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Foley Scandal May Hurt Republican Election Efforts

Aired October 08, 2006 - 18:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to start with the Mark Foley scandal with the very latest. A former House aide is expect to testify soon about his efforts to stop Foley's alleged advances against boys in the House page program. Kirk Fordham says he reported the problem some three years ago to House Speaker Dennis Hastert's top aide.
Also, a House Republican close to the scandal may be sinking in the polls. New York's Tom Reynolds now trails his opponent by 13 points, according to a Newsday survey. Yesterday, Reynolds apologized to voters that more wasn't done to stop Foley's contacts with teenagers.

And an unnamed U.S. soldier in Iraq has talked to the FBI about Foley. The soldier served as a page on Capitol Hill.

And it's already a month before mid-term elections, and members of Congress are consumed today by the Foley scandal. We begin our coverage with congerssional correspondent Dana Bash live in Washington -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONETN: Hello, Carol.

Well, Dennis Hastert's allies to the airwaves today to defend the way the embattled House speaker and other GOP leaders handled the Mark Foley matter. But Republicans are also quite candid about the damage the Foley is already doing to their prospects on election day. And there is great concern that damage may not be over.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): A Republican congressional aide who says he warned the speaker's chief of staff about Mark Foley's inappropriate conduct with pages expects to testify before the House Ethics Committee this coming week.

Kirk Fordam's attorney tells CNN Fordham plans to tell the panel under oath what he has said publicly -- Hastert's top aide knew about Foley's worrisome conduct long before the speaker's office admits.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL, (D) NEW YORK: When you take an oath, it's entirely different, and I'm talking about the perjury that would follow rather than the absence of memory of what's going on.

BASH: Sources familiar with Fordham's account of events tell CNN he was so concerned about Foley's behavior he arranged a meeting with Foley and Hastert chief of staff Scott Palmer in or before 2003 to demand that Foley stop inappropriate behavior towards pages.

Palmer's only response so far is, "what Kirk Fordham says did not happen." And the speaker's spokesman simply says they will let the Ethics Committee determine the facts.

This will be the challenge for the Ethics Committee over the next few weeks. Is there documentary evidence or witnesses to prove that the speaker's chief of staff met with Foley to raise concerns?

REP. TOM DAVIS, (R) VIRGINIA: Anybody that hindered this in any kind of way, that tried to step in the way of hiding this or covering up is going to have to step down.

BASH: Meanwhile, the Foley drama is reaching as far as Iraq to one of Congressman Ron Lewis' constituents, a former page who is serving there.

REP. RON LEWIS, (R) KENTUCKY: We had someone who is in the military, in Iraq, contacted my chief of staff to let us know that he had been approached by Mark Foley in 2001 and that he is speaking to the proper authorities.

BASH: The lingering questions make it hard for Republicans to quiet the Foley storm, which they admit will hurt them on election day, one month away.

REP. RAY LAHOOD, (R) ILLINIOS: This is going to be the most difficult 30 days in the last 12 years that we've been the majority party.

REP. ADAM PUTNAM, (R) FLORIDA: I can think of about three seats that are under a little more heat now as a result of the fallout from the Foley scandal.

BASH: One of those seats is Tom Reynolds of New York. He abruptly canceling a long-planned TV appearance Sunday after this stunning move.

REP. TOM REYNOLDS, (R) NEW YORK: Looking back, more should have been done and for that, I am sorry.

BASH: Airing an ad in his Buffalo district, insisting he told the House speaker about a questionable but non-explicit e-mail from Foley to a former male page.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: GOP lawmakers continue to blame Democrats for knowing about Foley's explicit e-mails and trying to damage Republicans by leaking it close to the election. None offered proof, but GOP congressman told CNN there should be an investigation.

Meanwhile, Congressman Rahm Emmanuel, the Democrat in charge of getting his colleagues elected said he didn't see the Foley e-mails, had no involvement in their release, but stopped short of saying he didn't know that they existed -- Carol. LIN: Wow. Dana, thank you very much.

Now the Foley scanald has resonated among American voters of faith and it's really testing that faith. We're going to hear more in a live report later.

And we hope you'll remember our political ticker. It has all the latest political news. You'll find it at CNN.com/ticker.

Now, potentially positive movement today on North Korea. It's powerful ally, China, has apparently sent a clear warning not to go through with a threatened nuclear test. Now some thought that the test might happen today. It did not. This story live from the White House from CNN's Kathleen Koch.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, yes, two positive developments in this story. As you mentioned, there was not a nuclear test by North Korea today. And also two estranged neighbors, Japan and China, held their first meetings between their leaders in five years, and they show you unified front when it comes to the international assistance that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program.

The two nations putting out a statement saying that a test would be, quote, "cannot be tolerated."

Now China, of course, plays a very critical role here. It supplies food, energy, many much-needed resources to North Korea and thus should hod some sway in this argument.

Now, the other developments, word that North Korean informed China that it may stop its plans to conduct a test of a nuclear weapon if the U.s. agrees to one-on-one talks. But the White House is still refusing. A spokesperson saying, quote, "our position on bilateral talks is clear. We continue to encourage North Korea to participate in six-party talks."

But a senior U.S. lawmaker warned that right now in particular, the U.S. might want to reconsider its position and start talks with Pyongyang.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE BIDEN, (D) DELAWARE: We should deal directly with, not negotiate, just lay down, have a straight out, flat out talk with North Korea to find out -- let them know exactly what our bottom line is and find out whether there's any possibility of them ceasing and desisting from their going forward. But failure to talk at all seems to me to make absolutely no sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now the reason there was a speculation that a North Korean nuclear test might be conducted today is that today is the ninth anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's appointment as the head of the Korean worker's Party and experts often point out that just as in July, when North Korea tested some seven missiles on the 4th of July that North Korea likes to time its provocative actions to anniversaries and special dates to heighten their impact.

But again, at this point, we are hearing no evidence, no reports that any such test has been conducted today, Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Kathleen Koch.

We've got more now on the war on terror. And it's discouraging news out of Afghanistan. It's been five years since Operation: Enduring Freedom and now the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan says that he would actually understand if many Afghans shifted their allegiance back to the Taliban. The reason? Well, the international coalition, the international forces have yet to deliver on many promised improvements.

Now to Iraq. The military says three U.S. soldiers and three Marines were killed in separate attacks over the weekend. And also, U.S. forces launched an overnight raid south of Baghdad. Sectarian violence still rages. CNN's Arwa Damon has the latest now from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heavy fighting broke out in the southern city of Diwani (ph), about 90 miles south of the capital Baghdad and a known Mehdi militia stronghold. That is the Shia militia loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr.

The U.S. military saying that they were launching a raid alongside with Iraqi security forces into the area looking for a high- value target. As they entered the area overnight on Saturday, they say they came under heavy small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire.

The U.S. military saying that they were attacked by at least ten of these rocket-propelled grenade firing squads. They say they destroyed six of them in the fighting thereafter. They say at least 30 suspected terrorists were killed.

They say that they detained this high-value target that they were looking for. He is believed to have been responsible for the murder of Iraqi army soldiers back on August 28th.

Now on August 28th, what happened was that insurgents overran the Iraqi police stations. They were driving out the Iraqi police, who then called in for Iraqi army backup, heavy fighting erupted.

Again, at that point in time back in August, fighting there killed at least 23 Iraqi army soldiers over 38 suspected insurgents.

Following those attacks, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense did send down two additional Iraqi army brigades.

Now, this is, again, a stronghold for the Mehdi militia. Of course, the issue of disarming the militias is one of the greater challenges that the Iraqi army faces, coming under heavy criticism to not taking specific active action to disarm these militias.

Violence, again, erupting across Iraq over the weekend. At least 23 Iraqis were killed over 60 wounded, violence stretching from Tala'ba (ph) all the way south through Salahudin (ph), Dialla (ph) Province and in the capital Baghdad.

And in Baghdad, Iraqi emergency police saying that over the weekend they found at least 75 bodies.

All of this, of course, as U.S. and Iraqi forces are continuing operations to try to bring stability to this country and a growing sense of despair amongst the Iraqi population.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: More than two dozen U.S. troops died in this month alone, October. So, since the situation on the ground is becoming so serious, we commissioned our military analysts, Generals James Marks and Don Sheppard and asked them what they would do if they were in charge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEN. JAMES MARKS (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: What we need to do is concentrate the forces in that area where the attacks are predominant and do what's called an economy of force or minimize our presence elsewhere. That fundamentally is called an oil-stained strategy. And what that means is you work the problem from the inside out in several selected areas.

GEN. DON SHEPPARD (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: To win, we've got to go to head to head with the militias. We have to clear Sadr City. And after we clear Sadr City, we really have to continue to put pressure on the Iraqi forces to take on more of the load and fight these militias.

These are really, really difficult times in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Now, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, I'm going to have an exclusive interview with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mark Kimmet. Also a general, he helped lay some of the groundwork for the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. And instead of just rehashing what's gone wrong, we're going to talk about how to go forward, specifics.

Meantime, interesting campaign out in California. Arnold Schwarzenneger's opponent tries to hang President Bush around the governor's neck. Will it work?

Also, you may never have seen or heard of this man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: The Congolese government issued an international arrest warrant for him. But so far, it seems no one has been able, or willing to apprehend him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: But Anderson Cooper gets up close and personal with the rebel leader you need to know about.

And then, we're going to talk one on one to a young woman who left Christianity for Islam. Is it a growing trend? We're going to find out. You're in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

LIN: All right, our look at how America votes begins with Governor's race in California. A larger than life incumbent faces an opponent on the attack. And as you're about to see, their debate last night went way beyond the Golden State's borders. Our Chris Lawrence has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was billed as Arnold Schwarzenneger versus Phil Angelides.

PHIL ANGELIDES, (D) CA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: And next year if Governor Schwarzenneger is reelected, I can guarantee you education will be cut, like he cut it before.

LAWRENCE: California's Democratic state treasurer versus its sitting Republican governor.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Look out there right now and just say I love increasing your taxes. Just say it.

LAWRENCE: But Angelides's strategy involved another Republican.

ANGELIDES: You sound like George Bush attacking me on taxes. It's just like the ones in Washington under George Bush.

LAWRENCE: Angelides mentioned the president at least six times.

SCHWARZENEGGER: During the most incredible decline of our economy just a few years ago, you were part of that. Your were the treasurer.

ANGELIDES: No. Well, your policies are the Bush policies. And I prefer Clinton to Bush any day.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Don't talk about Bush. Because if you want to do that, go to Iowa, have the debate in Iowa OK.

LAWRENCE: You went to Ohio, governor. I didn't. You stood with President Bush and you helped him get reelected.

LAWRENCE: But will voters truly link Schwarzenneger with Bush?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Polling data, tracking data indicates it's not resonating with the voters. It's a strategy they're following.

LAWRENCE: Voters say their top concerns are education and illegal immigration. Schwarzenneger and Angelides battled over tuition increases and school funding, but they have somewhat similar immigration policies which left other issues to attack.

ANGELIDES: Who can you trust next year to do the right thing? For three years, Arnold Schwarzenneger was very consistent. Only in the last 60 days has he sought to save his own job, has he tried to move to the middle, so to speak.

SCHWARZENEGGER: You are now ready to go in there again and promise the people everything and then increase the taxes.

ANGELIDES: No.

LAWRENCE: It was the first and only meeting between the two men before voters get the last word.

(on camera): Chris Lawrence, CNN, Sacramento.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

LIN: International authorities says this rebel leader is a very wanted man, but they haven't been able to bring him to justice. Our Anderson Cooper found him. That story straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow in Norfolk, Virginia, where conservatives are expressing uneasiness about Republicans. Will it hurt the GOP in November? That's ahead on CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: This week, CNN correspondents have been reporting on the massive refugee crisis. An amazing story in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where this rebel leader is a wanted man. Anderson Cooper traveled deep into the back country to meet him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): In a rain soaked valley in eastern Congo, a rebel army sings of war. They may appear a motley bunch. Some have no shoes, others mismatched uniforms. But they do have weapons and the power to disrupt the Congo's fragile peace.

Their leader agreed to meet with us. But to find him, we had to travel to his remote hilltop hideout.

We're on our way to see General Laurent Nkunda. He's a rebel commander with several thousand troops. So far he's been unwilling to give up his weapons.

(on camera): He's been accused of a host of war crimes and human rights violations. His troops are known to have looted villages, raped women. He's been accused of ordering the summary executions of dozens of prisoners.

The Congolese government issued an international arrest warrant for him, but so far it seems no one's been able or willing to apprehend him.

(voice-over): General Nkunda controls about 1,200 square miles in eastern Congo, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island.

Getting to him, however, isn't easy. Checkpoints are everywhere and his soldiers are wary.

That's Jason Stearns. He's a Congo expert with the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit organization which monitors conflicts around the world.

JASON STEARNS, CONGO EXPERT, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: He says there's no problem. He's told the general we're coming.

COOPER: The soldiers get in one of our vehicles to show us the way. At General Nkunda's compound, security is tight. His soldiers are heavily armed.

COOPER (on camera): What is your plan?

GENERAL LAURENT NKUNDA, PREBEL LEADER: Our plan is that if the election will be conducted, we will talk with the one who will win the election. If there will be a disaster, we will be an alternative to protect the people and to relieve the situation.

COOPER: There have been allegations that you have committed war crimes, violated human rights. Is that true?

NKUNDA: In this area or out of this area?

COOPER: Out of this area. They say that in Kisangani in 2002 that you ordered the execution of 160 people. Is that true?

NKUNDA: Not true.

COOPER: They say that in 2004 there are allegations that in Bukabu (ph), your soldiers looted widespread, committed many rapes. In fact, human rights watch cites an incident of a woman being raped in front of her husband and her children. And one of your soldiers, they say, raped a 3-year-old child.

NKUNDA: No. It's ...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: So this stuff happened before you got here?

NKUNDA: Before I got there.

COOPER (voice-over): Despite his denials, abuses by General Nkunda's soldiers are well documented.

Jason Stearns was in the town of Bukabu when the general's soldiers took over.

What did you see?

STEARNS: Well, you see, walking through the neighborhoods at night, you hear people screaming left and right as soldiers breaking into houses, pillaging, personal friends of mine, close to mine, had their children raped...

COOPER: They were raping children?

STEARNS: They were raping children. His troops would.

COOPER: Aid workers believe hundreds of thousands have been victimized by soldiers from various armies and rebel groups.

While General Nkunda talks of reconciliation, his army continues to train for war. His officers get refresher courses in military tactics, like how to conduct an ambush.

The U.N. is trying to get all of these militia troops to join a new national army, trying to get Congolese to think beyond their ethnic or tribal identity.

General Nkunda, however, wants his troops loyal to him.

He is one of the Congo's last remaining warlords, waiting for elections, positioning himself for whatever the future may bring.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tonight, Anderson hosts a CNN special report from Africa, "The Killing Fields: Africa's Misery and the World's Shame," it airs at 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Now coming up, what are churchgoing voters saying about the Mark Foley scandal? Will it change their votes this November?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris Phillips, just four feet, 50 pounds, with teammates by his side. He's in last place, yet first in the hearts of everyone looking on.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: We are going to bring you the story of a young man who was never supposed to be able to run in a race. Stay in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. Here are the headlines. Fear continues to grow amid speculation North Korea may test a nuclear weapon. Today, the country's state-run media accused the U.S. of preparing for war against Pyongyang.

And U.S. forces are patrolling the streets of the Iraqi town of (INAUDIBLE) Fierce street fighting has left at least 30 insurgents dead. U.S. military also reports six American troops died this weekend.

Saddam Hussein's lawyers say they will continue to boycott his trial. They're protesting the appointment of a new chief judge. The former Iraqi leader is accused of genocide for gassing thousands of Kurds in the late 1980s.

And fears of e. coli contamination have spread to a brand of lettuce out west. A voluntary recall is in effect for Foxy brand lettuce. The lettuce was grown in California in the same area as the contaminated spinach which was recalled.

We're going to start the half hour with the Mark Foley scandal. A former House aide is to testify soon. Kirk Fordham says he reported the problem three years ago to House Speaker Dennis Hastert's chief of staff. Also a House Republican leader may be sinking in the polls. New York's Tom Reynolds now trails his opponent by 13 points. Yesterday, Reynolds apologized to voters that more wasn't done to stop Foley's contacts with teenagers.

And an unnamed U.S. soldier in Iraq talked to the FBI about Foley. Turns out he served as a page on Capitol Hill. The scandal is infuriating religious conservatives. But will they express that anger with their vote 30 days from now? CNN's Mary Snow gauging the backlash. She joins us live from Norfolk, Virginia. What are they telling you, Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is really considered the northern tip of the Bible belt. Neighboring Virginia Beach is home to Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, also a strong military community. Norfolk naval base is nearby. These are two voting blocks, traditionally Republican. Although Christian conservatives are telling us today is that overall they are feeling uneasy about Republicans. Still, the big question mark is, will it show up at the voting polls?

Of course, they're saying the Mark Foley scandal did not help matters. And we're seeing a very tight race here in the second district between incumbent Thelma Drake, the U.S. congresswoman. She is in a very tight race for reelection. And just this week, we saw her Democratic challenger, Phil Kellam, rerunning ads about protecting children from sexual content on the Internet. This ad, big question, is the impact of the Foley scandal on other elections? Both candidates here have very different views on whether or not it will impact the results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. THELMA DRAKE (R) VIRGINIA: Certainly, because Mark Foley did something wrong doesn't mean that Thelma Drake had anything to do with that. I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother and I absolutely believe anyone that had that information and did not act immediately to protect our children is wrong and needs to be dealt with.

PHIL KELLAM (D) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: It's already having a tremendous impact. I think that people throughout the second district and certainly people that I talk to at work, church, around the community, are concerned about this. They're concerned about this culture of corruption in Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Clearly conservative Christians we spoke with today say they're undecided about how they'll vote in November. What is worrying Republicans, say strategists, is that Christian conservatives may sit out this race as a way to send a message. And that is a source of worry for a number of candidates, they say. Carol?

LIN: Thanks very much, Mary. The Foley fallout, just about everybody seems to be talking about it. Our Bill Schneider checks the political pulse of the Republican base.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republicans are afraid their base could abandon them, just as it did in the Watergate mid-term of 1974.

PAUL WEYRICH, FREE CONGRESS FOUNDATION: Reagan's pollster Dick Worthlan (ph) coined the term, the embarrassed Republican vote. And he mentioned that because the Democrats won this huge landslide in 1974 only the vote for them was the same as it was four years earlier in 1970, the difference being the extraordinary drop-off of Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: This year, conservatives are not just embarrassed. Many of them are angry over government spending and a big new prescription drug program and the failure to win a decisive victory in Iraq.

RICHARD VIGUERIE, REPUBLICAN POLITICAL CONSULTANT: It certainly appears to be like the final nail in the coffin. For six years, conservatives have gotten basically lip service from this administration. They've been used and abused.

SCHNEIDER: Republicans are totally dependent on the conservative vote. Here's why. CNN's polls show liberals voting solidly Democratic. Republicans have lost the middle. Moderates favor Democrats by nearly two to one. More than 60 percent of conservatives still plan to vote Republican, but nearly a third of them say they'll support the Democrat. And if conservatives are embarrassed by the congressional scandals, a lot of them could stay home, just as they did after Watergate. The White House hopes they'll put the scandal aside.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Come Election Day, the question is whether people are going to be voting on the basis of disgusting IMs between a grown man and a young man or something that's probably more important to everybody, which is safety, security and prosperity.

SCHNEIDER: Don't know yet. But experts say a lot of new races could be in play that were not in play a week ago.

STUART ROTHENBERG, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: And I think the biggest question is, could there be a whole set of seats that we haven't been looking at? That, because the focus is on Republicans and missteps and misdeeds suddenly come into play in the next few weeks. I think it's likely that there are races that, right now, we can't even identify.

SCHNEIDER: That rumbling noise you hear may be the political landscape shifting. And those people running for cover? They're Republicans. Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CNN senior political analyst, William Schneider, part of the best political team on television.

Into the fold, Islam is getting a lot of coverage these days. Just ahead, we're going to follow the stories of women who decided to join the faith, American women.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Big story in the weather is all that rain, the flooding in Virginia and the surrounding areas. Rob Marciano at the CNN weather center. Hey there Rob. Good to see you on this Sunday.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Nice to be with you, Carol. You're right about the rains in Virginia. They have stopped. Some rivers are still swollen, so there are flood watches and flood warnings out for a few rivers in eastern parts of Virginia. The rain itself has drifted down to the south. We're looking at North and South Carolina. That storm actually down to the south, the center of it right about here. And it's spiraling in these rain bands into, especially right around the North Carolina, South Carolina border, Myrtle Beach over towards Wilmington and Masonborough (ph). Some of these rains have been pretty heavy throughout the afternoon and evening and we could see another inch or two in places like Columbia and eastward tonight and tomorrow. This looks like it wants to kind of stick around for the next day, day and a half.

We're clear from Boston to Memphis, but rain showers now firing up across the spine of the Rocky Mountains. That is a developing storm system which will be affecting a lot of people in the days to come. There's a boundary between some warm and cool air, some colder air is cooling up through Canada. You're kind of starting to see some of that effect in Billings, 48 degrees right now, 59 degrees in Minneapolis and then this warm tongue of air coming up into Chicago, Kansas City, where it's pretty nice.

But the cool air being pulled down by that area of low pressure in Chicago or D.C. and Atlanta, temperatures just barely to 70 degrees. Here's our storm system tomorrow. There's that cooler air coming into the northern tier and ten through the great lakes as we go on through time. Could see a couple of showers or storms down across Florida. Temperatures there will be in the upper 80s to near 90s. Still cool across the northeast, but it will be pretty pleasant, temperatures right around 70 and pleasant weather tomorrow in St. Louis, pretty pleasant weather tonight in St. Louis. For the big game there against the Padres as well. Carol, temperatures at game time, right around 60 degrees with clear skies.

LIN: Very nice. Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: OK.

LIN: Now in the U.S., there are about six million Muslims. And a quarter of them are converts. But it is not always a popular decision. So, why do they do it? CNN's faith and values correspondent Delia Gallagher reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alison Pool says this phrase three times in Arabic, then in English.

ALLISON EL-GAMAL, MUSLIM CONVERT: My God and I bear witness that Mohammed is the messenger of God.

GALLAGHER: Her conversion ceremony is complete. She's now a Muslim. Moments later, she'll marry Sammy and become Allison el- Gamal. But Allison, who was raised a southern Baptist in North Carolina, says faith, not marriage, made her want to become a Muslim.

EL-GAMAL: I think for a long time I've been looking for something. There's been like a piece missing, always one little thing that maybe wasn't right.

GALLAGHER: At a ceremony marking the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, she explained why Islam appeals to her.

EL-GAMAL: I think because it's much more about peace and praying five times a day. It's kind of hard to go out and say bad things or do bad things when you're praying five times a day.

GALLAGHER: The imam who married Allison said he's seen more American converts recently, in part because of the prominence of Islam in the news.

FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, IMAM: It may sound paradoxical, but what happens that when something comes more in the news, people tend to want to know about it. GALLAGHER: Allison says she was already on a spiritual quest when she began to hear a lot about Islam post 9/11. Barbara Cartabuke, another recent Muslim convert says 9/11 also played a part in her conversion.

BARBARA CARTABUKE, MUSLIM CONVERT: After 9/11, I thought this is the time when people really have to start looking for real answers, to get away from everybody fighting back and war. You have to start looking towards God.

GALLAGHER: Barbara says through Islam, she found a one-on-one relationship with God she was unable to find as a Roman Catholic.

CARTABUKE: I always felt when you go to church you're praying to Jesus or you're doing Hail Mary's. Where's God?

GALLAGHER: She says her family has been mostly supportive of her conversion. Allison says her family is completely behind her decision, but occasionally, she's reminded that not everyone is.

EL-GAMAL: I was walking around down near the World Trade Center, and this woman walked by and she said, I want to just go bomb those Muslim bastards. And I heard her say it and it really struck me. Because I was like, you know what, that's me. This is something that's brought me peace that I've never known and it's still so misunderstood.

GALLAGHER: It's a choice she's proud of and says she'll keep for life. Delia Gallagher, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Angela Collins is principle of the al Rega (ph) Academy and Islamic school in Orange County, California. She converted to Islam in 2001 and she joins us now from Los Angeles. Talk about timing, Angela. You told your family of your conversion on Christmas Day, 2001?

ANGELA COLLINS, MUSLIM CONVERT: That's right, Carol. It was pretty bad timing but it came up in conversation at that time.

LIN: All right, just a few months after 9/11. Did 9/11 play a part in your decision?

COLLINS: Interestingly enough, it did, because I had learned about Islam through Muslims traveling and making them as friends here in America, but when 9/11 happened, as was said before, it was in the news and everybody was asking. So, at this event, I had to learn more about it and ultimately read the Koran. It served as a catalyst. 9/11 was the catalyst for me to actually declare Islam as my own religion, which I didn't do before that.

LIN: What was your family's reaction, especially in the wake of 9/11?

COLLINS: In the wake of it, not good. They very much blamed Muslims, as most Americans did, although we're looking at a very small fraction of maybe three percent of Muslims are supportive of those attacks.

LIN: What is it about Islam that attracted you to that faith?

COLLINS: I was searching for the truth. It described God as a just God and very fair on the part of no matter who you are or what family you're born into or even what religion you follow, you will be judged according to your actions, according to your deeds and according to your knowledge. I believe that that's fair and that's how Islam describes our fate.

LIN: You must get this question a lot. How do you explain the actions of these radical Muslims that we see attacking and waging war, crashing planes into the World Trade Center, still targeting Americans?

COLLINS: It's political. They're using the religion as a catalyst to group other people who are passionate about God and when they preach, they work on that passion and those emotions and they recruit people in this way. They're also most often very desperate. They're living in severe conditions, not having as many things as we Americans have. It's all political and it's a way of getting people to support their actions.

LIN: So, do you condemn them and their actions?

COLLINS: Absolutely. It's totally against Islam. It's so clear in the holy Koran that describes what are the rules of engagement in war and they violated every single one of them.

LIN: I'm wondering, Islam -- perhaps there is a perception that women are actually oppressed in that religion. When I go to Islamic countries, you often don't even see women on the street. You, as American born with all the rights and the history of the feminist movement behind you, how does that draw you? Are you, you know, pushed down? Are you having less opportunities as a woman in an Islamic culture?

COLLINS: It's interesting that you ask that, because I considered myself a feminist before I came to Islam. Actually, everything I was taught about what Islam teaches is against women. When you actually read the Koran it's exact opposite. It's the very first social system that gave women rights to their own property, to their own financial sustenance, to work, to vote, so forth. It was absolutely beautiful when I read the truth of it. It's not necessarily practiced in, quote, unquote, Islamic countries. I don't consider them Islamic if they're not following what the Koran teaches. It's sort of a misperception, mainly cultural infusions on part of a sort of misogynistic society sometimes. But it's not what Islamic teaches and that's why you'll see a lot of American women who come to Islam because we are so independent and because we expect our rights and then you find it in this religion that protects it. So, we fight for it. This is our religion.

LIN: All right, Angela Collins, good to have you and it's so remarkable to see your blue eyes and your alabaster skin and celebrating and embracing Islam. Congratulations.

COLLINS: Thank you so much. Thank you, Carol.

LIN: You're welcome.

Next, a child who is pushing the limits and winning everyone's heart. You won't believe his amazing story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Finally, a little love can go a long way. Just ask Kris Phillips. Doctors said he would never walk much less run. Now, just watch as he dashes into your heart with his amazing story of perseverance and faith from CNN affiliate WBIR, here's Russell Nivens (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSSELL NIVENS, WBIR: A Tuesday evening sports event in west Knoxville. Hundreds of middle school cross country runners are hoping to make a name for themselves. But on this day, only one takes the spotlight. When Kris Phillips was born, doctors said he would never walk. The family took that as a challenge. And at six years of age, little Kris had rods placed in his back, a few years later, another surgery. This time, to fix a problem that caused Chris to stop breathing.

The Carnes (ph) middle school is one of several competing in this event in Knoxville and it seems every race the crowds get bigger and bigger. While the parents are first and foremost cheering their own children on, there also there for a sight that's almost too much to take in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gives me chill bumps.

NIVENS: The runners cross the finish line, then quickly get a spot to witness what sports are really all about. In the middle of this entourage of runners who have already finished is that little boy who doctors said would never walk. Kris Phillips, just four feet, 50 pounds, with teammates by his side. He's in last place, yet first in the hearts of everyone looking on. At the finish line, something much better than any trophy or blue ribbon could provide, Kris' mother, Deb. When you're real, real tired and that kind of thing, what keeps you inspired to keep moving?

KRIS PHILLIPS, CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER: Cause my mom's there.

DEB PHILLIPS, MOTHER: Just to see him finish, I mean, it's just amazing, because this course is huge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's the best runner on the team, because he has the most heart of all of us. He could probably just inspire anybody that he talks to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care if you're a mom, a dad, whatever. You cry. It's just the most incredible scene. It's just heartwarming.

NIVENS: In the race of life, it's not always having the fastest feet that matters, but the biggest heart. For people out there who are going through some hard stuff, what would you tell them?

K. PHILLIPS: To keep on going, if there's ever bad, there's always going to be a good side.

NIVENS: And sometimes the heart of a champion is shared and strengthened by the runner, his teammates and his competition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Amazing story.

Coming up at 7:00 Eastern, I'm going to talk to the mom and the young runner that you just saw in that piece. At then at 10:00 pm Eastern, an exclusive interview with a general who used to be in Iraq. What would he do now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Another former page is talking. A former aide prepares to testify. The ripple effect from the Foley scandal. Will it force a changing of the guard?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got a kid that come in the front doors of the high school with a gun. He's got something in...

LIN: Plus, dramatic 911 tapes from a high school shooting in Wisconsin.

And one year after a powerful earthquake,

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