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CNN Live Today
Presidential Race Coming Down to Crucial Battleground States; Issue: Education
Aired October 22, 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.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Both campaigns are practically tripping over each other, as they visit, revisit and visit again many of the same states. John Kerry in Ohio again yesterday. Today, he's in Wisconsin.
Later today, he heads to Nevada.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, you've heard about this, the presidential race coming down to the wire, and down to the crucial battleground states. So far, the race remains tight. Our average of national polling shows it's getting even tighter. In the poll of polls released yesterday, President Bush leads John Kerry by just two points, down from four points earlier.
Our political analyst, Carlos Watson, here to talk about that race.
Good morning.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Daryn Kagan, you finally invite me back.
KAGAN: Finally. Yes, and we have some big things to talk to you about. Let's talk about what we're watching today actually live in this program. Some of the battleground states, we saw President Bush live in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, second time in 16 days he's been to that exact city in Pennsylvania. What is that race looking like?
WATSON: Still very close. Remember that Philadelphia, and turnout in Philadelphia in particular, made the difference for Al Gore four years ago. And consequently, where are they sending the big guy, Bill Clinton? To Philadelphia. Philadelphia certainly can provide 200, 000, 300,000 vote margin, which could be critical. And obviously, Pennsylvania, with its 21 electoral votes, if the president were to win that, John Kerry's chance of winning the presidency overall would be pretty slim.
KAGAN: Really tight. We are going to see John Kerry in a little bit from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
WATSON: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, yet another hot spot. I mean, Daryn, one of the things that strikes me overall is how quickly, since the last time you and I got together, probably a month ago or so, how quickly the battleground has shrunk. I mean, we used to talk about 17 or 18 states. Realistically now, we're really only talking about 10 states. And what grabs when we say Wisconsin is that so many of those states are in the Midwest, and both sides want to win Florida, and we always talk about Florida, but the reality is, both of them have Florida alternative strategies. For the Democrats, the alternative strategy, if you don't win Florida, is to win Ohio, which would be huge. And if you won Ohio and you won all the states that Gore won, you actually would have enough electoral votes. You've got 280 electoral votes to win the presidency. Conversely, the president's put together a strategy that says, even if I lose Florida this time, even if it goes a different way, I can still win the presidency, how do I do that? I do it by winning those really close Midwestern states -- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa -- gives me 28 electoral votes, replaces Florida's 27 electoral votes. So as much as we talk about Florida, the reality is the Midwest may be the place where this all gets decided.
KAGAN: Where it is.
OK, talk about alternative strategies. This man has one. Got the political analyst thing happening by day. By night, working on your own show, which debuts this weekend, right here on CNN, "OFF TOPIC."
WATSON: "OFF TOPIC," Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, and again, at 1:00 Eastern. I'm really excited about it, because you know, that, like you, I've got a broad set of interests, and I wanted to have a conversation show where you could sit down with someone like Shaquille O'Neal, the big guy, the Miami Heat star, or you sit down for the world of entertainment with Heidi Klum, the model.
KAGAN: OK, say no more.
Carlos manages to finagle his own show, and get an interview with Heidi Klum.
Let's take a look at that.
WATSON: It's been a couple hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Has it been tough for you being a single mom?
HEIDI KLUM, MODEL: What does it mean exactly a single mom?
WATSON: Meaning the mother who's not married and who's basically responsible for the child on her own.
KLUM: So you are a single mom if you're not married?
WATSON: Interesting.
KLUM: No, I'm just wondering.
WATSON: No, no, that's good. Go with that. KLUM: I don't consider myself as a single mom. Yes, I'm not married, but I don't consider myself as a single mom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Was that a language thing, or did she not get it?
WATSON: You've to tune in on Sunday.
KAGAN: I think so.
WATSON: What I think is very interesting, is that she takes a very different view of some of those questions, even the kind -- of everything. Part of the reason we wanted to talk to her, because she will go off topic on business, she will go off topic on what it means to be a model. She was never a runway model, and she talks about the hundreds of times that people said you weren't pretty enough, and now Heidi Klum...
KAGAN: Yes, that's too bad. A crime for Heidi Klum, not being pretty enough.
We will tune with something that looks very different than most things we've seen here on CNN. Good luck with that.
WATSON: You know, the other guy we have is Barack Obama, Senate candidate from Illinois.
KAGAN: Democratic candidate. Yes, look for that. Carlos Watson, thank you for that. Carlos Watson, "OFF TOPIC," and CNN Sunday, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
WATSON: Watch it, it watch it, watch it.
KAGAN: We're watching.
Rick, over to you.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, what do you mean by Senate candidate from Illinois. See I don't consider myself a Senate candidate from Illinois.
WATSON: Not yet.
SANCHEZ: Now that we're playing the what-if game, throughout the week we've been taking a close look at where the presidential candidates stand on the issues. Today, education.
CNN's Aaron Brown has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I say to every child, no matter what your circumstance, no matter where you live, your school will be the path to promise of America. AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George W. Bush made education reform and the No Child Left Behind act his first legislative priority. The act required that all states set and meet academic standards, measured by testing. If schools did not improve, parents could send their children elsewhere. In return, federal funding for education has risen to record levels.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, ready, go.
BROWN: The president proposes for a second term increasing the number of required tests, creating a fund to reward effective teachers, and forgiving more college loans for math, science and special education teachers who agree to work in low-income communities.
In addition, President Bush supports vouchers that would allow parents to apply public money to private school tuition. To help with the rising cost of college, the president would agree to allow more volunteers to earn college money in the AmeriCorps program and increase funding for other education loans and grants.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our education plan for a stronger America sets high standards and it demands accountability from parents, teachers and schools. It provides for smaller class sizes and it treats teachers like the professionals that they are.
Are you ready? Everybody ready?
BROWN: John Kerry supported the No Child Left Behind act, but says that Mr. Bush has never fully funded it, and that he will. Senator Kerry supports improving the required tests, putting more resources into so-called failing schools, and creating a national education trust fund to keep education funding out of the yearly budget battle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what we don't finish in class, you're going to finish for homework.
BROWN: The Democrats would raise the pay of many teachers, but require increased teacher testing and a streamlined process to fire those who do not perform. Their plan would provide federal guarantees for school repair and increase after-school programs.
Kerry is opposed to vouchers, saying they hurt public education. To combat the rising costs of college, Senator Kerry proposes a tax credit for a portion of college tuition and a plan under which two years of community service would earn enough money to pay for a state university degree.
Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: President Bush is getting some support from his family in the race for the White House. At a charity dinner in New York last night, the president's father poked some fun at the Democratic challenger. He says that the former first lady is not too happy with all the criticism of their son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH SR., FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The constant attacks of our son have really gotten her steamed up, and it's not good to get her steamed. I don't know who's going to blow first, Barbara or Mount St. Helen. Now I know this, if Barbara ever gets her hands on Senator Kerry, he's going to need another Purple Heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The former president says that he's also glad the debates between candidates are over.
KAGAN: Fear of the flu? What the U.S. is doing to prevent a vaccine shortage again next year. Find out in today's "Daily Dose."
SANCHEZ: And what Curt Schilling believes is the reason the Sox are headed to the World Series. This is hilarious, folks. You have got to stay with us to watch it.
We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Turning now to health news in today's "Daily Dose." Federal health officials say an additional one million doses will be available. It's the form administered through the nose. It's known as FluMist. That means there will be about three million doses of the nasal spray available this flu season. Health experts caution that FluMist contains a live, but weakened, influenza virus and should only be given to healthy people.
SANCHEZ: If you think the vaccine shortage is a one-time event, well, guess again. There are signs that the flu shot business itself is in need of some intensive care.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Will these long lines stretch all the way to next year's flu season? After regulators said it could be contaminated, nearly half the nation's supply of flu shots had to be thrown out this year. And now there are signs that the same factory won't be able to make any shots next year.
In a conference call with investors, the CEO of Chiron, the company that made the flu shot, said, "The situation remains fluid. We are determined -- to return to the U.S. market as a reliable supplier of flu vaccine as soon as is feasible."
If Chiron doesn't get back on track, that could leave the U.S., for the second year in a row, with just one company making the vaccine for the entire country.
DR. JERRY AVORN, AUTHOR, "POWERFUL MEDICINES": We probably should not be in a position where we are so dependent on one or two companies for a product that is literally life saving.
COHEN: The government is now on the hunt for other suppliers. A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control said all options are open. The government is already inspecting a Canadian drug manufacturing plant to see if it's up to U.S. standards.
Over the past four years, several pharmaceutical companies have gotten out of the flu shot business.
AVORN: Companies have felt that this is not a profitable area. And one by one, most of the vaccine manufacturers of many kinds have dropped out to pursue more lucrative products.
COHEN: That's prompted some experts to say the government ought to take over the production of flu shots itself.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And of course, to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, all you've got to do is log onto our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health. That's CNN.com/health.
We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Time to get a check of the business.
KAGAN: And Rhonda Schaffler has that for us from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Rhonda.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.
KAGAN: Question is about do you hate to fly?
SANCHEZ: Welcome to the infrequent flyers club. You'd like to overcome this fear. Well, virtual reality therapy might just be the ticket for you.
KAGAN: Jeanne Moos can really relate, and she has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For some, flying seems heavenly, but for others, it's like preparing to join the dearly departed. We sit rigid as dummies, analyzing every engine noise, waiting for impact, watching for wings to ignite, imagining flopping around tethered to a fireball. Yikes!
(on camera): I don't think I've been on a plane for a decade...
(voice-over): ... which means the only thing I'll take off on is a virtual reality flight.
DR. JOANN DIFEDE, PSYCHOLOGIST: Move your head a little bit. OK. You can look out the window.
MOOS (on camera): Oh, yeah.
DIFEDE: You see you're on the runway.
MOOS (voice-over): Here at Cornell New York Presbyterian Hospital in a nondescript office, Psychologist JoAnn Difede asks questions like did I stop flying because of a bad experience that made me fear for my life?
(on camera): No, never thought I was going to die.
I do things when I'm on the plane like I tiptoe to the back. You know, I want to go easy on the airplane, like my weight is going to make some kind of difference. It's nuts.
(voice-over): For 15 years at CNN, I flew when absolutely necessary -- to China, for instance.
(on camera): Here at the Great Wall, you don't have to walk a mile for a camel.
(voice-over): I'd rather take a camel than a jet. Finally, I stopped flying altogether, though I still manage to ride in a balloon and go up in a blimp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try it.
MOOS: (on camera): I am not going to fly this thing.
I don't want to drive anymore.
(voice-over): The goal of virtual reality is to desensitize patients to what scares them.
(on camera): It's the actual hurdling down the runway part that really gets me going.
(voice-over): For eight sessions, the cost about $2,100, the therapist puts you in a 3D world of airplane noises and thunderstorms.
(on camera): I can do that again and again and again.
(voice-over): They even have a virtual reality program for those traumatized by 9/11. Difede says the success rate of virtual reality is about 90 percent, but you have to want the cure.
DIFEDE: Going to Hawaii to, I don't know... MOOS (on camera): Could care less. I have no desire. The plane trip is not -- the vacation is not worth the plane trip.
DIFEDE: You have no motivation.
MOOS (voice-over): No wonder my progress is slow.
(on camera): So, do I get frequent flyer miles for this?
(voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: I would think -- I would think after seeing all those virtual reality horrors, you'd be more afraid. How is that supposed to be desensitize you?
KAGAN: That's one way of thinking about it. But if you've seen it and experienced it, and you know you're still in one piece.
SANCHEZ: It's like old hat to you?
KAGAN: Something. I guess.
SANCHEZ: I guess that's the theory?
KAGAN: Hopefully it's working for some folks. It's a big problem.
SANCHEZ: I got to fly this afternoon.
KAGAN: And you're going to be (AUDIO GAP). Yes.
SANCHEZ: Kumbaya.
KAGAN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Everyone has their guesses. This is funny. Curt Schilling offers a few of his own as to why the Red Sox lost -- pardon me, beat the Yankees.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate John Edwards is appearing in Boynton Beach, Florida, today, responding to a new Bush/Cheney ad that makes references to terrorists as a pack of wolves. Here's a look at the new ad, and now John Edwards' response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America's...
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We all know that George Bush and Dick Cheney manipulate the facts, right? Manipulate the facts to fit their agenda. And they're at it again. They're at it again.
There's a new ad, and they have stooped so low now that they're using a pack of wolves running around a forest trying to scare you and trying to scare the American people. This president is continuing to try to scare America in his speeches and ads in a despicable and contemptible way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: That's John Edwards in Florida. As for his running mate, John Kerry, he'll be speaking later in the hour from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We'll show you portions of that campaign appearance just like we showed portions of President Bush's earlier this hour.
SANCHEZ: Let's go over to Jill Brown and find out what's going on with the weather for the weekend weekend -- Jill?
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Jill.
Did you catch Letterman last night?
KAGAN: Not on these hours, my friend.
SANCHEZ: Funny.
KAGAN: Really?
SANCHEZ: Yeah, they had Curt Schilling on there, and he's talking about how they lost the game and Top 10 lists as to what they could have done different. Hilarious. Want to see it?
KAGAN: How the Boston Red Sox won it all.
SANCHEZ: This is a toss...
KAGAN: Let's take a look.
SANCHEZ: Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: Unlike the first three games, we didn't leave early to beat the traffic.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": That's right.
Number nine.
SCHILLING: We put flu virus in Jeter's Gatorade.
LETTERMAN: Hey, wait a minute! That's illegal!
Number eight. SCHILLING: Let's just say Pete Rose made some phone calls for us.
LETTERMAN: What? Wait a minute!
Number six.
SCHILLING: It's not like we haven't won a big game before -- it's just been 86 years.
LETTERMAN: Yeah.
Number two.
SCHILLING: What'd you expect? We have a guy who looks like Jesus.
LETTERMAN: That's right.
And the number one secret of the Boston Red Sox comeback...
SCHILLING: We got Babe Ruth's ghost a hooker and now everything's cool.
LETTERMAN: There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Boy that was good. Who writes that stuff for him?
KAGAN: Whoever is writing is doing a good job. Who wrote (AUDIO GAP) at Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox hosts the St. Louis Cardinals.
SANCHEZ: I can't recall the last time the Red Sox and St. Louis played.
KAGAN: Eighty-six or '87.
SANCHEZ: You're good.
KAGAN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Zing!
KAGAN: Eighty-seven, I think.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, everybody, for being with us. I'm Rick Sanchez, and she's a know-it-all.
KAGAN: I would be Daryn Kagan. And Wolf Blitzer, who knows even more than both of us put together, live from Washington, D.C.
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 22, 2004 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Both campaigns are practically tripping over each other, as they visit, revisit and visit again many of the same states. John Kerry in Ohio again yesterday. Today, he's in Wisconsin.
Later today, he heads to Nevada.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, you've heard about this, the presidential race coming down to the wire, and down to the crucial battleground states. So far, the race remains tight. Our average of national polling shows it's getting even tighter. In the poll of polls released yesterday, President Bush leads John Kerry by just two points, down from four points earlier.
Our political analyst, Carlos Watson, here to talk about that race.
Good morning.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Daryn Kagan, you finally invite me back.
KAGAN: Finally. Yes, and we have some big things to talk to you about. Let's talk about what we're watching today actually live in this program. Some of the battleground states, we saw President Bush live in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, second time in 16 days he's been to that exact city in Pennsylvania. What is that race looking like?
WATSON: Still very close. Remember that Philadelphia, and turnout in Philadelphia in particular, made the difference for Al Gore four years ago. And consequently, where are they sending the big guy, Bill Clinton? To Philadelphia. Philadelphia certainly can provide 200, 000, 300,000 vote margin, which could be critical. And obviously, Pennsylvania, with its 21 electoral votes, if the president were to win that, John Kerry's chance of winning the presidency overall would be pretty slim.
KAGAN: Really tight. We are going to see John Kerry in a little bit from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
WATSON: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, yet another hot spot. I mean, Daryn, one of the things that strikes me overall is how quickly, since the last time you and I got together, probably a month ago or so, how quickly the battleground has shrunk. I mean, we used to talk about 17 or 18 states. Realistically now, we're really only talking about 10 states. And what grabs when we say Wisconsin is that so many of those states are in the Midwest, and both sides want to win Florida, and we always talk about Florida, but the reality is, both of them have Florida alternative strategies. For the Democrats, the alternative strategy, if you don't win Florida, is to win Ohio, which would be huge. And if you won Ohio and you won all the states that Gore won, you actually would have enough electoral votes. You've got 280 electoral votes to win the presidency. Conversely, the president's put together a strategy that says, even if I lose Florida this time, even if it goes a different way, I can still win the presidency, how do I do that? I do it by winning those really close Midwestern states -- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa -- gives me 28 electoral votes, replaces Florida's 27 electoral votes. So as much as we talk about Florida, the reality is the Midwest may be the place where this all gets decided.
KAGAN: Where it is.
OK, talk about alternative strategies. This man has one. Got the political analyst thing happening by day. By night, working on your own show, which debuts this weekend, right here on CNN, "OFF TOPIC."
WATSON: "OFF TOPIC," Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, and again, at 1:00 Eastern. I'm really excited about it, because you know, that, like you, I've got a broad set of interests, and I wanted to have a conversation show where you could sit down with someone like Shaquille O'Neal, the big guy, the Miami Heat star, or you sit down for the world of entertainment with Heidi Klum, the model.
KAGAN: OK, say no more.
Carlos manages to finagle his own show, and get an interview with Heidi Klum.
Let's take a look at that.
WATSON: It's been a couple hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Has it been tough for you being a single mom?
HEIDI KLUM, MODEL: What does it mean exactly a single mom?
WATSON: Meaning the mother who's not married and who's basically responsible for the child on her own.
KLUM: So you are a single mom if you're not married?
WATSON: Interesting.
KLUM: No, I'm just wondering.
WATSON: No, no, that's good. Go with that. KLUM: I don't consider myself as a single mom. Yes, I'm not married, but I don't consider myself as a single mom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Was that a language thing, or did she not get it?
WATSON: You've to tune in on Sunday.
KAGAN: I think so.
WATSON: What I think is very interesting, is that she takes a very different view of some of those questions, even the kind -- of everything. Part of the reason we wanted to talk to her, because she will go off topic on business, she will go off topic on what it means to be a model. She was never a runway model, and she talks about the hundreds of times that people said you weren't pretty enough, and now Heidi Klum...
KAGAN: Yes, that's too bad. A crime for Heidi Klum, not being pretty enough.
We will tune with something that looks very different than most things we've seen here on CNN. Good luck with that.
WATSON: You know, the other guy we have is Barack Obama, Senate candidate from Illinois.
KAGAN: Democratic candidate. Yes, look for that. Carlos Watson, thank you for that. Carlos Watson, "OFF TOPIC," and CNN Sunday, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
WATSON: Watch it, it watch it, watch it.
KAGAN: We're watching.
Rick, over to you.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, what do you mean by Senate candidate from Illinois. See I don't consider myself a Senate candidate from Illinois.
WATSON: Not yet.
SANCHEZ: Now that we're playing the what-if game, throughout the week we've been taking a close look at where the presidential candidates stand on the issues. Today, education.
CNN's Aaron Brown has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I say to every child, no matter what your circumstance, no matter where you live, your school will be the path to promise of America. AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George W. Bush made education reform and the No Child Left Behind act his first legislative priority. The act required that all states set and meet academic standards, measured by testing. If schools did not improve, parents could send their children elsewhere. In return, federal funding for education has risen to record levels.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, ready, go.
BROWN: The president proposes for a second term increasing the number of required tests, creating a fund to reward effective teachers, and forgiving more college loans for math, science and special education teachers who agree to work in low-income communities.
In addition, President Bush supports vouchers that would allow parents to apply public money to private school tuition. To help with the rising cost of college, the president would agree to allow more volunteers to earn college money in the AmeriCorps program and increase funding for other education loans and grants.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our education plan for a stronger America sets high standards and it demands accountability from parents, teachers and schools. It provides for smaller class sizes and it treats teachers like the professionals that they are.
Are you ready? Everybody ready?
BROWN: John Kerry supported the No Child Left Behind act, but says that Mr. Bush has never fully funded it, and that he will. Senator Kerry supports improving the required tests, putting more resources into so-called failing schools, and creating a national education trust fund to keep education funding out of the yearly budget battle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what we don't finish in class, you're going to finish for homework.
BROWN: The Democrats would raise the pay of many teachers, but require increased teacher testing and a streamlined process to fire those who do not perform. Their plan would provide federal guarantees for school repair and increase after-school programs.
Kerry is opposed to vouchers, saying they hurt public education. To combat the rising costs of college, Senator Kerry proposes a tax credit for a portion of college tuition and a plan under which two years of community service would earn enough money to pay for a state university degree.
Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: President Bush is getting some support from his family in the race for the White House. At a charity dinner in New York last night, the president's father poked some fun at the Democratic challenger. He says that the former first lady is not too happy with all the criticism of their son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH SR., FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The constant attacks of our son have really gotten her steamed up, and it's not good to get her steamed. I don't know who's going to blow first, Barbara or Mount St. Helen. Now I know this, if Barbara ever gets her hands on Senator Kerry, he's going to need another Purple Heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The former president says that he's also glad the debates between candidates are over.
KAGAN: Fear of the flu? What the U.S. is doing to prevent a vaccine shortage again next year. Find out in today's "Daily Dose."
SANCHEZ: And what Curt Schilling believes is the reason the Sox are headed to the World Series. This is hilarious, folks. You have got to stay with us to watch it.
We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Turning now to health news in today's "Daily Dose." Federal health officials say an additional one million doses will be available. It's the form administered through the nose. It's known as FluMist. That means there will be about three million doses of the nasal spray available this flu season. Health experts caution that FluMist contains a live, but weakened, influenza virus and should only be given to healthy people.
SANCHEZ: If you think the vaccine shortage is a one-time event, well, guess again. There are signs that the flu shot business itself is in need of some intensive care.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Will these long lines stretch all the way to next year's flu season? After regulators said it could be contaminated, nearly half the nation's supply of flu shots had to be thrown out this year. And now there are signs that the same factory won't be able to make any shots next year.
In a conference call with investors, the CEO of Chiron, the company that made the flu shot, said, "The situation remains fluid. We are determined -- to return to the U.S. market as a reliable supplier of flu vaccine as soon as is feasible."
If Chiron doesn't get back on track, that could leave the U.S., for the second year in a row, with just one company making the vaccine for the entire country.
DR. JERRY AVORN, AUTHOR, "POWERFUL MEDICINES": We probably should not be in a position where we are so dependent on one or two companies for a product that is literally life saving.
COHEN: The government is now on the hunt for other suppliers. A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control said all options are open. The government is already inspecting a Canadian drug manufacturing plant to see if it's up to U.S. standards.
Over the past four years, several pharmaceutical companies have gotten out of the flu shot business.
AVORN: Companies have felt that this is not a profitable area. And one by one, most of the vaccine manufacturers of many kinds have dropped out to pursue more lucrative products.
COHEN: That's prompted some experts to say the government ought to take over the production of flu shots itself.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And of course, to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, all you've got to do is log onto our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health. That's CNN.com/health.
We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Time to get a check of the business.
KAGAN: And Rhonda Schaffler has that for us from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Rhonda.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.
KAGAN: Question is about do you hate to fly?
SANCHEZ: Welcome to the infrequent flyers club. You'd like to overcome this fear. Well, virtual reality therapy might just be the ticket for you.
KAGAN: Jeanne Moos can really relate, and she has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For some, flying seems heavenly, but for others, it's like preparing to join the dearly departed. We sit rigid as dummies, analyzing every engine noise, waiting for impact, watching for wings to ignite, imagining flopping around tethered to a fireball. Yikes!
(on camera): I don't think I've been on a plane for a decade...
(voice-over): ... which means the only thing I'll take off on is a virtual reality flight.
DR. JOANN DIFEDE, PSYCHOLOGIST: Move your head a little bit. OK. You can look out the window.
MOOS (on camera): Oh, yeah.
DIFEDE: You see you're on the runway.
MOOS (voice-over): Here at Cornell New York Presbyterian Hospital in a nondescript office, Psychologist JoAnn Difede asks questions like did I stop flying because of a bad experience that made me fear for my life?
(on camera): No, never thought I was going to die.
I do things when I'm on the plane like I tiptoe to the back. You know, I want to go easy on the airplane, like my weight is going to make some kind of difference. It's nuts.
(voice-over): For 15 years at CNN, I flew when absolutely necessary -- to China, for instance.
(on camera): Here at the Great Wall, you don't have to walk a mile for a camel.
(voice-over): I'd rather take a camel than a jet. Finally, I stopped flying altogether, though I still manage to ride in a balloon and go up in a blimp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try it.
MOOS: (on camera): I am not going to fly this thing.
I don't want to drive anymore.
(voice-over): The goal of virtual reality is to desensitize patients to what scares them.
(on camera): It's the actual hurdling down the runway part that really gets me going.
(voice-over): For eight sessions, the cost about $2,100, the therapist puts you in a 3D world of airplane noises and thunderstorms.
(on camera): I can do that again and again and again.
(voice-over): They even have a virtual reality program for those traumatized by 9/11. Difede says the success rate of virtual reality is about 90 percent, but you have to want the cure.
DIFEDE: Going to Hawaii to, I don't know... MOOS (on camera): Could care less. I have no desire. The plane trip is not -- the vacation is not worth the plane trip.
DIFEDE: You have no motivation.
MOOS (voice-over): No wonder my progress is slow.
(on camera): So, do I get frequent flyer miles for this?
(voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: I would think -- I would think after seeing all those virtual reality horrors, you'd be more afraid. How is that supposed to be desensitize you?
KAGAN: That's one way of thinking about it. But if you've seen it and experienced it, and you know you're still in one piece.
SANCHEZ: It's like old hat to you?
KAGAN: Something. I guess.
SANCHEZ: I guess that's the theory?
KAGAN: Hopefully it's working for some folks. It's a big problem.
SANCHEZ: I got to fly this afternoon.
KAGAN: And you're going to be (AUDIO GAP). Yes.
SANCHEZ: Kumbaya.
KAGAN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Everyone has their guesses. This is funny. Curt Schilling offers a few of his own as to why the Red Sox lost -- pardon me, beat the Yankees.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate John Edwards is appearing in Boynton Beach, Florida, today, responding to a new Bush/Cheney ad that makes references to terrorists as a pack of wolves. Here's a look at the new ad, and now John Edwards' response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America's...
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We all know that George Bush and Dick Cheney manipulate the facts, right? Manipulate the facts to fit their agenda. And they're at it again. They're at it again.
There's a new ad, and they have stooped so low now that they're using a pack of wolves running around a forest trying to scare you and trying to scare the American people. This president is continuing to try to scare America in his speeches and ads in a despicable and contemptible way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: That's John Edwards in Florida. As for his running mate, John Kerry, he'll be speaking later in the hour from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We'll show you portions of that campaign appearance just like we showed portions of President Bush's earlier this hour.
SANCHEZ: Let's go over to Jill Brown and find out what's going on with the weather for the weekend weekend -- Jill?
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Jill.
Did you catch Letterman last night?
KAGAN: Not on these hours, my friend.
SANCHEZ: Funny.
KAGAN: Really?
SANCHEZ: Yeah, they had Curt Schilling on there, and he's talking about how they lost the game and Top 10 lists as to what they could have done different. Hilarious. Want to see it?
KAGAN: How the Boston Red Sox won it all.
SANCHEZ: This is a toss...
KAGAN: Let's take a look.
SANCHEZ: Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: Unlike the first three games, we didn't leave early to beat the traffic.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": That's right.
Number nine.
SCHILLING: We put flu virus in Jeter's Gatorade.
LETTERMAN: Hey, wait a minute! That's illegal!
Number eight. SCHILLING: Let's just say Pete Rose made some phone calls for us.
LETTERMAN: What? Wait a minute!
Number six.
SCHILLING: It's not like we haven't won a big game before -- it's just been 86 years.
LETTERMAN: Yeah.
Number two.
SCHILLING: What'd you expect? We have a guy who looks like Jesus.
LETTERMAN: That's right.
And the number one secret of the Boston Red Sox comeback...
SCHILLING: We got Babe Ruth's ghost a hooker and now everything's cool.
LETTERMAN: There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Boy that was good. Who writes that stuff for him?
KAGAN: Whoever is writing is doing a good job. Who wrote (AUDIO GAP) at Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox hosts the St. Louis Cardinals.
SANCHEZ: I can't recall the last time the Red Sox and St. Louis played.
KAGAN: Eighty-six or '87.
SANCHEZ: You're good.
KAGAN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Zing!
KAGAN: Eighty-seven, I think.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, everybody, for being with us. I'm Rick Sanchez, and she's a know-it-all.
KAGAN: I would be Daryn Kagan. And Wolf Blitzer, who knows even more than both of us put together, live from Washington, D.C.
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