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American Morning
Bush Says He Stands By Cheney And Rumsfeld Concerning Iraq War; Retired U.S. Military Advisor Releases Scathing Critique Of Iraqi Forces In Action
Aired November 02, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: For more of these stories, log on to our website at cnn.com. The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Standing by his man, President Bush gives Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld a big vote of confidence. We're live at the White House.
S. O'BRIEN: A major American contractor is leaving Iraq. The company's coming home knowing the violence and the toll that that's taking on rebuilding Iraq.
M. O'BRIEN: Now he's sorry. Senator John Kerry apologizing for what he calls misinterpreted words about American troops. Republicans respond. Those stories and more, ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome, everybody. It's Thursday, November 2nd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin at the White House this morning. Five days before the election, President Bush standing by his man -- really his men; who happen to be two of the most polarizing members of his administration, the Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Both closely identified with the war in Iraq. CNN's Ed Henry is live for us at the White House this morning.
Hey, Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING Good morning, Soledad.
That's right. It's almost become sport for some Republican candidates to beat up on Don Rumsfeld, an easy way for them to break with the president a little bit on the war in Iraq. Almost every Republican in a tossup Senate race from Bob Corker in Tennessee, Michael Steele in Maryland, Mike DeWine in Ohio, they have suggested they would like to see Donald Rumsfeld replaced.
That has sparked a lot of speculation that perhaps after the election the White House would move to remove him. But the president, who has previously said he's the decider on these matters, clearly said yesterday he still has full confidence in the Defense secretary.
In an interview with wire services saying, quote, on Secretary Rumsfeld, I have asked him to fight two fronts in the war on terror, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as transform our military. Any one of those would have been a lot for any secretary of Defense to handle. He's handled all three at the same time. And I'm pleased with the progress we're making."
Democrats obviously fired up. They're saying that while the president has dropped the phrase "stay the course," sticking with Don Rumsfeld shows he is staying the course. But, obviously, just as it fires up Democrats, it will fire up conservatives who want the president to stick behind his team -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Of course, you have what the president is doing and saying in support of Dick Cheney, right?
HENRY: That's right. In this interview, the president also, really not a surprise, saying he also wants the vice president to serve out the remainder of his term as well. Saying in the interview with the wire services, quote, "The good thing about Vice President Cheney's advice is you don't read about it in the newspaper after he gives it." In other words, he's a trusted advisor, he's not out there trying to make his own way.
That's something we've heard for six years in this administration. The president's had the full trust of the vice president. That he has not been out there campaigning for himself trying to replace this president. The vice president has made clear that when this administration is over his political career is over.
But there's also some clear political reasons for that, sticking with the vice president. If the president were to push the vice president aside, that might be admitting some mistakes in the war in Iraq that is something the president has been reluctant to do -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Ed Henry at the White House for us this morning. Ed, thank you.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Here's what's happening new in Iraq this morning. The Pentagon is reporting the first U.S. military death of the month of November, a soldier killed in a roadside bombing. A U.S. military briefing about to begin in Baghdad any moment now. We're watching it. We'll bring you the latest from there.
Iraqi forces are getting a failing grade from a U.S. military journal that reports Iraqi troops run from danger and sometimes use excessive force. As of today, Bechtel is done with Iraq. The giant contracting firm, based in the U.S., was there to build power, water and communications systems; 52 employees killed in the midst of those projects. The contracts have all run their course.
Let's get to that U.S. death, the first death of the month after a very bloody October. CNN's Aneesh Raman in Baghdad with more.
Aneesh, hello.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Miles, good morning.
We know very little, only that a U.S. soldier was killed yesterday after the vehicle the soldier was in struck a roadside bomb. The soldier assigned to the multi-national division in Baghdad. It does, as you say, bring the first death of November. October, the month that preceded this, was the fourth deadliest month for U.S. military personnel since this war began.
Meantime, also as you mentioned, we're awaiting a press conference to begin by the U.S. military. Waiting for an update on efforts to find that abducted American soldier taken on October 23rd. The last we heard, CNN, from the military, was they were concentrating really on three main areas in the capital city. "Aggressive operations" in there words, were ongoing. Actionable intelligence were still being found and they were pursuing exhaustively any resources and leads that they had.
In terms of specifics of where things stand now, again, within the hour we expect an update from the military -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Aneesh, tell us about this failing grade that Iraqi troops received from this military journal. Explain the significance of that.
RAMAN: Yeah, it's a very stark assessment done by a lieutenant colonel who is advising an Iraqi army brigade for a year. The year ended in June of this year. So it's quite current. And in this account, there are some disturbing incidents that are described by the lieutenant colonel, essentially saying that the unit he was advising at times, when they were fired upon, single sniper shots, the Iraqi army soldiers would unleash all of their ammunition.
Other times, when one of their colleagues would kill, they would go on rampages at times in civilian communities, another they would respond fire for 90 minutes. He also said there was a 20 percent drop in strength of the unit, in terms of numbers, after pay day. A lot of these soldiers went home.
Some of them were ducking out of the difficult training, where essentially at times out in the battlefield running from danger. In a larger sense as well, another issue is brought to light. The lieutenant colonel saying there is eroding trust between the military commanders, senior military commanders on the ground and the civilian counterparts. And in terms of what this all means for U.S. forces, and I quote here, he said, "The U.S. presence in Iraq is absolutely essential to prevent catastrophic collapse of the government and civil war. The intent clearly is to raise these questions, these issues, in order to see them remedied, and to see Iraqi security forces stand up, as soon as possible, on their own -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Aneesh Raman in Baghdad, thank you.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Coming down to the wire certainly with candidates across the country, trying to make sure their messages are getting out during the final run up to the November 7th elections. CNN's Candy Crowley live for us in Illinois. Elk Grove Village is where she is, specifically. And, again, they're talking about Iraq.
Good morning, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING Good morning.
It's the 6th District of Illinois. This is Henry Heinz's old seat. He's retiring; he's a Republican. He has held this district for some time now. It is affluent. It is mostly Republican. Though, it's been trending Democratic a little bit.
But the Republican here who's described as a risings star in the Republican Party, Peter Roskam is in a fight for his life. The fact is, that his opponent here is a woman named Tammy Duckworth. She is a veteran of the Iraq war. She lost both legs when a rocket propelled hand grenade landed in her helicopter. So, inevitably, this is a race that has come back to the Iraq war.
They have commercials on about Social Security; about who's too extreme in social policies, but in the end, she is a -- she is talking evidence of the price of the war. I talked with her yesterday, and she said, look, when I go to town hall meetings, when I talk to people, the war does always come up.
There are other things, health care, and the economy, things like that, but in the end, this is a race here in the district that has an overlay of Iraq that is very hard to get around. Right now, Roskam and Duckworth are both in a dead heat, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: A couple of weeks ago, we were talking about the scandal over Foley, now we've been talking about Senator Kerry and his remarks. How much of a role, how much of an impact do you think that's actually going to have on this election?
CROWLEY: It was interesting, I mean, here in this district, Duckworth was -- said she thought it was unfortunate, asked if Kerry should apologize. This is before he did. She said, you know, I don't know. I just know that what we really should be talking about is what's going on in Iraq. Is there a plan? She definitely, obviously, felt negatively about what Senator Kerry had to say.
Nonetheless this looks like a hardened landscape across the country. People have made up their minds about Iraq. What this may do, and what Republicans certainly are trying to do, is whip up their base, remind them of John Kerry, certainly Republicans didn't like him in 2004. Republicans need, if they're going to win anywhere, is to get their base out. The base has been depressed about any number of things, about spending in Washington, and about the Iraq war, about social issues.
So the fear for Republicans is that that base won't come out because they're too discouraged. So something like Kerry's remarks certainly might help Republicans in stirring up their base. Probably doesn't hurt Democrats as much as it maybe helps Republicans bring out their solid voters.
S. O'BRIEN: Candy Crowley for us this morning. Part of the best political team on TV.
Nice to see you, Candy, thanks.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Two days after that infamous "stuck in Iraq " remark, Senator John Kerry finally offered an apology to U.S. troops. But Republicans still trying to make some political hay. Vice President Dick Cheney weighed in last night, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Of course, Senator Kerry just said he was making a joke, and he botched it up. I guess we didn't get that nuance. Actually, he was for the joke before he was against it.
(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)
M. O'BRIEN: Kerry issued a statement saying this, "I sincerely regret that my words were interpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform. And I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended."
End of story? Well, coming up we'll ask White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who will be joining us live on AMERICAN MORNING, shortly -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Also happening this morning, in Massachusetts, a whooping cough outbreak. Health officials say three young patients and 15 workers of Boston's Children's Hospital are sick. And letters have now gone out to those who may have come in contact with them. Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics. Rarely kills adults, can be fatal, though, to babies who are younger than six months old, who haven't been vaccinated.
In North Carolina, police believe they have found the body of John Woodring. The man wanted in the September murder of his estranged wife, who had been staying at a domestic violence shelter. Police are waiting for autopsy results to confirm that. The body was found in a houseboat.
In New York this morning, families of 9/11 victims rally at ground zero to demand a federal investigation into the search for the remains of their loved ones. The past couple of weeks, more than 200 pieces of bone and other remains have been found, in the last couple of weeks -- and more than five years after the 9/11 attacks.
At the U.N., a compromise, Venezuela and Guatemala now backing off their quest for a Security Council seat. Instead, they've agreed to nominate Panama. The General Assembly had been deadlocked on just who was going to gets the seat. The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez charging the U.S. trying to strong arm countries into voting for Guatemala.
At the U.N., again, this time a big scandal. A senior U.N. official and a Miami businessman under arrest. They're charged in the scheme involving more than $50 million in U.N. contracts. One of the men, allegedly used his influence to help the other guy get millions in U.N. contracts, and in return he got a Midtown Manhattan apartment for little or no rent. Both men face up to 10 years in prison if they're convicted.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, a look at the tightest Senate race in the country right now. According to the polls, at least it is a complete dead tie. We'll talk about the battle for Missouri, and how it could be the race that tips the balance of power in Washington.
With just five days until the midterm elections, Iraq is the biggest concern on voters' minds. How does the party in charge respond to that? White House Press Secretary Tony Snow will join us live ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. Today's top stories: U.S. forces confirming they've killed a leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, in a bombing west of Baghdad.
And Iranian television says the country just test fired several missiles as part of its military drill. It says one of those missiles is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
It's 14 minutes past the hour. If you're about to head out the door, first let's check in with Chad for the "Travelers' Forecast".
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: President Bush says his defense secretary is doing a fantastic job. But with the war not going well, many Republicans worried about losing their jobs in Congress or hoping to land one are putting daylight between themselves and the White House. Meanwhile, many Republicans are preferring to focus on the John Kerry comment hoping to leverage that into some votes a little less than a week from now. The president press secretary, Tony Snow, joining us from the White House.
Tony, good to have you back on the program.
TONY SNOW, PRESS SECRETARY, WHITE HOUSE: Good to be back. Thanks, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Kerry's apology? Story over in your mind?
SNOW: Well, I suppose. The question is whether it's over in your mind. You're the one asking about it.
M. O'BRIEN: Do you accept the apology?
SNOW: I don't have to accept the apology. He didn't say anything that was offensive directly to me. The people that have to accept the apology are the people in the U.S. military. They're the ones who thought the former presidential candidate had insulted them.
Look, like I said yesterday, when you say something like this, even if it's not what you intended, you have to say you're sorry. He put out a piece of paper saying he's sorry. I think that's the right thing to do and at some point, probably, folks will feel better if he come out and says it on camera.
Look, it's the right thing to do to say you're sorry, whether you intended or not, you insult people, especially so many people who are serving this country with valor.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, let's move on here. The president with a show of support for Defense secretary saying he's doing a fantastic job. Let's go through this a little bit.
Senators John McCain, Chuck Hagel, say they have no confidence in the Defense secretary. A couple of Republicans running right now, Tom Cain, Jr. in New Jersey, Chris Shays in Connecticut, saying Rummy should go. And the public, in general, has a fairly low opinion of him, about 35 percent right now. How does that all add up to a fantastic job?
SNOW: I'll tell you, when was the last time, Miles, you guys reported on real support for Don Rumsfeld, or talking about the successes of the American forces in the battlefield. I know CNN has shown people getting shot. The question is --
M. O'BRIEN: Well, actually, no, no, no. We didn't actually show them. We did a report, which showed snipers, a propaganda film from insurgents showing sniper activity. We didn't show them being shot.
SNOW: All right. I'm sorry, you blurred them out while the picture was showing them getting shot.
Here's the key, there are a lot of American forces that are doing some pretty amazing things in Iraq right now. One of the things they've been doing is training up Iraqi forces to assume responsibility. I noted yesterday a lot of people were holding up a chaos chart that was taken at the peak of violence last month in Iraq. Guess what's happened? Last week, violence throughout Iraq was down 23 percent. Deadly violence in Iraq was down 41 -- I mean, in Baghdad was down 41 percent. Nobody did the other story, which was needle would have jumped toward peace yesterday, didn't want to report that.
Don Rumsfeld's doing a good job because he has been leading an effort to try to retool the American military, to meet changing challenges in the world, during a time of war. And he's doing it with courage and foresight.
You know what's happened, Miles? Wars are unpopular. The people who have to lead those wars become unpopular as well. Don Rumsfeld is a visionary leader. And he's competent. And, yes, a lot of people may second-guess things that he's done. That also happens anytime during warfare. The president knows the people he's got working for him. Don Rumsfeld is secretary of Defense, and also the generals in the field. He's got confidence in them.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Let me ask you this, though, 103 U.S. troops died last month. Another one -- we just told you about another one in November. I can only imagine what it's like to be a family member -- a loved one, a friend who lost somebody this past month. To hear you rattle off statistics like that, it has to leave them with a pretty hollow feeling.
SNOW: You know, Miles, you might want to talk to them. Because what you're insinuating is that they're died for nothing. And the people who have been fighting in Iraq -- the president, you also might want to ask the president. He hand signs every condolence letter, he knows the names. He hears about it every day.
The insinuation that you talk about battlefield progress is an insult to the people who made that progress possible, gets it completely backwards. Do you not understand that the people in today's military volunteered for this? Many of them believing it's a noble mission to create democracy in that region, so that you can replace the threat of terror with hope and democracy.
Do you not understand that they feel pride in it? And yes, the parents, it's got to tear your heart out. If you're a wife, a brother, a sister, of course, it's going to tear your heart out. But the one thing you need to understand is that a lot of those people are proud of the service that their sons and daughters have done in battlefields. That needs to be respected as well.
M. O'BRIEN: Is the U.S. winning?
SNOW: Yeah. Miles, let me put it this way. You think if somebody dies, we're losing. What you forget is something that General Casey said last week. We have not lost a single battlefield engagement. Let me give you a sense of some things that have gone on in the last couple of weeks.
The Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as been asserting -- he wants greater control over the military. We want him to have it. There were reports today that the Iraqis intercepted a bunch of missiles coming over the Iranian border.
I just told you about violence going down in Baghdad, and throughout Iraq, significantly in the last couple of weeks, in part because of adjustments made on the ground.
The other thing that probably isn't reported a lot, they're pumping more oil than ever before. The economy's perking up. The Iraqi people feel confidence in what's going on. The war's more popular in Iraq than it is here. Why? Because the Iraqi people are seeing what they're forces are doing and what we're doing.
M. O'BRIEN: When you say the war is more popular in Iraq, what do you have to back that up?
SNOW: Their public opinion surveys. Look at the surveys that came out a couple of weeks ago, talking about whether they support the ongoing efforts to win the war. And you're going to find out that, in Iraq, those efforts are more popular. You also saw a al Talibani, today, the president of Iraq, a Kurd, saying that, yes, we want the Americans to stay to help us get to the position where we have a democracy that's freestanding.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. I want to finish up here with something that came out in "USA Today." A member of the editorial board there, Ralph Peters, who is on the board of contributors, 21 books to his credit, retired U.S. Army officers -- you saw it.
SNOW: Yeah.
M. O'BRIEN: He says this, as he closes out his piece. It was a very compelling piece. "Iraq could have turned out differently. It didn't. And we must be honest about it. We owe that much to our troops. They don't face the mere forfeiture of a few congressional seats, but the loss of their lives, our military is now being employed for political purposes. It is unworthy of our nation."
SNOW: Yeah, I know, Ralph, and I know he's been there. And I respect him. And I disagree with him. It's important, though, look, these are the kinds of debates you need to have. You need to have a debate about what's going on.
The other question you need to ask yourself, and this is not a political question, this is a strategic question. Do you want to leave before you have achieved democracy in Iraq? Or are you willing to explain to future generations why you walked out, and you allowed terror to take root in a nation with the second largest oil reserves on the face of the earth, giving it access to untold wealth, the ability to wage economic warfare on the United States, Europe and Asia, and the ability to destabilize the region by mounting operations against Israel, the Saudi Peninsula and others.
Those are some of the stakes involved. That's not a mere political question, that's a question of life and death for us, and for future generations. Serious business.
M. O'BRIEN: White House Spokesman Tony Snow. And White House press Secretary, too.
(LAUGHTER)
I didn't want to downgrade your title there. Thank you very much.
SNOW: Don't worry. Thanks, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks for dropping by.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: We're going to take a look at our top stories straight ahead. Plus, we're "Minding Your Business." We'll look at Wal-Mart now cracking down on employees who are late to work. Critics say the new rules are too harsh. Andy tells us why, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Wal-Mart's getting tough on its employees. Andy Serwer tells us how. He's "Minding Your Business".
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: What are they doing?
SERWER: I guess some critics would say, is that news? But, you know, that's probably not fair. A new attendance policy at Wal-Mart, tending perhaps towards the Draconian? Critics would say yes.
It's a new formalized policy that was implemented this fall that spells out exactly how often you can be late, by how much, and what happens to you if you are late. Companies do have these policies. But this is formalized and it's kind of strict.
For instance, snowy weather is not an excuse for lateness, a hurricane or a blizzard is. This is actually spelled out. OK? If it's specifically a blizzard, that's OK. If you are tardy by 10 minutes or more, three times within a six-month period, you will get a demerit.
M. O'BRIEN: What, do they have detention?
SERWER: It's a bit like third grade. Maybe you get a gold star if you're on time for two weeks?
M. O'BRIEN: You have to write on the chalk board?
SERWER: Right. If you're tardy more than seven times over this period, you get terminated. If you leave to pick up a sick child, that counts as leaving work, one of these demerit sort of situations.
M. O'BRIEN: Really?
SERWER: There is an 800 number that you must call up to notify within an hour that you're going to be late and then you have to get a code and give this code to your boss. You can see how this will get problematic if there's a lot of snow and you've got two kids in the back seat crying, and then you get a flat tire, and your cell phone doesn't work. And that stuff happens to people right?
Wal-Mart says, look, they're just formalizing the policy and they need standardization. And I think that's probably true. But --
S. O'BRIEN: How many employees -- they have a lot of employees.
SERWER: Yes, 1.3 million employees in the United States.
(CROSS TALK)
S. O'BRIEN: They want to make it across the board that --
SERWER: I think that's right.
S. O'BRIEN: Some people don't get -- hey, don't worried about it, you're late 20 minutes. But the other guy ends up getting fired after a week.
SERWER: And that make sense, Soledad, but what it comes down to is that bosses obviously have to be flexible in certain instances. That's what's going on there.
M. O'BRIEN: Was that 800 number, 800 cry me a river, or something?
(LAUGHTER)
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
S. O'BRIEN: We don't care about your sick child, get to work on time.
M. O'BRIEN: What do you have coming up next?
SERWER: Cheaper computers, as we head towards the holiday season. They're cutting prices. We'll tell you about that.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, good. Glad to hear that. Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up here, your car, your coffee, what it tells politicians about the way you could vote. Investigating your political DNA, just ahead.
Plus, control of the Senate. It potentially hinges on one key race in the Show-Me state. We'll show you all about it in just a little bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: And with the election only days away, we've got complete coverage for you this morning. Just five days before the all-important midterm elections, and that could determine who's going to control Congress.
This as President Bush begins a final campaign push to help Republican candidates retain control. Both the House and Senate are still in play. Control of the Senate, though, could depend on one race that is tighter than tight. It's a race in Missouri. Latest polls show Jim Talent, the Republican incumbent, and Claire McCaskill, the Democratic challenger, are in a dead heat. Really, they could not get any closer. They're 49 to 49 according to the polls.
Claire McCaskill joins us this morning from Springfield, Missouri.
Nice to see you Mrs. McCaskill. Thanks for talking with us.
We need to mention that Jim Talent declined our request for an interview this morning as well. Thanks for being with us.
Let's come down to what it's going to come down to potentially in this election on Election Day. Iraq and stem cell research are the big issues, the big topics. Talk about Iraq for me. What's your plan there?
CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D), MISSOURI SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, certainly a change of course. Certainly pushing for Secretary Rumsfeld to be removed. This is a failed policy. It has not made us safer. We need to be getting troops to Afghanistan, where the Taliban has resurfaced. We need to be in a position where our military can be more flexible. Our -- the fact that Iraq has spread us so thin has really hurt our ability to keep countries like North Korea and Iran from their march towards nuclear capability.
S. O'BRIEN: So then what specifically is the plan? When would you see -- I assume you'd want troops out. When would you want them out?
MCCASKILL: Contained redeployment, over a two-year framework.
S. O'BRIEN: What does that mean, contained redeployment?
MCCASKILL: Well, it means taking some troops as soon as the military on the ground can in fact agree, taking some troops immediately to help the NATO command in Afghanistan. And then over the next two years, give or take some months, no date certain, telling the Iraqi government that they have to step up. They're going to have to disarm their militia. They're going to have to quit fighting with one another and come to the political solutions that are really going to move that country forward. We're not going to build democracy at the barrel of a gun.
S. O'BRIEN: You know, there's this report out this morning that we've been talking about that gives a failing grade to the Iraqi troops. Apparently they cut and run when they're faced with a battle sometimes after they get their paychecks. They tend to take off, things like that. Sometimes it's overreaching violence in some situations.
Obviously there's a huge problem with the Iraqi troops. What happens when you get to your deadline and the Iraqi troops aren't ready to take over security of that country?
MCCASKILL: Well, first of all, it's not a deadline; it's informing the Iraqi government that we're not going to be there forever. We have not done that. We have told the Iraqi government we're going to stay as long as it takes, and we've bred a culture of dependency. And meanwhile, our country has spent $350 billion, and we've had the deadliest month in years in October in terms of loss of life. We must inform them that we're not staying forever.
And you know, the truth is, no matter when we leave, there is a high likelihood that there will be a problem after we leave, because this elected government is supportive of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization. This elected government is refusing to disarm the very militia, the terrorists within Iraq, that are killing the men and women from America. So this government is not one that is going to be our ally on the war against terror.
S. O'BRIEN: We were talking to Tony Snow earlier this morning, and here's what he had to say about the implications of leaving Iraq on a schedule like yours. Listen.
It looks as if we don't have it. But essentially what he said, and I'll paraphrase it for you if I can -- he said, you know, if you leave, whether it's in six months or in two years, you haven't let democracy take hold. What's happened is increased sectarian violence, as we've been reporting and chaos. And so the Middle East, this important country in the Middle East, is a vacuum, not a democracy, as was the at least original plan. What do you make of criticisms like that to plans like yours?
MCCASKILL: Well, first of all, it could be 20 or 30 years before the democracy takes hold. And in the meantime, our military is spread so thinly, we cannot do our job in terms of making sure other countries like North Korea and Iran are not building on nuclear capability and marching toward conflicts that could be even more devastating than the conflict in Iraq.
And secondly, my contained redeployment plan is similar to the one being talked about right now by Senator John Warner, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, by Secretary Baker, the secretary of state under first President Bush, by General Powell. There is an acknowledgement by many Republicans in responsible positions with military background, along with many retired generals, that what we're doing now is not working. We must change our course.
S. O'BRIEN: Claire McCaskill, the race in Missouri is the one to watch, that's for sure. Thanks for talking with us this morning.
MCCASKILL: Thank you for having me.
S. O'BRIEN: And again, Jim Talent, the senator there, was invited to join us as well, talent and he declined -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, for political pros, the 2006 Midterm elections, of course, in many ways kind of a warmup for the 2008 presidential sweepstakes. Take a look at our latest poll numbers on likely candidates on both sides of the aisle. According to our CNN poll, Hillary Clinton is at the top of the list for Democrats with 28 percent. Barack Obama comes in at 17 percent, second. Al Gore at 13 percent and third, tied with John Edwards at 13 percent. John Kerry in a 12 percent.
However, this poll was taken before that "stuck in Iraq" gaffe, so you'd have to factor that one in.
Let's take a look at the Republican side now. Who's at the top of us there, his honor, former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, with 29 percent. Senator John McCain at 27 percent. Newt Gingrich coming in at 12 percent. Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts, at 7 percent. And the Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist at 6 percent. That gives you a sense of where things stand right now.
Of course, for political pros, it's never too early to think about the presidential sweepstakes -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Never too early, that's true.
Miles, let me ask you a question, Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts? What do you like best, coffee-wise?
M. O'BRIEN: Well, as you know, I'm kind of off the stuff right now.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, that's true, but you used to be a little bit of a coffee addict. What did you drink then?
M. O'BRIEN: I went both ways. And I guess, you know, maybe that proves I'm a true independent. I don't know. Depends what was close.
S. O'BRIEN: Proves you go both ways, maybe that's what it proves. All right, Miles.
Actually it turns out researchers say they're going to be able to predict how you can vote by what you drink for breakfast. We'll explain how that works straight after the break.
And some health news as well. Can wine help you live longer even if you're overweight?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta will help us take a look at that story straight ahead.
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M. O'BRIEN: While you've been keeping track of the politicians this election season -- we hope you have -- they've been tracking you, specifically your political DNA. Finding it is costly, the potential payoff on Election Day priceless.
CNN's Randi Kaye with more on what they're learning about us, Randi.
Is this kind of scary stuff?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is kind of scary stuff, actually. And believe it or not, Miles, even which sport you watch. That's how they may file you either in the Republican column or the Democrat column. It's really something to watch.
But if you're like me, you don't like anybody knowing your personal business, especially politicians. So you might as well stop drinking coffee, shopping online, buying cars, or even using caller I.D. That is because both Republicans and Democrats are keeping a close eye on your habits and your hobbies, and paying experts millions to use that information to swing your vote.
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KAYE (voice-over): Kevonna and Vic Tandon have two children, drink gourmet coffee, shop online and drive a Toyota Camry. May not mean much to you, but to Republicans and Democrats, knowing that could mean the difference between a victory and a loss.
KEVONNA TANDON, FOLCROFT, PA. RESIDENT: I don't know if it's necessarily such a good idea to categorize people and say they're Democrats or Republicans based upon how many people are in their households, or what they have a tendency to purchase.
KAYE: But the Tandons are categorized. They live in Folcroft, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia, one of the most micro-targeted areas in the country, according to consultant Alex Gage.
ALEX GAGE, TARGETPOINT CONSULTING: It's a way to manage your voters as individual customers.
KAYE: The Republican Party pays Gage millions to figure out voters' political DNA. The Democrats spend millions, too. The parties buy your personal data, just like any other company, but then cross-reference it with your voting habits, such as which elections you voted in. Their computer spits out a voter profile -- your political DNA.
K. TANDON: Big Brother may be watching.
KAYE: Micro-targeters know what you read, what kind of coffee you drink, even if you have caller I.D. These tidbits help political parties customize their message, and bring it to your front door.
Did I mention micro-targeters know where you live, too?
(on camera): Here in Folcroft, Pennsylvania, how do micro- targeters know which house is Democrat and which house is Republican? Well, the Republican household's DNA includes a playset in the front yard, a minivan in the driveway, a computer that's a PC and more dogs than cats. Republicans also, according to micro-targeters, watch football, not basketball. Oh, and they don't smoke.
Their neighbor, the Democrat, has a very different political DNA. They're more likely to have a hybrid car, an Apple computer and a platinum credit card. They shop at upscale stores, buy gourmet wine and cheese and own both dogs and cats. (voice-over): Armed with tiny electronic databases, canvassers from both parties go door to door, pushing issues your political DNA tells them you care about. If you've been identified as a likely opponent of the Iraq war, Republicans may target you with messages about other issues, while Democrats may focus on the war.
GAGE: We can build all sorts of models, and we can build models that say, well, here's some Democrat voters that happen to be socially conservative and are high turnout voters. So if you want to go in and try and pull out and generate some defection, you can do that.
KAYE: In a sense, the politician is choosing you instead of the other way around. After the canvassers get a sense of which way you're leaning, they rush that information back to the computer, so you can be sliced and diced some more. Sound like dirty politics?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's dirty, I really do.
S. O'BRIEN: Privacy rights advocate Lily Coney (ph) argues micro-targeting manipulates voters, instead of sticking to the issues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an undermining of the fabric of personal information, literally buying and selling lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: The Tandons think the politicians should spend more time focusing on their own political DNA and let the voters decide for themselves -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, so I have dogs and I like football.
KAYE: That says a lot about you. You're giving up a lot of information.
M. O'BRIEN: But I also have a platinum card and I also have an Apple. So does that really work? Because there are a lot of people that would mix and match all these things.
KAYE: Well, you know, actually, Vic Tandon, who we spoke with on the street there, he said he's actually registered as an independent, but everything he does, and buys and shops for would actually make him look more like a Republican, which he isn't.
M. O'BRIEN: It kind of gives -- I'm sure it gives all the people out there the creeps. The question is, in the final analysis, does this really work?
KAYE: Alex Gage, the micro-targeter who works for the Republican Party says absolutely. He says the party would never be spending millions of dollars on this if it didn't work. In fact, the Bush/Cheney campaign spent more than $3 million back in 2004 on just 18 states to try and create these micro-targeter models. So it's apparently worked for them.
Also speaking with the Democratic Party, we spoke with Working America, a group that's affiliated with them, and they said that 70 percent of the people that they target through this micro-targeting, they believe, will vote their way.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, really?
KAYE: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Interesting. So it seems like they know more about us than we know about them.
KAYE: Yes, the candidates are picking us; we're not really picking them, no matter what we think.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Randi Kaye, thank you, fascinating piece 00 Soledad.
KAYE: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Stories we're following for you this morning, President Bush campaigner-in-chief, standing by two of the most embattled men in his administration. We'll tell you about that.
And is red wine the fountain of youth? Is it a fat-buster? There's a fascinating new study out. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will weigh in for us, straight ahead.
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S. O'BRIEN: A new study indicates there might be a big upside to drinking. And I mean drinking a lot of red wine. Plus whooping cough back in Boston.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN Center with a look at both of those stories.
Hey, Sanjay. Good morning.
Let's begin with the whooping cough, if we can. Give me a few details. We're talking about an outbreak at Children's Hospital in Boston. How bad is this outbreak?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it looks like it's about 15 or 16 people right now. Back on September 21st, a 19-month-old went to the hospital with, you know, what seemed like a viral infection, but it persisted, and it got worse, and subsequently some tests were done that showed, in fact, it was pertussis, also known, as you say, whooping cough. Very, very contagious. Within a short time, 15 staff members in their hospital also becoming infected. About 1,000 additional people being tested now as well to see just how contagious, how many people actually got this particular illness.
You know, pertussis, whooping cough isn't something we talk a lot about, but there have been two sort of outbreaks in Massachusetts at Children's Hospital in Boston. You just mentioned the most recent one.
It looks like it's fairly easy to contain. This is something doctors know how to treat, but early diagnosis is absolutely key here.
It's deadly in babies, but not really anybody else, right?
GUPTA: It can be deadly in babies. It can be very, very problematic in adults as well. This is the sort of cough -- I've heard this before, Soledad, yes, it is this bone-crushing cough. I mean, people literally crack ribs they cough so hard. Starts out like a cold, and that persistent cough -- when they say persistent, we're talk several months sometimes before you get ahold of this thing.
But in today's day and age, it can be deadly, but if treated with antibiotics early, you can pretty much get ahold of this. About 11,000 cases, but 13 deaths. Usually those are in people who weren't diagnosed quickly enough -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Let me talk to you about this red wine study, comes out of Harvard, and I think the National Institutes of Aging, or something like that. It is definitely a good news, a potentially very bad news story. This one Involves a lot of red wine. What did they find?
GUPTA: Depending on your perspective it can be bad news, that's right. There's a substance out there. Pay attention to this name. It's called resveratrol . Resveratrol -- that is a substance in red wine. And people have been paying attention to this substance for some time. They did a study. It's a study in mice, so we're not going to get too excited yet.
What they found is mice who had a diet that was 60 percent fat, which unfortunately approximates a lot of human diets. They were at risk for developing complications like diabetes, liver disease and shortened life span. If they were given the resveratrol, this red wine supplement, they almost had a significant decrease in the incidence of all those things -- the diabetes, liver problem -- and they actually had an increased life span.
Yes, they were obese, but they were a healthy obese because of these wine supplements, at least that's the conclusion right now of these researchers.
S. O'BRIEN: But to get the benefits, you'd have to drink like 100 glasses of wine a day, right?
GUPTA: What's your point, Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: My point is you're going to die of liver failure before you get about benefits out of this.
GUPTA: Right, so that's probably a little impractical.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, doctor.
GUPTA: What they're working on is actually developing possibly a supplement. So they're trying to get just the good qualities of the resveratrol, put it into a supplement.
I need to point out that the researcher, the lead researcher on this particular article, is also someone who has a financial interest in the company that might make these supplements. I want to point that out. I don't think that there's necessarily a problem there. But that there is an issue with actually making these supplements to the point that you can get enough of the resveratrol to get the good benefits without any of the bad.
S. O'BRIEN: But you know we're going to keep talking about this one, I'm sure of that.
GUPTA: I have a feeling we will, absolutely.
S. O'BRIEN: Sanjay Gupta at the CNN Center this morning.
Thanks, Sanjay -- Miles.
GUPTA: Thank you.
M. O'BRIEN: I would think after about glass 50, you'd start missing your mouth, don't you think.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, one would think.
M. O'BRIEN: Possibly. Yes, one would think.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Some stories we're following for you right now. A major U.S. contractor is leaving Iraq. It's $2 billion contract is up. Is Bechtel perhaps another a casualty of war?
Plus this, the fallout from Senator Kerry's so-called botched joke. A look at its impact on Kerry's political future ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
And it's Thursday. You know what that means, right, Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: Miles-cam on Pipeline.
M. O'BRIEN: I am so proud of you. E-mail me right now, your questions about anything to do with our newscast and, of course the omnipresent question, are Soledad and I married? Of course the answer is, yes. But not to each other. In any case, Miles-cam at CNN.com is the e-mail address. The answers are found and the Pipeline product at 10:00 eastern time CNN.com/pipeline. And you may now hit me.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I will, thank you.
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