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Live From...

Interview With James Carville and Bob Novak; "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" Profiles Lance Armstrong; John Kerry Campaigns In Florida

Aired July 26, 2004 - 14:30   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.


(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: More LIVE FROM... right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM. I'm Miles O'Brien. Here's what is all new this half hour.

The Fleet Center takes center stage, Democrats about to kick off their convention, but is John Kerry's wife upstaging him today? We'll talk about it with our "CROSSFIRE" guys.

And they were once pets of the palace. Now Uday Hussein's lions getting a new home in Iraq. We'll show you how they made the move.

But first, here is what is happening "Now in the News."

In Iraq, a militant group holding seven foreign workers hostage says it has extended a deadline on its threat to behead the men without specifying for how long. Other groups went -- they say they have five more workers, most from other countries. We're staying on top of the militant's apparent campaign to drive troops and foreign companies out of Iraq.

Ohio police have tracked down a convicted sex offender, rescued four missing children. The man who is their step grandfather had vanished with the kids. Police arrested him at a gas station in Columbus. A motorist who saw Amber Alert traffic signs tipped off police.

You're looking at the scene of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Tonight's opening session includes former President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton. CNN brings you live prime-time coverage from the convention floor.

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

The Democrats are talking up a positive tone for this convention. But as the old saying goes, politics ain't beanbag.

"CROSSFIRE" hosts James Carville and Bob Novak are in Boston with the Election Express and they know, they probably coined that expression, right, guys? JAMES CARVILLE, CO-HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Wasn't it a guy in Boston that coined that? Wasn't it?

BOB NOVAK, CO-HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": I think so, yes.

CARVILLE: The mayor of Boston, I think.

O'BRIEN: Politics ain't beanbag. All right. Hey, I have got some e-mails here. Let's talk about Teresa Heinz Kerry here briefly. I want to share with you two quick e-mails, and then have you bat this around a little bit. Of course, we're talking about the famous shove it thing here.

Sara (ph) in Richmond says this: "After months of living her life in a fishbowl, seeing her family and every move commented on and critiqued, I admire her use of her right to free speech to speak her mind. In my opinion, she did not hurt anyone or offend anyone, other than perhaps the disrespectful, brazen, arrogant reporter who is publicly hounding Mrs. Kerry."

By the way, guys, there is a theme of talking about the disrespectful reporters here. I'll leave that for you to consider later.

And Jacqui (ph) in Alcoa, Tennessee, has this -- hang on, Bob. "In this too-politically-correct world today, it's refreshing to have someone with a mind who is not afraid to speak it -- and in five different languages, if necessary. I say to Teresa Heinz Kerry, "Go girlfriend!"

All right, Bob Novak, a lot of support for her out there, are we once again making a mountain out of a molehill here?

NOVAK: Yes, the nutbags sending in the e-mails I'm sure love her. Let me tell you what, Miles, what the truth is, what the Democrats tell me off the record. They have been telling me that for months that she is a potential problem. She is a bomb ready to explode, because she is an outspoken, arrogant billionaire and nobody has, for years, has ever said, Teresa, you shouldn't be that way.

She's rude, she's impolite, and she's a big problem. But I tell you, the last guy in the world who is going to tell his moneybags that -- to get right, is John Kerry.

CARVILLE: Wow!

O'BRIEN: All right, wait -- Jim Carville.

CARVILLE: I have to take advantage of that (ph).

O'BRIEN: Hang on, Mr. Carville. Before we go there, I want to just remind folks. Let's turn the way-back machine to September of 2000, if we could. This is on the campaign trail. Then candidate Bush, along with his vice-presidential -- potential vice-presidential candidate, at that point.

Let's listen in as they see a "New York Times" reporter in the crowd.

Do we have it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Just wanted to point that out today in the interest of fairness. And that gives you a nice softball, doesn't it, Mr. Carville?

CARVILLE: I guess, I forget. First of all, if I'm going to criticize somebody for using a word I use all the time.

In terms of Ms. Kerry, Ms. Heinz Kerry, I know her. I have had dinner with her. I find her to be quite charming. I find her to be quite a nice lady. And actually, I think it's kind of refreshing to have a woman that you know, as opposed to some kind of Stepford wife, that speaks her mind.

I mean shove it is hardly, you know -- I mean, wasn't there a big country song "Take This Job and Shove It!" I mean, it's hardly like the most vulgar thing in the world. I mean what are we going to tell the children? I mean shove it, I mean just shove it, what the hell does it mean?

NOVAK: Of course -- of course -- of course she lied. She did use the word un-American. She was talking about un-American traits, values, and didn't say it. She did say it. But let me tell you the difference, Miles, in case you don't understand it.

O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, tell me.

NOVAK: The difference between the vice-presidential candidate talking to the presidential candidate privately didn't know there was a boom and somebody being rude to a reporter who was telling the truth. There is a big difference.

O'BRIEN: Boy! Now, there's a little spin there.

CARVILLE: You know if I would have -- if I would have blown the surplus and plunged this country into debt and if I would have got us into a war and have no idea how to get us out of...

O'BRIEN: All right, you know what, we're...

CARVILLE: ... I would be worried about shove it, too. But you know what? They are going to shove George Bush right out of office in November.

O'BRIEN: All right, well we're spinning into a whole new orbit here. Let's talk about Al Gore tonight. Al Gore, Bob Novak, he is -- well he has found his voice. He's found his inner Dean, as we said a little while ago. Do you suspect that he will be somebody who will bring down the rafters here in Boston today?

NOVAK: Well, the left wing delegates they got here, who are -- they are not America, they are way left of America. They are just stage props. They don't decide anything. They got a pabulum platform they are going to do.

And the best thing they can do about this Monday night is get by it, because Bill Clinton is yesterday. Al Gore is yesterday. They are irrelevant. The only important speaker tonight is Hillary Clinton. She may be tomorrow and they got her introducing Bill. It should be the other way around.

CARVILLE: There you go.

O'BRIEN: James.

CARVILLE: You know what, Al Gore, you know I would like to remind that he won the last election, which is not a minor thing. He actually got more votes than the other guy. And he got more votes in Florida, too. Scalia and Rehnquist had to jump in there and save Bush.

But be that as it may, he's the former vice president of the United States, a former United States senator from Tennessee. He's a former veteran. He served his country with distinction. And I think that a lot of Democrats out there are going to be interested to see what the former vice president of the United States has to say, just like there are going to be people that are interested in what the former president of the United States has to say.

(CROSSTALK)

NOVAK: They just pray he doesn't go into one of his rants where he is screaming and yelling and control himself. They shouldn't feed him too much Coke -- Coca-Cola before the -- Coca-Cola before tonight.

CARVILLE: Coca-Cola...

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Fine. Well, Bob, let's go -- let's go to -- you mentioned Hillary Clinton. You're going to be watching Hillary Clinton closely because you feel she is the future of the party. What does she need to do today, Bob, to do just that?

NOVAK: Well, the whole theme of the campaign, I don't know if Hillary understands it, is to be nice. To try to appeal to those poor souls who haven't made up their mind and not to these flesh-eating people out in the audience.

It's very hard for Hillary to be nice. She was trained in politics by James Carville, and she is a mean lady. It's going to be very hard for her to be nice about it.

O'BRIEN: And this is...

CARVILLE: You know I've got to say, again, I happen to know Senator Clinton, just like I know...

O'BRIEN: Is this the kinder, gentler Novak who is talking here?

CARVILLE: I don't know who that is. She is one of the nicest, most gracious jawing people I know, and she is going to do a great job tonight. I can't wait to hear what she has to say. She is a heroine of mine. I don't know of anybody that I respect as much as I do Senator Clinton.

NOVAK: She's a creation of you; she's not a heroine.

CARVILLE: Not a creation issue. I tell you what.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right, well let...

CARVILLE: She's -- you know these women don't need James Carville to create them, Bob. They are actually very strong women and will accomplish very much in their own right. They don't need me, I promise you that.

O'BRIEN: All right, final thought, James, if you have any pull with President Clinton, would you tell him to be brief tonight, please?

CARVILLE: What good would it do? I told him to be brief in '92 and he never was, so I mean that's...

O'BRIEN: No, he's not going to be.

(CROSSTALK)

NOVAK: Let me tell you what to watch for -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

NOVAK: Whether he is so self-absorbed and selfish that he carries his speech into the 11:00 local news for it to get a higher rating or cuts off after a decent interval, that's going to be very interesting, because four years ago he got the highest rating because he went into the local news. And let me tell you something else, the Kerry people are watching that very carefully.

O'BRIEN: All right.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: I doubt we'll see a hook, but they'll probably be giving him some signals.

All right, guys, thank you very much.

CARVILLE: There you go. Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: Enjoy the first night of the party there. Bob Novak, James Carville back with the bus in Boston.

CARVILLE: You bet.

NOVAK: Very much, thank you -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: News "Around the World" now.

An or-else threat reportedly from al Qaeda. Australia and Italy are warned to get their troops out of Iraq. A message posted on an Islamic Web site warns that al Qaeda will turn Australia into a bloodbath unless troops are withdrawn.

Another drive-by assassination in Baghdad to tell you about: The Iraqi Interior Ministry says its tribal affairs chief and two bodyguards were gunned down near his home.

And more abductions in Iraq. Insurgents snatched five more people today, but the militant Islamic group holding seven other hostages pushes back the deadline for beheading the men. Militants say the abductions are to force the hostages' employers to stop doing business in Iraq.

The stuff of legends, that's what people are saying about Lance Armstrong today. Yesterday he just added to the mystique. Peddling down the Champs Elysees to claim an unprecedented sixth Tour de France title. He beat cancer in '96 before beginning his phenomenal string of victories.

"PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" is profiling Armstrong this weekend, and here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This perfect peddling machine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does it take to spend three weeks in agony, enduring hour after hour of pain, racing more than 2,000 miles with a bull's eye on your back? What does it take to battle a disease that is conspiring to kill you then ride with the hopes and dreams of so many cancer survivors on your shoulders? What does it take to be Lance Armstrong?

Twenty-five-year-old Armstrong was entering the prime of his career when he was diagnosed with cancer.

LANCE ARMSTRONG, CHAMPION CYCLIST: This isn't going to stop me. I might have a bald head and I might not be as fast as I used to go, but I'm going to be out there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Armstrong began intense chemotherapy. The hours of pain he had experienced on a bike paled in comparison to the ravages of the disease. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He never lost his fighting spirit, his attitude, but his voice would shake. He lost a lot of weight. He was bald. He had scares on his head. He looked like a cancer patient that was going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But Armstrong didn't give up. In February 1997, after undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy, and months of anguish, Armstrong's cancer was declared to be in remission.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lance didn't beat cancer, he kicked it to death. He didn't just survive it, he stomped that bastard into the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Armstrong took a year off then began an uneasy comeback, one filled with stops and starts as he wrestled with his body and mind. Eventually his focus became clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He realized he had this second chance and that he was going to seize it and he wasn't going to blow it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After months of rigorous training, Armstrong entered the 1999 Tour de France. He was considered to be beyond a long shot, but those who knew what he'd been through knew better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said, you know, you're so sick in that bed, there is nothing that will keep you from going up that mountain when you think about how sick you were.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Over three weeks, Armstrong rode more than 2,200 miles, over grueling terrain, overpowering competitors like he had overpowered cancer. At the race's end, Lance Armstrong wore a yellow jersey. He had won the Tour de France.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I remember watching him come down the Champs Elysees and crying and just being like this is just a miracle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lance Armstrong may be known as a Tour de France champion, but there's another title, one which may be the most important of all.

ARMSTRONG: Within 10 year's time, I won't do this anymore. And I won't be known as a cyclist, and I won't be known as somebody that wins bike races, I'll be known as Lance Armstrong. And hopefully for a long time to come, I'll be known as a cancer survivor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well if you tune in Saturday at 11:00 a.m., you will see a lot more Lance Armstrong than we saw yesterday on OLN as they tried to cover the end of the Tour de France. He was missing. Anyway, that's 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. We replay it Sunday 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Now, you might have heard the Democrats are having a little to-do this week. Did John Kerry miss the memo? Find out why he's down in the Sunshine State in the Rocket Garden of all places.

And it's a political extravaganza, Senator Hillary Clinton and former President Jimmy Carter on CNN's "INSIDE POLITICS" live from Boston bringing you special coverage of the DNC.

All that straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Amid all the hype and excitement in Boston this week for the Democratic National Convention, something is missing, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, of course. Is John Kerry stealing the limelight from his own party?

Our Richard Quest gives us some perspective from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is tempting and perhaps too obvious to take the metaphors from this visit to the Kennedy Space Center too far. John Kerry came here hoping that his campaign would soar like a rocket and take off into space.

Well, let's put that to one side for the moment, because the real reason, of course, he came to this part of the world is the bitterness and bile that still exists over what happened here four years ago.

Republicans believe that their man won; Democrats believe they were cheated out of the White House. The two do not see eye to eye, and that small narrow group of voters in the middle that's getting ever smaller every day is what John Kerry was aiming to appeal to.

And what a risk it was in many ways. After all, there's a chance that he may be spoiling his own party a thousand miles up the road, in Boston, where the convention gets underway, and here's John Kerry garnering publicity down in Florida.

Of course, over the next week we're going to hear an enormous amount in Boston, and we will see the candidate moving his way up the eastern seaboard of the United States.

For the moment, though, Florida remains all to play for. The latest polls, frankly, could put it either way, and that's why both candidates could be expected in the Sunshine State on many more occasions.

Richard Quest, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That Richard Quest, he's in an orbit of his own, isn't he?

Well, that wraps up this Monday edition of LIVE FROM. I'm Miles O'Brien. And now with an expanded Democratic Convention version of political headlines is, who else, Judy Woodruff who's there.

Judy, good to see you. I hope you are having fun in Boston.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We are, Miles. We miss you a lot.

And, yes, this is the day we've been waiting for. I'm here at the Fleet Center in Boston, site of this year's Democratic National Convention, festivities set to begin in just an hour from now. We're going to bring you the opening gavel live.

Plus, Democrats for a change are presenting a united front in their support of John Kerry. Our Bill Schneider examines whether it will help them win in November.

Our special edition of "INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Hello, I'm Miles O'Brien at CNN center. Here's a look at the stories "Now in the News."

One hour and counting: final preps underway for the start of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. You can hear from two of tonight's guest speakers, former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Hillary Clinton, just ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS." Live pictures of Glenn Close who will speak tonight. We will hear from her as well later this evening.

Bad timing for Google. The popular search engine sputtered today preventing users from searching the Web for more than three hours. This happened after the company announced it was hoping to raise more than $3 billion in its stock initial public offering with shares priced between $108 and $135.

A record number of American adults are serving time or are on probation or parole. That's according to the Justice Department. It finds 6.9 million adults, more than three percent of the adult population, fell into one of those two categories last year.

Keeping you informed, CNN,

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 July 26, 2004 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: More LIVE FROM... right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM. I'm Miles O'Brien. Here's what is all new this half hour.

The Fleet Center takes center stage, Democrats about to kick off their convention, but is John Kerry's wife upstaging him today? We'll talk about it with our "CROSSFIRE" guys.

And they were once pets of the palace. Now Uday Hussein's lions getting a new home in Iraq. We'll show you how they made the move.

But first, here is what is happening "Now in the News."

In Iraq, a militant group holding seven foreign workers hostage says it has extended a deadline on its threat to behead the men without specifying for how long. Other groups went -- they say they have five more workers, most from other countries. We're staying on top of the militant's apparent campaign to drive troops and foreign companies out of Iraq.

Ohio police have tracked down a convicted sex offender, rescued four missing children. The man who is their step grandfather had vanished with the kids. Police arrested him at a gas station in Columbus. A motorist who saw Amber Alert traffic signs tipped off police.

You're looking at the scene of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Tonight's opening session includes former President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton. CNN brings you live prime-time coverage from the convention floor.

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

The Democrats are talking up a positive tone for this convention. But as the old saying goes, politics ain't beanbag.

"CROSSFIRE" hosts James Carville and Bob Novak are in Boston with the Election Express and they know, they probably coined that expression, right, guys? JAMES CARVILLE, CO-HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Wasn't it a guy in Boston that coined that? Wasn't it?

BOB NOVAK, CO-HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": I think so, yes.

CARVILLE: The mayor of Boston, I think.

O'BRIEN: Politics ain't beanbag. All right. Hey, I have got some e-mails here. Let's talk about Teresa Heinz Kerry here briefly. I want to share with you two quick e-mails, and then have you bat this around a little bit. Of course, we're talking about the famous shove it thing here.

Sara (ph) in Richmond says this: "After months of living her life in a fishbowl, seeing her family and every move commented on and critiqued, I admire her use of her right to free speech to speak her mind. In my opinion, she did not hurt anyone or offend anyone, other than perhaps the disrespectful, brazen, arrogant reporter who is publicly hounding Mrs. Kerry."

By the way, guys, there is a theme of talking about the disrespectful reporters here. I'll leave that for you to consider later.

And Jacqui (ph) in Alcoa, Tennessee, has this -- hang on, Bob. "In this too-politically-correct world today, it's refreshing to have someone with a mind who is not afraid to speak it -- and in five different languages, if necessary. I say to Teresa Heinz Kerry, "Go girlfriend!"

All right, Bob Novak, a lot of support for her out there, are we once again making a mountain out of a molehill here?

NOVAK: Yes, the nutbags sending in the e-mails I'm sure love her. Let me tell you what, Miles, what the truth is, what the Democrats tell me off the record. They have been telling me that for months that she is a potential problem. She is a bomb ready to explode, because she is an outspoken, arrogant billionaire and nobody has, for years, has ever said, Teresa, you shouldn't be that way.

She's rude, she's impolite, and she's a big problem. But I tell you, the last guy in the world who is going to tell his moneybags that -- to get right, is John Kerry.

CARVILLE: Wow!

O'BRIEN: All right, wait -- Jim Carville.

CARVILLE: I have to take advantage of that (ph).

O'BRIEN: Hang on, Mr. Carville. Before we go there, I want to just remind folks. Let's turn the way-back machine to September of 2000, if we could. This is on the campaign trail. Then candidate Bush, along with his vice-presidential -- potential vice-presidential candidate, at that point.

Let's listen in as they see a "New York Times" reporter in the crowd.

Do we have it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Just wanted to point that out today in the interest of fairness. And that gives you a nice softball, doesn't it, Mr. Carville?

CARVILLE: I guess, I forget. First of all, if I'm going to criticize somebody for using a word I use all the time.

In terms of Ms. Kerry, Ms. Heinz Kerry, I know her. I have had dinner with her. I find her to be quite charming. I find her to be quite a nice lady. And actually, I think it's kind of refreshing to have a woman that you know, as opposed to some kind of Stepford wife, that speaks her mind.

I mean shove it is hardly, you know -- I mean, wasn't there a big country song "Take This Job and Shove It!" I mean, it's hardly like the most vulgar thing in the world. I mean what are we going to tell the children? I mean shove it, I mean just shove it, what the hell does it mean?

NOVAK: Of course -- of course -- of course she lied. She did use the word un-American. She was talking about un-American traits, values, and didn't say it. She did say it. But let me tell you the difference, Miles, in case you don't understand it.

O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, tell me.

NOVAK: The difference between the vice-presidential candidate talking to the presidential candidate privately didn't know there was a boom and somebody being rude to a reporter who was telling the truth. There is a big difference.

O'BRIEN: Boy! Now, there's a little spin there.

CARVILLE: You know if I would have -- if I would have blown the surplus and plunged this country into debt and if I would have got us into a war and have no idea how to get us out of...

O'BRIEN: All right, you know what, we're...

CARVILLE: ... I would be worried about shove it, too. But you know what? They are going to shove George Bush right out of office in November.

O'BRIEN: All right, well we're spinning into a whole new orbit here. Let's talk about Al Gore tonight. Al Gore, Bob Novak, he is -- well he has found his voice. He's found his inner Dean, as we said a little while ago. Do you suspect that he will be somebody who will bring down the rafters here in Boston today?

NOVAK: Well, the left wing delegates they got here, who are -- they are not America, they are way left of America. They are just stage props. They don't decide anything. They got a pabulum platform they are going to do.

And the best thing they can do about this Monday night is get by it, because Bill Clinton is yesterday. Al Gore is yesterday. They are irrelevant. The only important speaker tonight is Hillary Clinton. She may be tomorrow and they got her introducing Bill. It should be the other way around.

CARVILLE: There you go.

O'BRIEN: James.

CARVILLE: You know what, Al Gore, you know I would like to remind that he won the last election, which is not a minor thing. He actually got more votes than the other guy. And he got more votes in Florida, too. Scalia and Rehnquist had to jump in there and save Bush.

But be that as it may, he's the former vice president of the United States, a former United States senator from Tennessee. He's a former veteran. He served his country with distinction. And I think that a lot of Democrats out there are going to be interested to see what the former vice president of the United States has to say, just like there are going to be people that are interested in what the former president of the United States has to say.

(CROSSTALK)

NOVAK: They just pray he doesn't go into one of his rants where he is screaming and yelling and control himself. They shouldn't feed him too much Coke -- Coca-Cola before the -- Coca-Cola before tonight.

CARVILLE: Coca-Cola...

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Fine. Well, Bob, let's go -- let's go to -- you mentioned Hillary Clinton. You're going to be watching Hillary Clinton closely because you feel she is the future of the party. What does she need to do today, Bob, to do just that?

NOVAK: Well, the whole theme of the campaign, I don't know if Hillary understands it, is to be nice. To try to appeal to those poor souls who haven't made up their mind and not to these flesh-eating people out in the audience.

It's very hard for Hillary to be nice. She was trained in politics by James Carville, and she is a mean lady. It's going to be very hard for her to be nice about it.

O'BRIEN: And this is...

CARVILLE: You know I've got to say, again, I happen to know Senator Clinton, just like I know...

O'BRIEN: Is this the kinder, gentler Novak who is talking here?

CARVILLE: I don't know who that is. She is one of the nicest, most gracious jawing people I know, and she is going to do a great job tonight. I can't wait to hear what she has to say. She is a heroine of mine. I don't know of anybody that I respect as much as I do Senator Clinton.

NOVAK: She's a creation of you; she's not a heroine.

CARVILLE: Not a creation issue. I tell you what.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right, well let...

CARVILLE: She's -- you know these women don't need James Carville to create them, Bob. They are actually very strong women and will accomplish very much in their own right. They don't need me, I promise you that.

O'BRIEN: All right, final thought, James, if you have any pull with President Clinton, would you tell him to be brief tonight, please?

CARVILLE: What good would it do? I told him to be brief in '92 and he never was, so I mean that's...

O'BRIEN: No, he's not going to be.

(CROSSTALK)

NOVAK: Let me tell you what to watch for -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

NOVAK: Whether he is so self-absorbed and selfish that he carries his speech into the 11:00 local news for it to get a higher rating or cuts off after a decent interval, that's going to be very interesting, because four years ago he got the highest rating because he went into the local news. And let me tell you something else, the Kerry people are watching that very carefully.

O'BRIEN: All right.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: I doubt we'll see a hook, but they'll probably be giving him some signals.

All right, guys, thank you very much.

CARVILLE: There you go. Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: Enjoy the first night of the party there. Bob Novak, James Carville back with the bus in Boston.

CARVILLE: You bet.

NOVAK: Very much, thank you -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: News "Around the World" now.

An or-else threat reportedly from al Qaeda. Australia and Italy are warned to get their troops out of Iraq. A message posted on an Islamic Web site warns that al Qaeda will turn Australia into a bloodbath unless troops are withdrawn.

Another drive-by assassination in Baghdad to tell you about: The Iraqi Interior Ministry says its tribal affairs chief and two bodyguards were gunned down near his home.

And more abductions in Iraq. Insurgents snatched five more people today, but the militant Islamic group holding seven other hostages pushes back the deadline for beheading the men. Militants say the abductions are to force the hostages' employers to stop doing business in Iraq.

The stuff of legends, that's what people are saying about Lance Armstrong today. Yesterday he just added to the mystique. Peddling down the Champs Elysees to claim an unprecedented sixth Tour de France title. He beat cancer in '96 before beginning his phenomenal string of victories.

"PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" is profiling Armstrong this weekend, and here is a preview.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This perfect peddling machine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does it take to spend three weeks in agony, enduring hour after hour of pain, racing more than 2,000 miles with a bull's eye on your back? What does it take to battle a disease that is conspiring to kill you then ride with the hopes and dreams of so many cancer survivors on your shoulders? What does it take to be Lance Armstrong?

Twenty-five-year-old Armstrong was entering the prime of his career when he was diagnosed with cancer.

LANCE ARMSTRONG, CHAMPION CYCLIST: This isn't going to stop me. I might have a bald head and I might not be as fast as I used to go, but I'm going to be out there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Armstrong began intense chemotherapy. The hours of pain he had experienced on a bike paled in comparison to the ravages of the disease. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He never lost his fighting spirit, his attitude, but his voice would shake. He lost a lot of weight. He was bald. He had scares on his head. He looked like a cancer patient that was going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But Armstrong didn't give up. In February 1997, after undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy, and months of anguish, Armstrong's cancer was declared to be in remission.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lance didn't beat cancer, he kicked it to death. He didn't just survive it, he stomped that bastard into the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Armstrong took a year off then began an uneasy comeback, one filled with stops and starts as he wrestled with his body and mind. Eventually his focus became clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He realized he had this second chance and that he was going to seize it and he wasn't going to blow it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After months of rigorous training, Armstrong entered the 1999 Tour de France. He was considered to be beyond a long shot, but those who knew what he'd been through knew better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said, you know, you're so sick in that bed, there is nothing that will keep you from going up that mountain when you think about how sick you were.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Over three weeks, Armstrong rode more than 2,200 miles, over grueling terrain, overpowering competitors like he had overpowered cancer. At the race's end, Lance Armstrong wore a yellow jersey. He had won the Tour de France.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I remember watching him come down the Champs Elysees and crying and just being like this is just a miracle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lance Armstrong may be known as a Tour de France champion, but there's another title, one which may be the most important of all.

ARMSTRONG: Within 10 year's time, I won't do this anymore. And I won't be known as a cyclist, and I won't be known as somebody that wins bike races, I'll be known as Lance Armstrong. And hopefully for a long time to come, I'll be known as a cancer survivor.

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O'BRIEN: Well if you tune in Saturday at 11:00 a.m., you will see a lot more Lance Armstrong than we saw yesterday on OLN as they tried to cover the end of the Tour de France. He was missing. Anyway, that's 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. We replay it Sunday 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Now, you might have heard the Democrats are having a little to-do this week. Did John Kerry miss the memo? Find out why he's down in the Sunshine State in the Rocket Garden of all places.

And it's a political extravaganza, Senator Hillary Clinton and former President Jimmy Carter on CNN's "INSIDE POLITICS" live from Boston bringing you special coverage of the DNC.

All that straight ahead.

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O'BRIEN: Amid all the hype and excitement in Boston this week for the Democratic National Convention, something is missing, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, of course. Is John Kerry stealing the limelight from his own party?

Our Richard Quest gives us some perspective from the campaign trail.

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RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is tempting and perhaps too obvious to take the metaphors from this visit to the Kennedy Space Center too far. John Kerry came here hoping that his campaign would soar like a rocket and take off into space.

Well, let's put that to one side for the moment, because the real reason, of course, he came to this part of the world is the bitterness and bile that still exists over what happened here four years ago.

Republicans believe that their man won; Democrats believe they were cheated out of the White House. The two do not see eye to eye, and that small narrow group of voters in the middle that's getting ever smaller every day is what John Kerry was aiming to appeal to.

And what a risk it was in many ways. After all, there's a chance that he may be spoiling his own party a thousand miles up the road, in Boston, where the convention gets underway, and here's John Kerry garnering publicity down in Florida.

Of course, over the next week we're going to hear an enormous amount in Boston, and we will see the candidate moving his way up the eastern seaboard of the United States.

For the moment, though, Florida remains all to play for. The latest polls, frankly, could put it either way, and that's why both candidates could be expected in the Sunshine State on many more occasions.

Richard Quest, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center.

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O'BRIEN: That Richard Quest, he's in an orbit of his own, isn't he?

Well, that wraps up this Monday edition of LIVE FROM. I'm Miles O'Brien. And now with an expanded Democratic Convention version of political headlines is, who else, Judy Woodruff who's there.

Judy, good to see you. I hope you are having fun in Boston.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We are, Miles. We miss you a lot.

And, yes, this is the day we've been waiting for. I'm here at the Fleet Center in Boston, site of this year's Democratic National Convention, festivities set to begin in just an hour from now. We're going to bring you the opening gavel live.

Plus, Democrats for a change are presenting a united front in their support of John Kerry. Our Bill Schneider examines whether it will help them win in November.

Our special edition of "INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.

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O'BRIEN: Hello, I'm Miles O'Brien at CNN center. Here's a look at the stories "Now in the News."

One hour and counting: final preps underway for the start of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. You can hear from two of tonight's guest speakers, former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Hillary Clinton, just ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS." Live pictures of Glenn Close who will speak tonight. We will hear from her as well later this evening.

Bad timing for Google. The popular search engine sputtered today preventing users from searching the Web for more than three hours. This happened after the company announced it was hoping to raise more than $3 billion in its stock initial public offering with shares priced between $108 and $135.

A record number of American adults are serving time or are on probation or parole. That's according to the Justice Department. It finds 6.9 million adults, more than three percent of the adult population, fell into one of those two categories last year.

Keeping you informed, CNN,

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