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CNN Live Saturday

U.S. Continues Assault On Insurgents In Samarra; Mt. St. Helens Continues To Erupt; Sen. Kerry, President Bush Campaign Furiously

Aired October 02, 2004 - 12:00   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.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: It's noon in Washington, 9:00 a.m. at Mount St Helens. Good afternoon. I'm Andrea Koppel at CNN's studios, here in Washington. Ahead this hour:
Down to the homestretch: Just a month to go before the election. How will President Bush and Senator Kerry spend the waning days of the campaign? We'll have live reports from Ohio and Florida, coming up.

And a dilemma many people would love to have: One job offer after another. But, if you've already said "yes" to the first, is it OK to change your mind? We want your e-mails as we ask the Ethics Guy.

Plus, we'll check in at Mount St Helens. Yesterday's eruption was called a mere hiccup, but the show may not be over yet. So, we're keeping our ear's to the ground. But first, a look at the top stories in the news, right now.

Hundreds of anti-war protesters turn out for a march to the White House from Arlington National Cemetery. They carried cardboard coffins. Organizers say the marchers include surviving family members of those killed in the war.

Police in suburban Seattle are trying to figure out who broke into the Bush state campaign headquarters there. Three laptop computers, containing campaign strategy, were taken from the office. Police have yet to find evidence to support campaign charges that the theft was politically motivated.

A funeral procession turned violent in the streets of a city in eastern Pakistan. Protesters say the government is moving too slowly to investigate the bombing of a mosque yesterday, in which 30 people died. A mob burned government offices and several vehicles.

We begin in Iraq, where city streets have become battle fields in the fight against the insurgency. U.S. and Iraqi troops are involved in a major offensive in the city of Samarra. Raids and air strikes are also underway in other parts of Iraq. CNN's Brent Sadler is live from Baghdad now, where he is following developments.

So, how far along are they in the fight right now in Samarra, Brent?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, U.S. and Iraqi forces have been making inroads into Samarra, some 60 miles north of Iraq, and military commanders on the ground say they've killed around 120 insurgents, captured some 80 others, this after some pretty intense clashes in that city over the past couple of days. U.S. Air strikes have been conducted, helicopters also firing into insurgent strongholds. U.S. forces have found weapons in one mosque and certainly some very heavy clashes, indeed.

Pentagon and interim government officials say that they have local support for this operation, though many people in Samarra were thinking that their city was held hostage by the insurgents. So, the Pentagon and government officials saying that this was supported by the locals.

Now, the latest we have from there came from a top military commander who had this to say about the success, they believe, of the mission:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJOR GEN. JOHN, BATISKE, U.S. ARMY: I'm very confident that the future of Samarra is good. This is great news for the people of Samarra -- 200,000 people that have been held captive, hostage, if you will, by just a couple hundred of thugs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: Now, mopping up operations are expected to continue over the next few days. In another area of continuing activity, U.S. war planes have again been in action against Fallujah. Now, Fallujah is thought to be the tough nut to crack, as far as insurgent activity is concerned. And Samarra, the success there, say U.S. military officials and Iraqi officials, is really seen as boosting the confidence and morale among Iraqi troops who will be called on backed up by U.S. firepower to go for Fallujah when those orders are given. All this, part of a strategy, Andrea, to stabilize the country, seize back control of uncontrolled cities before elections at the end of January -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Brent, as you know, Fallujah is considered to be the toughest of all the stronghold held by the insurgents. Why didn't the U.S. and Iraqi military start there? Why did they begin in Samarra?

SADLER: Because the idea is to go for the easier areas first to build up to this. This, after all, was the first time that the reconstituted Iraqi army and national guardsmen have been working alongside American troops. Last time, they were left to do it on their own in Samarra. They fell apart. This time, about 2,000 Iraqis held strong, backed up by the U.S. and the idea is to build confidence, because it is the Iraqi forces, in the end, that will have to be the most reliable source of security in this country. So, start low down and build your way up. That's the strategy.

KOPPEL: Brent Sadler there for us in Baghdad. Thank you, Brent.

As we just heard from Brent, Samarra is the first offensive in a plan to take back cities from insurgents. Success in Samarra won't be easy. CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with troops and has this look from the fierce fighting there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Troops from the 1st Infantry Division rolled through the darkened street taking control, neighborhood by neighborhood. As dawn broke, hundreds of soldiers on foot moved toward the center of Samarra.

(on camera): The streets are fortunately empty. All these shops are shuttered. This battle has been going on for more than nine hours and U.S. military says (GUN SHOT) it will continue until they have rooted out the insurgents in this city.

(voice-over): The soldiers make slow progress threw these winding streets. Tanks and armored vehicles can't easily go through here. For hours, they take fire from gunmen darting from alleyways and hiding on rooftops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engaging small arms fire.

ARRAF: At least one U.S. soldier was killed near the city's sacred shrine. The U.S. military says it killed at least 109 suspected insurgents, including this man. The offensive was the first time the military has allowed journalists into the city with its forces in months. For more than an hour, U.S. soldiers took fire near the shrine from one of the smaller hotels normally used by pilgrims. But the American forces stopped shortly of the mosque where two of the 12 Iamams (PH) are buried and where some Shias believe the Trasimam (PH) will return to ring in judgment day.

(on camera): It actually looks worse then it its. This fire burning in front of the shrine, the mosque is untouched. But for Iraqis, the presence of U.S. soldiers here will be inflammatory enough.

(voice-over): While U.S. forces blasted open the days to pave the way, it was left to Iraqi troops to enter the mosque. The new Iraqi Special Forces say they fought was insurgents in the shrine, killing two and detaining dozens. U.S. troops reentered Samarra only in September, after agreeing in July to allow Iraqis to police the city. U.S. forces say this time they won't leave 'til all the insurgents are gone.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Samarra.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: With one month to go until Election Day, the presidential candidates are shifting their campaigns away from war and terror to issues of bread and butter. President Bush is out early selling his tax cuts and domestic agenda in Mansfield, Ohio. You're looking at a live picture there. It's only noon and Mr. Bush is already on the second of three steps in that battleground state. It's his 27th visit to Ohio.

Democratic presidential challenger, John Kerry, is wrapping up a fourth day stay in Florida, where he spent time touring hurricane damage. During a morning rally in Orlando, he accused the president of forgetting middle class families and favoring wealthy special interests. Kerry told supporters, quote, "The American dream is on the ballot a month from today."

Kerry is trying to capitalize on Thursday night's presidential debate, most polls show viewers consider him the winner. More than 52 million Americans watched and CNN's Bill Hemmer was watching with a group of undecided voters in Columbus, Ohio, here is how they saw the debate:

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were 22 mostly undecided voters in a critical battleground state, brought together on the campus of Ohio State University. They were truckers and teachers, accounts and retirees. CNN equipped them with handheld touch pads to gauge their reactions in realtime. The women were measured with the yellow line, the men with the blue line.

Senator Kerry won strong approval when he suggested the president took the fight to the wrong enemy.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can't leave a failed Iraq. That doesn't mean it wasn't a mistake in judgment to go there and take the focus off Osama bin laden. It was.

HEMMER: President Bush, then, scored high marks when he suggested that Senator Kerry was not backing U.S. allies.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I mean, you can't expect to build an alliance when you denigrate the contributions of those who are serving side-by-side with American troops in Iraq.

HEMMER: Later, strong words from the senator about those killed in Iraq sent the meters lower.

KERRY: More in July than June, more in August than July, more in September than in August.

HEMMER: Then a strong rebuttal by the president was not well received.

BUSH: You cannot lead the war in terror if you keep changing positions on the war in terror and says (SIC) things like, "Well, this is just a grand diversion." It's not a grand diversion; this is an essential that we get it right.

HEMMER: Reaction from our focus group was generally mixed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think after this, leaning a little more toward Kerry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight, it made me lean a little more towards Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was very even. Neither party made their point much above the other.

HEMMER (on camera): Our survey was not scientific, but it did give us a small snapshot of what this group of undecided voters is thinking now upon the conclusion of No. 2 for more answers, not so much on foreign policy, but on domestic issues in this country.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: And stay with CNN, your election 2004 campaign headquarters, for all your political headlines.

Coming up in ten minutes, we'll have George Farah of OpenDebates.org. He'll join us to preview what we might see when the vice presidential candidates face off.

And at half past the hour, Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the Bush team and Frank Buckley who's covering the Kerry campaign, will join us with live reports.

But first, Mount Saint Helens on the brink, after the largest eruption in 18 years. Scientists are watching and waiting to see what will happen next. We'll have a live report.

Also, he was live in the eye of the storm and brought us heart breaking stories of desperation and devastation in Haiti. Karl Penhaul will join us live on the ongoing crisis and recovery efforts there.

This is CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Scientists watching a rumbling Mount Saint Helens volcano are bracing for more violent activities after yesterday's blast. With the latest now in Washington state, from reporter Donna Tetreault whose near the volcano now.

Donna, I have to ask you, I know that this volcano's been dormant for 18 years and I'm sure it was a little scary, but was it also exhilarating to watch?

DONNA TETREAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what a lot of people that were here said. They were in awe of what they saw. Now, Mount Saint Helens is continuing to shake today. And scientists say the earthquakes are now even more frequent than they were yesterday before that eruption and, again, people were in awe. But they say they still believe -- the scientists still believe there's no danger ahead, which is good, and they say, scientists, that we will only see more spectacular sights from the volcano.

Now, it seems very calm now, but scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey have been monitoring the volcano all night and expect to see more explosions like the one we saw yesterday, in the coming weeks and days ahead. We may even see lava spill over the top. Now, this eruption, yesterday, was the biggest explosion at Mount Saint Helens in 18 years. It all started earlier in the week when thousands of small earthquakes shook the mountain. The explosion spewed out steam and ash for about 24 minutes and rocks the size of cars spilled out of the volcano. Hundreds of people watched the eruption in awe. Now, the likelihood of another one is high. Seismic activity died down for about three or four hours after the eruption, but it's picked up again and it's exceeded the level at it was -- that it was yesterday before the steam burst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM PIERSON, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: What that's telling us is that the overall seismic energy release is continuing to increase and, actually, if you plot it all over the whole week since this has been going on, it's fairly steadily, almost linear trend, going upward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TETREAULT: And Tom Pierson believes that we might even see another explosion sometime today. Scientists will continue to monitor the volcano, and again, only great sights ahead in the next days and weeks ahead -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Well, it's nice to know that it's something folks get to enjoy rather than fear. Donna Tetreault there, in Washington state, thanks so much.

Well, the deadly effects of Hurricane Jeanne linger in Haiti where hundreds where killed by the storm. Meanwhile, at least seven people have been killed in street demonstrations demanding the return of exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Hundreds of thousands remain homeless in Haiti in the wake of the storm.

CNN's Karl Penhaul has been covering the natural and political storms in Haiti, and he joins us now live from CNN Center with some of his observations on both.

So Karl, what's your understanding of these demonstrations in Haiti? Just how widespread is the support for Aristide's return?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're seeing there, both today and yesterday, from what we understand, are gangs armed, political groups, on the streets, causing trouble and demonstrating for Aristide's return. We saw that, in fact, in Gonaives amongst the people who had been affected by Tropical Storm Jeanne, as well. We talked to them and asked them what the impact that disaster may have on the existing government and they were very much of the opinion that the Haitian government hadn't done enough to respond to this natural disaster and those armed gangs on the street, there in Gonaives, said they would then try to take action to -- against the government and in favor of Aristide. So, it could be what we're seeing in Port-au- Prince now is the political consequences of the Haitian government's perceived lack of effort to respond to the natural disaster -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Now obviously, Aristide left and accuses the U.S. of forcing him to leave in February of this year. Any chance that he might come back sooner? I know they're supposed to have elections next year.

PENHAUL: That's right. Seeing that the election's in 2005. Difficult to say, it's really -- while we were there over the last week, very difficult to read the political situation right now because of the turmoil that that natural disaster has caused. The city of Gonaives, in fact, was instrumental in getting Aristide out in the first place during that rebellion in February. That was one of the centers of the rebellion. An armed gang, which are both criminal gangs, but also have a social component to them, as well, were instrumental in backing the rebellion and getting Aristide out.

Gonaives was also the center of the independence movement back in the 1800s, as well. So, that city, hit by the natural disaster, is politically very important. So, anything that the government does or doesn't do in the city of Gonaives is likely to have an impact on the political stage. Whether that will ultimately lead to Aristide coming back, or whether other sections of Haitian society feel it's too discredited, we're going to have to watch and see what happens there, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Karl, in our remaining moments, do us a favor, you did such a wonderful job with your pictures and your reports coming out of Haiti. But, what didn't make it into your reports? What were the things you saw you'd like to share with our viewers?

PENHAUL: Some of the personal impressions, the -- one day, for example, I was talking to a representative of the World Health Organization, he was practically in tears when he was saying to me that he didn't feel that either the dead from that storm had been respected and he didn't feel that survivors, that their dignity was being respected. He was very upset by the fact that people had to fight for food. He was also very upset that the dead -- dead corpses had been thrown into mass grave sites along with the carcasses of animals. Also, though, the dignity of the Haitian people in that they were affected by this tragedy, but all the time that we were there, we didn't see a single person cry. Quite strange, but believed that really was because they were so focused on trying to survive, get by the next hours and the next days that this disaster really hasn't had time to sink in and those kind of emotions will have to come out over the coming weeks.

KOPPEL: It must be very surreal for you to be in a place like that, where there's such a devastating natural disaster, and then to come back into civilization here, especially in Atlanta, where obviously, the tropical storms had next to no effect. But, Karl Penhaul, thank you so much for your wonderful reporting.

PENHAUL: Thanks.

KOPPEL: Still ahead, have you ever felt a little under the weather, but gone to work anyway? I think we all have. You may think it shows dedication, but you might be putting your boss in an ethical dilemma. Bruce Weinstein, the Ethics Guy, joins us in our second half hour to take your questions about everyday moral dilemmas. Go ahead and e-mail us. You know the address, it's ethics@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Turning again to politics, dueling radio addresses: President Bush today, reminded Americans that his fourth tax cut in four years will be signed into law tomorrow. Vice presidential candidate John Edwards delivered the democratic's response saying, a Kerry administration would create more jobs.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: Some police stations in Washington have a different view of tax relief. When I proposed tax relief for working families in 2001 and 2003, Senator Kerry and other democratic leaders voted against it. In fact Senator Kerry has voted consistency against marriage penalty relief, against increasing the child tax credit, and against expanding the 10 percent bracket.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), NORTH CAROLINA: John Kerry and I believe to our core every American deserves the same opportunities to get ahead. That's why we're going to create and keep good-paying jobs, here in America. We will end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and create tax breaks for companies and small businesses for keeping jobs here.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Senator Edwards is spending the day in Chautauqua, New York, where he's preparing for Tuesday night's vice presidential debate. Vice President Dick Cheney is doing the same in Jackson, Wyoming. Here to look at the match up, as well as next Friday's town hall debate between Bush and Kerry, is George Farah, author of "No Debate: How the Two Major Parties Secretly Ruin the Presidential Debates."

Well, Mr. Farah, I guess we know where you stand on this format. You're clearly not a fan. But, I know that you believe looking ahead to Tuesday's vice presidential debate that it could prove to be the most important debate of the several that we have upcoming.

GEORGE FARAH, AUTHOR OF "NO DEBATE": I think these two candidates, the vice president, Cheney, and Senator Edwards have a degree of charisma and eloquence that the presidential nominees may be lacking. So, this could be -- this could prove to be a more intriguing event. That might attract the greatest audience for vice presidential debate in American history.

KOPPEL: And it's most important, you believe, because of the contrast between the two candidates?

FARAH: Oh, they have contrasting styles. Edwards is remarkably charming and remarkably inexperienced, whereas Cheney is a bit more gruff, but highly experienced. They're bolth very eloquent, but of course they're still going to be hampered by the same format restrictions that prohibit themselves from talking to each other, limit rebuttal and serebuttal (PH), and force them to reduce their answers to a series of memorized sound bites. KOPPEL: And I said at the outset, you're not a fan of this format. Why not?

FARAH: Well, the bipartisan candidate-controlled, corporate funded commission on presidential debates host these forums, excludes all third party challengers, and it allows the republican democratic nominees to -- and their super lawyers to negotiate a format that eliminates spontaneity, that eliminates difficult questions, they vet all the moderators, they can't even talk to each other, Andrea. What kind of debate prohibits the candidates from talking to each other? The American people deserve to see candidates for 90 minutes actually confront each other.

KOPPEL: Well, later on, next Friday, we're going to see President Bush and Kerry face off again, but the format's going to be different, it's a town hall. What do you think of that one?

FARAH: Right. I think it's -- the town hall debate always attracts a big audience, because the American audience love to see their neighbors and other people in similar situations asking questions in their language, but unfortunately, this town hall debate is the most restrictive in history. All the questions have to be submitted in advance on index cards and vetting by Charlie Gibson. If he doesn't like the question, he can throw it out, and if a town hall audience member asks a question that deviates from the one he submits, the moderator can just cut him or her off. So, the town hall audience is almost a series of props, which is a shame.

KOPPEL: And why did they make these changes?

FARAH: The candidates are scared of making a mistake in front of 10's of millions of people. President Bush's father, for example, was caught looking at his watch during the 1992 town hall format, that's why the insisted on networks not showing camera shots. President Bush's father also stumbled on a difficult question in that town hall audience in 1992 when a woman asked how the deficit would affect him personally. He didn't understand it, so they prefer to have reporters to asking the questions, rather than ordinary Americans, because they can count on reporters to ask the questions in a language that they understand. So, it's really fundamentally fear, which is inexcusable. They're running for the most powerful office in the world, they shouldn't be scared of questions from ordinary citizens.

KOPPEL: Well, something tells me you'll be watching both Tuesday and Friday along with millions of other Americans.

George Farah, joining us from Boston, thanks so much.

FARAH: Thank you for having me.

KOPPEL: The presidential debates candidates will meet twice more to face off in debates. They meet next Friday, as we were saying, in Saint Louis and in Arizona on October 13, but first vice presidential candidates, Dick Cheney and John Edwards will debate in Cleveland this coming Tuesday. Later today on "People in the News," Paula Zhan takes an in-depth look at the vice presidential candidates. That's at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 Pacific.

More on campaign 2004 is up next. We'll hit the train and check in with Suzanne Malveaux and Frank Buckley, who are traveling with the candidates today.

And later, it'll be a little easier for whoever wins the election to throw out the first pitch next baseball season. We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: It's a busy day on the campaign trail as the candidates shift attention to domestic issues, do some post debate crowing.

Suzanne Malveaux is with President Bush in Mansfield, Ohio, and President (sic) Buckley is with Senator Kerry in or Orlando, Florida.

We start with Frank Buckley in Orlando Florida.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Andrea.

Senator Kerry is focusing now more on domestic issues as the campaign tries to make the pivot to domestic issues from foreign policy. The debate of course on Thursday about foreign policy and homeland security.

On Friday, upcoming, the debate will be about domestic issues. So, now the Kerry campaign trying to frame the issues going into that debate. Here at Freedom High School, Senator Kerry delivered a speech that was designed to appeal to the middle class. It was critical of President Bush about his policies and choices on domestic issues like healthcare and jobs. He argued that President Bush favored special interests over the interests of middle class Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: George Bush came into office four years ago with a very clear philosophy about exactly how he was going to run this country. And time and again, he has made the same choice, to use the power of the presidency, to give more and more to those with the most, more to the wealthiest individuals, more to the most well connected and the result, George Bush doesn't have a record to run on. He has a record to run away from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: And Kerry's strategist believe some of the same arguments that were applied on Iraq and foreign policy can be applied to domestic policy, this idea that President Bush, according to Senator Kerry, can't fix problems if he doesn't acknowledge that problems exist. Senator Kerry even using one of the same lines that he used from the foreign policy debate when he talked about President Bush's policy in Iraq, and he said if you want to continue with President Bush, you will have four words, more of the same. He said that also applies to domestic issues. And presenting himself as a champion of the middle class is one of his biggest applause lines is when he said I've got your back -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: I don't know if you have political aspirations yourself, but I think I introduced you to President Buckley. I apologize. You're a national correspondent. Thanks so much from joining us from Florida.

BUCKLEY: No, that's fine. Thank you.

KOPPEL: Now to Suzanne Malveaux. She is with President Bush in Mansfield, Ohio.

And Suzanne, what can you tell us from there?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, this is the 27th trip the president has taken to Ohio. This is really a key state for the president. As you know, he won this state just by 3.5 percent last time. He is very strong when it comes to southwestern Ohio. That is really Republican strong hold, but he is taking nothing for granted. He is talking about a society of culture of ownership here in Mansfield. Earlier today, he was in includes, Ohio. That is really the geographical as well as political center of the state, still trying to get those undecided voters.

The president clearly stressing his domestic issues today, talking about home ownership, as well as his economic plan, but the president still really continuing that debate from Thursday of cutting into Senator Kerry's point, saying that he is not a strong commander in chief and specifically he is talking about what he calls the Kerry doctrine. That is the reference that the Democratic candidate made for the need for the United States to make some sort of global test. To meet a global test before it invades another country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll continue to work every day with our friends and allies for the sake of freedom and peace. But our national security decisions will be made in the Oval Office, not in foreign capitals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, we understand as well the Kerry campaign is ready to actually respond to that. This is something the Bush administration, the Bush campaign has coined as the Kerry doctrine, that whole idea of a global test. We do expect a response from the Kerry campaign, but already Ohio Democrats are fighting back, firing back. They have put out a new ad and specifically talking about some of the Bush policies, criticizing them, saying that a lot of Ohio residents have suffered under President Bush's watch. They quote a couple of figures, one of them saying more than 57,000 homeowners have been forced foreclose on their homes last year and 237,000 jobs have been lost in Ohio on President Bush's watch -- Andrea. KOPPEL: We know John Kerry is heading up here to Washington later today. Where is the president heading next?

MALVEAUX: The president has a full schedule this week. You can really expect it's going to be a lot of those battleground states. We're talking about Iowa, Wisconsin, many of the states he has been time and time again. But really, it shows the strategy here is just a couple of states they feel that are still in play here. They're going to hit them strong. They're going to hit them hard. And we expect it will be back here in Ohio again. A 28th trip, that will be for us.

KOPPEL: Hope you packed your running shoes.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely.

KOPPEL: Take care, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thanks.

KOPPEL: We'll have more political news coming up in the 2:00 hour of CNN LIVE SATURDAY. CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein has ideas of how it might go differently in the second presidential debate when the candidates face off in a town hall setting.

The hurricanes that blasted Florida in the last few weeks have claimed another victim. Coming up, the problems at NASA due to damage to the Kennedy Space Center from the hurricanes. And long delays in launching the shuttles. Also, the ethical dilemma.

Should you come to work when you're sick? Bruce Weinstein looks at that issue and takes your e-mails about other ethical issues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: News across America now. Newly unsealed transcripts in the Kobe Bryant case are out, including police interviews with Bryant and his accuser. According to the documents, the woman told police officers that Bryant repeatedly ignored her requests to stop their sexual encounter. Charges again Bryant were dropped last month.

More fall out from hurricane that raked across the Florida. NASA says it must delay plans to relaunch the space shuttle from March or April to May or June. Storms closed Kennedy Space Center for a total of nine days and damaged some facilities, but no space craft or hardware.

Promising news for a rare species of whales. North Pacific wright whales may not be going extinct after at all. Scientist have spotted twice as many wright whales in the Bering Sea as previously, giving them a hope of a come back.

And a scuttle over Barry Bonds' ball is over. Giants fan, Steve Williams, had been sued by another fan who claimed he had his mits on the historic baseball. But a judge said there was no evidence to support that another man had the baseball first. Williams can sell the ball if he wants. It's been valued at more than $100,000. Now for some workplace dilemmas. Are job offers like prom dates, do you do you have to go with first one you say yes to, even if the second offer is better?

And once you're a faithful employee, do you show up at work even if you're sick as a dog?

Joining us from our New York Bureau to bat around the issue, Bruce Weinstein, also known as the ethics guy.

So, Bruce, are you telling us we shouldn't go to work if we're feeling sick?

BRUCE WEINSTEIN, THE ETHICS GUY: Andrea, it's unethical to go to work when we're sick for two reasons. First of all, all of us have an ethical obligation to do no harm. Do no harm applies not just to doctors but to all of us. And when we go to work with a cold or a flue, we increase others getting sick, it's wrong. Secondly, we have an obligation to ourselves, to respect ourselves and treat ourselves kindly and take care of ourselves when we're sick. So, when we go to work sick, we're violating two ethical issues.

And ultimately this is management issue. The buck stops at the manager. Any manager who discovers an employee's sick has an ethical obligation to say to him or her, time to go home. Stay home. Enjoy a mug of hot tea and watch Turner Classic Movies, owned by the parent company that owns this network. That's the right thing to do, not to go to work sick.

KOPPEL: Well, I would think it would depend what kind of sick you are, if you just have an awful headache or something that's not contagious, I would think, maybe that's OK.

WEINSTEIN: Not really true, because no matter what your illness is, you can't be fully productive if we come to work sick. So, one of our ethical responsibilities is to our employer, and we have an obligation to be productive. And we can't be productive when we're sick, whether we're Incirlik or not. So when were sick, whether it's a back ache or tummy ache or we have a cold or flu, the right thing to do is stay home.

KOPPEL: How can you get your boss -- I'm sure there are folks out there who feel, look, I'd like to stay home, but I feel pressure to stay up at work. How can we change the mind set of management?

WEINSTEIN: Well, we ought to talk with our managers about the importance of honoring the management's responsibilities to all employers. One way to do that might be to send him or her an article that was published in last Sunday's "New York Times" business section called absenteeism can be a virtue. Go to nytimes.com, pull up that article and e-mail it to one's boss or supervisor. And let them know that it's a good thing for employees to stay home when they're sick. It does everyone good. It's a win/win situation.

KOPPEL: I read that same article. It said absenteeism in the United States accounts for two-thirds of the productivity losses in this country. Who would have thought that?

WEINSTEIN: It's simply wrong to come to work when they're sick and it is right for managers to send sick employees home.

KOPPEL: So if somebody does show up to work sick, what should an employer do?

WEINSTEIN: They should pull a person aside, because it would be wrong to embarrass them in front of their coworkers and say I appreciate your loyalty, your dedication to the company, but you're obviously not feeling well and it's time to go home and you will be treated accordingly. I mean, every employer has an obligation to be fair to employees who are sick. Go home, rest up and come back to work when you're better. It's that simple. I mean, ethics often come down to basic common sense. If you're feeling well, don't come to work.

KOPPEL: Bruce, we've got some e-mails now from viewers. I'm going to read one of them.

"I'm a recent graduate from college and have been looking for a job for past four months. Finally, there's been some activity and two companies have showed interest in me. As I interviewed with one company this past Thursday. They offered me a job. Immediately accepted due to my desperation and excitement at the offer. However a company that I've had a series of interviews with has finally shown me some interest and provided me with an offer."

You get the gist. The person is torn between two companies. If they've already accepted one offer, can they still accept the second one?

WEINSTEIN: Andrea, it is not unethical to change one's mind. However, it would be unethical to lie or deceive the first employer in order to gain employment with the second company. So, the right thing to do is to be open, honest -- open and honest with both companies, explain what's going on. Explain that one rushed to judgment and then let the employers decide. Now, it's quite probable that by taking the high road, you will get what you want in the long run, but it may also be the case that because one jumped the gun, one may not get what one wanted. But the take home message here is when we take the high road, when we do the right thing as opposed to the self interested or easy thing. We benefit in the long run, because we can live with ourselves, knowing we did the right thing. Be open and honest and then ask for what you want. That's the right thing to do.

KOPPEL: You have a clear conscious, above all else.

WEINSTEIN: Exactly.

KOPPEL: Bruce Weinstein, the ethics guy. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

WEINSTEIN: Thank you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Thousands of Web sites all promote the best deals on travel promotions, but which are really the best?

Our "Weekend Getaways" looks at which are best for booking online travel. We'll have that story after a break.

Also, Washington hits a homerun to lure Major League Baseball back to the nation's capital. The 30-year soap opera in trying to snag a team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: You're no arm chair traveler and you're ready to hit the road, but you'd like to handle the planning from the comforts of you're own mouse pad. Listen up, "Travel and Leisure Magazine," has just listed the top 35 Web sites for setting up those "Weekend Getaways."

Hillary Geronemus, from "Travel and Leisure Magazine" joins us from New York to talked about them.

Nice to see you, Hillary.

HILLARY GERONEMUS, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE MAGAZINE": Nice to be here.

KOPPEL: Your magazine list uberengines, what exactly are those?

GERONEMUS: These are the next generation of meta-engines, like qixo.com and mobissimo.com. And they claim to do a more comprehensive search, searching unknown consolidators, little known sites, even international and budget carriers. And the main difference between the two, qixo, you can actually book on the site and mobissimo is purely a search engine.

KOPPEL: Got you. But what if you're looking for a good deal. Tell us about these so called auction sites.

GERONEMUS: Well, if you've got eBay fever, you just definitely head to luxurylink.com. This is a sight that list -- puts luxury vacations such as stay at Hauli Kulana(ph) in Hawaii or Silver Seas cruise to the Mexican Rivera on the auction block. And just yesterday I checked them out, they're going for much below retail.

KOPPEL: Are they risky at all?

GERONEMUS: They're not risky because they're renowned properties and they also give you great prescriptions and beautiful photographs. So, you don't go into it blind.

KOPPEL: But What If you're like some viewers out there who don't like to live within the rules and don't make advanced planning. What's the best advice for last minute shopping?

GERONEMUS: The best sites for last minute are smarterliving.com, and travelzoo.com. Smarterliving you give them their e-mail and your departure city. And every week, they send you a newsletter giving you the airlines, with the most released fairs that are significantly cheaper and their for that weekend or the weekend ahead. And travelzoo has their top 20 package and deals. Now, both of them are incredible bargains, and they do go fast.

KOPPEL: Got you. And I always wondered about this, what is eco- travel and where can we do the research on that.

GERONEMUS: Well, more and more, we're seeing peopling looking for a vacation with that has some autistic tendency and the site responsibletravel.com is great place to start. This was over 170 embedded places that make an effort to conserve the environment and the community around them. Whether it's just a hotel that's green or an actual volunteer vacation.

KOPPEL: And cruises, where can we find the best Web sites for those?

GERONEMUS: Well, cruiseonly.com claims to be the world's largest cruise agent, and they make finding a cruise simply but, letting you pick either the destination, the cruise ship, the cruise line or the time you want to go. They also have tours of over 120 ships so you can go and take a look from the comfort of your own home. From our candid reviews from die hard cruises, you should go over to cruisecritic.com, which gives you a little bit more insight into what you're really going to get.

KOPPEL: I am very impressed, Hillary, that you remembered all of those Web site addresses. Clearly, that's why you do what you do.

Hillary Geronemus, from "Travel and Leisure Magazine." Joining us from New York, thanks.

GERONEMUS: Thank you.

KOPPEL: If you didn't already know this, nothing lasts forever, including baseball hits record for a single season. We'll let you know who is going into the records book next and we'll also look at the 30-year drama to bring baseball back to the nation's capital.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: An 84-year-old record has fallen in Major League Baseball. Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners has taken the title of most hits in a single season, 259. That's two more than the previous record. Suzuki says it's a big relief to get the record behind him, calling it the highlight of his career.

Here in the nation's capital we haven't heard the crack of a bat at a Major League ball game in decades. Now all of that is going to change.

CNN Sean Callebs reports now, a Washington team is answering the call for batter up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been a painful soap opera for Washington baseball fans. After years of bad baseball, fans stormed the field during the last game in 1971 before the Senators morphed into the Texas Rangers and grabbed everything that wasn't nailed down. Few at the time thought baseball would abandon the city for three plus decades.

CHARLES BROTMAN, FMR. WASHINGTON SENATORS ANNOUNCER: We thought we would have it in a year or two, three at the out set, because we're the nation's capital.

CALLEBS: Now, the national past time is back in the nation's capital.

MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON: And after 30 years of waiting and waiting and waiting...

CALLEBS: A home run for D.C. following 33 years of letdowns, heart breaks, courting, cajoling, dating all the way back to 1974. The then woeful San Diego Padre's were posed to leave sunny Southern California for D.C. Then the late McDonald's millionaire, Ray Crock, stepped in with enough money to keep the Padre's planted.

And as the ball turns, the next pitch hope for an expansion in '77, but commissioner Bowie Kuhn sounded what will be a familiar chord, saying the Baltimore Orioles 40 miles to the north were too close. Hopes dashed again.

Fast forward now to the mid '80s. Fans, in an effort to show their passion, prove their loyalty, pledge their undying love to form a union with big league baseball went to the bank. They deposited $8 million, enough to buy 10,000 season tickets.

BROTMAN: We got lots of money, lots of interest, lots of enthusiasm, no team.

CALLEBS: But now at the alter, Washington and big league baseball arm in arm. They've said I do. Now fans are just waiting for "play ball."

Sean Callebs, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: There is much more ahead on CNN Saturday in a few moments, we'll have "IN THE MONEY" with Jack Cafferty.

At 2:00 p.m. Eastern CNN LIVE SATURDAY goes in depth on the situation in Iraq, as U.S. troops launch a major offensive against insurgents.

Then at 3:00, "NEXT@CNN." Today looking at keeping an eye on the $10 million X-Prize to achieve space travel.

But first Jack Cafferty with a preview of in the money.

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 October 2, 2004 - 12:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: It's noon in Washington, 9:00 a.m. at Mount St Helens. Good afternoon. I'm Andrea Koppel at CNN's studios, here in Washington. Ahead this hour:
Down to the homestretch: Just a month to go before the election. How will President Bush and Senator Kerry spend the waning days of the campaign? We'll have live reports from Ohio and Florida, coming up.

And a dilemma many people would love to have: One job offer after another. But, if you've already said "yes" to the first, is it OK to change your mind? We want your e-mails as we ask the Ethics Guy.

Plus, we'll check in at Mount St Helens. Yesterday's eruption was called a mere hiccup, but the show may not be over yet. So, we're keeping our ear's to the ground. But first, a look at the top stories in the news, right now.

Hundreds of anti-war protesters turn out for a march to the White House from Arlington National Cemetery. They carried cardboard coffins. Organizers say the marchers include surviving family members of those killed in the war.

Police in suburban Seattle are trying to figure out who broke into the Bush state campaign headquarters there. Three laptop computers, containing campaign strategy, were taken from the office. Police have yet to find evidence to support campaign charges that the theft was politically motivated.

A funeral procession turned violent in the streets of a city in eastern Pakistan. Protesters say the government is moving too slowly to investigate the bombing of a mosque yesterday, in which 30 people died. A mob burned government offices and several vehicles.

We begin in Iraq, where city streets have become battle fields in the fight against the insurgency. U.S. and Iraqi troops are involved in a major offensive in the city of Samarra. Raids and air strikes are also underway in other parts of Iraq. CNN's Brent Sadler is live from Baghdad now, where he is following developments.

So, how far along are they in the fight right now in Samarra, Brent?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, U.S. and Iraqi forces have been making inroads into Samarra, some 60 miles north of Iraq, and military commanders on the ground say they've killed around 120 insurgents, captured some 80 others, this after some pretty intense clashes in that city over the past couple of days. U.S. Air strikes have been conducted, helicopters also firing into insurgent strongholds. U.S. forces have found weapons in one mosque and certainly some very heavy clashes, indeed.

Pentagon and interim government officials say that they have local support for this operation, though many people in Samarra were thinking that their city was held hostage by the insurgents. So, the Pentagon and government officials saying that this was supported by the locals.

Now, the latest we have from there came from a top military commander who had this to say about the success, they believe, of the mission:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJOR GEN. JOHN, BATISKE, U.S. ARMY: I'm very confident that the future of Samarra is good. This is great news for the people of Samarra -- 200,000 people that have been held captive, hostage, if you will, by just a couple hundred of thugs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: Now, mopping up operations are expected to continue over the next few days. In another area of continuing activity, U.S. war planes have again been in action against Fallujah. Now, Fallujah is thought to be the tough nut to crack, as far as insurgent activity is concerned. And Samarra, the success there, say U.S. military officials and Iraqi officials, is really seen as boosting the confidence and morale among Iraqi troops who will be called on backed up by U.S. firepower to go for Fallujah when those orders are given. All this, part of a strategy, Andrea, to stabilize the country, seize back control of uncontrolled cities before elections at the end of January -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Brent, as you know, Fallujah is considered to be the toughest of all the stronghold held by the insurgents. Why didn't the U.S. and Iraqi military start there? Why did they begin in Samarra?

SADLER: Because the idea is to go for the easier areas first to build up to this. This, after all, was the first time that the reconstituted Iraqi army and national guardsmen have been working alongside American troops. Last time, they were left to do it on their own in Samarra. They fell apart. This time, about 2,000 Iraqis held strong, backed up by the U.S. and the idea is to build confidence, because it is the Iraqi forces, in the end, that will have to be the most reliable source of security in this country. So, start low down and build your way up. That's the strategy.

KOPPEL: Brent Sadler there for us in Baghdad. Thank you, Brent.

As we just heard from Brent, Samarra is the first offensive in a plan to take back cities from insurgents. Success in Samarra won't be easy. CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with troops and has this look from the fierce fighting there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Troops from the 1st Infantry Division rolled through the darkened street taking control, neighborhood by neighborhood. As dawn broke, hundreds of soldiers on foot moved toward the center of Samarra.

(on camera): The streets are fortunately empty. All these shops are shuttered. This battle has been going on for more than nine hours and U.S. military says (GUN SHOT) it will continue until they have rooted out the insurgents in this city.

(voice-over): The soldiers make slow progress threw these winding streets. Tanks and armored vehicles can't easily go through here. For hours, they take fire from gunmen darting from alleyways and hiding on rooftops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engaging small arms fire.

ARRAF: At least one U.S. soldier was killed near the city's sacred shrine. The U.S. military says it killed at least 109 suspected insurgents, including this man. The offensive was the first time the military has allowed journalists into the city with its forces in months. For more than an hour, U.S. soldiers took fire near the shrine from one of the smaller hotels normally used by pilgrims. But the American forces stopped shortly of the mosque where two of the 12 Iamams (PH) are buried and where some Shias believe the Trasimam (PH) will return to ring in judgment day.

(on camera): It actually looks worse then it its. This fire burning in front of the shrine, the mosque is untouched. But for Iraqis, the presence of U.S. soldiers here will be inflammatory enough.

(voice-over): While U.S. forces blasted open the days to pave the way, it was left to Iraqi troops to enter the mosque. The new Iraqi Special Forces say they fought was insurgents in the shrine, killing two and detaining dozens. U.S. troops reentered Samarra only in September, after agreeing in July to allow Iraqis to police the city. U.S. forces say this time they won't leave 'til all the insurgents are gone.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Samarra.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: With one month to go until Election Day, the presidential candidates are shifting their campaigns away from war and terror to issues of bread and butter. President Bush is out early selling his tax cuts and domestic agenda in Mansfield, Ohio. You're looking at a live picture there. It's only noon and Mr. Bush is already on the second of three steps in that battleground state. It's his 27th visit to Ohio.

Democratic presidential challenger, John Kerry, is wrapping up a fourth day stay in Florida, where he spent time touring hurricane damage. During a morning rally in Orlando, he accused the president of forgetting middle class families and favoring wealthy special interests. Kerry told supporters, quote, "The American dream is on the ballot a month from today."

Kerry is trying to capitalize on Thursday night's presidential debate, most polls show viewers consider him the winner. More than 52 million Americans watched and CNN's Bill Hemmer was watching with a group of undecided voters in Columbus, Ohio, here is how they saw the debate:

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were 22 mostly undecided voters in a critical battleground state, brought together on the campus of Ohio State University. They were truckers and teachers, accounts and retirees. CNN equipped them with handheld touch pads to gauge their reactions in realtime. The women were measured with the yellow line, the men with the blue line.

Senator Kerry won strong approval when he suggested the president took the fight to the wrong enemy.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can't leave a failed Iraq. That doesn't mean it wasn't a mistake in judgment to go there and take the focus off Osama bin laden. It was.

HEMMER: President Bush, then, scored high marks when he suggested that Senator Kerry was not backing U.S. allies.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I mean, you can't expect to build an alliance when you denigrate the contributions of those who are serving side-by-side with American troops in Iraq.

HEMMER: Later, strong words from the senator about those killed in Iraq sent the meters lower.

KERRY: More in July than June, more in August than July, more in September than in August.

HEMMER: Then a strong rebuttal by the president was not well received.

BUSH: You cannot lead the war in terror if you keep changing positions on the war in terror and says (SIC) things like, "Well, this is just a grand diversion." It's not a grand diversion; this is an essential that we get it right.

HEMMER: Reaction from our focus group was generally mixed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think after this, leaning a little more toward Kerry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight, it made me lean a little more towards Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was very even. Neither party made their point much above the other.

HEMMER (on camera): Our survey was not scientific, but it did give us a small snapshot of what this group of undecided voters is thinking now upon the conclusion of No. 2 for more answers, not so much on foreign policy, but on domestic issues in this country.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: And stay with CNN, your election 2004 campaign headquarters, for all your political headlines.

Coming up in ten minutes, we'll have George Farah of OpenDebates.org. He'll join us to preview what we might see when the vice presidential candidates face off.

And at half past the hour, Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the Bush team and Frank Buckley who's covering the Kerry campaign, will join us with live reports.

But first, Mount Saint Helens on the brink, after the largest eruption in 18 years. Scientists are watching and waiting to see what will happen next. We'll have a live report.

Also, he was live in the eye of the storm and brought us heart breaking stories of desperation and devastation in Haiti. Karl Penhaul will join us live on the ongoing crisis and recovery efforts there.

This is CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Scientists watching a rumbling Mount Saint Helens volcano are bracing for more violent activities after yesterday's blast. With the latest now in Washington state, from reporter Donna Tetreault whose near the volcano now.

Donna, I have to ask you, I know that this volcano's been dormant for 18 years and I'm sure it was a little scary, but was it also exhilarating to watch?

DONNA TETREAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what a lot of people that were here said. They were in awe of what they saw. Now, Mount Saint Helens is continuing to shake today. And scientists say the earthquakes are now even more frequent than they were yesterday before that eruption and, again, people were in awe. But they say they still believe -- the scientists still believe there's no danger ahead, which is good, and they say, scientists, that we will only see more spectacular sights from the volcano.

Now, it seems very calm now, but scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey have been monitoring the volcano all night and expect to see more explosions like the one we saw yesterday, in the coming weeks and days ahead. We may even see lava spill over the top. Now, this eruption, yesterday, was the biggest explosion at Mount Saint Helens in 18 years. It all started earlier in the week when thousands of small earthquakes shook the mountain. The explosion spewed out steam and ash for about 24 minutes and rocks the size of cars spilled out of the volcano. Hundreds of people watched the eruption in awe. Now, the likelihood of another one is high. Seismic activity died down for about three or four hours after the eruption, but it's picked up again and it's exceeded the level at it was -- that it was yesterday before the steam burst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM PIERSON, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: What that's telling us is that the overall seismic energy release is continuing to increase and, actually, if you plot it all over the whole week since this has been going on, it's fairly steadily, almost linear trend, going upward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TETREAULT: And Tom Pierson believes that we might even see another explosion sometime today. Scientists will continue to monitor the volcano, and again, only great sights ahead in the next days and weeks ahead -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Well, it's nice to know that it's something folks get to enjoy rather than fear. Donna Tetreault there, in Washington state, thanks so much.

Well, the deadly effects of Hurricane Jeanne linger in Haiti where hundreds where killed by the storm. Meanwhile, at least seven people have been killed in street demonstrations demanding the return of exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Hundreds of thousands remain homeless in Haiti in the wake of the storm.

CNN's Karl Penhaul has been covering the natural and political storms in Haiti, and he joins us now live from CNN Center with some of his observations on both.

So Karl, what's your understanding of these demonstrations in Haiti? Just how widespread is the support for Aristide's return?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're seeing there, both today and yesterday, from what we understand, are gangs armed, political groups, on the streets, causing trouble and demonstrating for Aristide's return. We saw that, in fact, in Gonaives amongst the people who had been affected by Tropical Storm Jeanne, as well. We talked to them and asked them what the impact that disaster may have on the existing government and they were very much of the opinion that the Haitian government hadn't done enough to respond to this natural disaster and those armed gangs on the street, there in Gonaives, said they would then try to take action to -- against the government and in favor of Aristide. So, it could be what we're seeing in Port-au- Prince now is the political consequences of the Haitian government's perceived lack of effort to respond to the natural disaster -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Now obviously, Aristide left and accuses the U.S. of forcing him to leave in February of this year. Any chance that he might come back sooner? I know they're supposed to have elections next year.

PENHAUL: That's right. Seeing that the election's in 2005. Difficult to say, it's really -- while we were there over the last week, very difficult to read the political situation right now because of the turmoil that that natural disaster has caused. The city of Gonaives, in fact, was instrumental in getting Aristide out in the first place during that rebellion in February. That was one of the centers of the rebellion. An armed gang, which are both criminal gangs, but also have a social component to them, as well, were instrumental in backing the rebellion and getting Aristide out.

Gonaives was also the center of the independence movement back in the 1800s, as well. So, that city, hit by the natural disaster, is politically very important. So, anything that the government does or doesn't do in the city of Gonaives is likely to have an impact on the political stage. Whether that will ultimately lead to Aristide coming back, or whether other sections of Haitian society feel it's too discredited, we're going to have to watch and see what happens there, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Karl, in our remaining moments, do us a favor, you did such a wonderful job with your pictures and your reports coming out of Haiti. But, what didn't make it into your reports? What were the things you saw you'd like to share with our viewers?

PENHAUL: Some of the personal impressions, the -- one day, for example, I was talking to a representative of the World Health Organization, he was practically in tears when he was saying to me that he didn't feel that either the dead from that storm had been respected and he didn't feel that survivors, that their dignity was being respected. He was very upset by the fact that people had to fight for food. He was also very upset that the dead -- dead corpses had been thrown into mass grave sites along with the carcasses of animals. Also, though, the dignity of the Haitian people in that they were affected by this tragedy, but all the time that we were there, we didn't see a single person cry. Quite strange, but believed that really was because they were so focused on trying to survive, get by the next hours and the next days that this disaster really hasn't had time to sink in and those kind of emotions will have to come out over the coming weeks.

KOPPEL: It must be very surreal for you to be in a place like that, where there's such a devastating natural disaster, and then to come back into civilization here, especially in Atlanta, where obviously, the tropical storms had next to no effect. But, Karl Penhaul, thank you so much for your wonderful reporting.

PENHAUL: Thanks.

KOPPEL: Still ahead, have you ever felt a little under the weather, but gone to work anyway? I think we all have. You may think it shows dedication, but you might be putting your boss in an ethical dilemma. Bruce Weinstein, the Ethics Guy, joins us in our second half hour to take your questions about everyday moral dilemmas. Go ahead and e-mail us. You know the address, it's ethics@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Turning again to politics, dueling radio addresses: President Bush today, reminded Americans that his fourth tax cut in four years will be signed into law tomorrow. Vice presidential candidate John Edwards delivered the democratic's response saying, a Kerry administration would create more jobs.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: Some police stations in Washington have a different view of tax relief. When I proposed tax relief for working families in 2001 and 2003, Senator Kerry and other democratic leaders voted against it. In fact Senator Kerry has voted consistency against marriage penalty relief, against increasing the child tax credit, and against expanding the 10 percent bracket.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), NORTH CAROLINA: John Kerry and I believe to our core every American deserves the same opportunities to get ahead. That's why we're going to create and keep good-paying jobs, here in America. We will end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and create tax breaks for companies and small businesses for keeping jobs here.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Senator Edwards is spending the day in Chautauqua, New York, where he's preparing for Tuesday night's vice presidential debate. Vice President Dick Cheney is doing the same in Jackson, Wyoming. Here to look at the match up, as well as next Friday's town hall debate between Bush and Kerry, is George Farah, author of "No Debate: How the Two Major Parties Secretly Ruin the Presidential Debates."

Well, Mr. Farah, I guess we know where you stand on this format. You're clearly not a fan. But, I know that you believe looking ahead to Tuesday's vice presidential debate that it could prove to be the most important debate of the several that we have upcoming.

GEORGE FARAH, AUTHOR OF "NO DEBATE": I think these two candidates, the vice president, Cheney, and Senator Edwards have a degree of charisma and eloquence that the presidential nominees may be lacking. So, this could be -- this could prove to be a more intriguing event. That might attract the greatest audience for vice presidential debate in American history.

KOPPEL: And it's most important, you believe, because of the contrast between the two candidates?

FARAH: Oh, they have contrasting styles. Edwards is remarkably charming and remarkably inexperienced, whereas Cheney is a bit more gruff, but highly experienced. They're bolth very eloquent, but of course they're still going to be hampered by the same format restrictions that prohibit themselves from talking to each other, limit rebuttal and serebuttal (PH), and force them to reduce their answers to a series of memorized sound bites. KOPPEL: And I said at the outset, you're not a fan of this format. Why not?

FARAH: Well, the bipartisan candidate-controlled, corporate funded commission on presidential debates host these forums, excludes all third party challengers, and it allows the republican democratic nominees to -- and their super lawyers to negotiate a format that eliminates spontaneity, that eliminates difficult questions, they vet all the moderators, they can't even talk to each other, Andrea. What kind of debate prohibits the candidates from talking to each other? The American people deserve to see candidates for 90 minutes actually confront each other.

KOPPEL: Well, later on, next Friday, we're going to see President Bush and Kerry face off again, but the format's going to be different, it's a town hall. What do you think of that one?

FARAH: Right. I think it's -- the town hall debate always attracts a big audience, because the American audience love to see their neighbors and other people in similar situations asking questions in their language, but unfortunately, this town hall debate is the most restrictive in history. All the questions have to be submitted in advance on index cards and vetting by Charlie Gibson. If he doesn't like the question, he can throw it out, and if a town hall audience member asks a question that deviates from the one he submits, the moderator can just cut him or her off. So, the town hall audience is almost a series of props, which is a shame.

KOPPEL: And why did they make these changes?

FARAH: The candidates are scared of making a mistake in front of 10's of millions of people. President Bush's father, for example, was caught looking at his watch during the 1992 town hall format, that's why the insisted on networks not showing camera shots. President Bush's father also stumbled on a difficult question in that town hall audience in 1992 when a woman asked how the deficit would affect him personally. He didn't understand it, so they prefer to have reporters to asking the questions, rather than ordinary Americans, because they can count on reporters to ask the questions in a language that they understand. So, it's really fundamentally fear, which is inexcusable. They're running for the most powerful office in the world, they shouldn't be scared of questions from ordinary citizens.

KOPPEL: Well, something tells me you'll be watching both Tuesday and Friday along with millions of other Americans.

George Farah, joining us from Boston, thanks so much.

FARAH: Thank you for having me.

KOPPEL: The presidential debates candidates will meet twice more to face off in debates. They meet next Friday, as we were saying, in Saint Louis and in Arizona on October 13, but first vice presidential candidates, Dick Cheney and John Edwards will debate in Cleveland this coming Tuesday. Later today on "People in the News," Paula Zhan takes an in-depth look at the vice presidential candidates. That's at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 Pacific.

More on campaign 2004 is up next. We'll hit the train and check in with Suzanne Malveaux and Frank Buckley, who are traveling with the candidates today.

And later, it'll be a little easier for whoever wins the election to throw out the first pitch next baseball season. We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: It's a busy day on the campaign trail as the candidates shift attention to domestic issues, do some post debate crowing.

Suzanne Malveaux is with President Bush in Mansfield, Ohio, and President (sic) Buckley is with Senator Kerry in or Orlando, Florida.

We start with Frank Buckley in Orlando Florida.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Andrea.

Senator Kerry is focusing now more on domestic issues as the campaign tries to make the pivot to domestic issues from foreign policy. The debate of course on Thursday about foreign policy and homeland security.

On Friday, upcoming, the debate will be about domestic issues. So, now the Kerry campaign trying to frame the issues going into that debate. Here at Freedom High School, Senator Kerry delivered a speech that was designed to appeal to the middle class. It was critical of President Bush about his policies and choices on domestic issues like healthcare and jobs. He argued that President Bush favored special interests over the interests of middle class Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: George Bush came into office four years ago with a very clear philosophy about exactly how he was going to run this country. And time and again, he has made the same choice, to use the power of the presidency, to give more and more to those with the most, more to the wealthiest individuals, more to the most well connected and the result, George Bush doesn't have a record to run on. He has a record to run away from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: And Kerry's strategist believe some of the same arguments that were applied on Iraq and foreign policy can be applied to domestic policy, this idea that President Bush, according to Senator Kerry, can't fix problems if he doesn't acknowledge that problems exist. Senator Kerry even using one of the same lines that he used from the foreign policy debate when he talked about President Bush's policy in Iraq, and he said if you want to continue with President Bush, you will have four words, more of the same. He said that also applies to domestic issues. And presenting himself as a champion of the middle class is one of his biggest applause lines is when he said I've got your back -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: I don't know if you have political aspirations yourself, but I think I introduced you to President Buckley. I apologize. You're a national correspondent. Thanks so much from joining us from Florida.

BUCKLEY: No, that's fine. Thank you.

KOPPEL: Now to Suzanne Malveaux. She is with President Bush in Mansfield, Ohio.

And Suzanne, what can you tell us from there?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, this is the 27th trip the president has taken to Ohio. This is really a key state for the president. As you know, he won this state just by 3.5 percent last time. He is very strong when it comes to southwestern Ohio. That is really Republican strong hold, but he is taking nothing for granted. He is talking about a society of culture of ownership here in Mansfield. Earlier today, he was in includes, Ohio. That is really the geographical as well as political center of the state, still trying to get those undecided voters.

The president clearly stressing his domestic issues today, talking about home ownership, as well as his economic plan, but the president still really continuing that debate from Thursday of cutting into Senator Kerry's point, saying that he is not a strong commander in chief and specifically he is talking about what he calls the Kerry doctrine. That is the reference that the Democratic candidate made for the need for the United States to make some sort of global test. To meet a global test before it invades another country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll continue to work every day with our friends and allies for the sake of freedom and peace. But our national security decisions will be made in the Oval Office, not in foreign capitals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, we understand as well the Kerry campaign is ready to actually respond to that. This is something the Bush administration, the Bush campaign has coined as the Kerry doctrine, that whole idea of a global test. We do expect a response from the Kerry campaign, but already Ohio Democrats are fighting back, firing back. They have put out a new ad and specifically talking about some of the Bush policies, criticizing them, saying that a lot of Ohio residents have suffered under President Bush's watch. They quote a couple of figures, one of them saying more than 57,000 homeowners have been forced foreclose on their homes last year and 237,000 jobs have been lost in Ohio on President Bush's watch -- Andrea. KOPPEL: We know John Kerry is heading up here to Washington later today. Where is the president heading next?

MALVEAUX: The president has a full schedule this week. You can really expect it's going to be a lot of those battleground states. We're talking about Iowa, Wisconsin, many of the states he has been time and time again. But really, it shows the strategy here is just a couple of states they feel that are still in play here. They're going to hit them strong. They're going to hit them hard. And we expect it will be back here in Ohio again. A 28th trip, that will be for us.

KOPPEL: Hope you packed your running shoes.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely.

KOPPEL: Take care, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thanks.

KOPPEL: We'll have more political news coming up in the 2:00 hour of CNN LIVE SATURDAY. CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein has ideas of how it might go differently in the second presidential debate when the candidates face off in a town hall setting.

The hurricanes that blasted Florida in the last few weeks have claimed another victim. Coming up, the problems at NASA due to damage to the Kennedy Space Center from the hurricanes. And long delays in launching the shuttles. Also, the ethical dilemma.

Should you come to work when you're sick? Bruce Weinstein looks at that issue and takes your e-mails about other ethical issues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: News across America now. Newly unsealed transcripts in the Kobe Bryant case are out, including police interviews with Bryant and his accuser. According to the documents, the woman told police officers that Bryant repeatedly ignored her requests to stop their sexual encounter. Charges again Bryant were dropped last month.

More fall out from hurricane that raked across the Florida. NASA says it must delay plans to relaunch the space shuttle from March or April to May or June. Storms closed Kennedy Space Center for a total of nine days and damaged some facilities, but no space craft or hardware.

Promising news for a rare species of whales. North Pacific wright whales may not be going extinct after at all. Scientist have spotted twice as many wright whales in the Bering Sea as previously, giving them a hope of a come back.

And a scuttle over Barry Bonds' ball is over. Giants fan, Steve Williams, had been sued by another fan who claimed he had his mits on the historic baseball. But a judge said there was no evidence to support that another man had the baseball first. Williams can sell the ball if he wants. It's been valued at more than $100,000. Now for some workplace dilemmas. Are job offers like prom dates, do you do you have to go with first one you say yes to, even if the second offer is better?

And once you're a faithful employee, do you show up at work even if you're sick as a dog?

Joining us from our New York Bureau to bat around the issue, Bruce Weinstein, also known as the ethics guy.

So, Bruce, are you telling us we shouldn't go to work if we're feeling sick?

BRUCE WEINSTEIN, THE ETHICS GUY: Andrea, it's unethical to go to work when we're sick for two reasons. First of all, all of us have an ethical obligation to do no harm. Do no harm applies not just to doctors but to all of us. And when we go to work with a cold or a flue, we increase others getting sick, it's wrong. Secondly, we have an obligation to ourselves, to respect ourselves and treat ourselves kindly and take care of ourselves when we're sick. So, when we go to work sick, we're violating two ethical issues.

And ultimately this is management issue. The buck stops at the manager. Any manager who discovers an employee's sick has an ethical obligation to say to him or her, time to go home. Stay home. Enjoy a mug of hot tea and watch Turner Classic Movies, owned by the parent company that owns this network. That's the right thing to do, not to go to work sick.

KOPPEL: Well, I would think it would depend what kind of sick you are, if you just have an awful headache or something that's not contagious, I would think, maybe that's OK.

WEINSTEIN: Not really true, because no matter what your illness is, you can't be fully productive if we come to work sick. So, one of our ethical responsibilities is to our employer, and we have an obligation to be productive. And we can't be productive when we're sick, whether we're Incirlik or not. So when were sick, whether it's a back ache or tummy ache or we have a cold or flu, the right thing to do is stay home.

KOPPEL: How can you get your boss -- I'm sure there are folks out there who feel, look, I'd like to stay home, but I feel pressure to stay up at work. How can we change the mind set of management?

WEINSTEIN: Well, we ought to talk with our managers about the importance of honoring the management's responsibilities to all employers. One way to do that might be to send him or her an article that was published in last Sunday's "New York Times" business section called absenteeism can be a virtue. Go to nytimes.com, pull up that article and e-mail it to one's boss or supervisor. And let them know that it's a good thing for employees to stay home when they're sick. It does everyone good. It's a win/win situation.

KOPPEL: I read that same article. It said absenteeism in the United States accounts for two-thirds of the productivity losses in this country. Who would have thought that?

WEINSTEIN: It's simply wrong to come to work when they're sick and it is right for managers to send sick employees home.

KOPPEL: So if somebody does show up to work sick, what should an employer do?

WEINSTEIN: They should pull a person aside, because it would be wrong to embarrass them in front of their coworkers and say I appreciate your loyalty, your dedication to the company, but you're obviously not feeling well and it's time to go home and you will be treated accordingly. I mean, every employer has an obligation to be fair to employees who are sick. Go home, rest up and come back to work when you're better. It's that simple. I mean, ethics often come down to basic common sense. If you're feeling well, don't come to work.

KOPPEL: Bruce, we've got some e-mails now from viewers. I'm going to read one of them.

"I'm a recent graduate from college and have been looking for a job for past four months. Finally, there's been some activity and two companies have showed interest in me. As I interviewed with one company this past Thursday. They offered me a job. Immediately accepted due to my desperation and excitement at the offer. However a company that I've had a series of interviews with has finally shown me some interest and provided me with an offer."

You get the gist. The person is torn between two companies. If they've already accepted one offer, can they still accept the second one?

WEINSTEIN: Andrea, it is not unethical to change one's mind. However, it would be unethical to lie or deceive the first employer in order to gain employment with the second company. So, the right thing to do is to be open, honest -- open and honest with both companies, explain what's going on. Explain that one rushed to judgment and then let the employers decide. Now, it's quite probable that by taking the high road, you will get what you want in the long run, but it may also be the case that because one jumped the gun, one may not get what one wanted. But the take home message here is when we take the high road, when we do the right thing as opposed to the self interested or easy thing. We benefit in the long run, because we can live with ourselves, knowing we did the right thing. Be open and honest and then ask for what you want. That's the right thing to do.

KOPPEL: You have a clear conscious, above all else.

WEINSTEIN: Exactly.

KOPPEL: Bruce Weinstein, the ethics guy. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

WEINSTEIN: Thank you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Thousands of Web sites all promote the best deals on travel promotions, but which are really the best?

Our "Weekend Getaways" looks at which are best for booking online travel. We'll have that story after a break.

Also, Washington hits a homerun to lure Major League Baseball back to the nation's capital. The 30-year soap opera in trying to snag a team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: You're no arm chair traveler and you're ready to hit the road, but you'd like to handle the planning from the comforts of you're own mouse pad. Listen up, "Travel and Leisure Magazine," has just listed the top 35 Web sites for setting up those "Weekend Getaways."

Hillary Geronemus, from "Travel and Leisure Magazine" joins us from New York to talked about them.

Nice to see you, Hillary.

HILLARY GERONEMUS, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE MAGAZINE": Nice to be here.

KOPPEL: Your magazine list uberengines, what exactly are those?

GERONEMUS: These are the next generation of meta-engines, like qixo.com and mobissimo.com. And they claim to do a more comprehensive search, searching unknown consolidators, little known sites, even international and budget carriers. And the main difference between the two, qixo, you can actually book on the site and mobissimo is purely a search engine.

KOPPEL: Got you. But what if you're looking for a good deal. Tell us about these so called auction sites.

GERONEMUS: Well, if you've got eBay fever, you just definitely head to luxurylink.com. This is a sight that list -- puts luxury vacations such as stay at Hauli Kulana(ph) in Hawaii or Silver Seas cruise to the Mexican Rivera on the auction block. And just yesterday I checked them out, they're going for much below retail.

KOPPEL: Are they risky at all?

GERONEMUS: They're not risky because they're renowned properties and they also give you great prescriptions and beautiful photographs. So, you don't go into it blind.

KOPPEL: But What If you're like some viewers out there who don't like to live within the rules and don't make advanced planning. What's the best advice for last minute shopping?

GERONEMUS: The best sites for last minute are smarterliving.com, and travelzoo.com. Smarterliving you give them their e-mail and your departure city. And every week, they send you a newsletter giving you the airlines, with the most released fairs that are significantly cheaper and their for that weekend or the weekend ahead. And travelzoo has their top 20 package and deals. Now, both of them are incredible bargains, and they do go fast.

KOPPEL: Got you. And I always wondered about this, what is eco- travel and where can we do the research on that.

GERONEMUS: Well, more and more, we're seeing peopling looking for a vacation with that has some autistic tendency and the site responsibletravel.com is great place to start. This was over 170 embedded places that make an effort to conserve the environment and the community around them. Whether it's just a hotel that's green or an actual volunteer vacation.

KOPPEL: And cruises, where can we find the best Web sites for those?

GERONEMUS: Well, cruiseonly.com claims to be the world's largest cruise agent, and they make finding a cruise simply but, letting you pick either the destination, the cruise ship, the cruise line or the time you want to go. They also have tours of over 120 ships so you can go and take a look from the comfort of your own home. From our candid reviews from die hard cruises, you should go over to cruisecritic.com, which gives you a little bit more insight into what you're really going to get.

KOPPEL: I am very impressed, Hillary, that you remembered all of those Web site addresses. Clearly, that's why you do what you do.

Hillary Geronemus, from "Travel and Leisure Magazine." Joining us from New York, thanks.

GERONEMUS: Thank you.

KOPPEL: If you didn't already know this, nothing lasts forever, including baseball hits record for a single season. We'll let you know who is going into the records book next and we'll also look at the 30-year drama to bring baseball back to the nation's capital.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: An 84-year-old record has fallen in Major League Baseball. Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners has taken the title of most hits in a single season, 259. That's two more than the previous record. Suzuki says it's a big relief to get the record behind him, calling it the highlight of his career.

Here in the nation's capital we haven't heard the crack of a bat at a Major League ball game in decades. Now all of that is going to change.

CNN Sean Callebs reports now, a Washington team is answering the call for batter up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been a painful soap opera for Washington baseball fans. After years of bad baseball, fans stormed the field during the last game in 1971 before the Senators morphed into the Texas Rangers and grabbed everything that wasn't nailed down. Few at the time thought baseball would abandon the city for three plus decades.

CHARLES BROTMAN, FMR. WASHINGTON SENATORS ANNOUNCER: We thought we would have it in a year or two, three at the out set, because we're the nation's capital.

CALLEBS: Now, the national past time is back in the nation's capital.

MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON: And after 30 years of waiting and waiting and waiting...

CALLEBS: A home run for D.C. following 33 years of letdowns, heart breaks, courting, cajoling, dating all the way back to 1974. The then woeful San Diego Padre's were posed to leave sunny Southern California for D.C. Then the late McDonald's millionaire, Ray Crock, stepped in with enough money to keep the Padre's planted.

And as the ball turns, the next pitch hope for an expansion in '77, but commissioner Bowie Kuhn sounded what will be a familiar chord, saying the Baltimore Orioles 40 miles to the north were too close. Hopes dashed again.

Fast forward now to the mid '80s. Fans, in an effort to show their passion, prove their loyalty, pledge their undying love to form a union with big league baseball went to the bank. They deposited $8 million, enough to buy 10,000 season tickets.

BROTMAN: We got lots of money, lots of interest, lots of enthusiasm, no team.

CALLEBS: But now at the alter, Washington and big league baseball arm in arm. They've said I do. Now fans are just waiting for "play ball."

Sean Callebs, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: There is much more ahead on CNN Saturday in a few moments, we'll have "IN THE MONEY" with Jack Cafferty.

At 2:00 p.m. Eastern CNN LIVE SATURDAY goes in depth on the situation in Iraq, as U.S. troops launch a major offensive against insurgents.

Then at 3:00, "NEXT@CNN." Today looking at keeping an eye on the $10 million X-Prize to achieve space travel.

But first Jack Cafferty with a preview of in the money.

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