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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bolton Bypass; Palmeiro Caught; Hating H.R.

Aired August 02, 2005 - 06:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us. Chad will have your forecast in just a minute.

Also coming up this half-hour, Rafael Palmeiro says it was a mistake. We'll take a closer look at baseball's highest profile steroid suspension.

And the many roles of human resources. We all have an H.R. department. But who are they really working for? Could it be you?

But first, "Now in the News."

It's something that's never been tried before in space. We've been showing you this live press conference of the shuttle astronauts. They're talking about going out on a spacewalk tomorrow and fixing some protruding material from the underbelly of the shuttle. It's never been done before, but they're all confident they can get the job done safely, and that the shuttle can land without a problem.

World leaders have gathered in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia, this morning for the funeral of King Fahd. Those attending the funeral include Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Britain's Prince Charles.

Texas firefighters are battling a four-alarm blaze at an assisted-living center. This is just north of Houston. It's described as a 300-unit facility housing the elderly and infirmed. Residents have been evacuated, but it's not clear if they're all accounted for.

The controversial CAFTA trade deal should get final approval today. President Bush is expected to sign the agreement that eliminates many trade barriers with six Central American nations, including Nicaragua.

To the forecast center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: John Bolton did not need Senate approval after all. That's because President Bush sent him to the United Nations as a recess appointment. He's already in place as the U.N. ambassador.

For more on the move and what comes next, we're joined by national correspondent Bob Franken in Washington.

You know, Bob, my first thought is, 'Why did we go through all of that?'

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, because we have to go through something. This is Washington.

COSTELLO: Yes.

FRANKEN: (INAUDIBLE) a vacuum. And John Bolton has been in the news for several months. He's been around in Washington for over 20 years, but has developed a reputation, depending on who you ask, as either hard-charging and assertive or a bully and abusive. And that has been the debate for so many months.

And, of course, the question has also come up: Does that have anything to do with his taking the U.N. position? And those who oppose him say that is a very delicate diplomatic post, which doesn't really take well to somebody who operates the way Bolton does.

And his supporters say that, in fact, what it needs is somebody who is not going to take no for an answer.

COSTELLO: Well, Bob, I guess what I was saying is we went through all of those Senate confirmation hearings, and they became quite bitter. And then the president goes and does this recess appointment. He's in office until, what, January of 2007.

FRANKEN: He is unless something changes. What could change is he doesn't last that long, or that the president is able to convince the Senate to confirm him, or some other recess appointment, something like that.

But as I say, you go through the dance here. It's a dance that certainly provides the sound bytes we need. And then whenever everything doesn't work, the president has the option, which he exercised. It's not the first time a president has used a recess appointment.

COSTELLO: Oh, no. I think, what, President Reagan did some 140 times or so.

FRANKEN: Right, right.

COSTELLO: And President Clinton did the same thing...

FRANKEN: Right.

COSTELLO: ... more than 100 times.

FRANKEN: Right. The difference is that this is a very high- level appointment. But other than that, yes, a recess appointment is nothing unusual.

COSTELLO: Bob Franken reporting live from Washington. Thank you. We must now talk about Rafael Palmeiro, because what a shock. Baseball's new drug policy finally caught a really big fish, or should we say a bird, an Oriole. Oriole's first baseman Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 games for positive steroids test. The suspension is even more surprising considering what Palmeiro said to Congress just a few months back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL PALMEIRO, ORIOLES' FIRST BASEMAN: I'll be brief in my remarks today. Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids. Period. I do not know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never. The reference to me in Mr. Canseco's book is absolutely false.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But now Palmeiro is singing a different tune. He says he's sorry.

Joining me to talk more about this is Dr. Todd Schlifstein, who also testified before Congress.

Good morning, Todd.

DR. TODD R. SCHLIFSTEIN, NYU MEDICAL CENTER: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Thank you for joining us. And I want to bring Chad in on this, because this was our e-mail question earlier. Viewers are not so happy with Rafael Palmeiro. They're all wondering, how can you not know that you took steroids?

SCHLIFSTEIN: I think it would be believe that he didn't know that he was taking some type of anabolic steroid, especially nowadays. There is testing for so many things that are over-the-counter, prescription and illegal that you really have to know everything that's going into you or onto your body if you're a professional athlete.

COSTELLO: Especially if you're...

SCHLIFSTEIN: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Before you jump in here, Chad, I wonder if we have the byte from Rafael Palmeiro, because he did a teleconference with the Orioles yesterday. And this is what he had to say.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PALMEIRO: I accept this punishment and what to address it publicly. I want to apologize to Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles organization, my teammates, and most of all, my fans. I don't know what it was. I don't know what caused this. Why would I do this in a year where I went in front of Congress? You know, why would I do this during a season where I was going to get the 3,000 hits? I would not put my career on the line. I would not put my reputation on the line. And I'm not a crazy person. I'm not stupid.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK, Chad, feel free to jump in.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I guess my question is to you, doctor, what steroids are we talking about? Because there are medical steroids that you use. Actually, I just had one that they gave to me for a sinus infection. It was an anti-inflammatory. But that's not the type of steroids that we're talking about for body enhancement, is that right?

SCHLIFSTEIN: Right. That's a different type of steroid altogether. Prednisone, which is an anti-inflammatory steroid, is a different type of steroid. It's used to reduce inflammation, and it's called a gluco-corticoid steroid, not an anabolic steroid.

COSTELLO: So, if Rafael Palmeiro took something like that, though, would he test positive for the steroid test that Major League Baseball employs?

SCHLIFSTEIN: No, he would not. They test specifically for specific types of anabolic steroids only, not for gluco-corticoid steroids or anti-inflammatory steroids.

MYERS: So, this guy just didn't eat a poppy seed muffin and get caught for something else, right?

COSTELLO: And test positive for marijuana.

MYERS: Right?

COSTELLO: Because we've always heard that can happen.

SCHLIFSTEIN: Well, the testing is very specific for certain types of steroids, and they have to be, because certain types of steroids are designed not to be picked up, so-called designer steroids, which are specifically made so people can take them and hopefully pass the test. That's why the tests are constantly being upgraded in order to pick up these types of steroids.

COSTELLO: So, is it possible he talked to his buddy -- I don't know -- like in the clubhouse, and his buddy said, hey, I got these great supplements and it's not steroids, but they'll do wonderful things for your body? And Rafael Palmeiro took them, not knowing that he would test positive for steroids. Is that possible?

SCHLIFSTEIN: It is possible, but you'd certainly have to be suspicious of anything that if it's too good to be true and it's a supplement, maybe it's not a supplement.

MYERS: Doctor...

SCHLIFSTEIN: Certainly also all steroids aren't injectible. A lot of steroids are oral steroids.

COSTELLO: Go ahead, Chad.

MYERS: I was wondering, some people here on the e-mails said throw him in jail, you know. But are these steroids actually illegal, or are they just illegal in baseball?

SCHLIFSTEIN: No, these steroids are illegal. You can only use these prescription medications, which are schedule three, controlled substance, only by a doctor's prescription. Now, obviously there are other ways of obtaining them, whether over the counter in Mexico, over the Internet or just buying them illegally on the streets. They are out there and easy to obtain. But they are illegal to use.

COSTELLO: OK. You testified before Congress on this very subject. Did you see Rafael Palmeiro's testimony?

SCHLIFSTEIN: Yes, actually I was in the CNN studios during that testimony.

COSTELLO: OK. So when you saw him very emphatically saying I have never taken steroids, did you believe him at the time?

SCHLIFSTEIN: I'd like to believe him at the time. But certainly I think a lot of people were very suspicious even at that time. Congress certainly was not very happy with the responses they got from Major League Baseball and certainly Major League Baseball players. And at the latest hearing on June 15 in Congress, the House Reform Committee certainly was not very happy with the responses they were getting from Major League Baseball players.

COSTELLO: OK. I ask you this because when I heard on the radio that Rafael Palmeiro had tested positive, I mean, the air went out of my lungs, because I admire this man. I think that he's under-rated, a great baseball player, nice guy, and this.

SCHLIFSTEIN: He's having such a great year and such a momentous career year with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, the fourth person ever. There's (INAUDIBLE) black light that's been shining on him at this time. It's...

COSTELLO: And it could cost him a Hall of Fame nomination.

SCHLIFSTEIN: Very possibly.

COSTELLO: It's stupid. Thank you very much for joining us this morning and clearing up some things, because our viewers had many questions, and they were harsh this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the business of H.R. and why so many workers are frustrated.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time to take a look at the international markets. Tokyo's Nikkei down almost 7 points, the London FTSE up 18, the German DAX up 17.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

The crew of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station have been talking to the media right now. Steve Robinson is scheduled to do some repair work on the shuttle belly tomorrow. He says the work will be relatively simple. He adds, though, that he will have to be careful with all of those important heat tiles.

In money news, Coca-Cola will be the official soft drink of the Olympic Games for at least another 15 years. The company signed a deal that covers the next six Olympics. Coke has been an Olympic sponsor since the 1928 games in Amsterdam and San Moritz.

In culture, Luke Skywalker's light saber fetched quite a price at auction. The prop from the original "Star Wars" movie sold for just over $200,000. His father's weapon went for about half that. And, of course, that would be Darth Vader.

In sports, it looks like Barry Bonds won't play at all this year. The San Francisco slugger's bad right knee has kept him off the field for the whole season so far. Now Bonds says he's just now to the point where he can come back and play until next year.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A possible clue in the mysterious disappearance of a Pennsylvania prosecutor. CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning you.

We're going to take a closer look this morning at that mysterious disappearance of the Pennsylvania prosecutor. It's been more than three months now that Ray Gricar told his girlfriend he was going to go for a drive and then never returned. Well, over the weekend, two fishermen were able to pull something out of the river that they hope is going to help investigators. We'll take a look at the new clue in this case coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Also, we'll tell you a pretty remarkable story of courage from a 12-year-old girl. There she is right there. Her name is Mackenzie Smith (ph). She was riding her bike when a man who was trying to snatch her confronted her with a story about losing his dog, but she managed, even inside the car, to fight him off. She got out of the vehicles. The suspect is now in custody. I mean, this little girl did it really all by herself. We're going to talk with her this morning with her family as well.

Those stories are ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING," Carol, right at the top of the hour. We'll see you then.

COSTELLO: We'll be here. Thank you, Soledad.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, frustrated with your company's human resources department? Do you hate H.R.? You are not alone. We'll be right back to discuss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back. It is 6:50 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

Government forecasters update their hurricane outlook a little over three hours from now. The season's peak period is right now until October. Chad has ready it already. He says it's not so hot.

Paul Hacken (ph) hopes to become the first Iraq war veteran to be elected to Congress. The former major in the Marine Corps Reserve, who is a Democrat, is running in a special congressional election today in southwestern Ohio.

And get ready for the 22nd annual national night out. Turn on your front porch lights and get together with people in your community to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back against crime.

And it's time for the great British Beer Festival. I know you've been waiting for this. About 45,000 ale lovers are expected at this event. It runs through Saturday. Gosh, we'll even have an update for you on Monday.

Come on, fess up. Do you hate your H.R. department? They're in charge of hiring, training and evaluating employees. But do they really do that? Are they doing a good job?

In a recent survey, just 40 percent of employees said their company retains high quality workers. Forty-one percent said their performance evaluations are fair. Only 41 percent. I'm not surprised by that at all. Fifty-eight percent said their company provides proper job training.

Well, an article in the August issue of "Fast Company" magazine says it all. The title of the article: "Why We Hate H.R."

Mark Vamos is the magazine's executive editor.

Welcome.

MARK VAMOS, "FAST COMPANY" MAGAZINE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: I must say when I saw the title of this article it caught me, and I read the article, because I realized I didn't have this hidden hatred for H.R., but maybe I do.

VAMOS: It's not so hidden, and that's the sad thing. That article really resonates with a lot of people. So many people hate H.R. And it's an indication that it's a really sick function in a company. COSTELLO: Yes. What function? I mean, I read the article, and in your article you said that the human resources department is supposed to help employees advance their career within the company. I didn't even know that was the mission of the H.R. department.

VAMOS: Well, that may be the mission, but the reality is that the function of H.R. tends to be to protect the company against its employees. And it's true that these people have to deal with a horrible thicket of laws and regulations. But it's also true that they really seem to be taking the side of the company often against the employee, and the idea that they're there as strategic partners to develop the talent of the company tends to be an unfortunate fiction.

COSTELLO: But shouldn't they take the part of the company? After all, the company is paying them.

VAMOS: They should take the part of the company. But what they should really be doing is taking the long view on the part of the company. In a knowledge economy, what's the most important thing in a company? The people. The people who have the knowledge. And ideally, H.R. should be all of that developing that tremendous asset for the company. That's really doing a job for the company.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about this performance review that all companies give their employees, and you're supposed to fill it out, and you're supposed to say I'm really rotten at this and really great at that. And then they're supposed to fill it out. I mean, and I'm not slamming CNN's H.R. department, because I really haven't dealt with them very much, frankly. But whenever I've filled that out at previous places of employment, I always felt that they were setting me up; that this was for a paper trail and not really to improve my performance within the company.

VAMOS: Well, you have it exactly right. That's what those dreaded performance reviews are really all about. It's a legal fiction. It is designed so that the company has a file on you, so that if something goes wrong, they have a piece of paper that they can point to that says, yes, we discussed this with her. So she was on notice that this was a problem all along. It's not really about making you better in your job or making you more satisfied in your job.

COSTELLO: So, what's the answer? I mean, what would make H.R. departments more effective for both the employee and the employer? Or is that even possible?

VAMOS: It is possible, and at some companies it's true. What's really necessary is for H.R. to do what it believes it does and what it aspires to do, which is to be a strategic partner in the business to really understand the business and to measure really important things, not just activity. H.R. measures activity, how many people they hire, how many people they train. H.R. doesn't measure outcomes which is the impact that they really have on the business.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Mark Vamos from "Fast Company" magazine.

VAMOS: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thank you for joining us this morning.

Geez, Chad, this morning has flown by.

MYERS: It has flown by.

COSTELLO: It's already time to give away the cheesy mug.

MYERS: Giving away -- it's not cheesy, Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, let's be real.

MYERS: You can't buy that mug anywhere.

COSTELLO: That's true, you can't.

MYERS: Hardest ticket in town. Here are the questions from yesterday. Actually, we don't have questions from today, because all of the questions we were supposed to have, we never got to them, because of that presser, all of that stuff from the shuttle and all of that other from the space station.

This week's "TIME" magazine is dedicated to what age? And we showed you that "TIME" magazine yesterday, and that was age 13. And what is NASA's jargon for a spacewalk? And that's an EVA.

And the winner from yesterday, the winner taking that DAYBREAK mug home, Mary Jo Hess from East Lansing, Michigan, right up there by Michigan State. Go Sparties (ph). Mary Jo Hess, congratulations, you're the winner today.

COSTELLO: Congratulations, Mary Jo. I was just going to say we were going to talk about helicopter parents, parents hovering over their college students. We couldn't get to that today, because of that presser at the International Space Station. We'll probably have that for you tomorrow.

When we come back today, though, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. You're watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

President Bush is set to decide an important trade pact today. The White House says the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, is vital to national security.

Texas firefighters are still battling that four-alarm blaze at an assisted-living center just north of Houston. It's described as a 300-unit facility housing the elderly and infirmed. Residents have been evacuated. It's not clear if they're all accounted for. And this morning, New Jersey police will release a report on the deaths of three Camden boys who died after being trapped in the trunk of a car. The 5, 6 and 11-year-old boys disappeared on June 22 -- June 22, rather. Their deaths were ruled accidental.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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