country for cheap labor that it becomes more economical for Iran and North Korea to outsource their nuke programs to America."
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: My head is spinning on that one.
HEMMER: Yes, you still have work to do on this question. CAFFERTY: What?
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And with a heavy layer of sarcasm with all of them.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Really?
SERWER: Dripping, dripping with...
O'BRIEN: It's just helping Andy out.
SERWER: Yes. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Sure. Any time.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
MCI in a quest to halt its merger with Verizon. How is Wendy's stock doing after this chili story from last week? Back to Andy on that.
Good morning.
SERWER: Good morning to you, Bill.
Let's talk about this phone situation first. MCI and Verizon have been trying to get together here for a couple weeks. And you may remember we've been telling you that Qwest s trying to horn in. Every week or so it keeps sending telegrams saying we're going to send you guys more money if you'll do the deal with us.
Well, now they've finally made headway. And why not? They're offering $9.7 billion for MCI. MCI, of course, is the old Worldcom. They've never been so popular. And $9.7 billion is a lot more than the 7.5 that Verizon is offering. So, Verizon is going to have to probably up their bid. Meanwhile, the MCI stock keeps going up and up and up.
Now let's talk about Wendy's here. And are you ready for a stock tip? You knew that was coming. Wendy's stock has gone up a lot over the past week, over the past couple days, after they arrested that woman, that person -- that person who has a rap sheet or a history of litigation against other companies as long as my arm, for perpetrating a fraud against Wendy's with that finger in the chili story. You may remember here.
And here is what's going on. The stock has gone up a lot. And, you know, it's just -- this is like a Cohen brothers movie...
HEMMER: Yes.
SERWER: ... with this finger. I mean, whose finger is it?
O'BRIEN: Have they figured out whose finger?
SERWER: No, they haven't. And they've actually looked at the fingers of all the people who worked in the Wendy's. No, all the digits are there.
HEMMER: The company went through every worker who works there.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Said we're all intact.
SERWER: You know, it's crazy. And, you know, I wonder if they're ever going to figure this thing out. But I'll tell you, I actually feel like going to Wendy's and having a bowl of chili myself. I mean, seriously, you know, supporting this company. I mean, they were really maligned by this woman who just decided -- I mean, she didn't drop flies in the soup.
HEMMER: Right.
SERWER: She dropped...
HEMMER: She made the accusation, right? And it turned out was lying.
SERWER: Yes. They discovered t hat it was not consistent with a finger being cooked in the chili, if we can be so graphic.
O'BRIEN: OK, now -- yes.
SERWER: But maybe not. It's a little too early in the morning.
SERWER: She's got a huge bail now.
CAFFERTY: Is that her?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: That's her, yes. Yes. She's litigated against companies continuously.
CAFFERTY: It looks like she's had a bowl of chili (INAUDIBLE).
HEMMER: There's a track record.
SERWER: Oh, yes, she has a track record of litigating against companies. That's very good, Jack.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
O'BRIEN: I missed it. What was it?
CAFFERTY: Oh, it isn't worth repeating.
HEMMER: A great stock tip, by the way.
SERWER: A good tip.
O'BRIEN: Oh, you're funny.
Ahead this morning on "90-Second Pop", the Beckhams battle with a British tabloid. Why it's striking fear in the hearts of celebrities everywhere, we'll explain on AMERICAN MORNING in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, we love Kelly Clarkson, don't we, this morning? Welcome back, everybody. It is time for the Monday edition of "90- Second Pop." Our pop panelists today, Andy Borowitz of borowitzreport.com. Nickie Gostin of "Newsweek." She's a first-time popper, everybody. Welcome, welcome, welcome. And Josh Elliott of "Sports Illustrated."
Nice to have you all. Let's get right to it.
Nickie, do you want to tackle the movies for us, the weekend box office?
NICKIE GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": Sure.
O'BRIEN: Was it a great weekend for movies?
GOSTIN: No, it wasn't a great weekend for the movies, sorry.
O'BRIEN: OK. What was out there?
GOSTIN: "The Interpreter" was number one. And it turns out that a lot of older people went to the movies this weekend.
O'BRIEN: Older being like how old?
GOSTIN: Over 60.
O'BRIEN: Really?
GOSTIN: Yes.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Wow!
O'BRIEN: Wow!
GOSTIN: And the Ashton Kutcher movie "A Lot Like Love" was number two, but way down number two. It wasn't even close.
O'BRIEN: Well, are both of them good, bad?
GOSTIN: "The Interpreter"...
O'BRIEN: No love from Nickie for the movies.
BOROWITZ: Well, you know, they did, like, some audience research on the Ashton Kutcher thing, and he does not appeal to women over 40 except Demi Moore. That's it. That's it totally. JOSH ELLIOTT, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": And the problem with that is -- I mean, we were talking about this. That name, it's a "A Lot Like Love."
BOROWITZ: "A Lot Like Love."
ELLIOTT: You end up searching for it to a degree that you end up having to describe the movie as "that Ashton Kutcher movie." You know, it's done.
O'BRIEN: But a good movie, everyone would know the name of it. Is it any good? Is he bad? Is it bad?
GOSTIN: It's not bad.
BOROWITZ: Josh and I, we're on the same page about Amanda Peet who rocks. We want Amanda Peet...
ELLIOTT: She needs a breakout vehicle in the worst way that way.
BOROWITZ: Yes. She was my co-star in "Melinda Melinda." But that aside, she rules.
ELLIOTT: You should be (INAUDIBLE).
BOROWITZ: No, no, the 18 seconds we spent on screen together were magic. But she is -- you know, we believe she is gorgeous, she is smart, she is funny. Amanda.
O'BRIEN: You know what? Notice that there are no pictures of Amanda, because we actually were talking about Ashton.
BOROWITZ: Oh, OK.
O'BRIEN: Is he any good in this movie?
GOSTIN: He's Ashton Kutcher. You know, if you like that type of puppy dog cute.
ELLIOTT: That type of intense method acting.
GOSTIN: Right.
O'BRIEN: Then you'll love it. Can we talk about Becks and Posh?
ELLIOTT: Yes, we may.
O'BRIEN: Do you like my fake accent?
ELLIOTT: But this is a morning news show. So, we're sticking to the legal angle here.
O'BRIEN: OK, no gossip.
ELLIOTT: Yes, there is...
O'BRIEN: They have a nanny, who quit or got fired.
ELLIOTT: A nanny, a fired nanny or quit, you know, but we cannot confirm that, so let's not spread nasty rumors.
O'BRIEN: Right. Oh, I'm sorry.
ELLIOTT: She did a Q&A with "News of the World," a very reputable newspaper over there, over the pond. And in it, she discussed parts of their marriage, you know, the fact that they fought a lot, the fact that he once said that he didn't want to be married.
O'BRIEN: Shocking.
ELLIOTT: so she was breaking all of this huge news.
BOROWITZ: No one has ever said such a thing.
ELLIOTT: And the judge, they tried to get an injunction and they tried to stop it, and the judge ruled in the "News of the World's" favor, saying that because their public image is actually a part of -- it's really part of the public domain, that they make money off of this public image...
BOROWITZ: So, they're like Kleenex now? I mean, it's just like they're just a brand?
O'BRIEN: This makes no sense to me.
ELLIOTT: Having lost this case, essentially they now cease to exist. In fact, there is now nothing private.
O'BRIEN: Well, because the one key element is they actually had a confidentiality agreement, allegedly, with this nanny.
GOSTIN: But they make more money from their endorsements than they do from his soccer playing. And the judge, the argument is that all their endorsement deals are based on their being a happy family with no nannies.
BOROWITZ: Well, I bet at times like this Posh really wishes she were sporty spice, because people leave sporty alone. I mean...
ELLIOTT: But I'll say this. You know, what's crazy about this is that, you know, you essentially have these two people who, you know, let's face it, not exactly the paragons of marital bliss. I mean, this is much ado about nothing, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: You think so?
ELLIOTT: But just sticking to the legal angle.
O'BRIEN: I think it's an interesting legal angle is that, you know, anybody who has got a confidentiality agreement, and if you tell a magazine that you're happily wed and you're not, you're in big trouble. All right, let's talk about... ELLIOTT: All right, amend agreement.
O'BRIEN: Amend agreement.
Constantine from "American Idol."
BOROWITZ: Yes.
O'BRIEN: He actually could win. He's pretty close.
ELLIOTT: Yes.
O'BRIEN: He's got a good chance. But his band is actually doing even better than he is. How do you get to do that? His band is called Pray for the...
BOROWITZ: Pray for the Soul of Betty. Everybody's favorite band, Pray for the Soul of Betty. I love them. It's sort of a long name for a band. It was actually originally Pray for the Soul of Betty and Veronica, and they have shortened it. They're kind of rocking by "American Idol" standards.
O'BRIEN: One of them is right now.
BOROWITZ: Yes, they're kind of rocking. Apparently, they made this deal. It's completely separate from "American Idol." They made this deal with Koch (ph), Records, I think is the name of the record company. And I looked it up to see what other artists they had signed to their roster. William Hung. "American Idol's" William Hung. I'm just wondering when you sign a band and you're Koch (ph) Records, is the William Hung thing something you stress or do you just hide that in the meeting, you know?
ELLIOTT: You know, I just have to say...
BOROWITZ: We've got Hung. Sweet.
ELLIOTT: Constantine, the way he makes love to that camera every week, it makes me want to bathe. That's what it makes me want to do. Can America send him home, please?
O'BRIEN: How come he's allowed to do this with his band? Yes, it's a little icky. How is he allowed to do this with his band? I mean, under what rules? I would think that doesn't everybody belong to "American Idol?" You know, they have to go work for Simon?
BOROWITZ: No. Well, the rules of "American Idol," it's like the international law of sea. They must be obeyed. But, no, it's apparently this band thing happened separate and apart. So it's a good thing.
ELLIOTT: It just so happened that all of the other artists they've signed are also former "American Idol" rejects.
BOROWITZ: Right. But now we get to enjoy both Constantine and Pray for the Soul of Betty. O'BRIEN: Well, lucky us.
BOROWITZ: So it's awesome.
O'BRIEN: We end on an up-note, as always. Andy, thank you, and everybody else as well. We appreciate it. Nickie, welcome.
GOSTIN: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: We hope to see you back many more times.
GOSTIN: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Josh, as always, nice to have you.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad. In a moment here, we'll kick off our special retirement series today. It's called "Never Too Late." Today, how much money do you need to retire to be comfortable? Well, a lot more than you might expect. Retirement 101, topic one today in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A month into spring and the snow keeps falling. A massive swirling storm brings more than a foot in some places. Where does this nasty weather go today? A look at that's ahead.
Also, the worst train accident in Japan in decades. Fifty people killed, hundreds hurt, many others are still trapped inside the wreckage.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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