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Who Will Save Your Pet's Soul?

Aired March 26, 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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM... Here's what's ahead on LIVE FROM...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our party has a new leader. We know we're going in the wrong direction, he knows what to do to turn it around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Will a show his support translate into votes for John Kerry?

And a horse race of a different sort. Check this out. A runaway and all-out effort to get him off the road.

And off the road and into religion, dogs and dogma. We'll take you to church where the pooches are packing in the pews for a little prayer.

First, here's the top stories we're following for you.

Key congressional Republicans want to declassify testimony given by former White House terrorism adviser Richard Clarke in 2000. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says lawmakers want to know whether Clarke lied under oath either then or before the 9/11 Commission this week when he criticized President Bush's handling of the war on terror.

Just in, they've recessed for the day. But trouble in the Tyco trial. Jurors told the judge in the corruption case they could not keep deliberating in good faith. And the judge says he's not optimistic the trial can continue. Tyco's former CEO and former financial chief are accused of looting the company of $600 million.

A fire fight in Fallujah, Iraq kills five Iraqis. One of them worked as a freelance cameraman for ABC News. The gun battle between U.S. troops and armed Iraqis left 25 other Iraqis wounded. Officials say U.S. forces were moving into the city when the gun fight happened.

More now on the Tyco recess. Straight to New York, Allen Chernoff standing by with the latest -- Allen.

ALLEN CHERNOFF, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is a last-ditch effort by Judge Michael Obus to somehow try to resolve the problems within the jury room, the judge hoping that the relaxation over the weekend maybe will calm the tension that has occurred within the jury room.

Yesterday, the jury did put out a note saying that the atmosphere in the jury room has turned poisonous and that they clearly are not able to resolve their differences. One juror apparently holding out for acquittal of the two defendants here, Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz, the former two top executives of Tyco.

Now, the judge did announce before lunch another note from the jury and they had said that we cease to be able to conduct respectful open-minded, good faith deliberations.

Upon hearing that, the defense once again called for a mistrial, saying the note indicates the very essence of a mistrial. The prosecution argued, though, that this would be premature and clearly after six months of this trial, the judge is hoping that somehow, the deadlock can be broken and somehow the deliberations can resume. That the jurors can get along, which is essentially what he told them this morning. That they should play nicely, that they shouldn't throw accusations at each other and there's a lot at stake here because both Kozlowski and Swartz are charged with looting Tyco by $600 million by taking unauthorized bonuses, for giving loans to themselves, and also selling stock illicitly -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Can't we all just get along? Hasn't that phrase been coined already, Allen Chernoff?

CHERNOFF: That's what this is all about. The jury had said they are not hung here. That is not the essential problem at the moment. It's a matter of getting along, having good faith deliberations and not being able to throw accusations at each other. But clearly, there's lots of acrimony among the jurors right now.

PHILLIPS: And so it goes. Allen Chernoff, live from New York, thanks.

Well it's the economy. That's the message Democrats take to voters today as they search for a winning message in this year's presidential campaign. The grounds work was laid last night during a fund raiser that brought out the party's biggest names. CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace was there also.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In an effort to help define himself for voters, today John Kerry delivers what aides say will be a major speech on jobs, setting a goal of creating ten million new jobs during a first four years of his presidency.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me tell you that is one thing that we know how to do. We know to create jobs.

With President Clinton and Al Gore and the remarkable economic team they had leading this country, we not only created those 23 million new jobs, we turned vast budget deficits into record surpluses for America.

WALLACE: Kerry spoke at last night's Democratic Party dinner, which featured former presidents, a former vice-president, and most of this year's presidential candidates.

The body language shows there may still be differences, but the goal, trying to put those aside to win back the White House.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't support John Kerry. President Carter didn't support John Kerry, President Clinton didn't support John Kerry, Terry McAuliffe didn't support John Kerry in the primaries. John Kerry earned the nomination of this Party. He won it the hard way.

WALLACE: And this from the country's most popular Democrat.

CLINTON: I ask you to look at John Kerry tonight and say to him what he has said to us his entire adult life. Send me...

WALLACE: But concerns remain that despite the unity there is a third party candidate, Ralph Nader, to contend with once again.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ralph, go back to umpiring softball games or examining the rear end of automobiles, and don't risk costing the Democrats the White House this year as you did four years ago.

WALLACE: Kerry's immediate challenge, raising cash. His campaign trailing the Bush team by more than $100 million.

This dinner a start, brining in what Democratic officials say was a record more than $11 million for the Democratic Party.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: All right. You saw Bill Clinton. What do he and Donald Trump have in common? Well, the power of so-called comeback kids next.

Plus, dogs and dogma. The church that welcomes pets in its pews.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Former President Bill Clinton is often referred to as the comeback kid. But can he work that magic on the likely nominee? Today the spin team tackles comeback kids, including the Donald also. Joined from Washington by crisis manager Eric Dezenhall, author of the book "Nail 'Em." And in Atlanta here, marketing strategist Laura Reis. Hey, guys. Glad to have you.

LAURA REIS, MARKETING STRATEGIST: Good to be here.

PHILLIPS: All right, Eric, let's start with you. Let's talk about Trump first. What is it about this guy that is so fascinating to Americans?

ERIC DEZENHALL, CRISIS MANAGER: Americans love people who have been knocked down and who come back. We love people who are audacious and who are unapologetic about themselves even with their flaws.

People like Donald Trump not only don't run from the fact that they've been knocked down, they embrace the fact that they've been knocked down. Americans find a personality very, very appealing who can show us that they know how to take their beating.

And as Henry Ford said, never explain, never complain. And Donald Trump is unapologetic about who he is, and the same holds true for Bill Clinton. My only complaint with Donald Trump is that my 11- year-old daughter fired me last night.

PHILLIPS: See how that show's making such an influence? Let's roll a clip and we'll explain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, COMEBACK KID: Life is what you are today. Have fun. Just enjoy it.

We've been here many times before. And it's just one of the in my opinion, one of the great New York evenings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: He never fails to have a beautiful woman on his side, either. While Eric's daughter fired him because she's been so influenced by Trump, now didn't your dad get fired, Laura, by Donald Trump?

REIS: Yes, I got one better on that one. Donald fired my dad. He ran the advertising agency that was handling the Trump Casino and Donald every couple years likes to fire the ad agency so he can get new ideas.

Actually, it didn't do well for the Donald because sales went down after he fired the agency. But Donald is a great comeback story and the polar opposite of what Martha Stewart has done.

She has not embraced her failure, not taken on PR With the enthusiasm and the energy Donald does. Donald's full time job is PR, self-promotion for himself. And on the side he's a real estate mogul.

PHILLIPS: You've got three keys to a comeback. What are those and did he follow those -- and did they come from your dad? Because now Trump will eat his words.

REIS: Three big keys to any comeback, first, you've got to be a celebrity. You've got to spend most of your time doing outrageous PR and focusing your time and attention on doing that.

Second of all, you have to let enough time go by for people to forget if you've made a mistake, done something wrong or fallen out of favor. Time goes by, people forget the bad stuff and they remember the good stuff. They remember Donald's heyday in the '80s and forget the bankruptcy, divorce, failed airlines, the failing casinos.

And third, you have to come back with an innovative new idea. And that Donald has done brilliantly with "The Apprentice," an exciting new show that takes a completely new idea and he's got that signature phrase "You're fired." And has become a cultural icon the way shows like "American Idol" and "Survivor" have done in the past.

PHILLIPS: Eric, bankruptcy, cheating on his wife, why does society forget those things? Isn't that kind of sad?

DEZENHALL: They don't forget those things. In fact, I am not entirely convinced that they hold these things to be as punishable as we think. I always felt that Bill Clinton survived in part because people like him. And rule No. 1 of damage control is the most important factor is do we like you. If we like you, you can be naughty. If we do not like you, you cannot be naughty.

Donald Trump and Bill Clinton have in common this very old- fashioned American, Frank Sinatra, riding high in April, shot down in May, roguishness which is part of the American spirit. In fact, we admire that more than people who do what everybody says you should do when you're in crisis which is to confess, to explain.

A lot of times we like somebody who says this is who I am, and if you don't like it, tough. As and Laura said, correctly, one of the things too many people do wrong is they don't know when to vanish. One of the things you need to keep in mind, both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton went away for a while rather than got in our face constantly.

PHILLIPS: Eric, I want to thank you. We're all pretty well liked. We can be naughty now.

DEZENHALL: As long as I don't get fired tonight.

PHILLIPS: You mentioned Bill Clinton. Let's listen to a piece from his speech supporting Kerry last night at the unity dinner. Roll this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Here's what I know about John Kerry. In the Vietnam- era which marked us all, most young men, including the president, the vice president and me, most of us could have gone to Vietnam and didn't go. And John Kerry said, send me.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Then when it was all over and it was time to heal up and normalize relations with Vietnam if we could get a full accounting of all of our POWs and MIAs, and we need somebody who'd been there to stand up and take a leadership role, John Kerry said send me.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: OK. New title for Bill Clinton here, Reverend Clinton. Didn't he sound like a preacher? Talk about making a comeback.

REIS: He is the great communicator. There is no doubt. He is a very likable person. He's fantastic on TV. He's a great orator. Anyone who's ever met him has said they've been blown away with him.

I kind of disagree with Eric. I think people do forget. On the back of the head, they might remember but they tend to over time remember the good things they did. And certainly Clinton did many good things in his presidency and people are forgetting the little Monica scandal that happened to him.

I mean many presidents have had this happen. Look at Richard Nixon. He made a great comeback. Jimmy Carter, he comes back and wins the Nobel Peace Prize. He came back with a new innovative idea. He let time go by for people to getting and did a lot of outrageous PR.

PHILLIPS: Did the former president outshadow John Kerry?

DEZENHALL: A little bit, but that's OK for now. Every news cycle has a counter cycle. A few years ago, George Bush could do no wrong. Now he can do no right. A few years ago, Bill Clinton could do no right -- could do no wrong, and now he's in an environment where everybody wants to hear what he has to say.

But it's a long way till November. We can't make a prediction just yet. The cycles can change again.

REIS: People love to build you up and knock you down. That's absolutely true of the American public.

PHILLIPS: It's true in our business. Eric Dezenhall...

REIS: And bring you back again.

PHILLIPS: Eric and Laura, thanks so much.

Speaking of comeback, how about the airlines? Things may be finally looking up for them.

First, the long awaited praying with your pet story. Take your dog, take your cat, go to church. We'll tell you all about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So do pets belong in church? A lot of you might be thinking not in my pew. But CNN's Bruce Burkhardt found a Episcopal church that not only welcomes animals, it conducts an entire service around them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For some churchgoers here at St. Francis Episcopal church in Stanford, Connecticut, the service is more than uplifting. It's a howling good time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the blood of Jesus Christ, oh Lord.

BURKHARDT: What if a dogfight breaks out up front?

FATHER RICHARD MAYBERRY, ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Then we just have extra prayers at that moment.

BURKHARDT: Father Richard Mayberry, along with Mother Molly McGreevy (ph), came up with this idea of a special communion service one Sunday a month. The owners receive communion, the pets receive a special blessing.

This dog doesn't need a blessing, he needs an agent.

It could be any Sunday, any church. Beforehand, there's the usual social niceties of greetings of and how are you's.

MOTHER MOLLY MCGREEVY, ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: We might have never taken the steps if it hadn't been somebody coming into church one day with their animal and then another person and another person. And then we discovered other people had allergies.

BURKHARDT: So the idea for a separate service just for pet owners. Appropriate for a church named St. Francis, the saint known for his special kinship with animals.

MAYBERRY: Let us pray. Hear our humble prayer, oh god, for our friends, the animals. Especially for animals who are suffering.

BURKHARDT: It is an Episcopal service customized for critters, even if they don't always fully appreciate it. That's no way to get to heaven, or is it.

MCGREEVY: I believe firmly that anything we have ever loved is not lost to us after death. And to me, you know, that includes pets.

MAYBERRY: Take, eat, this is my body.

BURKHARDT: Animals have souls? Do they even need -- do we need to know the answer to that?

MAYBERRY: I couldn't tell you.

(LAUGHTER) That one does.

BURKHARDT: And if these people are guinea pigs in a new way of worship, where does that leave the real guinea pigs?

MCGREEVY: May god continue to bless you. And may you live long and happy life.

BURKHARDT: Animals going to church. Might not catch on everywhere, but here at least owners and their pets seem to be singing their praises. Bruce Burkhardt, CNN, Stanford, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MARKET UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: Remember the bishop convicted of hit and run? He learns his fate next hour.

And she's hard working, well-liked, but an ex-con. She may be headed back to prison for nothing more than a mathematical error.

Also next hour, in the market for love? Word is, Tom and Penelope are no more. The scoop all ahead on LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired March 26, 2004 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM... Here's what's ahead on LIVE FROM...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our party has a new leader. We know we're going in the wrong direction, he knows what to do to turn it around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Will a show his support translate into votes for John Kerry?

And a horse race of a different sort. Check this out. A runaway and all-out effort to get him off the road.

And off the road and into religion, dogs and dogma. We'll take you to church where the pooches are packing in the pews for a little prayer.

First, here's the top stories we're following for you.

Key congressional Republicans want to declassify testimony given by former White House terrorism adviser Richard Clarke in 2000. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says lawmakers want to know whether Clarke lied under oath either then or before the 9/11 Commission this week when he criticized President Bush's handling of the war on terror.

Just in, they've recessed for the day. But trouble in the Tyco trial. Jurors told the judge in the corruption case they could not keep deliberating in good faith. And the judge says he's not optimistic the trial can continue. Tyco's former CEO and former financial chief are accused of looting the company of $600 million.

A fire fight in Fallujah, Iraq kills five Iraqis. One of them worked as a freelance cameraman for ABC News. The gun battle between U.S. troops and armed Iraqis left 25 other Iraqis wounded. Officials say U.S. forces were moving into the city when the gun fight happened.

More now on the Tyco recess. Straight to New York, Allen Chernoff standing by with the latest -- Allen.

ALLEN CHERNOFF, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is a last-ditch effort by Judge Michael Obus to somehow try to resolve the problems within the jury room, the judge hoping that the relaxation over the weekend maybe will calm the tension that has occurred within the jury room.

Yesterday, the jury did put out a note saying that the atmosphere in the jury room has turned poisonous and that they clearly are not able to resolve their differences. One juror apparently holding out for acquittal of the two defendants here, Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz, the former two top executives of Tyco.

Now, the judge did announce before lunch another note from the jury and they had said that we cease to be able to conduct respectful open-minded, good faith deliberations.

Upon hearing that, the defense once again called for a mistrial, saying the note indicates the very essence of a mistrial. The prosecution argued, though, that this would be premature and clearly after six months of this trial, the judge is hoping that somehow, the deadlock can be broken and somehow the deliberations can resume. That the jurors can get along, which is essentially what he told them this morning. That they should play nicely, that they shouldn't throw accusations at each other and there's a lot at stake here because both Kozlowski and Swartz are charged with looting Tyco by $600 million by taking unauthorized bonuses, for giving loans to themselves, and also selling stock illicitly -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Can't we all just get along? Hasn't that phrase been coined already, Allen Chernoff?

CHERNOFF: That's what this is all about. The jury had said they are not hung here. That is not the essential problem at the moment. It's a matter of getting along, having good faith deliberations and not being able to throw accusations at each other. But clearly, there's lots of acrimony among the jurors right now.

PHILLIPS: And so it goes. Allen Chernoff, live from New York, thanks.

Well it's the economy. That's the message Democrats take to voters today as they search for a winning message in this year's presidential campaign. The grounds work was laid last night during a fund raiser that brought out the party's biggest names. CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace was there also.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In an effort to help define himself for voters, today John Kerry delivers what aides say will be a major speech on jobs, setting a goal of creating ten million new jobs during a first four years of his presidency.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me tell you that is one thing that we know how to do. We know to create jobs.

With President Clinton and Al Gore and the remarkable economic team they had leading this country, we not only created those 23 million new jobs, we turned vast budget deficits into record surpluses for America.

WALLACE: Kerry spoke at last night's Democratic Party dinner, which featured former presidents, a former vice-president, and most of this year's presidential candidates.

The body language shows there may still be differences, but the goal, trying to put those aside to win back the White House.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't support John Kerry. President Carter didn't support John Kerry, President Clinton didn't support John Kerry, Terry McAuliffe didn't support John Kerry in the primaries. John Kerry earned the nomination of this Party. He won it the hard way.

WALLACE: And this from the country's most popular Democrat.

CLINTON: I ask you to look at John Kerry tonight and say to him what he has said to us his entire adult life. Send me...

WALLACE: But concerns remain that despite the unity there is a third party candidate, Ralph Nader, to contend with once again.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ralph, go back to umpiring softball games or examining the rear end of automobiles, and don't risk costing the Democrats the White House this year as you did four years ago.

WALLACE: Kerry's immediate challenge, raising cash. His campaign trailing the Bush team by more than $100 million.

This dinner a start, brining in what Democratic officials say was a record more than $11 million for the Democratic Party.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: All right. You saw Bill Clinton. What do he and Donald Trump have in common? Well, the power of so-called comeback kids next.

Plus, dogs and dogma. The church that welcomes pets in its pews.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Former President Bill Clinton is often referred to as the comeback kid. But can he work that magic on the likely nominee? Today the spin team tackles comeback kids, including the Donald also. Joined from Washington by crisis manager Eric Dezenhall, author of the book "Nail 'Em." And in Atlanta here, marketing strategist Laura Reis. Hey, guys. Glad to have you.

LAURA REIS, MARKETING STRATEGIST: Good to be here.

PHILLIPS: All right, Eric, let's start with you. Let's talk about Trump first. What is it about this guy that is so fascinating to Americans?

ERIC DEZENHALL, CRISIS MANAGER: Americans love people who have been knocked down and who come back. We love people who are audacious and who are unapologetic about themselves even with their flaws.

People like Donald Trump not only don't run from the fact that they've been knocked down, they embrace the fact that they've been knocked down. Americans find a personality very, very appealing who can show us that they know how to take their beating.

And as Henry Ford said, never explain, never complain. And Donald Trump is unapologetic about who he is, and the same holds true for Bill Clinton. My only complaint with Donald Trump is that my 11- year-old daughter fired me last night.

PHILLIPS: See how that show's making such an influence? Let's roll a clip and we'll explain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, COMEBACK KID: Life is what you are today. Have fun. Just enjoy it.

We've been here many times before. And it's just one of the in my opinion, one of the great New York evenings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: He never fails to have a beautiful woman on his side, either. While Eric's daughter fired him because she's been so influenced by Trump, now didn't your dad get fired, Laura, by Donald Trump?

REIS: Yes, I got one better on that one. Donald fired my dad. He ran the advertising agency that was handling the Trump Casino and Donald every couple years likes to fire the ad agency so he can get new ideas.

Actually, it didn't do well for the Donald because sales went down after he fired the agency. But Donald is a great comeback story and the polar opposite of what Martha Stewart has done.

She has not embraced her failure, not taken on PR With the enthusiasm and the energy Donald does. Donald's full time job is PR, self-promotion for himself. And on the side he's a real estate mogul.

PHILLIPS: You've got three keys to a comeback. What are those and did he follow those -- and did they come from your dad? Because now Trump will eat his words.

REIS: Three big keys to any comeback, first, you've got to be a celebrity. You've got to spend most of your time doing outrageous PR and focusing your time and attention on doing that.

Second of all, you have to let enough time go by for people to forget if you've made a mistake, done something wrong or fallen out of favor. Time goes by, people forget the bad stuff and they remember the good stuff. They remember Donald's heyday in the '80s and forget the bankruptcy, divorce, failed airlines, the failing casinos.

And third, you have to come back with an innovative new idea. And that Donald has done brilliantly with "The Apprentice," an exciting new show that takes a completely new idea and he's got that signature phrase "You're fired." And has become a cultural icon the way shows like "American Idol" and "Survivor" have done in the past.

PHILLIPS: Eric, bankruptcy, cheating on his wife, why does society forget those things? Isn't that kind of sad?

DEZENHALL: They don't forget those things. In fact, I am not entirely convinced that they hold these things to be as punishable as we think. I always felt that Bill Clinton survived in part because people like him. And rule No. 1 of damage control is the most important factor is do we like you. If we like you, you can be naughty. If we do not like you, you cannot be naughty.

Donald Trump and Bill Clinton have in common this very old- fashioned American, Frank Sinatra, riding high in April, shot down in May, roguishness which is part of the American spirit. In fact, we admire that more than people who do what everybody says you should do when you're in crisis which is to confess, to explain.

A lot of times we like somebody who says this is who I am, and if you don't like it, tough. As and Laura said, correctly, one of the things too many people do wrong is they don't know when to vanish. One of the things you need to keep in mind, both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton went away for a while rather than got in our face constantly.

PHILLIPS: Eric, I want to thank you. We're all pretty well liked. We can be naughty now.

DEZENHALL: As long as I don't get fired tonight.

PHILLIPS: You mentioned Bill Clinton. Let's listen to a piece from his speech supporting Kerry last night at the unity dinner. Roll this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Here's what I know about John Kerry. In the Vietnam- era which marked us all, most young men, including the president, the vice president and me, most of us could have gone to Vietnam and didn't go. And John Kerry said, send me.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Then when it was all over and it was time to heal up and normalize relations with Vietnam if we could get a full accounting of all of our POWs and MIAs, and we need somebody who'd been there to stand up and take a leadership role, John Kerry said send me.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: OK. New title for Bill Clinton here, Reverend Clinton. Didn't he sound like a preacher? Talk about making a comeback.

REIS: He is the great communicator. There is no doubt. He is a very likable person. He's fantastic on TV. He's a great orator. Anyone who's ever met him has said they've been blown away with him.

I kind of disagree with Eric. I think people do forget. On the back of the head, they might remember but they tend to over time remember the good things they did. And certainly Clinton did many good things in his presidency and people are forgetting the little Monica scandal that happened to him.

I mean many presidents have had this happen. Look at Richard Nixon. He made a great comeback. Jimmy Carter, he comes back and wins the Nobel Peace Prize. He came back with a new innovative idea. He let time go by for people to getting and did a lot of outrageous PR.

PHILLIPS: Did the former president outshadow John Kerry?

DEZENHALL: A little bit, but that's OK for now. Every news cycle has a counter cycle. A few years ago, George Bush could do no wrong. Now he can do no right. A few years ago, Bill Clinton could do no right -- could do no wrong, and now he's in an environment where everybody wants to hear what he has to say.

But it's a long way till November. We can't make a prediction just yet. The cycles can change again.

REIS: People love to build you up and knock you down. That's absolutely true of the American public.

PHILLIPS: It's true in our business. Eric Dezenhall...

REIS: And bring you back again.

PHILLIPS: Eric and Laura, thanks so much.

Speaking of comeback, how about the airlines? Things may be finally looking up for them.

First, the long awaited praying with your pet story. Take your dog, take your cat, go to church. We'll tell you all about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So do pets belong in church? A lot of you might be thinking not in my pew. But CNN's Bruce Burkhardt found a Episcopal church that not only welcomes animals, it conducts an entire service around them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For some churchgoers here at St. Francis Episcopal church in Stanford, Connecticut, the service is more than uplifting. It's a howling good time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the blood of Jesus Christ, oh Lord.

BURKHARDT: What if a dogfight breaks out up front?

FATHER RICHARD MAYBERRY, ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Then we just have extra prayers at that moment.

BURKHARDT: Father Richard Mayberry, along with Mother Molly McGreevy (ph), came up with this idea of a special communion service one Sunday a month. The owners receive communion, the pets receive a special blessing.

This dog doesn't need a blessing, he needs an agent.

It could be any Sunday, any church. Beforehand, there's the usual social niceties of greetings of and how are you's.

MOTHER MOLLY MCGREEVY, ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: We might have never taken the steps if it hadn't been somebody coming into church one day with their animal and then another person and another person. And then we discovered other people had allergies.

BURKHARDT: So the idea for a separate service just for pet owners. Appropriate for a church named St. Francis, the saint known for his special kinship with animals.

MAYBERRY: Let us pray. Hear our humble prayer, oh god, for our friends, the animals. Especially for animals who are suffering.

BURKHARDT: It is an Episcopal service customized for critters, even if they don't always fully appreciate it. That's no way to get to heaven, or is it.

MCGREEVY: I believe firmly that anything we have ever loved is not lost to us after death. And to me, you know, that includes pets.

MAYBERRY: Take, eat, this is my body.

BURKHARDT: Animals have souls? Do they even need -- do we need to know the answer to that?

MAYBERRY: I couldn't tell you.

(LAUGHTER) That one does.

BURKHARDT: And if these people are guinea pigs in a new way of worship, where does that leave the real guinea pigs?

MCGREEVY: May god continue to bless you. And may you live long and happy life.

BURKHARDT: Animals going to church. Might not catch on everywhere, but here at least owners and their pets seem to be singing their praises. Bruce Burkhardt, CNN, Stanford, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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PHILLIPS: Remember the bishop convicted of hit and run? He learns his fate next hour.

And she's hard working, well-liked, but an ex-con. She may be headed back to prison for nothing more than a mathematical error.

Also next hour, in the market for love? Word is, Tom and Penelope are no more. The scoop all ahead on LIVE FROM...

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