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Election Day 2005; The Write Stuff
Aired November 08, 2005 - 13:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, no federal seats are up for grabs, this being an off-election year. But what happens today might foretell next year's balloting.
So joining me now to talk about that is Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.
So how much of an impact -- I have to ask you this on Election Day -- will the president's low poll ratings have on today's key races?
LARRY SABATO, UNIV. OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Well, it's having some impact. I wouldn't say it's the dominant issue. But inevitably, you're going to see the press and others evaluate the elections on the basis of what happens to President Bush. Is President Bush's stock up, or is it down? If he loses, particularly in Virginia, if the Republican candidate loses, he's going to end up taking blame. He made an election-eve appearance just last evening for the Republican candidate.
NGUYEN: Well, in a key race in New Jersey, the governor's race, Senator Jon Corzine is already using the president's poor poll numbers in his commercials. Is that working?
SABATO: Yes, it's working to a certain degree. New Jersey is a deeply blue Democratic state. So Corzine would have been a foolish Democratic nominee had he not tried to use bush against the Republican candidate, Doug Forrester. In that particular case, it's going to be a big surprise if Corzine does not win.
NGUYEN: OK, well in Virginia, though, it's a tight race in that area. But you know, poll numbers weren't this close between the two candidates a few months ago. So what has changed?
SABATO: Well, what's changed is that the Democratic candidate has done reasonably well in the campaign, and has tied the Republican candidate. If anybody has any momentum, it's probably the Democrat, though the momentum is relatively slight. You know, if the Democrats win both New Jersey, which is blue, and Virginia, which is red, they have a pretty good case that the Democrats may be in a good position for the 2006 midterm elections.
NGUYEN: All right, sticking with that Virginia race, because President Bush was in Virginia last night, and unlike his last visit to Virginia, Jerry Kilgore, the Republican candidate in that race, did decide to attend this one, while as you recall, the last one he decided to kind of distance himself from the president. So why a change of heart? Is he hoping that anything will help him at this point?
SABATO: They didn't really have a choice. That was true for the Bush White House, too. Bush needs to break the string of bad luck. He needs a victory. Virginia really is the only obvious opportunity for a victory for Bush. And for Kilgore, he's tied in the polls, dead in the water. This was a chance to motivate the Republican base, get a big GOP turnout today and possibly, possibly, pull out a victory.
NGUYEN: All right, for those viewers watching, saying, I don't live in these states so why should I care about Virginia, and New Jersey and all these other key races, this really has larger implications. Tell us about that.
SABATO: Yes, it's true that people in the other 48 don't live in Virginia and New Jersey, but they will be voting next year. And these off-off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia are the first real test of President Bush, since he hit that banana peel, or series of banana peels, and has got popularity ratings in the 30s or low 40s. So this is going to say something about 2006. A lot can change in a year, but this will set the early expectations for the midterm elections, when 33 senators, 435 House members and 36 state governors will be selected.
NGUYEN: So it makes a difference. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, thanks for explaining it, laying all out for us. We appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Improving the lives of young women growing up in rough inner-city neighborhoods. One unique program is truly working: 100 percent of its participants have gone to college. There's one there who will be heading to college. We'll introduce you to the Writegirl program. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The power of words. We at CNN know well the power of words. They color our world with joy, with pain, love, sorrow, rage, even wonder. And they're inside every one of us, young and old alike. Everyone has something to say, and that's a philosophy that keeps an L.A. publishing group going. It recently launched "Nothing Held Back," which is the fourth anthology from WriteGirl, a nonprofit outlet for inner city girls to share their words with us.
So joining me now from Los Angeles is Lovely Umayam, who's 17 years old, already a published writer and poet. And with her is the WriteGirl's associate director Allison Deegan. Ladies, welcome.
ALLISON DEEGAN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WRITEGIRL: Thank you.
LOVELY UMAYAM, WRITEGIRL POET, AUTHOR: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Allison, let me start with you. One, I want to know how you got involved in WriteGirl. Because you are a screenwriter. But also, explain to us how it works. DEEGAN: Well, WriteGirl pairs women writers with teen girls, one-on-one, as mentors and mentees. And in addition to that wonderful connection, the whole group meets monthly for full-day writing workshops, each led by our internal experts. We talk about journalism, fiction, screenwriting, songwriting. And then we publish our members' work in a book that we distribute throughout the country, so we can share the experience with everyone.
I got involved just as a way to give back, a way to help. And I really never really imagined the impact it would have on my own creative work, and that I find my own mentor here.
NGUYEN: Oh, I -- I mean, Lovely, who is quite lovely, by the way.
UMAYAM: Thank you.
NGUYEN: You met her when she was...
DEEGAN: Fourteen..
NGUYEN: ... in eighth grade. What was she in need of at the time and how did you help her put those words on paper, start to express herself?
DEEGAN: I think it was mostly about voice. All girls and, to some degree, all women, often don't have the outlet to feel their voice and creativity. Creative work and the guidance that we give them in WriteGirl is a way through. And she was a good student. I think she always did well in school. But I think she wasn't exploring her individual talents as much.
And when she came to WriteGirl, she just really began to thrive. She find an environment where not only did I listen to her, but our whole group listened to her. There's a real sense of membership and empowerment. And it has turned her grades into something extraordinary. She's a top student. And her creative work is, you know -- it's extraordinary, as you can see in the book.
NGUYEN: Well, I like that you say she found a voice, because Lovely, I want to talk to you. You're now a senior. You've learned so much in these past few years.
UMAYAM: Oh, very.
NGUYEN: So,what have you learned on the flip side of this, on your end of it? What have you learned most from this program?
UMAYAM: I think I learned that I actually have a voice, because when I came here, actually, I didn't know any English. And...
NGUYEN: Which is amazing, because listening to you right now, you would never know it.
UMAYAM: Oh, yes, a lot of people think that I was born here. But, actually, I just learned. And WriteGirl actually helped me, you know, actually focus on a creative outlet and help me write and really talk English and just express what I really want to say, and impart this to the world like right now.
NGUYEN: Yes. Well, you know, like you, I wasn't born here either. And I really appreciate your point. I want you to read it for us now, because it talks about what it's like to grow up Filipino- American.
UMAYAM: Yes. OK. So it's called "How Do You Say Dichotomy in Talagog?" and it's basically about my struggles as a Filipino-American trying to do both cultures at the same time, actually being an American and Filipino at once, without offending my parents. So here goes. Hope you guys like it.
"Every time I pin a flower to my hair, slip dangling chandeliers on my ears, put on American clothes, my father claims to see through it. He calls me Hollywood. A fake, flashy flesh of a soul, attempting to shed my true identity, piecing together a puzzle of Americana skin to hide the collamong (ph) of my Filipino. Is this true? He thinks I've become an American zombie, never home on weekends, skipping hapanoon (ph) for homework that's been stressing my soul.
The daughter who has come to hate the Bush administration's diabolitics, but has only a vague perception of who Hasad Asal (ph) is and what elphadabusparismo (ph) is all about. The daughter who uses the eloquence of America, pressing, palpable, esoteric words, but doesn't know the meaning of (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE). Is that a me? Trapped between two worlds like a mime outgrowing silent tricks, wanting to step into the noise, but stuck between endless invisible walls, left to feel the door with bare palms. Hard as it may seem, I will find identity. If I have to, I will march to two different beats of two different drums. I am Hollywood with a Talagog heart."
NGUYEN: You know, I can really relate to that, just growing up in America, yet you want to hold on to the culture of your roots. Allison, I want to ask you, as you listen to that, you see how far she's come. Gosh, it's got to make you feel proud inside.
DEEGAN: I am so proud and I'm so privileged, truthfully, to meet a kid like this. It really restored my faith in youth, I have to say. I thought they were all bratty and scary. And now it has given me...
NGUYEN: Scary, huh?
DEEGAN: ... just a sense of optimism that you can't deny. You know, just the future is important. It's in her hands. I tell her that all the time. And it's just been so thrilling for me. It's really been my privilege.
NGUYEN: Well, it is so thrilling to hear, too, because this is a young lady who didn't come to the U.S. until 1997, spoke no English. And now, if I read correctly, she's looking to apply to Stanford, Yale, Princeton, among the long list of colleges that she's interested in. So Allison, congratulations, you've come a long way.
DEEGAN: Thank you.
NGUYEN: And we really appreciate you both sharing your time and your voices with us today.
DEEGAN: And we love sharing the book with everyone, that so we can send WriteGirl out to the world.
NGUYEN: And here's another look at the book. "Nothing Held Back" is the title. It's by WriteGirl and it's available in stores now. Thank you both.
DEEGAN: Thanks so much.
UMAYAM: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM, terror on the high seas. A wave of recent pirate attacks raising a red flag for ships and luxury cruise liners all around the world. We have details from the Pentagon. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Coming to you now live from B control. It is a trip the Seabourn Spirit passengers will never forget. But pirate attacks are much more frequent than most people really realize. Just last year, there were 340 such attacks on ships all around the world. Still, though, this most recent assault on a luxury cruise liner may signal an ominous shift in tactics.
CNN's Barbara Starr has more on high-seas terror.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The attack on Seabourn Spirit cruise ship off the coast of Somalia has just latest in a disturbing series of incidents on the high seas around the world. Just last week, the U.S. Navy warned ships to stay more than 200 miles off the coast of Somalia to avoid pirates.
The Horn of Africa continues to be one of the most dangerous areas, 25 attacks since March of this year. That comes on top of a fivefold increase over the previous two years.
One cargo ship's crew bringing food aid to Somalia was held for 100 days before a ransom was reportedly paid.
But one maritime security expert suggests the cruise ship attack is more sinister. It may be the opening salvo in a new series of warlord-backed terrorist attacks in the region.
KIM PETERSON, PRESIDENT, SEASOURCE: It's just not likely that pirates would try to gain control over, in this case, some 368 persons, crew and passenger alike, in order to steal the silverware.
STARR: Naval warfare experts say the U.S. Navy simply isn't large enough to do much about the problem, whether it's piracy or terrorism.
STEPHEN PIETROPAOLI, EXEC. DIR., NAVY LEAGUE: There's clearly not enough United States Navy for 281 ships to cover the oceans of the world. There wouldn't be even at 600, but there's clearly not close to enough now.
STARR: This recent drill demonstrates the typical act of piracy, small boats with men, armed with AK-47s and shoulder-fired rockets, forcing ships to stop. Another pirate tactic has been to issue false distress signals to lure ships into a trap. It's not just a Horn of Africa problem, it's a global crisis across the oceans.
U.S. Naval intelligence reported more than two dozen piracy acts in just the last eight weeks, from the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia. The economic impact is massive.
PETERSON: We're talking about something that is in the billions of dollar dollars, and if you look at something like the cost to countries like Kenya, that rely so heavily on tourism, this is going to perhaps be a death knell to the visits of cruise ships that have become increasingly important to the region. Cruise ships simply can't afford to be taking passengers to areas where there's risk of their coming under attack by machine guns and RPG-7 grenade launchers.
STARR (on camera): A U.S. Navy official who tracks piracy issues says as long as shipping companies are willing to pay ransoms, than piracy will continue. The U.S. Navy, he says, will focus on trying to stop terrorist attacks.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM, a story every parent will want to see. A child is sick. Who decides what medical treatment he gets? His doctor, or the insurance company? You'll meet a family fighting an HMO over that exact issue.
And coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM, a church under investigation by the is. The charge: campaign intervention. Could your place of worship be the subject of an inquiry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Caught between heartbreak and outrage. Those are the powerful emotions confronting a San Francisco couple as they battle their health care provider over a doctor for their son. Now they believe little Jack's life hangs in the balance.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has more on their dilemma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four-year-old Jack Zembsch is way too busy having fun to know it, but he is caught in the middle of a fight that could save his life.
K. ZEMBSCH: We just feel like we get slapped in the face every time. It's like a knife being stabbed into us. We know where hope is for our child, and we can't get it.
You got it.
ROWLANDS: His parents say Jack always has a smile on his face, but he suffers from a very rare form of dwarfism called metatropic dysplasia. His organs are growing faster than his ribcage. His spine is slowly bending forward. Eventually, his lungs and heart will likely be crushed.
DR. WILLIAM MACKENZIE, ALFRED I. DUPONT HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN: And there is his chest.
ROWLANDS: Dr. William Mackenzie is the country's leading physician when it comes to treating this disease -- that's according to Jack's parents -- and his primary physician. Mackenzie has examined Jack. And he says he would like to treat it.
MACKENZIE: I can help Jack. We have had a lot of experience treating these children. And we will do this with a combination of -- of surgery and bracing.
ROWLANDS: Jack's parents, Mark and Kim Zembsch, are convinced that Dr. Mackenzie represents Jack's best chance for survival. While Jack's pediatrician agrees, his HMO does not. A family request to Health Net incorporated to allow Jack to be treated by Dr. Mackenzie has been repeatedly denied.
MARK ZEMBSCH, FATHER OF 4-YEAR-OLD JACK: We have appealed now four times after the original submission. And what we get is responses that just make your blood curdle when you get them back.
ROWLANDS: Dr. Mackenzie is in Delaware. The Zembschs lives in Northern California. Health Net says there's a doctor in San Francisco who can do the job. The Zembschs disagree. This morning, their lawyer filed a lawsuit demanding that Dr. Mackenzie be Jack's physician.
ARNOLD LEVINSON, ATTORNEY FOR ZEMBSCHS: We're just saying that he has the experience and, therefore, the ability to make judgments that the doctors out here don't.
ROWLANDS (on camera): Today, Health Net released a statement saying it would still like Jack to be seen locally here in San Francisco. But it says it will allow an independent review board to decide this case. And, while a decision is being made, it will allow Jack to see Dr. Mackenzie for consultation.
(voice-over): Jack's parents say they have already made a decision.
M. ZEMBSCH: We will figure out how to pay for it. We have got credit cards. We're going to get out to see Dr. Mackenzie. ROWLANDS: Ahead for Jack Zembsch is a lot of uncertainty is ahead. If all goes well, Jack could live well into his 30s. By then, his parents hope medical advances will keep him going longer.
M. ZEMBSCH: He's had physical challenges his whole life, but I think he's the happiest kid I have ever known.
K. ZEMBSCH: He is sunny side up. He was born that way. He's always been that way. That is who he is. He addresses challenges with an optimism that I am just astounded by.
He -- he may not be able to push a tricycle -- or ride a tricycle with his friends, but he will push it, so he's in the middle of the action and right in there with every kid. I know he will find ways to do that.
M. ZEMBSCH: He's like -- he's like the poster child for, you know, don't worry, be happy, because he is just always happy. He's a happy kid.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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