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Bush & Blair Help and Hurt Each Other; John Kerry Goes Back to School; Teenagers Build Robots for Scholarships

Aired April 16, 2004 - 13:29   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: News at this hour for you, U.S. military and civilian leaders in Fallujah, Iraq, today held the first known direct negotiations since the standoff in the city began April 5. Until now, U.S.-allied Iraqi leaders had been holding talks with city officials aimed at bringing calm to the city. The negotiations come amid reports of continued fighting in Fallujah.
The U.S. and Great Britain will join forces seeking a U.N. resolution on Iraq. The announcement was made today after President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair met to discuss the progress and the problems in Iraq. Both leaders pledged to stand firm on their commitments in the country

In the Middle East, a protest against construction of Israel's controversial barrier in the West Bank today. Palestinian officials says a 17-year-old Palestinian was killed. Israeli military sources say the situation turned violent when protesters threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at Israeli troops.

There hasn't been a whole lot of good news coming out of Iraq for the past couple weeks. And the insurgency could become a serious political liability not only for President Bush but for British Prime Minister Tony Blair. To talk about that, we are joined by CNN European political editor Robin Oakley and senior political analyst Dr. Bill Schneider.

And Dr. Schneider, let's begin with you and talk about the standing of Mr. Bush vis-a-vis Iraq. A lot of talk today suddenly about the United Nations in the person of Lakdhar Brahimi, the person who would be there to try to come up with some sort of plan of succession. That is a bit of a departure, isn't it?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, yes, it is. But remember, the standing for Mr. Bush with respect to Iraq is in a word, dropping. He's been politically vulnerable on this. There's been bad news from Iraq. He's being attacked by his opponent, John Kerry, who says the United States should internationalize this commitment as quickly as possible. And President Bush is very eager to make this look less like an American occupation and turn at least political authority over to the Iraqis with the blessing of the U.N. And that's why he and Tony Blair are insisting that this June 30 deadline will be kept.

O'BRIEN: Robin Oakley, if you took that last statement and just substituted Mr. Blair for Mr. Bush and British for U.S., would it be pretty much the same line of argument there to the subjects of Great Britain?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Tony Blair all along has been pushing for a greater U.N. involvement in Iraq largely because there is a lot of pressure on him at home to do so and indeed from other European Union leaders. And there's a lot of feeling that Tony Blair has not been getting enough clout with President George Bush given the degree of support that he's given him over Iraq.

And you were talking about the political standing there. Tony Blair has suffered so badly from his association with George Bush over Iraq, two-thirds of the British public say they don't trust the way that he made the case for war. And this meeting today between George Bush and Tony Blair, George Bush stands to gain from that because Tony Blair is popular in the U.S. and it's good for him to be seen rubbing shoulders with him.

Tony Blair gets nothing out of it at all. I talked to opinion pollsters in Britain this week and they said every time Tony Blair is seen meeting with George Bush, his poll ratings drop. So he had to come and show today that he could help to push George Bush a little bit on the Middle East, that he can push him a little bit in terms of a greater role for the United Nations, and perhaps even push him a little bit over what the British see as heavy-handed U.S. tactics in countering the insurgency in Iraq -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Bill, I'm curious from your perspective how the Blair- Bush relationship plays among U.S. voters.

SCHNEIDER: Well, Blair is very popular in the United States, as Robin just said. And it gives the Bush administration some argument for saying this isn't the United States alone. This is an international commitment. Look, Tony Blair is here with us. It used to be Spain, but they just voted that government out a couple months ago, so it's really Blair who is standing there alongside Bush, and gives him cover really, political cover to claim this is an international commitment.

It ain't much of one because there's the United States, which is 135,000 troops. There's Britain, which is I think about 12,000. And there's a lot of other countries with a few hundred each. So it really is mostly the United States. But Blair does give him cover.

O'BRIEN: All right. Robin Oakley, shifting gears, they did, of course, talk about the Palestinian question, which probably is something that Mr. Blair contends with more on a daily basis I suppose than Mr. Bush right now.

OAKLEY: Yes. And I think there's been a perception in Europe for a long time, Miles, that President Bush tends to veer too much towards the Israeli side in any talk of a Middle East peace process. The European Union is sometimes seen as veering too much towards the Palestinian Authority. It's its main provider of funds. Tony Blair, I think, under pressure after George Bush had backed Ariel Sharon so firmly on his withdrawal plan that would involve the Israelis keeping on their settlements in the West Bank, under pressure to push him a little bit there.

And I think he got something today from their talks in private because it was noticeable that at the press conference, George Bush twice said, no, I'm not sidelining the road map, which a lot of European Union leaders were worried about.

And he did start talking more about involving the Palestinians. He was saying he is not prejudging final status talks, that any final status question has to be settled between the parties, that's the Israelis and the Palestinians. There's evidence there I think of Tony Blair pushing him to use slightly different language -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Quick final thought, Bill Schneider, on the road map, or the lack of direction on the road map.

SCHNEIDER: Well, I think the most important thing was that both Blair and Bush reaffirmed their commitment to a Palestinian state. That's the one issue where Bush disagrees with Prime Minister Sharon. Sharon will not endorse a Palestinian state. He essentially says it should be put off, he hopes forever. But Blair is pushing President Bush to make it clear that he expects all of this to eventual eventually end in a Palestinian state, which is, of course, in the end what the Palestinians and the Arabs want. So I think Blair did have some impact on Bush in that respect.

O'BRIEN: Bill Schneider, Robin Oakley, thank you both, gentlemen. Appreciate your insights.

The Kerry campaign is making another stop in the information superhighway. There's a new cartoon ad on the campaign's Web page. "Middle Class Squeeze" was launched yesterday, tax day, in case you forgot.

It's supposed to show the president's economic policies have hurt middle class families. Now, meanwhile, the Kerry campus invasion arrived at the University of Pittsburgh today. Kerry brought along rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Is he still big? Anyway, the Democrat made a big push this week for college age voters.

National correspondent Kelly Wallace rocks on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, the next president of the United States, John Kerry.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Courting the college vote has become politics 101. That's why John Kerry is touring campuses this week.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So many young people don't believe in politics any more. WALLACE: And why the Republican Party chief brought Reggie, the Registration Rig to MTV in Times Square a few weeks ago.

ED GILLESPIE, CHMN. GOP NATL. CMTE.: Young voters are a happy hunting ground for us.

WALLACE: And they are up for grabs. According to a new national poll by Harvard University, 41 percent of students call themselves independent as opposed to Democrat or Republican.

JEHMU GREENE, PRESIDENT, ROCK THE VOTE: We absolutely already know that they're swing voters. If these candidates reach out to them and address these issues and answer their questions and ask for their vote, they're going to be surge (ph) voters.

WALLACE: The poll found the presumptive Democratic nominee leading President Bush by 10 points with Ralph Nader getting 5 percent. But students who helped design the survey say Kerry's support remains soft.

CAITLIN MONAHAN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Basically, this is more of a no vote for George Bush than a yes vote for John Kerry. So people really don't know who he is. And they're waiting for him to define himself.

WALLACE: And that's part of the reason why the senator went on MTV a few weeks ago. No questions on boxers or briefs, but on who can inspire the younger generation.

KERRY: I hope I can inspire young people to care about the system in this race.

WALLACE: One of the more surprising findings, the traditional liberal or conservative labels don't fit most students, 52 percent describe themselves as either religious or secular centrists concerned with social issues like gay marriage and affirmative action.

JONATHAN CHAVEZ, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: We're seeing a development of this new religious center among college students, people who believe in religious values but are not necessarily going to be Republican voters.

WALLACE (on camera): But will they go to the polls? If this survey is any guide, the answer is yes. More than 60 percent say they definitely will vote in November.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Some tough choices ahead for the Log Cabin Republicans. The biggest Gay Republican organization holds its annual meeting this weekend in Palm Springs, California. One hot topic will be President Bush's support of a constitutional ban on gay marriage, something the group strongly opposes. Some Log Cabin members have already said they won't campaign for Mr. Bush. But who cares about the 2004 election when you can look ahead to 2008? Former pro wrestler and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura says he is thinking about a run for the White House in 2008. Are you ready for that one, folks? Of course, the job might put a crimp in his personal life. Ventura says being leader of the free world means giving up your own freedom.

O'BRIEN: Well, it has put a whole new spin to the phrase "job interview." Still to come, the grueling task of winning over "The Donald."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE APPRENTICE")

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Come on and sit down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Plus, it's a scholarship kitty that any student would jump back or at least would program a robot to do the jumping, $4.5 million at stake. But you have got to have the 'bot to take it home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, it's a geek's paradise at the Atlanta Georgia Dome. About 7000 high school students there for the annual robot contest they call First (ph). At stake, scholarship money, some bragging rights, and it's just a whole lot of fun. CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg joining us now with the green team nearby and the man behind it. Remember the Segway, folks? The guy who does the Segway did this.

Hello, Daniel.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miles, that's right we're going to "Segway" to that in just a second. Did you say 70,000 or 7000? Anyway, who can tell? It's sold out here at the Georgia Dome. There are about 7000 high school students here organized, as you say, by Dean Kamen. And he joins me right now.

Dean, do you walk anywhere ever or are you always on a Segway?

DEAN KAMEN, SEGWAY INVENTOR: You know those very short distances for which walking is a good idea, I walk. And when I've got to cross the continent, I take a plane. But somewhere in the middle when it's a little to far to walk and I've got to be there a little too quickly, I use the Segway.

SIEBERG: All right. Well, Segway, I guess, is a type of a robot, but tell me what inspired you to create this competition, it has been around for about 13 years?

KAMEN: Yes. And this whole competition is driven by a simple principle. If you can take kids, and I mean all kids, minorities, women, all kids, forget the stereotypes, forget the nerds, if you can take kids and give them an opportunity to see that science and engineering and inventing and solving problems is fun, it's accessible, it's rewarding, we will change their perspective about their futures and we will convince them that, while they're still at the age as these kids, they ought to start focusing on learning important things.

SIEBERG: It's definitely very colorful here. There are a lot of teams that have a theme or a uniform. And these guys are from Wilmington, Delaware, is that right? Representing about 15 or 16 different schools. You guys are called the DuPont Miracle Workers. Now first of all, tell me about the outfits guys, kilts as well?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. This year we have a kilt on our robot as a function. Actually it will guard us on the ramp and help us keep our balance. And so as the competition team, we decided we were going to wear kilts to actually go along with the robot itself.

SIEBERG: All right, well, let's have a look at the robot here with Dean looking on. It's also lime green. If you guys can give us a quick demonstration of what it's doing and tell me what it's going through here. It's lifting up the arm. Why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We use our arm actually for two different things. The mechanism that's shooting out right now is used to grab balls actually, the big 2X balls so we get more points on a goal. And we also have hooks on our arms so that we can hang from the different level platforms. There's a winch cable you might be -- it might be hard to see, but actually it winds it up to where the robot actually pulls itself up on top of the 10-foot high bar.

SIEBERG: Dean, you're here, do you approve? What do you think of this design?

KAMEN: The great thing is there's no right answer, there's no wrong answer. Every robot is different than every other robot. They all started with the same stuff. They all added different aspect of imagination and they all have a great time.

SIEBERG: And we should say that this is all about scholarship money as well, $4.5 million that you've contributed to this competition. And you two guys have actually got a couple scholarships coming, right? Tell me about those.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually got a scholarship from WPI for $68,000 because of my participation here in the program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was fortunate enough to get three of the first scholarships this year. And I'm just glad that I had an opportunity to participate in such a great program. It opened my eyes to engineering and gave me so many opportunities.

SIEBERG: What do the students back at your school think of what you guys are doing? Do they think you're a little crazy, a little whacky or are they kind of inspired?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They also think it's pretty darn cool. SIEBERG: All right. And over my shoulder, you can see the competition that's going on here. I think it's about to start. The ball has dropped down. It's a little bit like robotic basketball. And Dean, it's different every year, right? This year is totally different than last year?

KAMEN: Every year we change the rules. We change the game. We change the kits, for two reasons: We always want the new teams to be able to come in and not feel like they're at a disadvantage because other people got to play last year; and secondly, engineering is about always solving new and different problems. Most other sports it's about optimizing the same old thing every year. We think it's more challenging each year to make it new, different, exciting. And every year we make it a little tougher. We give them a little more good stuff. And every year these kids just -- we raise the bar, they get over it.

SIEBERG: Well, our problem is right now we're running out of time. So Dean Kamen, thanks so much for joining us and the kids from Wilmington, Delaware.

Miles, a little boisterous here, a little bit loud. I think I can hear you. But back to you in the studio.

O'BRIEN: Hey, a quick question for you, Daniel. Do they wear those kilts back at school, just out of curiosity?

SIEBERG: Was I one of those kids back at school?

O'BRIEN: No, no, no. Do they wear those kilts when they go back to school?

SIEBERG: oh, I'm not sure. Did you say, are they kids when they go back to school?

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: Yes. Never mind. Disregard. It's obviously too loud. And just don't wear the kilts back in school.

SIEBERG: Yes, they do get the kids at the school.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks.

SIEBERG: I'm sorry, Miles. It's a little bit loud here, they're a little bit excited.

O'BRIEN: That's OK.

Tiger woods is doing his bit to give back to America's military families. Today he held a golf clinic for children of troops based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The one-on-one golf sessions come at the end of Woods' four-day visit to the base. Maybe they'll help him work out his kinks. You never know, there might be a six-year-old who has -- can unlock the riddle for Tiger.

They are the words everyone loves to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE APPRENTICE")

TRUMP: Bill, you're hired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Still to come, competing for a job probably hasn't ever been this consuming and tedious, not to mention ruthless. What it takes to become one of "The Donald"'s top dogs.

Plus, never mind "The Cat in the Hat." It's the cat in the crate that gets our attention today. The tale of the traveling kitty is up next.

MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow in New York. When it comes to commercials, more companies are saying, no way to risque. That story and more when LIVE FROM... returns in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: After weeks of backstabbing, maneuvering and backside kissing, an apprentice is born. Last night you no doubt were watching as "The Donald" finally said "you're hired."

CNN's Sibila Vargas was watching as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They braced themselves for those two dreaded words.

TRUMP: You're fired.

VARGAS: But after weeks of contentious boardroom meetings, one apprentice got to hear the words he and 15 others had been longing to hear.

TRUMP: Bill, you're hired.

VARGAS: Bill Rancic learned his fate live on television in the two-hour season finale of "The Apprentice."

BILL RANCIC, TRUMP'S APPRENTICE: I had no idea the outcome of the show. I was on the edge of my seat every minute in that board room. And there was real sweat coming off my palms. So it was -- it's a great night.

VARGAS: Donald Trump and producer Mark Burnett broke the reality mold by pitting 16 contestants against each other for the opportunity to work for the master himself. And what began as an innocent task of selling lemonade exploded into a spectacle of romance, betrayal...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would recommend firing Nick.

TRUMP: You're a cold-hearted person.

VARGAS: And oh, yes, Omarosa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shut up!

OMAROSA MANIGAULT STALLWORTH, APPRENTICE LOSER: When you sign up for a reality show, all fairness goes out of the window. They can portray you any way they want. They have these characters that they develop for you. And I was characterized as a villain.

VARGAS: In the end it came down to two, Bill Rancic, a successful entrepreneur from Chicago and Kwame Jackson, the Harvard MBA. But it was Bill who would take it all away.

(on camera): When do you start your new job?

RANCIC: I think I started already. So I'm on the clock right now.

VARGAS (voice-over): Sibila Vargas, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: And finally, an unintended import from China. A cat, this particular one spent almost a month trapped in a shipping container. Now, she apparently got caught on the container, or inside at a Chinese factory where workers were loading bird cages into a boat bound for China. Now we know why she was there. Bird cages. She knew where the action was. Then the shipment was sent by train to Florida. She came out, I guess this is a "duh" moment, but she was hungry and thirsty after the trip, but otherwise no worse for the wear. We don't know if she's found a home. We presume she has.

O'BRIEN: The two agencies that are supposed to protect the U.S. are fighting like cats and dogs. A closer look at why the CIA and FBI just can't seem to get along. That's coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM...

Stay with us.

(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 April 16, 2004 - 13:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: News at this hour for you, U.S. military and civilian leaders in Fallujah, Iraq, today held the first known direct negotiations since the standoff in the city began April 5. Until now, U.S.-allied Iraqi leaders had been holding talks with city officials aimed at bringing calm to the city. The negotiations come amid reports of continued fighting in Fallujah.
The U.S. and Great Britain will join forces seeking a U.N. resolution on Iraq. The announcement was made today after President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair met to discuss the progress and the problems in Iraq. Both leaders pledged to stand firm on their commitments in the country

In the Middle East, a protest against construction of Israel's controversial barrier in the West Bank today. Palestinian officials says a 17-year-old Palestinian was killed. Israeli military sources say the situation turned violent when protesters threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at Israeli troops.

There hasn't been a whole lot of good news coming out of Iraq for the past couple weeks. And the insurgency could become a serious political liability not only for President Bush but for British Prime Minister Tony Blair. To talk about that, we are joined by CNN European political editor Robin Oakley and senior political analyst Dr. Bill Schneider.

And Dr. Schneider, let's begin with you and talk about the standing of Mr. Bush vis-a-vis Iraq. A lot of talk today suddenly about the United Nations in the person of Lakdhar Brahimi, the person who would be there to try to come up with some sort of plan of succession. That is a bit of a departure, isn't it?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, yes, it is. But remember, the standing for Mr. Bush with respect to Iraq is in a word, dropping. He's been politically vulnerable on this. There's been bad news from Iraq. He's being attacked by his opponent, John Kerry, who says the United States should internationalize this commitment as quickly as possible. And President Bush is very eager to make this look less like an American occupation and turn at least political authority over to the Iraqis with the blessing of the U.N. And that's why he and Tony Blair are insisting that this June 30 deadline will be kept.

O'BRIEN: Robin Oakley, if you took that last statement and just substituted Mr. Blair for Mr. Bush and British for U.S., would it be pretty much the same line of argument there to the subjects of Great Britain?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Tony Blair all along has been pushing for a greater U.N. involvement in Iraq largely because there is a lot of pressure on him at home to do so and indeed from other European Union leaders. And there's a lot of feeling that Tony Blair has not been getting enough clout with President George Bush given the degree of support that he's given him over Iraq.

And you were talking about the political standing there. Tony Blair has suffered so badly from his association with George Bush over Iraq, two-thirds of the British public say they don't trust the way that he made the case for war. And this meeting today between George Bush and Tony Blair, George Bush stands to gain from that because Tony Blair is popular in the U.S. and it's good for him to be seen rubbing shoulders with him.

Tony Blair gets nothing out of it at all. I talked to opinion pollsters in Britain this week and they said every time Tony Blair is seen meeting with George Bush, his poll ratings drop. So he had to come and show today that he could help to push George Bush a little bit on the Middle East, that he can push him a little bit in terms of a greater role for the United Nations, and perhaps even push him a little bit over what the British see as heavy-handed U.S. tactics in countering the insurgency in Iraq -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Bill, I'm curious from your perspective how the Blair- Bush relationship plays among U.S. voters.

SCHNEIDER: Well, Blair is very popular in the United States, as Robin just said. And it gives the Bush administration some argument for saying this isn't the United States alone. This is an international commitment. Look, Tony Blair is here with us. It used to be Spain, but they just voted that government out a couple months ago, so it's really Blair who is standing there alongside Bush, and gives him cover really, political cover to claim this is an international commitment.

It ain't much of one because there's the United States, which is 135,000 troops. There's Britain, which is I think about 12,000. And there's a lot of other countries with a few hundred each. So it really is mostly the United States. But Blair does give him cover.

O'BRIEN: All right. Robin Oakley, shifting gears, they did, of course, talk about the Palestinian question, which probably is something that Mr. Blair contends with more on a daily basis I suppose than Mr. Bush right now.

OAKLEY: Yes. And I think there's been a perception in Europe for a long time, Miles, that President Bush tends to veer too much towards the Israeli side in any talk of a Middle East peace process. The European Union is sometimes seen as veering too much towards the Palestinian Authority. It's its main provider of funds. Tony Blair, I think, under pressure after George Bush had backed Ariel Sharon so firmly on his withdrawal plan that would involve the Israelis keeping on their settlements in the West Bank, under pressure to push him a little bit there.

And I think he got something today from their talks in private because it was noticeable that at the press conference, George Bush twice said, no, I'm not sidelining the road map, which a lot of European Union leaders were worried about.

And he did start talking more about involving the Palestinians. He was saying he is not prejudging final status talks, that any final status question has to be settled between the parties, that's the Israelis and the Palestinians. There's evidence there I think of Tony Blair pushing him to use slightly different language -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Quick final thought, Bill Schneider, on the road map, or the lack of direction on the road map.

SCHNEIDER: Well, I think the most important thing was that both Blair and Bush reaffirmed their commitment to a Palestinian state. That's the one issue where Bush disagrees with Prime Minister Sharon. Sharon will not endorse a Palestinian state. He essentially says it should be put off, he hopes forever. But Blair is pushing President Bush to make it clear that he expects all of this to eventual eventually end in a Palestinian state, which is, of course, in the end what the Palestinians and the Arabs want. So I think Blair did have some impact on Bush in that respect.

O'BRIEN: Bill Schneider, Robin Oakley, thank you both, gentlemen. Appreciate your insights.

The Kerry campaign is making another stop in the information superhighway. There's a new cartoon ad on the campaign's Web page. "Middle Class Squeeze" was launched yesterday, tax day, in case you forgot.

It's supposed to show the president's economic policies have hurt middle class families. Now, meanwhile, the Kerry campus invasion arrived at the University of Pittsburgh today. Kerry brought along rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Is he still big? Anyway, the Democrat made a big push this week for college age voters.

National correspondent Kelly Wallace rocks on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, the next president of the United States, John Kerry.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Courting the college vote has become politics 101. That's why John Kerry is touring campuses this week.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So many young people don't believe in politics any more. WALLACE: And why the Republican Party chief brought Reggie, the Registration Rig to MTV in Times Square a few weeks ago.

ED GILLESPIE, CHMN. GOP NATL. CMTE.: Young voters are a happy hunting ground for us.

WALLACE: And they are up for grabs. According to a new national poll by Harvard University, 41 percent of students call themselves independent as opposed to Democrat or Republican.

JEHMU GREENE, PRESIDENT, ROCK THE VOTE: We absolutely already know that they're swing voters. If these candidates reach out to them and address these issues and answer their questions and ask for their vote, they're going to be surge (ph) voters.

WALLACE: The poll found the presumptive Democratic nominee leading President Bush by 10 points with Ralph Nader getting 5 percent. But students who helped design the survey say Kerry's support remains soft.

CAITLIN MONAHAN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Basically, this is more of a no vote for George Bush than a yes vote for John Kerry. So people really don't know who he is. And they're waiting for him to define himself.

WALLACE: And that's part of the reason why the senator went on MTV a few weeks ago. No questions on boxers or briefs, but on who can inspire the younger generation.

KERRY: I hope I can inspire young people to care about the system in this race.

WALLACE: One of the more surprising findings, the traditional liberal or conservative labels don't fit most students, 52 percent describe themselves as either religious or secular centrists concerned with social issues like gay marriage and affirmative action.

JONATHAN CHAVEZ, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: We're seeing a development of this new religious center among college students, people who believe in religious values but are not necessarily going to be Republican voters.

WALLACE (on camera): But will they go to the polls? If this survey is any guide, the answer is yes. More than 60 percent say they definitely will vote in November.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Some tough choices ahead for the Log Cabin Republicans. The biggest Gay Republican organization holds its annual meeting this weekend in Palm Springs, California. One hot topic will be President Bush's support of a constitutional ban on gay marriage, something the group strongly opposes. Some Log Cabin members have already said they won't campaign for Mr. Bush. But who cares about the 2004 election when you can look ahead to 2008? Former pro wrestler and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura says he is thinking about a run for the White House in 2008. Are you ready for that one, folks? Of course, the job might put a crimp in his personal life. Ventura says being leader of the free world means giving up your own freedom.

O'BRIEN: Well, it has put a whole new spin to the phrase "job interview." Still to come, the grueling task of winning over "The Donald."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE APPRENTICE")

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Come on and sit down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Plus, it's a scholarship kitty that any student would jump back or at least would program a robot to do the jumping, $4.5 million at stake. But you have got to have the 'bot to take it home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, it's a geek's paradise at the Atlanta Georgia Dome. About 7000 high school students there for the annual robot contest they call First (ph). At stake, scholarship money, some bragging rights, and it's just a whole lot of fun. CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg joining us now with the green team nearby and the man behind it. Remember the Segway, folks? The guy who does the Segway did this.

Hello, Daniel.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miles, that's right we're going to "Segway" to that in just a second. Did you say 70,000 or 7000? Anyway, who can tell? It's sold out here at the Georgia Dome. There are about 7000 high school students here organized, as you say, by Dean Kamen. And he joins me right now.

Dean, do you walk anywhere ever or are you always on a Segway?

DEAN KAMEN, SEGWAY INVENTOR: You know those very short distances for which walking is a good idea, I walk. And when I've got to cross the continent, I take a plane. But somewhere in the middle when it's a little to far to walk and I've got to be there a little too quickly, I use the Segway.

SIEBERG: All right. Well, Segway, I guess, is a type of a robot, but tell me what inspired you to create this competition, it has been around for about 13 years?

KAMEN: Yes. And this whole competition is driven by a simple principle. If you can take kids, and I mean all kids, minorities, women, all kids, forget the stereotypes, forget the nerds, if you can take kids and give them an opportunity to see that science and engineering and inventing and solving problems is fun, it's accessible, it's rewarding, we will change their perspective about their futures and we will convince them that, while they're still at the age as these kids, they ought to start focusing on learning important things.

SIEBERG: It's definitely very colorful here. There are a lot of teams that have a theme or a uniform. And these guys are from Wilmington, Delaware, is that right? Representing about 15 or 16 different schools. You guys are called the DuPont Miracle Workers. Now first of all, tell me about the outfits guys, kilts as well?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. This year we have a kilt on our robot as a function. Actually it will guard us on the ramp and help us keep our balance. And so as the competition team, we decided we were going to wear kilts to actually go along with the robot itself.

SIEBERG: All right, well, let's have a look at the robot here with Dean looking on. It's also lime green. If you guys can give us a quick demonstration of what it's doing and tell me what it's going through here. It's lifting up the arm. Why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We use our arm actually for two different things. The mechanism that's shooting out right now is used to grab balls actually, the big 2X balls so we get more points on a goal. And we also have hooks on our arms so that we can hang from the different level platforms. There's a winch cable you might be -- it might be hard to see, but actually it winds it up to where the robot actually pulls itself up on top of the 10-foot high bar.

SIEBERG: Dean, you're here, do you approve? What do you think of this design?

KAMEN: The great thing is there's no right answer, there's no wrong answer. Every robot is different than every other robot. They all started with the same stuff. They all added different aspect of imagination and they all have a great time.

SIEBERG: And we should say that this is all about scholarship money as well, $4.5 million that you've contributed to this competition. And you two guys have actually got a couple scholarships coming, right? Tell me about those.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually got a scholarship from WPI for $68,000 because of my participation here in the program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was fortunate enough to get three of the first scholarships this year. And I'm just glad that I had an opportunity to participate in such a great program. It opened my eyes to engineering and gave me so many opportunities.

SIEBERG: What do the students back at your school think of what you guys are doing? Do they think you're a little crazy, a little whacky or are they kind of inspired?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They also think it's pretty darn cool. SIEBERG: All right. And over my shoulder, you can see the competition that's going on here. I think it's about to start. The ball has dropped down. It's a little bit like robotic basketball. And Dean, it's different every year, right? This year is totally different than last year?

KAMEN: Every year we change the rules. We change the game. We change the kits, for two reasons: We always want the new teams to be able to come in and not feel like they're at a disadvantage because other people got to play last year; and secondly, engineering is about always solving new and different problems. Most other sports it's about optimizing the same old thing every year. We think it's more challenging each year to make it new, different, exciting. And every year we make it a little tougher. We give them a little more good stuff. And every year these kids just -- we raise the bar, they get over it.

SIEBERG: Well, our problem is right now we're running out of time. So Dean Kamen, thanks so much for joining us and the kids from Wilmington, Delaware.

Miles, a little boisterous here, a little bit loud. I think I can hear you. But back to you in the studio.

O'BRIEN: Hey, a quick question for you, Daniel. Do they wear those kilts back at school, just out of curiosity?

SIEBERG: Was I one of those kids back at school?

O'BRIEN: No, no, no. Do they wear those kilts when they go back to school?

SIEBERG: oh, I'm not sure. Did you say, are they kids when they go back to school?

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: Yes. Never mind. Disregard. It's obviously too loud. And just don't wear the kilts back in school.

SIEBERG: Yes, they do get the kids at the school.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks.

SIEBERG: I'm sorry, Miles. It's a little bit loud here, they're a little bit excited.

O'BRIEN: That's OK.

Tiger woods is doing his bit to give back to America's military families. Today he held a golf clinic for children of troops based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The one-on-one golf sessions come at the end of Woods' four-day visit to the base. Maybe they'll help him work out his kinks. You never know, there might be a six-year-old who has -- can unlock the riddle for Tiger.

They are the words everyone loves to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE APPRENTICE")

TRUMP: Bill, you're hired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Still to come, competing for a job probably hasn't ever been this consuming and tedious, not to mention ruthless. What it takes to become one of "The Donald"'s top dogs.

Plus, never mind "The Cat in the Hat." It's the cat in the crate that gets our attention today. The tale of the traveling kitty is up next.

MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow in New York. When it comes to commercials, more companies are saying, no way to risque. That story and more when LIVE FROM... returns in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: After weeks of backstabbing, maneuvering and backside kissing, an apprentice is born. Last night you no doubt were watching as "The Donald" finally said "you're hired."

CNN's Sibila Vargas was watching as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They braced themselves for those two dreaded words.

TRUMP: You're fired.

VARGAS: But after weeks of contentious boardroom meetings, one apprentice got to hear the words he and 15 others had been longing to hear.

TRUMP: Bill, you're hired.

VARGAS: Bill Rancic learned his fate live on television in the two-hour season finale of "The Apprentice."

BILL RANCIC, TRUMP'S APPRENTICE: I had no idea the outcome of the show. I was on the edge of my seat every minute in that board room. And there was real sweat coming off my palms. So it was -- it's a great night.

VARGAS: Donald Trump and producer Mark Burnett broke the reality mold by pitting 16 contestants against each other for the opportunity to work for the master himself. And what began as an innocent task of selling lemonade exploded into a spectacle of romance, betrayal...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would recommend firing Nick.

TRUMP: You're a cold-hearted person.

VARGAS: And oh, yes, Omarosa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shut up!

OMAROSA MANIGAULT STALLWORTH, APPRENTICE LOSER: When you sign up for a reality show, all fairness goes out of the window. They can portray you any way they want. They have these characters that they develop for you. And I was characterized as a villain.

VARGAS: In the end it came down to two, Bill Rancic, a successful entrepreneur from Chicago and Kwame Jackson, the Harvard MBA. But it was Bill who would take it all away.

(on camera): When do you start your new job?

RANCIC: I think I started already. So I'm on the clock right now.

VARGAS (voice-over): Sibila Vargas, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: And finally, an unintended import from China. A cat, this particular one spent almost a month trapped in a shipping container. Now, she apparently got caught on the container, or inside at a Chinese factory where workers were loading bird cages into a boat bound for China. Now we know why she was there. Bird cages. She knew where the action was. Then the shipment was sent by train to Florida. She came out, I guess this is a "duh" moment, but she was hungry and thirsty after the trip, but otherwise no worse for the wear. We don't know if she's found a home. We presume she has.

O'BRIEN: The two agencies that are supposed to protect the U.S. are fighting like cats and dogs. A closer look at why the CIA and FBI just can't seem to get along. That's coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM...

Stay with us.

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