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Kerry, Edwards, and the Deep South

Aired July 07, 2004 - 13:30   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," captured Marine Wassef Hassoun is said to be in a safe place, according to the latest word from the Lebanese government and its embassy in Iraq. But the Pentagon is still listing him as captured at this hour. Earlier his brother said the family had received a clear sign Hassoun is alive.
An autopsy is planned in New York for the youngest son of actor Kirk Douglas. The body of Eric Douglas found in his Manhattan apartment yesterday. He was 46. He made many appearances in films and TV and is the brother of actor Michael Douglas.

Right now in the battleground state of Ohio, John Kerry and John Edwards kicking off their new campaign. And then they're headed for the Sunshine State for rallies in Florida as the battle for the White House ratchets up a little bit.

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

Now, with the choice of North Carolina's John Edwards, Democrats are bringing the Southern vote into focus. But can the party count on regional loyalty to help the Kerry/Edwards ticket in November? Consider this quote from Texas Governor Ann -- former Texas Governor Ann Richards. "I've always said in politics your enemies can't hurt you, but your friends will kill you."

We decided to ask Professor Merle Black of Atlanta's Emory University what he thinks about it. He brings expertise on politics in the South to us. Good to see you, Professor Black.

MERLE BLACK, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Hi, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk first of all about John Kerry. I think he vowed a little while ago in the campaign that he wouldn't pay any attention to the South. Didn't need to. What happened?

BLACK: What happened is he learned something the last several months, I think. The Democrats need a little cushion and the cushion came -- can come from the South. That's what happened in '92 and '96. So he's gone to North Carolina Senator John Edwards, hopes he wins can win the state of North Carolina, hopes Edwards will help him in Florida and also they might be able to make some inroads in Louisiana and Arkansas.

O'BRIEN: So, when you say inroads, are you talking about can the Democrats really win in the South? Or is this just a matter of forcing the Bush campaign to focus resources in a part of the country where they thought they had a gimme?

BLACK: Well it's it's certainly forcing the Bush campaign to put more time and effort and money into North Carolina, probably into Florida.

Now I think they believe they can win North Carolina with Edwards on the ticket. This time the Democrats in North Carolina will all be on the same page. They weren't that way four years ago.

But the Bush campaign will not give up on North Carolina. They think they'll win it too. And Bush is campaigning in North Carolina today. So I think the strategy is, though, that if they can carry one or two of these southern states, North Carolina or Florida, then it's virtually impossible to see how President Bush could win reelection. So they're creating a real problem for the Bush campaign.

O'BRIEN: All right, well now you mentioned '92 and '96, you were talking about Clinton/Gore, and that's the playbook, of course, that I'm sure that the Kerry camp is kind of looking at this moment.

But let's go to 2000 for a moment and the Gore campaign, unable to win even Tennessee. What happened with their Southern strategy there?

BLACK: Well, the Gore campaign took Tennessee for granted. I think if Gore campaigned more in Tennessee, he probably would have won his home state.

In the other Southern states, though, I think George Bush remains very popular. John Kerry by himself can't carry these states. He's viewed as a Northeastern Massachusetts liberal. And so the choice of Edwards makes at least some of these Southern states competitive. And it really does flip the campaign strategy because John Kerry a few months ago was talking a very different line.

O'BRIEN: Now the Edwards choice, it seems to me, if you look at resumes, at least, is really very much a brazen political choice in all of this. Would you go along with it?

BLACK: Yes. I think Edwards is on the ticket in order to help Kerry win the election. He's not there to help Kerry govern the country. Edwards has no executive experience whatsoever. He's never the governor of a state, never been a head of a large corporation. He's been a senator for a short number of years, but no executive experience.

So it's not to help him govern the nation, it's to help carry some of these Southern states. And I think also, much more broadly than that, to help energize the Kerry campaign in the Midwest and other states where Kerry is really not doing as well as Democrats would like to see.

So he's hired a lawyer here. He's hired a lawyer to make his case to the American people.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. You know, I think about how difficult it is for Democrats these days in the South, when you look at people like Zell Miller, who say things like, "The Democratic Party left me, I'm not leaving the Democratic Party."

What happened along the way there? Where did the Democratic Party have this disconnect with those old Southern Democrats like Zell Miller that just owned the South for so many years?

BLACK: Well, I think the disconnect with Zell has been in more recent years since he's been a U.S. senator. But it really began back in the 1960s, again in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president. Large numbers of white conservatives left the Democratic Party, moved over into the Republican Party.

So there are very few conservatives left in the South today who consider themselves Democrats. And that's liberalized the Democratic Party, and the Republicans have become much more conservative. So we've got a very divided party system in the South today.

We've got two minority parties. Now Republicans aren't a majority, but the Democrats aren't a majority either. So we've got very competitive politics across the region.

O'BRIEN: Well I guess where the rock meets the hard place in the South, though, is that very point you make. They're probably -- and we've got to be careful of about sweeping generalizations here. But it's hard to find a more conservative part of the country.

Is it possible that no matter how hard they try, a team of Democrats cannot win the South anymore?

BLACK: Well, it's very hard to see how the Democrats could win the South in the sense of an entire region. That would take almost a perception of a complete performance failure on the part of the Republicans.

But I think the Democrats remain, you know, competitive. And some of these Southern states, if they want to put a lot of resources, a lot of money into getting their voters out and, you know, going on television, radio, advertising, really trying to put the Republicans on the defensive.

But they won't do that throughout the whole region. They're not going to try to carry Alabama, for example.

O'BRIEN: All right, final thought here, then. I'll put you on the spot here. If you had to pick one issue that you think the election turns on for folks in the South, what would it be?

BLACK: Oh, I think there are two issues. You know, the main is Iraq, the war in Iraq right now where you have a military tradition in the South, and I think that helps President Bush.

The economy, you know, whether it's coming back or not, you know, that's another issue that puts the president somewhat on the defensive.

But I think the military issue works more in the South.

O'BRIEN: Merle Black at Emory University, always a pleasure talking to you. Thanks.

BLACK: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right.

DNA evidence makes solving some crimes easier, right? Sure. But until identical twins are involved. Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the DNA dilemma.

And then there's this...

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Those new low-carb, low-calorie drinks, will they really help you lose weight? I'm Elizabeth Cohen and we'll have that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: More now on the mystery of corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Marine corporal who has been missing now for some time out of Iraq. His family in Utah, as well as in Lebanon, has been anxiously awaiting word on his fate.

We get more on the story now from CNN's Rusty Dornin joining us on the phone from West Jordan, Utah.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, we have just learned from a source that the family in Lebanon and Utah have just discovered that corporal Wassef Hassoun has been released. He contacted the families in both places and claimed -- told both families that he had called the American embassy in Lebanon first. He told the families that he was asking them, the embassy to pick him up him up at an undisclosed location in Lebanon. The families apparently are awaiting word from the American embassy in Beirut to find out if indeed Corporal Wassef Hassoun is in their custody right now. There's not a lot of details at this moment, but the families say they will be giving some kind of press conference as soon as they get confirmation -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And, Rusty, as far as you know, from talking to your source, is there any doubt that this was in fact Corporal Hassoun on the phone?

DORNIN: There was absolutely no doubt, and this source did say that Corporal Hassoun sounded as he put it 100 percent, that he sounded healthy, happy and very much alive.

O'BRIEN: And in Lebanon, and as far -- we don't know anything about what the American embassy response has been so far.

DORNIN: No, we do not know anything yet from the American embassy in Beirut. The families are awaiting word from the embassies that, indeed, that Corporal Hassoun is in their custody.

O'BRIEN: All right, Corporal Wassef Hassoun.

Thank you very much, Rusty Dornin, by the way, on the line with us from Salt Lake City area.

Corporal Wassef Hassoun apparently alive. As a matter of fact, we know it to be a fact. He was on the phone talking to his family. They say it is for sure him, and he has apparently contacted the American embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, seeking to be picked up.

We'll keep you posted on that. The family, as we just heard from Rusty, will be giving more information to the media later in the day, and we'll of course bring that to you as soon as we get it.

Gruesome images and compelling testimony in the California murder trial of Scott Peterson. Our Ted Rowlands is outside the Redwood City courtroom. He has the latest for it.

Hello, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

There's a break right now for the Scott Peterson double murder trial, but all morning long, jurors have heard more graphic testimony to accompany graphic photographs as to the recovery of the remains of both Laci Peterson and Conner Peterson. The day started with more testimony from Elena Gonzalez. This is the woman that located the remains of Laci Peterson along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. She was walking her dogs when she made the discovery. She testified as to exactly how and where she found Laci Peterson's remains. Prosecutors then put up photographs of not only the crime scene, which depicted the remains.

But then later while interviewing two Contra Costa County Sheriff deputies, the local deputies that represented the coroner out there and their response to the incidents, they discussed the DNA samples that were taken from both bodies. And at one point, Scott Peterson's mother broke down when a photograph of little Conner Peterson's femur bone was put up on a projector. It was followed by bones of Laci Peterson. Jurors were intent trying to keep the emotions out of the equation. However, family members from both sides that were in the courtroom were obviously upset. Peterson himself did not at any time look up at the screen when these photographs were being displayed.

Laci Peterson's family is not in court today. They were aware of this graphic testimony and decided not to be present during it. It is expected that after the break, the prosecution will continue along this track, at least for the rest of the morning. It's very important to their case, because, of course, the remains of both Laci and Conner Peterson were found in very, very near where Scott Peterson was fishing the day that his wife disappeared -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Ted Rowlands, thank you very much.

ROWLANDS: Dna evidence can be a powerful weapon in a criminal case, but when the case involves the suspect with an identical twin, the evidence becomes a little less certain. CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, that's when investigators resort to some more tried and true crime- fighting techniques.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One crime, two suspects. Tyrone Cooper was linked by DNA to the horrible rape of a Michigan college student. Problem is, so was his twin, his identical twin, Jerome Cooper.

SGT. TIM WILLIAMS, GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPT.: One is saying it's his brother. The other is saying -- the other one is saying no.

GUPTA: Usually your DNA, a genetic fingerprint, is so unique that it can conclusively distinguish you from any other human, living or dead. But in a situation that is becoming increasingly common, sophisticated genetic equipment is duped by identical twins.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now DNA would not be the way to distinguish between identical twins.

GUPTA: It's the same sperm and the same egg that come together, form a zygote and then split resulting in two zygotes that have the same DNA and are impossible to distinguish -- almost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're looking for very small sequence differences, which means a lot of work.

GUPTA: So if DNA isn't reliable for these types of cases what type of evidence is? Well experts say fingerprints between identical twins are distinct based on how they develop in the womb. And hair samples are reliable as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hair might a good sample to evaluate because it can be altered by the environment, and, thus, identify one identical twin as different from the other.

GUPTA: And finally, eyewitness accounts may be the best bet because while identical twins are born looking very much alike, they often change as they grow up.

In the case of the Cooper twins, police are still looking for leads. The crime remains unsolved. Both Jerome and Tyrone are in jail, but on unrelated charges.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Casting doubts now about the benefits of soy, a new study finds soy won't work as an alternative to estrogen in postmenopausal women. Excuse me. Need some soy something. Dutch researchers found that soy did not increase bone density, improve memory, nor lower cholesterol levels, but the authors of the study are raising questions about their own findings. They contend that their subjects, all women 60 to 75, may simply have been too far past menopause to get any soy-related benefits. Go figure.

All right, drinking milk could help your colon stay healthy. Scientists analyzed 10 nutrition studies dealing with more than a half a million people, and they found that people who drink a glass of milk a day lowered their risk of colorectal cancer by 12 percent. It's believed calcium reduces the occurrence of polyps in the colon that can turn cancerous. Calcium supplements provided similar benefits.

All right, here's something else to whet your whistle, low-carb, low-calorie drinks, you're seeing a lot more new versions of these.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been out drinking up a storm here, just sampling things for us.

COHEN: Would you like one? It would help you with the tickle in your throat there?

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think I need it, don't I? Let's talk about these things, because I'm a little confused. You know, I'm kind of a Diet Coke guy. It's very straightforward, not a lot of calories in that, pretty much zero.

COHEN: Zero, zero.

O'BRIEN: Zero is a good number, right? This gets a little more confusing, doesn't it?

COHEN: It does get confusing. Coke and Pepsi decided to come out with a product that was somewhere in between the zero diet and the full-calorie colas, and so what they did is Coke came out with C-2, which you see right here, and Pepsi came out with a product called Edge. Half the calories and carbs of regular sodas.

So if you take a look, we've labeled them. That's 70 calories each. So you think, well, gee, half, that's a good thing. And some people might like the flavor better. Some people just don't like diet sodas.

What's important to remember, what experts will tell you, is think about how much of these things you're drinking. For example, it's not unusual for someone who really loves colas to drink five of these throughout the day. You know, you just keep -- I sit with people who just, you know, drink them and drink them and drink them. If you drank five of these sodas, either kind of soda, you're drinking about 350 calories, which is the equivalent of a McDonald's medium- sized fries. So five sodas...

O'BRIEN: I'd rather have the fries, wouldn't you? Yes.

COHEN: That's where you want your calories, right. And so it's -- you know, it's not that that's necessarily a bad thing, 350 calories, but you have to be aware that you're doing it. And many people just think, oh, well, this is a half soda, so I'm just going to go to town.

O'BRIEN: All right, now one of those things, those drinks that I've always been tempted by, because I'm kind of an ice coffee guy, but those frattuchinos (sic) -- I mean, frappuchinos, because I know they're really terrible for you, and not to mention kind of expensive. They costs you about five bucks. But are they coming out with low-fat versions of those, or low-calorie at least?

COHEN: They are. Starbucks now has a lighter line of some of their frappuchino drinks, and you can take a look at the two we have here. Here is a regular java chip frappuchino.

O'BRIEN: Five hundred and ten. I knew that was dangerous. I just knew.

COHEN: Five hundred and ten calories. That's a lot.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COHEN: That is a lot.

Some of the other ones are even more. They have ones that are 600 calories. Here's the lighter version right next to it, and we chose not to get it with whipped cream. That's 260 calories.

O'BRIEN: It's still 260 on the light version, huh?

COHEN: Exactly. So light is still 260. Yes -- is that better than 510? Absolutely, but you still have to remember it's still 260 calories.

O'BRIEN: All right. So, you know, just in the Starbucks case, there is no labels on there so you really don't know. How do you find out? Are there labels on the Pepsi and Coke cans that you can -- help you know how many calories you're getting?

COHEN: Well, Starbucks has a wonderful Web site, and so you can go there and you can find out. And they're going to have information soon if they don't have -- if some sort of don't have them now.

But they have a great Web site that givers you all the calories for their various drinks.

O'BRIEN: And then, of course, the labels on the cans would have that too.

COHEN: The labels on the cans.

But it's really important to remember our bodies don't always register thirst very successfully. If you are thirsty, you drink, your body should say OK, you're done, but it doesn't always do that. There is been a lot of science that shows that your body doesn't always tell you, OK, you've had 600 calories, stop, because it's liquid and it doesn't always register the same in your brain.

O'BRIEN: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

COHEN: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.

It's one of those things we just can't stop thinking about today. Why would anyone want to run through crowded streets with huge angry beasts right on their backside, you know?

We'll hear from a man who has an answer to that perennial question.

Live from the run with the bulls after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, there's that scene again, a lot of adrenaline. No gore to tell you about. It's Spain's annual running of the bulls in Pamplona. Several people were trampled however, not seriously hurt however as they dashed along the slippery cobbled streets. The festival runs for a week.

John Ryan joining us on the line now, he is following Ernest Hemingway's footsteps I guess, a New York English teacher, he freelances as a journalist during the summer and he ran with the bulls today, joins us on the line now from Pamplona. His first run.

John, are you OK? Are you doing OK?

JOHN RYAN, JOURNALIST: I'm OK. I'm fine. I'm actually pretty good.

O'BRIEN: Are you bruised, banged up, bleeding? You know, what happened?

RYAN: A little bruised from the amateur bull fighting that follows the run.

O'BRIEN: The amateur bull fighting. Kids, don't try that at home, right?

(LAUGHTER)

RYAN: Yes. Yes, it's a blast.

O'BRIEN: It's a blast. All right.

Well, first of all, were you there on assignment or were you there because you just wanted to do it?

RYAN: Well, I'm writing for my local newspaper and I'm also hoping to do some freelance work and it's just a good idea for the summer I think.

O'BRIEN: And is this something you've always had a burning desire for?

RYAN: I've wanted to run with the bulls as long as I've, you know, known about the bulls. They always run it on cable at night and you see the various pile-ups on the corners and just looks like a thing you got to do at least once.

O'BRIEN: Something compelling there.

John, you are an English teacher, you're a writer. I'm going to challenge you to come up with a few words to try to describe the very simple question, why?

RYAN: Wow. Well, you know, I'd say there is probably as many people out there, there are as many reasons for running with the bulls. There was one point we had a full start -- everybody gets jittery, a little spooked and all of a sudden somebody started running behind us and the police had cleared a path. They cordoned us off to try to create some gaps so that the streets didn't fill up, so that the bulls could not pass.

And somebody jumped and the whole group was off. And we ran about probably 300 yards, made a right up the main drag, Esta Venta (ph). And finally, everybody started slowing down and, you know, there's no bulls, and we actually caught up to the mayor's entourage, which had been preceding the actual running and the police escorting her got a little nervous and stopped us.

And at this point, you know, I pulled up next to about four young ladies and one in particular was terrified. She had this look of, what am I doing here, on her face? And so, I said, what are you guys doing, why are you running? And one of her friends said of course, because we're girls, and so, I mean, they're there because they're women.

There are guys there -- you know, a lot of guys there maybe to show they're macho. A lot of runners out there, especially local runners -- this has really developed into a sport and there's -- you know, as many different styles of sport as we've got in the States; you've got a Pamplona way of running; you've got a Santa Domingo way of running; various different styles and they're all very serious about how they run.

And my own part, I just figure, you know, it's something you got to do once.

O'BRIEN: Once you said, interesting. All right.

RYAN: I think I'll run tomorrow again also. We'll see about day three.

O'BRIEN: I think we may have found the real reason -- it's to meet beautiful women who are in jeopardy and you can comfort them.

RYAN: Miles, that could very well be the reason.

O'BRIEN: All right, John Ryan, good luck on the second running. Don't tempt fate too much while you're there.

RYAN: OK.

O'BRIEN: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM..., more on the reported release of Marine Corporal Wassef Hassoun. We're still working on confirmations on this. But his family is reporting a phone call they received from him.

That and all the day's news when LIVE FROM...'s hour of power begins after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired July 7, 2004 - 13:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," captured Marine Wassef Hassoun is said to be in a safe place, according to the latest word from the Lebanese government and its embassy in Iraq. But the Pentagon is still listing him as captured at this hour. Earlier his brother said the family had received a clear sign Hassoun is alive.
An autopsy is planned in New York for the youngest son of actor Kirk Douglas. The body of Eric Douglas found in his Manhattan apartment yesterday. He was 46. He made many appearances in films and TV and is the brother of actor Michael Douglas.

Right now in the battleground state of Ohio, John Kerry and John Edwards kicking off their new campaign. And then they're headed for the Sunshine State for rallies in Florida as the battle for the White House ratchets up a little bit.

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

Now, with the choice of North Carolina's John Edwards, Democrats are bringing the Southern vote into focus. But can the party count on regional loyalty to help the Kerry/Edwards ticket in November? Consider this quote from Texas Governor Ann -- former Texas Governor Ann Richards. "I've always said in politics your enemies can't hurt you, but your friends will kill you."

We decided to ask Professor Merle Black of Atlanta's Emory University what he thinks about it. He brings expertise on politics in the South to us. Good to see you, Professor Black.

MERLE BLACK, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Hi, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk first of all about John Kerry. I think he vowed a little while ago in the campaign that he wouldn't pay any attention to the South. Didn't need to. What happened?

BLACK: What happened is he learned something the last several months, I think. The Democrats need a little cushion and the cushion came -- can come from the South. That's what happened in '92 and '96. So he's gone to North Carolina Senator John Edwards, hopes he wins can win the state of North Carolina, hopes Edwards will help him in Florida and also they might be able to make some inroads in Louisiana and Arkansas.

O'BRIEN: So, when you say inroads, are you talking about can the Democrats really win in the South? Or is this just a matter of forcing the Bush campaign to focus resources in a part of the country where they thought they had a gimme?

BLACK: Well it's it's certainly forcing the Bush campaign to put more time and effort and money into North Carolina, probably into Florida.

Now I think they believe they can win North Carolina with Edwards on the ticket. This time the Democrats in North Carolina will all be on the same page. They weren't that way four years ago.

But the Bush campaign will not give up on North Carolina. They think they'll win it too. And Bush is campaigning in North Carolina today. So I think the strategy is, though, that if they can carry one or two of these southern states, North Carolina or Florida, then it's virtually impossible to see how President Bush could win reelection. So they're creating a real problem for the Bush campaign.

O'BRIEN: All right, well now you mentioned '92 and '96, you were talking about Clinton/Gore, and that's the playbook, of course, that I'm sure that the Kerry camp is kind of looking at this moment.

But let's go to 2000 for a moment and the Gore campaign, unable to win even Tennessee. What happened with their Southern strategy there?

BLACK: Well, the Gore campaign took Tennessee for granted. I think if Gore campaigned more in Tennessee, he probably would have won his home state.

In the other Southern states, though, I think George Bush remains very popular. John Kerry by himself can't carry these states. He's viewed as a Northeastern Massachusetts liberal. And so the choice of Edwards makes at least some of these Southern states competitive. And it really does flip the campaign strategy because John Kerry a few months ago was talking a very different line.

O'BRIEN: Now the Edwards choice, it seems to me, if you look at resumes, at least, is really very much a brazen political choice in all of this. Would you go along with it?

BLACK: Yes. I think Edwards is on the ticket in order to help Kerry win the election. He's not there to help Kerry govern the country. Edwards has no executive experience whatsoever. He's never the governor of a state, never been a head of a large corporation. He's been a senator for a short number of years, but no executive experience.

So it's not to help him govern the nation, it's to help carry some of these Southern states. And I think also, much more broadly than that, to help energize the Kerry campaign in the Midwest and other states where Kerry is really not doing as well as Democrats would like to see.

So he's hired a lawyer here. He's hired a lawyer to make his case to the American people.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. You know, I think about how difficult it is for Democrats these days in the South, when you look at people like Zell Miller, who say things like, "The Democratic Party left me, I'm not leaving the Democratic Party."

What happened along the way there? Where did the Democratic Party have this disconnect with those old Southern Democrats like Zell Miller that just owned the South for so many years?

BLACK: Well, I think the disconnect with Zell has been in more recent years since he's been a U.S. senator. But it really began back in the 1960s, again in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president. Large numbers of white conservatives left the Democratic Party, moved over into the Republican Party.

So there are very few conservatives left in the South today who consider themselves Democrats. And that's liberalized the Democratic Party, and the Republicans have become much more conservative. So we've got a very divided party system in the South today.

We've got two minority parties. Now Republicans aren't a majority, but the Democrats aren't a majority either. So we've got very competitive politics across the region.

O'BRIEN: Well I guess where the rock meets the hard place in the South, though, is that very point you make. They're probably -- and we've got to be careful of about sweeping generalizations here. But it's hard to find a more conservative part of the country.

Is it possible that no matter how hard they try, a team of Democrats cannot win the South anymore?

BLACK: Well, it's very hard to see how the Democrats could win the South in the sense of an entire region. That would take almost a perception of a complete performance failure on the part of the Republicans.

But I think the Democrats remain, you know, competitive. And some of these Southern states, if they want to put a lot of resources, a lot of money into getting their voters out and, you know, going on television, radio, advertising, really trying to put the Republicans on the defensive.

But they won't do that throughout the whole region. They're not going to try to carry Alabama, for example.

O'BRIEN: All right, final thought here, then. I'll put you on the spot here. If you had to pick one issue that you think the election turns on for folks in the South, what would it be?

BLACK: Oh, I think there are two issues. You know, the main is Iraq, the war in Iraq right now where you have a military tradition in the South, and I think that helps President Bush.

The economy, you know, whether it's coming back or not, you know, that's another issue that puts the president somewhat on the defensive.

But I think the military issue works more in the South.

O'BRIEN: Merle Black at Emory University, always a pleasure talking to you. Thanks.

BLACK: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right.

DNA evidence makes solving some crimes easier, right? Sure. But until identical twins are involved. Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the DNA dilemma.

And then there's this...

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Those new low-carb, low-calorie drinks, will they really help you lose weight? I'm Elizabeth Cohen and we'll have that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: More now on the mystery of corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Marine corporal who has been missing now for some time out of Iraq. His family in Utah, as well as in Lebanon, has been anxiously awaiting word on his fate.

We get more on the story now from CNN's Rusty Dornin joining us on the phone from West Jordan, Utah.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, we have just learned from a source that the family in Lebanon and Utah have just discovered that corporal Wassef Hassoun has been released. He contacted the families in both places and claimed -- told both families that he had called the American embassy in Lebanon first. He told the families that he was asking them, the embassy to pick him up him up at an undisclosed location in Lebanon. The families apparently are awaiting word from the American embassy in Beirut to find out if indeed Corporal Wassef Hassoun is in their custody right now. There's not a lot of details at this moment, but the families say they will be giving some kind of press conference as soon as they get confirmation -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And, Rusty, as far as you know, from talking to your source, is there any doubt that this was in fact Corporal Hassoun on the phone?

DORNIN: There was absolutely no doubt, and this source did say that Corporal Hassoun sounded as he put it 100 percent, that he sounded healthy, happy and very much alive.

O'BRIEN: And in Lebanon, and as far -- we don't know anything about what the American embassy response has been so far.

DORNIN: No, we do not know anything yet from the American embassy in Beirut. The families are awaiting word from the embassies that, indeed, that Corporal Hassoun is in their custody.

O'BRIEN: All right, Corporal Wassef Hassoun.

Thank you very much, Rusty Dornin, by the way, on the line with us from Salt Lake City area.

Corporal Wassef Hassoun apparently alive. As a matter of fact, we know it to be a fact. He was on the phone talking to his family. They say it is for sure him, and he has apparently contacted the American embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, seeking to be picked up.

We'll keep you posted on that. The family, as we just heard from Rusty, will be giving more information to the media later in the day, and we'll of course bring that to you as soon as we get it.

Gruesome images and compelling testimony in the California murder trial of Scott Peterson. Our Ted Rowlands is outside the Redwood City courtroom. He has the latest for it.

Hello, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

There's a break right now for the Scott Peterson double murder trial, but all morning long, jurors have heard more graphic testimony to accompany graphic photographs as to the recovery of the remains of both Laci Peterson and Conner Peterson. The day started with more testimony from Elena Gonzalez. This is the woman that located the remains of Laci Peterson along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. She was walking her dogs when she made the discovery. She testified as to exactly how and where she found Laci Peterson's remains. Prosecutors then put up photographs of not only the crime scene, which depicted the remains.

But then later while interviewing two Contra Costa County Sheriff deputies, the local deputies that represented the coroner out there and their response to the incidents, they discussed the DNA samples that were taken from both bodies. And at one point, Scott Peterson's mother broke down when a photograph of little Conner Peterson's femur bone was put up on a projector. It was followed by bones of Laci Peterson. Jurors were intent trying to keep the emotions out of the equation. However, family members from both sides that were in the courtroom were obviously upset. Peterson himself did not at any time look up at the screen when these photographs were being displayed.

Laci Peterson's family is not in court today. They were aware of this graphic testimony and decided not to be present during it. It is expected that after the break, the prosecution will continue along this track, at least for the rest of the morning. It's very important to their case, because, of course, the remains of both Laci and Conner Peterson were found in very, very near where Scott Peterson was fishing the day that his wife disappeared -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Ted Rowlands, thank you very much.

ROWLANDS: Dna evidence can be a powerful weapon in a criminal case, but when the case involves the suspect with an identical twin, the evidence becomes a little less certain. CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, that's when investigators resort to some more tried and true crime- fighting techniques.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One crime, two suspects. Tyrone Cooper was linked by DNA to the horrible rape of a Michigan college student. Problem is, so was his twin, his identical twin, Jerome Cooper.

SGT. TIM WILLIAMS, GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPT.: One is saying it's his brother. The other is saying -- the other one is saying no.

GUPTA: Usually your DNA, a genetic fingerprint, is so unique that it can conclusively distinguish you from any other human, living or dead. But in a situation that is becoming increasingly common, sophisticated genetic equipment is duped by identical twins.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now DNA would not be the way to distinguish between identical twins.

GUPTA: It's the same sperm and the same egg that come together, form a zygote and then split resulting in two zygotes that have the same DNA and are impossible to distinguish -- almost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're looking for very small sequence differences, which means a lot of work.

GUPTA: So if DNA isn't reliable for these types of cases what type of evidence is? Well experts say fingerprints between identical twins are distinct based on how they develop in the womb. And hair samples are reliable as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hair might a good sample to evaluate because it can be altered by the environment, and, thus, identify one identical twin as different from the other.

GUPTA: And finally, eyewitness accounts may be the best bet because while identical twins are born looking very much alike, they often change as they grow up.

In the case of the Cooper twins, police are still looking for leads. The crime remains unsolved. Both Jerome and Tyrone are in jail, but on unrelated charges.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Casting doubts now about the benefits of soy, a new study finds soy won't work as an alternative to estrogen in postmenopausal women. Excuse me. Need some soy something. Dutch researchers found that soy did not increase bone density, improve memory, nor lower cholesterol levels, but the authors of the study are raising questions about their own findings. They contend that their subjects, all women 60 to 75, may simply have been too far past menopause to get any soy-related benefits. Go figure.

All right, drinking milk could help your colon stay healthy. Scientists analyzed 10 nutrition studies dealing with more than a half a million people, and they found that people who drink a glass of milk a day lowered their risk of colorectal cancer by 12 percent. It's believed calcium reduces the occurrence of polyps in the colon that can turn cancerous. Calcium supplements provided similar benefits.

All right, here's something else to whet your whistle, low-carb, low-calorie drinks, you're seeing a lot more new versions of these.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been out drinking up a storm here, just sampling things for us.

COHEN: Would you like one? It would help you with the tickle in your throat there?

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think I need it, don't I? Let's talk about these things, because I'm a little confused. You know, I'm kind of a Diet Coke guy. It's very straightforward, not a lot of calories in that, pretty much zero.

COHEN: Zero, zero.

O'BRIEN: Zero is a good number, right? This gets a little more confusing, doesn't it?

COHEN: It does get confusing. Coke and Pepsi decided to come out with a product that was somewhere in between the zero diet and the full-calorie colas, and so what they did is Coke came out with C-2, which you see right here, and Pepsi came out with a product called Edge. Half the calories and carbs of regular sodas.

So if you take a look, we've labeled them. That's 70 calories each. So you think, well, gee, half, that's a good thing. And some people might like the flavor better. Some people just don't like diet sodas.

What's important to remember, what experts will tell you, is think about how much of these things you're drinking. For example, it's not unusual for someone who really loves colas to drink five of these throughout the day. You know, you just keep -- I sit with people who just, you know, drink them and drink them and drink them. If you drank five of these sodas, either kind of soda, you're drinking about 350 calories, which is the equivalent of a McDonald's medium- sized fries. So five sodas...

O'BRIEN: I'd rather have the fries, wouldn't you? Yes.

COHEN: That's where you want your calories, right. And so it's -- you know, it's not that that's necessarily a bad thing, 350 calories, but you have to be aware that you're doing it. And many people just think, oh, well, this is a half soda, so I'm just going to go to town.

O'BRIEN: All right, now one of those things, those drinks that I've always been tempted by, because I'm kind of an ice coffee guy, but those frattuchinos (sic) -- I mean, frappuchinos, because I know they're really terrible for you, and not to mention kind of expensive. They costs you about five bucks. But are they coming out with low-fat versions of those, or low-calorie at least?

COHEN: They are. Starbucks now has a lighter line of some of their frappuchino drinks, and you can take a look at the two we have here. Here is a regular java chip frappuchino.

O'BRIEN: Five hundred and ten. I knew that was dangerous. I just knew.

COHEN: Five hundred and ten calories. That's a lot.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COHEN: That is a lot.

Some of the other ones are even more. They have ones that are 600 calories. Here's the lighter version right next to it, and we chose not to get it with whipped cream. That's 260 calories.

O'BRIEN: It's still 260 on the light version, huh?

COHEN: Exactly. So light is still 260. Yes -- is that better than 510? Absolutely, but you still have to remember it's still 260 calories.

O'BRIEN: All right. So, you know, just in the Starbucks case, there is no labels on there so you really don't know. How do you find out? Are there labels on the Pepsi and Coke cans that you can -- help you know how many calories you're getting?

COHEN: Well, Starbucks has a wonderful Web site, and so you can go there and you can find out. And they're going to have information soon if they don't have -- if some sort of don't have them now.

But they have a great Web site that givers you all the calories for their various drinks.

O'BRIEN: And then, of course, the labels on the cans would have that too.

COHEN: The labels on the cans.

But it's really important to remember our bodies don't always register thirst very successfully. If you are thirsty, you drink, your body should say OK, you're done, but it doesn't always do that. There is been a lot of science that shows that your body doesn't always tell you, OK, you've had 600 calories, stop, because it's liquid and it doesn't always register the same in your brain.

O'BRIEN: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

COHEN: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.

It's one of those things we just can't stop thinking about today. Why would anyone want to run through crowded streets with huge angry beasts right on their backside, you know?

We'll hear from a man who has an answer to that perennial question.

Live from the run with the bulls after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, there's that scene again, a lot of adrenaline. No gore to tell you about. It's Spain's annual running of the bulls in Pamplona. Several people were trampled however, not seriously hurt however as they dashed along the slippery cobbled streets. The festival runs for a week.

John Ryan joining us on the line now, he is following Ernest Hemingway's footsteps I guess, a New York English teacher, he freelances as a journalist during the summer and he ran with the bulls today, joins us on the line now from Pamplona. His first run.

John, are you OK? Are you doing OK?

JOHN RYAN, JOURNALIST: I'm OK. I'm fine. I'm actually pretty good.

O'BRIEN: Are you bruised, banged up, bleeding? You know, what happened?

RYAN: A little bruised from the amateur bull fighting that follows the run.

O'BRIEN: The amateur bull fighting. Kids, don't try that at home, right?

(LAUGHTER)

RYAN: Yes. Yes, it's a blast.

O'BRIEN: It's a blast. All right.

Well, first of all, were you there on assignment or were you there because you just wanted to do it?

RYAN: Well, I'm writing for my local newspaper and I'm also hoping to do some freelance work and it's just a good idea for the summer I think.

O'BRIEN: And is this something you've always had a burning desire for?

RYAN: I've wanted to run with the bulls as long as I've, you know, known about the bulls. They always run it on cable at night and you see the various pile-ups on the corners and just looks like a thing you got to do at least once.

O'BRIEN: Something compelling there.

John, you are an English teacher, you're a writer. I'm going to challenge you to come up with a few words to try to describe the very simple question, why?

RYAN: Wow. Well, you know, I'd say there is probably as many people out there, there are as many reasons for running with the bulls. There was one point we had a full start -- everybody gets jittery, a little spooked and all of a sudden somebody started running behind us and the police had cleared a path. They cordoned us off to try to create some gaps so that the streets didn't fill up, so that the bulls could not pass.

And somebody jumped and the whole group was off. And we ran about probably 300 yards, made a right up the main drag, Esta Venta (ph). And finally, everybody started slowing down and, you know, there's no bulls, and we actually caught up to the mayor's entourage, which had been preceding the actual running and the police escorting her got a little nervous and stopped us.

And at this point, you know, I pulled up next to about four young ladies and one in particular was terrified. She had this look of, what am I doing here, on her face? And so, I said, what are you guys doing, why are you running? And one of her friends said of course, because we're girls, and so, I mean, they're there because they're women.

There are guys there -- you know, a lot of guys there maybe to show they're macho. A lot of runners out there, especially local runners -- this has really developed into a sport and there's -- you know, as many different styles of sport as we've got in the States; you've got a Pamplona way of running; you've got a Santa Domingo way of running; various different styles and they're all very serious about how they run.

And my own part, I just figure, you know, it's something you got to do once.

O'BRIEN: Once you said, interesting. All right.

RYAN: I think I'll run tomorrow again also. We'll see about day three.

O'BRIEN: I think we may have found the real reason -- it's to meet beautiful women who are in jeopardy and you can comfort them.

RYAN: Miles, that could very well be the reason.

O'BRIEN: All right, John Ryan, good luck on the second running. Don't tempt fate too much while you're there.

RYAN: OK.

O'BRIEN: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM..., more on the reported release of Marine Corporal Wassef Hassoun. We're still working on confirmations on this. But his family is reporting a phone call they received from him.

That and all the day's news when LIVE FROM...'s hour of power begins after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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