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CNN Live Saturday

Iraqis Prepare To Vote; Dr. Bill Lloyd Discusses How To Get A Second Opinion; Ice Storm Cripples Southern States

Aired January 29, 2005 - 16:00   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.


RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN ANCHOR: The south gets a rude awakening yankee-style, ice shutting down just about everything.
Are you afraid to tell your doctor you want a second opinion? Dr. Lloyd to the rescue later in our show.

And Iraq prepares for its first free election in more than 50 years. Anderson Cooper gives us a reporter's view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CN ANCHOR (voic-eover): Some days you wake and don't want to go outside. You ask yourself, do I need to take my vest? Do I near to wear my helmet? The answer is almost always yes.

(END VIDEO CILP)

BAKHTIAR: Hello, everyone. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. It is 4:00 p.m. on the East Coast, midnight right now in Baghdad. I'm Rudi Bakhtiar filling in for Fredricka Whitfield.

All of that and more right after a check of our headlines for you.

Insurgents target the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone and 3 polls stations in advance of Iraq's landmark elections. At least two Americans are dead, one of them a member of the U.S. military. We're going to have more on the attacks coming up in about two minutes.

And a positive sign of sorts in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and newly elected Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas are tentative scheduled to meet in about two weeks. The meeting will mark the first time the two leaders have held talks since Abbas was elected.

A history-making flight today. For the first time in 56 years a jetliner from China flew directly to Taiwan and landed. Today's flight is seen as a sign that tensions between the bitter rivals are cooling.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

It is history in the making. Iraqis living abroad are taking the lead, casting battle in 14 different countries just hours before voting begins in Iraq. Polling places are open for a second day here in the U.S. And CNN is following it all the way for you. Our Gary Nuremberg is live in New Carrolton, Maryland. Keith Oppenheim is in South Gate, Maryland. We have Thelma Gutierrez who is in Irvine, California. And Denise Belgrave in Nashville.

Thank you to all for joining us. Let's start with you, Gary. What can you tell us?

GARY NUREMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT Well, with less than an hour before the polls close here today, about 700 Iraqis have cast their votes. Add that to the 500 who were here yesterday and more than half of those who registered to vote have now done so. Most of them, it would appear, happily.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NUREMBERG (voice-over): Iraqi voters, many of them Kurds from up and down the Eastern seaboard came to this cold Maryland parking lot after a long wait.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In more than 30 years, Saddam has been killing our people for no reason, you know? And we had no way to get our own government. So today is our victory.

NUREMBERG: That taste today included having every voters searched and patted down, dogs sniff for explosives, a traffic checkpoint was established on a residential street outside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's worth it, because this is the future of our country. This is a freedom of our peoples.

NUREMBER: Parents brought children to watch them vote for the first time in their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're so very happy for you.

NUREMBERG: As they left, voters encountered a small group of Americans who came to wish them well. Paula Halberson's son Andy will soon be deployed to Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe in what we're doing there, if I held my son back, I would have no right to say I believe in this war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It strengthens my own enthusiasm and makes me excited to play the role I'll really have the privilege of playing over the next year.

NUREMBERG: Naval Academy student David Exner has friends in the military.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know several are guarding polls stations over in Iraq right now as we speak. And it's just a real privilege for me to be able to come out here and show the support for them, and also for the Iraqi people. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NUREMBERG: But genuine enthusiasm of the voters may not reflect the prevailing opinion of Iraqis living in the United States. Of the Iraqis living in this country eligible to vote, Rudi? A small percentage registered to do so.

BAKHTIAR: Thank you, Gary. Gary Nuremberg in New Carrolton, Maryland.

Right now it is just after midnight in Iraq. And the big concern is whether voters are going to show up at the polls. Just hours ago, insurgents bent on sabotaging the vote carried out a deadly attack outside the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. We get the details now from CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The explosion that rocked the U.S. embassy complex in the Green Zone, the heavily fortified walled city within the city of Baghdad itself. Two U.S. personnel were killed, one civilian, one military, a number of other U.S. personnel were wounded. It was a rocket attack, say U.S. military spokesmen, a rocked fired somewhere within the city of Baghdad by insurgents.

A number of polling centers have also been attacked over the last several hours, at least 3 Iraqi polling stations have been attacked, 5 Iraqi security personnel have been wounded, 4 of those have been Army, one of them an Iraqi police officer.

The Iraqi security forces and the polling stations have become the prime target of these insurgents in the last days and hours leading up to Sunday's historic vote. They have become the prime target and it is expected more will be hit as polls open 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning here in Baghdad. Anderson Cooper reporting, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: Close to 26,000 Iraqis registered to vote here in the United States, with more than a third of those signing up in suburban Detroit. Keith Oppenheim is in Southgate, Michigan. How's the turnout there?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, pretty good today. It's been a steady Saturday here in Southgate, Rudi. And at times there have been lines of people trying to get into the polling center. That doesn't mean that we have an overall turnout by the registration numbers. It's expected about 10 percent of eligible voters in the region will be taking part.

Still, as you're about to hear, some of those who are voting today are doing so after having gone to great lengths to cast a ballot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MUHAMMED AL-LUHAIBI: For the first time in my life we vote, you know what I mean?

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): To vote for the future of his homeland, Muhammad al-Luhaibi, his wife, his 2 children and a group of friends say they traveled 5 hours from Erie, Pennsylvania to Southgate, Michigan.

Nine years ago, al-Luhaibi left Iraq for the U.S. Now he works in a plant that makes plastic parts. He's a Shiite Muslim and hopes Iraq's new chosen leaders will represent different religious groups.

AL-LUHAIBI: Looking for a fair between the people, OK. Like we're looking for a fair between the people and everything's going to be equal.

OPPENHEIM: That's what you hope for?

AL-LUHAIBI: Yes.

OPPENHEIM: While Mohammed al-Luhaibi is hopeful, he is also worried. After he voted, we followed him to a bakery. We asked him about his many relatives in Iraq who will be voting on Sunday in a town near Baghdad.

AL-LUHAIBI: I call my family whenever, we still we got to vote. You know what I mean? I worry about that.

OPPENHEIM: That they're going vote.

AL-LUHAIBI: They're going to vote, yes. It doesn't matter what's going to happen, they got to vote.

OPPENHEIM: If nothing else, al-Luhaibi is determined. And he is celebrating a feeling that for him is very new.

AL-LUHAIBI: I feel I'm doing something good for my country, for my people over there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHAIM: There are many people in many places outside Iraq who are taking part in this election. On the first of the 3 days of expatriate voting, about 84,000 Iraqis cast a ballot, and like Muhammed al-Luhaibi they're the ones who believe Iraq has a chance to become a Democratic society. Rudi, back to you.

BAKHTIAR: Keith Oppenheim in Michigan, thank you very much.

Well, the last ballot in the historic election will be cast tomorrow in Irvine, California. Gauging the turnout there today is CNN's Thelma Gutierrez. Hi, Thelma.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rudi. I can tell you we have seen a steady flow of people all day long. We've seen tour buses come in with hundreds of people from as far away as Washington, and Oregon, and Arizona, with many, many enthusiastic votes that want to come and cast a vote in many cases for the first time in their life.

You can take a look. Right behimd me, you can see a line has gathered out in front of the polling site. The parking lot here is full. In fact, there's a huge line that has gathered right outside of the security area. People waiting to actually go through those metal detectors to have a chance to go to the polling sites and to vote.

And I can tell you we have seen a whole range of emotions today. Hundreds gathered in the parking lot, Christians Assyrians, Shia and Sunni Muslims, and Kurds, they locked arms and they danced and they sang all morning long. Many carried signs for their parties, saying they were voting not for themselves, because they live here, but for their loved ones in Iraq and in memory of those who lost their lives under Saddam's regime.

Now, inside, applause rang out as the polling stations -- as different people actually cast their ballots and put those ballots in the boxes. Now, Hassan al Zubaidi was draped in an Iraqi flag. He had flown all the way from Portland, Oregon with 25 family members for the opportunity to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, this is the first time in the history of Iraq, we're voting for the very first time, and we're so happy about it, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): He said this is the first holiday that Iraqi people enjoyed. In 40 years, any holiday wasn't enjoyed. The Iraqis didn't enjoy anything. But they're now enjoying it. The Iraqi nation is celebrating everywhere, here, out there in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTIERREZ: One thing that struck me was the emotion that many of the people were expressing right after they had cast their ballots. You could see tears in people's eyes. In fact, many of them actually held up their ink-stained fingers and they were showing us very proudly that this was a sign that they were able to finally do something in memory of family members. They were able to do something for the people there in Iraq -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Thelma, so many of us here take voting for granted in America.

Let's talk a little bit about the expats and the voting that's going on there right now. Are you hearing anything about how difficult the actual voting is? I've heard a lot of confusion about who they're voting for, how they're voting for that person, what this means.

GUTIERREZ: Yeah, well there was quite a bit of that. In fact we had asked the question of some of the people, and they had said that it's so difficult because, you know, they're voting for this transitional national assembly. And in doing so, it's not like going in and choosing one candidate. They're voting for an entire bloc. And so they say they've gotten the information from the Arabic news, from the Internet, from family friends, oftentimes from a Mosque, and that is how they have decided to go.

But they says, yes, it has been a confusing kind of thing, but once they've made their mind up, they were into this effort full force.

One thing that did strike me, Rudi, is the sacrifice that many of the people made to be able to come to vote. Many of these folks were here last week, they had to registered at this site. This was the only site on the entire West Coast. And then they had to go through the expense and the time and the effort to come back again this week to actually cast that vote. Many of them flew in and they're getting ready to actually pray, and then fly out. So it's been a very interesting thing that we've seen here.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Our Thelma Gutierrez covering California for us, thank you.

Iraq's landmark election has been months in the making. Officials have left nothing to chance to ensure that the election is fair and the country is safe enough for voters. CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour shows us the tight security that's in place and the continuing dangers looming over the vote.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq's election commission members display the voting boxes, and show how people should cast their ballots in private behind these booths. That's if they dare to show up. With all this violence, Iraq looks more like it's preparing for war than elections, with people waiting in long lines to stockpile everything from fuel to bread.

They're buying more, because they're afraid, says Ahmed, the baker. All the shops will be closed for three to four days.

It's happening at hospitals too, with doctors preparing to spend the nights in their offices, preparing for possibly widespread bloodshed.

(on camera): The roads are already virtually deserted ahead of the election lockdown to prevent suicide car bombers. But in some Baghdad neighborhoods, these anonymous leaflets are being dropped. They, give quote, a final warning to voters to stay away from the polls. They claim to have rockets, mortars and explosives ready for every polling station.

(voice-over): But in some parts of Baghdad, you sense a spirit of defiance as the election draws near.

This is important for all Iraqis for us to have democracy, says this man. We are not afraid of the dangers. We must vote. Election workers and party political agents are coming out of hiding, hooting, honking and handing out leaflets, even though their colleagues have been threatened and killed during the election campaign.

Newspapers have only just printed the names of all 7,000 candidates after weeks of official secrecy because of fears they would be assassinated. And so people now are eagerly digesting what amounts to a crash course in what to do at the voting booth.

We support the election, says Hamid. This is the only way for our country to be stable.

Iraqis need some strong medicine to cure the violence and chaos that have plagued them since the war says Shaikh Saad al-Ubaidi (ph). Since when do we live like this, he said. We are the richest oil country. We need to vote for someone to represent this country and to protect its people. Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: CNN will have special live coverage of Sunday's historic elections in Iraq. Beginning at noon Eastern, Wolf Blitzer will have a special four-hour LATE EDITION. Then Lou Dobbs is going to bring you live coverage until 7:00 Eastern, followed by a 2 hour CNN Special Report "Iraq Votes."

And when we come back we're going to ask retired Major General Don Shepperd whether troops can protect polls places in Iraq. The outcome of the historic elections won't be known for a while, but that's not deterring Iraqi expats from doing something that many Americans take to granted. Details on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. Much of the southeast is in a deep freeze, paralyzed by a winter storm that has coated everything in a sheet of ice. The freezing rain and sleet moving into the region last night and continues through today. At least 2 traffic deaths in Georgia are being blamed on the ice storm. Sara Dorsey has more on these treacherous conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Icy, wintry weather bears down on the Southeast, making for a beautiful picture, but a mess if you're out in it. Ice scrapers became a necessity. And some Georgia drivers learned snow tires would have come in handy, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was driving down the street. I was driving normally and all of a sudden, I went to lightly put my foot on the brake and all of a sudden, the car just started skidding, and I couldn't stop it.

DORSEY: Sixteen cars crunched in this pile-up in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville. Some stretches of interstate in and out of metro Atlanta closed, backing up traffic for miles. Those that were actually moving were doing it at a snails pace. Waiting is the name of the game today on the roads and at the airport. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International is open, but passengers are stranded because of canceled and delayed flights.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We actually got a rental car in this whole time, but we can't go anywhere. I'm supposed to be in Savannah, Georgia, at 2:00 for a wedding and it looks like I'm not going to make it.

DORSEY: For snow-starved kids, though, the wintry mix was a delight, even welcomed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was crazy, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), crazy.

DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: Conditions in some parts of the southeast are expected to get even worse, as freezing rain and sleet continue to fall there.

CNN's Orelon Sidney is live at the weather center with the latest information for us. Orelon, give us some good news, please.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have got some good news for you. As a matter of fact, the freezing rain is going to be ending across Alabama and Georgia as we go on through these evening hours. That's good, because it means you won't get too much additional accumulation. It's not as good, because of course what's on the ground is going to freeze tonight as the temperatures remain below freezing.

Tonight though, we're most concerned with far northeastern Georgia extending up through the southern Appalachian Mountains and then right up into the Carolinas. That's where the heaviest freezing rain is expected.

The area in pink is where you see the transition between the rain in the blue, and the snow in the white. That's the most dangerous part. You can see it now breaking up around the Atlanta suburbs, right on the borner line there at Augusta. And then continuing up through Raleigh. You could see again as much of a quarter to a half inch accumulation tonight, mainly right along that swath that we talked about.

There is more good news, though, it is going be much better by tomorrow. The area of low pressure is going to form across the Carolina coast, and actually start to pull in some warmer and even some dryer air across the south, so the clouds will be breaking up.

It's still going to be cold, probably highs in the 40s in Atlanta tomorrow, much of the action, though, is going to shift northward. And the ice area, that little pink line that I drew there, is going to be much less extensive than it has been over the weekend. Something else going on, another disturbance out to the west now causing some showers and thunderstorms south of Interstate 10. We do have a tornado warning in effect to the south of Phoenix -- northeast of Phoenix, that's this thunderstorm here. It's moving southeast at 25. Some good news there, it's in a rural area expected to remain there, that warning in effect under the bottom of the hour.

So for tonight, more snow with the low pressure system out to the west. More rain, more snow, more ice across the east. Cloudy skies in between, but tomorrow, there it is, it gets a bit better. Our eastern storm starts to make its way off the coast.

But here comes this one. It's going to move across Texas into the Gulf of Mexico by Monday, but it's going to shoot straight across and head on into the Atlantic. Not looking for any more icing with that second system -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: That doesn't sound like good news, Orelon.

SIDNEY: It could be worse. We could get another shot of ice, but it's not going to happen.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Thank you, Orelon Sidney.

SIDNEY: You're welcome.

BAKHTIAR: Well, with the start of the voting in Iraq, less than seven hours away, security is the top priority for coalition and Iraqi forces. Straight ahead, Major General Don Shepperd and what it's going to take to secure the elections in the face of a violent insurgency.

Also,

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We're stuck in a traffic jam, it seems. It seems like a traffic jam, which is such an ordinary occurrence, all of a sudden it's a security threat, because someone could just come up along side the vehicle, another car could slam right into you, you're sort of a sitting duck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: Anderson Cooper and the dangerous road to Baghdad, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. military is downplaying the threat of insurgent violence during the voting in Iraq. CNN's Anderson Cooper talked with General George Casey, commanding general of the multinational forces in Iraq before today's bombing at the U.S. embassy inside the Green Zone in Baghdad. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, U.S. ARMY: I think as we look at this, we're not planning on any significant change in the levels of violence just because there's elections, immediately just because there's elections. But I would note to you that people have the impression, I think, that Iraq is in chaos. And what I'll tell you is it's not. The country of Iraq is not. There are pockets, 14 of 18 provinces have less than four incidents a day of violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: That's what General Casey had to say.

Retired Major General Don Shepperd, a CNN military analyst served in the Air Force for almost 40 years. General Shepperd, how well are the polling stations going to be able to be secured once they open?

GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST (RET): Well, we don't know is the real answer. We're going to make every effort. The Iraqis themselves are going to secure the polls stations. The Americans are going to be in a backup role, keeping obvious insurgents from closing toward the polling stations and reacting to incidents as they happen.

General Casey, who's a great soldier, as he said there, you get the impression that Iraq is in chaos. The problem is the four provinces that are in chaos, if you will, with lots of attacks, one of them is Baghdad and the big cities. So it's a real problem.

BAKHTIAR: Let's talk about what kind of attacks they are expecting and are prepared for.

SHEPPERD: OK, think of a polls place where you vote, you have got to drive to the polling place. Well, there's no traffic allowed in Iraq tomorrow except for officially government-sanctioned vehicles, you got to get to the polling to walk. Once you get there, you get in lines, check your registration to make sure it's OK for you to vote, then you go in and you vote.

All of those means lines and gathering of people. You can expect to see mortars lobbed in, you can expect to see snipers, you can expect to see attempts by suicide bombers. The Iraqi security forces, the U.S. forces knows this, the public knows this, so there's great efforts to keep those away and keep them from getting close to polls places, but some of them will. We can expect some dramatic attacks.

BAKHTIAR: Earlier this week, 3 top lieutenants of Zarqawi were captured. How does that play into this?

SHEPPERD: The most important one that was captured was Zarqawi's No. 1 man in Baghdad, who has supposedly confessed to being responsible for about 40 of the bomb attacks in Baghdad. His say is Salas Suliman al-Oheibi (ph) notorious, if you will. They've been strongly interrogated. We've gotten intelligence from all of these people, and the intelligence is not where Zarqawi is, because I suspect they don't know, but how he operates, where he operated, and where they can look for other people.

And then some of the lesser lieutenants that were led to by those interrogations basically will have other information. The minister said he thought we were getting closer to Zarqawi himself. I don't know the answer to that. I hope so.

BAKHTIAR: What's going to be the biggest challenge tomorrow for U.S. troops, Iraqi troops?

SHEPPERD: I think the biggest challenge will be for the Iraqi voters. Again as Anderson Cooper just said, they're going to stick their head out, they're going to sniff the air, they're going to decided whether it's safe enough for them to go out and vote, and a few sniper attacks, the word will spread quickly. So it's going to be dependent upon where you are how heavy the voter turnout is going to be. Everyone is hoping for a voter turn-out over 50 percent, even more than in the U.S. election which was 49 percent and the 44 percent in Palestine. We'll just have to see.

BAKHTIAR: And you hear about what they're doing to intimidate voters, these fliers they're sending out saying that we're going to follow you, track you down, behead you, behead your children. This must be having a very negative effect on the Iraqi people?

SHEPPERD: Of course it does, and of course they will. They have done it already and they will attempt to do it after the election.

The Iraqis themselves have got to drive these people out. The U.S. forces cannot provide the security and do it. We can help, but they have to get organized to do it. That's what training the Iraqi security forces is about and what we're trying to do to get out.

BAKHTIAR: General, let's focus a little bit on what happens after the voting on Sunday. We had some strong words from Senator Kennedy earlier in the week, saying the presence of the U.S. troops in Iraq is fueling the insurgency. Do you agree with that?

SHEPPERD: Somewhat, I do. I try to stay away from the political aspects of Senator Kennedy's comments. I don't think they're helpful right here at the time of the election. On the other hand, it is true that the tactics that we use, either out of necessity or choice, they basically cause enemies on the Iraqi side.

You can imagine we wouldn't like foreign troops from another nation patrolling in our neighborhoods even if they were trying to put together our electricity and water, coming into our houses the middle of the night. All of those things create enemies. We need to get out as quickly as we can. But as quickly as we can means making sure the Iraqis are strong enough for their elective government to maintain control of the country and it is a race and very difficult to do that.

BAKHTIAR: All right. General Don Shepperd, thank you for analyzing this for us.

SHEPPERD: My pleasure. BAKHTIAR: Well, for many of the Iraqi expats all around the world, voting is much more than simply a civic duty. Ahead, the passion that drives one family to travel 1,700 miles to take part in this weekend's elections.

And then straight from reporter's notebook, Anderson Cooper giving us a first-person account of life in Baghdad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Two Americans are dead in a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Military and embassy officials say the blast killed a U.S. service member and a civilian defense department employee and also wounded 5 other Americans.

Today is the second day Iraqi expatriates are voting at 5 polling stations all across the U.S. Many exiles say theya re happy and grateful for the chance to take part in shaption Iraq's future. Polls in Nashville, Tennessee are open for another hour and a half today. And our Denise Belgrave is there.

Denise, what's turnout been like in your area?

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, despite the cold and the wet misery that we've had today, there's been a very steady turnout at this polling station. There are just a little under 4,000 Iraqis who registered to vote here.

Now, Nashville is the home to the largest Kurdish community in the United States. And the Kurds came out in force today. They were incredibly enthusiastic. They were carrying flags, playing music and many wore their traditional dress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first time ever we vote. We have opportunity to make some changes for our people. Plus we're Kurdish, we're great American allies, and we're very proud of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELGRAVE: The spirit was really, really infectious. In fact, we ran into a woman on the street named Valerie Clemente. Valerie's an American, she lives here in Nashville. And she was so excited about what was happening today, she wanted to be a part of history, so she spent the entire day out there on the street congratulating Iraqis on this historic moment for them -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Yeah, I remember, one of the polling stations, every time somebody would vote, people would cheer for him. Amazing, amazing day for Iraqis. Thank you so much for covering that for us, Denise Belgrave.

For Iraqi expatriates, voting is a very personal achievement. Many are recounting stories of suffering under Saddam Hussein that forced them to flee Iraq. The idea of actually electing a new government to replace his regime seemed unbelievable to them until now.

Our Thelma Gutierrez introduces us to one family hoping to make a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): In the heart of Portland, Oregon, Iraqi- Americans prepare for one of the most important journeys of their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is the first time in my life, especially in my life, I never heard about voting.

GUTIERREZ: Within the next few moments, these people will leave on a 1,700-mile trip to Los Angeles and back, just to register to vote. For them, voting in the coming Iraqi election is much more than a civic duty, it's about family honor and personal sacrifice.

This is the al-Abbas family: Ali, his mother Basad (ph) and his sister Azra. They were forced to flee Iraq after the first Gulf War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all going to L.A. for voting.

GUTIERREZ: Portland is now home, but they say nothing will stop them from voting for a new Iraq.

(on camera): Your lives are here, you've made your life in America.

ALI AL-ABBAS, VOTER: We want them to have better life, better health, that's what I'm doing for them.

GUTIERREZ: Ali says it's what his father would have wanted too.

A. AL-ABBAS: We are raised only with mom. You cannot believe what we're missing inside.

GUTIERREZ: Ali says his father, Khadum (ph), worked for Iraq's Department of Education. In the early days of Saddam Hussein's rule, he criticized the regime until the secret police came to his home and took him away. Khadum (ph) was never heard from again.

His wife, Basaad, told me she struggled to raise 6 kids on her own. It was more than 20 years ago, but her pain is still fresh, and she blames Saddam.

BASAAD AL-ABBAS, VOTER (through translator): He took a dear person, a dear person from all our family.

GUTIERREZ: At the mosque where the al-Abbas worship, others have similar stories of loss and the same determination to make a difference.

LINA AL-ABBAS, VOTER: I'm not in Iraq, but I feel I'm doing something for my country and for the future of our kids. We are doing something.

GUTIERREZ: Ali owns a small limousine company. And he has worked furiously to organize the Iraqi community here in Portland.

ALI AL-ABBAS: It's very, very tough for us. But I think that's our duty. We have to do it.

GUTIERREZ: On top of running a business and a family of his own, he's put together travel plans for 30 struggling people who will vote for the very first time ever.

Hassam Shimari (ph), and Saad al-Saedy who are about going to drive 16 hour one way to California just to register.

ALI AL-ABBAS: We'll see you tomorrow morning.

GUTIERREZ: Then they'll have to drive or fly back a second time to actually cast their votes. For Hassam and Saad, the financial sacrifice is enormous. Hassam lives paycheck to paycheck and Saad is is out of work.

SAAD AL-SAEDY, VOTER: In 1991 the regime take my mom to the jail.

GUTIERREZ: Saad never saw his mother again either.

ISRAA HASSANI, VOTER: Sometimes you think, should I do it, should I not? And the answer comes right there no, you have to do it, there is no choice.

GUTIERREZ: Ali says when word got out about the group, calls started coming in, but he was moved by one person in particular.

ALI AL-ABBAS: A lady, she called me, she's an old lady, and she say her two sons in Iraq.

GUTIERREZ: The mother of those two U.S. soldiers sent Ali this check for $5.

ALI AL-ABBAS: That's all she can afford.

GUTIERREZ: What does that mean personally?

ALI AL-ABBAS: It means to me she believe the cause and she want to help her own children to come back here.

GUTIERREZ: After a lifetime of waiting, the day has finally come for the al-Abbas family to help democracy get started in Iraq. After a short flight to Los Angeles, they drive another hour to this registration site. It is one of five in the whole country.

As they join up with Iraqis who have made the same sacrifice and journey from other states, they can barely contain their excitement.

Ali's I.D. is checked. He, his mother and sister are now officially registered to vote in Iraq's election. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are done. Yay!

GUTIERREZ: The whole thing takes just minutes.

ALI AL-ABBAS: It's a very simple piece of paper, but it means a lot.

GUTIERREZ: But unleashes a lifetime of emotion for Ali's family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now she has a vote for our children, for all Iraqis to have democracy and to have freedom.

GUTIERREZ: Something their father prayed for, but never lived to see.

ALI AL-ABBAS: It's OK.

GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, el Toro, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. Obviously security across Iraq is extremely tight. Officials there are bracing for whatever onslaught insurgents might deliver. Rebels have vowed total war on Iraq's polls, they're threatening the bloodbath in the streets. Just getting to Iraq to cover the election has been a struggle. Our Anderson Cooper is going to take us along on his journey in this reporter's notebook.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The flight to Baghdad starts off like any other flight. You fly high above the clouds. Endless stretches of sand far below. It's only when you're right above Baghdad, you realize, this is not a normal flight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The final part of our descent will be from overhead the airfield in a spiral fashion. It may feel a little uncomfortable on the body, but nevertheless, it's due to safety and security.

COOPER: The plane turns sharply, spiraling downward. A corkscrew to avoid taking fire. Though the insurgents know the maneuver.

Not everything goes as planned, however. Suddenly, fighter jets appear underneath. There's fighting at the airport. It's too dangerous to land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are returning back to Amman, and we will take it from there, depending on how long the military operations will last here in Baghdad. COOPER: The next day, another flight. The plane finally gets permission to land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be landing at Baghdad International Airport. Kindly return to your seats and make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened. Put your seats in the upright position.

COOPER: The road into town from Baghdad's airport is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world. You drive fast, constantly aware of people passing by, cars getting too close, buildings insurgent spotters could use to target your car. Sometimes, however, you simply get stuck.

(on camera): We're stuck in a traffic jam, it seems. It seems like a traffic jam, which is such an ordinary occurrence. All of a sudden, that's a security threat, because, you know, someone could just come up alongside the vehicle, another car could just slam right into you. You're sort of a sitting duck.

(voice-over): Election posters are all around. It's too dangerous for candidates to appear in persons.

Some days you wake and don't want to go outside. You ask yourself, Do I need to take my vest? Do I need to wear my helmet? The answer is almost always yes.

Even if you don't go out, you can't escape the violence. All day long, e-mails from Iraqis, from soldiers, from people you don't even know, a steady stream of death and progress, suicide attacks, schools built, police killed, insurgents caught, shrapnel and bullets, bombs and ballots. At times, it all seems surreal.

In the Green Zone, a young soldier drives an SUV. For a moment, the music makes it feel like home.

Hitching a ride on a chopper, you rise above the dirt and dust, fly low, shaken by the power of American might, the rotor slicing the morning air. In Iraq, Americans rule the sky. But on the streets it's another matter.

On a night patrol, an American platoon checks up on Iraqi soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you guys doing?

COOPER: Riding along in a pitch-black Humvee, you can't help but admire these guys. Reporters can leave, fly home when they're done. These guys are stuck for the long haul. Night and day, day and night, they work round the clock, countless patrols, no end in sight.

Outside a polling station, an Iraqi National Guardsman masked and alone stares out into the darkness. Gunshots echo in the street. Police look like insurgents, insurgents dressed like police. The nights and days in Baghdad seem very long indeed.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: We are going to take a break from our coverage of the elections in Iraq for a few minutes. Coming up, we're going have our living well segment. When it comes to medical care, a lot of people are hesitant to seek a second opinion for fear of offending their current doctor.

Well, fear no more so says our Dr. Bill Lloyd. We're going to ask the good doctor how to find the best medical expert and how to brooch the subject of a second opinion with your doctor straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. Carol Lin is here with a preview of what's coming up on CNN SATURDAY LIVE. What's on tap for your show?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm so excited.

BAKHTIAR: I'm very excited. This is a big day for Iraqis.

LIN: It is. It is. And at 6:00, I'm going to be talking with an Iraqi-American whom I talked to before about the voting process here in the United States. Thousands of Iraqi expats are voting here in the United States. They also have family in Baghdad who are risking their lives to go to the polls. So we'll find out hout that process is going.

And then at 10:00 tonight we are live out of Baghdad and also here at the world headquarters an hour before the election voting actually starts. So we're going to have live reports from around the world, get lots of reaction. And also keep tabs on the latest action, especially after the bombing at the American embassy.

BAKHTIAR: All right. I'll be watching, Carol. Thank you.

LIN: Perfect. Thanks, Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Well, if your a family member were to get seriously ill a second opinion from an expert could be critical in making a full recovery, but how do you find the best specialist? Dr. Bill lloyd joining us live from Sacramento, California to help us answer that question.

Dr. Bill thank you so much for joining us.

BR. BILL LOYD, UNIV. OF CA-DAVID MEDICAL CENTER: Hi, Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Help us work through this. When is it the right time to ask for a second opinion?

LLOYD: Well, Rudi, we all want to trust the family doctors, but there are times when you'll get thoughts about wanting to get someone involved, either in establishing the diagnosis or helping you get the best care. So I encourage you to follow your instincts whenever you get the ideas. Whenever somebody tells you about a rare or an unexpected diagnosis think about involving a second physician.

If Dr. A tells you one thing and Dr. B 5 years later tells you something else, get another opinion. You might consider seeing a pathologist to have them review biopsy results if there's a conflict between the doctors. If there's uncertainty about what you should do. Do nothing, chemotherapy, surgery, physical therapy, whenever there's uncertainty get an expert opinion.

If you're having a poor response to treatment, when you know other people with the same condition do much better, think about extra help.

And finally, if there are any complications from treatment you've already received for a medical problem, once again, talk to your family doctor. Would it be a good idea to involve somebody else?

BAKHTIAR: I know the value of a second opinion. My father just got cancer. It's been an incredibly difficult time for us. And everyone hangs on those second opinions, but it's not really easy getting to get the insurance companies to pay for it, is it?

LLOYD: Well, the short answer is, it depends. And you want to check before you go chasing that second opinion with your insurance company to make sure that your health plan will support you. You can start by simply asking your own doctor, will I be covered if I go ask for help from another doctor? Is that expert inside your network? If not, you may be stuck with it and may have to pay out of pocket. So always check beforehand.

And when you see the expert, once again confirm that your health plan will cover those expenses.

BAKHTIAR: All right. But tell us where to go to look for these experts. For whatever reason, whatever disease, whatever conditions we're in, how do you find these experts out there?

LLOYD: Do what doctors do. Ask another doctor. Don't spend too much time looking through the phone book, instead ask your personal doctor to review your problem, maybe there's a misunderstanding somewhere, and directly ask, well, who do you suggest I go see?

Do your own research. Many national newspapers do articles about common medical conditions, and they often refer to experts.

There's books that actually list the top doctors in America. You may use that as a reference against your newspaper information.

Check with your local hospital. They have tumor boards there, so for a cancer patient you could ask to have your case reviewed by the local tumor board.

Or local medical society, they know lots of experts. And you don't have to rush off to a major metropolitan city to see an expert. There may be one just right around the corner.

And finally, local chapters of nonprofits have lists of doctors with lots of experience dealing with problems like yours.

BAKHTIAR: I think one of the biggest problems though is people have a problem telling their doctors, hey, I want a second opinion. Don't you think?

LLOYD: Well, you think, that's right, you think it's a problem. But you'd be surprised at the response. Doctors are in the hallway asking about you and other patients all the time, asking other doctors for their ideas. You may be surprised to learn that your doctor is pleased that you are interested in a second opinion and it will make him more willing to share your case with others, again, to bring that expert care you need to get a quick recovery.

BAKHTIAR: Yeah, I've noticed that doctors are really good about that.

Dr. Bill Lloyd, professor of University of Davis, thank you so much for joining us with those tips.

LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.

BAKHTIAR: Thank you.

And that is all the time we have for this hour.

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 January 29, 2005 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN ANCHOR: The south gets a rude awakening yankee-style, ice shutting down just about everything.
Are you afraid to tell your doctor you want a second opinion? Dr. Lloyd to the rescue later in our show.

And Iraq prepares for its first free election in more than 50 years. Anderson Cooper gives us a reporter's view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CN ANCHOR (voic-eover): Some days you wake and don't want to go outside. You ask yourself, do I need to take my vest? Do I near to wear my helmet? The answer is almost always yes.

(END VIDEO CILP)

BAKHTIAR: Hello, everyone. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. It is 4:00 p.m. on the East Coast, midnight right now in Baghdad. I'm Rudi Bakhtiar filling in for Fredricka Whitfield.

All of that and more right after a check of our headlines for you.

Insurgents target the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone and 3 polls stations in advance of Iraq's landmark elections. At least two Americans are dead, one of them a member of the U.S. military. We're going to have more on the attacks coming up in about two minutes.

And a positive sign of sorts in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and newly elected Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas are tentative scheduled to meet in about two weeks. The meeting will mark the first time the two leaders have held talks since Abbas was elected.

A history-making flight today. For the first time in 56 years a jetliner from China flew directly to Taiwan and landed. Today's flight is seen as a sign that tensions between the bitter rivals are cooling.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

It is history in the making. Iraqis living abroad are taking the lead, casting battle in 14 different countries just hours before voting begins in Iraq. Polling places are open for a second day here in the U.S. And CNN is following it all the way for you. Our Gary Nuremberg is live in New Carrolton, Maryland. Keith Oppenheim is in South Gate, Maryland. We have Thelma Gutierrez who is in Irvine, California. And Denise Belgrave in Nashville.

Thank you to all for joining us. Let's start with you, Gary. What can you tell us?

GARY NUREMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT Well, with less than an hour before the polls close here today, about 700 Iraqis have cast their votes. Add that to the 500 who were here yesterday and more than half of those who registered to vote have now done so. Most of them, it would appear, happily.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NUREMBERG (voice-over): Iraqi voters, many of them Kurds from up and down the Eastern seaboard came to this cold Maryland parking lot after a long wait.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In more than 30 years, Saddam has been killing our people for no reason, you know? And we had no way to get our own government. So today is our victory.

NUREMBERG: That taste today included having every voters searched and patted down, dogs sniff for explosives, a traffic checkpoint was established on a residential street outside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's worth it, because this is the future of our country. This is a freedom of our peoples.

NUREMBER: Parents brought children to watch them vote for the first time in their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're so very happy for you.

NUREMBERG: As they left, voters encountered a small group of Americans who came to wish them well. Paula Halberson's son Andy will soon be deployed to Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe in what we're doing there, if I held my son back, I would have no right to say I believe in this war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It strengthens my own enthusiasm and makes me excited to play the role I'll really have the privilege of playing over the next year.

NUREMBERG: Naval Academy student David Exner has friends in the military.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know several are guarding polls stations over in Iraq right now as we speak. And it's just a real privilege for me to be able to come out here and show the support for them, and also for the Iraqi people. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NUREMBERG: But genuine enthusiasm of the voters may not reflect the prevailing opinion of Iraqis living in the United States. Of the Iraqis living in this country eligible to vote, Rudi? A small percentage registered to do so.

BAKHTIAR: Thank you, Gary. Gary Nuremberg in New Carrolton, Maryland.

Right now it is just after midnight in Iraq. And the big concern is whether voters are going to show up at the polls. Just hours ago, insurgents bent on sabotaging the vote carried out a deadly attack outside the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. We get the details now from CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The explosion that rocked the U.S. embassy complex in the Green Zone, the heavily fortified walled city within the city of Baghdad itself. Two U.S. personnel were killed, one civilian, one military, a number of other U.S. personnel were wounded. It was a rocket attack, say U.S. military spokesmen, a rocked fired somewhere within the city of Baghdad by insurgents.

A number of polling centers have also been attacked over the last several hours, at least 3 Iraqi polling stations have been attacked, 5 Iraqi security personnel have been wounded, 4 of those have been Army, one of them an Iraqi police officer.

The Iraqi security forces and the polling stations have become the prime target of these insurgents in the last days and hours leading up to Sunday's historic vote. They have become the prime target and it is expected more will be hit as polls open 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning here in Baghdad. Anderson Cooper reporting, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: Close to 26,000 Iraqis registered to vote here in the United States, with more than a third of those signing up in suburban Detroit. Keith Oppenheim is in Southgate, Michigan. How's the turnout there?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, pretty good today. It's been a steady Saturday here in Southgate, Rudi. And at times there have been lines of people trying to get into the polling center. That doesn't mean that we have an overall turnout by the registration numbers. It's expected about 10 percent of eligible voters in the region will be taking part.

Still, as you're about to hear, some of those who are voting today are doing so after having gone to great lengths to cast a ballot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MUHAMMED AL-LUHAIBI: For the first time in my life we vote, you know what I mean?

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): To vote for the future of his homeland, Muhammad al-Luhaibi, his wife, his 2 children and a group of friends say they traveled 5 hours from Erie, Pennsylvania to Southgate, Michigan.

Nine years ago, al-Luhaibi left Iraq for the U.S. Now he works in a plant that makes plastic parts. He's a Shiite Muslim and hopes Iraq's new chosen leaders will represent different religious groups.

AL-LUHAIBI: Looking for a fair between the people, OK. Like we're looking for a fair between the people and everything's going to be equal.

OPPENHEIM: That's what you hope for?

AL-LUHAIBI: Yes.

OPPENHEIM: While Mohammed al-Luhaibi is hopeful, he is also worried. After he voted, we followed him to a bakery. We asked him about his many relatives in Iraq who will be voting on Sunday in a town near Baghdad.

AL-LUHAIBI: I call my family whenever, we still we got to vote. You know what I mean? I worry about that.

OPPENHEIM: That they're going vote.

AL-LUHAIBI: They're going to vote, yes. It doesn't matter what's going to happen, they got to vote.

OPPENHEIM: If nothing else, al-Luhaibi is determined. And he is celebrating a feeling that for him is very new.

AL-LUHAIBI: I feel I'm doing something good for my country, for my people over there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHAIM: There are many people in many places outside Iraq who are taking part in this election. On the first of the 3 days of expatriate voting, about 84,000 Iraqis cast a ballot, and like Muhammed al-Luhaibi they're the ones who believe Iraq has a chance to become a Democratic society. Rudi, back to you.

BAKHTIAR: Keith Oppenheim in Michigan, thank you very much.

Well, the last ballot in the historic election will be cast tomorrow in Irvine, California. Gauging the turnout there today is CNN's Thelma Gutierrez. Hi, Thelma.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rudi. I can tell you we have seen a steady flow of people all day long. We've seen tour buses come in with hundreds of people from as far away as Washington, and Oregon, and Arizona, with many, many enthusiastic votes that want to come and cast a vote in many cases for the first time in their life.

You can take a look. Right behimd me, you can see a line has gathered out in front of the polling site. The parking lot here is full. In fact, there's a huge line that has gathered right outside of the security area. People waiting to actually go through those metal detectors to have a chance to go to the polling sites and to vote.

And I can tell you we have seen a whole range of emotions today. Hundreds gathered in the parking lot, Christians Assyrians, Shia and Sunni Muslims, and Kurds, they locked arms and they danced and they sang all morning long. Many carried signs for their parties, saying they were voting not for themselves, because they live here, but for their loved ones in Iraq and in memory of those who lost their lives under Saddam's regime.

Now, inside, applause rang out as the polling stations -- as different people actually cast their ballots and put those ballots in the boxes. Now, Hassan al Zubaidi was draped in an Iraqi flag. He had flown all the way from Portland, Oregon with 25 family members for the opportunity to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, this is the first time in the history of Iraq, we're voting for the very first time, and we're so happy about it, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): He said this is the first holiday that Iraqi people enjoyed. In 40 years, any holiday wasn't enjoyed. The Iraqis didn't enjoy anything. But they're now enjoying it. The Iraqi nation is celebrating everywhere, here, out there in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTIERREZ: One thing that struck me was the emotion that many of the people were expressing right after they had cast their ballots. You could see tears in people's eyes. In fact, many of them actually held up their ink-stained fingers and they were showing us very proudly that this was a sign that they were able to finally do something in memory of family members. They were able to do something for the people there in Iraq -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Thelma, so many of us here take voting for granted in America.

Let's talk a little bit about the expats and the voting that's going on there right now. Are you hearing anything about how difficult the actual voting is? I've heard a lot of confusion about who they're voting for, how they're voting for that person, what this means.

GUTIERREZ: Yeah, well there was quite a bit of that. In fact we had asked the question of some of the people, and they had said that it's so difficult because, you know, they're voting for this transitional national assembly. And in doing so, it's not like going in and choosing one candidate. They're voting for an entire bloc. And so they say they've gotten the information from the Arabic news, from the Internet, from family friends, oftentimes from a Mosque, and that is how they have decided to go.

But they says, yes, it has been a confusing kind of thing, but once they've made their mind up, they were into this effort full force.

One thing that did strike me, Rudi, is the sacrifice that many of the people made to be able to come to vote. Many of these folks were here last week, they had to registered at this site. This was the only site on the entire West Coast. And then they had to go through the expense and the time and the effort to come back again this week to actually cast that vote. Many of them flew in and they're getting ready to actually pray, and then fly out. So it's been a very interesting thing that we've seen here.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Our Thelma Gutierrez covering California for us, thank you.

Iraq's landmark election has been months in the making. Officials have left nothing to chance to ensure that the election is fair and the country is safe enough for voters. CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour shows us the tight security that's in place and the continuing dangers looming over the vote.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq's election commission members display the voting boxes, and show how people should cast their ballots in private behind these booths. That's if they dare to show up. With all this violence, Iraq looks more like it's preparing for war than elections, with people waiting in long lines to stockpile everything from fuel to bread.

They're buying more, because they're afraid, says Ahmed, the baker. All the shops will be closed for three to four days.

It's happening at hospitals too, with doctors preparing to spend the nights in their offices, preparing for possibly widespread bloodshed.

(on camera): The roads are already virtually deserted ahead of the election lockdown to prevent suicide car bombers. But in some Baghdad neighborhoods, these anonymous leaflets are being dropped. They, give quote, a final warning to voters to stay away from the polls. They claim to have rockets, mortars and explosives ready for every polling station.

(voice-over): But in some parts of Baghdad, you sense a spirit of defiance as the election draws near.

This is important for all Iraqis for us to have democracy, says this man. We are not afraid of the dangers. We must vote. Election workers and party political agents are coming out of hiding, hooting, honking and handing out leaflets, even though their colleagues have been threatened and killed during the election campaign.

Newspapers have only just printed the names of all 7,000 candidates after weeks of official secrecy because of fears they would be assassinated. And so people now are eagerly digesting what amounts to a crash course in what to do at the voting booth.

We support the election, says Hamid. This is the only way for our country to be stable.

Iraqis need some strong medicine to cure the violence and chaos that have plagued them since the war says Shaikh Saad al-Ubaidi (ph). Since when do we live like this, he said. We are the richest oil country. We need to vote for someone to represent this country and to protect its people. Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: CNN will have special live coverage of Sunday's historic elections in Iraq. Beginning at noon Eastern, Wolf Blitzer will have a special four-hour LATE EDITION. Then Lou Dobbs is going to bring you live coverage until 7:00 Eastern, followed by a 2 hour CNN Special Report "Iraq Votes."

And when we come back we're going to ask retired Major General Don Shepperd whether troops can protect polls places in Iraq. The outcome of the historic elections won't be known for a while, but that's not deterring Iraqi expats from doing something that many Americans take to granted. Details on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. Much of the southeast is in a deep freeze, paralyzed by a winter storm that has coated everything in a sheet of ice. The freezing rain and sleet moving into the region last night and continues through today. At least 2 traffic deaths in Georgia are being blamed on the ice storm. Sara Dorsey has more on these treacherous conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Icy, wintry weather bears down on the Southeast, making for a beautiful picture, but a mess if you're out in it. Ice scrapers became a necessity. And some Georgia drivers learned snow tires would have come in handy, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was driving down the street. I was driving normally and all of a sudden, I went to lightly put my foot on the brake and all of a sudden, the car just started skidding, and I couldn't stop it.

DORSEY: Sixteen cars crunched in this pile-up in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville. Some stretches of interstate in and out of metro Atlanta closed, backing up traffic for miles. Those that were actually moving were doing it at a snails pace. Waiting is the name of the game today on the roads and at the airport. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International is open, but passengers are stranded because of canceled and delayed flights.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We actually got a rental car in this whole time, but we can't go anywhere. I'm supposed to be in Savannah, Georgia, at 2:00 for a wedding and it looks like I'm not going to make it.

DORSEY: For snow-starved kids, though, the wintry mix was a delight, even welcomed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was crazy, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), crazy.

DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: Conditions in some parts of the southeast are expected to get even worse, as freezing rain and sleet continue to fall there.

CNN's Orelon Sidney is live at the weather center with the latest information for us. Orelon, give us some good news, please.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have got some good news for you. As a matter of fact, the freezing rain is going to be ending across Alabama and Georgia as we go on through these evening hours. That's good, because it means you won't get too much additional accumulation. It's not as good, because of course what's on the ground is going to freeze tonight as the temperatures remain below freezing.

Tonight though, we're most concerned with far northeastern Georgia extending up through the southern Appalachian Mountains and then right up into the Carolinas. That's where the heaviest freezing rain is expected.

The area in pink is where you see the transition between the rain in the blue, and the snow in the white. That's the most dangerous part. You can see it now breaking up around the Atlanta suburbs, right on the borner line there at Augusta. And then continuing up through Raleigh. You could see again as much of a quarter to a half inch accumulation tonight, mainly right along that swath that we talked about.

There is more good news, though, it is going be much better by tomorrow. The area of low pressure is going to form across the Carolina coast, and actually start to pull in some warmer and even some dryer air across the south, so the clouds will be breaking up.

It's still going to be cold, probably highs in the 40s in Atlanta tomorrow, much of the action, though, is going to shift northward. And the ice area, that little pink line that I drew there, is going to be much less extensive than it has been over the weekend. Something else going on, another disturbance out to the west now causing some showers and thunderstorms south of Interstate 10. We do have a tornado warning in effect to the south of Phoenix -- northeast of Phoenix, that's this thunderstorm here. It's moving southeast at 25. Some good news there, it's in a rural area expected to remain there, that warning in effect under the bottom of the hour.

So for tonight, more snow with the low pressure system out to the west. More rain, more snow, more ice across the east. Cloudy skies in between, but tomorrow, there it is, it gets a bit better. Our eastern storm starts to make its way off the coast.

But here comes this one. It's going to move across Texas into the Gulf of Mexico by Monday, but it's going to shoot straight across and head on into the Atlantic. Not looking for any more icing with that second system -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: That doesn't sound like good news, Orelon.

SIDNEY: It could be worse. We could get another shot of ice, but it's not going to happen.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Thank you, Orelon Sidney.

SIDNEY: You're welcome.

BAKHTIAR: Well, with the start of the voting in Iraq, less than seven hours away, security is the top priority for coalition and Iraqi forces. Straight ahead, Major General Don Shepperd and what it's going to take to secure the elections in the face of a violent insurgency.

Also,

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We're stuck in a traffic jam, it seems. It seems like a traffic jam, which is such an ordinary occurrence, all of a sudden it's a security threat, because someone could just come up along side the vehicle, another car could slam right into you, you're sort of a sitting duck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: Anderson Cooper and the dangerous road to Baghdad, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. military is downplaying the threat of insurgent violence during the voting in Iraq. CNN's Anderson Cooper talked with General George Casey, commanding general of the multinational forces in Iraq before today's bombing at the U.S. embassy inside the Green Zone in Baghdad. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, U.S. ARMY: I think as we look at this, we're not planning on any significant change in the levels of violence just because there's elections, immediately just because there's elections. But I would note to you that people have the impression, I think, that Iraq is in chaos. And what I'll tell you is it's not. The country of Iraq is not. There are pockets, 14 of 18 provinces have less than four incidents a day of violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: That's what General Casey had to say.

Retired Major General Don Shepperd, a CNN military analyst served in the Air Force for almost 40 years. General Shepperd, how well are the polling stations going to be able to be secured once they open?

GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST (RET): Well, we don't know is the real answer. We're going to make every effort. The Iraqis themselves are going to secure the polls stations. The Americans are going to be in a backup role, keeping obvious insurgents from closing toward the polling stations and reacting to incidents as they happen.

General Casey, who's a great soldier, as he said there, you get the impression that Iraq is in chaos. The problem is the four provinces that are in chaos, if you will, with lots of attacks, one of them is Baghdad and the big cities. So it's a real problem.

BAKHTIAR: Let's talk about what kind of attacks they are expecting and are prepared for.

SHEPPERD: OK, think of a polls place where you vote, you have got to drive to the polling place. Well, there's no traffic allowed in Iraq tomorrow except for officially government-sanctioned vehicles, you got to get to the polling to walk. Once you get there, you get in lines, check your registration to make sure it's OK for you to vote, then you go in and you vote.

All of those means lines and gathering of people. You can expect to see mortars lobbed in, you can expect to see snipers, you can expect to see attempts by suicide bombers. The Iraqi security forces, the U.S. forces knows this, the public knows this, so there's great efforts to keep those away and keep them from getting close to polls places, but some of them will. We can expect some dramatic attacks.

BAKHTIAR: Earlier this week, 3 top lieutenants of Zarqawi were captured. How does that play into this?

SHEPPERD: The most important one that was captured was Zarqawi's No. 1 man in Baghdad, who has supposedly confessed to being responsible for about 40 of the bomb attacks in Baghdad. His say is Salas Suliman al-Oheibi (ph) notorious, if you will. They've been strongly interrogated. We've gotten intelligence from all of these people, and the intelligence is not where Zarqawi is, because I suspect they don't know, but how he operates, where he operated, and where they can look for other people.

And then some of the lesser lieutenants that were led to by those interrogations basically will have other information. The minister said he thought we were getting closer to Zarqawi himself. I don't know the answer to that. I hope so.

BAKHTIAR: What's going to be the biggest challenge tomorrow for U.S. troops, Iraqi troops?

SHEPPERD: I think the biggest challenge will be for the Iraqi voters. Again as Anderson Cooper just said, they're going to stick their head out, they're going to sniff the air, they're going to decided whether it's safe enough for them to go out and vote, and a few sniper attacks, the word will spread quickly. So it's going to be dependent upon where you are how heavy the voter turnout is going to be. Everyone is hoping for a voter turn-out over 50 percent, even more than in the U.S. election which was 49 percent and the 44 percent in Palestine. We'll just have to see.

BAKHTIAR: And you hear about what they're doing to intimidate voters, these fliers they're sending out saying that we're going to follow you, track you down, behead you, behead your children. This must be having a very negative effect on the Iraqi people?

SHEPPERD: Of course it does, and of course they will. They have done it already and they will attempt to do it after the election.

The Iraqis themselves have got to drive these people out. The U.S. forces cannot provide the security and do it. We can help, but they have to get organized to do it. That's what training the Iraqi security forces is about and what we're trying to do to get out.

BAKHTIAR: General, let's focus a little bit on what happens after the voting on Sunday. We had some strong words from Senator Kennedy earlier in the week, saying the presence of the U.S. troops in Iraq is fueling the insurgency. Do you agree with that?

SHEPPERD: Somewhat, I do. I try to stay away from the political aspects of Senator Kennedy's comments. I don't think they're helpful right here at the time of the election. On the other hand, it is true that the tactics that we use, either out of necessity or choice, they basically cause enemies on the Iraqi side.

You can imagine we wouldn't like foreign troops from another nation patrolling in our neighborhoods even if they were trying to put together our electricity and water, coming into our houses the middle of the night. All of those things create enemies. We need to get out as quickly as we can. But as quickly as we can means making sure the Iraqis are strong enough for their elective government to maintain control of the country and it is a race and very difficult to do that.

BAKHTIAR: All right. General Don Shepperd, thank you for analyzing this for us.

SHEPPERD: My pleasure. BAKHTIAR: Well, for many of the Iraqi expats all around the world, voting is much more than simply a civic duty. Ahead, the passion that drives one family to travel 1,700 miles to take part in this weekend's elections.

And then straight from reporter's notebook, Anderson Cooper giving us a first-person account of life in Baghdad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Two Americans are dead in a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Military and embassy officials say the blast killed a U.S. service member and a civilian defense department employee and also wounded 5 other Americans.

Today is the second day Iraqi expatriates are voting at 5 polling stations all across the U.S. Many exiles say theya re happy and grateful for the chance to take part in shaption Iraq's future. Polls in Nashville, Tennessee are open for another hour and a half today. And our Denise Belgrave is there.

Denise, what's turnout been like in your area?

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, despite the cold and the wet misery that we've had today, there's been a very steady turnout at this polling station. There are just a little under 4,000 Iraqis who registered to vote here.

Now, Nashville is the home to the largest Kurdish community in the United States. And the Kurds came out in force today. They were incredibly enthusiastic. They were carrying flags, playing music and many wore their traditional dress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first time ever we vote. We have opportunity to make some changes for our people. Plus we're Kurdish, we're great American allies, and we're very proud of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELGRAVE: The spirit was really, really infectious. In fact, we ran into a woman on the street named Valerie Clemente. Valerie's an American, she lives here in Nashville. And she was so excited about what was happening today, she wanted to be a part of history, so she spent the entire day out there on the street congratulating Iraqis on this historic moment for them -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Yeah, I remember, one of the polling stations, every time somebody would vote, people would cheer for him. Amazing, amazing day for Iraqis. Thank you so much for covering that for us, Denise Belgrave.

For Iraqi expatriates, voting is a very personal achievement. Many are recounting stories of suffering under Saddam Hussein that forced them to flee Iraq. The idea of actually electing a new government to replace his regime seemed unbelievable to them until now.

Our Thelma Gutierrez introduces us to one family hoping to make a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): In the heart of Portland, Oregon, Iraqi- Americans prepare for one of the most important journeys of their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is the first time in my life, especially in my life, I never heard about voting.

GUTIERREZ: Within the next few moments, these people will leave on a 1,700-mile trip to Los Angeles and back, just to register to vote. For them, voting in the coming Iraqi election is much more than a civic duty, it's about family honor and personal sacrifice.

This is the al-Abbas family: Ali, his mother Basad (ph) and his sister Azra. They were forced to flee Iraq after the first Gulf War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all going to L.A. for voting.

GUTIERREZ: Portland is now home, but they say nothing will stop them from voting for a new Iraq.

(on camera): Your lives are here, you've made your life in America.

ALI AL-ABBAS, VOTER: We want them to have better life, better health, that's what I'm doing for them.

GUTIERREZ: Ali says it's what his father would have wanted too.

A. AL-ABBAS: We are raised only with mom. You cannot believe what we're missing inside.

GUTIERREZ: Ali says his father, Khadum (ph), worked for Iraq's Department of Education. In the early days of Saddam Hussein's rule, he criticized the regime until the secret police came to his home and took him away. Khadum (ph) was never heard from again.

His wife, Basaad, told me she struggled to raise 6 kids on her own. It was more than 20 years ago, but her pain is still fresh, and she blames Saddam.

BASAAD AL-ABBAS, VOTER (through translator): He took a dear person, a dear person from all our family.

GUTIERREZ: At the mosque where the al-Abbas worship, others have similar stories of loss and the same determination to make a difference.

LINA AL-ABBAS, VOTER: I'm not in Iraq, but I feel I'm doing something for my country and for the future of our kids. We are doing something.

GUTIERREZ: Ali owns a small limousine company. And he has worked furiously to organize the Iraqi community here in Portland.

ALI AL-ABBAS: It's very, very tough for us. But I think that's our duty. We have to do it.

GUTIERREZ: On top of running a business and a family of his own, he's put together travel plans for 30 struggling people who will vote for the very first time ever.

Hassam Shimari (ph), and Saad al-Saedy who are about going to drive 16 hour one way to California just to register.

ALI AL-ABBAS: We'll see you tomorrow morning.

GUTIERREZ: Then they'll have to drive or fly back a second time to actually cast their votes. For Hassam and Saad, the financial sacrifice is enormous. Hassam lives paycheck to paycheck and Saad is is out of work.

SAAD AL-SAEDY, VOTER: In 1991 the regime take my mom to the jail.

GUTIERREZ: Saad never saw his mother again either.

ISRAA HASSANI, VOTER: Sometimes you think, should I do it, should I not? And the answer comes right there no, you have to do it, there is no choice.

GUTIERREZ: Ali says when word got out about the group, calls started coming in, but he was moved by one person in particular.

ALI AL-ABBAS: A lady, she called me, she's an old lady, and she say her two sons in Iraq.

GUTIERREZ: The mother of those two U.S. soldiers sent Ali this check for $5.

ALI AL-ABBAS: That's all she can afford.

GUTIERREZ: What does that mean personally?

ALI AL-ABBAS: It means to me she believe the cause and she want to help her own children to come back here.

GUTIERREZ: After a lifetime of waiting, the day has finally come for the al-Abbas family to help democracy get started in Iraq. After a short flight to Los Angeles, they drive another hour to this registration site. It is one of five in the whole country.

As they join up with Iraqis who have made the same sacrifice and journey from other states, they can barely contain their excitement.

Ali's I.D. is checked. He, his mother and sister are now officially registered to vote in Iraq's election. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are done. Yay!

GUTIERREZ: The whole thing takes just minutes.

ALI AL-ABBAS: It's a very simple piece of paper, but it means a lot.

GUTIERREZ: But unleashes a lifetime of emotion for Ali's family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now she has a vote for our children, for all Iraqis to have democracy and to have freedom.

GUTIERREZ: Something their father prayed for, but never lived to see.

ALI AL-ABBAS: It's OK.

GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, el Toro, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. Obviously security across Iraq is extremely tight. Officials there are bracing for whatever onslaught insurgents might deliver. Rebels have vowed total war on Iraq's polls, they're threatening the bloodbath in the streets. Just getting to Iraq to cover the election has been a struggle. Our Anderson Cooper is going to take us along on his journey in this reporter's notebook.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The flight to Baghdad starts off like any other flight. You fly high above the clouds. Endless stretches of sand far below. It's only when you're right above Baghdad, you realize, this is not a normal flight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The final part of our descent will be from overhead the airfield in a spiral fashion. It may feel a little uncomfortable on the body, but nevertheless, it's due to safety and security.

COOPER: The plane turns sharply, spiraling downward. A corkscrew to avoid taking fire. Though the insurgents know the maneuver.

Not everything goes as planned, however. Suddenly, fighter jets appear underneath. There's fighting at the airport. It's too dangerous to land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are returning back to Amman, and we will take it from there, depending on how long the military operations will last here in Baghdad. COOPER: The next day, another flight. The plane finally gets permission to land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be landing at Baghdad International Airport. Kindly return to your seats and make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened. Put your seats in the upright position.

COOPER: The road into town from Baghdad's airport is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world. You drive fast, constantly aware of people passing by, cars getting too close, buildings insurgent spotters could use to target your car. Sometimes, however, you simply get stuck.

(on camera): We're stuck in a traffic jam, it seems. It seems like a traffic jam, which is such an ordinary occurrence. All of a sudden, that's a security threat, because, you know, someone could just come up alongside the vehicle, another car could just slam right into you. You're sort of a sitting duck.

(voice-over): Election posters are all around. It's too dangerous for candidates to appear in persons.

Some days you wake and don't want to go outside. You ask yourself, Do I need to take my vest? Do I need to wear my helmet? The answer is almost always yes.

Even if you don't go out, you can't escape the violence. All day long, e-mails from Iraqis, from soldiers, from people you don't even know, a steady stream of death and progress, suicide attacks, schools built, police killed, insurgents caught, shrapnel and bullets, bombs and ballots. At times, it all seems surreal.

In the Green Zone, a young soldier drives an SUV. For a moment, the music makes it feel like home.

Hitching a ride on a chopper, you rise above the dirt and dust, fly low, shaken by the power of American might, the rotor slicing the morning air. In Iraq, Americans rule the sky. But on the streets it's another matter.

On a night patrol, an American platoon checks up on Iraqi soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you guys doing?

COOPER: Riding along in a pitch-black Humvee, you can't help but admire these guys. Reporters can leave, fly home when they're done. These guys are stuck for the long haul. Night and day, day and night, they work round the clock, countless patrols, no end in sight.

Outside a polling station, an Iraqi National Guardsman masked and alone stares out into the darkness. Gunshots echo in the street. Police look like insurgents, insurgents dressed like police. The nights and days in Baghdad seem very long indeed.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: We are going to take a break from our coverage of the elections in Iraq for a few minutes. Coming up, we're going have our living well segment. When it comes to medical care, a lot of people are hesitant to seek a second opinion for fear of offending their current doctor.

Well, fear no more so says our Dr. Bill Lloyd. We're going to ask the good doctor how to find the best medical expert and how to brooch the subject of a second opinion with your doctor straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. Carol Lin is here with a preview of what's coming up on CNN SATURDAY LIVE. What's on tap for your show?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm so excited.

BAKHTIAR: I'm very excited. This is a big day for Iraqis.

LIN: It is. It is. And at 6:00, I'm going to be talking with an Iraqi-American whom I talked to before about the voting process here in the United States. Thousands of Iraqi expats are voting here in the United States. They also have family in Baghdad who are risking their lives to go to the polls. So we'll find out hout that process is going.

And then at 10:00 tonight we are live out of Baghdad and also here at the world headquarters an hour before the election voting actually starts. So we're going to have live reports from around the world, get lots of reaction. And also keep tabs on the latest action, especially after the bombing at the American embassy.

BAKHTIAR: All right. I'll be watching, Carol. Thank you.

LIN: Perfect. Thanks, Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Well, if your a family member were to get seriously ill a second opinion from an expert could be critical in making a full recovery, but how do you find the best specialist? Dr. Bill lloyd joining us live from Sacramento, California to help us answer that question.

Dr. Bill thank you so much for joining us.

BR. BILL LOYD, UNIV. OF CA-DAVID MEDICAL CENTER: Hi, Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Help us work through this. When is it the right time to ask for a second opinion?

LLOYD: Well, Rudi, we all want to trust the family doctors, but there are times when you'll get thoughts about wanting to get someone involved, either in establishing the diagnosis or helping you get the best care. So I encourage you to follow your instincts whenever you get the ideas. Whenever somebody tells you about a rare or an unexpected diagnosis think about involving a second physician.

If Dr. A tells you one thing and Dr. B 5 years later tells you something else, get another opinion. You might consider seeing a pathologist to have them review biopsy results if there's a conflict between the doctors. If there's uncertainty about what you should do. Do nothing, chemotherapy, surgery, physical therapy, whenever there's uncertainty get an expert opinion.

If you're having a poor response to treatment, when you know other people with the same condition do much better, think about extra help.

And finally, if there are any complications from treatment you've already received for a medical problem, once again, talk to your family doctor. Would it be a good idea to involve somebody else?

BAKHTIAR: I know the value of a second opinion. My father just got cancer. It's been an incredibly difficult time for us. And everyone hangs on those second opinions, but it's not really easy getting to get the insurance companies to pay for it, is it?

LLOYD: Well, the short answer is, it depends. And you want to check before you go chasing that second opinion with your insurance company to make sure that your health plan will support you. You can start by simply asking your own doctor, will I be covered if I go ask for help from another doctor? Is that expert inside your network? If not, you may be stuck with it and may have to pay out of pocket. So always check beforehand.

And when you see the expert, once again confirm that your health plan will cover those expenses.

BAKHTIAR: All right. But tell us where to go to look for these experts. For whatever reason, whatever disease, whatever conditions we're in, how do you find these experts out there?

LLOYD: Do what doctors do. Ask another doctor. Don't spend too much time looking through the phone book, instead ask your personal doctor to review your problem, maybe there's a misunderstanding somewhere, and directly ask, well, who do you suggest I go see?

Do your own research. Many national newspapers do articles about common medical conditions, and they often refer to experts.

There's books that actually list the top doctors in America. You may use that as a reference against your newspaper information.

Check with your local hospital. They have tumor boards there, so for a cancer patient you could ask to have your case reviewed by the local tumor board.

Or local medical society, they know lots of experts. And you don't have to rush off to a major metropolitan city to see an expert. There may be one just right around the corner.

And finally, local chapters of nonprofits have lists of doctors with lots of experience dealing with problems like yours.

BAKHTIAR: I think one of the biggest problems though is people have a problem telling their doctors, hey, I want a second opinion. Don't you think?

LLOYD: Well, you think, that's right, you think it's a problem. But you'd be surprised at the response. Doctors are in the hallway asking about you and other patients all the time, asking other doctors for their ideas. You may be surprised to learn that your doctor is pleased that you are interested in a second opinion and it will make him more willing to share your case with others, again, to bring that expert care you need to get a quick recovery.

BAKHTIAR: Yeah, I've noticed that doctors are really good about that.

Dr. Bill Lloyd, professor of University of Davis, thank you so much for joining us with those tips.

LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.

BAKHTIAR: Thank you.

And that is all the time we have for this hour.

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