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CNN Live Today

Women in Combat; Senate Showdown

Aired May 18, 2005 - 11:00   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: American troops are coming home with some new values. One man says they are finding religious faith in war. I'll talk to Stephen Mansfield about religion and the military.
And if you're counting the hours to midnight to see the final episode of "Star Wars," find out how you can become a Jedi and fight for the republic firsthand as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's go ahead and take a look at what is happening "Now in the News."

City councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeats the incumbent in Los Angeles, James Hahn, in the mayor's race. Villaraigosa becomes the city's first Hispanic mayor in more than 130 years. He vows to bring L.A.'s racial and ethnic groups together to tackle what he calls the great challenges ahead.

A Georgian official now says a grenade found during President Bush's speech in Tbilisi last week was a live device. That directly contradicts an earlier statement that the grenade was a dummy. An interior ministry spokesman also confirms the device was tossed into the crowd. The statement last week said it had been placed there.

A Michigan man accused of bringing a pipe bomb to work faces arraignment today. Police say the man showed the device to a co- worked who called authorities. Authorities say a search of the man's pickup truck turned up more explosives. The company and several other businesses were evacuated.

And let's take a look at the time. Just after 8:00 a.m. in Los Angeles, which has a new mayor. Just after 11:00 a.m. in New York City. And after 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad.

We are at CNN Center in Atlanta. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We're going to begin this hour with the fight for Iraq and a fight over the role of women in combat.

Insurgents kept up their campaign of violence in Iraq today. A roadside bomb targeting an American convoy in Baghdad exploded, injuring at least seven Iraqis. Police say no U.S. troops were hurt.

Also in Baghdad, a member of Iraq's interior ministry was killed in a drive-by shooting.

In Baquba, authorities say a car bomb explosion injured at least 14 people. Several of them were police officers.

And in Mosul, mortar attacks have killed two people and injured eight others. Most of the injured are children.

As U.S. troops battle insurgents in Iraq, there is a proposal on Capitol Hill today. It focuses on women in combat.

More on that now from our Pentagon correspondent, our fine woman, Barbara Starr.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, a very crucial debate going on behind the scenes on Capitol Hill at this hour. The Republican-controlled House Arms Services Committee, which is a big supporter of President Bush and the administration, is debating a measure that President Bush would like to see go away.

They are looking at significantly changing the role of women in war. And later today, that Republican committee is scheduled to vote on this proposal. Possibly, if it passes, it could send it to the floor of the House.

Now, behind the scenes, the Pentagon, the U.S. Army, the military is scrambling to try and make all of this go away and make sure it never comes to a vote later today. But here's what's really at stake.

The amendment introduced by the Republican majority would prohibit women from being assigned to support positions in military units that are operating in the front line of combat. And, of course, in Iraq, what we've all learned is that combat is everywhere. There is no front line. So it's becoming a huge problem.

Look at some of the statistics about how much women are relied on. Right now, there are about 9,400 women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty-five women, Daryn, have been killed in action. But technically, women don't serve in combat, and that's really the problem.

The Army says that if this measure goes through, that would shut down about 22,000 support jobs to women in the military. What are those support jobs? Well, they are things like truck drivers, supply clerks, technicians, medical personnel. And those types of jobs, military police, are filled by women all over Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army's position is they want to keep things just the way they are. They say they can work with these support units not going into direct combat.

The Republican-controlled committee says it's time to look at reality and see about shutting down these jobs to women in war. The Army, however, does agree that the lesson of Iraq for everyone is that combat is everywhere. Thirty-five women now killed in action in the war -- Daryn. KAGAN: And supporters just saying they want to keep women safe? What's the thinking behind this during a time that all branches of military having a difficult time filling the slots they need?

STARR: Well, that's exactly right. What the military -- key leaders in the military today are urgently trying to get Capitol Hill to make this all go away. With recruiting problems and other problems, they say they can't go to war anymore these days without women, that they do fill vital jobs, but they are not in direct combat.

That's things like armor, artillery. They don't go into direct combat, manning weapons, shooting guns, driving tanks, that sort of thing. But the supporters of changing the law say that they feel it's time to address the reality of wars like Iraq, where even supply clerks, technicians, medical personnel, truck drivers, military police, all the jobs that some of those nearly 10,000 women do, are jobs that put them at risk that literally do put them in combat.

So it's a huge debate. Even if the measure does not pass today, most people believe this is still an issue on the table that is going to have to be addressed in some fashion in the future -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thank you.

Another military note here. I'm going to have a chance just ahead to talk with author Stephen Mansfield. He's written a book called "Faith and the American Soldier." He says you can't go to the front lines and not get religion. Much more ahead on that conversation.

Also, now to the Senate showdown. The battle over President Bush's stalled judicial nominees hit the Senate floor today. That sets the stage for a long-awaited fight over the filibuster.

Our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, is at the Capitol this morning.

Joe, good morning.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter, on the floor right now giving a speech that started quite a while ago. This is expected to be a long debate. We'll probably not even get to the showdown part of it, the test votes on breaking the filibuster, until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

At the center of it all, at least right now, is Priscilla Owen. She's nominated for an appeals court by the president. Was, in fact, nominated four years ago. That nomination blocked, then re-nominated by the White House. And Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, is trying to break a filibuster to get her and some others confirmed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: ... will hold America back just because a majority of senators, a majority of people in this body, want to do what most Americans of all things expect us to do. And that is to vote.

The minority should allow senators to fulfill our constitutional responsibility of giving advice and consent, and vote. And they should allow America to move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now there had been some talk that the negotiations between the Senate leaders were at a dead end. However, today, Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, invited Frist and other senators to meet with him sometime between today and tomorrow on the floor of the old Senate chamber where there are no cameras to try to talk this thing out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: ... distinguished friends, the Republican leader to consider joining with me and having in the next day or so -- hopefully today -- to have all of us retire to the chamber, sit down and talk through this issue, and see if there is a way that we can resolve this short of this so-called nuclear option.

I think it would be good for the body. I think it would be good for the American public to see that we are able to sit down in the same room and work things out. And I'm not sure that we could, but I think it would be worthy of our efforts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democratic on the Judiciary Committee, now speaking on the Senate floor.

While all of this is going on, behind the scenes there are still some furious attempts to try to get at a negotiated agreement of some type. We are hearing word this morning that Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has put forward a proposal of his own with language that in some way relates to when the filibuster could be used versus when the nuclear option could be used. The idea is to get six Democrats and six Republicans to agree to head shooting down the filibuster, because a lot of people don't think that's a good idea -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And then there was the deal, I think, that was proposed by Ted Kennedy earlier today to vote ahead of these nominees on some nominees that they could all go ahead and give the thumbs up too, but Senator Frist didn't seem too hot on that idea.

JOHNS: That's for sure. That's something that Frist has shot down before. He wants to go ahead with Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown of California. The other notion behind the scenes, of course, has been one that's being conducted by Senator McCain of Arizona and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. They have been trying to work something out as well. No word on how that's going -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. We will be back with you.

Also want to check in at the White House. An up-or-down vote, that's what President Bush says he wants and is entitled to get from the U.S. Senate on his judicial nominees.

Our Ed Henry is at the White House this morning.

Ed, what's the White House saying about what's happening over on Capitol Hill?

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the White House is trying to walk a very fine line on this nuclear option. On one hand, White House officials say that President Bush does not want to get mired and start meddling into changes, potential changes to Senate rules. But on the other hand, guess who came to lunch yesterday at the White House? Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen, two of the judges you just heard Joe Johns mention, are in the middle of this Senate stalemate.

Also, another example of how involved the White House is behind the scenes, and maybe not publicly. Yesterday, Vice president Cheney was supposed to be here yesterday, swearing in the new U.S. trade representative, Rob Portman. He did not make that ceremony, and a senior administration official tells CNN that's because Vice President Cheney was on Capitol Hill, was involved in meetings dealing with the nuclear option.

So behind the scenes, the administration is involved, but maybe not publicly. And all of this is a not-so-subtle reminder that the president himself wants to put pressure on Democrats to stop these filibusters. A point that the president himself hammered home last night at a Republican fund-raising gala.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have a duty to nominate well-qualified men and women to the federal judiciary. I have done just that, and I will continue to do so.

The Senate also has a duty, to promptly consider each of these nominees on the Senate floor, discuss and debate their qualifications, and then give them the up-or-down vote they deserve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, part of the reason why the White House has been walking this fine line is that there is concern among some Republicans that if in fact the nuclear option is used, that would basically blow the Senate up and make it impossible for the rest of the president's agenda, like Social Security reform, the energy bill. It would make it impossible for those to come up and actually pass, and also make it even more difficult for other nominees like John Bolton to pass -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on -- on Capitol Hill. See, that's where you always are. You are at the White House today. I still have my list of questions here.

My Ed Henry question of the day, yesterday it was the nominees coming to lunch, today it's the Egyptian prime minister. Why is that significant?

HENRY: Well, obviously the situation in the Mideast is something that the White House is always keeping a close eye on. In fact, first lady Laura Bush is heading to the region later this week, and that's the major reason why it's on the agenda today as well -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Ed Henry at the White House. Very good. Thank you.

Still keeping it in Washington, federal Judge Joan Lefkow is urging better security for members of the bench. Now, it's Lefkow's first public comments since her mother and husband were shot and killed at her Chicago home. Lefkow scolded Congress after funding for the U.S. Marshal Service charged with protecting judges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE JOAN LEFKOW, U.S. DISTRICT COURT: It is easy enough to blame the service for problems. But the truth is that the Congress has never treated the U.S. Marshal Service as it has, for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, giving it the respect and resources that it needs to do -- fulfill the tremendous responsibilities that it has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Police blame the February killings on a man angry over the judge's rulings in the case. Judge Lefkow has not yet returned to the federal bunch.

Thousands of patients can die from this every year. It's not an incurable disease. You will be surprised what is causing the deaths.

Jane Fonda's new movie, "Monster-in-Law," made a big splash with moviegoers over the weekend. But a small town theater owner is making his own statement about her and her movie.

And thousands of Americans have only one thing in mind today. A big movie release is at midnight. If you don't know what it is, you must be living in another galaxy. How's that for a hint? We'll go live to the box office.

You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And now to our "Daily Dose" of health news, patient's safety. A new study says as many as 98,000 Americans still die each year because of medical mistakes. That's according to a report in "USA Today."

The study says improvements have been made since a landmark report on medical errors five years ago. But researchers say change has been slow and the death rate has not improved much.

Another indication that lifestyle can help reduce the risk of cancer. Canadian researchers say moderate activity may help women lower their chances of developing to ovarian cancer. The disease has a poor prognosis because it's often diagnosed late. Those findings are based on questionnaires from more than 400 women with ovarian cancer and more than 2,000 who did not have the disease.

Your "Daily Dose" of health news is always just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for the latest medical news. You'll also find special reports and a health library.

Back to Capitol Hill for steroids and sports. Should professional sports leagues in the U.S. be subject to the same kind of drug testing rules they use in the Olympics? That's the focus of today's congressional hearing.

There's Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig at the mic right now. The commissioners of Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, and Major League Soccer are among those invited to testify today and tomorrow. Some in Congress are proposing to make drug testing rules more uniform across American professional sports.

Terri Schiavo's parents are at the Vatican today. Their reaction to the meeting of the pope is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: First there was a big bang and then a violent burst of ash and debris. We are talking about the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Can you believe it was 25 years ago today?

Veronica de la Cruz at CNN.com has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: It was 25 years ago today in Washington State Mount St. Helens erupted after a century of relative quiet. A look back at CNN.com.

On May 18, 1980, a plume of smoke, ash and debris shot skyward in the most violent eruption in Mount St. Helens recorded history. Fifty-seven people were killed. Volcanic ash was detectable over a 22,000 square mile area. This gallery shows you images from the event that drastically changed the shape of the volcano.

Before the eruption, Mount St. Helens stood at almost 10,000 feet. Today, it tops out at just over 8,000.

Recently, scientists have noticed the volcano continues to steam and swell. Over the past two decades, several small eruptions have taken place. This interactive breaks down exactly how a volcanic eruption occurs, from molten rock collecting beneath the Earth's surface to the resulting eruption and lava flow.

To find out more on volcanoes and the history of Mount St. Helens, you can log on to cnn.com/science.

From the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica de la Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And from there, let's go to weather. Rob Marciano is looking at that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Donald Trump is speaking his mind again. Go figure. This time he's talking about the World Trade Center site. He has his own idea about what should go up there. We'll hear from him in just a little bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are getting really close to the half-hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

CBS says it is yanking the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes" from its fall schedule. The network blames poor ratings, not that inaccurate report on President Bush's National Guard record. "60 Minutes Wednesday" headliner Dan Rather will move to the flagship program on Sunday nights.

A pair of Kentucky theaters are refusing to show Jane Fonda's comeback movie, "Monster-in-Law." The owners are still angry over Fonda's antiwar politics of the Vietnam era. The theaters are just a few miles from the Army post at Fort Knox.

Some 200 pieces of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia are on display in New York. They'll be auctioned early next month. The items include some of the famous dresses Monroe wore in her films. There's also her divorce papers from husband Joe DiMaggio and a water color the actress did for President Kennedy.

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


Aired May 18, 2005 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: American troops are coming home with some new values. One man says they are finding religious faith in war. I'll talk to Stephen Mansfield about religion and the military.
And if you're counting the hours to midnight to see the final episode of "Star Wars," find out how you can become a Jedi and fight for the republic firsthand as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's go ahead and take a look at what is happening "Now in the News."

City councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeats the incumbent in Los Angeles, James Hahn, in the mayor's race. Villaraigosa becomes the city's first Hispanic mayor in more than 130 years. He vows to bring L.A.'s racial and ethnic groups together to tackle what he calls the great challenges ahead.

A Georgian official now says a grenade found during President Bush's speech in Tbilisi last week was a live device. That directly contradicts an earlier statement that the grenade was a dummy. An interior ministry spokesman also confirms the device was tossed into the crowd. The statement last week said it had been placed there.

A Michigan man accused of bringing a pipe bomb to work faces arraignment today. Police say the man showed the device to a co- worked who called authorities. Authorities say a search of the man's pickup truck turned up more explosives. The company and several other businesses were evacuated.

And let's take a look at the time. Just after 8:00 a.m. in Los Angeles, which has a new mayor. Just after 11:00 a.m. in New York City. And after 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad.

We are at CNN Center in Atlanta. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We're going to begin this hour with the fight for Iraq and a fight over the role of women in combat.

Insurgents kept up their campaign of violence in Iraq today. A roadside bomb targeting an American convoy in Baghdad exploded, injuring at least seven Iraqis. Police say no U.S. troops were hurt.

Also in Baghdad, a member of Iraq's interior ministry was killed in a drive-by shooting.

In Baquba, authorities say a car bomb explosion injured at least 14 people. Several of them were police officers.

And in Mosul, mortar attacks have killed two people and injured eight others. Most of the injured are children.

As U.S. troops battle insurgents in Iraq, there is a proposal on Capitol Hill today. It focuses on women in combat.

More on that now from our Pentagon correspondent, our fine woman, Barbara Starr.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, a very crucial debate going on behind the scenes on Capitol Hill at this hour. The Republican-controlled House Arms Services Committee, which is a big supporter of President Bush and the administration, is debating a measure that President Bush would like to see go away.

They are looking at significantly changing the role of women in war. And later today, that Republican committee is scheduled to vote on this proposal. Possibly, if it passes, it could send it to the floor of the House.

Now, behind the scenes, the Pentagon, the U.S. Army, the military is scrambling to try and make all of this go away and make sure it never comes to a vote later today. But here's what's really at stake.

The amendment introduced by the Republican majority would prohibit women from being assigned to support positions in military units that are operating in the front line of combat. And, of course, in Iraq, what we've all learned is that combat is everywhere. There is no front line. So it's becoming a huge problem.

Look at some of the statistics about how much women are relied on. Right now, there are about 9,400 women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty-five women, Daryn, have been killed in action. But technically, women don't serve in combat, and that's really the problem.

The Army says that if this measure goes through, that would shut down about 22,000 support jobs to women in the military. What are those support jobs? Well, they are things like truck drivers, supply clerks, technicians, medical personnel. And those types of jobs, military police, are filled by women all over Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army's position is they want to keep things just the way they are. They say they can work with these support units not going into direct combat.

The Republican-controlled committee says it's time to look at reality and see about shutting down these jobs to women in war. The Army, however, does agree that the lesson of Iraq for everyone is that combat is everywhere. Thirty-five women now killed in action in the war -- Daryn. KAGAN: And supporters just saying they want to keep women safe? What's the thinking behind this during a time that all branches of military having a difficult time filling the slots they need?

STARR: Well, that's exactly right. What the military -- key leaders in the military today are urgently trying to get Capitol Hill to make this all go away. With recruiting problems and other problems, they say they can't go to war anymore these days without women, that they do fill vital jobs, but they are not in direct combat.

That's things like armor, artillery. They don't go into direct combat, manning weapons, shooting guns, driving tanks, that sort of thing. But the supporters of changing the law say that they feel it's time to address the reality of wars like Iraq, where even supply clerks, technicians, medical personnel, truck drivers, military police, all the jobs that some of those nearly 10,000 women do, are jobs that put them at risk that literally do put them in combat.

So it's a huge debate. Even if the measure does not pass today, most people believe this is still an issue on the table that is going to have to be addressed in some fashion in the future -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thank you.

Another military note here. I'm going to have a chance just ahead to talk with author Stephen Mansfield. He's written a book called "Faith and the American Soldier." He says you can't go to the front lines and not get religion. Much more ahead on that conversation.

Also, now to the Senate showdown. The battle over President Bush's stalled judicial nominees hit the Senate floor today. That sets the stage for a long-awaited fight over the filibuster.

Our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, is at the Capitol this morning.

Joe, good morning.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter, on the floor right now giving a speech that started quite a while ago. This is expected to be a long debate. We'll probably not even get to the showdown part of it, the test votes on breaking the filibuster, until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

At the center of it all, at least right now, is Priscilla Owen. She's nominated for an appeals court by the president. Was, in fact, nominated four years ago. That nomination blocked, then re-nominated by the White House. And Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, is trying to break a filibuster to get her and some others confirmed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: ... will hold America back just because a majority of senators, a majority of people in this body, want to do what most Americans of all things expect us to do. And that is to vote.

The minority should allow senators to fulfill our constitutional responsibility of giving advice and consent, and vote. And they should allow America to move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now there had been some talk that the negotiations between the Senate leaders were at a dead end. However, today, Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, invited Frist and other senators to meet with him sometime between today and tomorrow on the floor of the old Senate chamber where there are no cameras to try to talk this thing out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: ... distinguished friends, the Republican leader to consider joining with me and having in the next day or so -- hopefully today -- to have all of us retire to the chamber, sit down and talk through this issue, and see if there is a way that we can resolve this short of this so-called nuclear option.

I think it would be good for the body. I think it would be good for the American public to see that we are able to sit down in the same room and work things out. And I'm not sure that we could, but I think it would be worthy of our efforts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democratic on the Judiciary Committee, now speaking on the Senate floor.

While all of this is going on, behind the scenes there are still some furious attempts to try to get at a negotiated agreement of some type. We are hearing word this morning that Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has put forward a proposal of his own with language that in some way relates to when the filibuster could be used versus when the nuclear option could be used. The idea is to get six Democrats and six Republicans to agree to head shooting down the filibuster, because a lot of people don't think that's a good idea -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And then there was the deal, I think, that was proposed by Ted Kennedy earlier today to vote ahead of these nominees on some nominees that they could all go ahead and give the thumbs up too, but Senator Frist didn't seem too hot on that idea.

JOHNS: That's for sure. That's something that Frist has shot down before. He wants to go ahead with Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown of California. The other notion behind the scenes, of course, has been one that's being conducted by Senator McCain of Arizona and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. They have been trying to work something out as well. No word on how that's going -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. We will be back with you.

Also want to check in at the White House. An up-or-down vote, that's what President Bush says he wants and is entitled to get from the U.S. Senate on his judicial nominees.

Our Ed Henry is at the White House this morning.

Ed, what's the White House saying about what's happening over on Capitol Hill?

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the White House is trying to walk a very fine line on this nuclear option. On one hand, White House officials say that President Bush does not want to get mired and start meddling into changes, potential changes to Senate rules. But on the other hand, guess who came to lunch yesterday at the White House? Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen, two of the judges you just heard Joe Johns mention, are in the middle of this Senate stalemate.

Also, another example of how involved the White House is behind the scenes, and maybe not publicly. Yesterday, Vice president Cheney was supposed to be here yesterday, swearing in the new U.S. trade representative, Rob Portman. He did not make that ceremony, and a senior administration official tells CNN that's because Vice President Cheney was on Capitol Hill, was involved in meetings dealing with the nuclear option.

So behind the scenes, the administration is involved, but maybe not publicly. And all of this is a not-so-subtle reminder that the president himself wants to put pressure on Democrats to stop these filibusters. A point that the president himself hammered home last night at a Republican fund-raising gala.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have a duty to nominate well-qualified men and women to the federal judiciary. I have done just that, and I will continue to do so.

The Senate also has a duty, to promptly consider each of these nominees on the Senate floor, discuss and debate their qualifications, and then give them the up-or-down vote they deserve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, part of the reason why the White House has been walking this fine line is that there is concern among some Republicans that if in fact the nuclear option is used, that would basically blow the Senate up and make it impossible for the rest of the president's agenda, like Social Security reform, the energy bill. It would make it impossible for those to come up and actually pass, and also make it even more difficult for other nominees like John Bolton to pass -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on -- on Capitol Hill. See, that's where you always are. You are at the White House today. I still have my list of questions here.

My Ed Henry question of the day, yesterday it was the nominees coming to lunch, today it's the Egyptian prime minister. Why is that significant?

HENRY: Well, obviously the situation in the Mideast is something that the White House is always keeping a close eye on. In fact, first lady Laura Bush is heading to the region later this week, and that's the major reason why it's on the agenda today as well -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Ed Henry at the White House. Very good. Thank you.

Still keeping it in Washington, federal Judge Joan Lefkow is urging better security for members of the bench. Now, it's Lefkow's first public comments since her mother and husband were shot and killed at her Chicago home. Lefkow scolded Congress after funding for the U.S. Marshal Service charged with protecting judges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE JOAN LEFKOW, U.S. DISTRICT COURT: It is easy enough to blame the service for problems. But the truth is that the Congress has never treated the U.S. Marshal Service as it has, for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, giving it the respect and resources that it needs to do -- fulfill the tremendous responsibilities that it has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Police blame the February killings on a man angry over the judge's rulings in the case. Judge Lefkow has not yet returned to the federal bunch.

Thousands of patients can die from this every year. It's not an incurable disease. You will be surprised what is causing the deaths.

Jane Fonda's new movie, "Monster-in-Law," made a big splash with moviegoers over the weekend. But a small town theater owner is making his own statement about her and her movie.

And thousands of Americans have only one thing in mind today. A big movie release is at midnight. If you don't know what it is, you must be living in another galaxy. How's that for a hint? We'll go live to the box office.

You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And now to our "Daily Dose" of health news, patient's safety. A new study says as many as 98,000 Americans still die each year because of medical mistakes. That's according to a report in "USA Today."

The study says improvements have been made since a landmark report on medical errors five years ago. But researchers say change has been slow and the death rate has not improved much.

Another indication that lifestyle can help reduce the risk of cancer. Canadian researchers say moderate activity may help women lower their chances of developing to ovarian cancer. The disease has a poor prognosis because it's often diagnosed late. Those findings are based on questionnaires from more than 400 women with ovarian cancer and more than 2,000 who did not have the disease.

Your "Daily Dose" of health news is always just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for the latest medical news. You'll also find special reports and a health library.

Back to Capitol Hill for steroids and sports. Should professional sports leagues in the U.S. be subject to the same kind of drug testing rules they use in the Olympics? That's the focus of today's congressional hearing.

There's Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig at the mic right now. The commissioners of Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, and Major League Soccer are among those invited to testify today and tomorrow. Some in Congress are proposing to make drug testing rules more uniform across American professional sports.

Terri Schiavo's parents are at the Vatican today. Their reaction to the meeting of the pope is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: First there was a big bang and then a violent burst of ash and debris. We are talking about the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Can you believe it was 25 years ago today?

Veronica de la Cruz at CNN.com has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: It was 25 years ago today in Washington State Mount St. Helens erupted after a century of relative quiet. A look back at CNN.com.

On May 18, 1980, a plume of smoke, ash and debris shot skyward in the most violent eruption in Mount St. Helens recorded history. Fifty-seven people were killed. Volcanic ash was detectable over a 22,000 square mile area. This gallery shows you images from the event that drastically changed the shape of the volcano.

Before the eruption, Mount St. Helens stood at almost 10,000 feet. Today, it tops out at just over 8,000.

Recently, scientists have noticed the volcano continues to steam and swell. Over the past two decades, several small eruptions have taken place. This interactive breaks down exactly how a volcanic eruption occurs, from molten rock collecting beneath the Earth's surface to the resulting eruption and lava flow.

To find out more on volcanoes and the history of Mount St. Helens, you can log on to cnn.com/science.

From the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica de la Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And from there, let's go to weather. Rob Marciano is looking at that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Donald Trump is speaking his mind again. Go figure. This time he's talking about the World Trade Center site. He has his own idea about what should go up there. We'll hear from him in just a little bit.

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KAGAN: We are getting really close to the half-hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

CBS says it is yanking the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes" from its fall schedule. The network blames poor ratings, not that inaccurate report on President Bush's National Guard record. "60 Minutes Wednesday" headliner Dan Rather will move to the flagship program on Sunday nights.

A pair of Kentucky theaters are refusing to show Jane Fonda's comeback movie, "Monster-in-Law." The owners are still angry over Fonda's antiwar politics of the Vietnam era. The theaters are just a few miles from the Army post at Fort Knox.

Some 200 pieces of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia are on display in New York. They'll be auctioned early next month. The items include some of the famous dresses Monroe wore in her films. There's also her divorce papers from husband Joe DiMaggio and a water color the actress did for President Kennedy.

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