Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

The Miers Nomination; Constitutional Vote; Tropical Storm Wilma

Aired October 17, 2005 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a quick look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers will be making the rounds on Capitol Hill again today, and the Bush administration is trying to bolster support for her nomination. This hour, the president meets with former Texas Supreme Court justices who wrote a letter attesting to Miers' qualifications.

Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Wilma to wander west or southwest over the next 24 hours. Right now, the storm is moving erratically in the Caribbean, about 200 miles south of Grand Cayman Island. Wilma is the 21st named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. That ties a record set in 1933.

General Motors says it has reached a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers Union that will save the company billions on health care. GM and the UAW have been in negotiations since the spring on ways to lower health care costs. Today's announcement comes as the automaker reported more than $1 billion in third quarter losses.

The giant panda cub at The National Zoo in Washington finally has a name. It's Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain." Zoo officials made the announcement today. They say the name got 44 percent of the estimated 200,000 votes cast on its Web site. Until now, the panda was simply known as "The Cub."

There is word this morning a worker has been rescued at a tanker ship at the Port of Tampa. The man was reportedly stuck in a tank and firefighters had to cut a hole to get him out. TV reports show the man being hoisted to safety.

And good morning, everyone. And welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

It is 10:00 a.m. in Kingston, Jamaica; 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad; and 8:00 p.m. in Islamabad, Pakistan.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris, in for Daryn Kagan.

At this hour, a new Oval Office push on Harriet Miers' nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now this morning with the latest. And Suzanne, it feels a bit like a re-launch.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Tony. I have to tell you, Republican insiders who I've talked to have been complaining now for weeks, saying they just don't believe the White House has a clear, coherent message when it comes to Harriet Miers.

Obviously the White House is listening here. These Republican insiders say they don't care if she's an evangelical Christian, they don't care if she's President Bush's best friend. What they want to hear about are those qualifications for this particular job.

That is why you see the White House push and really kind of a turn in the strategy, if you will, to focus on her qualifications. It is at this hour President Bush is meeting with a former Texas Supreme Court justice, five associate justices. The mix, the White House wanted to make sure that people knew, Republican, as well as Democrats, to push forward on her qualifications.

Now, in the meantime, very interesting strategy coming from the Democrats. What they are doing is pushing for Harriet Miers to give testimony, pushing for her to get to the point of the hearing. And then that's when they're going to ask the tough questions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think what's happening to her is really rather tragic. I think the way she's being beaten up by the far right is very sexist. I do not believe they would do that to a man.

It's true, she is not John Roberts. But then you don't want a court only of John Roberts. And I think what's necessary is for people to hold their fire, give her an opportunity to come before the committee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, Tony, of course the big question here today is just what are these associate justices from Texas, what kind of information are they actually going to be able to provide about Harriet Miers when it comes to her judicial philosophy, when it comes to her background? This is someone, of course, who worked -- she was charged commission of the lottery in Texas, also the state bar association.

What we expect is that we'll hear a little bit more about her character, about how she was viewed broadly by the legal community. But still a lot of questions will remain -- Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, Suzanne, do we know whether or not Harriet Miers ever tried cases, argued cases in front of these two judges who are in Washington, D.C., today?

MALVEAUX: We know she had a private practice. We're going to get more information on just what her relationship was with these five individuals.

HARRIS: OK.

MALVEAUX: It will be interesting to know, you know, just how close were they? I think broadly speaking, we'll get a sense that she was respected by the legal community in Texas.

HARRIS: OK, Suzanne. And I guess I should mention that we're waiting for a tape of the president's meeting with Bulgaria's president. A number of issues that the two men are discussing. When we get that tape, we'll turn it around and bring it to you.

They are still counting the votes in Iraq, but officials say early results suggest a new constitution will be approved.

CNN's Aneesh Raman has the latest on the election and a round of air strikes by U.S. forces. He joins us live from Baghdad.

Aneesh, good morning.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good morning to you.

As you mentioned, the counting continues in the capital, delayed today because of a sandstorm that descended on Iraq. It delayed flights that were coming from the north and the south with those ballot boxes.

That withstanding, the government over the weekend expressing early optimism that this constitution was ratified and will be approved when the numbers are officially announced, which could come as early as tomorrow. That, despite, though, suggestions that two of the predominantly Sunni provinces, Al Anbar and Salahuddin, had enough votes to reject the constitution, reach that two-thirds threshold. It is all the more reason why experts here are waiting to see those official numbers and looking closely at those two other Sunni provinces, Diyala and Nineveh, to see whether they had a similar Sunni turnout and similar Sunni rejection of the constitution.

Despite that, though, huge signs of optimism and confidence coming from officials here. They claim Saturday's vote was a big success. In terms of security, we had just a few isolated incidents of insurgent attacks.

And also turnout, some 61 percent is what it's being estimated at. That's up from January. A huge turnout expected among the Sunni community. That, in and of itself, seen as a huge step forward in the political process, a huge step as well towards the attempt to bring stability to curb the insurgent violence.

Also today, Tony, though, the U.S. military announcing that on Sunday a number of air strikes killed some 70 terrorists in and around the city of Ramadi. That's west of the capital. They said in one air strike, they found a group of men who were surrounding an area where an IED had killed some five soldiers the day before. The military says they were planting another IED, improvised explosive device, there when they launched the air strike. Officials, though, hospital officials in Ramadi, say that 20 people were killed and 25 wounded in that air strike, and that all of them were civilians. And said included in the 20 that were killed were six children under the age of 10.

Now, similar conflicting reports are coming from an area north of Ramadi, where the U.S. military again says they fired upon a group of terrorists. Officials there are saying that the death toll is at 14, five wounded, and that a child was among the 14.

Now, the military always says that insurgents are hiding in and among citizens in these areas, that they plan air strikes in order to minimize civilian casualties. But again, we're trying to figure out exactly what took place yesterday in the city of Ramadi -- Tony.

HARRIS: Aneesh, a quick question. What is being made of the Sunnis who voted "no" in these two provinces? Is there concern that they may become disaffected and join or become sympathizers to this insurgency?

RAMAN: It's that exactly. The biggest fear all along had been that this constitution would pass but barely, that you would see a strong Sunni turnout but not enough to reject the constitution.

The big issue here is, of course, federalism. The Sunnis see a weak central government as something that could lead to civil war. The Shia and the Kurds want strong regional governments. And that issue is not nearly resolved.

That agreement we saw earlier between the country's largest Sunni party and the Shia-Kurd coalition did not resolve the issue. It simply sidelined it.

So the Sunnis could feel further disengagement from the political process. It could be a weakening and a deepening of divisions here because of this vote -- Tony.

HARRIS: Just something to watch closely. Aneesh Raman for us in Baghdad.

Aneesh, thank you.

Well, that's what we're talking about now, Wilma, Tropical Storm Wilma. Let's get the latest now with CNN Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Hi, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Tony. Yes, the last one on list.

HARRIS: That's right.

JERAS: Used up all the names already. Yes, Wilma's the last one. If we get anything else, we're going on to the Greek alphabet.

And this ties the record of number of named storms at 21. It ties back with 1933.

Here's Wilma. Wilma's been gaining some strength, and additional steady strengthening is expected over the next 24 to 48 hours. Water temperatures very warm across the western Caribbean. And this will likely become a hurricane before the week is over.

It's moving pretty slowly right now, packing winds around 45 miles an hour, and is expected to get stronger throughout the day today. It's moving off to the southwest at five miles per hour.

Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches have been posted for all of the Cayman islands here. And now just in with the 11:00 advisory, we also have hurricane watches that have been posted along the Honduras-Nicaraguan border, extending westward over to Cabo Cayman area there. There you can see the watches in effect.

The forecast track is expected to start to turn westward. And then you can see it becoming a hurricane by the middle of the week.

Ninety-mile-per-hour winds, up to a Category 2 possibly as it approaches the Yucatan Peninsula towards the tip there. The good news is, is that water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico we don't think are quite warm enough to sustain a major hurricane, but it is possible it could get that strong prior to reaching the Gulf of Mexico.

It's still anybody's ball game here. If you live anywhere along the Gulf Coast, you need to pay very close attention. The forecast model, some of them bringing it over towards Florida, some of them bringing it over towards the Texas area. So there's still a lot of uncertainty, and there's a long time for things to change.

Look at the time stamp here. This is Saturday morning. So it's going to take its time moving through parts of the Caribbean well before it gets to the Gulf of Mexico.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: OK, Jacqui. It's very busy. Boy. It always is with you. Thank you, Jacqui.

Students are back at Wisconsin's Chippewa Falls High School this morning, many in shock over an accident involving the school's marching band. The school's band director and a student teacher were among five people killed in a bus crash early yesterday.

The bus was returning from a marching band competition when it crashed into a jackknifed trailer on an interstate. The band director's wife, granddaughter and the bus driver were also killed. The school superintendent says everything is being done to help the school cope with the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHOCH, SUPERINTENDENT: We met yesterday afternoon with our staff to give them the message about their colleagues and friends, gave them some information about how we were going to deal with students coming back this morning and other staff members.

We also met last night with parents and students and the clergy. There were approximately 10 pastors and ministers from the area, congregations that were here to offer prayers for the deceased, as well as for our staff and our students.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Clergy members and grief counselors are back at the school today.

Bringing relief to Pakistan. Though aid is trickling in to the quake-stricken region, it is not reaching everyone. We'll have a live report just ahead.

And bird flu fears. Is the world ready for a possible pandemic? We tell what you the Health and Human Services secretary has to say.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right. We're getting ready to hear the comments from President Bush and Bulgaria's president, Georgi Purvanov in just a couple of moments. As you know, the two men are meeting in Washington, D.C., at the White House right now.

They're expected to discuss a number of issues, the location of U.S. military bases in Bulgaria. The two men are also expected to discuss cooperation between the two countries within NATO and the work that the U.S. is doing to help upgrade Bulgarian army forces and troops there. The men will also discuss the situation in Iraq and also in Afghanistan.

The president is also looking to seek more possibilities for increasing U.S. investments in Bulgaria. The president of Bulgaria has a couple of other stops that he's going to make while he is in the states. He's going to stop also in Chicago and Boston.

So a lot on the plate today as these two men meet. And there may be an opportunity to talk about another issue regarding nurses held in Libya.

Let's listen in right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. President, your country is a strategic ally. It's been my honor to welcome you to the Oval Office. And thank you for a wide-ranging discussion on a lot of important topics.

Bulgaria has been a valued partner in NATO. Your country has been a strong example for democracy. You understand, like I understand, that the march of democracy will lead to world peace.

I want to thank you for being a part of a vast coalition that helped liberate 50 million people. We discussed important bilateral issues.

And I want to thank you again for coming, thank you for your leadership, and thank you for your friendship.

GEORGI PURVANOV, PRESIDENT OF BULGARIA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Thank you, Mr. President.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say how pleased I am with the discussions we just had with Mr. President.

I am delighted that we had a chance to reaffirm our strategic partnership and to discuss -- to go through the agenda of some specific issues related to it.

PURVANOV (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I do appreciate the support we have been receiving from the United States in becoming a reliable NATO member state and also in joining the European Union in time, that is, as of January '07.

I value the high appreciation of Bulgaria's role as a stabilizing factor in the Balkans that we receive.

I had a chance to reaffirm Bulgaria's commitment to remain an ally of the anti-terrorist coalition. Of course, the specifics of that are going to be discussed on an expert level.

I appreciate the opportunity to raise some concrete, specific issues and put on the table Bulgaria's ambitions, particularly to get its military modernized and to be involved in some energy projects in the Balkans.

PURVANOV (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): And I'm sure that after these meetings and the talks, our institutions and the people concerned, the experts, will have a lot of work to do in order to guarantee an influx of investments.

I'm particularly pleased with this very open and frank discussion we had.

BUSH: Answer a couple of questions.

Hold it a second, please.

We're go to the American side first.

QUESTION: Mr. President, would you expect a member of your administration to resign or take leave if they were indicted?

BUSH: Mr. President, there's an investigation going on. I've made it very clear to the press that I'm not going to discuss the investigation.

QUESTION: We're not asking...

BUSH: And so my position hadn't changed since the last time I've been asked this question. There's a serious investigation. I'm not going to prejudge the outcome of the investigation.

QUESTION: Mr. President, first off, we remember 9/11 and we thank you for your leadership, sir.

The question is: Bulgarian public opinion knows quite well that the most important thing for us is to get our nurses back from the jail in Libya, because they're facing a firing squad, sir, after a few weeks, if the verdict is confirmed.

QUESTION: So we are partners. You are the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth. Why don't you help us?

BUSH: We discussed this issue at length.

Like the president, my heart breaks when young children get sick.

The position of the United States government is the nurses ought to be freed. We have made our position known to the Libyan government. There's no confusion -- there should be no confusion in the Libyan government's mind that those nurses ought to be not only spared their life but out of prison.

And we will continue to make that message perfectly clear.

QUESTION: About the vote on Saturday, does the Sunni vote against the constitution damage the political process? Will it increase the likelihood of violence and American sacrificing?

BUSH: My first reaction to the vote was that an increase in turnout was an indication that the Iraqi people are strongly in favor of settling disputes in a peaceful way; that they understand that working to find common ground in a constitution is much better for their future than relying upon killers and people who will kill innocent children and women for the sake of creating havoc.

Secondly, I was pleased to see that the Sunnis have participated in the process. The idea of deciding to go into a ballot box is a positive development.

BUSH: The idea that people are willing to try to work out their political differences through a process, a peaceful process, stands in stark contrast to the Al Qaeda types and the terrorists and the killers that are trying to drive the process through violence.

The way forward is clear: The political process will continue with a constitution, if finally ratified, and then an election, coupled with a security plan that continues to train Iraqis so they do the fight.

The violence in this election was down from the previous election. And one of the reasons why is because the Iraqi forces took the fight to the enemy and provided security, which is really heartening to coalition forces and friends and allies.

So yesterday was a very hopeful day for peace. It was an exciting day for a country that only a few short years ago was ruled by a brutal tyrant.

BUSH: So I'm pleased with the progress being made.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Mr. President, what do you think of Bulgaria's role -- of your ally, Bulgaria, as a regional leader in the Balkans?

BUSH: I watched your recent parliamentary elections very closely. The people voted. And then coalitions were formed for the good of the country.

That's an example that many can learn from.

There's nothing more wholesome than a young democracy, not only setting an example for others, but taking a lead in explaining to citizens that the best way to resolve differences is through a political process that is peaceful.

And so the president and I talked about Bulgaria's important role in taking the lead in helping young democracies grow and strengthen.

We're laying the foundation for peace. Democracies are peaceful. They're at peace with their neighbors. And the Balkans needs peace; the Middle East needs peace.

And working with friends like Bulgaria, we are laying that foundation for peace.

And I'm proud to have your friendship.

Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And there you have the president meeting with Bulgaria's president, Purvanov, in the White House today. A couple of questions came up in that meeting, a question about the CIA leak investigation. The president didn't answer the question specifically, saying he wouldn't prejudge the outcome of any investigation by asking someone to resign.

There was also talk about yesterday's voting in Iraq. The president said he was pleased that the Sunnis went to the polls to vote, that this is a positive process in contrast to the violence aimed at suppressing the vote. You heard the president say that yesterday was a hopeful day for peace, an exciting day, in his words, and that the president said there that he was pleased with the progress being made in Iraq.

We'll take a quick break and come back with more of CNN LIVE TODAY right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news, President Bush is getting the help of two former Texas judges to bolster support for his Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers. The former Texas Supreme Court chief justices are in Washington today to offer testimonials about Miers' qualifications. President Bush is working to win support from conservatives for his nominee.

Authorities say they don't know what caused this massive warehouse fire in Detroit. The inferno sent big plumes of black smoke above the city yesterday. The building was abandoned, but there where some materials and automobiles being stored inside. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, but no other injuries were reported.

A curfew has been lifted in Toledo, Ohio, after a weekend of looting and violence. Anger over a planned march by a white supremacist group erupted into chaos Saturday. Residents vandalized stores and hurled rocks and bottles at police. More than 100 people were arrested. Toledo's mayor, who urged people to ignore the march, blamed the violence on gang members.

Violence prompts a halt to fragile negotiations in the Middle East.

Israel suspended talks with the Palestinian Authority and imposed tough travel restrictions on the West Bank today after gunmen shot dead three young Israelis yesterday. The Palestinian attack was the deadliest since July and it comes just days before the Palestinian leader is to meet with President Bush in Washington.

A big victory for the tobacco industry.

The Supreme Court today denied a Justice Department appeal aimed at reinstating a massive penalty against cigarette makers. The Bush administration was seeking $280 billion in past tobacco profits on claims big tobacco misled the public about the dangers of smoking. Justices denied the request without comment.

To South Asia and the quake zone.

Relief helicopters got back in the air today, ferrying urgently needed tents and blankets to survivors. Terrible weather grounded most flights over the weekend.

CNN correspondent Paula Hancocks is at an air base in northern Pakistan with a report you'll see only on CNN -- Paula?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Tony.

Well, it's Monday evening here in Pakistan. And all day, the helicopters have been coming and going, taking food, water, blankets, tents and medical supplies to those who need it further north of Islamabad and in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

Now, we did have on Sunday torrential rain, we had snow in the mountains which seriously hampered the relief process. Very few helicopters could take off for much of the day.

And so there is a backlog of the aid being brought in by huge cargo planes overnight from the international community and now it needs to be taken up to where exactly it is needed.

Now, there are estimates at the moment that up to 20 to 25 percent of people and villages in the area that have not yet been reached. So we're nine days after the earthquake and some of these people -- almost a fifth of those affected by this deadly earthquake have not even had the first wave of basic aid.

So the priority at the moment, according to the Pakistani officials, is shelter. We saw an example of how harsh the Himalayan winter can be. Just over the last couple of days we had snow on the mountains. These are the most remote areas where many of the villagers have not been accessed and they have no houses -- they would have collapsed. And they have absolutely no protection against the weather.

Now, the Red Cross is saying within the next couple of weeks, as soon as that, they could have severely limited access to these helicopters because the weather could get so bad.

So it really is a serious race against time to get the basic aid and shelter to the people who need it -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Paula Hancocks.

Paula, thank you very much.

Live picture right now. Let's go to Washington, D.C.

We've been telling you that Texas Supreme Court justices were meeting with lawmakers, reporters, the president in Washington, D.C., today to bolster -- to offer their support, to offer testimonials on behalf of the president's Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers.

The justices, you see there, John Hill and Thomas Phillips, two former Texas Supreme Court chief justices. Hill is a Democrat, in case you didn't know. And if you're interested, he served on the Texas Lottery Commission with Harriet Miers. And Phillips was chief justice when Miers was president of the State Bar of Texas.

We understand they have met with the president. We're expecting to get tape of that meeting in just a couple of minutes. The two Texas Supreme Court -- former Texas Supreme Court justices in Washington now to lend their support to the Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers.

Speaking of which, just a few moments ago, attorney general -- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took a question at an event this morning he was attending about the Supreme Court nominee. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALBERTO GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Obviously, many people care about this appointment.

Appointments to the Supreme Court, as I've said many times, are probably the most important decision a president can make other than putting men and women into battle. And they do represent a president's most lasting legacy.

And so the fact that people care about this and are engaged in this debate about this appointment I think is actually quite healthy. It's a good thing to be talking about -- about nominees to the Supreme Court.

But the conversation ought to be based on facts and what people know.

And part of my concern is that people are jumping to conclusions based upon incomplete information. That's what the hearing process is all about; it's to give the Senate Judiciary Committee an opportunity to ask her questions to flesh out her qualifications, to engage in a dialogue, to engage in a debate with Ms. Miers about her judicial philosophy, not to ask her questions about how she's going to decide cases -- I think that's inappropriate -- but to ask her questions about her approach to judging, which I think is legitimate.

And I think that she can provide information that will inform the Judiciary Committee and inform the American public about her qualifications.

My own judgment -- we do not have a litmus test, we've never had a litmus test about a person's personal views on issues. That's not something that we ask about.

Our judgment is, quite frankly, is that those kinds of issues are irrelevant to a person's judicial philosophy. I personally believe it's good to have people of strong convictions who serve on our courts. But they should also be strongly disciplined to put aside those personal convictions when they sit on the bench and apply the law and not let their own personal views affect how they're going to decide a particular case.

So those are my thoughts about that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: There you have it from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales earlier this morning taking a question on Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.

Let's go back now to Washington and listen in as those former Texas Supreme Court chief justices bolster this nomination process and offer testimony on the Harriet Miers they know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is an excellent lawyer. She's well -- highly regarded by her professional peers.

I've also had the opportunity to work with her on community and professional activities. One of her great concerns has always been access to justice, and that's where she has focused a lot of her attention during her leadership years with the bar associations. The lawyers are the gate keepers to the justice system and it can be expensive. And one of her concerns was always assuring that those who could not afford it had access to that system.

Through all of my working with her, I know she has a very clear understanding of the proper role of the institution of the courts and a proper role of the United States Supreme Court.

And she certainly has a good regard and a good understanding of the proper role of judges on that court.

I think this is an excellent choice by the president of the United States, and I think when people get to know her and understand her like we do, they'll find her an excellent choice and she'll be a legend on that court before her career is finished.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, (INAUDIBLE).

And now Judge Baker (ph), if you would, please, sir?

JAMES BAKER, FORMER TEXAS SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: Thank you, Chief Justice.

My name is James Baker.

And as Craig said, I was also on the Dallas Court of Appeals before I was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by then Governor Bush.

My connection with Harriet is one where she was a lawyer representing the court in litigation that the court was involved in, and I drew the black bean and was appointed liaison to the litigation.

But it was a big plus for me because I got to work with Harriet on a weekly basis for over a year while she strategized, recognized the issues, briefed the issues and represented the court in the state court in Austin while we were litigating this case.

And I can vouch for her ability to analyze and to strategize and then to represent those issues in court and stand up for the rights of her client.

And I know that she will, likewise, stand up for the Constitution of this country and the laws, which she has pledged to do as a nominee. And I think that's all that we can ask of any nominee to this court -- to follow the law and follow the Constitution. And I have every confidence that she knows how to do that and that she will do that.

So that brings me here to let people know, as the chief justice said, what I know about her personally, and I can vouch for her for that reason.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much, Justice Baker.

And now Justice Cook from the Texas Supreme Court. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice.

HARRIS: OK, I just want to take a moment to explain exactly what you're seeing here on the screen. In the small box here on the left, you're seeing the event that's going on right now. These are obviously judges from Texas who have worked with Harriet Miers and are explaining to us the Harriet Miers they know. And just a moment ago, you saw some pictures, and there it is again, of Harriet Miers as she was being nominated there, and also other pictures as she's been making the rounds in Washington, meeting with folks who are going to be vital in the confirmation process. Let's bring in White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

And, Suzanne, let's talk about the events today so far. We have seen Attorney General Alberto Gonzales take a question about the qualifications, the credentials of Harriet Miers. And now we see these judges from Texas doing their part to bolster this process. This is all a part of this, I called it, a relaunching of this nomination, isn't it?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It really is a part of their overall strategy here. And part of it is reaction to a failed strategy initially. In the last couple of weeks, I've spoken to a lot of Republican insiders, who have expressed a great deal of frustration with this White House, saying they don't believe that they have a clear, coherent message when it comes to Harriet Miers, that many of them did not care if she was an evangelical Christian, that her role of faith really put them in a difficult situation, because they said they weren't going to discuss that when it came to John Roberts, and then all of a sudden, you heard the president, you heard some of his aides talking about the role of religion when it came to Harriet Miers, looking at her overall character and big picture, trying to sell that message to some of the conservatives. They said, quite frankly, that wasn't working.

What they want to hear is perhaps the transition from Democrat to Republican. They also want to hear, as well, her qualifications, those that have been under attack for the last couple of weeks. They want to put it out there. The White House, to a certain extent, is reacting to some of that criticism, saying, OK, you want her qualifications? We've been vouching for her qualifications. Now let's bring in the reinforcements from Texas -- Tony.

HARRIS: And, Suzanne, we're just moments away from getting tape of the president meeting not only with the Texas judges, but also with Harriet Miers, and we'll get a sense of what was said in that meeting. And I understand we are literally just moments away.

But as you mentioned, this is really a part of this massive campaign that's starting again today to relaunch this nomination and hopefully do a better job of it this time around. Let's listen in to the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... attorney generals. They're here to send a message here in Washington that the person I picked to take Sandra Day O'Connor's place is not only a person of high character and of integrity, but a person that can get the job done.

Harriet Miers is a uniquely qualified person to serve on the bench. She is smart. She is capable. She is a pioneer. She's been consistently ranked as one of the top 50 women lawyers in the United States. She has been a leader in the legal profession.

She's impressed these folks. They know her well. They know that she'll bring excellence to the bench.

And so I want to thank you all for coming. Thank you for being part of a group of people who understand that Harriet Miers will be a superb Supreme Court judge.

Welcome.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

Mr. President, we just all want to thank you for this nomination. We're excited about it, and we're here to try to let the people of America know what we all know, that she is an absolutely fantastic person and a great lawyer and will make a great judge.

BUSH: Well, thank you, sir. Appreciate you coming.

Thank you all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: All right, there you have it, a tape turned now of the president meeting with the justices, the judges out of Texas, who are here in Washington D.C. They're in Washington D.C., where White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is.

And, Suzanne, I have to ask you, first of all, I understand the significance of the photo there of all those justices there, being there in support, but we still don't know, do we, exactly what kind of involvement she had with these judges, and former judges and chief justices? I mean, did she try cases before them? Do we know that?

MALVEAUX: Well, Tony, we actually have a little bit of a better sense of her relationship with some of them. We know that one of them also served on the Texas Lottery Commission. She was chair of the Texas Lottery Commission.

We know another one also acted as a liaison between the Texas Supreme Court, as well as the Bar Association. We know that she was head of the Texas Bar Association. So their relationships here, obviously they want to demonstrate that they respected her professionally.

But you know, you bring up a very good point here. The question is, are we going to learn any more about her judicial philosophy today? That may not be known by the end of the day. But certainly what the White House is hoping to do is to get Harriet Miers where she is before that Senate Judiciary Committee. There was talk last week whether or not she was going to withdraw, calls for withdraw of the nomination. They want to get her to that November date. They believe once they get her up there, that she will be able to be confirmed.

HARRIS: Yes, okay.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne, thank you.

We'll take a quick break. We're back with more of CNN LIVE TODAY right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Fifteen years ago Ryan White changed the face of AIDS in America. Following his death in 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White CARE Act to provide assistance for people with AIDS and HIV. The legislation expired on September 30th. Ryan's mother, Jeanne White- Ginder, is pushing Congress to reauthorize and expand the legislation. She is here to talk about the effort and her son's legacy.

Good to meet you, Jeanne.

JEANNE WHITE-GINDER, RYAN WHITE ACTION CAMPAIGN: Nice to meet you, Tony.

HARRIS: Fifteen years.

WHITE-GINDER: Fifteen years. He would be 34 years old.

HARRIS: You know, I have to ask you. I just was asking you a moment ago, when you see -- when you see the act, when you see it helping people, -- your son, he's your baby, but he means so much more to the world now. Is it a little strange for you?

WHITE-GINDER: Yes. Because to me, he was just my kid. I mean, and it is strange to see him -- a bill that is so beautiful, named the Ryan White Care Act, that helps the poorest of all poor people that can't afford drugs or are underinsured or no insurance at all, to see them get their drugs and treatment. Because Ryan never had the drugs and treatment. So the Ryan White Care Act, it gives people the chance to live healthy, productive lives.

HARRIS: Reauthorization of the act, I understand, is not really a question here. Is that true?

WHITE-GINDER: Yes. It's very bipartisan. I mean, it always has been. And it's going under the previous budget, really. I mean, we hope to have a bill by the end of November maybe.

HARRIS: But you'd love to see the funding. Jeanne, you would love to see the funding expanded, wouldn't you?

WHITE-GINDER: Oh yes. Well, we need more funding. Yes. Very much.

HARRIS: So that's really the issue right now.

WHITE-GINDER: Right. The issue is getting more money, because we know there's 40,000 new cases of AIDS every year. And with that increase in the number of cases of AIDS, it's not like the 150,000 we used to have, but it's still 40,000 and then the people that are living with AIDS now are living longer. So, therefore, you're going to need more funding to take care of the people that are alive and doing well and being productive citizens.

HARRIS: And is the sense the funding has pretty much flatlined at this point?

WHITE-GINDER: Yes. It's -- that's the scenario now. They think that it's going to be flat funding. But we're here to say no, it can't be flat-funded. We need more money.

HARRIS: So what are the chances to get additional funding to expand the funding on this, given so much other big items on the plate right now?

WHITE-GINDER: It's going to be a lot. It's going to be a tough road. I think we have to talk to the Congress. I think -- there's a Web site, ryanwhiteaction.org, that people can log on to and find out how they can get involved and how they can push. But it's something that's very, very important. And it's a beautiful bill that is a great legacy for Ryan. I mean, I just -- I'm so pleased and so proud of, you know, being involved with the people that I've been working with. And also to be a part of families that have been affected by AIDS.

HARRIS: I have to ask you, this is not the kind of thing that, you know, gets a lot of headlines. This is not the kind of work where you're followed around by bright lights and television cameras. How do you keep going?

WHITE-GINDER: I think it's been kind of therapy for me, too. I think it's, you know, I've been with this epidemic from the beginning -- well, or close to the beginning, since 1984. But I also -- I've been blessed because I've seen the glorious effects of this bill. And the people living with AIDS and the drugs and the treatment. I mean, I think that's so exciting to see people living. I just wish I had it for my son Ryan

HARRIS: Jeanne, I have to ask you. I went to your site and I saw that in 2002 nearly half of your clients were African-Americans. Has that number moved up or down over the last three years?

WHITE-GINDER: You know, we know the hardest hit populations are people of color. And it's just getting people to talk about it. There again, it's education. Education is so important in this AIDS epidemic. And the African-American communities and the Hispanic communities are being the hardest hit, and women of color.

HARRIS: OK. Jeanne, good to see you. WHITE-GINDER: Thank you.

HARRIS: Thank you so much for coming in today.

WHITE-GINDER: Thank you.

HARRIS: We'll have a check of business news, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

HARRIS: That's it for us. I'm Tony Harris at the CNN Center in Atlanta. International news is up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Michael Holmes and Zain Verjee.

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