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Political Candidates Target Internet Predators; Changing Values For Religious Voters?; Janet Reno Speaks About Stem Cell Research
Aired October 30, 2006 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In any other country, a murder trial involving a former leader would have everyone's attention, but not in Iraq. Who has time for Saddam Hussein's past, when you're just trying to survive the present, amid violence that only seems to get worse?
CNN's Arwa Damon reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The familiar sound of grief carried through Sadr City Monday morning, as more Iraqis buried their loved ones. A bomb hidden in a plastic bag exploded on a crowd of day laborers. They had left their homes, looking for work. Now, over two dozen of them are in body bags.
Poorly-equipped and understaffed hospitals were crammed with scores of the wounded. The explosion bore all the hallmarks of a sectarian attack. This Shia district has a history of attacks for which Sunni extremist groups have taken credit -- this one, too, seemingly intended to deliberately provoke Iraq's majority Shia population.
Sadr City is a Mahdi militia stronghold, loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Many residents say it is the militia that keeps them safe. But, for nearly a week now, the militia has been less visible, as U.S. forces search the area for one of their soldiers kidnapped on Monday.
Residents here blame the American presence for this latest attack.
"The Americans did it," this resident says. "It is an ugly act. They did it when they came in here with their vehicles."
Violence here is so all-consuming that few Iraqis are paying attention to the trial of their former president, Saddam Hussein, back in court, facing charges of genocide in the Anfal trial. His chief attorney, Khalil Dulaimi, interrupted his boycott of the proceedings to read a list of 12 demands to the chief judge -- among them, a call for an investigation into allegations that one of the defendants, Hussein Rashid, was beaten after being physically removed from court three weeks ago.
And, as verdict day for the first trial, the Dujail case, approaches, Saddam and his chief defense attorney made public letters accusing the U.S. administration of manipulating the verdict, so that it is delivered on November 5, just two days before the U.S. midterm elections.
The U.S. says the court is under Iraqi control and denies any effort to manipulate the timetable.
Saddam Hussein could face the death penalty, if found guilty.
(on camera): And a grim milestone for U.S. forces: the military announcing the death of a Marine in Iraq's volatile Al Anbar Province. This is the 100th U.S. death here in October, making it the fourth deadliest month for American troops.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the military won't confirm it, but a U.S. missing soldier may have been snatched by visiting his Iraqi wife. Several Iraqis have stepped forward claiming to be his in-laws. They say the soldier, an Iraqi American, was forcibly taken by members of the Mahdi army militia. And, according to the family, the couple was married three months ago. U.S. troops are officially forbidden from marrying citizens of countries where they're fighting.
Well, rallying Republicans, it's President Bush's mission in Georgia and Texas today. And though voters won't cast their ballots until one week from tomorrow, Mr. Bush is already attending events billed as victory rallies. In Statesboro, Georgia, the president repeated his prediction that the GOP will stay in control of Congress after the election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will win this election because Republicans understand the values and priorities of the American people.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BUSH: We will win this election -- we will win this election because our priorities and our values do not shift with the latest political opinion poll or focus group.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, President Bush's next stop, Sugar Land, Texas, where he will campaign for the Republican candidate in Tom DeLay's old district.
PHILLIPS: Congressman Duncan Hunter, a familiar face in Washington and San Diego, but not many places in between. The California Republican wants to change that.
Even though he is expected to easily win reelection next week, Hunter says this campaign may well be his last for Congress. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA), HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: As I finish my final two years as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and serve you, I'm also going to be preparing to run for president of the United States in 2008.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Duncan Hunter may not be a household name, but his conservative take on a host of issues and his combat duty in Vietnam have won him a loyal following, both at home and on Capitol Hill.
Here's a look at his career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Duncan Hunter speaks from experience when he bluntly tells President Bush that many more Iraqi troops need to be deployed in the heat of battle.
Hunter was awarded a Bronze Star for duty as an Army paratrooper and Ranger in the Vietnam War. And Hunter's son served two tours of duty as a Marine in the Iraq war.
As for those demanding a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, Hunter minces no words: The troops must remain in Iraq until the government is really up and running, and the people are safe.
When it comes to bedrock conservative issues, Hunter is often leading the charge. As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he advocates a strong military. He denounced as irresponsible CNN's recent airing of a videotape showing insurgent snipers shooting at U.S. troops.
Hunter was a spearhead of the construction of a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border in San Diego. He also co-authored legislation signed by President Bush last week mandating the fencing of an additional 700 miles.
And he's a staunch fair trader, having voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Hunter's first congressional election victory came in 1980, when he was a 32-year-old criminal defense attorney. And he's represented San Diego's eastern suburbs ever since.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Talking tough on sexual predators -- candidates from both parties targeting parental voters in dozens of races.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: How many more of these criminals walk our streets now?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Across the country, candidates are trying to get votes by claiming that they're tough on Internet sex predators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have three daughters, and I want to protect them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As attorney general, I will create special training programs and task forces, so police can find Internet predators.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we will track them for life. There will be no place to hide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: So far this year, more than $38 million has been spent in 91 different races on ads that deal with sex predators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: Now, it's your turn to help protect our children. Vote Juan Vargas, Democrat for Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: It doesn't always work. This man lost his primary.
But experts say it's an issue that candidates from both sides love, because nobody's against protecting children, and the subject resonates with parents.
EVAN TRACEY, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICE, TNS MEDIA INTELLIGENCE/CMAG: Parents vote. After senior citizens, parents are the most reliable voting bloc. That's really the connection that candidates are going for. There's nobody out there that can say they have got a mile-long track record on this issue.
ROWLANDS: Except, possibly, Patty Wetterling, who is running for the open House seat in Minnesota's 6th District. Seventeen years ago, her son Jacob was abducted, and was never found. She's been a child safety advocate ever since.
While her son's disappearance was long before the Internet, Wetterling is using child safety as an issue in her campaign ads, including a controversial TV spot that aired after the Mark Foley scandal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: 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)
ROWLANDS (on camera): What's striking about most of these ads is that candidates can't really attack their opponents on this issue. Still, experts say they use it because it's an excellent way to connect with voters.
TRACEY: It's absolutely fair. The goal of political advertising, of all advertising, really, is to make an emotional connection with -- with the viewers. In this case, fear is the connection that candidates go for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the most important things I do is to help our police protect our kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Whether or not those connections turn into votes is unclear, but expect to see more ads like this up until the election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: With the Internet, you never really know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: With eight days to go to the midterm elections, stay up to date with the CNN Political Ticker. The daily service gives you an inside view of the day's political stories. See for yourself at CNN.com/ticker.
From the pulpit to the voting booth.
PHILLIPS: What are the priorities driving evangelical leaders and their followers this midterm election? A closer look at values voters Delia Gallagher with us ahead. LEMON: He is not on any ballot, but he is playing a big role this campaign season. We're talking about Michael J. Fox, actor, activist, and Parkinson's sufferer. Janet Reno knows what it's like to live with the disease. The former attorney general joins us live just a little bit later on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Family values, they helped propel George W. Bush into the White House. But, for some evangelicals, there are new values that are also taking priority.
CNN's faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bethel University attracts some of the most conservative evangelical students in the country.
ERIC SWARD, SOPHOMORE, BETHEL UNIVERSITY: You know, I was raised going to pro-life rallies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do believe in family values.
GALLAGHER: All students here sign a covenant.
(on camera): "We will abstain from use or possession of alcoholic beverages. We believe that sexual intercourse and other forms of intensely interpersonal sexuality activity are reserved for monogamous heterosexual marriages."
This is a tough moral standard.
EMILY HOLMES, JUNIOR, BETHEL UNIVERSITY: We stand by these, because we're a community.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): These kids were brought up on a diet of what evangelicals call family values, the staples of which are opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.
And, yet, here, on this deeply religious campus, these four students, two Republicans, a Democrat, and an undecided, say that, while those family values are important to them, they're not the only values they will vote on.
DAVID MILLER, SENIOR, BETHEL UNIVERSITY: The state of humanity, globally -- and that could encompass things like, you know, AIDS and poverty, things like that -- is -- is tremendously important right now to students. I would say domestic poverty, and -- and then family values on top of that.
Abortion is always going to be there. It's always going to be on our minds. But, right now, things like the war in Iraq are going on. And, so, we're really concerned -- you know, we're concerned about that.
GALLAGHER: The students aren't alone in shifting away the predominant emphasis on family values that has shaped the evangelical political voice in the last 30 years. Tonight, they are among 2,000 at this evangelical stronghold applauding Reverend Jim Wallis, one of the most liberal evangelical leaders.
REVEREND JIM WALLIS, PRESIDENT, CALL TO RENEWAL: We should uphold our values, but all our values. And I'm on record as saying, those who say there are only two moral values are mistaken.
When I find 2,000 verses in my Bible about poor people, I insist fighting poverty is a moral-values issue, too. So is protecting the environment. Here, they call it creation care.
GALLAGHER: Some conservative evangelical leaders are coming aboard, too.
Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelical is even featured in a new movie on global warming, once considered a liberal issue.
REVEREND RICHARD CIZIK, VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS: To deplete our resources, to harm this world by environmental degradation, is an offense against God.
GALLAGHER: And Cizik just signed an open letter to President Bush, urging him to do more to stop the genocide in Darfur.
It's a letter also signed by conservative leader Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention. Land says he has long been concerned about Darfur, the environment and poverty, but, he says, the fight against same-sex marriage and abortion should, and will, remain the issue among top value voters.
DR. RICHARD LAND, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: I care about people, but a poor child, if he gets born, or if she gets born, at least has some hope of escaping poverty. If he's killed before he's born, he doesn't have a chance to escape anything, because he's dead.
GALLAGHER: But will those values remain the priority for evangelicals just entering the political processed?
MILLER: There's a shift that's happening. I mean, I have seen it since I came here.
GALLAGHER: They're not embracing all of Jim Wallis' beliefs on the left, but they're not entirely aligned with the right either. So, candidates on both sides, hoping to win evangelical votes in the future, may have to reconsider their values.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So, Delia, could this affect elections next week?
GALLAGHER: Well, if you talk to Jim Wallis, he will tell you yes.
There's a -- he says there is going to be an immediate effect. Other conservatives say, no, this is going to be more of a subtle, long-term shift, which has to do with not abandoning the core values of opposition to abortion and opposition to same-sex marriage, but has to do with adding other values, such as we heard, about poverty, about AIDS, about global warming.
PHILLIPS: Could this cause division among evangelicals?
GALLAGHER: Well, it already has, because I think you have to appreciate how much those kind of issues, like global warming and certain issues of poverty, and AIDS were viewed, and are viewed, by some as liberal issues.
I mean, there are people who don't believe that global warming is something legitimate to be concerned about. And, so, this has caused division already in the Christian Coalition, for example. One of the groups in Alabama has already broken away from that.
And there have been lots of back-and-forth between the different conservative factions about whether or not other conservative evangelicals should be giving their political voice and their political time to those issues, when they feel that the abortion question and the same-sex-marriage issues are the ones that they should all be focused on.
PHILLIPS: Delia Gallagher, always appreciate your insight.
GALLAGHER: You're welcome.
LEMON: Riot police again battling demonstrators in France -- thousands of extra police were on duty in Paris and Marseille over the weekend. There were more than 40 arrests. And more than 200 cars were set on fire.
The most serious incident was in Marseille Saturday, the one-year anniversary of the riots across France. Demonstrators torched a bus, seriously burned a young woman who was on board. She remains in the hospital with burns over 60 percent of her body.
The Mexican tourist town of Oaxaca is trying to get back to normal, after months of demonstrations. Riot police rushed out demonstrators who had filled the streets there. Now, their protests were triggered by a five-month teachers strike and anger at the state's governor. Federal police moved in yesterday, going street to street, tearing down blockades, and pushing people out of the town square.
Demonstrators say they are not done, and plan to try taking back the center of the city.
PHILLIPS: Did one man's defiance get him and nearly 100 hundred others killed? Well, Nigeria's aviation minister says the pilot of a jetliner that crashed yesterday today ignored tower advice to wait for better weather. The crash killed a top Muslim leader and gave Nigeria's aviation sector yet another black eye.
CNN's Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange has more on the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard to imagine how people could have walked away from this.
The Boeing 737 burst into flames one minute after taking off from Nigeria's capital, Abuja, with 104 people on board. Only the plane's tail, an engine, and part of a wing were still recognizable at the crash site, littered with smoldering fires, boxes, and bags.
Emergency response teams arrived at the horrific scene, nearly 100 bodies, including the man regarded as a spiritual leader of Nigeria's 17 million Muslims, the sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido -- also among the wreckage of the shattered plane, the body of his son, a senator in the Nigerian national assembly.
There are still numerous questions surrounding this accident, like just how people could have survived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six of them are quite stable. One is critical. She's in the intensive care unit.
KOINANGE: One survivor said everything seemed routine before the ill-fated flight began its taxi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was terrible. I will tell you, it was terrible. What went wrong, I don't know.
KOINANGE: Nigeria's president, Olusegun Obasanjo, offered condolences to the families of the dead and ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the crash.
Nigeria's aviation has a notorious history of accidents, but the past year has been particularly tragic. Two crashes in as many months late last year led to more than 200 fatalities, including dozens of children. This latest crash has plunged Nigeria's religious community into six days of mourning for the sultan of Sokoto and has left the families of the nearly 100 victims asking why.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, he is not on any ballot, but he is playing a big role this campaign season, Michael J. Fox, actor, activist, and Parkinson's sufferer. Janet Reno knows what it's like to live with that disease. The former attorney general joins us live in just a little bit, right here on the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Oh, yeah, some places are safer than others.
PHILLIPS: And we have got the best and the worst on a couple of handy lists.
Based on FBI stats, the list by Morgan Quitno Press lists these cities as the safest, Brick, New Jersey, number one -- Amherst, New York; Mission Viejo, California; Newton, Massachusetts; and Troy, Michigan, also considered very safe.
Both World Series cities makes the dangerous list -- Saint Louis, number one in baseball and danger. It's followed by Detroit; Flint, Michigan; Compton, California; and Camden, New Jersey.
The cities are ranked by crime rate, giving more weight to more violent crimes.
LEMON: Yes. And if you were anywhere this weekend out, you know there was a frightening sight across all the cities, a lot of U.S. cities, this weekend.
And I understand, Susan Lisovicz, this leads up to a long, long holiday period, where we kind of learn how much people are going to be spending? Is that -- is that a good indicator?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Five billion dollars.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: From Halloween? But does -- how does Halloween play into all of that?
LISOVICZ: Well, this is what we're spending, nearly $5 billion, on Halloween costumes. It's up a huge amount just from last year, up...
LEMON: Before you -- before you...
LISOVICZ: ... up 34 percent.
LEMON: ... go into your thing...
LISOVICZ: Mmm-hmm.
LEMON: Before you go into your thing, did you see any Halloween costumes this weekend?
LISOVICZ: I saw a lot of men in tights and high heels.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: And a lot of...
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: ... crazy stuff. My favorite was a devil, someone dressed as a devil, and they had "Prada" across their T-shirt. Get it?
LISOVICZ: Oh, that's very timely. LEMON: "The Devil Wears Prada." That one was pretty good.
LISOVICZ: But, you know, you were in the Windy City.
LEMON: Yes.
LISOVICZ: I was in a literally windy city. We had a major windstorm in New York...
LEMON: Wow.
LISOVICZ: ... over the weekend.
It did not stop seemingly millions of people...
LEMON: Oh, my gosh.
LISOVICZ: ... from putting on -- adults, I might add -- from putting on their costumes. It was really cold, too. And a lot of them were waiting for cabs in these ridiculous -- waiting for cabs in these ridiculous costumes. It was great fun.
LEMON: But it means money for the economy.
LISOVICZ: Money, and one endless holiday. We're going straight from Halloween to Thanksgiving, to Christmas, New Year's. And no one likes it more than the retailers. That is for sure -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Susan.
Let's talk about these trans fats.
LISOVICZ: Mmm-hmm.
LEMON: KFC...
LISOVICZ: That's frightening.
LEMON: ... trying to ban...
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Well, KFC says it's going to take it out of their french fries, right? But, then, New York City is possibly banning them.
LISOVICZ: Yes. I mean, this has -- this has been subject -- a very sore subject for nutritionists for years. And this is great news for them -- KFC, one of the nation's biggest food retailers, saying it will phase out trans fats in most of its menu items.
The chain will switch to soybean oil in all of its U.S. restaurants by next April. Health experts say trans fats raise levels of artery-clogging and cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. And the Food and Drug Administration says the average American eats nearly five pounds of it every year. The change will apply to all of KFC's chicken items and potato wedges, but not to its biscuits, which the chain has not found an alternative for yet.
And, you know, biscuits are quite popular in the South, where you live now, Don.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: They are.
So, does it -- do they have -- one have anything to do with the other? Does it have anything to do with the debate in New York today?
LISOVICZ: Right. The timing coincides with the New York City Board of Health hearing, you know, Allan and -- and you all have been talking about on whether to make the city the first to ban trans fats in its restaurants. Since New York's food service is so massive, the move would likely have ripple effects across the country.
It would certainly force fast-food chains to look at their methods. Wendy's has already switched to a zero-trans-fat oil. Listen to it sizzle. And McDonald's announced that it was making the move back in 2003, but it has yet to follow through.
KFC is, of course, is part of Yum! Brands, which owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants. Its shares are adding nearly 2 percent.
And stocks, overall, well, are higher, as well, led by strength in the technology sector -- investors also reacting to a nearly $2.5 drop in oil prices, crude closing at $58.36 per barrel, amid doubts that OPEC could really implement a planned production cut of more than one million barrels a day.
So, let's take a look at how the Dow is doing. Well, it's up -- just a few points, though.
(LAUGHTER)
LISOVICZ: The Nasdaq composite, meanwhile, on fire, up about 13 points, or half-a-percent.
And that's the latest from Wall Street -- more from the NEWSROOM straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Even if you're not a political junkie, chances are you have seen Michael J. Fox campaigning this election season. The actor was in Ohio today stumping for Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown. Fox has Parkinson's Disease and is an outspoken advocate on embryonic stem cell research. He's been actively campaigning for Democrats who support it.
A new CNN poll by the Opinion Research Corporation shows 54 percent of Americans favor federal funding for stem cell research. That's up three points from August -- 39 percent say they're against federal funding. Joining us now is Janet Reno. She has Parkinson's Disease. The former attorney general was diagnosed with the disease 11 years ago. She supports embryonic stem cell research. She is in Miami and she joins us live. First of all, I want to thank you for joining us today.
JANET RENO, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thank you.
LEMON: How are you doing?
RENO: I'm doing fine, thanks.
LEMON: You're doing well. Talk to me -- I'm going to talk to you about all these numbers and about all these polls a little bit later on. But tell us about, again, your health and what it takes for you even to come here to do this interview today.
RENO: Parkinson's Disease affects each person differently and I have just started having difficulty on some occasions with motor fluctuations. But generally I can get where I need to go and address the issues in a thorough way.
LEMON: Did you happen to see Michael J. Fox's interview the other night with Katie Couric?
RENO: Yes, I did.
LEMON: What did you think of that interview?
RENO: I thought that it was important for Michael to get out on the table how Parkinson's affects people and what can be done to make a difference and that is what I go back to all the time. We need bipartisan solution to the stem cell funding issue and we need to do it with proper science, not with politics. And I think we can make a difference.
LEMON: That's what I was going to ask you. What do you think -- I mean, you were in politics for a long time in government. What do you think of celebrities or actors who may, you know, he does have the disease, getting involved in causes like this? Is that OK by you?
RENO: It's very important that people get involved because otherwise, people won't know how the disease affects people, what can be done about it. The tremendous potential that exists with respect to stem cell research, they don't know what it's like to deal with the motor fluctuations, the tremors, the freezing that you see in Parkinson's. Why shouldn't they be able to talk about it? Why shouldn't they be able to say, look, this is my experience?
LEMON: So the notion from talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh that Mr. Fox may have been using, you know, taking his medication at certain points of the day so he could be moving more during the interview, what did you think of his comment?
RENO: I thought that anybody that said that should know a little bit more about Parkinson's because if you are going day after day and have to make meetings and handle events, and you suddenly freeze and you can't control your motions, you're going to think, wait a minute, we should be funding research that terminates this disease.
Right now, the only relief is symptomatic relief. We ought to be able, based on what we know now, to utilize the resources of this country in the wisest way possible to develop a cure for Parkinson's Disease and that will start with stem cell research.
LEMON: Well one of the reasons that we have you on here today is because we want to educate people about Parkinson's Disease. And I'm sure there are many people who don't know a lot about it. I, myself, did not know a lot about it. So explain to us, if can you explain to us what your day is like, the number -- your medication, what the regimen is like, what people, who, in your situation and Michael J. Fox's situation, what you go through daily.
RENO: It's different each day. You wake up and you haven't had the medications, so you're off. As the day proceeds, you don't know what's going to happen. Michael J. Fox, I suspect, didn't know what was going to happen when he walked into a studio that day to make the ad, because suddenly, you come from a person who is in control who made breakfast to a person who cannot even shake the cereal out of the box without it shaking all over the place.
LEMON: Attorney general, is there anything -- we're running out of time here and I know that stem cell research is very important to you. Not to get into the specifics of that, but is there anything you want people to know about Parkinson's? Anything you want people to know about your life and other people who are facing similar situations?
RENO: Just that we're so close to solving this problem. I can't guarantee that we can. But we're so close to solving it and it is so -- it's related to other degenerative mental -- degenerative diseases, that it is imperative from just good common sense and human compassion that we solve the problem now.
LEMON: Former attorney general Janet Reno -- first of all, we thank you for your service and we thank you for joining us today.
RENO: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All but disappeared. The fierce winds that whipped up the flames racing across the mountains near Palm Springs and that has firefighters, well they'll hopefully be able to get this deadly wildfire under control by tonight. They've already surrounded 90 percent of it. In the meantime, the search for whoever set that fire goes on. Rewards totaling $0.5 million are being offered for the arrest and conviction of that arsonist. Four firefighters died on Thursday battling the fast-moving fire. They're being remembered as heroes by all those who knew them and many who did not. Their families are trying to come to grips with what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CLAYS, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF JESS MCCLEAN: From his wife, she would like to thank all the people who supported her and the family. It means so much and words can barely touch the surface of the gratitude and an even bigger thank you to the forest service and our workplace that has done everything in their power to make a little life easier on her and the family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: One other firefighter, Pablo Cerda remains in critical condition with burns over 90 percent of his body.
LEMON: Coming up, my conversation with party-goers and leaders celebrating Jesse Jackson's birthday. The news just keeps coming right here and we'll bring it to you in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Oh my gosh.
PHILLIPS: That's some good -- yes, that was -- where did they pull that one from? That's the freaky file.
LEMON: It's like "Amityville Horror" or something.
PHILLIPS: Get ready. Only one more day before all those little ghosts and goblins and superheroes come knocking on your door and wanting the candy.
LEMON: I can't wait to see them, little cuties. Jacqui Jeras is back with hopefully good weather. Jacqui, come on, give the kiddies some good weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, entertainment news with Sibila Vargas of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." Hey, Sibila, what is on tap?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've got one star who is shining again on the red carpet and another who is steamed at a cable network.
Also a Hollywood breakup, a huge one. We'll give you the details coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, a Hollywood couple calls it quite, Brad Pitt says keep off the grass and Whitney Houston wows them on the red carpet. Entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas here with Hollywood's hottest news.
Sibila, there's some breaking news out of Hollywood this afternoon. I'm very disappointed.
VARGAS: Very disappointed. we're just hearing some bad news about one of Tinseltown's golden couples. There are reports from several sources that Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Ryan Phillipe, are splitting up. The couple have been married for seven years and have two children.
They are two of Hollywood's best actors and always seemed like such a together couple, but like so many other celebrity marriages, this just goes to show that we have really no idea what is going on behind closed doors.
The cause for the separation has not been confirmed but TMZ.com which broke the story reported that there was no one incident that triggered this, but it was more like an accumulation of other issues -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Wow. That's disappointing. Whitney Houston was the belle of the ball this weekend, wasn't she?
VARGAS: That's right. She was looking marvelous. Whitney Houston was the belle. The Carousel of Hope Ball, that is. The star walked the red carpet with her record producer Clive Davis in one of the first public appearances she's made since going through rehab and splitting with her husband, Bobby Brown.
Now, over the last two years, the beautiful singer has been accused by the tabloids of not looking her best, but she wowed the jaded red carpet crowd on Saturday and all the stories today are noting just how great she looked.
I think we can all agree that she looked as good as ever with her blonde hairstyle, stylish Armani outfit, and the Hollywood class accessories. She wore lots of diamonds. The singer is working on a new album with Clive Davis, which he compromises will be, quote, "killer," unquote.
And in case you were wondering, the ball in Beverly Hills was a charity event that raised more than $70 million to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So she was looking good, doing good. Always nice when those two things can work together. Now, I understand Brad Pitt, I understand, is mad at the cable TV network. It's not us, is it?
VARGAS: No, not us. We would never do anything like that. We love Brad Pitt and Dr. McDreamy, of course.
PHILLIPS: Yes, let's not forget. Come on. It all comes back to McDreamy.
VARGAS: All right. Brad Pitt is ticked off at the E! Entertainment Network, and is accusing one of their camera crews of trespassing on his property. Pitt and his family, including his girlfriend Angelina Jolie, were not at his Hollywood Hills home when the incident happened, but some construction workers who were there said the camera crew ignored a no trespassing sign, and walked around the property shooting video.
A Pitt spokesperson said they suspected the E! crew opened a gate and walked onto the property and that they are all looking at all of their legal options, meaning that there could be a lawsuit on the horizon. Now, in a statement from the network, E! has apologized to Pitt and his family and said that the individuals who shot the footage have been terminated.
Interestingly enough though, E! Network's Web site, which is chock full of entertainment news of the day, had no mention of the story earlier today.
PHILLIPS: Well, that could be trouble for the network. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," though, would never do anything illegal to get a story. Right? What is going on on the show tonight?
VARGAS: Well, tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," secrets of the stars, inside the secretive and remarkable world of celebrity assistants. They are now telling all to TV's most provocative entertainment news show. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" at 11:00 p.m. on CNN Headline Prime.
Kyra, you're going to hear some pretty spectacular and crazy stories tonight, so tune in.
PHILLIPS: Well, I always like spectacular and crazy. That's perfect. Thanks, Sibila.
LEMON: All right, well this is kind of entertainment news/politics. Voter turnout -- it may be more important than ever next week, and it will determine who will control the House and the Senate. And in tight races like Tennessee, Maryland, and Virginia, African-American voters could be the deciding factor. But, a new Pew Research poll shows that 29 percent of blacks have say they have no, little or no confidence that their vote will be accurately tallied. This weekend in Chicago, I caught up with Rev. Jesse Jackson and Senator Barack Obama and talked with them about the upcoming election and the controversy in the Harold Ford Jr. Senate bid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. BARAK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I think that African-Americans are highly motivated in this election. I think that they've seen the misguided policies we've seen over the last six years and they want to see them reversed.
REV JESSE JACKSON: A PR consultant who worked for Bush/Cheney, ran the ad to discredit Harold Ford with a race-baiting ad that suggested that this white woman was luring this black man. The worst of old Southern politics. Republicans immediately disclaimed it and (inaudible) now dismissed him, but the stain is in the atmosphere and we all deserve better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: It just seems like this political season, race has been playing a lot into -- you know, you have Harold Ford and you have the voter turnout and you have all these races that may hinge on black voters. So, just by chance it was his 65th birthday and I said you know what if he's going to invite me or if the Rainbow Coalition is going to invite me, I'm going to talk to them about the hard issues. PHILLIPS: Well, let me ask you about Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson. Because, we've been having this discussion. Was it Ebony magazine that came out -- does Jesse still matter? How do Jesse and Barack Obama get along? Do they get along and what do they think of each other and what does Jesse think of Barak Obama sort of the new...
LEMON: Well, it's kind of weird because people always, they always sort of pit them against each other or compare them to each other when, in fact, Barack Obama lives a couple of blocks from the Rainbow Coalition and not far from Jesse Jackson. Michelle Obama, who is Barack's wife and Santita Jackson, who is Jesse Jackson's daughter are best friends. And Santita Jackson is Barak Obama's godmother to his children. In their wedding, they were in Obama's wedding. So, they are very close and they even said that sometimes, you know, Barack Obama will call Jesse Jackson and ask him a little advice.
PHILLIPS: Does Jesse think Barack Obama should run for president?
LEMON: Yes, he said, if he is ready. But he said he's not going to solicit, he's not going to offer advice unless he asks. Now, this was a milestone weekend for Rev. Jesse Jackson -- 40 years, since he began his lifelong work with Martin Luther King Jr and it was his 65th birthday. And as I said, I had the honor of attending with hundreds of dignitaries from all over the world including Michelle and Barack Obama, former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, Camille Cosby and the Mayor of Chicago Richard Daley. And I sat down with Rev. Jackson and in a very candid interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): When people say Jessie Jackson plays the race card too much -- your answer to them is?
JACKSON: Well, it is not true (inaudible).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: I asked him about playing the race card. I asked him about his message being tired and worn out. All of that stuff and he responded candid interview coming up tomorrow. Everything you wanted to ask Jesse Jackson and some people were too polite to ask, I asked.
PHILLIPS: Alright. Outstanding. I can't wait. Thanks. Well, lots of people have lots to think to say about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan rather but it's not often we get to hear from the troops on the ground. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston is with soldiers stationed in southern Afghanistan and here is their take on the war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where we need to be. Nearly 3000 innocent lives were lost and this where I think we should be fighting this war on terror. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here to fight for the right for them to say and feel however they want to feel. They can like us here, not like us here, but what it all comes down to it, if we ever become attacked again in our homeland, they're going to want us right back over here.
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What will it take to win that war?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to take the government of Afghanistan standing on their own two feet and taking the flag from us, taking the fight from us, and kind of like in the picture where it's portrayed us taking the flag over from the firemen in New York City, it's going to be taken by us from the Afghan government and it might take 20 years or it might take five years. It's going to take as long as it takes and we're here for the push.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pullout now would be -- would be failing the people of Afghanistan. Not only would we be failing the people back home, but failing the people of Afghanistan because there's a chance, there's a good chance that they're going to be successful and it's going to work out, but it takes time to do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pull out, we'll give the Taliban a sense of victory and give them a sense of victory and they'll be like okay, now let's go hit them on their turf and then it's just 9/11 all over again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back home, they talk about the loss is too great. Well, to me, that's right, the loss is too great but the loss is too great to quit now because everyone that we've lost would be for nothing if they pulled us out now. We went in there with an objective and a goal, a mission, and in a war, you lose soldiers, but to quit is going to create in the public's perception another Vietnam, another failed war and I don't want to have that feeling those veterans lived with for years that they were failures when they weren't, that the public losing its backing of the military cost us that war. We're here. Let us finish our job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, the closing bell and a wrap of the action on Wall Street is straight ahead.
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