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Player's Fate Contemplated after Colorado Player Injured in Hockey Fight; Bush Addresses Employment Issues in Ohio; Stability Hoped for in Haiti as New Prime Minister Arrives

Aired March 10, 2004 - 13:00   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Penalty shots. A punch, a slam, a player with a broken neck. And the other under a criminal investigation.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush hitting the road, but getting hammered by a new political ad. His party says they're illegal and should be stopped.

O'BRIEN: And too big for the opera? Obviously, we're not talking about a tenor here. This soprano can hit the notes, but she can't fit into that slinky dress. Now she's caught in the divas' dilemma.

PHILLIPS: Actor Johnny Depp, from the red carpet to right here on LIVE FROM. He'll give us a peek into his "Secret Window."

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien, not close to Johnny Depp.

It is Wednesday, March 10. And CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

A sucker punch, a broken neck, a criminal probe, and hundreds of thousands of witnesses. The question isn't what happened in Monday's run-in between two professional hockey players in Vancouver, B.C. It's what the sport and police and even fans decide to do about it.

Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore is out indefinitely with head and neck injuries. And Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi is out indefinitely, while various authorities try to sort the thing out. This is the second pro hockey assault Vancouver police have investigated in four years.

We get the latest from CTV reporter Scott Laurie, who is at the NHL's home office in Toronto, where there are meetings about this very subject today.

Hello, Scott.

SCOTT LAURIE, CTV CORRESPONDENT: Hi, how are you doing, Miles?

Just about an hour ago, the head of the Vancouver Canucks arrived in a big limousine and one would suspect that Todd Bertuzzi was in the back. The hearing was supposed to happen this morning at about 9 a.m. It was delayed. We believe that it's happening right now. We have no idea how long it's going to last.

But this is the equivalent of somebody being called to the principal's office, and a lot of people are saying that Todd Bertuzzi is going to pay a very high price for breaking somebody's neck.

O'BRIEN: What are the possibilities? What is the range of possibilities?

LAURIE: Well, in the past, when there have been incidents like this there have been suspensions, based on incidents that have happened in the past.

There was an incident involving Marty McSorley, again in Vancouver, when he clubbed another player over the head with his stick. And he was suspended, and he was convicted and given a suspended sentence of a year and a half.

In this case, you have Vancouver police looking at this incident. Who knows whether there are going to be charges. But it seems like they're very serious in investigating this.

And you have the league considering suspending -- it's actually suspended the player already, indefinitely. But he could be suspended for the rest of the season. Who knows about the playoffs, and who knows even about next year?

But here you have a star player in the league. He's basically one of the key components of the Vancouver Canucks team, but he is facing perhaps a conviction and, for sure, losing time playing with his teammates.

O'BRIEN: Is he known as an enforcer on the ice, Scott?

LAURIE: Todd Bertuzzi's nickname is Big Bert. He is a huge guy. He's 6'4", 225 pounds. He is a franchise player, just signed a new contract.

He is known as a very physical player, but he's known also as a skilled player. He's among the top 20 or 25 players in the league in terms of scoring. So he's not just a cement head, going around smashing people. He's a skilled player.

And that's one of the reasons why people are concerned about this because this is a player who a lot of other people, even kids, look up to. And he basically ambushed somebody on the ice.

O'BRIEN: You certainly don't want to call him a cement head to his face.

Let me ask you this. Question about the reaction in the hockey world? This is obviously the sport Canadians love more than any. What is the general reaction? After all, hockey fans tolerate -- dare we say -- expect a certain amount of this sort of violence when they go to see a game. Do they feel as if a line has been crossed here, or is this something that is understandable perhaps, in the heat of the moment?

LAURIE: Well, let me just answer the first question. Fans and people in the hockey world are very shocked by what happened. A lot of people are saying this is an example, perhaps, of what's wrong with the sport of hockey, that this kind of thing can happen.

Yesterday, after it happened, there were people in Vancouver who were saying, "Listen, we have one of the best teams in the league. We're trying to make a run at the Stanley Cup, which is the championship, and this has all now been put in jeopardy."

And these fans are saying, "I was a Vancouver Canuck fan. Now I'm questioning whether I'm going to be that, remain a fan," because of this incident.

This is all started because of an incident that happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago where the player, Steve Moore, hit the captain of the -- the captain of the Vancouver Canucks, Marcus Naslund.

He got a concussion. His head hit the ice. And he was out for three games. The team at the time said, we're going to get back at you.

And some people are saying that this was a premeditated attack, that it was planned, perhaps even two weeks ago, after the check against Naslund.

O'BRIEN: All right. For baseball fans this is kind of reminiscent. It's like those bean ball-type situations.

Scott Laurie with the CBC (sic), thanks for spending a little time with us. We do appreciate it.

LAURIE: CTV, you're welcome.

O'BRIEN: My apologies, CTV. That's a big faux pas. That's like calling a Canadian a maple leaf or something. OK, thanks.

So is it criminal assault or just another hockey grudge? We'll tackle those and other issues later this hour with a senior editor of ESPN, the magazine.

We're going to say it one more time, thanks to CTV -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Major League Baseball on thin ice today on Capitol Hill when it comes to league policy on steroids.

The Senate Commerce Committee is taking a swing at what its chairman, John McCain, calls weak drug testing regimes that, in his words, aid and abet cheaters.

McCain and others single out baseball and especially the players union for resisting the random steroid tests and immediate consequences that are standard, operating procedure in the NFL. The union says that's un-American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD FEHR, MLB PLAYERS' UNION: Major league players are not children. And I'm not their parents. They have the same responsibility that others do.

But I repeat to you what I said then, and I urge you to reconsider the law, top to bottom. If that's not good public policy, change it. That's all you have to do.

And I suggest further that if the Congress of the United States decides, as it has up through and including today, that androstenedione is safe enough to be sold freely on the stores' shelves anywhere in this country and within blocks of this hearing room, then if that's not appropriate for the safety of Americans, change it.

If it is, then you can't expect professional athletes to suggest that they somehow are different than anyone else and they can't go into a store and buy something that anyone else can buy. Change the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Elsewhere on the Hill today, static over satellite TV. A House subcommittee taking a big picture look at the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act, just as Dish Network and Viacom go eyeball to eyeball over transmission fees.

Again today, Viacom channels MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and others are off the air for Dish's nine million subscribers. We're getting late word a breakthrough may be near.

Now chew on this. The House considers taking liability lawsuits off the table for people who claim fast food made them fat. Says House Republican leader Tom DeLay, "If you eat a lot of food and you get sick, well, it's your responsibility."

And what could possibly go wrong with e-voting? Plenty, say Democratic senators Hillary Clinton and Bob Graham. They want electronic voting machines to generate paper records that can be recounted if need be.

O'BRIEN: President Bush is in the heartland today, delivering a heartfelt defense of Bush-onomics.

No Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, and Ohio has lost almost 200,000 jobs since 2001. For both of those reasons, Mr. Bush has been a frequent visitor to the Buckeye State.

Today, CNN's Kathleen Koch is there, as well.

Hello, Kathleen. KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

And the president took the unusual step today of talking about how hard hit this state has been by the recession.

President Bush said that he shared the concern of Ohio workers who are worried about their jobs going overseas. He shared the concern about those with jobs, those who are worried about losing their benefits, worried about losing their retirement pay.

The president, though, said that his plan for the economy is working, and that the nation needs to stay on that track.

He talked about the need for free and fair trade, less federal regulation, tort reform, better access to health care, all these steps that he said are helping small businesses grow.

And he talked about the tired, defeatist attitude of his opponent, the policy of tax and spend that the president called a recipe for economic disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a responsibility in government to create an environment that increases more jobs, and helps people find the skills to fill those jobs. That's the responsibility that we must do in government.

Some politicians in Washington see this new challenge, yet they want to respond in old ways. Their agenda is to increase federal taxes, to build a wall around this country, and to isolate America from the rest of the world.

They never get around to explaining how higher taxes will help create a single job in America, except maybe at the IRS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, the president was speaking to a forum on women entrepreneurs. And before coming here, he toured a local, very successful plant called Thermadyne (ph). It makes packaging for electronics, thermal packaging.

The president, while there, did a little work on the assembly line himself, polishing a sheet of metal used in this insulation. That plant, run, owned, and operated by a female entrepreneur.

But the president has also encountered some protesters here, several hundred, many of them union workers, some carrying pro-John Kerry signs. Many others, though, carrying signs like "Bush go home"; "President Bush, don't take away my overtime pay."

So a mixed greeting for the president here in this state, that will be very important to his re-election campaign, a state he won by just a mere four percentage points back in 2000 -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Kathleen Koch in Ohio, thank you very much.

Behind the scenes today, the Bush/Cheney re-election team airing grievances over anti-Bush TV ads such as this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Bush. Remember are the American dream? It's about hope, not fear. It's about more jobs at home, not tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. It's about giving our children their chance, not our debt.

It's about providing health care for people, not just profits. It's about fighting for the middle class, not special interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The Bush team claims that's a soft money ad that's illegal under the new campaign finance laws. It wants the Federal Election Commission to levy severe sanctions. Last week, the Republican National Committee unleashed a similar attack.

We'll talk more about all this with our political analytical guru Bill Schneider at the bottom of the hour.

Having made his nomination a little more inevitable with yesterday's primary, John Kerry courted big labor today, long distance. From the factory floor in Chicago Kerry spoke by satellite to an AFL-CIO meeting in Bal Harbour, Florida, claiming "President Bush won't lift a finger to help Americans keep their jobs." That was a quote.

He pledged to try and roll back Bush era taxes for Americans earning more than $200,000 a year.

Later today, he's due to meet with the man who many thought would dominate the Democratic contest, ex-Vermont Governor Howard Dean. Dean is expected to campaign for Kerry and eventually to give his formal endorsement.

PHILLIPS: No suspense but plenty of drama in the sentencing of Lee Boyd Malvo in Virginia.

A day after Malvo's accomplice/mentor was sentenced to death, a judge in Chesapeake sentenced the teenage sniper to life in prison without parole. That was her only option, given the recommendation of the jury that convicted him.

Malvo killed an FBI analyst in a Home Depot parking lot in October of 2002.

Other news across America now.

A frustrating case for police in Arizona. Authorities say a 2- year-old girl led them to the body of her father, stuffed inside the trunk of a car yesterday. The girl was unhurt physically. It's unclear what, if anything, she saw. Doctors expect a full recovery by Attorney General John Ashcroft. Surgeons removed Ashcroft's gallbladder yesterday to prevent a recurrence of severe gallstone pancreatitis. He's expected to remain in the hospital for several days.

It's back to jail for Diana Ross. The singer was sentenced to 48 hours behind bars in Arizona. She served her time in Connecticut, but was apparently allow to leave a number of times. That doesn't count as jail time under Arizona law.

Straight ahead, you've heard the old joke, I was at a fight and a hockey game broke out. But did this violent episode cross the line even for the National Hockey League? We'll talk about it with the executive editor of "ESPN" magazine.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On November 22 of last year, I made a bad choice and a Decision that will affect me for the rest of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: This small-town school principal hopes his shocking admission to his students will forever change their lives, too. His story later on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hopes are high that political unrest and violence will soon diminish in Haiti. The man selected as the new prime minister, Gerard Latortue, is to arrive in Haiti today.

Also today, U.S. Marines have begun helping police round up weapons.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck has the latest now from Port-au-Prince.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNNC CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Marines who are part of the multinational interim force in Haiti involved in two shootouts overnight. They shot and kill at least two Haitians who were near the country, the residence of the country's prime minister.

Those shootouts occurred last night, and they came on the heels of an announcement by the Marine commander in Haiti that the Marines will participate in an effort to disarm Haitian civilians who are carrying illegal weapons.

He said that U.S. Marines will be working in conjunction with the Haitian police as they try to disarm the civilian population.

COL. CHARLES GURGANUS, U.S. MARINES: The multinational force will be assisting the Haitian national police in attempting to disarm people who are illegally armed.

Again, the lead will remain with them. The standards by which we will follow will be set by them, as kind of their guidelines as they work towards law again.

There will be -- I'm not sure exactly what they will -- what they will allow people to hold, but the weapons will not be allowed to be on the streets.

WHITBECK: Haiti's new interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue, is scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince Wednesday afternoon.

One of his first tasks will be to name a new cabinet, and that decision is to be expected some time this weekend.

As he try to build a new government, the interim prime minister will face, however, the possibility of more violence on the streets of Haiti.

Many people here, especially supporters of former President Jean- Bertrand Aristide, not happy with the choice of Latortue as new interim prime minister. They say he has been out of the country too long and is not in touch with the realities faced by the Haitian population.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Port-au-Prince.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A South African delegation left on a fact-finding mission to Central -- the Central African Republican today to meet with Haiti's former president.

Delegates plan to investigate Jean-Bertrand Aristide's claims he was kidnapped by the U.S. and forced into exile. The U.S. strongly denies those claims. There's word Aristide is planning to file suit against the U.S. government.

O'BRIEN: A multimillion-dollar campaign rolls out today against President Bush, but it's not from John Kerry's campaign. We'll talk about who's behind the ads and why the Republican party says they're illegal.

And living large. An opera singer, one of her signature roles, apparently she's just too big for her costume.

And Oscar nominee Johnny Depp joins us right here on LIVE FROM, and he reveals he does do windows? What is that -- That's not Johnny Depp. That's Michael Eisner. Anyway, and they don't even look alike. We'll sort all this out a little bit later. Stay with us as LIVE FROM rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: ... executive editor of "ESPN," the magazine. Gary, good to have you with us. GARY BELSKY, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "ESPN" MAGAZINE: Good to be here.

O'BRIEN: All right. You've seen the tape. What is your take on it?

BELSKY: I've seen the tape -- my take is that obviously it was an out of bounds hit. But within the framework of hockey, which is a very violent sport and which also has a lot of retaliation in the sport, it's not the worse thing that's ever -- that's ever happened, probably.

And quite frankly, whenever retaliation hockey doesn't happen with a stick, I'm sort of pleased, because I think that's the problem, is that they're often carrying dangerous weapons.

O'BRIEN: All right. Of course, that takes us back to 2000, Marty McSorley. There's an incident where a stick was used. Criminal charges came into play.

What ultimately happened in that case? Those criminal charges didn't really stick, did they?

BELSKY: No, McSorley was convicted of assault, in fact, but he got an 18-month suspension, and he was suspended from the game for a year. But that effectively ended his career. He was a 17-year veteran.

And in any event, his skills don't match Bertuzzi's skills. Bertuzzi's going to be back in hockey, regardless of what happens on the criminal front. The B.C. solicitor general, the British Columbia solicitor general, is looking into this, as they often will do in these cases, both because they should be judged as assaults when there's criminal activity on the ice.

On the other hand, the local prosecutors often see this as an opportunity to get a little publicity for themselves, not that this was not something serious.

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, certainly if you're a hockey fan, you know, the whole context of this, and I think most people have a sense that, you know, hockey is obviously a very violent sport where, you know, "wink, nod" the NHL -- I guess you could say they encourage this kind of activity.

Let's face it. The fans like seeing this kind of fights within boundaries. The question is how do you draw these lines?

BELSKY: First, first of all there's a great debate as to which fans like to see which kind of physical violence. I'm not quite sure that a lot of hockey's core base loves the fights, mostly because they love hockey more.

But I don't think this is a huge problem for the hockey in the way that people outside of sports sometimes make it. The fact of the matter is hockey has lot of problems. But violence, I don't think is one of them because it has a core audience and that core audience is not especially shaken by these kinds of periodic explosions.

The bigger issue is whether or not you want to punish -- Remember, Bertuzzi was retaliating. The Canucks had been talking payback for a hit in an earlier game.

And so I think the issue is whether or not those kind of hits which sort of happen more in the sort of natural flow of hockey, whether or not the NHL should be more harshly punishing cross-checks, or other kinds of hits that happen that are beyond the bounds of sort of play but are not obvious criminal actions.

The NHL needs to sort of make a decision as to whether or not they want to enforce those kinds of penalties and make those penalties harsher. And then they will have some kind of case against not having the retaliation that we see.

O'BRIEN: But -- but you can't have it both ways. You can't encourage players to mix it up...

BELSKY: Sure, you can.

O'BRIEN: ... and still draw lines, can you? Doesn't that send a mixed message?

BELSKY: No, I don't think it's a mixed message at all. The fact of the matter is all sports, especially hockey, are violent. They're about flow. They're about hard-hitting.

And you can definitely say that we want to have a framework of physical hitting, hard hitting, even sometimes essentially harmless boxing, which happens all the time. And we want that to sort of -- These are men who are supposed to be able to make decisions between obvious criminal assaults and in the game hard-checking that sometimes goes over the line.

I don't think it's a contradiction at all to say we want you to have hard-hitting. We want you even sometimes to be able to fight, but we don't want you to actually start assaulting people and putting them in hospitals.

And yes, periodically, you're going to have it going over the line, because people are human and these things are going to end up being more serious than anybody intended.

I guarantee you, I don't think if you ask Todd Bertuzzi, either right before or right after, that he wanted this guy to go to the hospital and have a broken neck.

O'BRIEN: Final thought, and we're kind of running out of time here. But I want you to just button this up.

Is hockey unfairly singled out here? Because there -- Certainly, last fall, in the baseball playoff, Yankees versus the Red Sox, we saw that even in that case, players' activities on the field can go over into the court docket very quickly. BELSKY: Three years ago, a minor league baseball player threw a ball at a guy who was 20 feet away from the plate because he was timing pitches, and they ended up settling out of court. There was a huge lawsuit.

In the CBA, in minor league basketball several years ago, there was a huge fight in which one player hit another with a broom.

Even in hockey, Eric Cantanau (ph), who's one of the world's best French athletes, for whatever that's worth, he ended up going to jail, spending two weeks, because he assaulted a heckling fan.

It happens in other sports, but hockey, because of the nature of the name game, is anyway more violent, sort of gets a little bit more attention when this happens, rightfully so, but probably not justifiably in terms of how much criticism they'll get for these kind of incidents.

O'BRIEN: Gary Belsky is with "ESPN," the magazine. Thanks very much for shedding some light on all this for us. We appreciate it.

BELSKY: My pleasure.

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Cries of foul from the president's re-election campaign. Straight ahead, we'll have a breakdown on the latest ad bashing Bush.

Also, taking the high road to spread an important message. A high school principal reveals a tough tale for his student body.

And here's Johnny. Not Johnny Carson, Johnny Depp. The Hollywood hot shot comes out with a new film creating in a buzz in Tinseltown. We're going to talk to him live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Iraq, six people questioned about an attack that killed two U.S. civilian workers and an Iraqi translator. Five of the suspects were wearing Iraqi police garb when the ambush happened overnight near Karbala.

It's unclear whether the attackers were Iraqi police officers or using the uniforms as a disguise.

The high tech manhunt for Osama bin Laden is taking shape. The U.S. military is part of a new strategy of establishing aerial surveillance near the Afghanistan border where bin Laden is thought to be hiding out. If spotted, the new surveillance would allow him to be tracked in real time.

And back in this country, the Log Cabin Republicans launched a TV campaign today against a proposed constitutional amendment, banning same sex marriage. That proposal is backed by President Bush. The group of Republican gay and lesbians supported Bush's election in 2000.

O'BRIEN: The president's re-election campaign crying foul over a new anti-Bush TV spot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Bush. Remember the American dream? It's about hope, not fear. It's about more jobs at home, not tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. It's about giving our children their chance, not our debt. It's about providing health care...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right. The ad is part of a $5 million advertising blitz paid for by the Media Fund, but the president's re-election campaign wants the Federal Election Commission to stop it by finding the ad in direct violation of the Campaign Finance Reform Law.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider has committed the Campaign Finance Law to memory, can cite it chapter and verse for us. And with that, no need to take any Sominex (ph), because -- well, anyway, let's try to walk people through this.

What's interesting about this is, no matter -- whatever you may call this, this appears to be soft money. That terrible squishy term which is a term that the Democrats sure went after when the tables were turned.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, that's right. What the federal Campaign Finance Law, the so-called McCain/Feingold Finance Bill, did was prohibited political parties and their committees, like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, from raising soft money.

That was money that was given in unlimited amounts, often by wealthy donors, to the political parties to be used in any amount for anything they wished, as long as it wasn't coordinated with campaigns. That was considered a gross violation of campaign spending laws. And, therefore, it has been ended.

So what happened is that a lot of wealthy contributors, almost entirely on the left, have been giving money to these so-called 527 committees. These are committees that are engaged in electioneering.

They've been giving to these committees, like the one you just mentioned, and they're running ads opposing President Bush.

And what the critics say is these ads are just electioneering. That's exactly what they are. That's why these committees exist. They should be regulated and forced to accept money in limited amounts and report who their contributors are.

Right now, they're totally unregulated. And the argument the critics are making is this violating the spirit of the Campaign Finance Law. O'BRIEN: No kidding. What's sauce for the elephant is sauce for the donkey. Right? I mean, it seems to me that you can't have your cake and eat it too.

But one thing, I guess, which is worth pointing out here, is the Bush war chest now is $100 million-plus. The Kerry war chest is right about at a goose egg, isn't it?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. And that's why the money from these wealthy contributors is going to these committees. Because, look, the Democrats have always had as much success as Republicans in raising money from wealthy donors, but there's no vehicle to use that money now because campaign spending to the parties and the candidates is so strictly limited.

Therefore, they see this as a way of equalizing the playing field. And what they say they're doing is not really advocating the election of John Kerry, whose name does not come up in this ad.

O'BRIEN: Come on.

SCHNEIDER: But they're simply educating the voters about President Bush's policies. They're criticizing the president. And they argue that efforts to regulate these kinds of ads are efforts to stifle dissent and criticism of the president and that, in a democracy, is free speech.

O'BRIEN: And they tell you all this with a straight face?

SCHNEIDER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: They do? All right. So is anybody surprised that they found loopholes already in all of this?

SCHNEIDER: No.

O'BRIEN: That's the one thing we can say for certain, right?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. The money is there and it's going to find an outlet. And they warned all along, even McCain warned this, it will just find another way of expressing itself.

So what they're trying to do is close this loophole and say these committees have to register as political committees under the law, and they have to accept money in limited amounts and report their contributors. And of course, then they'll find some other vehicle to do it.

But the idea is the money is being spent, because there are so many other people out there devoted to the cause of trying to get President Bush out of office.

O'BRIEN: Bill Schneider, professor of McCain/Feingold-ology, thank you very much.

SCHNEIDER: My pleasure. PHILLIPS: Kids hear a lot about the dangers of drinking and driving. But at a school in a small town in Minnesota, the lesson hit home when their own principal made a heartfelt apology.

Jana Shortal of Minnesota affiliate KARE reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANA SHORTAL, KARE CORRESPONDENT: In a town like Minneota, Minnesota, the water tower stands tallest. Main Street's mainstays are a hardware store and John Deere parking.

Rigs roll past the grain elevator. No stoplights get in the way.

But today, the story is in the town school. At the end of classes today, a life lesson was to be taught by the principal.

STEVE BERGESON, MINNEOTA HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: Thank you for coming. We will get started.

SHORTAL: This is the Principal Bergeson. He is charged with drunk driving.

BERGESON: On November 22 of last year I made a bad choice and a decision that will affect me for the rest of my life.

SHORTAL: He drank at a party. He got in a car.

BERGESON: At that moment that I sat behind the wheel that truck was a loaded weapon, and I was the live ammunition in that weapon.

SHORTAL: He crashed the truck. He and his girlfriend were hurt badly. And he lived to tell about it.

BERGESON: It was the lowest day of my life.

SHORTAL: Today, Principal Bergeson did more than tell a story. He got 400 kids to listen to a message every parent preaches.

BERGESON: My message is plain and simple: don't drink. Don't do drugs. And never drive under the influence of either.

SHORTAL: No one made Principal Bergeson make the speech. No one made him admit his mistakes to these kids, to these teachers, to his own family, who came today.

This is a man who is ashamed, but also knows that if one of these kids learns from him, his life, his mistake, will have made a difference.

BERGESON: If this message saves at least one life, then I guess it wasn't so bad.

SHORTAL: Judging by the applause, he just might have done that.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: What a great message. News of Bergeson's arrest broke just last week. He says he's disappointed his school got mixed up in his mistake.

Straight ahead, there's been so much buzz about the "Secret Window" the release has been pushed up. And we've got its star live. Johnny Depp joins us to talk about the supernatural thriller.

Also, details on a few things you can do that add value to your home.

Speaking out and taking questions, former "New York Times" reporter Jayson Blair faces a critical public.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: ... you may have. You can call my literary agent.

JOHN TURTURRO, ACTOR: This is between you and me.

DEPP: I don't like being accused of plagiarism, if that is, in fact, what you're accusing me of. Chico, inside.

TURTURRO: I don't blame you for not liking it, but you did it.

DEPP: I have nothing more to say...

TURTURRO: Yes, I'll go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Johnny Depp opens the door to a stranger and is forever changed. Just a quick peek inside his new movie, "The Secret Window." The thriller based on a story by Stephen King and opens this Friday.

Johnny joins us live from Bath, England, where he's on location, shooting a film. We've got a little bit of delay. Johnny, great to see you.

DEPP: Nice to see you, thanks.

PHILLIPS: All right, so "Pirates of the Caribbean," you were hilarious, it was a great film.

Now you've sort of taken on this role, very different. How did you get into the mindset of this sort of disturbed character, I guess we should say?

DEPP: Well, you know, like with any character, you build up, you know, some sense of history for the guy so you have a, you know, some kind of strong foundation to stand on. I don't know -- it was sort of the idea of -- it's like acting, you know, when you're in a group of people and you're doing a scene, you're sort of acting, you're reacting.

With this guy, it was more about being, more about behaving, more about trying not to exist, you know?

PHILLIPS: It seems a lot about dealing with guilt, also dealing with your own demons. Would you agree with that?

DEPP: Yes, this is about a guy -- yes. This is about a guy who's desperate to be comfortable in his own skin, almost to the point of, like, you know, making himself disappear.

PHILLIPS: You think you see a bit of yourself maybe in this character? Tell us your demons, Johnny.

DEPP: My demons? I don't have any demons any more. They've all -- they've all flown away.

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's true. I've been reading. You said you turned 40, you've got this hottie better half. You've got two adorable children. What clicked? What made you turn a leaf?

DEPP: You know, you just -- you know, you take various turns in your life and -- you know, you sort of make a right -- kind of a radical right turn, and there's your girl. And next thing you know, there's your kids. And you finally realize and understand what life's all about, you know? You have instant perspective, and you understand what matters and what doesn't.

PHILLIPS: Well, I've got to ask you about your mom, Betty Sue. I've seen these pictures of you with her, holding her hand on the red carpet, talking about her a lot.

Tell me about Mom. When you were 17, dropping out of school, wanting to be in a band, what did she say to you?

DEPP: Oh, man, you know, I -- you know, at that time, she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about my -- my choice to leave school and play music, pursue a career in music.

But she was -- she was always a great friend in that sense you know she was always really supportive in anything that I went into. And she was -- yes, she's a good pal, you know. She's a great mom and a good pal.

PHILLIPS: Is she one of your best friends?

DEPP: Without question, yes. Absolutely one of my best friends.

PHILLIPS: How does she inspire you? What is it about her?

DEPP: What inspires me? You know, I mean, I've learned so many great, great things from my mom. You know, she's inspiring. She's very tough, you know, in the sense that she will not -- and has not, ever compromised. She won't -- she won't allow anyone to sort of talk down to her or anyone she knows. She jumps in -- I mean, she's -- she's a tough woman. She's a real inspiration in that sense.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's obvious, you can see that. And I understand you've got a tattoo, Betty Sue. Where exactly is that tattoo, Johnny?

DEPP: My Betty Sue tattoo is over here, on my left arm.

PHILLIPS: OK, very good. Just wanted to double-check, wanted to make sure it's in a good place, far away from the wino tattoo.

DEPP: Yes, yes.

PHILLIPS: All right. We are going to -- And of course, anybody...

DEPP: It's funny, because I got my first -- I got my first tattoo -- she hated it, you know? And then I got my second tattoo, about a year later, and it was the Betty Sue one and she said, "Oh, it's so beautiful."

PHILLIPS: And of course for those who don't know, Winona Ryder was the first one. But that has since changed. You won't have to worry about cutting off Sue or any part of Betty, right?

DEPP: No, I think I'm good on that one. It will be OK, yes.

PHILLIPS: Johnny Depp, the new movie, pretty scary, "The Secret Window." But you always play fascinating roles. Thanks for being with you -- you look great. Thanks so much. Thanks for being with us, I should say. I'm getting tongue twisted.

DEPP: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Johnny.

DEPP: Bless you, thank you very much. Take care.

PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, simple solutions to increase your property value. Rhonda Schaffler has that story from the New York stock exchange.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The man whose lies rocked "The New York Times" says there are still plagiarists at the newspaper. But can you believe him?

Anyway, former "Times" reporter Jayson Blair appeared last night on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." In his new book, "Burning Down my Master's House," Blair says there are several reporters still duping the newspaper, but he is apologetic for his own actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYSON BLAIR, FORMER "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER: I am immensely contrite, and I am sorry for the damage that I've done. I apologized in the book. I've apologized in interviews.

Some people, you know it seems to me, would like me to crawl into a hole and disappear forever. That's just not in my nature. I'm not sure what more I could do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right. Maybe his 15 minutes will be up soon.

About 40 minutes from now, we'll take a closer look at the controversy swirling around Blair, and ask that it's right it is that he's profiting from his plagiarism.

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, another controversy surrounding the crucifixion. This time, it has nothing to do with Mel Gibson's new movie. Coming up next in our second hour of LIVE FROM, why one city wants this sculpture to come down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like someone's belly. Probably lost it walking on the beach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Poking fun at a serious problem. A new push against obesity. It's fast becoming the No. 1 preventable cause of death in America.

O'BRIEN: And on the road and under attack, a big ad campaign critical of the president draws fire from the GOP.

PHILLIPS: Passionate art work. A controversial crucifix that some people say does not belong in public.

O'BRIEN: And he lost 22 years of his life after being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. So how -- how can society possibly pay him back for that?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Up first this hour, the fat of the land. This land, America, is getting fatter all the time. So much that obesity will soon pass smoking as the nation's No. 1 preventable cause of death.

The fast food chains are appetizing targets for lawsuits, but Congress today is on the verge of taking those claims off the table.

The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, also known as the Cheeseburger Bill, is on the front burner right now. Live pictures of the House of Representatives.

CNN's Joe Johns sizes up the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Billions and billions served, but who's fault is it if you eat too many and get fat?

Washington lawyer John Banzhaf blames the fast food industry.

JOHN BANZHAF, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: John Banzhaf and many other lawyers want to sue fast food companies for their fair share of obesity, which costs American $117 billion a year, most of which is paid by non-obese taxpayers.

JOHNS: Banzhaf, who spearheaded the lawsuits against the tobacco industry, says the threat of similar lawsuits against fast food restaurants will force them to serve healthier food.

But the bill before the House would remove that threat by eliminating the right of consumers to sue if they gain weight.

REP. RIC KELLER (R), FLORIDA: We've got to get back to those old-fashioned principles of personal responsibility and commonsense and get away from this new culture where everybody plays the victim and blames other people for their problem.

JOHNS: States are also moving to protect the fast food industry from civil lawsuits. At least 19 have such proposals as of March 1st. Louisiana actually enacted a law. Despite all the attention there's no epidemic of litigation.

A high profile case against McDonald's was dismissed. Of a handful of other cases, none has been successful. The industry says its insurance rates will go up if Congress doesn't act. Some argue a well-heeled interest group is trying to get around the courts.

REP. BOBBY SCOTT (D), VIRGINIA: We ought not have special privileges for the politically powerful. Cases ought to be tried in court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, the White House is savoring the cheeseburger bill, which would not incidentally ban lawsuits arising from tainted food or mislabeling. The measure still faces a cool reception in the Senate.

Well, there's a spoonful of sugar to go along with that bitter pill of fat stats and here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I help you sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found these over by the stairs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are they?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love handles. Lots of people lose them taking the stairs instead of the escalator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Bottom line, as it were of that campaign, take a small step to get healthy. You can read more at www.smallstep.gov.

O'BRIEN: Senator John McCain says suspicion over steroid use among baseball and football players gives both sports a legitimacy problem. McCain spoke during a Senate committee hearing that included testimony from sports commissioners and players' union officials.

McCain cited a report that a San Francisco area lab allegedly provided steroids to some players who have denied that charge. McCain says with athletes getting bigger and stronger, now is the time for stronger drug testing programs. Baseball officials say they're trying to get the players' union approval.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUD SELIG, MLB COMMISSIONER: I realize we have much work to do. We need more frequent and year around testing of players. We need immediate penalties for those caught using illegal substances. We need a program that bans all performance enhancing substances regardless whether the substances are categorized as steroids or nutritional supplements.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Now some baseball players say they favor stronger drug testing. Baseball officials say unannounced testing of players will begin this year. The NFL already conducts year-round random tests and imposes immediate suspensions for violators.

On the road and on the defensive, President Bush in the got-to- have-it state of Ohio today lamenting job losses and offering a spirited explanation of his economic policy. He's wooing Buckeye voters. He's also trying to deflect the verbal bashing of this new anti-Bush ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Bush, remember the American dream? It's about hope, not fear. It's about more jobs at home not tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. It's about giving our children their chance not our debt. It's about providing healthcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Of course, the president knows any misstep here, especially on the economy, could have serious consequences in November. Is his approach working? We will ask one of the experts, White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne, how are you today?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi Miles.

Of course the White House is certainly hoping that it wins Ohio. That is a key battleground state for President Bush. The Bush campaign picking this state in part not just because no Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio but also because it really is a perfect example of where Americans are facing economic challenges.

And the illustration being is that Ohio, the more than 160,000 manufacturing jobs lost there, a 6.2 unemployment rate and President Bush acknowledged this time and time again during his economic speech, saying "I understand," also saying that they are legitimate concerns.

And then what he did was he laid out an elaborate case, first why the Bush administration was not to blame for the economic situation. He talked about inheriting a recession, 9/11 attacks and corporate scandals and then, secondly, how his economic policy, particularly his trade policy would turn things around that it would create more jobs.

And he said that he had a plan that would allow to make tax cuts permanent to support small businesses, break down barriers to trade and also to retrain workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have put a recession behind us. Thanks in large part to your hard work our economy is expanding. Productivity is strong. Unemployment has been falling. Incomes are rising and we're going to stay on this path of growth and prosperity in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Of course a second part of Bush strategy is to contrast his own economic policy with that of his opponent, Senator Kerry. Without naming him by name he talked about the fact that he needs to move beyond or rather the country needs to move beyond what he called tired defeatist mind set of raising taxes, increasing spending and engaging in economic isolationism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Some politicians in Washington see this new challenge yet they want to respond in old ways. Their agenda is to increase federal taxes, to build a wall around this country and to isolate America from the rest of the world. They never get around to explaining how higher taxes would help create a single job in America, except maybe at the IRS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Miles, this is the president's 15th trip to Ohio. He narrowly won this state in 2000 and they are not taking anything for granted -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House thanks -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: No big surprise here, the president now has enough delegates for the GOP nomination and his main rival is close to clinching the Democratic nomination. John Kerry won four more states Tuesday. He now has 1,937 delegates. Just 225 more should seal the deal for him.

Now stop me if you've heard this before, an election supervisor in Florida ordering a recount. This time the disputed county is not West Palm Beach but Bay County and there's little riding on the outcome.

John Kerry locked up about 77 percent of the state's vote so the recount of the 20,000 primary ballots won't affect the outcome and this time around the problem was not hanging chads but a printing label that affected the counting.

Well, an interesting appointment in Senator Kerry's schedule today. He's meeting with his formal campaign rival Howard Dean. It's one of several events in Washington.

Our Bob Franken, also in Washington, with more on the Kerry campaign, hi Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

And the meeting is, is to go through the choreography. It's going to take a while to figure out the delicate dance of going from campaign rival to endorser. Howard Dean is expected to endorse Kerry probably not after today's meeting but they're going to get the ball rolling.

And Kerry, of course, is also interested in that huge financial base, particularly the Internet base that Howard Dean was able to assemble and take advantage of during the campaign.

Kerry was in Illinois before he started heading back this way to Washington. He addressed a bunch of workers there, also spoke to labor leaders by satellite who were in Florida and he's made it very clear that when it comes to the economy, the president in Ohio for instance today, Kerry intends to play not defense but offense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ladies and gentlemen, it's got to be getting lonely for George Bush. It seems he's the last person left in America who actually believes his failed policies will ever work. (END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: And for anybody who believes this is going to be a gentle campaign, as Kerry was moving through the workers he was overheard saying, "We are going to keep fighting. We are just beginning to fight here. These guys," referring to the Bush administration and Republicans, "these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen. It's scary."

A quote from Kerry, a spokesman came back to explain he was talking about what he described as deceitful campaign tactics. This one is not going to be pretty -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Usually it never is. Bob Franken live from Washington, thanks Bob -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Speaking of not pretty, it was a scandal that rocked one of America's most respected newspapers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYSON BLAIR, FORMER "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER: There are no excuses for it. There really are no explanations other than the fact that I made bad decisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Former self-proclaimed reporter Jayson Blair made up and copied stories, as you know now. Should he be able to profit from plagiarism through his new book?

And making up for lost time, 22 years of it to be exact, the story of one man's fight for freedom after unjust imprisonment.

And later, cartoon hero SpongeBob SquarePants dives into the controversy over what channels you get to see on satellite TV. Don't pull the plug in my house. We'll have big trouble.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER FORECAST)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well a second sentence is formally handed down in the D.C. sniper trial. It's life without parole for convicted trigger man Lee Boyd Malvo. His accomplice, John Allen Muhammad, was sentenced to death yesterday.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports from the courthouse in Chesapeake, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It took only 12 minutes for Judge Jane Marum Roush to finalize Malvo's sentence of life in prison without parole for his role in the Washington sniper slayings that killed ten people.

(voice-over): But minutes after that, Malvo's attorneys filed a Notice of Appeal with the court and the Prince William County prosecutor Paul Ebert announced that he intends to prosecute Malvo and will likely seek the death penalty.

PAUL EBERT, COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY: There is nothing that I see other than his age that would make him ineligible for the death penalty.

MESERVE: Ebert's prosecution of Malvo, however, will be put on hold until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on whether it is constitutional to execute juveniles.

Lee Malvo did not speak in court today. His attorneys did. They said Malvo was only a participant in these crimes because of the influence of John Muhammad. They pronounced this a sad day.

It was a sad day too for family members of victims. They expressed disappointment after the final sentencing that Malvo had not received the death sentence.

VIJAY WALEKAR, BROTHER OF SNIPER VICTIM: But I still wish that he would get the death penalty because I feel that Malvo was equally responsible as Muhammad, so I feel that, you know, he should have gotten the death penalty too.

MESERVE (on camera): An announcement too today from Fairfax County prosecutor Robert Horan who just completed the prosecution of Malvo. He said he now intends to press forward with the prosecution of John Muhammad and he said he might be ready to go within 30 days.

Jeanne Meserve CNN, Chesapeake, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Imagine losing decades of your life for a crime you did not commit. Advances in technology and DNA testing are reversing convictions of hundreds of inmates these days but freeing the wrongly convicted can create all kinds of new problems, problems they're not equipped to handle.

Our Frank Buckley looks at how the exonerated deal with life minus the bars.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Calvin Willis tries to enjoy every day of his life after 22 years in this prison for a crime, Willis always maintained, he didn't commit.

CALVIN WILLIS, WRONGLY CONVICTED: It took them 22 years to correct their mistake. Now all I'm asking about is what you going to do about it?

BUCKLEY: How should he be compensated for the life he missed, for his children growing up without him?

WILLIS: I just kept on going, you know, and kept my head up.

BUCKLEY: Willis is telling his story to the very community that sent him to prison, Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was convicted of aggravated rape.

WILLIS: This is the house where the rape occurred.

BUCKLEY: Two decades later testing of the DNA found at the scene caused prosecutors to drop the charges. Willis went free. There were press conferences and promises of a life regained.

(on camera): What happens to guys like Calvin Willis when they walk away from prison?

LOLA VOLLEN, LIFE AFTER EXONERATION: Well, first of all the press goes away very quickly and the problems set in very quickly.

BUCKLEY (voice-over): Lola Vollen heads the Life After Exoneration Program in Berkeley, California. She says Calvin Willis and the growing population of DNA and otherwise exonerated prisoners need not just compensation but help in dealing with everything from depression to dialing a cell phone.

VOLLEN: They are entering a world that is very new and different for them and they're entering virtually naked. They have no money. They have no skills. They have no place to live.

BUCKLEY: Vollen is behind Willis but many of the more than 350 other people in her databank who have been exonerated are struggling when they should be reveling in a freedom that was once wrongfully taken away.

Frank Buckley CNN, Berkeley, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A passionate response to a public display of at, why some people in Arizona want this sculpture of a crucifix to come down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, Asbury Park is the latest battleground in the explosive debate over same-sex marriage. One day after New Jersey's attorney general threatened criminal action, the City Council voted today to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Instead, city officials say they will let the courts decide.

Senior Political Analyst Jeff Greenfield has a closer look at the issue making waves across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): It has been happening literally from coast to coast, from Asbury Park, New Jersey on Monday to New Paltz, New York and out west to Oregon, Washington State, San Francisco, California, marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples despite laws or judicial findings that such marriages are not valid.

(on camera): So, why is this happening? Well, the answer unsurprisingly is politics, specifically the political firestorm triggered by one state supreme court that propelled the opponents and advocates of gay marriage into overdrive.

(voice-over): The fuse was first lit back last June when the United States Supreme Court struck down laws that criminalized private sex acts between consenting adults, gay or straight.

Then last November, the Massachusetts Supreme Court, relying in part on that U.S. high court decision, found that its state constitution with its equal protection clause required the state to sanction gay marriages and last month the court said we mean marriage, nothing less, including civil unions.

But it was what happened in San Francisco on February 12th that turned a simmering debate into a full-fledged front page story. That is when newly-elected Mayor Gavin Newsom, who had barely beaten an opponent who had run to this left, authorized the city to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and gay couples responded by lining up literally around the block.

Ten days later, President Bush, under heavy pressure from cultural conservatives, announced his support for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man, one woman.

BUSH: Decisive and democratic action is needed because attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city could have serious consequences throughout the country.

GREENFIELD: For Bush's all but certain Democratic foe, the issue proved a challenge. Kerry said he was against gay marriage, against a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, for one state recognizing a gay marriage performed in another state and, anyway, he said it was all politics.

KERRY: He is doing this because he's in trouble.

GREENFIELD: For many Republicans in Congress, the issue also proved a challenge. Even staunch cultural conservatives were less than thrilled about changing the U.S. Constitution and, for his part, the first openly gay Congressman Barney Frank, criticized local officials for issuing same-sex licenses. "This is" he said "not the time to push the issue."

But in many of the nation's more socially liberal communities there is a clear political advantage to such acts of civil disobedience. They draw attention and approval from an increasingly organized gay community just as in other community, such as Georgia, state legislators are working very hard to push through a state amendment that would specifically forbid gay marriages.

(on camera): In other words, this was not an issue pushed by any of the combatants in the so-called culture wars. It wasn't a ploy by the Bush campaign. It wasn't on the agenda of most of the prominent gay rights advocates.

It was instead a one vote majority decision by one state supreme court in Massachusetts plus an audacious move by one mayor in San Francisco that put this whole issue front and center.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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in Hockey Fight; Bush Addresses Employment Issues in Ohio; Stability Hoped for in Haiti as New Prime Minister Arrives>


Aired March 10, 2004 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Penalty shots. A punch, a slam, a player with a broken neck. And the other under a criminal investigation.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush hitting the road, but getting hammered by a new political ad. His party says they're illegal and should be stopped.

O'BRIEN: And too big for the opera? Obviously, we're not talking about a tenor here. This soprano can hit the notes, but she can't fit into that slinky dress. Now she's caught in the divas' dilemma.

PHILLIPS: Actor Johnny Depp, from the red carpet to right here on LIVE FROM. He'll give us a peek into his "Secret Window."

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien, not close to Johnny Depp.

It is Wednesday, March 10. And CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

A sucker punch, a broken neck, a criminal probe, and hundreds of thousands of witnesses. The question isn't what happened in Monday's run-in between two professional hockey players in Vancouver, B.C. It's what the sport and police and even fans decide to do about it.

Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore is out indefinitely with head and neck injuries. And Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi is out indefinitely, while various authorities try to sort the thing out. This is the second pro hockey assault Vancouver police have investigated in four years.

We get the latest from CTV reporter Scott Laurie, who is at the NHL's home office in Toronto, where there are meetings about this very subject today.

Hello, Scott.

SCOTT LAURIE, CTV CORRESPONDENT: Hi, how are you doing, Miles?

Just about an hour ago, the head of the Vancouver Canucks arrived in a big limousine and one would suspect that Todd Bertuzzi was in the back. The hearing was supposed to happen this morning at about 9 a.m. It was delayed. We believe that it's happening right now. We have no idea how long it's going to last.

But this is the equivalent of somebody being called to the principal's office, and a lot of people are saying that Todd Bertuzzi is going to pay a very high price for breaking somebody's neck.

O'BRIEN: What are the possibilities? What is the range of possibilities?

LAURIE: Well, in the past, when there have been incidents like this there have been suspensions, based on incidents that have happened in the past.

There was an incident involving Marty McSorley, again in Vancouver, when he clubbed another player over the head with his stick. And he was suspended, and he was convicted and given a suspended sentence of a year and a half.

In this case, you have Vancouver police looking at this incident. Who knows whether there are going to be charges. But it seems like they're very serious in investigating this.

And you have the league considering suspending -- it's actually suspended the player already, indefinitely. But he could be suspended for the rest of the season. Who knows about the playoffs, and who knows even about next year?

But here you have a star player in the league. He's basically one of the key components of the Vancouver Canucks team, but he is facing perhaps a conviction and, for sure, losing time playing with his teammates.

O'BRIEN: Is he known as an enforcer on the ice, Scott?

LAURIE: Todd Bertuzzi's nickname is Big Bert. He is a huge guy. He's 6'4", 225 pounds. He is a franchise player, just signed a new contract.

He is known as a very physical player, but he's known also as a skilled player. He's among the top 20 or 25 players in the league in terms of scoring. So he's not just a cement head, going around smashing people. He's a skilled player.

And that's one of the reasons why people are concerned about this because this is a player who a lot of other people, even kids, look up to. And he basically ambushed somebody on the ice.

O'BRIEN: You certainly don't want to call him a cement head to his face.

Let me ask you this. Question about the reaction in the hockey world? This is obviously the sport Canadians love more than any. What is the general reaction? After all, hockey fans tolerate -- dare we say -- expect a certain amount of this sort of violence when they go to see a game. Do they feel as if a line has been crossed here, or is this something that is understandable perhaps, in the heat of the moment?

LAURIE: Well, let me just answer the first question. Fans and people in the hockey world are very shocked by what happened. A lot of people are saying this is an example, perhaps, of what's wrong with the sport of hockey, that this kind of thing can happen.

Yesterday, after it happened, there were people in Vancouver who were saying, "Listen, we have one of the best teams in the league. We're trying to make a run at the Stanley Cup, which is the championship, and this has all now been put in jeopardy."

And these fans are saying, "I was a Vancouver Canuck fan. Now I'm questioning whether I'm going to be that, remain a fan," because of this incident.

This is all started because of an incident that happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago where the player, Steve Moore, hit the captain of the -- the captain of the Vancouver Canucks, Marcus Naslund.

He got a concussion. His head hit the ice. And he was out for three games. The team at the time said, we're going to get back at you.

And some people are saying that this was a premeditated attack, that it was planned, perhaps even two weeks ago, after the check against Naslund.

O'BRIEN: All right. For baseball fans this is kind of reminiscent. It's like those bean ball-type situations.

Scott Laurie with the CBC (sic), thanks for spending a little time with us. We do appreciate it.

LAURIE: CTV, you're welcome.

O'BRIEN: My apologies, CTV. That's a big faux pas. That's like calling a Canadian a maple leaf or something. OK, thanks.

So is it criminal assault or just another hockey grudge? We'll tackle those and other issues later this hour with a senior editor of ESPN, the magazine.

We're going to say it one more time, thanks to CTV -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Major League Baseball on thin ice today on Capitol Hill when it comes to league policy on steroids.

The Senate Commerce Committee is taking a swing at what its chairman, John McCain, calls weak drug testing regimes that, in his words, aid and abet cheaters.

McCain and others single out baseball and especially the players union for resisting the random steroid tests and immediate consequences that are standard, operating procedure in the NFL. The union says that's un-American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD FEHR, MLB PLAYERS' UNION: Major league players are not children. And I'm not their parents. They have the same responsibility that others do.

But I repeat to you what I said then, and I urge you to reconsider the law, top to bottom. If that's not good public policy, change it. That's all you have to do.

And I suggest further that if the Congress of the United States decides, as it has up through and including today, that androstenedione is safe enough to be sold freely on the stores' shelves anywhere in this country and within blocks of this hearing room, then if that's not appropriate for the safety of Americans, change it.

If it is, then you can't expect professional athletes to suggest that they somehow are different than anyone else and they can't go into a store and buy something that anyone else can buy. Change the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Elsewhere on the Hill today, static over satellite TV. A House subcommittee taking a big picture look at the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act, just as Dish Network and Viacom go eyeball to eyeball over transmission fees.

Again today, Viacom channels MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and others are off the air for Dish's nine million subscribers. We're getting late word a breakthrough may be near.

Now chew on this. The House considers taking liability lawsuits off the table for people who claim fast food made them fat. Says House Republican leader Tom DeLay, "If you eat a lot of food and you get sick, well, it's your responsibility."

And what could possibly go wrong with e-voting? Plenty, say Democratic senators Hillary Clinton and Bob Graham. They want electronic voting machines to generate paper records that can be recounted if need be.

O'BRIEN: President Bush is in the heartland today, delivering a heartfelt defense of Bush-onomics.

No Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, and Ohio has lost almost 200,000 jobs since 2001. For both of those reasons, Mr. Bush has been a frequent visitor to the Buckeye State.

Today, CNN's Kathleen Koch is there, as well.

Hello, Kathleen. KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

And the president took the unusual step today of talking about how hard hit this state has been by the recession.

President Bush said that he shared the concern of Ohio workers who are worried about their jobs going overseas. He shared the concern about those with jobs, those who are worried about losing their benefits, worried about losing their retirement pay.

The president, though, said that his plan for the economy is working, and that the nation needs to stay on that track.

He talked about the need for free and fair trade, less federal regulation, tort reform, better access to health care, all these steps that he said are helping small businesses grow.

And he talked about the tired, defeatist attitude of his opponent, the policy of tax and spend that the president called a recipe for economic disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a responsibility in government to create an environment that increases more jobs, and helps people find the skills to fill those jobs. That's the responsibility that we must do in government.

Some politicians in Washington see this new challenge, yet they want to respond in old ways. Their agenda is to increase federal taxes, to build a wall around this country, and to isolate America from the rest of the world.

They never get around to explaining how higher taxes will help create a single job in America, except maybe at the IRS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, the president was speaking to a forum on women entrepreneurs. And before coming here, he toured a local, very successful plant called Thermadyne (ph). It makes packaging for electronics, thermal packaging.

The president, while there, did a little work on the assembly line himself, polishing a sheet of metal used in this insulation. That plant, run, owned, and operated by a female entrepreneur.

But the president has also encountered some protesters here, several hundred, many of them union workers, some carrying pro-John Kerry signs. Many others, though, carrying signs like "Bush go home"; "President Bush, don't take away my overtime pay."

So a mixed greeting for the president here in this state, that will be very important to his re-election campaign, a state he won by just a mere four percentage points back in 2000 -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Kathleen Koch in Ohio, thank you very much.

Behind the scenes today, the Bush/Cheney re-election team airing grievances over anti-Bush TV ads such as this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Bush. Remember are the American dream? It's about hope, not fear. It's about more jobs at home, not tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. It's about giving our children their chance, not our debt.

It's about providing health care for people, not just profits. It's about fighting for the middle class, not special interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The Bush team claims that's a soft money ad that's illegal under the new campaign finance laws. It wants the Federal Election Commission to levy severe sanctions. Last week, the Republican National Committee unleashed a similar attack.

We'll talk more about all this with our political analytical guru Bill Schneider at the bottom of the hour.

Having made his nomination a little more inevitable with yesterday's primary, John Kerry courted big labor today, long distance. From the factory floor in Chicago Kerry spoke by satellite to an AFL-CIO meeting in Bal Harbour, Florida, claiming "President Bush won't lift a finger to help Americans keep their jobs." That was a quote.

He pledged to try and roll back Bush era taxes for Americans earning more than $200,000 a year.

Later today, he's due to meet with the man who many thought would dominate the Democratic contest, ex-Vermont Governor Howard Dean. Dean is expected to campaign for Kerry and eventually to give his formal endorsement.

PHILLIPS: No suspense but plenty of drama in the sentencing of Lee Boyd Malvo in Virginia.

A day after Malvo's accomplice/mentor was sentenced to death, a judge in Chesapeake sentenced the teenage sniper to life in prison without parole. That was her only option, given the recommendation of the jury that convicted him.

Malvo killed an FBI analyst in a Home Depot parking lot in October of 2002.

Other news across America now.

A frustrating case for police in Arizona. Authorities say a 2- year-old girl led them to the body of her father, stuffed inside the trunk of a car yesterday. The girl was unhurt physically. It's unclear what, if anything, she saw. Doctors expect a full recovery by Attorney General John Ashcroft. Surgeons removed Ashcroft's gallbladder yesterday to prevent a recurrence of severe gallstone pancreatitis. He's expected to remain in the hospital for several days.

It's back to jail for Diana Ross. The singer was sentenced to 48 hours behind bars in Arizona. She served her time in Connecticut, but was apparently allow to leave a number of times. That doesn't count as jail time under Arizona law.

Straight ahead, you've heard the old joke, I was at a fight and a hockey game broke out. But did this violent episode cross the line even for the National Hockey League? We'll talk about it with the executive editor of "ESPN" magazine.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On November 22 of last year, I made a bad choice and a Decision that will affect me for the rest of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: This small-town school principal hopes his shocking admission to his students will forever change their lives, too. His story later on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hopes are high that political unrest and violence will soon diminish in Haiti. The man selected as the new prime minister, Gerard Latortue, is to arrive in Haiti today.

Also today, U.S. Marines have begun helping police round up weapons.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck has the latest now from Port-au-Prince.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNNC CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Marines who are part of the multinational interim force in Haiti involved in two shootouts overnight. They shot and kill at least two Haitians who were near the country, the residence of the country's prime minister.

Those shootouts occurred last night, and they came on the heels of an announcement by the Marine commander in Haiti that the Marines will participate in an effort to disarm Haitian civilians who are carrying illegal weapons.

He said that U.S. Marines will be working in conjunction with the Haitian police as they try to disarm the civilian population.

COL. CHARLES GURGANUS, U.S. MARINES: The multinational force will be assisting the Haitian national police in attempting to disarm people who are illegally armed.

Again, the lead will remain with them. The standards by which we will follow will be set by them, as kind of their guidelines as they work towards law again.

There will be -- I'm not sure exactly what they will -- what they will allow people to hold, but the weapons will not be allowed to be on the streets.

WHITBECK: Haiti's new interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue, is scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince Wednesday afternoon.

One of his first tasks will be to name a new cabinet, and that decision is to be expected some time this weekend.

As he try to build a new government, the interim prime minister will face, however, the possibility of more violence on the streets of Haiti.

Many people here, especially supporters of former President Jean- Bertrand Aristide, not happy with the choice of Latortue as new interim prime minister. They say he has been out of the country too long and is not in touch with the realities faced by the Haitian population.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Port-au-Prince.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A South African delegation left on a fact-finding mission to Central -- the Central African Republican today to meet with Haiti's former president.

Delegates plan to investigate Jean-Bertrand Aristide's claims he was kidnapped by the U.S. and forced into exile. The U.S. strongly denies those claims. There's word Aristide is planning to file suit against the U.S. government.

O'BRIEN: A multimillion-dollar campaign rolls out today against President Bush, but it's not from John Kerry's campaign. We'll talk about who's behind the ads and why the Republican party says they're illegal.

And living large. An opera singer, one of her signature roles, apparently she's just too big for her costume.

And Oscar nominee Johnny Depp joins us right here on LIVE FROM, and he reveals he does do windows? What is that -- That's not Johnny Depp. That's Michael Eisner. Anyway, and they don't even look alike. We'll sort all this out a little bit later. Stay with us as LIVE FROM rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: ... executive editor of "ESPN," the magazine. Gary, good to have you with us. GARY BELSKY, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "ESPN" MAGAZINE: Good to be here.

O'BRIEN: All right. You've seen the tape. What is your take on it?

BELSKY: I've seen the tape -- my take is that obviously it was an out of bounds hit. But within the framework of hockey, which is a very violent sport and which also has a lot of retaliation in the sport, it's not the worse thing that's ever -- that's ever happened, probably.

And quite frankly, whenever retaliation hockey doesn't happen with a stick, I'm sort of pleased, because I think that's the problem, is that they're often carrying dangerous weapons.

O'BRIEN: All right. Of course, that takes us back to 2000, Marty McSorley. There's an incident where a stick was used. Criminal charges came into play.

What ultimately happened in that case? Those criminal charges didn't really stick, did they?

BELSKY: No, McSorley was convicted of assault, in fact, but he got an 18-month suspension, and he was suspended from the game for a year. But that effectively ended his career. He was a 17-year veteran.

And in any event, his skills don't match Bertuzzi's skills. Bertuzzi's going to be back in hockey, regardless of what happens on the criminal front. The B.C. solicitor general, the British Columbia solicitor general, is looking into this, as they often will do in these cases, both because they should be judged as assaults when there's criminal activity on the ice.

On the other hand, the local prosecutors often see this as an opportunity to get a little publicity for themselves, not that this was not something serious.

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, certainly if you're a hockey fan, you know, the whole context of this, and I think most people have a sense that, you know, hockey is obviously a very violent sport where, you know, "wink, nod" the NHL -- I guess you could say they encourage this kind of activity.

Let's face it. The fans like seeing this kind of fights within boundaries. The question is how do you draw these lines?

BELSKY: First, first of all there's a great debate as to which fans like to see which kind of physical violence. I'm not quite sure that a lot of hockey's core base loves the fights, mostly because they love hockey more.

But I don't think this is a huge problem for the hockey in the way that people outside of sports sometimes make it. The fact of the matter is hockey has lot of problems. But violence, I don't think is one of them because it has a core audience and that core audience is not especially shaken by these kinds of periodic explosions.

The bigger issue is whether or not you want to punish -- Remember, Bertuzzi was retaliating. The Canucks had been talking payback for a hit in an earlier game.

And so I think the issue is whether or not those kind of hits which sort of happen more in the sort of natural flow of hockey, whether or not the NHL should be more harshly punishing cross-checks, or other kinds of hits that happen that are beyond the bounds of sort of play but are not obvious criminal actions.

The NHL needs to sort of make a decision as to whether or not they want to enforce those kinds of penalties and make those penalties harsher. And then they will have some kind of case against not having the retaliation that we see.

O'BRIEN: But -- but you can't have it both ways. You can't encourage players to mix it up...

BELSKY: Sure, you can.

O'BRIEN: ... and still draw lines, can you? Doesn't that send a mixed message?

BELSKY: No, I don't think it's a mixed message at all. The fact of the matter is all sports, especially hockey, are violent. They're about flow. They're about hard-hitting.

And you can definitely say that we want to have a framework of physical hitting, hard hitting, even sometimes essentially harmless boxing, which happens all the time. And we want that to sort of -- These are men who are supposed to be able to make decisions between obvious criminal assaults and in the game hard-checking that sometimes goes over the line.

I don't think it's a contradiction at all to say we want you to have hard-hitting. We want you even sometimes to be able to fight, but we don't want you to actually start assaulting people and putting them in hospitals.

And yes, periodically, you're going to have it going over the line, because people are human and these things are going to end up being more serious than anybody intended.

I guarantee you, I don't think if you ask Todd Bertuzzi, either right before or right after, that he wanted this guy to go to the hospital and have a broken neck.

O'BRIEN: Final thought, and we're kind of running out of time here. But I want you to just button this up.

Is hockey unfairly singled out here? Because there -- Certainly, last fall, in the baseball playoff, Yankees versus the Red Sox, we saw that even in that case, players' activities on the field can go over into the court docket very quickly. BELSKY: Three years ago, a minor league baseball player threw a ball at a guy who was 20 feet away from the plate because he was timing pitches, and they ended up settling out of court. There was a huge lawsuit.

In the CBA, in minor league basketball several years ago, there was a huge fight in which one player hit another with a broom.

Even in hockey, Eric Cantanau (ph), who's one of the world's best French athletes, for whatever that's worth, he ended up going to jail, spending two weeks, because he assaulted a heckling fan.

It happens in other sports, but hockey, because of the nature of the name game, is anyway more violent, sort of gets a little bit more attention when this happens, rightfully so, but probably not justifiably in terms of how much criticism they'll get for these kind of incidents.

O'BRIEN: Gary Belsky is with "ESPN," the magazine. Thanks very much for shedding some light on all this for us. We appreciate it.

BELSKY: My pleasure.

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Cries of foul from the president's re-election campaign. Straight ahead, we'll have a breakdown on the latest ad bashing Bush.

Also, taking the high road to spread an important message. A high school principal reveals a tough tale for his student body.

And here's Johnny. Not Johnny Carson, Johnny Depp. The Hollywood hot shot comes out with a new film creating in a buzz in Tinseltown. We're going to talk to him live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Iraq, six people questioned about an attack that killed two U.S. civilian workers and an Iraqi translator. Five of the suspects were wearing Iraqi police garb when the ambush happened overnight near Karbala.

It's unclear whether the attackers were Iraqi police officers or using the uniforms as a disguise.

The high tech manhunt for Osama bin Laden is taking shape. The U.S. military is part of a new strategy of establishing aerial surveillance near the Afghanistan border where bin Laden is thought to be hiding out. If spotted, the new surveillance would allow him to be tracked in real time.

And back in this country, the Log Cabin Republicans launched a TV campaign today against a proposed constitutional amendment, banning same sex marriage. That proposal is backed by President Bush. The group of Republican gay and lesbians supported Bush's election in 2000.

O'BRIEN: The president's re-election campaign crying foul over a new anti-Bush TV spot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Bush. Remember the American dream? It's about hope, not fear. It's about more jobs at home, not tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. It's about giving our children their chance, not our debt. It's about providing health care...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right. The ad is part of a $5 million advertising blitz paid for by the Media Fund, but the president's re-election campaign wants the Federal Election Commission to stop it by finding the ad in direct violation of the Campaign Finance Reform Law.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider has committed the Campaign Finance Law to memory, can cite it chapter and verse for us. And with that, no need to take any Sominex (ph), because -- well, anyway, let's try to walk people through this.

What's interesting about this is, no matter -- whatever you may call this, this appears to be soft money. That terrible squishy term which is a term that the Democrats sure went after when the tables were turned.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, that's right. What the federal Campaign Finance Law, the so-called McCain/Feingold Finance Bill, did was prohibited political parties and their committees, like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, from raising soft money.

That was money that was given in unlimited amounts, often by wealthy donors, to the political parties to be used in any amount for anything they wished, as long as it wasn't coordinated with campaigns. That was considered a gross violation of campaign spending laws. And, therefore, it has been ended.

So what happened is that a lot of wealthy contributors, almost entirely on the left, have been giving money to these so-called 527 committees. These are committees that are engaged in electioneering.

They've been giving to these committees, like the one you just mentioned, and they're running ads opposing President Bush.

And what the critics say is these ads are just electioneering. That's exactly what they are. That's why these committees exist. They should be regulated and forced to accept money in limited amounts and report who their contributors are.

Right now, they're totally unregulated. And the argument the critics are making is this violating the spirit of the Campaign Finance Law. O'BRIEN: No kidding. What's sauce for the elephant is sauce for the donkey. Right? I mean, it seems to me that you can't have your cake and eat it too.

But one thing, I guess, which is worth pointing out here, is the Bush war chest now is $100 million-plus. The Kerry war chest is right about at a goose egg, isn't it?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. And that's why the money from these wealthy contributors is going to these committees. Because, look, the Democrats have always had as much success as Republicans in raising money from wealthy donors, but there's no vehicle to use that money now because campaign spending to the parties and the candidates is so strictly limited.

Therefore, they see this as a way of equalizing the playing field. And what they say they're doing is not really advocating the election of John Kerry, whose name does not come up in this ad.

O'BRIEN: Come on.

SCHNEIDER: But they're simply educating the voters about President Bush's policies. They're criticizing the president. And they argue that efforts to regulate these kinds of ads are efforts to stifle dissent and criticism of the president and that, in a democracy, is free speech.

O'BRIEN: And they tell you all this with a straight face?

SCHNEIDER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: They do? All right. So is anybody surprised that they found loopholes already in all of this?

SCHNEIDER: No.

O'BRIEN: That's the one thing we can say for certain, right?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. The money is there and it's going to find an outlet. And they warned all along, even McCain warned this, it will just find another way of expressing itself.

So what they're trying to do is close this loophole and say these committees have to register as political committees under the law, and they have to accept money in limited amounts and report their contributors. And of course, then they'll find some other vehicle to do it.

But the idea is the money is being spent, because there are so many other people out there devoted to the cause of trying to get President Bush out of office.

O'BRIEN: Bill Schneider, professor of McCain/Feingold-ology, thank you very much.

SCHNEIDER: My pleasure. PHILLIPS: Kids hear a lot about the dangers of drinking and driving. But at a school in a small town in Minnesota, the lesson hit home when their own principal made a heartfelt apology.

Jana Shortal of Minnesota affiliate KARE reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANA SHORTAL, KARE CORRESPONDENT: In a town like Minneota, Minnesota, the water tower stands tallest. Main Street's mainstays are a hardware store and John Deere parking.

Rigs roll past the grain elevator. No stoplights get in the way.

But today, the story is in the town school. At the end of classes today, a life lesson was to be taught by the principal.

STEVE BERGESON, MINNEOTA HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: Thank you for coming. We will get started.

SHORTAL: This is the Principal Bergeson. He is charged with drunk driving.

BERGESON: On November 22 of last year I made a bad choice and a decision that will affect me for the rest of my life.

SHORTAL: He drank at a party. He got in a car.

BERGESON: At that moment that I sat behind the wheel that truck was a loaded weapon, and I was the live ammunition in that weapon.

SHORTAL: He crashed the truck. He and his girlfriend were hurt badly. And he lived to tell about it.

BERGESON: It was the lowest day of my life.

SHORTAL: Today, Principal Bergeson did more than tell a story. He got 400 kids to listen to a message every parent preaches.

BERGESON: My message is plain and simple: don't drink. Don't do drugs. And never drive under the influence of either.

SHORTAL: No one made Principal Bergeson make the speech. No one made him admit his mistakes to these kids, to these teachers, to his own family, who came today.

This is a man who is ashamed, but also knows that if one of these kids learns from him, his life, his mistake, will have made a difference.

BERGESON: If this message saves at least one life, then I guess it wasn't so bad.

SHORTAL: Judging by the applause, he just might have done that.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: What a great message. News of Bergeson's arrest broke just last week. He says he's disappointed his school got mixed up in his mistake.

Straight ahead, there's been so much buzz about the "Secret Window" the release has been pushed up. And we've got its star live. Johnny Depp joins us to talk about the supernatural thriller.

Also, details on a few things you can do that add value to your home.

Speaking out and taking questions, former "New York Times" reporter Jayson Blair faces a critical public.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: ... you may have. You can call my literary agent.

JOHN TURTURRO, ACTOR: This is between you and me.

DEPP: I don't like being accused of plagiarism, if that is, in fact, what you're accusing me of. Chico, inside.

TURTURRO: I don't blame you for not liking it, but you did it.

DEPP: I have nothing more to say...

TURTURRO: Yes, I'll go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Johnny Depp opens the door to a stranger and is forever changed. Just a quick peek inside his new movie, "The Secret Window." The thriller based on a story by Stephen King and opens this Friday.

Johnny joins us live from Bath, England, where he's on location, shooting a film. We've got a little bit of delay. Johnny, great to see you.

DEPP: Nice to see you, thanks.

PHILLIPS: All right, so "Pirates of the Caribbean," you were hilarious, it was a great film.

Now you've sort of taken on this role, very different. How did you get into the mindset of this sort of disturbed character, I guess we should say?

DEPP: Well, you know, like with any character, you build up, you know, some sense of history for the guy so you have a, you know, some kind of strong foundation to stand on. I don't know -- it was sort of the idea of -- it's like acting, you know, when you're in a group of people and you're doing a scene, you're sort of acting, you're reacting.

With this guy, it was more about being, more about behaving, more about trying not to exist, you know?

PHILLIPS: It seems a lot about dealing with guilt, also dealing with your own demons. Would you agree with that?

DEPP: Yes, this is about a guy -- yes. This is about a guy who's desperate to be comfortable in his own skin, almost to the point of, like, you know, making himself disappear.

PHILLIPS: You think you see a bit of yourself maybe in this character? Tell us your demons, Johnny.

DEPP: My demons? I don't have any demons any more. They've all -- they've all flown away.

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's true. I've been reading. You said you turned 40, you've got this hottie better half. You've got two adorable children. What clicked? What made you turn a leaf?

DEPP: You know, you just -- you know, you take various turns in your life and -- you know, you sort of make a right -- kind of a radical right turn, and there's your girl. And next thing you know, there's your kids. And you finally realize and understand what life's all about, you know? You have instant perspective, and you understand what matters and what doesn't.

PHILLIPS: Well, I've got to ask you about your mom, Betty Sue. I've seen these pictures of you with her, holding her hand on the red carpet, talking about her a lot.

Tell me about Mom. When you were 17, dropping out of school, wanting to be in a band, what did she say to you?

DEPP: Oh, man, you know, I -- you know, at that time, she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about my -- my choice to leave school and play music, pursue a career in music.

But she was -- she was always a great friend in that sense you know she was always really supportive in anything that I went into. And she was -- yes, she's a good pal, you know. She's a great mom and a good pal.

PHILLIPS: Is she one of your best friends?

DEPP: Without question, yes. Absolutely one of my best friends.

PHILLIPS: How does she inspire you? What is it about her?

DEPP: What inspires me? You know, I mean, I've learned so many great, great things from my mom. You know, she's inspiring. She's very tough, you know, in the sense that she will not -- and has not, ever compromised. She won't -- she won't allow anyone to sort of talk down to her or anyone she knows. She jumps in -- I mean, she's -- she's a tough woman. She's a real inspiration in that sense.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's obvious, you can see that. And I understand you've got a tattoo, Betty Sue. Where exactly is that tattoo, Johnny?

DEPP: My Betty Sue tattoo is over here, on my left arm.

PHILLIPS: OK, very good. Just wanted to double-check, wanted to make sure it's in a good place, far away from the wino tattoo.

DEPP: Yes, yes.

PHILLIPS: All right. We are going to -- And of course, anybody...

DEPP: It's funny, because I got my first -- I got my first tattoo -- she hated it, you know? And then I got my second tattoo, about a year later, and it was the Betty Sue one and she said, "Oh, it's so beautiful."

PHILLIPS: And of course for those who don't know, Winona Ryder was the first one. But that has since changed. You won't have to worry about cutting off Sue or any part of Betty, right?

DEPP: No, I think I'm good on that one. It will be OK, yes.

PHILLIPS: Johnny Depp, the new movie, pretty scary, "The Secret Window." But you always play fascinating roles. Thanks for being with you -- you look great. Thanks so much. Thanks for being with us, I should say. I'm getting tongue twisted.

DEPP: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Johnny.

DEPP: Bless you, thank you very much. Take care.

PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, simple solutions to increase your property value. Rhonda Schaffler has that story from the New York stock exchange.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The man whose lies rocked "The New York Times" says there are still plagiarists at the newspaper. But can you believe him?

Anyway, former "Times" reporter Jayson Blair appeared last night on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." In his new book, "Burning Down my Master's House," Blair says there are several reporters still duping the newspaper, but he is apologetic for his own actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYSON BLAIR, FORMER "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER: I am immensely contrite, and I am sorry for the damage that I've done. I apologized in the book. I've apologized in interviews.

Some people, you know it seems to me, would like me to crawl into a hole and disappear forever. That's just not in my nature. I'm not sure what more I could do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right. Maybe his 15 minutes will be up soon.

About 40 minutes from now, we'll take a closer look at the controversy swirling around Blair, and ask that it's right it is that he's profiting from his plagiarism.

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, another controversy surrounding the crucifixion. This time, it has nothing to do with Mel Gibson's new movie. Coming up next in our second hour of LIVE FROM, why one city wants this sculpture to come down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like someone's belly. Probably lost it walking on the beach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Poking fun at a serious problem. A new push against obesity. It's fast becoming the No. 1 preventable cause of death in America.

O'BRIEN: And on the road and under attack, a big ad campaign critical of the president draws fire from the GOP.

PHILLIPS: Passionate art work. A controversial crucifix that some people say does not belong in public.

O'BRIEN: And he lost 22 years of his life after being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. So how -- how can society possibly pay him back for that?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Up first this hour, the fat of the land. This land, America, is getting fatter all the time. So much that obesity will soon pass smoking as the nation's No. 1 preventable cause of death.

The fast food chains are appetizing targets for lawsuits, but Congress today is on the verge of taking those claims off the table.

The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, also known as the Cheeseburger Bill, is on the front burner right now. Live pictures of the House of Representatives.

CNN's Joe Johns sizes up the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Billions and billions served, but who's fault is it if you eat too many and get fat?

Washington lawyer John Banzhaf blames the fast food industry.

JOHN BANZHAF, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: John Banzhaf and many other lawyers want to sue fast food companies for their fair share of obesity, which costs American $117 billion a year, most of which is paid by non-obese taxpayers.

JOHNS: Banzhaf, who spearheaded the lawsuits against the tobacco industry, says the threat of similar lawsuits against fast food restaurants will force them to serve healthier food.

But the bill before the House would remove that threat by eliminating the right of consumers to sue if they gain weight.

REP. RIC KELLER (R), FLORIDA: We've got to get back to those old-fashioned principles of personal responsibility and commonsense and get away from this new culture where everybody plays the victim and blames other people for their problem.

JOHNS: States are also moving to protect the fast food industry from civil lawsuits. At least 19 have such proposals as of March 1st. Louisiana actually enacted a law. Despite all the attention there's no epidemic of litigation.

A high profile case against McDonald's was dismissed. Of a handful of other cases, none has been successful. The industry says its insurance rates will go up if Congress doesn't act. Some argue a well-heeled interest group is trying to get around the courts.

REP. BOBBY SCOTT (D), VIRGINIA: We ought not have special privileges for the politically powerful. Cases ought to be tried in court.

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PHILLIPS: Well, the White House is savoring the cheeseburger bill, which would not incidentally ban lawsuits arising from tainted food or mislabeling. The measure still faces a cool reception in the Senate.

Well, there's a spoonful of sugar to go along with that bitter pill of fat stats and here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I help you sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found these over by the stairs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are they?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love handles. Lots of people lose them taking the stairs instead of the escalator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Bottom line, as it were of that campaign, take a small step to get healthy. You can read more at www.smallstep.gov.

O'BRIEN: Senator John McCain says suspicion over steroid use among baseball and football players gives both sports a legitimacy problem. McCain spoke during a Senate committee hearing that included testimony from sports commissioners and players' union officials.

McCain cited a report that a San Francisco area lab allegedly provided steroids to some players who have denied that charge. McCain says with athletes getting bigger and stronger, now is the time for stronger drug testing programs. Baseball officials say they're trying to get the players' union approval.

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BUD SELIG, MLB COMMISSIONER: I realize we have much work to do. We need more frequent and year around testing of players. We need immediate penalties for those caught using illegal substances. We need a program that bans all performance enhancing substances regardless whether the substances are categorized as steroids or nutritional supplements.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Now some baseball players say they favor stronger drug testing. Baseball officials say unannounced testing of players will begin this year. The NFL already conducts year-round random tests and imposes immediate suspensions for violators.

On the road and on the defensive, President Bush in the got-to- have-it state of Ohio today lamenting job losses and offering a spirited explanation of his economic policy. He's wooing Buckeye voters. He's also trying to deflect the verbal bashing of this new anti-Bush ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Bush, remember the American dream? It's about hope, not fear. It's about more jobs at home not tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. It's about giving our children their chance not our debt. It's about providing healthcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Of course, the president knows any misstep here, especially on the economy, could have serious consequences in November. Is his approach working? We will ask one of the experts, White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne, how are you today?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi Miles.

Of course the White House is certainly hoping that it wins Ohio. That is a key battleground state for President Bush. The Bush campaign picking this state in part not just because no Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio but also because it really is a perfect example of where Americans are facing economic challenges.

And the illustration being is that Ohio, the more than 160,000 manufacturing jobs lost there, a 6.2 unemployment rate and President Bush acknowledged this time and time again during his economic speech, saying "I understand," also saying that they are legitimate concerns.

And then what he did was he laid out an elaborate case, first why the Bush administration was not to blame for the economic situation. He talked about inheriting a recession, 9/11 attacks and corporate scandals and then, secondly, how his economic policy, particularly his trade policy would turn things around that it would create more jobs.

And he said that he had a plan that would allow to make tax cuts permanent to support small businesses, break down barriers to trade and also to retrain workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have put a recession behind us. Thanks in large part to your hard work our economy is expanding. Productivity is strong. Unemployment has been falling. Incomes are rising and we're going to stay on this path of growth and prosperity in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Of course a second part of Bush strategy is to contrast his own economic policy with that of his opponent, Senator Kerry. Without naming him by name he talked about the fact that he needs to move beyond or rather the country needs to move beyond what he called tired defeatist mind set of raising taxes, increasing spending and engaging in economic isolationism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Some politicians in Washington see this new challenge yet they want to respond in old ways. Their agenda is to increase federal taxes, to build a wall around this country and to isolate America from the rest of the world. They never get around to explaining how higher taxes would help create a single job in America, except maybe at the IRS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Miles, this is the president's 15th trip to Ohio. He narrowly won this state in 2000 and they are not taking anything for granted -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House thanks -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: No big surprise here, the president now has enough delegates for the GOP nomination and his main rival is close to clinching the Democratic nomination. John Kerry won four more states Tuesday. He now has 1,937 delegates. Just 225 more should seal the deal for him.

Now stop me if you've heard this before, an election supervisor in Florida ordering a recount. This time the disputed county is not West Palm Beach but Bay County and there's little riding on the outcome.

John Kerry locked up about 77 percent of the state's vote so the recount of the 20,000 primary ballots won't affect the outcome and this time around the problem was not hanging chads but a printing label that affected the counting.

Well, an interesting appointment in Senator Kerry's schedule today. He's meeting with his formal campaign rival Howard Dean. It's one of several events in Washington.

Our Bob Franken, also in Washington, with more on the Kerry campaign, hi Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

And the meeting is, is to go through the choreography. It's going to take a while to figure out the delicate dance of going from campaign rival to endorser. Howard Dean is expected to endorse Kerry probably not after today's meeting but they're going to get the ball rolling.

And Kerry, of course, is also interested in that huge financial base, particularly the Internet base that Howard Dean was able to assemble and take advantage of during the campaign.

Kerry was in Illinois before he started heading back this way to Washington. He addressed a bunch of workers there, also spoke to labor leaders by satellite who were in Florida and he's made it very clear that when it comes to the economy, the president in Ohio for instance today, Kerry intends to play not defense but offense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ladies and gentlemen, it's got to be getting lonely for George Bush. It seems he's the last person left in America who actually believes his failed policies will ever work. (END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: And for anybody who believes this is going to be a gentle campaign, as Kerry was moving through the workers he was overheard saying, "We are going to keep fighting. We are just beginning to fight here. These guys," referring to the Bush administration and Republicans, "these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen. It's scary."

A quote from Kerry, a spokesman came back to explain he was talking about what he described as deceitful campaign tactics. This one is not going to be pretty -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Usually it never is. Bob Franken live from Washington, thanks Bob -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Speaking of not pretty, it was a scandal that rocked one of America's most respected newspapers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYSON BLAIR, FORMER "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER: There are no excuses for it. There really are no explanations other than the fact that I made bad decisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Former self-proclaimed reporter Jayson Blair made up and copied stories, as you know now. Should he be able to profit from plagiarism through his new book?

And making up for lost time, 22 years of it to be exact, the story of one man's fight for freedom after unjust imprisonment.

And later, cartoon hero SpongeBob SquarePants dives into the controversy over what channels you get to see on satellite TV. Don't pull the plug in my house. We'll have big trouble.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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PHILLIPS: Well a second sentence is formally handed down in the D.C. sniper trial. It's life without parole for convicted trigger man Lee Boyd Malvo. His accomplice, John Allen Muhammad, was sentenced to death yesterday.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports from the courthouse in Chesapeake, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It took only 12 minutes for Judge Jane Marum Roush to finalize Malvo's sentence of life in prison without parole for his role in the Washington sniper slayings that killed ten people.

(voice-over): But minutes after that, Malvo's attorneys filed a Notice of Appeal with the court and the Prince William County prosecutor Paul Ebert announced that he intends to prosecute Malvo and will likely seek the death penalty.

PAUL EBERT, COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY: There is nothing that I see other than his age that would make him ineligible for the death penalty.

MESERVE: Ebert's prosecution of Malvo, however, will be put on hold until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on whether it is constitutional to execute juveniles.

Lee Malvo did not speak in court today. His attorneys did. They said Malvo was only a participant in these crimes because of the influence of John Muhammad. They pronounced this a sad day.

It was a sad day too for family members of victims. They expressed disappointment after the final sentencing that Malvo had not received the death sentence.

VIJAY WALEKAR, BROTHER OF SNIPER VICTIM: But I still wish that he would get the death penalty because I feel that Malvo was equally responsible as Muhammad, so I feel that, you know, he should have gotten the death penalty too.

MESERVE (on camera): An announcement too today from Fairfax County prosecutor Robert Horan who just completed the prosecution of Malvo. He said he now intends to press forward with the prosecution of John Muhammad and he said he might be ready to go within 30 days.

Jeanne Meserve CNN, Chesapeake, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Imagine losing decades of your life for a crime you did not commit. Advances in technology and DNA testing are reversing convictions of hundreds of inmates these days but freeing the wrongly convicted can create all kinds of new problems, problems they're not equipped to handle.

Our Frank Buckley looks at how the exonerated deal with life minus the bars.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Calvin Willis tries to enjoy every day of his life after 22 years in this prison for a crime, Willis always maintained, he didn't commit.

CALVIN WILLIS, WRONGLY CONVICTED: It took them 22 years to correct their mistake. Now all I'm asking about is what you going to do about it?

BUCKLEY: How should he be compensated for the life he missed, for his children growing up without him?

WILLIS: I just kept on going, you know, and kept my head up.

BUCKLEY: Willis is telling his story to the very community that sent him to prison, Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was convicted of aggravated rape.

WILLIS: This is the house where the rape occurred.

BUCKLEY: Two decades later testing of the DNA found at the scene caused prosecutors to drop the charges. Willis went free. There were press conferences and promises of a life regained.

(on camera): What happens to guys like Calvin Willis when they walk away from prison?

LOLA VOLLEN, LIFE AFTER EXONERATION: Well, first of all the press goes away very quickly and the problems set in very quickly.

BUCKLEY (voice-over): Lola Vollen heads the Life After Exoneration Program in Berkeley, California. She says Calvin Willis and the growing population of DNA and otherwise exonerated prisoners need not just compensation but help in dealing with everything from depression to dialing a cell phone.

VOLLEN: They are entering a world that is very new and different for them and they're entering virtually naked. They have no money. They have no skills. They have no place to live.

BUCKLEY: Vollen is behind Willis but many of the more than 350 other people in her databank who have been exonerated are struggling when they should be reveling in a freedom that was once wrongfully taken away.

Frank Buckley CNN, Berkeley, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A passionate response to a public display of at, why some people in Arizona want this sculpture of a crucifix to come down.

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PHILLIPS: Well, Asbury Park is the latest battleground in the explosive debate over same-sex marriage. One day after New Jersey's attorney general threatened criminal action, the City Council voted today to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Instead, city officials say they will let the courts decide.

Senior Political Analyst Jeff Greenfield has a closer look at the issue making waves across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): It has been happening literally from coast to coast, from Asbury Park, New Jersey on Monday to New Paltz, New York and out west to Oregon, Washington State, San Francisco, California, marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples despite laws or judicial findings that such marriages are not valid.

(on camera): So, why is this happening? Well, the answer unsurprisingly is politics, specifically the political firestorm triggered by one state supreme court that propelled the opponents and advocates of gay marriage into overdrive.

(voice-over): The fuse was first lit back last June when the United States Supreme Court struck down laws that criminalized private sex acts between consenting adults, gay or straight.

Then last November, the Massachusetts Supreme Court, relying in part on that U.S. high court decision, found that its state constitution with its equal protection clause required the state to sanction gay marriages and last month the court said we mean marriage, nothing less, including civil unions.

But it was what happened in San Francisco on February 12th that turned a simmering debate into a full-fledged front page story. That is when newly-elected Mayor Gavin Newsom, who had barely beaten an opponent who had run to this left, authorized the city to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and gay couples responded by lining up literally around the block.

Ten days later, President Bush, under heavy pressure from cultural conservatives, announced his support for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man, one woman.

BUSH: Decisive and democratic action is needed because attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city could have serious consequences throughout the country.

GREENFIELD: For Bush's all but certain Democratic foe, the issue proved a challenge. Kerry said he was against gay marriage, against a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, for one state recognizing a gay marriage performed in another state and, anyway, he said it was all politics.

KERRY: He is doing this because he's in trouble.

GREENFIELD: For many Republicans in Congress, the issue also proved a challenge. Even staunch cultural conservatives were less than thrilled about changing the U.S. Constitution and, for his part, the first openly gay Congressman Barney Frank, criticized local officials for issuing same-sex licenses. "This is" he said "not the time to push the issue."

But in many of the nation's more socially liberal communities there is a clear political advantage to such acts of civil disobedience. They draw attention and approval from an increasingly organized gay community just as in other community, such as Georgia, state legislators are working very hard to push through a state amendment that would specifically forbid gay marriages.

(on camera): In other words, this was not an issue pushed by any of the combatants in the so-called culture wars. It wasn't a ploy by the Bush campaign. It wasn't on the agenda of most of the prominent gay rights advocates.

It was instead a one vote majority decision by one state supreme court in Massachusetts plus an audacious move by one mayor in San Francisco that put this whole issue front and center.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

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