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CNN Connie Chung Tonight
President Bush Calls for Yasser Arafat's Removal; What Ignited Firestorm in Colorado?
Aired June 24, 2002 - 20:00 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.
CONNIE CHUNG, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Connie Chung.
President Bush says Yasser Arafat must go.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER (voice-over): Is this the last chance for peace?
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My vision is two states living side by side.
ANNOUNCER: Or the last straw for the Mideast?
BUSH: For too long the citizens of the Middle East have lived in the midst of death and fear.
ANNOUNCER: The U.S. takes a controversial stand.
BUSH: Peace require as new and different Palestinian leadership.
ANNOUNCER: Did a letter from an old flame ignite a firestorm in Colorado?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They want to string her up and lynch her.
ANNOUNCER: Her charge was to protect the forest. Now she's charged with arson for setting...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the largest wildfire in Colorado's history.
ANNOUNCER: Tonight: exclusive, Terry Barton's family tells us if she did it.
He wrote to Dear Abby for help.
PAUL WEISER, WROTE OF FANTASIES TO DEAR ABBY: I always found, you know, younger girls attractive.
ANNOUNCER: But she turned him in.
JEANNE PHILLIPS, "DEAR ABBY": I called the police.
ANNOUNCER: What does he think of Dear Abby now?
WEISER: All I wanted was some help.
ANNOUNCER: They accomplished the impossible.
UNIDENTIFIED SOCCER ANNOUNCER: There's a drive -- score!
ANNOUNCER: Getting America to care about soccer, for a moment.
The U.S. World Cup team kicks it around with Connie.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT.
Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York: Connie Chung.
CHUNG: Good evening. Tonight my exclusive story about the woman accused of starting the worst wildfire in Colorado history. A close family member speaking for the first time says it was all a terrible accident.
But first, tonight's major global story: The president's calling for a new Palestinian leader. No more corruption, no more terrorism, no more Arafat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership so that a Palestinian state can be born.
I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror. I call upon them to build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and liberty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHUNG: But Mr. Bush also had a he is message for Israel's leaders about what they must do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: As we make progress toward security, Israel forces need to withdraw fully to positions they held prior to September 28, 2000. And consistent with the recommendations of the Mitchell Committee, Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories must stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHUNG: Mr. Bush's endorsement, however conditional, of a Palestinian state, was not fully laid out. He said final borders would be negotiated only after the Palestinians had viable political leadership. And he specifically put Jerusalem on the list of touchy subjects that won't be decided now.
Arafat, despite Mr. Bush's criticisms, said he welcomed the new outline for a peace process.
On the story for us tonight are CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem and senior White House correspondent John King.
John, let me start with you first: Why now?
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this speech comes -- Connie, remember, it was supposed to be a week ago. It was delayed because of violent suicide bombings in Israel from the Palestinian territories.
Why now Mr. Bush under pressure, especially from key Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia to get more involved in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they view his hands-on involvement as critical; and pressure from within the administration as well. Colin Powell wants the president involved in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
But also you have the defense secretary and the vice president telling this president he must, at least, prove to the Arab world that he is making a credible effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if he is to move on to the challenge we fully expect the president to move on to by early next year, trying to replace Saddam Hussein as the president of Iraq.
Arab nations have said they are in no mood to even consider a U.S. military action until Mr. Bush deals with the Palestinian issue first.
That's what you see today.
CHUNG: John, it's no secret that President Bush has been very frustrated with Arafat. But it was such a forceful statement that he made today. What happened?
KING: That one-week delay in this speech critical on this point. We are told from draft number one of this speech going back several weeks, it was very tough on Mr. Arafat. But top aides here described those back-to-back suicide bombings last week in Israel as the president's breaking point.
They say at that point he decided, never mind diplomatic language, I am going to make clear that, yes, I support a Palestinian state; yes, I would even back an interim Palestinian state, but only if Mr. Arafat is pushed to the side. Maybe in some leadership role, but only a symbolic one.
This administration now saying -- and, again, last week was the president's breaking point. Yasser Arafat can no longer have a hand on day-to-day Palestinian decision-making.
CHUNG: All right, John King at the White House, thank you.
Wolf, you're in Jerusalem. And I imagine that Israeli should be quite pleased with what President Bush said today, because they were prepared for the worst, weren't they? WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were expecting a more significant amount of pressure on the Israeli government. They were pleasantly surprised by what they heard from the president.
Certainly the line that the president made: Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership, that was very welcomed by the Israeli government. Prime Minister Sharon issued a strong statement, effectively making the same point.
Officials here close to the prime minister saying they were pleasantly surprised by how supportive the president of the United States was of what they say has been a longstanding Israeli position, saying if there is going to be a Palestinian state, if there are going to be peace negotiations, in effect, they say, Yasser Arafat must go.
So there was a strong amount of delight here in Jerusalem among the Israelis.
CHUNG: Now Wolf, despite Arafat's statement, the Palestinians have to be disappointed.
BLITZER: Palestinians were disappointed. And privately they probably recognize, certainly, that the back-to-back bombings -- the suicide bombings in Jerusalem last week -- undermined their cause. By all accounts, everyone was expecting the president to be more forceful in calling for the so-called provisional Palestinian state.
And certainly the line calling, in effect, for a new Palestinian leadership. That came as a surprise to the Palestinians. It was certainly not something that they had anticipated going into this president's speech.
The irony here, Connie, is that the Palestinian, the Saudis, the Egyptians, the Jordanians, the Europeans, they were aggressively pushing the president to issue this new vision for a U.S. approach to the Middle East. The Israelis were the ones who were very nervous about it.
In the end, the Israelis effectively got what they wanted from President Bush; the Palestinians were disappointed.
CHUNG: All right. Thank you, Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem.
We're also on the big story here at home, tracking two massive wildfires.
In Arizona they're calling it The Dragon. The monstrous fire has eaten through more than 300,000 acres. Thousands of people have fled their homes ahead of the advancing flames, including virtually all 8,000 residents of Show Low, a town under siege tonight.
In Colorado, firefighters have most of the Hayman blaze under control, but thousands of people there also have to leave their homes. And smoke from the Hayman fire not only killed one asthma sufferer, but four firefighters died in an accident heading for the blaze. The woman accused of starting it all, Terry Barton, the Forest Service veteran now in custody, awaiting trial on charges she set the fire on purpose. And at least one person affected by the fire is considering taking legal action.
Her family, however, has remained steadfast by her side. Tonight for the first time a member of her family has agreed to a primetime one-on-one interview.
Lowell Freeman is here with us tonight. Thank you.
LOWELL FREEMAN, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF ACCUSED FIRE STARTER: Hi, Connie.
CHUNG: Now, tell me, your sister-in-law has been charged with very, very serious crimes. You've known her for 21 years. Could she have possibly...
FREEMAN: No.
CHUNG: ... deliberately set this fire?
FREEMAN: No, not deliberately. And if she started it, it was an accident: If she started it.
CHUNG: Well now, your wife went there just about immediately -- say three or four days after the fire started...
FREEMAN: Just before the fire started.
CHUNG: Oh, just before -- forgive me.
You live in California -- you and your wife Karla (ph) live there. Then Karla (ph) flew to her sister's home in Colorado.
What did she tell you Terry said? In other words, what is Terry's story?
FREEMAN: That she was out on patrol and she was off on this -- I guess by herself in a campground and nobody around, and she's reading her letters from John.
CHUNG: That's her husband -- her estranged husband.
FREEMAN: No, they're still married, so it's her husband. And she's reading the letters. And this isn't the first time John's written letters to get back in her good graces. She's -- you know -- and she just..
CHUNG: He doesn't want to get a divorce?
FREEMAN: He won't sign the papers. He won't sign the papers. You know, he she has papers filed and everything, he wouldn't sign the divorce papers.
CHUNG: So what did she do... FREEMAN: He was gone for two or three months, and then he shows back up just prior to when the fire started. And she's wanting him to leave, and he won't leave.
And so she, I guess -- read -- he wrote her letters, or a letter, two pages. And she's reading them, and she just decided, no, I've had enough, and she wanted to destroy it, and she burned them in a fire ring. There was a fire pit there.
CHUNG: And that's how the fire started?
FREEMAN: No. She says that she sat and she watched it burn, the fire went out. And I don't know how long she stayed. And she left.
She comes back an hour later and there's the fire.
CHUNG: Well, why did she burn it? I mean, she works for the Forestry Service; why didn't she just tear it up?
FREEMAN: That's what I've tried to think of. She was just so stressed out, she wanted it destroyed. That was it, that was the final. She's -- John -- I think she was -- she got home that night, John was gone, or she was going to grab the girls and she was gone.
I have no -- I really don't know, but that's my -- I know her so well, and that's pretty much quite a scenario.
CHUNG: Well now, authorities believe that she deliberately set the fire, and they're even thinking that she wanted to be a hero.
Does that sound like your sister-in-law?
FREEMAN: No, no, because she knows the way the conditions are. And if you went and started a fire, would you have to stomp it out right away and really -- you know, I don't even think she had tools with her. She -- when she goes on patrol, she's on a quad, a little four-wheeler motorcycle, and don't even have tools with her.
CHUNG: Does she fight fires anyway? She doesn't, right?
FREEMAN: When she gets called out; but it's not her job. She works for recreation.
CHUNG: Now, your wife went to help take care of the two teenage daughters of Terry, but they're in hiding. Why?
FREEMAN: People are really upset out there. And I guess it got out of control, and they were forced to leave, hide out.
CHUNG: I mean, were they really afraid for their lives?
FREEMAN: They were threatened.
FREEMAN: Threatened?
CHUNG: They were threatened, yes. CHUNG: And, I mean were they -- was it simply verbal?
FREEMAN: There were death threats...
CHUNG: Oh, no. Death threats.
FREEMAN: Yes, for anybody with Terry Barton blood.
CHUNG: Anybody with Terry Barton blood.
FREEMAN: Anybody with Terry Barton blood they want dead. And it's bizarre. I mean, it's just bizarre.
CHUNG: Now, if Terry Barton does end up having to spend a good deal of time in jail, in prison, are you going to try to gain guardianship? Are you going to...
FREEMAN: We've got guardianship of the kids.
CHUNG: You did.
FREEMAN: Yes. My wife did that so she could take them out of state right now. She's out of state. The girls are safe. She's...
CHUNG: Now what about Terry Barton's husband? His parents said that he never even wrote a letter to her.
FREEMAN: John has written letters to Terry. When she can't -- when they can't talk, he writes letters, she goes off and reads them by herself, and then she makes her decision.
CHUNG: So you believe that, in fact, there was a letter...
FREEMAN: Yes.
CHUNG: And that she did burn it?
FREEMAN: Yes. And if the fire started because of her burning the letter, it was a total accident.
CHUNG: All right. Lowell Freeman, thank you so much for being with us.
FREEMAN: Thank you Connie.
CHUNG: We appreciate it.
When we come back, a cry for help to a well-known columnist is answered by the cops.
ANNOUNCER: He told his terrible secret to Dear Abby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in love with a 10-year-old girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Was he helped or betrayed?
And later, Dan, Peter, Tom and Jon? Comedy Central's anchor Jon Stewart now has his sights set on Connie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Yet, ask him. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: What was the outcome of the investigation into the 1993 Topanga Canyon Malibu fire? Officials fingered almost half a dozen suspects in the early stages of the investigation and ultimately filed charges against two volunteer firefighters.
But those charges were dropped, and the arsonist who killed three people has never been caught.
Now, a heart-wrenching story about a 28-year-old Milwaukee man who knew he had a terrible problem. He was attracted to young girls. He sought professional help and couldn't find it. Frustrated, he wrote to Dear Abby, but she turned him in to the police.
Suddenly, a young man who never improperly touched a child was looking down the barrel of a life prison sentence. I went to Milwaukee last weekend where he is under house arrest for this exclusive interview. For the first time, Paul Weiser talks about what happened and reveals new information about Abby, who blew the whistle on him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It started with a simple e-mail, grew into a media firestorm and ended with a shattered life.
WEISER: I was like, why is this happening to me? You know, all I wanted was some help. I didn't want to be looking at going to jail for something I wanted help with.
CHUNG: Help with a tormenting secret Paul Weiser had kept for more than a decade.
(on camera): When did you first realize you had a problem?
WEISER: I feel it probably started sometime around high school. I always found, you know, younger girls attractive to me.
CHUNG: Did you find it embarrassing?
WEISER: Yes. I didn't know how to deal with the feelings.
CHUNG: When did you decide to get some professional help?
WEISER: I was engaged to this one girl. And, you know, I had told her and...
CHUNG: What did you tell her?
WEISER: That I had an attraction to younger girls. You know, like we were at the park one day. And this one girl probably about 10 was, you know, just standing there staring at me with this big smile on her face like I was some movie star, you know.
CHUNG: Did you think it was not normal?
WEISER: Yes, I knew it was not normal.
CHUNG: Did you actually experience fantasies?
WEISER: Some.
CHUNG (voice-over): Over a period of 10 years, Weiser went to four different doctors. Shockingly, he says, every one of them failed to help him.
WEISER: They felt I had a problem, but I don't think they thought of it as a serious problem.
CHUNG (on camera): Did you?
WEISER: I had concerns about myself, yes.
CHUNG: Were you afraid that you might act on your thoughts and fantasies?
WEISER: Sometimes, yes.
CHUNG (voice-over): He was now desperate. He turned to the same person millions of other Americans have: Dear Abby, the advice icon.
(on camera): Why did you decide to write to Dear Abby?
WEISER: I felt I had didn't know where else to turn. You know, I looked through the phone book, couldn't find anybody that could see (ph) helped. I made a few phone calls, turned up dead ends, and was frustrated.
CHUNG: Did you genuinely believe that she was going to help you?
WEISER: Yes.
CHUNG: What did you say to her in your e-mail?
WEISER: I had told her that, you know, I felt I was in love with a 10-year-old girl because the way she treated me was the way I wanted a girl my age to treat me. She treated me with kindness.
CHUNG: Did you, in your heart, believe that this e-mail that you were writing to Abby was going to be confidential?
WEISER: Yes, definitely. I looked at her confidentiality as the same as with a priest, a doctor or a lawyer: that whatever you tell them is confidential.
CHUNG (voice-over): But he was wrong. The columnist, who usually protects the identities of her writers, did not this time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")
PHILLIPS: There was no way could I be absolutely sure that he would take the advice that I was giving him and not ignore it. So after a couple of days, I thought to myself the best way to deal with this is just be direct about it, and I called the police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHUNG: Weiser's cry for help turned into his worst nightmare. Milwaukee police showed up at his doorstep.
WEISER: All I knew is it involved my computer and, you know, I thought it might have been, you know, the pornography that I had. So...
CHUNG (on camera): You had pornography on your computer?
WEISER: Yes.
CHUNG: What did you have in there?
WEISER: Various pictures of girls about 13, naked.
CHUNG (voice-over): He voluntarily surrendered his computer, and was arrested.
(on camera): If you hadn't have cooperated, they wouldn't have had a case.
WEISER: No, they wouldn't.
CHUNG: Why did you tell them?
WEISER: I've been raised to respect police officers and men of religious status.
CHUNG (voice-over): Each pornographic image he had downloaded potentially carried a separate charge. Weiser was suddenly looking at life in prison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHUNG: Coming up: What happened to Paul Weiser, and what does he think of Dear Abby?
Don't go away.
ANNOUNCER: Up next, he told his story to Dear Abby in confidence. Then, she told the cops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEISER: I felt betrayed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: When CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHUNG: Coming up, more of my exclusive interview with the man who was arrested after Dear Abby turned him in to the police.
But first, Anderson Cooper joins us with tonight's developing stories, "To the Minute." Good evening, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Connie.
The Bush administration says Amtrak will stay on track. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta met with Amtrak's board to discuss its dire financial troubles. Amtrak says it needs $200 million to stay in business. Mineta said he was confident that a solution would be found.
Financially strapped United Airlines is looking to Washington for a little help. With nearly $1 billion in concessions from its employees, United is now applying for $1.8 billion in federal loan guarantees under a program that was set up to bolster the airline industry after September 11th.
Investigators say a man by the name of Richard Albert Ricci, this man right here, tops the list of people they're looking at in the Elizabeth Smart case. The 50-year-old handyman worked in the Smart's home last year. He's now in the Salt Lake county jail on unrelated charges. Police say Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her home on June 5.
And what is reported to be a new video message from Osama bin Laden could be released soon. That according to a spokesman for al Qaeda who hinted the head of the terror organization will soon, quote, "appear on television screens."
And a Chicago man is on a crusade to defend his right to bear arms. That request has some of his neighbors packing heat. We'll have that complete story on NEWSNIGHT tonight at 10. Now, back to you, Connie.
CHUNG: Anderson, are you subbing for Aaron Brown tonight?
COOPER: I am. Aaron Brown is on vacation and I'll be subbing for him all week.
CHUNG: Good. All right. We'll see you later then.
When we return, did advice columnist Dear Abby violate an unspoken trust?
ANNOUNCER: Up next, he told his story to Dear Abby in confidence, then she told the cops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEISER: I felt betrayed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: When CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHUNG: Paul Weiser, the young man we met a few minutes ago, faces the possibility of life in prison on child pornography charges. Tormented by his desire for young girls, including their friend's 10- year-old daughter, he had turned to doctors.He says, they were no help.
Finally, he did the only thing he could think of: He wrote to "Dear Abby." She tipped off the police landing him in jail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Tell me, are you OK? How are you doing?
WEISER: It's over.
CHUNG (voice-over): Because he cooperated with the investigation, Paul Weiser was only charged with three counts of child pornography. Just last week, he was sentenced to eight years probation, a year of house arrest, mandatory psychiatric counseling and no access to a working computer, a serious punishment for someone who wants to be a computer technician.
(on camera): After you found out that Abby was the one who had called the police, what did you think?
WEISER: I was upset. You know, I felt betrayed. You know, I turned to her for confidential advice to help me get going in the right direction, and instead, I got something that I definitely did not want.
CHUNG (voice-over): Weiser revealed to CNN that Abby wrote him a letter, a week after his arrest. She said, quote, "I was assured by the police the matter would be kept confidential," and I had, quote, "no idea information would be leaked to the media." She said she was sorry and she wished him the best of luck.
WEISER: I felt it was a little too late, you know, after what happened.
CHUNG (on camera): She feared for that little girl. Was that little girl in danger...
WEISER: No.
CHUNG: ... of being attacked by you?
WEISER: No. I could never hurt her.
CHUNG: Was that little girl in any danger of being sexually assaulted by you?
WEISER: No, not at all.
CHUNG: Would you have done anything untorrid to that little girl?
WEISER: No.
CHUNG: But you did have pornographic pictures of underage girls?
WEISER: Yes.
CHUNG: And do you think, in some respect, that you did deserve to be arrested?
WEISER: It's something I don't deny that, you know, is the law and the laws are there for a reason. But, you know, I was somebody that was seeking help to get away from doing something that was wrong.
CHUNG: Granted, there are people who would say Abby didn't do the right thing and you ended up facing criminal charges. But the reality is is that you knew you had a problem. You may have been looking for help, but you had a problem.
WEISER: Correct.
CHUNG: So shouldn't these girls be protected from you?
WEISER: In reality, I would never end up doing anything, so there would be no need for protection from me.
CHUNG: But how does anybody know that, that you wouldn't have done anything?
WEISER: Nobody would know except me, you know. And everybody just, you know, has to know that, you know, that when I give my word on something like that, that it is the God's honest truth, you know.
CHUNG: Does your therapist believe that you suffer from pedophilia?
WEISER: Yes.
CHUNG: Do you think you can be cured of these feelings that you have for young girls?
WEISER: Yes, because just like alcoholism, you know, the first step is admitting that you have a problem. You know, and I had admitted that I did have that problem.
CHUNG: You've gone through all of this. Is it almost a relief that you've reached the point at which you have?
WEISER: It's a relief, you know, finally finding the help I've gotten, yes.
CHUNG: But on another level?
WEISER: I got a lot of extra luggage that I did not want to come with it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHUNG: Weiser lost his job as a shoe salesman and lives at home with his parents. They knew nothing about his problem until the police came. Dear Abby, whose real name is Jeanne Phillips, will be on "LARRY KING LIVE" tomorrow right after our program. She will remember her aunt, Ann Landers, who passed away last Saturday.
Still ahead, some key players from Team USA, fresh off the plane from their thrilling performance at the World Cup coming up.
ANNOUNCER: Coming up, is there anything in the news that's funny? Comedy Central's Jon Stewart barges onto the anchor desk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Now who's making excuses?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: They made America proud in World Cup soccer, but just who are they? You'll meet them when CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHUNG: Newspeople, including me, know that thousands of our viewers just sit at home criticizing us, making fun of us. It's OK. It's your right. But one guy not only makes fun of news anchors and newsmakers, he does it on national television day after day, night after night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DAILY SHOW")
STEWART: Let's do some headlines. Come on!
You like that? An independent -- you're allowed to laugh by the way.
What? Now, let me say this about the FBI. Lay off people! It is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they investigated. Conclusions are a different department. By the way, the CIA also screwed up. We'll be right back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHUNG: "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart not only gets paid for his antics, he gets critical acclaim too. You got a lot of nerve.
STEWART: I got to tell you, Connie, first of all, congratulations. Second of all, that clip wasn't edited at all. That's just what I do. I dissolve. I dissolve into myself.
It's an honor to be here...
CHUNG: Thank you.
STEWART: Especially following arson and pedophilia. Really, I couldn't ask for a better...
(LAUGHTER)
... really a wonderful setup for me. I can't believe you don't have a guy on who eats people, really, right before me. Perfect comedy set-up.
CHUNG: Be my guest, you know. You're allowed.
STEWART: I couldn't possibly. Congratulations, very, very lovely set.
CHUNG: Thank you. I mean, you really mean that, don't you?
STEWART: No, I really do mean it. It's very nice.
CHUNG: What do you like about it?
STEWART: I like the fact that they put money into it. Now I work on cable as well and my set is -- I like to call it...
CHUNG: I think your's is fine.
STEWART: What's the word I'm looking for? Crepe paper. It's made of crepe paper.
CHUNG: Oh, no. No, no, no. It's nice.
STEWART: It's very nice.
CHUNG: Van Nuys. My parents used to live in Van Nuys.
STEWART: And you have free sodas?
CHUNG: We don't. But we have...
STEWART: You had pizza (ph) back there. You had all kinds of stuff.
CHUNG: Yes, we did have that. You know what? That's for the team that's coming out a little later.
STEWART: No, it's very nice. It's very nice that they're treating you with such great esteem and respect and putting the money in and I, in no way, am jealous of that at all.
CHUNG: Yes, you are. I can tell. Do you like the jib (ph)?
STEWART: You have a jib (ph). You've got (UNINTELLIGIBLE) plasma screens...
CHUNG: That's right. How did you know that?
STEWART: There's an Xbox.
CHUNG: Right. What's an Xbox?
STEWART: You don't know what an Xbox is?
CHUNG: No.
STEWART: Oh, it's a magic box that takes you back in time. It's a gaming box. It's like Nintendo, Atari. You don't play any of that?
CHUNG: No, I don't.
STEWART: Oh, what do you, read, is that what you do. You're a reader?
CHUNG: No, my son plays with those little things.
STEWART: And how old is he?
CHUNG: Seven. There you go.
STEWART: Well, that's what I'm saying. That's my demographic. You have yours. Let's just call it a day!
CHUNG: All right. Your news, you say, is fake.
STEWART: Yes, that's correct.
CHUNG: So what's so funny about the news or is it the people who present the news that you make fun off?
STEWART: It's no so much funny. No, it's not. I mean, we obviously do topical humor about situations that are going on, you know, those sorts of things. But it's not so much funny. It's more what makes us sad or angry about the news, and then we try and turn that into something that could be considered humor or satire or a poem or a song, that sort of thing.
CHUNG: Because there's such a fine line between...
STEWART: It makes us crazy. You know what it is? I don't think that these networks are built to be watched constantly in the way that I watch them. I have them on... CHUNG: Which networks? You mean...
STEWART: MSNBC or Fox.
CHUNG: The cable programs.
STEWART: Yes. No, not this one.
CHUNG: What are they meant to be?
STEWART: They're meant to be watched like with the sound off at a gym. You know what I mean? Like when you're on a treadmill and you look up and then you read on the ticker, like, we're bombing Peshawar. How about that? One one-thousand, two-one thousand, three one- thousand. But you're not supposed to watch them all day long because the aggregate weight of what comes at you is devastating, diminishing. It's very difficult.
CHUNG: What aggregate weight?
STEWART: Well, just as an example. OK, you know bumpers in and out of commercial, like you do teases and things like that.
CHUNG: Right. Right.
STEWART: Just an as example, you know that one video shot of the World Trade Center coming down and that huge cloud of white smoke and people running for their lives?
CHUNG: Yes.
STEWART: Yes, they use that as like a commercial on for 24 hours.
CHUNG: This is not funny. This is not funny. I'm sorry, Jon.
STEWART: No, no, no, no, no. But the excess of that speaks to something that could be satirized.
CHUNG: Which is?
STEWART: Which is that the people have forgotten that these are tragic images and they're using them as bumpers in and out of commercials...
CHUNG: I see. So what do you do?
STEWART: ... so by overloading that, we make fun of those kinds of things. Dirty bomb, that was a great example of excess. When the dirty bomb was announced, the first thing that happened is everybody went into dirty bomb mode. And everybody got on the phone, dirty bomb, we got a dirty bomb expert over there. What is a dirty bomb?
Well, it's not this, and then they would show a nuclear explosion. It's not that, or it's not -- and they would, you know, basically just jazz everybody up until at the very end of it, they'd go, and in conclusion, this is not a very dangerous thing at all.
It's like the old -- remember the old method that they used like, you won't believe that what's in your washing machine could kill you. You know, those -- the old scare tactics to get you to watch...
CHUNG: Yes.
STEWART: You won't believe the bacteria in your bathroom. Well, yes, I would. I go to the bathroom in there. I'm assuming that's where most of the bacteria would be. So, it's using those things to...
CHUNG: I want to -- you know what I'm really curious about?
STEWART: Yes, Sagittarius.
CHUNG: No, no, no.
STEWART: This is real Lucite.
CHUNG: Gemini?
STEWART: No.
CHUNG: No. What I'm real curious about is have you been asked to take the place of Rather or Brokaw -- I mean Jennings. Brokaw is out of the picture.
STEWART: Are you serious? Listen, I barely get asked to take the place of Yakov Smirnoff. Like, I'm not -- you know, I would never get asked to take those. Those people are, listen...
CHUNG: No, but you're very good at anchoring. I'm telling you, you really are. You do it very well.
STEWART: Yes, three years ago I learned how to read and that has made a huge difference for me, to have everything spelled out phonetically has been an enormous help. People with wonderful journalistic credentials or credibility are a brilliant asset to this. I think that for our show, it's more about how decisions get made and how things are presented. And that's where we call our humor from for the most part.
CHUNG: All right. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You know what?
STEWART: I have to leave.
CHUNG: No, no, no, no, no. No.
STEWART: You're going to bring the pedophile back in?
CHUNG: No, no, no, no. We're going to bring on some people that you will love to see, honestly.
STEWART: OK.
CHUNG: When we come back, we're going to put you to work, Jon.
STEWART: Done.
CHUNG: We'll both be joined by the U.S. soccer team coach and a couple of top players just back from their stunning performance at the World Cup.
STEWART: That's exciting.
CHUNG: You ready for that?
STEWART: I think so.
CHUNG: You used to play soccer?
STEWART: I kicked it around a little bit before the osteoporosis set in.
CHUNG: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scores! One...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... speed, turns the corner, Donovan going middle. Deflected, into the middle, Donovan, scores!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DAILY SHOW")
STEWART: But before we do anything else, we must take you out right now to Au San (ph), South Korea. My God, the excitement is building for tomorrow's historic soccer match for the United States team. They take on heavily favored Germany, as you well know.
(LAUGHTER)
Heavily-favored Germany -- soccer?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHUNG: A rare instance where Jon got it wrong. So, now Jon Stewart, anchor of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central and former college soccer player is going to show us what he can do on a real news program. Huh, huh, huh.
STEWART: I'm ready to do it.
CHUNG: And to put him on the spot, fresh from their thrilling performances at the World Cup, we have some key players from Team USA, Coach Bruce Arena and forward Brian McBride, who scored one of the three goals in the crucial game against Portugal; and midfielder Landon Donovan, who scored right beforehand. They made it to the quarterfinals, a far cry from Team USA's last place finish of 1998. And they arrived back home just yesterday.
So thank you so much for being with us. I'll just give me five and five and five.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
CHUNG: It's great. And as for you, OK. Tell me, you did Letterman tonight, didn't you? You taped it?
BRIAN MCBRIDE, U.S. SOCCER TEAM: Technically. I think it was a lot of Landon.
CHUNG: Really?
MCBRIDE: Landon did Letterman.
CHUNG: Did he hog?
MCBRIDE: No, no. He was, rightfully so, center stage.
CHUNG: So tell me, how does it feel to have your life kind of change, you know, because you're such stars now?
STEWART: I'll take this one.
(CROSSTALK)
LANDON DONOVAN, U.S. SOCCER TEAM: We definitely didn't expect to be on CNN and we're happy to be here. And congratulations, by the way.
CHUNG: Aren't you nice.
DONOVAN: But it's awesome. We're enjoying it. We're having fun. We've been in New York kind of living it up, just going non-stop and it's fun.
CHUNG: So, people were making a lot of fun of you all. Don't you feel vindicated now?
MCBRIDE: Probably the biggest thing going in was this question mark on how we would do, especially after '98. For us, it really wasn't a matter of that. It was more focusing on the team and playing how we knew that we could play. And if we got the results out of that, that would be great. And it just so happened that we did and everybody stuck together.
CHUNG: Right. Coach, how did it become so different? I mean, this team compared to last time's team?
BRUCE ARENA, COACH, U.S. SOCCER TEAM: Well, first of all, we have an outstanding group of players and all the credit goes to the players. And World Cups are difficult. You know, this is the greatest sporting event in the world. The magnitude of the World Cup is incredible. Our team has been together on and off for the last four years. And we went into the tournament optimistic that we could play well. We opened up a great win over Portugal, which was a huge upset, and we had the momentum to carry us through. And we had a big win against Mexico. And then the...
CHUNG: Right. How about Germany? It was unbelievable.
ARENA: The game against Germany in the quarterfinals, we played quite well. We were a little unlucky, fell short, but I think overall we left a great impression not only for Americans, but around the world. And now there's a new earned respect for soccer in the United States.
CHUNG: Jon, are you OK? You're OK?
STEWART: No, listen, I played ball -- Coach Arena will remember, I played for William and Mary and UVA which was...
CHUNG: You mean he really does remember that?
STEWART: ... Coach Arena's team, used to beat us every year in the NCAA tournament.
ARENA: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
STEWART: But the level of soccer that has come up is -- I mean, these guys are light years ahead of what we were doing. We used our hands.
(LAUGHTER)
We actually would dribble with our hands. It's a whole different game now.
CHUNG: Coach, is it true that a lot of the players from Germany came up afterwards and said you all should have won?
ARENA: A lot of them gave us a lot of praise after the game and said, you know, you guys were a little unlucky and you should have won the game today. So that meant a lot. But in all honesty, we would have rather have won the game and not have heard that, but that's life.
But, you know, the thing now is that we're moving forward as a soccer playing country. MLS is beginning to receive the recognition they deserve. That's our domestic professional league that has not gotten the kind of attention I think it deserves. And they've really nurtured a lot of our players and have positioned to us be a team that's competitive with anybody in the world.
CHUNG: Jon?
STEWART: No, they're great players. I enjoy watching it on the MLS. I was a little disappointed that when Landon scored -- I can't remember which game it was, he whipped off his shirt, no sports bra. Very upsetting. Brandi Chastain had set the mark there.
DONOVAN: Got to keep you on your toes.
STEWART: To see Landon just...
CHUNG: With nothing?
STEWART: But some of the goals -- I tell you, some of the goals that Brian scored especially were I think some of the prettiest goals that had ever been scored in United States soccer, certainly in international play. I don't know if you guys agree. I thought they were magnificent.
ARENA: I agree.
MCBRIDE: Definitely.
CHUNG: Do you think it's going to change, you know, how soccer is perceived here in the United States? I mean, isn't baseball attendance down and basketball attendance down? I mean...
DONOVAN: We've been working hard to make that happen.
ARENA: Perhaps a little bit. I think there's a built-in bias with the old regime of sports editors and people that cover sport. And there's always been a bias, and hopefully we can earn some respect from those people and allow the sport to get recognition. We don't claim, obviously, to be the sport that's going to take over from football, baseball, basketball, hockey. No. We're just another sport and a competitive support in an industry that I think deserves recognition. And hopefully our showing in the World Cup is going to do that for soccer.
CHUNG: Have you guys gotten any offers for endorsements?
MCBRIDE: I'm pretty laid back.
DONOVAN: Mr. Model.
MCBRIDE: My brother's my agent. So, I think there's a few more people behind this kid so...
(CROSSTALK)
DONOVAN: Actually, I just signed...
CHUNG: I mean, they're knocking on your door?
DONOVAN: I just signed a $150 million deal with Gatorade. So I'm really excited about that.
CHUNG: You're putting me on.
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART: I just signed, actually, with Diet Fresca. MCBRIDE: Oh, that's Lipton. I was going to ask if you were one of the little guys.
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART: Oh, if I were at my playing weight.
CHUNG: I am so gullible, you know.
DONOVAN: Oh, you believed me, huh?
CHUNG: Absolutely.
DONOVAN: I wished I believed it too.
STEWART: He's 20, Connie, it might be coming. It might be coming for him.
CHUNG: What?
MCBRIDE: It might be coming for him.
CHUNG: Yes, or maybe you'll just be doing the Bud commercials. You know, how ya doing?
DONOVAN: I'm underage though.
MCBRIDE: Yes, he's underage.
STEWART: Are you going to go back to Germany and play or are you going to stick with the Earthquakes?
DONOVAN: Interesting question.
ARENA: Getting hot here!
DONOVAN: Yes. That will be discussed in the coming weeks, definitely.
STEWART: I think there's a lawyer in his earpiece.
DONOVAN: Yes, Landon, don't say anything.
STEWART: Don't answer that.
DONOVAN: No, we're going to see. You know, if it works out...
STEWART: That's exciting, that you guys get to...
DONOVAN: Yes, definitely.
CHUNG: Yes, you did great. We're really, really proud of you.
DONOVAN: Thank you.
CHUNG: All right. Thanks so much, Jon Stewart, Coach, Brian and Landon, thank you for being with us.
Coming up next, a few thoughts about what it means to be launching a program such as this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHUNG: Before we say good night, I want to tell you how glad I am to see you again. Yes, I know, you don't think I can see you. Well, you're right, I can't but I know you're there.
There are a few things I want you to know regarding this new program. I can promise you that I'm not going to yell at you. Also, I'll try not to talk up to you. You know, a lot of people these days end their sentences up, especially teenagers. Everything sounds like a question, even though it isn't. Not going to do that.
And finally, I want to bring you stories that will cause us to think and to talk, and I think our Dear Abby story did that. I can't decide if she did the right thing. What do you think? I want to learn something from our stories every night, and maybe you can too.
So, join me again tomorrow night. We'll have an exclusive interview with the world-renowned singer who answers the question people have been asking him for a decade. You got to see this. I'll be here every weeknight at 8:00 Eastern time.
And tonight though, I'm staying late. I'm going to log on to AOL for a live chat at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. So, go to keyword AOL Live. Also, be sure to stay here for "LARRY KING LIVE." He has an exclusive interview with the parents of Daniel Pearl, the "Wall Street Journal" reporter who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan.
I'm Connie Chung. Thank you for joining us. And for all of us at CNN, good night. And good night Maury and Matthew.
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