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John Kerry Heads to Boston; 68 Dead in Iraq Suicide Bombing

Aired July 28, 2004 - 10:00   ET

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

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


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We will go ahead and get started here. Good morning, we're at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. Good morning, I'm Daryn Kagan.
Let's take a look at the headlines now in the news. We begin with a live picture from Philadelphia; the man they've all been waiting for will make a dramatic entrance. Senator John Kerry will soon head for Boston. He's expected at about an hour and a half from now. We're looking at this live picture from Philadelphia because that is where the senator will leave from, as he makes his way to Boston.

Accompanying him will be fellow Vietnam veterans. With him, Kerry will cross Boston Harbor; he's coming in by water taxi. We'll have the latest from the Democratic convention in just a few minutes.

In Iraq, 68 people are dead as a suicide bomber plows a minibus into a crowded marketplace in Baquba, then sets off the explosions. The blast was so powerful that it set fires to nearby vehicles and ripped the facades off of buildings. At least 56 are hurt. The very latest coming up in about 10 minutes.

To Afghanistan, six people are dead after an explosion in a mosque in southwest Kabul. Among the dead are two U.N. workers, who were registering people for elections in that country that Islamic militants have vowed to disrupt.

Meanwhile, the group that is known as Doctors Without Borders says that it's pulling out of Afghanistan, because of rogues who recently killed five of its workers have not been caught.

Back here in the states, rescue search crews in Utah are still looking for a pregnant woman missing for nine days. The family of Lori Hacking says an organized volunteer search has now been called off, out of safety for the volunteers. The police have named the woman's husband, Mark Hacking, as a person of interest in the case.

Keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.

We begin with politics. Vice presidential candidate John Edwards amassed his financial fortune with charisma and conviction in the courtroom. Tonight, the trial attorney puts his political fortune to the test, presenting his case to the nation's voters.

Our Elaine Quijano has been traveling with Senator Edwards, who will deliver a prime time acceptance speech for the party's nomination. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Senator John Edwards walked through the Fleet Center late last night, something he was originally supposed to do at this hour. Instead, the senator deciding last night to go through and get comfortable with the stage, and feel what it was like behind the podium. Now, when asked what it was like to be here at the Fleet Center, the senator said that it felt great and that he was done writing his speech.

Now, according to a senior campaign official, Senator Edwards has known what he was going to say here in Boston from almost the moment John Kerry chose him as his running mate. He will lay out why he thinks John Kerry should be president. Edwards is expected to mention Iraq and also bring back a theme from the primaries, the idea of two Americas. He says he wants to reach people in the same way he did when he visited people's houses in Iowa during the primary.

Now, the senator arrived in Boston yesterday before taking off from his hometown of Raleigh. He actually, before getting on board the plane, stopped by the cemetery to visit the grave of his son Wade, who was killed in a car accident eight years ago. And once on board the plane, Senator Edwards had some fun with his aides tossing around a football. The senator said that he felt fine.

It was actually on Monday that the senator had a raspy voice. He sounded very strained and had to cancel a planned campaign stop in the afternoon in order to rest his voice. But when asked about it last night, the senator said it was OK and that he will be ready tonight.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Senator Edwards' wife, Elizabeth sat down this morning for an interview with Judy Woodruff. Mrs. Edwards is an accomplished attorney herself and an advocate for children's cases. One topic, the 1996 death of their first child, Wade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Before you and the family left Raleigh, North Carolina, your home; yesterday, you visited the gravesite of your son...

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS: We did.

WOODRUFF: ... Wade. Is there a special connection here, given what's going on this week?

EDWARDS: I mean well, you know, these events are in some ways bittersweet to us because we wish that Wade were here sharing them with us. But visiting the grave is just something we do when we're home. And since we're home less frequently now, of course, we wanted to make certain that we did that. So that was just a trip any parent in our position would have taken. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You can see Judy's full interview with Elizabeth Edwards on today's expanded edition of "INSIDE POLITICS." That's this afternoon at 3:00 Eastern, noon Pacific.

A relative unknown in the Democratic Party, not only took the stage last night. He seized it. And Barack Obama further cemented his billing as a rising star in a party that he says offers the optimism that America can, quote "reclaim its promise."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story; that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me. And that in no other country on earth is my story even possible.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, here is a bit of that story. Obama is the son of a Kenyan goat herder in Kenya, who came to the U.S. on an academic scholarship. Obama's father met and married a white woman from Kansas. Obama attended Harvard Law School and teaches law at the University of Chicago. He is now working to become -- well, he is now an Illinois State Senator. He's expected though, to capture the U.S. Senate seat. Hardly the last we have seen of Barack Obama.

Let's get a look ahead at tonight's convention schedule, which will be built around John Edwards' acceptance speech.

CNN's political analyst Carlos Watson is at Boston's Fleet Center with a preview.

Whew! You finally made it to Boston!

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, it was a long road. A long and winding road, as they say.

KAGAN: Here you are. I want to get to John Edwards in a second. But Barack, anybody who saw that speech last night will no longer be saying Obama who.

WATSON: I think he was probably the best keynote speech in the Democratic convention in the last 30 years. Ann Richards gave a really well received one in '88, Mario Cuomo in '84. A lot of people don't remember Barbara Jordan's in '76, but it was pretty impressive. But I think this far and away, was probably the best not only in terms of substance. But the passion and the reception he got, not only in the audience, but beyond. KAGAN: And now let's move on to tonight, looking ahead. John Edwards, what does he need to say tonight? We've heard, especially in Barack Obama's speech, a lot of good fuzzy feelings but not a lot of specifics on policies, especially national security. Is that John Edwards' job tonight?

WATSON: It is. And it's really time for Edwards to be the first, and Kerry will be the second to lay out, in very clear terms, here are the four or five things that a Kerry administration would do over the next four years. So he'll continue to sell himself and introduce his story to an American public that's still getting to know him.

But I think more importantly than that he has to put some policy meat on the bone. And particularly when it comes to national security, Daryn. Again Americans, by in some polls -- by as much as 2-1 or 3-1 believe that President Bush will do better on issues of terrorism and national security than will John Kerry. And John Kerry has got to be worried about that that he not only needs to meet a threshold test, but in many ways, he needs to prove that he can be tougher than President Bush on matters of national security.

KAGAN: All right. Party affiliation aside, let's talk about what is becoming the hot political accessory and that is to have a great daughter, or if you have even more than one great daughter, even better?

WATSON: You know, and that wasn't true if you think back even 20, 30 years ago. But remember, four years ago, Karenna Gore was not just there for her dad, but in fact, was a real adviser and spoke at the convention, and frequently was on the campaign trail. This year on both sides of the aisle, the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, recent college graduates, as well as Kate Edwards, another recent college graduate.

And when you take a broader step back, what's interesting is that now we're beginning to see second and third generation politicians, who are not only men, like Al Gore whose father was a Senator, or President Bush whose dad was obviously the president. But now you see Nancy Pelosi whose dad was mayor of Baltimore. Or the current governor of Kansas, her dad was the governor of Ohio. So the daughters you're seeing today on the stage could be the senators, governors and presidents of tomorrow.

KAGAN: Let's -- and again, this is the part of our daily exchange here, when we like to talk about how the Democrats are doing. Excellent speech last night by Barack Obama, but none of the networks carried even a drop of prime time coverage.

WATSON: And again, the numbers as we've talked about have been down, although the numbers for PBS were slightly up. But broader than that, and maybe more significantly, are this -- is this information getting disseminated through little clips on the local news and the morning shows, television, radio, and Internet?

And I think the question that still is out there, and actually may be a valuable achievement so far for the Democrats. Have they done anything to convince Nader voters to come over to their side? And I think in many ways Al Gore started that process off on Monday. And I think Barack Obama and others went a long way to making states like Oregon and Washington on the West Coast, and states like Maine and New Hampshire, all states in which Nader had a meaningful vote. I think they made a real argument that those voters should come home to the Democrats. So we'll see whether or not that happens. But certainly I think that's one of the achievements of the first two days.

KAGAN: All right. Carlos Watson making it to Beantown. You enjoy your time there and we'll check back with you tomorrow.

WATSON: See you soon.

KAGAN: Thanks, Carlos.

Let's take a partial lineup of tonight's speakers. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former presidential candidates Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich, and vice presidential candidate John Edwards. As we mentioned, more on him just ahead.

But right now, we focus on the Bush administration and its focus on the 9/11 Report. A White House spokeswoman says the president is studying which recommendations can be implemented immediately through executive orders and which measures must go through Congress.

Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president. She is in Crawford, Texas near the Bush ranch.

Good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Daryn. Both campaigns continue to try to capitalize off the 9/11 Report. Essentially, a White House spokesman saying the president continues to look at those recommendations. He's also conferring with his chief of staff Andy Card, as well as his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who is at the Crawford ranch with him.

However, the White House sidestepped the issue -- the recommendations from Democratic opponent John Kerry, calling for the 9/11 Commission's mandate to be extended for some 18 months, to try to hold the administration accountable. Publicly, the administration is sidestepping that issue. A spokeswoman saying the president is focused on the commission's recommendations. However, privately, sources say that the White House does not believe that the commission has an additional role, at least not an official role.

In the meantime, of course, Vice President Dick Cheney has been out in a three-day swing on the West Coast. Yesterday, it was Camp Pendleton before the troops in California. The administration making the case here that they believe another Bush administration would do a better job at protecting the people, and are stronger when it comes to national security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America will never go back to the false comforts of the world before 9/11. Terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of weakness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Daryn, that is an ongoing debate, both sides trying to convince the American people that they are tougher, they are stronger when it comes to the war on terror.

Today, President Bush at his Crawford ranch is going to be shooting a TV campaign ad. This is just part of a TV blitz -- an advertisement blitz that we expect will start as early as next week. The campaign expected to spend more than $2 million in the next four weeks before their own convention to put President Bush out there and deliver his message -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Suzanne, on a much lighter note. An interesting visitor to Crawford, Texas today, and that has ended up with an interesting delivery to where the reporters are standing there by the ranch. Why don't you share with us?

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. As you know, a filmmaker, as well as provocateur and Bush critic, Michael Moore is expected to be here in Crawford. He is going to be showing his film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." He has come by invitation; a local group called Peace House has invited him to make that presentation.

This morning, pretty close to our cameras, we found a gift from one of the local residents. It was 20 pounds of cow manure with a sign that said, "To Michael Moore." And I'm paraphrasing here...

KAGAN: Yes. Please do.

MALVEAUX: One pile of B.S. deserves another. So, there are clearly people who do not welcome his presence. There are other people however, Daryn, Republican groups around the state, who say they're going to be here to support the president.

KAGAN: I guess my advice today would be, watch where you step!

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Absolutely!

KAGAN: Well, we will be checking back with you. Suzanne, thank you for all of the news and the giggle as well. Appreciate that.

The 9/11 Commission's report is a bestseller, another 200,000 copies have been ordered. The book has hit the top of amazon.com's non-fiction bestsellers list. And is No. 1 at Barnes and Noble as well. There are also plans to translate the report into four languages, including Arabic. And for those who don't want to spend the $10, the full text of the report is available both on the commission's Web site, and by the way, on cnn.com.

Collapsing buildings and knocking down trees. A tornado pummels a northeastern state. We'll tell you where in our check of the nation's weather.

And later, this was something that Suzanne was just talking about. Michael Moore hits Texas with a free screening of his film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." That's set to take place tonight. We're going to have a live report from the venue very close to the Bush ranch. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It was a rough night in one small town in central New Jersey. A line of storms generated a tornado with winds over 100 miles per hour, as it moved through the New Lisbon and surrounding areas. No serious injuries were reported. Several buildings though, sustained substantial damage.

Well, when giving a little can mean a whole lot. Our Gerri Willis will tell you how you can make the world a better place, one donation at a time -- Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNNfn PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. You know, we're going to talk about how you can make a difference without even spending a dime, when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Today, we talk about giving and our "Top Five Tips," handing out gifts that do keep on giving. And it turns out you do not have to be among the super rich to understand that a little charity can go a long way.

Here to help you make a difference without spending a lot is our Gerri Willis live from New York.

Gerri, good morning.

WILLIS: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. Well, first tip. Here, little things go a long way. You can always donate your time. That's what so many people do. And if you're not aware of the charities in your area that could use your help, there are a lot of people willing to tell you. Check out these Web sites. Volunteermatch.org, networkforgood.org, even Volunteers of America have a Web site called voa.org.

And Daryn, if you don't want to use the Web, if you want to call someone, dial 211. Not 911 or 411, but 211. These people will help you hook up with charities in your neighborhood. And of course, they have a Web site as well, 211.org.

KAGAN: Hmm. I had never heard of that.

How about giving away your old car? WILLIS: This is a very big deal and a lot of people do this. You've got to be very careful, though, when you're filing your taxes, because you can get a deduction for giving away your old clunker. But it's kind of tricky so go to IRS Web site, irs.gov for details. And remember, there are some charities that will come to your house and pick up your car, like the American Lung Association and the American Diabetes Association -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And there is other stuff you can give away as well?

WILLIS: That's right. You know, I don't know anybody who doesn't have a cell phone sitting at home in some drawer somewhere that they've half forgotten. You can actually put that to work. You can give that away to somebody. Can be a lifeline for somebody who needs the help.

So check out a place called wirelessfoundation.org. They will take this and hook somebody up who really needs the help. Another Web site to pay attention to here, christina.org, if you happen have, like I do, a ton of computers at home that you're not using that you would like to donate as well. But that is kind of tough to do, so it's good to know there is somebody out there who can help.

KAGAN: And getting down to the basics. There are entirely too many hungry people still in America.

WILLIS: You bet. You know, some 52 billion pounds of food will be wasted this year, very sad. Secondharvest.org can tell you exactly how to organize your own food drive. And another idea here, Daryn, that I had not heard of until today, hungersite.com. Every time you click on the button on their home page, one of their advertisers donates a cup of food. So that's pretty easy and pretty inexpensive way to make a difference.

KAGAN: Very good. And also, for those of us who have had to clean out our closets, there is a good place for those clothes to go.

WILLIS: Yes, dressforsuccess.org will take your old suit and give it to somebody who is having a job interview. And don't forget the old prom dresses. I don't know about you, but a lot of people have old prom dresses. Princessproject.org will give it away to somebody who really needs it.

KAGAN: Yes. I'm having a vision about the prom dress, probably not a good idea.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: Along with the bridesmaids' dresses, those should stay in the closet to protect all of America. Thank you.

WILLIS: OK. Maybe you should have gone a few years ago.

KAGAN: Yes. Gerri, thank you so much.

WILLIS: You're welcome. KAGAN: Well, talking about the young people, one young girl's idea for Dick Cheney. Coming up, you're going to hear from a 12-year- old who has some thoughts on the language, on whom she would like to see to be the next president of the United States.

And Michael Moore takes "Fahrenheit 9/11" to Crawford, Texas and he invited the president to come to the screening. We'll preview tonight's events coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at the stories in the news right now.

The death toll now stands at 68 this morning in a suicide car bombing in an Iraqi marketplace. The dead include all 21 passengers aboard a passing bus. Most were Iraqi police recruits. More than 50 people were wounded in that attack.

Rain is again falling on the capital of Bangladesh, that is the south Asian country that is now under two-thirds of it are under water. Some 1100 people have died in the region's worst flooding in years. And about a half million refugees are crammed into shelters. Diseases have killed at least 65 people in the past week, and intestinal problems have sickened at least 5,000.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has wrapped up his meeting with Egyptian leaders. And says both countries remain committed to the major challenges in the Middle East. They include the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, infighting among Palestinian leaders, and the volatile issue of control in Gaza.

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Aired July 28, 2004 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We will go ahead and get started here. Good morning, we're at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. Good morning, I'm Daryn Kagan.
Let's take a look at the headlines now in the news. We begin with a live picture from Philadelphia; the man they've all been waiting for will make a dramatic entrance. Senator John Kerry will soon head for Boston. He's expected at about an hour and a half from now. We're looking at this live picture from Philadelphia because that is where the senator will leave from, as he makes his way to Boston.

Accompanying him will be fellow Vietnam veterans. With him, Kerry will cross Boston Harbor; he's coming in by water taxi. We'll have the latest from the Democratic convention in just a few minutes.

In Iraq, 68 people are dead as a suicide bomber plows a minibus into a crowded marketplace in Baquba, then sets off the explosions. The blast was so powerful that it set fires to nearby vehicles and ripped the facades off of buildings. At least 56 are hurt. The very latest coming up in about 10 minutes.

To Afghanistan, six people are dead after an explosion in a mosque in southwest Kabul. Among the dead are two U.N. workers, who were registering people for elections in that country that Islamic militants have vowed to disrupt.

Meanwhile, the group that is known as Doctors Without Borders says that it's pulling out of Afghanistan, because of rogues who recently killed five of its workers have not been caught.

Back here in the states, rescue search crews in Utah are still looking for a pregnant woman missing for nine days. The family of Lori Hacking says an organized volunteer search has now been called off, out of safety for the volunteers. The police have named the woman's husband, Mark Hacking, as a person of interest in the case.

Keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.

We begin with politics. Vice presidential candidate John Edwards amassed his financial fortune with charisma and conviction in the courtroom. Tonight, the trial attorney puts his political fortune to the test, presenting his case to the nation's voters.

Our Elaine Quijano has been traveling with Senator Edwards, who will deliver a prime time acceptance speech for the party's nomination. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Senator John Edwards walked through the Fleet Center late last night, something he was originally supposed to do at this hour. Instead, the senator deciding last night to go through and get comfortable with the stage, and feel what it was like behind the podium. Now, when asked what it was like to be here at the Fleet Center, the senator said that it felt great and that he was done writing his speech.

Now, according to a senior campaign official, Senator Edwards has known what he was going to say here in Boston from almost the moment John Kerry chose him as his running mate. He will lay out why he thinks John Kerry should be president. Edwards is expected to mention Iraq and also bring back a theme from the primaries, the idea of two Americas. He says he wants to reach people in the same way he did when he visited people's houses in Iowa during the primary.

Now, the senator arrived in Boston yesterday before taking off from his hometown of Raleigh. He actually, before getting on board the plane, stopped by the cemetery to visit the grave of his son Wade, who was killed in a car accident eight years ago. And once on board the plane, Senator Edwards had some fun with his aides tossing around a football. The senator said that he felt fine.

It was actually on Monday that the senator had a raspy voice. He sounded very strained and had to cancel a planned campaign stop in the afternoon in order to rest his voice. But when asked about it last night, the senator said it was OK and that he will be ready tonight.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Senator Edwards' wife, Elizabeth sat down this morning for an interview with Judy Woodruff. Mrs. Edwards is an accomplished attorney herself and an advocate for children's cases. One topic, the 1996 death of their first child, Wade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Before you and the family left Raleigh, North Carolina, your home; yesterday, you visited the gravesite of your son...

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS: We did.

WOODRUFF: ... Wade. Is there a special connection here, given what's going on this week?

EDWARDS: I mean well, you know, these events are in some ways bittersweet to us because we wish that Wade were here sharing them with us. But visiting the grave is just something we do when we're home. And since we're home less frequently now, of course, we wanted to make certain that we did that. So that was just a trip any parent in our position would have taken. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You can see Judy's full interview with Elizabeth Edwards on today's expanded edition of "INSIDE POLITICS." That's this afternoon at 3:00 Eastern, noon Pacific.

A relative unknown in the Democratic Party, not only took the stage last night. He seized it. And Barack Obama further cemented his billing as a rising star in a party that he says offers the optimism that America can, quote "reclaim its promise."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story; that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me. And that in no other country on earth is my story even possible.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, here is a bit of that story. Obama is the son of a Kenyan goat herder in Kenya, who came to the U.S. on an academic scholarship. Obama's father met and married a white woman from Kansas. Obama attended Harvard Law School and teaches law at the University of Chicago. He is now working to become -- well, he is now an Illinois State Senator. He's expected though, to capture the U.S. Senate seat. Hardly the last we have seen of Barack Obama.

Let's get a look ahead at tonight's convention schedule, which will be built around John Edwards' acceptance speech.

CNN's political analyst Carlos Watson is at Boston's Fleet Center with a preview.

Whew! You finally made it to Boston!

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, it was a long road. A long and winding road, as they say.

KAGAN: Here you are. I want to get to John Edwards in a second. But Barack, anybody who saw that speech last night will no longer be saying Obama who.

WATSON: I think he was probably the best keynote speech in the Democratic convention in the last 30 years. Ann Richards gave a really well received one in '88, Mario Cuomo in '84. A lot of people don't remember Barbara Jordan's in '76, but it was pretty impressive. But I think this far and away, was probably the best not only in terms of substance. But the passion and the reception he got, not only in the audience, but beyond. KAGAN: And now let's move on to tonight, looking ahead. John Edwards, what does he need to say tonight? We've heard, especially in Barack Obama's speech, a lot of good fuzzy feelings but not a lot of specifics on policies, especially national security. Is that John Edwards' job tonight?

WATSON: It is. And it's really time for Edwards to be the first, and Kerry will be the second to lay out, in very clear terms, here are the four or five things that a Kerry administration would do over the next four years. So he'll continue to sell himself and introduce his story to an American public that's still getting to know him.

But I think more importantly than that he has to put some policy meat on the bone. And particularly when it comes to national security, Daryn. Again Americans, by in some polls -- by as much as 2-1 or 3-1 believe that President Bush will do better on issues of terrorism and national security than will John Kerry. And John Kerry has got to be worried about that that he not only needs to meet a threshold test, but in many ways, he needs to prove that he can be tougher than President Bush on matters of national security.

KAGAN: All right. Party affiliation aside, let's talk about what is becoming the hot political accessory and that is to have a great daughter, or if you have even more than one great daughter, even better?

WATSON: You know, and that wasn't true if you think back even 20, 30 years ago. But remember, four years ago, Karenna Gore was not just there for her dad, but in fact, was a real adviser and spoke at the convention, and frequently was on the campaign trail. This year on both sides of the aisle, the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, recent college graduates, as well as Kate Edwards, another recent college graduate.

And when you take a broader step back, what's interesting is that now we're beginning to see second and third generation politicians, who are not only men, like Al Gore whose father was a Senator, or President Bush whose dad was obviously the president. But now you see Nancy Pelosi whose dad was mayor of Baltimore. Or the current governor of Kansas, her dad was the governor of Ohio. So the daughters you're seeing today on the stage could be the senators, governors and presidents of tomorrow.

KAGAN: Let's -- and again, this is the part of our daily exchange here, when we like to talk about how the Democrats are doing. Excellent speech last night by Barack Obama, but none of the networks carried even a drop of prime time coverage.

WATSON: And again, the numbers as we've talked about have been down, although the numbers for PBS were slightly up. But broader than that, and maybe more significantly, are this -- is this information getting disseminated through little clips on the local news and the morning shows, television, radio, and Internet?

And I think the question that still is out there, and actually may be a valuable achievement so far for the Democrats. Have they done anything to convince Nader voters to come over to their side? And I think in many ways Al Gore started that process off on Monday. And I think Barack Obama and others went a long way to making states like Oregon and Washington on the West Coast, and states like Maine and New Hampshire, all states in which Nader had a meaningful vote. I think they made a real argument that those voters should come home to the Democrats. So we'll see whether or not that happens. But certainly I think that's one of the achievements of the first two days.

KAGAN: All right. Carlos Watson making it to Beantown. You enjoy your time there and we'll check back with you tomorrow.

WATSON: See you soon.

KAGAN: Thanks, Carlos.

Let's take a partial lineup of tonight's speakers. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former presidential candidates Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich, and vice presidential candidate John Edwards. As we mentioned, more on him just ahead.

But right now, we focus on the Bush administration and its focus on the 9/11 Report. A White House spokeswoman says the president is studying which recommendations can be implemented immediately through executive orders and which measures must go through Congress.

Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president. She is in Crawford, Texas near the Bush ranch.

Good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Daryn. Both campaigns continue to try to capitalize off the 9/11 Report. Essentially, a White House spokesman saying the president continues to look at those recommendations. He's also conferring with his chief of staff Andy Card, as well as his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who is at the Crawford ranch with him.

However, the White House sidestepped the issue -- the recommendations from Democratic opponent John Kerry, calling for the 9/11 Commission's mandate to be extended for some 18 months, to try to hold the administration accountable. Publicly, the administration is sidestepping that issue. A spokeswoman saying the president is focused on the commission's recommendations. However, privately, sources say that the White House does not believe that the commission has an additional role, at least not an official role.

In the meantime, of course, Vice President Dick Cheney has been out in a three-day swing on the West Coast. Yesterday, it was Camp Pendleton before the troops in California. The administration making the case here that they believe another Bush administration would do a better job at protecting the people, and are stronger when it comes to national security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America will never go back to the false comforts of the world before 9/11. Terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of weakness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Daryn, that is an ongoing debate, both sides trying to convince the American people that they are tougher, they are stronger when it comes to the war on terror.

Today, President Bush at his Crawford ranch is going to be shooting a TV campaign ad. This is just part of a TV blitz -- an advertisement blitz that we expect will start as early as next week. The campaign expected to spend more than $2 million in the next four weeks before their own convention to put President Bush out there and deliver his message -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Suzanne, on a much lighter note. An interesting visitor to Crawford, Texas today, and that has ended up with an interesting delivery to where the reporters are standing there by the ranch. Why don't you share with us?

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. As you know, a filmmaker, as well as provocateur and Bush critic, Michael Moore is expected to be here in Crawford. He is going to be showing his film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." He has come by invitation; a local group called Peace House has invited him to make that presentation.

This morning, pretty close to our cameras, we found a gift from one of the local residents. It was 20 pounds of cow manure with a sign that said, "To Michael Moore." And I'm paraphrasing here...

KAGAN: Yes. Please do.

MALVEAUX: One pile of B.S. deserves another. So, there are clearly people who do not welcome his presence. There are other people however, Daryn, Republican groups around the state, who say they're going to be here to support the president.

KAGAN: I guess my advice today would be, watch where you step!

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Absolutely!

KAGAN: Well, we will be checking back with you. Suzanne, thank you for all of the news and the giggle as well. Appreciate that.

The 9/11 Commission's report is a bestseller, another 200,000 copies have been ordered. The book has hit the top of amazon.com's non-fiction bestsellers list. And is No. 1 at Barnes and Noble as well. There are also plans to translate the report into four languages, including Arabic. And for those who don't want to spend the $10, the full text of the report is available both on the commission's Web site, and by the way, on cnn.com.

Collapsing buildings and knocking down trees. A tornado pummels a northeastern state. We'll tell you where in our check of the nation's weather.

And later, this was something that Suzanne was just talking about. Michael Moore hits Texas with a free screening of his film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." That's set to take place tonight. We're going to have a live report from the venue very close to the Bush ranch. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It was a rough night in one small town in central New Jersey. A line of storms generated a tornado with winds over 100 miles per hour, as it moved through the New Lisbon and surrounding areas. No serious injuries were reported. Several buildings though, sustained substantial damage.

Well, when giving a little can mean a whole lot. Our Gerri Willis will tell you how you can make the world a better place, one donation at a time -- Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNNfn PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. You know, we're going to talk about how you can make a difference without even spending a dime, when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Today, we talk about giving and our "Top Five Tips," handing out gifts that do keep on giving. And it turns out you do not have to be among the super rich to understand that a little charity can go a long way.

Here to help you make a difference without spending a lot is our Gerri Willis live from New York.

Gerri, good morning.

WILLIS: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. Well, first tip. Here, little things go a long way. You can always donate your time. That's what so many people do. And if you're not aware of the charities in your area that could use your help, there are a lot of people willing to tell you. Check out these Web sites. Volunteermatch.org, networkforgood.org, even Volunteers of America have a Web site called voa.org.

And Daryn, if you don't want to use the Web, if you want to call someone, dial 211. Not 911 or 411, but 211. These people will help you hook up with charities in your neighborhood. And of course, they have a Web site as well, 211.org.

KAGAN: Hmm. I had never heard of that.

How about giving away your old car? WILLIS: This is a very big deal and a lot of people do this. You've got to be very careful, though, when you're filing your taxes, because you can get a deduction for giving away your old clunker. But it's kind of tricky so go to IRS Web site, irs.gov for details. And remember, there are some charities that will come to your house and pick up your car, like the American Lung Association and the American Diabetes Association -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And there is other stuff you can give away as well?

WILLIS: That's right. You know, I don't know anybody who doesn't have a cell phone sitting at home in some drawer somewhere that they've half forgotten. You can actually put that to work. You can give that away to somebody. Can be a lifeline for somebody who needs the help.

So check out a place called wirelessfoundation.org. They will take this and hook somebody up who really needs the help. Another Web site to pay attention to here, christina.org, if you happen have, like I do, a ton of computers at home that you're not using that you would like to donate as well. But that is kind of tough to do, so it's good to know there is somebody out there who can help.

KAGAN: And getting down to the basics. There are entirely too many hungry people still in America.

WILLIS: You bet. You know, some 52 billion pounds of food will be wasted this year, very sad. Secondharvest.org can tell you exactly how to organize your own food drive. And another idea here, Daryn, that I had not heard of until today, hungersite.com. Every time you click on the button on their home page, one of their advertisers donates a cup of food. So that's pretty easy and pretty inexpensive way to make a difference.

KAGAN: Very good. And also, for those of us who have had to clean out our closets, there is a good place for those clothes to go.

WILLIS: Yes, dressforsuccess.org will take your old suit and give it to somebody who is having a job interview. And don't forget the old prom dresses. I don't know about you, but a lot of people have old prom dresses. Princessproject.org will give it away to somebody who really needs it.

KAGAN: Yes. I'm having a vision about the prom dress, probably not a good idea.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: Along with the bridesmaids' dresses, those should stay in the closet to protect all of America. Thank you.

WILLIS: OK. Maybe you should have gone a few years ago.

KAGAN: Yes. Gerri, thank you so much.

WILLIS: You're welcome. KAGAN: Well, talking about the young people, one young girl's idea for Dick Cheney. Coming up, you're going to hear from a 12-year- old who has some thoughts on the language, on whom she would like to see to be the next president of the United States.

And Michael Moore takes "Fahrenheit 9/11" to Crawford, Texas and he invited the president to come to the screening. We'll preview tonight's events coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at the stories in the news right now.

The death toll now stands at 68 this morning in a suicide car bombing in an Iraqi marketplace. The dead include all 21 passengers aboard a passing bus. Most were Iraqi police recruits. More than 50 people were wounded in that attack.

Rain is again falling on the capital of Bangladesh, that is the south Asian country that is now under two-thirds of it are under water. Some 1100 people have died in the region's worst flooding in years. And about a half million refugees are crammed into shelters. Diseases have killed at least 65 people in the past week, and intestinal problems have sickened at least 5,000.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has wrapped up his meeting with Egyptian leaders. And says both countries remain committed to the major challenges in the Middle East. They include the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, infighting among Palestinian leaders, and the volatile issue of control in Gaza.

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