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Dean to Endorse Kerry; Adventures in Cold Water

Aired March 25, 2004 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kerry picks up support from a former rival in the race for the White House. Kelly Wallace is in Washington with details on that. Kelly, good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. John Kerry is run a few minutes behind schedule. That has really been a pattern for him.

But moments from now, we expect him and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean to come out here before these college students. And Howard Dean will announce he is officially endorsing John Kerry for president.

Kerry's aides say this is incredibly important. They believe this public showing of the two men standing together will validate John Kerry in the eyes of Howard Dean's base.

But here's an interesting thing. In an interview not too long ago, Howard Dean was asked, will he tell his hundreds of thousands of supporter to go out and vote for John Kerry? He responded, he's not going to tell them anything. But what he will say is his goal is to defeat President Bush and that John Kerry is the one with the chance to do that.

These two men, we know, have not seen eye to eye on everything. In fact, Howard Dean was a very strong critic of John Kerry during the primary campaign. But to that, he says, again, his goal is defeating President Bush. And that he will do what he can on behalf of helping John Kerry and other Democratic candidates in the fall.

We know that Howard Dean has already sent letters out to his hundreds of thousands of supporters. And also, Daryn, John Kerry and Howard Dean meeting in Washington just about two weeks ago. The Kerry campaign trying to tap in to Howard Dean's resource to raise lots and lots of money -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Kelly Wallace, we'll check back with you when that event does begin. Thank you for that.

The White House meanwhile fending off the latest allegations from former Counterterrorism Adviser Richard Clarke. In testimony before the commission investigating September 11, Clarke repeated his charge that the Bush administration didn't take the threat posed by al Qaeda seriously enough. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us with more on the administration's counteroffensive. Dana, good morning. DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And one of the charges from Richard Clarke that seems to be stringing the most here this morning at the White House is his suggestion that in a letter to Condoleezza Rice just days before September 11, he warned that attacks could be imminent.

And now Dr. Rice told reporters yesterday that he never actually communicated to anyone there may be an attack. And as part of the continued administration pushback, Secretary of State Colin Powell used an appearance on Capitol Hill this morning to say no one ever connected the dots before September 11.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The suggestion, however, that there was one magic moment or one magic bullet or one -- one moment in time when you could connect two dots and say, we know that these individuals are in our country and we know that they are planning to fly planes into the World Trade Center is not right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Daryn, It's sometimes hard to forget, but still important to point out that this is an election year. And it's one in which the president is running on his stewardship as commander in chief and fighting terrorism. So it's not just the White House hitting back, it's also his campaign that's being aggressive in try to discredit Richard Clarke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN MEHLMAN, BUSH CAMPAIGN MNG.: In 2002, he pointed out that the administration took aggressive action from the very beginning against al Qaeda, that we increased funding for the CIA fivefold to deal with al Qaeda. And that the previous administration hadn't, in fact, given us a plan to deal with it.

And that is what he was saying when he was giving his honest opinion. Now he's try to sell books and he says something different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now politically, the president's campaign aides understand that perhaps his most support on any issue is the support on how he has handled the fight against terrorism. And they want to make sure that any of these charges that Dick Clarke is leveling against the president, that none of them stick -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Dana Bash at the White House. Dana, thank you for that.

Well there is a lot of criticism aimed at the president these days, but apparently he hasn't lost his sense of humor. Mr. Bush spoke at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner last night. Here's a listen to what he has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In addition to campaign calls, I also spend a lot of time on the phone listening to our European allies.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: The conversation went like this. Hey, John, Kim Jong Il here.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: Just wanted to call and let you know you're my guy.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: Those weapons of mass destruction got to be somewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Some pretty serious topics there, making light of that. That is the tradition at that dinner, for the president to poke fun at himself.

Well they say if it looks too good to be too true -- too good to be true, it probably is. That's exactly what feds are saying about some diet aides sold by a popular cable network. The details next in your "Daily Dose" of health news.

And Jeff Gordon knows how to win. Now he's in for a new race, one that could save thousand of lives. Jeff Gordon is with us live coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Americans spent about $2 billion last year on dietary supplements for weight loss. Now the government is cracking down on products that don't back up the that claims they make. Our medical correspondent Christy Feig has our "Daily Dose" of health news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the 24-hour shopping channel QVC for several weight loss products they sold.

JONI LUPOVITZ, FTC: QVC violated a previous Federal Trade Commission order and made false and unsubstantiated claims about weight loss products and other dietary supplements.

FEIG: The FTC has been watching the QVC closely since its settlement with the company in 2000 over what the FTC says were un- backed claims on a different product.

(on camera): As part of that settlement, the QVC agreed to make sure all future health claims on dietary supplements are backed by science.

(voice-over): The products at issue Wednesday include For Women Only "Zero Fat" Pills, which the FTC alleges QVC claimed prevent fat absorption, and For Women Only "Zero Carb" Pills, which FTC says QVC claimed prevent sugar and carbs from being stored as fat.

In response to today's action, the QVC says: "We work extraordinarily hard to make sure that our 24-hour live broadcasting meets the highest possible standards of truthfulness and we are ready to demonstrate that fact to the Court."

The FTC says this time the company could pay millions in civil penalties and reimburse consumers. In the meantime, they remind consumers if the claims sound too good to be true they probably are.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: For your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical headlines. There's head to toe health information from CNN and the Mayo Clinic. The address is CNN.com/health.

She swam the English Channel, Bering Strait and the Cape of Good Hope. Now she is braving the unchartered waters of your local book store. What's it like to be swimming to Antarctica? Find out next.

First, though, today's adventure on the edge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: The smallest country in South America, Ecuador, border the Pacific Ocean and the Equator. Known for its tropical climate and lush scenery, it is also home to Coda Paxie (ph), the world's tallest volcano. And it's this that brought one group of adventurers here to summit its peak, and ski and snowboard down. The group began their journey in the bustling streets and markets of Ecuador's capital, Kito (ph). And then it was on to Coda Paxie, by train and bus. And as the road gave way to dirt and grew steeper, by mule and on foot, they traveled through lush green meadows, where farmers toiled in the rich volcanic earth, and sheep and cows grazed.

Soon, the equatorial summer game way to cold, and the group finally made camp at 16,000 feet. After being driven back again and again by wind and dangerous snow, they were able to summit this imposing mountain. And then, it was skiing and snowboarding all the way down. And though the snow was far from perfect, hard and icy, the fact that they'd reached their goal and were coming down their way made this adventure unforgettable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Lynne Cox likes it chilly. She's among the world's most adventurous cold water swimmers. She has navigated the Bering Straits, the English Channel, the Cooke Strait -- that's between New Zealand's islands -- and even the frigid water's off Antarctica, bumping into a couple of small icebergs along the way.

Lynne Cox's memoir is called "Swimming to Antarctica." She join us in New York this morning to talk about her adventures in cold water.

Lynne, good morning.

LYNNE COX, AUTHOR, "SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA": Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: A warm good morning to you.

COX: Thank you.

KAGAN: I guess when you look at the long list -- and we did mention some of them, of places that you've been -- we made a Lynn Cox map. Look at some of the places that you have swam. We've got the Catalina Channel, the English Channel, the Cooke Strait -- I mentioned these -- Cape of Good Hope, the Bering Strait, and then the subject of your latest book, Antarctica. I guess the big question for those of us that don't undertake this is, why?

LYNNE COX, AUTHOR, "SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA": I really wanted to see what I was capable of doing, because I had swam the English Channel at 15 and broken world record. And I just felt like a human being had so much more capability than we've ever explored, and I thought that it'd be great to swim to Antarctica.

KAGAN: What a great idea.

COX: And just so that we understand exactly what you're undertaking, it does feel cold to you. It's not like you're immune to the chilliness of this water.

KAGAN: No, it feels really cold to me. In fact, friends laugh at me when I tell them I can't stand taking cold showers.

COX: And that's true?

KAGAN: It's true. You know, the swimming in Antarctica, the water temperature there was 32 degrees, and it actually killed nerve endings in my fingers and toes, and it took about six months to get that sensation back. So I do feel the water, and it does affect me like anyone else. I'm just able to not focus on that, and focus on what I'm trying to do.

KAGAN: So it's more a brain and mind thing than it is a body thing?

COX: It's both. It's brain, mind, body, because if you don't train, you can't acclimate, and if you don't acclimate, you just can't do it. And it's also the will of wanting to do it. KAGAN: And I would think that the training part of course is important, but I would think you would have to have a certain body type to be able to do something like this.

COX: It helps to be able to close down the blood flow peripherally, and also be able to work at 70 or 80 percent maximum to generate heat, and also be somewhat buoyant in the water.

KAGAN: When you look at this long list of accomplishments, and you've been doing this since you were a child, or a teenager, which one was the hardest of all the swims you've taken?

COX: You know, each one is amazingly challenging, and I can't progress until I've done whatever goal I have set out before me. Antarctica was extremely difficult, because I knew that I could jump into the water and die. There's a nerve in your nose called the vagus (ph) nerve, and if you overstimulate it, suddenly, you can just go into cardiac arrest. But the Bearing Strait took 11 years to get Soviet approval to do it. And so there are other hurdles that you also face between, you know, the political, the physiological, the sponsorship. All those things go into it.

KAGAN: And I know when you're not in cold water, you travel the world as an inspirational speaker. How do you translate your experience and your accomplishments to those of us that, perhaps, our next goal is not to jump into the waters off of Antarctica?

COX: What I do is I look at what I've done and try to relate it to whomever I am speaking to. For instance, I just did a lecture about sustaining success, because I'm swam for 30 years and done major goals. And one builds upon the other, like a lot of people do upon the pharmaceutical industry, or in any big business, they have to take what they've learned and then take a big leap.

KAGAN: OK, I get that. I don't think that that's big of a stretch.

Why I do get the feeling you're not done?

COX: Because I think that I'll be swimming as long as I live, so you get the right feeling.

KAGAN: Any big, huge goals out there we need to know about?

COX: Always, always, there's another book in the work and another swim in the works. It takes a while to do these things. A year or two planning. I don't just do it at the drop of a hat. It takes a lot of research in figuring out logistically how it can be done. It's like launching a huge expedition.

KAGAN: Often, when we talk about these extraordinary feats, we say, don't try this at home. Here's the thing, Lynne, I don't think we need to tell that to too many people. I don't think too many people want to do it, but we wish you well.

COX: Thank you very much. KAGAN: Good luck with the book, and also with the next swim. Wherever it is, you'll have to stop by and tell us where you're jumping in next, when you have it all set.

COX: Thank you very much, Daryn, I really appreciate it.

KAGAN: Lynne Cox, thank you so much.

Business and weather just ahead. Stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And we're looking at a live picture of Washington, D.C. George Washington University, the campus. We're expecting, very soon, John Kerry to arrive, and Howard Dean. And we expect this to be the day where Howard Dean does officially endorse John Kerry. More on that ahead.

Meanwhile, let's check in on business news. And we'll do that -- we won't do that. All right. We'll get to business news in just a moment.

First, we want to talk about the battle over the Pledge of Allegiance. It is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. Justices will decide if the phrase "under God" is unconstitutional.

But meanwhile, we decided to check in in classrooms and see how kids are tackling the pledge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GROUP: I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pledge allegiance, to the flag...

UNIDENTIFIED ALE: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America -- to the United States of America -- oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... to the flag of the United States of America. OK. I don't know it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... and to the republic of which it stands, one nation, under God -- indivisible...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One nation, under God. And divisible...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... for liberty and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, if that is not just the cutest thing we've seen on our air all day.

(MARKET UPDATE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well all morning long we've been promising you NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. He's a no-show. He must have gotten stuck in traffic or something. We will track him down, still get an interview with him and hopefully bring you that tomorrow.

That's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right here tomorrow morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired March 25, 2004 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kerry picks up support from a former rival in the race for the White House. Kelly Wallace is in Washington with details on that. Kelly, good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. John Kerry is run a few minutes behind schedule. That has really been a pattern for him.

But moments from now, we expect him and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean to come out here before these college students. And Howard Dean will announce he is officially endorsing John Kerry for president.

Kerry's aides say this is incredibly important. They believe this public showing of the two men standing together will validate John Kerry in the eyes of Howard Dean's base.

But here's an interesting thing. In an interview not too long ago, Howard Dean was asked, will he tell his hundreds of thousands of supporter to go out and vote for John Kerry? He responded, he's not going to tell them anything. But what he will say is his goal is to defeat President Bush and that John Kerry is the one with the chance to do that.

These two men, we know, have not seen eye to eye on everything. In fact, Howard Dean was a very strong critic of John Kerry during the primary campaign. But to that, he says, again, his goal is defeating President Bush. And that he will do what he can on behalf of helping John Kerry and other Democratic candidates in the fall.

We know that Howard Dean has already sent letters out to his hundreds of thousands of supporters. And also, Daryn, John Kerry and Howard Dean meeting in Washington just about two weeks ago. The Kerry campaign trying to tap in to Howard Dean's resource to raise lots and lots of money -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Kelly Wallace, we'll check back with you when that event does begin. Thank you for that.

The White House meanwhile fending off the latest allegations from former Counterterrorism Adviser Richard Clarke. In testimony before the commission investigating September 11, Clarke repeated his charge that the Bush administration didn't take the threat posed by al Qaeda seriously enough. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us with more on the administration's counteroffensive. Dana, good morning. DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And one of the charges from Richard Clarke that seems to be stringing the most here this morning at the White House is his suggestion that in a letter to Condoleezza Rice just days before September 11, he warned that attacks could be imminent.

And now Dr. Rice told reporters yesterday that he never actually communicated to anyone there may be an attack. And as part of the continued administration pushback, Secretary of State Colin Powell used an appearance on Capitol Hill this morning to say no one ever connected the dots before September 11.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The suggestion, however, that there was one magic moment or one magic bullet or one -- one moment in time when you could connect two dots and say, we know that these individuals are in our country and we know that they are planning to fly planes into the World Trade Center is not right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Daryn, It's sometimes hard to forget, but still important to point out that this is an election year. And it's one in which the president is running on his stewardship as commander in chief and fighting terrorism. So it's not just the White House hitting back, it's also his campaign that's being aggressive in try to discredit Richard Clarke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN MEHLMAN, BUSH CAMPAIGN MNG.: In 2002, he pointed out that the administration took aggressive action from the very beginning against al Qaeda, that we increased funding for the CIA fivefold to deal with al Qaeda. And that the previous administration hadn't, in fact, given us a plan to deal with it.

And that is what he was saying when he was giving his honest opinion. Now he's try to sell books and he says something different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now politically, the president's campaign aides understand that perhaps his most support on any issue is the support on how he has handled the fight against terrorism. And they want to make sure that any of these charges that Dick Clarke is leveling against the president, that none of them stick -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Dana Bash at the White House. Dana, thank you for that.

Well there is a lot of criticism aimed at the president these days, but apparently he hasn't lost his sense of humor. Mr. Bush spoke at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner last night. Here's a listen to what he has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In addition to campaign calls, I also spend a lot of time on the phone listening to our European allies.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: The conversation went like this. Hey, John, Kim Jong Il here.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: Just wanted to call and let you know you're my guy.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: Those weapons of mass destruction got to be somewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Some pretty serious topics there, making light of that. That is the tradition at that dinner, for the president to poke fun at himself.

Well they say if it looks too good to be too true -- too good to be true, it probably is. That's exactly what feds are saying about some diet aides sold by a popular cable network. The details next in your "Daily Dose" of health news.

And Jeff Gordon knows how to win. Now he's in for a new race, one that could save thousand of lives. Jeff Gordon is with us live coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Americans spent about $2 billion last year on dietary supplements for weight loss. Now the government is cracking down on products that don't back up the that claims they make. Our medical correspondent Christy Feig has our "Daily Dose" of health news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the 24-hour shopping channel QVC for several weight loss products they sold.

JONI LUPOVITZ, FTC: QVC violated a previous Federal Trade Commission order and made false and unsubstantiated claims about weight loss products and other dietary supplements.

FEIG: The FTC has been watching the QVC closely since its settlement with the company in 2000 over what the FTC says were un- backed claims on a different product.

(on camera): As part of that settlement, the QVC agreed to make sure all future health claims on dietary supplements are backed by science.

(voice-over): The products at issue Wednesday include For Women Only "Zero Fat" Pills, which the FTC alleges QVC claimed prevent fat absorption, and For Women Only "Zero Carb" Pills, which FTC says QVC claimed prevent sugar and carbs from being stored as fat.

In response to today's action, the QVC says: "We work extraordinarily hard to make sure that our 24-hour live broadcasting meets the highest possible standards of truthfulness and we are ready to demonstrate that fact to the Court."

The FTC says this time the company could pay millions in civil penalties and reimburse consumers. In the meantime, they remind consumers if the claims sound too good to be true they probably are.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: For your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical headlines. There's head to toe health information from CNN and the Mayo Clinic. The address is CNN.com/health.

She swam the English Channel, Bering Strait and the Cape of Good Hope. Now she is braving the unchartered waters of your local book store. What's it like to be swimming to Antarctica? Find out next.

First, though, today's adventure on the edge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: The smallest country in South America, Ecuador, border the Pacific Ocean and the Equator. Known for its tropical climate and lush scenery, it is also home to Coda Paxie (ph), the world's tallest volcano. And it's this that brought one group of adventurers here to summit its peak, and ski and snowboard down. The group began their journey in the bustling streets and markets of Ecuador's capital, Kito (ph). And then it was on to Coda Paxie, by train and bus. And as the road gave way to dirt and grew steeper, by mule and on foot, they traveled through lush green meadows, where farmers toiled in the rich volcanic earth, and sheep and cows grazed.

Soon, the equatorial summer game way to cold, and the group finally made camp at 16,000 feet. After being driven back again and again by wind and dangerous snow, they were able to summit this imposing mountain. And then, it was skiing and snowboarding all the way down. And though the snow was far from perfect, hard and icy, the fact that they'd reached their goal and were coming down their way made this adventure unforgettable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Lynne Cox likes it chilly. She's among the world's most adventurous cold water swimmers. She has navigated the Bering Straits, the English Channel, the Cooke Strait -- that's between New Zealand's islands -- and even the frigid water's off Antarctica, bumping into a couple of small icebergs along the way.

Lynne Cox's memoir is called "Swimming to Antarctica." She join us in New York this morning to talk about her adventures in cold water.

Lynne, good morning.

LYNNE COX, AUTHOR, "SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA": Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: A warm good morning to you.

COX: Thank you.

KAGAN: I guess when you look at the long list -- and we did mention some of them, of places that you've been -- we made a Lynn Cox map. Look at some of the places that you have swam. We've got the Catalina Channel, the English Channel, the Cooke Strait -- I mentioned these -- Cape of Good Hope, the Bering Strait, and then the subject of your latest book, Antarctica. I guess the big question for those of us that don't undertake this is, why?

LYNNE COX, AUTHOR, "SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA": I really wanted to see what I was capable of doing, because I had swam the English Channel at 15 and broken world record. And I just felt like a human being had so much more capability than we've ever explored, and I thought that it'd be great to swim to Antarctica.

KAGAN: What a great idea.

COX: And just so that we understand exactly what you're undertaking, it does feel cold to you. It's not like you're immune to the chilliness of this water.

KAGAN: No, it feels really cold to me. In fact, friends laugh at me when I tell them I can't stand taking cold showers.

COX: And that's true?

KAGAN: It's true. You know, the swimming in Antarctica, the water temperature there was 32 degrees, and it actually killed nerve endings in my fingers and toes, and it took about six months to get that sensation back. So I do feel the water, and it does affect me like anyone else. I'm just able to not focus on that, and focus on what I'm trying to do.

KAGAN: So it's more a brain and mind thing than it is a body thing?

COX: It's both. It's brain, mind, body, because if you don't train, you can't acclimate, and if you don't acclimate, you just can't do it. And it's also the will of wanting to do it. KAGAN: And I would think that the training part of course is important, but I would think you would have to have a certain body type to be able to do something like this.

COX: It helps to be able to close down the blood flow peripherally, and also be able to work at 70 or 80 percent maximum to generate heat, and also be somewhat buoyant in the water.

KAGAN: When you look at this long list of accomplishments, and you've been doing this since you were a child, or a teenager, which one was the hardest of all the swims you've taken?

COX: You know, each one is amazingly challenging, and I can't progress until I've done whatever goal I have set out before me. Antarctica was extremely difficult, because I knew that I could jump into the water and die. There's a nerve in your nose called the vagus (ph) nerve, and if you overstimulate it, suddenly, you can just go into cardiac arrest. But the Bearing Strait took 11 years to get Soviet approval to do it. And so there are other hurdles that you also face between, you know, the political, the physiological, the sponsorship. All those things go into it.

KAGAN: And I know when you're not in cold water, you travel the world as an inspirational speaker. How do you translate your experience and your accomplishments to those of us that, perhaps, our next goal is not to jump into the waters off of Antarctica?

COX: What I do is I look at what I've done and try to relate it to whomever I am speaking to. For instance, I just did a lecture about sustaining success, because I'm swam for 30 years and done major goals. And one builds upon the other, like a lot of people do upon the pharmaceutical industry, or in any big business, they have to take what they've learned and then take a big leap.

KAGAN: OK, I get that. I don't think that that's big of a stretch.

Why I do get the feeling you're not done?

COX: Because I think that I'll be swimming as long as I live, so you get the right feeling.

KAGAN: Any big, huge goals out there we need to know about?

COX: Always, always, there's another book in the work and another swim in the works. It takes a while to do these things. A year or two planning. I don't just do it at the drop of a hat. It takes a lot of research in figuring out logistically how it can be done. It's like launching a huge expedition.

KAGAN: Often, when we talk about these extraordinary feats, we say, don't try this at home. Here's the thing, Lynne, I don't think we need to tell that to too many people. I don't think too many people want to do it, but we wish you well.

COX: Thank you very much. KAGAN: Good luck with the book, and also with the next swim. Wherever it is, you'll have to stop by and tell us where you're jumping in next, when you have it all set.

COX: Thank you very much, Daryn, I really appreciate it.

KAGAN: Lynne Cox, thank you so much.

Business and weather just ahead. Stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And we're looking at a live picture of Washington, D.C. George Washington University, the campus. We're expecting, very soon, John Kerry to arrive, and Howard Dean. And we expect this to be the day where Howard Dean does officially endorse John Kerry. More on that ahead.

Meanwhile, let's check in on business news. And we'll do that -- we won't do that. All right. We'll get to business news in just a moment.

First, we want to talk about the battle over the Pledge of Allegiance. It is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. Justices will decide if the phrase "under God" is unconstitutional.

But meanwhile, we decided to check in in classrooms and see how kids are tackling the pledge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GROUP: I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pledge allegiance, to the flag...

UNIDENTIFIED ALE: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America -- to the United States of America -- oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... to the flag of the United States of America. OK. I don't know it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... and to the republic of which it stands, one nation, under God -- indivisible...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One nation, under God. And divisible...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... for liberty and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, if that is not just the cutest thing we've seen on our air all day.

(MARKET UPDATE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well all morning long we've been promising you NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. He's a no-show. He must have gotten stuck in traffic or something. We will track him down, still get an interview with him and hopefully bring you that tomorrow.

That's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right here tomorrow morning.

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