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CNN Sunday Morning
Congressman Reynolds Apologizes; Clashes in Iraq
Aired October 08, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM REYNOLDS, (R-NY): Looking back, more should have been done, and for that, I am sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, an extraordinary apology from Republican Tom Reynolds, of New York, over his handling of the Mark Foley scandal. It is a sign more GOP leaders are feeling the heat over the Foley matter with 30 days before the midterm elections. We'll have more on this developing story, just ahead.
Also new developments in North Korea's threat to conduct a nuclear weapons test. Japan's new prime minister is in China to discuss it. And North Korea is accusing the U.S. of preparing a war of aggression, by reorganizing its forces in South Korea.
Bloodshed in Iraq. The U.S. military says 30 insurgents were killed today in clash with U.S. and Iraqi troops. It happened in the mostly Shiite city of Diwaniya. Two American soldiers were killed in other attacks across Iraq this weekend.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Freak storms sends dozens of people packing in south Florida. Heavy rains collapsed the roof of an apartment building in Apopka, just outside Orlando. Nobody injured there, but about 75 folks had to find a new roof -- over their heads. Send it over to Reynolds Wolf now. A quick check of the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 9:15 Eastern.
From the CNN Center this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is Sunday, October the 8th, 9 a.m. here in Atlanta, 6 a.m. on the West Coast.
Hello there, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Second day here. How's it feeling? Pretty good?
HOLMES: Got my name right today. It's all good.
(LAUGHTER) NGUYEN: You're always going get your name right, T.J.
Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us.
Congressional midterm elections are just 30 days away and Republicans are growing more nervous by the day. Negative fallout has made some unexpectedly vulnerable to their Democratic challengers. Representative Tom Reynolds has publicly apologized to his constituents for not pursuing the matter more aggressively until it was too late.
The short-sightedness could haunt the GOP next month. They only need to lose 15 seats for the Democrats to regain control of the House. A loss of six GOP seats in the Senate would shift control of the Senate to the Democrats. CNN Brianna Keilar has the latest from Washington.
Good morning.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Betty, good morning, to you.
Congressman Tom Reynolds, of New York, is one of a number of Republicans under fire in the wake of the Foley scandal. The head of GOP reelection efforts, Reynolds is now struggling for his political life.
Last week he appeared to be headed for a victory in his re- election bid and now analysts have re-categorized his race as a toss- up. Reynolds says he raised concerns about reports about odd, but not explicit e-mails between Foley and pages, but insists he knew nothing about the sexually graphic instant messages that came to light in late September. This weekend, Reynolds has taken his appeal straight to the voters in his Buffalo area district with a television ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS: Last week we all learned of other e-mails, worse than anything I had heard before. I immediately forced Foley to resign. Nobody's angrier and more disappointed than me that I didn't catch his lies. I trusted that others had investigated. Looking back, more should have been done, and for that I am sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Reynolds' predicament highlights the political vulnerability facing Republicans because of the Mark Foley scandal. Midterm elections, of course, are just four weeks away and will there be political repercussions? That's the big question here. Democrats say it could be the push they need, hoping it will impact conservative voter turnout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN RUDIN, NPR POLITICAL EDITOR: If they feel that the Republicans have lost their moral compass, they could very well stay home in November and if that's the case you can kiss the Republican majority in the House and Senate good-bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Several leading Republicans, including Newt Gingrich, are blaming Democrats for the timing of the leak that lead to this scandal, but Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says voters want to know why Republicans, allegedly, did not do more protect those pages -- Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Brianna Keilar. Thank you for that, Brianna.
T.J.
HOLMES: Reports out of Kentucky say Mark Foley contacted a former House page from that state in 2001. WHAS TV says the unidentified man is serving in Iraq and contacted the offices of Representative Ron Lewis days ago by satellite phone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. RON LEWIS, (R-KY): To let us know that he had been approached by Mark Foley in 2001, and that he is speaking to the proper authorities, to a JAG officer, who then will pass that on evidently to the FBI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And the "Louisville Courier Journal" reports the soldier has been subpoenaed to testify about messages he allegedly received from the former congressman. CNN is working now to confirm both reports and we'll bring you more information as we get it throughout the day.>
NGUYEN: Tom Reynolds is not the only Republican leader feeling the heat because of Foley. A new poll by "Newsweek" magazine finds that most of those surveyed, 43 percent, think House Speaker Dennis Hastert should resign his post. The poll also found, more than half believe Hastert knew about Foley's behavior early on, but covered it up.
HOLMES: Move to California, now, where sharp words, blunt differences in the race for governor. The current office holder, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger squared off with his Democratic challenger. Not a big surprise here. State Treasurer Phil Angelides offered a very different bottom line on the governor's last four years in office. CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Sacramento with more for us now.
So, we're used to seeing Schwarzenegger beat up on people in the movies, was Angelides willing to be beat up on that debate last night?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Not so much, T.J., Angelides really gave as good as he got last night.
Arnold Schwarzenegger really tried to paint him as a traditional tax and spend Democrat, saying that he would raise taxes and he hammered that point home over and over again.
Angelides, on the other hand, really tried to attack the governor on the issue of cutting spending for education and he kept bringing up the name of George W. Bush. Kept bringing up President Bush really trying to draw a link in voter's minds between the president, who is fairly unpopular here in California, and the governor.
It's interesting because some congressional candidates have tried to do that, tried to link local candidates to the president and his agenda, but in this case, you've got a governor's race actually trying to do the same thing.
HOLMES: Voters this, is your only chance. These two will not be getting together, and they had a little -- well, not much fun -- but still a couple of mentions last night, because this is the only time these two are going to get together like this.
LAWRENCE: Exactly. It was testy at times. The format of the debate allowed them to challenge each other's responses. They interrupted each other. They challenged what the other was saying. At one point the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, challenged Angelides to just stand up and tell voters that he loves to raise taxes. Go ahead, sir, tell them that you love to do that. Of course, Angelides didn't say that and wouldn't admit to that.
And he called the governor out several times on some of the governor's proposals and some of his descriptions of what the governor has done in terms of education. Angelides directly challenged him at times. And so the format of the debate really gave the two an opportunity to really kind of get into the mix, and really mix it up a little bit.
HOLMES: These things often -- debates are often about who won the style points, and who was more about substance. What are people saying around there? Who won this thing both on style and substance?
LAWRENCE: It's really hard to pick a winner, so to speak, because the two came in with vastly different expectations. The governor is enjoying somewhere in the range of a 13-point lead in the polls. So all he really had to do was come in and not make any major mistakes, and he didn't. Most people here know Arnold Schwarzenegger. They've already formed their opinion of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Phil Angelides, even though he's been state treasurer since 1998, he is much more of an unknown quantity here in California. For him, it was an opportunity to talk about his wife and his children, the story of being the son of immigrants, and really to try to introduce himself to voters, even at this late day.
HOLMES: All right, Chris, once again. Appreciate you getting up early on the West Coast and giving us some insights on that debate last night. CNN's Chris Lawrence, for the best political team from television.
Of course, we want to hear from you. What's your number one campaign issue and why? E-mail us your thoughts. Our address is weekends@cnn.com. NGUYEN: We want to talk about some more Foley fallout.
HOLMES: Yes, now front and center, in a Minnesota congressional race, ahead candidates Patty Wetterling and Michele Bachmann join us live.
NGUYEN: Plus early detection, the best way to protect women from breast cancer, but mammograms may not spot a new deadly, aggressive form of the disease. Crucial information every woman needs to know that is in 30 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Now in the News": New developments in North Korea's threat to conduct the nuclear weapons test. Japan's new prime minister is in China discussing the North Korean threat. North Korea is accusing the U.S. now of preparing a war of aggression by reorganizing its forces in South Korea.
It's been a violent weekend all across Iraq. The U.S. military says 30 insurgents were killed in fighting with Iraqi forces in the mostly Shiite city of Diwaniya today. Two American soldiers were killed in other attacks across Iraq this weekend.
NGUYEN: Pakistan remembers its worst ever disaster. One year ago today, an earthquake leveled most of the northwest province and also Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. About 73,000 people died and 3 million were left homeless. Here's a look at that damage. Many survivors are just outraged by the slow pace of reconstruction.
The man who killed five young girls in an Amish schoolhouse has been buried and dozens of Amish attended the funeral along with the gunman's wife, and three children. Five girls were also injured in that shooting. One is still in grave condition.
We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 9:30 Eastern.
In Richmond, Virginia's Battery Park neighborhood, a record rainfall twice in one month. That is simply too much. Look at this! A city spokesman says it will likely be a year to 18 months before repairs are completed. Are you serious? Let's get to Reynolds Wolf with a look at this.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Time for some other stories "Across America." A ceremonial canon explodes at a high school in Washington State. The canon is used to mark the start of home games and to celebrate touchdowns. You've see this at some schools. Five student were slightly hurt, one hospitalized, as a precaution. Officials, however, do say this could have been a whole lot worse.
NGUYEN: I'd say so. HOLMES: We have an out of this world event at Christie's auction house in New York to tell you about. A three-day sale of "Star Trek" memorabilia beamed up over $7 million. And a replica of the "Starship Enterprise D" -- I'm told, that's what it is --
NGUYEN: That's the version.
HOLMES: "Starship Enterprise D" used in "Star Trek: The Next Generation", sold for $576,000.
NGUYEN: Oh, man! Those Trekkies, don't mess around, do they?
HOLMES: They don't play. I think it's an anonymous person, as well. Don't want anybody to know he dropped all of that cash.
NGUYEN: Beam me up.
HOLMES: Check this video out. Because you don't see this often, in Detroit. Ain't seen in a long time. After they shook hands, good game, guys, blah-blah. A whole lot of champagne popping and high- fiving in Motor City. Good reason. Detroit Tigers eliminated the Yankees in the playoffs last night! They are on their way to AL Championship Series for the first time since 1987. Congratulations, Detroit!
NGUYEN: Well, on a serious note, mammograms and monthly self- exams they all help detect breast cancer, but another aggressive form is so hard to spot. In about 20 minutes, specific signs and symptoms to look out for that could actually save your life. You don't want to miss this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The Foley scandal has already become an issue in at least one congressional race. Patty Wetterling is going up against Michele Bachmann for the 6th Congressional District in Minnesota. They're both joining us this morning.
Both of you, thank you so much for being here.
Course, this, your race has gotten a lot of attention because of a campaign ad that Miss Wetterling is using on the air. We'll play part of that ad, that's getting a lot of attention and then we'll chat about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNONCEMENT: It shocks the conscience. Congressional leaders have admitted covering up the predatory behavior of a congressman who used the Internet to molest children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right, Miss Wetterling. That part is getting a lot of attention. So, I'll give you a chance to clear all of that up. And please, can you name for us the congressional leaders who have admitted that they covered this thing up?
PATTY WETTERLING, (D), MINN CONG. CANDIDATE: Well, what I read was that people were told, and they swept it under the rug. The rug is the cover help up. That to me is the reality. When you know something -- I can tell you about child sexual abuse, they're counting on silence. That's the reality.
If people don't talk, then it allows it to continue. And from everything I read those pages were told stay away from Congressman Foley. That means people knew he was doing inappropriate things. So --
HOLMES: But is there an actual leader who came out and publicly admitted, I intentionally covered this up, when I knew about it?
WETTERLING: Of course not. Of course, not.
HOLMES: So why use that in a campaign ad? Is it a bit misleading?
WETTERLING: I don't think it's misleading, when you are told information and you do nothing. That is an attempt to not get that information out there. If this happened in a school or in a church, the principal would be fired, the church leaders would be fired. If they did nothing and a year passed, and the community found out these people would be held accountable for that. And I believe people knew and they did nothing.
HOLMES: The other issue, in that sentence, is at the end the congressman who used the Internet to molest children. Do you think he molested children, or have some evidence of that?
WETTERLING: It's unwanted sexual -- approaching. He was approaching these children in a sexual way, and is by definition, molesting.
HOLMES: All right, well, Miss Bachmann, I'll give you a chance. What do you think about that ad?
STATE SEN. MICHELE BACHMANN, (R-MN) CONG. CANDIDATE: Well, what's really appalling here is that the ad is not based on any truthfulness and unfortunately, this is a pattern that we've seen from Patty Wetterling's ads. As a matter of fact, this week, her campaign even admitted they had no source for this ad. And yet they've continued to leave this ad up on the air. It's really shocking.
HOLMES: Do you admit, though, that certainly some Republican colleagues, at least some of your party folks, didn't handle this think too well and there was some wrongdoing?
BACHMANN: Well, I'm a mom of five children and also 23 foster children, and I think this sort of behavior from Congressman Foley is absolutely flat-out wrong. The sad thing is that both Democrats and Republicans, historically, have had this happen with members of Congress. And it's shocking that this has happened in the past. I just hope it never happens again. HOLMES: Miss Wetterling, is this a calculated move here, you kind of decided to maybe not so much just run strictly against Miss Bachmann, but you're running again this Republican Congress and this Republican leadership?
WETTERLING: Actually, I'm wanting the United States Congress to be held accountable. This has been my work for 17 years. My son was kidnapped October 22, it will be 17 years. I know an awful lot about sexual abuse and the appropriate investigation of it. It wasn't done here. This is something the entire nation is watching how we handle this, so it will affect every child, every family, every institution in the nation. We've got to get it right.
HOLMES: Miss Bachmann, if you ran the ad or not, do you still think this Foley issue is certainly something that will hurt you? I read some places where certainly the polls kind of took a turn for the worse for you, at least, once this whole scandal hit?
BACHMANN: Actually, I think the American people are tired of indecency and they're crying out for traditional values. I've been a strong advocate for traditional values in the state of Minnesota. What we found after Patty Wetterling started running her ads, overnight our online contributions to Michele Bachmann for Congress website increased tenfold. We had 2600 hits. People were angry that Patty Wetterling is running a false ad and that she has no source for her information.
HOLMES: Final thing, and very quickly, just yes or no. Do both of you think, or either of you think, that Speaker Hastert should resign? Miss Wetterling?
WETTERLING: Yes, I believe this investigation will follow that, But, yes, I do believe he had information.
HOLMES: Miss Bachmann, I think that standards should apply equally to Democrats, Republicans and members of the media. People knew about this information and failed to act. The chips need to fall where they may.
HOLMES: Patty Wetterling and Michele Bachmann, of course, this is a race everybody's watching. We will continue to watch.
BACHMANN: Thanks, T.J.
HOLMES: We'll see you again.
WETTERLING: Thank you.
BACHMANN: Thank you so much.
HARRIS: Please, you all remember to stay up-to-date with the CNN political ticker. The daily news service on CNN.com gives you an inside view of the day's political stories. See for yourself at cnn.com/ticker.
NGUYEN: Meantime, violence and fierce fighting continue in Iraq. What makes a winning strategy? Coming up, Major General Don Shepperd on how to move forward with the war.
HOLMES: But, first, Brenda Bernard, "Going Global" for us again, this morning -- Brenda.
BRENDA BERNARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR: Yes, somber remembrances in Pakistan today. The country marks one year since a powerful earthquake struck, killing more than 70,000 people, and leaving millions more dead. Details ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: "Now in the News": No timeframe, but speculation persists that North Korea may soon conduct a nuclear weapons test. Today North Korea is accusing the U.S. of conducting a reorganization of its forces in South Korea -- preparations, North Korea says, is for a war of aggression.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM REYNOLDS, (R-NY): Nobody's angrier and more disappointed than me that I didn't catch his lies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: An extraordinary public apology from Republican Tom Reynolds, of New York over his handling of the Mark Foley scandal. It's a sign more GOP leaders are feeling the heat over the Foley battle, with just 30 days before the midterm elections.
The race for California governor, current officeholder Arnold Schwarzenegger squared off last night with his Democratic challenger. State Treasurer Phil Angelides is trailing Schwarzenegger in the polls. And the two sparred over taxes, the cost of higher education, and many other issues.
HOLMES: No word of injuries or damage after an earthquake rattled Washington's Mount Rainier. Last night's moderate earthquake was centered about seven miles east of the summit. It measured a magnitude of 4.5.
The calendar says autumn, I do believe, but it was more like a summer storm that ripped through part of central Florida overnight. It was kind of a freak storm that hit and dumped heavy rains outside Orlando and collapsed the roof of an apartment building in Apopka; about 75 residents had to pack up and sleep... * HOLMES: The calendar says autumn, I do believe, but it was a summer storm that ripped through part of Central Florida overnight. It was a freak storm that dumped heavy rains in Orlando and collapsed a roof of an apartment building Apopka. About 75 residents had to pack up and sleep somewhere else and no one, again, was injured.
Of course, we run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 9:45 Eastern. NGUYEN: It's been another deadly day in Iraq. Clashes between U.S. And Iraqi forces and insurgents raged overnight and into the morning in the mostly Shiite city of Diwaniya. The military says 30 insurgents were killed and a high-value target was captured.
Now to Kirkuk, a city-wide curfew imposed Friday his been lifted. The deputy police chief there says Iraqi security forces and U.S. forces have arrested 150 suspected insurgents. He says they confiscated hundreds of light weapons in a house-to-house search operation.
HOLMES: Unrelenting attacks, many agree the violence in Iraq is getting worse. So what now? What makes a wing strategy? We posed that question to our military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepperd.
General Shepperd spent almost 40 years in uniform before retiring he led the Air National Guard and he was responsible for more than 110,000 personnel, 1,400 aircraft and 88 flying units. Here's what General Shepherd had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAJ. GEN DON SHEPPERD (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: These are desperately difficult times in Iraq. We've all heard that, but we want to go from the big to the small and show you what's happening in Iraq right now, what U.S. and coalition forces are engaged in.
We're starting with the map of Iraq, itself. Let's zoom in on the provinces and take a look at the provinces themselves.
We've heard 14 of the 18 provinces are relatively secure, that's true, but there are four major problem areas: Anbar Province in the West, Salah Ad Din Province; Diyala and of course, Baghdad Province itself.
Now the whole idea, if we show a map of U.S. force around the area was that U.S. forces were going train Iraqi forces and then support them. The Iraqi forces were going support the police. The U.S. Force were going stand in the background. That was the whole idea. Let's zoom in, though, because it's now centering on Baghdad.
We've heard the big "b" word, the battle of Baghdad. Let's go into Baghdad and take a look at what's actually happening in Baghdad itself. In Baghdad, you have U.S. forces dispersed into what we call FOBs or Forward Operating Bases. Basically, you have Camp Liberty at the airport, you've got U.S. forces in the Green Zone, you've got helicopter support from places such as Taji in the North and then these Forward Operating Bases that forces deploy out to these and they go to support the Iraqi forces. That's the basic idea of what's happening in Baghdad.
Now we have neighborhoods in Baghdad to show you the complexity of what these force are dealing with. Sadr City right here, this is a Shia area, this is the site of the Mehdi Army of Muqtada al Sadr and right next to the Shia area you have Adhamiyah, which is a Sunni neighborhood -- basically right next to each other. Then you've got some mixed neighbors of Khadimiyah and Mansour, all of these areas have to be basically cleared and the whole strategy is basically clear, hold and build. Let's see how that's working as we zoom in on Sadr City and show you the difficulty of what all of these forces are dealing with in Sadr City.
Sadr City is northeast of part of Baghdad. It's on the Eastern banks of the Tigris River over there and it's an area of slums and what have you and it's an urban area. Now take a look at the difficulty of dealing with this type of area for the forces, whether you're military or whether you're police. You go in here and you've got thousands and thousand of houses. You've got some narrow streets, you've got intersections, each one of these is an opportunity for ambushes. All of these houses have to be cleared. The rooms in the houses have to be cleared and again, this is the site of al Sadr's Mehdi Army. It's a very, very difficult zone to operate in.
The whole idea was for the U.S. forces to stand in the background and support the Iraqi military and support the police. The police are not performing well. That means that U.S. forces are drawn back into the conflict. Let me show you what has to be done for us to get out of there.
To win we've got go head-to-head with these militias and take them on. We've got to clear Sadr City and after we clear Sadr City we have to continue to put pressure on the Iraqi forces to take on more of the load and to fight these militias.
These are really, really difficult times in Iraq. Things are not going well right now. This is more than a speed bump; it's a desperate battle for the security of Baghdad. Unless you can secure Baghdad, the capitol, you can not have success in Iraq.
The strategy of clear, hold and build, you can't build unless you can hold, you can't hold unless you can clear. That's what's going on in Baghdad and it's really, really tough.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And coming up tonight, CNN's Carol Lin will have an exclusive interview with General Mark Kimmitt, a former military spokesman in Iraq. He'll also provide some insight on ways to move forward in the war.
NGUYEN: You know the sound. Time now to go "Global" for a look at other international stories that we're following.
HOLMES: And that means Brenda Bernard is here and she has some details now in the killing of a Russian journalist -- Brenda.
BRENDA BERNARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, a shocking murder in Moscow. Tributes are pouring today following the execution-style killing of a journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, the 48- year-old mother of two was found dead in the elevator of her apartment building in Moscow. Police say it looked like the work of a professional contract killer. The award-winning journalist had powerful enemies, she was a prominent critic of the war in Chechnya and was finishing up a story about torture and abductions there when she was killed.
Also today, Pakistanis are remembering the country's worst natural disaster. President Pervez Musharraf led the memorial service marking the moment a 7.6 magnitude quake struck last year. It killed more than 70,000 people and injured some 100,000 others. The quake also left 3-1/2 million people homeless, many of them are still living in temporary shelters and another harsh winter is fast approaching -- T.J.
HOLMES: Brenda, thank you so much for that.
We move now -- we turn to a very serious topic for a lot of folks, very important month here, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
NGUYEN: And we do want to tell you about a new aggressive form of the disease, it's called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. You want to call a buddy, get out some pen and paper because this segment is coming your way, it's a very important one. It's in five minutes. Don't miss it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jim Buckmaster got his job at Craigslist when he posted his resume on the website. Hired as lead programmer, he went on to become the company's CEO in 2000.
JIM BUCKMASTER, CEO CRAIGSLIST, INC.: The most important thing for a leader as CEO is that they sincerely believe in what they're doing. They believe in it 100 percent and they'll give their all and that'll rub off on people around them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With more than 10 million hits to the website each month, Buckmaster believes the community of Craig's list comes first.
BUCKMASTER: It's pretty simple. It's to do the best we can by our users.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Welcome back. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for years we've been told about the benefits of early detection and how frequent check-ups and monthly self-exams can save lives.
Well, we want you to take a look at this and I want to warn you that some of the images that you are going see in this segment, they are graphic, but you're looking right now at an illustration of a new, deadly, rapidly-spreading form of the disease called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. And for more information, let's turn it over to the good doctor, Dr. Harold Burstein and an oncologist with the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute. And Jennee Bobbora, an Inflammatory Breast Cancer survivor.
Thank you both so much for being with us today to talk about this very, very important issues. Doctor, let me talk to you first. What exactly is IBC?
DR. HAROLD BURSTEIN, DANA-FARBER CANCER INST: Well, Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a biologically-aggressive form of breast cancer and it's different from other types of breast cancer because its presentation is often more subtle. Typically involve subtle changes in the breast such as redness or warmth or swelling of the breast and that's why it's called inflammatory or inflamed breast cancer.
NGUYEN: Yeah, we do have some pictures that we want to show again for those of you at home with children that you don't want to see this, please have them leave the room, but it's very important that we actually show you what we're talking about because this is a rapidly-spreading form of the disease and we want women to know how to spot it.
So, doctor, with these pictures, one of the symptoms is the fact that you will get an inverted nipple, not something you were born with, but the disease will cause that to occur, correct?
BURSTEIN: That's right, so Inflammatory Breast Cancer can cause a variety of changes in the breast. Typically, these the classic lump that you might see in something that we've educated patients to aware of and for breast self-exam, but sometimes subtler findings such as thickening of the breast, redness or swelling of the breast, the nipple changes that you described.
NGUYEN: Yeah, we have a picture right now.
BURSTEIN: And women should be aware that...
NGUYEN: ...where you can see the inverted nipple and you can see the rash underneath. And we've got a better picture of the rash a little bit later. Now, is this a rash, is this a bruise? What exactly is that?
BURSTEIN: This is actually redness in the breast caused because the humor cells are infiltrating through the upper layers of the skin causing redness and irritation. Now, many women will have these kinds of non-specific changes in their breast, but if these symptoms persist for several days then you often want to make sure you see a doctor to get evaluated. Sometimes this is thought to be an infection and patients are put on antibiotics for a short course. And again, if the antibiotics are not effective and if the symptoms persist then you want to make sure that you're evaluated by a breast specialist.
NGUYEN: And we've showed some of the symptoms. And Jenee, let me talk to you, because you actually had a lump, which is not really common with IBC.
JENEE BOBBORA, IBC SURVIVOR: That's right. Initially I had swelling and the redness and I also had some pain, and that's what initially drove me to the doctor, but then within a week I also did develop a lump.
NGUYEN: Within one week you developed a lump?
BOBBORA: Yes, a very large one.
NGUYEN: Well that's just proof that it spreads so rapidly. So, had you even heard of IBC before you went to the doctor with this?
BOBBORA: No. I had never heard of it and I considered myself an educated person on breast cancer, but I had never heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
NGUYEN: So, and I understand you even had a hard time getting a mammogram because you were just 32 years old when you noticed it and most doctors won't perform one until what, you're 40?
BOBBORA: That's right. That's what I was told. I was too young.
NGUYEN: So, what kind of treatment did you undergo?
BOBBORA: Started with chemotherapy. I did six months of chemotherapy up front and I had great response to that, I was very lucky and then I had a double mastectomy and then I followed that up with twice a day radiation and now I take a drug called Tamoxifen.
NGUYEN: And Dr. Burstein, let me ask you this because she was talking about chemo and the treatments that Jenee went under, but normally, is that the typical form of trying to treat this or are there some new treatments on the horizon that offer better hope?
BURSTEIN: Well, the best way to take care of patients with Inflammatory Breast Cancer is just as you heard, by having medical oncologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists all working together as a team. Usually we start with chemotherapy to induce a response within the breast, to make the tumor shrink down and to facilitate surgery down the road.
After the surgery, which is usually mastectomy, patients would get radiation therapy to the chest area and frequently we add in medicines like Tamoxifen if the tumor is estrogen receptor positive and more recently we are adding new medicines like Trastuzumab, also called Herceptin if the tumor is so-called HER2 positive and in half of all cases of Inflammatory Breast Cancer are also so-called HER2 positive.
NGUYEN: Well here is what is so frightening. One, that it's really hard to spot the symptom. If you see a rash or something like that you may not think it's anything major, just like Jenee. She didn't think it was anything major at first, until it rapidly grew into something much more, and luckily she got to the doctor in time. But since it is so rapidly growing and more aggressive, why don't more people know about it?
BURSTEIN: Well, fortunately, it isn't that common. Only about four or five percent of all cases of breast cancer in the U.S. would be Inflammatory Breast Cancer, so for that we're grateful. The second is that we've done a very good job of educating women to do breast self-exams and to get mammography.
But Inflammatory Breast Cancer, as you just heard, often affects younger patients who may not yet be candidates for mammogram and because the physical exam changes, the redness, the soreness, the swelling, those are fairly subtle and fairly common findings in women and so you have to use common sense to determine whether you need to be evaluated further or not.
Hopefully programs like this and experiences as you just heard about will let more people know about the point of this disease so that if they have symptoms that are concerning they get prompt evaluation.
NGUYEN: It is all about awareness. Dr. Burstein and Jennee Bobbora, thank you so much for coming on and talking about it so that more people will know what to look for because, again, it is a deadly, deadly disease. Thank you.
BOBBORA: Thank you.
BURSTEIN: Thank you very much.
NGUYEN: And for information -- sure -- you can log on to ibcresearch.org or you can call the American Cancer Society's National Center Information Center. Here's the number, it's on your screen right now: 1-800-acs-2345.
HOLMES: Actress Farrah Fawcett was recently diagnosed with cancer. "Associated Press" reports Fawcett is maintaining a positive attitude and expects to recover completely. Her publicist did not reveal what kind of cancer except that it involves a fast-growing tumor. The 59-year-old actress said in a statement, "I am determined to bite the bullet and fight the fight while going through the next six weeks of cutting edge, state-of-the-art treatment, I should be able to return to my life as it was before."
NGUYEN: In Minnesota you can enjoy the euphoria of shopping and know that you did it for a good cause. The American Cancer Society is hosting its World's Largest Garage Sale through Wednesday in Brooklyn Center. More than 30 department stores have new and used merchandise on two floors and proceeds, well, they are used to benefit cancer cure research.
HOLMES: Bloodshed in Iraq. The U.S. military says 30 insurgents were killed today in clashes with U.S. and Iraqi troops. It happened in the mostly Shiite city of Diwaniya. Two American soldiers were killed in other attacks across Iraq this weekend.
The boycott continues. That's the word this morning from Saddam Hussein's chief lawyer. He says the defense team will continue to boycott the former Iraqi leader's trial when it resumes tomorrow. Hussein and six others are on trial for genocide.
New developments in North Korea's threat to conduct the nuclear weapons test. Japan's new prime minister is in China to discuss it. And North Korea is accusing the U.S. of preparing a war of aggression by reorganizing its forces in the south.
We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at the top of the hour.
NGUYEN: Elections, they are just 30 days away, folks. And we want to know what's important to you? What's on your mind as you head to the polls?
HOLMES: And you can tell us what's on your mind by sending us an e-mail. E-mail your No. 1 campaign issue to weekends@CNN.com, we'll read some of your responses after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES is coming up at top of the hour and Howard Kurtz has a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, we're at the George Washington University with a studio audience who's really grilling top journalists about the coverage of the capitol's latest sex scandal. Is that cover over the top or too raunchy or are journalists trying to unravel the conflicting accounts of how Speaker Dennis Hastert and his top lieutenants? And why is Hastert blaming ABC for breaking the story.
Plus, a look at why Iraq keeps fading in and out of the headlines and the coverage of Bob Woodward's on the war. All next on a special edition of "RELIABLE SOURCES."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And that is RELIABLE SOURCES coming up at 10:00 Eastern, followed by Wolf Blitzer and LATE EDITION at 11:00, plus THIS WEEK AT WAR, that's at 1:00 Eastern. So you'll want to stay tuned to CNN as we go in-depth into the stories of the day.
HOLMES: Well, no question you've seen a lot about former Congressman Foley, everybody, and the allegations of misconduct involving suggestive instant messages with a Congressional page. CNN.com taking an even closer look at that. Nicole Lapin here to tell us about.
Hi, I'm T.J. Our first time working on the air together.
NICOLE LAPIN, CNN.COM DESK: Hi, I'm Nicole. Pleasure to be here. I'm not the new girl anymore.
HOLMES: Yeah, I'm the new guy.
LAPIN: OK, well T.J. here, we have the four W's for you on CNN.com. We're going to start with the who, the where, the when and of course, everybody's still trying to figure out the why on all of this story, but here's a little more perspective for you. Let's start with the how.
How the Foley scandal happened in the first place. Well, here's a timeline starting a year ago when then, 16-year-old former page, forwarded e-mail he received from Foley to someone in the House. While in the messages Foley had asked him for a picture and what he wanted for his birthday.
Well, if you think the scandal is something new on Capitol Hill, well think again. We have a gallery profiling some of the other congressional scandals and when they happened over the last few decades and who they have happened to.
Well, in 1983 Massachusetts Democratic Representative Gerry Studds admitted having a sexual relationship with a male page and most recently in 1998 Louisiana Representative Bob Livingston admitted cheating on his wife and resigned from Congress because of that.
You fill feel incomplete? Well, CNN Pipeline is where you will find the stories filed by our many correspondents and CNN affiliates on the Foley scandal all week long. Go to CNN.com for the latest news and also there's an opportunity for you to give us your input and tell us what you think about it.
So, T.J., all at CNN.com.
HOLMES: I'm feeling more complete now.
LAPIN: Good.
HOLMES: Thank you.
NGUYEN: That didn't take too much.
Hey, speaking of input, all morning long we have been asking you for your thoughts on the e-mail question. What's your No. 1 campaign issue and why? And we go some really good ones. Colleen from Kansas City, she says, "The only issue is Iraq. I'm a single mom with one child, a son. In 2000 he joined the Marine Reserves. Bush's illegal war now has him in Iraq. Even though there are hundreds of issues, only Iraq matters to me."
HOLMES: Also But and Gladys Johnson out of Michigan saying, "The most important issue is illegal immigration. If this one issue was seriously addressed many others would be favorably impacted, the budget, healthcare costs, and national security, for example."
NGUYEN: And David Hatfield from Nashville, Tennessee writes, "The most important campaign issue is whether or not our representatives are going start representing the voters instead of corporations and their lobbyists. This dysfunctional system fosters a climate of greed and those getting the short end of the stick are the average American taxpayers."
Well, of course the issues that matter to you, you can take it to the polls, just 30 days away when Election Day is here and, of course, we'll be checking in with voters getting their pulse throughout the rest of the month.
HOLMES: Yes, we will. And we'll check in right now, though, with Reynolds Wolf. We've been talking about strange weather in Florida and you were mentioning some snow? So what's going on out there?
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right, thank you so much.
HOLMES: And of course, RELIABLE SOURCES is coming up next followed by LATE EDITION and THIS WEEK AT WAR, so please don't go anywhere.
NGUYEN: Yeah, don't do anywhere. And we'll have your top stories right after this short break. Have a great Sunday, everybody.
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