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Five Notorious 9/11 Suspects in front of Military Tribunal; Storms Raked the U.S.; Senator Robert Byrd Released from the Hospital; U.S. and British Diplomats Released in Zimbabwe; Senators McCain and Obama: The Last Two Men Standing in the Ring; Discovery Astronauts Back Outside the International Space Station

Aired June 05, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

SHELL, SWINGER FOR 37 YEARS: CBS has got a lot of guts and I am proud of them for doing it, and I hope that there are more, more television shows that follow in their footsteps.
WYNTER (on camera): For those that question whether this was a ratings ploy for CBS, the network says it's doing fine, and it's number two in viewers right behind FOX.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, again, everyone. You are informed with CNN. I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments do keep coming in, very busy news day, in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thursday, the 5th day of June.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Five notorious 9/11 suspects in front of a military tribunal right now. Our reporter in the courtroom at Guantanamo Bay.

HARRIS: Is Zimbabwe's embattled leader targeting Americans? The U.S. ambassador says police and soldiers ambushed a diplomatic convoy today.

COLLINS: More work to be done on the space station's new science lab. Shuttle astronauts stepping out this hour, in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Breaking news. The confessed mastermind of the September 11th terrorist attacks says he wants to be a martyr.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other top al Qaeda top suspects arraigned this morning in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Our Kelli Arena, one of just a few journalists allowed to watch these proceedings. She's talked to us just a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just moments ago, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told a judge that he was rejecting the legal team put together for him, not only his military counsel but his private counsel as well, saying that he will only abide by (INAUDIBLE) law.

He says because George Bush, the president, declared has declared a crusade -- what he called a crusade against Osama bin Laden, Afghanistan, Iraq, that he cannot accept the (INAUDIBLE) lawyers. He started chanting some Sharia verses, which created a bit of comedy in the courtroom because the judge was waiting for translation.

It was supposed to be simultaneous translation but the translator just could not keep up with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Mohammed was repeatedly asked by the judge if he understood what he was doing. He says, "Yes, I think I may have the best team here. I know that they're qualified but I want to represent myself."

He said he understands that he's facing the death penalty and said that his god is all sufficient. That his god is the real protector. So as it stands right now, it looks like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed wants to represent himself. The judge says that he won't force him to take counsel but he wants to understand that this is a complicated and difficult process and that his life is at stake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: All right so, our justice correspondent Kelli Arena, obviously, watching those proceedings from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We're going to be talking with our CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, to get more insight on all of this coming up in just a few minutes here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Storms raked the U.S. and it is not over. Tornadoes, flooding, violent thunderstorm all possible again today.

Tornado sirens wailed last night in central Illinois. Amazing pictures of a funnel cloud there. Storms swept from the Midwest to suburban Washington -- can you imagine that -- killing three people along the way. A woman in Annandale, Virginia died when a tree crushed her SUV.

The National Weather Service today will get out and determine if any tornadoes actually touched down. Flooding and mudslides closing numerous roads. Two people were killed trying to drive through the rushing waters. We warn against that all the time here. A state of emergency declared in parts of West Virginia because of flash flooding.

Quickly now over to Jacqui Jeras to pick up a story from here in the Severe Weather Center.

Jacqui, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Good reminder. HARRIS: You said it. Yes.

COLLINS: Jacqui, we appreciate it. Thanks so much. We know you're watching all of it very closely.

Also something else is going on today that we've been telling you about. Some breaking news coming out of Guantanamo Bay.

Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena is joining us now live with the very latest on these arraignment hearings that have been going on for five of the suspects in the 9/11 attacks.

Kelli, tell us what you know.

ARENA: Heidi, this is no ordinary arraignment. Lots of drama in that courtroom. We've been in and out of -- first we'll start with the alleged mastermind of the September 11th attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

He has told the judge that he has rejected his legal team. He does not want his military lawyers or his civilian lawyers, saying that he will only abide by Sharia Law. Later in the conversation when he was asked if he understood he was facing the death penalty, he did say, "This is what I wish. I wish to be martyred."

Now for those who are watching just a little while ago, Heidi, and think that they are going crazy, when I left the first time, he was asked about the death penalty and he said, "I understand that I face it." Now he's coming back and saying not only do I understand it, but it's what I wish.

He also told the judge that his -- his legal team could stay there with him and watch until he decided to plead guilty and that was his plan was to plead guilty. He also said, "Oh, and by the way, the other defendants here will also reject their legal teams."

And I'll tell you, Heidi, when I first walked in to the courtroom, they were all talking to each other and they were sending messages back and forth between them and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was hand-signaling the other defendants. So it does look like they were trying to come up with some unified strategy.

COLLINS: Wow.

ARENA: And in fact, Walid bin Attash, another alleged al Qaeda operative, who is next up, said, "I, too, reject my legal team." You know, "I will only obey God's law." He said, "I'm a Muslim. I reject this session. These lawyers can stay if they want to. But I am representing myself.

Right now the judge is going through the same thing he went through with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, making sure that he understood the ramifications of such a decision.

You know, Heidi, they're not supposed to talk about any confidential information, torture, anything like that. But Khalid Sheikh Mohammed went very far in one of his statements and he called what was going on in the courtroom an inquisition.

He said, "There's evidence against me that was taken under torture. This is an inquisition here at Guantanamo Bay." And then of course, the silence by the judge.

So lots of drama unfolding in this courtroom.

COLLINS: Yes, that's for sure. Anybody could have seen foreseen this happening. There's three more people that have go before the judge before the day is through. I guess it is expected to last the entire day.

ARENA: It -- the way it looks, it sure does. It looks like they're all -- if it goes according to plan, it looks like they will all reject their legal counsel.

COLLINS: Right.

ARENA: You know this has -- I'll tell you this reminds me a lot of the Zacaria Moussaoui trial, which actually took place, as you know, in civilian court, not in a military court.

But it was just like this. You never knew what to expect. An arraignment, as you know, takes, what, 10 minutes usually? You walk in, you read -- you know, you get your charges read.

COLLINS: Yes.

ARENA: You can plead guilty, not guilty. You move on.

This is no ordinary arraignment. But the trial against Zacaria Moussaoui, nothing was ordinary. I mean these are people who do not respect our judicial system. As they've said by their own admission, "We will abide by Sharia law, not your law."

So anything goes.

COLLINS: All right. Well, CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena watching all of it unfold right there at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Kelli, thanks so much.

HARRIS: And we just received an e-mail from the communications director Jessie Jacob from Senator Robert Byrd's office, and some good news here.

Senator Robert Byrd was released from the hospital this morning following antibiotic treatment and medical monitoring for a mild infection.

The senator, as you may recall, was admitted to a local hospital on Monday after it was discovered that he was running a bit of fever and he appeared lethargic and sluggish during the day in his Capitol Hill office.

Senator Byrd will complete the course of his antibiotic treatment as prescribed by his doctors at his home and is expected to return to his duties with doctors' approval.

So Senator Byrd out of the hospital this morning.

Stay with politics here for a moment.

Bowing out and backing Obama.

Hillary Clinton makes plans to exit the presidential race after a long, hard-fought campaign. Clinton holds an event Saturday to thank her supporters and throw her support behind Barack Obama.

She is suspending her campaign days after Obama racked up enough delegates to secure the nomination. Obama kicks off his general election campaign with stops today in Virginia. And he is stepping up his search for running mate. He has named Caroline Kennedy to his three-member search team.

On the Republican side, John McCain gives a speech later today in Florida. McCain has challenged Obama to a series of town hall debates.

COLLINS: And coming up later a little bit later in the CNN NEWSROOM, McCain versus Obama. It's a battle we have seen before. We've got brand new poll, though, on the presidential race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Well, the plumbing's working inside. So now it's time to go back outside the space station.

Miles O'Brien is following it all. He's going to be joining us -- there's a nice live picture for you - space, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Now back to the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: U.S. and British diplomats held in Zimbabwe. The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, talked with me a short time ago. He says a diplomatic convoy was attacked by north of Harare by people claiming to be police, soldiers and veterans. McGee said tires were slashed, the driver beaten, and that people inside hold off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES MCGEE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ZIMBABWE: According to the Vienna Convention, the police -- if they have any problems with any of our actions are supposed to run it through the Ministry of Affairs. Instead, in this lawless society that we call Zimbabwe, the police decided to take actions into their own hands and have been detaining my people for almost five hours now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: McGee says the diplomats were investigating political violence.

Zimbabwe, as you know, has been embroiled in an election crisis. It is holding a presidential runoff later this month.

COLLINS: Paying tribute to the prince of fashion. Star-studded funeral in Paris today for legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent. Celebrities, super models and French president Nicolas Sarkozy were among the mourners.

Laurent was a fashion icon dating back to the 1960s. He died Sunday after a long illness.

Yves Saint Laurent was 71 years old.

HARRIS: What's hidden under your bed besides dust bunnies? Well, an Englishman stashed a shoe box. It held what he thought was a shiny relic from his grandfather. It was a lot more -- a whole lot more.

CNN's Phil Black picks up the story from London.

Phil, good morning.

PHIL BLACK, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Tony. Yes, I'm in a small auction house at an English town known as Dorchester. There's a few items up for auction today. But there is one star of this auction. And this is the item here, and please note that I'm holding it very carefully in two hands.

This is a gold cup that has been dated to be around 2 and 1/2 thousand years old, it is believed.

Now until just earlier today, this gold cup belonged to 70-year- old John Webber. And for the past 60 years or so, it has been kept underneath a bed in his home in a shoe box.

It was given to him by his grandfather who is a scrap metal collector. He gave it to him without explaining its origins or explaining its value, perhaps he didn't know. But there it lay in that box for some 60 years.

John took it out an hour ago and noticed the color hadn't changed and thought maybe there was more to this. And scientific tests have shown that, yes, it is believed to be around 2 and 1/2 thousand years old, probably crafted in an ancient empire based in Iran.

Now this item went up for auction today. And let's just say John Webber did quite well out of it. He's made around $100,000. What's he going to do with that money?

Let's hear his thoughts on that now.

HARRIS: Oh no, oh, we don't have sound. I'm sorry, Phil. They just told me we don't have the sound.

I've got a quick question for you, though. Hold that cup up again if you would.

BLACK: Yes, yes, sure.

HARRIS: Hold that baby up again. I'm just sort of curious as to what was the impulse? What was it that led Mr. Webber to, you know, decide maybe this is the moment to get this appraised? Do we know that?

BLACK: Well, he was moving -- he was moving house.

HARRIS: Yes.

BLACK: And so as a result, getting out the old boxes, putting things into new boxes, get a bunch of stuff that his grandfather had given him many, many years ago as a boy. Everything else had tarnished. He suspected that also was bronze. But the fact the color hadn't changed led him to get -- to have those scientific tests...

HARRIS: Yes.

BLACK: ... carried out, it was done, and they confirmed what was his gut feeling all along, and he's a much happier man for it. I spoke with him just after the auction. He was all smiles. And I can tell you, his grandchildren were smiling a lot as well. And he said to me, he thinks he knows why that is, too.

HARRIS: Yes, absolutely.

All right, Phil Black for us morning.

Bill, appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINS: Imagine, "Indiana Jones," a little, isn't it?

Your medical tests, your diagnosis, all online for you to see? Good idea or not? In the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Your medical records put online. Sounds like a pretty good idea. Or are you worried they may not be for your eyes only?

Here to talk more about it is CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

Yes, I imagine that would be the worry.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It could be a worry. Some people wonder, right, exactly who else is going to see it. But what we do know that's very clear is that as the way things are headed that all of our personal health details are going to be online.

And I did a story that you'll see right now about one man who is very glad that his personal health information was on the World Wide Web.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (voice over): Doug Smith caught his own cancer. Two years ago Smith had a CAT scan for a possible heart problem. He was relieved when his doctor called to say that everything was fine.

DR. JIM JIRJIS, VANDERBILT UNIV. MEDICAL CTR. Great news. No aortic tear.

COHEN: But the Smith went online and read the CAT scan report himself. Towards the end, he noticed this little section.

DOUG SMITH, PATIENT: I started looking through it and sort of e- mailed him back, and was like, what's this about the thyroid?

COHEN: That lesion turned out to be cancer. Smith caught it only because he could look at his medical records online. So Smith and his physician, Dr Jim Jirjis, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are big fans of online medical records because sometimes doctors don't catch everything.

JIRJIS: Most physicians are reviewing an enormous amount of lab results every day. The patients are reviewing one person's lab results. We've empowered them to be able to get their own test results online.

COHEN: If your dock doesn't offer online records, you can try doing it yourself. Google, Microsoft and others have secure sites where you can put your medical records and even your pharmacy records.

But many wonder is it really 100 secure? Could someone else see your private health information?

JIRJIS: I think they are very valid concerns.

COHEN: He says these sites go to great lengths to keep information confidential. And remember...

JIRJIS: The world has now changed and people get kind of cranky when they can't do something online because they're doing everything else online.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now before you go putting your medical information online ask yourself these questions -- or ask -- actually ask the sites these questions.

Will the information be on a secure server? Who else will have access to your information? And make sure that there is what's called an audit trail.

And Heidi, what that is that there would be an electronic record of everyone who has looked at your information.

COLLINS: Oh, all right. I was going to say what do you do when you find somebody on there you didn't want to look at it? COHEN: That's a big problem.

COLLINS: Yes.

COHEN: Then you have to go back to the folks who are holding the information and say, what's going on here. Why are you people looking at this (INAUDIBLE)

COLLINS: Yes. Definitely. And of course, in the story, I know that you actually found your own personal medical information online...

COHEN: I did.

COLLINS: ... that you didn't know was there.

COHEN: I was completely shocked. I was completely shocked. I was just sort of cruising around on my health insurance Web site and it asked me for some information like Social Security number, date of birth or whatever.

And then all of a sudden, there was every doctor's appointment I've had since 2003. Right there in black and white along with the diagnosis, along with drugs I was taking, along with everything. Two pregnancies worth of medical...

COLLINS: Wow.

COHEN: Yes, it was a little strange...

COLLINS: I have to say.

COHEN: I mean I did have to give Social Security number, date of birth, all of that. But a lot of people know that information about me.

COLLINS: Yes. Well...

COHEN: Lots of (INAUDIBLE).

COHEN: I guess. But if you actually want to put your records online, is it easy enough to do? I mean -- or could you have problems if you can get them on it?

COHEN: You know, it's not necessarily easy. For example, if you go to the Google or the Microsoft sites, it's like most people, you still have paper records, you have to go to the step of scanning all those paper records to make it electronic, and if you do it, it is certainly cumbersome.

You can pay other people to do it. That can get a little bit pricey. So it isn't the easiest thing in the world to do right now.

COLLINS: Yes. My medical file?

COHEN: Yes, right. Exactly. COLLINS: (INAUDIBLE) like five years...

COHEN: Right. That would be probably hundreds of dollars...

COLLINS: Yes.

COHEN: ... to pay someone to scan that.

COLLINS: Yikes. All right. Well, very interesting. Thank you, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

COLLINS: Much more to consider before you put your medical records online, as you would imagine. If you want to read more about it, you can do that. Elizabeth's full Empowered Patient column at CNN.com/health has more information.

And while you're there, get the rest of your "Daily Dose" of health news. Again, that address is CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: McCain versus Obama. It is a battle we have seen before. Sparring from the past, shades of the future.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Dramatic new developments at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Confessed mastermind of the September 11th terrorist attacks says he wants to be a martyr. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other top al Qaeda suspects arraigned this morning in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is a critical test of the U.S. military tribunal.

CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin joins from us New York. Jeffrey, good morning to you.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Hi, Tony.

HARRIS: What do you make of the developments this morning, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed rejecting the military team, the civilian team of attorneys, there to represent him.

TOOBIN: Well, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is a dedicated enemy of the United States, and he is going to use this process to try to embarrass the United States, to try to advance his cause in whichever way he can. That's clearly his latest attempt. Fortunately, unlike his others, it hasn't killed anybody.

But the great struggle that the American judicial system has been engaged in for the past six and a half years is to come up with a system that is both fair and perceived to be fair by the rest of the world, and that's very much ongoing and very much an open question as to whether we've done it.

HARRIS: That's a great point, because the initial system that was put in place to try the detainees was successfully challenged in court. I'm wondering what has changed. And part of your answer, I'm supposing here, is that it's still evolving.

TOOBIN: It is still evolving. The Supreme Court has, depending on how you count, at least twice rejected the bush administration's plan for dealing with the detainees. The latest attempt is the Military Commission's Act, which is an act of Congress. One of things that the supreme court said is the administration can't do it alone, has to get the support of Congress. They did in the Military Commission's Act of 2006. That's the law that underlines this prosecution by it remains to be seen whether this law will be upheld. The Supreme Court is about to act on a very relevant case.

So even though today's arraignment has taken place, this trial is months away from starting, and may still be derailed.

HARRIS: Critics have called Guantanamo Bay a legal black hole for detainees. I'm wondering how the government has responded to that criticism, in particular with respect to Geneva Conventions guarantees.

TOOBIN: Well the Military Commission's Act of 2006 is the response. That law by Congress does give the defendants there greater rights than they had before. The question is, did they have enough. You know, the big issue around all of these trials is torture and the interrogation techniques that were used. The question is, will any of that information that was obtained in those interrogates be used? And will the defendants try to use their interrogations for propaganda purposes in the course of the trial? All of that is very much unresolved, and I think that's going to be the big drama coming out of the case.

HARRIS: CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin with us this morning. Jeffrey, great to talk to you.

TOOBIN: See you, Tony.

COLLINS: Caring for the troops. Last hour, an important groundbreaking for a world-class medical center. It's designed to treat the thousands of servicemen and women who suffer from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Here to talk more about it, Marine Corporal Matthew Bridges, who was wounded while serving in Iraq, and Bill White of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Gentlemen, thanks for making time for us today. I know it has been a busy morning at the groundbreaking of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.

Corporal Bridges, I want to start with you, if I could. I've got to know what this means to you, to know that the private funding of a $70 million project is going to go forward, and there will be help for people who have suffered from TBI and PTSB.

CPL. MATTHEW BRIDGES, U.S. MARINES: It's awesome. It's great. You know, when I got wounded in 2005, there wasn't much going on about, you know, traumatic brain injuries and stuff, and now they're coming along every year. And to know that they're building a place where we're going to get top of the line care for all of that and PTSD as well, it's just a great to know that we're going to be taken care of.

COLLINS: I know that you had a very traumatic injury when you were serving and there was an IED explosion. Your family will also be taken care of in all of this, which is such an important factor to this. I that know you are actually expecting a baby in a couple of weeks.

When you look behind you and you see all of the dignitaries who came out for this, I imagine it's an incredible show of support.

BRIDGES: It is. It is. That's all I really think about, you know, lately. And anymore is that my family is going to be taken care of. And, you know, that if something was to happen to me or anything that, you know, that my wife and my baby girl will be taken care of.

COLLINS: I know it's difficult, and we were talking earlier to the vice chief of staff of the Army, General Richard Cody, who talked a little bit about the culture and how difficult it is to sometimes get soldiers and Marines to actually admit that they have an injury of this kind. Do you see that when you talk amongst your fellow servicemen and women?

BRIDGES: Yes, ma'am. You know, as a Marine we don't like to admit that we're weak or anything, and that's what we have been taught since boot camp. And it's hard to go in and actually say, you know, there's something wrong. We have these problems. We have, you know, we have nightmares and flashbacks, or we have -- there's something going on with my head. You know, I have blackouts or dizzy spells. It's hard to go and say that, because you don't want to go and feel like you are going to be a burden on your men and leave your guys behind. You don't want to do that. None of us have -- none of us ever wanted to leave our guys and our units behind, and we think about them day in and day out, and hope that they will all make it back in every deployment they go on and they will be safe. And so it's hard. It's really hard.

COLLINS: Very much understood. But certainly with an incredible facility like this, hopefully that culture will continue to change. Bill white, I want to go to you now. Talk a little bit about the process leading up to all of this. I know that you were in the forefront of the Center for the Intrepid that treats amputees down in San Antonio. Another incredible facility that's going to be erected with private donations.

BILL WHITE, PRES., INTREPID FALLEN HEROES FUND: That's right. Well, Heidi, this is our next phase of how we take care of our nation's heroes and their families, and I know you came -- but I want to tell you, this guy right here, he's my hero. He's a hero for all Americans. And we've got to take care of Corporal Bridges and the over 150,000 men and women who are suffering from some form of traumatic brain injury.

You know, we announced this great project today, all privately funded. Almost $80 million we're going to need to raise. We've got about half of it committed. So I say to everybody watching this program of yours, and I want to thank, Heidi, and CNN for highlight this today, is that we need to come and support these men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom, and we need to do it today.

So I ask you all to go to our Web site at fallenheroesfund.org, or call us at 1-800-340-HERO, because you can make a difference in the life of Corporal Bridges. His daughter is going to be named Cheyenne. So what a great day that's going to be. And we want to make sure that Corporal Bridges can drive his car and feel good about himself and get over there, and that's what this building is going to do. And we're grateful for Mr. Fisher and for his leadership, and for making this happen today. It's going to be fantastic. And I have to say, it's about time.

COLLINS: Yes, Ken and Arnold Fisher, of course of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Quickly, Bill, before we let you go, want to get a little bit more information if I could about what exactly is going to happen there. They're going to treat PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and there's going to be all kinds of psychological counseling, as well as this idea of tele-health, where they will follow up with the care of the injured veterans.

WHITE: Yes, that's really the fascinating part here, and this is part of what we're worried about. We don't want to look down the road in 20 years and see somebody as heroic as Corporal Bridges, you know, unfortunately potentially sitting under an underpass in Florida with a sign that says, you know, "post-traumatic stress disorder from Iraq." We don't want to have that happen as a country again.

So in this building of magnificence you're going to have the top technology of CAT scan, brain scan, all kinds of neurological and psychological capabilities. It will be state-of-the-world technology. We're going to spend over $25 million on the newest technology that's available so that people like Corporal Bridges, can get the best possible care on the planet.

COLLINS: All right, well the facility is set to open December of 2009. We're going to continue to follow the developments in the building of all of this and talk to more and more folks that will be able to benefit from the treatment.

To the both of you, we appreciate your time today. Corporal Matthew Bridges, we certainly wish you the very best in the upcoming birth of your daughter and the president of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum, Bill White. Thanks so much, guys.

HARRIS: McCain versus Obama, the match up is set. A new CNN poll of polls shows Barack Obama leading John McCain, 47 percent to 45 percent. A Monday poll showed Obama with a one-point lead. Past battles between the two senators may provide a glimpse of what's to come.

White House correspondent Ed Henry, live with that story.

OK, Ed. Take us back in time.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, you know, Senators McCain and Obama right now, as you said, are the last two men standing in the ring. But they actually started to exchanging blows two years ago on Capitol Hill. And that might give us a taste of what it's going to be like in their fight to see who gets to come to the White House next year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The shadow boxing was playful. But came after a nasty spat between these two Senate heavyweights over ethics reform. In February 2006, Barack Obama, fired off a letter suggesting John McCain was slow walking reform by pushing a task force to mull the issue.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't need study, we need action.

HENRY: That infuriated reformer McCain, who did not like a lecture from a freshman. McCain flashed his anger writing, "I'm embarrassed to admit... I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble... I hold no hard feelings about your earlier disingenuousness."

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't believe that there was any venom. I think it was a straight talk.

HENRY: Obama said a cranky McCain had overreacted. But the two men laughed it off a couple days later.

OBAMA: I'm particularly pleased to be sharing this panel with my pen pal, John McCain.

MCCAIN: Senator Obama and I are moving on and will continue to work together and I value his input.

HENRY: But now, they're sparring again. Over who can shake up Washington. And it's getting testy.

MCCAIN: He hasn't been willing to make the tough calls, to bring real change to Washington, I have.

OBAMA: I respect his many accomplishes, even if he chooses to deny mine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: Now, a ban on gifts for lawmakers, as well as more lobbying disclosure, actually did pass last year. Something for Obama and McCain to claim credit for because they were pushing for it. Obama voted for it, McCain actually voted against that bill because he felt like the reform didn't go far enough. I suspect that was just round one. Many, many rounds ahead -- Tony.

HARRIS: Let's get ready to rumble.

Ed Henry, at the White House. Ed, good to see you, thank you. And Barack Obama, making his imprint on the DNC. Find out what's being said, as well as the rest of the day's news about the presidential candidates at CNNpolitics.com. Your source for everything political.

COLLINS: We'll get a check on the markets and home foreclosures hit a new record. We'll get all the numbers. Coming up next, from Susan Lisovich.

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HARRIS: Let's get you this update now, on a developing story out Zimbabwe. A group of U.S. and British diplomats released, the U.S. Ambassador there says, they were held after their convoy came under attack. They were investigating recent post-election violence near the capital Harare. Ambassador James McGee, says the attackers claim to police soldiers and veterans. A Zimbabwean official says the convoy did not comply with police and tried to run away from a roadblock.

Zimbabwe, as you know, has been embroiled in an election crisis. It is holding a presidential runoff later this month. And opposition figures accuse President Robert Mugabe, of orchestrating violence in the run-up to the vote. And we just heard from state department spokesman, Sean McCormick, who understandably, not happy with the developments in Zimbabwe. One of the little chestnuts he fired just a couple of moments ago, "This is outrageous. It is unacceptable, and while this immediate incident has been resolved, it will not be forgotten."

We'll continue to follow this story.

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HARRIS: How about this? The plumbing's working inside. Now time to go back outside the space station.

Miles O'Brien has the story. Next in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: Discovery astronauts back outside the International Space Station, today.

Our space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, is joining us from New York, with that.

Are we very in the lead here? I thought that we were going to talk about you know, the potty, for a second..

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: How do you spell relief? That's O-L-E-G, as is Oleg Kononenko.

COLLINS: Yes, that's how I felt.

O'BRIEN: I'll leave it at that for now. Let's just go up to this, we got some live pictures here. We might as well show folks what's going on right now, not to bury the lead. But take a look at this.

This is a pistol-grip tool in action right now. This is like the Makita you have at home, except it's got a lot of other doo-dads on it, telling you about torque and how many revolutions. And, stuff that every home improvement guy would like to have, actually. The problem is, this is about a five-figure tool. In any case, you're watching Mike Fossum, as he begins the process of removing some covers and launch locks. And it's basically the shipping material for the Kibo space module, the Japanese laboratory.

He and his space-walking partner, Ron Garan, are out there attaching antennas and cameras and removing all those restraints and so forth, to get the Kibo module up and running as a fully functional laboratory. Take a look and I'll give you a time lapse of how this is all kind of, going to play out here, as Kibo begins its process. See there, it's really cool seeing it come in on that robotic arm. This is the size of a school bus. And it's a huge, huge space. Much bigger space than the U.S. lab that -- the Japanese are very good at engineering the space. As a matter of fact, take a look inside. One of the ISS crew men, Garrett Reisman, was in there last night, as they came in. And he was demonstrating how you can't swim in space.

COLLINS: It looks like great exercise anyway, though.

O'BRIEN: The best part is, listen to Rob Navias, the NASA commentator. Just not interested at all. Listen to him.

Nothing. Nothing.

COLLINS: Hmm.

HARRIS: Nothing.

ROB NAVIAS, NASA COMMENTATOR (voice-over): The relocation of the Japanese logistics module to the top...

O'BRIEN: Anyway, Garrett Reisman is clowning around and he's doing his thing. And he's doing the butterfly in space.

Now, as to the toilet...

COLLINS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Oleg Kononenko, in -- that's not him, of course.

COLLINS: No, no, no.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: That's Sunny -- that's Sunny Williams. This is an old tape. This is the only footage we have of the liquid waste receptacle with the suction that is required. Now back up and running. Oleg, yesterday, latched in the new pump and everything is working just fine. COLLINS: Awesome.

O'BRIEN: So, really perhaps, the number one priority of this mission has been taken care of.

COLLINS: Yes. I mean, it would have to be, number one.. Or two.

OK, Miles O'Brien, our space correspondent. Thanks so much. Great pictures to look at, appreciate it.

O'BRIEN: All right, you're welcome. Bye.

HARRIS: Are you familiar with the fist bump? It is one of the most popular videos at CNN.com. We'll explain after the break.

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HARRIS: And time now, to take a look at some of the most clicked on videos at CNN.com. First up, Senator Barack Obama's embracing a new way to shake hands. It is the political fist bump in Dallas.

Police use bait cars to catch thieves, but an elderly woman was killed in a crash involving a bait car. And now the program is on hold.

And talk about great mileage. This car gets 230 miles per gallon, whoa. A couple of creative engineers built this space-aged looking car in their spare time. And for more of your favorite videos, go to CNN.com/most popular. And of course, you can take us with you anywhere on your iPod. With the CNN daily NEWSROOM podcast, the CNN NEWSROOM podcast is available to you 24-7, right on your iPod.

COLLINS: CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: "ISSUE #1" is next with Gerri Willis and Ali Velish.

But first, a check of the headlines. Again, first let's take a look at the headlines.