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CNN Live Today

Final Face-to-Face Debate Before Voters Go to the Polls; Interview with Robin Williams

Aired October 13, 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: Can you believe it, less than three weeks until Election Day? It is just 20 days away. And they are neck and neck in the polls. Tonight, they have a face-to-face debate for the final time before voters go to the polls to choose a president. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider joining us in Washington for a preview of the third and final presidential debate.
Bill, good morning.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, looking at what this debate is supposed to be about, it's supposed to focus on domestic matters only. But is there a good chance the Iraq war will come up?

SCHNEIDER: Good chance. I'd say it's a near certainty. President Bush knows that he wants this campaign to be seen through the lens of the war on terrorism. If the issue of jobs comes up, and it will, he is certain to say that 9/11, the terrorist attacks, had a lot to do with the job losses in this country.

Senator Kerry, for his part, is likely to mention that the money that is being spent in Iraq, and there's a debate over how much it's cost, but at least $100 billion, could have been better used for domestic priorities. So I think we're going to hear a lot of international affairs intrude on this domestic debate.

KAGAN: And, Bill, who do you think is the target audience tonight? Is it the undecided voters, or are they trying to fire up their base to make sure they go out to the polls in 2 1/2 weeks?

SCHNEIDER: Well, that's what's very tricky. The answer is both. Undecided voters? Are there any out there? Well, there appear to be a few, because polls have been shifting over the last month, making this a closer race than ever. So there appear to be some people who are changing their minds.

On the other hand, both sides know that the game is going to be getting your supporters out there to the polls. The problem is the things you have to do to get supporters fired up are, by their nature, divisive. You're supporters get agitated around issues that are us versus them. There's a problem there. The issue is Americans want a president to fulfill the promise that Bush made in 2000 to be uniter, not a divider. And if both candidates rely on divisive strategies to rally their bases, the voters are going to say, well, neither guy can really do that. KAGAN: Let's start a pool -- how many times tonight do you think we're going to hear the terms "liberal" and "middle class?"

SCHNEIDER: A lot. Liberal, tax and spend liberal. On domestic issues, President Bush wants to paint John Kerry as a traditional tax and spend liberal. I think Kerry will talk a lot about the middle class, and even more about special interests. He will depict President Bush as a candidate who has shafted the middle class and done -- given a great deal through his tax cut and other policies to the rich and the special interests. Kerry will talk about the loss of jobs. Bush will again and again talk about Kerry's -- the likelihood he will have to raise taxes, even though he pledges that he will not raise taxes.

And you know, Daryn, there are a few issues that a lot of people wish he would talk about that ought to be on this agenda, like, what are they really going to do to reduce the deficit? Like, how about the impending retirement of all those Baby Boomers, and the health care crisis that's facing America. Those are very big domestic issues that should get some attention.

KAGAN:: You're looking for substance, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: I hope so.

KAGAN: One can hope.

SCHNEIDER: If we're not going to get it in a debate, I don't know where we're going to get it.

KAGAN: All right, well, thank you. Thanks for stopping by.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

KAGAN: Vice presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, are taking to the airwaves. The senator was a guest on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno last night. While his wife took a more serious tone today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Edwards enjoyed some lighthearted moments in his appearance with Leno.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, "TONIGHT SHOW" HOST: I know President Bush, he also runs. Now he says he runs five or six miles every day. 5K race, who would win?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: Well, you know, I run, and I played a little football back when I was in school. And the president, I think, was there on those -- was there at those football games, too. He was I think, though, on the side maybe with his pom-poms.

You know, I don't know, can you run fast with those cheerleading outfits on?

(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: What Americans deserve is someone who walks into the Oval Office every single day fighting for them, fighting for the issues that matter to them. What my husband has done every single day of his adult life is fight for them, fight for families and children, first in courtrooms in North Carolina, then in the United States Senate. I think that's exactly what we need right now, a champion for people who don't have the huge megaphone that a lot of money will buy you or a lobbyist will buy you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, what about first lady Laura Bush? She says that she'd like to spend a second term in the White House helping teens with substance abuse problems. On CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE," she also defended her husband's response to a question in the first debate about mistakes he has made.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: He said, of course he made mistakes. I mean, that's what he said. He said, I'm human, and I've made a lot of mistakes, and there's no doubt about it. History will judge what they are.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: But he wouldn't name them.

BUSH: Well, I think, you know, that's a trick question really for the politician, because then it's -- once you name the mistakes, then those -- then the other side, or the person who asked, for that matter, uses those against you for the rest of the time. I mean, he said that he is willing to accept the responsibility of the job he has, which is, you know, all the mistakes are assigned to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Mrs. Bush says the campaign has been negative, but she says that's just a fact of life in politics.

CNN is live in Tempe, Arizona for the final face-off between President Bush and Senator Kerry. Anderson Cooper and Paula Zahn kick off our primetime coverage tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Wolf Blitzer and our election team will have a predebate special at 8:30, followed by the debate at 9:00.

The Illinois Senate race is the first to feature two African- American candidates representing the major parties. How is that race going?

CNN's Keith Oppenheim takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A gathering of Republican women in Chicago where there's support for major GOP candidates, except one.

(on camera): Could we ask you quickly about the Keyes race?

JUDY BAAR TOPINKA, ILLINOIS STATE TREASURER: Well, I think you ought to talk to the folks that supported him, and nominated him and sponsored him.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): That's Judy Baar Topinka, the party's Illinois chairman, ducking questions about Alan Keyes.

What's going on?

DR. ANDREA BARTHWELL, ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY: It's not a race that's going real well, and I don't know why a lot of people would want to discuss it right now.

OPPENHEIM: That could be an understatement. When Alan Keyes burst on the scene two months ago, Barack Obama was way ahead in the polls. Keyes wasn't timid, attacking Obama for his support for abortion rights.

ALAN KEYES (R), U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: Christ would not vote for Barack Obama, because Barack Obama has voted to behave in a way that is inconceivable for Christ to have behaved.

OPPENHEIM: That was one bombshell. There were others.

Keyes referred to Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary, as a selfish hedonist, and referred to Chicago Mayor Richard Daly as a troll.

BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS SENATE CANDIDATE: The more the voters of Illinois see that kind of politics, the more turned off I think they get.

OPPENHEIM: Barack Obama is playing it cool.

(voice-over): But his staff is taking advantage of all of this, encouraging the media to attend specific Keyes events to report on the latest.

In Alan Keyes' defense, some Republicans have said, with little time left, controversy at least gets some headlines.

DICK SIMPSON, UNIV. OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO: I mean, controversy's the right strategy; it's just that it's the wrong controversy. What he's saying is causing voters to not vote for him, other than to vote for him.

KAGAN: Keyes insists he is connecting.

KEYES: I think that a lot of people here were responding, in fact, to the message that I was delivering, particularly the message of moral priority, the message of restoration for family life.

OPPENHEIM: But with polls putting him a whopping 40 points behind, Obama, what some Republicans fear here may need restoration is their state party after November. .

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: She turned her own fight against breast cancer into a tribute to others facing the same battle. Up next, the picture of strength. You're meet the woman behind "Body and Soul, The Courage and Beauty of Breast Cancer Survivors."

And Later, Robin Williams shows his dark side once again. I'll have a change to talk with him live about his new movie. It's called "Final Cut."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: As women battling breast cancer fight for their lives, they're also faced with concern that they may no longer be attractive or feminine. Author and photographer Jean Karotkin attempts to shatter those fears in her book "Body & Soul: The Courage and Beauty of Beast Cancer Survivors." Jean Karotkin is also a breast cancer survivor, and she is joining me from Dallas. Jean, good morning.

JEAN KAROTKIN, AUTHOR, "BODY & SOUL": Good morning. How are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great, and apparently so are you.

KAROTKIN: I am. I'm doing fabulous.

KAGAN: You are a long-time breast cancer...

KAROTKIN: Sixteen years.

KAGAN: Sixteen years, excellent. Well, congratulations on that.

You say, and this was the first thing that caught my attention, that breast cancer was a gift.

KAROTKIN: Yes, breast cancer was a gift, because at the time that I was diagnosed, my life was in complete chaos. And I had no identity of who I was, no self-esteem. I had a daughter that I was raising, a wonderful girl, my marriage was in trouble.

And when I was diagnosed, at first it was a death sentence. And then, once reality set in, I realized I needed to make some changes in my life. And so, it was from that point on from that diagnosis that I made some major changes in my life that would take me to where I am today.

KAGAN: Where you are is an author and a photographer, and we're looking at some of the beautiful pictures in your book. These are women who have had breast cancer. Some are survivors. There are some in the book who are no longer here?

KAROTKIN: Yes, the five women that had died since the first image that I took -- my purpose throughout the entire journey of photographing these women, that they all be here today on this earth. But unfortunately, that was not the case.

KAGAN: Let's talk about associating beauty with breast cancer survivors, because they are beautiful photographs that you've taken.

KAROTKIN: Thank you.

Well, that was the purpose of the book in the beginning. When -- what planted the seed for this project was an image of "The New York Times" magazine in 1993 of a photographer Matuschka who did a self- portrait of herself, and she was wrapped in bandages and exposed her scars. It was a very profound, beautiful image.

And what that did, that image did, it made me start to think about women's images, their image and how they view themselves, their sexuality and femininity, when they go through breast cancer, through the indignities of breast cancer.

KAGAN: And we also learn these women's stories, as we look at your photographs. And many -- some having a similar experience that you have had with breast cancer and using it as a launching pad to get in touch with their sexuality, get in touch with who they really think they're supposed to be.

KAROTKIN: Exactly. But once I finish this project or as I met each woman, I realized that their battles, their struggles, were even more difficult than mine. I had a profound respect for these women. And we grew -- there was a bond that was formed through this entire process with these women.

KAGAN: We should mention that there was a picture of one man in there, and breast cancer does affect men as well as women.

KAROTKIN: Yes. And I might correct you, there are two men.

KAGAN: Two men, OK.

KAROTKIN: There's a husband and wife, and then there is a doctor that's an oncologist -- I mean obstetrician/gynecologist, an Ob/Gyn.

KAGAN: So, part of this is to inspire, but also some of the proceeds from this book are going to breast cancer research?

KAROTKIN: Yes. There is a "Body & Soul" fund, and proceeds during an event through the sale of the book goes to that particular institution, that particular group.

KAGAN: Well, once again, the book is called "Body & Soul." Jean Karotkin, congratulations on the book and, even more importantly, on 16 years of good health and being a survivor.

KAROTKIN: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

KAGAN: Thank you for sharing your story and your book and your pictures. We're going to continue our focus on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Tomorrow, an expert in cancer research will take some of your e-mail. The address is livetoday@cnn.com. The amount of information and your choices can be overwhelming, so we are providing the expert to answer your questions.

Well, I have some questions for Robin Williams, the dark side, the kind of strange side is on the big screen again. I'm going to talk to him about his new movie. It's called "Final Cut." That is just minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All right. Time to check in on the movies. A brain drain based on memory manipulation that can replay memories once thought long gone. It's not some new biogenics experiment; it's the plot of a new movie. It's called "Final Cut." Robin Williams plays a man who dices and slices together the mental footage of your life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMPUTER VOICE: Sorting life files. Childhood. Sleep. Puberty. Eating. Awkward phase. Romantic life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Robin Williams joining me from Los Angeles to talk about his new movie.

Robin, good morning.

ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Good morning, Daryn.

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

WILLIAMS: Oops, we're in L.A., sorry.

KAGAN: It's not CNN International, CNN domestic. We'll save the French for something else. Ready for true confessions? Let's get right to it. I have a copy of the movie. Last night, I was going to just watch like 20 minutes so I knew what it was about. I got sucked in; I watched the whole thing.

WILLIAMS: Ah.

KAGAN: It's a mind-bender. It's kind of strange.

WILLIAMS: Yes, it's kind of -- it's discomforting.

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIAMS: In that sense of what would the chip be like. I think people are very uncomfortable with the idea of someone seeing everything that they've seen.

KAGAN: Yes, I can only imagine. WILLIAMS: And that's why my character exists, to delete out the nasty bits and darker secrets.

KAGAN: And your character has a few dark secrets of his own?

WILLIAMS: Yes, that he is remembered one way. I mean, it's also that idea of subjective versus objective memory. And the person that probably could help the most won't be able to access that tape, because you can only get the chip out once you're dead. So, you know, there's things I'm sure you'd go, I'd like to see it again and see if it was like that, and you can't, I'm sorry, without deep therapy or shock.

KAGAN: You play a profession called a cutter, somebody who takes this chip, after someone has died and puts together what's known in the movie as a re-memory, then and you get to show and reshape someone's life.

WILLIAMS: Right.

KAGAN: And it's kind of an odd concept there.

WILLIAMS: Well, it's this concept that sometimes we've seen in Hollywood theaters that have these AFI tributes to people. You know, they -- now remember that movie, and they usually always pick the good moments.

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIAMS: And here's another total bomb turkey that I did, and they tend to kind of avoid. And here's my alcoholic period. So the idea of remembering someone for those you leave behind, and actually it's more for them really, because they're seeing sometimes themselves from your point of view. They don't have -- the only thing missing is kind of the director's interior monologue of you going, I really hate her. There's your subconscious going, boy, would I like to -- there's a lot to deal with in the concept of the movie.

KAGAN: You know, on a sad moment, and I don't really know exactly how to make this transition, but I want to ask you about your good friend, Christopher Reeve, who the world lost this week, but this was somebody very near and dear to your heart. And it is a time when we're looking at memories, and most of us have watched him and been amazed by him from afar, and you knew him up close. If there's a memory of your good friend Christopher Reeve that you could share with us this morning?

WILLIAMS: I think for me one of the more vivid memories was that night in the Academy Awards where he came out as kind of a surprise, just to see the effect. For me, it's weird to see -- it was kind of a blind's eye thing, because I never thought that he would go.

KAGAN: He's Superman.

WILLIAMS: Yes, he's Superman. You know, after the accident, you know, he went from looking like a Greek god to all of a sudden becoming like Buddha, very kind of quiet, contained, but so powerful. And he's such a fighter that I thought, you know, he's going to the hospital, he'll be OK, he'll come out. And you know, and the things that -- him testifying in front of Congress, and probably the highlight in a weird way was during the debate, you know, Kerry mentioning him. But you realize that Chris has been fighting this battle for nine years, and you know, being brought up in the debate was a very interesting thing, because now the issue is in the forefront of politics in a big, big way.

KAGAN: And fascinating, he loved politics. I know he loved CNN. I interviewed him once.

WILLIAMS: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: He knew the schedule of everybody who appears on this network. And just kind of fascinating that even in the days after he died, he still find himself in the middle of the political debate.

WILLIAMS: Very much. And Bobby Kennedy said an amazing thing about him. He said Chris was able to speak in expository paragraphs, with a beginning and an end, that he could speak and talk. Partly it because of the respirator, that it had this kind of succinctness that he would speak, and it was so powerful, and you could see that.

Yes, I think he would have been -- he was in politics, and would have continued. He was always on activist on that level. He always a fighter, you know. Starting off on days when working on pollution and all of that, and then debating Strom Thurmond on the NEA, and then continuing with that, you know.

The acting was something he was very proud of and he was great at. And then he directed this next movie. His father gave me a copy it. It's extraordinary, and it's a great tribute to him. It's a very personal movie, even though it's about the girl, but it's very much about what he's been through, you know, what he went through.

KAGAN: We will be looking for that. We'll be looking for your next movie "Final Cut."

Didn't mean to make it so emotional. I know he's your good friend, but...

WILLIAMS: Oh, no, it's not -- I mean, having been -- there was a service for him yesterday. And in a weird way, I'm still full of so much of the member of him, it's almost like phantom friend, I don't feel like he's gone, but it's like he's still here. So it's not scary on that level.

KAGAN: Thank you for sharing that with us.

WILLIAMS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: A lot of people out there who never got to meet him on a personal level definitely loved him and respected him.

WILLIAMS: Yes, I remember that from just guys coming up and going we're very sorry for your loss. And when he was alive, guys used to come up and say, tell you friend he's amazing. Thank you.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, you're amazing, too. Good luck with the movie, "Final Cut."

WILLIAMS: Good look with CNN, keep broadcasting, and keep the crawl, yes.

KAGAN: Yes, sir. We will take that. Robin Williams, live from Los Angeles, thank you so much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And that's going to do it for me Daryn Kagan. Wolf Blitzer is in Tempe, Arizona today. You will see him at the top of the hour, after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 13, 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: Can you believe it, less than three weeks until Election Day? It is just 20 days away. And they are neck and neck in the polls. Tonight, they have a face-to-face debate for the final time before voters go to the polls to choose a president. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider joining us in Washington for a preview of the third and final presidential debate.
Bill, good morning.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, looking at what this debate is supposed to be about, it's supposed to focus on domestic matters only. But is there a good chance the Iraq war will come up?

SCHNEIDER: Good chance. I'd say it's a near certainty. President Bush knows that he wants this campaign to be seen through the lens of the war on terrorism. If the issue of jobs comes up, and it will, he is certain to say that 9/11, the terrorist attacks, had a lot to do with the job losses in this country.

Senator Kerry, for his part, is likely to mention that the money that is being spent in Iraq, and there's a debate over how much it's cost, but at least $100 billion, could have been better used for domestic priorities. So I think we're going to hear a lot of international affairs intrude on this domestic debate.

KAGAN: And, Bill, who do you think is the target audience tonight? Is it the undecided voters, or are they trying to fire up their base to make sure they go out to the polls in 2 1/2 weeks?

SCHNEIDER: Well, that's what's very tricky. The answer is both. Undecided voters? Are there any out there? Well, there appear to be a few, because polls have been shifting over the last month, making this a closer race than ever. So there appear to be some people who are changing their minds.

On the other hand, both sides know that the game is going to be getting your supporters out there to the polls. The problem is the things you have to do to get supporters fired up are, by their nature, divisive. You're supporters get agitated around issues that are us versus them. There's a problem there. The issue is Americans want a president to fulfill the promise that Bush made in 2000 to be uniter, not a divider. And if both candidates rely on divisive strategies to rally their bases, the voters are going to say, well, neither guy can really do that. KAGAN: Let's start a pool -- how many times tonight do you think we're going to hear the terms "liberal" and "middle class?"

SCHNEIDER: A lot. Liberal, tax and spend liberal. On domestic issues, President Bush wants to paint John Kerry as a traditional tax and spend liberal. I think Kerry will talk a lot about the middle class, and even more about special interests. He will depict President Bush as a candidate who has shafted the middle class and done -- given a great deal through his tax cut and other policies to the rich and the special interests. Kerry will talk about the loss of jobs. Bush will again and again talk about Kerry's -- the likelihood he will have to raise taxes, even though he pledges that he will not raise taxes.

And you know, Daryn, there are a few issues that a lot of people wish he would talk about that ought to be on this agenda, like, what are they really going to do to reduce the deficit? Like, how about the impending retirement of all those Baby Boomers, and the health care crisis that's facing America. Those are very big domestic issues that should get some attention.

KAGAN:: You're looking for substance, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: I hope so.

KAGAN: One can hope.

SCHNEIDER: If we're not going to get it in a debate, I don't know where we're going to get it.

KAGAN: All right, well, thank you. Thanks for stopping by.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

KAGAN: Vice presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, are taking to the airwaves. The senator was a guest on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno last night. While his wife took a more serious tone today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Edwards enjoyed some lighthearted moments in his appearance with Leno.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, "TONIGHT SHOW" HOST: I know President Bush, he also runs. Now he says he runs five or six miles every day. 5K race, who would win?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: Well, you know, I run, and I played a little football back when I was in school. And the president, I think, was there on those -- was there at those football games, too. He was I think, though, on the side maybe with his pom-poms.

You know, I don't know, can you run fast with those cheerleading outfits on?

(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: What Americans deserve is someone who walks into the Oval Office every single day fighting for them, fighting for the issues that matter to them. What my husband has done every single day of his adult life is fight for them, fight for families and children, first in courtrooms in North Carolina, then in the United States Senate. I think that's exactly what we need right now, a champion for people who don't have the huge megaphone that a lot of money will buy you or a lobbyist will buy you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, what about first lady Laura Bush? She says that she'd like to spend a second term in the White House helping teens with substance abuse problems. On CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE," she also defended her husband's response to a question in the first debate about mistakes he has made.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: He said, of course he made mistakes. I mean, that's what he said. He said, I'm human, and I've made a lot of mistakes, and there's no doubt about it. History will judge what they are.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: But he wouldn't name them.

BUSH: Well, I think, you know, that's a trick question really for the politician, because then it's -- once you name the mistakes, then those -- then the other side, or the person who asked, for that matter, uses those against you for the rest of the time. I mean, he said that he is willing to accept the responsibility of the job he has, which is, you know, all the mistakes are assigned to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Mrs. Bush says the campaign has been negative, but she says that's just a fact of life in politics.

CNN is live in Tempe, Arizona for the final face-off between President Bush and Senator Kerry. Anderson Cooper and Paula Zahn kick off our primetime coverage tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Wolf Blitzer and our election team will have a predebate special at 8:30, followed by the debate at 9:00.

The Illinois Senate race is the first to feature two African- American candidates representing the major parties. How is that race going?

CNN's Keith Oppenheim takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A gathering of Republican women in Chicago where there's support for major GOP candidates, except one.

(on camera): Could we ask you quickly about the Keyes race?

JUDY BAAR TOPINKA, ILLINOIS STATE TREASURER: Well, I think you ought to talk to the folks that supported him, and nominated him and sponsored him.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): That's Judy Baar Topinka, the party's Illinois chairman, ducking questions about Alan Keyes.

What's going on?

DR. ANDREA BARTHWELL, ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY: It's not a race that's going real well, and I don't know why a lot of people would want to discuss it right now.

OPPENHEIM: That could be an understatement. When Alan Keyes burst on the scene two months ago, Barack Obama was way ahead in the polls. Keyes wasn't timid, attacking Obama for his support for abortion rights.

ALAN KEYES (R), U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: Christ would not vote for Barack Obama, because Barack Obama has voted to behave in a way that is inconceivable for Christ to have behaved.

OPPENHEIM: That was one bombshell. There were others.

Keyes referred to Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary, as a selfish hedonist, and referred to Chicago Mayor Richard Daly as a troll.

BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS SENATE CANDIDATE: The more the voters of Illinois see that kind of politics, the more turned off I think they get.

OPPENHEIM: Barack Obama is playing it cool.

(voice-over): But his staff is taking advantage of all of this, encouraging the media to attend specific Keyes events to report on the latest.

In Alan Keyes' defense, some Republicans have said, with little time left, controversy at least gets some headlines.

DICK SIMPSON, UNIV. OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO: I mean, controversy's the right strategy; it's just that it's the wrong controversy. What he's saying is causing voters to not vote for him, other than to vote for him.

KAGAN: Keyes insists he is connecting.

KEYES: I think that a lot of people here were responding, in fact, to the message that I was delivering, particularly the message of moral priority, the message of restoration for family life.

OPPENHEIM: But with polls putting him a whopping 40 points behind, Obama, what some Republicans fear here may need restoration is their state party after November. .

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: She turned her own fight against breast cancer into a tribute to others facing the same battle. Up next, the picture of strength. You're meet the woman behind "Body and Soul, The Courage and Beauty of Breast Cancer Survivors."

And Later, Robin Williams shows his dark side once again. I'll have a change to talk with him live about his new movie. It's called "Final Cut."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: As women battling breast cancer fight for their lives, they're also faced with concern that they may no longer be attractive or feminine. Author and photographer Jean Karotkin attempts to shatter those fears in her book "Body & Soul: The Courage and Beauty of Beast Cancer Survivors." Jean Karotkin is also a breast cancer survivor, and she is joining me from Dallas. Jean, good morning.

JEAN KAROTKIN, AUTHOR, "BODY & SOUL": Good morning. How are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great, and apparently so are you.

KAROTKIN: I am. I'm doing fabulous.

KAGAN: You are a long-time breast cancer...

KAROTKIN: Sixteen years.

KAGAN: Sixteen years, excellent. Well, congratulations on that.

You say, and this was the first thing that caught my attention, that breast cancer was a gift.

KAROTKIN: Yes, breast cancer was a gift, because at the time that I was diagnosed, my life was in complete chaos. And I had no identity of who I was, no self-esteem. I had a daughter that I was raising, a wonderful girl, my marriage was in trouble.

And when I was diagnosed, at first it was a death sentence. And then, once reality set in, I realized I needed to make some changes in my life. And so, it was from that point on from that diagnosis that I made some major changes in my life that would take me to where I am today.

KAGAN: Where you are is an author and a photographer, and we're looking at some of the beautiful pictures in your book. These are women who have had breast cancer. Some are survivors. There are some in the book who are no longer here?

KAROTKIN: Yes, the five women that had died since the first image that I took -- my purpose throughout the entire journey of photographing these women, that they all be here today on this earth. But unfortunately, that was not the case.

KAGAN: Let's talk about associating beauty with breast cancer survivors, because they are beautiful photographs that you've taken.

KAROTKIN: Thank you.

Well, that was the purpose of the book in the beginning. When -- what planted the seed for this project was an image of "The New York Times" magazine in 1993 of a photographer Matuschka who did a self- portrait of herself, and she was wrapped in bandages and exposed her scars. It was a very profound, beautiful image.

And what that did, that image did, it made me start to think about women's images, their image and how they view themselves, their sexuality and femininity, when they go through breast cancer, through the indignities of breast cancer.

KAGAN: And we also learn these women's stories, as we look at your photographs. And many -- some having a similar experience that you have had with breast cancer and using it as a launching pad to get in touch with their sexuality, get in touch with who they really think they're supposed to be.

KAROTKIN: Exactly. But once I finish this project or as I met each woman, I realized that their battles, their struggles, were even more difficult than mine. I had a profound respect for these women. And we grew -- there was a bond that was formed through this entire process with these women.

KAGAN: We should mention that there was a picture of one man in there, and breast cancer does affect men as well as women.

KAROTKIN: Yes. And I might correct you, there are two men.

KAGAN: Two men, OK.

KAROTKIN: There's a husband and wife, and then there is a doctor that's an oncologist -- I mean obstetrician/gynecologist, an Ob/Gyn.

KAGAN: So, part of this is to inspire, but also some of the proceeds from this book are going to breast cancer research?

KAROTKIN: Yes. There is a "Body & Soul" fund, and proceeds during an event through the sale of the book goes to that particular institution, that particular group.

KAGAN: Well, once again, the book is called "Body & Soul." Jean Karotkin, congratulations on the book and, even more importantly, on 16 years of good health and being a survivor.

KAROTKIN: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

KAGAN: Thank you for sharing your story and your book and your pictures. We're going to continue our focus on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Tomorrow, an expert in cancer research will take some of your e-mail. The address is livetoday@cnn.com. The amount of information and your choices can be overwhelming, so we are providing the expert to answer your questions.

Well, I have some questions for Robin Williams, the dark side, the kind of strange side is on the big screen again. I'm going to talk to him about his new movie. It's called "Final Cut." That is just minutes away.

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KAGAN: All right. Time to check in on the movies. A brain drain based on memory manipulation that can replay memories once thought long gone. It's not some new biogenics experiment; it's the plot of a new movie. It's called "Final Cut." Robin Williams plays a man who dices and slices together the mental footage of your life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMPUTER VOICE: Sorting life files. Childhood. Sleep. Puberty. Eating. Awkward phase. Romantic life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Robin Williams joining me from Los Angeles to talk about his new movie.

Robin, good morning.

ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Good morning, Daryn.

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

WILLIAMS: Oops, we're in L.A., sorry.

KAGAN: It's not CNN International, CNN domestic. We'll save the French for something else. Ready for true confessions? Let's get right to it. I have a copy of the movie. Last night, I was going to just watch like 20 minutes so I knew what it was about. I got sucked in; I watched the whole thing.

WILLIAMS: Ah.

KAGAN: It's a mind-bender. It's kind of strange.

WILLIAMS: Yes, it's kind of -- it's discomforting.

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIAMS: In that sense of what would the chip be like. I think people are very uncomfortable with the idea of someone seeing everything that they've seen.

KAGAN: Yes, I can only imagine. WILLIAMS: And that's why my character exists, to delete out the nasty bits and darker secrets.

KAGAN: And your character has a few dark secrets of his own?

WILLIAMS: Yes, that he is remembered one way. I mean, it's also that idea of subjective versus objective memory. And the person that probably could help the most won't be able to access that tape, because you can only get the chip out once you're dead. So, you know, there's things I'm sure you'd go, I'd like to see it again and see if it was like that, and you can't, I'm sorry, without deep therapy or shock.

KAGAN: You play a profession called a cutter, somebody who takes this chip, after someone has died and puts together what's known in the movie as a re-memory, then and you get to show and reshape someone's life.

WILLIAMS: Right.

KAGAN: And it's kind of an odd concept there.

WILLIAMS: Well, it's this concept that sometimes we've seen in Hollywood theaters that have these AFI tributes to people. You know, they -- now remember that movie, and they usually always pick the good moments.

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIAMS: And here's another total bomb turkey that I did, and they tend to kind of avoid. And here's my alcoholic period. So the idea of remembering someone for those you leave behind, and actually it's more for them really, because they're seeing sometimes themselves from your point of view. They don't have -- the only thing missing is kind of the director's interior monologue of you going, I really hate her. There's your subconscious going, boy, would I like to -- there's a lot to deal with in the concept of the movie.

KAGAN: You know, on a sad moment, and I don't really know exactly how to make this transition, but I want to ask you about your good friend, Christopher Reeve, who the world lost this week, but this was somebody very near and dear to your heart. And it is a time when we're looking at memories, and most of us have watched him and been amazed by him from afar, and you knew him up close. If there's a memory of your good friend Christopher Reeve that you could share with us this morning?

WILLIAMS: I think for me one of the more vivid memories was that night in the Academy Awards where he came out as kind of a surprise, just to see the effect. For me, it's weird to see -- it was kind of a blind's eye thing, because I never thought that he would go.

KAGAN: He's Superman.

WILLIAMS: Yes, he's Superman. You know, after the accident, you know, he went from looking like a Greek god to all of a sudden becoming like Buddha, very kind of quiet, contained, but so powerful. And he's such a fighter that I thought, you know, he's going to the hospital, he'll be OK, he'll come out. And you know, and the things that -- him testifying in front of Congress, and probably the highlight in a weird way was during the debate, you know, Kerry mentioning him. But you realize that Chris has been fighting this battle for nine years, and you know, being brought up in the debate was a very interesting thing, because now the issue is in the forefront of politics in a big, big way.

KAGAN: And fascinating, he loved politics. I know he loved CNN. I interviewed him once.

WILLIAMS: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: He knew the schedule of everybody who appears on this network. And just kind of fascinating that even in the days after he died, he still find himself in the middle of the political debate.

WILLIAMS: Very much. And Bobby Kennedy said an amazing thing about him. He said Chris was able to speak in expository paragraphs, with a beginning and an end, that he could speak and talk. Partly it because of the respirator, that it had this kind of succinctness that he would speak, and it was so powerful, and you could see that.

Yes, I think he would have been -- he was in politics, and would have continued. He was always on activist on that level. He always a fighter, you know. Starting off on days when working on pollution and all of that, and then debating Strom Thurmond on the NEA, and then continuing with that, you know.

The acting was something he was very proud of and he was great at. And then he directed this next movie. His father gave me a copy it. It's extraordinary, and it's a great tribute to him. It's a very personal movie, even though it's about the girl, but it's very much about what he's been through, you know, what he went through.

KAGAN: We will be looking for that. We'll be looking for your next movie "Final Cut."

Didn't mean to make it so emotional. I know he's your good friend, but...

WILLIAMS: Oh, no, it's not -- I mean, having been -- there was a service for him yesterday. And in a weird way, I'm still full of so much of the member of him, it's almost like phantom friend, I don't feel like he's gone, but it's like he's still here. So it's not scary on that level.

KAGAN: Thank you for sharing that with us.

WILLIAMS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: A lot of people out there who never got to meet him on a personal level definitely loved him and respected him.

WILLIAMS: Yes, I remember that from just guys coming up and going we're very sorry for your loss. And when he was alive, guys used to come up and say, tell you friend he's amazing. Thank you.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, you're amazing, too. Good luck with the movie, "Final Cut."

WILLIAMS: Good look with CNN, keep broadcasting, and keep the crawl, yes.

KAGAN: Yes, sir. We will take that. Robin Williams, live from Los Angeles, thank you so much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And that's going to do it for me Daryn Kagan. Wolf Blitzer is in Tempe, Arizona today. You will see him at the top of the hour, after this break.

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