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Zell Miller's RNC Comments; Political Fashion Statement

Aired September 02, 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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Jury selection for Kobe Bryant's criminal sexual assault trial came to a screeching halt last night in Eagle, Colorado. The judge announced case dismissed after Bryant's accuser said she could not go forward with the trial. Her lawyers had earlier said blunders made by court officials made it difficult for the woman to continue. A civil lawsuit is still in the works.
Now, for his part, Bryant release a statement saying, quote, "Although I truly believe the encounter between us was consensual, I recognize that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did."

As Florida braces for Hurricane Frances, the effects of its predecessor on the economy are now being seen. Fred Katayama joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with a report on Charley and jobs -- Fred?

FRED KATAYAMA, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.

Well, the number of people filing for first-time jobless benefits jumped last week, while Wall Street had been expecting a decline. And the Labor Department is blaming about half the new claims on Hurricane Charley.

We'll get a better look at the jobs picture tomorrow when the government releases its full employment report for August. Economists are looking for a fairly modest increase of 150,000 jobs, after disappointing gains in July and July.

But there is some good news out there for job hunters: A new survey of chief executives shows they plan to increase hiring and spending, despite recent soft economic data and high energy prices. The Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs, also suggests that company leaders are expecting steady, economic growth -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: One of the revelations about Halliburton, the name we well know due to Dick Cheney and his connection.

KATAYAMA: Yes, the news just doesn't stop on this company, Kyra. More heat for the oil services giant.

Halliburton says an internal investigation has uncovered evidence that potential bribes to Nigerian officials were discussed while the company tried to secure a multibillion-dollar natural gas project there in the late 1990s. At the time, Halliburton was run by Vice President Dick Cheney. No evidence of any payments have been found so far. As for the markets today, stocks are slightly higher as weak economic news and higher oil prices keep the gains in check. The Dow Industrials are rising nine points; the Nasdaq is slightly higher.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. Coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, the next time you buy your morning coffee, you might get an eye-opener just by looking at the prices. I'll explain. So, stay tuned -- more LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a storm as big as the State of Texas. As Hurricane Frances bears down on the southeastern U.S., hundreds of thousands are forced to flee, as others do their best to prepare. Live pictures there, Interstate 95 in Florida, as we see that exodus unfold. We'll check in with CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney in just a few minutes for the very latest on that report.

In Caracas, Venezuela, unfolding drama after the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina is kidnapped. Yesterday, four men disguised as police officers took Maura Villareal from a home Urbina owns in the Caracas suburb. Officials say the kidnappers haven't contacted family members yet to issue any demands.

And yet another hostage drama unfolding in Iraq. Turkey is looking into reports an Iraqi military group has killed three Turkish hostage. Arab-language TV network Al-Arabiya is airing video of three bodies it says were found in Samarra, reporting they are the Turkish hostages. Meanwhile, three French Muslim clerics have gone to Baghdad in a bid to secure the release of two French hostages.

PHILLIPS: Zellout, mad as Zell, Zell-aphant, Zigzag Zell -- that's what Democrats are calling one of their own after his attack with spitballs and a bowl of mush. Renegade Senator Zell Miller keynote speech at the RNC is still reverberating off the walls at Madison Square Garden and the ears of talk show hosts Armstrong Williams and Mark Riley are still ringing.

Are they ringing, guys? Can you even talk? Go ahead, Armstrong.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, RADIO/TV TALK SHOW HOST: They're ringing. You know, I was there. I was surprised at the agony. I think this guy's in a lot of agony, pain. I remember back with Bush 41, how he criticized him and talked about the Republican party.

But now he's saying the Democratic party has abandoned people like himself, that there are times when both parties should work together in times of war and conflict. And he feels as though the Democratic party is undermining this war in the name of defeating George Bush. He said he had to make a choice between his family and whether he should be -- remain loyal to the Democratic party.

You know, I saw him on subsequent interviews -- here right with Wolf Blitzer -- and you can just tell he's in a lot of pain. This is not an easy thing for him to do. But I got to tell you, a lot of Americans across country -- he did very well with focus groups, and he made his point about Kerry and his record.

And I got to tell you, the Democrats have to do more than just attack him. They've got to address some of the attacks that he made on Kerry and his record, not only in the Senate, but in terms of all the issues that he's addressed in his campaign if he wants to be president of the United States. Because Zell Miller does not think he's fit to be commander-in-chief.

PHILLIPS: Well, Mark, is Zell Miller -- is he agonizing, or is this someone who's just getting ready to get out of politics. And he's thinking, let's get one last hoo-ha, as I -- in or out?

MARK RILEY, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I don't know whether he is agonizing. It was certainly agonizing to listen to him. If you go back and read what he said about John Kerry just three years ago, he was very laudatory of the same guy he just savaged last night, which why I think he's getting the name Zigzag Zell.

I don't know exactly why he's doing it. I'm not sure exactly what, you know, in the Senate made him angry with John Kerry. We may never know that. All I know is that if you put his statements last night up against the statements of just three years ago in 2001 about the same man, they don't add up.

WILLIAMS: You know, I don't think that's a very good argument, because you can look at John Kerry's running mate, Mr. Edwards, and look at the things that he said about him during the campaign. He said some very harsh things about Mr. Kerry. But they were able to make up, and John Kerry decided that John Edwards was the best person for his running mate.

So, we consent (ph) politics -- that politicians always change their minds, but I don't think you can...

RILEY: ... Kerry for changing his mind...

PHILLIPS: All right. Hey, guys, I got three parts of his speech here. Let's get -- I want to get you to go back and forth. three parts of his speech.

Let's roll the first part, here, where the Democrats are talking about Bush and bringing him down. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ZELL MILLER (D), GEORGIA: Today at the same time young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of a Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our commander-in-chief.

What has happened to the party I've spent my life working in?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, Mark, are Democrats more concerned about bringing down Bush than the lives of men and women that are overseas right now in Afghanistan and Iraq?

RILEY: What are they supposed to do? Concede the election? The bottom line is there is an election here. There's a referendum on George W. Bush's leadership. And as the opposition party, it is a Democrat's job to try and get somebody else in his place.

Because there is a war going on is no excuse not to talk about, deal with, and -- in some cases, certainly as far as the Democrats are concerned -- try and establish a different kind of dialogue and say to people how this could have been done differently, particularly in Iraq.

PHILLIPS: All right, Armstrong? Go ahead.

WILLIAMS: I think he misses the point. The point is you can run a presidential campaign as you have in the past, but you don't have to undermine our men and women abroad, fighting in harm's way. You don't have to undermine the president by the kinds of things that happened with what the Democrats tried to do and their tactics before the 9/11 Commission.

You don't undermine by saying for one minute, I'm for this war, I'm going to support the $87 billion, but I'm not going to support the $87 billion. These truths -- you don't go against supporting armor and personnel for the troops who are in Baghdad, fighting for the freedom that we enjoy today.

I think Zell Miller on the issue said that, this Democratic Party can still campaign against this president, but you don't have to destroy him and destroy the morale of the troops at the same time.

RILEY: I reject totally the notion that the troops morale is inexorably tied to George W. Bush's situation. One has nothing to do with the other.

ARMSTRONG: How can wow separate the two?

RILEY: He's the president of the United States, and he ought to be able to answer better than he has for what he's done.

(CROSSTALK)

ARMSTRONG: But do they need to destroy the country and our war effort in order to do so.

RILEY: They're not destroying the country. The country's going to be here.

PHILLIPS: All right, speaking of morale overseas, you know, it takes tools to build that morale. This is probably one of the most powerful parts of the speech from last night. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILLER: I could go on and on and on against the patriot missile that shot down Saddam Hussein's SCUD missiles over Israel, against the Aegis air defense cruiser, against the Strategic Defense Initiative, against the Trident missile, against, against, against. This is the man who wants to be the commander in chief of a U.S. Armed Forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Can't get enough of the spitball quote. I'm wondering when is the last time you guys had spitball fight.

But anyway, Mark, was this effective when Zell Miller went down the line and talked about the B-1 bomber, the B-2 bomber, all these effective weapons during the war on terror that he says Kerry has not supported?

RILEY: See, this is, again, very, very disingenuous. You have situations where John Kerry has opposed certain weapon systems that Dick Cheney also opposed when he was defense secretary under George Herbert Walker Bush. The bottom line is, these folks go back and forth about weapon systems all the time. And when it comes to the $87 billion that was supposed to go to Iraq, what John Kerry's point was, is look, -- and John McCain made the same point -- you are not supposed to have a tax cut at the same time you are trying to raise the money to fight a war. That was John Kerry's point.

ARMSTRONG: But Mike, you're a decent guy, you're a good man. You cannot argue the fact when America's interest is at stake, when America was building the wars, like the wars that we fight now, John Kerry has been on the wrong side of all issue. It's the same reason...

RILEY: I disagree with all that totally.

ARMSTRONG: It's the same reason why colleague, Senator Dole, came out against him in such a harsh way. John Kerry has not supporting the best interests of our military. In fact, if John Kerry had his way, our military would be dismal in the world today. You've got to address these issue. These are serious issues.

RILEY: Armstrong...

ARMSTRONG: He would have disintegrated the military, come on, man.

RILEY: Let me tell you something, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, a lot of these same people voted in the early 1990s to cut weapons system. Dick Cheney was quoted as saying, you're making -- he told the Congress, you're making me spending all this money on all these systems NEVILLE: at I don't think we need. That's Dick Cheney.

ARMSTRONG: It's indefensible.

RILEY: Well, so is Dick Cheney indefensible. He did the same thing.

ARMSTRONG: John Kerry has shown little compassion, little concern for war veterans... RILEY: He was shown little touch with the people who fight these wars.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Let me ask you guys a question. We got to -- we got to -gentlemen, gentlemen, we got to -- Armstrong, Mark, we've got to wrap this up, but you know what's interesting, is that it all starts coming back to the war on terror, and military and troops. What about all the other issues? Are we going to hear anything tonight about any of the other issues that are affecting Americans, besides the war on terror? Real quickly -- Armstrong, quickly. Mark, quickly.

ARMSTRONG: Absolutely. Tax cut, the economy, jobs, home ownership. In fact, the president' speech is going to be -- he's going to really deal with the issues, because he did not feel that Kerry dealt with his blueprint of how he would elevate the country, and he will do that in the speech tonight. I've got to tell you, I think you'll be very impressed with what this president will have to say.

ARMSTRONG: Are we going to hear about those issue, Mark?

RILEY: This is a city with a 50 percent black male unemployment rate. George W. Bush hasn't spoke been it. He will not speak about it tonight, nor will he speak about the geometric increase in the black unemployment rate nationally. It's gone from 7.2 to over 11 percent during his time. You're not going to hear a word about that. You're not going to hear about specific programs to create jobs anywhere in this country.

PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to be monitoring. Mark Riley, Armstrong Williams, always great to have you both. Thank you so much.

All right, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Health news now. The medical community cautiously optimistic about a new, less invasive procedure that could help prevent strokes in some patients.

Our senior medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FDA just approved this, this week. It's called carotid stent. This particular one known as Acculink. It's being touted as an alternative to having a carotid surgery. That's that Roto-Rooter operation to open up your carotid artery.

Here's how it works: We're talking about actually putting a needle point into the groin and threading a catheter up into the carotid artery, and then opening up a little umbrella to catch any blood clots. A stent is then inserted -- you can see it there -- It's like a scaffolding that props open the blood vessels so that blood can move into the brain more easily. The umbrella is removed, and that scaffolding stays in, holding the carotid artery open.

The manufacturers of this device did a study, 581 high-risk patients, and they tried to compare the complication rates in this versus an operation. There, you can take a look at the numbers. The combined risk of death, stroke and heart attack within the first month was about 10 percent for stent versus 15 percent for operations.

Worth pointing out that surgeons -- neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons -- not sold out this idea yet. They say you really need to compare patients, the same patients, to try and determine just how effective and how safe this particular device is.

Now the manufacturers say it's less invasive, could potentially be less costly as well. It doesn't involve an operation, and it has this umbrella device, which could catch clots, which could cause strokes, so it's preventing those from happening in the first place.

You're going to see both sides of the issue here. Who's at risk for stroke? Generally, it's going to be elderly people, those with high cholesterol or blood pressure, smoker, diabetics, people who've had mini-strokes in the past.

The highest risk patients -- and this device may be reserved for them -- are going to be those who've had previous operations, who have severe lung or kidney disease or heart disease, who've had radiation, or have an existing block in the other carotid artery.

Again, approved by FDA this week, we'll wait and see just how much it is used.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Hey, you going to help me out?

O'BRIEN: Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl.

PHILLIPS: I thought he was going to sing. "Politics and passion are always in fashion..."

O'BRIEN: "...always in fashion." OK.

PHILLIPS: There we go.

At the Republican National Convention -- all right, we tried.

O'BRIEN: Not quitting the day job. Jeanne Moos investigates the hot T-shirts and unmentionables flying off the racks in New York this week. That's next as LIVE FROM checks the rearview, so to speak.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, in most cities, bumper stickers are a valid and often-used forum for displaying partisan sentiments.

O'BRIEN: But that's a problem during this year's RNC. Most people who live in or visit New York City -- they don't have a car.

PHILLIPS: Well, many people have resorted to other forms of expression. CNN's Jeanne Moos checks out topical T-shirts and even some apparel where W. could stand for wedgie instead of president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNIE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): they turn the body into a billboard that sometimes goes overboard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more Bush. No more Bush.

MOOS: The T-shirts in New York this week were enough to encourage literacy, "Fight plaque, not Iraq."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'd rather spend time in the bathroom with a toothbrush than, you know, fighting a war.

MOOS: There's no question the anti-Bush T-shirts were meaner. This seemingly incomprehensible one folds into something a little too comprehensible. And then, there is Texas homegrown dope.

(on camera): Planting instructions: using a silver spoon, plant in shallow hole.

(voice-over): But the anti-Kerry crowd likewise had a laugh, with flip-flopping ketchup, completely free of all substance.

We glimpsed an anti-Kerry shirt calling him Osama's man. But most jibes were gentle, "John who?" And then there was, "I'm with Arnold." No, that's not Arnold she's with -- this Arnold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is because I'm in the California delegation, and we support Arnold.

MOOS: The Republicans turn the Democrat's symbol against them, while the Democrats turn President Bush's axis of evil phrase against him. But T-shirts pale compared to...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Panties with a purpose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Which side are you on? The panty lines are drawn.

MOOS: A group that calls itself Axis of Eve held what it called a mass flash.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The metaphor of exposure, that this is a president who has lied to the American people.

MOOS: But the panties are so risque that the only one we can risk is "Weapon of mass seduction."

(on camera): Can't do this one either..

(voice-over): The group guesses it's sold around $50,000 worth of panties in three months. The NYPD didn't bother to go undercover at this underwear protest.

MOOS (on camera): Safe to assume this is not for personal use.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

MOOS (voice-over): But who needs panties when you're a seven- month-old Republican decked out in elephants and diapers.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Smocking there -- little elephant smocking. That is so cute. How do I sign up for the Axis of Eve? That's all I want to know. I have to do a quick shoutout to Connie in Madison.

PHILLIPS: OK.

O'BRIEN: I was on the radio the other day; I promised I'd say something, and I didn't. So, Connie? Hi, Connie. That's it. OK, press on.

PHILLIPS: Nothing else about Connie?

O'BRIEN: I've done my duty. OK.

PHILLIPS: Coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, more on Frances, the big storm that's trekking towards Florida.

O'BRIEN: And what's in a name? Plenty if you're growing up with a handle like Kerry Edwards. Meet the girl with the name you either love or hate.

PHILLIPS: LIVE FROM's hour of power, just for Connie, begins after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired September 2, 2004 - 13:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Jury selection for Kobe Bryant's criminal sexual assault trial came to a screeching halt last night in Eagle, Colorado. The judge announced case dismissed after Bryant's accuser said she could not go forward with the trial. Her lawyers had earlier said blunders made by court officials made it difficult for the woman to continue. A civil lawsuit is still in the works.
Now, for his part, Bryant release a statement saying, quote, "Although I truly believe the encounter between us was consensual, I recognize that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did."

As Florida braces for Hurricane Frances, the effects of its predecessor on the economy are now being seen. Fred Katayama joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with a report on Charley and jobs -- Fred?

FRED KATAYAMA, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.

Well, the number of people filing for first-time jobless benefits jumped last week, while Wall Street had been expecting a decline. And the Labor Department is blaming about half the new claims on Hurricane Charley.

We'll get a better look at the jobs picture tomorrow when the government releases its full employment report for August. Economists are looking for a fairly modest increase of 150,000 jobs, after disappointing gains in July and July.

But there is some good news out there for job hunters: A new survey of chief executives shows they plan to increase hiring and spending, despite recent soft economic data and high energy prices. The Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs, also suggests that company leaders are expecting steady, economic growth -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: One of the revelations about Halliburton, the name we well know due to Dick Cheney and his connection.

KATAYAMA: Yes, the news just doesn't stop on this company, Kyra. More heat for the oil services giant.

Halliburton says an internal investigation has uncovered evidence that potential bribes to Nigerian officials were discussed while the company tried to secure a multibillion-dollar natural gas project there in the late 1990s. At the time, Halliburton was run by Vice President Dick Cheney. No evidence of any payments have been found so far. As for the markets today, stocks are slightly higher as weak economic news and higher oil prices keep the gains in check. The Dow Industrials are rising nine points; the Nasdaq is slightly higher.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. Coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, the next time you buy your morning coffee, you might get an eye-opener just by looking at the prices. I'll explain. So, stay tuned -- more LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a storm as big as the State of Texas. As Hurricane Frances bears down on the southeastern U.S., hundreds of thousands are forced to flee, as others do their best to prepare. Live pictures there, Interstate 95 in Florida, as we see that exodus unfold. We'll check in with CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney in just a few minutes for the very latest on that report.

In Caracas, Venezuela, unfolding drama after the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina is kidnapped. Yesterday, four men disguised as police officers took Maura Villareal from a home Urbina owns in the Caracas suburb. Officials say the kidnappers haven't contacted family members yet to issue any demands.

And yet another hostage drama unfolding in Iraq. Turkey is looking into reports an Iraqi military group has killed three Turkish hostage. Arab-language TV network Al-Arabiya is airing video of three bodies it says were found in Samarra, reporting they are the Turkish hostages. Meanwhile, three French Muslim clerics have gone to Baghdad in a bid to secure the release of two French hostages.

PHILLIPS: Zellout, mad as Zell, Zell-aphant, Zigzag Zell -- that's what Democrats are calling one of their own after his attack with spitballs and a bowl of mush. Renegade Senator Zell Miller keynote speech at the RNC is still reverberating off the walls at Madison Square Garden and the ears of talk show hosts Armstrong Williams and Mark Riley are still ringing.

Are they ringing, guys? Can you even talk? Go ahead, Armstrong.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, RADIO/TV TALK SHOW HOST: They're ringing. You know, I was there. I was surprised at the agony. I think this guy's in a lot of agony, pain. I remember back with Bush 41, how he criticized him and talked about the Republican party.

But now he's saying the Democratic party has abandoned people like himself, that there are times when both parties should work together in times of war and conflict. And he feels as though the Democratic party is undermining this war in the name of defeating George Bush. He said he had to make a choice between his family and whether he should be -- remain loyal to the Democratic party.

You know, I saw him on subsequent interviews -- here right with Wolf Blitzer -- and you can just tell he's in a lot of pain. This is not an easy thing for him to do. But I got to tell you, a lot of Americans across country -- he did very well with focus groups, and he made his point about Kerry and his record.

And I got to tell you, the Democrats have to do more than just attack him. They've got to address some of the attacks that he made on Kerry and his record, not only in the Senate, but in terms of all the issues that he's addressed in his campaign if he wants to be president of the United States. Because Zell Miller does not think he's fit to be commander-in-chief.

PHILLIPS: Well, Mark, is Zell Miller -- is he agonizing, or is this someone who's just getting ready to get out of politics. And he's thinking, let's get one last hoo-ha, as I -- in or out?

MARK RILEY, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I don't know whether he is agonizing. It was certainly agonizing to listen to him. If you go back and read what he said about John Kerry just three years ago, he was very laudatory of the same guy he just savaged last night, which why I think he's getting the name Zigzag Zell.

I don't know exactly why he's doing it. I'm not sure exactly what, you know, in the Senate made him angry with John Kerry. We may never know that. All I know is that if you put his statements last night up against the statements of just three years ago in 2001 about the same man, they don't add up.

WILLIAMS: You know, I don't think that's a very good argument, because you can look at John Kerry's running mate, Mr. Edwards, and look at the things that he said about him during the campaign. He said some very harsh things about Mr. Kerry. But they were able to make up, and John Kerry decided that John Edwards was the best person for his running mate.

So, we consent (ph) politics -- that politicians always change their minds, but I don't think you can...

RILEY: ... Kerry for changing his mind...

PHILLIPS: All right. Hey, guys, I got three parts of his speech here. Let's get -- I want to get you to go back and forth. three parts of his speech.

Let's roll the first part, here, where the Democrats are talking about Bush and bringing him down. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ZELL MILLER (D), GEORGIA: Today at the same time young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of a Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our commander-in-chief.

What has happened to the party I've spent my life working in?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, Mark, are Democrats more concerned about bringing down Bush than the lives of men and women that are overseas right now in Afghanistan and Iraq?

RILEY: What are they supposed to do? Concede the election? The bottom line is there is an election here. There's a referendum on George W. Bush's leadership. And as the opposition party, it is a Democrat's job to try and get somebody else in his place.

Because there is a war going on is no excuse not to talk about, deal with, and -- in some cases, certainly as far as the Democrats are concerned -- try and establish a different kind of dialogue and say to people how this could have been done differently, particularly in Iraq.

PHILLIPS: All right, Armstrong? Go ahead.

WILLIAMS: I think he misses the point. The point is you can run a presidential campaign as you have in the past, but you don't have to undermine our men and women abroad, fighting in harm's way. You don't have to undermine the president by the kinds of things that happened with what the Democrats tried to do and their tactics before the 9/11 Commission.

You don't undermine by saying for one minute, I'm for this war, I'm going to support the $87 billion, but I'm not going to support the $87 billion. These truths -- you don't go against supporting armor and personnel for the troops who are in Baghdad, fighting for the freedom that we enjoy today.

I think Zell Miller on the issue said that, this Democratic Party can still campaign against this president, but you don't have to destroy him and destroy the morale of the troops at the same time.

RILEY: I reject totally the notion that the troops morale is inexorably tied to George W. Bush's situation. One has nothing to do with the other.

ARMSTRONG: How can wow separate the two?

RILEY: He's the president of the United States, and he ought to be able to answer better than he has for what he's done.

(CROSSTALK)

ARMSTRONG: But do they need to destroy the country and our war effort in order to do so.

RILEY: They're not destroying the country. The country's going to be here.

PHILLIPS: All right, speaking of morale overseas, you know, it takes tools to build that morale. This is probably one of the most powerful parts of the speech from last night. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILLER: I could go on and on and on against the patriot missile that shot down Saddam Hussein's SCUD missiles over Israel, against the Aegis air defense cruiser, against the Strategic Defense Initiative, against the Trident missile, against, against, against. This is the man who wants to be the commander in chief of a U.S. Armed Forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Can't get enough of the spitball quote. I'm wondering when is the last time you guys had spitball fight.

But anyway, Mark, was this effective when Zell Miller went down the line and talked about the B-1 bomber, the B-2 bomber, all these effective weapons during the war on terror that he says Kerry has not supported?

RILEY: See, this is, again, very, very disingenuous. You have situations where John Kerry has opposed certain weapon systems that Dick Cheney also opposed when he was defense secretary under George Herbert Walker Bush. The bottom line is, these folks go back and forth about weapon systems all the time. And when it comes to the $87 billion that was supposed to go to Iraq, what John Kerry's point was, is look, -- and John McCain made the same point -- you are not supposed to have a tax cut at the same time you are trying to raise the money to fight a war. That was John Kerry's point.

ARMSTRONG: But Mike, you're a decent guy, you're a good man. You cannot argue the fact when America's interest is at stake, when America was building the wars, like the wars that we fight now, John Kerry has been on the wrong side of all issue. It's the same reason...

RILEY: I disagree with all that totally.

ARMSTRONG: It's the same reason why colleague, Senator Dole, came out against him in such a harsh way. John Kerry has not supporting the best interests of our military. In fact, if John Kerry had his way, our military would be dismal in the world today. You've got to address these issue. These are serious issues.

RILEY: Armstrong...

ARMSTRONG: He would have disintegrated the military, come on, man.

RILEY: Let me tell you something, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, a lot of these same people voted in the early 1990s to cut weapons system. Dick Cheney was quoted as saying, you're making -- he told the Congress, you're making me spending all this money on all these systems NEVILLE: at I don't think we need. That's Dick Cheney.

ARMSTRONG: It's indefensible.

RILEY: Well, so is Dick Cheney indefensible. He did the same thing.

ARMSTRONG: John Kerry has shown little compassion, little concern for war veterans... RILEY: He was shown little touch with the people who fight these wars.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Let me ask you guys a question. We got to -- we got to -gentlemen, gentlemen, we got to -- Armstrong, Mark, we've got to wrap this up, but you know what's interesting, is that it all starts coming back to the war on terror, and military and troops. What about all the other issues? Are we going to hear anything tonight about any of the other issues that are affecting Americans, besides the war on terror? Real quickly -- Armstrong, quickly. Mark, quickly.

ARMSTRONG: Absolutely. Tax cut, the economy, jobs, home ownership. In fact, the president' speech is going to be -- he's going to really deal with the issues, because he did not feel that Kerry dealt with his blueprint of how he would elevate the country, and he will do that in the speech tonight. I've got to tell you, I think you'll be very impressed with what this president will have to say.

ARMSTRONG: Are we going to hear about those issue, Mark?

RILEY: This is a city with a 50 percent black male unemployment rate. George W. Bush hasn't spoke been it. He will not speak about it tonight, nor will he speak about the geometric increase in the black unemployment rate nationally. It's gone from 7.2 to over 11 percent during his time. You're not going to hear a word about that. You're not going to hear about specific programs to create jobs anywhere in this country.

PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to be monitoring. Mark Riley, Armstrong Williams, always great to have you both. Thank you so much.

All right, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Health news now. The medical community cautiously optimistic about a new, less invasive procedure that could help prevent strokes in some patients.

Our senior medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FDA just approved this, this week. It's called carotid stent. This particular one known as Acculink. It's being touted as an alternative to having a carotid surgery. That's that Roto-Rooter operation to open up your carotid artery.

Here's how it works: We're talking about actually putting a needle point into the groin and threading a catheter up into the carotid artery, and then opening up a little umbrella to catch any blood clots. A stent is then inserted -- you can see it there -- It's like a scaffolding that props open the blood vessels so that blood can move into the brain more easily. The umbrella is removed, and that scaffolding stays in, holding the carotid artery open.

The manufacturers of this device did a study, 581 high-risk patients, and they tried to compare the complication rates in this versus an operation. There, you can take a look at the numbers. The combined risk of death, stroke and heart attack within the first month was about 10 percent for stent versus 15 percent for operations.

Worth pointing out that surgeons -- neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons -- not sold out this idea yet. They say you really need to compare patients, the same patients, to try and determine just how effective and how safe this particular device is.

Now the manufacturers say it's less invasive, could potentially be less costly as well. It doesn't involve an operation, and it has this umbrella device, which could catch clots, which could cause strokes, so it's preventing those from happening in the first place.

You're going to see both sides of the issue here. Who's at risk for stroke? Generally, it's going to be elderly people, those with high cholesterol or blood pressure, smoker, diabetics, people who've had mini-strokes in the past.

The highest risk patients -- and this device may be reserved for them -- are going to be those who've had previous operations, who have severe lung or kidney disease or heart disease, who've had radiation, or have an existing block in the other carotid artery.

Again, approved by FDA this week, we'll wait and see just how much it is used.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Hey, you going to help me out?

O'BRIEN: Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl.

PHILLIPS: I thought he was going to sing. "Politics and passion are always in fashion..."

O'BRIEN: "...always in fashion." OK.

PHILLIPS: There we go.

At the Republican National Convention -- all right, we tried.

O'BRIEN: Not quitting the day job. Jeanne Moos investigates the hot T-shirts and unmentionables flying off the racks in New York this week. That's next as LIVE FROM checks the rearview, so to speak.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, in most cities, bumper stickers are a valid and often-used forum for displaying partisan sentiments.

O'BRIEN: But that's a problem during this year's RNC. Most people who live in or visit New York City -- they don't have a car.

PHILLIPS: Well, many people have resorted to other forms of expression. CNN's Jeanne Moos checks out topical T-shirts and even some apparel where W. could stand for wedgie instead of president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNIE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): they turn the body into a billboard that sometimes goes overboard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more Bush. No more Bush.

MOOS: The T-shirts in New York this week were enough to encourage literacy, "Fight plaque, not Iraq."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'd rather spend time in the bathroom with a toothbrush than, you know, fighting a war.

MOOS: There's no question the anti-Bush T-shirts were meaner. This seemingly incomprehensible one folds into something a little too comprehensible. And then, there is Texas homegrown dope.

(on camera): Planting instructions: using a silver spoon, plant in shallow hole.

(voice-over): But the anti-Kerry crowd likewise had a laugh, with flip-flopping ketchup, completely free of all substance.

We glimpsed an anti-Kerry shirt calling him Osama's man. But most jibes were gentle, "John who?" And then there was, "I'm with Arnold." No, that's not Arnold she's with -- this Arnold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is because I'm in the California delegation, and we support Arnold.

MOOS: The Republicans turn the Democrat's symbol against them, while the Democrats turn President Bush's axis of evil phrase against him. But T-shirts pale compared to...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Panties with a purpose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Which side are you on? The panty lines are drawn.

MOOS: A group that calls itself Axis of Eve held what it called a mass flash.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The metaphor of exposure, that this is a president who has lied to the American people.

MOOS: But the panties are so risque that the only one we can risk is "Weapon of mass seduction."

(on camera): Can't do this one either..

(voice-over): The group guesses it's sold around $50,000 worth of panties in three months. The NYPD didn't bother to go undercover at this underwear protest.

MOOS (on camera): Safe to assume this is not for personal use.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

MOOS (voice-over): But who needs panties when you're a seven- month-old Republican decked out in elephants and diapers.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Smocking there -- little elephant smocking. That is so cute. How do I sign up for the Axis of Eve? That's all I want to know. I have to do a quick shoutout to Connie in Madison.

PHILLIPS: OK.

O'BRIEN: I was on the radio the other day; I promised I'd say something, and I didn't. So, Connie? Hi, Connie. That's it. OK, press on.

PHILLIPS: Nothing else about Connie?

O'BRIEN: I've done my duty. OK.

PHILLIPS: Coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, more on Frances, the big storm that's trekking towards Florida.

O'BRIEN: And what's in a name? Plenty if you're growing up with a handle like Kerry Edwards. Meet the girl with the name you either love or hate.

PHILLIPS: LIVE FROM's hour of power, just for Connie, begins after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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