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American Morning
A Deadly Friday in Iraq; President in Primetime
Aired April 29, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It has been a deadly Friday in Iraq. Nine attacks in a matter of hours, 24 dead, another 100 wounded.
Also, the president in primetime last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The longer we wait, the more expensive the solution is going to be for a younger generation of Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Raising the volume on Social Security and also rising fuel costs. The Democrats calling the plan half measures.
And an HIV scare at a school in Philly after a group of children said to be pricked with a needle. Parents asking today how this could happen. All ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome everybody. Lots of news to talk about out of Washington and Iraq this morning. First, we're going to take a look at whether President Bush can get things moving now on Social Security reform after his news conference last night. One of the president's closest advisers, Dan Bartlett, joins us this morning. We're going to ask about Iraq as well after that big spike in violence overnight.
HEMMER: A lot to chew on there.
Also this hour, the latest from Georgia on this missing bride-to- be. She was set to get married tomorrow. The police chief down there in Duluth, Georgia with us this morning, telling us where the investigation stands at this point. It appears on the outside they do not have many clues, so we'll find out with some answers in a few moments.
O'BRIEN: What a heartbreaker for the family. Gosh.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that's tough.
The president talking about cutting Social Security benefits for future retirees represents a huge political gamble for this man very early in his second term. Talk about cutting Social Security is like throwing blood in the water where there are sharks all around the boat. And don't you know the sharks are busy this morning. We'll take a look.
HEMMER: They certainly are. Thank you, Jack.
Let's start in Iraq now, where Iraqi soldiers and police in Baghdad appear to be under siege today. Six car bombs have gone off around the city. Three others exploded southeast of Baghdad. That is nine total so far today. At least 24 dead. We're told more than 100 others are injured.
Let's get to Ryan Chilcote straightaway in Baghdad with more from there.
Ryan, hello.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Unfortunately, lots of violence to talk about today in Iraq. We start in eastern Baghdad with the most recent attack, that just happened a few hours ago. The first one car bomb going off. A Reuters crew rushed to the scene, and this is what happened next. Some very dramatic video. The Reuters crew was OK there. However, at least one Iraqi civilian was killed in that attack, another eight Iraqi policemen wounded.
Now moving to the north of Baghdad, another series of car bombing attacks there. There are four car bombs going off, all of them Iraqi police telling us detonated by suicide bombers. Again, those bombs going off just minutes apart, all within one square mile. And then just to the southeast of the city, in the city of Madaheen (ph), three car bombs going off, again, all detonated by suicide bombers.
Bill, all in all, a total of 11 bombs this morning going off. Most of them, if not all of them, apparently targeting Iraqi security forces. The casualty toll at this point standing at 23 dead, about 100 wounded. And the U.S. military just put out a report acknowledging the uptick in violence here and saying that this represents the terrorists, quote, "desperate attempt to discredit the newly formed government in Iraq" -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Ryan Chilcote following that from Baghdad. At the half hour, we'll speak to a major general in charge in Baghdad with more on what's happening there from the Iraqi capital. Now Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, during his primetime news conference last night, President Bush was asked about the recent wave of insurgent attacks. He said good progress is being made in Iraq, despite the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Your top military officer, General Richard Myers, says the Iraqi insurgency is as strong now as it was a year ago. Why is that the case? And why haven't you been more successful in limiting the violence? BUSH: I think he went on to say we're winning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He then focused much of the conference on his plans to overhaul the nation's Social Security and energy programs, and he hit the road again this morning to try to push those policies.
Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It was a news conference with little news, but a clear sign to Republicans to stay strong on issues as strong as John Bolton's nomination to Social Security.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush focusing on pocketbook issues, gas prices and Social Security. At one point, endorsing a plan for Social Security change.
BUSH: So I propose a Social Security system in the future where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off.
MALVEAUX: The rare, primetime press conference comes after the president spent the last two months crisscrossing the country to sell his plan to allow younger retirees to invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes into private investment accounts. But polls have shown Americans are growing increasingly resistant to the idea, and Mr. Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low. But still, the president refused to back down on the issue of private accounts.
BUSH: I feel strongly that there needs to be voluntary personal savings accounts as part of the Social Security system.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush also wanted to convince Americans he, too, was concerned about soaring gas prices, even if there was little he could do about it.
BUSH: The energy bill is certainly no quick fix. You can't wave a magic wand. I wish I could.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush also addressed foreign policy issues, such as the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, the volatility of Iraq, and Russia's intent to sell short-range missiles to Syria.
BUSH: We're working closely with the Russians on the issue of vehicle-mounted weaponry to Syria. We didn't appreciate that, but we made ourselves clear.
MALVEAUX: The president addressed the controversy surrounding his choice for U.S. ambassador to the U.N. BUSH: John Bolton is a blunt guy. Sometimes people say I'm a little too blunt. John Bolton can get the job done at the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now, Soledad, on President Bush's Social Security reform plan, moderate Republicans like it, they're embracing it, but Democrats say as long as it includes private accounts, it's a non- starter. The Democratic leadership releasing a statement saying all the president did was confirm that he will pay for his risky privatization scheme by cutting the benefits of middle-class seniors.
Now President Bush later today travels to northern Virginia to continue to sell his plan -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning. Suzanne, thanks.
What's the White House saying this morning about the president's primetime performance?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Dan Bartlett is the counselor to President Bush. He's at the White House this morning.
Nice to see you, Dan. Thanks for talking with us.
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT BUSH: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: The president last night talked about good progress being made in Iraq. Then you have a day like today where you have nine car bombings, two dozen people dead. Is the president painting too rosy of a picture of the progress in Iraq?
BARTLETT: Absolutely not. What President Bush is doing is painting a complete picture. There is violence in Iraq. And President Bush spoke directly to that. There are determined killers in Iraq who do not want to see democracy emerge. And oftentimes what happens as we've seen in the last two years, when there are key milestones met like yesterday with the new government form that is when the insurgents try to shake the will of the Iraqi people. But what we've seen time and time again, is that the Iraqi people are determined to have a free country. There is also progress being made. Iraqi security forces are growing stronger, more capable. Reconstruction efforts going on.
The political process, as we read today in the papers, the fact that there's a new government formed, demonstrate Iraqis are moving forward. The Iraqi government is being formed. There is still a determined enemy. We have to be focused on that. Coalition forces will continue to work with Iraqi security forces to do everything we can to eliminate the terrorists who are causing so much destruction. So there is a lot of work to do. But President Bush is painting a very accurate picture of what's happening and unfolding in Iraq. O'BRIEN: In the last couple months, the president's been running around the country pushing his plans for reforming Social Security. People, though, decidedly ambivalent. If you look at the poll numbers, the very limited support has even gone down in the last -- it was 38 percent, I believe. Now it's at 31 percent approval rating. Why is what he's pitching not working.
BARTLETT: Well, Soledad, I think President Bush touched on that last night. The last time Social Security has been debated for major reforms was 23 years ago. In the meantime, it's been demagogued as a political issue by politicians in Washington. And now we see the very same pattern taking place, where the Democratic Party has chosen not to put ideas forward, but to just complain about ideas that are being offered by President Bush and other people.
But President Bush believes that the American people understand that Social Security, with the path it's on, is not sustainable. The younger Americans who have now discounted Social Security as something that's going to be there when they retire, is something we can't ignore as politicians and elected leaders in Washington.
O'BRIEN: So why is that message not getting out? Because, OK, he's been going around the country talking about the problems that you're just stating, and actually the numbers are decreasing of the people who approve of those changes.
BARTLETT: Well, if you look at the numbers that are out there, that actually 80 percent of the American people know that there's a problem with Social Security and it requires major reform.
Now there are going to be different ideas about what's the best way to fix it, and President Bush has offered his. And it's time for other people to put their ideas on the table. But what the American people won't accept is that for Washington to recognize the problem, and then do nothing address.
O'BRIEN: President Bush talked about gas prices last night. Essentially, it sounded to me that he talked about long-range plans, but it comes down to in the short-term, he's saying he cannot do anything to lower the price of gasoline for Americans?
BARTLETT: Well, Soledad, he talked about both, and he's very concerned about the higher prices of gas and energy, because that puts a particular strain on families who are trying to make ends meet. It puts a strain on small businesses, where sometimes the difference between meeting a payroll or hiring a new worker is their energy bill. It's very much a concern for him. He said in the immediate term what we need to do is continue it put pressure on oil-producing countries overseas and also to make sure that consumers aren't gouged here at home.
But what he is addressing is what I think the American people understand needs to be addressed, and that's the root causes that have got us into this mess in the first place. That means we need to get an energy legislation, an energy policy here in Washington D.C., that recognizes that we need to harness new technologies, we need to increase production here at home, we need to find ways to better conserve energy in America, and we need to do better job of developing renewable sources of energy. These are things that have been ignored by policymakers for the last 20 years, and President Bush is putting real concrete solutions that will address the problem. But as he said last night, we didn't get into it overnight and we're not going to get out of it overnight.
O'BRIEN: Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, joining us this morning. Nice to see you, Dan, as always. Thanks.
BARTLETT: Thanks for having me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Eleven minutes now past the hour.
From Philadelphia, they're investigating a playground incident that has turned into a full-blown HIV scare, and parents want to know what kept their children from getting the prosecutor medical treatment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): Concern etched on parents' faces at a Philadelphia school, where more than a dozen third-graders were allegedly pricked by a classmate with a diabetic testing needle. Parents say they were told one of the children struck with the needle is apparently HIV positive.
MARTHA ADORNO, PARENT OF 3RD-GRADER: It's the same needle that they poke on every one of the 14 kids. And one of the kids that was poked is HIV positive. We don't know if that was before or after (INAUDIBLE).
HEMMER: Some parents claim at first the teacher did not take the situation seriously.
MIKE GONZALEZ, PARENT OF 3RD-GRADER: This is something that is not to be played with. You got now little kids that are in danger.
HEMMER: So far, test results for the AIDS virus have been negative. The students were given two drugs, often taken by health care workers, within 24 hours of an accidental needle prick. The children will have more tests and some parents say that waiting, not knowing whether their children have been infected, is excruciating.
MAGDALIA RIOS, RENT OF 3RD-GRADER: I have to keep coming back, like from month to month, three months. It's going to be agony for me, you know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Again, that story out of Philly. Much more next hour on how much danger these children may face. We'll talk to Dr. Sanjay Gupta about this topic then.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, running out of time in Georgia. The latest on that desperate search for the missing bride- to-be. We're going to get an update this morning from the Duluth police chief.
HEMMER: Also turning the tables on the prosecution. For the second straight day now, Michael Jackson's ex-wife singing for the defense at the trial. We'll tell you what happened yesterday in California.
O'BRIEN: And you heard the story on Thursday. Now we've got the pictures. There they are, the new loving couple. Hollywood's shocking couple, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, it's ahead for us in "90- Second Pop," on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: One of the many topics last night if you were watching here on CNN during primetime is Social Security, and that's the topic for Jack today, "Question of the Day."
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Headlines in "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post" this morning scream that President Bush wants to cut Social Security benefits. Granted he was talking about future benefits for wealthier retirees, but don't be fooled, Social Security is called the third rail of politics for a reason. He who ventures near does so at his peril. Democrats have already branded Mr. Bush's proposal as massive cut of Social Security. Conservative Republicans are wringing their hands, worried that this plan could cost them in next year's mideterm elections. But with support for private accounts almost nonexistent, the president decided to take a gamble. His idea could save Social Security $3 trillion over the next 75 years, but if it doesn't fly, the political cost to this president could be very big indeed.
The question is this, is cutting benefits the way to solve Social Security's problems? The e-mail address is am@CNN.com.
HEMMER: I like this one. You have Democrats in Congress, think they're going give an inch to a Republican president on the issue of Social Security. I mean, what program defines this party more? 1935, FDR.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Even though his new plan sort of looks like what's called progressive indexing, which is something the Democrats themselves have proposed, so it'll be interesting to see if they want to distance themselves from his plan. But I think they will, right?
HEMMER: Perhaps.
SERWER: I mean, because it's not coming from their guy. Because it's going to be partisan politics as usual.
HEMMER: And the other thing that you hear from the White House all the time, is give me ideas. If you've got your own ideas, I'm here to listen. So we will chew on that.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I think we heard Dan Bartlett saying that again this morning.
Thanks, Jack.
Well, Wendy's, let's talk about Wendy's, they're finally admitting just how much that "finger in the chili" allegation hurt profits.
Andy's "Minding Your Business" with that this morning.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
Again, I get all the good stories that we want to talk about early in the day. Let's talk about the stock market first of all. Stocks slid yesterday on Wall Street. And you can see that the Dow is down 128 points. No mystery here. The economy didn't grow fast enough in the first quarter to please Wall Street, only 3.1 percent, the lowest in two years.
This morning, however, futures are very positive. The report by Microsoft last night looks interesting. That's to say it's kind of complicated, but people are generally optimistic.
However, for the month of April, we are down 433 points. So like the New York Yankees, it appears that we'll have a losing April for the stock market.
The nation's third-largest hamburger chain reported profits that were a little bit less than anticipated, and they were able to put a finger on why. Yes.
O'BRIEN: That was a terrible pun.
SERWER: Well, I'm good at these.
Wendy's said that the "finger in the chili" episode cost them, they said $2.5 million, which doesn't sound like a whole lot for a huge company. But anyway...
HEMMER: Over a quarter, right? Three-month period.
SERWER: Yes, and this is the woman who allegedly put said finger into said chili. So this story will continue. And I think it's going to be interesting.
O'BRIEN: What did the woman say today? She's going to fight it, right?
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: They're going to sit back and take it.
SERWER: Yes, she's going to fight it.
O'BRIEN: We will see.
Everybody's still -- at least Carol Costello wants to know where that finger came from.
SERWER: Everyone wants to know.
O'BRIEN: Thanks.
Ahead this morning, Michael Jackson's ex-wife is technically a witness for the prosecution, but Debbie Rowe gave the kind of testimony that made the defense smile. We're going to tell you what she said, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Right now to Georgia this morning. Police there say hope is dwindling after a woman expected to marry Saturday has turned up missing. More than 100 volunteers now in that search on Thursday for 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks. She was last seen Tuesday evening after she went out for a jog but did not come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS WILBANKS, FATHER OF MISSING WOMAN: I would love for it to be cold feet, but knowing Jennifer, I don't know. I mean, I would love her to call me up and say, daddy, you know, I don't know what I was doing. I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Chief Randy Belcher is with the Duluth Police Department, pack with us this morning.
Chief, good morning down there in Georgia.
Do you have any new leads this morning, sir?
CHIEF RANDY BELCHER, DULUTH, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT.: Not this morning, we do not.
HEMMER: Is there anything you can tell us about this polygraph test for her fiance, John Mason? Has that been given?
BELCHER: No, it hasn't. We requested Mr. Mason to submit to a test yesterday. He stated at the beginning of the investigation he would voluntarily submit to a polygraph. But he did advise us yesterday that he would let us know today by 1:00 as to whether he would take the test or not.
HEMMER: Yes, what's holding that up, chief do you know? BELCHER: No, I don't. I do not know.
HEMMER: So you're going to get an answer before 1:00 today, is what you expect?
BELCHER: That's what we expect, yes.
HEMMER: Has he been cooperative?
BELCHER: Yes, he and his entire family have been very cooperative in this matter.
HEMMER: Have you spoken to him directly and interviewed him?
BELCHER: I haven't interviewed him, but yes I have spoken to him and his family. I addressed the whole family, I guess it was Tuesday morning.
HEMMER: I understand some hair has been found in at least one jogging outfit, maybe more have been found in the area along the Chattahoochee River, which is north of Atlanta, Georgia. Can you say at this point whether or not that evidence is connected to this missing woman?
BELCHER: We found a sweatshirt in Cumming, we also found a pair of sweat pants in Duluth, and we found another sweatshirt, I believe it was in Swaunee (ph). At this time, those items are at the Georgia crime lab and they're trying to analyze those items to see if they are indeed related to the victim.
HEMMER: You just mentioned three parts of Georgia. How far away are these towns from one another?
BELCHER: The city of Swanee touches the city of Duluth on the northern end of the city, which is approximately three miles from our location. The sweatshirt that was located in Cumming, Georgia, is approximately 19 miles from where we're at now.
HEMMER: Have you taken any of the pieces of clothing to the family to get a positive identification chief?
BELCHER: No we just took them to the -- they were bagged and taken to the Georgia crime lab.
HEMMER: I see. Are you getting any help from the public? When you're out there looking for tips, are you getting much?
BELCHER: We're being overwhelmed with public assistance, which is great. It's amazing the number of people that have volunteered and come out and searching on their own as well.
HEMMER: It has to be a very sad and tough weekend for that family and friends too. Chief, good luck to you and everybody down there. Randy Belcher is with the Duluth Police Department there in Duluth, Georgia.
Thank you, chief. Good luck.
BELCHER: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a bloody day of bombings in and around Baghdad. Dozens dead, nearly 100 injured. A top U.S. commander updates us on the troubling situation there. That's up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 29, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It has been a deadly Friday in Iraq. Nine attacks in a matter of hours, 24 dead, another 100 wounded.
Also, the president in primetime last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The longer we wait, the more expensive the solution is going to be for a younger generation of Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Raising the volume on Social Security and also rising fuel costs. The Democrats calling the plan half measures.
And an HIV scare at a school in Philly after a group of children said to be pricked with a needle. Parents asking today how this could happen. All ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome everybody. Lots of news to talk about out of Washington and Iraq this morning. First, we're going to take a look at whether President Bush can get things moving now on Social Security reform after his news conference last night. One of the president's closest advisers, Dan Bartlett, joins us this morning. We're going to ask about Iraq as well after that big spike in violence overnight.
HEMMER: A lot to chew on there.
Also this hour, the latest from Georgia on this missing bride-to- be. She was set to get married tomorrow. The police chief down there in Duluth, Georgia with us this morning, telling us where the investigation stands at this point. It appears on the outside they do not have many clues, so we'll find out with some answers in a few moments.
O'BRIEN: What a heartbreaker for the family. Gosh.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that's tough.
The president talking about cutting Social Security benefits for future retirees represents a huge political gamble for this man very early in his second term. Talk about cutting Social Security is like throwing blood in the water where there are sharks all around the boat. And don't you know the sharks are busy this morning. We'll take a look.
HEMMER: They certainly are. Thank you, Jack.
Let's start in Iraq now, where Iraqi soldiers and police in Baghdad appear to be under siege today. Six car bombs have gone off around the city. Three others exploded southeast of Baghdad. That is nine total so far today. At least 24 dead. We're told more than 100 others are injured.
Let's get to Ryan Chilcote straightaway in Baghdad with more from there.
Ryan, hello.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Unfortunately, lots of violence to talk about today in Iraq. We start in eastern Baghdad with the most recent attack, that just happened a few hours ago. The first one car bomb going off. A Reuters crew rushed to the scene, and this is what happened next. Some very dramatic video. The Reuters crew was OK there. However, at least one Iraqi civilian was killed in that attack, another eight Iraqi policemen wounded.
Now moving to the north of Baghdad, another series of car bombing attacks there. There are four car bombs going off, all of them Iraqi police telling us detonated by suicide bombers. Again, those bombs going off just minutes apart, all within one square mile. And then just to the southeast of the city, in the city of Madaheen (ph), three car bombs going off, again, all detonated by suicide bombers.
Bill, all in all, a total of 11 bombs this morning going off. Most of them, if not all of them, apparently targeting Iraqi security forces. The casualty toll at this point standing at 23 dead, about 100 wounded. And the U.S. military just put out a report acknowledging the uptick in violence here and saying that this represents the terrorists, quote, "desperate attempt to discredit the newly formed government in Iraq" -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Ryan Chilcote following that from Baghdad. At the half hour, we'll speak to a major general in charge in Baghdad with more on what's happening there from the Iraqi capital. Now Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, during his primetime news conference last night, President Bush was asked about the recent wave of insurgent attacks. He said good progress is being made in Iraq, despite the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Your top military officer, General Richard Myers, says the Iraqi insurgency is as strong now as it was a year ago. Why is that the case? And why haven't you been more successful in limiting the violence? BUSH: I think he went on to say we're winning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He then focused much of the conference on his plans to overhaul the nation's Social Security and energy programs, and he hit the road again this morning to try to push those policies.
Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It was a news conference with little news, but a clear sign to Republicans to stay strong on issues as strong as John Bolton's nomination to Social Security.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush focusing on pocketbook issues, gas prices and Social Security. At one point, endorsing a plan for Social Security change.
BUSH: So I propose a Social Security system in the future where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off.
MALVEAUX: The rare, primetime press conference comes after the president spent the last two months crisscrossing the country to sell his plan to allow younger retirees to invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes into private investment accounts. But polls have shown Americans are growing increasingly resistant to the idea, and Mr. Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low. But still, the president refused to back down on the issue of private accounts.
BUSH: I feel strongly that there needs to be voluntary personal savings accounts as part of the Social Security system.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush also wanted to convince Americans he, too, was concerned about soaring gas prices, even if there was little he could do about it.
BUSH: The energy bill is certainly no quick fix. You can't wave a magic wand. I wish I could.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush also addressed foreign policy issues, such as the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, the volatility of Iraq, and Russia's intent to sell short-range missiles to Syria.
BUSH: We're working closely with the Russians on the issue of vehicle-mounted weaponry to Syria. We didn't appreciate that, but we made ourselves clear.
MALVEAUX: The president addressed the controversy surrounding his choice for U.S. ambassador to the U.N. BUSH: John Bolton is a blunt guy. Sometimes people say I'm a little too blunt. John Bolton can get the job done at the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now, Soledad, on President Bush's Social Security reform plan, moderate Republicans like it, they're embracing it, but Democrats say as long as it includes private accounts, it's a non- starter. The Democratic leadership releasing a statement saying all the president did was confirm that he will pay for his risky privatization scheme by cutting the benefits of middle-class seniors.
Now President Bush later today travels to northern Virginia to continue to sell his plan -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning. Suzanne, thanks.
What's the White House saying this morning about the president's primetime performance?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Dan Bartlett is the counselor to President Bush. He's at the White House this morning.
Nice to see you, Dan. Thanks for talking with us.
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT BUSH: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: The president last night talked about good progress being made in Iraq. Then you have a day like today where you have nine car bombings, two dozen people dead. Is the president painting too rosy of a picture of the progress in Iraq?
BARTLETT: Absolutely not. What President Bush is doing is painting a complete picture. There is violence in Iraq. And President Bush spoke directly to that. There are determined killers in Iraq who do not want to see democracy emerge. And oftentimes what happens as we've seen in the last two years, when there are key milestones met like yesterday with the new government form that is when the insurgents try to shake the will of the Iraqi people. But what we've seen time and time again, is that the Iraqi people are determined to have a free country. There is also progress being made. Iraqi security forces are growing stronger, more capable. Reconstruction efforts going on.
The political process, as we read today in the papers, the fact that there's a new government formed, demonstrate Iraqis are moving forward. The Iraqi government is being formed. There is still a determined enemy. We have to be focused on that. Coalition forces will continue to work with Iraqi security forces to do everything we can to eliminate the terrorists who are causing so much destruction. So there is a lot of work to do. But President Bush is painting a very accurate picture of what's happening and unfolding in Iraq. O'BRIEN: In the last couple months, the president's been running around the country pushing his plans for reforming Social Security. People, though, decidedly ambivalent. If you look at the poll numbers, the very limited support has even gone down in the last -- it was 38 percent, I believe. Now it's at 31 percent approval rating. Why is what he's pitching not working.
BARTLETT: Well, Soledad, I think President Bush touched on that last night. The last time Social Security has been debated for major reforms was 23 years ago. In the meantime, it's been demagogued as a political issue by politicians in Washington. And now we see the very same pattern taking place, where the Democratic Party has chosen not to put ideas forward, but to just complain about ideas that are being offered by President Bush and other people.
But President Bush believes that the American people understand that Social Security, with the path it's on, is not sustainable. The younger Americans who have now discounted Social Security as something that's going to be there when they retire, is something we can't ignore as politicians and elected leaders in Washington.
O'BRIEN: So why is that message not getting out? Because, OK, he's been going around the country talking about the problems that you're just stating, and actually the numbers are decreasing of the people who approve of those changes.
BARTLETT: Well, if you look at the numbers that are out there, that actually 80 percent of the American people know that there's a problem with Social Security and it requires major reform.
Now there are going to be different ideas about what's the best way to fix it, and President Bush has offered his. And it's time for other people to put their ideas on the table. But what the American people won't accept is that for Washington to recognize the problem, and then do nothing address.
O'BRIEN: President Bush talked about gas prices last night. Essentially, it sounded to me that he talked about long-range plans, but it comes down to in the short-term, he's saying he cannot do anything to lower the price of gasoline for Americans?
BARTLETT: Well, Soledad, he talked about both, and he's very concerned about the higher prices of gas and energy, because that puts a particular strain on families who are trying to make ends meet. It puts a strain on small businesses, where sometimes the difference between meeting a payroll or hiring a new worker is their energy bill. It's very much a concern for him. He said in the immediate term what we need to do is continue it put pressure on oil-producing countries overseas and also to make sure that consumers aren't gouged here at home.
But what he is addressing is what I think the American people understand needs to be addressed, and that's the root causes that have got us into this mess in the first place. That means we need to get an energy legislation, an energy policy here in Washington D.C., that recognizes that we need to harness new technologies, we need to increase production here at home, we need to find ways to better conserve energy in America, and we need to do better job of developing renewable sources of energy. These are things that have been ignored by policymakers for the last 20 years, and President Bush is putting real concrete solutions that will address the problem. But as he said last night, we didn't get into it overnight and we're not going to get out of it overnight.
O'BRIEN: Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, joining us this morning. Nice to see you, Dan, as always. Thanks.
BARTLETT: Thanks for having me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Eleven minutes now past the hour.
From Philadelphia, they're investigating a playground incident that has turned into a full-blown HIV scare, and parents want to know what kept their children from getting the prosecutor medical treatment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): Concern etched on parents' faces at a Philadelphia school, where more than a dozen third-graders were allegedly pricked by a classmate with a diabetic testing needle. Parents say they were told one of the children struck with the needle is apparently HIV positive.
MARTHA ADORNO, PARENT OF 3RD-GRADER: It's the same needle that they poke on every one of the 14 kids. And one of the kids that was poked is HIV positive. We don't know if that was before or after (INAUDIBLE).
HEMMER: Some parents claim at first the teacher did not take the situation seriously.
MIKE GONZALEZ, PARENT OF 3RD-GRADER: This is something that is not to be played with. You got now little kids that are in danger.
HEMMER: So far, test results for the AIDS virus have been negative. The students were given two drugs, often taken by health care workers, within 24 hours of an accidental needle prick. The children will have more tests and some parents say that waiting, not knowing whether their children have been infected, is excruciating.
MAGDALIA RIOS, RENT OF 3RD-GRADER: I have to keep coming back, like from month to month, three months. It's going to be agony for me, you know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Again, that story out of Philly. Much more next hour on how much danger these children may face. We'll talk to Dr. Sanjay Gupta about this topic then.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, running out of time in Georgia. The latest on that desperate search for the missing bride- to-be. We're going to get an update this morning from the Duluth police chief.
HEMMER: Also turning the tables on the prosecution. For the second straight day now, Michael Jackson's ex-wife singing for the defense at the trial. We'll tell you what happened yesterday in California.
O'BRIEN: And you heard the story on Thursday. Now we've got the pictures. There they are, the new loving couple. Hollywood's shocking couple, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, it's ahead for us in "90- Second Pop," on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
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HEMMER: One of the many topics last night if you were watching here on CNN during primetime is Social Security, and that's the topic for Jack today, "Question of the Day."
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Headlines in "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post" this morning scream that President Bush wants to cut Social Security benefits. Granted he was talking about future benefits for wealthier retirees, but don't be fooled, Social Security is called the third rail of politics for a reason. He who ventures near does so at his peril. Democrats have already branded Mr. Bush's proposal as massive cut of Social Security. Conservative Republicans are wringing their hands, worried that this plan could cost them in next year's mideterm elections. But with support for private accounts almost nonexistent, the president decided to take a gamble. His idea could save Social Security $3 trillion over the next 75 years, but if it doesn't fly, the political cost to this president could be very big indeed.
The question is this, is cutting benefits the way to solve Social Security's problems? The e-mail address is am@CNN.com.
HEMMER: I like this one. You have Democrats in Congress, think they're going give an inch to a Republican president on the issue of Social Security. I mean, what program defines this party more? 1935, FDR.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Even though his new plan sort of looks like what's called progressive indexing, which is something the Democrats themselves have proposed, so it'll be interesting to see if they want to distance themselves from his plan. But I think they will, right?
HEMMER: Perhaps.
SERWER: I mean, because it's not coming from their guy. Because it's going to be partisan politics as usual.
HEMMER: And the other thing that you hear from the White House all the time, is give me ideas. If you've got your own ideas, I'm here to listen. So we will chew on that.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I think we heard Dan Bartlett saying that again this morning.
Thanks, Jack.
Well, Wendy's, let's talk about Wendy's, they're finally admitting just how much that "finger in the chili" allegation hurt profits.
Andy's "Minding Your Business" with that this morning.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
Again, I get all the good stories that we want to talk about early in the day. Let's talk about the stock market first of all. Stocks slid yesterday on Wall Street. And you can see that the Dow is down 128 points. No mystery here. The economy didn't grow fast enough in the first quarter to please Wall Street, only 3.1 percent, the lowest in two years.
This morning, however, futures are very positive. The report by Microsoft last night looks interesting. That's to say it's kind of complicated, but people are generally optimistic.
However, for the month of April, we are down 433 points. So like the New York Yankees, it appears that we'll have a losing April for the stock market.
The nation's third-largest hamburger chain reported profits that were a little bit less than anticipated, and they were able to put a finger on why. Yes.
O'BRIEN: That was a terrible pun.
SERWER: Well, I'm good at these.
Wendy's said that the "finger in the chili" episode cost them, they said $2.5 million, which doesn't sound like a whole lot for a huge company. But anyway...
HEMMER: Over a quarter, right? Three-month period.
SERWER: Yes, and this is the woman who allegedly put said finger into said chili. So this story will continue. And I think it's going to be interesting.
O'BRIEN: What did the woman say today? She's going to fight it, right?
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: They're going to sit back and take it.
SERWER: Yes, she's going to fight it.
O'BRIEN: We will see.
Everybody's still -- at least Carol Costello wants to know where that finger came from.
SERWER: Everyone wants to know.
O'BRIEN: Thanks.
Ahead this morning, Michael Jackson's ex-wife is technically a witness for the prosecution, but Debbie Rowe gave the kind of testimony that made the defense smile. We're going to tell you what she said, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Right now to Georgia this morning. Police there say hope is dwindling after a woman expected to marry Saturday has turned up missing. More than 100 volunteers now in that search on Thursday for 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks. She was last seen Tuesday evening after she went out for a jog but did not come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS WILBANKS, FATHER OF MISSING WOMAN: I would love for it to be cold feet, but knowing Jennifer, I don't know. I mean, I would love her to call me up and say, daddy, you know, I don't know what I was doing. I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Chief Randy Belcher is with the Duluth Police Department, pack with us this morning.
Chief, good morning down there in Georgia.
Do you have any new leads this morning, sir?
CHIEF RANDY BELCHER, DULUTH, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT.: Not this morning, we do not.
HEMMER: Is there anything you can tell us about this polygraph test for her fiance, John Mason? Has that been given?
BELCHER: No, it hasn't. We requested Mr. Mason to submit to a test yesterday. He stated at the beginning of the investigation he would voluntarily submit to a polygraph. But he did advise us yesterday that he would let us know today by 1:00 as to whether he would take the test or not.
HEMMER: Yes, what's holding that up, chief do you know? BELCHER: No, I don't. I do not know.
HEMMER: So you're going to get an answer before 1:00 today, is what you expect?
BELCHER: That's what we expect, yes.
HEMMER: Has he been cooperative?
BELCHER: Yes, he and his entire family have been very cooperative in this matter.
HEMMER: Have you spoken to him directly and interviewed him?
BELCHER: I haven't interviewed him, but yes I have spoken to him and his family. I addressed the whole family, I guess it was Tuesday morning.
HEMMER: I understand some hair has been found in at least one jogging outfit, maybe more have been found in the area along the Chattahoochee River, which is north of Atlanta, Georgia. Can you say at this point whether or not that evidence is connected to this missing woman?
BELCHER: We found a sweatshirt in Cumming, we also found a pair of sweat pants in Duluth, and we found another sweatshirt, I believe it was in Swaunee (ph). At this time, those items are at the Georgia crime lab and they're trying to analyze those items to see if they are indeed related to the victim.
HEMMER: You just mentioned three parts of Georgia. How far away are these towns from one another?
BELCHER: The city of Swanee touches the city of Duluth on the northern end of the city, which is approximately three miles from our location. The sweatshirt that was located in Cumming, Georgia, is approximately 19 miles from where we're at now.
HEMMER: Have you taken any of the pieces of clothing to the family to get a positive identification chief?
BELCHER: No we just took them to the -- they were bagged and taken to the Georgia crime lab.
HEMMER: I see. Are you getting any help from the public? When you're out there looking for tips, are you getting much?
BELCHER: We're being overwhelmed with public assistance, which is great. It's amazing the number of people that have volunteered and come out and searching on their own as well.
HEMMER: It has to be a very sad and tough weekend for that family and friends too. Chief, good luck to you and everybody down there. Randy Belcher is with the Duluth Police Department there in Duluth, Georgia.
Thank you, chief. Good luck.
BELCHER: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a bloody day of bombings in and around Baghdad. Dozens dead, nearly 100 injured. A top U.S. commander updates us on the troubling situation there. That's up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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