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American Morning

War On Terror; America Votes 2006; New York Manhunt; Out Of Bounds; Damage Control

Aired September 05, 2006 - 07:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Elaine, good morning.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, the president's aids say that his speech today will focus on the nature of the enemy the United States is facing. And to underscore that, the White House just a short time ago this morning released this document. It is an updated national strategy for combating terrorism. It essentially is a follow-on to documents released in March and also another document in 2003.

Now we have certainly heard the president define the enemy before. Aids say what's different now is that the enemy is changing. They say it is more disbursed. And they acknowledge that the terrorist ideology has served as inspiration for other movements.

But, of course, what is also different now, we are just two months away from the general election. Democrats have been trying to make the case that the president and the Republicans who have supported his policies have actually made the country less safe, they say. Today we're going to hear the president defend his strategy. Try to rally support for his policies.

He's going to be giving a speech to the Military Officers Association of America. He'll talk about the enemy and why the U.S. should take them seriously, how they think. Aids say that the president is going to point to the terrorist's own words. Looking at internal al Qaeda documents as evidence of their intentions.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano at the White House for us this morning -- covering the White House for us this morning. Thanks, Elaine.

You can see this president's speech on global terrorism today right here on CNN. Our live coverage is going to begin at 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time.

Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: This is the third round of presidential speeches aimed at lifting sagging support for the war. And a new CNN poll shows why the White House is concerned. Forty-one percent of those surveyed approve of how President Bush is handling his job, 55 percent disapprove. Congress fares even worse. Thirty-one percent approve of how congressional Republicans are doing their job and 35 percent are happy with the Democrats. But the discontent is deep and it is bipartisan. Sixty-four percent unhappy with Republicans, 57 percent displeased with Democrats. The poll was conducted for CNN by the Opinion Research Corporation.

With the unofficial end of summer comes the unofficial start of the fall campaign season and Republicans may be officially in a little bit of trouble this time around. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is here this morning and joining us with more.

Hello, Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. How are you?

Campaigns these days tend to be an all year activity, but Labor Day is still seen as the kickoff for fall elections. And as politicians kick off this season, Republicans are looking really vulnerable.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY, (voice over): Want to know how much trouble Republicans are in? Go deep into the heartland, to Ruby Red, Indiana, to a Republican-leaning district, and you can hear this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were always Republican and there's so many things going on now, I'm just kind of backing off and not knowing more or less going independent.

CROWLEY: Welcome to the second district of Indiana represented by two-term Republican Chris Chocola.

REP. CHRIS CHOCOLA, (R) INDIANA: I think it's much like the rest of the country. There's a challenging environment for Republicans.

CROWLEY: Ah, yes. Begin with this. The latest numbers from CNN and Opinion Research Corporation. An unpopular president, an unpopular war and $3 a gallon gas is a trifecta. Democrats are looking for a big payoff and Republicans are looking at a big problem.

Depending on who you talk to, nationwide there are about 46 competitive House seats. Thirty-six of which are now held by Republicans. With 62 days until the election, there's no time to pretty this up. The Republican Congressional Committee called it "a desperate situation nationwide." Appealing for money the committee warned, "our candidates in targeted districts are in very serious danger of losing."

The Senate worries Republicans less, but it is worrisome enough. To be in charge of the Senate, Democrats need to hold on to what they've got and pick up six seats. As it happens, six Republican seats look vulnerable.

The truth is, Democrats had little to do with their cat bird seat. Nationally, the new poll shows most people don't approve of either party.

JENNIFER DUFFY, COOK POLITICAL REPORT: In this cycle, voters don't like either party. They just dislike Democrats a little less.

CROWLEY: Which is to say Democrat's biggest asset is they're not Republicans. Back in Indiana, too, Democrat Joe Donnelly wants to call his job.

JOE DONNELLY, (D) INDIANA HOUSE CANDIDATE: People feel that instead of standing up for them, the government has stood up for the special interests. They want new representation. They want change.

CROWLEY: With voters clearly soured on the status quo and Democrats selling change, what's a Republican to do?

AMY WALTER, COOK POLITICAL REPORT: Well, so you say to voters, essentially, you know, here's your choice. I know you're mad at me, I know you don't like what's going on in Washington, but do you really want to elect this person? Can you really trust this person?

CROWLEY: It's not over, but the prospects are dire enough that even Republicans don't talk about gaining seats but about holding on to enough of them to keep control of Congress.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: While democrats are feeling pretty good, they are also cautious. They have been here before, looking good in September, only to lose in November, outmaneuvered by Republicans on both issues and voter turnout.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, I mean, is it possible this could be a repeat of the famous or infamous, depending on which way you look at it, 1994 election?

CROWLEY: I mean a huge sweep in 1994. And, look, you know, all the pundits will point out the following. First of all, since then, Republicans have redistricted pretty well, so incumbents are more protected. They're in more Republican districts.

Second of all, in 1994, a lot of the House Democrats that got swept out were freshmen. We're talking about a lot of old pros here who understand.

And thirdly, we didn't see 1994 coming. Democrats were surprised by it. Republicans have been told since January, hey, folks, you are in real big trouble. So all those things sort of mitigate the problem and may make it not 1994.

M. O'BRIEN: And the other factor, of course, is people say I want to throw the bums out. But when it comes to the actual moment when you pull the lever, punch the chad or whatever, it's the guy you know versus an unknown.

CROWLEY: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: A lot of times people go with the guy they know.

CROWLEY: Absolutely. It's I like my bum. It's all those other bums, you know, that you don't like. Exactly.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Candy Crowley, thanks for dropping by.

CROWLEY: Sure.

M. O'BRIEN: Candy Crowley, part of the best political team on television.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: The manhunt for a fugitive suspected of killing a New York state trooper and severely wounding another is getting bigger now. Swat teams from upstate New York have joined the search for Ralph "Bucky" Phillips and now police are asking for the public's help as well. CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Police are scouring western New York for fugitive Ralph Phillips, who they believe shot two officers last week while they were searching for him near the home of his ex-girlfriend. State Police Officer Joseph Longobardo died of his wounds Sunday. Trooper Donald Baker is in serious condition. Phillips is also wanted in the shooting of another officer in June.

WAYNE BENNETT, SUPERINTENDENT, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: It's a wake-up call. It makes you re-assess the fact that you are vulnerable. That you can be hurt. You can be killed.

CHERNOFF: Phillips, a career criminal known as "Bucky," has been on the run for five months. He escaped from the Erie County Correctional Facility by using a can opener to actually cut a hole through the roof above the kitchen. And he did it only four days before his scheduled release from a three-month term for violating parole.

Police are offering a $225,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. With hundreds of local, state and even federal officials on the hunt, authorities say they're closing in on Phillips.

MAJOR MICHAEL MANNING, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: He's in hiding. I don't think he has any place to go right now.

CHERNOFF: Police have arrested six of Phillips' friends and family, charging them with providing aid to the escaped convict.

SHERIFF J.A. GERACE, CHATTAQUA COUNTY, NEW YORK: We just need the help of the residents of the county to bring him into custody. And those that aided and assisted him have blood on their hands.

CHERNOFF: As Phillips' has evaded capture, his legend has been growing. There are Bucky Phillips t-shirts and Grandma's Family Kitchen restaurant served Bucky burgers, to go. Some locals still feel sympathy for the fugitive.

DAWN COCHRAN, BLASDELL RESIDENT: The only danger there really is, is with all the troopers flying around and, you know, stopping traffic and getting in everybody's way trying to find this guy.

SUE SNOW, IRVING RESIDENT: Most people are taking it as a joke and they think that he should go. Like just keep running.

CHERNOFF: But after the death of Officer Longobardo, the hunt for Ralph "Bucky" Phillips is now anything but a laughing matter.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, Alden, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Happening elsewhere in America this morning.

In Rhode Island, a trial gets underway today in that horrible nightclub fire three and a half years ago. The one that killed 100 concert goers. Remember that. The owner of the club, Mike Derderian, is facing involuntary manslaughter charges. The jury selection begins today. The fire was sparked by pyrotechnic special effects of the band that was performing at the time, Great White.

In North Carolina, the Duke men's lacrosse team is back practicing once again, five months after the scandal forced the cancellation of their entire season. The blue devils began a five- week training camp under a new coach yesterday. It's the first time the team's practiced on campus since those rape allegations surfaced against three players back in March.

In New Hampshire, two people were seriously hurt after a single engine plane veered right off the runway and then slammed into a hangar while it was trying to take off. A man and a woman from Massachusetts are being treated this morning at a hospital in Boston.

And take a look at this videotape. It's from Providence, Rhode Island. This little girl here playing at a laundromat. Well, watch the guy. He's stealing a $20 bill from her. She's seven years old. She and her mom were trying to get some change. The guy ran off. But thanks to the little girl's description, police were able -- and probably the videotape too -- police were able to arrest a suspect and they've charged him with second degree robbery. From a seven-year- old. That's just sick.

A youth football coach is facing child abuse charges. Take a look at this here. There's the coach. She's also a parent. He punched a boy on the opposing -- kind of ran right into him. It happened in Stockton, California. Rich Ibarra from our affiliate KCRA has our story this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUDY GARRIDO, STOCKTON BEARS COACH: Once he seen them charge and hit him like that on the back of the head, I mean . . . RICH IBARRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Stockton Bears' coach Rudy Garrido shows how the assistant coach from the opposing team put the hurt on one of his players, rushing out to hit the player from behind and knocking him to the ground.

GARRIDO: For a parent/coach to come out and attack one of my kids, it's just something that's just terrifying.

IBARRA: The Stockton Bears, in the dark uniform, faced the Redskins from River Bank. It was towards the end of the game, less than a minute to play. The score had the Redskins leading 16-6. And then a second after the play ended, a late hit. The Redskin player hit by a Stockton Bear. And right after that, the Redskin player's father, who is also an assistant coach, runs onto the field to deliver his own knock down tackle.

Immediately after that, fans from both teams crowded onto this field and they started to trade punches. Among those at the game was Jose Santillanes and his 11-year-old son Joseph who was playing for the Bears

JOSE SANTILLANES, PARENT OF BEARS PLAYER: The majority of them were just trying to get all the -- everybody just rushed in all at the same time and they were just trying to get everybody away from everybody and trying to make sure that the kids are safe.

JOSEPH SANTILLANES, STOCKTON BEARS PLAYER: It was just scary. Just -- a guy just grabbed that kid, threw him and everybody just rushed in. I was scared.

IBARRA: The assistant coach made a get-away over a tall fence, but later surrendered to police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: A crazy story. The report from Rich Ibarra from our affiliate KCRA in Stockton, California. The coach, Cory Petero, could face up to six years in prison. The father of the boy that Petero hit says that his son suffered bruises to his stomach and his jaw. That was a tough hit.

M. O'BRIEN: Tough hit and all kinds of great lessons for the kids in that one, isn't there, you know?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: The malay afterwards.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, don't do as mom and dad do as they're punching each other on the field after the dirty punch from the coach/parent.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Et cetera.

S. O'BRIEN: That's ridiculous.

M. O'BRIEN: Et cetera. Let's get a check of the forecast. Chad Myers is at the Weather Center with that.

Hello, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, as the world remembers Steve Irwin, new details are coming out about just exactly how he died.

Also, we'll take a look at the reason why some people become daredevils.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, he's gone, but he says he's on the mend. And Fidel Castro says the worst is over after his surgery.

S. O'BRIEN: And in Japan, there's a royal baby about to be delivered by c-section. Lots of pressure to have a boy. We'll update that story and much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Mourners paying tribute today to the crocodile hunter Steve Irwin. He died yesterday after being stunning by a stingray. Irwin's final moments were captured on tape. Irwin stayed conscious long enough to pull the stinger out of his chest.

Fidel Castro says the worst is over and he's satisfied with his recovery. The Cuban president lost 41 pounds since his intestinal surgery a month ago.

A U.S. diplomat is calling on the international community to pressure North Korea to give up its nukes. Top envoy, Christopher Hill, headed to China to talk about North Korea's nuclear ambitions. After a stop in Japan, Hill says it's frustrating Pyongyang has not shown any interest in returning to the stalled talks on its nuclear program.

An electoral accord is expected today in conservative Felipe Calderon as Mexico's next president ending months of legal battles. The losing left winger alleges massive fraud and promises to keep up his fight with demonstrations.

S. O'BRIEN: A roadside bomb wounded the deputy head of Lebanon's security forces, killed two men in his convoy today. It was an apparent assassination attempt and the target was Colonel Samir Shehade, who was responsible for last year's arrest of four security officers who were allegedly connected to the murder of the former Lebanese premiere Rafik Hariri.

Could Israel's blockade of Lebanon end soon? U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says today that he expects it to be lifted within 48 hours. Despite the cease-fire, Israel says its maintained its naval blockade of Lebanese ports to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. With the Middle East peace process moving at a snail's pace, students in one Israeli town are going back to school after a summer that was spent in bomb shelters. More than 30 schools were hit by Hezbollah rockets, and counselors are now helping children deal with the emotional damage. CNN's Chris Lawrence has more this morning from Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): In northern Israel, this is the new normal. Students who used to show off school trophies show us where rockets ripped through their school, classrooms blasted apart and the cleanup will take months.

TEREZ ABU MURAD, ISRAELI STUDENT: It's not easy to go through something like this when you're 15 or 16 or 17 years old.

LAWRENCE: And almost impossible when you're 10. Ten-year-old Noa says she helped look after her grandparents whose home was hit by a Katyusha. Her friend, Shere (ph), is still afraid because of speeches she's heard from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. More than 1,000 rockets landed near Kiryat Shmona. The girls' classroom took a direct hit. It's one of the few places where repairs were finished in time for the first day.

Eventually the bomb shelters can be reinforced. The schools rebuilt. But restoring some children's sense of security could be a lot harder.

ALAN COHEN, PSYCHOLOGIST: Some of them are so reluctant to leave their parents they won't even go to the shower or bathroom by themselves.

LAWRENCE: Teams of psychologists are being dispatched to northern Israel to support the parents and teachers there.

COHEN: Children want assurance from their parents that it's not going to happen again and they can't, in all honesty, give that.

LAWRENCE: Students are coming back to class, having spent half the summer in bomb shelters.

ABU MURAD: I's not easy to forget war, especially when people die and soldiers die.

LAWRENCE: Some kids are naturally resilient. They've already bounced back. After all, these are Israeli children.

ALMOG BITTON, ISRAELI STUDENT: First of all, it's not our first war.

LAWRENCE: Almog Bitton is starting his last year of school.

BITTON: In my life, I have experienced like -- at least I remember three wars. I know there were more. LAWRENCE: Almog, and the other seniors, are keeping a close eye on the peace process. Because of Israel's mandatory military service, this time next year they'll be soldiers, not students.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Kiryat Shmona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Still to come, you lost your wallet or your pocket book? Well, forget about the cash. The cards are often what thieves are after. We'll tell you what that's all about.

Plus, flooding, mudslides, wildfires, all the severe weather you can handle. We'll talk -- tell you about what parts of the country are affected. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Identity thieves aren't just after your money, necessarily. Sometimes they want to use all your personal information to say get a job. Gerri Willis "Minding Your Business."

Hello, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miles, good to see you.

There's a new twist on I.D. theft. It's not just professional thieves you have to worry about these days. In fact, one of the fastest growing types of I.D. theft isn't considered a financial crime at all. It's illegal immigrants using stolen Social Security numbers to conduct their daily lives, getting jobs, establish credit and getting housing.

Now, no one knows for sure how many immigrants are using Social Security numbers fraudulently, but the Federal Trade Commission estimates 10 million Americans have their identity stolen each year. Plus, nobody knows how much is paying attention to the problem because employers need low wage workers. Even the Social Security trust fund gets a boost in the form of taxes. And there's no penalty for not reporting mismatches if you're an employer.

Bottom line, it's this kind of story that underlines that real importance of checking your credit to make sure nobody's borrowing your number. And because thieves find Social Security numbers at random, they could be using your kids' number. So it's important for parents to look into that as well.

S. O'BRIEN: How is it possible? I mean you hear stories about this all the time. I think the most recent was someone who said that her three-year-old had apparently a couple car loans and a couple -- you know it's like, isn't there someone who's matching the three-year- old to the car loan? It should be red flagged somehow.

WILLIS: It's a Social Security number. And if you take out a credit card using that number, then it's not the three-year-old's information that is associated with that credit card. M. O'BRIEN: You would think, though, there would be a way of cross-checking it better with all the computer technology we have these days.

WILLIS: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: That number, 10 million people with identity theft. That's tremendous.

S. O'BRIEN: Some people have cats that get credit card applications.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, right.

S. O'BRIEN: I mean why should your cat have access to a credit card?

WILLIS: That is scary. And, as you know, there are people out there who, you know, kitties get credit card offers in the mail and actually get the credit cards themselves. It's crazy.

S. O'BRIEN: Right.

WILLIS: No checks and balances.

M. O'BRIEN: You don't want your cat on a spending spree. That's a bad idea.

WILLIS: That's a lot of kitty litter.

M. O'BRIEN: Do you know the catnip that would be in the house? Oh, bad news.

All right. Well, thank you, Gerri. Appreciate it.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

S. O'BRIEN: Are you a type I personality? Do you even know what a type I personality is? Coming up, we're going to take a look at what drives thrill seekers. People like the late Steve Irwin to constantly push the limits. We'll take a look at that ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.

The president is in the midst of another speaking campaign aimed at winning the P.R. war for Iraq, and again he will try to make links between Iraq and the war on terror. Now whether he can make that link stick will have a lot of bearing on how the elections might go nine weeks from today. Our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield joining us with more on all of this.

Good morning, Jeff. Good to have you with us.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Good morning.

M. O'BRIEN: First of all, just generally, what's the president's message?

GREENFIELD: I think it's really one message that we started hearing last week from Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, from the vice president, even from Mitch McConnell, one of the Senate Republican leaders, and what it is, it's, to me, a pretty telling shift from an optimistic view of all the good things that will flow from the democratic and stable Iraq, to a very pessimistic warning of, if we fail. this is what will happen. So that's why we're hearing the enemy defined as the heir to fascism and communism, to suggest this is a worldwide struggle.

And then to say, as the president said in so many words, victory for the civilized world depends -- victory on the war on terror and Iraq as part of that. And I think it's really all one message, saying, OK, the implicit message is, OK, maybe we haven't done what we hope to do, but the alternatives are much worse.

Let's listen to what the president had to say, just briefly, Thursday in Salt Lake City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: If we give up the fight in the streets of Baghdad, we will face the terrorists in the streets of our own cities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: That's an election-time statement, which has -- can resonate with people.

GREENFIELD: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: What are -- how will voters interpret that one?

GREENFIELD: Well, the whole purpose, I think, of this -- this is about the fourth time that the administration has tried to redefine what this is about, is that increasingly, over the last two years, voters have decoupled those two issues. They haven't seen Iraq as central to the war on terror. In fact, most American voters now think it has hurt the war on terror. So, that's why, I think, perhaps I'm focusing on this too much, but it was interesting that yesterday Senator McConnell said, if we give up the fight in Iraq, it will turn Iraq over to al Qaeda, not to sectarian violence, which is what most experts think is the danger of leaving, but of al Qaeda. Now why? because al Qaeda was the organization that attacked us. And I think the president has always said two things, no, I didn't think Saddam Hussein planned 9/11, but 9/11 taught us that we can't give up the fight against terror, and that's what they're trying to tell us about.

M. O'BRIEN: We have a recent poll, and I know you have seen these numbers, very interesting numbers. We asked people, what was most important on their minds as they get ready to vote coming up. And right at the top list, not Iraq, but the economy -- 28 percent with the economy, Iraq 25 percent, terrorism down there. I guess if you combine Iraq and terrorism together that's a big number.

GREENFIELD: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: The point is this. Maybe people are thinking about other things, or not? What do you think?

GREENFIELD: No, I don't have a unified feel theory about most political campaigns. I think people are capable of thinking about more than one thing at once, and I think more than gas prices, which is the superficial explanation for the economy, it's the collapse of the housing bubble, of the fact that a lot of major companies are cutting back on health care and pension guarantees, and there's a sense of anxiety. But I still think this issue -- this election will come down basically to a vote on whether or not people believe the administration, that what they're doing, whatever mistakes were made, is critical to the -- winning the greater war on terror, or whether they believe Iraq was a diversion, that it's cost us in the world. And, here's where I think this message is important politically, is whether they believe they can trust the power of the Congress to Democrats to do something else.

I mean, In '04 the country wasn't happy with the president's governance, but they didn't trust John Kerry to do any better. And so I think the question here and why we're hearing so much emphasis from Republicans, is they're saying to the Democrats, what do you disagree with us about? Do you not think terror is a danger? Do you think there's an implacable out there as dangerous? And if so, what do you plan to do about it?

M. O'BRIEN: You know, it's interesting, we could be having the same discussion in advance of the 2002 election, the 2004 election. What, if anything,is different now?

GREENFIELD: I think what's different is that the war is two years further on, and I think more and more people -- I always believe this is critical. It's the old rule from street corner of baseball. Your own man says so. More and more people who were for the war in Iraq have either had second thoughts or have said the administration has bungled it. That's everybody from the people in military command to conservative congressmen and senators. And I think the pressure is really on the administration, on Republicans to recalibrate this argument so that voters will say, OK, as I said before, it didn't work out exactly as you told us, but we don't want to take the risk with the other guy.

M. O'BRIEN: It's interesting, though, the pressure may be on Republicans, but the pressure is on Democrats as well.

GREENFIELD: Absolutely.

M. O'BRIEN: To come up with something that is -- that looks like more than just them wing about the war.

GREENFIELD: Yes, look, I think there's a really -- if we can for one second move off the political strategy and ask about substance, I think Democrats have to answer some basic questions. What do they think the consequences would be of failure in Iraq? The book, "Fiasco," which is a very strong indictment the Bush administration policy on Iraq, really does not paint a pretty picture of what will happen if we pull out. And if that's where Democrats are, let's get out, the Republicans are going to say, is that really all you have? The Democrats will say, no, we have phase withdrawal, and we're over the horizon. That doesn't get us into, because we don't have time, what really is the strategy for waging an effective war on terror? Is this it?

M. O'BRIEN: Maybe we'll do that next time. Our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, part of the best political team on television. Thanks for being with us -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: You can see the president's speech, by the way, on global terrorism today on CNN. Our live coverage is going to begin at 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time.

New information to tell you about this morning, about the death of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. It seems the whole stingray attack was caught on tape. We'll get more on Irwin's last moments from Max Fletcher. He is from Australia's network 10.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FLETCHER, NETWORK 10 REPORTER (on camera): Well, a day and a half after the death of Steve Irwin, and Australians have waken up to a very sad day once they've gotten over the disbelief that one of their favorite sons had passed away in extraordinary fashion. Of course, Steve Irwin had his chest, and indeed his heart pierced, by the barb of a stingray off Port Douglas here in North Queensland.

Now, today we spoke to his manager, who has seen the video of the final moments of his life, when he was swimming over the top of the stingray and the barb pierced his heart. Incredibly he was able to rip the barb out of his chest, but it was too late, because the poison had already done its damage. His body left Cannes (ph) in North Queensland today, and he's bound for Biowa (ph), which is where his Australia Zoo is, and indeed where his family is waiting to bury him. And there were accolades from politicians and very famous people across Australia and right around the globe today.

In North Queensland, Australia, Max Fletcher for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: The sudden death of Irwin raising new questions about thrill seekers and what exactly makes them tick. Why do very sane, responsible people risk their lives by going to extremes day after day?

Here's Peter Viles with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE IRWIN, "THE CROCODILE HUNTER": Have a go at this whopper.

PETER VILES (voice-over): Why did he do it? A lifetime stalking dangerous, wild animals. And why do these kids barrel down a mountain on skateboards? Why do some surfers need 40-foot waves? In short, what makes some of us thrill seekers?

The legendary big wave rider Greg Noel (ph) says it's about adrenaline.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just have your adrenaline dripping out of your ears, paddle back out, do it again.

VILES: Scientists at UCLA believe it's genetic, that thrill seekers brains are wired differently, causing them to get less pleasure from everyday life than the rest of us.

DR. DAVID FEINBERG, UCLA: Regular pleasurable activity is not as pleasurable to them as it is to others. We're talking probably close to 20 percent of the population.

VILES: When they push the limit, they often find what's missing.

FEINBERG: Being a thrill seeker has positives and negatives. The negatives that we've looked at, and shown very clearly at UCLA, that these thrill-seeking genes are associated with increased rates of alcoholism and substance abuse. On the other hand, thrill seekers are the explorers are that extremely valuable to our society.

VILES: The gene theory, though, is just that -- a theory.

FRANK FARLEY, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: There is no way that the complexity of human risk taking can be reduced to a gene.

VILES: Psychologist Frank Farley coined the phrase type-T personality, 'T' for thrills. He says Einstein was a type T, and so was Steve Irwin.

FARLEY: They thrive on risk and on uncertainty, the unknown. They're adventurers. They're self confident. They believe that they control their destiny. They tend to be rule breakers, and they're often very innovative and creative.

VILES: And a little afraid. Big wave surfers say fear is part of the rush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paddling as if you are trying to catch a wave, only you're trying to get out of there.

VILES: Even the crocodile hunter felt it.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: You must have fear?

IRWIN: Yes, yes, jammed in the back of my brain. I think everyone has got a fear mechanism, that I try and keep it, you know, suppressed.

VILES: Peter Viles for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead in our next hour, we're going to talk to a man, really, who was born really with adventure in his blood. Underwater explorer Fabien Cousteau is our guest just ahead.

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M. O'BRIEN: Still to come in the program, the Kalamazoo Promise. Have you heard of this? Would free college tuition encourage you to move there? We're "Minding Your Business."

S. O'BRIEN: And the stork visits Japan's royal family. Princess Kiko is due to give birth tomorrow. Is it going to be a boy, which would mean taking over the throne eventually? We'll take you live to Tokyo, coming up next.

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S. O'BRIEN: We're waiting for word out of Japan this morning on birth of a royal baby. Princess Kiko is giving birth by cesarean section, and her children, while they're not first in line to sit on the chrysanthemum throne, could change if the baby is a boy.

CNN's Atika Shubert explains for us.

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ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When Princess Masako married Japan's crown Prince Naruhito in 1993, she was hailed as an icon of modern Japanese woman, her flourishing career as a diplomat put aside for the gilded, but strictly traditional world of the imperial family. Her most important duty, to bare a male heir to the thrown.

Thirteen years later, there is still no heir. Masako has a daughter, Princess Iko, but only male offspring can ascend to the throne. At 42 years old, Masako's chances of having another child are slim, and has what doctors call an adjustment disorder, a form of depression.

Now, another royal has stepped into the succession crisis. Princess Kiko, wife of Prince Akishino, who is second in line to the throne, is pregnant. If the child is a boy, he will be the only male heir born into the imperial male family in more than four decades. (on camera): Princess Kiko is due on Wednesday, but as the country waits, the tabloids have turned a success succession crisis into a rivalry between two princesses.

(voice-over): "Popular Women's" magazines compare career-minded Masako with the more reserved and traditional Kiko. A rare smile from Masako during a family holiday in Holland, with Prince Naruhito and their daughter. Why, the critics ask, does she never look happy at home?

The most heated comments come from the blogosphere. This blogger writes about Masako, "She shifts all of her royal duties to Kiko. She is about the princess, she is a wife who isn't a mother. I wish Kiko could raise Masako's child instead."

But another blogger complains, "Do they think that Masako is just a machine for producing baby boys? I'm sorry, but I can't be happy about Kiko's pregnancy when I think of how Masako must be feeling."

But on the streets and playgrounds and in front of cameras, many Japanese women say they feel sympathy for both princesses.

"I wonder if they're really happy," this woman says. "I think they serve the country, but there is such pressure on them, and they don't have much privacy. I feel pity for them."

Japan's imperial family is both revered and the subject of constant gossip, and the imminent arrival of a new prince, or princess,won't end the relentless media spotlight on the royal household.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Even if it is a boy, there is a likely to be a movement to change the law of imperial succession in Japan. That would sort of free up Princess Masako.

M. O'BRIEN: Why can't the girl be in line?

S. O'BRIEN: You won't hear an argument from me.

M. O'BRIEN: I just think that probably would have been high time.

S. O'BRIEN: It would take a lot of pressure, too, off Masako and Kiko who, everyone sits around and tries to figure out what the sex of their babies is. That's sort of intense, at least.

M. O'BRIEN: Anyone, it keeps the tabloids in business over there.

All right, up next, we're "Minding Your Business." Stay with us.

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S. O'BRIEN: As millions of Americans know, white water rafting can provide a big adrenaline rush, easy for me to say, but with the thrill, of course, always comes some danger. And to make matters worse, safety laws on the water can be surprisingly lax.

CNN's investigative correspondent Drew Griffin has our report this morning.

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DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Clutching flowers from her garden, Julia Clark descends toward the churning spot on Oregon's Rogue River that took her father's life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been feeling his presence since I got down here.

GRIFFIN: These rocks, called the jaws, mark the entrance to Mule Creek Canyon, where Chapin Clark died. Clark, a retired dean of Oregon's Law School, drowned on a fishing trip in these swirling waters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The guide wasn't wearing his life jacket, and he didn't have safety training.

GRIFFIN: When the guide's fishing boat, one like this, flipped over, Clark was tossed out, gasping, he emerged on the wrong side of help.

(on camera): He was pinned by water against a rock on the opposite side of the river, holding onto a life vest. But the help on the other side did not have the one thing that could have saved Chapin Clark's life -- a simple throw rope.

(voice-over): Each summer, 10 million Americans take pleasure trips down white water rivers in rafts, kayaks, canoes, sometimes inner tubes. It can be great fun. But it can also be dangerous. Rafting, kayaking and other white water accidents take about 40 lives in the U.S. each year. Julia Clark formed a family foundation to push for better safety laws in her state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He really felt strongly that humans were more powerful than nature.

GRIFFIN: She wants everyone to learn that respect of nature, so no family will have to make another trip like this.

Drew Griffin, CNN, on the Rogue River in Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: You can catch Drew's full report tonight on "PAULA ZAHN NOW." That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

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