Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Strike Shuts Down Baghdad's Sadr City; Transferring Security in Iraq; America Votes 2006

Aired October 31, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You're with CNN. You're informed.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Tuesday, October 31st. Here's what's on the Halloween rundown.

Talk of more talks, but there's still a lot of work to do. North Korea is back on the presidential front burner.

HARRIS: And get a view of the war from Bagdad. Bagdad, Arizona, that is. Travel to the sleepy sister city of the Iraqi capital this hour.

COLLINS: And with just a week to go before the election, we'll talk politics with radio host and CNN contributor Bill Bennett.

You are in the NEWSROOM.

It is a slum nestled in the Iraqi capital, yet, today, Sadr City may be among the most important turf in the Iraq war. It's a proving ground for a radical Shiite cleric who shut down the area in a protest strike against a military crackdown. And Iraq's prime minister is seemingly adding to the anti-American tone with orders of his own.

Let's get the very latest now from Baghdad and CNN's Arwa Damon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. military is no longer searching vehicles or pedestrians in checkpoints that were previously manned by Iraqi security forces, but where U.S. Soldiers took up positions as part of a search for a kidnapped American soldier last Monday. U.S. and Iraqi security forces have been combing all of Baghdad looking for their missing soldier, as well as the Shia stronghold of Sadr City.

It is also home to the Mehdi militia. That is the militia loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Residents of Sadr City have been protesting the American presence, the American operations in there, in that area. We have also heard the office of Muqtada al-Sadr calling for civil disobedience. Government workers have stayed at home, shops remain closed for the day, schools deserted of any students.

The Iraqi government, the office of Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki issuing an order to have these checkpoints dismantled. These are checkpoints, again, normally manned by Iraqi security forces. U.S. troops have been there looking for their kidnapped soldier. Right now, we are told by the U.S. military that they are still at these checkpoints but no longer blocking traffic.

This can be perceived as a victory, though, for the militia, for Muqtada al-Sadr, and continues to underscore one of the many problems that the Iraqi government faces today.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Transferring security in Iraq, some say it's a matter of money, military, hardware and minds.

CNN's John Roberts is in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the dangerous neighborhoods of Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi army soldiers work side by side, a clearing operation to rid the area of weapons and militia members, an attempt to break the escalating cycle of sectarian violence.

SERGEANT THOMAS VANANTWERP, U.S. ARMY: They're doing actually pretty good. I was actually pretty impressed. A little slow getting motivated, but, once they got working on it, they were doing pretty good.

ROBERTS: Homegrown security forces are not just the key to Iraqis controlling their own country. They are also the best hope that U.S. troop will one day be able to come home. But there are complaints in both America and Iraq that the process is taking too long. Iraq's prime minister, on Saturday, urged President Bush to accelerate training. And the general in charge of this Iraqi brigade says he doesn't yet have the weapons to build a complete army.

"We have enough vehicles," says General Rezak Salim (ph). "But weapons, we only have light weapons. So, we need heavy weapons or fixed weaponry."

Salim (ph), who fought the Americans as a member of Saddam's army, says, it was a mistake for the Pentagon to disband the Iraqi security forces after the invasion. The U.S. wanted to get rid of Saddam's apparatus. But Salim (ph) insists Iraq would not be racked by the current violence had the military stayed intact.

The army would have affected and controlled the situation from the beginning, he says.

(on camera): The best estimate the U.S. military has for how long it's going to take to transfer authority for security of Iraq to the Iraqi army and police is 12 to 18 months. That's what General George Casey said last week.

But Nouri al-Maliki, the country's prime minister, is complaining about that, saying, if he had the weapons that he needs, he could get the job done within six months.

(voice-over): Whether that's true is open to debate. But weapons are just one complaint you will hear when you talk to these soldiers off camera. They also gripe about bad pay, an average of $300 a month for basic soldiers.

Then, there's the lack of armored vehicles, they say, and few spare parts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is a problem for the Iraq...

ROBERTS: The brigade doctor, who didn't want to be identified, complains, there's no military medical care. Wounded soldiers go to civilian hospitals, where they're at risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The terrorists coming to the hospital, and they kill the soldier or the officer inside the hospital.

ROBERTS (on camera): The terrorists come to the hospital...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ROBERTS: ... looking for military personnel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

ROBERTS: And -- and they attack them? They kill them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, sometimes. Sometimes (INAUDIBLE) happens. ROBERTS (voice-over): Accelerating training and the handoff to Iraqi forces could bring its own problems. In many areas, where they have taken control, they haven't been able to keep a lid on the violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want them to put a truck with some guards over here in this wood line.

ROBERTS: And it's clear from this joint operation they still need a lot of coaching. Until recently, the U.S. battalion commander says, their main job in Baghdad had been manning checkpoints.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHUCK WEBSTER, U.S. ARMY: It's very hard for them to come off those -- that type of tactic, because that's what they're used to. That's what they were taught. That's what they lack more than anything else, is an offensive mind-set.

ROBERTS: The Americans are attempting to turn the Iraqis into hunters, to root out the insurgents and militia members driving the violence. They all seem genuinely enthusiastic about the partnership. And why not? Each side is the best investment the other has got. John Roberts, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The war on terror in Pakistan. The Pakistani army says it used U.S. intelligence to carry out air strikes on Monday. About 80 people were killed near the Afghan border.

Pakistan says the religious school targeted was a front for an al Qaeda training camp. The Pakistani military calls those killed suspected militants. Among them, an associate of terrorist leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. But thousands of people are protesting in towns across the region. They say innocent students and teachers were killed.

Movement from North Korea. An announcement today that North Korea will join six-party talks aimed at reining in its nuclear ambitions. This comes just about three weeks after North Korea's nuclear test, about two weeks after the U.N. passed a resolution placing sanctions on the reclusive nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll be sending teams to the region to work with our partners to make sure that the current United Nations Security Council resolution is enforced, but also to make sure that the talks are effective, that we achieve the results we want, which is a North Korea that abandons her nuclear weapons programs and her nuclear weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Those talks expected to begin as early as next month.

So, did U.N. sanctions drive North Korea back to the bargaining table? Well, here's a reminder about U.N. Resolution 1718, passed earlier this month.

The world body demanded North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program. The resolution placed a ban on military and technology hardware, as well as luxury goods. That's backed by international inspections of cargo going into and out of North Korea.

HARRIS: Republicans and Democrats also slugging it out in governor's races across the country. One of the key battles is in the state of Florida.

Here's CNN's John Zarrella.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOU BATTISTA, PARENT: OK. Now, let's work on the sentence beforehand, OK?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For Lou and Heather Battista, having three school-aged children means the three Rs are their number one issue.

BATTISTA: So how many more calories does it have?

ZARRELLA: Education will determine which of Florida's candidates for governor, Democrat Jim Davis or Republican Charlie Crist, they vote for.

BATTISTA: Education is swaying my vote, and I think you're going to find education is going to sway the votes of many people, not just the parents.

ZARRELLA: What rankles the Battistas is Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test, called the FCAT, given to students in grades 3 to 11. It measures the performance of students and determines whether students in certain grades are promoted. Teachers and schools are graded, too.

BATTISTA: You now force your teachers to teach their test. So instead of them having the ability to use their skills and teach as they've been taught to teach, they only teach to the examination.

ZARRELLA: The FCAT is so controversial that candidates squared off on it right out of the box in their first debate. And there may be no other issue on which the two disagree more.

CHARLIE CRIST (R), FLORIDA GOV. CANDIDATE: It's right to take a measure of what happens in the classroom on behalf of our children. And you know why? They don't get a second chance to go to elementary school or to middle school or to high school. And if we let them down, we let them down forever.

JIM DAVIS (D), FLORIDA GOV. CANDIDATE: We can do better. And we will do better when we stop using the FCAT to punish children, teachers and schools. Instead, use it as a learning tool.

ZARRELLA: In the past couple weeks, Davis has come on strong. His position on issues like the FCAT have helped him gain on Crist, erasing Crist's double-digit lead. Poll watchers say it was a lack of money that hurt Davis early.

SUSAN MACMANUS, POLITICAL SCIENTIST: He hasn't had the money to run television ads until recently. And this is a big state and television is critical to being able to cover one end to the other. And that's probably been his biggest disadvantage.

ZARRELLA: Crist certainly has the money, hearty backing and name recognition to hold on. But it's suddenly become a test the Republicans could flunk.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: CNN primetime next Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs lead the best political team on television. As your votes are counted, the races, the results, the ramifications, Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

COLLINS: Down to the wire in the state of Missouri. A political battle there could help decide which party controls the Senate. The latest coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And back home, back on Earth, a space tourist. Anousheh Ansari talks about her trip straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Been there and back. Anousheh Ansari rode a Russian rocket to the International Space Station. No cheap fare. It cost her an estimated $20 million, although she won't talk about that much.

The space tourist is back on Earth in New York right now.

Good to see you, lady.

ANOUSHEH ANSARI, SPACE TOURIST: Hi, Tony. How are you?

HARRIS: Outstanding. You know, OK, so you're back on terra firma. How do you feel about the trip?

ANSARI: I feel great. I miss being in space and can't wait to be able to do it again. But it's good to be back with my family.

HARRIS: What do you miss about space?

ANSARI: Everything. It was the most amazing experience I ever had, just floating freely in the space station, being able to look at, you know, a sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes, looking at Earth. They're all wonderful things that you miss.

HARRIS: You know, let's talk about big takeaways. Was there a single moment, maybe a big takeaway from this trip for you?

ANSARI: Well, one of the most memorable moments of the trip was when I first saw Earth, as can you imagine. It was something very unique.

I was still on the Soyuz capsule on my way to the space station. And I was about maybe an hour into the flight. And I was finally able to open my seatbelt and look down at Earth from the little window I had. And just seeing Earth so peaceful and beautiful without borders, it's an image that I will cherish in my heart forever.

HARRIS: Hey, I have to -- I want to read this back to you, because I want to find out if you think you accomplished your goal. Your stated goal in -- at the beginning of the trip was this -- quoting -- "I hope to inspire everyone, especially young people, women, and young girls all over the world and in Middle Eastern countries that do not provide women with the same opportunities as men to not give up their dreams and to pursue them."

So, did you accomplish your goal? ANSARI: I think I've gone a long way in accomplishing that through the space blog that I started from Kazakhstan before my launch and continued while I was in space station. I was able to reach people all over the world.

I had about 1.5 million unique visitors to the space blog. And they all wrote comments for me. A lot of them young women and girls from around the world. A lot of them from Iran, saying how my story has inspired them and how excited they were.

And now they're hopeful and they're going to be pursuing their dreams and hoping that their names will also come true. So I was very excited and overwhelmed with the response I got through the space blog.

HARRIS: Anousheh, I don't mean this to be or to sound as cynical as it might, but you're also a businesswoman. How do you turn this experience into something that is beneficial for your company?

ANSARI: Well, originally when I started training, I was training as a backup and I wasn't supposed to launch. And I was starting a company -- launching my company on my return. But when things changed and I ended up launching into space, on the same day we launched the company, and the company became a sponsor of my trip.

The product we're doing in my new company, it's digital home management systems. And it's very revolutionary and unique. So everything that we do as a family, it's about change, changing something that's been stagnant for a long time. So, with my trip, I was hoping to change the face of space exploration; with my company I'm hoping to change the face of digital home media.

HARRIS: That's a slogan. Print that one up.

I have to ask you, you were criticized a bit for not spending the money that it took to take this trip to help poor kids, young girls in particular. Were you stung by the criticism?

ANSARI: No, I expected it. I -- it's something that -- it hurts when you see people judging you from just something they know that's in a very -- you know, just one thing they know about you instead of knowing your whole life story.

I support a lot of causes and I do it my way. I don't support just solving problems on the surface. I do root cause analysis and I like to solve problems at its root. So, I don't feed people, I try to find why they're hungry and try to solve that problem.

And also with this trip, space exploration, in my opinion, is very important for the future of humankind. And I think with my trip, I brought a lot of attention to this area and the importance of it.

So I think that was a very important goal for me to do. And people who travel to space, there's a cost associated with it, whether they're astronauts or cosmonauts. It's like taxpayers pay for that money. So, in my case, I worked hard and paid for my own trip. So I think it was something very positive.

HARRIS: Anousheh, one final question. What's the future, in your estimation, of space travel?

ANSARI: I hope that space travel becomes something that will be more accessible to people. My family became big supporter of X Prize Foundation, and we titled, sponsored -- I'm sorry, X Prize. That was just the first step.

And with sub-orbital flights probably becoming commercial in the next two to three years, I'd like to see a lot of people having this experience, and that will get them interested to continue with taking that one step further. That's why I wanted young people involved, because their imagination and their creativity is what will create the next, you know, phase of the space travel spacecraft. And I'm hoping that we'll have orbital and lunar flights for civilian passengers in the 10 to 25 years from now.

HARRIS: Anousheh Ansari, it's great to see you.

ANSARI: It's wonderful to...

HARRIS: Great to see you up there whirling around in the space station, and great to see you in New York City. Thanks for your time this morning.

ANSARI: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.

COLLINS: Seven days and counting until the midterm elections. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, Bill Bennett joins us with his take on the fight for control of Congress. What a fight it is.

But first, from Baghdad, Iraq, to Bagdad, Arizona, the war in Iraq a divisive issue with the election fast approaching.

That's ahead coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: That deadly wildfire in southern California now contained. Investigators are still looking for arson suspects. We have confirmed that two persons of interest were questioned yesterday and released. Four firefighters were killed in the blaze, a fifth remains in critical condition. The fire, which erupted Thursday, destroyed 34 homes and scorched more than 40,000 acres.

Chad, tremendous work from the firefighters, it must be said. But the winds actually cooperated in a big way.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They finally did.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: The war in Iraq a divisive issue heading into the election.

CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman went to Bagdad see what they think -- Bagdad, Arizona, that is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're in the desert on the outskirts of Bagdad, Baghdad without the "H". Bagdad without the H-E-L-L.

This is peaceful Bagdad, Arizona, 7,500 miles as the crow flies from that other Baghdad. The Arizona Bagdadians don't just share a name with Iraq's capital; they're sharing a considerable number of their sons and daughters.

CONNIE WOOSTER, BAGDAD RESIDENT: My son's high school graduating class, I believe there were 36 kids in the class. And at the time our son was over there, I believe there were four boys from that class that were all there at the same time.

TUCHMAN: Bagdad is a copper mining town, and most people here will tell you they also consider it extraordinarily patriotic. In the post office, a display of Bagdad, Arizona, soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq. And a postal employee whose opinion about the war is very prevalent here.

JO GIBSON, BAGDAD RESIDENT: I support our government and I think we should stay there until we're done. I don't want to pull out. I think that would be the wrong thing to do.

TUCHMAN: In businesses ranging from the Copper Plate to the Miner's Diner, you hear the same.

PAM WILLIAMS, OWNER, MINER'S DINER: We can't leave until the job is done. I think it's a necessity.

TUCHMAN: The 2,700 residents of Baghdad usually enjoy the attention that comes with the town name. The high school nickname is the Sultans, complete with a genie on a magic carpet.

(on camera) But Bagdad, Arizona, did not get its name from Mesopotamian influences. Legend has it a father and son were mining for copper here in the late 1800s, and the son needed a sack for his copper. So he said to his father, "Do you have a bag, dad?"

(voice-over) Another dad says that even with wide support for the war here, some people are feeling its costs.

MARK WOOSTER, BAGDAD RESIDENT: My son was over there for nine months. It was the longest nine months I've ever spent.

TUCHMAN: Mark Wooster considers himself a patriot, but when I asked him if he still supports the war, he said...

M. WOOSTER: I'm supportive to a point but I think too many of our guys have gotten -- guys an gals over there have gotten killed. It's time to get out.

TUCHMAN: That opinion appears to be in the minority in Bagdad, Arizona. But many here say they reserve the right to change their minds, depending on what kind of progress they see in the city that shares their name.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Bagdad, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The violence has erupted across the real Baghdad today, with the single deadliest attack hitting a wedding party. Police say a car bomb exploded near a wedding convoy in the northeastern part of the capital. At least 15 people were killed. Among the dead, women and children.

Police are not sure whether the wedding was the bomber's target.

Meanwhile, a showdown in Sadr City. The Baghdad slum is a proving ground for an Iraqi prime minister apparently at odds with Washington.

Here is what we know right now.

Nouri al-Maliki has ordered the lifting of joint U.S.-Iraqi military checkpoints around the city. The crackdown was implemented last week during the unsuccessful search for a missing U.S. soldier. Prime Minister al-Maliki's move seemingly gives weight to a shutdown strike called by a radical Islamic cleric.

HARRIS: North Korea says it's ready to return to six-party talks over its nuclear program. This comes just about three weeks after North Korea's first nuclear test, about two weeks after the U.N. passed a resolution calling for sanctions. There is hope for success but also some skepticism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll be sending teams to the region to work with our partners to make sure that the current United Nations security council resolution is enforced. But also to make sure that the talks are effective -- that we achieve the results we want, which is a North Korea that abandons her nuclear weapons programs and her nuclear weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER HILL, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: We're a long way from our goals still. I mean, I'm very pleased. We're very pleased that the DPRK is committing to return to the talks to implement the statement, but someone who's been involved in this, I have not broken out the cigars and champagne quite yet, believe me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow. The six-party talks could start as early as next month. COLLINS: Seven days and counting until the midterm elections. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, Bill Bennett is going to be talking with us about his take on the fight for control of Congress. There he is, wave, Bill.

HARRIS: Good morning, Bill.

COLLINS: Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Heading for the home stretch -- the midterm elections now just one week away. At stake, control of Congress. Democrats need 15 seats to take back the House. Six to regain control of the Senate. Several states considered pivotal in the fight for the Senate. And, here's how the numbers stack up in the latest CNN poll of likely voters by Opinion Research Corporation. In Missouri, a dead heat, 49 percent supporting incumbent Republican Senator Jim Talent, 49 percent back his Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill. In New Jersey, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez hold a 51 to 44 percent edge over his Republican challenger Tom Kean. In Ohio, Republican Senator Mike DeWine trails his Democratic rival Sherrod Brown by a margin of 54 to 43 percent. In Tennessee, 52 percent of likely voters support Republican candidate Bob Corker, 44 percent the Democrat Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. And in Virginia, Republican Senator George Allen trails his Democratic opponent Jim Webb 50 to 46 percent.

HARRIS: Showdown in the Show-Me State. The senate race in Missouri could help swing the balance of power on Capitol Hill.

CNN's Candy Crowley is in St. Louis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It comes as no surprise that there is a real battle going on here in the battleground. The latest CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll shows a dead heat -- 49 percent for Republican Senator Jim Talent, 49 percent for his Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill. Now, it's all about turnout. Jim Talent has returned to the southern portion of the state, his stronghold trying to get out rural voters and consistently Republican voters. He's reminding them of his support for various social issues including his opposition to gay marriage. For Claire McCaskill, her support is in the cities -- St. Louis and Kansas City. On Monday she reached out to African-American voters, which the campaign needs to come out in droves. There's also some reinforcements coming into the state for Jim Talent. Just yesterday, he saw Tony Snow, the White House communications director come in to help with a fund-raiser. Later on this week, Talent is expecting President Bush to make a return here to help turnout that base vote. But again, 49-49 in a battle that is as close as it is important.

Candy Crowley, CNN, St. Louis.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: Control of Congress hanging in the balance as Americans prepare to head to the polls. Time to talk some politics now with CNN contributor Bill Bennett. He's also the host of the radio talk show Bill Bennett's morning in America. He's joining us from Washington today. Hello to you.

BILL BENNETT, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey.

COLLINS: Boy, these polls are close, close, close. We've got five critical states. Want to start with Missouri. This thing is basically a statistical dead heat, is it not?

BENNETT: It is. Show-Me state is a don't know state. I'll say something rarely said -- I just don't know. This is really close. Obviously complication here, moving things around is this debate on stem cells. Michael J. Fox, Rush Limbaugh in the background. Rush, a Missouri native. So, it's a complicated case. Very, very close.

COLLINS: Yes. Amendment to stem cell initiative, but did it have anything to do with stem cell initiatives? So, we're still learning more about that as we go forward.

BENNETT: That's right.

COLLINS: Moving onto Virginia, George Allen, Jim Webb, also incredibly close.

BENNETT: Webb seems to be breaking a little bit out. Allen attack on the passages in Webb's novels, his novels about Vietnam may not be paying off. Webb is a good kind of candidate for the Democrats. Let me say that, like Harold Ford, this is a different look in a Democrat candidate. He's a tough Vietnam vet. He has a lot going for him. They play different aspects of Jim Webb's personality in northern Virginia than they do in the rest of Virginia, but its a strong candidate.

COLLINS: Yes, and I think he has red hair too, so that's always a plus.

BENNETT: Yes, you bet.

COLLINS: Exactly. Hey, you know, I want to talk to you about something on your radio program this morning. There was something that John Kerry said. We'll go ahead and put this up on the screen and then we've got a caller who actually phoned in to you and said -- well, we'll listen to that as well. First of all, this is what he said with regard to the Iraq war, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make the effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Now to the sound from one of your callers from Orlando, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETT (voice-over): OK, Esmond (ph) in Orlando, good morning. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): A lot of people in the military have very high intelligence and very good education. My son was valedictorian of his high school with a straight A average. He could've went to any college in the United States he wanted to, but he chose to go to West Point. He graduated from West Point 23rd in his class with a degree in nuclear engineering. He's a first lieutenant in Iraq today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Obviously you say you got a lot of phone calls on this this morning. What was John Kerry trying to say?

BENNETT: I don't know what he was trying to say, but let me say this, in 2004, Bob Shrum, who was managing part of Kerry's campaign saw me on a train. He said I was tough to carry the fair. I'll be fair and tough today. I think this ends John Kerry's quest for higher office. You cannot say of the soldiers in Iraq what he said -- you know, that if you don't study and if you're not smart, that's what he said by implication, that you end up in Iraq. Be all that you can be, the few, the proud, the select, the brave is now the bottom of the barrel for John Kerry. This is an extraordinary comment. We had a flood of phone calls. I had one woman, Julie, who called late in the show. She said my son is studying, working on his studies, training himself intellectually, morally, physically, spiritually, so he will be up to the standards of the U.S. Marine Corps. What Kerry said is a disaster for John Kerry -- he'll never be president. I don't think he'll have a serious candidacy.

COLLINS: Wow. Was he not reacting, just awhile back, I know the army lowered their standards to meet some of the recruiting goals by 2 percent or so for aptitude scores. Was he reacting from that possibly?

BENNETT: This training is the best training people have ever had. It is highly technical, as we learned this morning on the show. People who go out there are extraordinary. And all you have to do is see them, Heidi, in the interviews we do from Iraq, these 20 and 21- year-old kids. This arrogance of the upper classes in, you know, the privileged classes toward the military, when in fact this is an army representative all across American society. We had half a dozen people call today who have kids from ivy league colleges as well as the academy going into the military. But all walks of American life, the last thing you do is insult our soldiers and their capabilities. John Kerry is going to regret this one.

COLLINS: All right. So we're going to try here, Bill, just to let our viewers know, to get Senator Kerry to come and talk with us.

BENNETT: Sure, you should.

COLLINS: To find out what he may have meant from that comment. A man himself who has a significant military background.

BENNETT: Can I say something else about this?

COLLINS: Sure.

BENNETT: One should ask Jim Webb, the Democrat candidate in Virginia what he thinks of that comment. He served in Vietnam. What does he think about it. Do we have time to say a word about Maryland.

COLLINS: Maryland, Michael Steele, you like this one.

BENNETT: That's my homestate. I'm a homeboy on this one. As he said on Sunday, I'm a big Steele supporter. I'll disclose that, But he got a big endorsement yesterday, Heidi, Wayne Curry, Prince George's County, former chief exec, and five other African-American officials from Prince George's County.

Prince Georges County is now vying with Baltimore in terms of African-American influence, political influence, in the state. This endorsement could make this race really competitive, and it's possible Michael Steele will win this race.

COLLINS: Did I tell you I'm a Terp?

BENNETT: You are a Terp.

And are you for Steele?

COLLINS: I have absolutely no political affiliation whatsoever, period.

BENNETT: I will tell my Tar Heel wife.

COLLINS: There you go, your Tar Heel wife.

Hey, thanks for being here, Bill. Again, we're going to try and get John Kerry's comments on the issue you brought up today.

BENNETT: You bet. Thank you, Heidi.

COLLINS: Thank you.

I want to remind everybody here. CNN primetime next Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 eastern, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs lead the best political team on television, as you're votes are counted. We'll talk about it all, Tuesday night beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

HARRIS; Another health scare, this time it's salmonella. What you need to know, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: New health concerns this morning. The Centers for Disease Control warns there is an outbreak of salmonella. The latest on this developing story from CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Lots of details coming in about salmonella. Most recently 172 people affected now in 18 different states, 11 people hospitalized. Obviously a lot of people paying attention to this. We'll get you a lot of details as they come in.

A couple of quick words, though, salmonella also a bacteria, similar to E. coli we heard so much about with spinach. Salmonella, generally speaking, is not usually as bad a disease or as bad a contagion as the E. coli. E. coli can have some very, very significant and serious forms. With salmonella, you can get quick sick, but usually not as sick as E. coli. Some things to watch out for specifically, it can be transmitted by eating beef that's contaminated with animal products. Also beef, poultry, milk and eggs can all be contaminated sometimes.

Here's an important point, contaminated food can smell and look normal. So the average consumer may not know, in fact,that there is a salmonella infection. You need to pay attention to some of the advisories that may come out.

Also contact with pet reptiles and birds. It does not appear to be the source this time around, but salmonella can also be transmitted that way.

What happens when you actually get an infection with salmonella? Typically it's going to be a miserable few days. You're going to have diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps. It can lasts up to two or three days after the infection.

Also, the elderly, infants and people with impaired immune systems will be more affected by this. Here's the good news, the vast majority people are not going to have anything to worry about whatsoever.

Also, if you follow pretty basic guidelines, you really reduce your chances of getting an infection by the salmonella. Cook everything. Cook your poultry, your ground beef, cook your eggs as well thoroughly. Wash everything. Wash the kitchen surfaces, utensils. Don't mix raw meat with produce, obviously and always wash your hands as well. Again, 172 cases, 11 people hospitalized. No one has died of the salmonella outbreak as of yet. We'll certainly keep you posted as details come in, and they will over the next several hours.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And to get your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address, CNN.com/health.

COLLINS: Coming up in just a few minutes, 10 or so, Hala Gorani, "YOUR WORLD TODAY." She's going to be telling us about what you guys are looking at today.

Hey there, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Heidi. Hi, Tony.

We're going to be talking about North Korea and the news that it has agreed to return to six-party talks on its nuclear program after a weapons test, of course, a few weeks ago, you might remember. How will the U.S. react? How will the rest of the world react? We'll bring you that with a live report.

Also violence in Mexico, in Wahara (ph). Protests and riots in that town. It seems as though police have taken control of the city again. But the situation is still very tense after Vicente fox sent federal troops down there.

And George Michael, no stranger to controversy, of course, over the years. He's been busted for lewd behavior, and made no secret he'd taken drugs. Well, this time on a British program, he is seen smoking cannabis before a concert, and even appearing to endorse the drug. We'll bring that you story as well. Join Jim Clancy and myself at noon for "YOUR WORLD TODAY."

Back to you guys.

COLLINS: It's a wide spectrum of news, Hala.

HARRIS: Thanks, Hala.

COLLINS: We'll be watching. Thank you.

So you thought your commute was pretty beastly?

HARRIS: Yes.

COLLINS: A highway hazard that gives new meaning to the term cattle drive. Don't miss it, right here in the NEWSROOM, in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

LEMON: I didn't realize I was coming up -- I was about to scratch.

COLLINS: There's no scratching your hair on the air. Don Lemon here now to tell you what's coming up in just about an hour or so.

Will you have it together by then?

LEMON: You know when you just have to go there, you just have to ask the question. You say, you know what, I'm going to ask, because everybody's asking; they're too polite. Well, politics and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. I asked him some really, really pointed questions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: People say Jesse Jackson plays the race card too much. Your answer to them is?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: find out his answer to that, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And Senator John Kerry is under fire for comments about the education of American soldiers serving in Iraq. We'll talk about it, all in the NEWSROOM. Join Kyra Phillips and me today at 1:00, CNN NEWSROOM. See you then.

I won't scratch on that one.

COLLINS: Nice touch.

LEMON: Trick or treat. Nice jacket.

COLLINS: I was trying to get you.

LEMON: Enjoy the rest of your show.

COLLINS: Anyway we'll see you in about an hour. Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Tony just sit there; he's doesn't say anything.

HARRIS: Well, you know.

LEMON: Hey, look at this, highway hazard, gives new meaning to the term cattle drive, doesn't it? We'll tell you more about it in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Here's the cattle drive you have to see to believe. And take it from, a yes, former wrangler.

HARRIS: Who knew that.

COLLINS: The cowboys rode in on squad cars -- this is not fair -- corralling 15 cows on Florida's busy Interstate 95 near Titusville.

So how did the cows get there. Well, there's a hole in the fence. How'd they round them up. They trapped them between the guard rails of course. The cows are all safely back in the pasture, and nobody got hurt on the roads either obviously. That was the true concern there.

HARRIS: We've got to get some Halloween in, some trick or treats, some Halloween in, some costumes. What do you think? A lot of folks sending in iReports of their kids and pets and how they're dressed for Halloween. How about this? This is from Jason Franck.

COLLINS: Telluride. HARRIS: Telluride, huh, you love that place.

And a little baby in a pumpkin -- yes, in the pumpkin.

COLLINS: Kids and pumpkins, you can't miss it.

Check this next one out. This is the whole reason why you just shouldn't really dress your dog. It's so unfair, isn't it? this is Nikki Nasuti from Dubois, Pennsylvania. It's adorable, but, you know, the dog is clearly not happy. Looks paralyzed.

Next one.

HARRIS: Sure.

COLLINS: Dog and pumpkins we call it.

There you go.

And there it is again. It's fun, but this is Teresa and Stocky from white -- I'm sorry, from Bigfork, Montana, Stocky White.

HARRIS: The pets just need to understand that this happens, it's wacky, it's unfortunate, but it happens, so deal with it for a day, and then we'll move on.

COLLINS: Yes. They should run away.

CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now, everybody.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

And I'm Heidi Collins.

Happy Halloween, everybody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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