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Tommy Thompson Steps Down as HHS Secretary; Bush Picks Former NYPD Chief to Head Homeland Security; Ukraine High Court Nullifies Election
Aired December 03, 2004 - 14:00 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.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Moments away from another Bush cabinet departure announcement. This time it's Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg. Coming up, meet a man who says no one needs privacy, and for a fee he'll find out anything you want about a person. It's really that scary and that easy.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Help wanted: 400 women who spend two months lying flat on their backs. It sounds like just the temp job for you. We're going to show you who's hiring.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
PHILLIPS: Low potency reportedly, but high drama nonetheless. No fewer than five explosions on the northern and western edges of Madrid late today after warnings from the Basque separatist group ETA.
We get the latest now from CNN's Al Goodman on the phone from the Spanish capital -- Al.
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're getting more details on that and now I talked to the interior ministry.
A total of five bombs, small potency bombs, at five gas stations on five of the major highways leading out of the capital as hundreds of thousands of Madrid residents were pouring out of the capital, heading out for a very long holiday weekend.
This after an anonymous caller made a call in the name of the Basque separatist group ETA to a newspaper in the northern Basque region, which typically takes ETA warning calls and typically publishes ETA claims of responsibility after the fact.
Now the good news in all of this is that there are little -- very few -- there are conflicting reports. We've heard one local official say there may have been six people slightly injured. We've heard one emergency worker saying that there apparently are only two people slightly injured.
Another local official has said there was time, as a result of the telephone call, Kyra, to evacuate people at those gas stations. This official said the situation is under control -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Al Goodman, continue to follow the story. We want to take you straight now to Health and Human Services' Tommy Thompson, about to announce his resignation.
TOMMY THOMPSON, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: ... in this wonderful Department of Health and Human Services. This morning I submitted by, to President Bush, my resignation as secretary of health and human services.
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT: TOMMY THOMPSON RESIGNATION)
THOMPSON: ... and the American people clearly appreciate their work, as evidenced by the high regard and confidence that they place in this...
PHILLIPS: Tommy Thompson, secretary of health and human services, offering up his resignation there before reporters and of course, to the country right now, talking about 9/11, taking on the 19th position in that job, strengthening the nation with regard to bioterrorism, remembering working on Medicare and Medicaid and, of course, tackling diseases like West Nile, SARS and the lack of flu shots, giving his resignation speech there. A lot happening this afternoon.
HARRIS: And Kyra, this just in to CNN. Sheriff's investigators are now conducting a search of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. That's in Los Olivos, California.
And the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department has confirmed that a warrant has been issued and that a search is ongoing right now of Michael Jackson's ranch.
Jackson, as you know, is currently facing child molestation and other charges. Neverland, as you also know, was searched previously in connection with this case, which has yet to go to trial.
We don't know, obviously, why or what the sheriff's deputies are looking for right now at Michael Jackson's ranch. The case is obviously in the system. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department sought another search warrant, was granted that search warrant and the search is going on now. This according to the Associated Press.
The search is going on right now of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California. We'll continue to follow this story and bring you the latest developments.
HARRIS: And back to the resignation of Tommy Thompson. You know, President Bush may be losing cabinet secretaries one after another, but he can name new ones just as fast.
Mr. Bush tapped former New York police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, to take the reins of homeland security secretary.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House with all the comings and goings. There's a lot to keep track of, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. It's been a busy week here. Good afternoon to you.
That's right. Earlier today President Bush announced his nominee as you mentioned, Bernard Kerik, former New York City police commissioner, to be the person the president would like to see succeed his outgoing homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge.
Now, Mr. Bush called Kerik an accomplished and effective leader, someone the president says is superbly qualified for this job. The president saying that he believes Kerik's broad law enforcement experience not only in the days after September 11, but also his earlier service as an Army M.P., a jail warden in New Jersey and a beat cop in New York, all of that, the president believes, will serve Kerik well if he is confirmed by the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In every position he has demonstrated a deep commitment to justice, a heart for the innocent and a record of great success. I'm grateful he's agreed to bring his lifetime of security experience and skill to one of the most important positions in the federal government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now already, some Democrats are predicting a quick confirmation process for Bernard Kerik, both senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton of New York praising Kerik's leadership qualities.
Also should mention that this is not the first time that the White House has tapped Bernard Kerik for service. Last year the president asked him to go to Iraq to help train the new Iraqi police forces there -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Elaine Quijano live from the White House, thank you -- Tony.
HARRIS: Truth, justice and the Ukrainian way. The opposition candidate for Ukraine president says all of those triumph today with the high court's ruling invalidating the presidential run-off vote that had threatened to split the nation. A revote is ordered on or before December 26.
CNN's Jill Dougherty is live in Kiev with the latest.
Hi, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tony.
Well, it is really such a victory for the opposition and something that many people never really expected would finally turn out the way it did.
The big celebration, the big party will come tomorrow. But tonight they are celebrating on the streets of Kiev.
After all, the Supreme Court agreed with what the opposition had said. And those are the supporters of Viktor Yushchenko. They said that there were massive violations in that -- that election that took place November 21. They annulled those results, and they said there has to be a new election.
That, as you said, would be taking place on the 26th of December, and the two men who were running the first time, that is, opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko and the government-backed candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, will be up against each other again.
But according to the polls now that have been taken in the last few days, it's looking very, very good for Viktor Yushchenko. So most people are predicting that this is it, that Viktor Yushchenko will become the president. Quite a turnabout, Tony.
HARRIS: Jill Dougherty reporting live for us from Kiev. Jill, thank you.
Updating a story just in to CNN just a moment ago. We have confirmed that sheriff investigators have issued another search warrant, and Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is being searched right now.
We don't know what sheriff deputies are looking for. But a search warrant has been issued, and Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is being searched right now.
More on the story when LIVE FROM continues after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A story still developing right now at this hour. Just outside of Santa Barbara, California at the ranch of Michael Jackson, the Neverland Ranch, as you know, another search warrant has been issued. It was issued about 9 a.m. Southern California time.
And we are told that sheriff's deputies are still there at this moment, searching that estate. Authorities not releasing any information about the purpose of the search. All we know is that sheriff investigators are searching a search warrant at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
As you know, Jackson is currently facing child molestation charges, among a number of other charges. Neverland was also searched previously in connection with that case, in addition to another case almost a decade ago.
This case not yet -- it has not yet gone to trial. As you know, Jackson has pleaded innocent.
We'll continue to follow this story as another search warrant is issued. Authorities right now searching the Neverland Ranch.
HARRIS: Well, today's Ukrainian Supreme Court decision nullifies the results of the presidential run-off election. It also sets the stage for a showdown vote within three weeks.
Protesters who have been demonstrating outside government buildings greeted the announcement with cheers. But can another election be organized in just three weeks?
Joining us from Boston is John Didiuk, a former election monitor in Ukraine.
John, good to see you again.
JOHN DIDIUK, FORMER ELECTION MONITOR IN UKRAINE: Tony, thanks for having me.
HARRIS: Are you surprised at all by this decision by the Supreme Court?
DIDIUK: Not at all. The 21 members of the Ukrainian Supreme Court decided today that the results of the second round of the Ukrainian election, the results that were held -- the elections that were held on November 21, were invalid because of fraud and manipulation.
This decision by the court signals a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine. And I think it's important because of two main reasons.
First, it goes completely contrary to what outgoing Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, discussed and agreed to with his counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin just yesterday. Leonid Kuchma had wanted new -- completely new elections that would take place from six to eight months out and would field a completely new set of candidates.
The court today said that new -- instead of new elections, that there will be a recount of the second round and that recount will be held by December 26.
HARRIS: OK. So, John, what are we going to get here? We're going to get elections in the disputed areas or are we going to get a national election?
DIDIUK: As I understand the Supreme Court's decision, the elections will be held throughout Ukraine. It will be a recount of the second round of the Ukrainian election. So that means only Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych will take part.
HARRIS: OK. Now, the prime minister, might he opt out of this? He has said in the past that he does not want new elections. He's not going to stand for new elections. He feels he won this fair and square. Might he opt out?
DIDIUK: He has that option. And under Ukrainian law, if Viktor Yanukovych opts out of taking part in this new election or this new recount, the person who came in third in the second round or the first round, rather, Alexander Moroz, the Socialist Party candidate, would go up against Viktor Yushchenko. But it's unlikely that Moroz would take that spot or would run effectively against Yushchenko, because essentially, Alexander Moroz supports Yushchenko.
HARRIS: OK. Is the apparatus in place now, or was it taken down after the run-off election? Is everything in place to get this up and running in a couple of weeks?
DIDIUK: I think the apparatus is in place and can be put up and effective in a very short amount of time. What needs to be decided is who, I think, is going to put on the Central Election Commission. That is the main government organization that organizes the election and tabulates the votes. Most likely you'll see representatives from Viktor Yushchenko and representatives from Viktor Yanukovych and then some independent sort of honest brokers on that commission.
HARRIS: That's not the way it was organized for the previous run-off?
DIDIUK: No. The Central Election Commission was -- the members on that commission was appointed by the Ukrainian government. And that's where people say a lot of the fraud and manipulation occurred with the central authorities in Kiev.
HARRIS: Are we going to have enough boots on the ground, and does it come down to that, in some respects, to make sure that the vote is legitimate this time around?
DIDIUK: I think you're going to have a very active -- active outpouring by both -- people from both sides coming out to the 30,000 or more polling stations in Ukraine to keep an eye on this vote. It will be interesting to see what the international community can do in such a short amount of time to get international observers to Ukraine.
HARRIS: Are you going back?
DIDIUK: I hope to.
HARRIS: It's history. You're going to be there, right?
DIDIUK: For those of us that follow events in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, this is comparable to the Berlin Wall coming down, so I hope to be a part of it.
HARRIS: John Didiuk, good to see you again.
DIDIUK: Thank you, Tony.
HARRIS: Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Once again, we're continuing to follow that story on Michael Jackson. Right now, sheriff's deputies at his ranch. They issued a search warrant. They are checking his home once again.
You remember, the same time last year, 70 members of various police departments and sheriffs departments were searching his home. It's an ongoing investigation as he still faces molestation charges.
A quick break right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 December 3, 2004 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Moments away from another Bush cabinet departure announcement. This time it's Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg. Coming up, meet a man who says no one needs privacy, and for a fee he'll find out anything you want about a person. It's really that scary and that easy.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Help wanted: 400 women who spend two months lying flat on their backs. It sounds like just the temp job for you. We're going to show you who's hiring.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
PHILLIPS: Low potency reportedly, but high drama nonetheless. No fewer than five explosions on the northern and western edges of Madrid late today after warnings from the Basque separatist group ETA.
We get the latest now from CNN's Al Goodman on the phone from the Spanish capital -- Al.
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're getting more details on that and now I talked to the interior ministry.
A total of five bombs, small potency bombs, at five gas stations on five of the major highways leading out of the capital as hundreds of thousands of Madrid residents were pouring out of the capital, heading out for a very long holiday weekend.
This after an anonymous caller made a call in the name of the Basque separatist group ETA to a newspaper in the northern Basque region, which typically takes ETA warning calls and typically publishes ETA claims of responsibility after the fact.
Now the good news in all of this is that there are little -- very few -- there are conflicting reports. We've heard one local official say there may have been six people slightly injured. We've heard one emergency worker saying that there apparently are only two people slightly injured.
Another local official has said there was time, as a result of the telephone call, Kyra, to evacuate people at those gas stations. This official said the situation is under control -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Al Goodman, continue to follow the story. We want to take you straight now to Health and Human Services' Tommy Thompson, about to announce his resignation.
TOMMY THOMPSON, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: ... in this wonderful Department of Health and Human Services. This morning I submitted by, to President Bush, my resignation as secretary of health and human services.
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT: TOMMY THOMPSON RESIGNATION)
THOMPSON: ... and the American people clearly appreciate their work, as evidenced by the high regard and confidence that they place in this...
PHILLIPS: Tommy Thompson, secretary of health and human services, offering up his resignation there before reporters and of course, to the country right now, talking about 9/11, taking on the 19th position in that job, strengthening the nation with regard to bioterrorism, remembering working on Medicare and Medicaid and, of course, tackling diseases like West Nile, SARS and the lack of flu shots, giving his resignation speech there. A lot happening this afternoon.
HARRIS: And Kyra, this just in to CNN. Sheriff's investigators are now conducting a search of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. That's in Los Olivos, California.
And the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department has confirmed that a warrant has been issued and that a search is ongoing right now of Michael Jackson's ranch.
Jackson, as you know, is currently facing child molestation and other charges. Neverland, as you also know, was searched previously in connection with this case, which has yet to go to trial.
We don't know, obviously, why or what the sheriff's deputies are looking for right now at Michael Jackson's ranch. The case is obviously in the system. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department sought another search warrant, was granted that search warrant and the search is going on now. This according to the Associated Press.
The search is going on right now of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California. We'll continue to follow this story and bring you the latest developments.
HARRIS: And back to the resignation of Tommy Thompson. You know, President Bush may be losing cabinet secretaries one after another, but he can name new ones just as fast.
Mr. Bush tapped former New York police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, to take the reins of homeland security secretary.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House with all the comings and goings. There's a lot to keep track of, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. It's been a busy week here. Good afternoon to you.
That's right. Earlier today President Bush announced his nominee as you mentioned, Bernard Kerik, former New York City police commissioner, to be the person the president would like to see succeed his outgoing homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge.
Now, Mr. Bush called Kerik an accomplished and effective leader, someone the president says is superbly qualified for this job. The president saying that he believes Kerik's broad law enforcement experience not only in the days after September 11, but also his earlier service as an Army M.P., a jail warden in New Jersey and a beat cop in New York, all of that, the president believes, will serve Kerik well if he is confirmed by the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In every position he has demonstrated a deep commitment to justice, a heart for the innocent and a record of great success. I'm grateful he's agreed to bring his lifetime of security experience and skill to one of the most important positions in the federal government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now already, some Democrats are predicting a quick confirmation process for Bernard Kerik, both senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton of New York praising Kerik's leadership qualities.
Also should mention that this is not the first time that the White House has tapped Bernard Kerik for service. Last year the president asked him to go to Iraq to help train the new Iraqi police forces there -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Elaine Quijano live from the White House, thank you -- Tony.
HARRIS: Truth, justice and the Ukrainian way. The opposition candidate for Ukraine president says all of those triumph today with the high court's ruling invalidating the presidential run-off vote that had threatened to split the nation. A revote is ordered on or before December 26.
CNN's Jill Dougherty is live in Kiev with the latest.
Hi, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tony.
Well, it is really such a victory for the opposition and something that many people never really expected would finally turn out the way it did.
The big celebration, the big party will come tomorrow. But tonight they are celebrating on the streets of Kiev.
After all, the Supreme Court agreed with what the opposition had said. And those are the supporters of Viktor Yushchenko. They said that there were massive violations in that -- that election that took place November 21. They annulled those results, and they said there has to be a new election.
That, as you said, would be taking place on the 26th of December, and the two men who were running the first time, that is, opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko and the government-backed candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, will be up against each other again.
But according to the polls now that have been taken in the last few days, it's looking very, very good for Viktor Yushchenko. So most people are predicting that this is it, that Viktor Yushchenko will become the president. Quite a turnabout, Tony.
HARRIS: Jill Dougherty reporting live for us from Kiev. Jill, thank you.
Updating a story just in to CNN just a moment ago. We have confirmed that sheriff investigators have issued another search warrant, and Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is being searched right now.
We don't know what sheriff deputies are looking for. But a search warrant has been issued, and Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is being searched right now.
More on the story when LIVE FROM continues after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A story still developing right now at this hour. Just outside of Santa Barbara, California at the ranch of Michael Jackson, the Neverland Ranch, as you know, another search warrant has been issued. It was issued about 9 a.m. Southern California time.
And we are told that sheriff's deputies are still there at this moment, searching that estate. Authorities not releasing any information about the purpose of the search. All we know is that sheriff investigators are searching a search warrant at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
As you know, Jackson is currently facing child molestation charges, among a number of other charges. Neverland was also searched previously in connection with that case, in addition to another case almost a decade ago.
This case not yet -- it has not yet gone to trial. As you know, Jackson has pleaded innocent.
We'll continue to follow this story as another search warrant is issued. Authorities right now searching the Neverland Ranch.
HARRIS: Well, today's Ukrainian Supreme Court decision nullifies the results of the presidential run-off election. It also sets the stage for a showdown vote within three weeks.
Protesters who have been demonstrating outside government buildings greeted the announcement with cheers. But can another election be organized in just three weeks?
Joining us from Boston is John Didiuk, a former election monitor in Ukraine.
John, good to see you again.
JOHN DIDIUK, FORMER ELECTION MONITOR IN UKRAINE: Tony, thanks for having me.
HARRIS: Are you surprised at all by this decision by the Supreme Court?
DIDIUK: Not at all. The 21 members of the Ukrainian Supreme Court decided today that the results of the second round of the Ukrainian election, the results that were held -- the elections that were held on November 21, were invalid because of fraud and manipulation.
This decision by the court signals a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine. And I think it's important because of two main reasons.
First, it goes completely contrary to what outgoing Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, discussed and agreed to with his counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin just yesterday. Leonid Kuchma had wanted new -- completely new elections that would take place from six to eight months out and would field a completely new set of candidates.
The court today said that new -- instead of new elections, that there will be a recount of the second round and that recount will be held by December 26.
HARRIS: OK. So, John, what are we going to get here? We're going to get elections in the disputed areas or are we going to get a national election?
DIDIUK: As I understand the Supreme Court's decision, the elections will be held throughout Ukraine. It will be a recount of the second round of the Ukrainian election. So that means only Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych will take part.
HARRIS: OK. Now, the prime minister, might he opt out of this? He has said in the past that he does not want new elections. He's not going to stand for new elections. He feels he won this fair and square. Might he opt out?
DIDIUK: He has that option. And under Ukrainian law, if Viktor Yanukovych opts out of taking part in this new election or this new recount, the person who came in third in the second round or the first round, rather, Alexander Moroz, the Socialist Party candidate, would go up against Viktor Yushchenko. But it's unlikely that Moroz would take that spot or would run effectively against Yushchenko, because essentially, Alexander Moroz supports Yushchenko.
HARRIS: OK. Is the apparatus in place now, or was it taken down after the run-off election? Is everything in place to get this up and running in a couple of weeks?
DIDIUK: I think the apparatus is in place and can be put up and effective in a very short amount of time. What needs to be decided is who, I think, is going to put on the Central Election Commission. That is the main government organization that organizes the election and tabulates the votes. Most likely you'll see representatives from Viktor Yushchenko and representatives from Viktor Yanukovych and then some independent sort of honest brokers on that commission.
HARRIS: That's not the way it was organized for the previous run-off?
DIDIUK: No. The Central Election Commission was -- the members on that commission was appointed by the Ukrainian government. And that's where people say a lot of the fraud and manipulation occurred with the central authorities in Kiev.
HARRIS: Are we going to have enough boots on the ground, and does it come down to that, in some respects, to make sure that the vote is legitimate this time around?
DIDIUK: I think you're going to have a very active -- active outpouring by both -- people from both sides coming out to the 30,000 or more polling stations in Ukraine to keep an eye on this vote. It will be interesting to see what the international community can do in such a short amount of time to get international observers to Ukraine.
HARRIS: Are you going back?
DIDIUK: I hope to.
HARRIS: It's history. You're going to be there, right?
DIDIUK: For those of us that follow events in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, this is comparable to the Berlin Wall coming down, so I hope to be a part of it.
HARRIS: John Didiuk, good to see you again.
DIDIUK: Thank you, Tony.
HARRIS: Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Once again, we're continuing to follow that story on Michael Jackson. Right now, sheriff's deputies at his ranch. They issued a search warrant. They are checking his home once again.
You remember, the same time last year, 70 members of various police departments and sheriffs departments were searching his home. It's an ongoing investigation as he still faces molestation charges.
A quick break right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
