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Battleground State Ohio; Preparing For The RNC; Veteran Gets New Prosthetic Leg; Vacations And Personalities

Aired August 18, 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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is LIVE FROM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips.

Here's what's all new this half hour. Campaign showdown: the Bush and Kerry camps both focusing on battleground states, while Ohio could end up being the center of the political universe.

Chess great Bobby Fischer in legal trouble and now sending a personal message to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

WHITFIELD: And a soldier's stand: high-tech help for a man who lost his legs fighting for America. First, here's what is happening now in the news.

PHILLIPS: A two-week standoff in Najaf may be over. Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he is giving in. He says he is leaving the Imam Ali Mosque, disbanding his Mehdi Army Militia and entering mainstream politics. That announcement comes just hours after Iraqi government threatens to wage a major offensive to liberate the holy shrine.

An update in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Military sources tell CNN, a just-finished Army report recommends possible disciplinary action against about two-dozen military intelligence personnel. Known as the Fay Report, it's expected to be officially released Friday.

For the first time since Hurricane Charley hit last week, the 6,000 residents of Sanibel Island, Florida are being allowed back in. Many of them are now seeing for themselves how much damage was done and what's left of their homes.

Roads have been cleared, but there is still no electricity or safe drinking water.

In the Scott Peterson murder trial, the long-awaited testimony of former mistress Amber Frey is now post postponed until Monday. She was scheduled to face cross-examination today, but the judge dismissed the jury citing, quote, "a potential development in the case."

We're keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.

WHITFIELD: Win Ohio, win the White House, that's the feeling among both Republicans and Democrats. President Bush and Senator Kerry have made a number of trips to the Buckeye State, where the latest polls show them in a virtual tie. It's likely to come down to undecided voters. Some will be at tonight's town hall meeting in Canton, moderated by CNN's Paula Zahn.

Our Tom Foreman take as closer look at what's at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With nearly a quarter million jobs lost, more than 5,000 citizens fighting in Iraq, and a serious split in public opinion, Ohio has become one of the most critical battleground states.

PROF. RICK FARMER, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: Ohio is very much like the country, and Ohio is very polarized, just like the country is.

FOREMAN: And squarely divided Stark County, south of Akron, may be the tipping point. Here, the leading employer plans to close three plants which make precision bearings, dropping 1,300 jobs. Timken says that will keep other divisions growing, other jobs safe.

JIM GRIFFITH, PRESIDENT, CEO, TIMKEN: The only job security is producing something that's of value to your customer.

FOREMAN: But that's no comfort to workers facing unemployment.

BRIAN VERDOORN, TIMKEN EMPLOYEE: Ohio is going to have to find something else at this point, because we're losing the manufacturing jobs. They're going elsewhere.

FOREMAN: On other issues, the divide runs just as deep. Brian Sarver is in Iraq, and his wife Kimberly, even taking care of six kids, is so proud.

KIMBERLY SARVER, HUSBAND IN IRAQ: I think it's awesome. I think it's awesome to fight for your country.

FOREMAN: But Rebecca Jones' brother is fighting, too, and she is so scared.

REBECCA JONES, BROTHER IN IRAQ: We're losing too many. We're tired of seeing our loved ones get hurt, not come home.

PROF. PAUL SRACIC, YOUNGSTOWN STATE: I think voters here and elsewhere in Ohio are looking for anything solid to kind of hang their vote on. And that's kind of been the problem.

FOREMAN: The battle for Ohio is coming down to which reality more voters are living: the dire headlines, closed factories, and losses in combat; or the shiny new malls, growing suburbs, and a winnable war. And the presidency may be decided by which way Ohio leans at the polls.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Canton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Well, with the race for the White House as tight as it is, and with most polls showing President Bush actually trailing by a couple points, the Republican Party could use a big boost from its upcoming convention. It begins in just 12 days in New York City, which is where we find our political analyst, CNN's Carlos Watson.

Good to see you, Carlos.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm keeping the ground safe out here, Fredricka, getting ready for everybody.

WHITFIELD: That's good news, because a whole lot of folks are about to come into New York City there.

All right, well, they are pumping up the RNC, but unlike what we saw with President Bush, refraining from any campaigning during the Democratic Convention, we're seeing that John Kerry is promising that he will continue to campaign. So what else might be different about the RNC versus the DNC?

WATSON: Well, again, I think you'll see more of an emphasis on national security right up front. The first couple speakers actually will be John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. And for President Bush, still his strongest numbers in polls come not on the economy, not on health care, but on national security. In some polls, he leads John Kerry by as much as 20 points. So you'll hear a lot of emphasis on this paint in particular.

WHITFIELD: And you talk about the big names, Rudy Giuliani, for one, Arnold Schwarzenegger, another, who will all be making their appearances during the Republican Convention. How essential is it to have such high-profile players on the stage?

WATSON: Well, certainly we know in looking at the Democratic Convention, where you had about 20 million people watching on average, that you've got to do something to make people tune in. And so big names like Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McCain are important, but maybe more significantly, as you know, the Republicans are trying to line up speakers who they think will appeal to swing voters.

John McCain certainly very popular in a that regard. Rudy Giuliani, a Republican who has won in a very Democratic city multiple times. And Arnold Schwarzenegger, the recent hero who won the governorship of California, which no Republican has managed to do in some 12 years, so pretty significant accomplishment.

WHITFIELD: And at the Democratic Convention, we saw a lot of folks who weren't necessarily familiar to the vast majority out there, but they certainly made a name for themselves by being great orators, et cetera. So is there pressure for the Republicans to try to introduce the nation to some other new up-and-coming stars.

WATSON: There certainly is. But I'm not sure that they're going to be as successful in finding a Barack Obama. I think, even the Democrats couldn't have predicted how well Obama would have been received. But there will be the lieutenant governor from Maryland, Michael Steele, who they're excited about, who they think is a long- term exciting candidate, is African American as well. They'll profile him.

They have not announced it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Barbara and Jenna Bush take a star turn of their own.

And last but not least, a speech that I think is going to surprise people in terms of its effectiveness will be Laura Bush's speech on Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: We've seen a lot of her recently, and whether it be live in speaking engagements or even in a lot of ads, and so have you to wonder, too, how quickly the Democrats might respond to the Republican Convention. Just like we saw, the ads coming out very quickly after the Democratic Convention, and people like Rudy Giuliani speaking out rather quickly before the convention was even over.

WATSON: Fredricka, I think that's a very important point. I think one of the reasons why Democrats didn't get the bounce that they enjoyed -- they thought they might get was not simply what you often here, which is that there was a small pool of undecideds, but because I think the Republican counter-message and counter-message effort was very effective.

It will be interesting if the Democrats are just as effective, not only getting on national shows, like CNN, but on local news stations in places like Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and even in the Southwest.

WHITFIELD: And to see if the Democrats are present in Madison Square Garden, just as you saw in the FleetCenter, with the Republicans while the convention was under way.

Carlos Watson, thanks so much. Good to see you.

WATSON: Fredricka, great to see you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: A blast from the past. At today's Olympics Games, do you recognize this ancient sport? We're going to go live to Athens.

And then see how an American soldier and double-amputee gets back on his feet thanks to some amazing technology.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Going for the gold at the Summer Games, but taking home the silver or the bronze isn't too shabby either. Who is racking them up today?

Our Larry Smith has a ringside seat for all the action in Athens, Greece. Big medal night last night, but today was a big day, as well -- Larry.

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Big day, both on the field of competition and off, as well. Nightfall here in Athens, and many here in the country of Greece are hoping that the curtain also has fallen on the six-day odyssey involving Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou.

They have withdrawn from the Games after their meeting this morning with an IOC investigative panel. Now, the Olympic governing body wanted to know why the pair skipped a mandatory drug test last Thursday at the Athletes Village. No official answer given to that question. Kenteris said his coach never told him. He has now left his coach, by the way.

No further action from the IOC, but the two medalists from the Sydney Games could face disciplinary action from the International Track and Field Federation, the IAAF, for that missed test.

Shot put competition today -- it was held at ancient Olympia about 200 miles away. And how exciting was this: The first athletic competition at that old stadium in more than 1,600 years. Kristin Heaston of the U.S. becoming the first woman ever to compete in historic (INAUDIBLE) stadium. And by the way, Adam Nelson of the U.S., he took silver for the men in the shot put competition. The men in ancient times didn't wear clothes. Today, they did wear clothes, we're happy to report.

OK. Some tennis now -- Venus Williams, the defending Olympic champion, she loses as she falls to Mary Pierce in straight sets. No American women left, by the way, in the draw as Lisa Raymond and Chanda Rubin also fall. Martina Navratilova still in play in doubles action with Lisa Raymond. The 47-year-old -- first Olympic competition for Martina. She advances because their opponent withdrew.

Bad news, though, for Andy Roddick, the two seed and reigning U.S. Open champion, he is upset in the third round by Fernando Gonzalez. And so, Roddick also is out of competition.

Couple of things from swimming very quickly for you. Michael Phelps sets an Olympic record as he advances to tomorrow night's 200- meter butterfly. He is trying to win his sixth medal of these Game. And a world record for the America 800-meter women's freestyle U.S. Team as they take gold, as well.

Let's go back to you.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's a great thing to celebrate. But you know, back to the disappointment to talk about Venus Williams, huge disappointment, particularly since she and her doubles partner got eliminated after the first round. And then, another disappointment, Torri Edwards, as well. She, you know, expressed through her coach that she is devastated to not be able to compete in these Games.

SMITH: Yes. Well, for Torri Edwards, it was one that when you go to that end body -- the court of arbitration for sport -- it's a last ditch effort to get reinstated. It's unfortunate if it doesn't happen, but it didn't for her. Now a two-year ban as well for her.

So, certainly whatever happened that she got in that position could really hurt her career, at least for the next two years.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right, thanks so much. Larry Smith from Athens -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Well, many U.S. soldiers injured in battles in Iraq face special challenges after their wounds have healed. That's especially true for amputees. But some new high-tech equipment is helping them reclaim their independence.

Our Barbara Starr profiles one such soldier on a very special day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Army Specialist Kevin Pannell was on foot patrol in Baghdad June 13th when his unit was hit with three grenades.

SPEC. KEVIN PANNELL, U.S. ARMY: One of them landed at my heels. It went off. That's how I lost both of these.

STARR: Now a double amputee, this is an extraordinary day. With his wife looking on, Pannell is getting his first prosthetic leg.

DENNIS CLARK, PROSTHETIC TECHNICIAN: This is day one, appointment one, minute one.

STARR: But more than just an artificial limb.

CLARK: Sensitive areas?

K. PANNELL: Not really.

CLARK: Problem areas?

K. PANNELL: Not at all.

STARR: Pannell is being fitted with a $48,000 limb driven by an internal microprocessor. Today, he will stand for the first time since the attack.

CLARK: Slide you right in here.

STARR: More adjustments.

CLARK: No, you're not locking. May not get locked until we get you up.

K. PANNELL: Do you want me to stand up?

CLARK: All right, so we're just going to go ahead and stand up. You all locked in?

Nice and slow. Nice and slow.

STARR: A remarkable piece of technology. The leg will be hooked up to a laptop computer and specifically programmed for Pannell.

CLARK: That's a great first step right there. He'll be able to go up and down steps. get in and out of a car, go up and down ramps.

STARR: The knee will adjust 50 times per second.

CLARK: We can actually program a second mode for bicycle riding, for rowing, for whatever it is he wants to do -- for golf.

STARR: Pannell's wife Amanda.

AMANDA PANNELL, SOLDIER'S WIFE: In the years ahead, what I can see is just maybe everything just getting back to normal.

STARR: The emerging generation of Iraq war veterans are so young, they face another 50 or 60 years of challenges and a commitment from the army to help them.

DR. PAUL PASQUINA, WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: As advances in rehabilitation or advances in medical or surgical techniques come on, we need to be able to identify them. And we need to be trying to set some treatment plans now that may have a long-term impact, a positive impact on their eventual outcome.

K. PANNELL: I don't see other than -- you know, playing in the NBA, I don't see anything that I won't be able to do.

STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, chess legend Bobby Fischer makes a surprise move. Will it help him win his battle with Uncle Sam?

What can you tell about a guy based on where he likes to vacation? Anything?

Later, blondie superstar -- or a blonde superstar -- big difference from Blondie. But I heard we have Deborah Harry in the house. Offers reward for her lost dog Tinkerbell. You have to stick around for entertainment headlines for all the Tink details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Gambit of a lifetime. The latest move by former chess champ Bobby Fischer to avoid deportation to the U.S. may involve a bishop or at least a priest. The clever strategist says he's in love. In his bid for freedom he is sacrificing a pawn or is he capturing a queen?

Our Andrea Koppel reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The latest moves by the former chess champion, a personal appeal to Secretary of State Colin Powell and a sudden announcement he's engaged to marry. MIYOKO WATAI, BOBBY FISCHER'S FIANCE: Our feelings are genuine, and they're based on our years of close companionship.

KOPPEL: Miyoko Watai, the acting president of Japan's Chess Association, met Fischer in 1973 and in a stunning admission said the two had been romantically involved for the last four years.

WATAI: We have taken the very serious decision to marry in the midst of this crisis in the hope that disclosing the reality that we have been living together as man and wife might help the two of us to return to that happy life we have been sharing before Bobby's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) detention.

KOPPEL: Fischer was detained by Japanese officials last month after he tried to leave Tokyo on an invalid American passport. And while marriage to a Japanese woman could earn him sympathy with the Japanese public, it's unlikely to help him avoid deportation to the United States.

Fischer has been a wanted man in the U.S. since 1992 when he violated economic sanctions against then Yugoslavia in order to play his old rival, Russian great Boris Spassky.

Now Fischer is fighting efforts to send him back to the United States. He has written a letter to Powell in the hopes of renouncing his U.S. citizenship as soon as possible and has applied for asylum in Japan. But the State Department says even then Fischer's legal woes won't be over.

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: Renunciation does not allow a person to escape possible prosecution for crimes that they may have committed in the United States or repayment of financial obligations.

KOPPEL (on camera): Ever the strategist, plotting his next move against his opponent, Fischer is also considering applying for refugee status with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, looking for any other country which might accept him as a refugee.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, when two big banks join forces, unfortunately there can be fallout. Fred Katayama joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with more on that -- Fred.

FRED KATAYAMA, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, yes, a story we hear all too often. Layoffs often occur after most big mergers, and the Bank of America-FleetBoston merger is no exception. Hundreds of employees at Fleet will be losing their jobs by the end of the day. Back in April, Bank of America said the deal would result in more than 12,000 job cuts.

And now "The Boston Globe" is reporting 1500 Fleet workers will be told today to leave immediately. Although a BofA spokesperson tells CNN that number is too high -- Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Fred, and how are those stocks today?

(MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, it is no laughing matter. Tinseltown gives silly string, that childhood toy, remember that one, the boot.

And some Florida families finally get to go home today but they are going to have to rough it for a while. That's straight ahead.

Plus a strange orphan odyssey. How did seven children from Texas end up stranded in a Nigerian orphanage? Those stories and more as LIVE FROM rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you thrive on a challenge or do you sit back and kind of pace yourself? There's no wrong answer here but the vacations you take say a whole lot about you. What about the vacations politicians take, as well?

Our Bruce Morton has a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you knew that Harry Truman liked to hang out with the boys in Key West and play poker, did that tell you something about what kind of a man, a president he was? Probably. Still true? Probably.

President Bush does a lot of family stuff when he's at Kennebunkport, the family home in Maine. He goes out on a boat, plays golf with his dad. He plays golf anyway. This is a course in Waco, Texas, near his ranch. He enjoys that, enjoys puttering around on the ranch. And he's a big believer in exercise. You have seen pictures of him jogging or working out on his mountain bike, exercising, competing only with himself.

John Kerry still competes on one team sport, hockey. His nickname in college, on account says, was "Keep the Puck" Kerry. Ambitious perhaps, even then. He rides a bike, too, though serious exercise may not be the object. He hunts, skeet shooting, out for birds. And he has more exotic sports, snowboarding, for instance, or kite-surfing, interesting for a fit 60-year-old. He talked a few years ago about a fondness for extreme sports.

His wife sees it this way.

TERESA HEINZ KERRY, JOHN KERRY'S WIFE: I think he likes to do things that give him liberty, freedom of the air, the water, the snow, flying, he likes all of that.

MORTON: Kerry disagrees, sort of.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't like to do things where you can lose control, or you lose control or -- I disagree with people who make that assessment. When I'm flying an airplane, I'm very careful, I'm very confident, I feel very confident about the procedures, about the checks I have done, about what I'm doing. Likewise when I'm on the water, I'm very confident about what I'm doing. I know and I am careful and so forth. You don't find me jumping out of airplanes.

MORTON: But we all, of course, remember a president who did and he seemed confident, too.

Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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Aired August 18, 2004 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is LIVE FROM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips.

Here's what's all new this half hour. Campaign showdown: the Bush and Kerry camps both focusing on battleground states, while Ohio could end up being the center of the political universe.

Chess great Bobby Fischer in legal trouble and now sending a personal message to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

WHITFIELD: And a soldier's stand: high-tech help for a man who lost his legs fighting for America. First, here's what is happening now in the news.

PHILLIPS: A two-week standoff in Najaf may be over. Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he is giving in. He says he is leaving the Imam Ali Mosque, disbanding his Mehdi Army Militia and entering mainstream politics. That announcement comes just hours after Iraqi government threatens to wage a major offensive to liberate the holy shrine.

An update in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Military sources tell CNN, a just-finished Army report recommends possible disciplinary action against about two-dozen military intelligence personnel. Known as the Fay Report, it's expected to be officially released Friday.

For the first time since Hurricane Charley hit last week, the 6,000 residents of Sanibel Island, Florida are being allowed back in. Many of them are now seeing for themselves how much damage was done and what's left of their homes.

Roads have been cleared, but there is still no electricity or safe drinking water.

In the Scott Peterson murder trial, the long-awaited testimony of former mistress Amber Frey is now post postponed until Monday. She was scheduled to face cross-examination today, but the judge dismissed the jury citing, quote, "a potential development in the case."

We're keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.

WHITFIELD: Win Ohio, win the White House, that's the feeling among both Republicans and Democrats. President Bush and Senator Kerry have made a number of trips to the Buckeye State, where the latest polls show them in a virtual tie. It's likely to come down to undecided voters. Some will be at tonight's town hall meeting in Canton, moderated by CNN's Paula Zahn.

Our Tom Foreman take as closer look at what's at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With nearly a quarter million jobs lost, more than 5,000 citizens fighting in Iraq, and a serious split in public opinion, Ohio has become one of the most critical battleground states.

PROF. RICK FARMER, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: Ohio is very much like the country, and Ohio is very polarized, just like the country is.

FOREMAN: And squarely divided Stark County, south of Akron, may be the tipping point. Here, the leading employer plans to close three plants which make precision bearings, dropping 1,300 jobs. Timken says that will keep other divisions growing, other jobs safe.

JIM GRIFFITH, PRESIDENT, CEO, TIMKEN: The only job security is producing something that's of value to your customer.

FOREMAN: But that's no comfort to workers facing unemployment.

BRIAN VERDOORN, TIMKEN EMPLOYEE: Ohio is going to have to find something else at this point, because we're losing the manufacturing jobs. They're going elsewhere.

FOREMAN: On other issues, the divide runs just as deep. Brian Sarver is in Iraq, and his wife Kimberly, even taking care of six kids, is so proud.

KIMBERLY SARVER, HUSBAND IN IRAQ: I think it's awesome. I think it's awesome to fight for your country.

FOREMAN: But Rebecca Jones' brother is fighting, too, and she is so scared.

REBECCA JONES, BROTHER IN IRAQ: We're losing too many. We're tired of seeing our loved ones get hurt, not come home.

PROF. PAUL SRACIC, YOUNGSTOWN STATE: I think voters here and elsewhere in Ohio are looking for anything solid to kind of hang their vote on. And that's kind of been the problem.

FOREMAN: The battle for Ohio is coming down to which reality more voters are living: the dire headlines, closed factories, and losses in combat; or the shiny new malls, growing suburbs, and a winnable war. And the presidency may be decided by which way Ohio leans at the polls.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Canton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Well, with the race for the White House as tight as it is, and with most polls showing President Bush actually trailing by a couple points, the Republican Party could use a big boost from its upcoming convention. It begins in just 12 days in New York City, which is where we find our political analyst, CNN's Carlos Watson.

Good to see you, Carlos.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm keeping the ground safe out here, Fredricka, getting ready for everybody.

WHITFIELD: That's good news, because a whole lot of folks are about to come into New York City there.

All right, well, they are pumping up the RNC, but unlike what we saw with President Bush, refraining from any campaigning during the Democratic Convention, we're seeing that John Kerry is promising that he will continue to campaign. So what else might be different about the RNC versus the DNC?

WATSON: Well, again, I think you'll see more of an emphasis on national security right up front. The first couple speakers actually will be John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. And for President Bush, still his strongest numbers in polls come not on the economy, not on health care, but on national security. In some polls, he leads John Kerry by as much as 20 points. So you'll hear a lot of emphasis on this paint in particular.

WHITFIELD: And you talk about the big names, Rudy Giuliani, for one, Arnold Schwarzenegger, another, who will all be making their appearances during the Republican Convention. How essential is it to have such high-profile players on the stage?

WATSON: Well, certainly we know in looking at the Democratic Convention, where you had about 20 million people watching on average, that you've got to do something to make people tune in. And so big names like Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McCain are important, but maybe more significantly, as you know, the Republicans are trying to line up speakers who they think will appeal to swing voters.

John McCain certainly very popular in a that regard. Rudy Giuliani, a Republican who has won in a very Democratic city multiple times. And Arnold Schwarzenegger, the recent hero who won the governorship of California, which no Republican has managed to do in some 12 years, so pretty significant accomplishment.

WHITFIELD: And at the Democratic Convention, we saw a lot of folks who weren't necessarily familiar to the vast majority out there, but they certainly made a name for themselves by being great orators, et cetera. So is there pressure for the Republicans to try to introduce the nation to some other new up-and-coming stars.

WATSON: There certainly is. But I'm not sure that they're going to be as successful in finding a Barack Obama. I think, even the Democrats couldn't have predicted how well Obama would have been received. But there will be the lieutenant governor from Maryland, Michael Steele, who they're excited about, who they think is a long- term exciting candidate, is African American as well. They'll profile him.

They have not announced it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Barbara and Jenna Bush take a star turn of their own.

And last but not least, a speech that I think is going to surprise people in terms of its effectiveness will be Laura Bush's speech on Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: We've seen a lot of her recently, and whether it be live in speaking engagements or even in a lot of ads, and so have you to wonder, too, how quickly the Democrats might respond to the Republican Convention. Just like we saw, the ads coming out very quickly after the Democratic Convention, and people like Rudy Giuliani speaking out rather quickly before the convention was even over.

WATSON: Fredricka, I think that's a very important point. I think one of the reasons why Democrats didn't get the bounce that they enjoyed -- they thought they might get was not simply what you often here, which is that there was a small pool of undecideds, but because I think the Republican counter-message and counter-message effort was very effective.

It will be interesting if the Democrats are just as effective, not only getting on national shows, like CNN, but on local news stations in places like Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and even in the Southwest.

WHITFIELD: And to see if the Democrats are present in Madison Square Garden, just as you saw in the FleetCenter, with the Republicans while the convention was under way.

Carlos Watson, thanks so much. Good to see you.

WATSON: Fredricka, great to see you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: A blast from the past. At today's Olympics Games, do you recognize this ancient sport? We're going to go live to Athens.

And then see how an American soldier and double-amputee gets back on his feet thanks to some amazing technology.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Going for the gold at the Summer Games, but taking home the silver or the bronze isn't too shabby either. Who is racking them up today?

Our Larry Smith has a ringside seat for all the action in Athens, Greece. Big medal night last night, but today was a big day, as well -- Larry.

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Big day, both on the field of competition and off, as well. Nightfall here in Athens, and many here in the country of Greece are hoping that the curtain also has fallen on the six-day odyssey involving Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou.

They have withdrawn from the Games after their meeting this morning with an IOC investigative panel. Now, the Olympic governing body wanted to know why the pair skipped a mandatory drug test last Thursday at the Athletes Village. No official answer given to that question. Kenteris said his coach never told him. He has now left his coach, by the way.

No further action from the IOC, but the two medalists from the Sydney Games could face disciplinary action from the International Track and Field Federation, the IAAF, for that missed test.

Shot put competition today -- it was held at ancient Olympia about 200 miles away. And how exciting was this: The first athletic competition at that old stadium in more than 1,600 years. Kristin Heaston of the U.S. becoming the first woman ever to compete in historic (INAUDIBLE) stadium. And by the way, Adam Nelson of the U.S., he took silver for the men in the shot put competition. The men in ancient times didn't wear clothes. Today, they did wear clothes, we're happy to report.

OK. Some tennis now -- Venus Williams, the defending Olympic champion, she loses as she falls to Mary Pierce in straight sets. No American women left, by the way, in the draw as Lisa Raymond and Chanda Rubin also fall. Martina Navratilova still in play in doubles action with Lisa Raymond. The 47-year-old -- first Olympic competition for Martina. She advances because their opponent withdrew.

Bad news, though, for Andy Roddick, the two seed and reigning U.S. Open champion, he is upset in the third round by Fernando Gonzalez. And so, Roddick also is out of competition.

Couple of things from swimming very quickly for you. Michael Phelps sets an Olympic record as he advances to tomorrow night's 200- meter butterfly. He is trying to win his sixth medal of these Game. And a world record for the America 800-meter women's freestyle U.S. Team as they take gold, as well.

Let's go back to you.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's a great thing to celebrate. But you know, back to the disappointment to talk about Venus Williams, huge disappointment, particularly since she and her doubles partner got eliminated after the first round. And then, another disappointment, Torri Edwards, as well. She, you know, expressed through her coach that she is devastated to not be able to compete in these Games.

SMITH: Yes. Well, for Torri Edwards, it was one that when you go to that end body -- the court of arbitration for sport -- it's a last ditch effort to get reinstated. It's unfortunate if it doesn't happen, but it didn't for her. Now a two-year ban as well for her.

So, certainly whatever happened that she got in that position could really hurt her career, at least for the next two years.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right, thanks so much. Larry Smith from Athens -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Well, many U.S. soldiers injured in battles in Iraq face special challenges after their wounds have healed. That's especially true for amputees. But some new high-tech equipment is helping them reclaim their independence.

Our Barbara Starr profiles one such soldier on a very special day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Army Specialist Kevin Pannell was on foot patrol in Baghdad June 13th when his unit was hit with three grenades.

SPEC. KEVIN PANNELL, U.S. ARMY: One of them landed at my heels. It went off. That's how I lost both of these.

STARR: Now a double amputee, this is an extraordinary day. With his wife looking on, Pannell is getting his first prosthetic leg.

DENNIS CLARK, PROSTHETIC TECHNICIAN: This is day one, appointment one, minute one.

STARR: But more than just an artificial limb.

CLARK: Sensitive areas?

K. PANNELL: Not really.

CLARK: Problem areas?

K. PANNELL: Not at all.

STARR: Pannell is being fitted with a $48,000 limb driven by an internal microprocessor. Today, he will stand for the first time since the attack.

CLARK: Slide you right in here.

STARR: More adjustments.

CLARK: No, you're not locking. May not get locked until we get you up.

K. PANNELL: Do you want me to stand up?

CLARK: All right, so we're just going to go ahead and stand up. You all locked in?

Nice and slow. Nice and slow.

STARR: A remarkable piece of technology. The leg will be hooked up to a laptop computer and specifically programmed for Pannell.

CLARK: That's a great first step right there. He'll be able to go up and down steps. get in and out of a car, go up and down ramps.

STARR: The knee will adjust 50 times per second.

CLARK: We can actually program a second mode for bicycle riding, for rowing, for whatever it is he wants to do -- for golf.

STARR: Pannell's wife Amanda.

AMANDA PANNELL, SOLDIER'S WIFE: In the years ahead, what I can see is just maybe everything just getting back to normal.

STARR: The emerging generation of Iraq war veterans are so young, they face another 50 or 60 years of challenges and a commitment from the army to help them.

DR. PAUL PASQUINA, WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: As advances in rehabilitation or advances in medical or surgical techniques come on, we need to be able to identify them. And we need to be trying to set some treatment plans now that may have a long-term impact, a positive impact on their eventual outcome.

K. PANNELL: I don't see other than -- you know, playing in the NBA, I don't see anything that I won't be able to do.

STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, chess legend Bobby Fischer makes a surprise move. Will it help him win his battle with Uncle Sam?

What can you tell about a guy based on where he likes to vacation? Anything?

Later, blondie superstar -- or a blonde superstar -- big difference from Blondie. But I heard we have Deborah Harry in the house. Offers reward for her lost dog Tinkerbell. You have to stick around for entertainment headlines for all the Tink details.

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PHILLIPS: Gambit of a lifetime. The latest move by former chess champ Bobby Fischer to avoid deportation to the U.S. may involve a bishop or at least a priest. The clever strategist says he's in love. In his bid for freedom he is sacrificing a pawn or is he capturing a queen?

Our Andrea Koppel reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The latest moves by the former chess champion, a personal appeal to Secretary of State Colin Powell and a sudden announcement he's engaged to marry. MIYOKO WATAI, BOBBY FISCHER'S FIANCE: Our feelings are genuine, and they're based on our years of close companionship.

KOPPEL: Miyoko Watai, the acting president of Japan's Chess Association, met Fischer in 1973 and in a stunning admission said the two had been romantically involved for the last four years.

WATAI: We have taken the very serious decision to marry in the midst of this crisis in the hope that disclosing the reality that we have been living together as man and wife might help the two of us to return to that happy life we have been sharing before Bobby's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) detention.

KOPPEL: Fischer was detained by Japanese officials last month after he tried to leave Tokyo on an invalid American passport. And while marriage to a Japanese woman could earn him sympathy with the Japanese public, it's unlikely to help him avoid deportation to the United States.

Fischer has been a wanted man in the U.S. since 1992 when he violated economic sanctions against then Yugoslavia in order to play his old rival, Russian great Boris Spassky.

Now Fischer is fighting efforts to send him back to the United States. He has written a letter to Powell in the hopes of renouncing his U.S. citizenship as soon as possible and has applied for asylum in Japan. But the State Department says even then Fischer's legal woes won't be over.

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: Renunciation does not allow a person to escape possible prosecution for crimes that they may have committed in the United States or repayment of financial obligations.

KOPPEL (on camera): Ever the strategist, plotting his next move against his opponent, Fischer is also considering applying for refugee status with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, looking for any other country which might accept him as a refugee.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, when two big banks join forces, unfortunately there can be fallout. Fred Katayama joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with more on that -- Fred.

FRED KATAYAMA, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, yes, a story we hear all too often. Layoffs often occur after most big mergers, and the Bank of America-FleetBoston merger is no exception. Hundreds of employees at Fleet will be losing their jobs by the end of the day. Back in April, Bank of America said the deal would result in more than 12,000 job cuts.

And now "The Boston Globe" is reporting 1500 Fleet workers will be told today to leave immediately. Although a BofA spokesperson tells CNN that number is too high -- Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Fred, and how are those stocks today?

(MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, it is no laughing matter. Tinseltown gives silly string, that childhood toy, remember that one, the boot.

And some Florida families finally get to go home today but they are going to have to rough it for a while. That's straight ahead.

Plus a strange orphan odyssey. How did seven children from Texas end up stranded in a Nigerian orphanage? Those stories and more as LIVE FROM rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you thrive on a challenge or do you sit back and kind of pace yourself? There's no wrong answer here but the vacations you take say a whole lot about you. What about the vacations politicians take, as well?

Our Bruce Morton has a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you knew that Harry Truman liked to hang out with the boys in Key West and play poker, did that tell you something about what kind of a man, a president he was? Probably. Still true? Probably.

President Bush does a lot of family stuff when he's at Kennebunkport, the family home in Maine. He goes out on a boat, plays golf with his dad. He plays golf anyway. This is a course in Waco, Texas, near his ranch. He enjoys that, enjoys puttering around on the ranch. And he's a big believer in exercise. You have seen pictures of him jogging or working out on his mountain bike, exercising, competing only with himself.

John Kerry still competes on one team sport, hockey. His nickname in college, on account says, was "Keep the Puck" Kerry. Ambitious perhaps, even then. He rides a bike, too, though serious exercise may not be the object. He hunts, skeet shooting, out for birds. And he has more exotic sports, snowboarding, for instance, or kite-surfing, interesting for a fit 60-year-old. He talked a few years ago about a fondness for extreme sports.

His wife sees it this way.

TERESA HEINZ KERRY, JOHN KERRY'S WIFE: I think he likes to do things that give him liberty, freedom of the air, the water, the snow, flying, he likes all of that.

MORTON: Kerry disagrees, sort of.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't like to do things where you can lose control, or you lose control or -- I disagree with people who make that assessment. When I'm flying an airplane, I'm very careful, I'm very confident, I feel very confident about the procedures, about the checks I have done, about what I'm doing. Likewise when I'm on the water, I'm very confident about what I'm doing. I know and I am careful and so forth. You don't find me jumping out of airplanes.

MORTON: But we all, of course, remember a president who did and he seemed confident, too.

Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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