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Frist Seeks to End Filibusters; Prosecution in Jackson Trial Wrapping Up

Aired April 25, 2005 - 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: The Senate's Republican leader is drawing fire over filibusters and faith. Bill Frist made videotape remarks about stalled judicial nominees to conservative Christians. Sponsors of the church rally called Democrats' use of the filibuster to block conservative judges an attack against people of faith, but Frist was careful not to mention religion during his talk. He is threatening to change Senate procedure and ban filibusters on judicial nominees if Democrats do not stop blocking votes on the judges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FIRST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Americans elect their senators to vote on the people's business. That is a senator's job, to vote. If the senators were not prepared to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities, then why are they here in the first place? Right now, there are 46 vacancies on the federal bench. Four of the appeals court vacancies are in the region that served my home state of Tennessee.

These four nominees have been waiting a combined 13 years for a vote on the Senate floor. 13 years. Either confirm the nominees or reject them, but don't leave them hanging. Don't leave our courts hanging. Don't leave our country hanging. If the nominees are rejected, fine, that's fair. At least rejection is a vote. Give those nominees the courtesy and respect of a vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Critics say that Frist had no business speaking at a rally where Democrats were implied to be a godless party.

Let's talk to CNN's political analyst Carlos Watson, joining me from Mountain View, California, this morning. Carlos, good morning.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Daryn Kagan, good morning.

KAGAN: A lot of things going on here, not just this over judges.

WATSON: Very much so. Part of the issue, the back story, if you will, involves Bill Frist wanting to run for president in 2008, involves historical precedent, remembering that some of the very same Democrats who now are arguing that they should keep the filibuster rule, like Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd were among those who sunk different points to different positions, as well.

And I think one of the most interesting issues going forward, Daryn, will be who else gets involved in the conversation, not just grassroots Christian organizations, but I would particularly watch out for the involvement of the business community. They certainly were very influential almost a decade ago during the big healthcare fight, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some of them say, to the extent that this does lead to a shutdown in business, may put pressure on some of their Republican friends to find a break-through, to find a compromise.

KAGAN: And explain better how this leads to the business committee.

WATSON: Whether it's the energy bill that some are looking forward to -- and remember, there are eight to 12 billion dollars, depending how you read it, worth of tax subsidies involved. The highway bill -- don't forget there's the budget, as well. All those can come to a grinding halt and may not get through, to the extent that Republicans go forward with what's called the nuclear option and Democrats respond by trying to slow down the business of the Senate.

KAGAN: Got it. Pick your battles, and some groups perhaps saying that's not the battle they want to pick. What others faces do you expect to emerge in this conversation, besides Bill Frist?

WATSON: Well, you know, I think that's one of the interesting questions, because so often, when you've got an argument, it's not just your words, but it's the face that you put forward. Will Bill Frist, for example, also have someone like John Thune, the new freshman senator from South Dakota who defeated Tom Daschle, the long- time Democrat senator, and say this is why we have a man like John Thune here, because Democrats represented obstructionism.

In effect, try and send the signal that way. Will Democrats surprise and maybe not only use someone like Harry Reid, but some of their freshman stars, maybe a Barack Obama. So I would stay tuned to see who some of the spokespeople are on this issue, and I wouldn't automatically assume it will be just Bill Frist, the Republican leader, or Harry Reid, the Democratic leader.

KAGAN: How do you think the Democrats have done on this? Some say surprised that they've stayed unified, something that's been difficult in recent times for the Democrats to do.

WATSON: You know, it certainly has been a surprise. I don't know that many people would have predicted this four or five months ago, except Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who said to me and certainly said to others over the last several months that he thought that this was an issue around which not only his party but several Republicans would rally. So they've done much better on this.

But you know, I think one of the other big questions, Daryn, when you look at the long term, will be even he they win this victory, will it be Pyrrhic victory? In other words, will Republicans be able to claim success on bankruptcy changes, class action, the budget, as they think about some of the foreign policy changes in Iraq and Afghanistan? And as you think about some of the confirmation battles, including an upcoming Supreme Court nomination. So Democrats may win this battle, but there may be a larger war that when you step back, Republicans may get a lot of things approved.

KAGAN: And is there a history lesson that actually Democrats can learn from Republicans when things were switched about ten years ago?

WATSON: Well, it depends on how you think about it. Certainly, ten years ago, Republicans stuck together, put forth, if you will, an affirmative agenda, the so-called contract with America. And so you might see Democrats say we're not just opposed to the filibuster, but here's what we're in favor of. And I wouldn't be surprised to hear them, as the battle goes underway, to hear them talk about minimum wage again in a fairly substantive way, to also hear them talk about a more expanded healthcare program, and also hear them maybe bring up new and additional issue that they think can excite people, including college tuition tax credits.

KAGAN: Carlos Watson, live from the heart of Silicone Valley. Mountain View, California. Thank you.

WATSON: Good to see you.

KAGAN: Testimony set to resume right about now in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. The prosecution could wrap up its case as early as this week.

Our Ted Rowlands is covering the trial. He has a preview of what we can expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is among the expected witnesses during what prosecutors say is the final week of their case. Rowe is the mother of two of Jackson's three children.

Her testimony, according to the district attorney, will help prove the conspiracy charges against Jackson. Rowe, who gave up full custody of her children to Jackson, is now in a legal custody dispute with him.

Former Jackson bodyguard Chris Carter (ph) is also scheduled to take the stand this week. Carter, who is facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges in Nevada, is expected to say he saw Michael Jackson give the teenage accuser and his brother alcohol.

Another witness scheduled this week worked for Jackson more than 10 years ago. He's expected to back up a former employee's story that Jackson was seen acting inappropriately with a young boy at Neverland Ranch in 1993.

Courtroom observers say this final week is an important one for the prosecution's case.

JIM MORET, POOL REPORTER: Has this juror heard enough to come to the conclusion that Michael Jackson molested this boy? There are pieces missing. So, the prosecution basically has a week to fill in the blanks to tie it all together.

ROWLANDS: One potential witness that won't be testifying is a battered women's syndrome expert. Prosecutors wanted to bring somebody in to explain the courtroom behavior of the accuser's mother, but Judge Rodney Melville ruled against it, calling it irrelevant.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So you might have undergone gastric bypass surgery, you've dropped a lot of pounds, what do you do next? Details on how some women are giving Heidi Klum a run for her money.

A Canadian singer has an embarrassing performance at a hockey game over the weekend. Ooh, it went from bad to worse. We will listen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check out some health news now. A new study suggests that gene therapy may hold promise in treated Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say that Alzheimer's patients who underwent gene therapy seemed to regrow some damaged brain cells. They also appeared to experience a slower loss of their ability to think and remember. But the trial was not without risk. Two patients did suffer brain damage.

Gastric-bypass surgery can lead to dramatic weight loss for many patients, and what better way to show off the results than with fashion show?

Our Jeanne Moos has details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Modeling for the first time could give you butterflies in your stomach, only these models don't have much stomach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's lost nearly 190 pounds.

MOOS: Call it gastric bypass fashion. These woman have had their stomachs stapled or banded so that only a tiny portion is still used.

And this was the night they showed off their new bodies.

Meet Mary Timmons before.

MARY TIMMONS, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT: It's a completely different ballgame when you have a hundred pounds of fat covering you. People look at you differently. People judge you.

MOOS: Meet Holly Wesley before. HOLLY WESLEY, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT: Part of it is letting go, and saying to myself I'm never going to be that size again; I'm never going to be 345 again.

MOOS: Meet Debra Powell before.

DEBRA POWELL, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT: I still look in the mirror twice.

MOOS: Now meet their surgeons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our heroes.

MOOS: Dr. Dominick Artusa thought a fashion show would be fitting because...

DR. DOMINICK ARTUSA, SURGEON: Their clothes aren't fitting anymore. They (INAUDIBLE) new wardrobe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I gave them away as soon as I under-grew them. They were gone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People say I look like Britney Spears. I was like I'll just take that compliment.

MOOS: At 22, Christine Elves (ph) is the youngest patient. Candidates for gastric bypass generally must be at least a hundred pounds overweight. Holly went from size 26 to a size 6.

WESLEY: I had difficulties the first year. I was sick. I had my gall bladder taken out. But it was all worth it. I would do it all again.

MOOS: Rebecca Pelanko (ph) remembers her first day home after surgery, daydreaming about McGriddles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm laying in bed and I'm hungry, and I'm laying in bed and I'm saying, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) -- I'm sorry, McDonald's came out with a new product, and I'll never be able to eat it.

MOOS: The fashion show wasn't on a par with Paris couture. Mary stuck out her tongue. Rebecca's tag under arm was showing. Unlike celebrity stomach staplers, like Al Roker and the opera singer Deborah Voight, these women are new to the lime light.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go, girls!

They look amazing. They're so courageous to get up there.

MOOS: Mary just had cosmetic surgery, a tummy tuck to pick up the slack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're left with a lot of skin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I look in the mirror and I say, now, what guy is going to look at me and say, yes, I want that.

MOOS: They may have extra skin, but at least they're not thin- skinned about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You stop waving, but your arms don't.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, good for you women out there. Looking good. I'm prod of you. To get your "Daily Dose" of health news on line, log on to our Web site. You'll find more information gastric bypass surgery. There are risks. Also the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

All right, before you judge, you try singing the Canadian National Anthem in French. Just keep that in mind as you watch this, a Montreal vocalist flubbing the "Star Spangled Banner" not once, but twice. It happened at an exhibition hockey game in Quebec City. But give her a break, she's not only Canadian, English is not her first language. Listen in.

(SINGING)

KAGAN: All right. That is it. OK. At the office, we should tell you, after that slip up, the singer did redeem herself with a flawless performance on "Good Morning America." Here's a little bit of a listen to that.

(SINGING)

KAGAN: I don't know how flawless that was. But she's standing on her feet, so we'll give her points for that. Polls show, by the way, almost two-thirds of the Americans don't know the words to "The Star Spangled Banner."

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: That poor lady, and then she fell on top of it. That was the worst part. But she redeemed herself, not too bad.

KAGAN: Looking better.

NGUYEN: Yes.

KAGAN: Let's find out what's happening. Betty Nguyen in for Wolf Blitzer at the top of the hour.

NGUYEN: Sitting in for Wolf today, exactly. We've got a lot coming up on CNN "NEWS FROM." CNN today, we're going to be doing a preview, in fact. As the president welcomes the Saudi crown prince, Abdullah, today in Crawford, Texas, there is talk that Mr. Bush may try and enlist the prince in helping to reduce the rising oil costs to the United States. We expect the first pictures from that visit in the next hour. Also we'll talk with U.S. Army Brigadier General John Basilica (ph) from Baghdad about the recent spike in insurgent violence after a drop in the attacks the past few months. Well, insurgents, they are once again back on the offensive. And believe it or not, it has been 30 years since the last U.S. helicopter took off from Vietnam, signifying an end to the war. We will take a look at how they children of Vietnam are learning about the conflict that has shaped their lives. You want to watch for those stories and a lot more at the top of the hour on "NEWS FROM CNN" -- Daryn.

KAGAN: You and your family could tell your own story.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. We evacuated in 1975, we sure did.

KAGAN: There you go. Good to have you here.

NGUYEN: Thank.

KAGAN: Thanks, Betty.

Well, how to eat your way across the continent is up next. (INAUDIBLE). We're going to Istanbul, all the way to Paris, the do and don'ts of what you eat on the streets when you travel around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, it turns out, I guess you can eat your way to happiness. "Gourmet" magazine takes you on a world tour filled with what they call "Street Eats." The new issue samples everything from lamb kabob in Istanbul to coconut cake in Honolulu.

Bill Sertl is travel editor at "Gourmet" magazine, joining me from Time Warner Center this morning. Bill, good morning.

BILL SERTL, EDITOR, "GOURMET": Good morning.

KAGAN: Making me hungry here. All right, if you're going to travel around the world, you just don't want to go to fancy-schmancy restaurants to find out how the locals are eating, is the idea behind this piece.

SERTL: That's absolutely right, because more and more, the fancy restaurants are becoming uniform all over the world. You know, the Asian ingredients are now being used in Europe and French restaurants, are everywhere around the world. So you're missing out on what this authentic experience of any given culture.

And we decided we would take readers on a spin around the world, starting in Los Angeles and going through Mexico City, over to about eight destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and back to South America, and up back ending in New York via the Caribbean.

KAGAN: All right, let's talk some of the specific places that you guys you went. Japan. What do you eat in Japan? SERTL: Well, it's funny, because Japan decades ago, we forget, was a poor country and street food was very prevalent. In the last two years, they've gone very upscale and the street stands are disappearing. But you can still find these great noodle shops and places for yakitori near the train stations and they're still very popular with the local populations.

KAGAN: With France, I'm thinking croissant, cheese, wine.

SERTL: No, don't think that, and let's get out of Paris. We want to go down to the Marseilles, which is the seafood capital.

KAGAN: Oh, seafood.

SERTL: Well, seafood, but you have immigrants from all over the world, especially the northern -- the Mediterranean, Italy, North Africa, all of Africa, actually. So you're going to get kabobs, pizza, all kinds of samplings from everywhere, really.

KAGAN: And you didn't just keep this exclusively to overseas. You also went to a lot of American cities, including Chicago.

SERTL: Including Chicago, where the hot dog is king. But we chose to concentrate on the Italian thinly-sliced beef sandwiches, dipped in gravy, that are the best eats we can think of right here at home.

KAGAN: No points for clogging up your arteries. One more. In Holland, what did you find?

SERTL: Well, Holland is great, because they -- about this time of year, they have what's called the new herring. This is the herring that's right out of the sea, and it's herring that isn't processed yet. It isn't pickled, it's not in brine. And they sell it -- they set up stands everywhere, like almost like card tables on the street. And you can just take a toothpick, dip into this fresh fish, and really enjoy yourself.

KAGAN: And it beats an old herring any of the day of the week, I'm telling you.

SERTL: And you can get the old herring anytime.

KAGAN: Anytime. So new herring...

SERTL: New herring is the thing.

KAGAN: Well, it looks fun, and even if you can't travel, perhaps you can taste as you go through the magazine. We'll look for it in "Gourmet." Bill, thank you.

SERTL: Absolutely. Thank you.

KAGAN: Bill Sertl from "Gourmet" magazine.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT) (WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And that's going to do it for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. Betty Nguyen in for Wolf Blitzer at the top of the hour. Have a good one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 25, 2005 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN: The Senate's Republican leader is drawing fire over filibusters and faith. Bill Frist made videotape remarks about stalled judicial nominees to conservative Christians. Sponsors of the church rally called Democrats' use of the filibuster to block conservative judges an attack against people of faith, but Frist was careful not to mention religion during his talk. He is threatening to change Senate procedure and ban filibusters on judicial nominees if Democrats do not stop blocking votes on the judges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FIRST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Americans elect their senators to vote on the people's business. That is a senator's job, to vote. If the senators were not prepared to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities, then why are they here in the first place? Right now, there are 46 vacancies on the federal bench. Four of the appeals court vacancies are in the region that served my home state of Tennessee.

These four nominees have been waiting a combined 13 years for a vote on the Senate floor. 13 years. Either confirm the nominees or reject them, but don't leave them hanging. Don't leave our courts hanging. Don't leave our country hanging. If the nominees are rejected, fine, that's fair. At least rejection is a vote. Give those nominees the courtesy and respect of a vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Critics say that Frist had no business speaking at a rally where Democrats were implied to be a godless party.

Let's talk to CNN's political analyst Carlos Watson, joining me from Mountain View, California, this morning. Carlos, good morning.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Daryn Kagan, good morning.

KAGAN: A lot of things going on here, not just this over judges.

WATSON: Very much so. Part of the issue, the back story, if you will, involves Bill Frist wanting to run for president in 2008, involves historical precedent, remembering that some of the very same Democrats who now are arguing that they should keep the filibuster rule, like Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd were among those who sunk different points to different positions, as well.

And I think one of the most interesting issues going forward, Daryn, will be who else gets involved in the conversation, not just grassroots Christian organizations, but I would particularly watch out for the involvement of the business community. They certainly were very influential almost a decade ago during the big healthcare fight, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some of them say, to the extent that this does lead to a shutdown in business, may put pressure on some of their Republican friends to find a break-through, to find a compromise.

KAGAN: And explain better how this leads to the business committee.

WATSON: Whether it's the energy bill that some are looking forward to -- and remember, there are eight to 12 billion dollars, depending how you read it, worth of tax subsidies involved. The highway bill -- don't forget there's the budget, as well. All those can come to a grinding halt and may not get through, to the extent that Republicans go forward with what's called the nuclear option and Democrats respond by trying to slow down the business of the Senate.

KAGAN: Got it. Pick your battles, and some groups perhaps saying that's not the battle they want to pick. What others faces do you expect to emerge in this conversation, besides Bill Frist?

WATSON: Well, you know, I think that's one of the interesting questions, because so often, when you've got an argument, it's not just your words, but it's the face that you put forward. Will Bill Frist, for example, also have someone like John Thune, the new freshman senator from South Dakota who defeated Tom Daschle, the long- time Democrat senator, and say this is why we have a man like John Thune here, because Democrats represented obstructionism.

In effect, try and send the signal that way. Will Democrats surprise and maybe not only use someone like Harry Reid, but some of their freshman stars, maybe a Barack Obama. So I would stay tuned to see who some of the spokespeople are on this issue, and I wouldn't automatically assume it will be just Bill Frist, the Republican leader, or Harry Reid, the Democratic leader.

KAGAN: How do you think the Democrats have done on this? Some say surprised that they've stayed unified, something that's been difficult in recent times for the Democrats to do.

WATSON: You know, it certainly has been a surprise. I don't know that many people would have predicted this four or five months ago, except Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who said to me and certainly said to others over the last several months that he thought that this was an issue around which not only his party but several Republicans would rally. So they've done much better on this.

But you know, I think one of the other big questions, Daryn, when you look at the long term, will be even he they win this victory, will it be Pyrrhic victory? In other words, will Republicans be able to claim success on bankruptcy changes, class action, the budget, as they think about some of the foreign policy changes in Iraq and Afghanistan? And as you think about some of the confirmation battles, including an upcoming Supreme Court nomination. So Democrats may win this battle, but there may be a larger war that when you step back, Republicans may get a lot of things approved.

KAGAN: And is there a history lesson that actually Democrats can learn from Republicans when things were switched about ten years ago?

WATSON: Well, it depends on how you think about it. Certainly, ten years ago, Republicans stuck together, put forth, if you will, an affirmative agenda, the so-called contract with America. And so you might see Democrats say we're not just opposed to the filibuster, but here's what we're in favor of. And I wouldn't be surprised to hear them, as the battle goes underway, to hear them talk about minimum wage again in a fairly substantive way, to also hear them talk about a more expanded healthcare program, and also hear them maybe bring up new and additional issue that they think can excite people, including college tuition tax credits.

KAGAN: Carlos Watson, live from the heart of Silicone Valley. Mountain View, California. Thank you.

WATSON: Good to see you.

KAGAN: Testimony set to resume right about now in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. The prosecution could wrap up its case as early as this week.

Our Ted Rowlands is covering the trial. He has a preview of what we can expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is among the expected witnesses during what prosecutors say is the final week of their case. Rowe is the mother of two of Jackson's three children.

Her testimony, according to the district attorney, will help prove the conspiracy charges against Jackson. Rowe, who gave up full custody of her children to Jackson, is now in a legal custody dispute with him.

Former Jackson bodyguard Chris Carter (ph) is also scheduled to take the stand this week. Carter, who is facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges in Nevada, is expected to say he saw Michael Jackson give the teenage accuser and his brother alcohol.

Another witness scheduled this week worked for Jackson more than 10 years ago. He's expected to back up a former employee's story that Jackson was seen acting inappropriately with a young boy at Neverland Ranch in 1993.

Courtroom observers say this final week is an important one for the prosecution's case.

JIM MORET, POOL REPORTER: Has this juror heard enough to come to the conclusion that Michael Jackson molested this boy? There are pieces missing. So, the prosecution basically has a week to fill in the blanks to tie it all together.

ROWLANDS: One potential witness that won't be testifying is a battered women's syndrome expert. Prosecutors wanted to bring somebody in to explain the courtroom behavior of the accuser's mother, but Judge Rodney Melville ruled against it, calling it irrelevant.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So you might have undergone gastric bypass surgery, you've dropped a lot of pounds, what do you do next? Details on how some women are giving Heidi Klum a run for her money.

A Canadian singer has an embarrassing performance at a hockey game over the weekend. Ooh, it went from bad to worse. We will listen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check out some health news now. A new study suggests that gene therapy may hold promise in treated Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say that Alzheimer's patients who underwent gene therapy seemed to regrow some damaged brain cells. They also appeared to experience a slower loss of their ability to think and remember. But the trial was not without risk. Two patients did suffer brain damage.

Gastric-bypass surgery can lead to dramatic weight loss for many patients, and what better way to show off the results than with fashion show?

Our Jeanne Moos has details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Modeling for the first time could give you butterflies in your stomach, only these models don't have much stomach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's lost nearly 190 pounds.

MOOS: Call it gastric bypass fashion. These woman have had their stomachs stapled or banded so that only a tiny portion is still used.

And this was the night they showed off their new bodies.

Meet Mary Timmons before.

MARY TIMMONS, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT: It's a completely different ballgame when you have a hundred pounds of fat covering you. People look at you differently. People judge you.

MOOS: Meet Holly Wesley before. HOLLY WESLEY, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT: Part of it is letting go, and saying to myself I'm never going to be that size again; I'm never going to be 345 again.

MOOS: Meet Debra Powell before.

DEBRA POWELL, GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENT: I still look in the mirror twice.

MOOS: Now meet their surgeons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our heroes.

MOOS: Dr. Dominick Artusa thought a fashion show would be fitting because...

DR. DOMINICK ARTUSA, SURGEON: Their clothes aren't fitting anymore. They (INAUDIBLE) new wardrobe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I gave them away as soon as I under-grew them. They were gone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People say I look like Britney Spears. I was like I'll just take that compliment.

MOOS: At 22, Christine Elves (ph) is the youngest patient. Candidates for gastric bypass generally must be at least a hundred pounds overweight. Holly went from size 26 to a size 6.

WESLEY: I had difficulties the first year. I was sick. I had my gall bladder taken out. But it was all worth it. I would do it all again.

MOOS: Rebecca Pelanko (ph) remembers her first day home after surgery, daydreaming about McGriddles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm laying in bed and I'm hungry, and I'm laying in bed and I'm saying, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) -- I'm sorry, McDonald's came out with a new product, and I'll never be able to eat it.

MOOS: The fashion show wasn't on a par with Paris couture. Mary stuck out her tongue. Rebecca's tag under arm was showing. Unlike celebrity stomach staplers, like Al Roker and the opera singer Deborah Voight, these women are new to the lime light.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go, girls!

They look amazing. They're so courageous to get up there.

MOOS: Mary just had cosmetic surgery, a tummy tuck to pick up the slack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're left with a lot of skin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I look in the mirror and I say, now, what guy is going to look at me and say, yes, I want that.

MOOS: They may have extra skin, but at least they're not thin- skinned about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You stop waving, but your arms don't.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, good for you women out there. Looking good. I'm prod of you. To get your "Daily Dose" of health news on line, log on to our Web site. You'll find more information gastric bypass surgery. There are risks. Also the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

All right, before you judge, you try singing the Canadian National Anthem in French. Just keep that in mind as you watch this, a Montreal vocalist flubbing the "Star Spangled Banner" not once, but twice. It happened at an exhibition hockey game in Quebec City. But give her a break, she's not only Canadian, English is not her first language. Listen in.

(SINGING)

KAGAN: All right. That is it. OK. At the office, we should tell you, after that slip up, the singer did redeem herself with a flawless performance on "Good Morning America." Here's a little bit of a listen to that.

(SINGING)

KAGAN: I don't know how flawless that was. But she's standing on her feet, so we'll give her points for that. Polls show, by the way, almost two-thirds of the Americans don't know the words to "The Star Spangled Banner."

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: That poor lady, and then she fell on top of it. That was the worst part. But she redeemed herself, not too bad.

KAGAN: Looking better.

NGUYEN: Yes.

KAGAN: Let's find out what's happening. Betty Nguyen in for Wolf Blitzer at the top of the hour.

NGUYEN: Sitting in for Wolf today, exactly. We've got a lot coming up on CNN "NEWS FROM." CNN today, we're going to be doing a preview, in fact. As the president welcomes the Saudi crown prince, Abdullah, today in Crawford, Texas, there is talk that Mr. Bush may try and enlist the prince in helping to reduce the rising oil costs to the United States. We expect the first pictures from that visit in the next hour. Also we'll talk with U.S. Army Brigadier General John Basilica (ph) from Baghdad about the recent spike in insurgent violence after a drop in the attacks the past few months. Well, insurgents, they are once again back on the offensive. And believe it or not, it has been 30 years since the last U.S. helicopter took off from Vietnam, signifying an end to the war. We will take a look at how they children of Vietnam are learning about the conflict that has shaped their lives. You want to watch for those stories and a lot more at the top of the hour on "NEWS FROM CNN" -- Daryn.

KAGAN: You and your family could tell your own story.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. We evacuated in 1975, we sure did.

KAGAN: There you go. Good to have you here.

NGUYEN: Thank.

KAGAN: Thanks, Betty.

Well, how to eat your way across the continent is up next. (INAUDIBLE). We're going to Istanbul, all the way to Paris, the do and don'ts of what you eat on the streets when you travel around the world.

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KAGAN: Well, it turns out, I guess you can eat your way to happiness. "Gourmet" magazine takes you on a world tour filled with what they call "Street Eats." The new issue samples everything from lamb kabob in Istanbul to coconut cake in Honolulu.

Bill Sertl is travel editor at "Gourmet" magazine, joining me from Time Warner Center this morning. Bill, good morning.

BILL SERTL, EDITOR, "GOURMET": Good morning.

KAGAN: Making me hungry here. All right, if you're going to travel around the world, you just don't want to go to fancy-schmancy restaurants to find out how the locals are eating, is the idea behind this piece.

SERTL: That's absolutely right, because more and more, the fancy restaurants are becoming uniform all over the world. You know, the Asian ingredients are now being used in Europe and French restaurants, are everywhere around the world. So you're missing out on what this authentic experience of any given culture.

And we decided we would take readers on a spin around the world, starting in Los Angeles and going through Mexico City, over to about eight destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and back to South America, and up back ending in New York via the Caribbean.

KAGAN: All right, let's talk some of the specific places that you guys you went. Japan. What do you eat in Japan? SERTL: Well, it's funny, because Japan decades ago, we forget, was a poor country and street food was very prevalent. In the last two years, they've gone very upscale and the street stands are disappearing. But you can still find these great noodle shops and places for yakitori near the train stations and they're still very popular with the local populations.

KAGAN: With France, I'm thinking croissant, cheese, wine.

SERTL: No, don't think that, and let's get out of Paris. We want to go down to the Marseilles, which is the seafood capital.

KAGAN: Oh, seafood.

SERTL: Well, seafood, but you have immigrants from all over the world, especially the northern -- the Mediterranean, Italy, North Africa, all of Africa, actually. So you're going to get kabobs, pizza, all kinds of samplings from everywhere, really.

KAGAN: And you didn't just keep this exclusively to overseas. You also went to a lot of American cities, including Chicago.

SERTL: Including Chicago, where the hot dog is king. But we chose to concentrate on the Italian thinly-sliced beef sandwiches, dipped in gravy, that are the best eats we can think of right here at home.

KAGAN: No points for clogging up your arteries. One more. In Holland, what did you find?

SERTL: Well, Holland is great, because they -- about this time of year, they have what's called the new herring. This is the herring that's right out of the sea, and it's herring that isn't processed yet. It isn't pickled, it's not in brine. And they sell it -- they set up stands everywhere, like almost like card tables on the street. And you can just take a toothpick, dip into this fresh fish, and really enjoy yourself.

KAGAN: And it beats an old herring any of the day of the week, I'm telling you.

SERTL: And you can get the old herring anytime.

KAGAN: Anytime. So new herring...

SERTL: New herring is the thing.

KAGAN: Well, it looks fun, and even if you can't travel, perhaps you can taste as you go through the magazine. We'll look for it in "Gourmet." Bill, thank you.

SERTL: Absolutely. Thank you.

KAGAN: Bill Sertl from "Gourmet" magazine.

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KAGAN: And that's going to do it for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. Betty Nguyen in for Wolf Blitzer at the top of the hour. Have a good one.

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