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American Morning
Interview With Colin Powell; Hollywood Gold Rush
Aired March 01, 2004 - 9:00 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: Good morning. U.S. Marines walking into a virtual free-for-all in the capital city in Haiti. They may have to share the streets with leaders of the rebellion sometime very soon.
A wild scene at an airport in Hawaii. A man drives his SUV through the airport lobby.
And the Oscar sweep last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER JACKSON, DIRECTOR, "LORD OF THE RINGS": Wow. I'd like to thank you so much to the academy and to all of you. You're giving us an overwhelming night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Yes, nothing can beat "The Lord of the Rings" at the Academy Awards. Nothing even comes close this year.
All ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, Secretary of State Colin Powell coming up in just a few moments. The administration carefully watching what's going on in Haiti as U.S. Marines start their mission there. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is out; rebel leaders said to be headed for the capital. We're going to talk about just how much is expected of the U.S. troops that are now there.
HEMMER: Also this hour, where does the Martha Stewart trial go now? The most serious charge against her was thrown out Friday afternoon. They're getting ready to start up for the day today. We'll check in, in a few moments.
Jeff Ton is downtown outside the courthouse. Stay tuned for him in a matter of moments.
O'BRIEN: He has said he finds this case riveting.
HEMMER: Oh, yes. Time and time again. O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: She still faces like 10 years in prison, though, on the stuff that's remaining, right?
O'BRIEN: I think five years on each of the four counts.
HEMMER: Five years max. That's right.
CAFFERTY: So I mean, if she's convicted on the stuff that's still...
HEMMER: She could still go to jail.
CAFFERTY: That's right. It's possible, right?
O'BRIEN: Some people say, though, because they're very -- you could really lessen the time that she could potentially serve. So she could get away with nothing.
CAFFERTY: I don't think so. I think under federal sentencing guidelines the judge has no latitude. It's like if you're convicted of offense A, a it calls for one year in prison. Offense B, three -- I mean, I don't think they have that -- like the state courts they can mess around.
I don't think they can with this. I don't know. Maybe not. We'll have to check with Mr. Ton.
Kobe Bryant, speaking of criminal cases, his fate could be decided before the trial ever starts. Two days of closed-door hearings in Colorado today on whether or not the sexual history of his accuser should be allowed into evidence when the trial actually begins.
Controversial stuff going on up there. We're reading your e- mails, am@cnn.com.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get to our top stories this morning.
The Democrat presidential hopefuls on the campaign trail less than 24 hours before Super Tuesday. Contenders debated their ideas on international policy and the U.S. economy last night. The debate was the final one before tomorrow's 10-state contest, with more than 1,100 delegates up for grabs. Got more on politics coming up in just a moment.
Iraq's Governing Council has improved an interim constitution. The draft comes two days after its deadline. But officials say the delay will not affect the power handover that is set for June 30. The council is expected to sign the document on Wednesday after the end of a Shiite feast.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says that his department is better prepared to handle an emergency on U.S. soil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have far more people and far more and better technology at our seaports and our airports and our land ports. Every single day, as we work both internally in the United States and with our friends in Canada and Mexico and around the world to deal with security measures, although we're doing that, and although we're reducing vulnerability around this country, we always want to be prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: It has been one year since the Homeland Security Department was created.
In southern California, the longest running grocery strike in U.S. history has come to an end, after workers approved a New contract. The contract covers some 70,000 workers from three major grocery chains. The walkout had cost 900 stores more than $1 billion in lost sales.
And in Hawaii, a man in police custody after he drove his SUV into Maui's main airport. After the crash, he then set his vehicle on fire. No one was injured. The incident, though, caused about a 10- hour delay at the airport. Authorities say the man became enraged after a dispute with a friend.
HEMMER: That's going to scare a lot of people, seeing that thing.
O'BRIEN: Oh, absolutely.
HEMMER: To weather now. Chad Myers on a Monday morning -- good morning, Chad. Upper Midwest, what's happening?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Bill. Good morning, Soledad.
Slow down now at Chicago Airport, 70 minutes. San Francisco, 60. All other airports doing pretty well, although we have rain from Louisville down through Nashville, down into Memphis as well. All the way down to Houston, with some low clouds there.
That could slow down the airport a little bit. But right now, no reports of that.
The rain moving into Detroit, moving through South Bend, moving through Chicago, and then the wind picks up in Chicago. And that could even slow you down more later on this afternoon. Mild in the East, cold in the Midwest, and then rain across the West itself.
We fly you into a couple forecasts. Miami, 80 today; Orlando 79; Tampa, lovely day for you, a high of 78.
Mild all the way to D.C., 69 there. New York City, I know that says 55, but some spots in your fair city could be at 60 degrees today in Gotham City. Sixty-six in Nashville, 61 in Oklahoma City. And there's that blizzard weather across parts of Nebraska and eastern Colorado. And then rain showers from San Francisco down to San Diego.
HEMMER: Chad, you should have seen how many smiling faces were here in New York over the weekend with that weather.
MYERS: I bet.
HEMMER: What a difference it makes.
MYERS: Finally.
HEMMER: Look at that right now, 52 outside. And it's going to be nice. We'll take it when we can get it. Thank you, Chad. Talk to you again a bit later.
MYERS: You're welcome.
HEMMER: Back to Haiti now. Two hundred more U.S. Marines expected there today. They'll join 200 already arriving last night. They're leading a multinational force that's trying to restore order after the chaos caused by the departure of the former president, Jean- Bertrand Aristide. A bit earlier today, I talked with the secretary of state, Colin Powell, about the Marines' mission in Haiti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: This will be a multinational force now endorsed by a U.N. Security Council resolution to restore stability and help the New Haitian leaders put in place functioning government, which is what we did not have under President Aristide.
HEMMER: If the looting and the killing continues today, will the Marines have to stop it?
POWELL: Well, we'll have to wait and see. I would, of course, prefer for the Haitian national police to do it. The looting and the disorder has gone down somewhat overnight. We'll have to see what daylight brings.
And there are only a limited number of Marines there now. But the force will build up in the course of the next several days, as will multinational forces, other nations arriving.
HEMMER: How you defend yourself against the charge that the White House was too slow to respond?
POWELL: We responded when there was something to respond to that we felt was appropriate to respond to, and that was a change in the political situation. In this case, the departure of President Aristide.
All those who say we should have gone in earlier were advocating a position that we should go in on the side of a president who really was running a flawed government, a flawed presidency. And we were not prepared to do that and find ourselves trapped once again for an indefinite period, supporting an individual who may have been elected democratically but was not governing effectively or democratically.
And we tried to find a political solution. We worked very hard on it. Worked with the international community, the OAS, the CARICOM community, our French and Canadian colleagues. And we couldn't find that answer.
So we felt by the end of last week that the only real answer was if President Aristide would take a hard look at the situation and decide to step down, which is what he did. And we said that under those circumstances we would come in, and we came in immediately.
HEMMER: Mr. Secretary, there's an acting president in charge there based on the system of government set up in Haiti. But what is the contact you've had with the rebel leader, Guy Philippe? And what contact or communication have you had to make sure he stays at bay, if that's even possible at this point?
POWELL: We have ways of talking to the various rebel leaders, and are pleased that so far they said they're not interested in violence anymore and they want to put down their arms. We will have to sort this out with the new Haitian government. Some of these individuals we would not want to see re-entering civil society in Haiti because of their past records. And this is something we'll have to work our way through in the days ahead.
HEMMER: Can you explain why this poor struggling nation continues to find itself in the middle of turmoil and strife almost decade after decade throughout its history?
POWELL: It's been a sad story for almost 200 years now, that they have not been able to put in place the political institutions and the political philosophy necessary to organize this desperately poor nation and move forward. And we have tried over the years to help the Haitian people and to help Haitian political leaders, but it just hasn't taken. And we find ourselves in a situation every decade or so, as you noted. We'll try again this time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Colin Powell from earlier today. Haiti will be a big story throughout the morning and the day here on CNN.
Much more now with Soledad -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, in fact, the Pentagon has issued guidelines for the Marines' mission in Haiti. Retired Army Brigadier General and CNN military analyst David Grange in Chicago for us this morning, taking a look at just what could be ahead for U.S. troops in Haiti.
Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for being with us.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Before we talk about U.S. troops specifically, let's talk about the international force that's on its way. How big do you think this force should be?
GRANGE: Well, what I've read, it's not going to be that big initially. What will happen is it will be a multinational security force. In other words, a force that would intimidate, motivate, whatever you want to call it, the people in Haiti to abide by some type of rule of law. And then that would be followed by a larger peacekeeping, peace enforcement-type force.
O'BRIEN: How many of those do you think would be U.S. troops? And also, gauge for me the danger to those troops.
GRANGE: Well, I think the U.S. force size is undetermined right now. But it could be anywhere from 500 to a few thousand. It just depends on how long of a commitment the United States can provide a sustained force structure to this multinational U.N. force.
The troops will have rules of engagement always to protect themselves, at the same time respecting the life of the citizens of Haiti. But they will be able to protect themselves.
O'BRIEN: You have said that this was -- this is somewhat similar to what you were charged with overseeing in Bosnia: go in, restore the peace, try to bring commerce back to some sort of level so that democracy at some point can try to prevail. What's the biggest obstacle in Haiti, do you think?
GRANGE: I think the biggest obstacle is this country, you know, historically, there's no real flourishing market economy. As an example, I think in Iraq you have the entrepreneurship of the people there that it's no doubt, I think, will be successful.
In Haiti, it's very tough. The standard of living is so low. And so commerce, this market, has to be put in place in order for any kind of democracy to work. That's going to drive the people's needs and force them to cooperate or not.
O'BRIEN: Do you think the troops should have been sent in earlier?
GRANGE: I do not. I say that because, one, I believe that our country wanted Aristide to go. We went in to support an elected president, Aristide. When the dictatorship was removed; it didn't work out. Corruption, lack of capability to run the country properly.
I think we waited. If we did not wait, if he would have went in, I think there would have been a bigger fight, more people killed.
O'BRIEN: CNN military analyst Brigadier General David Grange joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, as always. Thank you.
GRANGE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill. HEMMER: At 12 minutes past the hour, "The King" ruled last night in Hollywood. "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" now with some exclusively company, too. The film was nominated in 11 categories and won all 11.
In Hollywood now, here's Daryn Kagan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The movie industry's biggest night. The spectacle. The Hollywood royalty. And the night when "The King" was finally crowned.
STEVEN SPIELBERG, DIRECTOR: It's a clean sweep, "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."
KAGAN: "The Return of the King," the final chapter of the monumental trilogy, ran rings around the competition, going 11 for 11 at the Oscars.
JACKSON: Oh, this is just unbelievable. And I'm so honored, touched and relieved that the academy and the members of the academy that have supported us have seen past the trolls and the wizards and the hobbits and are recognizing fantasy this year.
KAGAN: "The Rings" sweep tied an academy record for most trophies and gave Peter Jackson his first Oscar for directing.
JACKSON: You're giving us an incredibly overwhelming night.
KAGAN: The best picture winner was no surprise. And for many, neither was best actress.
ADRIAN BRODY, ACTOR: Charlize Theron.
CHARLIZE THERON, ACTRESS: This has been such an incredible year.
KAGAN: Another favorite going in, "Cold Mountain" supporting actress nominee Renee Zellweger, had walked the red carpet twice before. The third time was a charm.
RENEE ZELLWEGER, ACTRESS: I am overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed. Thank you.
KAGAN: Many called "Mystic River's" Tim Robbins the man to beat for best supporting actor. That was true, and no one did.
Triple nominee Sofia Coppola added to her family's history of Oscar winners by taking what many said was her best chance at gold: the original screenplay award for "Lost in Translation."
SOFIA COPPOLA, DIRECTOR: I was so happy to look over and see my parents. It's a big honor. I never thought my dad would be watching me get one.
KAGAN: Oscar did offer one surprise, a standing ovation for Hollywood outsider and now Oscar winner Sean Penn, of "Mystic River."
SEAN PENN, ACTOR: I did arguably feel that I was there to debunk the notion that it was a popularity contest.
KAGAN (on camera): So with all of the Oscar gold passed out, the one question that remains, did the academy do the right thing in moving the Oscars up by almost a month? The thought was to make the awards more special. Some might say it made them too predictable. Others in this town believe they should move it up by even two more weeks.
In Hollywood, Daryn Kagan, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: All right. Daryn's live with us at about 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time, 7:00 in L.A. We'll get back with her.
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" not eligible for the Oscars this year. Still a mention last night from the host, Billy Crystal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY CRYSTAL, ACTOR: Mel Gibson's movie, unbelievable hit, $117 million. Opened on Ash Wednesday. Had a Good Friday.
(LAUGHTER)
CRYSTAL: A better Saturday and Sunday. Unbelievable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Yes, Crystal did a nice job last night. "The Passion" the big winner over the weekend. Controversial film, as Billy Crystal mentioned, $117 million going back to Ash Wednesday of last week. And five or six days of sales that are incredible numbers for that film. And when you think about the international release, it will easily top $200 million in some time very soon.
O'BRIEN: And it's interesting to remember that people were predicting that this could be such a massive bomb for Mel Gibson. You know, career-ending at that scope.
HEMMER: Yes. Well, they lined up and they bought the tickets.
O'BRIEN: He's had the last laugh now. That's for sure.
HEMMER: We're seeing it now. That's right.
O'BRIEN: That's for sure.
Still to come this morning, it was the Democrats' last face-off before Super Tuesday. Got a little testy. But did the last debate sway any voters? We'll take a look at that. HEMMER: Also, the Martha Stewart trial. A surprise on Friday. Are more in store today? Analysis from Jeffrey Toobin outside the courthouse.
O'BRIEN: And is a cousin linked to the disappearance of an entire family in Mississippi? Their stories ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Live from Baltimore, a campaign event for John Kerry. This a day ahead of the big vote tomorrow. John Kerry obviously to the right of your screen.
Super Tuesday is tomorrow, 10 states. A huge supply of delegates at stake. And the gloves did come off. Well, they did not necessarily come off, but the strings were loosened quite a bit in Sunday morning's debate.
Bob Franken, the day after, live in Baltimore on the scene there.
Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we'll use a political word to describe the demeanor now. It's a little bit snitty (ph). You remember that word. And it's getting that way because the stakes are so very high on this election that's going to occur tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Most experts contend that John Kerry's Super Tuesday blowout seals his nomination. But another John Edwards surprise or two could complicate the picture. And Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota and Maryland seem to be getting competitive.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANIDIDATE: The fundamental issue in this election is whether the people of this country believe that we're going to get change that originates in Washington or change that has to come from out here in the real world.
FRANKEN: John Kerry made it clear in Sunday's debate he would not be painted as an insider, not by Edwards.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last time I looked, John ran for the United States Senate, and he's been in the Senate for the last five years. That seems to me to be Washington, D.C.
FRANKEN: Each is painfully aware of the rap against him. Edwards, he's too green.
EDWARDS: The issue here is not the length of your resume. The issue is the strength of your vision.
FRANKEN: Meanwhile, Kerry must deal with the complaint he's simply too aloof.
KERRY: Give me a living room, give me a bar, and give me a VFW hall, give me a one-on-one, and I think I can talk to anybody in this country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: And John Kerry is now speaking to the people here at Morgan State University, the rally here. He's going to Ohio and then Georgia later in the day.
John Edwards, notably, has put out a schedule for after Super Tuesday. Those are the southern primaries, Bill. He's making it clear that no matter what happens tomorrow, he's in this race for awhile -- Bill.
HEMMER: Bob, thanks. Bob Franken in Baltimore -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the hobbits conquer Hollywood.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAFFERTY:
HEMMER: All right, welcome back.
Question of the Day, Jack?
CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.
Closed pretrial hearings will get under way a bit later today out in Eagle, Colorado, in the Kobe Bryant rape case. The issue is whether or not the jurors should be allowed to hear about the sexual history of the woman who is accusing Bryant of raping her.
Defense lawyers say her sexual past is irrelevant because it could show that her injuries were caused by someone other than Kobe Bryant. Prosecutors disagree. They want Colorado's rape shield law upheld. It's been on the books for 30 years. It's been challenged before, and so far it has not been overturned.
But we wanted to ask you, is the sexually history of Kobe Bryant's accuser relevant? Here's some of what you've written us.
E.W. in New York: "The accuser's sexual history, which is secondary to the actual act, has to be relevant in determining precisely what occurred on that night. This is the legal system at its best. It looks like Kobe heads back to the basketball arena unscathed."
Richard, in Zanesville, Ohio, "Jack, what difference does it make what the woman did in the past? If she said no, no means no, and that should be the end of it."
Fran in California: "I look at it this way: if she were a he, would they look at his sexual past?"
And Barbara in Deerfield, Michigan: "Absolutely. Her sexual history should come into court. So should her medical and mental histories. This man is looking at a long time in prison, and the jury should be absolutely sure he is guilty and that a crime even occurred. How can there be a fair trial if all that history is not allowed?"
I guess we'll know by tomorrow.
HEMMER: There's the defense theory that says that maybe she had intimate contact with an older boyfriend or perhaps a bell man who was working at that facility.
CAFFERTY: I think that's a fact. I think it's been established that she did have sex with someone a couple of days prior to the encounter with Kobe Bryant. It's just a question of...
HEMMER: So when she went to the hospital -- and they want to know if this evidence will turn up and indicate one of these guys was with that woman and that time or during that period.
O'BRIEN: Right.
CAFFERTY: Well, and she sustained injuries apparently from a sexual encounter. And the defense would like to have this information in so that perhaps they could raise a doubt in the jury's mind as to who caused the injury, I think.
I've got to get on the phone to Toobin and...
O'BRIEN: Really. You've got a lot of legal issues.
CAFFERTY: I've got to call him.
O'BRIEN: You're sorting through this one.
Do you guys want to talk about our Oscar picks?
CAFFERTY: How about it? Of course you do.
O'BRIEN: I do. I won, I won.
HEMMER: How many of these films have you seen?
O'BRIEN: Best picture, we all picked "Lord of the Rings." No big surprise there.
HEMMER: We were throwing darts. Best director, "Lord of the Rings." Best actor, Sean Penn. I liked Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation."
O'BRIEN: That was never going to happen.
HEMMER: Why not?
O'BRIEN: I just didn't think it was going to happen. I thought -- you know, I have to say -- and so rarely do I necessarily agree with (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but I thought he was right. Dark movie...
HEMMER: What about Charlize Theron? She was terrific in that film "Monster."
O'BRIEN: Yes, she was fantastic. So -- but, you know, if you look at all the picks, I think I had something like 21 out of 24 right.
CAFFERTY: I think that's wonderful. That's very good.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. I thought for me...
CAFFERTY: How many did you get right there, slick?
O'BRIEN: Seventeen out of 24.
HEMMER: Is that what it was?
CAFFERTY: Who was last?
HEMMER: At least I saw the films.
O'BRIEN: I read the reviews. It's pretty much the same thing. I saw "Master and Commander," which I didn't pick really for anything. I didn't think it was...
HEMMER: Yes. I didn't see it either.
O'BRIEN: Who what?
CAFFERTY: Who finished last?
O'BRIEN: Who finished last? I don't know.
CAFFERTY: I just want to identify the loser.
O'BRIEN: Well, we'll work on the math on that and get right back to you. But it wasn't me.
HEMMER: Well done. The pregnant woman wins. We like that.
All right. Chaos in Haiti. Rebel leaders get ready to enter the city. The latest on that in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired March 1, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. U.S. Marines walking into a virtual free-for-all in the capital city in Haiti. They may have to share the streets with leaders of the rebellion sometime very soon.
A wild scene at an airport in Hawaii. A man drives his SUV through the airport lobby.
And the Oscar sweep last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER JACKSON, DIRECTOR, "LORD OF THE RINGS": Wow. I'd like to thank you so much to the academy and to all of you. You're giving us an overwhelming night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Yes, nothing can beat "The Lord of the Rings" at the Academy Awards. Nothing even comes close this year.
All ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, Secretary of State Colin Powell coming up in just a few moments. The administration carefully watching what's going on in Haiti as U.S. Marines start their mission there. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is out; rebel leaders said to be headed for the capital. We're going to talk about just how much is expected of the U.S. troops that are now there.
HEMMER: Also this hour, where does the Martha Stewart trial go now? The most serious charge against her was thrown out Friday afternoon. They're getting ready to start up for the day today. We'll check in, in a few moments.
Jeff Ton is downtown outside the courthouse. Stay tuned for him in a matter of moments.
O'BRIEN: He has said he finds this case riveting.
HEMMER: Oh, yes. Time and time again. O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: She still faces like 10 years in prison, though, on the stuff that's remaining, right?
O'BRIEN: I think five years on each of the four counts.
HEMMER: Five years max. That's right.
CAFFERTY: So I mean, if she's convicted on the stuff that's still...
HEMMER: She could still go to jail.
CAFFERTY: That's right. It's possible, right?
O'BRIEN: Some people say, though, because they're very -- you could really lessen the time that she could potentially serve. So she could get away with nothing.
CAFFERTY: I don't think so. I think under federal sentencing guidelines the judge has no latitude. It's like if you're convicted of offense A, a it calls for one year in prison. Offense B, three -- I mean, I don't think they have that -- like the state courts they can mess around.
I don't think they can with this. I don't know. Maybe not. We'll have to check with Mr. Ton.
Kobe Bryant, speaking of criminal cases, his fate could be decided before the trial ever starts. Two days of closed-door hearings in Colorado today on whether or not the sexual history of his accuser should be allowed into evidence when the trial actually begins.
Controversial stuff going on up there. We're reading your e- mails, am@cnn.com.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get to our top stories this morning.
The Democrat presidential hopefuls on the campaign trail less than 24 hours before Super Tuesday. Contenders debated their ideas on international policy and the U.S. economy last night. The debate was the final one before tomorrow's 10-state contest, with more than 1,100 delegates up for grabs. Got more on politics coming up in just a moment.
Iraq's Governing Council has improved an interim constitution. The draft comes two days after its deadline. But officials say the delay will not affect the power handover that is set for June 30. The council is expected to sign the document on Wednesday after the end of a Shiite feast.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says that his department is better prepared to handle an emergency on U.S. soil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have far more people and far more and better technology at our seaports and our airports and our land ports. Every single day, as we work both internally in the United States and with our friends in Canada and Mexico and around the world to deal with security measures, although we're doing that, and although we're reducing vulnerability around this country, we always want to be prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: It has been one year since the Homeland Security Department was created.
In southern California, the longest running grocery strike in U.S. history has come to an end, after workers approved a New contract. The contract covers some 70,000 workers from three major grocery chains. The walkout had cost 900 stores more than $1 billion in lost sales.
And in Hawaii, a man in police custody after he drove his SUV into Maui's main airport. After the crash, he then set his vehicle on fire. No one was injured. The incident, though, caused about a 10- hour delay at the airport. Authorities say the man became enraged after a dispute with a friend.
HEMMER: That's going to scare a lot of people, seeing that thing.
O'BRIEN: Oh, absolutely.
HEMMER: To weather now. Chad Myers on a Monday morning -- good morning, Chad. Upper Midwest, what's happening?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Bill. Good morning, Soledad.
Slow down now at Chicago Airport, 70 minutes. San Francisco, 60. All other airports doing pretty well, although we have rain from Louisville down through Nashville, down into Memphis as well. All the way down to Houston, with some low clouds there.
That could slow down the airport a little bit. But right now, no reports of that.
The rain moving into Detroit, moving through South Bend, moving through Chicago, and then the wind picks up in Chicago. And that could even slow you down more later on this afternoon. Mild in the East, cold in the Midwest, and then rain across the West itself.
We fly you into a couple forecasts. Miami, 80 today; Orlando 79; Tampa, lovely day for you, a high of 78.
Mild all the way to D.C., 69 there. New York City, I know that says 55, but some spots in your fair city could be at 60 degrees today in Gotham City. Sixty-six in Nashville, 61 in Oklahoma City. And there's that blizzard weather across parts of Nebraska and eastern Colorado. And then rain showers from San Francisco down to San Diego.
HEMMER: Chad, you should have seen how many smiling faces were here in New York over the weekend with that weather.
MYERS: I bet.
HEMMER: What a difference it makes.
MYERS: Finally.
HEMMER: Look at that right now, 52 outside. And it's going to be nice. We'll take it when we can get it. Thank you, Chad. Talk to you again a bit later.
MYERS: You're welcome.
HEMMER: Back to Haiti now. Two hundred more U.S. Marines expected there today. They'll join 200 already arriving last night. They're leading a multinational force that's trying to restore order after the chaos caused by the departure of the former president, Jean- Bertrand Aristide. A bit earlier today, I talked with the secretary of state, Colin Powell, about the Marines' mission in Haiti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: This will be a multinational force now endorsed by a U.N. Security Council resolution to restore stability and help the New Haitian leaders put in place functioning government, which is what we did not have under President Aristide.
HEMMER: If the looting and the killing continues today, will the Marines have to stop it?
POWELL: Well, we'll have to wait and see. I would, of course, prefer for the Haitian national police to do it. The looting and the disorder has gone down somewhat overnight. We'll have to see what daylight brings.
And there are only a limited number of Marines there now. But the force will build up in the course of the next several days, as will multinational forces, other nations arriving.
HEMMER: How you defend yourself against the charge that the White House was too slow to respond?
POWELL: We responded when there was something to respond to that we felt was appropriate to respond to, and that was a change in the political situation. In this case, the departure of President Aristide.
All those who say we should have gone in earlier were advocating a position that we should go in on the side of a president who really was running a flawed government, a flawed presidency. And we were not prepared to do that and find ourselves trapped once again for an indefinite period, supporting an individual who may have been elected democratically but was not governing effectively or democratically.
And we tried to find a political solution. We worked very hard on it. Worked with the international community, the OAS, the CARICOM community, our French and Canadian colleagues. And we couldn't find that answer.
So we felt by the end of last week that the only real answer was if President Aristide would take a hard look at the situation and decide to step down, which is what he did. And we said that under those circumstances we would come in, and we came in immediately.
HEMMER: Mr. Secretary, there's an acting president in charge there based on the system of government set up in Haiti. But what is the contact you've had with the rebel leader, Guy Philippe? And what contact or communication have you had to make sure he stays at bay, if that's even possible at this point?
POWELL: We have ways of talking to the various rebel leaders, and are pleased that so far they said they're not interested in violence anymore and they want to put down their arms. We will have to sort this out with the new Haitian government. Some of these individuals we would not want to see re-entering civil society in Haiti because of their past records. And this is something we'll have to work our way through in the days ahead.
HEMMER: Can you explain why this poor struggling nation continues to find itself in the middle of turmoil and strife almost decade after decade throughout its history?
POWELL: It's been a sad story for almost 200 years now, that they have not been able to put in place the political institutions and the political philosophy necessary to organize this desperately poor nation and move forward. And we have tried over the years to help the Haitian people and to help Haitian political leaders, but it just hasn't taken. And we find ourselves in a situation every decade or so, as you noted. We'll try again this time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Colin Powell from earlier today. Haiti will be a big story throughout the morning and the day here on CNN.
Much more now with Soledad -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, in fact, the Pentagon has issued guidelines for the Marines' mission in Haiti. Retired Army Brigadier General and CNN military analyst David Grange in Chicago for us this morning, taking a look at just what could be ahead for U.S. troops in Haiti.
Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for being with us.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Before we talk about U.S. troops specifically, let's talk about the international force that's on its way. How big do you think this force should be?
GRANGE: Well, what I've read, it's not going to be that big initially. What will happen is it will be a multinational security force. In other words, a force that would intimidate, motivate, whatever you want to call it, the people in Haiti to abide by some type of rule of law. And then that would be followed by a larger peacekeeping, peace enforcement-type force.
O'BRIEN: How many of those do you think would be U.S. troops? And also, gauge for me the danger to those troops.
GRANGE: Well, I think the U.S. force size is undetermined right now. But it could be anywhere from 500 to a few thousand. It just depends on how long of a commitment the United States can provide a sustained force structure to this multinational U.N. force.
The troops will have rules of engagement always to protect themselves, at the same time respecting the life of the citizens of Haiti. But they will be able to protect themselves.
O'BRIEN: You have said that this was -- this is somewhat similar to what you were charged with overseeing in Bosnia: go in, restore the peace, try to bring commerce back to some sort of level so that democracy at some point can try to prevail. What's the biggest obstacle in Haiti, do you think?
GRANGE: I think the biggest obstacle is this country, you know, historically, there's no real flourishing market economy. As an example, I think in Iraq you have the entrepreneurship of the people there that it's no doubt, I think, will be successful.
In Haiti, it's very tough. The standard of living is so low. And so commerce, this market, has to be put in place in order for any kind of democracy to work. That's going to drive the people's needs and force them to cooperate or not.
O'BRIEN: Do you think the troops should have been sent in earlier?
GRANGE: I do not. I say that because, one, I believe that our country wanted Aristide to go. We went in to support an elected president, Aristide. When the dictatorship was removed; it didn't work out. Corruption, lack of capability to run the country properly.
I think we waited. If we did not wait, if he would have went in, I think there would have been a bigger fight, more people killed.
O'BRIEN: CNN military analyst Brigadier General David Grange joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, as always. Thank you.
GRANGE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill. HEMMER: At 12 minutes past the hour, "The King" ruled last night in Hollywood. "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" now with some exclusively company, too. The film was nominated in 11 categories and won all 11.
In Hollywood now, here's Daryn Kagan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The movie industry's biggest night. The spectacle. The Hollywood royalty. And the night when "The King" was finally crowned.
STEVEN SPIELBERG, DIRECTOR: It's a clean sweep, "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."
KAGAN: "The Return of the King," the final chapter of the monumental trilogy, ran rings around the competition, going 11 for 11 at the Oscars.
JACKSON: Oh, this is just unbelievable. And I'm so honored, touched and relieved that the academy and the members of the academy that have supported us have seen past the trolls and the wizards and the hobbits and are recognizing fantasy this year.
KAGAN: "The Rings" sweep tied an academy record for most trophies and gave Peter Jackson his first Oscar for directing.
JACKSON: You're giving us an incredibly overwhelming night.
KAGAN: The best picture winner was no surprise. And for many, neither was best actress.
ADRIAN BRODY, ACTOR: Charlize Theron.
CHARLIZE THERON, ACTRESS: This has been such an incredible year.
KAGAN: Another favorite going in, "Cold Mountain" supporting actress nominee Renee Zellweger, had walked the red carpet twice before. The third time was a charm.
RENEE ZELLWEGER, ACTRESS: I am overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed. Thank you.
KAGAN: Many called "Mystic River's" Tim Robbins the man to beat for best supporting actor. That was true, and no one did.
Triple nominee Sofia Coppola added to her family's history of Oscar winners by taking what many said was her best chance at gold: the original screenplay award for "Lost in Translation."
SOFIA COPPOLA, DIRECTOR: I was so happy to look over and see my parents. It's a big honor. I never thought my dad would be watching me get one.
KAGAN: Oscar did offer one surprise, a standing ovation for Hollywood outsider and now Oscar winner Sean Penn, of "Mystic River."
SEAN PENN, ACTOR: I did arguably feel that I was there to debunk the notion that it was a popularity contest.
KAGAN (on camera): So with all of the Oscar gold passed out, the one question that remains, did the academy do the right thing in moving the Oscars up by almost a month? The thought was to make the awards more special. Some might say it made them too predictable. Others in this town believe they should move it up by even two more weeks.
In Hollywood, Daryn Kagan, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: All right. Daryn's live with us at about 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time, 7:00 in L.A. We'll get back with her.
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" not eligible for the Oscars this year. Still a mention last night from the host, Billy Crystal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY CRYSTAL, ACTOR: Mel Gibson's movie, unbelievable hit, $117 million. Opened on Ash Wednesday. Had a Good Friday.
(LAUGHTER)
CRYSTAL: A better Saturday and Sunday. Unbelievable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Yes, Crystal did a nice job last night. "The Passion" the big winner over the weekend. Controversial film, as Billy Crystal mentioned, $117 million going back to Ash Wednesday of last week. And five or six days of sales that are incredible numbers for that film. And when you think about the international release, it will easily top $200 million in some time very soon.
O'BRIEN: And it's interesting to remember that people were predicting that this could be such a massive bomb for Mel Gibson. You know, career-ending at that scope.
HEMMER: Yes. Well, they lined up and they bought the tickets.
O'BRIEN: He's had the last laugh now. That's for sure.
HEMMER: We're seeing it now. That's right.
O'BRIEN: That's for sure.
Still to come this morning, it was the Democrats' last face-off before Super Tuesday. Got a little testy. But did the last debate sway any voters? We'll take a look at that. HEMMER: Also, the Martha Stewart trial. A surprise on Friday. Are more in store today? Analysis from Jeffrey Toobin outside the courthouse.
O'BRIEN: And is a cousin linked to the disappearance of an entire family in Mississippi? Their stories ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Live from Baltimore, a campaign event for John Kerry. This a day ahead of the big vote tomorrow. John Kerry obviously to the right of your screen.
Super Tuesday is tomorrow, 10 states. A huge supply of delegates at stake. And the gloves did come off. Well, they did not necessarily come off, but the strings were loosened quite a bit in Sunday morning's debate.
Bob Franken, the day after, live in Baltimore on the scene there.
Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we'll use a political word to describe the demeanor now. It's a little bit snitty (ph). You remember that word. And it's getting that way because the stakes are so very high on this election that's going to occur tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Most experts contend that John Kerry's Super Tuesday blowout seals his nomination. But another John Edwards surprise or two could complicate the picture. And Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota and Maryland seem to be getting competitive.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANIDIDATE: The fundamental issue in this election is whether the people of this country believe that we're going to get change that originates in Washington or change that has to come from out here in the real world.
FRANKEN: John Kerry made it clear in Sunday's debate he would not be painted as an insider, not by Edwards.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last time I looked, John ran for the United States Senate, and he's been in the Senate for the last five years. That seems to me to be Washington, D.C.
FRANKEN: Each is painfully aware of the rap against him. Edwards, he's too green.
EDWARDS: The issue here is not the length of your resume. The issue is the strength of your vision.
FRANKEN: Meanwhile, Kerry must deal with the complaint he's simply too aloof.
KERRY: Give me a living room, give me a bar, and give me a VFW hall, give me a one-on-one, and I think I can talk to anybody in this country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: And John Kerry is now speaking to the people here at Morgan State University, the rally here. He's going to Ohio and then Georgia later in the day.
John Edwards, notably, has put out a schedule for after Super Tuesday. Those are the southern primaries, Bill. He's making it clear that no matter what happens tomorrow, he's in this race for awhile -- Bill.
HEMMER: Bob, thanks. Bob Franken in Baltimore -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the hobbits conquer Hollywood.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAFFERTY:
HEMMER: All right, welcome back.
Question of the Day, Jack?
CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.
Closed pretrial hearings will get under way a bit later today out in Eagle, Colorado, in the Kobe Bryant rape case. The issue is whether or not the jurors should be allowed to hear about the sexual history of the woman who is accusing Bryant of raping her.
Defense lawyers say her sexual past is irrelevant because it could show that her injuries were caused by someone other than Kobe Bryant. Prosecutors disagree. They want Colorado's rape shield law upheld. It's been on the books for 30 years. It's been challenged before, and so far it has not been overturned.
But we wanted to ask you, is the sexually history of Kobe Bryant's accuser relevant? Here's some of what you've written us.
E.W. in New York: "The accuser's sexual history, which is secondary to the actual act, has to be relevant in determining precisely what occurred on that night. This is the legal system at its best. It looks like Kobe heads back to the basketball arena unscathed."
Richard, in Zanesville, Ohio, "Jack, what difference does it make what the woman did in the past? If she said no, no means no, and that should be the end of it."
Fran in California: "I look at it this way: if she were a he, would they look at his sexual past?"
And Barbara in Deerfield, Michigan: "Absolutely. Her sexual history should come into court. So should her medical and mental histories. This man is looking at a long time in prison, and the jury should be absolutely sure he is guilty and that a crime even occurred. How can there be a fair trial if all that history is not allowed?"
I guess we'll know by tomorrow.
HEMMER: There's the defense theory that says that maybe she had intimate contact with an older boyfriend or perhaps a bell man who was working at that facility.
CAFFERTY: I think that's a fact. I think it's been established that she did have sex with someone a couple of days prior to the encounter with Kobe Bryant. It's just a question of...
HEMMER: So when she went to the hospital -- and they want to know if this evidence will turn up and indicate one of these guys was with that woman and that time or during that period.
O'BRIEN: Right.
CAFFERTY: Well, and she sustained injuries apparently from a sexual encounter. And the defense would like to have this information in so that perhaps they could raise a doubt in the jury's mind as to who caused the injury, I think.
I've got to get on the phone to Toobin and...
O'BRIEN: Really. You've got a lot of legal issues.
CAFFERTY: I've got to call him.
O'BRIEN: You're sorting through this one.
Do you guys want to talk about our Oscar picks?
CAFFERTY: How about it? Of course you do.
O'BRIEN: I do. I won, I won.
HEMMER: How many of these films have you seen?
O'BRIEN: Best picture, we all picked "Lord of the Rings." No big surprise there.
HEMMER: We were throwing darts. Best director, "Lord of the Rings." Best actor, Sean Penn. I liked Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation."
O'BRIEN: That was never going to happen.
HEMMER: Why not?
O'BRIEN: I just didn't think it was going to happen. I thought -- you know, I have to say -- and so rarely do I necessarily agree with (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but I thought he was right. Dark movie...
HEMMER: What about Charlize Theron? She was terrific in that film "Monster."
O'BRIEN: Yes, she was fantastic. So -- but, you know, if you look at all the picks, I think I had something like 21 out of 24 right.
CAFFERTY: I think that's wonderful. That's very good.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. I thought for me...
CAFFERTY: How many did you get right there, slick?
O'BRIEN: Seventeen out of 24.
HEMMER: Is that what it was?
CAFFERTY: Who was last?
HEMMER: At least I saw the films.
O'BRIEN: I read the reviews. It's pretty much the same thing. I saw "Master and Commander," which I didn't pick really for anything. I didn't think it was...
HEMMER: Yes. I didn't see it either.
O'BRIEN: Who what?
CAFFERTY: Who finished last?
O'BRIEN: Who finished last? I don't know.
CAFFERTY: I just want to identify the loser.
O'BRIEN: Well, we'll work on the math on that and get right back to you. But it wasn't me.
HEMMER: Well done. The pregnant woman wins. We like that.
All right. Chaos in Haiti. Rebel leaders get ready to enter the city. The latest on that in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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