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American Morning

Chirac to Retire from Politics; Wildfires Near Los Angeles; More GOP 2008 Hopefuls; President Bush Facing Protests Throughout Latin American Tour

Aired March 12, 2007 - 08:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody, Monday, March 12th.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien.

We're glad you're with us this morning.

We begin in southern California, where record heat, strong winds and low humidity could make for another long day of raging wildfires. It's happening in Orange County. So far, more than 2,000 acres charred. Five hundred homes were evacuated at one point yesterday. Some of those people are allowed to return home this morning.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at the fire command center in Irvine, California.

Thelma, what's the latest?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, I can tell you that the good news is that no homes are currently threatened at the moment. Of course, all of that could change if the winds kick up.

Right now, we still have a red flag warning in place. And residents are hoping that the flames don't come their way like they did yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ (voice over): Sunday afternoon, flames rage through tinder-dry brush, up steep hillsides, toward homes in the Anaheim Hills, charring more than 2,000 acres. It was a fast-moving blaze fueled by high winds and intense heat, with temperatures spiking up to the mid 90s, and 800 firefighters rushed to the scene. Police raced through neighborhoods, telling residents to get out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was 12:30, 12:45, and they went door to door, the Anaheim Police.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): At that point, what did you grab?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dog. And not too much else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My jewelry. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And some wedding pictures of my parents.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): Firefighters launched an aggressive air attack. One after another, helicopters dipped into a nearby reservoir. They filled huge buckets and flew over the hot spots to make their drops.

By sundown, the winds had died down and temperatures had fallen. The fire was 30 percent contained. Two homes were damaged, but residents were relieved and grateful none were lost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, they've been doing a great job. At one time they had four helicopters flying around and, frankly, they've been doing a marvelous job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the rainfall that we've had, you know, this is probably a precursor to what we can expect through late spring and early summer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ: Now, humidity was up overnight. The winds were down, and that helped firefighters establish a line around the fire. They're optimistic they'll be able to knock it out by tonight -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Thelma Gutierrez along the fire lines.

Thank you -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: President Bush in Guatemala this morning. It's the latest stop in his five-country Latin America tour. He has gone from Brazil to Uruguay to Colombia, and now to Guatemala. He's going to be in Mexico later today to talk trade and immigration on Tuesday. And the president has been facing protests every step of the way.

CNN's Elaine Quijano is live for us in Guatemala City this morning.

Good morning, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

President Bush brings his "America cares" message here to Guatemala City today. He is working to shore up U.S. allies in this region amid what experts say is the widespread perception in Latin America that the U.S. has neglected the area since September 11th.

Well, today, Mr. Bush will once again push back against that notion. He's going to visit a farm cooperative to try to make the case that CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, is helping to improve the lives of the region's poor. There have been protests, though, including yesterday in Bogota, Colombia. A relatively small protest in size, about 1,500 people or so in a city of seven million people. But some of those demonstrators, as you can see here, did turn violent.

And today here in Guatemala City, a sign of the president's unpopularity. Some -- an unusual protest is set to take place. Some Mayan leaders are actually planning to spiritually cleanse ancient Guatemalan ruins after President Bush visits later today -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Elaine, some people have called this a dueling tour, and they're talking about the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, who obviously has not been a fan of President Bush, and President Bush would return the favor, as they say. So, he's slated to go back to Venezuela today. Any indication that the criticism is having any kind of impact on the president, President Bush's tour?

QUIJANO: Well, you know, Soledad, the White House has been very careful not to respond. Obviously, they know that Chavez' rhetoric does appeal to some here in the region. Chavez himself was in Bolivia yesterday, Nicaragua as well, and as you noted, slated to be back in Venezuela. But Mr. Bush has refused to say Chavez' name. They're very mindful that they don't want to elevate Chavez or his political rhetoric, but clearly the unspoken goal of this entire Latin America tour is to try to prevent an alternative to what Chavez is offering and to try to counter his influence in this atmosphere -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano for us this morning. She's traveling with the president.

Also -- thanks, Elaine.

And we have a programming note for you this morning. While President Bush is in Mexico, we're going to have a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING live from Mexico City. Going to take a look at the immigration crisis from that side of the border. That's coming up tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, maybe it would be easier just to list the senators not running for president. Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel may be adding himself to the list of candidates this morning. An announcement is planned in Omaha, and that's where we find CNN's Dana Bash.

Dana, good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

And the senator is holding his cards very close to the vest about exactly what he will say later this morning, but an informed Republican source tells CNN that the senator actually started making some calls last night to close political associates, making clear that they should be prepared to talk about why he would be a credible presidential candidate. And it certainly would change the dynamic in the GOP field to have someone like him, an unrelenting critic of the president and his war strategy, part of it. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice over): Nebraska is conservative country -- a state that re-elected President Bush with two-thirds of the vote, one of the highest margins in the nation. Yet, these days loyal Nebraska Republicans are represented by perhaps the most vocal GOP opponent of the Iraq war and the president.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: After almost four years of a rather significant presence in Iraq and many, many American casualties and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, things are getting worse, not better.

BASH: Chuck Hagel even suggested to "Esquire" magazine this month the president could be impeached for Iraq blunders.

REP. LEE TERRY (R), NEBRASKA: Well, to be perfectly blunt, it hasn't been received well, especially within the base of the Republican voters.

BASH: Republican Congressman Lee Terry hears constant complaints about Hagel from conservative constituents.

TERRY: Some of the people that talk to me, they're pretty passionate and they're pretty angry. And I don't know how Chuck will soothe that.

BASH: But are conservatives angry enough to hurt his chances of winning the Republican nomination? Maybe not, says a GOP strategist who twice helped elect President Bush.

MATTHEW DOWD, GOP STRATEGIST: There's about a third or more of people in Nevada that are going to vote in the Republican primary who disapprove of the president on the war and are against the war. And so there's definitely a place from a political perspective for a candidate like Chuck Hagel to run from.

BASH: Hagel's own war experience as a decorated Vietnam veteran may give him added credibility. He was there on the front lines and says he fought in the same kind of war currently being mismanaged in Iraq.

HAGEL: And we better be sure we know what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Now, Senator Hagel has said over and over that he is somebody who is not just a one-issue guy, that he is about more than just the war, that he has somebody with impeccable conservative credentials on issues from taxes to guns to abortion. But no doubt, Miles, if he does, in fact, jump into this race, it could very much change the dynamic and could be a test case for just how much the war and the unpopularity of the war is changing American politics, even within the Republican Party -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. So, the bottom line here, not much doubt he's running, right?

BASH: Not much doubt he's running. All indications are that all systems are go.

One thing that he could be talking about in addition to that today is what he would do in the Senate, Miles. He is up for re- election in 2008, next year. We found something from back in 1995 when he first ran saying that he would just serve two terms, 12 years. He could be making that -- that indication today, but we do expect that he is going to give -- his future plans equals what he's going to do in terms of the 2008 presidential run. And we do expect him at least to start the ball rolling when he makes his speech later today -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure he won't disappoint you, Dana. You flew all the way out there to Omaha. I'm sure it's going to be better than that. It won't be, like, "Go Huskers" or anything like that.

BASH: That's exactly what I said...

M. O'BRIEN: What?

BASH: That's exactly what I -- that's exactly what I asked him when we happened to be on the same plane. And he suggested that we won't be disappointed. So we'll hold our breath.

M. O'BRIEN: There you go. All right.

Thank you very much, Dana -- Soledad.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.

A kidnapped baby has been found safe and sound. Her accused kidnapper is facing an extradition hearing today.

And 12 people injured in a massive apartment fire in Dallas overnight. Up to 100 apartments were destroyed.

M. O'BRIEN: In southern California, another bad day ahead for firefighters as they try to douse that wildfire, and it's ripping through Orange County. That's in the Anaheim area, generally, Disneyland country.

Yesterday, 500 homes were evacuated. Some of those folks have been given the green light to return this morning.

Justin Dignam lives nearby. He joins us now.

Thanks for getting up early, Justin. We appreciate it. We know you took some pictures for us.

JUSTIN DIGNAM, LIVES NEAR FIRES: You're welcome.

M. O'BRIEN: Using those pictures to illustrate your points. What did you see yesterday?

DIGNAM: Miles, it was quite a day yesterday. It was really quite spectacular. With the wind whipping the way it was, it was really -- fire was hopping from one hill to the next, and it was quite a dramatic show as it passed really right in front of us, just about a quarter mile from where we were.

M. O'BRIEN: You were about a quarter mile away. You must have been a little bit concerned that it might head in your direction.

DIGNAM: Well, we were very concerned because you just never know. What was very interesting was the way the fire was blowing. It was literally blowing across us about a quarter mile away, from left to right. So, it wasn't toward us, but, certainly, we were keeping an eye on it, so if we had to go, we could go.

M. O'BRIEN: One wind shift and you would be on your way.

What are things like now this morning?

DIGNAM: Well, it -- it stings much more. The wind has really died down, which is a good sign. But what it's done is kept all the smoke, and it's very, very heavy. Eye-stinging smoke. You can't be outside for literally more than just a couple seconds before you have a real problem.

M. O'BRIEN: Even where you are right now, it's stinging your eyes, huh?

DIGNAM: Yes. Right here, we're about a couple miles away from where the actual fire was burning. We passed it to get to you folks here this morning, and it's quite a spectacular site, you know, with it being so dark out, with all the flames on the hills. So it's still going.

M. O'BRIEN: It's kind of eerie, isn't it, you know?

DIGNAM: Very.

M. O'BRIEN: This is an unusual time -- you know, fires -- we talk about fires in California a fair amount, but this time of year to have these kind of conditions, that's unusual, isn't it?

DIGNAM: It is. But, you know, you could almost see it coming, because as you probably already reported, the rain has been very, very light this entire past year. And with the fires now, what we know we can look forward to is, once the rains come next year, the brush has been burned away, and it's just going to bring the mud right down the hill.

M. O'BRIEN: Justin Dignam, thanks very much for being with us. We appreciate it. And when news happens in your home town, we invite you to do what Justin did. Send us your photos and your video. Just go to cnn.com/ireport. You, too, can be an I-Reporter -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up on quarter past the hour. Time to check in with Chad Myers, who is watching lots of extreme weather across the country for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it's never too early to plan for the future. Ahead this morning, we'll have some tips on how you put together your will. The series for folks in their 30s and their 40s and their 50s.

Plus, we'll look at the must-have feature in lots of new homes. Alli Velshi tells us what it is straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Planning for your death, it's obviously something nobody wants to think about. And, in fact, many of us don't think about it. Surveys show that more than half of all Americans don't have a will. But having a plan in place could be the best gift that you could leave to your loved ones, as Gerri willis reports in our series for people in their 30s and 40s and 50s.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Even if you're young and healthy, or don't think you own much of value, it's a good idea to have a basic will in place so that you, not the courts, can decide what happens to your assets when you're gone. Die without one, and your family will have extra costs and paperwork to deal with. Many 20 and 30-year-olds can take advantage of computer software that provides an easy way to put those wishes on paper.

Your will should be updated periodically and should include who you want to inherent your assets, a guardian for your children, someone to manage their assets, and an executor to carry out your wishes. As your assets grow in your 30s and 40s, you may want to consider a trust. Though the word might conjure images of the rich and the pampered, trusts are not just for the wealthy.

A trust lets you decide not only who inherits your money, but also how and when. Perhaps over a period of time, or after children have graduated from college. A trust can also reduce gift and estate taxes. There are several kinds of trusts, so, it's best to seek the guidance of a competent estate planning attorney.

In your 50s, if you have got a healthy nest egg, you might want to start giving away some of your money now. You can give up to $12,000 a year tax free to as many people as you like. You can give more to loved ones by paying their school or medical bills as long as you write the check directly to the institution. Most importantly, experts say to talk to your family about your estate plans. It may not be an easy conversation, but it can help prevent conflicts after you're gone.

Gerri Willis, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Well, you know, I'm a snorer, and I asked Sandy if she would prefer I sleep in another bedroom. She said, "What other bedroom?" We've got a little problem with that living in Manhattan.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: It's about 25 minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi is here with an interesting trend.

VELSHI: Yes. And I'm a snorer, too. And the National Association of Home Builders has said in a survey of architects and builders, there's this feeling that by 2015, 60 percent of homes that are custom built, which, you know, means you can make your adjustments to it, will come with dual master bedrooms, dual separate bedrooms for people.

And snoring is a big part of that. Checking your e-mails, people who, you know, have different schedules, crying kids, going to the gym really early, the things that don't allow people to get enough sleep -- because these days, sort of everybody is working harder, and they have got to be more productive. So people sort of say, well, we live in the same house, we're married, it's all fantastic. We don't actually have to sleep in the same bed. You can work out all the other business that needs to be worked out and then go and sleep in your own bed.

M. O'BRIEN: People are reluctant to talk about this, though, because they feel it's an invasion of their marriage...

(CROSSTALK)

VELSHI: Right. It seems weird. It seems a little Victorian, doesn't it?

M. O'BRIEN: Right. It sure does.

VELSHI: We're all going to our separate bedrooms. But apparently this trend is growing. People are requesting it, and it is an offer that a lot of custom builders are making. It's not unusual.

I mean, we know the separate bathroom thing exists...

M. O'BRIEN: Right.

VELSHI: ... and is convenient. And these don't mean, you know, a bedroom in each wing.

M. O'BRIEN: So why not the separate house? S. O'BRIEN: Depending on the marriage.

VELSHI: Well, there's the thing.

M. O'BRIEN: The guy house and...

VELSHI: Right. This is great for folks who have been looking for that type of bedroom for a long time. But we're talking about a room that maybe has a wall in between.

S. O'BRIEN: Hey, I wake my husband every single morning when I go to work -- every single morning. Poor guy.

VELSHI: Right. You all would be candidates for this.

S. O'BRIEN: Can my room be not near the kids? He can be near the kids. And...

M. O'BRIEN: Right.

VELSHI: So it's actually an interesting trend. The psychology is what the big deal is here, is, how do you go buy that House, get it made, and say, listen, we're actually kind of thinking -- you know, how do you get that? I think it's going to show up on the questionnaire where people are going to say, hey, have you guys thought about separate bedrooms, because it's a big trend?

They should be big enough so that you -- you know, if you don't want to do that, you all sleep in one bedroom and then you get a separate one for the snorer.

S. O'BRIEN: Get a therapist. It will all work out.

VELSHI: And that's the other option.

M. O'BRIEN: That would be the third bedroom, for the therapist.

VELSHI: The therapist could be cheaper, right.

(LAUGHTER)

S. O'BRIEN: A live-in therapist. Love that.

M. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Ali.

S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Ali.

VELSHI: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, on edge. Thousands of acres charred south of Los Angeles. And another hot and dry day is ahead. We're going to have a live report this morning for you.

Plus, the possible new faces in the race for '08. Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley stops by for us.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Take a look at some new pictures. These just came in actually yesterday.

Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning.

You're looking at pictures from the wildfires burning in southern California, of course. There's the live pictures. These come to us courtesy of KABC and their helicopter, hovering over the Anaheim Hills, where the fires continue this morning. The forecast not good on this Monday, March 12th.

Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.

M. O'BRIEN: Right now that raging wildfire is the focus of a lot of attention. Record heat, low humidity, Santa Ana winds, all happening -- unusual heat for this time of year. Eight hundred firefighters on the line, 500 homes evacuated yesterday. Some people headed back this morning.

S. O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're talking about the race for the presidency. Can you believe there are more people in today? We're going to be talking about Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. He's a Vietnam vet, supportive of the president, except on one very big issue, the war. There is a good chance he will be throwing his hand officially into the ring.

And then on the right of your screen, the former Tennessee senator, and maybe you know him from TV, Fred Thompson, also a possible contender. Candy Crowley is going to give us a little bit of a preview on what it's looking -- shaping up to be for 2008 straight ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: An actor as president? Really? Could that be possible?

And au revoir, Monsieur Chirac.

How was that?

S. O'BRIEN: That was all right. Was that supposed to be French?

M. O'BRIEN: It was my attempt.

A long public life in France is ending. Who will succeed him? We'll ask our man at the U.N., Richard Roth.

Let's go right now, though, to Orange County, California. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at the Fire Command Center in Irvine, not far from the Anaheim Hills, where you saw those pictures just a moment ago.

Thelma, what are they doing today? How are they bracing? Are they concerned that conditions will be just as bad as they were yesterday?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, that's always the concern. Right now, no homes are currently threatened. We talked to the battalion chief a short time ago. He said the good news was the humidity was up overnight, the winds were down. That helped firefighters establish a perimeter around this fire. They were optimistic. They were hoping that they might have full containment by tonight. They say it could all change, however, if those winds kick up.

Now, we are having a red flag warning right now. It continues through tonight and, of course, that's what they're watching are the winds. They're also expecting temperatures to be up today. So that, that in itself might be a little bit dicey, miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Give us a sense -- this is March, as we look at these live pictures, obviously, those fires still raging, really, as the winds have died down -- we got to point that out. This time of year, though, Thelma, would you expect these kinds of conditions?

GUTIERREZ: You know, Miles, it was incredible. We're driving out here, it's a nice March day. We have the AC on, we arrive on the ridge. All the residents are watching the flames. Yesterday, they were wearing halter-type sun dresses. It is just very uncharacteristic. We're talking 95 degree temperatures yesterday, and most of the residents who were there say they expect these type of conditions out here in Southern California, but they would never expect it this early in the season.

M. O'BRIEN: Thelma, what do we know about how this one got started?

GUTIERREZ: Well, we are told that there was a car fire. The car was in a grassy area. It was on fire. Firefighters don't really know exactly what caused that fire, although it is suspicious. They believe that perhaps it is a stolen car. I know that that has been reported out here, that perhaps it was a stolen car, it was lit on fire to hide evidence. We're not sure about that.

However, once that car caught on fire and the winds were up yesterday, that just took the flames and then spread it, fanned it out along the Anaheim Hills and quickly developed into a dangerous situation.

M. O'BRIEN: Thelma Gutierrez in Irvine, California, not far from where those live pictures come in to us from our affiliate KABC. We thank them for that. Thelma, thank you. We'll be back with you in just a little bit. Soledad?

S. O'BRIEN: We're talking about the announcement that is coming from Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel this morning -- another conservative Republican, Fred Thompson, might jump in, too. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is watching the list of contenders grow and grow and, really, no exaggeration, and grow and grow and grow. Busy weekend if you're a Republican. I mean, kind of out control. Let's start with Fred Thompson. I thought he was a real surprise and everybody's kind of surprising announcements. What do you think is behind this?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think what it shows overall is how open the field still is. We expected a free-for- all, we got a free-for-all. I have to tell you, I was surprised, too, because there's been a lot of Internet chatter over the past month or so about a `draft Fred Thompson' group. I was asked about it and I said, you know what, in order to have a draft, you have to have a guy who is willing and here's this TV star and he's clearly gone on to another life, so I think it's really doubtful, and the next thing you know, he's out there going, Well, I'm keeping the door open.

Look, I think he has, at this point, an uphill climb, if he chooses to get in during the fall or the summer because so many people were out there so early and, once again, we get back to the money. Can you raise enough?

S. O'BRIEN: And the money -- he's aware he's going to make a lot less money as president than he would in his acting career, which is doing pretty well.

Do you think he is aiming for some kind of second-fiddle role, like a VP role?

CROWLEY: Nobody ever gets into these presidential races thinking they're going to be number two. We always look at people and say, well, he doesn't really look like a presidential candidate. Maybe he's running for vice president. But, in general, I've never known anybody that has gotten into this to be number two. That may be the default position, but it's never the first position. They always look at the field and think, gee, I can do that, and they get in to become the presidential candidate.

S. O'BRIEN: Newt Gingrich -- turns out while he was grilling President Bill Clinton at the time, he was cheating on his own wife. He's gone in front of evangelicals, asking for forgiveness. Do you think this is positioning him for something else down the road?

CROWLEY: I do -- a couple of things: first of all, it gets us talking about whether or not he will have a presidential candidacy. Beyond that, what he's trying to do here is draw the sting, so if he does get into the presidential race -- and he has said, before, Along about September 30th, I'll start thinking about it. Once we get to September 30th, the hope is, this will be old news. He has already done all that and he can move on.

So I think it does two things: A) it begins to draw the sting and B), it gets us talking about whether he'll be a presidential candidate.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's finish up talking about Chuck Hagel. He said he will make a big announcement, but won't specify exactly what that is. Poor Dana Bash is covering, and she's like, Am I here for a reason? What's your announcement going to be? Why all the mystery, and what do you think he's going to do?

CROWLEY: There's always a little bit of mystery about Senator Hagel. One never is quite sure, and woe be to the person who predicts it, but as Dana has been reporting, it certainly looks like he is going to announce some sort of presidential exploratory committee, maybe not in the whole way, but part of the way.

Once again, if that is the truth, it is driven by money. You've got to get in and see, can I raise it? One doesn't want to predict what Chuck Hagel is going to do. It's interesting, because, as you know and reporting, he would be the first anti-war candidate on the Republican side to get in. And there's a base there, it would seem, because there are some pollsters who say about a third of the Republican party is anti-war. He has been the most outspoken anti-war Republican on Capitol Hill.

So, there's a constituency for him. But is it enough and is it a constituency that is willing to bet on him and give him money, is the question.

S. O'BRIEN: That is the question, as we like to end all our segments with a question so we can revisit it again tomorrow.

CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley for us -- thanks, Candy, as always.

And of course, all the day's political news is available any time day or night at CNN.com/ticker.

M. O'BRIEN: Presidential politics now: it is early and the race is already red hot, but do people outside the political intelligentsia, the beltway, do they give a darn? Well, here's a surprising number: the latest poll numbers show 75 percent of you are following the race for president very closely. You're going to burn out, people. A lot of Americans do wish the candidates were paying more attention to them. AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken has been checking into that. He joins us live from Washington with more.

Good morning, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. There is an interesting situation this year -- it's called front loading. A lot of the states have decided they want to be players in this primary race. So they are moving -- as many as 20 may move up to February 5th. What that is going to mean, many people say, is that the candidates will then be racing from one to the other. Very little time for the retail politics that are practiced in just a few states.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(Voice-Over): If you really want some face time with the '08 candidates, move to Iowa, or New Hampshire, or Nevada.

The candidates practically live there. But what if you live elsewhere? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iowa is not really -- I'm sure there's a lot of great people in Iowa, but there's a lot of people on the north coast. There is how many million people here?

FRANKEN: Of course, you can still buy access, like this Mitt Romney Republican event in Miami, or this fund-raising dinner for Barack Obama in New York City.

BARACK OBAMA, DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This campaign is not about me, it's about you.

FRANKEN: It's about what the pros call `an election cycle' where the early primary states are so front-loaded, the candidates will appear as a blur from elsewhere on a TV screen. Iowa and New Hampshire are traditionally the first states. Nevada and others want a piece of that action.

Regardless, many political pros say people elsewhere feel deprived.

DONNA BRAZILLE, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Voters want a chance to see these candidates, to touch them, talk to them, to ask their tough questions, to get a chance to get a sense of their comfort level.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it gives you the opportunity to really assess the likability of the candidate, if they're genuine, if what they're saying is true. It really helps you to be able to relate to the candidate you want to vote for.

FRANKEN: For millions, the closest they will get to the candidates is cyberspace, via their websites.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bottom line is that they'll need to say whatever they need to say that's good for them and wherever they are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (on camera): That's right, they're going to say what it is they think the voter is going to want to hear, whether that voter is long distance or up close and personal. Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken, thank you very much.

Soledad? Oh, is it your turn?

S. O'BRIEN: Sure, it's my turn.

M. O'BRIEN: Go ahead.

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, au revoir, bon chance -- French President Jacques Chirac says, No more. A third term is out of the question for him. We'll look at what he accomplished.

Then, the camera turns. A new documentary puts filmmaker Michael Moore under the microscope. That's up next on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Entertainment news this morning. The tables have turned on Michael Moore: a new documentary, called "Manufacturing Dissent" turns the camera on the confrontational Moore. The directors of the film, though, found that Moore was just as hard to get as some of the people that Moore goes after. They actually say that Moore did speak with the former General Motors' chairman, Roger Smith, for his documentary back in 1989, "Roger and Me," but chose to keep the final footage out.

In the movie "300," which features real actors and all-digital backgrounds that topped the weekend box office -- took in $70 million. That works out to about $233,000 for every one of the 300 Spartans who fought off a much larger Persian force in the legendary battle that this movie is based on. Miles gives it a thumbs up.

M. O'BRIEN: The 14-year-old son certainly loved it.

S. O'BRIEN: The 14-year-old gives it a thumbs up.

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame can be called the Rock 'n' Roll and Rap Hall of Fame. As of tonight, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are going to be inducted tonight, the first hip-hop act in the hall. They of course were the pioneers between the 1982 single "The Message." Some say they created the term hip-hop. Other inductees this year: Patty Smith, REM, the Ronettes and Van Halen.

M. O'BRIEN: It is about quarter of the hour, Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center. Chad, what is going on?

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: A gut-wrenching story that hits close to home now. One of our own, here at CNN, Headline News anchor Thomas Roberts, for the first time, is talking about being a victim of a sexual predator who happened to be his parish priest. Roberts was abused by Father Jerome Toohey (ph), known as Father Jeff, from 1987 to 1990, in Maryland.

Anderson Cooper, tonight, will talk with Roberts about how he overcame the emotional scars.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST (on camera): When you heard that word, Guilty, what did you think?

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: For me, having Father Jeff say Guilty was the biggest vindication, for him to admit the truth and stand up and take responsibility for his own criminal actions. That was a big deal.

COOPER (voice over): Incredibly, later that same day, Father Jeff asked Thomas and his family to meet with him. ROBERTS: I opened up and let him know exactly what he had done to a child. How dare he take advantage of this kid who was put in his care for help. Why in the world would he take such great advantage of me and sacrifice this kid -- literally sacrifice this kid -- and burden, burden him with so much at such a young age. And he just sat there and listened. Couldn't muster up a tear, but he said he was just so sorry and just so upset by all of this. But I didn't see that day a lot of remorse.

MICHELLE ROBERTS, THOMAS' MOTHER: I said that I had trusted you with my child and you betrayed that trust and you abused a child who had already been abused and, for that, I'll never forget give you. And you're going to burn in hell. That burning in hell is going to be the big one, when he faces god.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Special hour with Thomas Roberts and Anderson Cooper -- it's called "The Sins of the Father." It airs tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360" -- 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Looks like an amazing story.

CNN NEWSROOM just a couple minutes away. Tony Harris is at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.

Hey, welcome back from vacay, man.

TONY HARRIS, CNN HOST: Thank you. I had a great time. It will be great relief to get back here and work, the way those kids run and run you and run you.

S. O'BRIEN: Vacation with kids is not vacation.

HARRIS: I come back to relax. Great to see you, Soledad.

We have these stories on the NEWSROOM rundown -- poolside wildfire in the O.C. -- homes scorched in the Los Angeles 'burbs. We watch for flare ups this morning.

A kidnapping suspect in court in a few hours: the woman accused of masquerading as a hospital worker to steal a newborn.

New York police say they are pulling out all the stops to find this guy. Just watch this. It's outrageous. He mugs a 101-year-old woman. There you go.

Heidi Collins joins me in the NEWSROOM. We get started at the top of the hour right here on CNN.

Soledad, back to you.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you. That's horrible to watch. All right, thanks, Tony, see you then. News just in for you, this morning: about 30 miles outside of Syracuse, New York, there's been a train explosion. Authorities apparently began evacuating residents in Oneida after the explosion set fire to several freight train tanker cars containing propane. The blast happened around 7:00 A.M. Eastern Time, and fire crews from several departments were on the scene fighting the flames. No immediate reports of any injuries or any fatalities, at least at this point. We're going to continue to watch this story. We're told that something like 80 cars are in this entire freight train, and 12 of them have burned. A number of those trains were carrying propane, of course, and they're concerned about the danger of further explosions. We're watching it for you in Oneida, New York.

Coming up next, Jacques Chirac says Au revoir to politics and marks the end of an era, too. That story is ahead. Stay with us, you're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Admired by some, reviled by others -- French President Jacques Chirac has been a force political for 40 years, 12 of them as president of France. But now he is saying, Adieu.

CNN's UN correspondent, Richard Roth, probably can speak French better than I can, but he is going to talk about Chirac's amazing tenure in French politics.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN UN CORRESPONDENT: A towering figure on the French political scene, and now it's time for a political bon voyage for Jacques Chirac.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(Voice-over): A political `au revoir' for Jacques Chirac. After 12 years in office, the president of France told his nation, in a prime time speech, he will not run again.

Americans will best remember Chirac for his refusal to join the U.S. against Saddam Hussein in 2003. Chirac said Iraq did not pose an immediate threat. Few on this side of the Atlantic agreed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That wine represents the blood the French have never spilled for freedom.

ROTH: And who could forget `Freedom Fries' -- gastronomic fury aimed at a French leader who once served up ice cream at a Howard Johnson's in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1953. Relations were icy for a while with President Bush.

SIMON SERFATY, CTR FOR STRATEGIC AND INT'L STUDIES: Both of them were sure of themselves, dominant and potentially domineering, which brought about this kind of a clash, which was a clash of the personalities.

ROTH: Quite a change from the harmony between France and the U.S. after 9/11, when a French newspaper said, "Today, We Are All Americans."

JACQUES CHIRAC, FRENCH PRESIDENT: I had a lot of things in my heart to be said for the solidarity with the Americans and the New Yorkers.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.

ROTH: These days some of that solidarity has returned, opposing terrorism and nuclear arms.

JOHN BOLTON, FRM U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: There were plenty of occasions, however, where we were able to work together with the French under Chirac because of another French characteristic, and that's a very cold-blooded realism when critical French interests were at stake.

ROTH: A man of hearty appetite, Chirac was known as `the bulldozer,' but was not able to overcome criticism at home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (on camera): The two presidents had something else in common: President Bush, President Chirac extremely low in their nation's own political polls.

And Miles, a statement from the White House, President Bush wishes President Chirac all the best as he enters life after politics. The U.S. and France have been and will remain steadfast partners and allies.

M. O'BRIEN: Little bit of political, diplomatic blah-de-blah there.

But let's talk about what is next for France, what is likely to happen. Who will likely rise to leadership there, do we know yet?

ROTH: There are three candidates, but the rising one, Pierre Bayrou, a centrist, and maybe that's a hint for the American political scene, I don't know. But he's kind of coming up out of nowhere, and Chirac did not designate who he favors at this point.

M. O'BRIEN: Interesting. Richard Roth, thank you very much.

Soledad?

S. O'BRIEN: Here's a quick look at what CNN NEWSROOM is working on for the top of the hour.

HARRIS: See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM: fire rips across a bone-dry landscape in the Los Angeles area -- record temps, low humidity, brisk wind fueling the flames.

Two hours from now, Senator Chuck Hagel expected to elbow his way into the GOP presidential race. We'll have it live for you in the NEWSROOM, 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

Gas prices soaring, but you can find a deal on a summer getaway: cheap travel with personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

You're in the NEWSROOM, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: That's all the time we have on AMERICAN MORNING.

M. O'BRIEN: We're glad you joined us. CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins begins right now.

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