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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
President Bush Orders his Military Records Released; The Political Battlefield: Kerry's Army
Aired February 13, 2004 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, HOST (voice-over): Bush and Kerry, the gloves are coming off before the match-up is even set.
The Air Force confronts charges its women are being raped by fellow airmen in Texas.
How does a young soldier go from patriot to alleged spy?
Martha Stewart's defense gets a boost from the judge.
And wrapping up our series "Love and Sex." Tonight, what are you seduced by?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.
COSTELLO: And good evening to you. Welcome to 360. I'm Carol Costello, in for Anderson Cooper tonight.
And we begin tonight at the White House with a major development. Just moments ago, the president ordering the release of all of his military records.
White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House, where she has just gotten hold of those records.
Take it away, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we have two major breaking news stories here. We just received news that that 9/11 Commission, those investigating the administration, what it knew before the September 11 attack, they had asked President Bush to testify before the chair and the co-chair of that commission. We have just gotten word from the press office here that the president has agreed to sit down and privately testify about what he knew prior to September 11.
We have also been told that is not likely that they will go ahead and agree to testify in public. But he will sit down with at least the chair and the co-chair of that committee, that commission, to tell them what he knew. Now, the other big story, of course, is more than the 400 pages that were released just within the last hour. This is President Bush's complete personnel record, medical record, regarding his military service. We are told that the president this afternoon said, put it out.
He is trying to essentially kill a lot of the questions that have been circulating. He says that people have been getting the wrong impression that he was trying to hide something.
What do these documents show? Just a couple of highlights. It includes details of quest that he made to transfer to Alabama in 1972. The controversy, of course, whether or not he performed his duties there.
May 1972, he was suspended from flying because he did not take a physical. That also in the documents. But the medical records, which they showed us privately in the Roosevelt Room, show that there was no reason that he was unfit to fly, that he was in good physical shape.
That backs up the White House story that the reason he didn't actually take that physical was because he decided he didn't want to fly anymore, that there were no other kinds of secret or hidden reasons for that medical situation. And then finally, it shows that he was honorably discharged in October of 1973. That was eight months early to go to business school.
Still, Carol, a lot of unanswered questions. We're dealing with hundreds and hundreds of pages here, and there are still some gaps about where the president was at certain times during his duty -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Specifically between May of 1972 and January of 1973. But I know you haven't had a chance to go through all of those documents yet. So we'll let you catch up on that before we ask you more.
But I wanted to go back to the 9/11 Commission and that the president is going to sit down privately and testify. What made him make this decision?
MALVEAUX: Well, just take all of this in context, Carol. If you look at what's happened in the last couple of weeks, this administration has been under an incredible amount of pressure to cooperate on a number of fronts. The 9/11 Commission, the Intelligence Commission, as well, as well as this document dump.
I mean, this is something where the administration is making a political decision. The political calculus, the strategy being, cooperate, come clean, dump as much as you can, show the American people that, yes, you're being upfront, that you're being honest. And certainly, the big question is, is are the people going to believe him? And it really is a credibility issue.
He's been taking a lot of hits in the last couple of weeks. They want to make sure that they restore the president's credibility. It is the one thing that shows time and time again his stewardship of the security of the war on terror is solid and strong, that the American people, they have seen that road lately. They want to make sure that that remains intact, and that's why they're putting out all of this information.
COSTELLO: All right. We'll get back to you at the half-hour. Suzanne Malveaux live from the White House tonight.
And from the White House, we turn to the men who want to be there. Today on the campaign trail with the candidates, Senator Kerry's powerful army is getting more reinforcement. Today, the nation's biggest labor group, the AFL-CIO, says it will formally endorse Kerry next week.
A retired four-star general has also joined the camp. CNN's Kelly Wallace has that story from Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Wisconsin photo op that makes the Kerry camp smile. The retired four- star general backing the decorated Vietnam veteran and putting the GOP on notice.
WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John Kerry has been the kind of leader America needs. He'll stand up to the Republican attack dogs and send them home licking their wounds.
WALLACE: Things are already getting nasty. The Bush re-election team e-mailed this ad last night to six million supporters targeting the Democratic frontrunner.
NARRATOR: More special interest money than any other senator? How much?
WALLACE: A response Bush campaign aides say to John Kerry's attacks. Not so says the senator from Massachusetts.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I noticed the first advertisement they're running is a negative one.
WALLACE: Kerry's rivals looking for some traction here in Wisconsin tried to focus on the positives. John Edwards, who said he courted Clark for an endorsement, says the general's backing of Kerry won't hurt his own campaign.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think most presidential primary voters are making their own independent decisions.
WALLACE: Howard Dean, who has appealed for Clark's supporters to go to him, was asked if he would look like a sore loser if he stays in the race without winning any states.
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's an enormous amount of people who do want to continue. Now, whether it's enough to win the nomination or not, we have to see.
WALLACE (on camera): Dean and Edwards are now counting on Sunday night's debate to try and change the dynamic of a race where Kerry is currently leading by nearly 40 points, according to the most recent poll.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, Madison, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And Kerry has been busy. This morning, John Kerry was on Don Imus' national radio show, which is simulcast on MSNBC, and in that interview, Senator Kerry was asked about the rumors that were flying around the Internet and talk radio about an alleged relationship with a young woman. Kerry firmly denied that there was anything to any of it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KERRY: Well, there's nothing to report. So there's nothing to talk about. I'm not worried about it, no. The answer is no.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: After a round of local interviews, a print pool reporter asked Kerry about the Internet rumors. And here's what he had to say to that. He said, "I just deny it categorically. It's rumor. It's untrue, period."
Coming up, we'll have more from the campaign trail and a live interview with presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, as well as what some might consider dirty tactics being used in the race for the White House.
And the debate over same-sex marriages is heating up. As San Francisco turns out licenses, a conservative family group is heading to court to try to block them. We'll have more from CNN's Rusty Dornin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protesters like these are rarely seen in San Francisco. But these Muslim activists demonstrating on the steps of City Hall say they believe what the city is doing is wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As same-sex marriages proceed, what is going to happen in the future? How our society is going to continue? How is this going to flourish?
DORNIN: Hundreds of gay couples signing up for licenses wound through the corridors of City Hall. Darlene Rednauer (ph) and Jackie Serrano (ph) were here before the doors opened.
(on camera): How long have you guys been in line this morning?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been in line two hours.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A couple of hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's next?
DORNIN: Steve Gibson (ph) and Steve Wiley (ph) say they felt they had to rush down to say, "I do."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was some urgency to it, yes.
DORNIN (on camera): Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mostly because if it gets overturned.
DORNIN (voice-over): Overturned by lawsuits seeking to stop the city from performing these marriages. Two were filed Friday. The first was by the Campaign for California Families. The group is suing San Francisco's mayor and county clerk.
RANDY THOMASON, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE OPPONENT: Gavin Newsom has no authority to do what he has done. He is a renegade mayor who's acting like he is not a Californian or an American. He has taken the law into his own hands.
DORNIN: A San Francisco superior court judge refused to grant an immediate temporary restraining order to the conservative group The Alliance Defense Fund. The judge says arguments will have to wait until next Tuesday, allowing San Francisco's same-sex wedding-fest to continue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I now pronounce you partners for life. You may kiss the bride.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: And there are hundreds of people across the street. In fact, City Hall is more packed right now than it's been all day long. About a half-hour ago, the recorder's office told me that 300 couples had exchanged vows so far.
Normally, City Hall is closed on Saturdays, but of course tomorrow is Valentine's Day . And heterosexual couples had already made reservations to have ceremonies tomorrow. And it looks like now that some city officials are already volunteering to come over, and if couples got the licenses today, they could have a ceremony tomorrow on Valentine's Day in City Hall -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Rusty Dornin, live from San Francisco tonight.
Suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will have a chance to appeal the detentions. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the new panel will annually review the individual cases of the detainees to determine if a detainee is a threat or could be let go. Rumsfeld says the more than 600 suspected terrorists at Gitmo will have a number of rights, including the presumption of innocence and the right to counsel.
Today, the U.S. returned one detainee to his home country. A Spanish citizen being held at Gitmo was handed over to Spain at what's being called the first transfer of its kind.
And tonight we're learning more about an American soldier suspected of spying by helping out al Qaeda. Who is he? CNN's Katharine Barrett on what we now know about Ryan Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Specialist Ryan Anderson grew up in this quiet neighborhood. Long-time neighbors of his father and stepmother say they're shocked by his arrest.
TOM WARNER, ANDERSON FAMILY NEIGHBOR: They've been solid families. You know, they wash the car like we do. They fly the flag. They visit with their neighbors. And they had nothing that ever made them stand out.
BARRETT: Nothing except the incident in 1998, when Anderson's strolled these streets shouldering a rifle and bayonet.
WARNER: My wife passed by him that day and he was just walking along carrying it. And, you know, he was just proud of it, I thought.
BARRETT: For the past six months, when not training at Fort Lewis, Anderson and his wife lived in this apartment. A next door neighbor calls Anderson a very nice, good guy, who likes Japanese anime and guns.
JACK ROBERTS, ANDERSON NEIGHBOR: Yes, he'd go to shooting ranges sometimes. Yes. He went with a neighbor here to local areas shooting guns.
BARRETT: Almost two years ago, Ryan Anderson first contacted Seattle's Islamic community, joining an e-mail group under the name Abdul Rasheed (ph), AKA Gun Fighter. Local Muslim leaders were immediately suspicious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His e-mails right away turned to that he was a marksman shooter and thought that he should get together a group of Muslims from the area, men and women, and teach them how to shoot. And we should have a group that goes out and shoots. And this was completely against the norms of what we think is correct or right.
BARRETT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) says he and Anderson exchanged harsh e-mails. After leaving the chat group, Anderson showed up at a local mosque trying to recruit shooters.
Anderson's wife and family are not speaking publicly about his arrest. In a written statement to The Associated Press, they said they "place their faith and trust in the U.S. uniform code of military justice to provide Ryan a fair trial before rendering any decision." (END VIDEOTAPE)
BARRETT: Anderson's next-door neighbor told us earlier today that his wife is taking this very hard. That she's shaken up and as shocked as anybody else by what has happened. Ryan Anderson's wife also told this neighbor that an FBI search yesterday confiscated her personal cell phone, the couple's computer, and, again, according to this neighbor, several guns.
Specialist Ryan Anderson is being held in military custody tonight at the Fort Lewis Army base right behind me. That's the latest from here.
COSTELLO: Thanks Katharine Barrett, live from Washington State.
We are following a number of developing stories right now "Cross Country."
Santa Maria, California: Michael Jackson case. The judge says he wants the trial to start this year. Next court date for Jackson, March 5.
Tucson, Arizona: trampled athlete doing better. Doctors say they're hopeful high school basketball star Joe Kay (ph) will have a significant recovery from the stroke he suffered during a post-game celebration last week. Kay (ph) fell when fans stormed the court. He tore an artery and became paralyzed. He is a 18-year-old national merit finalist, and he has a volleyball scholarship waiting at Stanford University.
San Francisco, California: they say they are innocent. That's the plea of four men accused by the federal government in a steroid distribution ring. The men are believed to have provided the illegal drugs to a number of athletes and participated in a conspiracy, as well as money laundering.
Houston, Texas: indictment coming up. The Associated Press is reporting that a federal criminal indictment of former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling may come as early as next week. So far, 27 people have been charged in the Enron case. Nine have pleaded guilty.
Tampa, Florida: battle over Terry Schiavo. Governor Jeb Bush and the parents of the severely brain damaged Terry Schiavo won two court victories today. The rulings help the case of Schiavo's parents, who want to keep their daughter alive, even as her husband says it was Schiavo's wish to die.
Philadelphia: 'Smokin Joe' Frazier is locked up. The former heavyweight boxing champ is in jail tonight after being arrested in a domestic dispute. The 60-year-old Frazier faces charges of simple assault and reckless endangerment.
And that is a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.
A court victory for Martha Stewart, but will it be enough to clear her name? We will take a closer look. Plus, oh, Canada. Find out why Conan O'Brien is in hot water with our northern neighbors.
And the art of seduction, part of our weeklong series, "Love and Sex."
But first, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Martha Stewart got some good news today. The judge in her trial will not allow any testimony on whether Stewart's public claims of innocence had any affect on her company's stock prices. Prosecutors claim Stewart misled investors in order to prop up Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Deborah Feyerick has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a relatively good day for Martha Stewart. Even her broker, co-defendant Peter Bacanovic, couldn't help smiling.
The judge ruled experts will not be allowed to testify about comments Stewart made defending herself. Prosecutors have charged Stewart with securities fraud, saying Stewart manipulated stock prices of her own company by denying she had done anything wrong. Prosecutors wanted to call experts to describe how Stewart's statements affected her stock. But the judge banned testimony on "whether a reasonable investor would have considered these statements important in making an investment decision."
A source close to Stewart called the ruling a victory, telling CNN it was a tough charge to prove before. Now it's essentially impossible.
ROBERT GORDON, SECURITIES ATTORNEY: The government's security fraud charge is basically history.
FEYERICK: Securities fraud carried a maximum 10 years in prison. Prosecutors will have to prove the charge another way. And some say the ruling may have no effect.
JACOB ZAMANSKY, SECURITIES ATTORNEY: You don't need an expert to explain that to the jury. It's common sense.
FEYERICK: Prosecutors had also hoped to introduce phone records showing calls between Stewart and her broker. One of those calls just minutes after Stewart changed the message Peter Bacanovic left the day of the questionable trade.
(on camera): The judge pointed out it was Bacanovic who had coincidentally called Stewart, and asked prosecutors in amazement, "Do you think he's a mind reader?" The judge will decide what calls to allow into evidence Tuesday.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We are tracking a number of developing stories around the globe. So let's check the "UpLink" now.
Liberia: a landmark deal with the United States. A new pact allow U.S. Navy sailors to search for weapons of mass destruction on any Liberian-registered ship at international waters. Liberia is the world's second largest shipping registry.
United Nations: Cyprus may become united. Leaders on both sides of the divided nation have accepted a U.N. plan designed to reunite the country before it enters the European Union in May. The island has been divided for decades.
Ottawa, Canada: not laughing about Conan. Canada's government is condemning jokes made by NBC's late night TV host Conan O'Brien. It says O'Brien insulted people living in Quebec and suggested allegedly that they're all gay. Ottawa helped pay for O'Brien to take his show to Toronto this week.
Manila, the Philippines: whole lot of love. More than 5,000 couples took part in a 10-second simultaneous kiss. It's said to be the world's largest gathering ever for a smooch.
And that is tonight's "UpLink."
Dirty politics 2004. How low will they go this election year?
And what counts as crossing the line? We'll hear from both sides.
Also tonight, running from behind and having fun. Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, he joins us live.
And a little later, the art of seduction. Find out the tricks and traps of being a killer pick-up artist.
But first, today's "Buzz." We ask you, what's sexier, a strong come-on or subtle seduction? Vote now, cnn.com/360. The results at the end of the show
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's almost Valentine's Day. So now our series "Love and Sex." And tonight, the Art of seduction. You can't always get what you want, but more than likely you keep on trying.
We spent a night out with Tracy Cox, author of "Superflirt." She told us how when it comes to seduction the body reveals all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TRACEY COX, AUTHOR, "SUPERFLIRT": We make up our minds about somebody within 10 seconds. And that's got nothing to do with what they're saying. It's all to do with body language and how they hold themselves.
If you spot somebody that you're really attracted to, lock eyes with them. Then let your eyes travel around the room. And then come back to them again. It effectively says, you're my pick of everybody who's here.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) somebody that we're attracted to, we start to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Women start to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the glass up and down. Men tend to rub around the rim of the glass. Basically, it all goes back to how we'd like to stroke ourselves.
If you're sitting with a girl and she does this, if she pulls her hair away from her neck and tilts her neck towards you, and you're there, she's definitely attracted to you. Things to point to where you want to go. So if you're talking to a guy and his feet are pointed directly at you, it's usually a sign that he's interested.
Men are very, very good at looking at a woman's mouth when they're interested. And basically, when somebody looks at your mouth a lot, it means that they're thinking about kissing you. When they want to be touched, a woman will let you know. She'll put her hands almost in the way.
If you really want to know if somebody's attracted to you, if you get up, just have a quick glance back and see what they're looking at. If they're looking at your rear end, you're in, honestly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: But don't you want to know more? How do you get someone to notice you?
Earlier today, I talked with seduction guru Ross Jeffries. He was the inspiration for Tom Cruise's character in the movie "Magnolia." In that movie, Cruise's aggressive character motivated men to be seductive.
Well, Jeffries claims he can get a man's James Bond into action to pick up a woman. I asked him if that applied to all men, regardless of their age, personality and looks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSS JEFFRIES, SEDUCTION EXPERT: I think men can learn to be a lot more attractive than their physical appearance. And they can learn to overcome their fear and their history of failure with women if they just learn a few simple principles. And that's what I teach.
COSTELLO: Well, let's go over those principles. The first one is learn to breathe in a certain way.
JEFFRIES: Basically, it comes down to self-control. If you're shaking with fear or burning with lust, you're going to put the other person off. And basically, what I teach these guys is a way to slow down and relax using some basic yoga breathing principles that have been around for 5,000 years. It's simply a matter...
COSTELLO: Yes, but Ross, if I saw a doing yoga breathing exercises, I think that would be a turnoff.
JEFFRIES: Hold on. No, no, no. Well, hang on. I'm not talking about doing bends and twists.
I'm simply talking about regulating your breathing, breathing deeply, and then lengthening your exhale. And time and again, guys get rid of their fear, they get rid of their jitters. And at last they can actually communicate with a person in front of them.
COSTELLO: Next is the approach.
JEFFRIES: Yes. You want to do an approach that's nonthreatening, that involves either asking a question, making a comment, or an observation on the ongoing situation, or being funny. And ideally, the best approach uses both principles.
As an example, let's say you're in a coffee place and she's just ordered her morning coffee but she hasn't gotten it. I'll walk up and I'll say, "I see you're having those, need caffeine, can't get the mind started thoughts." And invariably she'll laugh.
Why? Because it's an accurate observation of what's going on in her world. This is a principle I call the authority principle. If you demonstrate our authority in her world, not the authority of being a control freak, but the authority that comes from her understanding that you understand her, then you begin to become a lot more attractive.
COSTELLO: Why can't you just be yourself?
JEFFRIES: Well, wait a minute. I want men -- I want the principle of being in control of yourself, self control, and being able to observe her and demonstrate to her that you understand her, I want men to make that part of their selves. But it's a skill that most men don't have.
Most men are not in control of themselves. They try to control the woman, which is a huge mistake.
Women are drawn to men who are in control of themselves. And if you demonstrate that she doesn't throw you -- if she scowls at you, and if you react to that, you're out. But if you just playfully scowl back and say, "Hey, my 5-year-old niece just started practicing that face; she's doing it better than you," then she'll relax because she knows that you're on to what she's doing.
COSTELLO: We are out of time, Ross Jeffries.
JEFFRIES: All right.
COSTELLO: But if people want to know more...
JEFFRIES: Seduction.com.
COSTELLO: All right, seduction.com. Ross Jeffries, many thanks to you.
JEFFRIES: Thank you.
COSTELLO: So be manly, but not too manly.
Today's "Buzz" question is this: what's sexier, a strong come-on or a subtle seduction? Vote now, cnn.com/360. We'll have the results at the end of the show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Starting the fight before the opponents are set.
Martha Stewart aided by what the jury won't hear.
And what are you doing this weekend? We'll tell you what's up.
360 continues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And the next half hour, dirty politics. How far is too far when it comes to winning the White House? We'll take a look at all the early election mudslinging.
Also, presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich joins us live.
First, a look at the top stories. President Bush has ordered that his Vietnam-era military files be made public. The move is in response to suggestions by Democrats that he did not complete his required service as a member of the Texas Air National Guard. The White House says there's nothing to hide about his record. More on this live from the White House in just a minute.
A former purchasing agent for Halliburton said the company wastes taxpayers' money. He says the defense contractor routinely bought items at higher prices from preferred suppliers. The comment came at a hearing put together by Senate Democrats. Halliburton has denied overcharges.
The FDA will take three more months to decide whether to make the morning-after pill available without a prescription. The drug is an emergency contraceptive. The FDA was to announce a decision by next Friday but has postponed the deadline by 90 days. The agency is under political pressure to keep the prescription requirement.
And the U.S. trade deficit hit a record high last year at more than $489 billion, it was 17 percent larger than the previous record set the previous year. Economists say the number reflects Americans' appetite for items made outside of the U.S., especially cars.
We want to go back to the White House now where two major developments are unfolding tonight. First, the president is releasing his wartime military records and he's also agreeing to meet with the commission investigating the September 11 terror attacks. We'll return to White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House tonight. Hello, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Hello, Carol. It's more than 400 pages, these documents, it goes from 1968 to '73, his complete military record. We're told that the communications director Dan Bartlett handed it to the president this afternoon. Said, what do you want me to do with this? He said, put it out. He's watching the briefings over the last couple of days and he considers a lot of the questions we're told to be very silly. Some of the details, the highlights of what the documents show include that President Bush requested a transfer from Texas Air National Guard to Alabama in 1972.
That he logged 625 hours of flying time, solo flying time. That he was suspended from flying in August of '72 because he failed to take a medical exam but the medical records that we looked at, a group of reporters looking at them in the Roosevelt room but not take them out, shows that he was in good health, no reason he was unfit to fly. This backs the White House story that President Bush skipped the physical not for any kind of secretive reasons, but simply because he did not want to retrain to fly another type of plane, that he was going administrative work.
The documents also show that the president was honorably discharged in October of 1973, eight months early to attend Harvard Business School. Of course, Carol, still questions, gaps about missing time in '72, just where he was and what he was doing, still trying to work on that but White House officials say they don't believe that as much information that they put out the Democrats will be satisfied with this but they do believe that they have done everything they can to try to kill this controversy -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Suzanne, can you get into it again about the 9/11 commission and what the president is expected to do.
MALVEAUX: The president has agreed and it was formally requested today to sit down with a chair and cochair of the 9/11 commission to talk about what it is that he knew, the administration knew, prior to the September 11 attacks and so that they don't happen again. Before this day it was Dr. Rice was the highest level official in the administration sitting before the commission. We're told that the White House at this time does not have any plans to go ahead and testify publicly in any kind of way but the president will sit down with those two members of the commission and answer questions.
COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House tonight. So, a one-two punch from the White House involving the president, his military records and the 9/11 commission. "TIME" magazine columnist Joe Klein joins me with more on these surprising developments. Thank you for coming down. We appreciate your insight on this. Why do these things happen tonight, a Friday night? JOE KLEIN, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, tomorrow is Saturday. People are going to -- not many people read the newspaper and also may be sheer coincidence. I think that the White House has been struggling over the past week and maybe over the past month to try and stop the bleeding. The Democrats have been attacking them and attacking them very successfully. This is not a White House that's used to be on the defensive and so I think that some decisions were made tonight.
COSTELLO: Well, it's strange that most decisions came down tonight but talk about the 9/11 commission and why the president has finally decided to do this.
KLEIN: Well, I think that, you know, what I hear in Washington is that there are some real bombshells about to burst in the 9/11 commission. In the last Senate commission about 9/11, there were 21 pages that the president refused to release having to do with Saudi involvement in the funding of these terrorists.
COSTELLO: That's right. All those blacked outlines.
KLEIN: No. Pages that were not included. And, and I was talking to Senator Bob Graham who's been a bear about this and he says he believes that ultimately we'll find out there's direct involvement on the part of the Saudi government in funding or facilitating the funding of the 9/11 terrorists, and there have been questions in the past about the Bush -- the president's relationship with the Saudis, a very close personal and family relationship and business relationship with the Saudis and so there's been some reluctance on the president's part to talk about that publicly and also, the other big thing is this.
Sandy Berger who was Bill Clinton's national security adviser claims that he warned the Bush administration about al Qaeda in January of 2001. And, "TIME" magazine did a big investigation about why that wasn't acted upon last year. And I think there's questions about that, as well.
COSTELLO: I want to ask you about all of these documents released by the White House. Applying to George Bush's military service and the National guard. Will this settle things once and for all, you think from what Suzanne said, it won't?
KLEIN: You know, this is mostly about politics and it's been emphasized by the Democrats because they've been accused by Republicans of being, you know, soft and unpatriotic through the years and a chance to put the president on the defensive. We won't find out anything spectacular and I don't think there's anything spectacular to find out. He put in over 600 hours, took his flight duty, took his commitment very seriously up to a point. During the last year or so, he didn't take it very seriously and the worst I expect that we'll find is some evaluations from superiors saying, Lieutenant Bush isn't taking this very seriously.
COSTELLO: I'm sure the Democrats will kind of have a different definition of that. Joe Klein from "TIME" magazine, many thanks to you. Well, we're going to delve deeper now in what looks to be a nasty campaign before the campaign. President Bush's re-election campaign has a video branding John Kerry as unprincipled. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD ANNOUNCER: Facts. Kerry. Brought to you by the special interests. Millions from executives at HMOs, telecoms, drug companies, unprincipled.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have a message for the influence peddlers and the special interest and the special interests, special interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And earlier, I spoke with former Democratic White House political director Craig Smith and former Bush administration official Leslie Sanchez. I started by asking Craig if this is the earliest he's seen these types of ads.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRAIG SMITH, FMR WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL DIR.: It's early but you have to remember, this year, the way the calendar is set up on the Democratic side, we have a nominee -- this race isn't over. John Kerry doesn't have this locked up. But right now the only person to beat him is John Kerry himself. This is the earliest we have had that.
COSTELLO: But why? Why is that coming out so early?
SMITH: I think it always happens in a campaign. Once you have a Democrat, a Republican, once you know what the general election's going to look like, it starts. This year we just know those things earlier than normal.
COSTELLO: Well, Leslie, I want to read you the Kerry response to the Bush/Cheney Internet ad. Here it is verbatim. "We haven't been able to trust what George Bush has told us about the war or about the economy. We certainly can't trust what he has to say about the special interests." Is this the beginning of an ugly escalation between these two campaigns?
LESLIE SANCHEZ, IMPACTO STRATEGIES: Absolutely. I think the Democrats have spent the last six months savaging the president and this is not a campaign that's going to sit idly by and let the Democrats rewrite history or define his administration. If anybody is worried about these ads, it's going to be the Democrats and John Kerry. You have a candidate basically a potential nominee who has not been tested in the field. Very much through the implosion of Howard Dean. And if they're worried about these things now in the spring, can you imagine what it's like in the fall?
COSTELLO: Couldn't it also be a sign that the Bush campaign people are scared? SANCHEZ: Not at all. If anything, I'd say that's what the Democrats are. Look at how worried they are. And we're talking about special interests. It's very curious that Kerry's campaign would come out with this statement when he knows, for someone who says the's railing against special interests, he took more money from special interests groups in the last 15 years than any other senator. There's also indications...
COSTELLO: But wait just a second, Craig. And join in on me with this.
SMITH: All right.
COSTELLO: Isn't that like the Bush people calling the kettle black? I mean, this is a guy who has a $200 million war chest.
SMITH: I find it quite interesting. What I also think is really interesting, though, is this is a first produced kind of communication from the Bush campaign. Traditionally candidates go out and say, here's why I'm good, and then later they get to here is why my opponent is bad. I think what you're seeing here is the Bush campaign has a problem. They don't really have anything to sell the American public. They haven't created millions of new jobs, they haven't made the education system in this country better. They haven't made the health care system in this country better. They haven't balanced the budget. They haven't made government smaller. They have nothing really...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. President Bush is a polarizing figure. By pointing out and being so -- well, his campaign, I should say, not specifically him.
SANCHEZ: Right.
COSTELLO: By being so nasty, doesn't that further polarize voters?
SANCHEZ: When we're talking about nasty, we're talking about the Democrats. The Democrats have engaged in six months in the politics of personal character assassination. There's not a defined agenda on the Democratic side, there is not a doctrine that's united the Democratic Party. And basically what you're talking about is the president has highlighted -- not even the president -- the campaign has highlighted this -- Kerry's record in special interests. Somebody who has taken more special interest money than any other senator in the last 15 years. And the reason it's important is because it's part of his record. If Kerry was going to define himself on the issue of special interests, he needs to be prepared to look at his record. That's what this is pointing out.
COSTELLO: And Craig, along those same lines, didn't the Democrats start all this ugliness by prolonging the National Guard service question?
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
SMITH: WELL, let's remember. You know, politics isn't bean bags. This is tough stuff, and it's going to get tough over the course of this campaign. What candidates have to do and campaigns have to do is talk about a positive message and they also have to highlight the differences with their opponents.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: What positive message?
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: What have they done? They accused the president of lying.
SMITH: They talked about what they want to do for health care, they've talked about what they want to do for the environment, they've talked about what they want to do for education.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: ... draw a contrast here. What I think we're waiting to see is, is the Bush campaign going to come out with a positive message, or are they just going to say, look, I haven't done a very good job as president of the United States, but John Kerry would be worse.
SANCHEZ: Oh, my gosh. Oh, please. You know...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: We have to wrap this up now, but it's been a good debate that will continue for some time. Leslie Sanchez, Craig Smith, thanks for joining us tonight.
SMITH: Thanks.
COSTELLO: All right. On to another presidential candidate, and quite a funny guy. Coming up, Dennis Kucinich joins us live. There he is now. He's going to talk about the race and his amusing turn on late night TV.
Also, this actress has a debilitating disorder. No, not Tom Green. This one is fictional. We'll check it out in "The Weekender."
And a little later, from 63,000 photographs, the world's best pictures are chosen. We'll show you the winner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We are continuing to follow two developing stories out of the White House. The release of President Bush's military records and his decision to meet with the September 11 commission. Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich joins us now live from San Francisco to talk about those matters and more. Thanks for joining us tonight.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you. It's good to be with you.
COSTELLO: So what do you make of this?
KUCINICH: Well, I think this whole issue about president's records during the Vietnam War, I think, is a red herring. You know what the real issue is? One hundred and thirty thousand troops in Iraq right now. It was wrong to go in there, it's wrong to stay in. I am keeping this campaign focused on getting out of Iraq.
COSTELLO: That aside, Mr. Kucinich, do you think that this will end the matter once and for all, now that the president has agreed to release all of the documents from his military service?
KUCINICH: Look. It's wonderful that he is releasing them, but I'm telling you, this is one of those side shows in a serious election where we have troops in Iraq. It was wrong to go in. I want to bring our troops home. I mean, that's serious. You know, we have people dying right now. You know, I don't want to talk about 30 years ago.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about September 11 and the president's decision to sit down and talk with the September 11 commission.
KUCINICH: It's absolutely appropriate that he do so.
COSTELLO: Why?
KUCINICH: Well, because, you know, he was at the helm, and certainly the people of the United States want some explanation as to whether or not there was any information given to the White House prior to September 11, and I think it's a chance for the president to clear the air. It is also an opportunity, I might say, the United States needs some leadership to help us move away from the trauma of 9/11. We have a lot of healing to do in this country, and as president I would like to take the country in that direction so that we can move beyond the fear that 9/11 has occasioned.
COSTELLO: And you're certainly doing that by adding some humor to our lives. I want to show people your appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, at least part of it, during a dating game segment. So let's show it to our viewers now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
JAY LENO, HOST: Bachelorette number one.
JENNIFER TILLY, ACTRESS: Yes.
KUCINICH: Valentine's Day is coming up.
TILLY: Don't be frightened.
KUCINICH: Valentine's Day is coming and you want to give me one of those little plastic hearts with a message on it. TILLY: Yes, I do.
KUCINICH: What does it say?
TILLY: It says, how's your hanging chad?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, after Jennifer Tilly said "hanging chad," it looked as if you wanted to say something more. Do you remember what it was?
KUCINICH: Oh, brother. Let me tell you. It was fun to be on "The Tonight Show," and you know, let's face it, people want to know if their public officials are really human beings. Hello. And in addition to that, I have some ideas that I think will help to lead America into a new world without war and with prosperity for all.
COSTELLO: You know, you've been in politics since you were a child, it seems. Actually, you were just a child when you began. In this election, you're not the frontrunner. So why is so much attention being paid to you?
KUCINICH: Well, let me say first of all how grateful I am to be on this show, and I think people are looking for a new energy, a new optimism, and a sense of humor about, you know, how grim the world might be. But if we use our heart and our spirit, we can change things. So I think that message is starting to resonate with people, because they don't want to believe this race is over. They're looking for something different, and here I am.
COSTELLO: Well, that aside, shouldn't you drop out of the race and endorse another candidate for the sake of the Democratic Party?
KUCINICH: You're breaking my heart. Let me tell you, no. I actually -- what I need to do is to continue to give the Democrats a choice to get out of Iraq, to have not-for-profit health care and stop these trade agreements that are costing us millions of jobs. So you know, that's what my candidacy gives people a chance to do, and frankly, the race is far from over. We have got a long way to the finish line in Boston.
COSTELLO: Well, a lot of people would disagree with you, but thank you, Dennis Kucinich live tonight.
KUCINICH: Good to see you.
COSTELLO: Still to come tonight, the best photographs of the year announced today.
Also tonight, a long awaited team up makes it to DVD. We'll give you a peek in tonight's "Weekender."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And welcome back. The lens opens, the shutter clicks and in a second, a moment in time preserved. Photographs, they pack a punch. Today, World Press Photo announced the best pictures of 2003. They are impressive. Some are shocking. And we must warn you that a few of the images are graphic.
It is often said that still pictures are worth a thousand words. This photo taken by Jean Marc Bijou (ph) of the AP certainly does. Titled "Iraqi man comforts his son at regroupment center for POWs, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Iraq." It won the World Press photo of the year 2003. It was selected from a record of more than 63,000 images taken around the world.
The pictures, like this one, by Caroline Cole (ph) of the "Los Angeles Times" were chosen for their news value and the creative skills of the photographers. The winning images often brutally document the grim reality of a war. Like this picture of a Liberian fighter taken by Chris Jandros of Getty (ph) or the aftermath of an Israeli raid on a Palestinian refugee camp taken by (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of Reuters.
But also, addressed social issues around the globe like prostitution in Europe, taken by "Cosmo's" photographer Lorraina Ross (ph). Obesity in the United States taken by Felicia Webb (ph) of the "Independent." And poverty in this picture taken by Jacob Ehrbahn (ph) of the "Politiken." These images often suggest more than they tell like the face of this power lifter taken by Lene Estavez (ph). Or this picture of Tony Blair and George Bush taken by Nick Danziga (ph) from Contact Press. Like all great pictures, all speak volumes. Oh, do they.
Time to check on top news in tonight's "Current." Yao Ming is replacing Kobe Bryant as spokesman for McDonald's. McDonald's said he's youthful, dynamic, caring and not an accused rapist.
Americans will buy more than a billion dollars worth of candy this Valentine's Day weekend according to industry estimates. White House estimates suggest that all those purchases could generate thousands of jobs and they're using food dye to write on tiny hard candy's industry.
"Gangs of New York" director Martin Scorsese is in talks to make a movie about the gangs of Hong Kong. The casting is not done yet. But because the movie focuses on Asian gangs, one of the top names reportedly in consideration is Brad Pitt.
Sharon Osbourne says she's disappointed that her talkshow was canceled. The news was a disappointment to the writers at CNN's "The Current" who now might have to do actual work to find something to make fun of.
Adam Sandler is back and he's teaming up with Drew Barrymore again but will she remember the last time? Stick with us for the "Weekender."
But first tonight's "Buzz." What's sexier, a strong come-on or subtle seduction. Vote now. CNN.com/360. The results when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Remember the movie "Groundhog Day?" Remember the movie "Groundhog Day?" If so, you may have some idea what's in store for you in this weekend's big new release and you're about to see in "The Weekender." In the "Weekender."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you staring at me or her because you're starting to freak me out.
COSTELLO: "50 First Dates" stars Adam Sandler as a man in love and Drew Barrymore as a young woman with a hilarious mental disability. Shortterm memory loss.
ADAM SANDLER, ACTOR: Do you have any idea who I am?
DREW BARRYMORE, ACTRESS: I've never met you.
COSTELLO: Forcing Sandler to win her over again and again resulting in much hilarity.
On DVD, "Run Away Jury" brings us a long-awaited pairing of real life friends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, let's find 11 more jurors just like her.
COSTELLO: John Cusack also stars in this latest John Grisham adaptation.
If you prefer characters even seedier than lawyers, how about "The Porn People in Wonderland" starring Val Kilmer.
If you like sports, maybe your Valentine watched the NBA All-Star game with you Sunday night?
Or you can watch it with them. But a Valentine's day got you down, "Cops, Love Hurts" airs on Fox. Showcasing domestic violence incidents that show you that, hey, your life could be worse.
That makes you feel warm all over, doesn't it?
Time for the "Buzz." We asked you what's sexier, a strong come- on or subtle seduction? 11 percent said the strong come-on gets them going. 89 percent say subtle seduction does the trick. Not a scientific poll, just your buzz.
I'm Carol Costello in for Anderson Cooper. "PAULA ZAHN" starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Political Battlefield: Kerry's Army>
Aired February 13, 2004 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, HOST (voice-over): Bush and Kerry, the gloves are coming off before the match-up is even set.
The Air Force confronts charges its women are being raped by fellow airmen in Texas.
How does a young soldier go from patriot to alleged spy?
Martha Stewart's defense gets a boost from the judge.
And wrapping up our series "Love and Sex." Tonight, what are you seduced by?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.
COSTELLO: And good evening to you. Welcome to 360. I'm Carol Costello, in for Anderson Cooper tonight.
And we begin tonight at the White House with a major development. Just moments ago, the president ordering the release of all of his military records.
White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House, where she has just gotten hold of those records.
Take it away, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we have two major breaking news stories here. We just received news that that 9/11 Commission, those investigating the administration, what it knew before the September 11 attack, they had asked President Bush to testify before the chair and the co-chair of that commission. We have just gotten word from the press office here that the president has agreed to sit down and privately testify about what he knew prior to September 11.
We have also been told that is not likely that they will go ahead and agree to testify in public. But he will sit down with at least the chair and the co-chair of that committee, that commission, to tell them what he knew. Now, the other big story, of course, is more than the 400 pages that were released just within the last hour. This is President Bush's complete personnel record, medical record, regarding his military service. We are told that the president this afternoon said, put it out.
He is trying to essentially kill a lot of the questions that have been circulating. He says that people have been getting the wrong impression that he was trying to hide something.
What do these documents show? Just a couple of highlights. It includes details of quest that he made to transfer to Alabama in 1972. The controversy, of course, whether or not he performed his duties there.
May 1972, he was suspended from flying because he did not take a physical. That also in the documents. But the medical records, which they showed us privately in the Roosevelt Room, show that there was no reason that he was unfit to fly, that he was in good physical shape.
That backs up the White House story that the reason he didn't actually take that physical was because he decided he didn't want to fly anymore, that there were no other kinds of secret or hidden reasons for that medical situation. And then finally, it shows that he was honorably discharged in October of 1973. That was eight months early to go to business school.
Still, Carol, a lot of unanswered questions. We're dealing with hundreds and hundreds of pages here, and there are still some gaps about where the president was at certain times during his duty -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Specifically between May of 1972 and January of 1973. But I know you haven't had a chance to go through all of those documents yet. So we'll let you catch up on that before we ask you more.
But I wanted to go back to the 9/11 Commission and that the president is going to sit down privately and testify. What made him make this decision?
MALVEAUX: Well, just take all of this in context, Carol. If you look at what's happened in the last couple of weeks, this administration has been under an incredible amount of pressure to cooperate on a number of fronts. The 9/11 Commission, the Intelligence Commission, as well, as well as this document dump.
I mean, this is something where the administration is making a political decision. The political calculus, the strategy being, cooperate, come clean, dump as much as you can, show the American people that, yes, you're being upfront, that you're being honest. And certainly, the big question is, is are the people going to believe him? And it really is a credibility issue.
He's been taking a lot of hits in the last couple of weeks. They want to make sure that they restore the president's credibility. It is the one thing that shows time and time again his stewardship of the security of the war on terror is solid and strong, that the American people, they have seen that road lately. They want to make sure that that remains intact, and that's why they're putting out all of this information.
COSTELLO: All right. We'll get back to you at the half-hour. Suzanne Malveaux live from the White House tonight.
And from the White House, we turn to the men who want to be there. Today on the campaign trail with the candidates, Senator Kerry's powerful army is getting more reinforcement. Today, the nation's biggest labor group, the AFL-CIO, says it will formally endorse Kerry next week.
A retired four-star general has also joined the camp. CNN's Kelly Wallace has that story from Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Wisconsin photo op that makes the Kerry camp smile. The retired four- star general backing the decorated Vietnam veteran and putting the GOP on notice.
WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John Kerry has been the kind of leader America needs. He'll stand up to the Republican attack dogs and send them home licking their wounds.
WALLACE: Things are already getting nasty. The Bush re-election team e-mailed this ad last night to six million supporters targeting the Democratic frontrunner.
NARRATOR: More special interest money than any other senator? How much?
WALLACE: A response Bush campaign aides say to John Kerry's attacks. Not so says the senator from Massachusetts.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I noticed the first advertisement they're running is a negative one.
WALLACE: Kerry's rivals looking for some traction here in Wisconsin tried to focus on the positives. John Edwards, who said he courted Clark for an endorsement, says the general's backing of Kerry won't hurt his own campaign.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think most presidential primary voters are making their own independent decisions.
WALLACE: Howard Dean, who has appealed for Clark's supporters to go to him, was asked if he would look like a sore loser if he stays in the race without winning any states.
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's an enormous amount of people who do want to continue. Now, whether it's enough to win the nomination or not, we have to see.
WALLACE (on camera): Dean and Edwards are now counting on Sunday night's debate to try and change the dynamic of a race where Kerry is currently leading by nearly 40 points, according to the most recent poll.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, Madison, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And Kerry has been busy. This morning, John Kerry was on Don Imus' national radio show, which is simulcast on MSNBC, and in that interview, Senator Kerry was asked about the rumors that were flying around the Internet and talk radio about an alleged relationship with a young woman. Kerry firmly denied that there was anything to any of it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KERRY: Well, there's nothing to report. So there's nothing to talk about. I'm not worried about it, no. The answer is no.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: After a round of local interviews, a print pool reporter asked Kerry about the Internet rumors. And here's what he had to say to that. He said, "I just deny it categorically. It's rumor. It's untrue, period."
Coming up, we'll have more from the campaign trail and a live interview with presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, as well as what some might consider dirty tactics being used in the race for the White House.
And the debate over same-sex marriages is heating up. As San Francisco turns out licenses, a conservative family group is heading to court to try to block them. We'll have more from CNN's Rusty Dornin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protesters like these are rarely seen in San Francisco. But these Muslim activists demonstrating on the steps of City Hall say they believe what the city is doing is wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As same-sex marriages proceed, what is going to happen in the future? How our society is going to continue? How is this going to flourish?
DORNIN: Hundreds of gay couples signing up for licenses wound through the corridors of City Hall. Darlene Rednauer (ph) and Jackie Serrano (ph) were here before the doors opened.
(on camera): How long have you guys been in line this morning?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been in line two hours.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A couple of hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's next?
DORNIN: Steve Gibson (ph) and Steve Wiley (ph) say they felt they had to rush down to say, "I do."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was some urgency to it, yes.
DORNIN (on camera): Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mostly because if it gets overturned.
DORNIN (voice-over): Overturned by lawsuits seeking to stop the city from performing these marriages. Two were filed Friday. The first was by the Campaign for California Families. The group is suing San Francisco's mayor and county clerk.
RANDY THOMASON, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE OPPONENT: Gavin Newsom has no authority to do what he has done. He is a renegade mayor who's acting like he is not a Californian or an American. He has taken the law into his own hands.
DORNIN: A San Francisco superior court judge refused to grant an immediate temporary restraining order to the conservative group The Alliance Defense Fund. The judge says arguments will have to wait until next Tuesday, allowing San Francisco's same-sex wedding-fest to continue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I now pronounce you partners for life. You may kiss the bride.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: And there are hundreds of people across the street. In fact, City Hall is more packed right now than it's been all day long. About a half-hour ago, the recorder's office told me that 300 couples had exchanged vows so far.
Normally, City Hall is closed on Saturdays, but of course tomorrow is Valentine's Day . And heterosexual couples had already made reservations to have ceremonies tomorrow. And it looks like now that some city officials are already volunteering to come over, and if couples got the licenses today, they could have a ceremony tomorrow on Valentine's Day in City Hall -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Rusty Dornin, live from San Francisco tonight.
Suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will have a chance to appeal the detentions. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the new panel will annually review the individual cases of the detainees to determine if a detainee is a threat or could be let go. Rumsfeld says the more than 600 suspected terrorists at Gitmo will have a number of rights, including the presumption of innocence and the right to counsel.
Today, the U.S. returned one detainee to his home country. A Spanish citizen being held at Gitmo was handed over to Spain at what's being called the first transfer of its kind.
And tonight we're learning more about an American soldier suspected of spying by helping out al Qaeda. Who is he? CNN's Katharine Barrett on what we now know about Ryan Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Specialist Ryan Anderson grew up in this quiet neighborhood. Long-time neighbors of his father and stepmother say they're shocked by his arrest.
TOM WARNER, ANDERSON FAMILY NEIGHBOR: They've been solid families. You know, they wash the car like we do. They fly the flag. They visit with their neighbors. And they had nothing that ever made them stand out.
BARRETT: Nothing except the incident in 1998, when Anderson's strolled these streets shouldering a rifle and bayonet.
WARNER: My wife passed by him that day and he was just walking along carrying it. And, you know, he was just proud of it, I thought.
BARRETT: For the past six months, when not training at Fort Lewis, Anderson and his wife lived in this apartment. A next door neighbor calls Anderson a very nice, good guy, who likes Japanese anime and guns.
JACK ROBERTS, ANDERSON NEIGHBOR: Yes, he'd go to shooting ranges sometimes. Yes. He went with a neighbor here to local areas shooting guns.
BARRETT: Almost two years ago, Ryan Anderson first contacted Seattle's Islamic community, joining an e-mail group under the name Abdul Rasheed (ph), AKA Gun Fighter. Local Muslim leaders were immediately suspicious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His e-mails right away turned to that he was a marksman shooter and thought that he should get together a group of Muslims from the area, men and women, and teach them how to shoot. And we should have a group that goes out and shoots. And this was completely against the norms of what we think is correct or right.
BARRETT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) says he and Anderson exchanged harsh e-mails. After leaving the chat group, Anderson showed up at a local mosque trying to recruit shooters.
Anderson's wife and family are not speaking publicly about his arrest. In a written statement to The Associated Press, they said they "place their faith and trust in the U.S. uniform code of military justice to provide Ryan a fair trial before rendering any decision." (END VIDEOTAPE)
BARRETT: Anderson's next-door neighbor told us earlier today that his wife is taking this very hard. That she's shaken up and as shocked as anybody else by what has happened. Ryan Anderson's wife also told this neighbor that an FBI search yesterday confiscated her personal cell phone, the couple's computer, and, again, according to this neighbor, several guns.
Specialist Ryan Anderson is being held in military custody tonight at the Fort Lewis Army base right behind me. That's the latest from here.
COSTELLO: Thanks Katharine Barrett, live from Washington State.
We are following a number of developing stories right now "Cross Country."
Santa Maria, California: Michael Jackson case. The judge says he wants the trial to start this year. Next court date for Jackson, March 5.
Tucson, Arizona: trampled athlete doing better. Doctors say they're hopeful high school basketball star Joe Kay (ph) will have a significant recovery from the stroke he suffered during a post-game celebration last week. Kay (ph) fell when fans stormed the court. He tore an artery and became paralyzed. He is a 18-year-old national merit finalist, and he has a volleyball scholarship waiting at Stanford University.
San Francisco, California: they say they are innocent. That's the plea of four men accused by the federal government in a steroid distribution ring. The men are believed to have provided the illegal drugs to a number of athletes and participated in a conspiracy, as well as money laundering.
Houston, Texas: indictment coming up. The Associated Press is reporting that a federal criminal indictment of former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling may come as early as next week. So far, 27 people have been charged in the Enron case. Nine have pleaded guilty.
Tampa, Florida: battle over Terry Schiavo. Governor Jeb Bush and the parents of the severely brain damaged Terry Schiavo won two court victories today. The rulings help the case of Schiavo's parents, who want to keep their daughter alive, even as her husband says it was Schiavo's wish to die.
Philadelphia: 'Smokin Joe' Frazier is locked up. The former heavyweight boxing champ is in jail tonight after being arrested in a domestic dispute. The 60-year-old Frazier faces charges of simple assault and reckless endangerment.
And that is a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.
A court victory for Martha Stewart, but will it be enough to clear her name? We will take a closer look. Plus, oh, Canada. Find out why Conan O'Brien is in hot water with our northern neighbors.
And the art of seduction, part of our weeklong series, "Love and Sex."
But first, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Martha Stewart got some good news today. The judge in her trial will not allow any testimony on whether Stewart's public claims of innocence had any affect on her company's stock prices. Prosecutors claim Stewart misled investors in order to prop up Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Deborah Feyerick has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a relatively good day for Martha Stewart. Even her broker, co-defendant Peter Bacanovic, couldn't help smiling.
The judge ruled experts will not be allowed to testify about comments Stewart made defending herself. Prosecutors have charged Stewart with securities fraud, saying Stewart manipulated stock prices of her own company by denying she had done anything wrong. Prosecutors wanted to call experts to describe how Stewart's statements affected her stock. But the judge banned testimony on "whether a reasonable investor would have considered these statements important in making an investment decision."
A source close to Stewart called the ruling a victory, telling CNN it was a tough charge to prove before. Now it's essentially impossible.
ROBERT GORDON, SECURITIES ATTORNEY: The government's security fraud charge is basically history.
FEYERICK: Securities fraud carried a maximum 10 years in prison. Prosecutors will have to prove the charge another way. And some say the ruling may have no effect.
JACOB ZAMANSKY, SECURITIES ATTORNEY: You don't need an expert to explain that to the jury. It's common sense.
FEYERICK: Prosecutors had also hoped to introduce phone records showing calls between Stewart and her broker. One of those calls just minutes after Stewart changed the message Peter Bacanovic left the day of the questionable trade.
(on camera): The judge pointed out it was Bacanovic who had coincidentally called Stewart, and asked prosecutors in amazement, "Do you think he's a mind reader?" The judge will decide what calls to allow into evidence Tuesday.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We are tracking a number of developing stories around the globe. So let's check the "UpLink" now.
Liberia: a landmark deal with the United States. A new pact allow U.S. Navy sailors to search for weapons of mass destruction on any Liberian-registered ship at international waters. Liberia is the world's second largest shipping registry.
United Nations: Cyprus may become united. Leaders on both sides of the divided nation have accepted a U.N. plan designed to reunite the country before it enters the European Union in May. The island has been divided for decades.
Ottawa, Canada: not laughing about Conan. Canada's government is condemning jokes made by NBC's late night TV host Conan O'Brien. It says O'Brien insulted people living in Quebec and suggested allegedly that they're all gay. Ottawa helped pay for O'Brien to take his show to Toronto this week.
Manila, the Philippines: whole lot of love. More than 5,000 couples took part in a 10-second simultaneous kiss. It's said to be the world's largest gathering ever for a smooch.
And that is tonight's "UpLink."
Dirty politics 2004. How low will they go this election year?
And what counts as crossing the line? We'll hear from both sides.
Also tonight, running from behind and having fun. Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, he joins us live.
And a little later, the art of seduction. Find out the tricks and traps of being a killer pick-up artist.
But first, today's "Buzz." We ask you, what's sexier, a strong come-on or subtle seduction? Vote now, cnn.com/360. The results at the end of the show
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's almost Valentine's Day. So now our series "Love and Sex." And tonight, the Art of seduction. You can't always get what you want, but more than likely you keep on trying.
We spent a night out with Tracy Cox, author of "Superflirt." She told us how when it comes to seduction the body reveals all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TRACEY COX, AUTHOR, "SUPERFLIRT": We make up our minds about somebody within 10 seconds. And that's got nothing to do with what they're saying. It's all to do with body language and how they hold themselves.
If you spot somebody that you're really attracted to, lock eyes with them. Then let your eyes travel around the room. And then come back to them again. It effectively says, you're my pick of everybody who's here.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) somebody that we're attracted to, we start to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Women start to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the glass up and down. Men tend to rub around the rim of the glass. Basically, it all goes back to how we'd like to stroke ourselves.
If you're sitting with a girl and she does this, if she pulls her hair away from her neck and tilts her neck towards you, and you're there, she's definitely attracted to you. Things to point to where you want to go. So if you're talking to a guy and his feet are pointed directly at you, it's usually a sign that he's interested.
Men are very, very good at looking at a woman's mouth when they're interested. And basically, when somebody looks at your mouth a lot, it means that they're thinking about kissing you. When they want to be touched, a woman will let you know. She'll put her hands almost in the way.
If you really want to know if somebody's attracted to you, if you get up, just have a quick glance back and see what they're looking at. If they're looking at your rear end, you're in, honestly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: But don't you want to know more? How do you get someone to notice you?
Earlier today, I talked with seduction guru Ross Jeffries. He was the inspiration for Tom Cruise's character in the movie "Magnolia." In that movie, Cruise's aggressive character motivated men to be seductive.
Well, Jeffries claims he can get a man's James Bond into action to pick up a woman. I asked him if that applied to all men, regardless of their age, personality and looks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSS JEFFRIES, SEDUCTION EXPERT: I think men can learn to be a lot more attractive than their physical appearance. And they can learn to overcome their fear and their history of failure with women if they just learn a few simple principles. And that's what I teach.
COSTELLO: Well, let's go over those principles. The first one is learn to breathe in a certain way.
JEFFRIES: Basically, it comes down to self-control. If you're shaking with fear or burning with lust, you're going to put the other person off. And basically, what I teach these guys is a way to slow down and relax using some basic yoga breathing principles that have been around for 5,000 years. It's simply a matter...
COSTELLO: Yes, but Ross, if I saw a doing yoga breathing exercises, I think that would be a turnoff.
JEFFRIES: Hold on. No, no, no. Well, hang on. I'm not talking about doing bends and twists.
I'm simply talking about regulating your breathing, breathing deeply, and then lengthening your exhale. And time and again, guys get rid of their fear, they get rid of their jitters. And at last they can actually communicate with a person in front of them.
COSTELLO: Next is the approach.
JEFFRIES: Yes. You want to do an approach that's nonthreatening, that involves either asking a question, making a comment, or an observation on the ongoing situation, or being funny. And ideally, the best approach uses both principles.
As an example, let's say you're in a coffee place and she's just ordered her morning coffee but she hasn't gotten it. I'll walk up and I'll say, "I see you're having those, need caffeine, can't get the mind started thoughts." And invariably she'll laugh.
Why? Because it's an accurate observation of what's going on in her world. This is a principle I call the authority principle. If you demonstrate our authority in her world, not the authority of being a control freak, but the authority that comes from her understanding that you understand her, then you begin to become a lot more attractive.
COSTELLO: Why can't you just be yourself?
JEFFRIES: Well, wait a minute. I want men -- I want the principle of being in control of yourself, self control, and being able to observe her and demonstrate to her that you understand her, I want men to make that part of their selves. But it's a skill that most men don't have.
Most men are not in control of themselves. They try to control the woman, which is a huge mistake.
Women are drawn to men who are in control of themselves. And if you demonstrate that she doesn't throw you -- if she scowls at you, and if you react to that, you're out. But if you just playfully scowl back and say, "Hey, my 5-year-old niece just started practicing that face; she's doing it better than you," then she'll relax because she knows that you're on to what she's doing.
COSTELLO: We are out of time, Ross Jeffries.
JEFFRIES: All right.
COSTELLO: But if people want to know more...
JEFFRIES: Seduction.com.
COSTELLO: All right, seduction.com. Ross Jeffries, many thanks to you.
JEFFRIES: Thank you.
COSTELLO: So be manly, but not too manly.
Today's "Buzz" question is this: what's sexier, a strong come-on or a subtle seduction? Vote now, cnn.com/360. We'll have the results at the end of the show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Starting the fight before the opponents are set.
Martha Stewart aided by what the jury won't hear.
And what are you doing this weekend? We'll tell you what's up.
360 continues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And the next half hour, dirty politics. How far is too far when it comes to winning the White House? We'll take a look at all the early election mudslinging.
Also, presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich joins us live.
First, a look at the top stories. President Bush has ordered that his Vietnam-era military files be made public. The move is in response to suggestions by Democrats that he did not complete his required service as a member of the Texas Air National Guard. The White House says there's nothing to hide about his record. More on this live from the White House in just a minute.
A former purchasing agent for Halliburton said the company wastes taxpayers' money. He says the defense contractor routinely bought items at higher prices from preferred suppliers. The comment came at a hearing put together by Senate Democrats. Halliburton has denied overcharges.
The FDA will take three more months to decide whether to make the morning-after pill available without a prescription. The drug is an emergency contraceptive. The FDA was to announce a decision by next Friday but has postponed the deadline by 90 days. The agency is under political pressure to keep the prescription requirement.
And the U.S. trade deficit hit a record high last year at more than $489 billion, it was 17 percent larger than the previous record set the previous year. Economists say the number reflects Americans' appetite for items made outside of the U.S., especially cars.
We want to go back to the White House now where two major developments are unfolding tonight. First, the president is releasing his wartime military records and he's also agreeing to meet with the commission investigating the September 11 terror attacks. We'll return to White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House tonight. Hello, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Hello, Carol. It's more than 400 pages, these documents, it goes from 1968 to '73, his complete military record. We're told that the communications director Dan Bartlett handed it to the president this afternoon. Said, what do you want me to do with this? He said, put it out. He's watching the briefings over the last couple of days and he considers a lot of the questions we're told to be very silly. Some of the details, the highlights of what the documents show include that President Bush requested a transfer from Texas Air National Guard to Alabama in 1972.
That he logged 625 hours of flying time, solo flying time. That he was suspended from flying in August of '72 because he failed to take a medical exam but the medical records that we looked at, a group of reporters looking at them in the Roosevelt room but not take them out, shows that he was in good health, no reason he was unfit to fly. This backs the White House story that President Bush skipped the physical not for any kind of secretive reasons, but simply because he did not want to retrain to fly another type of plane, that he was going administrative work.
The documents also show that the president was honorably discharged in October of 1973, eight months early to attend Harvard Business School. Of course, Carol, still questions, gaps about missing time in '72, just where he was and what he was doing, still trying to work on that but White House officials say they don't believe that as much information that they put out the Democrats will be satisfied with this but they do believe that they have done everything they can to try to kill this controversy -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Suzanne, can you get into it again about the 9/11 commission and what the president is expected to do.
MALVEAUX: The president has agreed and it was formally requested today to sit down with a chair and cochair of the 9/11 commission to talk about what it is that he knew, the administration knew, prior to the September 11 attacks and so that they don't happen again. Before this day it was Dr. Rice was the highest level official in the administration sitting before the commission. We're told that the White House at this time does not have any plans to go ahead and testify publicly in any kind of way but the president will sit down with those two members of the commission and answer questions.
COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House tonight. So, a one-two punch from the White House involving the president, his military records and the 9/11 commission. "TIME" magazine columnist Joe Klein joins me with more on these surprising developments. Thank you for coming down. We appreciate your insight on this. Why do these things happen tonight, a Friday night? JOE KLEIN, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, tomorrow is Saturday. People are going to -- not many people read the newspaper and also may be sheer coincidence. I think that the White House has been struggling over the past week and maybe over the past month to try and stop the bleeding. The Democrats have been attacking them and attacking them very successfully. This is not a White House that's used to be on the defensive and so I think that some decisions were made tonight.
COSTELLO: Well, it's strange that most decisions came down tonight but talk about the 9/11 commission and why the president has finally decided to do this.
KLEIN: Well, I think that, you know, what I hear in Washington is that there are some real bombshells about to burst in the 9/11 commission. In the last Senate commission about 9/11, there were 21 pages that the president refused to release having to do with Saudi involvement in the funding of these terrorists.
COSTELLO: That's right. All those blacked outlines.
KLEIN: No. Pages that were not included. And, and I was talking to Senator Bob Graham who's been a bear about this and he says he believes that ultimately we'll find out there's direct involvement on the part of the Saudi government in funding or facilitating the funding of the 9/11 terrorists, and there have been questions in the past about the Bush -- the president's relationship with the Saudis, a very close personal and family relationship and business relationship with the Saudis and so there's been some reluctance on the president's part to talk about that publicly and also, the other big thing is this.
Sandy Berger who was Bill Clinton's national security adviser claims that he warned the Bush administration about al Qaeda in January of 2001. And, "TIME" magazine did a big investigation about why that wasn't acted upon last year. And I think there's questions about that, as well.
COSTELLO: I want to ask you about all of these documents released by the White House. Applying to George Bush's military service and the National guard. Will this settle things once and for all, you think from what Suzanne said, it won't?
KLEIN: You know, this is mostly about politics and it's been emphasized by the Democrats because they've been accused by Republicans of being, you know, soft and unpatriotic through the years and a chance to put the president on the defensive. We won't find out anything spectacular and I don't think there's anything spectacular to find out. He put in over 600 hours, took his flight duty, took his commitment very seriously up to a point. During the last year or so, he didn't take it very seriously and the worst I expect that we'll find is some evaluations from superiors saying, Lieutenant Bush isn't taking this very seriously.
COSTELLO: I'm sure the Democrats will kind of have a different definition of that. Joe Klein from "TIME" magazine, many thanks to you. Well, we're going to delve deeper now in what looks to be a nasty campaign before the campaign. President Bush's re-election campaign has a video branding John Kerry as unprincipled. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD ANNOUNCER: Facts. Kerry. Brought to you by the special interests. Millions from executives at HMOs, telecoms, drug companies, unprincipled.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have a message for the influence peddlers and the special interest and the special interests, special interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And earlier, I spoke with former Democratic White House political director Craig Smith and former Bush administration official Leslie Sanchez. I started by asking Craig if this is the earliest he's seen these types of ads.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRAIG SMITH, FMR WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL DIR.: It's early but you have to remember, this year, the way the calendar is set up on the Democratic side, we have a nominee -- this race isn't over. John Kerry doesn't have this locked up. But right now the only person to beat him is John Kerry himself. This is the earliest we have had that.
COSTELLO: But why? Why is that coming out so early?
SMITH: I think it always happens in a campaign. Once you have a Democrat, a Republican, once you know what the general election's going to look like, it starts. This year we just know those things earlier than normal.
COSTELLO: Well, Leslie, I want to read you the Kerry response to the Bush/Cheney Internet ad. Here it is verbatim. "We haven't been able to trust what George Bush has told us about the war or about the economy. We certainly can't trust what he has to say about the special interests." Is this the beginning of an ugly escalation between these two campaigns?
LESLIE SANCHEZ, IMPACTO STRATEGIES: Absolutely. I think the Democrats have spent the last six months savaging the president and this is not a campaign that's going to sit idly by and let the Democrats rewrite history or define his administration. If anybody is worried about these ads, it's going to be the Democrats and John Kerry. You have a candidate basically a potential nominee who has not been tested in the field. Very much through the implosion of Howard Dean. And if they're worried about these things now in the spring, can you imagine what it's like in the fall?
COSTELLO: Couldn't it also be a sign that the Bush campaign people are scared? SANCHEZ: Not at all. If anything, I'd say that's what the Democrats are. Look at how worried they are. And we're talking about special interests. It's very curious that Kerry's campaign would come out with this statement when he knows, for someone who says the's railing against special interests, he took more money from special interests groups in the last 15 years than any other senator. There's also indications...
COSTELLO: But wait just a second, Craig. And join in on me with this.
SMITH: All right.
COSTELLO: Isn't that like the Bush people calling the kettle black? I mean, this is a guy who has a $200 million war chest.
SMITH: I find it quite interesting. What I also think is really interesting, though, is this is a first produced kind of communication from the Bush campaign. Traditionally candidates go out and say, here's why I'm good, and then later they get to here is why my opponent is bad. I think what you're seeing here is the Bush campaign has a problem. They don't really have anything to sell the American public. They haven't created millions of new jobs, they haven't made the education system in this country better. They haven't made the health care system in this country better. They haven't balanced the budget. They haven't made government smaller. They have nothing really...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. President Bush is a polarizing figure. By pointing out and being so -- well, his campaign, I should say, not specifically him.
SANCHEZ: Right.
COSTELLO: By being so nasty, doesn't that further polarize voters?
SANCHEZ: When we're talking about nasty, we're talking about the Democrats. The Democrats have engaged in six months in the politics of personal character assassination. There's not a defined agenda on the Democratic side, there is not a doctrine that's united the Democratic Party. And basically what you're talking about is the president has highlighted -- not even the president -- the campaign has highlighted this -- Kerry's record in special interests. Somebody who has taken more special interest money than any other senator in the last 15 years. And the reason it's important is because it's part of his record. If Kerry was going to define himself on the issue of special interests, he needs to be prepared to look at his record. That's what this is pointing out.
COSTELLO: And Craig, along those same lines, didn't the Democrats start all this ugliness by prolonging the National Guard service question?
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
SMITH: WELL, let's remember. You know, politics isn't bean bags. This is tough stuff, and it's going to get tough over the course of this campaign. What candidates have to do and campaigns have to do is talk about a positive message and they also have to highlight the differences with their opponents.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: What positive message?
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: What have they done? They accused the president of lying.
SMITH: They talked about what they want to do for health care, they've talked about what they want to do for the environment, they've talked about what they want to do for education.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: ... draw a contrast here. What I think we're waiting to see is, is the Bush campaign going to come out with a positive message, or are they just going to say, look, I haven't done a very good job as president of the United States, but John Kerry would be worse.
SANCHEZ: Oh, my gosh. Oh, please. You know...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: We have to wrap this up now, but it's been a good debate that will continue for some time. Leslie Sanchez, Craig Smith, thanks for joining us tonight.
SMITH: Thanks.
COSTELLO: All right. On to another presidential candidate, and quite a funny guy. Coming up, Dennis Kucinich joins us live. There he is now. He's going to talk about the race and his amusing turn on late night TV.
Also, this actress has a debilitating disorder. No, not Tom Green. This one is fictional. We'll check it out in "The Weekender."
And a little later, from 63,000 photographs, the world's best pictures are chosen. We'll show you the winner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We are continuing to follow two developing stories out of the White House. The release of President Bush's military records and his decision to meet with the September 11 commission. Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich joins us now live from San Francisco to talk about those matters and more. Thanks for joining us tonight.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you. It's good to be with you.
COSTELLO: So what do you make of this?
KUCINICH: Well, I think this whole issue about president's records during the Vietnam War, I think, is a red herring. You know what the real issue is? One hundred and thirty thousand troops in Iraq right now. It was wrong to go in there, it's wrong to stay in. I am keeping this campaign focused on getting out of Iraq.
COSTELLO: That aside, Mr. Kucinich, do you think that this will end the matter once and for all, now that the president has agreed to release all of the documents from his military service?
KUCINICH: Look. It's wonderful that he is releasing them, but I'm telling you, this is one of those side shows in a serious election where we have troops in Iraq. It was wrong to go in. I want to bring our troops home. I mean, that's serious. You know, we have people dying right now. You know, I don't want to talk about 30 years ago.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about September 11 and the president's decision to sit down and talk with the September 11 commission.
KUCINICH: It's absolutely appropriate that he do so.
COSTELLO: Why?
KUCINICH: Well, because, you know, he was at the helm, and certainly the people of the United States want some explanation as to whether or not there was any information given to the White House prior to September 11, and I think it's a chance for the president to clear the air. It is also an opportunity, I might say, the United States needs some leadership to help us move away from the trauma of 9/11. We have a lot of healing to do in this country, and as president I would like to take the country in that direction so that we can move beyond the fear that 9/11 has occasioned.
COSTELLO: And you're certainly doing that by adding some humor to our lives. I want to show people your appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, at least part of it, during a dating game segment. So let's show it to our viewers now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
JAY LENO, HOST: Bachelorette number one.
JENNIFER TILLY, ACTRESS: Yes.
KUCINICH: Valentine's Day is coming up.
TILLY: Don't be frightened.
KUCINICH: Valentine's Day is coming and you want to give me one of those little plastic hearts with a message on it. TILLY: Yes, I do.
KUCINICH: What does it say?
TILLY: It says, how's your hanging chad?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, after Jennifer Tilly said "hanging chad," it looked as if you wanted to say something more. Do you remember what it was?
KUCINICH: Oh, brother. Let me tell you. It was fun to be on "The Tonight Show," and you know, let's face it, people want to know if their public officials are really human beings. Hello. And in addition to that, I have some ideas that I think will help to lead America into a new world without war and with prosperity for all.
COSTELLO: You know, you've been in politics since you were a child, it seems. Actually, you were just a child when you began. In this election, you're not the frontrunner. So why is so much attention being paid to you?
KUCINICH: Well, let me say first of all how grateful I am to be on this show, and I think people are looking for a new energy, a new optimism, and a sense of humor about, you know, how grim the world might be. But if we use our heart and our spirit, we can change things. So I think that message is starting to resonate with people, because they don't want to believe this race is over. They're looking for something different, and here I am.
COSTELLO: Well, that aside, shouldn't you drop out of the race and endorse another candidate for the sake of the Democratic Party?
KUCINICH: You're breaking my heart. Let me tell you, no. I actually -- what I need to do is to continue to give the Democrats a choice to get out of Iraq, to have not-for-profit health care and stop these trade agreements that are costing us millions of jobs. So you know, that's what my candidacy gives people a chance to do, and frankly, the race is far from over. We have got a long way to the finish line in Boston.
COSTELLO: Well, a lot of people would disagree with you, but thank you, Dennis Kucinich live tonight.
KUCINICH: Good to see you.
COSTELLO: Still to come tonight, the best photographs of the year announced today.
Also tonight, a long awaited team up makes it to DVD. We'll give you a peek in tonight's "Weekender."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And welcome back. The lens opens, the shutter clicks and in a second, a moment in time preserved. Photographs, they pack a punch. Today, World Press Photo announced the best pictures of 2003. They are impressive. Some are shocking. And we must warn you that a few of the images are graphic.
It is often said that still pictures are worth a thousand words. This photo taken by Jean Marc Bijou (ph) of the AP certainly does. Titled "Iraqi man comforts his son at regroupment center for POWs, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Iraq." It won the World Press photo of the year 2003. It was selected from a record of more than 63,000 images taken around the world.
The pictures, like this one, by Caroline Cole (ph) of the "Los Angeles Times" were chosen for their news value and the creative skills of the photographers. The winning images often brutally document the grim reality of a war. Like this picture of a Liberian fighter taken by Chris Jandros of Getty (ph) or the aftermath of an Israeli raid on a Palestinian refugee camp taken by (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of Reuters.
But also, addressed social issues around the globe like prostitution in Europe, taken by "Cosmo's" photographer Lorraina Ross (ph). Obesity in the United States taken by Felicia Webb (ph) of the "Independent." And poverty in this picture taken by Jacob Ehrbahn (ph) of the "Politiken." These images often suggest more than they tell like the face of this power lifter taken by Lene Estavez (ph). Or this picture of Tony Blair and George Bush taken by Nick Danziga (ph) from Contact Press. Like all great pictures, all speak volumes. Oh, do they.
Time to check on top news in tonight's "Current." Yao Ming is replacing Kobe Bryant as spokesman for McDonald's. McDonald's said he's youthful, dynamic, caring and not an accused rapist.
Americans will buy more than a billion dollars worth of candy this Valentine's Day weekend according to industry estimates. White House estimates suggest that all those purchases could generate thousands of jobs and they're using food dye to write on tiny hard candy's industry.
"Gangs of New York" director Martin Scorsese is in talks to make a movie about the gangs of Hong Kong. The casting is not done yet. But because the movie focuses on Asian gangs, one of the top names reportedly in consideration is Brad Pitt.
Sharon Osbourne says she's disappointed that her talkshow was canceled. The news was a disappointment to the writers at CNN's "The Current" who now might have to do actual work to find something to make fun of.
Adam Sandler is back and he's teaming up with Drew Barrymore again but will she remember the last time? Stick with us for the "Weekender."
But first tonight's "Buzz." What's sexier, a strong come-on or subtle seduction. Vote now. CNN.com/360. The results when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Remember the movie "Groundhog Day?" Remember the movie "Groundhog Day?" If so, you may have some idea what's in store for you in this weekend's big new release and you're about to see in "The Weekender." In the "Weekender."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you staring at me or her because you're starting to freak me out.
COSTELLO: "50 First Dates" stars Adam Sandler as a man in love and Drew Barrymore as a young woman with a hilarious mental disability. Shortterm memory loss.
ADAM SANDLER, ACTOR: Do you have any idea who I am?
DREW BARRYMORE, ACTRESS: I've never met you.
COSTELLO: Forcing Sandler to win her over again and again resulting in much hilarity.
On DVD, "Run Away Jury" brings us a long-awaited pairing of real life friends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, let's find 11 more jurors just like her.
COSTELLO: John Cusack also stars in this latest John Grisham adaptation.
If you prefer characters even seedier than lawyers, how about "The Porn People in Wonderland" starring Val Kilmer.
If you like sports, maybe your Valentine watched the NBA All-Star game with you Sunday night?
Or you can watch it with them. But a Valentine's day got you down, "Cops, Love Hurts" airs on Fox. Showcasing domestic violence incidents that show you that, hey, your life could be worse.
That makes you feel warm all over, doesn't it?
Time for the "Buzz." We asked you what's sexier, a strong come- on or subtle seduction? 11 percent said the strong come-on gets them going. 89 percent say subtle seduction does the trick. Not a scientific poll, just your buzz.
I'm Carol Costello in for Anderson Cooper. "PAULA ZAHN" starts right now.
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Political Battlefield: Kerry's Army>
