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American Morning

Senator Kerry Responds to Bush News Conference; CIA Director George Tenet Appears Before 9/11 Commission

Aired April 14, 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.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's no question it's been a tough, tough series of weeks for the American people. It's been really tough for the families. I understand that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

A wave of violence continues in Iraq. The president says the mission remains the same even if more troops are needed in that country.

The heads of the CIA and the FBI go before the Commission today. Have the two agencies learned to work together?

And the terrible car wreck and an amazing little girl. She would not leave her mother's side, even after the worst had happened.

Ahead this morning on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

O'BRIEN: And good morning.

Welcome back, everybody.

Other stories we're following this morning, a new accusation of sexual abuse made against Michael Jackson. The L.A. Police Department now looking into that claim that dates back clear into the 1980s. We're going to get a complete report on that just ahead.

HEMMER: Also this hour, Phil Mickelson -- how does it feel to wear that green? My full conversation, I'm telling you what -- full conversation with Phil and his wife Amy, coming up a little later this hour. They are charming together, I will tell you, and they've got a heck of an experience now.

O'BRIEN: And she's pretty cute, huh? She is sweet.

HEMMER: Yes, she is. Yes. They met in college, been together, I don't know, eight, nine, 10 years. Three adorable little children and now he's got what he's always wanted to, a Major.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: I asked him how it feels when people say hey, man, 0 for 42. How do you respond to that all the time? He says it never really bothered me. So he's got an answer now. So he says. He's competitive.

What's up, Jack?

O'BRIEN: Hi, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nothing. I haven't won anything in a while, either.

Coming up in the Cafferty File, things people say, including an apology from one of the most obnoxious celebrities in the entire country.

And we'll tell you which entertainer wore an all too realistic nude body suit in order to protest censorship. She looked really stupid doing it, too. You might want to watch for that.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

Top stories now...

O'BRIEN: You win our love and affection every day.

HEMMER: You do.

CAFFERTY: I do?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

CAFFERTY: Well, that's enough for me. I don't need -- I don't need no stinking green jacket.

HEMMER: Thank you, jack.

We want to get to Iraq right now. U.S. officials in that country trying to identify four bodies discovered in Iraq yesterday. Defense contractor Halliburton says it cannot confirm whether or not the bodies are those of its workers missing since an ambush about a week ago.

Meanwhile, U.S. troops building up around the holy city of Najaf. They're said to be on the lookout for the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has led the recent uprising in Iraq. Today an envy appointed by the cleric has brought a set of peace proposals to U.S. officials.

For the third time in 10 years, millions of South Africans now heading to the polls. President Thabo Mbeki, the first today to vote in the general election in that country. Political leaders say Mbeki's party is expected to win in a landslide and the president himself is set to win a second five year term. Health news today, lung cancer and cancer treatment apparently affecting women and men differently. A new study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" saying that women with the disease can survive slightly longer than cancer stricken men. The differences may be attributed to the female hormone estrogen, which can be taken as a drug. The study calls lung cancer a "contemporary epidemic."

On a much lighter note, a 6-year-old Minnesota boy had a huge fish to fry. During a recent trip to Florida, little Evan Schumacher (ph) caught himself a six foot long shark. Mom says he was simply fishing at the end of a trip when his line just kept on zooming out. With a bit of help later, the shark caught finally. The family decided to have it mounted as a keepsake. A good souvenir from the family vacation.

O'BRIEN: And he's back riding his bike.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Oh, that's so cute.

HEMMER: As he should.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: In his first primetime news conference of the year, President Bush was pressed last night on Iraq and the war on terror. The president said that despite recent unrest in Iraq, the administration will stay the course there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's been a tough, tough series of weeks for the American people. It's been really tough for the families. I understand that. It's been tough on this administration. But we're doing the right thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Mr. Bush was also asked a question that he had some difficulty answering.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: You've looked back before 9/11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9/11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have you learned from it?

BUSH: I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: He did go on to say he probably made some mistakes, but perhaps wasn't "quick on his feet" coming up with one. Senator John Kerry responded to the Bush news conference with a written statement which said, in part: "He offered no specific plan whatsoever. Rather, the president made it clear that he intends to stubbornly cling to the same policy that has led to a greater risk to American troops and a steadily higher cost to the American taxpayer."

For more reaction from the Kerry camp this morning, we're joined by Rand Beers.

He's Senator Kerry's senior foreign policy adviser and he's live in Washington, D.C. this morning.

Nice to see you, Mr. Beers.

Thanks for joining us once again.

RAND BEERS, SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR TO SENATOR KERRY: Thank you for having me.

O'BRIEN: Senator Kerrey released that statement, part of which I just read a moment ago. And he used those words "stubbornly clinging to the same Iraq policy."

The president's supporters would say no, actually, that's not stubborn, that's showing determination, that's showing resolve, that is not waffling.

Why would you disagree with that? BEERS: Well, I think that there is always a borderline between stubbornly and being steadfast. And I think that at this particular point in time, given the reality on the ground, it looks more stubborn than steadfast. I wish that the president would have told us what his plan was rather than simply saying that he was determined to follow through. We all agree on that, the need to succeed in Iraq.

I think that what we need to see now from the president is how does he actually plan to move forward? And I don't think we heard that last night. And I'm sorry about that.

O'BRIEN: Several times we seemed to hear reporters pressing the president to apologize, essentially, for 9/11.

Do you think the president owes the nation an apology for 9/11? BEERS: I think that it's clear that the government could have done more than it did. And as the president, he is responsible for the U.S. government. And I think he does owe the American people an apology, yes.

O'BRIEN: Under that rationale, though, and especially what we've been hearing over the last days and weeks in the 9/11 Commission, the ball was dropped, they seem to be saying, by many people and by -- across several administrations.

Do you think, then, President Clinton owes the nation an apology, too? BEERS: I think that what we have here is a situation that the people who were involved have to look in their own hearts and decide what they need to say about this.

O'BRIEN: A reporter asked a question about exactly the handoff on June 30th. And I want to listen first to what the president had to say before I ask you my next question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Mr. President, who will you be handing the Iraqi government over to on June 30th?

BUSH: You'll find that out soon. That's what Mr. Brahimi is doing. He's figuring out the nature of the entity we will be handing sovereignty over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Senator Kerry has, infect, been pushing for a much greater international role.

Isn't that essentially what we heard the president say yesterday, that Mr. Brahimi is going to be managing a lot of that? BEERS: I think we heard a hint from the president of the United States of the direction that he seems to be going in. And certainly Senator Kerry and I believe that that's the direction that he should go in. But I think he needs to level with the American people about exactly what he's doing and how he plans to get there, rather than indirectly in answer to a question. It should have been in his presentation.

O'BRIEN: And, in fact, there were several questions about this 30th, June 30th handover deadline.

Listen again to something else that the president had to say on the same topic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: We have set a deadline of June 30th. It is important that we meet that deadline. As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation and neither does America. We're not an imperial power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Would you agree with the president that it's important to meet that deadline or would you say no, actually, the deadline's coming up way too fast, we're not prepared, we should miss that deadline? BEERS: I wish we had not set a formal deadline. But having set the deadline, it has a certain life of its own. And I think we have to look at that seriously before we move away from it. I think that Lakhdar Brahimi officers us an opportunity to see whether we can make that deadline or to come up with some realistic alternatives about how we might move perhaps with some delay.

But I think we have to acknowledge that that's the expectation that we are placing on him.

O'BRIEN: Rand Beers is Senator Kerry's senior foreign policy adviser, joining us this morning from D.C.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for being with us.

BEERS: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: Nine minutes past the hour.

About 90 minutes from now, CIA Director George Tenet appears before that 9/11 Commission. Later in the afternoon, the FBI director, Robert Mueller, will be there. The Commission trying to zero in on the failures of both agencies to prevent the attacks of 9/11. And again yesterday, there was finger pointing.

David Ensor is on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The attorney general offered a feisty defense of his and the Bush administration's handling of terrorism issues before and since 9/11. One commissioner, however, got former acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard to say, in effect, that Ashcroft's interest in counter-terrorism before 9/11 seemed limited.

RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Mr. Watson had come to you and said that the CIA was very concerned that there would be an attack. You said that you told the attorney general this fact repeatedly in these meetings, is that correct?

THOMAS PICKARD, FORMER FBI ACTING DIRECTOR: I told him at least on two occasions. BEN-VENISTE: And Mr. Ashcroft told you that he did not want to hear about this anymore, is that correct?

PICKARD: That is correct.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: First of all, Acting Director Pickard and I had more than two meetings. We had regular meetings. Secondly, I did never speak to him saying that I did not want to hear about terrorism.

ENSOR: Commissioners sharply questioned former FBI and CIA senior officials on how they failed to stop the attacks. Some commissioners suggested they believe the FBI may need the most reform.

THOMAS KEAN, 9/11 COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: The agency doesn't work very well and it hasn't worked very well for a long time.

ENSOR: The former counter-terrorism chief at CIA said the reason 9/11 didn't get stopped is that Congress and the nation simply didn't make the commitment needed.

AMB. J. COFER BLACK, FORMER DIRECTOR, CIA COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTER: The shortage of money and people seriously hurt our operations and analysis. In CTC, we heard our director's call. I've heard some people say this country wasn't at war. I want to tell you, Mr. Chairman, the Counter-Terrorism Center was at war. We conducted ourselves at war and that's the way it is.

ENSOR (on camera): Today, the directors of Central Intelligence and the FBI will face questions about whether they've fixed the serious problems identified in their agencies prior to 9/11. They will also be asked whether or not they believe that the United States needs a new domestic spy agency to go after terrorists in this country.

David Ensor, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: David, thanks for that, that last point there made about the possibility of the new domestic intelligence agency. The president mentioned it last night. As with everything on this Commission, a variety of opinion as to whether or not there is a need for a new program like the British MI5 and whether or not it's necessary. Again, we'll listen for more of that today, 9:30 the starting time, again, for George Tenet -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A closer look now at what we can expect today.

Let's get right to Washington and former Illinois Governor James Thompson, who is a member of the 9/11 Commission.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

The man who is leading your Commission, Tom Kean, said yesterday this. He said, "It failed and it failed and it failed and it failed. This is an agency that does not work. It makes you angry and I don't know how to fix it," a very serious and very tough indictment of the FBI.

Do you agree with his position and do you agree with it now in light of what you heard yesterday?

JAMES THOMPSON, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Well, for starters, Tom Kean has always been known as a moderate, deliberative kind of person. And when he uses strong language like that, I think not only should all the other members of the Commission take note, but the American people and the agencies should take note.

I think we'll hear more today about the CIA's role in all of this. But there's no question that yesterday's hearing revealed serious faults and fundamental problems with the way that the FBI handled things prior to 9/11.

O'BRIEN: As we heard just a moment ago in David Ensor's piece, former FBI Director Thomas Pickard said that he tried to tell the attorney general, John Ashcroft, about terrorist threats, but that Ashcroft "did not want to hear about it." That's a quote there. That was, of course, denied by John Ashcroft not too long after that.

Is the Commission going to be able to figure out who's telling the truth? Because obviously one person is not.

THOMPSON: Well, in this context, I think there may be too much focus on he said and he said. What John Ashcroft testified to was not only a denial of what Tom Pickard said, but he said, and quite appropriately, that he had a number of conversations with Pickard during the course of the time they worked together and he certainly had frequent conversations with George Tenet, the head of the CIA, and with others.

In the end, I'm not sure that that controversy about whether Pickard sought to brief him himself more times and Ashcroft said no or whether that didn't happen is going to weigh very heavily in our deliberations.

O'BRIEN: In his news conference last night, the president was asked several times, actually, a couple of times, about his appearance before the 9/11 Commission. And this is what he had to say one of those times. (AUDIO GAP) I'll tell you what the president said, because obviously we're having a little technical difficulty there. He said, when he was asked, "Why are you appearing with the vice president before this Commission? Why the two of you together?" He said, "Because the 9/11 Commission wants to ask us questions. That's why we're meeting."

Many people said, of course, he was dodging the question there, because the question wasn't why are you both appearing before the Commission, the question was why are you two together before the Commission, the emphasis changing there.

So my question to you would be answer that question, why are they appearing together and why is there not an insistence from the Commission that both men appear separately?

THOMPSON: Well, they're appearing together because that's how they asked to do it. And we're not objecting because it's not a big deal. What we got in return was our request that all 10 members of the Commission be allowed to interview the president and the vice president when the previous White House position was that only two members of our Commission, our chairman and vice chairman, could interview the president and the vice president.

Look, I understand the reluctance of the White House to have it appear as though committees can summon the president and the vice president to come down and testify. And so they've created a setting in which they'll sit down with us, have a cup of coffee with us and talk to us.

If, for example, the president is asked a question and the vice president jumps in, that would be immediately apparent to everybody. You know it would leak out in 30 seconds. That's not going to happen.

So I think the focus on the stage set, the president and the vice president appearing together, is not the proper focus. What they're doing is unprecedented, just as they're giving the PDBs to the Commission is unprecedented. We're happy with the trade. We get the president and the vice president. There's no time limit. And all 10 commissioners get to ask questions. That's the big deal for us.

O'BRIEN: Former Governor Jim Thompson, a Republican from Illinois, also a 9/11 commissioner.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for being with us.

THOMPSON: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: And CNN is going to have live coverage of today's 9/11 hearings and that begins at 9:30 Eastern time.

HEMMER: Still to come, thousands of U.S. troops only hours away from coming home, now staying on in Iraq. We'll talk to the wife of an Army sergeant, in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, an amazing little girl. Her amazing story of survival in California. We're going to take you there live, just ahead.

HEMMER: Also in California, new allegations of child abuse against Michael Jackson and possibly more legal troubles ahead. Jeff Toobin has that, in a moment, when we continue here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: As many as 20,000 U.S. troops who were set to leave Iraq now staying there for at least three more months. Sources telling CNN Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld expected to approve the extended tours in the next day or so.

Let's talk about that with a family member here stateside, Jennifer Stegeman.

Her husband, Sergeant First Class Rick Stegeman, was just 10 hours away from leaving the region when he found out he was not going home.

Jennifer is with us today in Dayton, Maine.

Good morning to you.

How are you doing today?

I know the word came down yesterday. How were you informed of that officially, Jennifer?

JENNIFER STEGEMAN, WIFE OF SOLDIER IN IRAQ: I actually received a phone call from my husband yesterday afternoon telling me that they had officially been extended for an additional 90 days. And that was disappointing because they were so close to coming home and this has been a long deployment. And, you know, they've already been gone for 18 months and did nine months prior to that. So a total of two and a half years out of the last four in deployments has been a long, a long chunk of time.

HEMMER: You know delays are a part of duty in the military. Do you ever adjust to that, Jennifer?

STEGEMAN: I think you do to some point, but it, you know, in last fall, when they were extended for six more months, I think that one was a little bit easier to swallow because we were kind of being prepared that they were talking about boots on ground for a year. But to have known that they were just hours from coming home and then told that, you know, kings ex, you know, you have to stay, and now being told, you know, that's going to be for at least another 90 days, that pretty much knocked the wind right out of your sails.

HEMMER: How did he respond, Jennifer?

STEGEMAN: He was actually, you know, true to fashion because he's proud to serve his country and he's -- the military is part of who he is, you know, they're ready and prepared to do whatever is asked of them and now they've been asked. So they will continue on and complete the mission. And when the mission is done, you know, they'll get to come home, hopefully.

HEMMER: From the State of Maine, I know you've had a lot of contact with a lot of family members.

How are you helping them?

STEGEMAN: The families up here locally with the platoon, the detachment from this company, the 94th, we've been meeting regularly, once a month, as a whole group. It's usually, you know, informally at somebody's home, you know, just an opportunity for us to sit around with one another and, you know, swap stories and maybe cry, share pictures that we've gotten from our loved ones and just to be there and be with others who are going through the same experience.

So that's been very rewarding, extremely rewarding.

HEMMER: Finally, if I could, with technology, e-mail and cell phone is not out of the question.

How much contact do you have with your husband, and the others, as well, the families?

STEGEMAN: Actually, I -- early on, up until about right after the first of the year, I only heard from my husband about once a month by telephone. E-mail wasn't possible for him, maybe once or twice during that whole time. But after the first of the year, you know, phone calls have gotten a little bit better, maybe once every couple of weeks; a little bit more frequent e-mails.

But it's still been, you know, not enough. You'd, you know, like to be able to talk to him more. But, you know, you're happy to get what you get.

HEMMER: Thanks for sharing.

Good luck to you.

Hang in there, all right?

STEGEMAN: Oh, you're welcome.

HEMMER: Jennifer Stegeman up in Dayton, Maine.

STEGEMAN: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: And best to you and all the other families, as well, in the Northeast.

STEGEMAN: Thank you.

HEMMER: Appreciate it.

In a moment here, a lot to talk about regarding Iraq, including a look at the reality of trying to stabilize that country within the next 75 days, June 30th the now hand over date there.

Also, a little girl surviving outdoors on her own 10 days after her mother was killed. Live to southern California for the latest on what's happening there when we continue after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: And welcome back, everybody.

Time for Jack and the Question of the Day.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Soledad.

President Bush spent most of last night's news conference answering questions about Iraq, terrorism, September the 11th. But traditionally, when it comes to elections, history suggests most people decide who to vote for based on economic issues.

So the question is, if the election was held today, what issue would be most important to you?

J.A., Scranton, Pennsylvania: "Outsourcing jobs is a major concern, as it affects my own job and business. The Bush administration's suggestions that shipping U.S. jobs overseas is good for the economy defies all common sense. It would be good if other high paying jobs were taking their place, but they're not. We're only creating lower paying, lower benefit service jobs."

Randy in Merrimack, New Hampshire: "Tax cuts. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished my federal income taxes last night that I, a middle class income earner, had, in fact, benefited from President Bush's tax cuts. I like that and I want to keep my money." Doreen writes: "The president's credibility. I don't feel I can trust his revisionist view of reality. His take on things never seems to match the actual circumstance. He tells us things are going well in Iraq when it's obviously a mess. He claims to be a great warrior on terrorism when he obviously dropped the ball. Instead of the determined, sturdy leader he claims to be, he seems more like "Mad" magazine's Alfred E. Newman.

And Bill in North Bay, Ontario says: "It would be a tough choice between the war on terrorism and the war on Kerryism."

HEMMER: I think we know now why he was in Texas, getting ready for last night, over the weekend.

CAFFERTY: I suppose.

HEMMER: I think so, yes.

Listen, I mean, he was pretty frank. He said, listen, these are tough days and these are tough weeks in Iraq.

CAFFERTY: It's pretty lame.

HEMMER: And the question -- well, the question is now how the people in this country will respond to it and react.

CAFFERTY: Well...

HEMMER: I think this entire election hinges on you as an American, as a voter, how do you feel with the direction in which the war on terror is going, if you're comfortable with it or if you're not.

CAFFERTY: But he didn't answer the questions, you know? He didn't answer the questions. People said what about this, what about that? He didn't answer the questions. And I think it's a mistake -- and this is only my opinion -- to come out and do a 12 minute speech at the beginning of a news conference that simply parrots the same stuff he's been saying since we went into Iraq a year ago. If you're going to have a news conference, come on out and say let's talk.

HEMMER: It's my...

CAFFERTY: What do you got -- what's on your mind?

HEMMER: It's my hunch by the end of this week you have more of an idea about what this hand over is going to be about on June 30th.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: That's my hunch from what I was reading through last night (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CAFFERTY: They're hoping so in Washington, too.

O'BRIEN: We will see. HEMMER: Right.

O'BRIEN: A story we're following this morning, as well, new claims of child abuse against pop legend Michael Jackson, going back to the 1980s.

A look at that's ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 14, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's no question it's been a tough, tough series of weeks for the American people. It's been really tough for the families. I understand that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

A wave of violence continues in Iraq. The president says the mission remains the same even if more troops are needed in that country.

The heads of the CIA and the FBI go before the Commission today. Have the two agencies learned to work together?

And the terrible car wreck and an amazing little girl. She would not leave her mother's side, even after the worst had happened.

Ahead this morning on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

O'BRIEN: And good morning.

Welcome back, everybody.

Other stories we're following this morning, a new accusation of sexual abuse made against Michael Jackson. The L.A. Police Department now looking into that claim that dates back clear into the 1980s. We're going to get a complete report on that just ahead.

HEMMER: Also this hour, Phil Mickelson -- how does it feel to wear that green? My full conversation, I'm telling you what -- full conversation with Phil and his wife Amy, coming up a little later this hour. They are charming together, I will tell you, and they've got a heck of an experience now.

O'BRIEN: And she's pretty cute, huh? She is sweet.

HEMMER: Yes, she is. Yes. They met in college, been together, I don't know, eight, nine, 10 years. Three adorable little children and now he's got what he's always wanted to, a Major.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: I asked him how it feels when people say hey, man, 0 for 42. How do you respond to that all the time? He says it never really bothered me. So he's got an answer now. So he says. He's competitive.

What's up, Jack?

O'BRIEN: Hi, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nothing. I haven't won anything in a while, either.

Coming up in the Cafferty File, things people say, including an apology from one of the most obnoxious celebrities in the entire country.

And we'll tell you which entertainer wore an all too realistic nude body suit in order to protest censorship. She looked really stupid doing it, too. You might want to watch for that.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

Top stories now...

O'BRIEN: You win our love and affection every day.

HEMMER: You do.

CAFFERTY: I do?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

CAFFERTY: Well, that's enough for me. I don't need -- I don't need no stinking green jacket.

HEMMER: Thank you, jack.

We want to get to Iraq right now. U.S. officials in that country trying to identify four bodies discovered in Iraq yesterday. Defense contractor Halliburton says it cannot confirm whether or not the bodies are those of its workers missing since an ambush about a week ago.

Meanwhile, U.S. troops building up around the holy city of Najaf. They're said to be on the lookout for the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has led the recent uprising in Iraq. Today an envy appointed by the cleric has brought a set of peace proposals to U.S. officials.

For the third time in 10 years, millions of South Africans now heading to the polls. President Thabo Mbeki, the first today to vote in the general election in that country. Political leaders say Mbeki's party is expected to win in a landslide and the president himself is set to win a second five year term. Health news today, lung cancer and cancer treatment apparently affecting women and men differently. A new study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" saying that women with the disease can survive slightly longer than cancer stricken men. The differences may be attributed to the female hormone estrogen, which can be taken as a drug. The study calls lung cancer a "contemporary epidemic."

On a much lighter note, a 6-year-old Minnesota boy had a huge fish to fry. During a recent trip to Florida, little Evan Schumacher (ph) caught himself a six foot long shark. Mom says he was simply fishing at the end of a trip when his line just kept on zooming out. With a bit of help later, the shark caught finally. The family decided to have it mounted as a keepsake. A good souvenir from the family vacation.

O'BRIEN: And he's back riding his bike.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Oh, that's so cute.

HEMMER: As he should.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: In his first primetime news conference of the year, President Bush was pressed last night on Iraq and the war on terror. The president said that despite recent unrest in Iraq, the administration will stay the course there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's been a tough, tough series of weeks for the American people. It's been really tough for the families. I understand that. It's been tough on this administration. But we're doing the right thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Mr. Bush was also asked a question that he had some difficulty answering.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: You've looked back before 9/11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9/11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have you learned from it?

BUSH: I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: He did go on to say he probably made some mistakes, but perhaps wasn't "quick on his feet" coming up with one. Senator John Kerry responded to the Bush news conference with a written statement which said, in part: "He offered no specific plan whatsoever. Rather, the president made it clear that he intends to stubbornly cling to the same policy that has led to a greater risk to American troops and a steadily higher cost to the American taxpayer."

For more reaction from the Kerry camp this morning, we're joined by Rand Beers.

He's Senator Kerry's senior foreign policy adviser and he's live in Washington, D.C. this morning.

Nice to see you, Mr. Beers.

Thanks for joining us once again.

RAND BEERS, SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR TO SENATOR KERRY: Thank you for having me.

O'BRIEN: Senator Kerrey released that statement, part of which I just read a moment ago. And he used those words "stubbornly clinging to the same Iraq policy."

The president's supporters would say no, actually, that's not stubborn, that's showing determination, that's showing resolve, that is not waffling.

Why would you disagree with that? BEERS: Well, I think that there is always a borderline between stubbornly and being steadfast. And I think that at this particular point in time, given the reality on the ground, it looks more stubborn than steadfast. I wish that the president would have told us what his plan was rather than simply saying that he was determined to follow through. We all agree on that, the need to succeed in Iraq.

I think that what we need to see now from the president is how does he actually plan to move forward? And I don't think we heard that last night. And I'm sorry about that.

O'BRIEN: Several times we seemed to hear reporters pressing the president to apologize, essentially, for 9/11.

Do you think the president owes the nation an apology for 9/11? BEERS: I think that it's clear that the government could have done more than it did. And as the president, he is responsible for the U.S. government. And I think he does owe the American people an apology, yes.

O'BRIEN: Under that rationale, though, and especially what we've been hearing over the last days and weeks in the 9/11 Commission, the ball was dropped, they seem to be saying, by many people and by -- across several administrations.

Do you think, then, President Clinton owes the nation an apology, too? BEERS: I think that what we have here is a situation that the people who were involved have to look in their own hearts and decide what they need to say about this.

O'BRIEN: A reporter asked a question about exactly the handoff on June 30th. And I want to listen first to what the president had to say before I ask you my next question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Mr. President, who will you be handing the Iraqi government over to on June 30th?

BUSH: You'll find that out soon. That's what Mr. Brahimi is doing. He's figuring out the nature of the entity we will be handing sovereignty over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Senator Kerry has, infect, been pushing for a much greater international role.

Isn't that essentially what we heard the president say yesterday, that Mr. Brahimi is going to be managing a lot of that? BEERS: I think we heard a hint from the president of the United States of the direction that he seems to be going in. And certainly Senator Kerry and I believe that that's the direction that he should go in. But I think he needs to level with the American people about exactly what he's doing and how he plans to get there, rather than indirectly in answer to a question. It should have been in his presentation.

O'BRIEN: And, in fact, there were several questions about this 30th, June 30th handover deadline.

Listen again to something else that the president had to say on the same topic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: We have set a deadline of June 30th. It is important that we meet that deadline. As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation and neither does America. We're not an imperial power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Would you agree with the president that it's important to meet that deadline or would you say no, actually, the deadline's coming up way too fast, we're not prepared, we should miss that deadline? BEERS: I wish we had not set a formal deadline. But having set the deadline, it has a certain life of its own. And I think we have to look at that seriously before we move away from it. I think that Lakhdar Brahimi officers us an opportunity to see whether we can make that deadline or to come up with some realistic alternatives about how we might move perhaps with some delay.

But I think we have to acknowledge that that's the expectation that we are placing on him.

O'BRIEN: Rand Beers is Senator Kerry's senior foreign policy adviser, joining us this morning from D.C.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for being with us.

BEERS: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: Nine minutes past the hour.

About 90 minutes from now, CIA Director George Tenet appears before that 9/11 Commission. Later in the afternoon, the FBI director, Robert Mueller, will be there. The Commission trying to zero in on the failures of both agencies to prevent the attacks of 9/11. And again yesterday, there was finger pointing.

David Ensor is on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The attorney general offered a feisty defense of his and the Bush administration's handling of terrorism issues before and since 9/11. One commissioner, however, got former acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard to say, in effect, that Ashcroft's interest in counter-terrorism before 9/11 seemed limited.

RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Mr. Watson had come to you and said that the CIA was very concerned that there would be an attack. You said that you told the attorney general this fact repeatedly in these meetings, is that correct?

THOMAS PICKARD, FORMER FBI ACTING DIRECTOR: I told him at least on two occasions. BEN-VENISTE: And Mr. Ashcroft told you that he did not want to hear about this anymore, is that correct?

PICKARD: That is correct.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: First of all, Acting Director Pickard and I had more than two meetings. We had regular meetings. Secondly, I did never speak to him saying that I did not want to hear about terrorism.

ENSOR: Commissioners sharply questioned former FBI and CIA senior officials on how they failed to stop the attacks. Some commissioners suggested they believe the FBI may need the most reform.

THOMAS KEAN, 9/11 COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: The agency doesn't work very well and it hasn't worked very well for a long time.

ENSOR: The former counter-terrorism chief at CIA said the reason 9/11 didn't get stopped is that Congress and the nation simply didn't make the commitment needed.

AMB. J. COFER BLACK, FORMER DIRECTOR, CIA COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTER: The shortage of money and people seriously hurt our operations and analysis. In CTC, we heard our director's call. I've heard some people say this country wasn't at war. I want to tell you, Mr. Chairman, the Counter-Terrorism Center was at war. We conducted ourselves at war and that's the way it is.

ENSOR (on camera): Today, the directors of Central Intelligence and the FBI will face questions about whether they've fixed the serious problems identified in their agencies prior to 9/11. They will also be asked whether or not they believe that the United States needs a new domestic spy agency to go after terrorists in this country.

David Ensor, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: David, thanks for that, that last point there made about the possibility of the new domestic intelligence agency. The president mentioned it last night. As with everything on this Commission, a variety of opinion as to whether or not there is a need for a new program like the British MI5 and whether or not it's necessary. Again, we'll listen for more of that today, 9:30 the starting time, again, for George Tenet -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A closer look now at what we can expect today.

Let's get right to Washington and former Illinois Governor James Thompson, who is a member of the 9/11 Commission.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

The man who is leading your Commission, Tom Kean, said yesterday this. He said, "It failed and it failed and it failed and it failed. This is an agency that does not work. It makes you angry and I don't know how to fix it," a very serious and very tough indictment of the FBI.

Do you agree with his position and do you agree with it now in light of what you heard yesterday?

JAMES THOMPSON, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Well, for starters, Tom Kean has always been known as a moderate, deliberative kind of person. And when he uses strong language like that, I think not only should all the other members of the Commission take note, but the American people and the agencies should take note.

I think we'll hear more today about the CIA's role in all of this. But there's no question that yesterday's hearing revealed serious faults and fundamental problems with the way that the FBI handled things prior to 9/11.

O'BRIEN: As we heard just a moment ago in David Ensor's piece, former FBI Director Thomas Pickard said that he tried to tell the attorney general, John Ashcroft, about terrorist threats, but that Ashcroft "did not want to hear about it." That's a quote there. That was, of course, denied by John Ashcroft not too long after that.

Is the Commission going to be able to figure out who's telling the truth? Because obviously one person is not.

THOMPSON: Well, in this context, I think there may be too much focus on he said and he said. What John Ashcroft testified to was not only a denial of what Tom Pickard said, but he said, and quite appropriately, that he had a number of conversations with Pickard during the course of the time they worked together and he certainly had frequent conversations with George Tenet, the head of the CIA, and with others.

In the end, I'm not sure that that controversy about whether Pickard sought to brief him himself more times and Ashcroft said no or whether that didn't happen is going to weigh very heavily in our deliberations.

O'BRIEN: In his news conference last night, the president was asked several times, actually, a couple of times, about his appearance before the 9/11 Commission. And this is what he had to say one of those times. (AUDIO GAP) I'll tell you what the president said, because obviously we're having a little technical difficulty there. He said, when he was asked, "Why are you appearing with the vice president before this Commission? Why the two of you together?" He said, "Because the 9/11 Commission wants to ask us questions. That's why we're meeting."

Many people said, of course, he was dodging the question there, because the question wasn't why are you both appearing before the Commission, the question was why are you two together before the Commission, the emphasis changing there.

So my question to you would be answer that question, why are they appearing together and why is there not an insistence from the Commission that both men appear separately?

THOMPSON: Well, they're appearing together because that's how they asked to do it. And we're not objecting because it's not a big deal. What we got in return was our request that all 10 members of the Commission be allowed to interview the president and the vice president when the previous White House position was that only two members of our Commission, our chairman and vice chairman, could interview the president and the vice president.

Look, I understand the reluctance of the White House to have it appear as though committees can summon the president and the vice president to come down and testify. And so they've created a setting in which they'll sit down with us, have a cup of coffee with us and talk to us.

If, for example, the president is asked a question and the vice president jumps in, that would be immediately apparent to everybody. You know it would leak out in 30 seconds. That's not going to happen.

So I think the focus on the stage set, the president and the vice president appearing together, is not the proper focus. What they're doing is unprecedented, just as they're giving the PDBs to the Commission is unprecedented. We're happy with the trade. We get the president and the vice president. There's no time limit. And all 10 commissioners get to ask questions. That's the big deal for us.

O'BRIEN: Former Governor Jim Thompson, a Republican from Illinois, also a 9/11 commissioner.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for being with us.

THOMPSON: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: And CNN is going to have live coverage of today's 9/11 hearings and that begins at 9:30 Eastern time.

HEMMER: Still to come, thousands of U.S. troops only hours away from coming home, now staying on in Iraq. We'll talk to the wife of an Army sergeant, in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, an amazing little girl. Her amazing story of survival in California. We're going to take you there live, just ahead.

HEMMER: Also in California, new allegations of child abuse against Michael Jackson and possibly more legal troubles ahead. Jeff Toobin has that, in a moment, when we continue here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: As many as 20,000 U.S. troops who were set to leave Iraq now staying there for at least three more months. Sources telling CNN Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld expected to approve the extended tours in the next day or so.

Let's talk about that with a family member here stateside, Jennifer Stegeman.

Her husband, Sergeant First Class Rick Stegeman, was just 10 hours away from leaving the region when he found out he was not going home.

Jennifer is with us today in Dayton, Maine.

Good morning to you.

How are you doing today?

I know the word came down yesterday. How were you informed of that officially, Jennifer?

JENNIFER STEGEMAN, WIFE OF SOLDIER IN IRAQ: I actually received a phone call from my husband yesterday afternoon telling me that they had officially been extended for an additional 90 days. And that was disappointing because they were so close to coming home and this has been a long deployment. And, you know, they've already been gone for 18 months and did nine months prior to that. So a total of two and a half years out of the last four in deployments has been a long, a long chunk of time.

HEMMER: You know delays are a part of duty in the military. Do you ever adjust to that, Jennifer?

STEGEMAN: I think you do to some point, but it, you know, in last fall, when they were extended for six more months, I think that one was a little bit easier to swallow because we were kind of being prepared that they were talking about boots on ground for a year. But to have known that they were just hours from coming home and then told that, you know, kings ex, you know, you have to stay, and now being told, you know, that's going to be for at least another 90 days, that pretty much knocked the wind right out of your sails.

HEMMER: How did he respond, Jennifer?

STEGEMAN: He was actually, you know, true to fashion because he's proud to serve his country and he's -- the military is part of who he is, you know, they're ready and prepared to do whatever is asked of them and now they've been asked. So they will continue on and complete the mission. And when the mission is done, you know, they'll get to come home, hopefully.

HEMMER: From the State of Maine, I know you've had a lot of contact with a lot of family members.

How are you helping them?

STEGEMAN: The families up here locally with the platoon, the detachment from this company, the 94th, we've been meeting regularly, once a month, as a whole group. It's usually, you know, informally at somebody's home, you know, just an opportunity for us to sit around with one another and, you know, swap stories and maybe cry, share pictures that we've gotten from our loved ones and just to be there and be with others who are going through the same experience.

So that's been very rewarding, extremely rewarding.

HEMMER: Finally, if I could, with technology, e-mail and cell phone is not out of the question.

How much contact do you have with your husband, and the others, as well, the families?

STEGEMAN: Actually, I -- early on, up until about right after the first of the year, I only heard from my husband about once a month by telephone. E-mail wasn't possible for him, maybe once or twice during that whole time. But after the first of the year, you know, phone calls have gotten a little bit better, maybe once every couple of weeks; a little bit more frequent e-mails.

But it's still been, you know, not enough. You'd, you know, like to be able to talk to him more. But, you know, you're happy to get what you get.

HEMMER: Thanks for sharing.

Good luck to you.

Hang in there, all right?

STEGEMAN: Oh, you're welcome.

HEMMER: Jennifer Stegeman up in Dayton, Maine.

STEGEMAN: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: And best to you and all the other families, as well, in the Northeast.

STEGEMAN: Thank you.

HEMMER: Appreciate it.

In a moment here, a lot to talk about regarding Iraq, including a look at the reality of trying to stabilize that country within the next 75 days, June 30th the now hand over date there.

Also, a little girl surviving outdoors on her own 10 days after her mother was killed. Live to southern California for the latest on what's happening there when we continue after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: And welcome back, everybody.

Time for Jack and the Question of the Day.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Soledad.

President Bush spent most of last night's news conference answering questions about Iraq, terrorism, September the 11th. But traditionally, when it comes to elections, history suggests most people decide who to vote for based on economic issues.

So the question is, if the election was held today, what issue would be most important to you?

J.A., Scranton, Pennsylvania: "Outsourcing jobs is a major concern, as it affects my own job and business. The Bush administration's suggestions that shipping U.S. jobs overseas is good for the economy defies all common sense. It would be good if other high paying jobs were taking their place, but they're not. We're only creating lower paying, lower benefit service jobs."

Randy in Merrimack, New Hampshire: "Tax cuts. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished my federal income taxes last night that I, a middle class income earner, had, in fact, benefited from President Bush's tax cuts. I like that and I want to keep my money." Doreen writes: "The president's credibility. I don't feel I can trust his revisionist view of reality. His take on things never seems to match the actual circumstance. He tells us things are going well in Iraq when it's obviously a mess. He claims to be a great warrior on terrorism when he obviously dropped the ball. Instead of the determined, sturdy leader he claims to be, he seems more like "Mad" magazine's Alfred E. Newman.

And Bill in North Bay, Ontario says: "It would be a tough choice between the war on terrorism and the war on Kerryism."

HEMMER: I think we know now why he was in Texas, getting ready for last night, over the weekend.

CAFFERTY: I suppose.

HEMMER: I think so, yes.

Listen, I mean, he was pretty frank. He said, listen, these are tough days and these are tough weeks in Iraq.

CAFFERTY: It's pretty lame.

HEMMER: And the question -- well, the question is now how the people in this country will respond to it and react.

CAFFERTY: Well...

HEMMER: I think this entire election hinges on you as an American, as a voter, how do you feel with the direction in which the war on terror is going, if you're comfortable with it or if you're not.

CAFFERTY: But he didn't answer the questions, you know? He didn't answer the questions. People said what about this, what about that? He didn't answer the questions. And I think it's a mistake -- and this is only my opinion -- to come out and do a 12 minute speech at the beginning of a news conference that simply parrots the same stuff he's been saying since we went into Iraq a year ago. If you're going to have a news conference, come on out and say let's talk.

HEMMER: It's my...

CAFFERTY: What do you got -- what's on your mind?

HEMMER: It's my hunch by the end of this week you have more of an idea about what this hand over is going to be about on June 30th.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: That's my hunch from what I was reading through last night (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CAFFERTY: They're hoping so in Washington, too.

O'BRIEN: We will see. HEMMER: Right.

O'BRIEN: A story we're following this morning, as well, new claims of child abuse against pop legend Michael Jackson, going back to the 1980s.

A look at that's ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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