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American Morning
A Bloodbath Today in Iraq; Interview with Senator Barbara Boxer
Aired March 02, 2004 - 08:00 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.
A bloodbath today in Iraq. More than 100 Shiite worshippers cut down when simultaneous explosion rip through two separate cities.
No bigger day for the Democrats. Almost as many delegates at stake on this Super Tuesday as have been won so far in the contest.
And a baby believed killed by fire, alive all along, spotted because of her dimple. We'll meet the mother 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 back, everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, a look at a remarkable campaign in Illinois. A candidate for the statehouse who was found -- who was, rather, on death row until he was pardoned by the governor. He says he's qualified because he understands the need for justice.
HEMMER: Wow.
O'BRIEN: We'll see if the voters buy that.
HEMMER: Also this hour, Sanjay's back with us talking about two favorite exercise programs coming together -- weight training plus yoga. It's called iron yoga. We'll look at what it can do for your physique and your health in a moment here. Sanjay has taken the class and so we'll see how he does, in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Jack does that.
HEMMER: Yes, that's right.
O'BRIEN: Each and every day. Hey?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, iron yoga. Whatever happened to just eating a regular diet, do a few sit-ups, run a little bit? I mean that's all this, this is just, you know...
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) will do. CAFFERTY: This will be a way to sell a thousand more books and open some new health clubs and take money from people.
O'BRIEN: Yes, there you go. Uh-huh, that's it.
HEMMER: And look for the author on AMERICAN MORNING a week later.
CAFFERTY: And we're going to help in a few minutes.
Coming up on the Cafferty File, if you could come up with an eleventh commandment, what might it be? And if you're on the Atkins diet and feeling a little moody, you're probably not the only one. And, no, Soledad, I'm not on the Atkins diet. I'm just naturally moody.
O'BRIEN: I said nothing. You're moody?
CAFFERTY: That's right.
O'BRIEN: I wouldn't say that.
HEMMER: It's our job to cheer you up today.
O'BRIEN: You're even-keeled. This is Jack.
HEMMER: Ooh.
O'BRIEN: Even, smooth.
HEMMER: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: I love torturing you today. I'll stop. I'll behave.
Should we get right into our top stories?
CAFFERTY: Do whatever you feel like.
O'BRIEN: Shall we? OK, then let's do it.
CAFFERTY: You know, it's your program.
O'BRIEN: Our program.
Rebel groups have moved into the capital of Haiti just days after the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Armed rebels were greeted as heroes in Port-au-Prince yesterday. They're vowing to hand out their own form of justice to Aristide's supporters, while more U.S. Marines are heading into the country today.
Meanwhile, Aristide says the U.S. took part in forcing him out of Haiti.
In New York, Martha Stewart's top attorney is expected to wrap up closing arguments today in her obstruction of justice case. Yesterday, prosecutors said Stewart left behind a trail of evidence and lied about her sale of ImClone stock. The defense will have a chance today to issue a rebuttal and the jury could get the case as early as tomorrow. We've got more on this trial coming up in our next half hour.
There are calls for a congressional investigation into the University of Colorado's sex scandal. A university panel meets later today. That is in response to charges that the school's football program used sex and alcohol to recruit athletes. Several women have accused players of sexual assault since 1997. No charges, though, have been filed. At least three of the women have sued the school.
On a health note now, anti-bacterial soaps and cleansers may not reduce your risk of getting sick. A new study shows that people who use anti-bacterial products at home develop viral infections like a runny nose or a sore throat just as often as people who use regular soap. Researchers say that regardless of what's in the soap, washing your hands is the best protection against germs. The study was done by the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York.
And "The Passion of the Christ" continues to stir up controversy. Tickets at one Georgia theater bear the number 666, which some Christians believe is a reference to Satan or the anti-Christ. The theater owner says it's just a coincidence generated by computer, but several patrons complained and one even asked for a substitute ticket.
HEMMER: That might stop you in your tracks for a second, huh?
O'BRIEN: Computer glitch, he says.
HEMMER: That's right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Let's go to Iraq. There are many dead and many more injured from more than a dozen explosions earlier today. The blasts all went off during a short period this morning in two cities, Baghdad and Karbala. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims in the midst of observing one of their holiest days, the first time they've been able to worship on this day in 30 years, going back to the origination point of Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq.
Brent Sadler live on the scene there south of Baghdad with more -- Brent, what's happening at this hour?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Bill.
The situation calm since this series of explosions, deadly bomb blasts, shook this city. Police investigators on the ground are telling CNN that they suspect at this stage that a group of suicide bombers, as many as five, they're saying, may have slipped through a very tough security cordon that was put up around this religious festival to try and stop this kind of event happening.
What we've seen, though, in the aftermath of those blasts, devastation on the streets of Karbala, horrific injuries. Doctors at the main medical center here telling CNN that at least 250 people were injured and as many as 85 killed as a result of these blasts, as many as nine over a one hour period.
Now, since them, many pilgrims have left the religious center of Karbala. We've seen many thousands of them leaving this city. This is, after all, the end of this religious festivity. But celebrations are still going on behind me. Fewer numbers.
What the Iraqi Governing Council members are saying is that this might have been the work of Islamic extremists to try and create a civil war. This is what one of the members of the Governing Council said at a press conference in Baghdad a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADNAN PACHACHI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER: And obviously this will not deter us from continuing our efforts to stay and work together and continue in order to build a new Iraq in which all people shall participate to build a future of happiness and prosperity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: So certainly these attacks have shaken the Shia political and religious community here on the ground in Karbala and no confirmation that these were suicide bombers who got through, but that's certainly what investigators are working on at this hour -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brent Sadler, thanks.
Just to re-emphasize the point here, the first time in 30 years Shiites have been able to worship on this holy day in Iraq.
Much more on this as we move throughout the morning.
Also, 15 people are dead, 30 injured in Quetta, Pakistan, right near the border near Afghanistan. Also celebrating the holy day today when gunmen opened fire on them. So far, no one in that town has been arrested as a result of that incident -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: There will be no official Democratic presidential nominee when all the votes are counted after today's 10 Super Tuesday contests. But if Senator John Kerry sweeps those contests, in which 1,151 convention delegates are at stake, he will all but guarantee himself a general election fight with President Bush. It could also push Senator Kerry's main rival, Senator John Edwards, right out of the race.
Today's biggest prize is California and we're joined this morning by Senator Barbara Boxer of California.
She's in our Washington bureau this morning.
Nice to see you, Senator.
Thanks for being with us.
SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D-CA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: I'm curious to know why you haven't endorsed anybody in this race.
BOXER: You know, I think it's great that the people are deciding this one. I don't always endorse. I think that in this case, this is such a high profile race. Now, that's one.
Two, I had so many colleagues in the race.
And, three, I had a lot of my supporters just torn every which way.
But I can predict this, the Democratic nominee will be John.
O'BRIEN: A little humor early in this race.
BOXER: All right, you've got my little humor.
O'BRIEN: See, I was waiting for the next word there.
Give me a sense of what you think the major differences are between the two Johns, Senator John Kerry and Senator John Edwards, as voters head to the polls where you are today.
BOXER: I think basically it's experience. I think it's also foreign policy. It's also war service. And these are the things that I think are giving John Kerry a boost right now. After all, we have a president who says he's the "war president." Now, if that's what he says, then we should perhaps put someone up who can look him in the eye and say, really? I know what war is.
O'BRIEN: So are you saying that all those, in essence, add up to electability in your mind?
BOXER: I think that's what the voters are saying. And I'm excited about this race. And I think we could see change coming. It's going to be a hard, tough one. I'm in one myself. They're always difficult.
O'BRIEN: Let's take a look at some of the polls. This comes out of the "L.A. Times." This shows that Senator Kerry is leading in the polls at 56 percent, Senator Edwards at 24 percent.
Do you think, at the end of today, tomorrow morning, Senator Edwards should bow out if he has not had a victory in one of these 10 states that go to the polls today?
BOXER: I would never tell anyone whether to jump in or jump out of a race, having been there for so many years myself. People told me the same thing, you know, when I was running for the United States Senate. I had, I was an asterisk in the polls. My opponent had 50 percent in the primary. And I just, in my heart, I had something to say. I had some beliefs. I cared about issues, as the people of my state did. And I just stuck with it.
So I just never presume to tell anyone what to do. And I think the vote...
O'BRIEN: OK, maybe you don't want to...
BOXER: No, no, it's true, I don't. And I think the voters are going to give a message and when John Edwards feels that he has said all he has to say, if this goes the way we think it will go, he will make up his mind. He's a terrific man. He's going to make this decision himself.
O'BRIEN: But do you think it hurts the party in any way...
BOXER: No.
O'BRIEN: ... when you have -- as President Bush starts running his ads, you have a debate going on between the two senators on the Democratic side?
BOXER: No. It's so interesting, had you asked me that a year ago, I would say theoretically yes. But what I see happening is people are getting to see this, you know, the Democratic Party and the range of our geography and the range of our views and the way we put issues forward. And I think it's been just terrific for our party. And so as far as that's concerned, it's not hurtful, in my opinion, at all.
Now, it just gives us more attention to our issues. It gives us two people who are articulate, who are saying why this country needs a change, because of lost jobs, because of deficits, because of bad trade agreements, because of -- and this morning we see failed international policies. It's important to get those issues out and I think we get more attention when it's this way.
O'BRIEN: Senator Barbara Boxer joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, Senator.
Thanks for being with us.
BOXER: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: And stay tuned to CNN for complete coverage of Super Tuesday. Wolf Blitzer is going to kick off our prime time coverage tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.
HEMMER: In a moment, some say this is the absolute story of the day, a mother who thought she had lost her daughter forever makes an amazing discovery six years later. In a moment, we will talk live with the mother here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Truly an amazing story. What she is thinking today one will just have to imagine.
Martha Stewart's lawyers say they're going to get their chance to make their final case to the jury today. We'll take you live to the courthouse for that.
HEMMER: And pardoned from death row by the governor, now he's setting his own sights on the statehouse. Still to come this hour.
Back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
COMMERCIAL
O'BRIEN: An incredible story out of Philadelphia. Six years after an infant was thought to have perished in a house fire, the mother learns what she had always felt in her heart was true, that her daughter was actually alive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): When fire destroyed the family's Philadelphia home in December of 1997, police said the body of Delimar Vera, just 10 days old, had been incinerated in the flames. But the baby's mother, Luz Cuevas, never fully believed that her daughter died in that fire. And in January of this year, more than six years later, her faith was rewarded in a remarkable way. While attending a children's birthday party, she was struck by the resemblance of one 6- year-old girl to herself.
LUZ CUEVAS, MOTHER OF KIDNAPPED GIRL: When she smiled when she was a baby, she drew a dimple. And the little, the girl, you know, my daughter walked toward me and she smiled and the dimple do it. And I say to my sister, "Look, she is my daughter!" I just said, you know, "She is my daughter!"
O'BRIEN: Cuevas managed to get a few strands of the girl's hair, enough for police to reopen the case and for DNA tests to prove that the girl is, in fact, her daughter.
OFFICER MANUEL GONZALEZ, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: She didn't know whether to cry or to yell or scream or what to do. She just stood in shock.
O'BRIEN: Police now believe the fire was set by 41-year-old Carolyn Correa so she could kidnap the infant. The suspect, a family acquaintance, now remains at large. Meanwhile, the real mother and child will soon be reunited.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: This morning, the mother of the little girl is joining us.
Luz Cuevas is with us. Also, Pennsylvania State Representative Angel Cruz. He's been acting as the family spokesman.
Thanks to both of you for being with us.
Appreciate it.
ANGEL CRUZ, PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Ms. Cuevas, let's begin with you this morning. The baby's body, as we mentioned in that little set up piece there, was never found. And the fire investigators said to you the baby must have died, Delimar must have died in the fire.
Did you believe in your heart that, in fact, that was the case?
CUEVAS: I believed in my heart that Delimar is, she's alive, not dead, you know?
O'BRIEN: So when you went to the birthday party and you see a little girl who has a little dimple, as you said, similar to your baby, but who is only 10 days old, did you automatically say, "That's my daughter!" or did you just have your suspicions raised?
CUEVAS: No, I always said she's my daughter. And I always said to Carol, take my daughter.
O'BRIEN: You did? So did you have suspicions about this woman beforehand, the woman who is now a suspect?
CUEVAS: Um-hmm.
O'BRIEN: You did? Tell me about those suspicions.
CUEVAS: For the way she go to my house and say that she also have a baby, too, on the same day that I got mine. And they all lies that she make.
O'BRIEN: Really. Now had police...
CUEVAS: She tell me.
O'BRIEN: Had police ever investigated Carolyn Correa, who is now missing, we should add?
CUEVAS: No. No.
O'BRIEN: You got the hair from this little girl in a very interesting way. Tell me what happened.
CUEVAS: I say to my sister, I've got to have proof, you know, because they're not going to believe me that Alia (ph), they said the name she calling her, they not believing that that is my daughter. I need to prove it. And when she go up to another girl to play in the second floor, I said to my sister, "I'll come back."
And my sister said, "What are you going to do here?"
I said, "I know that. I'm going to have proof."
I go to the second floor. I say to the, you know, Delimar I called her, because that's the name, Delimar, I say, "Oh, you have a gum in your hair and pull the hair." That way I'm going to take a...
O'BRIEN: So you told her she had gum in her hair and when you did that, you pulled a few strands out and took it to police.
Representative Cruz, tell me a little bit about this investigation, if you will. Obviously it's been a long time, six years. But there's much more to the case now that it looks like Carolyn Correa is missing.
CRUZ: Yes. It was shocking to, when I met Luz and she was telling me the story. Six years has gone by and there was no paperwork, no death certificates. It was shocking for me. So something inside of me told me just do a second, look it over and make sure that, you know, that something that was missing here or not.
So I did that. And I also got a district attorney's office involved. And we conducted an investigation that would led us today to be that Delimar is Luz Cuevas' daughter.
O'BRIEN: Ms. Cuevas, when will you get to be with your little girl? When will you be reunited? And how are you feeling today? We really just can't even imagine.
CUEVAS: I'm happy. I really, really happy. They're not telling me when they're going to give me my daughter back. And I don't know, they say they'll let me know, because they prepare her for tell the truth, that I'm her mother.
O'BRIEN: They have to prepare her and let her know.
Representative Angel Cruz and Luz Cuevas joining us this morning.
Thank you to both of us. Truly an incredible story, really, a story with a happy ending. We're so happy to hear from you. Thank you for being with us.
CUEVAS: Thank you.
CRUZ: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill?
HEMMER: About 19 minutes now past the hour.
In a moment, from death row to statehouse ambitions, the strange story of one Illinois candidate still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING.
COMMERCIAL
HEMMER: Aaron Patterson is running for a seat in the Illinois state legislature from Chicago's South Side. His campaign believed to be a first in American politics.
Today, Jeff Flock explains why.
AARON PATTERSON, FORMER DEATH ROW INMATE, ILLINOIS LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE: Aaron Patterson for state rep. You familiar with my brother, man?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Aaron Patterson's not your usual candidate.
PATTERSON: Miracles, you know? Miracles do happen. FLOCK: Convicted of murder, the world watched Patterson, pardoned from death row last year, walk out of the big house. Now he wants to go to the Illinois statehouse.
(on camera): What qualifies you to be in the state legislature?
PATTERSON: I'm honest. I have integrity. And I demand justice.
FLOCK (voice-over): That he got. Freed from this cell after waging a withering campaign to prove his innocence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think this is where they found food and blood on the floor.
PATTERSON: Enlisting college students to work his case, sending hundreds of letters to reporters...
(on camera): "I'm relying on you to do a full investigation on my case."
(voice-over): And calls to us on the phone from prison, saying police tortured a confession out of him.
PATTERSON: They beat me about the body, you know, punching me, trying to knock the wind out of my chest.
FLOCK: In one interrogation, Patterson scratched a message into a police bench. Illinois Governor George Ryan quoted it in announcing his pardon.
GEORGE RYAN, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: "I lie about murders. Police threatened me with violence."
FLOCK: But some don't think Patterson should be on the street, much less the ballot.
DICK DEVINE, COOK COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Aaron Patterson was a violent man with a long arrested record.
FLOCK: Yes, but Patterson claims to have turned his life around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He can be a role model for so many of our youth.
FLOCK: But Patterson is running against a Chicago Democratic machine candidate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My guess is if he gets 25 percent of the vote, he'll be doing extremely well.
FLOCK: Over the years, Aaron Patterson sent us more than a dozen letters from prison, trying to get his case publicized.
(on camera): Did you ever think when you were writing these letters that you were going to be out and run for office?
PATTERSON: No. No, I never thought that.
FLOCK (voice-over): He's putting the same effort into this campaign, hoping for another miracle.
PATTERSON: Make sure you all vote.
FLOCK: I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, in Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: We are also told that Patterson's main opponent in that race, Representative Patricia Bailey, backed by Chicago's powerful Democratic political machine, recently questions have come up about her residency, which some say may increase Patterson's chances in that election. We shall see.
Jeff Flock reporting in Chicago on that.
O'BRIEN: Interesting to see how close that will be, isn't it?
HEMMER: We'll see.
O'BRIEN: Jack Cafferty is with us, The Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: What did that woman say, he's a great role model for the kids?
O'BRIEN: That was an interesting comment.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
The mayor of New Paltz, New York, who married 25 gay couples on Friday, says he plans to keep doing it. New York Governor George Pataki asked the state's attorney general to stop the weddings because the governor says they're against the law. The attorney general has refused to do what he's supposed to do, which is to enforce the laws of the State of New York.
Yesterday, the mayor of Ithaca, New York said she's going to start accepting marriage license applications from gay couples. All this after more than 3,000 marriages were performed for gays in San Francisco.
So the question we're toiling with this morning is what's the answer to the gay marriage dilemma?
John in San Antonio, Texas says, "Personally, I would never marry another man. However, this seems to be a revolution and America is all about revolutions, from the Boston Tea Party to emancipation to the sexual revolution, America is all about change. Maybe this is an ideal whose time has come."
Don in Indiana, "Gay marriages are causing civil disobedience and civil unrest in our country. Those who are performing these marriages are in defiance of the respective laws in their states. These officials are disturbing peaceful tranquility across America. I ask why they haven't been arrested and jailed?"
Eric in Halifax, Nova Scotia, "The answer? Let 'em get married. If we continue to make a big deal about it, it'll be a big deal. Stop talking about it, get on with life. I'm secure enough in my marriage that if same-sex people do the same thing, it's of little relevance.
Patte in Pensacola, Florida: "When Prohibition was instituted, people disobeyed that law. When slavery was the norm, there were people willing to fight against it. While I am straight, I fail to see how gay couples can be denied the right to be joined in a legal union. My hat is off to those willing to do the right thing in spite of public opinion."
And D.W. weighs in from Crescent City with this: "Marriage is not all it's cracked up to be. If they want to get married, let 'em."
Amen, D.W.
HEMMER: It sounds like he's...
O'BRIEN: Ouch.
HEMMER: ... speaking from experience, do you reckon?
O'BRIEN: I hope his wife's not reading that. She'll be like, "Honey, what do you mean by that?"
HEMMER: Or his former wife maybe.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, that might be more relevant.
Still to come this morning, pumping up your yoga. Dr. Sanjay Gupta works up a sweat to show us a popular new exercise routine. We'll explain just ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
COMMERCIAL
HEMMER: The latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING quick news at cnn.com/am. We send that out to hundreds of thousands every morning.
In a moment here, Senator John Kerry hoping for a super showing today, trying to knock off his last significant rival. Can he do it? Back in a moment. We'll talk about it.
COMMERCIAL
O'BRIEN: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Lots of states to watch on this Super Tuesday.
Of course, nobody follows all the story lines like our own Jeff Greenfield. We're going to talk to him this morning about what he expects will happen in today's primaries. Also, we'll be talking a Democratic Senator Bob Graham. He had been in the race, of course, himself for a while. We'll get some insight from him.
HEMMER: I think he's got a few thoughts, I would say.
O'BRIEN: I think he has many thoughts.
HEMMER: From both men.
Also, yoga with barbells. Sanjay talks about it today, the latest thing in exercise classes. It's called iron yoga. The good doctor gave it a good try. We'll see how he liked it.
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Boxer>
Aired March 2, 2004 - 08:00 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.
A bloodbath today in Iraq. More than 100 Shiite worshippers cut down when simultaneous explosion rip through two separate cities.
No bigger day for the Democrats. Almost as many delegates at stake on this Super Tuesday as have been won so far in the contest.
And a baby believed killed by fire, alive all along, spotted because of her dimple. We'll meet the mother 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 back, everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, a look at a remarkable campaign in Illinois. A candidate for the statehouse who was found -- who was, rather, on death row until he was pardoned by the governor. He says he's qualified because he understands the need for justice.
HEMMER: Wow.
O'BRIEN: We'll see if the voters buy that.
HEMMER: Also this hour, Sanjay's back with us talking about two favorite exercise programs coming together -- weight training plus yoga. It's called iron yoga. We'll look at what it can do for your physique and your health in a moment here. Sanjay has taken the class and so we'll see how he does, in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Jack does that.
HEMMER: Yes, that's right.
O'BRIEN: Each and every day. Hey?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, iron yoga. Whatever happened to just eating a regular diet, do a few sit-ups, run a little bit? I mean that's all this, this is just, you know...
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) will do. CAFFERTY: This will be a way to sell a thousand more books and open some new health clubs and take money from people.
O'BRIEN: Yes, there you go. Uh-huh, that's it.
HEMMER: And look for the author on AMERICAN MORNING a week later.
CAFFERTY: And we're going to help in a few minutes.
Coming up on the Cafferty File, if you could come up with an eleventh commandment, what might it be? And if you're on the Atkins diet and feeling a little moody, you're probably not the only one. And, no, Soledad, I'm not on the Atkins diet. I'm just naturally moody.
O'BRIEN: I said nothing. You're moody?
CAFFERTY: That's right.
O'BRIEN: I wouldn't say that.
HEMMER: It's our job to cheer you up today.
O'BRIEN: You're even-keeled. This is Jack.
HEMMER: Ooh.
O'BRIEN: Even, smooth.
HEMMER: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: I love torturing you today. I'll stop. I'll behave.
Should we get right into our top stories?
CAFFERTY: Do whatever you feel like.
O'BRIEN: Shall we? OK, then let's do it.
CAFFERTY: You know, it's your program.
O'BRIEN: Our program.
Rebel groups have moved into the capital of Haiti just days after the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Armed rebels were greeted as heroes in Port-au-Prince yesterday. They're vowing to hand out their own form of justice to Aristide's supporters, while more U.S. Marines are heading into the country today.
Meanwhile, Aristide says the U.S. took part in forcing him out of Haiti.
In New York, Martha Stewart's top attorney is expected to wrap up closing arguments today in her obstruction of justice case. Yesterday, prosecutors said Stewart left behind a trail of evidence and lied about her sale of ImClone stock. The defense will have a chance today to issue a rebuttal and the jury could get the case as early as tomorrow. We've got more on this trial coming up in our next half hour.
There are calls for a congressional investigation into the University of Colorado's sex scandal. A university panel meets later today. That is in response to charges that the school's football program used sex and alcohol to recruit athletes. Several women have accused players of sexual assault since 1997. No charges, though, have been filed. At least three of the women have sued the school.
On a health note now, anti-bacterial soaps and cleansers may not reduce your risk of getting sick. A new study shows that people who use anti-bacterial products at home develop viral infections like a runny nose or a sore throat just as often as people who use regular soap. Researchers say that regardless of what's in the soap, washing your hands is the best protection against germs. The study was done by the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York.
And "The Passion of the Christ" continues to stir up controversy. Tickets at one Georgia theater bear the number 666, which some Christians believe is a reference to Satan or the anti-Christ. The theater owner says it's just a coincidence generated by computer, but several patrons complained and one even asked for a substitute ticket.
HEMMER: That might stop you in your tracks for a second, huh?
O'BRIEN: Computer glitch, he says.
HEMMER: That's right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Let's go to Iraq. There are many dead and many more injured from more than a dozen explosions earlier today. The blasts all went off during a short period this morning in two cities, Baghdad and Karbala. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims in the midst of observing one of their holiest days, the first time they've been able to worship on this day in 30 years, going back to the origination point of Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq.
Brent Sadler live on the scene there south of Baghdad with more -- Brent, what's happening at this hour?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Bill.
The situation calm since this series of explosions, deadly bomb blasts, shook this city. Police investigators on the ground are telling CNN that they suspect at this stage that a group of suicide bombers, as many as five, they're saying, may have slipped through a very tough security cordon that was put up around this religious festival to try and stop this kind of event happening.
What we've seen, though, in the aftermath of those blasts, devastation on the streets of Karbala, horrific injuries. Doctors at the main medical center here telling CNN that at least 250 people were injured and as many as 85 killed as a result of these blasts, as many as nine over a one hour period.
Now, since them, many pilgrims have left the religious center of Karbala. We've seen many thousands of them leaving this city. This is, after all, the end of this religious festivity. But celebrations are still going on behind me. Fewer numbers.
What the Iraqi Governing Council members are saying is that this might have been the work of Islamic extremists to try and create a civil war. This is what one of the members of the Governing Council said at a press conference in Baghdad a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADNAN PACHACHI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER: And obviously this will not deter us from continuing our efforts to stay and work together and continue in order to build a new Iraq in which all people shall participate to build a future of happiness and prosperity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: So certainly these attacks have shaken the Shia political and religious community here on the ground in Karbala and no confirmation that these were suicide bombers who got through, but that's certainly what investigators are working on at this hour -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brent Sadler, thanks.
Just to re-emphasize the point here, the first time in 30 years Shiites have been able to worship on this holy day in Iraq.
Much more on this as we move throughout the morning.
Also, 15 people are dead, 30 injured in Quetta, Pakistan, right near the border near Afghanistan. Also celebrating the holy day today when gunmen opened fire on them. So far, no one in that town has been arrested as a result of that incident -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: There will be no official Democratic presidential nominee when all the votes are counted after today's 10 Super Tuesday contests. But if Senator John Kerry sweeps those contests, in which 1,151 convention delegates are at stake, he will all but guarantee himself a general election fight with President Bush. It could also push Senator Kerry's main rival, Senator John Edwards, right out of the race.
Today's biggest prize is California and we're joined this morning by Senator Barbara Boxer of California.
She's in our Washington bureau this morning.
Nice to see you, Senator.
Thanks for being with us.
SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D-CA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: I'm curious to know why you haven't endorsed anybody in this race.
BOXER: You know, I think it's great that the people are deciding this one. I don't always endorse. I think that in this case, this is such a high profile race. Now, that's one.
Two, I had so many colleagues in the race.
And, three, I had a lot of my supporters just torn every which way.
But I can predict this, the Democratic nominee will be John.
O'BRIEN: A little humor early in this race.
BOXER: All right, you've got my little humor.
O'BRIEN: See, I was waiting for the next word there.
Give me a sense of what you think the major differences are between the two Johns, Senator John Kerry and Senator John Edwards, as voters head to the polls where you are today.
BOXER: I think basically it's experience. I think it's also foreign policy. It's also war service. And these are the things that I think are giving John Kerry a boost right now. After all, we have a president who says he's the "war president." Now, if that's what he says, then we should perhaps put someone up who can look him in the eye and say, really? I know what war is.
O'BRIEN: So are you saying that all those, in essence, add up to electability in your mind?
BOXER: I think that's what the voters are saying. And I'm excited about this race. And I think we could see change coming. It's going to be a hard, tough one. I'm in one myself. They're always difficult.
O'BRIEN: Let's take a look at some of the polls. This comes out of the "L.A. Times." This shows that Senator Kerry is leading in the polls at 56 percent, Senator Edwards at 24 percent.
Do you think, at the end of today, tomorrow morning, Senator Edwards should bow out if he has not had a victory in one of these 10 states that go to the polls today?
BOXER: I would never tell anyone whether to jump in or jump out of a race, having been there for so many years myself. People told me the same thing, you know, when I was running for the United States Senate. I had, I was an asterisk in the polls. My opponent had 50 percent in the primary. And I just, in my heart, I had something to say. I had some beliefs. I cared about issues, as the people of my state did. And I just stuck with it.
So I just never presume to tell anyone what to do. And I think the vote...
O'BRIEN: OK, maybe you don't want to...
BOXER: No, no, it's true, I don't. And I think the voters are going to give a message and when John Edwards feels that he has said all he has to say, if this goes the way we think it will go, he will make up his mind. He's a terrific man. He's going to make this decision himself.
O'BRIEN: But do you think it hurts the party in any way...
BOXER: No.
O'BRIEN: ... when you have -- as President Bush starts running his ads, you have a debate going on between the two senators on the Democratic side?
BOXER: No. It's so interesting, had you asked me that a year ago, I would say theoretically yes. But what I see happening is people are getting to see this, you know, the Democratic Party and the range of our geography and the range of our views and the way we put issues forward. And I think it's been just terrific for our party. And so as far as that's concerned, it's not hurtful, in my opinion, at all.
Now, it just gives us more attention to our issues. It gives us two people who are articulate, who are saying why this country needs a change, because of lost jobs, because of deficits, because of bad trade agreements, because of -- and this morning we see failed international policies. It's important to get those issues out and I think we get more attention when it's this way.
O'BRIEN: Senator Barbara Boxer joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, Senator.
Thanks for being with us.
BOXER: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: And stay tuned to CNN for complete coverage of Super Tuesday. Wolf Blitzer is going to kick off our prime time coverage tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.
HEMMER: In a moment, some say this is the absolute story of the day, a mother who thought she had lost her daughter forever makes an amazing discovery six years later. In a moment, we will talk live with the mother here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Truly an amazing story. What she is thinking today one will just have to imagine.
Martha Stewart's lawyers say they're going to get their chance to make their final case to the jury today. We'll take you live to the courthouse for that.
HEMMER: And pardoned from death row by the governor, now he's setting his own sights on the statehouse. Still to come this hour.
Back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
COMMERCIAL
O'BRIEN: An incredible story out of Philadelphia. Six years after an infant was thought to have perished in a house fire, the mother learns what she had always felt in her heart was true, that her daughter was actually alive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): When fire destroyed the family's Philadelphia home in December of 1997, police said the body of Delimar Vera, just 10 days old, had been incinerated in the flames. But the baby's mother, Luz Cuevas, never fully believed that her daughter died in that fire. And in January of this year, more than six years later, her faith was rewarded in a remarkable way. While attending a children's birthday party, she was struck by the resemblance of one 6- year-old girl to herself.
LUZ CUEVAS, MOTHER OF KIDNAPPED GIRL: When she smiled when she was a baby, she drew a dimple. And the little, the girl, you know, my daughter walked toward me and she smiled and the dimple do it. And I say to my sister, "Look, she is my daughter!" I just said, you know, "She is my daughter!"
O'BRIEN: Cuevas managed to get a few strands of the girl's hair, enough for police to reopen the case and for DNA tests to prove that the girl is, in fact, her daughter.
OFFICER MANUEL GONZALEZ, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: She didn't know whether to cry or to yell or scream or what to do. She just stood in shock.
O'BRIEN: Police now believe the fire was set by 41-year-old Carolyn Correa so she could kidnap the infant. The suspect, a family acquaintance, now remains at large. Meanwhile, the real mother and child will soon be reunited.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: This morning, the mother of the little girl is joining us.
Luz Cuevas is with us. Also, Pennsylvania State Representative Angel Cruz. He's been acting as the family spokesman.
Thanks to both of you for being with us.
Appreciate it.
ANGEL CRUZ, PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Ms. Cuevas, let's begin with you this morning. The baby's body, as we mentioned in that little set up piece there, was never found. And the fire investigators said to you the baby must have died, Delimar must have died in the fire.
Did you believe in your heart that, in fact, that was the case?
CUEVAS: I believed in my heart that Delimar is, she's alive, not dead, you know?
O'BRIEN: So when you went to the birthday party and you see a little girl who has a little dimple, as you said, similar to your baby, but who is only 10 days old, did you automatically say, "That's my daughter!" or did you just have your suspicions raised?
CUEVAS: No, I always said she's my daughter. And I always said to Carol, take my daughter.
O'BRIEN: You did? So did you have suspicions about this woman beforehand, the woman who is now a suspect?
CUEVAS: Um-hmm.
O'BRIEN: You did? Tell me about those suspicions.
CUEVAS: For the way she go to my house and say that she also have a baby, too, on the same day that I got mine. And they all lies that she make.
O'BRIEN: Really. Now had police...
CUEVAS: She tell me.
O'BRIEN: Had police ever investigated Carolyn Correa, who is now missing, we should add?
CUEVAS: No. No.
O'BRIEN: You got the hair from this little girl in a very interesting way. Tell me what happened.
CUEVAS: I say to my sister, I've got to have proof, you know, because they're not going to believe me that Alia (ph), they said the name she calling her, they not believing that that is my daughter. I need to prove it. And when she go up to another girl to play in the second floor, I said to my sister, "I'll come back."
And my sister said, "What are you going to do here?"
I said, "I know that. I'm going to have proof."
I go to the second floor. I say to the, you know, Delimar I called her, because that's the name, Delimar, I say, "Oh, you have a gum in your hair and pull the hair." That way I'm going to take a...
O'BRIEN: So you told her she had gum in her hair and when you did that, you pulled a few strands out and took it to police.
Representative Cruz, tell me a little bit about this investigation, if you will. Obviously it's been a long time, six years. But there's much more to the case now that it looks like Carolyn Correa is missing.
CRUZ: Yes. It was shocking to, when I met Luz and she was telling me the story. Six years has gone by and there was no paperwork, no death certificates. It was shocking for me. So something inside of me told me just do a second, look it over and make sure that, you know, that something that was missing here or not.
So I did that. And I also got a district attorney's office involved. And we conducted an investigation that would led us today to be that Delimar is Luz Cuevas' daughter.
O'BRIEN: Ms. Cuevas, when will you get to be with your little girl? When will you be reunited? And how are you feeling today? We really just can't even imagine.
CUEVAS: I'm happy. I really, really happy. They're not telling me when they're going to give me my daughter back. And I don't know, they say they'll let me know, because they prepare her for tell the truth, that I'm her mother.
O'BRIEN: They have to prepare her and let her know.
Representative Angel Cruz and Luz Cuevas joining us this morning.
Thank you to both of us. Truly an incredible story, really, a story with a happy ending. We're so happy to hear from you. Thank you for being with us.
CUEVAS: Thank you.
CRUZ: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill?
HEMMER: About 19 minutes now past the hour.
In a moment, from death row to statehouse ambitions, the strange story of one Illinois candidate still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING.
COMMERCIAL
HEMMER: Aaron Patterson is running for a seat in the Illinois state legislature from Chicago's South Side. His campaign believed to be a first in American politics.
Today, Jeff Flock explains why.
AARON PATTERSON, FORMER DEATH ROW INMATE, ILLINOIS LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE: Aaron Patterson for state rep. You familiar with my brother, man?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Aaron Patterson's not your usual candidate.
PATTERSON: Miracles, you know? Miracles do happen. FLOCK: Convicted of murder, the world watched Patterson, pardoned from death row last year, walk out of the big house. Now he wants to go to the Illinois statehouse.
(on camera): What qualifies you to be in the state legislature?
PATTERSON: I'm honest. I have integrity. And I demand justice.
FLOCK (voice-over): That he got. Freed from this cell after waging a withering campaign to prove his innocence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think this is where they found food and blood on the floor.
PATTERSON: Enlisting college students to work his case, sending hundreds of letters to reporters...
(on camera): "I'm relying on you to do a full investigation on my case."
(voice-over): And calls to us on the phone from prison, saying police tortured a confession out of him.
PATTERSON: They beat me about the body, you know, punching me, trying to knock the wind out of my chest.
FLOCK: In one interrogation, Patterson scratched a message into a police bench. Illinois Governor George Ryan quoted it in announcing his pardon.
GEORGE RYAN, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: "I lie about murders. Police threatened me with violence."
FLOCK: But some don't think Patterson should be on the street, much less the ballot.
DICK DEVINE, COOK COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Aaron Patterson was a violent man with a long arrested record.
FLOCK: Yes, but Patterson claims to have turned his life around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He can be a role model for so many of our youth.
FLOCK: But Patterson is running against a Chicago Democratic machine candidate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My guess is if he gets 25 percent of the vote, he'll be doing extremely well.
FLOCK: Over the years, Aaron Patterson sent us more than a dozen letters from prison, trying to get his case publicized.
(on camera): Did you ever think when you were writing these letters that you were going to be out and run for office?
PATTERSON: No. No, I never thought that.
FLOCK (voice-over): He's putting the same effort into this campaign, hoping for another miracle.
PATTERSON: Make sure you all vote.
FLOCK: I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, in Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: We are also told that Patterson's main opponent in that race, Representative Patricia Bailey, backed by Chicago's powerful Democratic political machine, recently questions have come up about her residency, which some say may increase Patterson's chances in that election. We shall see.
Jeff Flock reporting in Chicago on that.
O'BRIEN: Interesting to see how close that will be, isn't it?
HEMMER: We'll see.
O'BRIEN: Jack Cafferty is with us, The Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: What did that woman say, he's a great role model for the kids?
O'BRIEN: That was an interesting comment.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
The mayor of New Paltz, New York, who married 25 gay couples on Friday, says he plans to keep doing it. New York Governor George Pataki asked the state's attorney general to stop the weddings because the governor says they're against the law. The attorney general has refused to do what he's supposed to do, which is to enforce the laws of the State of New York.
Yesterday, the mayor of Ithaca, New York said she's going to start accepting marriage license applications from gay couples. All this after more than 3,000 marriages were performed for gays in San Francisco.
So the question we're toiling with this morning is what's the answer to the gay marriage dilemma?
John in San Antonio, Texas says, "Personally, I would never marry another man. However, this seems to be a revolution and America is all about revolutions, from the Boston Tea Party to emancipation to the sexual revolution, America is all about change. Maybe this is an ideal whose time has come."
Don in Indiana, "Gay marriages are causing civil disobedience and civil unrest in our country. Those who are performing these marriages are in defiance of the respective laws in their states. These officials are disturbing peaceful tranquility across America. I ask why they haven't been arrested and jailed?"
Eric in Halifax, Nova Scotia, "The answer? Let 'em get married. If we continue to make a big deal about it, it'll be a big deal. Stop talking about it, get on with life. I'm secure enough in my marriage that if same-sex people do the same thing, it's of little relevance.
Patte in Pensacola, Florida: "When Prohibition was instituted, people disobeyed that law. When slavery was the norm, there were people willing to fight against it. While I am straight, I fail to see how gay couples can be denied the right to be joined in a legal union. My hat is off to those willing to do the right thing in spite of public opinion."
And D.W. weighs in from Crescent City with this: "Marriage is not all it's cracked up to be. If they want to get married, let 'em."
Amen, D.W.
HEMMER: It sounds like he's...
O'BRIEN: Ouch.
HEMMER: ... speaking from experience, do you reckon?
O'BRIEN: I hope his wife's not reading that. She'll be like, "Honey, what do you mean by that?"
HEMMER: Or his former wife maybe.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, that might be more relevant.
Still to come this morning, pumping up your yoga. Dr. Sanjay Gupta works up a sweat to show us a popular new exercise routine. We'll explain just ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
COMMERCIAL
HEMMER: The latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING quick news at cnn.com/am. We send that out to hundreds of thousands every morning.
In a moment here, Senator John Kerry hoping for a super showing today, trying to knock off his last significant rival. Can he do it? Back in a moment. We'll talk about it.
COMMERCIAL
O'BRIEN: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Lots of states to watch on this Super Tuesday.
Of course, nobody follows all the story lines like our own Jeff Greenfield. We're going to talk to him this morning about what he expects will happen in today's primaries. Also, we'll be talking a Democratic Senator Bob Graham. He had been in the race, of course, himself for a while. We'll get some insight from him.
HEMMER: I think he's got a few thoughts, I would say.
O'BRIEN: I think he has many thoughts.
HEMMER: From both men.
Also, yoga with barbells. Sanjay talks about it today, the latest thing in exercise classes. It's called iron yoga. The good doctor gave it a good try. We'll see how he liked it.
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