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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Marines Fight Back Against Iraqi Insurgents; President Bush and Vice President Cheney Prepare to Face 9/11 Commission; Pill-Popping Nation: Super Moms; Advertisers Bid for "Friends" Finale

Aired April 28, 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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, I'm Anderson Cooper.
Tonight, the inside story on the fighting in Fallujah and what Iraqis really think of the U.S. 360 starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Flames over Fallujah, Marines fighting back against Iraqi insurgents. We'll hear from a reporter on the front lines and a top U.S. commander.

The president and vice president prepare to face the commission. How tough will the 9/11 get?

Bush and Kerry, they say they want minority voters but when it comes to their own campaign staffs where are they?

Don't know how she does it, super moms who are also super secret addicts, a hidden problem exposed tonight.

And, friends with benefits, you won't believe the going rate to bid America's favorite sitcom farewell.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: And a good evening to you.

For the second straight day, U.S. Marines called in close air support to root out and kill Iraqi insurgents hiding among civilians in Fallujah. U.S. gunships brought their heavy firepower to bear. You see the mission being carried out right here on video. The other city, a top concern for U.S. forces right now, Najaf.

With a look at the tense situation in both those cities here's CNN's Ben Wedeman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another night of bombing in Fallujah, the skies over the city flowing as American gunships blast suspected insurgent positions. Earlier in the day in the same area, helicopters fired on the Fallujah railway station as U.S. Marines ratchet up the pressure on the rebellious Sunni city. Marine commanders say they were targeting insurgents who had fired on a sniper team approaching the building, the ceasefire in Fallujah still technically in effect.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: I can confirm that it is certainly the intention of the coalition forces that the ceasefire continues. What you're seeing today is a series of defensive responses. When we get shot at we will respond.

WEDEMAN: The Marines on the ground say they haven't even begun to fight.

CAPT. DOUGLAS ZEMBIEC, U.S. MARINES: We've been playing pat-a- cake with these insurgents. We have not begun to do offensive operations and the world will see that when we do.

WEDEMAN: A group of tribal leaders is expected to meet Thursday in Fallujah to try to clench a deal with the insurgents. The Marine bombardments of the last two days perhaps an incentive for them to lay down their arms.

But for their part the insurgents are distributing posters in Fallujah offering a $15 million reward to anyone who kills U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Commander of Coalition Forces Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt.

Unlike Fallujah, Najaf was relatively quiet following a battle with U.S. forces Monday that left more than 60 Shiite insurgents dead. Najaf remains under the control of the Mehdi Army, the militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sources inside the city report that the militiamen have been ordered to wear civilian clothing.

American forces are arrayed around the city and have taken over a checkpoint previously manned by the Mehdi Army.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well you just heard that U.S. Marine commander in Fallujah saying that so far they're only playing pat-a-cake with the militants. Earlier I spoke with Jason Keyser, an AP reporter in the city, and asked him to describe what the Marine version of pat-a-cake looks and feels like.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOICE OF JASON KEYSER, AP CORRESPONDENT: Well it's been an intense day of battling both on the ground and from the air. We've seen everything from drone aircraft to helicopter gunships to fighter jets being called in to support Marine troops on the ground here battling in several different sectors of the city. At several points during the fighting, F-16s screamed overhead going into a low flight over the city to drop bombs.

In the southern sector of the city alone they dropped ten laser- guided bombs, most of them 500-pounders and at least one that was 1,000 pounds those blasts sending up huge plumes of black and gray smoke that just hung over the skyline here, heavy bombardments that shake the buildings that we're in.

The Cobra gunships, the helicopter gunships come over and you can hear the chop of their rotors mixing in with the discharge of their heavy machineguns.

COOPER: Jason, today President Bush said that sort of life is returning to normal in parts of Fallujah that it's really only pockets of resistance. Does it seem that way to you on the ground?

KEYSER: Not at all. In fact, today has been one of the worst days since the Marines halted their offensive more than two weeks ago, fighting spreading out across the city this morning and into the evening.

COOPER: The Marines you're with how confident are they? I mean urban warfare is an extremely tough, extremely difficult. I know they're well trained. Are they worried about what lies ahead?

KEYSER: All the Marines we've spoken to on the ground here seem pretty much geared up to go. They're, you know, from the start of the siege on April 5th they've sort of been of the mind that they want to go in there and clean the city up to try to route these insurgents, many of them frustrated with the halt to the offensive.

COOPER: You said the Marines are anxious to sort of get this thing underway, get an offensive going. Is there a sense that the ceasefire is actually working against them allowing the insurgents to fortify their positions?

KEYSER: Definitely. That's perhaps the number one concern of the Marines as they're about to move in on these joint patrols, the obvious concern being that over this more than two weeks of a relative lull or a halt to their offensive the insurgents have meanwhile been rigging the city's roads and houses with explosives and otherwise just gearing up, regrouping, planning strategies, laying in wait if you will for the Marines to cross over those front lines.

COOPER: Jason, I enjoy your writing for the Associated Press. I appreciate you being on the program. Thanks very much, Jason Keyser.

KEYSER: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: A "Fast Fact" now on U.S. casualties in Iraq. So far this month there have been 118 hostile deaths. That is more than the 109 hostile deaths during combat operations in the U.S. invasion of Iraq last year and Saturday marks the one year anniversary of President Bush announcing an end to those combat operations aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln one year ago. Well, tonight the top commander in Iraq is said to be concerned, even frustrated, over the lack of progress, all this as the Pentagon rushes more heavy armor to the front lines.

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the Marines were dispatched to Iraq they left a lot of their tanks back in the U.S. thinking they wouldn't need them but with those same Marines now engaged in full-fledged combat in Fallujah, the Pentagon has rushed 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks to the front lines, some for the Marines and others for the 1st Cavalry Division near Baghdad.

The quick fix deployments are an acknowledgement of the obvious, things are not going well in parts of Iraq despite the upbeat pronouncements from the administration.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Most of Fallujah is returning to normal.

MCINTYRE: In fact, officials who have contact with General John Abizaid, the U.S. commander responsible for Iraq, report he is worried the anti-American violence will spread and is particularly concerned that more moderate Iraqis aren't stepping forward to condemn the insurgents.

Sources say part of the reason for a delay in the planned Fallujah offensive is Abizaid's belief that a military solution cannot be imposed without more political support from average Iraqis.

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: There is no solution to this problem other than an Iraqi solution. All of us have known it from the beginning.

MCINTYRE: So far the insurgents have succeeded by murder and intimidation in frightening many Iraqis into not cooperating with the coalition. A wanted poster circulating in Fallujah brazenly offers $15 million to anyone who kills Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or Generals Ricardo Sanchez and Mark Kimmitt. Still, the Pentagon insists a silent majority supports the U.S.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Still, sources tell CNN if the security situation in Iraq does not improve over the next month or so, General Abizaid will ask for even more than the 135,000 troops currently in Iraq -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jamie McIntyre thanks very much.

Later on 360, I'm going to talk with Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, U.S. Deputy Director of Operations in Iraq.

We're also going to look at a new poll about what Iraqis really think of the U.S.

At the Supreme Court today two cases that could have a big impact on the war on terror. The question before the high court can American citizens designated by the president as enemy combatants be denied access to lawyers and the courts?

Justices are reviewing the cases of Jose Padilla, U.S. born and raised, arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport accused of having ties to a dirty bomb plot. Also the case of Yaser Hamdi, a U.S. citizen raised in Saudi Arabia, captured on a battlefield in Afghanistan. Rulings in both cases are expected in late June.

Well, down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Supreme Court at the White House, President Bush and Vice President Cheney getting ready to share what they knew before the September 11th attacks. Tomorrow, together, they'll come face-to-face with the 9/11 Commission in a private meeting, no cameras, no recorders.

Our Senior White House Correspondent John King reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The questions in the Oval Office were direct why a joint appearance with the vice president before the 9/11 Commission and why no transcript for the victims' families and the history books but the president steered clear of specifics.

BUSH: It will be an ample -- it will be a good opportunity for these people to help write a report that hopefully will help future presidents deal with terrorist threats to the country.

KING: The joint appearance Thursday is extraordinary and is exceptionally rare for a sitting president to take questions even in private from a commission created by Congress and the White House insistence that Mr. Bush and Vice President Cheney be questioned together is generating more than a fair share of criticism.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INST.: This is a damage control kind of operation that they're both there so that they're pretty clear that the stories won't diverge much from each other.

KING: The president's top lawyer, who will also be in the room, says this is a fact-finding session not a courtroom drama.

ALBERTO GONZALES, WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL: I mean this is not a criminal investigation. This is not someone, you know, before a grand jury.

KING: Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney spent several hours in recent days preparing. Key issues for the session include how seriously the president and vice president viewed the al Qaeda threat their first eight months in office, what specific actions they took after summertime 2001 intelligence warnings domestic attacks, possibly even hijackings, were possible, and how the government reacted on September 11th.

Mr. Bush was in Florida that morning and Mr. Cheney directed much of the immediate response from a bunker beneath the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Now the entire ten member commission is on hand. Again, the agreement allows for note taking but no recording. No official transcript will be released. Anderson, the president and the vice president also will not be under oath.

They will not deliver opening statements. They will just take questions. The session will be in the Oval Office. White House officials expect it will run two, maybe two and a half hours.

COOPER: All right, certainly historic indeed. John King thanks very much.

A deadline for Kobe Bryant tops our look at news happening "Cross Country." Let's take a look.

A judge in Eagle, Colorado says he expects to ask Bryant to enter a plea at the next hearing which is scheduled for May 10th through the 12th. After Bryant enters a plea, Colorado's speedy trial rule kicks in meaning that a trial should take place within six months.

Carrollton, Georgia now, a 12-year-old murder suspect, hard to believe. Police arrest a 12-year-old boy accused of strangling an 8- year-old girl to death with his bare hands. The body of third grader Amy Yates was found Monday night. Sheriff officials won't say what led to the arrest of the boy.

In California ski country, the Army wants its big guns back. The U.S. military is demanding the return of five Howitzers it loaned to two Sierra Nevada ski resorts. The resorts used them for avalanche control and to fire into mountainsides and knock snow loose. Now the Army says it needs the equipment back to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ski resorts, of course, say they will comply.

Santa Monica, California, no butts on the beach, the city council approves a smoking ban for the sand. The new law is expected to go in effect sometime in the next six weeks as is a similar ban in Los Angeles forming 13 miles of smoke free beaches and that's what's happening "Cross Country" right now.

The case of the killer nurse. He claims to have murdered dozens of patients and he's got a deal to avoid the death penalty.

Also tonight, why are so many soccer moms turning to powerful prescription drugs just to make it through the day? You'll meet one stay-at-home mom who's finally overcome her addiction to Xanax and painkillers, part of our weeklong series, "Pill-popping Nation."

And racial politics, both parties go after the minority vote but are they practicing what they preach? We'll take a closer look.

Right now let's check out the most popular stories on cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: He was a nurse entrusted with the care of sick hospital patients but he took their lives instead. That's what he'll tell the court tomorrow. CNN has learned how the so-called Angel of Death has reached a deal to save his own life.

Adaora Udoji picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charles Cullen (ph), an unassuming man, a former nurse, will plead guilty say sources to murdering 14 patients and attempting to kill two others.

During police interviews investigators says Cullen told them the number could be 40 victims. Cullen's expected plea, say sources close to the case, would be part of an agreement with New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities.

In exchange he would not get the death penalty but a life sentence without the possibility of parole. For that, say sources, he will agree to cooperate in identifying more victims investigators believe he's killed over the past 19 years. Cullen's lawyer declined an interview.

GENE SHIPMAN, VICTIM'S SON: Rather than see him get the death penalty, my gut feeling I'd rather see him sit up in jail for the rest of his life.

UDOJI: Gene Shipman, who says Cullen treated his 81-year-old mother before her unexpected death last year, believes she will be on that list.

SHIPMAN: The death penalty is too good for him. I'd rather see him suffer. He's still a young man. He still has a long time to live.

UDOJI: Like the Shipman's, dozens of families across two states want answers. Authorities believe this plea agreement will help get them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UDOJI: This is a heartbreaking situation for the families. For investigators it's a tough case. This is a man who worked in ten different hospitals over a period of 20 years coming into contact with hundreds of patients trying to figure out which ones he may have tried to harm. In some cases, investigators say very difficult without his help, Anderson, which is why I think we're seeing a plea agreement right now.

COOPER: It's unbelievable that he got away with it for this long. Adaora Udoji thanks very much.

Well, deadly violence in southern Thailand. That tops our look at global stories right now in the "Up Link."

Police in Thailand say they shot and killed at least 107 Islamic fighters after insurgents launched a series of attacks in the southern part of the country. Some officials tie the attacks to the war in Iraq while others say the insurgents are hoping to establish a Muslim homeland in the mostly Buddhist nation.

In Jerusalem now, Sharon off the hook. Israeli television says a report found that there isn't enough evidence to charge Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a bribery scandal. Prosecutors say an Israeli businessman hired Sharon's son to persuade his father to promote real estate deals. Sharon and his son deny any wrongdoing.

Peru, mayor murdered, an angry mob dragged the mayor of a southern Peruvian town through the streets, tied him to a post and then left him to die. He later died at a hospital. Residents accuse the mayor of embezzling state funds in the impoverished town. Other town officials are still being held hostage right now.

In Tehran, Iran, flying saucer fever. Believe it or not dozens of UFO sightings in the past few days and Iran state television showed a white disc it says was filmed over Tehran last night. The head of the Astronomical Society of Iran says the people who are reporting the sightings are farmers and villagers not experts and he's pretty sure it is just Venus, and that's a look at stories in the "Up Link."

Prescription drugs and suburban moms, why are some moms getting hooked on uppers and downers? We'll talk with one mom who reveals the secret she kept for years part of our weeklong series "Pill-popping Nation."

Also tonight the swing vote in swing states, Republicans and Democrats court minority voters but where are the minority members of their campaigns? We'll take a close look at that.

Also a little later tonight, you've seen Iraqis on TV shouting "down with the U.S." but what do most Iraqis really think of us. Find out coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, in the 1960s and those lyrics the Rolling Stones referred to drugs like Valium as Mother's Little Helper. Times have changed but the problem remains though these days moms have plenty of other drugs to get hooked on.

Tonight, David Mattingly introduces us to one woman, a wife and a mother, who for years was also an addict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA O'TOOLE, RECOVERING DRUG ADDICT: It's five to 6:00.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It used to be the morning grind of getting up and getting her two teenage boys off to school. O'TOOLE: Do you want cereal, bagels or eggs?

MATTINGLY: Was more than Barbara O'Toole could handle.

O'TOOLE: Oh, you know, it would just be a whole lot easier to just take something and just take the edge off.

MATTINGLY: She was taking a combination of up to 16 prescription painkillers and tranquilizers a day, Fiorinal for migraines, Xanax for anxiety.

JOE O'TOOLE, SON: She was always laying in bed not doing anything.

MATTINGLY: With her husband on the road working, Barbara's kids saw the worst of it. There were volatile mood swings and loud episodes of anger.

(on camera): Everyone could see there was a problem except Barbara. It wasn't until she became concerned about a French drug problem that she actually began to suspect herself leading to a very public moment of truth.

OPRAH WINFREY: And so is this the first time you realized that you're an addict?

MATTINGLY: In this tearful confession on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," everyone finally knew that this mom from a quiet Chicago suburb had become a drug addict and now just four months out of rehab the mornings are still crazy.

O'TOOLE: Everything is just like.

MATTINGLY: But instead of drugs there are long horse rides and long walks with the family dog.

O'TOOLE: To get away from everything is pretty therapeutic.

MATTINGLY: Therapeutic but not a cure for an addiction that began in her own home the very place where she continues to confront the same old anxieties and the temptations to medicate her problems away.

David Mattingly CNN, St. Charles, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well it has been a tough struggle for Barbara O'Toole. I'm pleased she joins me now from Chicago. And here in New York, Sharon Hartman, a clinical trainer at Caron Foundation, a rehab center where Barbara O'Toole went for treatment. Both of you I appreciate you being on the program.

O'TOOLE: Thank you.

COOPER: Barbara, let me start off with you. You were taking up to six Xanax and ten painkillers each day for some days. How did you even function?

O'TOOLE: There were some days that I just didn't. I stayed in bed like my kids stated some days that I just didn't get out of bed and do anything.

COOPER: And a lot of reason I understand you didn't realize you were addicted is because you were getting these pills legally through a doctor.

O'TOOLE: Yes.

COOPER: What was it that you first went to the doctor for? You had migraines right?

O'TOOLE: I was diagnosed when I was 19 with migraines.

COOPER: And so you've been taking the pills, really that's how it started back when you were 19?

O'TOOLE: When I was 19 I was diagnosed with migraines and then about six years ago when we moved from Minneapolis to Chicago the anxiety was so overwhelming that a different doctor diagnosed the anxiety medicine to me and just kept getting it from the doctor that I got it from here.

COOPER: Recovery is never easy. How has it been for you?

O'TOOLE: It's not been easy at all. I mean it's a struggle every day but every day just gets a little bit easier.

COOPER: Is it something you still think about? I mean are there hours or is it hour by hour or day by day do you still think about taking pills?

O'TOOLE: When I first got out of treatment it was definitely hour by hour, kind of minute by minute at some point. Now it's daily but it gets easier every day.

COOPER: Sharon, what's the message that you have for women out there who are listening to this who may not even realize they have a problem?

SHARON HARTMAN, CLINICAL TRAINER, CARON FOUNDATION: Well, I think one of the things that's most common for women is that they do have a tendency to use drugs and alcohol in isolation and so we see a very high rate of women becoming addicted to prescription drugs.

They present to their physicians with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, migraines and very appropriately are prescribed drugs that are meant to be taken in the short term but it sets up a very vicious cycle for them.

COOPER: And there is still a lot of shame for women in particular.

HARTMAN: Absolutely because we take the roles of caregiver/mother/wife so seriously that the idea of admitting that we can't fulfill those duties is very difficult. There's a lot of stigma still attached for women to admit that they have an addictive problem.

COOPER: Barbara, I know that shame was a problem for you. What is your message to women out there who may be listening?

O'TOOLE: That it shouldn't be so shameful but it is very hard to get over the shame. I mean I still struggle with it to this day. I mean I guess it's hard for me to get over so I don't know that I have a very good message to give women because it's still such a struggle for me.

COOPER: Well, you're showing tremendous strength by being so public about it and being willing to talk about it on TV. That's got to be a really difficult thing for you.

O'TOOLE: Thank you.

COOPER: Sharon, I appreciate you being on the program, Sharon and it is, I mean it is tough. There is so much shame still out there for it.

HARTMAN: It is -- it so tough and, you know, Barbara really has a lot of courage to be willing to come out and talk about this. You're talking about a complete lifestyle change.

So it really is very difficult, especially in the initial stages because you have to change so many different aspects of your life and you have to face so much of the damage that was created through the addictive process but it does get better.

COOPER: Well, Sharon Hartman I appreciate you being on the program and Barbara O'Toole thank you very much. Thanks for speaking out.

Well, our series "Pill-popping Nation" continues tomorrow with a look at weight loss drugs. A lot of people desperate to be thin but can hope really be found in a pill? We'll look at that.

Then on Friday, medicating, some say overmedicating our kids. Is the Prozac nation giving rise to the Prozac nursery?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Flames over Fallujah, Marines fighting back against Iraqi insurgents. We'll hear from a reporter on the front lines and a top U.S. commander.

Bush and Kerry they say they want minority voters but when it comes to their own campaign staffs where are they?

And friends with benefits you won't believe the going rate to bid America's favorite sitcom farewell, 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rowling couldn't have been more wrong. So far she's written five books. The latest "Harry Potter And the Order of the Phoenix" broke publishing records set by previous Potter books.

Harry's transition to the big screen also captivated audiences. The first two movies, "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets" grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide. And the third will be released in June.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Checking some of our top stories right now in "The Reset." Let's look at what's going on. A second straight day of fighting in Fallujah. Gunships firing their cannons tonight at targets in the northeastern part of the city. Large secondary explosions cause fires and sent plumes of thick smoke into the sky. Earlier in the day, marine helicopters and snipers assaulted several buildings being used by insurgents. More on this in a moment.

In Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the world's largest opium producing country just increased its production this year by 50 percent. Opium comes from the poppy plant and Afghanistan supplies about three quarters of the world's supply. Here's a twist, in the last year of the Taliban in Afghanistan opium production in the country was almost eliminated.

In Washington, the House of Representatives moves to make some of the Bush administration's tax cuts permanent. Legislation passed just a short while ago would eliminate permanently the so-called marriage penalty.

And in Maryland, a very nasty species of fish is back. A northern snakehead was pulled from Pine Lake in Wedan, Maryland. This critter can breathe air, pull itself out of the water and move to another pond or stream. It eats other fish and can disrupt the local ecosystem dramatically. Maryland officials are now planning an eradication campaign for what they call the Frankenfish.

More on Iraq now. President Bush today said American commanders will take whatever action is necessary to secure Fallujah. But that most of the city is returning to normal. The president acknowledged that pockets of resist remain. Karl Penhaul is with the marines in Fallujah with one of those pockets. He has this look at today's battle as it unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sound of rockets launched from U.S. Marine helicopters and slamming into buildings where insurgent gunmen are believed to be holding up. Northwest Fallujah is engulfed in heavy fighting for a third straight day. Plumes of black smoke billow from at least three buildings.

Wednesday's fight began midafternoon. A marine commander said a small team of U.S. snipers tried to maneuver into Fallujah Train Station. He said insurgents have been digging in there and planning mortar attacks on coalition bases.

But insurgents spotted the snipers, and opened up with rocket- propelled grenades. The sharpshooters were pulled out in armored Humvee trucks, the marine commander told us.

Then, the Cobra Attack Helicopter and the Huey gunship fly into action. Iraqi fighters still control large swathes of Fallujah. Coalition authorities say they're ranks have swelled by foreign fighters tied to al Qaeda.

If the battle near the train station dies down, insurgent gunfire cracks over the small marine base. A marine sniper takes aim, and blasts away at a building 150 yards away.

Coalition leaders back in Baghdad still say they'll give more time for peaceful settlement. On the ground in Fallujah, the war rumbles on.

Karl Penhaul reporting with the camera of John Templeton, U.S. Networks Pool, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Earlier I spoke with Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt about the fighting in Fallujah today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: There are about 7,000 marines right now on the outskirts of Fallujah. Do you have any timetable in your own head about when they may go in?

GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: No. As we've said time and time again, if we're going into Fallujah using military force it's going to be at the time and the place of our choosing.

COOPER: One marine commander on the ground, I understand, described the action that's gone on so far as patty-cake compared to what an offensive would look like. What would an offensive look like on the ground?

KIMMITT: Well, I think what you've got is a tremendous team in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. These guys are experts at urban warfare. They can take any combination of unit from squad size all the way up to battalion size, work different parts of that city, simultaneous attacks throughout the city using ground forces, air forces, indirect fire, extraordinarily precise, extraordinarily violent. And they can get to the heart of the matter quite quickly.

COOPER: One "L.A. Times" reporter described the cease-fire, that I guess, still exists in Fallujah as kind of like Swiss cheese. There are so many holes in it, there have been so many violations of it. Are you concerned at all that the insurgents are using this time to basically regroup and fortify their positions?

KIMMITT: First of all, I described the cease-fire as Swiss cheese only if it was one-way Swiss cheese. The marines are very, very careful about observing all the provisions of the unilateral cease-fire on their part. They are only responding when attacked. They're only using their inherent right of self-defense.

Is there a concern that we have about them doing some repositioning and regrouping inside the city? Sure. But, that's not going to help. If the marines get moving, they'll find that that was a futile effort.

COOPER: It seems, in Fallujah, that you can win militarily, but lose politically. How concerned are you about that distinction?

KIMMITT: We're very concerned. That is the heart of why we have a cease-fire right now, Anderson. The fact is, we were well into the military campaign when we were approached by the Iraqi Governing Council, and a number of other organizations that said look, we'd like to step up to the plate. Let's see if we can do this not through the use of military force but let's take a political track. Let's see if we can resolve this situation peacefully.

That's what we're doing now, because we recognize that had we said no to those overtures, that we might win the battle, but we proverbially would have lost the war.

COOPER: Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. Thanks very much for being on the program.

KIMMITT: Thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Saturday is the one-year anniversary of President Bush's speech announcing an end to major combat operations. Today's "Buzz" is this, "did President Bush jump the gun when he declared major combat in Iraq over last May?" Log on to CNN.com/360. Cast your vote. We will have results at the end of the program.

You no doubt have seen and heard Iraqis rejoicing at the murder of Americans. But do those people really represent what most Iraqis think and feel? It's certainly a difficult question for us to answer. But a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll does shed some light. The poll represents about 93 percent of the total Iraqi population and it was taken before April 9, before the latest surge in fighting. Judy Woodruff has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before violence exploded in Fallujah, before Iraqi insurgents murdered four American civilians, and before the U.S. military launched its counterattack, even before all that, the majority of Iraqis felt the American occupation was bad news.

A CNN/"Usa Today"/Gallup poll of Iraqis, executed just before the latest wave of attacks shows 52 percent found the U.S. Military offensive unjustified, compared to 31 percent who felt the opposite. That said, Iraqis don't have a lot of love for the guy who's gone. More than three quarters gave Saddam Hussein a thumbs down. And 61 percent declared his ouster worth the hardship they've endured since. But now that Saddam has left, Iraqis want the U.S. to leave, too.

Fifty-seven percent of those polled said the troops should ship out immediately. Though more than half believe they'd be less safe if that were to happen. Iraqis also said they had little use for the U.S. commander in chief. More than half said they had an unfavorable opinion of President Bush. 24 percent had a favorable opinion. 17 percent call themselves neutral. And guess what, they thought U.S. opinion could be on their side. Only about one in three Iraqis believe that most Americans support the administration's Iraq policy. Judy Woodruff, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Interesting.

Well, politics and diversity, that's coming up. President Bush and John Kerry both seeking the minority vote, but can they stand behind their strategy?

Also a little later the pricey send-off for "Friends." You won't believe how much companies are paying for a 30-second spot on the farewell episode. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Lets talk politics a bit. In this presidential campaign one of the buzz words of course, is diversity. Democrats traditionally appeal to African-American and Latino voters. But the Republicans are working hard to change all that. As Maria Hinojosa reports this time around no voting block can be taken for granted.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN URBAN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican mariachi serenading for votes. You might think they are Democrats.

SHARON CASTILLO, BUSH FOR PRESIDENT: We need to reach out to every single community. We're going to reach out to the Hispanic community. We're going to reach out to the African-American community.

HINOJOSA: But it's the Republicans hoping to appeal to non-white voters by selling the diversity of the bush administration. Top appointees like Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, and Elaine Chao. Nearly 70 percent of Latinos, and 90 percent of African-Americans voted Democratic in the last presidential election. But this time Republicans say Democrats are taking these core constituencies for granted. And the Republicans -- they're moving in.

COSTOS PANAGOPOULUS, POLITICAL ANALYST, NYU: The Republican Party believes the investment they made in the Latino vote in the 2000 campaign paid off handsomely.

HINOJOSA: Some key Democrats worry that John Kerry campaign needs to do more to win over minorities, especially Latino voters. GOV. BILL RICHARDSON: If the Republicans get more than 35 percent, which they got in the last 2000 election, then we, the Democrats, are going to be in trouble.

HINOJOSA: Until a few weeks ago, the campaign had just one full- time minority staffer in its top circle. And supporters warned the Kerry campaign to address the diversity issue now.

ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA, KERRY CAMPAIGN CO. CHAIR: Did we have a meeting last week? Yes, we did. That meeting wasn't so much to criticize the campaign, as it was to work with the campaign to put that strategy together.

HINOJOSA: A week later, the campaign appointed new staff to reach out to blacks and Latinos, Asians, gays, women, and others.

MARCUS JADOTTE, DEP. CAMPAIGN MGR., KERRY 2004: It isn't new to the black and Hispanic community. We've had support there for a long period of time and strong support. Without the strong support of African-American and Latino elected officials we wouldn't be here.

HINOJOSA: The Bush campaign may say they're reaching out but they have no minorities in senior positions. And they have a long way to go before they can approach the minority voting levels Democrats have achieved in past campaigns. But looking back at election 2000, Republicans say it won't take that many minority votes to make election 2004 go their way.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: CNN political analyst Carlos Watson has written about this issue. He joins me from Minneapolis. Carlos, good to see you.

RNC chairman Ed Gillespie has set an ambitious goal for this election. He wants the Bush campaign to get 25 percent of African- American voters.

Can he do it?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You never know. It would be double what the campaign did last time when they achieved 9 percent of the African-American vote. As you heard before about 35 percent of Hispanic vote. I think there are two blocs they could appeal to. One are so-called Christian conservatives. Often when we think about evangelical Christians we think white, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson. But the reality is, a significant percentage of those who consider themselves to be fundamentalists Christians in fact actually African- American. So there's an opportunity on some of the social conservative issues. Number two, with growing wealth in the African- American population, like a lot of other groups, Irish, Italians and others, there's an opportunity to appeal to people in their pocketbooks and Republicans are traditionally seen as the party of greater wealth, if you will, so there may be an opportunity to approach some upper middle income African-American voters. Much as, for example as Christie Todd Whitman did in New Jersey a number of years ago.

COOPER: Let's talk about Hispanic voters, as well. We have this new poll that shows President Bush's approval rating among Hispanic voters up to 39 percent. It was 35 percent before. And John Kerry is 52 percent, whereas Gore had 62 percent.

WATSON: Bad numbers and indicative frankly of greater problems in the Kerry campaign, not just in the terms of diversity, but broader issues. But it does make a difference as you think about states like Arizona, which Republicans narrowly won, but Democrats hope to get. States like New Mexico that went by less than one percent. As well as by the way traditionally Democratic states like New Jersey, where the most recent poll shows the president down by only six percent. You would expect to see him down by double digits. And part of that may reflect growing strength among Latino voters for the Republican Party.

COOPER: It's a fascinating subject. Carlos Watson, thanks very much.

WATSON: Good to see you.

COOPER: Coming up, the fortune over "Friends." Advertisers shelling out record amounts to land a 30-second spot on the series finale.

Plus, Babs on sale?

Streisand is heading to the auction block. Details ahead in "The Current."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The publicity over next Thursday's finale of "Friends" is kicking into high gear. The hoopla is ripe for overkill. But we'll get to that tomorrow. Tonight we're focusing on the record amounts being spent by advertisers to land a spot on the series' send- off. Our entertainment reporter Sibila Vargas has been counting the money.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: Everything that I need is in here. And my travel documents are on the counter, organized in the order that I will be needing them.

COURTNEY COX ARQUETTE, ACTRESS: Oh, my god. I have nothing left to teach you.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Call it the Super Bowl of sitcom finales. NBC's "Friends" is going out in a bonanza of advertising dollars.

ANISTON: I can't believe I did this.

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: At what point did it stop being funny that I took her passport? VARGAS: The show's finale is commanding the most money ever for a sitcom episode. Averaging a reported $2 million for 30 seconds of advertising time. That's the kind of money usually associated with the Super Bowl. Some advertisers like Gatorade and Allstate have jumped on board.

DENNIS HAYSBERT, ACTOR: Change can be scary. That's where Allstate can help.

VARGAS: Why so much advertising hype? Media watchers are blaming it on too many viewing choices.

MELISSA GRECO, TELEVISION WEEK: Because there are fewer big events like this on television, you know, the ones that are expected to do gangbusters get gangbuster fees.

VARGAS: The last time the network saw a sitcom finale opportunity this big was in 1998 when NBC's "Seinfeld" said farewell. That final episode fetched close to an inflation adjusted $1.72 million for a 30-second ad slot. And about 76 million viewers tuned in.

GRECO: NBC has been doing everything it can since they knew this is going to be the end of the show to prepare and strategize and market, and sell the "Friends" finale.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And you can bet NBC's making the most of the present advertising climate. What would normally be a half-hour "Friends" episode will be stretched into two hours. A one-hour retrospective and a one-hour finale. A farewell befitting friends that have been with the fans for the last ten years -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, two hours. I don't know if I can take it. Sibila, thanks very much.

Time to check on some pop news in tonight's "Current." Let's take a look. Some lighter stuff. Streisand fans take note. Memorabilia from Barbra Streisand's career is going on the auction block in June. More than 400 items will be up for sale including movie props, vintage costumes, sadly not included in the sale the Yentle action figure doll.

The mother of Paris Hilton will soon have a reality show of her own. Kathy Hilton's foray into TV will be called "The Good Life." On the series Hilton will teach young women the art of being a debutante. Something Mrs. Hilton taught Paris. If contestants follow Mrs. Hilton's advice, maybe they too, will end up in a porn video.

Jim Caviezel is going from the "Passion of the Christ" to the passion of the links. The actor will play legendary Bobby Jones for his next film. It'll be a tall order for Caviezel, playing the son of God in one thing, acing golf's grand slam that another thing entirely.

The celebrity life, there's so many demands, so many places to be, some like P. Diddy take the multitasking to the Nth Degree. That is just ahead. Plus tomorrow we continue our special series "Pill- Popping Nation" with a look at weight loss drugs. Can a pill really help you slim down? First today's buzz. "Did President Bush jump the gun when he declared major combat in Iraq over last May." Log on to CNN.com/360 to cast your vote. Results in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Take a look at the most popular story on CNN.com. A toddler found alive more than a day after she was in a car crash that killed her father. 18-month-old Rae Lynn Miller (ph) was found at the crash site in Wyoming. Rae Lynn survived 30 hours in the open. She was hospitalized for dehydration and possible broken bones.

Time now for the buzz, one year ago on Saturday, President Bush made that speech. The question is, did President Bush jump the gun when he declared major combat in Iraq over last May? Here's what you said, 81 percent said yes. 19 percent of you said no. Not a scientific poll. Just your buzz.

Taking celebrity to the Nth Degree. It used to be that well known people were well known for one particular thing. Not anymore though. Now you got your actor-presidents, your actor-governors, your wrestler-governors, your singer-senators, your rocking-courtroom stars, your sports and courtroom stars, your lifestyle and courtroom stars and then you got your P. Diddy.

Sean Combs, rapper, producer, entrepreneur, fashion designer and now well-reviewed Broadway leading man, currently appearing in "A Raisin in the Sun," in a role once played by Sidney Poitier. We think of P. Diddy as a pioneering example of what surely is the coming thing, the all-purpose, all-round celebrity. You heard it here first. It's only a matter of time until we see Tommy Hilfiger as Hamlet, the Henry Kissinger menswear collection, Ambassador J. Lo, Gollum, played by Donald Trump and you thought Leonardo Da Vinci was well-rounded. Pity the poor renaissance. I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN 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


Aired April 28, 2004 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, I'm Anderson Cooper.
Tonight, the inside story on the fighting in Fallujah and what Iraqis really think of the U.S. 360 starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Flames over Fallujah, Marines fighting back against Iraqi insurgents. We'll hear from a reporter on the front lines and a top U.S. commander.

The president and vice president prepare to face the commission. How tough will the 9/11 get?

Bush and Kerry, they say they want minority voters but when it comes to their own campaign staffs where are they?

Don't know how she does it, super moms who are also super secret addicts, a hidden problem exposed tonight.

And, friends with benefits, you won't believe the going rate to bid America's favorite sitcom farewell.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: And a good evening to you.

For the second straight day, U.S. Marines called in close air support to root out and kill Iraqi insurgents hiding among civilians in Fallujah. U.S. gunships brought their heavy firepower to bear. You see the mission being carried out right here on video. The other city, a top concern for U.S. forces right now, Najaf.

With a look at the tense situation in both those cities here's CNN's Ben Wedeman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another night of bombing in Fallujah, the skies over the city flowing as American gunships blast suspected insurgent positions. Earlier in the day in the same area, helicopters fired on the Fallujah railway station as U.S. Marines ratchet up the pressure on the rebellious Sunni city. Marine commanders say they were targeting insurgents who had fired on a sniper team approaching the building, the ceasefire in Fallujah still technically in effect.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: I can confirm that it is certainly the intention of the coalition forces that the ceasefire continues. What you're seeing today is a series of defensive responses. When we get shot at we will respond.

WEDEMAN: The Marines on the ground say they haven't even begun to fight.

CAPT. DOUGLAS ZEMBIEC, U.S. MARINES: We've been playing pat-a- cake with these insurgents. We have not begun to do offensive operations and the world will see that when we do.

WEDEMAN: A group of tribal leaders is expected to meet Thursday in Fallujah to try to clench a deal with the insurgents. The Marine bombardments of the last two days perhaps an incentive for them to lay down their arms.

But for their part the insurgents are distributing posters in Fallujah offering a $15 million reward to anyone who kills U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Commander of Coalition Forces Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt.

Unlike Fallujah, Najaf was relatively quiet following a battle with U.S. forces Monday that left more than 60 Shiite insurgents dead. Najaf remains under the control of the Mehdi Army, the militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sources inside the city report that the militiamen have been ordered to wear civilian clothing.

American forces are arrayed around the city and have taken over a checkpoint previously manned by the Mehdi Army.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well you just heard that U.S. Marine commander in Fallujah saying that so far they're only playing pat-a-cake with the militants. Earlier I spoke with Jason Keyser, an AP reporter in the city, and asked him to describe what the Marine version of pat-a-cake looks and feels like.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOICE OF JASON KEYSER, AP CORRESPONDENT: Well it's been an intense day of battling both on the ground and from the air. We've seen everything from drone aircraft to helicopter gunships to fighter jets being called in to support Marine troops on the ground here battling in several different sectors of the city. At several points during the fighting, F-16s screamed overhead going into a low flight over the city to drop bombs.

In the southern sector of the city alone they dropped ten laser- guided bombs, most of them 500-pounders and at least one that was 1,000 pounds those blasts sending up huge plumes of black and gray smoke that just hung over the skyline here, heavy bombardments that shake the buildings that we're in.

The Cobra gunships, the helicopter gunships come over and you can hear the chop of their rotors mixing in with the discharge of their heavy machineguns.

COOPER: Jason, today President Bush said that sort of life is returning to normal in parts of Fallujah that it's really only pockets of resistance. Does it seem that way to you on the ground?

KEYSER: Not at all. In fact, today has been one of the worst days since the Marines halted their offensive more than two weeks ago, fighting spreading out across the city this morning and into the evening.

COOPER: The Marines you're with how confident are they? I mean urban warfare is an extremely tough, extremely difficult. I know they're well trained. Are they worried about what lies ahead?

KEYSER: All the Marines we've spoken to on the ground here seem pretty much geared up to go. They're, you know, from the start of the siege on April 5th they've sort of been of the mind that they want to go in there and clean the city up to try to route these insurgents, many of them frustrated with the halt to the offensive.

COOPER: You said the Marines are anxious to sort of get this thing underway, get an offensive going. Is there a sense that the ceasefire is actually working against them allowing the insurgents to fortify their positions?

KEYSER: Definitely. That's perhaps the number one concern of the Marines as they're about to move in on these joint patrols, the obvious concern being that over this more than two weeks of a relative lull or a halt to their offensive the insurgents have meanwhile been rigging the city's roads and houses with explosives and otherwise just gearing up, regrouping, planning strategies, laying in wait if you will for the Marines to cross over those front lines.

COOPER: Jason, I enjoy your writing for the Associated Press. I appreciate you being on the program. Thanks very much, Jason Keyser.

KEYSER: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: A "Fast Fact" now on U.S. casualties in Iraq. So far this month there have been 118 hostile deaths. That is more than the 109 hostile deaths during combat operations in the U.S. invasion of Iraq last year and Saturday marks the one year anniversary of President Bush announcing an end to those combat operations aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln one year ago. Well, tonight the top commander in Iraq is said to be concerned, even frustrated, over the lack of progress, all this as the Pentagon rushes more heavy armor to the front lines.

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the Marines were dispatched to Iraq they left a lot of their tanks back in the U.S. thinking they wouldn't need them but with those same Marines now engaged in full-fledged combat in Fallujah, the Pentagon has rushed 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks to the front lines, some for the Marines and others for the 1st Cavalry Division near Baghdad.

The quick fix deployments are an acknowledgement of the obvious, things are not going well in parts of Iraq despite the upbeat pronouncements from the administration.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Most of Fallujah is returning to normal.

MCINTYRE: In fact, officials who have contact with General John Abizaid, the U.S. commander responsible for Iraq, report he is worried the anti-American violence will spread and is particularly concerned that more moderate Iraqis aren't stepping forward to condemn the insurgents.

Sources say part of the reason for a delay in the planned Fallujah offensive is Abizaid's belief that a military solution cannot be imposed without more political support from average Iraqis.

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: There is no solution to this problem other than an Iraqi solution. All of us have known it from the beginning.

MCINTYRE: So far the insurgents have succeeded by murder and intimidation in frightening many Iraqis into not cooperating with the coalition. A wanted poster circulating in Fallujah brazenly offers $15 million to anyone who kills Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or Generals Ricardo Sanchez and Mark Kimmitt. Still, the Pentagon insists a silent majority supports the U.S.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Still, sources tell CNN if the security situation in Iraq does not improve over the next month or so, General Abizaid will ask for even more than the 135,000 troops currently in Iraq -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jamie McIntyre thanks very much.

Later on 360, I'm going to talk with Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, U.S. Deputy Director of Operations in Iraq.

We're also going to look at a new poll about what Iraqis really think of the U.S.

At the Supreme Court today two cases that could have a big impact on the war on terror. The question before the high court can American citizens designated by the president as enemy combatants be denied access to lawyers and the courts?

Justices are reviewing the cases of Jose Padilla, U.S. born and raised, arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport accused of having ties to a dirty bomb plot. Also the case of Yaser Hamdi, a U.S. citizen raised in Saudi Arabia, captured on a battlefield in Afghanistan. Rulings in both cases are expected in late June.

Well, down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Supreme Court at the White House, President Bush and Vice President Cheney getting ready to share what they knew before the September 11th attacks. Tomorrow, together, they'll come face-to-face with the 9/11 Commission in a private meeting, no cameras, no recorders.

Our Senior White House Correspondent John King reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The questions in the Oval Office were direct why a joint appearance with the vice president before the 9/11 Commission and why no transcript for the victims' families and the history books but the president steered clear of specifics.

BUSH: It will be an ample -- it will be a good opportunity for these people to help write a report that hopefully will help future presidents deal with terrorist threats to the country.

KING: The joint appearance Thursday is extraordinary and is exceptionally rare for a sitting president to take questions even in private from a commission created by Congress and the White House insistence that Mr. Bush and Vice President Cheney be questioned together is generating more than a fair share of criticism.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INST.: This is a damage control kind of operation that they're both there so that they're pretty clear that the stories won't diverge much from each other.

KING: The president's top lawyer, who will also be in the room, says this is a fact-finding session not a courtroom drama.

ALBERTO GONZALES, WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL: I mean this is not a criminal investigation. This is not someone, you know, before a grand jury.

KING: Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney spent several hours in recent days preparing. Key issues for the session include how seriously the president and vice president viewed the al Qaeda threat their first eight months in office, what specific actions they took after summertime 2001 intelligence warnings domestic attacks, possibly even hijackings, were possible, and how the government reacted on September 11th.

Mr. Bush was in Florida that morning and Mr. Cheney directed much of the immediate response from a bunker beneath the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Now the entire ten member commission is on hand. Again, the agreement allows for note taking but no recording. No official transcript will be released. Anderson, the president and the vice president also will not be under oath.

They will not deliver opening statements. They will just take questions. The session will be in the Oval Office. White House officials expect it will run two, maybe two and a half hours.

COOPER: All right, certainly historic indeed. John King thanks very much.

A deadline for Kobe Bryant tops our look at news happening "Cross Country." Let's take a look.

A judge in Eagle, Colorado says he expects to ask Bryant to enter a plea at the next hearing which is scheduled for May 10th through the 12th. After Bryant enters a plea, Colorado's speedy trial rule kicks in meaning that a trial should take place within six months.

Carrollton, Georgia now, a 12-year-old murder suspect, hard to believe. Police arrest a 12-year-old boy accused of strangling an 8- year-old girl to death with his bare hands. The body of third grader Amy Yates was found Monday night. Sheriff officials won't say what led to the arrest of the boy.

In California ski country, the Army wants its big guns back. The U.S. military is demanding the return of five Howitzers it loaned to two Sierra Nevada ski resorts. The resorts used them for avalanche control and to fire into mountainsides and knock snow loose. Now the Army says it needs the equipment back to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ski resorts, of course, say they will comply.

Santa Monica, California, no butts on the beach, the city council approves a smoking ban for the sand. The new law is expected to go in effect sometime in the next six weeks as is a similar ban in Los Angeles forming 13 miles of smoke free beaches and that's what's happening "Cross Country" right now.

The case of the killer nurse. He claims to have murdered dozens of patients and he's got a deal to avoid the death penalty.

Also tonight, why are so many soccer moms turning to powerful prescription drugs just to make it through the day? You'll meet one stay-at-home mom who's finally overcome her addiction to Xanax and painkillers, part of our weeklong series, "Pill-popping Nation."

And racial politics, both parties go after the minority vote but are they practicing what they preach? We'll take a closer look.

Right now let's check out the most popular stories on cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: He was a nurse entrusted with the care of sick hospital patients but he took their lives instead. That's what he'll tell the court tomorrow. CNN has learned how the so-called Angel of Death has reached a deal to save his own life.

Adaora Udoji picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charles Cullen (ph), an unassuming man, a former nurse, will plead guilty say sources to murdering 14 patients and attempting to kill two others.

During police interviews investigators says Cullen told them the number could be 40 victims. Cullen's expected plea, say sources close to the case, would be part of an agreement with New Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities.

In exchange he would not get the death penalty but a life sentence without the possibility of parole. For that, say sources, he will agree to cooperate in identifying more victims investigators believe he's killed over the past 19 years. Cullen's lawyer declined an interview.

GENE SHIPMAN, VICTIM'S SON: Rather than see him get the death penalty, my gut feeling I'd rather see him sit up in jail for the rest of his life.

UDOJI: Gene Shipman, who says Cullen treated his 81-year-old mother before her unexpected death last year, believes she will be on that list.

SHIPMAN: The death penalty is too good for him. I'd rather see him suffer. He's still a young man. He still has a long time to live.

UDOJI: Like the Shipman's, dozens of families across two states want answers. Authorities believe this plea agreement will help get them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UDOJI: This is a heartbreaking situation for the families. For investigators it's a tough case. This is a man who worked in ten different hospitals over a period of 20 years coming into contact with hundreds of patients trying to figure out which ones he may have tried to harm. In some cases, investigators say very difficult without his help, Anderson, which is why I think we're seeing a plea agreement right now.

COOPER: It's unbelievable that he got away with it for this long. Adaora Udoji thanks very much.

Well, deadly violence in southern Thailand. That tops our look at global stories right now in the "Up Link."

Police in Thailand say they shot and killed at least 107 Islamic fighters after insurgents launched a series of attacks in the southern part of the country. Some officials tie the attacks to the war in Iraq while others say the insurgents are hoping to establish a Muslim homeland in the mostly Buddhist nation.

In Jerusalem now, Sharon off the hook. Israeli television says a report found that there isn't enough evidence to charge Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a bribery scandal. Prosecutors say an Israeli businessman hired Sharon's son to persuade his father to promote real estate deals. Sharon and his son deny any wrongdoing.

Peru, mayor murdered, an angry mob dragged the mayor of a southern Peruvian town through the streets, tied him to a post and then left him to die. He later died at a hospital. Residents accuse the mayor of embezzling state funds in the impoverished town. Other town officials are still being held hostage right now.

In Tehran, Iran, flying saucer fever. Believe it or not dozens of UFO sightings in the past few days and Iran state television showed a white disc it says was filmed over Tehran last night. The head of the Astronomical Society of Iran says the people who are reporting the sightings are farmers and villagers not experts and he's pretty sure it is just Venus, and that's a look at stories in the "Up Link."

Prescription drugs and suburban moms, why are some moms getting hooked on uppers and downers? We'll talk with one mom who reveals the secret she kept for years part of our weeklong series "Pill-popping Nation."

Also tonight the swing vote in swing states, Republicans and Democrats court minority voters but where are the minority members of their campaigns? We'll take a close look at that.

Also a little later tonight, you've seen Iraqis on TV shouting "down with the U.S." but what do most Iraqis really think of us. Find out coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, in the 1960s and those lyrics the Rolling Stones referred to drugs like Valium as Mother's Little Helper. Times have changed but the problem remains though these days moms have plenty of other drugs to get hooked on.

Tonight, David Mattingly introduces us to one woman, a wife and a mother, who for years was also an addict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA O'TOOLE, RECOVERING DRUG ADDICT: It's five to 6:00.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It used to be the morning grind of getting up and getting her two teenage boys off to school. O'TOOLE: Do you want cereal, bagels or eggs?

MATTINGLY: Was more than Barbara O'Toole could handle.

O'TOOLE: Oh, you know, it would just be a whole lot easier to just take something and just take the edge off.

MATTINGLY: She was taking a combination of up to 16 prescription painkillers and tranquilizers a day, Fiorinal for migraines, Xanax for anxiety.

JOE O'TOOLE, SON: She was always laying in bed not doing anything.

MATTINGLY: With her husband on the road working, Barbara's kids saw the worst of it. There were volatile mood swings and loud episodes of anger.

(on camera): Everyone could see there was a problem except Barbara. It wasn't until she became concerned about a French drug problem that she actually began to suspect herself leading to a very public moment of truth.

OPRAH WINFREY: And so is this the first time you realized that you're an addict?

MATTINGLY: In this tearful confession on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," everyone finally knew that this mom from a quiet Chicago suburb had become a drug addict and now just four months out of rehab the mornings are still crazy.

O'TOOLE: Everything is just like.

MATTINGLY: But instead of drugs there are long horse rides and long walks with the family dog.

O'TOOLE: To get away from everything is pretty therapeutic.

MATTINGLY: Therapeutic but not a cure for an addiction that began in her own home the very place where she continues to confront the same old anxieties and the temptations to medicate her problems away.

David Mattingly CNN, St. Charles, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well it has been a tough struggle for Barbara O'Toole. I'm pleased she joins me now from Chicago. And here in New York, Sharon Hartman, a clinical trainer at Caron Foundation, a rehab center where Barbara O'Toole went for treatment. Both of you I appreciate you being on the program.

O'TOOLE: Thank you.

COOPER: Barbara, let me start off with you. You were taking up to six Xanax and ten painkillers each day for some days. How did you even function?

O'TOOLE: There were some days that I just didn't. I stayed in bed like my kids stated some days that I just didn't get out of bed and do anything.

COOPER: And a lot of reason I understand you didn't realize you were addicted is because you were getting these pills legally through a doctor.

O'TOOLE: Yes.

COOPER: What was it that you first went to the doctor for? You had migraines right?

O'TOOLE: I was diagnosed when I was 19 with migraines.

COOPER: And so you've been taking the pills, really that's how it started back when you were 19?

O'TOOLE: When I was 19 I was diagnosed with migraines and then about six years ago when we moved from Minneapolis to Chicago the anxiety was so overwhelming that a different doctor diagnosed the anxiety medicine to me and just kept getting it from the doctor that I got it from here.

COOPER: Recovery is never easy. How has it been for you?

O'TOOLE: It's not been easy at all. I mean it's a struggle every day but every day just gets a little bit easier.

COOPER: Is it something you still think about? I mean are there hours or is it hour by hour or day by day do you still think about taking pills?

O'TOOLE: When I first got out of treatment it was definitely hour by hour, kind of minute by minute at some point. Now it's daily but it gets easier every day.

COOPER: Sharon, what's the message that you have for women out there who are listening to this who may not even realize they have a problem?

SHARON HARTMAN, CLINICAL TRAINER, CARON FOUNDATION: Well, I think one of the things that's most common for women is that they do have a tendency to use drugs and alcohol in isolation and so we see a very high rate of women becoming addicted to prescription drugs.

They present to their physicians with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, migraines and very appropriately are prescribed drugs that are meant to be taken in the short term but it sets up a very vicious cycle for them.

COOPER: And there is still a lot of shame for women in particular.

HARTMAN: Absolutely because we take the roles of caregiver/mother/wife so seriously that the idea of admitting that we can't fulfill those duties is very difficult. There's a lot of stigma still attached for women to admit that they have an addictive problem.

COOPER: Barbara, I know that shame was a problem for you. What is your message to women out there who may be listening?

O'TOOLE: That it shouldn't be so shameful but it is very hard to get over the shame. I mean I still struggle with it to this day. I mean I guess it's hard for me to get over so I don't know that I have a very good message to give women because it's still such a struggle for me.

COOPER: Well, you're showing tremendous strength by being so public about it and being willing to talk about it on TV. That's got to be a really difficult thing for you.

O'TOOLE: Thank you.

COOPER: Sharon, I appreciate you being on the program, Sharon and it is, I mean it is tough. There is so much shame still out there for it.

HARTMAN: It is -- it so tough and, you know, Barbara really has a lot of courage to be willing to come out and talk about this. You're talking about a complete lifestyle change.

So it really is very difficult, especially in the initial stages because you have to change so many different aspects of your life and you have to face so much of the damage that was created through the addictive process but it does get better.

COOPER: Well, Sharon Hartman I appreciate you being on the program and Barbara O'Toole thank you very much. Thanks for speaking out.

Well, our series "Pill-popping Nation" continues tomorrow with a look at weight loss drugs. A lot of people desperate to be thin but can hope really be found in a pill? We'll look at that.

Then on Friday, medicating, some say overmedicating our kids. Is the Prozac nation giving rise to the Prozac nursery?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Flames over Fallujah, Marines fighting back against Iraqi insurgents. We'll hear from a reporter on the front lines and a top U.S. commander.

Bush and Kerry they say they want minority voters but when it comes to their own campaign staffs where are they?

And friends with benefits you won't believe the going rate to bid America's favorite sitcom farewell, 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rowling couldn't have been more wrong. So far she's written five books. The latest "Harry Potter And the Order of the Phoenix" broke publishing records set by previous Potter books.

Harry's transition to the big screen also captivated audiences. The first two movies, "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets" grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide. And the third will be released in June.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Checking some of our top stories right now in "The Reset." Let's look at what's going on. A second straight day of fighting in Fallujah. Gunships firing their cannons tonight at targets in the northeastern part of the city. Large secondary explosions cause fires and sent plumes of thick smoke into the sky. Earlier in the day, marine helicopters and snipers assaulted several buildings being used by insurgents. More on this in a moment.

In Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the world's largest opium producing country just increased its production this year by 50 percent. Opium comes from the poppy plant and Afghanistan supplies about three quarters of the world's supply. Here's a twist, in the last year of the Taliban in Afghanistan opium production in the country was almost eliminated.

In Washington, the House of Representatives moves to make some of the Bush administration's tax cuts permanent. Legislation passed just a short while ago would eliminate permanently the so-called marriage penalty.

And in Maryland, a very nasty species of fish is back. A northern snakehead was pulled from Pine Lake in Wedan, Maryland. This critter can breathe air, pull itself out of the water and move to another pond or stream. It eats other fish and can disrupt the local ecosystem dramatically. Maryland officials are now planning an eradication campaign for what they call the Frankenfish.

More on Iraq now. President Bush today said American commanders will take whatever action is necessary to secure Fallujah. But that most of the city is returning to normal. The president acknowledged that pockets of resist remain. Karl Penhaul is with the marines in Fallujah with one of those pockets. He has this look at today's battle as it unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sound of rockets launched from U.S. Marine helicopters and slamming into buildings where insurgent gunmen are believed to be holding up. Northwest Fallujah is engulfed in heavy fighting for a third straight day. Plumes of black smoke billow from at least three buildings.

Wednesday's fight began midafternoon. A marine commander said a small team of U.S. snipers tried to maneuver into Fallujah Train Station. He said insurgents have been digging in there and planning mortar attacks on coalition bases.

But insurgents spotted the snipers, and opened up with rocket- propelled grenades. The sharpshooters were pulled out in armored Humvee trucks, the marine commander told us.

Then, the Cobra Attack Helicopter and the Huey gunship fly into action. Iraqi fighters still control large swathes of Fallujah. Coalition authorities say they're ranks have swelled by foreign fighters tied to al Qaeda.

If the battle near the train station dies down, insurgent gunfire cracks over the small marine base. A marine sniper takes aim, and blasts away at a building 150 yards away.

Coalition leaders back in Baghdad still say they'll give more time for peaceful settlement. On the ground in Fallujah, the war rumbles on.

Karl Penhaul reporting with the camera of John Templeton, U.S. Networks Pool, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Earlier I spoke with Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt about the fighting in Fallujah today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: There are about 7,000 marines right now on the outskirts of Fallujah. Do you have any timetable in your own head about when they may go in?

GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: No. As we've said time and time again, if we're going into Fallujah using military force it's going to be at the time and the place of our choosing.

COOPER: One marine commander on the ground, I understand, described the action that's gone on so far as patty-cake compared to what an offensive would look like. What would an offensive look like on the ground?

KIMMITT: Well, I think what you've got is a tremendous team in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. These guys are experts at urban warfare. They can take any combination of unit from squad size all the way up to battalion size, work different parts of that city, simultaneous attacks throughout the city using ground forces, air forces, indirect fire, extraordinarily precise, extraordinarily violent. And they can get to the heart of the matter quite quickly.

COOPER: One "L.A. Times" reporter described the cease-fire, that I guess, still exists in Fallujah as kind of like Swiss cheese. There are so many holes in it, there have been so many violations of it. Are you concerned at all that the insurgents are using this time to basically regroup and fortify their positions?

KIMMITT: First of all, I described the cease-fire as Swiss cheese only if it was one-way Swiss cheese. The marines are very, very careful about observing all the provisions of the unilateral cease-fire on their part. They are only responding when attacked. They're only using their inherent right of self-defense.

Is there a concern that we have about them doing some repositioning and regrouping inside the city? Sure. But, that's not going to help. If the marines get moving, they'll find that that was a futile effort.

COOPER: It seems, in Fallujah, that you can win militarily, but lose politically. How concerned are you about that distinction?

KIMMITT: We're very concerned. That is the heart of why we have a cease-fire right now, Anderson. The fact is, we were well into the military campaign when we were approached by the Iraqi Governing Council, and a number of other organizations that said look, we'd like to step up to the plate. Let's see if we can do this not through the use of military force but let's take a political track. Let's see if we can resolve this situation peacefully.

That's what we're doing now, because we recognize that had we said no to those overtures, that we might win the battle, but we proverbially would have lost the war.

COOPER: Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. Thanks very much for being on the program.

KIMMITT: Thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Saturday is the one-year anniversary of President Bush's speech announcing an end to major combat operations. Today's "Buzz" is this, "did President Bush jump the gun when he declared major combat in Iraq over last May?" Log on to CNN.com/360. Cast your vote. We will have results at the end of the program.

You no doubt have seen and heard Iraqis rejoicing at the murder of Americans. But do those people really represent what most Iraqis think and feel? It's certainly a difficult question for us to answer. But a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll does shed some light. The poll represents about 93 percent of the total Iraqi population and it was taken before April 9, before the latest surge in fighting. Judy Woodruff has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before violence exploded in Fallujah, before Iraqi insurgents murdered four American civilians, and before the U.S. military launched its counterattack, even before all that, the majority of Iraqis felt the American occupation was bad news.

A CNN/"Usa Today"/Gallup poll of Iraqis, executed just before the latest wave of attacks shows 52 percent found the U.S. Military offensive unjustified, compared to 31 percent who felt the opposite. That said, Iraqis don't have a lot of love for the guy who's gone. More than three quarters gave Saddam Hussein a thumbs down. And 61 percent declared his ouster worth the hardship they've endured since. But now that Saddam has left, Iraqis want the U.S. to leave, too.

Fifty-seven percent of those polled said the troops should ship out immediately. Though more than half believe they'd be less safe if that were to happen. Iraqis also said they had little use for the U.S. commander in chief. More than half said they had an unfavorable opinion of President Bush. 24 percent had a favorable opinion. 17 percent call themselves neutral. And guess what, they thought U.S. opinion could be on their side. Only about one in three Iraqis believe that most Americans support the administration's Iraq policy. Judy Woodruff, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Interesting.

Well, politics and diversity, that's coming up. President Bush and John Kerry both seeking the minority vote, but can they stand behind their strategy?

Also a little later the pricey send-off for "Friends." You won't believe how much companies are paying for a 30-second spot on the farewell episode. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Lets talk politics a bit. In this presidential campaign one of the buzz words of course, is diversity. Democrats traditionally appeal to African-American and Latino voters. But the Republicans are working hard to change all that. As Maria Hinojosa reports this time around no voting block can be taken for granted.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN URBAN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican mariachi serenading for votes. You might think they are Democrats.

SHARON CASTILLO, BUSH FOR PRESIDENT: We need to reach out to every single community. We're going to reach out to the Hispanic community. We're going to reach out to the African-American community.

HINOJOSA: But it's the Republicans hoping to appeal to non-white voters by selling the diversity of the bush administration. Top appointees like Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, and Elaine Chao. Nearly 70 percent of Latinos, and 90 percent of African-Americans voted Democratic in the last presidential election. But this time Republicans say Democrats are taking these core constituencies for granted. And the Republicans -- they're moving in.

COSTOS PANAGOPOULUS, POLITICAL ANALYST, NYU: The Republican Party believes the investment they made in the Latino vote in the 2000 campaign paid off handsomely.

HINOJOSA: Some key Democrats worry that John Kerry campaign needs to do more to win over minorities, especially Latino voters. GOV. BILL RICHARDSON: If the Republicans get more than 35 percent, which they got in the last 2000 election, then we, the Democrats, are going to be in trouble.

HINOJOSA: Until a few weeks ago, the campaign had just one full- time minority staffer in its top circle. And supporters warned the Kerry campaign to address the diversity issue now.

ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA, KERRY CAMPAIGN CO. CHAIR: Did we have a meeting last week? Yes, we did. That meeting wasn't so much to criticize the campaign, as it was to work with the campaign to put that strategy together.

HINOJOSA: A week later, the campaign appointed new staff to reach out to blacks and Latinos, Asians, gays, women, and others.

MARCUS JADOTTE, DEP. CAMPAIGN MGR., KERRY 2004: It isn't new to the black and Hispanic community. We've had support there for a long period of time and strong support. Without the strong support of African-American and Latino elected officials we wouldn't be here.

HINOJOSA: The Bush campaign may say they're reaching out but they have no minorities in senior positions. And they have a long way to go before they can approach the minority voting levels Democrats have achieved in past campaigns. But looking back at election 2000, Republicans say it won't take that many minority votes to make election 2004 go their way.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: CNN political analyst Carlos Watson has written about this issue. He joins me from Minneapolis. Carlos, good to see you.

RNC chairman Ed Gillespie has set an ambitious goal for this election. He wants the Bush campaign to get 25 percent of African- American voters.

Can he do it?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You never know. It would be double what the campaign did last time when they achieved 9 percent of the African-American vote. As you heard before about 35 percent of Hispanic vote. I think there are two blocs they could appeal to. One are so-called Christian conservatives. Often when we think about evangelical Christians we think white, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson. But the reality is, a significant percentage of those who consider themselves to be fundamentalists Christians in fact actually African- American. So there's an opportunity on some of the social conservative issues. Number two, with growing wealth in the African- American population, like a lot of other groups, Irish, Italians and others, there's an opportunity to appeal to people in their pocketbooks and Republicans are traditionally seen as the party of greater wealth, if you will, so there may be an opportunity to approach some upper middle income African-American voters. Much as, for example as Christie Todd Whitman did in New Jersey a number of years ago.

COOPER: Let's talk about Hispanic voters, as well. We have this new poll that shows President Bush's approval rating among Hispanic voters up to 39 percent. It was 35 percent before. And John Kerry is 52 percent, whereas Gore had 62 percent.

WATSON: Bad numbers and indicative frankly of greater problems in the Kerry campaign, not just in the terms of diversity, but broader issues. But it does make a difference as you think about states like Arizona, which Republicans narrowly won, but Democrats hope to get. States like New Mexico that went by less than one percent. As well as by the way traditionally Democratic states like New Jersey, where the most recent poll shows the president down by only six percent. You would expect to see him down by double digits. And part of that may reflect growing strength among Latino voters for the Republican Party.

COOPER: It's a fascinating subject. Carlos Watson, thanks very much.

WATSON: Good to see you.

COOPER: Coming up, the fortune over "Friends." Advertisers shelling out record amounts to land a 30-second spot on the series finale.

Plus, Babs on sale?

Streisand is heading to the auction block. Details ahead in "The Current."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The publicity over next Thursday's finale of "Friends" is kicking into high gear. The hoopla is ripe for overkill. But we'll get to that tomorrow. Tonight we're focusing on the record amounts being spent by advertisers to land a spot on the series' send- off. Our entertainment reporter Sibila Vargas has been counting the money.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: Everything that I need is in here. And my travel documents are on the counter, organized in the order that I will be needing them.

COURTNEY COX ARQUETTE, ACTRESS: Oh, my god. I have nothing left to teach you.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Call it the Super Bowl of sitcom finales. NBC's "Friends" is going out in a bonanza of advertising dollars.

ANISTON: I can't believe I did this.

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: At what point did it stop being funny that I took her passport? VARGAS: The show's finale is commanding the most money ever for a sitcom episode. Averaging a reported $2 million for 30 seconds of advertising time. That's the kind of money usually associated with the Super Bowl. Some advertisers like Gatorade and Allstate have jumped on board.

DENNIS HAYSBERT, ACTOR: Change can be scary. That's where Allstate can help.

VARGAS: Why so much advertising hype? Media watchers are blaming it on too many viewing choices.

MELISSA GRECO, TELEVISION WEEK: Because there are fewer big events like this on television, you know, the ones that are expected to do gangbusters get gangbuster fees.

VARGAS: The last time the network saw a sitcom finale opportunity this big was in 1998 when NBC's "Seinfeld" said farewell. That final episode fetched close to an inflation adjusted $1.72 million for a 30-second ad slot. And about 76 million viewers tuned in.

GRECO: NBC has been doing everything it can since they knew this is going to be the end of the show to prepare and strategize and market, and sell the "Friends" finale.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And you can bet NBC's making the most of the present advertising climate. What would normally be a half-hour "Friends" episode will be stretched into two hours. A one-hour retrospective and a one-hour finale. A farewell befitting friends that have been with the fans for the last ten years -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, two hours. I don't know if I can take it. Sibila, thanks very much.

Time to check on some pop news in tonight's "Current." Let's take a look. Some lighter stuff. Streisand fans take note. Memorabilia from Barbra Streisand's career is going on the auction block in June. More than 400 items will be up for sale including movie props, vintage costumes, sadly not included in the sale the Yentle action figure doll.

The mother of Paris Hilton will soon have a reality show of her own. Kathy Hilton's foray into TV will be called "The Good Life." On the series Hilton will teach young women the art of being a debutante. Something Mrs. Hilton taught Paris. If contestants follow Mrs. Hilton's advice, maybe they too, will end up in a porn video.

Jim Caviezel is going from the "Passion of the Christ" to the passion of the links. The actor will play legendary Bobby Jones for his next film. It'll be a tall order for Caviezel, playing the son of God in one thing, acing golf's grand slam that another thing entirely.

The celebrity life, there's so many demands, so many places to be, some like P. Diddy take the multitasking to the Nth Degree. That is just ahead. Plus tomorrow we continue our special series "Pill- Popping Nation" with a look at weight loss drugs. Can a pill really help you slim down? First today's buzz. "Did President Bush jump the gun when he declared major combat in Iraq over last May." Log on to CNN.com/360 to cast your vote. Results in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Take a look at the most popular story on CNN.com. A toddler found alive more than a day after she was in a car crash that killed her father. 18-month-old Rae Lynn Miller (ph) was found at the crash site in Wyoming. Rae Lynn survived 30 hours in the open. She was hospitalized for dehydration and possible broken bones.

Time now for the buzz, one year ago on Saturday, President Bush made that speech. The question is, did President Bush jump the gun when he declared major combat in Iraq over last May? Here's what you said, 81 percent said yes. 19 percent of you said no. Not a scientific poll. Just your buzz.

Taking celebrity to the Nth Degree. It used to be that well known people were well known for one particular thing. Not anymore though. Now you got your actor-presidents, your actor-governors, your wrestler-governors, your singer-senators, your rocking-courtroom stars, your sports and courtroom stars, your lifestyle and courtroom stars and then you got your P. Diddy.

Sean Combs, rapper, producer, entrepreneur, fashion designer and now well-reviewed Broadway leading man, currently appearing in "A Raisin in the Sun," in a role once played by Sidney Poitier. We think of P. Diddy as a pioneering example of what surely is the coming thing, the all-purpose, all-round celebrity. You heard it here first. It's only a matter of time until we see Tommy Hilfiger as Hamlet, the Henry Kissinger menswear collection, Ambassador J. Lo, Gollum, played by Donald Trump and you thought Leonardo Da Vinci was well-rounded. Pity the poor renaissance. I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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