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Former IRS Agent on Stand Today in Scott Peterson Trial; Defining Differences Between Presidential Candidates on Social Issues

Aired October 19, 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: President Bush is stopping in three towns today in the battleground state of Florida. His bus tour takes him to Newport Richie (ph) this hour, and then he's about to speak to that crowd as well.
Senator Kerry is on the road in Pennsylvania today. His stump speech in Wilkes-Barre comes up in two hours. He'll make stops in two other swing states, Ohio and Iowa, later today.

In Iraq, the U.S. military it putting up wanted posters for Abu Musab Al Zarqawi around Fallujah. The military believes the insurgent leader is hiding in the city. They're betting somebody will give him up for the $25 million reward.

And in Atlanta, just within the last half hour, a small plane slammed into a warehouse during rainy weather moments after it took off. The plane was headed to Venice, Florida.

Mike Brooks on the scene tells us there are two casualties.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: A former IRS agent is going to be on the stand today in Scott Peterson's double murder trial.

Let's check in with Rusty Dornin. She's at the courthouse. She's in Redwood City, California to pick up the story for us.

Hi, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, that former IRS agent late in the day yesterday testified that he believed that Scott Peterson had absolutely no financial motive to murder his wife. In fact, because of an expected inheritance, he would have benefited more had Laci Peterson lived. The prosecutors, of course, all along have claimed that Peterson lied about everything from making anchors to his financial situation. The defense now is trying to poke holes in those theories using experts to back up their arguments, as they begin their version of the events.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The defense came out on their first day fighting for a dismissal of the case on the grounds of insufficient evidence. The motion, as expected, was denied. Next came the defense expert on concrete. Prosecutors had claimed Peterson made an anchor for his boat out of concrete. Only one anchor was found, but they maintained he made more from the same bag of concrete. They charge he used them to weigh down his wife's body when he threw her into the water.

As expected, the defense witness told the court he believed the concrete was used to make one anchor, and the rest was used in Peterson's driveway. A discrepancy, say legal observers , that could make or break the chain of evidence in the prosecution's circumstantial case.

CHUCK SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: If the defense has started their case going directly right after a significant piece of circumstantial evidence to show that this piece of evidence in terms of the prosecution theory is flawed, this breaks the chain.

DORNIN: Outside the courtroom, the buzz was all about the big question, will he or won't he? Only the defense knows for sure whether Scott Peterson will take the stand. But the team did bring in local defense attorney Michael Cardoza to practice cross-examining Peterson.

MICHAEL CARDOZA, DEFENSE CONSULTANT: I didn't say put him on, don't put him on. I didn't say he answered that question incorrectly. I gave them no advice at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: The judge apparently told Michael Cardoza in close chambers that he was not to talk about Scott Peterson's demeanor or how well those interviews went. Of course, in the end, it's up to the defense on whether to put him on the stand -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right, Rusty, thanks so much for that report. We'll continue to follow that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Just 14 days left in the presidential campaign. Election Day is exactly two weeks from today, and both candidates are zeroing in on those all-important battleground states. From abortion to same- sex marriage to the death penalty, the social issues that often divide the country also help define the differences between the presidential candidates.

Our Aaron Brown takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Gay, straight, black, white, all united to fight the right!

BROWN (voice-over): These are the hot-button issues that touch us where we live, the red-hot intersection of religion and politics, our public and private lives, who we can marry, when life begins, how it should end. These are issues that come from deep within and often do not lend themselves to compromise, hard things for a democracy to deal with.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I believe that, in the year 2004, we deserve a president who understands that a stronger America, where women's rights are just that, rights, not political weapons to be used by politicians in this nation.

BROWN: John Kerry supports a woman's right to choose abortion. And he voted against a ban on the so-called partial-birth abortion method because it did not include an exception for a woman's health. And Kerry supports the renewed funding of international family planning organizations.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for the unborn child.

BROWN: George W. Bush opposes abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's life is endangered. He signed into law the bill that banned partial-birth abortions and has cut off funding to international family planning agencies he accuses of abortion- related activities.

In a related issue, the president funded research into the potential medical benefits of embryonic stem cells, but limited that research to the small number of already existing lines of cells to avoid what he called the further destruction of human embryos. John Kerry supports federal funding of stem cell research without the limits on the number of new cell lines, except appropriate ethical oversight.

Senator Kerry opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional amendment to ban them. He would support the right of gays to serve openly in the military. President Bush encouraged Congress to pass the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And the president continues President Clinton's don't-ask/don't-tell policy on gays in the military.

George W. Bush supports the death penalty; 152 people were executed while he was the governor of Texas, but favors giving inmates increased access to new DNA tests that might prove their innocence. John Kerry opposes the death penalty, except in cases of terrorism, and would impose a moratorium on federal executions until DNA evidence could be used to make sure that all those on death row are, in fact, guilty.

On the issue of gun control, Kerry supports a citizen's right to own a gun, but also supported the ban on assault weapons and its extension. George W. Bush also supports the right to own a gun. He supported the assault weapon ban, but has been accused of permitting it to expire without pushing for its renewal.

Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And NEWSNIGHT going to continues with a look at the issues, continuing tonight with a focus on health care. That's on NEWSNIGHT with Aaron Brown, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

SANCHEZ: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has broken with Republican leaders there in an ethical debate over stem cell research. Schwarzenegger backs a $3 million bond measure to fund embryonic stem cell research. Yesterday's announcement put him at odds with California's Republican Party, which opposes the measure entirely. It would provide about $300 million in funding for stem cell research annually for 10 years.

In a related story, the daughter of the late President Ronald Reagan says that her support of stem cell research cost her a speaking engagement. Patty Davis is suing the Salvation Army over the incident. Davis says she signed a contract to speak at an event, but the charity suddenly canceled her because of her position on stem cell research. A lawyer for the Salvation Army denies that, and says the lawsuit is simply without merit.

Another supporter is Brook Ellison. She was the subject of Christopher Reeve's final project. Reeve directed the movie about her life as a quadriplegic. Ellison spoke with our Larry King about the hope offered by stem cell research.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE ELLISON, REEVE FILM SUBJECT: Right now, there are over 100 million people who face conditions that could potentially be cured with stem cell research, and I guess the way regulations are set right now, researchers who are working on potential cures are pretty much left with their hands tied. You know, they want to pursue their research, but they just don't have the funding to do it.

If we backtrack about three years, 2001, when President Bush first made his decision, he did it, I think, in a way that might be a little bit, might undermine the foundations of democracy that we hold so dear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: It's important to note that Brooks is going to join us here on CNN LIVE TODAY. It's Thursday at 11:45.

KAGAN: We look forward to having her on with us.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KAGAN: Thousands of people are making a run for the border.

SANCHEZ: Heading to Canada in search of -- of -- of flu shots. Exactly. The story is next, in your "Daily Dose" of health news.

And later, the magazine that gave you a personal look at the Bush daughters now turns the lens on John Edwards. We'll talk to the writer, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DONNA ROSATO, WRITER, "MONEY: November and early December are fantastic times to go to Hawaii. There really is no off-season for Hawaii. June is a very popular time. A lot of honeymooners go there. Also, early fall. But if you go in late fall, in November/early December, outside of the holidays, you'll find fewer crowds, fewer people, and better deals. And you'll have an easier time getting into some of those hard-to-get resorts. It will be easier to land an ocean-view room if you go this time of year.

The weather is temperate all year around. Early December you may have a little bit of rain, but in general, you should still have the fabulous Hawaiian weather, which is 80 degrees and sunny.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some residents of upstate New York are heading north of the border in search of flu shots. Pharmacists in Fort Erie, Ontario, across the border from Buffalo say they have been flooded with calls. At least one location in Fort Erie says it will give flu shots to Americans for a fee.

Meanwhile, a New Jersey town is using a lottery system to cope with the shortage of flu shots. Health officials in Bloomfield ordered 1,000 doses of the vaccine, but they only received 300. They're asking residents to sign up for a lottery to determine who gets the shots.

That shortage of flu vaccine has turned into a political issue, as well.

SANCHEZ: Boy has it.

KAGAN: Has it ever. Our health reporter Elizabeth Cohen is here with more on that.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The election is two weeks away -- the usual issues, the economy, education and this year, also, flu shots are an issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Long lines for flu shots one day make for political ads...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A George Bush mess.

COHEN: ... and speeches the next. The candidates have officially caught the flu.

Both sides say they have plans to solve the problems with the system. Right now, flu shots are made by private pharmaceutical companies. They sell the shots to places like doctor's offices, supermarkets, and local health departments.

But here's the hitch -- pharmaceutical companies don't make much money off of flu shots, so many have simply gotten out of the business. In years past, some four companies have made flu shots for the U.S. Now, there are only two. And when one company has contamination problems, as the Chiron Company did this year, nearly half the nation's supply becomes unusable.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC: We've got to create a market for these manufacturers. We've got to reimburse them at a fair price. And we have to give them some liability protection. This process is risky business. And the reason so many manufacturers have dropped out is that they just can't make business sense out of the enterprise.

COHEN: Democratic hopeful John Kerry blames President Bush for the shortage.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand there were some senior citizens who came out to listen to President Bush the other day, and he gave them -- he gave them the standard speech about prayer and flu shots. And that's the way it works. Under his plan, you don't have a prayer getting a flu shot, ladies and gentlemen.

TOMMY THOMPSON, HHS SECRETARY: During this challenging time, it is disheartening for me and for the department to see critics who have done nothing to strengthen our system try to lay blame where it didn't belong for the fragility of the vaccine system.

COHEN: Both Kerry and the Bush administration offered plans which surprisingly call for similar actions: work with manufacturers to get a larger supply of vaccines; establish government stockpiles of vaccines; and increase research for new ways to make vaccines.

In the old way, the way it's done now, flu vaccine is grown inside chicken eggs. It's a tedious process and takes months. New methods could be quicker so more manufacturers could more easily respond in case of an emergency -- in cases like this year, when half the supply suddenly can't be used and so people who need flu shots are left waiting in line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now, some health care experts have a different approach for solving the situation. They say that the government should make flu vaccines instead of private industry.

KAGAN: We're talking about high risk. High-risk people should get the shot. What are we taking about? Who is high risk?

COHEN: Like the CDC says because we only have about half as many shots as we did in previous years, only high-risk people should get shots. And that is people over the age of 65, babies between the ages of six and 23 months, and anyone with any kind of an underlying condition like asthma or diabetes. And everyone else -- the rest of us -- should...

KAGAN: go to the back of the line.

COHEN: Right, go to the back of the line -- or don't even join the line. I mean...

KAGAN: Stay home. Elizabeth, thank you for that.

And for your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log onto our Web site. You've find the latest medical stories, special reports, and a health library. The address is cnn.com/health.

SANCHEZ: Well, his fans say that he brings a brand of energy, skill, and style to the race for the White House. Up next, up close and personal with John Edwards on the pages of "Vogue." I'll tell you all about it. We're coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: John Edwards bring his skill and style to the Kerry campaign. More has been made perhaps of the latter. His campaign attributes are on display in a new interview in this month's vogue magazine.

Julia Reed is the senior writer for "Vogue," and she joins us from New York this morning.

Julia, good morning.

JULIA REED, SR. WRITER, "VOGUE" MAGAZINE: Hi, how are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great.

Reading through your article, you kind of try to squash some of the stereotypes, let's just say, or preconceived notions about John Edwards, that he's not quite as slick in person as he appears to be, as some people think he is when they see him on television.

REED: Well, I mean, I can see why he comes across as slick, because what he has more than attributes of a politician -- and let's not forget, he's still pretty much of a novice in that department. He has the attributes of a trial lawyer. And those are you have to be incredibly well rehearsed before you walk in the courtroom. So when you see him on the stump, he very, very rarely veers off the script. He doesn't respond to the audience as much as he might. He gets thrown off by, you know, like a protester here or a question thrown at him there, because he's used to walking in a courtroom where he's in complete control and the jury's wrapped, you know, that kind of thing. So I think he's just more rehearsed and less spontaneous than you might imagine.

I mean, the wrap was that he was going to be the warm and fuzzy human guy to sort of humanize the craggy, New England John Kerry, when in fact Kerry's much looser on the stump. When you're following these guys day in and day out, and you're listening to the same speech 12 times, you know, you can bet that Edwards was never going to say a spontaneous line, and Kerry always does.

KAGAN: One of the most interesting parts of the article, I think, was learning about the women. I don't think we've heard nearly enough about Elizabeth Edwards. What was your take on her. REED: She is anything but slick. And she would never -- there's no way she could come across as that. She's a wonderful politician. She gets out there and does the introductions and does her own speeches, and really rouses the crowd in ways that I think sometimes -- she gets the crowd going a lot more than Kerry or her husband does.

She bristles when people say, oh, you should run for office. That's not clearly anything that she's interested in. And maybe because she has no ambition, she's so unguarded and just great. I mean, she's incredibly poised. I mean, you would think she'd been doing this all her life. I think women react to her because she's so down to earth and normal, and she jokes about her weight, and she's a new mom, and she's 50 something. You know, I mean, she's got a full plate, but she's always unruffled and incredibly human. I mean, I think she's probably the sort of best tool the campaign has on the trail.

KAGAN: Julia, our time is short today. I want to apologize for that, because so there's so many more things I can ask you about having access to this family. But I want to thank you, and tell people they can read more from the pages of "Vogue."

REED: OK, thank you.

SANCHEZ: That's interesting, what you say about Elizabeth, because she does seem very candid, almost nonpolitical.

KAGAN: Of all four, if you look at them, she's probably the most real.

SANCHEZ: Yes, says what she thinks.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

SANCHEZ: And that does it for us.

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan with Rick Sanchez. We'll be right back here tomorrow morning. Thanks for joining us.

SANCHEZ: "AMERICAN AGENDA" is next.

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 October 19, 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: President Bush is stopping in three towns today in the battleground state of Florida. His bus tour takes him to Newport Richie (ph) this hour, and then he's about to speak to that crowd as well.
Senator Kerry is on the road in Pennsylvania today. His stump speech in Wilkes-Barre comes up in two hours. He'll make stops in two other swing states, Ohio and Iowa, later today.

In Iraq, the U.S. military it putting up wanted posters for Abu Musab Al Zarqawi around Fallujah. The military believes the insurgent leader is hiding in the city. They're betting somebody will give him up for the $25 million reward.

And in Atlanta, just within the last half hour, a small plane slammed into a warehouse during rainy weather moments after it took off. The plane was headed to Venice, Florida.

Mike Brooks on the scene tells us there are two casualties.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: A former IRS agent is going to be on the stand today in Scott Peterson's double murder trial.

Let's check in with Rusty Dornin. She's at the courthouse. She's in Redwood City, California to pick up the story for us.

Hi, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, that former IRS agent late in the day yesterday testified that he believed that Scott Peterson had absolutely no financial motive to murder his wife. In fact, because of an expected inheritance, he would have benefited more had Laci Peterson lived. The prosecutors, of course, all along have claimed that Peterson lied about everything from making anchors to his financial situation. The defense now is trying to poke holes in those theories using experts to back up their arguments, as they begin their version of the events.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The defense came out on their first day fighting for a dismissal of the case on the grounds of insufficient evidence. The motion, as expected, was denied. Next came the defense expert on concrete. Prosecutors had claimed Peterson made an anchor for his boat out of concrete. Only one anchor was found, but they maintained he made more from the same bag of concrete. They charge he used them to weigh down his wife's body when he threw her into the water.

As expected, the defense witness told the court he believed the concrete was used to make one anchor, and the rest was used in Peterson's driveway. A discrepancy, say legal observers , that could make or break the chain of evidence in the prosecution's circumstantial case.

CHUCK SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: If the defense has started their case going directly right after a significant piece of circumstantial evidence to show that this piece of evidence in terms of the prosecution theory is flawed, this breaks the chain.

DORNIN: Outside the courtroom, the buzz was all about the big question, will he or won't he? Only the defense knows for sure whether Scott Peterson will take the stand. But the team did bring in local defense attorney Michael Cardoza to practice cross-examining Peterson.

MICHAEL CARDOZA, DEFENSE CONSULTANT: I didn't say put him on, don't put him on. I didn't say he answered that question incorrectly. I gave them no advice at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: The judge apparently told Michael Cardoza in close chambers that he was not to talk about Scott Peterson's demeanor or how well those interviews went. Of course, in the end, it's up to the defense on whether to put him on the stand -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right, Rusty, thanks so much for that report. We'll continue to follow that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Just 14 days left in the presidential campaign. Election Day is exactly two weeks from today, and both candidates are zeroing in on those all-important battleground states. From abortion to same- sex marriage to the death penalty, the social issues that often divide the country also help define the differences between the presidential candidates.

Our Aaron Brown takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Gay, straight, black, white, all united to fight the right!

BROWN (voice-over): These are the hot-button issues that touch us where we live, the red-hot intersection of religion and politics, our public and private lives, who we can marry, when life begins, how it should end. These are issues that come from deep within and often do not lend themselves to compromise, hard things for a democracy to deal with.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I believe that, in the year 2004, we deserve a president who understands that a stronger America, where women's rights are just that, rights, not political weapons to be used by politicians in this nation.

BROWN: John Kerry supports a woman's right to choose abortion. And he voted against a ban on the so-called partial-birth abortion method because it did not include an exception for a woman's health. And Kerry supports the renewed funding of international family planning organizations.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for the unborn child.

BROWN: George W. Bush opposes abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's life is endangered. He signed into law the bill that banned partial-birth abortions and has cut off funding to international family planning agencies he accuses of abortion- related activities.

In a related issue, the president funded research into the potential medical benefits of embryonic stem cells, but limited that research to the small number of already existing lines of cells to avoid what he called the further destruction of human embryos. John Kerry supports federal funding of stem cell research without the limits on the number of new cell lines, except appropriate ethical oversight.

Senator Kerry opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional amendment to ban them. He would support the right of gays to serve openly in the military. President Bush encouraged Congress to pass the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And the president continues President Clinton's don't-ask/don't-tell policy on gays in the military.

George W. Bush supports the death penalty; 152 people were executed while he was the governor of Texas, but favors giving inmates increased access to new DNA tests that might prove their innocence. John Kerry opposes the death penalty, except in cases of terrorism, and would impose a moratorium on federal executions until DNA evidence could be used to make sure that all those on death row are, in fact, guilty.

On the issue of gun control, Kerry supports a citizen's right to own a gun, but also supported the ban on assault weapons and its extension. George W. Bush also supports the right to own a gun. He supported the assault weapon ban, but has been accused of permitting it to expire without pushing for its renewal.

Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And NEWSNIGHT going to continues with a look at the issues, continuing tonight with a focus on health care. That's on NEWSNIGHT with Aaron Brown, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

SANCHEZ: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has broken with Republican leaders there in an ethical debate over stem cell research. Schwarzenegger backs a $3 million bond measure to fund embryonic stem cell research. Yesterday's announcement put him at odds with California's Republican Party, which opposes the measure entirely. It would provide about $300 million in funding for stem cell research annually for 10 years.

In a related story, the daughter of the late President Ronald Reagan says that her support of stem cell research cost her a speaking engagement. Patty Davis is suing the Salvation Army over the incident. Davis says she signed a contract to speak at an event, but the charity suddenly canceled her because of her position on stem cell research. A lawyer for the Salvation Army denies that, and says the lawsuit is simply without merit.

Another supporter is Brook Ellison. She was the subject of Christopher Reeve's final project. Reeve directed the movie about her life as a quadriplegic. Ellison spoke with our Larry King about the hope offered by stem cell research.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE ELLISON, REEVE FILM SUBJECT: Right now, there are over 100 million people who face conditions that could potentially be cured with stem cell research, and I guess the way regulations are set right now, researchers who are working on potential cures are pretty much left with their hands tied. You know, they want to pursue their research, but they just don't have the funding to do it.

If we backtrack about three years, 2001, when President Bush first made his decision, he did it, I think, in a way that might be a little bit, might undermine the foundations of democracy that we hold so dear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: It's important to note that Brooks is going to join us here on CNN LIVE TODAY. It's Thursday at 11:45.

KAGAN: We look forward to having her on with us.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KAGAN: Thousands of people are making a run for the border.

SANCHEZ: Heading to Canada in search of -- of -- of flu shots. Exactly. The story is next, in your "Daily Dose" of health news.

And later, the magazine that gave you a personal look at the Bush daughters now turns the lens on John Edwards. We'll talk to the writer, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DONNA ROSATO, WRITER, "MONEY: November and early December are fantastic times to go to Hawaii. There really is no off-season for Hawaii. June is a very popular time. A lot of honeymooners go there. Also, early fall. But if you go in late fall, in November/early December, outside of the holidays, you'll find fewer crowds, fewer people, and better deals. And you'll have an easier time getting into some of those hard-to-get resorts. It will be easier to land an ocean-view room if you go this time of year.

The weather is temperate all year around. Early December you may have a little bit of rain, but in general, you should still have the fabulous Hawaiian weather, which is 80 degrees and sunny.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some residents of upstate New York are heading north of the border in search of flu shots. Pharmacists in Fort Erie, Ontario, across the border from Buffalo say they have been flooded with calls. At least one location in Fort Erie says it will give flu shots to Americans for a fee.

Meanwhile, a New Jersey town is using a lottery system to cope with the shortage of flu shots. Health officials in Bloomfield ordered 1,000 doses of the vaccine, but they only received 300. They're asking residents to sign up for a lottery to determine who gets the shots.

That shortage of flu vaccine has turned into a political issue, as well.

SANCHEZ: Boy has it.

KAGAN: Has it ever. Our health reporter Elizabeth Cohen is here with more on that.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The election is two weeks away -- the usual issues, the economy, education and this year, also, flu shots are an issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Long lines for flu shots one day make for political ads...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A George Bush mess.

COHEN: ... and speeches the next. The candidates have officially caught the flu.

Both sides say they have plans to solve the problems with the system. Right now, flu shots are made by private pharmaceutical companies. They sell the shots to places like doctor's offices, supermarkets, and local health departments.

But here's the hitch -- pharmaceutical companies don't make much money off of flu shots, so many have simply gotten out of the business. In years past, some four companies have made flu shots for the U.S. Now, there are only two. And when one company has contamination problems, as the Chiron Company did this year, nearly half the nation's supply becomes unusable.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC: We've got to create a market for these manufacturers. We've got to reimburse them at a fair price. And we have to give them some liability protection. This process is risky business. And the reason so many manufacturers have dropped out is that they just can't make business sense out of the enterprise.

COHEN: Democratic hopeful John Kerry blames President Bush for the shortage.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand there were some senior citizens who came out to listen to President Bush the other day, and he gave them -- he gave them the standard speech about prayer and flu shots. And that's the way it works. Under his plan, you don't have a prayer getting a flu shot, ladies and gentlemen.

TOMMY THOMPSON, HHS SECRETARY: During this challenging time, it is disheartening for me and for the department to see critics who have done nothing to strengthen our system try to lay blame where it didn't belong for the fragility of the vaccine system.

COHEN: Both Kerry and the Bush administration offered plans which surprisingly call for similar actions: work with manufacturers to get a larger supply of vaccines; establish government stockpiles of vaccines; and increase research for new ways to make vaccines.

In the old way, the way it's done now, flu vaccine is grown inside chicken eggs. It's a tedious process and takes months. New methods could be quicker so more manufacturers could more easily respond in case of an emergency -- in cases like this year, when half the supply suddenly can't be used and so people who need flu shots are left waiting in line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now, some health care experts have a different approach for solving the situation. They say that the government should make flu vaccines instead of private industry.

KAGAN: We're talking about high risk. High-risk people should get the shot. What are we taking about? Who is high risk?

COHEN: Like the CDC says because we only have about half as many shots as we did in previous years, only high-risk people should get shots. And that is people over the age of 65, babies between the ages of six and 23 months, and anyone with any kind of an underlying condition like asthma or diabetes. And everyone else -- the rest of us -- should...

KAGAN: go to the back of the line.

COHEN: Right, go to the back of the line -- or don't even join the line. I mean...

KAGAN: Stay home. Elizabeth, thank you for that.

And for your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log onto our Web site. You've find the latest medical stories, special reports, and a health library. The address is cnn.com/health.

SANCHEZ: Well, his fans say that he brings a brand of energy, skill, and style to the race for the White House. Up next, up close and personal with John Edwards on the pages of "Vogue." I'll tell you all about it. We're coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: John Edwards bring his skill and style to the Kerry campaign. More has been made perhaps of the latter. His campaign attributes are on display in a new interview in this month's vogue magazine.

Julia Reed is the senior writer for "Vogue," and she joins us from New York this morning.

Julia, good morning.

JULIA REED, SR. WRITER, "VOGUE" MAGAZINE: Hi, how are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great.

Reading through your article, you kind of try to squash some of the stereotypes, let's just say, or preconceived notions about John Edwards, that he's not quite as slick in person as he appears to be, as some people think he is when they see him on television.

REED: Well, I mean, I can see why he comes across as slick, because what he has more than attributes of a politician -- and let's not forget, he's still pretty much of a novice in that department. He has the attributes of a trial lawyer. And those are you have to be incredibly well rehearsed before you walk in the courtroom. So when you see him on the stump, he very, very rarely veers off the script. He doesn't respond to the audience as much as he might. He gets thrown off by, you know, like a protester here or a question thrown at him there, because he's used to walking in a courtroom where he's in complete control and the jury's wrapped, you know, that kind of thing. So I think he's just more rehearsed and less spontaneous than you might imagine.

I mean, the wrap was that he was going to be the warm and fuzzy human guy to sort of humanize the craggy, New England John Kerry, when in fact Kerry's much looser on the stump. When you're following these guys day in and day out, and you're listening to the same speech 12 times, you know, you can bet that Edwards was never going to say a spontaneous line, and Kerry always does.

KAGAN: One of the most interesting parts of the article, I think, was learning about the women. I don't think we've heard nearly enough about Elizabeth Edwards. What was your take on her. REED: She is anything but slick. And she would never -- there's no way she could come across as that. She's a wonderful politician. She gets out there and does the introductions and does her own speeches, and really rouses the crowd in ways that I think sometimes -- she gets the crowd going a lot more than Kerry or her husband does.

She bristles when people say, oh, you should run for office. That's not clearly anything that she's interested in. And maybe because she has no ambition, she's so unguarded and just great. I mean, she's incredibly poised. I mean, you would think she'd been doing this all her life. I think women react to her because she's so down to earth and normal, and she jokes about her weight, and she's a new mom, and she's 50 something. You know, I mean, she's got a full plate, but she's always unruffled and incredibly human. I mean, I think she's probably the sort of best tool the campaign has on the trail.

KAGAN: Julia, our time is short today. I want to apologize for that, because so there's so many more things I can ask you about having access to this family. But I want to thank you, and tell people they can read more from the pages of "Vogue."

REED: OK, thank you.

SANCHEZ: That's interesting, what you say about Elizabeth, because she does seem very candid, almost nonpolitical.

KAGAN: Of all four, if you look at them, she's probably the most real.

SANCHEZ: Yes, says what she thinks.

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SANCHEZ: And that does it for us.

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan with Rick Sanchez. We'll be right back here tomorrow morning. Thanks for joining us.

SANCHEZ: "AMERICAN AGENDA" is next.

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