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American Morning
Kerry Defends 'Stuck in Iraq' Comment As 'Botched Joke'; Democratic Candidates Try To Keep Distance From The Resulting Furor
Aired November 01, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Suddenly it seems like 2004 all over again. Ed Henry at the White House with more.
Hello, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Back to the future. Good morning, Miles.
In fact, the White House reacting like it had hit the lottery yesterday. They feel if they have John Kerry front and center in the final week of this midterm election it would rally conservative voters.
And at his daily briefing, you know, Tony Snow, we asked him all kinds of questions about controversial comments about Democrats, Republicans. Many times he says I don't know enough about that, he won't comment. But yesterday I could see him looking down at his notes. He was ready to aim and fire away at Kerry, really fan the flames over this controversy, demanding an apology. That really was almost a trial balloon for the president himself to jump into the fray last night at a rally in Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The members of the United States military are plenty smart, and they are plenty brave. And the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, after the initial comments from Tony Snow, before the president's comments, John Kerry put out a written statement saying he, quote, "wouldn't be lectured by a stuff-suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium." Then he decided to hold an actual press conference. And would not back down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY, (D-MA.): My statement yesterday -- and the White House knows this full well -- was a botched joke about the president and the president's people. Not about the troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: What's really at work here is John Kerry is thinking about running again for president in 2008. He's haunted by the fact he did not push back hard enough against Republicans attacks in 2004. So here we are two years later, he's really trying to show that he wants to push back here.
The problem is many of his Democratic colleagues do not want him front and center in the final days of this campaign. They think it's a distraction. In fact, my colleague John King, reporting this morning that Bob Casey, Jr., a key Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania has canceled an appearance with John Kerry for this evening. A clear sign that Democrats are running from Kerry at this point. They do not wan this to become the story in the final days, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Ed Henry at the White House, thank you very much.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: As November begins, American forces in Iraq are looking back on October as the fourth deadliest month since the war began. On the final day of a month that was just plagued with violence, one more U.S. soldier was killed. It brings October's death toll to 104. CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us this morning.
Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Soledad, indeed, people will look back on October as one of the saddest months for U.S. military families.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice over): In Alabama, hundreds paid their respects to 19-year-old Private 1st Class Steven Biknell (ph). Among the mourners, his pregnant 18-year-old widow. He was killed in an IED attack north of Baghdad.
Across America, there are hundreds, if not thousands of grieving families, friends and neighbors.
Why was last month so deadly? Commanders believe the rise in attacks was tied to the holy month of Ramadan.
MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTI-NAT'L. FORCE, IRAQ: Traditionally this is a time of great celebration. It has, instead, been a period of increased violence.
STARR: All of it leading to this admission.
CALDWELL: The violence is, indeed, disheartening.
STARR: About twice as many Army troops as Marines died in October. It's the Army that's been in Baghdad on deadly patrols, mainly against Shia death squads and militias. The Marines are in western Iraq's Al Anbar Province, where Sunni insurgents are also carrying out lethal attacks.
How are the troops being killed? In Baghdad, sniper attacks are on the rise. The Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli, the corps commander, says the total numbers are elevated and the effectiveness has been greater. Troops are also being killed by catastrophic IEDs, roadside bombs that kill three and four troops at a time. Some are filled with chemicals that result in fireballs on impact.
Twenty-year-old Lance Corporal Eric Hertzberg also died in Al Anbar in October. Still his mother is unwavering in her support.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war was going on when he joined. He knew what he was going to get into. I am so proud to have had him for 20 years, and everybody should go home and hug their kids tonight. Because they're lent to us for a very short time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: Soledad, consider this as well. In the month of October, over 700 U.S. troops were wounded in action in Iraq -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Just terrible numbers. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Thank you, Barbara.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Now on to North Korea after a lot of angry talk and saber rattling, it looks like diplomacy may be back on track. North Korea agreeing to return to the bargaining table to discuss it's nuclear weapons program. So what made Kim Jong-Il change his mind? CNN's Hugh Riminton live from Beijing with more.
Hugh.
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Miles, trying to read the mind of Kim Jong-Il, the North Korean leader is never easy, but that is exactly what the United States and its six- party allies are trying to do, now that North Korea seems to be trying to negotiate its way out of its nuclear standoff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIMINTON (voice over): The immediate question is not when or how, but why? Barely three weeks after announcing with ecstatic pride, the testing of a nuclear bomb, why is North Korea now ready to talk of throwing the weapon away forever? The chief U.S. negotiator credits the overwhelming international response.
CHRISTOPHER HILL, U.S. ASSIST. SECRETARY OF STATE: Nobody is going to accept that North Korea becomes a nuclear nation. We're not going to accept it. The Chinese are not going to accept it. The Russians are not going to accept it. We've all made this pretty abundantly clear.
RIMINTON: But was there something else going on, behind the scenes? China has denied reports it has begun choking off oil supplies to North Korea.
LIU JIANCHAO, SPOKESMAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY: China has trade with North Korea and it has been continued. I don't have any information that suggests that the policy is going to change.
RIMINTON: North Korea claims to have won a concession. Saying it expects the seizure of North Korean assets at a bank in Macao to be, quote, "discussed and settled."
Washington says the assets were the proceeds of a counterfeiting racket and that has to stop.
(On camera): North Korea can also claim one other victory, sitting down one-on-one with a U.S. negotiator in Beijing on Tuesday. The U.S. envoy tying himself in knots trying to explain that this was not a breach of America's refusal to deal directly with North Korea.
HILL: It was not a negotiation, I want to emphasize that.
RIMINTON: One Chinese analyst says North Korea will now raise its price in any talk of denuclearization.
YAN XUETONG, TSINGHUA UNIV. INST. OF INT'L. STUDIES: No, I don't think North Korea sincerely looking for the dismantling of its nuclear weapons. They're sincerely looking for more reward for doing that.
RIMINTON: The Americans believe it is simpler, Kim Jong-Il and his henchmen fear they won't survive if they continue their line of defiance.
HILL: I would argue that it will not have a future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIMINTON: So the six-party talks should get under way now in about six weeks' time, something like that. But a word of caution, one seasoned North Korean analyst here in Beijing says he suspects that Kim Jong-Il is not being entirely sincere about this. He believes he's really just playing for time -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Hugh Riminton, in Beijing. Thank you.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning in Gaza, six Palestinians are dead, at least 30 injured after clashes with Israeli forces. That is according to Palestinian security sources. The Israelis say it's a response to militants launching daily rocket attacks.
New developments from that arson wildfire in Southern California. A fifth firefighter is now dead. His name is Pablo Cerda. He had suffered burns to over 90 percent of his body.
A person of interest is now being questioned in that case. He faces charges from arson of two different fires this past June.
It looks as if that salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 170 people is going no further than those 18 states. Massachusetts was the hardest struck with 51 cases reported there.
People generally get salmonella by eating contaminated foods or undercooked meat and poultry.
They're cleaning up today in South Hadley, Massachusetts after a leak of sulfuric gas. Evacuated residents are going to go back home. Schools will also reopen today.
Ahead this morning, the number one issue on voters' minds this election year. We'll take a look at the war's impact on the midterm campaigning.
A Vietnam vet free after 18 years in a prison for a rape he did not commit. We'll talk about the evidence that cleared him. Straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Some of the top stories we're looking at: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld throws his support behind $1 billion plan to train more Iraqi soldiers.
And in South Africa, the last president to preside over apartheid has died. P.W. Botha, lead South Africa's white only government from 1978 to 1989.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: OK, a look at the numbers now: 435 congressional elections, 33 Senate races, and one overwhelming issue for voters, the issue of Iraq. CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider joins us this morning.
Nice to see you. Good morning.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: It is the issue, truly, that voters -- across the board -- are focused on. It's what motivates people to get to the polls. And in some cases it's what's motivating the candidates to take a really strong stance against President Bush, isn't it?
SCHNEIDER: It certainly is. And the 2006 midterm may be come to be known as the Iraq election.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice over): Many Americans felt misled when the Bush administration's case for war, Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, proved false.
Increasingly, Americans are deeply disturbed by the mounting losses. More than 2800 Americans killed so far. Underneath it all is a stark political reality. Americans don't want to fight an unwinnable war, which is why President Bush talks about a plan for victory.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our plan for victory says we want an Iraq that can defend itself and govern itself and sustain itself.
SCHNEIDER: When Americans concluded the Vietnam war was unwinnable, they turned against it. When they began to see Iraq as a civil war between rival Islamic sects, their frustration mounted. Why should that be our war? Six months ago 44 percent of Americans felt the United States would never accomplish its mission in Iraq. Now, a majority feel that way.
The administration's response? Turn the question on the Democrats. What's their alternative?
BUSH: It's a serious political party in the midst of a war. And they have no plan for success. They don't even have a plan for victory.
SCHNEIDER: Most Democrats don't talk about immediate withdrawal.
HOWARD DEAN, CHMN., DEMOCRATIC NAT'L. CMTE.: There is a plan that has been adopted by many Democrats, certainly not all of them, called Strategic Redeployment, which gets us out of Iraq over a reasonable period of time. But keeps troops in the region, not in Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: Most Americans do favor withdrawing U.S. troops, but not immediately. They don't want to risk Iraq becoming a base for terrorists who threaten the United States.
BUSH: Imagine a safe haven for an enemy that ended up with the resources that it had.
SCHNEIDER: Democrats feel they don't really need a clear alternative, yet.
DEAN: The truth is, if we were going to take over Congress, that the president is still going to control foreign and military policy, to a large degree. So what we will be able to do is some restrain on the president, but we're not going to be able to change the policy overnight. That's going to require a new president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: If Americans elect a Democratic Congress, the message would be that Americans want to change in the nation's Iraq policy. It's not working, do something else.
S. O'BRIEN: Six days and counting 'til we find out.
Let me ask you about, though.
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: About Senator Kerry and his remarks, which we've been talking about all morning. How much of a gift is this, whether it was said as a slam to troops or it was said as a slam against the president, how much of this was a gift to the Republicans at this point in the election? SCHNEIDER: Well, it does create the possibility of driving up anger and enthusiasm among Republicans. So far in this campaign Democrats have been the angry voters. They're the ones with the intense motivation. But when Republicans hear remarks like that, their juices get flowing. And it could drive them out to the polls in large numbers.
I'm not sure it's going to change many minds. And I think a week from now, it may not be a defining issue in this election, but it could get some Republicans out to vote because they get angry when they hear remarks like that.
S. O'BRIEN: And you're talking about it, which means you're not talking about other issues.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. Democrats do not want this issue on the agenda. They want to talk about other issues, bigger issues. This is just a diversion for them.
S. O'BRIEN: A distraction. Bill Schneider, nice to see you in person, as always.
SCHNEIDER: OK, thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Quarter after the house, heading out the door. Let's get a quick check of the "Traveler's Forecast".
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Some stories we're following for you, right now. A huge heist in Texas, police are looking for two masked men who made off with as many as 80 weapons in a gun shop robbery on Monday.
An appeals court blocks a landmark ruling against big tobacco. Andy has more on that, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: "In America" this morning, police in Texas on the hunt for two men and a stash of stolen guns. The men broke into a gun shop southwest of Dallas, making off with 80 weapons, worth about $40,000.
In West Virginia, following that deadly Sago mine accident, investigators are now warning coal companies about those emergency air packs. The Office of Miners' Health Safety & Training says the equipment can be damaged by exposure to high temperatures.
In Texas, a man is free after 18 years in prison. DNA tests proved Larry Fuller did not rape a woman in 1981. Both the judge and prosecutor apologized and Fuller said, "Apology Accepted."
In Florida, dozens of people left homeless by hurricanes face a midnight deadline. They have to be out of FEMA trailers that they've called home since those hurricanes back in 2004. At one point the trailer parks housed more than 17,000 people.
More proof what's built in Las Vegas seldom stays in Vegas for long. The lights are out at the Stardust. It used to be the world's largest resort. But now it's coming down to make way for a $4 billion hotel and casino complex.
And Bob Barker, "Come on down!" The long-time host of "The Price Is Right" says he's retiring in June. It was a 35-year run. He also hosted "Truth or Consequences" before that. Remember that? He says he wants to retire while he's still young. Oh, he's 83 -- young.
S. O'BRIEN: He's looking good for 83.
The tobacco companies are facing a couple of key lawsuits this morning. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business".
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Soledad.
Here's the first one. A federal appeals court will allow cigarette companies to market their wares under the light and low tar labels. Previously a judge had ruled they could not do that. Now, another judge, an appeals court, is letting them do that pending another ruling.
This is interesting stuff. Where do you come off on this? Saying that cigarettes are low tar, light, ultra light. Now, if you smoke cigarettes, and I have, you know that these cigarettes actually are lighter. Bu the thing is, you have to puff on them more. The thing is, it's really a distinction, I think, between getting hit by a truck going 80 miles an hour, or getting hit by a truck going 120 miles an hour.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: They're both going to kill you.
M. O'BRIEN: Either way, you're dead.
SERWER: And to suggest that the lighter ones, the 80 mile an hour truck, is healthier, which is what one judge said, is probably the wrong way to go on that. But anyway, that's still outstanding.
Now, in Washington, D.C. the Supreme Court is hearing a case about a $79.5 million verdict. This is a landmark decision because litigants are concerned that these kinds of awards are too high in this country. And so lawyers are fighting this one.
The plaintiff here, the deceased plaintiff, Jesse Williams, smoked two packs of Marlboros a day for 45 years and passed away of lung cancer nine years ago. So this will be interesting stuff. I mean, these people are due money. How much money is always the question. The Supreme Court is hearing that right now.
M. O'BRIEN: And how much self-responsibility is involved in these decisions?
SERWER: Especially as we get further and further along. I mean, 50 years ago, people suggested they didn't know cigarettes were dangerous. Although, if you were using your head, people knew cigarettes were dangerous for you all along. After the labels were put on cigarettes, you have less of a case.
M. O'BRIEN: Right. Exactly.
What do you have next?
SERWER: Next? You got something for me? Thank you.
The new NBA basketball, we're going to talk about this and it's very controversial because there are some big changes here. Some of the players like it.
S. O'BRIEN: Really?
SERWER: Some of them don't. And we'll talk all about it.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Soledad looks pretty good with it.
S. O'BRIEN: Give me the ball.
M. O'BRIEN: I guess it's time for us --
S. O'BRIEN: Give me the ball, yeah!
SERWER: Just give me the ball, right?
M. O'BRIEN: Time for a fast break, I think.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's actually talk a little bit of food.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's!
S. O'BRIEN: Did you know that Texans do it the most? A little food survey to share with you. Texans do it the most. New Yorkers pay the most. No surprise there. We pay the most for everything.
M. O'BRIEN: Yeah.
S. O'BRIEN: Italian is most popular. We're talking about dining out. This is a survey that comes from that new "Zagat" survey of America's top restaurants. Turns out folks in Houston eat out the most, an average of 4.2 times a week -- 4.2 times a week, that's a lot. Then there's Austin and Dallas right behind that city.
SERWER: Tall Texas.
S. O'BRIEN: Texas walking away with it this year.
SERWER: That's right. S. O'BRIEN: Boston, people go out to eat 2.7 times a week. Could be the cold weather in the winter.
M. O'BRIEN: It's too cold -- oh, it's the weather! That could be it.
SERWER: Get some chowder.
S. O'BRIEN: It could be too cold to leave.
M. O'BRIEN: Yeah, that could be it.
S. O'BRIEN: New Yorkers pay the most, $39.43 per meal. Is that a one-person, two-person, four-person meal?
SERWER: That's a lot.
M. O'BRIEN: Good question.
S. O'BRIEN: Palm Beach, $38.56.
M. O'BRIEN: Looks like one entree. What you talking about?
S. O'BRIEN: And the national average is $32.86. Favorite food is Italian, followed by American. Italian, 27 percent of the diners choose Italian, American, 16 percent, and French food -- I think that's a large number for French food.
SERWER: Oh, those escargots!
S. O'BRIEN: Mmm, they're good.
M. O'BRIEN: I wonder if they took a dip, you know, when we were calling them Freedom Fries, the French food?
SERWER: Were they counting the French fries as French food?
S. O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
M. O'BRIEN: Well, you know,
(LAUGHTER)
SERWER: Because that would make the number go up a lot.
S. O'BRIEN: That would just be --
M. O'BRIEN: Why don't you take the ball back, will ya?
All right. Stories we are following for you right now. An airline pilot, a flight crew, makes a potentially catastrophic mistake, landing on a taxiway instead of a runway at Newark Airport. How safe is your next flight? We'll take a look.
And Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, researchers finally have solved the mystery of what causes it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta with that, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Senator John Kerry accused of insulting American troops in Iraq. He says it's a misunderstanding. The Democrats are doing damage control this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: And what could be a disturbing trend developing at the nation's airports, the wrong runways. Planes bumping wings on the ground. What's going on?
S. O'BRIEN: New insight this morning as to what might really cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. Those stories and much more, ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you. It is Wednesday November 1, I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm Soledad O'Brien. That's for being with us.
(NEWSBREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: With just six days to go until the midterm elections, and with many of the polls in their favor, Democrats should be riding high in the home stretch. Instead, today they're doing damage control over a firestorm that's really been ignited by Senator John Kerry.
Brian Todd has our report this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not even running for office this year, John Kerry pulls a late October surprise.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: If you make the most of it and you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you -- you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.
TODD: Those comments at a California campaign event Monday set off a chain reaction that could only be this hot days before an election.
Republican Senator John McCain calls it an insult to Americans in combat, calls for Kerry to apologize.
At the White House...
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also the families of those who have given their lives in this. This is an absolute insult.
TODD: Kerry's office issues an extraordinary statement, saying: "I'm not going to be lecture by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium." All this about a comment Kerry's camp says he didn't even mean. A Kerry aide tells CNN: "He really meant students should learn their history or they might end up, like President Bush, getting their country stuck in a place like Iraq."
In a news conference nearly 24 hours later, Kerry calls his remarks "a botched joke."
KERRY: As if anybody thinks that a veteran would somehow criticize more than 140,000 troops serving in Iraq and not the president and his people who put them there, they're crazy.
TODD: But could the Democrats' 2004 presidential torch bearer have hurt his party's momentum heading into next week?
Analyst Stuart Rothenberg says he doesn't think so generally, but...
STU ROTHENBERG, "ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT": From the Democratic point of view, they want everything to be about George Bush and the situation on the ground in Iraq. And anything that draws attention away from that can't be ideal.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: A little evidence of how the Democrats feel about Senator Kerry. He's canceled an appearance in Minnesota today. He's been disinvited to one in Iowa.
Ahead this morning, we're going to ask Democratic strategist James Carville what he thinks Democrats need to do to get back on track now -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Soledad.
Federal aviation investigators, federal aviation investigators have a rash of things to look at this morning involving airliners at busy airports. The latest one occurred yesterday at Seattle's airport when an Air Alaska Aircraft took off on the wrong runway. Trying to find out how that plane bound for Juno took off on the wrong runway.
And over the weekend, at Newark Airport, a Continental Airlines 757 landed not on a runway, but on a taxiway. Before we get to our guest, I want to show you briefly what happened here. Take a look at these pictures using our Google Map satellite imagery. Zoom in on New York City and on the Newark Airport, which is right there. Take a look at the runway configuration. The main runways are these. This is runway 29, which was used because the wind was favoring in that direction. Let's zoom in and show you exactly what the pilots were looking at. It was a windy day and so they use this runway, which is not used quite as frequently. Can we zoom in one more time, please? And we'll show you exactly what's going on. It happened about at 5:50 in the evening, which means it was about an hour after sunset. That means it would have been had ringed by white lights. Runways have white lights down the edges of them. Taxiways are clearly labeled, are edged with blue lights.
In addition to that at the ends of runways, you'll find strobe lights blinking and also, in addition to that, some red lights.
So the question is, how could the pilots have confused the taxiway, which is what they landed on, for the runway.
Joining us now to talk a little about this is Michael Goldfarb. He is the former FAA chief of staff.
Michael, first of all, this particular incident, on the face of it, is a situation where the flight crew would be responsible, correct?
MICHAEL GOLDFARB, FMR. FAA CHIEF OF STAFF: Absolutely. I think both in this case, Miles, as well as the Seattle wrong runway, as well as the other incident on Saturday, they'll figure out whether the flight crew is responsible or not, but it kind of cuts to the underlying issue of where do we have problems in aviation, where aren't we as safe as we could be for people who fly? We've take away, as you know, since you're a pilot, at 30,000 feet, we have ample technologies in the cockpit, ground-proximity warning systems, GPS, all the advanced technologies that allow us, and have allowed us, to go from three to two-man cockpits.
On the ground, we're almost back to the 1950s. We're back in our pre-radar day, early radar day, almost visual flight rules. The ground technology doesn't work. They have two types -- they have airport-movement technology, and aircraft detection technology. Both of these have had 10-year histories of being unable to provide the same kind of information to the crews and to the tower that's needed so they can alert these planes when they're on a misapproached, wrong runway or whatever.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, you mentioned the information for the crew. Let's go back to the Google Map one more time. I want to explain something about this runway that they used. Runway 29 there, if we can go back to that for just a moment, is not -- does not have an instrument approach to it. Now that means it's not designed to be used during bad weather scenarios, when you can't see out the window. And as a result, it doesn't have quite the lighting setup that you would see at the end of another runway that would have that instrument-landing system.
Let's zoom around there to runway 22. And you can't see it in this map, but there is a much more elaborate series of lights and blinking strobe lights, which lead the pilot to the runway.
I guess the question I'm asking, Michael is, is it safe for airliners to be landing on these runways that do not have what's called a precision approach, an instrument approach. In other words, just by visual flight rules there would have been instruments that told them that they were off the centerline of the runway.
GOLDFARB: It's safe under two condition, Miles. It's safe if the towers are adequately staffed with controllers, and we have a fairly significant staffing shortage. The New York airspace, the most complex in the world, we have shortages at La Guardia, we have shortages at Kennedy, we have shortages at Newark.
M. O'BRIEN: But is this really the fault of controllers?
GOLDFARB: No.
M. O'BRIEN: Because they wouldn't have been able to tell if that plane was lined up wrong.
GOLDFARB: No, but the margins of safety are comprised of three things, the procedures we have in place, the (INAUDIBLE), the technology we have in place, and the people who guide the aircraft to the ground. So we have two potential areas where we're vulnerable. We're vulnerable in the number of controllers we have, and we're vulnerable on the very technologies on the ground that would compensate for that runway not having that ILS. So until we have the technology on the ground -- it's been delayed. The budgets have been cut. It's now not scheduled to be delivered to the top 15 airports, which is inadequate, until 2011. We have a problem. And until we fully fund air-traffic control staffing, we have two areas where the margins of safety are reduced and are a significant aviation policy concern.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you for your time. Michael Goldfarb, former FAA chief of staff, always appreciate your insight -- Soledad.
GOLDFARB: My pleasure.
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, what exactly causes sudden infant death syndrome? Researchers may finally have a clue. We're going to talk to Dr. Sanjay Gupta straight ahead about that.
And then the controversial candidate who just refuses to quit. We'll take a look at Katherine Harris' uphill battle for a seat in the Senate, straight ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, it's been a tragic medical mystery.
Well, now, a new study suggests it may be caused a chemical defect in the brain.
Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
Good morning, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Really interesting. And this is something that people have been focused for sometime. SIDS, sudden, unexplainable, usually in a healthy infant. It is the leading cause of death in newborns. And 90 percent of them occur before six months. It can be very tragic, and as a said, really hard to figure out exactly what's happening here.
So for a long time, researchers have been trying to pinpoint various mechanisms that might actually be causing this, and they think that they might be on to something. It's very early, but they're specifically targeting in on the lowest part of the brain stem, known as the medulla (ph), figuring that there might be an abnormality in babies who die of SIDS versus other babies.
Take a look at some of these images here. The SIDS case is on -- this is the cut through the lowest part of the brain stem. A SIDS case is on the left. A baby, a regular baby on the right, control case, they say. You can see the activity in the control case. Those are serotonin receptors actually firing up, regulating all sorts of different things in this particular part of the brain, regulating things like heart rate, blood pressure and also oxygen levels. So for example, if your oxygen levels start to drop off for whatever reason, you're not taking enough breaths in, that part of the brain would fire and say, either start breathing more or wake up, or do something like that if you're sleeping.
It appears, at least from looking at those diagrams, in SIDS babies, that doesn't happen. So when babies are at rest or asleep, and their oxygen levels start to fall, that part of the brain does not fire and does not wake the baby up or increase the oxygen levels.
Really interesting, very preliminary, though, still, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Sanjay, is there anyway to know if your newborn or your baby is having any kind of problems making serotonin, having some kind of serotonin-level issue?
GUPTA: There isn't a specific test as of yet. And you know, you've got to remember, we're talking about just now maybe coming up with a mechanism for a lot -- there's even controversy in the medical community about whether SIDS even exists, which is remarkable to me. But now they're saying it looks like it does exists, and in fact, here might be the mechanism by which it occurs.
The ideal, as you're pointing out, I think, Soledad, would be to have some sort of test, so when your baby is born, you can say, yes, they're at greater risk for SIDS. And here are precautions you need to specifically take to prevent this for happening, and we're not there yet. That could be several years away, but obviously much closer.
S. O'BRIEN: So while we wait for that kind of test then, what's the best way to make sure -- or to protect or decrease the chance you're going to have a baby who will die of SIDS.
GUPTA: This is a good opportunity to talk about this, because in that same study, they found that two-thirds of the babies actually -- who ending up dying of SIDS, did not follow some basic guidelines in terms of actually preventing some of those deaths. They've known for about 15, 20 years now that some guidelines, such as putting your baby on their back when they go to sleep, really important, placing the baby on the back, also using a firm surface, you know, not having soft bedding, and not smoking around the child. All those things seem to have an impact on babies who die of SIDS as well, possibly preventing two-thirds of the cases. They've seen a significant decline in SIDS cases since those guidelines have been implemented. But scientifically, they might be onto something even much bigger here -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right, Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
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M. O'BRIEN: Some stories we're following for you right now, 10 Palestinians, one Israeli killed in an Israeli raid on Gaza.
And Halloween horror in San Francisco. What prompted a series of shootings at a Halloween party there.
More news in a moment.
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S. O'BRIEN: Just six days till the midterm elections, and there is one high-profile debate happening tonight in Florida. It's between an incumbent Senator Bill Nelson, and his Republican opponent, U.S. Representative Katherine Harris. You might remember her from the 2000 presidential election recount.
CNN's John Zarrella has more.
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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Florida Senator Bill Nelson has good reason to be all smiles.
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLA. SENATE CANDIDATE: Holy smokes. You act like this is a big deal.
ZARRELLA: Nelson is cruising, a double-digit lead over his Republican challenger, high-profile, highly controversial Congresswoman Katherine Harris.
REP. KATHERINE HARRIS (R), FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: Floridians want someone that is going to keep government out of their business.
ZARRELLA: Harris was Florida's secretary of state during the bitterly disputed 2000 presidential election, and certified to vote for President George Bush while the vote count was still being contested.
HARRIS: I hereby declare Governor George W. Bush the winner of Florida's 25 electoral votes.
ZARRELLA: The issue has dogged her ever since. Many Democrats have held her personally responsible for Bush's victory. Harris is constantly defending her role.
HARRIS: There are so many reports that were completely false when I know I followed the letter of the law, and I'm grateful for that.
ZARRELLA: But the Republican Party is far from grateful that she's in the race. Concerned she would galvanize Democrats, they discouraged her from running.
The president's brother, Florida's Republican Governor Jeb Bush, was blunt.
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: We also already have a candidate in the race. I just -- she's a good person, I just don't believe she can win.
ZARRELLA: But Harris refused to cave. She has said she would use millions of her own family money in the campaign.
SUSAN MACMANUS, UNIV. OF S. FLA. POL. SCIENTIST: Only thing that would really win it for Katherine Harris is a massively larger Republican turnout than Democratic turnout. And for all the Republicans who are wavering to vote a straight ticket and include her in it.
ZARRELLA: Analysts say Harris held her own in the first debate with Nelson. There were no fireworks. Both candidates agreed on many issues. They disagreed on whether the U.S. dependency on foreign oil could be muted by drilling in ANWR, the delicate Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
NELSON: It doesn't take a mathematical genius to understand you can't drill your way out of the problem.
HARRIS: If you were going to take the entire area of ANWR, and size up where we're going to drill, it's the equivalent of having a football field and putting a postage stamp in the middle of it.
ZARRELLA: Political experts say jut holding her own in debates won't do it. The lack of party support and the stigma of 2000 may simply be too much for Katherine Harris to overcome.
John Zarrella, CNN, Davie, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Then there was that heated moment on the campaign trail in Virginia. Aides for Republican Senator George Allen kind of got in a scuffle with a guy named Mike Stark. He's a liberal blogger. He's a law student. After Stark heckled Allen. now this isn't the first run-in with Mr. Stark and the Allen campaign. They said they had to respond when Stark went after the senator.
Of course, all the day's political news is available at CNN.com news ticker anytime day and night. Jut click on CNN.com/ticker -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Other stories we're looking at for you right now, police questioning a person of interest in that deadly arson fire in Southern California.
And Baghdad's Sadr City thumbing its nose at the U.S. They're celebrating the end of a weeklong U.S. blockage. That ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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