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American Morning

First Caucus Today in Iowa

Aired January 19, 2004 - 08:30   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, right about half past the hour. Welcome back. I’m Bill Hemmer, sitting in Des Moines, Iowa. Today is the day, finally for so many. And if you do not win, you spin. Our election coverage continues in a few moments.
In a moment, we'll have a look at what it's really like to be on the campaign trail. A day in the life over the weekend with Richard Gephardt. One word in this case -- busy. Two words -- busy and hectic. These campaigns are running literally 18 hours a day. So we give you a bit of an inside look. Soledad is off today.

(NEWSBREAK)

HEMMER: Back now in Des Moines, Dick Gephardt has never wavered, consistently predicting victory tonight. No candidate has spent more time in Iowa, starting way back in 1985. He won it in ’88. Many suggest this caucus has put Dick Gephardt in a corner. Win it and continue. Lose and it's over. I spent Saturday with the congressman with his campaign right now in full sprint.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've just been pulling up and…

HEMMER (voice-over): It's 9:00 a.m., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Inside this tiny union hall, the Dick Gephardt machine is making one last push.

HEMMER: How many hours will you go today?

REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We'll go until about 11:30 tonight.

HEMMER: By 10:00 a.m., the candidate is on his second speech of the day, preaching to his political choir.

GEPHARDT: It's one thing to talk the talk. It's another thing to walk the walk.

HEMMER: Today's message, get new voters to the caucuses and keep a red-hot schedule moving. 11:00 a.m., the very snag. Heavy fog has shut down the local airport. Campaigns can't afford to miss an event, especially in a race this tight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just going to keep on keeping on. That's what Dick Gephardt does. HEMMER: It's a two-hour drive to the next stop. 1:00 p.m., Davenport, Iowa, the schedule is back on track and the congressman is still rolling.

GEPHARDT: This is like doing seven shows a day. And they've all got to be good. And you've got to let your heart out. You have to really open yourself up.

HEMMER: Just after 2:00, the crowd is getting larger and louder, as a fired up Gephardt takes aim at the White House.

GEPHARDT: This president's lost more jobs in three years than the last 11 presidents put together. He doesn't have a clue.

HEMMER: The event doesn't last more than 30 minutes and Gephardt is moving again.

Where is your focus now in the final hours?

GEPHARDT: Just seeing as many people as we can, going to the big areas of the state, and trying to get people motivated.

HEMMER: It's late afternoon and three more events are waiting. Now 10:00 p.m. and arriving in Des Moines for the night. Admittedly tired and somewhat hoarse, he's still predicting victory.

GEPHARDT: We've been at this for a year. We've been working on our committed voters. We know how many we have. We know where they live. We're going to get them out.

HEMMER: Another long day is ending, but not before one final meeting to plan the next day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: He knows this state. The state knows him. Polling has not favored Dick Gephardt. Many are wondering if this is do or die. The temperatures outside are very chilly. Analysts will tell you a poor turnout later tonight would actually favor Dick Gephardt, based on the history he has in this state. Right around five degrees right now. The windchill is well below zero. We'll see what impact that may have on the caucus turnout later this evening.

Much more coverage again from Des Moines momentarily here. Now back to Heidi yet again in New York City. Heidi, good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Cold, but a beautiful shot there this morning.

HEMMER: Yes, really nice and warm today. Clear skies.

COLLINS: You sound sarcastic. All right, Bill, thanks so much.

To the other side of the political aisle now. President Bush's supporters are hoping tomorrow night's State of the Union address will help him win another four years in the White House. Dana Bash looks at what to expect from the speech.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside the White House, President Bush practices his State of the Union, an unveiling of what aides call optimistic themes for a campaign Mr. Bush maintains he has not really begun.

But across the Potomac, the Bush re-election campaign has been underway for more than six months. Some 160 staffers in this Northern Virginia headquarters building what advisers call an unprecedented nationwide grassroots effort, banking some $135 million, and quietly preparing for battle against any opponent who emerges.

With Democrats in the midst of a bloody fight, Bush aides want Tuesday’s address to show him as above it all.

VIN WEBER, BUSH ADVISER: Union is always very important, but in an election year, there’s no question that if you have the opportunity to set the agenda.

BASH: First up, Bush officials say national security. With no weapons of mass destruction found, and more than 500 troops killed in Iraq, Mr. Bush will defend his decision for war, and claim Libya volunteering to stop nuclear production as a direct effect.

The president will also point to successes and future challenges in fighting terrorism, which aides believe demonstrates his leadership. Mr. Bush will focus on the economy, pointing to signs of turnaround, but with more than two million Americans out of work, he’ll say making his tax cuts permanent will help.

And he’ll revive a controversial plan to allow some private investment of Social Security payroll taxes. The president will also tackle a traditionally Democratic issue, GOP strategists say is key, healthcare, proposing some help with high costs, especially for the uninsured and underinsured.

Some Democrats are hoping an overly optimistic speech could backfire.

STAN GREENBERG, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He’s created expectations, gotten closure on Saddam Hussein, economy, seems to be moving. But if it doesn’t deliver broadly, the possibility for disillusionment, falling numbers is what he faces.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: But Bush political advisers say they’re convinced many Americans are turned off by what they call pessimistic Democratic rhetoric, and hope the one hour of uninterrupted TV time tomorrow night will provide the contrast – Heidi?

COLLINS: All right, we’ll have to see. Dana Bash, thanks so much, live from the White House today.

And as you know, today is the official observance of what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 75th birthday. His words are still a rallying cry worldwide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: Because of the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. How long? Not long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Today, cities across the country are celebrating his leadership in the fight for civil rights. Kris Osborn live now at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where a service is set for later this morning.

Kris, good morning to you.

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, good morning to you, Heidi.

Well, yes, behind me is the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the very place where in 1948 a young Martin Luther King was ordained to become a minister. Of course, today, a national holiday, as you mentioned, recognized by more than 100 countries around the world, the federal holiday recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King.

His actual birthday, as you point out, January 15th, 1929. Would have been his 75th birthday. This past Thursday, President Bush came here to the King Center, the place where the memorial is scheduled today for a little bit more over an hour. He laid a wreath on the crypt in the reflection pool. Of course, the place where Martin Luther King is remembered.

There were some protesters here who took issue with the president's presence, saying that his administration's stance is inconsistent with Dr. Martin Luther King's message of pacifism and non-violence.

About that message, very much being remembered around the world today. Clearly Dr. King ushered in a generation of changes in the civil rights era. Among them, of course, the famous speech in 1963 in Washington, a widely quoted "I have a dream" speech.

In addition, of course, Dr. King received in 1964 the Nobel Peace Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. In that speech, another of his famous remarks. He says “man must evolve for all human conflict, a method which rejects revenge, regression, and retaliation, the foundation for such a method is love.” Very much a method and a message of love, despite all that he was up against – Heidi?

COLLINS: Certainly words with impact. All right, Kris Osborn, thanks so much, live in Atlanta.

(WEATHER) COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, all eyes on Iowa as a race that's been too close to call comes down to the wire.

Plus, are you ready for some football? Big business sure is. The Superbowl match-up is set, and ads are now selling like hot cakes. Plus, a best-selling author dies during plastic surgery. What went wrong and are you at risk to anesthesia mishaps? Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: As you know, the on-field match-up is set, but advertisers are still battling for their Superbowl slots. This is something we talk about every year very, very costly spots just for 30 seconds of time.

Andy Serwer has more on this now. He is minding your business.

You know, and this is the big thing. People really do sit down and watch for the ads.

ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know, the ads are better than the games usually. First of all, let's talk about what happened over the weekend. I should have known better because I picked the Eagles. Our own company, the SI curse. They were on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." I should have known not to go with the Eagles anyway. Of course, they lost.

COLLINS: Are you okay?

SERWER: Yes, I’m fine. I’m doing just fine.

COLLINS: All right.

SERWER: I’m over it. But anyway, let’s talk about those ads a little bit here, because the price of them keeps going up. And especially with advertisers concerned that young men aren't watching TV like they used to be.

Well, they’re still ponying up big time for these ads. Let's look at how they’ve cost over the years, going back to 1999. $1.6 million. And now this year, $2.3 million for a 30-second spot. The most coveted, of course, being in the first half. So you can see here, it still goes up a lot.

Now who’s going to be advertising this year? Well, some of the usual suspects. Of course, the beer companies can't help but be in there. Anheuser-Busch and AOL’s in there. GM, Pepsi.

My favorite, of course, are those, you know, H&R Block commercials with Willie Nelson?

COLLINS: Yes.

SERWER: Well, they got a new one this year that looks really funny. So I’m looking forward to that. A couple of companies not going to be there this time around, including AT&T Wireless, Levi's, which has had some troubles recently, and Quiznos.

And speaking of out, I think we should mention this quickly. Kobe Bryant pitching for McDonald’s no more. As of year end, McDonald’s not renewing his contract according to published reports. And of course, his legal troubles having everything to do with that. I guess that's part of the Kobe thing then, huh. Yes.

Anyway, so some sports news there. Markets closed today for the holiday.

COLLINS: Yes?

SERWER: So we don't have anything to report on that front.

COLLINS: All right, all right.

SERWER: Okay.

COLLINS: We'll do that tomorrow, how about?

SERWER: Absolutely.

COLLINS: Okay, Andy Serwer, thanks so much. Minding our business this morning.

SERWER: You’re welcome.

COLLINS: We are going to take a quick break. But still to come this morning, the dangers of anesthesia mishaps. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The death of a best-selling author is raising questions about the safety of anesthesia. Olivia Goldsmith, author of "The First Wives Club," died last week. She reportedly suffered a heart attack as she went under anesthesia for plastic surgery. She was 54.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Atlanta now to talk about the safety of anesthesia and surgery, especially plastic surgery.

Sanjay, what do you think happened here? Is it possible there was an undetected heart condition?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a lot of possibility here, Heidi. And the investigation’s certainly still ongoing.

What we do know, what we've heard is that she probably had a heart attack as she went under anesthesia. Now all sorts of questions there. Why would this occur? Relatively young woman. No previous significant conditions of heart disease. There are all sorts of possibilities that might happen in a situation like that. First of all, the number one concern of anesthesiologists, not getting enough oxygen possibly to the heart. And if that occurs, that can cause a heart attack. Improper medication dose. Could that have occurred? Again, ongoing investigation. These are possibilities. Unknown heart disease, as you mentioned also a possibility. Sometimes people who have not had any symptoms of heart disease, the first time any of that actually comes to light is when someone goes under anesthesia, as may have been the case with Ms. Goldsmith as well.

Good news is that it’s a relatively rare situation. You take everybody, all healthy patients undergoing procedures in doctor’s offices, and ambulatory care centers, and hospitals. About one in 250,000 people are going to have any significant problems with the heart and subsequent anesthesia death.

All other patients, now patients who may have some underlying illness, patients who are of advanced age, the numbers do go up significantly, one in about 13,000. But still pretty small. All that to say, Heidi, that obviously a tragic story here with Ms. Goldsmith, but a pretty rare one as well -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes, that's for sure. But still a lot of people, I think, might be thinking themselves about what could go wrong as they go under anesthesia. What can a patient do to make sure that whatever anesthesia is used on them is safe?

GUPTA: Yes, I mean, I think that those are good questions. And if you talk about, again, what patients concern themselves with, doctors concern themselves with, anesthesiologists as well, there are all sorts of things that they should be cognizant of. One is medications before surgery. Are there certain medications before surgery that might be a problem, that could potentially cause a reaction in the operating room?

As well, drug or alcohol abuse ahead of time, that could be a problem again in terms of anesthesia complications. Respiratory complications, age as well.

Your question, though, I think is a good one, Heidi, about what can patients do? What should patients ask to their doctors before going in? And we certainly have a lot more of these plastic surgery type procedures being done in doctors offices, in ambulatory care centers, and in hospitals.

Important point, before we get to the questions you should ask is, keep in mind that a lot of times, anesthesia’s going to be the riskiest part of any of given operation. When you think about an operation, think about what's going to be done on the surgical side of it, but also find out a little bit more about the anesthesiology. Is the facility equipped with the latest monitoring equipment? Is the staff properly trained?

If it’s a doctor’s office, is there an exit strategy? If something goes wrong, what is going to happen to you if something needs to be done? What recourse if a problem occurs? Good questions to ask as a patient. But just keeping in mind that anesthesia, probably riskier in some cases than the operation itself, especially when it comes to a lot of these cosmetic-type procedures – Heidi?

COLLINS: Certainly causes anxiety for some people. That's for sure. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you this morning. Appreciate it.

GUPTA: Thank you.

COLLINS: And Jack is here now with today's Cafferty file. Jack, what you got?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANALYST: Beginning next month, you may want to book your reservations early for this, Heidi, they are going to offer -- Singapore Airlines is going to offer a non-stop flight between Los Angeles and Singapore. I think it's the longest non-stop flight on the planet, commercial airline flight. 8,000 miles. Takes 18.5 hours sitting in an airplane. Now it cuts two hours off the usual flying time between the two cities. The airline’s billing the new route as a non-stop flight, non-stop comfort.

The problem is when you – when the flight is over, you’re in Singapore would be one of the things wrong with that deal.

Noticed anything odd with TV start times? They are doing something called starting shows off the clock. They start them either a few minutes late or a few minutes early. For example, last Thursday on NBC, “Friends” ran from 8:00 to 8:32. Then “The Apprentice” was from 8:32 to 9:28. “Will and Grace” from 9:28 to 9:59. "ER" from 9:59 to 11:00.

The networks do it so they can stuff in more commercials. They expand the time a little bit. They also use the few extra minutes to cut into the competition's audience. But an NBC executive said it's not done to annoy viewers.

Well memo to NBC, it's very annoying if I set my thing for 8:00 to watch “Friends,” I would expect it to be there at 8:00, not two minutes before. It's very annoying. And -- but they don't care.

Beer in Germany. They are billing one that says if you drink it, it’ll keep you young and beautiful. And we all know how pretty people are who drink a lot of beer. They use special ingredients in this new beer like flavanoids and algae…

COLLINS: Yum.

CAFFERTY: …which sounds pretty good to me. The problem is in Germany there is a law that dates back to 1516, that says German beer can only have four ingredients, hops, barley, yeast and water. And anything else is illegal. So this whole thing’s going to wind up in court.

COLLINS: Oh, no.

CAFFERTY: Beer that will keep you young and beautiful.

COLLINS: Okay. Well, we'll wait for that and do a taste test.

CAFFERTY: Don't you think that's annoying to not start a TV show that's supposed to be on at 8:00, start it at a different time?

COLLINS: A little annoying, but again, they don't care what we think.

CAFFERTY: It’s very annoying.

COLLINS: Sadly.

CAFFERTY: I don’t watch any of those programs.

COLLINS: Right.

CAFFERTY: I will not complain. It doesn't matter what time they start. I never look at them anyway.

COLLINS: Bill Hemmer standing by, going to bring you in on this, Mr. Bill. I know you've been doing a lot of research in Iowa, but not all of it is about the caucuses, huh?

HEMMER: Yes. You know, listen Heidi, here in Iowa, Jack is still the talk after all these years. Check out this videotape.

CAFFERTY: Oh, man.

HEMMER: Local television station, WHO Television. We think it's circa 1978, ‘79. Jack had some choice assignments. Have a listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join Jack Cafferty, Phil Thomas and the eyewitness news.

CAFFERTY: And the MTA unveiled part of its new fleet of buses which should make bus riding a more visible way of getting around town. We got our first vacation picture. Jerry Reno will be along with that in a moment. An inspection of homes equipped with solar energy…

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAFFERTY: I should have saved some of that hair. I should have hung onto…

HEMMER: Now you’re a handsome man, hey, Jack?

CAFFERTY: A long time ago. What?

HEMMER: Jack, listen, you wore stripes before stripes were cool. You know, we didn't get to see the choice segments, though there, the ones with you and the animals and the camels out at the local zoo.

CAFFERTY: I used to do a segment there every -- once a week on the show called "Cafferty Is." And I'd go out and do somebody else's job for a day. And we'd make a little feature out of it. And one of them was I worked at the Des Moines Zoo there for a day. And I worked in a McDonalds. I had all kinds of goofy things.

But it was…

COLLINS: Oh, there you are.

CAFFERTY: There it is, right there. My God. This -- where did you get this footage? This is really old stuff. There's my snake. Camels have the foulest breath of any animal on earth. They’re just awful. I got to go in a cage with a tiger, too, as I recall.

HEMMER: Hey, listen…

CAFFERTY: Where did you get that stuff?

HEMMER: …we dug it up here. Come on. We’ve got a crack staff. Ann and Maurice was on it.

CAFFERTY: There’s the job I’m qualified for, hosing down the cage to get the whatchamacallit out of it.

COLLINS: You look pretty darn good, Mr. Cafferty?

CAFFERTY: Yes?

COLLINS: Yes.

CAFFERTY: 80 years ago.

HEMMER: Well, done, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: You got it. Let’s get a break here in Des Moines. In a moment, it is caucus day. Let you know what’s happening, what’s moving on the campaign trail. We go to caucus. And a few hours from now, back in a moment when the top candidates, they’re here on AMERICAN MORNING, after this.

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Aired January 19, 2004 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, right about half past the hour. Welcome back. I’m Bill Hemmer, sitting in Des Moines, Iowa. Today is the day, finally for so many. And if you do not win, you spin. Our election coverage continues in a few moments.
In a moment, we'll have a look at what it's really like to be on the campaign trail. A day in the life over the weekend with Richard Gephardt. One word in this case -- busy. Two words -- busy and hectic. These campaigns are running literally 18 hours a day. So we give you a bit of an inside look. Soledad is off today.

(NEWSBREAK)

HEMMER: Back now in Des Moines, Dick Gephardt has never wavered, consistently predicting victory tonight. No candidate has spent more time in Iowa, starting way back in 1985. He won it in ’88. Many suggest this caucus has put Dick Gephardt in a corner. Win it and continue. Lose and it's over. I spent Saturday with the congressman with his campaign right now in full sprint.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've just been pulling up and…

HEMMER (voice-over): It's 9:00 a.m., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Inside this tiny union hall, the Dick Gephardt machine is making one last push.

HEMMER: How many hours will you go today?

REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We'll go until about 11:30 tonight.

HEMMER: By 10:00 a.m., the candidate is on his second speech of the day, preaching to his political choir.

GEPHARDT: It's one thing to talk the talk. It's another thing to walk the walk.

HEMMER: Today's message, get new voters to the caucuses and keep a red-hot schedule moving. 11:00 a.m., the very snag. Heavy fog has shut down the local airport. Campaigns can't afford to miss an event, especially in a race this tight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just going to keep on keeping on. That's what Dick Gephardt does. HEMMER: It's a two-hour drive to the next stop. 1:00 p.m., Davenport, Iowa, the schedule is back on track and the congressman is still rolling.

GEPHARDT: This is like doing seven shows a day. And they've all got to be good. And you've got to let your heart out. You have to really open yourself up.

HEMMER: Just after 2:00, the crowd is getting larger and louder, as a fired up Gephardt takes aim at the White House.

GEPHARDT: This president's lost more jobs in three years than the last 11 presidents put together. He doesn't have a clue.

HEMMER: The event doesn't last more than 30 minutes and Gephardt is moving again.

Where is your focus now in the final hours?

GEPHARDT: Just seeing as many people as we can, going to the big areas of the state, and trying to get people motivated.

HEMMER: It's late afternoon and three more events are waiting. Now 10:00 p.m. and arriving in Des Moines for the night. Admittedly tired and somewhat hoarse, he's still predicting victory.

GEPHARDT: We've been at this for a year. We've been working on our committed voters. We know how many we have. We know where they live. We're going to get them out.

HEMMER: Another long day is ending, but not before one final meeting to plan the next day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: He knows this state. The state knows him. Polling has not favored Dick Gephardt. Many are wondering if this is do or die. The temperatures outside are very chilly. Analysts will tell you a poor turnout later tonight would actually favor Dick Gephardt, based on the history he has in this state. Right around five degrees right now. The windchill is well below zero. We'll see what impact that may have on the caucus turnout later this evening.

Much more coverage again from Des Moines momentarily here. Now back to Heidi yet again in New York City. Heidi, good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Cold, but a beautiful shot there this morning.

HEMMER: Yes, really nice and warm today. Clear skies.

COLLINS: You sound sarcastic. All right, Bill, thanks so much.

To the other side of the political aisle now. President Bush's supporters are hoping tomorrow night's State of the Union address will help him win another four years in the White House. Dana Bash looks at what to expect from the speech.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside the White House, President Bush practices his State of the Union, an unveiling of what aides call optimistic themes for a campaign Mr. Bush maintains he has not really begun.

But across the Potomac, the Bush re-election campaign has been underway for more than six months. Some 160 staffers in this Northern Virginia headquarters building what advisers call an unprecedented nationwide grassroots effort, banking some $135 million, and quietly preparing for battle against any opponent who emerges.

With Democrats in the midst of a bloody fight, Bush aides want Tuesday’s address to show him as above it all.

VIN WEBER, BUSH ADVISER: Union is always very important, but in an election year, there’s no question that if you have the opportunity to set the agenda.

BASH: First up, Bush officials say national security. With no weapons of mass destruction found, and more than 500 troops killed in Iraq, Mr. Bush will defend his decision for war, and claim Libya volunteering to stop nuclear production as a direct effect.

The president will also point to successes and future challenges in fighting terrorism, which aides believe demonstrates his leadership. Mr. Bush will focus on the economy, pointing to signs of turnaround, but with more than two million Americans out of work, he’ll say making his tax cuts permanent will help.

And he’ll revive a controversial plan to allow some private investment of Social Security payroll taxes. The president will also tackle a traditionally Democratic issue, GOP strategists say is key, healthcare, proposing some help with high costs, especially for the uninsured and underinsured.

Some Democrats are hoping an overly optimistic speech could backfire.

STAN GREENBERG, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He’s created expectations, gotten closure on Saddam Hussein, economy, seems to be moving. But if it doesn’t deliver broadly, the possibility for disillusionment, falling numbers is what he faces.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: But Bush political advisers say they’re convinced many Americans are turned off by what they call pessimistic Democratic rhetoric, and hope the one hour of uninterrupted TV time tomorrow night will provide the contrast – Heidi?

COLLINS: All right, we’ll have to see. Dana Bash, thanks so much, live from the White House today.

And as you know, today is the official observance of what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 75th birthday. His words are still a rallying cry worldwide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: Because of the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. How long? Not long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Today, cities across the country are celebrating his leadership in the fight for civil rights. Kris Osborn live now at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where a service is set for later this morning.

Kris, good morning to you.

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, good morning to you, Heidi.

Well, yes, behind me is the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the very place where in 1948 a young Martin Luther King was ordained to become a minister. Of course, today, a national holiday, as you mentioned, recognized by more than 100 countries around the world, the federal holiday recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King.

His actual birthday, as you point out, January 15th, 1929. Would have been his 75th birthday. This past Thursday, President Bush came here to the King Center, the place where the memorial is scheduled today for a little bit more over an hour. He laid a wreath on the crypt in the reflection pool. Of course, the place where Martin Luther King is remembered.

There were some protesters here who took issue with the president's presence, saying that his administration's stance is inconsistent with Dr. Martin Luther King's message of pacifism and non-violence.

About that message, very much being remembered around the world today. Clearly Dr. King ushered in a generation of changes in the civil rights era. Among them, of course, the famous speech in 1963 in Washington, a widely quoted "I have a dream" speech.

In addition, of course, Dr. King received in 1964 the Nobel Peace Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. In that speech, another of his famous remarks. He says “man must evolve for all human conflict, a method which rejects revenge, regression, and retaliation, the foundation for such a method is love.” Very much a method and a message of love, despite all that he was up against – Heidi?

COLLINS: Certainly words with impact. All right, Kris Osborn, thanks so much, live in Atlanta.

(WEATHER) COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, all eyes on Iowa as a race that's been too close to call comes down to the wire.

Plus, are you ready for some football? Big business sure is. The Superbowl match-up is set, and ads are now selling like hot cakes. Plus, a best-selling author dies during plastic surgery. What went wrong and are you at risk to anesthesia mishaps? Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: As you know, the on-field match-up is set, but advertisers are still battling for their Superbowl slots. This is something we talk about every year very, very costly spots just for 30 seconds of time.

Andy Serwer has more on this now. He is minding your business.

You know, and this is the big thing. People really do sit down and watch for the ads.

ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know, the ads are better than the games usually. First of all, let's talk about what happened over the weekend. I should have known better because I picked the Eagles. Our own company, the SI curse. They were on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." I should have known not to go with the Eagles anyway. Of course, they lost.

COLLINS: Are you okay?

SERWER: Yes, I’m fine. I’m doing just fine.

COLLINS: All right.

SERWER: I’m over it. But anyway, let’s talk about those ads a little bit here, because the price of them keeps going up. And especially with advertisers concerned that young men aren't watching TV like they used to be.

Well, they’re still ponying up big time for these ads. Let's look at how they’ve cost over the years, going back to 1999. $1.6 million. And now this year, $2.3 million for a 30-second spot. The most coveted, of course, being in the first half. So you can see here, it still goes up a lot.

Now who’s going to be advertising this year? Well, some of the usual suspects. Of course, the beer companies can't help but be in there. Anheuser-Busch and AOL’s in there. GM, Pepsi.

My favorite, of course, are those, you know, H&R Block commercials with Willie Nelson?

COLLINS: Yes.

SERWER: Well, they got a new one this year that looks really funny. So I’m looking forward to that. A couple of companies not going to be there this time around, including AT&T Wireless, Levi's, which has had some troubles recently, and Quiznos.

And speaking of out, I think we should mention this quickly. Kobe Bryant pitching for McDonald’s no more. As of year end, McDonald’s not renewing his contract according to published reports. And of course, his legal troubles having everything to do with that. I guess that's part of the Kobe thing then, huh. Yes.

Anyway, so some sports news there. Markets closed today for the holiday.

COLLINS: Yes?

SERWER: So we don't have anything to report on that front.

COLLINS: All right, all right.

SERWER: Okay.

COLLINS: We'll do that tomorrow, how about?

SERWER: Absolutely.

COLLINS: Okay, Andy Serwer, thanks so much. Minding our business this morning.

SERWER: You’re welcome.

COLLINS: We are going to take a quick break. But still to come this morning, the dangers of anesthesia mishaps. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The death of a best-selling author is raising questions about the safety of anesthesia. Olivia Goldsmith, author of "The First Wives Club," died last week. She reportedly suffered a heart attack as she went under anesthesia for plastic surgery. She was 54.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Atlanta now to talk about the safety of anesthesia and surgery, especially plastic surgery.

Sanjay, what do you think happened here? Is it possible there was an undetected heart condition?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a lot of possibility here, Heidi. And the investigation’s certainly still ongoing.

What we do know, what we've heard is that she probably had a heart attack as she went under anesthesia. Now all sorts of questions there. Why would this occur? Relatively young woman. No previous significant conditions of heart disease. There are all sorts of possibilities that might happen in a situation like that. First of all, the number one concern of anesthesiologists, not getting enough oxygen possibly to the heart. And if that occurs, that can cause a heart attack. Improper medication dose. Could that have occurred? Again, ongoing investigation. These are possibilities. Unknown heart disease, as you mentioned also a possibility. Sometimes people who have not had any symptoms of heart disease, the first time any of that actually comes to light is when someone goes under anesthesia, as may have been the case with Ms. Goldsmith as well.

Good news is that it’s a relatively rare situation. You take everybody, all healthy patients undergoing procedures in doctor’s offices, and ambulatory care centers, and hospitals. About one in 250,000 people are going to have any significant problems with the heart and subsequent anesthesia death.

All other patients, now patients who may have some underlying illness, patients who are of advanced age, the numbers do go up significantly, one in about 13,000. But still pretty small. All that to say, Heidi, that obviously a tragic story here with Ms. Goldsmith, but a pretty rare one as well -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes, that's for sure. But still a lot of people, I think, might be thinking themselves about what could go wrong as they go under anesthesia. What can a patient do to make sure that whatever anesthesia is used on them is safe?

GUPTA: Yes, I mean, I think that those are good questions. And if you talk about, again, what patients concern themselves with, doctors concern themselves with, anesthesiologists as well, there are all sorts of things that they should be cognizant of. One is medications before surgery. Are there certain medications before surgery that might be a problem, that could potentially cause a reaction in the operating room?

As well, drug or alcohol abuse ahead of time, that could be a problem again in terms of anesthesia complications. Respiratory complications, age as well.

Your question, though, I think is a good one, Heidi, about what can patients do? What should patients ask to their doctors before going in? And we certainly have a lot more of these plastic surgery type procedures being done in doctors offices, in ambulatory care centers, and in hospitals.

Important point, before we get to the questions you should ask is, keep in mind that a lot of times, anesthesia’s going to be the riskiest part of any of given operation. When you think about an operation, think about what's going to be done on the surgical side of it, but also find out a little bit more about the anesthesiology. Is the facility equipped with the latest monitoring equipment? Is the staff properly trained?

If it’s a doctor’s office, is there an exit strategy? If something goes wrong, what is going to happen to you if something needs to be done? What recourse if a problem occurs? Good questions to ask as a patient. But just keeping in mind that anesthesia, probably riskier in some cases than the operation itself, especially when it comes to a lot of these cosmetic-type procedures – Heidi?

COLLINS: Certainly causes anxiety for some people. That's for sure. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you this morning. Appreciate it.

GUPTA: Thank you.

COLLINS: And Jack is here now with today's Cafferty file. Jack, what you got?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANALYST: Beginning next month, you may want to book your reservations early for this, Heidi, they are going to offer -- Singapore Airlines is going to offer a non-stop flight between Los Angeles and Singapore. I think it's the longest non-stop flight on the planet, commercial airline flight. 8,000 miles. Takes 18.5 hours sitting in an airplane. Now it cuts two hours off the usual flying time between the two cities. The airline’s billing the new route as a non-stop flight, non-stop comfort.

The problem is when you – when the flight is over, you’re in Singapore would be one of the things wrong with that deal.

Noticed anything odd with TV start times? They are doing something called starting shows off the clock. They start them either a few minutes late or a few minutes early. For example, last Thursday on NBC, “Friends” ran from 8:00 to 8:32. Then “The Apprentice” was from 8:32 to 9:28. “Will and Grace” from 9:28 to 9:59. "ER" from 9:59 to 11:00.

The networks do it so they can stuff in more commercials. They expand the time a little bit. They also use the few extra minutes to cut into the competition's audience. But an NBC executive said it's not done to annoy viewers.

Well memo to NBC, it's very annoying if I set my thing for 8:00 to watch “Friends,” I would expect it to be there at 8:00, not two minutes before. It's very annoying. And -- but they don't care.

Beer in Germany. They are billing one that says if you drink it, it’ll keep you young and beautiful. And we all know how pretty people are who drink a lot of beer. They use special ingredients in this new beer like flavanoids and algae…

COLLINS: Yum.

CAFFERTY: …which sounds pretty good to me. The problem is in Germany there is a law that dates back to 1516, that says German beer can only have four ingredients, hops, barley, yeast and water. And anything else is illegal. So this whole thing’s going to wind up in court.

COLLINS: Oh, no.

CAFFERTY: Beer that will keep you young and beautiful.

COLLINS: Okay. Well, we'll wait for that and do a taste test.

CAFFERTY: Don't you think that's annoying to not start a TV show that's supposed to be on at 8:00, start it at a different time?

COLLINS: A little annoying, but again, they don't care what we think.

CAFFERTY: It’s very annoying.

COLLINS: Sadly.

CAFFERTY: I don’t watch any of those programs.

COLLINS: Right.

CAFFERTY: I will not complain. It doesn't matter what time they start. I never look at them anyway.

COLLINS: Bill Hemmer standing by, going to bring you in on this, Mr. Bill. I know you've been doing a lot of research in Iowa, but not all of it is about the caucuses, huh?

HEMMER: Yes. You know, listen Heidi, here in Iowa, Jack is still the talk after all these years. Check out this videotape.

CAFFERTY: Oh, man.

HEMMER: Local television station, WHO Television. We think it's circa 1978, ‘79. Jack had some choice assignments. Have a listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join Jack Cafferty, Phil Thomas and the eyewitness news.

CAFFERTY: And the MTA unveiled part of its new fleet of buses which should make bus riding a more visible way of getting around town. We got our first vacation picture. Jerry Reno will be along with that in a moment. An inspection of homes equipped with solar energy…

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAFFERTY: I should have saved some of that hair. I should have hung onto…

HEMMER: Now you’re a handsome man, hey, Jack?

CAFFERTY: A long time ago. What?

HEMMER: Jack, listen, you wore stripes before stripes were cool. You know, we didn't get to see the choice segments, though there, the ones with you and the animals and the camels out at the local zoo.

CAFFERTY: I used to do a segment there every -- once a week on the show called "Cafferty Is." And I'd go out and do somebody else's job for a day. And we'd make a little feature out of it. And one of them was I worked at the Des Moines Zoo there for a day. And I worked in a McDonalds. I had all kinds of goofy things.

But it was…

COLLINS: Oh, there you are.

CAFFERTY: There it is, right there. My God. This -- where did you get this footage? This is really old stuff. There's my snake. Camels have the foulest breath of any animal on earth. They’re just awful. I got to go in a cage with a tiger, too, as I recall.

HEMMER: Hey, listen…

CAFFERTY: Where did you get that stuff?

HEMMER: …we dug it up here. Come on. We’ve got a crack staff. Ann and Maurice was on it.

CAFFERTY: There’s the job I’m qualified for, hosing down the cage to get the whatchamacallit out of it.

COLLINS: You look pretty darn good, Mr. Cafferty?

CAFFERTY: Yes?

COLLINS: Yes.

CAFFERTY: 80 years ago.

HEMMER: Well, done, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: You got it. Let’s get a break here in Des Moines. In a moment, it is caucus day. Let you know what’s happening, what’s moving on the campaign trail. We go to caucus. And a few hours from now, back in a moment when the top candidates, they’re here on AMERICAN MORNING, after this.

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