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Marlon Brando Dead at 80; Yemen Joins Jordan in Offering to Send Peacekeepers to Iraq; Rumsfeld Considers Withdrawing Families from Bahrain Base; Bush Puts Positive Spin on Lower Than Expected Job Growth; Bill Cosby Makes Controversial Comments about Black Families; Will Saddam's Treatment Influence the Election?

Aired July 02, 2004 - 20:30   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of LIVE FROM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's out top story.

WHITFIELD: Well his name was Marlon Brando but it was also Stanley Kowalski, Terry Malloy and, of course, Don Vito Corleone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARLON BRANDO, ACTOR: ... disrespect. You come to me in friendship, and the scum that ruined your daughter would be suffering this very day. Not by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Marlon Brando, the actor who created some of the most unforgettable characters in American cinema, has died in California. He was 80. Brando was larger than life on and off the screen.

CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas joins us now from Los Angeles with a closer look -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

You know, Hollywood is definitely feeling the loss of one of Hollywood's great.

He was known to the world as being an actor's actor, and he definitely revolutionized American acting. People, you know, loved him for what he did, for his technique, for his skills. Some people didn't really understand the fact that he just wasn't really comfortable with his celebrity.

But you know what? His legacy is that he's had over 40 films. He is best known for his role as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire." He was nominated for that, for playing that role, but it was later when he played Terry -- sorry, I've got a lot of sound behind me.

But it was later that he got his role. He won an Oscar for his role on "On the Waterfront."

He also had -- he also left an indelible mark on Hollywood and on this industry for playing Don Corleone in "The Godfather."

Who could ever forget Marlon Brando? It's definitely a day of loss for Hollywood, and it doesn't matter whether you're young or you're old or how -- you know, whatever -- I mean, everyone knew who he was. And it's just, it's just a tremendous loss, really.

WHITFIELD: And, Sibila, let me ask you from some of the folks who are rather in the industry and those who are not in Los Angeles, how are they specifically reacting to the loss?

VARGAS: Well, we -- Well, we've gotten a few statements from a couple of people. For instance, Ford Coppola, who of course worked with Marlon Brando on "The Godfather," said, "Marlon would hate the idea of having people comment on his death. All I can say is that it makes me sad that he's gone."

Also, Robert Duvall had a comment. He says, "He was like a godfather to so many young actors worldwide, but particularly in this country. He had enormous positive influence on younger performers. His memory will live on forever.

And Eva Marie Saint, who worked with Marlon, also said, "I'll never forget the wonderful experience working with Marlon filming 'On the Waterfront.' Those scenes with him where something I shall always treasure. He was one of the most generous and talented actors."

It's a really sad day.

WHITFIELD: Sibila Vargas -- Sibila Vargas, thanks very much for that report.

VARGAS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: CNN's Larry King will dedicate his show to the late great tonight. Be sure to tune in at 9 Eastern, 6 Pacific, for Remembering Marlon Brando."

PHILLIPS: With Iraq's new government now in place, the fight for the country continues. U.S. officials in Baghdad report that two more Marines have died today. One was killed in the fighting west of the capital, and a second died of wounds received in the same region Thursday.

Other news: the government of Yemen is the second Arab country to indicate a willingness to help Iraq with peacekeeping troop under U.N. mandate. A similar gesture came yesterday from Jordan's King Abdullah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING ABDULLAH, JORDAN: Now that there is an Iraqi interim government and we hope a fully independent process very soon in Iraq. I presume if the Iraqis ask us for help directly, we'd be ready to send forces right now (ph).

And my message to the president and to the prime minister is, tell us what you want. Tell us how we can help. And you have 110 percent support from us. If we don't stand with them, if they fail, then we'll pay the price.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Also today in Iraq a Pakistani hostage has apparently been freed by Iraqi insurgents. The release is being reported by Pakistan's information minister and by the hostage's mother, who says he called her from Kuwait.

Two Turkish hostages also were freed today after the company they work for reportedly promised not to do any more business with the U.S. military.

Insurgents fired rockets today at several targets in Baghdad. One damaged windows at the Sheraton Hotel but did not harm the interior, and it didn't wound anyone either.

A second series of rockets apparently malfunctioned, burning out the mini bus that they were being launched from remotely. Several rockets slammed harmless into the curb around the Baghdad Square, but one veered into a parking lot and left two Iraqis slightly wounded.

WHITFIELD: Military sources tell CNN that a possible terrorist threat has caused the Pentagon to consider removing dependents from a key American outpost in the Persian Gulf.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, joins us live with more on that -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Fredricka.

Well, CNN has learned that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is considering a proposal that would withdraw U.S. military families from the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is headquartered. There are about 4,500 military personnel in Bahrain, about 370 families.

Now, what has happened here is a couple of things. Basically the Pentagon has looked that region, looked at what recently has happened in Saudi Arabia with a number of killings there of Americans, also kidnappings, looked at the general security situation and said, perhaps it isn't prudent to have so many American dependents in Bahrain. Perhaps it's just too much of a target.

At the same time, of course, the State Department has issued a number of continuous travel warnings, warning Americans that the entire region is not a very safe place to be at this point.

But Bahrain, there is also another particular concern. The government of Bahrain recently arrested and then released six suspected militants. This has not gone over very well in Washington. It's causing a lot of concern, a lot of questions, they say, about whether the Bahraini government is really keeping a close eye on the suspected militant activity in that country.

At the moment what the U.S. is doing is looking at all of this. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld considering it.

But one indicator of just how seriously he might be considering it, we are told there have been a number of town hall meetings with military families in Bahrain in recent days where all of this has been discussed, where the groundwork has been laid. They are ready if they do get word. It would not be unexpected. The departure would be very orderly.

But still, all of this, not fully decided yet, but on the table -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Barbara, now let's talk about American soldiers carrying out duty in Iraq and now possibly facing new charges. What's that all about?

STARR: This is a separate, unique case, if you will, from the prison abuse story that we've all been following so closely.

Four soldiers from Ft. Carson, Colorado, recently returned from Iraq. Members of the 4th Infantry Division are now being charged with a variety of manslaughter and assault charges related to the alleged drowning death of an Iraqi man, a man in detention that in January they allegedly forced to jump off a bridge over the Tigris River near the northern city of Samara (ph). The man apparently drowned. They are now being charged in that death.

WHITFIELD: Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, thanks very much.

Well, most of the world watched yesterday as Saddam Hussein made his court appearance in Baghdad. And today, we're getting just a little more sense of the drama involved yesterday.

Still pictures released today show him arriving at the court in shackles. And when he left, he reportedly asked an Iraqi guard to treat him gently, saying, quote, "I'm an old man."

A little later, our senior political analyst, CNN's Bill Schneider, will examine the possible bounce for President Bush from having Saddam Hussein behind bars and in court on arraignment.

PHILLIPS: Mixed U.S. economic news. The number of new jobs rose one slightly month -- or only slightly last month, and the unemployment rate remained pretty steady.

White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has reaction now from the Bush administration -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Bush earlier today at the White House met with small business leaders, as well as those who were recently hired. He then gave a speech in the East Room to highlight some of the positive indicators of the economy, to downplay some of those negative numbers. The president trying to win over the American voters on his policies, fiscal, as well as monetary policies to convince him that, yes, he is doing the right thing and he's on the right track.

This on the same day, of course, that the Labor Department released the latest statistics showing that 112,000 new jobs were created in June. That is only about half of the amount that economists had predicted. They had expected about 250,000.

It also showed that the unemployment rate stayed at 5.6 percent, and also that 1.5 million new jobs were created over the past ten months.

The president arguing today that he believes it's his tax cuts, that they need to be made permanent. He also believes that this has contributed to more people having money in their pockets and that it has led to job growth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To me that shows the steady growth. It's one thing to be reporting, you know, the GDP numbers are up. It's another thing to be able to say more Americans are working. And that's what we want. We want people going to work. We want people to -- we want people to be able to come home and say, "Boy, how was work?"

"It was great. I enjoy working."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Now, the president's critics look at these numbers in a very different way. They point to the fact that two million jobs have been lost under President Bush's watch. They say this is simply playing catch up for the jobs that were already essentially lost in the administration.

They also point to the federal deficit, that being some $521 billion. That's really an incredible weakness in the economy.

The president arguing, however, that he believes that there needs to be a national energy policy in place, opening new markets overseas as well as controlling medical costs. He puts a lot of the onus on Congress to pass legislation to do just that.

PHILLIPS: Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House, thank you. And as they're rebuilding the White House.

Well, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is challenging President Bush's remarks that the economy is in good shape. He prevented -- or presented that message, rather, today at a Fourth of July bus stop in Cloquet, Minnesota, a town of about 11,000 people just west of Duluth.

Kerry says the Bush administration's policies have hurt rural areas. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't tell the people getting those second-rate jobs, don't tell the people working two or three jobs at a time that we can't do better. We have a 1.5 million jobs lost, and I don't believe that's the best we can do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Kerry plans other stops in Wisconsin and Iowa over the holiday weekend.

Comedian Bill Cosby is not laughing.

Neither are we with all the technical problems today. We apologize.

How is his audience responding to some comments he made about the black community? We'll talk about that straight ahead.

And the Saddam factor: how his trial in Baghdad could affect what happens in American voting booths come November.

And finally, firing back, a teenager left paralyzed by a bullet wants you to help him buy the factory that made his gun.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The man known as the Cos is again provoking thought.

Comedian Bill Cosby's latest comments are anything but funny. He took aim again at the African-American community and called on blacks to take responsibility for their own fate.

Bill Cosby spoke yesterday at the annual Rainbow/PUSH Coalition conference in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: We don't have time to argue about who's right and who's wrong. We've got too many children in prison, children in prison. We've got too many young girls who don't know how to parent, turning themselves into parents.

Ladies and gentlemen, our little 8-year-old boys and 9-year-old boys having elections and only acting out that which they see and hear on some C.D. They're acting that out. And they don't know the damage that they're doing when they rape some little girl, 9 years old, and what they've done to her whole life. It is time to stop it.

I couldn't care less about what white people think about me at this time. And I -- and I say that because if they want to take it and say things against my people, let them talk.

What difference -- what are they saying that's different from what their grandfather said? And what are they doing on trying to do to us that their grandfathers didn't try to do to us?

But what's different is what we're doing to ourselves.

And the answer is -- when I saw the prize fight manager, and he said to the boy who was losing, "David, listen to me. It's not what he's doing to you; it's what you're not doing."

Because your -- your strength and your empowerment. The more you invest in that child, the more you're not going to let some C.D. tell your child how to curse and how to say the word "nigger" is an excepted word, you're so hip with "nigger" but you can't even spell it.

Understand your children have to know where you came from, and they have to know about those people hanging and how, when they did hang them on a Sunday, the theme song was "Amazing Grace." That's what they sang when the bodies were hanging.

Your children don't know that. Your grandchildren don't know it. And they don't know Henry Hampton's eyes on the prize. They've got to know it. You've got to teach. That's your job.

And the pledge is, we're going to turn that -- that mirror around and see ourselves in those areas. And I don't want to argue about whether, "Well, it's not just the poor." Everybody guilty. You raise your right hand and become a parent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Reverend Jesse Jackson doesn't see anything controversial about Cosby's comments. Jackson invited Cosby to speak at the conference and said the actor's message is not new to African- Americans.

Jackson spoke on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: I think if you go to almost any black church, you'll hear the same message over and over again. If you listen to the foreman (ph) from the NAACP speak, or Julian Bond. Or if you go to hear the president of Morehouse College in North Carolina, ENT (ph), this is a rather common message.

And Bill's point was on the other hand, we find people opportunity and we do not have adequate counselors. He said, for example, he derived the fact that a tax base gives us inferior schools.

But against these odds, how do you buck the odds? You must be more determined, more willing to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So what do you think of Bill Cosby's comments? E- mail us your opinions at LiveFrom@CNN.com. We'll discuss your some of your e-mails later in the show with radio talk show host Lincoln Wehr (ph) of WDBZ in Cincinnati.

PHILLIPS: When you -- well, when you need a hospital, which one is the best one to go to? A new report is going to help you make that decision. We're going to have details, just ahead on LIVE FROM.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow at the New York Stock Exchange. Millions of Americans are unemployed, so why is an influential consulting firm telling companies to hurry up and send more jobs overseas? I'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Let the countdown begin. Twenty-four days to the Democratic convention and maybe even fewer to an announcement of a running mate for the likely nominee.

Word is John Kerry is closely eyeing five people on the short list: two former challengers, John Edwards and Dick Gephardt. Sources say that Kerry is also considering Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Delaware Senator Joe Biden. One man who has told Kerry thanks, but no thanks, is Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, seen as a potential swing mate (sic).

Who will Americans vote for in November may hinge on what's happening with another nation's former leader. Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, takes a closer look at the Saddam factor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Any day Saddam Hussein appears in the news is a good day for President Bush.

The weapons of mass destruction have not turned up. Investigators have found no links between Iraq and 9/11. Saddam Hussein's brutal dictatorship remains the last convincing justification for war with Iraq.

BUSH: One of the most evil and brutal regimes in history no longer exists. Iraq is better off today. America is more secure today because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell.

SCHNEIDER: Even better for Bush, Saddam remains defiant.

SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): Saddam Hussein, the president of the republic of Iraq.

SCHNEIDER: The real president of Iraq had this to say.

GHAZI AL-YAWER, PRESIDENT OF IRAQ: There would be no political aspect to his trial.

SCHNEIDER: Oh, really? Saddam said in court, "This is all theater. The real criminal is Bush."

This couldn't have come at a better time for Bush. He has been facing mounting criticism of his Iraq policy.

In March, most Americans felt that in making the case for war with Iraq, President Bush gave the most accurate information he had. Now, more people believe President Bush deliberately misled them to make the case for war. Politically, that's a dangerous perception.

Saddam Hussein's capture in December certainly had a political impact. Two impacts.

One was on the race for the Democratic nomination. Support for Howard Dean, a fierce critic of the war, had been growing rapidly in national polls of Democrats, until Saddam's capture. That's when Dean support started to drop off, dooming him in Iowa a month later.

Saddam's capture also boosted President Bush's job ratings. Immediately after the capture, more than 60 percent of Americans said they approved of the way Bush was handling his job. By mid-January, Bush's numbers were back to where they had been before the capture. President Bush's Saddam bounce lasted exactly one month.

Can President Bush get another Saddam bounce? If there were a televised trial, Bush would surely benefit. Americans know from trials.

In early February, two-thirds of Americans said they would be very interested in the trial of Saddam Hussein, a number that dwarfs public interest in the trials of Scott Peterson and Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant.

(on camera) Bad news for President Bush. The trial of Saddam Hussein is unlikely to get under way before 2005. But there will be a detailed indictment to come this year with charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity all making President Bush's case this war was justified.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired July 2, 2004 - 20:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of LIVE FROM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's out top story.

WHITFIELD: Well his name was Marlon Brando but it was also Stanley Kowalski, Terry Malloy and, of course, Don Vito Corleone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARLON BRANDO, ACTOR: ... disrespect. You come to me in friendship, and the scum that ruined your daughter would be suffering this very day. Not by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Marlon Brando, the actor who created some of the most unforgettable characters in American cinema, has died in California. He was 80. Brando was larger than life on and off the screen.

CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas joins us now from Los Angeles with a closer look -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

You know, Hollywood is definitely feeling the loss of one of Hollywood's great.

He was known to the world as being an actor's actor, and he definitely revolutionized American acting. People, you know, loved him for what he did, for his technique, for his skills. Some people didn't really understand the fact that he just wasn't really comfortable with his celebrity.

But you know what? His legacy is that he's had over 40 films. He is best known for his role as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire." He was nominated for that, for playing that role, but it was later when he played Terry -- sorry, I've got a lot of sound behind me.

But it was later that he got his role. He won an Oscar for his role on "On the Waterfront."

He also had -- he also left an indelible mark on Hollywood and on this industry for playing Don Corleone in "The Godfather."

Who could ever forget Marlon Brando? It's definitely a day of loss for Hollywood, and it doesn't matter whether you're young or you're old or how -- you know, whatever -- I mean, everyone knew who he was. And it's just, it's just a tremendous loss, really.

WHITFIELD: And, Sibila, let me ask you from some of the folks who are rather in the industry and those who are not in Los Angeles, how are they specifically reacting to the loss?

VARGAS: Well, we -- Well, we've gotten a few statements from a couple of people. For instance, Ford Coppola, who of course worked with Marlon Brando on "The Godfather," said, "Marlon would hate the idea of having people comment on his death. All I can say is that it makes me sad that he's gone."

Also, Robert Duvall had a comment. He says, "He was like a godfather to so many young actors worldwide, but particularly in this country. He had enormous positive influence on younger performers. His memory will live on forever.

And Eva Marie Saint, who worked with Marlon, also said, "I'll never forget the wonderful experience working with Marlon filming 'On the Waterfront.' Those scenes with him where something I shall always treasure. He was one of the most generous and talented actors."

It's a really sad day.

WHITFIELD: Sibila Vargas -- Sibila Vargas, thanks very much for that report.

VARGAS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: CNN's Larry King will dedicate his show to the late great tonight. Be sure to tune in at 9 Eastern, 6 Pacific, for Remembering Marlon Brando."

PHILLIPS: With Iraq's new government now in place, the fight for the country continues. U.S. officials in Baghdad report that two more Marines have died today. One was killed in the fighting west of the capital, and a second died of wounds received in the same region Thursday.

Other news: the government of Yemen is the second Arab country to indicate a willingness to help Iraq with peacekeeping troop under U.N. mandate. A similar gesture came yesterday from Jordan's King Abdullah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING ABDULLAH, JORDAN: Now that there is an Iraqi interim government and we hope a fully independent process very soon in Iraq. I presume if the Iraqis ask us for help directly, we'd be ready to send forces right now (ph).

And my message to the president and to the prime minister is, tell us what you want. Tell us how we can help. And you have 110 percent support from us. If we don't stand with them, if they fail, then we'll pay the price.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Also today in Iraq a Pakistani hostage has apparently been freed by Iraqi insurgents. The release is being reported by Pakistan's information minister and by the hostage's mother, who says he called her from Kuwait.

Two Turkish hostages also were freed today after the company they work for reportedly promised not to do any more business with the U.S. military.

Insurgents fired rockets today at several targets in Baghdad. One damaged windows at the Sheraton Hotel but did not harm the interior, and it didn't wound anyone either.

A second series of rockets apparently malfunctioned, burning out the mini bus that they were being launched from remotely. Several rockets slammed harmless into the curb around the Baghdad Square, but one veered into a parking lot and left two Iraqis slightly wounded.

WHITFIELD: Military sources tell CNN that a possible terrorist threat has caused the Pentagon to consider removing dependents from a key American outpost in the Persian Gulf.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, joins us live with more on that -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Fredricka.

Well, CNN has learned that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is considering a proposal that would withdraw U.S. military families from the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is headquartered. There are about 4,500 military personnel in Bahrain, about 370 families.

Now, what has happened here is a couple of things. Basically the Pentagon has looked that region, looked at what recently has happened in Saudi Arabia with a number of killings there of Americans, also kidnappings, looked at the general security situation and said, perhaps it isn't prudent to have so many American dependents in Bahrain. Perhaps it's just too much of a target.

At the same time, of course, the State Department has issued a number of continuous travel warnings, warning Americans that the entire region is not a very safe place to be at this point.

But Bahrain, there is also another particular concern. The government of Bahrain recently arrested and then released six suspected militants. This has not gone over very well in Washington. It's causing a lot of concern, a lot of questions, they say, about whether the Bahraini government is really keeping a close eye on the suspected militant activity in that country.

At the moment what the U.S. is doing is looking at all of this. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld considering it.

But one indicator of just how seriously he might be considering it, we are told there have been a number of town hall meetings with military families in Bahrain in recent days where all of this has been discussed, where the groundwork has been laid. They are ready if they do get word. It would not be unexpected. The departure would be very orderly.

But still, all of this, not fully decided yet, but on the table -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Barbara, now let's talk about American soldiers carrying out duty in Iraq and now possibly facing new charges. What's that all about?

STARR: This is a separate, unique case, if you will, from the prison abuse story that we've all been following so closely.

Four soldiers from Ft. Carson, Colorado, recently returned from Iraq. Members of the 4th Infantry Division are now being charged with a variety of manslaughter and assault charges related to the alleged drowning death of an Iraqi man, a man in detention that in January they allegedly forced to jump off a bridge over the Tigris River near the northern city of Samara (ph). The man apparently drowned. They are now being charged in that death.

WHITFIELD: Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, thanks very much.

Well, most of the world watched yesterday as Saddam Hussein made his court appearance in Baghdad. And today, we're getting just a little more sense of the drama involved yesterday.

Still pictures released today show him arriving at the court in shackles. And when he left, he reportedly asked an Iraqi guard to treat him gently, saying, quote, "I'm an old man."

A little later, our senior political analyst, CNN's Bill Schneider, will examine the possible bounce for President Bush from having Saddam Hussein behind bars and in court on arraignment.

PHILLIPS: Mixed U.S. economic news. The number of new jobs rose one slightly month -- or only slightly last month, and the unemployment rate remained pretty steady.

White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has reaction now from the Bush administration -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Bush earlier today at the White House met with small business leaders, as well as those who were recently hired. He then gave a speech in the East Room to highlight some of the positive indicators of the economy, to downplay some of those negative numbers. The president trying to win over the American voters on his policies, fiscal, as well as monetary policies to convince him that, yes, he is doing the right thing and he's on the right track.

This on the same day, of course, that the Labor Department released the latest statistics showing that 112,000 new jobs were created in June. That is only about half of the amount that economists had predicted. They had expected about 250,000.

It also showed that the unemployment rate stayed at 5.6 percent, and also that 1.5 million new jobs were created over the past ten months.

The president arguing today that he believes it's his tax cuts, that they need to be made permanent. He also believes that this has contributed to more people having money in their pockets and that it has led to job growth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To me that shows the steady growth. It's one thing to be reporting, you know, the GDP numbers are up. It's another thing to be able to say more Americans are working. And that's what we want. We want people going to work. We want people to -- we want people to be able to come home and say, "Boy, how was work?"

"It was great. I enjoy working."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Now, the president's critics look at these numbers in a very different way. They point to the fact that two million jobs have been lost under President Bush's watch. They say this is simply playing catch up for the jobs that were already essentially lost in the administration.

They also point to the federal deficit, that being some $521 billion. That's really an incredible weakness in the economy.

The president arguing, however, that he believes that there needs to be a national energy policy in place, opening new markets overseas as well as controlling medical costs. He puts a lot of the onus on Congress to pass legislation to do just that.

PHILLIPS: Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House, thank you. And as they're rebuilding the White House.

Well, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is challenging President Bush's remarks that the economy is in good shape. He prevented -- or presented that message, rather, today at a Fourth of July bus stop in Cloquet, Minnesota, a town of about 11,000 people just west of Duluth.

Kerry says the Bush administration's policies have hurt rural areas. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't tell the people getting those second-rate jobs, don't tell the people working two or three jobs at a time that we can't do better. We have a 1.5 million jobs lost, and I don't believe that's the best we can do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Kerry plans other stops in Wisconsin and Iowa over the holiday weekend.

Comedian Bill Cosby is not laughing.

Neither are we with all the technical problems today. We apologize.

How is his audience responding to some comments he made about the black community? We'll talk about that straight ahead.

And the Saddam factor: how his trial in Baghdad could affect what happens in American voting booths come November.

And finally, firing back, a teenager left paralyzed by a bullet wants you to help him buy the factory that made his gun.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The man known as the Cos is again provoking thought.

Comedian Bill Cosby's latest comments are anything but funny. He took aim again at the African-American community and called on blacks to take responsibility for their own fate.

Bill Cosby spoke yesterday at the annual Rainbow/PUSH Coalition conference in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: We don't have time to argue about who's right and who's wrong. We've got too many children in prison, children in prison. We've got too many young girls who don't know how to parent, turning themselves into parents.

Ladies and gentlemen, our little 8-year-old boys and 9-year-old boys having elections and only acting out that which they see and hear on some C.D. They're acting that out. And they don't know the damage that they're doing when they rape some little girl, 9 years old, and what they've done to her whole life. It is time to stop it.

I couldn't care less about what white people think about me at this time. And I -- and I say that because if they want to take it and say things against my people, let them talk.

What difference -- what are they saying that's different from what their grandfather said? And what are they doing on trying to do to us that their grandfathers didn't try to do to us?

But what's different is what we're doing to ourselves.

And the answer is -- when I saw the prize fight manager, and he said to the boy who was losing, "David, listen to me. It's not what he's doing to you; it's what you're not doing."

Because your -- your strength and your empowerment. The more you invest in that child, the more you're not going to let some C.D. tell your child how to curse and how to say the word "nigger" is an excepted word, you're so hip with "nigger" but you can't even spell it.

Understand your children have to know where you came from, and they have to know about those people hanging and how, when they did hang them on a Sunday, the theme song was "Amazing Grace." That's what they sang when the bodies were hanging.

Your children don't know that. Your grandchildren don't know it. And they don't know Henry Hampton's eyes on the prize. They've got to know it. You've got to teach. That's your job.

And the pledge is, we're going to turn that -- that mirror around and see ourselves in those areas. And I don't want to argue about whether, "Well, it's not just the poor." Everybody guilty. You raise your right hand and become a parent.

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WHITFIELD: The Reverend Jesse Jackson doesn't see anything controversial about Cosby's comments. Jackson invited Cosby to speak at the conference and said the actor's message is not new to African- Americans.

Jackson spoke on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

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REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: I think if you go to almost any black church, you'll hear the same message over and over again. If you listen to the foreman (ph) from the NAACP speak, or Julian Bond. Or if you go to hear the president of Morehouse College in North Carolina, ENT (ph), this is a rather common message.

And Bill's point was on the other hand, we find people opportunity and we do not have adequate counselors. He said, for example, he derived the fact that a tax base gives us inferior schools.

But against these odds, how do you buck the odds? You must be more determined, more willing to work.

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WHITFIELD: So what do you think of Bill Cosby's comments? E- mail us your opinions at LiveFrom@CNN.com. We'll discuss your some of your e-mails later in the show with radio talk show host Lincoln Wehr (ph) of WDBZ in Cincinnati.

PHILLIPS: When you -- well, when you need a hospital, which one is the best one to go to? A new report is going to help you make that decision. We're going to have details, just ahead on LIVE FROM.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow at the New York Stock Exchange. Millions of Americans are unemployed, so why is an influential consulting firm telling companies to hurry up and send more jobs overseas? I'll explain after the break.

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PHILLIPS: Let the countdown begin. Twenty-four days to the Democratic convention and maybe even fewer to an announcement of a running mate for the likely nominee.

Word is John Kerry is closely eyeing five people on the short list: two former challengers, John Edwards and Dick Gephardt. Sources say that Kerry is also considering Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Delaware Senator Joe Biden. One man who has told Kerry thanks, but no thanks, is Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, seen as a potential swing mate (sic).

Who will Americans vote for in November may hinge on what's happening with another nation's former leader. Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, takes a closer look at the Saddam factor.

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BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Any day Saddam Hussein appears in the news is a good day for President Bush.

The weapons of mass destruction have not turned up. Investigators have found no links between Iraq and 9/11. Saddam Hussein's brutal dictatorship remains the last convincing justification for war with Iraq.

BUSH: One of the most evil and brutal regimes in history no longer exists. Iraq is better off today. America is more secure today because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell.

SCHNEIDER: Even better for Bush, Saddam remains defiant.

SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): Saddam Hussein, the president of the republic of Iraq.

SCHNEIDER: The real president of Iraq had this to say.

GHAZI AL-YAWER, PRESIDENT OF IRAQ: There would be no political aspect to his trial.

SCHNEIDER: Oh, really? Saddam said in court, "This is all theater. The real criminal is Bush."

This couldn't have come at a better time for Bush. He has been facing mounting criticism of his Iraq policy.

In March, most Americans felt that in making the case for war with Iraq, President Bush gave the most accurate information he had. Now, more people believe President Bush deliberately misled them to make the case for war. Politically, that's a dangerous perception.

Saddam Hussein's capture in December certainly had a political impact. Two impacts.

One was on the race for the Democratic nomination. Support for Howard Dean, a fierce critic of the war, had been growing rapidly in national polls of Democrats, until Saddam's capture. That's when Dean support started to drop off, dooming him in Iowa a month later.

Saddam's capture also boosted President Bush's job ratings. Immediately after the capture, more than 60 percent of Americans said they approved of the way Bush was handling his job. By mid-January, Bush's numbers were back to where they had been before the capture. President Bush's Saddam bounce lasted exactly one month.

Can President Bush get another Saddam bounce? If there were a televised trial, Bush would surely benefit. Americans know from trials.

In early February, two-thirds of Americans said they would be very interested in the trial of Saddam Hussein, a number that dwarfs public interest in the trials of Scott Peterson and Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant.

(on camera) Bad news for President Bush. The trial of Saddam Hussein is unlikely to get under way before 2005. But there will be a detailed indictment to come this year with charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity all making President Bush's case this war was justified.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Los Angeles.

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