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Poland Celebrates Life of Pope John Paul II; President Bush Holds Cabinet Meeting
Aired April 05, 2005 - 15:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, Peter Jennings has lung cancer and plans to embark on chemotherapy treatment starting Monday. In a message sent to his colleague, the veteran anchor said that he got the diagnoses last night and plans to keep on working. An ABC spokesperson says that Jennings will talk about the illness on his broadcast tonight.
President Bush will take his dad and former President Clinton to Friday's funeral for the late Pope John Paul II. The presidents three are expected to leave for Rome tomorrow.
In Iraq today, a journalist shot and wounded. The military says the unidentified cameraman was standing near an armed insurgent and was mistaken for a combatant. Well, that incident in Mosul is under investigation now. A source says the wounded cameraman/reporter is an Iraqi.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: As dignitaries from around the world prepare to travel to Rome for Friday's funeral for Pope John Paul II, mourners by the tens of thousands continue to pour into St. Peter's Basilica. That's were the pontiff lies in state.
People have waited in line up to eight hours for a final glimpse of the pope's body. John Paul will be buried beneath St. Peter's. Cardinals still have not set a date for the conclave to choose a new pope.
PHILLIPS: In Warsaw, Poland, today, an estimated 150,000 people gathered in the square for a mass honoring the late Pope John Paul II. Well, it was the same site of the Polish pontiff's triumphant 1979 homecoming after his election as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Now, at that time, he urged his countrymen to -- quote -- "renew this land," and 10 years later, Poland embraced democracy.
Well, as you know, Pope John Paul II never forgot his roots. As a young schoolboy in Poland, he was smart, athletic and intense. He played soccer. He was in speech and drama clubs. Then, faced with war, he valiantly endured his duties in a military camp. But then a different duty called, a calling to the priesthood. And John Paul II told his people he would never forget them. He didn't.
So, what happens now to the Poles without their pope, the man who took down communism and cared for the poor?
Well, CNN international correspondent Walt Rodgers joins us live now from Krakow with more.
Walter, set the scene for us. Truly, this is a man that never forgot his homeland.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Kyra, and recall the Poles are never going to forget him.
It was a very reciprocal relationship. We're here in Krakow this evening, which was the pope's adopted hometown, if you will. This is a mass which is going on. There are tens of thousands of people here, came to the square at Archbishop's Palace after work. And they are here to thank John Paul II and say they remember him.
There is, I suspect, a degree of anxiety among many of these Poles. Recall that, for much of their lives, he was the only pope they ever knew. And Catholicism is so entwined with nationalism in Poland. What we're seeing here tonight is an affirmation of Polish nationalism, as well as a high degree of mourning for the pope himself -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Walter, just explain to our viewers, sort of go back a little bit in history and talk about when Lech Walesa was in charge and the pope came in and actually was able to do more than the leader of this country. And it was a spiritual force that moved the people beyond understanding at that time.
RODGERS: Actually, it was -- it was not Lech Walesa that was in charge at that time. It was Poland under martial law, General Jaruzelski. And the pope came in and sounded a spiritual message, telling -- it was essentially an anti-communist message, although I don't believe at the time, 1979, this pope saw himself as being anti- communist so much or he had no agenda to overthrow the communist government here.
It was just that he believed in a higher, better Poland than that which the communists were offering. Again, the Polish soul is so entwined with the Roman Catholic Church that the church becomes the central core of nationalism in this country. This is country which was badly used and abused by the Russians in the past 50 years, by the Germans before that. The Nazis tried to stamp out all culture in this country and eliminate Poland as a state.
And even before that, in the 19th century, there was a determined effort, a partition of Poland by the Germans, the Prussians then, by the Russians and also by the Austrians. So, what are we seeing here is the Poles now saying that -- they are thanking Pope John Paul II for reaffirming their nationalism, the fact that they are a nation again.
The really interesting question now is, what is going to happen to Catholicism in this country? Catholicism what was held Poland together for the last 200 years or more under external threat. There is no external threat now. And it remains to be seen what the future of Catholicism in Poland is -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Not only the Catholicism, but Poles speaking out concerned about poverty, concerned about a threat and change of government, where Pope John Paul II had a tremendous influence.
RODGERS: That's true.
But if you were to ask John Paul II what was the greatest threat to Poland now that communism is gone, I think you would have found his answer very revealing and perhaps startling. And you can find it in his writings. He would have said it was the materialism of Western capitalism which threatens the righteousness of Catholics. He would have said that it was the hedonism of Western society and in some cases he would have said it was feminism which threatens traditional Roman Catholic societies like Poland's.
So, I think in the eyes of the late pope, that would be the greatest threat to his beloved country today, not the communists, because they're gone. And also, there are no hostile neighbors around Poland -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Walt Rodgers live there from the masses taking place in the homeland of Pope John Paul II. Thanks for the perspective today, Walt.
NGUYEN: Among the millions who want to see him one last time is a Turk whose name will forever be linked to Pope John Paul II. Mehmet Ali Agca once tried to kill the pope. Now he says he wants to say goodbye in the person.
CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh with that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Turkish gunman who tried to kill the pope in 1981, he wants to attend the funeral of the man he now calls his spiritual brother.
Mehmet Ali Agca served almost 20 years in an Italian prison for shooting the pontiff. Agca spent the last five in a Turkish jail for unrelated crimes and now he wants to pay his respects.
(on camera): According to me Mehmet Ali Agca's lawyer, this is the handwritten note that Agca wrote asking Turkish authorities for permission to attend the pope's funeral.
(voice-over): It's in Turkish, addressed to Turkey's Foreign and Justice ministries. The would-be assassin writes that he believes the Vatican would welcome his presence.
"Yes, we are starting the legal procedure to attend the funeral. I visited him in prison and he expressed to me over and over that he's very sorry for the death of the pope," his lawyer says.
Mustafa Dmirbag says he's not expecting the Justice Ministry to grant request. Physically and mentally, Mehmet Ali Agca is totally healthy, he tells me. But in another new letter shown to CNN, Agca writes in Italian that he's the messiah -- quote -- "participating in the mourning of my Christian Catholic people." In 1983, the pope visited Agca in an Italian prison and forgave him. Agca was sent back to Turkey in 2000 to serve 17 years for separate robbery and murder charges. Agca's new letters do not offer any explanation as to why he shot the pope, but if he wants to say goodbye to John Paul II, he will most likely have to do it from a maximum security prison cell.
Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, a new day is dawning in Iraq. A new president could be just hours from take the oath from office. And you might be surprised to hear who could be watching.
CNN's Aneesh Raman has that from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once a despotic leader, now an imprisoned spectator. When Iraq's National Assembly meets to elect a president on Wednesday, Saddam Hussein will be allowed to watch the process, along with 10 other high-ranking officials in his regime. After nearly two years of an informational blackout, the interim government is making a live feed of the ceremony available.
BAKHTIYAR AMIN, IRAQI HUMAN RIGHTS MINISTER: They will be seeing what's happening in Iraq for the first time after the fall of this regime. So they will be seeing a televised swearing in of a new president in Iraq.
RAMAN: Not just a new president, but a Kurdish president. All indications are that Jalal Talabani will be elected and perhaps even inaugurated on Wednesday. A man who fought Saddam's forces for years in the mountains of northern Iraq, Talabani will soon assume the office that at his arraignment, Saddam claimed to still hold.
In a matter of days, Iraqis will commemorate the two-year anniversary of Baghdad's fall, symbolized By the thundering collapse of Saddam's statute in Fardus Square.
Two years on, Saddam and some of his colleagues wait for trial.
AMIN: We hope that the courtroom will be ready by the middle of April. And the case of Barzan al-Tikriti and Taha Yassin Ramadan are ready to go.
RAMAN (on camera): No word yet on whether Saddam will in fact choose to watch this event. But the very fact that he'll be able to witness the election of Iraq's new president is a powerful symbol of how far things have come.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bush administration .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So, would you prefer that your child not grow up to be a bully? We can help. A new study finds that too much of what we think is a good thing could be a bad thing for junior.
And royal wedding plans have gone awry. And now collectors have a headache on their hands, along with some undesirable goods.
More on LIVE FROM after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Talk about your bully pulpit. If you don't want your kids to vent their aggressions on other kids, well, turn off the TV, except for CNN, of course.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Researchers at the University of Washington say that they have found a link between the mountain of TV a child watches when he or she is 4 and his or her chances of being a bully later on. The crucial factor seen in many other studies before is parental interaction, recreation, stimulation and the absence of which appears to foster antisocial behavior.
NGUYEN: Makes sense.
PHILLIPS: Well, my mom said it was "The Three Stooges." But that's a whole 'nother story. Sorry.
NGUYEN: Yes, well, that's a whole 'nother story.
Well, today, on our Web site, talking dollars and helping you see if your sense is, well, normal, like, are you busting your budget? Or are you earning what you think you're worth?
Christina Park of our dot-com desk helps you sort it all out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At CNN money, we think it's OK to compare yourself to others, especially when it comes to money. Find out if you're keeping up with the Joneses at CNNMoney.com/normal. We'll help you answer those afraid-to-ask question like, am I the only one who can't seem to stick to a budget? And how much money do people my age earn?
Well, data from 2003 found the median income for 25- to 34-year- olds to be $45,000. Most of them don't own a home and carry an average of $3,700 in credit card debt. If you're close to retiring, see how your 401(k) stacks up against others your age. It's not all about bragging rights, though. Knowing where you stand can actually help you get a clearer picture of your financial weaknesses and strengths.
We can also help you calculate how much house you can afford and help you wade your way out of debt. CNNMoney.com/normal can help you figure out if you're normal, financially, that is.
Reporting from the dot-com desk, I am Christina Park.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I'm normal, just not financially.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Oh. Are we ever normal?
NGUYEN: No.
(CROSSTALK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: Well, one couple's wedding's woes are another man's chance to make a buck, or maybe that's a pound. Charles and Camilla's change of plans turns into a big boon for souvenir sellers. That's just ahead.
NGUYEN: And escape attempt caught on tape. Find out why this bird -- there it is -- tried to fly the coop.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Check this out.
Captured wild creatures are making news across America. An emu in suburban Wichita, Kansas, was a jailbird when it savored a brief taste of freedom. Ouch. The 6-foot-tall flightless fowl escaped from somewhere and led police on a chase of more than a mile yesterday. Then they netted it. They are now still -- I guess you can call that netting it.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Looking for the owner of that poor, poor bird.
All right, other news, some kids in west Houston. Look at that. They can brag about the big one that did not get away. Three youngsters spent nearly a half-hour Sunday reeling in a 65-pound blue catfish from the bayou. Looks like a nice trophy for somebody and dinner for all.
PHILLIPS: Siblings no longer on ice. Two Lithuanian illusionists have set a new world record. The brother-sister duo stuck it out for 63 hours, 31 minutes and 15 seconds in a giant ice cube.
Clad only in summer clothes and wool hats, they weathered temperatures of five and six degrees below zero. It's the first time a woman has ever tried this stunt. The two were inspired by magician David Blaine, who set the previous record in the year 2000. Well, they, beat his time nearly -- by nearly two hours. (LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, blame it on David Blaine.
PHILLIPS: All right, Prince Charles must be feeling magnetically drawn to banana peels these days, because, after miscue after flub after kerfuffle over their upcoming wedding, well, he and Camilla Parker Bowles may as well throw in the commemorative tea towel that they now have the wrong wedding date on them.
NGUYEN: But every cloud always has a silver lining. People who hadn't given those nuptial knickknacks a second glance are now scooping them up as fast as they can.
CNN's Paula Hancocks with more on the collector mania.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For sale, tea towels, mugs and plates all in mint condition. Just make sure you check the small print.
The preparations for the Prince Charles-Camilla wedding have sometimes looked like a comedy of errors. Changing the date means these goods are fatally flawed.
(on camera): The irony of the situation is that the imperfection on these souvenirs has actually made them more valuable. Merchandise will just would not shift a couple of days ago is now flying off the shelves.
(voice-over): What ordinary shoppers would see as a fault, souvenir collectors see as a story in itself and a chance for making a tidy profit in the future. Take, for instance, memorabilia for Edward VIII. It was far more valuable once the engagement was called off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's nonstop on the phone taking orders. And so, it's been very good for our trade. I just wish all the Charles the best of luck. But it's one of those things.
HANCOCKS: Online auctioneer eBay has been swamped with goods. These four bookmarks of the happy couple, complete with the wrong date, started at $1. Online bids Tuesday were at about $60.
Few suppliers are recalling their goods with such an increased demand out there. The porcelain firm Aynsley says it will change the date on its wares by Wednesday. And Royal Mail says it will now release the official commemorative stamps on Sunday, one of the few souvenirs without the date plastered all over it.
But one business that has dealt with the change in dates swiftly, the same business that produced these slightly unflattering T-shirts of the royal family. One man's embarrassment is another man's profit.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Straight to the president of the United States right now. He's getting ready to head to Rome tomorrow for the pope's funeral.
Let's listen in. He's with the Cabinet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... of the second term. I want to thank my Cabinet officials for doing such a fine job. I appreciate your hard work, and thank you for your dedication to the country. Tomorrow I will be leaving for Rome, leading a delegation to attend the services for His Holiness Pope John Paul, II. What a great man. It will be my honor to represent our country in a ceremony marking a remarkable life, a person who stood for freedom and human dignity.
I also urge the Congress to successfully conclude budget negotiations. The House passed the budget resolution; the Senate has passed the resolution. We look forward to working with the leadership to successfully conclude those negotiations. It's important we get a budget, a budget which will show the American people that we will spend their money wisely; a budget that shows that we know how to set priorities -- winning the war on terror, protecting our homeland; a budget that says we can cut the deficit in half in five years; and a budget that will encourage economic growth and vitality.
I appreciate the fact that it looks like that we're going to get a solid cap on discretionary spending, one that we agree with. It's also important for the senators and the members of the House of Representatives to understand that a good, solid budget that helps us meet objectives is one that deals with mandatory spending items. And we've presented some meaningful, realistic, common-sense reforms on the mandatory spending side.
And so, as Congress returns, I look forward to working with them to get a good, solid budget. It's important for the country.
Now I'll answer a few questions. Jennifer.
QUESTION: Yes, sir. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack on Abu Ghraib prison. Is this a sign that they're becoming more sophisticated in Iraq?
BUSH: No, I think it's a sign that they're still deadly, that these people will kill. They kill innocent life. Their strategy hasn't really changed. Their strategy has been one to kill as many innocent people as they possibly can, in the hopes that it shakes our confidence and shakes our will and, equally importantly, shakes the will and confidence of those brave souls who are helping lead this new country -- lead this new democracy.
And we are -- we're after them. And equally importantly, the Iraqi citizens are after them now. More and more citizens understand that these terrorists, like al Qaeda and Zarqawi, don't have their interests at heart. They don't believe in democracy, these killers. They believe in a society in which people aren't going to be free to practice their religion, or free to speak in the public square.
And so I think the American people ought to take heart to know that we have now more allies in defeating these few, and those allies are the Iraqi citizens. And perhaps the most notable step that the Iraqi citizens took toward complete defiance of the point of view of Zarqawi, who is an al Qaeda type, was when they went to the polls.
Adam.
QUESTION: Mr. President, Prime Minister Sharon has said he intends to expand the largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Other officials say no construction is imminent. Are you satisfied? And what will you tell Sharon when you see him about the settlements?
BUSH: Our position is very clear that the road map is important, and the road map calls for no expansion of the settlements. I'm optimistic we can achieve a peace in the Holy Land. I'm optimistic because I firmly believe that Ariel Sharon wants to have a peaceful partner, wants there to be a democracy in the Palestinian Territories, and I believe President Abbas wants the same thing. And there's a lot of hard work to be done, but we're making progress. And I look forward to meeting the Prime Minister in Crawford to continue to work with the parties to advance peace.
Carl.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. You mentioned the deficit. Insofar as the deficit has been going up, can you talk about how that affects both the budget resolution talks on the Hill, and what it does to your pitch for Social Security reform in terms of complicating the message and the criticism you've gotten, particularly from Democrats?
BUSH: Well, one of the things that people must understand on Social Security is there is a huge unfunded liability of trillions of dollars. In other words, because baby boomers like me are getting ready to retire and we're living longer and we're getting greater benefits, there is a significant obligation of the government.
And the fundamental question is, will Congress have the will to take on this very important issue and solve this problem now, before that significant obligation becomes more significant.
Now, we're dealing with the deficit by presenting a good, lean budget that sets priorities. I want to thank Josh Bolten of the OMB, and I want to thank all my Cabinet Secretaries for having worked with the OMB to deliver to Congress a budget that will work on behalf of the American people. And now it's up to Congress. It's up to Congress to show the American people that we have the capacity to defund programs which don't work, and fund programs which do work.
And I'm looking forward to working with members of both the House and the Senate. It's going to be an interesting set of negotiations. But we're firm in our belief that we can cut this deficit in half over a five-year period of time, grow this economy, and meet our primary objective, which is defending America.
Listen, thank you all very much.
Thank you.
PHILLIPS: The president of the United States with his Cabinet there meeting with reporters just as he gets ready to head to Rome for Pope John Paul II's funeral, talking about budget, national security, rebuilding Iraq and Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Judy Woodruff and "INSIDE POLITICS" starts right now.
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Aired April 5, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, Peter Jennings has lung cancer and plans to embark on chemotherapy treatment starting Monday. In a message sent to his colleague, the veteran anchor said that he got the diagnoses last night and plans to keep on working. An ABC spokesperson says that Jennings will talk about the illness on his broadcast tonight.
President Bush will take his dad and former President Clinton to Friday's funeral for the late Pope John Paul II. The presidents three are expected to leave for Rome tomorrow.
In Iraq today, a journalist shot and wounded. The military says the unidentified cameraman was standing near an armed insurgent and was mistaken for a combatant. Well, that incident in Mosul is under investigation now. A source says the wounded cameraman/reporter is an Iraqi.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: As dignitaries from around the world prepare to travel to Rome for Friday's funeral for Pope John Paul II, mourners by the tens of thousands continue to pour into St. Peter's Basilica. That's were the pontiff lies in state.
People have waited in line up to eight hours for a final glimpse of the pope's body. John Paul will be buried beneath St. Peter's. Cardinals still have not set a date for the conclave to choose a new pope.
PHILLIPS: In Warsaw, Poland, today, an estimated 150,000 people gathered in the square for a mass honoring the late Pope John Paul II. Well, it was the same site of the Polish pontiff's triumphant 1979 homecoming after his election as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Now, at that time, he urged his countrymen to -- quote -- "renew this land," and 10 years later, Poland embraced democracy.
Well, as you know, Pope John Paul II never forgot his roots. As a young schoolboy in Poland, he was smart, athletic and intense. He played soccer. He was in speech and drama clubs. Then, faced with war, he valiantly endured his duties in a military camp. But then a different duty called, a calling to the priesthood. And John Paul II told his people he would never forget them. He didn't.
So, what happens now to the Poles without their pope, the man who took down communism and cared for the poor?
Well, CNN international correspondent Walt Rodgers joins us live now from Krakow with more.
Walter, set the scene for us. Truly, this is a man that never forgot his homeland.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Kyra, and recall the Poles are never going to forget him.
It was a very reciprocal relationship. We're here in Krakow this evening, which was the pope's adopted hometown, if you will. This is a mass which is going on. There are tens of thousands of people here, came to the square at Archbishop's Palace after work. And they are here to thank John Paul II and say they remember him.
There is, I suspect, a degree of anxiety among many of these Poles. Recall that, for much of their lives, he was the only pope they ever knew. And Catholicism is so entwined with nationalism in Poland. What we're seeing here tonight is an affirmation of Polish nationalism, as well as a high degree of mourning for the pope himself -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Walter, just explain to our viewers, sort of go back a little bit in history and talk about when Lech Walesa was in charge and the pope came in and actually was able to do more than the leader of this country. And it was a spiritual force that moved the people beyond understanding at that time.
RODGERS: Actually, it was -- it was not Lech Walesa that was in charge at that time. It was Poland under martial law, General Jaruzelski. And the pope came in and sounded a spiritual message, telling -- it was essentially an anti-communist message, although I don't believe at the time, 1979, this pope saw himself as being anti- communist so much or he had no agenda to overthrow the communist government here.
It was just that he believed in a higher, better Poland than that which the communists were offering. Again, the Polish soul is so entwined with the Roman Catholic Church that the church becomes the central core of nationalism in this country. This is country which was badly used and abused by the Russians in the past 50 years, by the Germans before that. The Nazis tried to stamp out all culture in this country and eliminate Poland as a state.
And even before that, in the 19th century, there was a determined effort, a partition of Poland by the Germans, the Prussians then, by the Russians and also by the Austrians. So, what are we seeing here is the Poles now saying that -- they are thanking Pope John Paul II for reaffirming their nationalism, the fact that they are a nation again.
The really interesting question now is, what is going to happen to Catholicism in this country? Catholicism what was held Poland together for the last 200 years or more under external threat. There is no external threat now. And it remains to be seen what the future of Catholicism in Poland is -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Not only the Catholicism, but Poles speaking out concerned about poverty, concerned about a threat and change of government, where Pope John Paul II had a tremendous influence.
RODGERS: That's true.
But if you were to ask John Paul II what was the greatest threat to Poland now that communism is gone, I think you would have found his answer very revealing and perhaps startling. And you can find it in his writings. He would have said it was the materialism of Western capitalism which threatens the righteousness of Catholics. He would have said that it was the hedonism of Western society and in some cases he would have said it was feminism which threatens traditional Roman Catholic societies like Poland's.
So, I think in the eyes of the late pope, that would be the greatest threat to his beloved country today, not the communists, because they're gone. And also, there are no hostile neighbors around Poland -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Walt Rodgers live there from the masses taking place in the homeland of Pope John Paul II. Thanks for the perspective today, Walt.
NGUYEN: Among the millions who want to see him one last time is a Turk whose name will forever be linked to Pope John Paul II. Mehmet Ali Agca once tried to kill the pope. Now he says he wants to say goodbye in the person.
CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh with that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Turkish gunman who tried to kill the pope in 1981, he wants to attend the funeral of the man he now calls his spiritual brother.
Mehmet Ali Agca served almost 20 years in an Italian prison for shooting the pontiff. Agca spent the last five in a Turkish jail for unrelated crimes and now he wants to pay his respects.
(on camera): According to me Mehmet Ali Agca's lawyer, this is the handwritten note that Agca wrote asking Turkish authorities for permission to attend the pope's funeral.
(voice-over): It's in Turkish, addressed to Turkey's Foreign and Justice ministries. The would-be assassin writes that he believes the Vatican would welcome his presence.
"Yes, we are starting the legal procedure to attend the funeral. I visited him in prison and he expressed to me over and over that he's very sorry for the death of the pope," his lawyer says.
Mustafa Dmirbag says he's not expecting the Justice Ministry to grant request. Physically and mentally, Mehmet Ali Agca is totally healthy, he tells me. But in another new letter shown to CNN, Agca writes in Italian that he's the messiah -- quote -- "participating in the mourning of my Christian Catholic people." In 1983, the pope visited Agca in an Italian prison and forgave him. Agca was sent back to Turkey in 2000 to serve 17 years for separate robbery and murder charges. Agca's new letters do not offer any explanation as to why he shot the pope, but if he wants to say goodbye to John Paul II, he will most likely have to do it from a maximum security prison cell.
Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, a new day is dawning in Iraq. A new president could be just hours from take the oath from office. And you might be surprised to hear who could be watching.
CNN's Aneesh Raman has that from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once a despotic leader, now an imprisoned spectator. When Iraq's National Assembly meets to elect a president on Wednesday, Saddam Hussein will be allowed to watch the process, along with 10 other high-ranking officials in his regime. After nearly two years of an informational blackout, the interim government is making a live feed of the ceremony available.
BAKHTIYAR AMIN, IRAQI HUMAN RIGHTS MINISTER: They will be seeing what's happening in Iraq for the first time after the fall of this regime. So they will be seeing a televised swearing in of a new president in Iraq.
RAMAN: Not just a new president, but a Kurdish president. All indications are that Jalal Talabani will be elected and perhaps even inaugurated on Wednesday. A man who fought Saddam's forces for years in the mountains of northern Iraq, Talabani will soon assume the office that at his arraignment, Saddam claimed to still hold.
In a matter of days, Iraqis will commemorate the two-year anniversary of Baghdad's fall, symbolized By the thundering collapse of Saddam's statute in Fardus Square.
Two years on, Saddam and some of his colleagues wait for trial.
AMIN: We hope that the courtroom will be ready by the middle of April. And the case of Barzan al-Tikriti and Taha Yassin Ramadan are ready to go.
RAMAN (on camera): No word yet on whether Saddam will in fact choose to watch this event. But the very fact that he'll be able to witness the election of Iraq's new president is a powerful symbol of how far things have come.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bush administration .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So, would you prefer that your child not grow up to be a bully? We can help. A new study finds that too much of what we think is a good thing could be a bad thing for junior.
And royal wedding plans have gone awry. And now collectors have a headache on their hands, along with some undesirable goods.
More on LIVE FROM after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Talk about your bully pulpit. If you don't want your kids to vent their aggressions on other kids, well, turn off the TV, except for CNN, of course.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Researchers at the University of Washington say that they have found a link between the mountain of TV a child watches when he or she is 4 and his or her chances of being a bully later on. The crucial factor seen in many other studies before is parental interaction, recreation, stimulation and the absence of which appears to foster antisocial behavior.
NGUYEN: Makes sense.
PHILLIPS: Well, my mom said it was "The Three Stooges." But that's a whole 'nother story. Sorry.
NGUYEN: Yes, well, that's a whole 'nother story.
Well, today, on our Web site, talking dollars and helping you see if your sense is, well, normal, like, are you busting your budget? Or are you earning what you think you're worth?
Christina Park of our dot-com desk helps you sort it all out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At CNN money, we think it's OK to compare yourself to others, especially when it comes to money. Find out if you're keeping up with the Joneses at CNNMoney.com/normal. We'll help you answer those afraid-to-ask question like, am I the only one who can't seem to stick to a budget? And how much money do people my age earn?
Well, data from 2003 found the median income for 25- to 34-year- olds to be $45,000. Most of them don't own a home and carry an average of $3,700 in credit card debt. If you're close to retiring, see how your 401(k) stacks up against others your age. It's not all about bragging rights, though. Knowing where you stand can actually help you get a clearer picture of your financial weaknesses and strengths.
We can also help you calculate how much house you can afford and help you wade your way out of debt. CNNMoney.com/normal can help you figure out if you're normal, financially, that is.
Reporting from the dot-com desk, I am Christina Park.
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NGUYEN: I'm normal, just not financially.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Oh. Are we ever normal?
NGUYEN: No.
(CROSSTALK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: Well, one couple's wedding's woes are another man's chance to make a buck, or maybe that's a pound. Charles and Camilla's change of plans turns into a big boon for souvenir sellers. That's just ahead.
NGUYEN: And escape attempt caught on tape. Find out why this bird -- there it is -- tried to fly the coop.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Check this out.
Captured wild creatures are making news across America. An emu in suburban Wichita, Kansas, was a jailbird when it savored a brief taste of freedom. Ouch. The 6-foot-tall flightless fowl escaped from somewhere and led police on a chase of more than a mile yesterday. Then they netted it. They are now still -- I guess you can call that netting it.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Looking for the owner of that poor, poor bird.
All right, other news, some kids in west Houston. Look at that. They can brag about the big one that did not get away. Three youngsters spent nearly a half-hour Sunday reeling in a 65-pound blue catfish from the bayou. Looks like a nice trophy for somebody and dinner for all.
PHILLIPS: Siblings no longer on ice. Two Lithuanian illusionists have set a new world record. The brother-sister duo stuck it out for 63 hours, 31 minutes and 15 seconds in a giant ice cube.
Clad only in summer clothes and wool hats, they weathered temperatures of five and six degrees below zero. It's the first time a woman has ever tried this stunt. The two were inspired by magician David Blaine, who set the previous record in the year 2000. Well, they, beat his time nearly -- by nearly two hours. (LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, blame it on David Blaine.
PHILLIPS: All right, Prince Charles must be feeling magnetically drawn to banana peels these days, because, after miscue after flub after kerfuffle over their upcoming wedding, well, he and Camilla Parker Bowles may as well throw in the commemorative tea towel that they now have the wrong wedding date on them.
NGUYEN: But every cloud always has a silver lining. People who hadn't given those nuptial knickknacks a second glance are now scooping them up as fast as they can.
CNN's Paula Hancocks with more on the collector mania.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For sale, tea towels, mugs and plates all in mint condition. Just make sure you check the small print.
The preparations for the Prince Charles-Camilla wedding have sometimes looked like a comedy of errors. Changing the date means these goods are fatally flawed.
(on camera): The irony of the situation is that the imperfection on these souvenirs has actually made them more valuable. Merchandise will just would not shift a couple of days ago is now flying off the shelves.
(voice-over): What ordinary shoppers would see as a fault, souvenir collectors see as a story in itself and a chance for making a tidy profit in the future. Take, for instance, memorabilia for Edward VIII. It was far more valuable once the engagement was called off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's nonstop on the phone taking orders. And so, it's been very good for our trade. I just wish all the Charles the best of luck. But it's one of those things.
HANCOCKS: Online auctioneer eBay has been swamped with goods. These four bookmarks of the happy couple, complete with the wrong date, started at $1. Online bids Tuesday were at about $60.
Few suppliers are recalling their goods with such an increased demand out there. The porcelain firm Aynsley says it will change the date on its wares by Wednesday. And Royal Mail says it will now release the official commemorative stamps on Sunday, one of the few souvenirs without the date plastered all over it.
But one business that has dealt with the change in dates swiftly, the same business that produced these slightly unflattering T-shirts of the royal family. One man's embarrassment is another man's profit.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Straight to the president of the United States right now. He's getting ready to head to Rome tomorrow for the pope's funeral.
Let's listen in. He's with the Cabinet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... of the second term. I want to thank my Cabinet officials for doing such a fine job. I appreciate your hard work, and thank you for your dedication to the country. Tomorrow I will be leaving for Rome, leading a delegation to attend the services for His Holiness Pope John Paul, II. What a great man. It will be my honor to represent our country in a ceremony marking a remarkable life, a person who stood for freedom and human dignity.
I also urge the Congress to successfully conclude budget negotiations. The House passed the budget resolution; the Senate has passed the resolution. We look forward to working with the leadership to successfully conclude those negotiations. It's important we get a budget, a budget which will show the American people that we will spend their money wisely; a budget that shows that we know how to set priorities -- winning the war on terror, protecting our homeland; a budget that says we can cut the deficit in half in five years; and a budget that will encourage economic growth and vitality.
I appreciate the fact that it looks like that we're going to get a solid cap on discretionary spending, one that we agree with. It's also important for the senators and the members of the House of Representatives to understand that a good, solid budget that helps us meet objectives is one that deals with mandatory spending items. And we've presented some meaningful, realistic, common-sense reforms on the mandatory spending side.
And so, as Congress returns, I look forward to working with them to get a good, solid budget. It's important for the country.
Now I'll answer a few questions. Jennifer.
QUESTION: Yes, sir. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack on Abu Ghraib prison. Is this a sign that they're becoming more sophisticated in Iraq?
BUSH: No, I think it's a sign that they're still deadly, that these people will kill. They kill innocent life. Their strategy hasn't really changed. Their strategy has been one to kill as many innocent people as they possibly can, in the hopes that it shakes our confidence and shakes our will and, equally importantly, shakes the will and confidence of those brave souls who are helping lead this new country -- lead this new democracy.
And we are -- we're after them. And equally importantly, the Iraqi citizens are after them now. More and more citizens understand that these terrorists, like al Qaeda and Zarqawi, don't have their interests at heart. They don't believe in democracy, these killers. They believe in a society in which people aren't going to be free to practice their religion, or free to speak in the public square.
And so I think the American people ought to take heart to know that we have now more allies in defeating these few, and those allies are the Iraqi citizens. And perhaps the most notable step that the Iraqi citizens took toward complete defiance of the point of view of Zarqawi, who is an al Qaeda type, was when they went to the polls.
Adam.
QUESTION: Mr. President, Prime Minister Sharon has said he intends to expand the largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Other officials say no construction is imminent. Are you satisfied? And what will you tell Sharon when you see him about the settlements?
BUSH: Our position is very clear that the road map is important, and the road map calls for no expansion of the settlements. I'm optimistic we can achieve a peace in the Holy Land. I'm optimistic because I firmly believe that Ariel Sharon wants to have a peaceful partner, wants there to be a democracy in the Palestinian Territories, and I believe President Abbas wants the same thing. And there's a lot of hard work to be done, but we're making progress. And I look forward to meeting the Prime Minister in Crawford to continue to work with the parties to advance peace.
Carl.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. You mentioned the deficit. Insofar as the deficit has been going up, can you talk about how that affects both the budget resolution talks on the Hill, and what it does to your pitch for Social Security reform in terms of complicating the message and the criticism you've gotten, particularly from Democrats?
BUSH: Well, one of the things that people must understand on Social Security is there is a huge unfunded liability of trillions of dollars. In other words, because baby boomers like me are getting ready to retire and we're living longer and we're getting greater benefits, there is a significant obligation of the government.
And the fundamental question is, will Congress have the will to take on this very important issue and solve this problem now, before that significant obligation becomes more significant.
Now, we're dealing with the deficit by presenting a good, lean budget that sets priorities. I want to thank Josh Bolten of the OMB, and I want to thank all my Cabinet Secretaries for having worked with the OMB to deliver to Congress a budget that will work on behalf of the American people. And now it's up to Congress. It's up to Congress to show the American people that we have the capacity to defund programs which don't work, and fund programs which do work.
And I'm looking forward to working with members of both the House and the Senate. It's going to be an interesting set of negotiations. But we're firm in our belief that we can cut this deficit in half over a five-year period of time, grow this economy, and meet our primary objective, which is defending America.
Listen, thank you all very much.
Thank you.
PHILLIPS: The president of the United States with his Cabinet there meeting with reporters just as he gets ready to head to Rome for Pope John Paul II's funeral, talking about budget, national security, rebuilding Iraq and Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Judy Woodruff and "INSIDE POLITICS" starts right now.
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