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President Bush Backs Ban on Same-Sex Marriage; Sport Contact Lenses Developed; Same Sex Couple Sues New York for Marriage Rights; Paying the Price in the Heartland

Aired June 05, 2006 - 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: On the record again on marriage -- President Bush is for it, but only between a man and a woman. And he wants members of Congress, many facing reelection, to take the same stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some argue that defining marriage should be left to the states. The fact is, state legislatures are trying to address this issue. But...

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: But, across the country, they are being thwarted by activist judges, who are overturning the express will of their people. And these court decisions could have an impact on our whole nation.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: For me, it's clear, the reason for this debate is to divide our society, to pit one against another. This is another one of the president's -- the president's efforts to frighten, to distort, distract and confuse America. It is this administration's way of avoiding the tough, the real problems American citizens are confronted with each and every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, two years ago, only 48 senators supported a same-sex marriage ban in the Constitution. Most agree the amendment circulating now has no chance of getting the 67 votes it needs to survive.

CNN's Ed Henry at the White House -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Kyra.

You're right. Even though the Senate is very unlikely to actually pass this constitutional amendment, conservatives want to keep beating the drums. They feel like they will start getting some momentum, gets this passed down the road. And the only way to do that is to keep the pressure on.

And they have been frustrated that people close to the president, like Mary Cheney, have been really talking this amendment down, Mary Cheney saying recently on her book tour that she thinks this is like writing discrimination into the Constitution. The first lady, Laura Bush, has also said this should not be used as a campaign tool. There should be more sensitivity brought to this topic. Meanwhile, the president has been relatively silent since the 2004 campaign -- conservatives frustrated that they helped deliver that reelection for the president, and, yet, they don't see him acting on all of this.

So, that's why, a little earlier today, when the president gave them some red meat, they were pretty fired up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Marriage is the most fundamental institution of civilization, and it should not be redefined by activist judges.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: You are here because you strongly support a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. And I am proud to stand with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, liberals see a president down in the polls suddenly turn -- turning to a web -- wedge issue that the president thinks could turn conservatives out in the midterms. And that's why Democrats are pretty fired up about this as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You know, it's interesting you brought up Mary Cheney, the vice president's daughter. We were talking about her, because we interviewed Chrissy Gephardt. She's very vocal about this. We sort of talked about being in a political family, being gay, having to talk about this issue. I wonder if we will hear from the vice president. He's sort of -- it's been a tough balancing act for him.

HENRY: You're right. I think it's unlikely we will hear from him. We did hear from the vice president in the last -- in the 2004 campaign.

You will remember, that was really one of the only major splits between the president and the vice president, when the vice president basically said he feels like they should be left to the states.

And you heard the president in that earlier sound clip basically pushing back against that very argument from the vice president and others, people in both parties who say it should be left to the states -- the president saying, look, states are trying to deal with it, but, in his view, activist courts, activist judges, are overturning what the people want in those states.

Interesting. Amid all this conservative pressure, I talked after this event to Dr. James Dobson, one of the most influential conservative activists in the country. He has threatened that, if there was not enough movement on this issue, Republicans may find conservatives staying home in the midterm elections. Dr. Dobson told me he was very pleased with what the president had to say and said -- quote -- "I don't think he could have said it any stronger" -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ed Henry at the White House -- thanks, Ed.

HENRY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: If it sounds familiar, it is. The same-sex marriage ban came up in Congress in 2004 and got no further than it is likely to get this year.

Here's the facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite President Bush's latest call for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, analysts say, chances for congressional passage are very unlikely at this time.

The amendment would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Even if left up to the American public, a constitutional ban might not be a safe bet. According to a recent Gallup poll, just half of Americans question support banning same-sex marriage. Forty-seven percent oppose the idea. Other polls show the issue is not among voters' priorities.

At present, Massachusetts is the only state that's legalized same-sex marriage. Civil unions are legal in Vermont and Connecticut. Thirteen states and the nation's capital allow some form of domestic partnership. According to President Bush, 45 states have either a state constitutional amendment or statute defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

In the fall election, initiatives banning same-sex marriage are expected to be on the ballot in six states. Two years ago, 13 states approved measures banning gay marriage or civil unions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And, of course, we have been getting a number of e- mails about this ban on gay -- or on gay marriage, this one coming from Bruce out of New Jersey: "Gay couples have been legally getting married in Massachusetts, and, surprise, the world hasn't ended, the state hasn't become a bastion of immorality, nor has there been a collapse of civilized society."

This one coming from Christopher: "Who cares? Fifty percent of people break their vows and get divorced. Who are we to spout off about the sanctity of marriage when it is a broken system?"

And, finally, Valeria: "I'm glad that President Bush is speaking out against gay marriage. He is speaking out against something that is wrong morally, physically, and spiritually." Well, at first glance, it looked like police commandos carrying out a raid. Fifty people were taken off the streets of Baghdad this morning. But, even though the raiders had police uniforms and at least 13 vehicles with police markings, they were not police.

It took more than an hour for the mass abductions to unfold. Neither the victims, nor the bogus commandos have been heard from since.

Still more questions over the conduct of some American troops in Iraq, and more calls for Donald Rumsfeld to quit.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre has the latest from the Pentagon.

What do you think? Do you think he would quit under pressure?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: No.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Plain and simple. No.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: That was easy, Jamie.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

MCINTYRE: You know, you have to put these stories somewhat in the category of, critics of Rumsfeld remain critical and continue to call for him to step down.

Rumsfeld, who has offered his resignation twice in the past over the Abu Ghraib scandal, has made it clear that he's not offering it again, and the president is not asking for it again. In fact, President Bush has given him another vote of confidence. A senior Defense official this morning, pressed for a reaction to the latest calls over the weekend from Senator Biden and others, simply said that it would be unfortunate if politics were inserted into this debate about what -- what may or may not have happened in Haditha, Iraq, back in November of last year.

PHILLIPS: What do you think about Haditha, Jamie? Charges, will they come forward? Have we heard anything more from the commandant of the Marine Corps, General Hagee?

MCINTYRE: Well, General Hagee is back, having met with his troops and given them the talking to that we said he was going to.

The investigation is substantially complete, we are told. But, today, General Chiarelli, who is the one who ordered the investigation, told some members of Congress -- at least those members of Congress reported today that they met with him over the weekend, that he still wants some more information to make sure that, when this investigation is wrapped up, there are no loose ends.

Sources, just on Friday, told us they thought the criminal investigation was still six to eight weeks from being completed. And just so people don't misunderstand, it's not like they are going to release the results of this investigation all at once.

What will happen once the investigation is wrapped up is that, if there are charges to be brought, we will start to see those charges come against some of the Marines of Kilo Company, which are the ones under scrutiny for these killing of civilians last year in Haditha.

PHILLIPS: Mike, do you think -- or, Jamie, do you think you will get time with General Hagee, or is he not talking to the media?

MCINTYRE: He -- he has not -- has not been talking to the media. He said -- he made it clear he wanted to talk one on one with his Marines to stress the kinds of values that the Marine Corps espouses.

He didn't want it to be a media event. They did release what he was going to say. And now that he's back, we are told that he may visit some of the bases in the United States to bring that same message to the Marines here in the United States, before they deploy to Iraq, or who have been to Iraq, as he did to the Marines who were in Iraq.

He visited virtually every Marine base in Iraq while he was there.

PHILLIPS: Jamie McIntyre, thanks a lot.

Americans know all to well about homegrown terror, but the possibility is shocking Canadians, after the arrest of 17 people accused of plotting bomb attacks in Ontario.

CNN's homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a wakeup call, for sure.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): If many Canadians were floored at the prospect of terrorists targeting their country, a few were not. Kim Bastarache says she had suspicions about her neighbor, Kium Abdul Jamal, who was among those arrested.

KIM BASTARACHE, NEIGHBOR: No, I knew they were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You knew they were what?

BASTARACHE: Terrorists. He seemed like he was a terrorist person from the day one he moved in.

MESERVE: Jamal was said by some Muslims in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga to have taken control of a local mosque.

TAREK FATAH, MUSLIM CANADIAN CONGRESS: Throws the old guard out and takes it over, and turns a very moderate mosque into a very conservative, radical place, which excluded a whole lot of other Muslims, including those who had funded it.

MESERVE: Another Toronto mosque was vandalized over the weekend, leading the chief of police to appear with Muslim leaders and plead for calm.

BILL BLAIR, TORONTO POLICE CHIEF: Justice will be done. And, in the interim, I hope that we can all work together to maintain the respect and trust and peace of our communities.

MESERVE: The 17 suspects are being held under tight security, after being rounded up Friday night. Canadian authorities say they had acquired three tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate and had what appeared to be detonators, the alleged targets, all in Ontario. An attorney for two of the suspects called the charges vague.

ROCCO GALATI, LAWYER: His family's well-established, well -- long-standing residents and citizens of Canada for the past 50 years.

MESERVE: But U.S. lawmakers are concerned.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: We've got a longer boarder with Canada than we do with Mexico. We've got thousands of trucks that come in every day, many of them -- most of them not inspected.

MESERVE (on camera): Canada officials describe those arrested as al Qaeda-inspired. And a U.S. counterterrorism official confirms that the men did have contact with terrorism suspects in the United States and in Britain.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. When the long arm of the law isn't quite long enough, well, it's good to have a guy like Steve Walker (ph) around.

Walker (ph) happened to be driving by a Holly Springs, Georgia, officer -- we are talking about Julianne Welch (ph) -- when she was trying to put the collar on a suspect. But Welch (ph), who stands 5'4'', was having trouble subduing Mike Schmidt (ph), who tops out at about 6'11''.

So, Walker (ph) waded into the fray, which involved rolling around in a briar patch before it was all over. For aiding and abetting a police officer, Walker (ph) is getting a commendation from the Holly Springs City Council.

Reporting for duty on the border -- dozens of National Guard troops are starting a new mission in Arizona. What their duties will and will not include -- coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: The Guard on the border -- 55 National Guard troops from Utah are the first to report under President Bush's crackdown on illegal immigration. Their new home for now, Saint Louis, Arizona. But they won't have any significant law enforcement duties.

Instead, they will do work that would tie up Border Patrol agents' work, such as building fences and patching roads. About 6,000 Guard troops will eventually bolster patrols along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Let's focus on the work the Utah troops will do in the Grand Canyon State.

Major General David Rataczak is the adjutant general at the Arizona National Guard. He joins me from Phoenix.

Good to see you again, sir.

Now you're starting. I guess, first of all, I want to ask you, why troops from Utah?

MAJOR GENERAL DAVID RATACZAK, ADJUTANT GENERAL, ARIZONA NATIONAL GUARD: Well, we are bringing in -- we will bring in, eventually, as this mission matures, troops from all over the country.

And the reason is, the -- their military tasks and skills line up very well with what the Border Patrol is asking us to do down there in this engineer mission, grading roads, building fences, erecting light posts.

And -- and they do horizontal -- what we call horizontal-vertical construction in their military tasks. So, these match up very well. And, so, it makes great sense to do these kinds of things.

PHILLIPS: So, here's my question. This has sort of been the concern from the beginning.

You just named what -- you -- you just talked about the -- the type of traits or the skills that they have and what they do well. And I didn't hear anything about weapons capability or if there's a confrontation.

Here, they are going to be at the border. We're talking about working on a fence. We already know that's a pretty volatile issue. What if something happens. What if there's some type of confrontation? Are these troops trained to handle that?

RATACZAK: Well, certainly, they are trained, through their military skills, to handle a weapon. And -- and they qualify on a range every year.

However, these soldiers don't have weapons with them while they are doing this mission. There are Border Patrol agents there who are sworn officers that carry weapons that do this every day in their job. And they are there to assure that -- ensure that our soldiers are safe. But we don't expect any problems. We have been doing this for five years. And we really have not had any incidents in the past. So, we expect this to be fairly benign.

PHILLIPS: Have you been able -- have you had to talk to them about rules of engagement? Even though you say they are not going to have weapons with them, do they have to have that talk?

RATACZAK: We do -- they do get a briefing. Before they left Utah, they got a briefing on the rules of -- on the use of force. We will also brief all of the soldiers that participate in any mission on the border on this, just because it's something we want to do, in case it's determined they will carry weapons some time later in the mission. But it's -- that's just a mandatory training requirement.

PHILLIPS: And will they be allowed to go into Mexico? That was sort of a -- the sticky issue at the beginning. Has that been worked out?

RATACZAK: You know, I -- I -- I don't know the answer to that question. My -- my intuition would say, no, they won't go into Mexico. But Border Patrol may have more insight on that than I would.

The -- the mission doesn't require them to go into Mexico. Let me just put it that way.

PHILLIPS: So, if they are coming from Utah, who is -- who is truly in charge of -- of the men and women from Utah? Is it you? Is it the governor there in Arizona? Is it Utah's governor, the general in -- in Utah?

RATACZAK: Well, technically, these soldiers are attached to us.

So, the governor of Arizona is -- becomes their commander in chief, also, while they're here working. She exercises that command authority through me to our task force commander, who is another general officer.

So, the governor in the supported state becomes the one in charge.

PHILLIPS: What do you -- what do you think your biggest challenge is going to be, as this gets moving, starting today, General?

RATACZAK: Well, quite honestly, I think the biggest challenge will be to assimilate all the troops that will be coming down to the four border states with Border Patrol, so, when we get them here, we get them on mission, and they are able to perform what they are supposed to do while they are here, before they leave.

And -- and, other than that, I think we have been coordinating with Border Patrol now for quite some time. And we have solved a lot of issues, more to come, but we have solved a lot of issues. And, so, we are ready.

And these folks are down there now today, starting their mission on the border, doing what they are supposed to do.

PHILLIPS: Major General David Rataczak, appreciate your time, sir.

RATACZAK: Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.

PHILLIPS: Well, more than 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, but 25 years into an epidemic, that survival comes at a price.

Coming up on LIVE FROM, a status report from the African nation of Botswana.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, her name is forever linked with tragedy. Mary Todd Lincoln lost her husband to an assassin's bullet. Three sons died before they became adults. Her older son, Robert, committed her to a sanitarium in 1875.

Well, most accounts suggest that he destroyed all the letters that she wrote there. But, recently, some of them were discovered. They reveal that Mrs. Lincoln, questioning her faith and obsessing about money and clothing, two of the reasons that she was committed.

Stocks have turned sharply lower in just the past hour or so.

Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange to tell us why.

Hey, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. That's right.

We are seeing a big sell-off right now. The main event of the day is relatively light on economic reports. So, the main event was comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. He started speaking about an hour ago. And, well, his news wasn't well-received.

You know, we got a whole bunch of economic reports last week. And he said what basically the market perceived as well, that the economy is entering a period of transition, that the economy is cooling. But he also said he remains focused on inflation, which he says has reached the upper end of the range consistent with price stability. That renews concerns that the Fed will continue to raise interest rates.

And the prospect of higher inflation and a slowing economy is not welcome news here -- the Dow Jones industrials down 153 points, decliners swamping advancers here by nearly a 4-1 margin. Ditto for the Nasdaq, which is down 40 points, or nearly 2 percent -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, one stock that's getting hammered recently Bausch & Lomb, after one of its contact lenses solutions was found to cause those infections. But the company is in the news today for a much different reason. Why? LISOVICZ: That's right.

We talked a lot about that infection. And it certainly took a lot out of its share price. But its -- shares of Bausch & Lomb, ticker symbol BOL, are actually higher right now by about two-thirds- of-a-percent.

The company has jointly developed a new brand of contact lenses with Nike that could, theoretically, take the place of sunglasses for athletes. They are called MaxSight lenses. They come in two colors, gray-green and amber. The gray-green lenses block glare for runners and help golfers better read the contours of greens, Kyra.

The amber colored lenses are designed to help tennis, baseball, football or soccer players, basically, when the ball is moving fast, see that ball better. And the lenses have one other advantage. They turn wearers eyes a different color, which many athletes feel gives them an intimidation factor.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

LISOVICZ: Whatever gives you that edge.

PHILLIPS: That might -- that might be pushing it a little bit, although it's true. One of them is supposed to turn your eyes red. That could be a little scary.

LISOVICZ: That's scary.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: And that could be intimidating. Apparently, they are already used by golfer Michelle Wie. And she is pretty intimidating -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes, she is. She can smack that ball...

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: ... I'll tell you what, 300-plus yards.

Well, is there any concern that the lenses -- the lenses give wearers an unfair advantage?

LISOVICZ: Well, the associations that govern high school and college athletics do allow athletes to use the lenses. Professional sports leagues, like the PGA and Major League Baseball, also allow them, because they consider them similar to sunglasses.

But there is some concern that only wealthier schools will be able to afford them, so, they can't get in on them. By the way, they cost $80 per box, or $160 if the wearer has different prescriptions on each eye. They can only be purchased through a doctor's office, which involves different costs as well -- additional costs, I should say. And that's the latest from Wall Street.

Stay with us. LIVE FROM will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. WAYNE ALLARD (R), COLORADO: Marriage is the union of a man and a woman. The definition of marriage crosses all bounds of race, religion, culture, political party, ideology, and ethnicity. It is the root from which families, communities and governments are grown. Marriage is the one bond on which all other bonds are built.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Defense of marriage or discrimination? Supporters of a constitutional ban on same sex marriage say it is needed, quote, to protect the institution. My next guest says there are all types of families. They should all be protected.

Jo-Ann Shain and Mary Jo Kennedy have been together 24 years. They are suing New York for refusing to allow them to marry. They join us now in New York along with their daughter, Aliya. Great to see all three of you.

Aliya, tell me about your parents?

ALIYA SHAIN, DAUGHTER: Well my parents are wonderful people. They have been together almost 24 years and they have taught me so many values that I hope one day I can pass down to my children and I'm very proud of them.

PHILLIPS: Has it been tough in school? Did you find was there ever a point where you were harassed and had to really get thick skinned? Has it been pretty much smooth sailing for you?

A. SHAIN: I have been really lucky. My school is very tolerant. All my friends think it is great that my parents on a lawsuit. I haven't had any problem whatsoever and I'm really grateful.

PHILLPS: Is there ever a time growing up where you thought, man, I don't quite understand this. Mom, mom, explain this to me again.

A. SHAIN: There was a time when I really didn't really understand how my family was different from a lot of other families in the sense that I always felt that Mary Jo who was not my birth mother was my birth mother they love each other, they love me just like any of my other families.

While I could see that physically there was a difference because I didn't have a father, I had two people who loved me and support me and still do. I wouldn't change it for anything.

PHILLIPS: And Jo Ann you carried Aliya. Tell me how you and Mary Jo came to the decision to do this. You're going back 17 years and obviously things have changed and become a lot more progressive now.

JO-ANN SHAIN, DENIED MARRIAGE LICENSE: Well, yes, that's true. Mary Jo and I have been together for 24 years. And we just thought that as a solid couple, we love each other, we have a very strong commitment that we wanted to have a child and to raise a family just like any other couple, married couple would want to do in our society. We thought why not?

PHILLIPS: Mary Jo how did you guys strategize parents? You probably didn't realize Aliya was going to turn out to be such a great kid. Hasn't really had very many issues. You are blessed. But you had to sit down and think how are you going to troubleshoot if she does have problems in school?

MARY JO KENNEDY, DENIED MARRIAGE LICENSE: There was a lot of things we had to do as a family. We would go into school at the beginning of the school year and speak to the teachers. Make sure they were aware of our family structure. We would sort of pave the way. It also wasn't totally easy from our standpoint because we don't have the rights that married couples had.

We had to consult with lawyers, put out money to get the legal papers for traveling for health care proxy for things like that. And I actually went through the long process of adopting Aliya legally so I could have a legal relationship with her.

PHILLIPS: Aliya, you're seeing the political fight that is going on right now among politicians, the president coming forward wanting to ban same sex marriage. How do you feel about that? Do you pay a lot of attention to what is going on politically?

A. SHAIN: Yes, I pay a lot of attention about what is going on. And you know I just -- if the president can come to my house and see what a loving and respectful family I come from I really, really think he would be very embarrassed by this federal amendment that he's proposing. You know, like, what are we teaching our children? Teaching our children that children of same-sex marriage, same-sex couples are second class citizens? Is that really something we want to be teaching them. I feel like President Bush should be embarrassed by this bill.

PHILLIPS: I'm curious, Aliya. I remember sex ed as a kid, homosexual relations never came up. It wasn't a part of the agenda. Do you -- what was sex ed like in school for you? Did same sex marriage come up? Were you the one saying hey, folks I have a little different situation here. Let's talk about two women?

A. SHAIN: It didn't really come up that much. And I mean all of my friends know about my parents so it didn't really come up that much. Just my friends are all supportive and sex education we never had anything about two women or gay marriage but I think they would be supportive of it.

PHILLIPS: Jo-Ann, if marriage for you would be legal, do you think it would -- how would it change what you already have? It seems like you guys have the perfect family? J. SHAIN: Well, it would appear that way. Marriage affords so many legal benefits and protections that we are denied because of who we are and who we love. But really a more important issue is that I want to be able to introduce Mary Jo as my wife and have it understood what that means. Not my domestic partner or my civil union. That's very ambiguous in our society but a wife or a husband, that -- it's clear what that means. That's unambiguous. We want the same consideration that any married couple takes for granted.

PHILLIPS: Finally, Mary Jo what would that do for your daughter?

KENNEDY: Well, I think we first of all have to credit our daughter for having us here. She gave us the courage to come here and she basically put it out that it was really -- we were doing it not only for us but for future generations. We raised her to be a good citizen, to become involved in the world. I think by doing this we're being a role model for her and future citizens.

PHILLIPS: Mary Jo, Jo-Ann and Aliya, thanks so much for your time today. Great meeting all three of you.

Twenty five years ago today Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Nolan Ryan became baseball's all-time walk leader and a CDC reported noted that five case of a rare strain of pneumonia in Los Angeles had surfaced. A generation later, more than 40 million people around the world are now infected with the disease we now know as HIV/AIDS. CNN's Jeff Koinange looks at the heavy toll it is taking on one African nation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: It's early morning in Botswana's capital, Gaberone, and seven year old Mercy Banyagitse (ph) is taking a daily dose of anti-retrovirals, or ARVs, the miracle drug cocktail that has prolonged the lives of tens of thousands of Botswanans infected with HIV.

At the Botswana Baylor (ph) Children's Clinic, it's standing room only. Each week, more than 500 HIV-positive mothers and their children come for their checkups and free ARVs. Just a few short years ago, none of this was available.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before ARVs became available, I was a very miserable, discouraged individual, walking into the world every day, seeing those wasted children there with their parents.

KOINANGE: About a third of all Botswanans, more than 350,000, are infected with HIV. Of those, close to 60,000 are on anti- retrovirals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we didn't have ARVs today, maybe he'd be dead by now.

KOINANGE: With its robust diamond mining industry, Botswana has prospered, allowing the government to allocate more than $100 million a year, half of the country's health budget, to fighting HIV/AIDS. But free medical service is useless to the thousands who don't know they have HIV. People like Muepu Moerloring (ph), who resisted for years before agreeing to be tested.

A lot of people are still in denial that HIV/AIDS exists, he says.

While testing in Botswana is strictly voluntary, the country's health minister would rather make it mandatory.

JOY PHUMAPHI, BOTSWANA'S HEALTH MINISTER: It's at individual level to say, this is a problem for myself, this is a problem for my family, for my community, for my society, and I'm going to ensure that I prevent HIV.

KOINANGE: Words that are so much easier said than done. Jeff Koinange, CNN, Gaberone, Botswana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Patrick Kennedy's month of rehab is over. The Rhode Island congressman was released on Friday from the Mayo Clinic which he checked himself into after a car crash near at the U.S. Capitol in May. Kennedy said that he was disoriented after taking sleeping pills and other medication. Today he said he takes responsibility for his actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PATRICK KENNEDY (D), RHODE ISLAND: I should not have been taking Ambien. It says on the directions do not operate heavy machinery under this drug. Fenergin (ph) says the same thing. So whether it's alcohol or drugs, any impaired driving is wrong. You know, makes no difference to me. If you are driving while intoxicated you're driving while intoxicated, whether it's booze or it's some other chemical. In my mind, you know, I'm ready to take the full consequences for my actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: While Kennedy acknowledges suffering from depression and abusing alcohol and prescription drugs for years.

Hard works gets even harder in the heartland. Coming up, it's costing farmers more to put food on your table. Who gets stuck with that tab. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well fuel costs are kicking farmers right in the bread basket. They are paying a premium to fuel the machines that plant, harvest and process their crops. But prices for those goods aren't necessarily going up. All this week CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" is taking a closer look at paying the price in the heartland.

Dan Lothian has one farmer's story from Adel, Iowa. DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, so often when we talk about high gas prices, we focus on big cities like New York, Los Angeles, even Boston. But they are also feeling the crunch here in the heartland as we found out when we talked to a farmer who says every penny counts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN (voice-over): The weather may be a farmer's best friend and worst enemy. But fuel is also proving to be a two-edged sword for farmers like Randy Kreager.

RANDY KREAGER, FARMER: The residue from last year's corn crop.

LOTHIAN: From tending to his fields to caring for his cattle, Kreager is feeling the pressure.

KREAGER: We're just having to try to trim our costs of production down even farther than we have already done in the past.

LOTHIAN: In order to raise corn and soybeans, Kreager needs lots of diesel to run his big machines, but the price per gallon he says has jumped by a dollar since last year.

KREAGER: Typically when we're harvesting corn, we're running a combine, a tractor with a grain cart, to catch the corn off the combine, then we run two semis, to haul the grain from the field to the elevator. It wouldn't be uncommon at all, in a situation like that, if we were running a full day of corn to probably burn about 300 gallons of diesel fuel.

LOTHIAN: That's roughly $800 a day. Yet the price he gets for his crops has not gone up significantly.

KREAGER: An old thing that I've heard is that we are price takers, not price makers. And that's referring to farmers.

LOTHIAN (on camera): You have to take the pain.

KREAGER: Exactly.

LOTHIAN (voice-over): To make matters worse, he raises cattle on land about 15 miles away down a winding, dusty road, across a stream and into the middle of nowhere.

KREAGER: There's always a tendency to cut corners, particularly with cattle in this example. You may say fuel is so expensive, then I'm just going to, instead of checking on them every other day, start checking on them every other week. You know, you may get buy with that, you may not. If you end up losing a couple of cavs, well then your gamble didn't pay off.

LOTHIAN: It's not unusual for Kreager to travel more than 300 miles per week in his pickup. It's hard work and fuel costs are slicing already thin margins, but this third generation farmer is determined to make it work. KREAGER: I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love it.

LOTHIAN: Everyone in his family is having to pay the price. Kreager and his wife Amy have decide only their 3-year-old daughter Jordan will attend day care full time this time.

AMI KREAGER, FARMER'S WIFE: Our oldest is only going to go to day care one day this summer. It is $25 a day for him, and it just saves a little bit.

LOTHIAN: So seven and a half-year-old son Dallas will work on the farm with his dad, learning about crops and cattle and perhaps some of the hurdles that make this job so challenging.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN: Kreager, who works some 1,600 acres, says he would love to see commodity prices come in his favor so he can get more money for his crops or he would love to see the fuel prices go down. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Dan Lothian, thank you so much. And be sure to catch our special series, "Paying the Price in the Heartland" all this week of CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern. More LIVE FROM in just a moment.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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PHILLIPS: Jacqui Jeras joining us now. Let's see, one flight of stairs up. How has it been? It hasn't been as busy as we thought, right?

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PHILLIPS: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, standing by in "THE SIT ROOM." Tell us what's coming up at the top of hour. Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Kyra, thanks very much. President Bush stepping up his support for a constitutional amendment on same- sex marriage. Is it a winning political strategy for Republicans? We're live at the White House and on Capitol Hill.

Plus we're following the latest on the terror arrest in Canada. Did the suspects have any ties to the United States? Our Mary Snow shows us the difficulties of patrolling the northern border.

And be careful, Kyra, what you e-mail at work. Your boss could be reading your e-mail more often than you think and it could get you fired. All that coming up right here at the top of the hour.

PHILLIPS: Does that mean I should get rid of all the e-mails from you?

BLITZER: Get rid of all those e-mails you write to everybody, Kyra, knowing you.

PHILLIPS: I only send you the love letters. Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well they said it wouldn't last. Speaking of love, Mary Kay Letourneau served more than seven years in prison for raping one of her sixth-grade students. Vili Fualaau is now her husband and last month, one of the country's most notorious couples celebrated their first anniversary. They spoke about their relationship with CNN's Larry King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Do you regret anything?

MARY KAY LETOURNEAU, MARRIED FORMER STUDENT: I regret not having -- I regret not knowing more about the criminal justice system. I regret not getting the -- well, I know that I did everything that I could have done once things laid themselves out. And that's how I went to sleep every night because every day I made sure I did everything either to help my children or to educate myself and...

KING: No regret over anything concerning Vili?

LETOURNEAU: My gosh, no, we're so happy to be together.

KING: You have any regrets?

VILI FUALAAU, MARRIED FORMER TEACHER: No.

KING: None?

FUALAAU: None.

KING: Do it again?

FUALAAU: I'd do it again, probably just next time if I did, I wouldn't get caught.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well don't miss the full interview with Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE." It starts at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN. More LIVE FROM in just a moment.

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PHILLIPS: A quick word of thanks to the Peabody Awards for recognizing CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina. One of journalism's top honors was given out today at the University of Georgia. The citation honoring CNN says, and I quote, "No other national, 24-hour news service provided more essential, up-to-the-minute information for viewers, listeners and online users. CNN's continuous live coverage became a go-to channel for the most current news about Katrina and its effects." Ali Velshi coming close to the closing bell here. It's pretty exciting to win a Peabody, that's a huge award.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: That's a huge award.

PHILLIPS: Yes it is. That's the grand-daddy of all grand-daddy awards.

VELSHI: I wonder if my day would have been different if I had gone to that fancy luncheon for the Peabody Award because -- it's been nothing but agro all afternoon for me. This Ben Bernanke dude needs to take a few days off?

PHILLIPS: Well I'll tell you, there's a lot of factors, starting with the slowing down -- well, the energy prices. It all started with the energy prices, right?

VELSHI: Well first of all, yes, and we started the day with Iran saying, it's going to hold back some oil and as a result, oil prices start to go up.

Now we all know this because we all buy guy and we all heat our homes and whatever the case is, so we know that -- you and I have talked about it. If you keep paying for higher energy prices, it's got to come out of somewhere.

That somewhere means the economy is in fact slowing down. The combination of energy prices and inflation and all of these interest rate hikes have meant that we are now dropping -- the economy is slowing down.

Well the economy is slowing down but these energy prices are still there. So Ben Bernanke is out there talking to bankers today. And he's saying -- in fact, let's take a look at what he said. He said -- he made this comment on T.V. "The anticipated moderation of economic growth seems now to be under way."

Well you know what that means? That means we're slowing down but he is still talking about raising interest rates and the combination of businesses making less money because of a slower economy and higher costs because of interest rates is causing a big fat drop on the stock markets right now.

PHILLIPS: Well, you've got core inflation. Then you've got the whole unemployment pretty low, right?

VELSHI: Right, unemployment is low. That means that wages can go higher because people can demand more for the work that they do. That's supposedly a good thing, Kyra, but that also adds to the cost of doing business. So very unusual circumstance. We see inflation creeping up and we see the economy slowing down. This is bad for business, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: See you tomorrow, my friend.

VELSHI: Good to see you, we'll see you tomorrow. And that closing bell is ringing now.

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