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American Morning
Remembering Ronald Reagan; World Leaders Gather for G-8 Summit
Aired June 07, 2004 - 07:00 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, CO-HOST: Good morning. Flags at half-staff here at the presidential library of Ronald Reagan, Simi Valley, California. In six hours, the late president's body will arrive for public display.
Good morning, everyone. And welcome to this Monday morning in a special edition of CNN's AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Bill Hemmer, live today at the presidential library. I'll be here throughout the week.
And for the next three hours here on AMERICAN MORNING, we have an enormous show planned for you today affecting the life of an enormous president, the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
A number of people stopping by today to share their thoughts and reflections. And also the schedule now that we can look forward to, not only today but leading up to the final burial procession at sundown Friday evening here on this property at the presidential library.
I'll be here live in California. My colleague, Soledad O'Brien, back live in New York this morning.
Soledad, good morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: And good morning to you, Bill. Thank you very much.
Lots of other news this morning as well.
World leaders are on their way to the coast of Georgia this week for the G-8 summit. President Bush has a lot riding on these meetings at Sea Island. We're going to take a look at that this morning. Also, whether protesters are expected to play a major role in this story, as they have in years past.
Also ahead this morning on a much lighter note, "90-second Pop." Everybody ready to talk about "The Sopranos." Big season finale, the big surprises, the story lines for next year. Who got rubbed out?
And, of course, you know, J. Lo got hitched. We've got that for you as well this morning.
For any of that, though, Jack Cafferty.
JACK CAFFERTY, CO-HOST: That's something to look forward to, that J. Lo thing, right?
O'BRIEN: Well, I know you're such a big fan.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Watching Jennifer Lopez get married and divorced is like watching a traffic light go from red to green and back again. It happens frequently, and it's not very interesting.
We will -- we will look at the law of unintended consequences as relates to the death of President Ronald Reagan, particularly as it may relate to the campaign. Have you seen John Kerry's name anywhere in the last two or three days? We'll explore that a little bit in the next few minutes.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
And let's head back out to California where Bill Hemmer is -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right. Soledad, thank you.
This is the schedule, as we understand it right now.
The former president's body, the late president, Ronald Reagan, now at a funeral home in Santa Monica about a 45-minute drive from here. Later today, about six hours, we expect the casket, the coffin carrying his body, to arrive here at presidential library in Simi Valley.
After that, the family will hold a private ceremony. And then following that ceremony, the public will be allowed to come here and view at the presidential library.
On Tuesday, will lie in repose as well. And then on Wednesday, there is an enormous procession from here down to a naval base in Ventura County. Not too far from where we are sitting here at the presidential library.
From there, the president's body will be flown to the Andrews Air Force Base outside of Washington, D.C. A funeral procession will then proceed to the U.S. capitol building.
Some say after the funeral on Wednesday evening in the U.S. capitol, 100,000 people may file through to pay their final respects for the late president.
His body will lie in state for 24 hours, concluding late Thursday. And then on Friday, the national cathedral will hold the funeral for the 40th president of the United States.
All of this concluding, after five very long days for the family, on Friday evening, back here at the presidential library in Simi Valley, where he will be buried in a ceremony to be held at sunset.
Edwin Meese is the attorney general -- the former attorney general for the late Ronald Reagan. He's our first guest this morning, live in Washington.
And, sir, we welcome you on this Monday morning. Thank you for your time.
We all know who Ronald Reagan was when he left office in 1989. Who was he like in 1966, when you first met him here in the golden state?
EDWIN MEESE, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER REAGAN: Well, he was a tremendous figure already. I met him for the first time in December of 1966, after he'd been elected and as he was forming a staff to take office as governor of California.
And as a result of our meeting, a half-hour meeting in which I was tremendously impressed -- I had never met him before. I just admired his ability to assimilate information.
We were talking about matters that I had worked on most of my career up until then: criminal justice, law enforcement, things like that. And he had his own ideas. And those ideas seemed to match. And he offered me a job, and I went to work for him, which started an association that's lasted up until today.
HEMMER: Let's move forward 15 years: 1981. On the 70th day of it his presidency he is shot at the Washington Hilton. For a 12-day period he's in the hospital. You spent some time with him there. You consistently remark about the sense of humor he had and that he used for that two-week period.
How did he use that humor to be more effective as a president, do you believe?
MEESE: I think he illustrated it during that time after he was shot, and that was, it relieved people of tension. It showed that he was in command of the situation, and it also showed that while he took his job very seriously, he didn't take himself seriously.
And I think that resonated with the American people, that he was a regular person that they could identify with.
And humor was a very important part of that, whether it was in a cabinet meeting, in a meeting in the Oval Office, or even in meetings with foreign leaders. That sense of humor and cheerfulness came through, and it was an important part of Ronald Reagan's personality.
HEMMER: And during his eight years in the Oval Office, perhaps the biggest black eye came in the Iran/Contra scandal and you essentially revealed that the U.S. was selling arms to Tehran.
How big was that stain on his presidency?
MEESE: Well, it wasn't -- Yes. It wasn't really -- There was nothing illegal or wrong about his selling arms. That was a part of a broader strategy to develop relationships with modern elements within the Iranian government.
And likewise, on the other end we had a very important strategy of supporting freedom fighters in Nicaragua. But when funds were diverted from the Iranian project to the Nicaraguan project, that's where the wrongdoing came in, the unauthorized activity.
And that was a very tough thing for Ronald Reagan. He himself, of course, had no knowledge of it whatsoever. Some very trusted people in his administration did it out of an abundance of zeal. They were trying to accomplish something, but they went about it the wrong way.
And that was very hard for him, particularly because some people impugned his own credibility and his own integrity, which was absolutely wrong, but I think that was what bothered him the most about it.
HEMMER: And despite that, he still left office with an approval rating of about 63 percent.
Finally, if you could, Mr. Meese, what do you want us to know about your former friend?
MEESE: Well, I think the most important thing is that he was a man who rose to the occasion, rose to the needs of our country rose to the needs of the world, and as he said, we came to change a country, and we changed the world.
And I think what he did in terms of revitalizing the economy of the United States, starting the economic expansion that continued for two decades, the fact that he put into shape the forces that led to the end of the Cold War, with the cause of freedom winning, and reviving the spirit of the American people, which had been so important in our history so that we continued to be a can-do type of nation.
I think all of these things are why people will remember Ronald Reagan as one of our greatest presidents.
HEMMER: Thank you for your time. Edwin Meese, the former attorney general with us live in Washington.
In a moment, back here live in Simi Valley, we'll talk with Sheila Tate, the former press secretary for Nancy Reagan. And we'll gather her thoughts on that relationship.
And also this, this "TIME" magazine piece that Nancy Reagan had published as of today. We'll get to all that when our coverage continues here in a moment in southern California. Back to New York and Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Bill.
The body of President Reagan will arrive in Washington on Wednesday where it will lie in stay at U.S. capitol. More than 100,000 people are expected to pay their respects there, including legions of lawmakers past and present.
Congressional correspondent Ed Henry is live for us on Capitol Hill this morning.
Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
We are expecting an overwhelming turnout for people paying respects to Ronald Reagan. Of course, that's due in part to the fact he's a blood (ph) figure. He generated that personal warmth among people and also with good reason that he was known as a great communicator.
As a young man, he was a standout on radio and sports broadcasting. Then he headed to Hollywood, became a star on the silver screen. And when he was elected president, he put those skills to work right here on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): Ronald Reagan liked playing the hero against all odds, like the dying football player George Gipp.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Win just one for the Gipper.
HENRY: He enjoyed the same role as president with Congress as his stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Presidential power is not really one of those things where there are a lot of concrete weapons available to you. As much as anything, it's reputation. It's the sense of momentum. It's the belief that even if it looks like you're down, you'll win.
HENRY: Democrats, led by speaker Tip O'Neill, thought Reagan was a lightweight. They were determined to stop his big tax cuts.
But Reagan turned on the charm, even as he recovered from the attempt on his life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was actually calling Democrats from his recuperation bed, asking them to give him a vote for the Gipper on his budget and tax cuts.
HENRY: Reagan got his tax cuts and sharp increases in defense spending.
JAMES BAKER, REAGAN CHIEF OF STAFF: He said, "You know, Jim," he said, "I would much rather get 80 percent of what I want than to go over the cliff with my flag flying." He was a wonderful negotiator. He knew how to compromise.
HENRY: At times, even Reagan and O'Neill, the larger than life Irish pals forged a partnership.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if they were frustrated with one another, they had to work together, and that was the makings of a series of deals, really, that were worked out between Reagan and Congress that made for a pretty successful presidency.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now, Soledad, obviously, Ronald Reagan was not able to win and he was not successful on all of his initiatives.
He was not able to reduce the size of government like he wanted to do. He was not able to push through that Strategic Defense Initiative, which Democrats ridiculed as Star Wars. And as was noted a moment ago, Congress became very aggressive late in his presidency, investigating that Iran/Contra scandal.
But what people like Senator John McCain are saying now is that they remember a president who, even though he had some policies that may have been polarizing, he had a very close, personal touch that was -- enabled him to generate friendships on both sides of the aisle, much different from what we see these days on Capitol Hill, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Ed Henry for us this morning. Ed, thanks.
One of the themes that defined Ronald Reagan's political career was the tendency of his critics to underestimate him. For a closer look at that now, we're joined by CNN senior analyst Jeff Greenfield.
Jeff, good morning.
We heard Ed just a moment ago talk about some of his critics considering him a lightweight. When did that begin? Did it start with the presidency?
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No. It actually began from the moment he entered elective politics.
Back in 1966 when Reagan defeated a more moderate Republican at the gubernatorial primary, the campaign of Democratic Governor Edmund Brown was ecstatic. He had beaten Richard Nixon four years earlier for the governorship. How could he lose to an actor?
In 1980, remember, the Carter campaign was absolutely delighted to be facing the extremist 69-year-old Reagan instead of a more moderate, electable candidate like George H.W. Bush or Senator Howard Baker.
And when Reagan won, the Washington establishment was pretty sure he'd fail. Look what had happened to the last governor, Jimmy Carter.
And when Reagan began to spend a lot of money on a defense buildup, the Soviet Union was sure that he would alienate his allies in Western Europe and split the western alliance.
So Soledad, you can see this is a theme, really, all through his public life.
O'BRIEN: And it was basically based on the fact that he came from a background as an actor? Was that it? GREENFIELD: I think that's really an important part of it. I mean, he did not spend his public life in the traditional paths that legislators do, and actors, generally speaking, are considered puppets. People who words get put in their mouth.
Also the fact that he was given to sweeping statements. He once said that there are no easy answers but there are simple answers.
And political people and political journalists don't like that.
And then, to be honest about it, he -- he often was careless with the facts. He -- one of his aides once said if Reagan read something and he believed it, it got on his mind. No matter how many times you told him it was wrong, he would repeat it.
He did sometimes confuse movies with real-life events. And I remember back in 1980, he couldn't even explain his own tax program. He was not a detail man.
You combine all that and it was easy for people to dismiss him as kind of an actor, too simplistic, and not see the political strength that he had at his core, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: So then in the end, how do you think history overall, not just journalists and not just his critics, how will it judge him?
GREENFIELD: Well, you know, we'll still debating the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln. So I think, you know, two days after his death may be a little soon.
But I do believe this: even though the historians are predominantly, because they come from academia, of the liberal persuasion, I do not think they will dismiss Reagan. They have to see him in political terms as a larger than life figure.
I think, actually, because we always look at the past through the present prism, there may be some criticism about yes, he won the Cold War, but he didn't see early on the rising tide of Islamic extremism.
In fact, in Beirut when 241 Marines were killed in a bombing, he pulled American Marines out a few months later, and some people think that helped persuade our enemies that America was paper tiger.
But the one thing I'm reasonably sure of at this point is they are going to see him as a significant, consequential president, not just some kind of actor. I think we're long past that stage, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jeff Greenfield. Jeff, thanks, as always.
Time now to turn to the "Cafferty File," the question of the day from Jack. Really on the same theme, the political impact of the death of President Reagan, to some degree.
CAFFERTY: Sort of. Here's an exercise: try to find John Kerry's name in the newspaper. It's not there. In addition to the death of former President Reagan, the newspapers are full of stories this morning about President Bush, the 60th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. President Bush at the G-8 summit this week in Georgia.
Senator Kerry has canceled all scheduled appearances for the next five days out of respect to the Reagan family and the presidency, and due to the reality that, at the moment, nobody is paying any attention to John Kerry.
His former campaign manager Jim Jordan says this, quote, "I have been dreading this every election year for three cycles. Bush has totally attached himself to Ronald Reagan. He's going to turn Reagan into his own verifier."
So here's the question this morning: "How will President Reagan's death affect the campaign?" You can e-mail us at AM@CNN.com.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, in all fairness, you hear quotes and read quotes from Senator Kerry about his respect for the former president, the late president. So...
CAFFERTY: Out of respect for Reagan and due to the reality that at the moment, nobody's paying attention.
O'BRIEN: Right. But I mean, you can find him in the newspaper. It's this big. But it's there.
CAFFERTY: OK, Soledad. You'll find him in the newspaper. Sure.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. Thank you, Jack. Thanks for letting me be right.
It's about a quarter past the hour this morning. Time to take a look at some of the other stories making news today with Daryn Kagan, joining us from Atlanta.
Hey, Daryn, good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: I'm honored to be part of your show this morning. Good morning to you, Soledad.
We begin in Iraq, where at 15 past the hour, news of an explosion triggering a fire at a mosque in the holy city of Kufa. A coalition official says the blast was related to the stores of ammunition kept at the mosque by fighters loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Militia members said that an American rocket caused the explosion. It's not clear if there are any casualties.
A new U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraq is expected to come up for a vote as early as tomorrow. That is according to U.S. officials. The revised U.N. resolution will support Iraq sovereignty and call for U.S.-led military forces to remain in Iraq.
Last night Security Council members discussed letters exchanged between Iraq's interim prime minister and Secretary of State Colin Powell, calling for, quote, "a full partnership." Those letters are expected to be added to the new resolution.
Now to Maryland. FBI investigators say there were no explosives on an Amtrak train that was headed for Washington, D.C. Officials say the train was stopped in western Maryland yesterday after a report that passengers were acting in a suspicious manner.
A bomb squad and canine unit searched the cars but found nothing suspicious. About 200 passengers were transported to Washington, D.C., by bus.
In California, firefighters are allowing hundreds of residents in the Santa Barbara area to come back home. A massive wildfire fueled by dry and wind-charred hills has charred more than 7,000 acres of land.
Some buildings have been destroyed. There are no reports of any injuries. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Also in southern California, from the world of basketball, a bit of a stunner in the opening game of the NBA finals. The Detroit Pistons used a strong defense last night. They swatted down the L.A. Lakers in Los Angeles, winning game one of best of seven series. Final score, 87-75.
Game two is tomorrow night, right there's at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. It is a seven-game series, of course, Soledad, but you don't want to go losing game one at home.
O'BRIEN: That's what they call a very bad start. Wouldn't it be?
KAGAN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Daryn. Thanks a lot.
KAGAN: More ahead.
O'BRIEN: We appreciate it.
Well, President Bush has turned his attention to this week's G-8 economic summit in Sea Island, Georgia after spending the weekend in Europe.
The president and the first lady arrived in Georgia last night.
The serious business for the leaders of the world's eight most powerful nations doesn't begin, though, until tomorrow. Security in the area, of course, ultra tight.
Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve in Savannah for us this morning.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
You might be able to see this morning behind me on the Savannah River that orange boat down there. That is an armed Coast Guard patrol. Just one piece of the security that is swarming all over this part of Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Georgia's Golden Isles, renowned for their tranquility, are about to lose it.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: It's obviously very important venue when you have the leaders of the eight economic powers coming to the United States. We want to make sure security is at a top level.
MESERVE: Police here will be on the lookout for individuals the FBI wants to question in connection with terrorism.
But terrorism is just one concern. Massive, sometimes violent, demonstrations, have sometimes greeted the G-8. In Italy three years ago, one protester was killed.
Since then, organizers have favored remote locations. Sea Island, for instance, is more than 70 miles from Savannah, the nearest large city in Georgia.
Close to the conference site some local officials are looking at the bright side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the kind of advertisement you could not buy.
MESERVE: But the intense security has some residents fed up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Closed down the streets. Bring in the Patriot missiles. What? Couldn't they do a conference call?
MESERVE: The Secret Service is coordinating dozens of federal, state and local agencies for this sprawling special national security event.
Flight restrictions are being imposed in a 30-mile ring around Savannah and a 40-mile ring around St. Simon's island. Some local airports are being shut to general aviation. Military radars will detect intruders. Combat air patrols will police the skies.
The single causeway leading to Sea Island will be closed to everyone but residents and meeting participants, and recreational boating will be banned in a 120 square mile security zone near Sea Island. Commercial traffic will be restricted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: The protest events that have been held thus far have been sparsely attended, protesters few and far between, but it's early there.
Soledad, back to you.
O'BRIEN: Jeanne, quick question for you. To what degree do you think the security and the other special services have been stretched, because they're not only dealing of course, with the g summit, but also with all of the happenings following the death of President Reagan?
MESERVE: Well, the funeral for President Reagan in Washington has been designated a national special security event. That means the Secret Service is in charge of security overall there, as it is here.
The planning here has been going on for about a year. They've got a lot of help from other federal agencies. Also, state and local agencies. They seem to be pretty well set here.
In Washington, they're going to be dealing with the capitol police and D.C. police, who are used to securing events on a regular basis. But undoubtedly, this is going to be a stretch for the Secret Service.
Soledad, back to you.
O'BRIEN: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning. Jeanne, thanks.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the war in Iraq lowered gas prices but not here in the U.S. Guess who is getting cheaper gas? In "Minding your Business," coming up next.
Also ahead, a Hollywood love story. We're going to talk to a woman who saw the Reagan romance up close. Find out why Nancy Reagan said their marriage was so special.
And Hugh Jackman brought down the house, but did he bring home the gold? We'll have a look at the winners at the Tony Awards.
All ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It is an ironic economic twist in the Iraq war. Guess where gasoline is cheap? With that and a market preview, Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Hello. Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hello, good morning.
O'BRIEN: Well, let me take a guess. It's not here.
SERWER: It's not here. You know that. We're paying record prices for gasoline right now, of course, Soledad. But where gas is cheap: Iraq. Guess what they're paying? Pennies for a gallon of gas in Iraq.
This is part of a program, Soledad, obviously, to aid the Iraqis. They're paying about five cents a gallon for gasoline in Iraq right now, costing U.S. taxpayers about $500 million for a three-month period.
So how does that work out? A 22 tank of gas over there costs about -- well, $1.27. Here it costs you about -- yes, to fill up. Look, now here's a picture. This is nice. Everyone's happy here. I mean, the soldiers happy to help the Iraqis. Why wouldn't you be happy paying all that money?
And there's concern, Soledad, that when this program runs out, the Iraqis are going to be in for a huge shock, because they're going to start paying market prices again.
O'BRIEN: Which are -- do you know what?
SERWER: Well, I mean, it could be anywhere from $5 a gallon, which you're paying in the U.K., to $2 here. I mean, it's probably going to be somewhere over $2, maybe $3 a gallon.
And that will be a huge shock to all these Iraqis who have gone out and bought cars because of the cheap gas prices.
O'BRIEN: Interesting. The market opening after the weekend break.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Give me a preview.
SERWER: Well, what's happening this morning is futures are a lot higher, again, because of lower oil prices around the globe over the past couple of days.
Last week we saw -- it's kind of a mixed picture from the exchanges, made up a lot of ground later in the week again because of those lower oil prices.
Of course, the exchange is going to be closed at the open for two minutes. Moments of silence for President Reagan.
And kind of an interesting note here. On Friday, the national day of mourning for President Reagan, the exchange has not yet announced whether or not it will be closed.
Last time it closed for a president was in April -- you can see where we were last week. Last time the exchange closed for a full day for a president was April 27, 1994, for President Nixon's funeral.
We expect an announcement probably this morning.
O'BRIEN: So one has to imagine that that's something that they would do?
SERWER: I would think so.
O'BRIEN: Because the rest of the government's closed.
SERWER: That's right. Yes, I would think it's going to happen.
O'BRIEN: Andy, thank you very much.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Well, Broadway's Hugh Jackman a Tony award last night for best actor in a musical, after performing a hit from the show at last night's awards, ending with a dance that made even Sarah Jessica Parker blush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: There's a few nervous people in the front row all of a sudden.
Oh! I feel like a little "Sex and the City." Hello Sarah Jessica! Very nice. You look gorgeous. Stand up. Where's Matthew tonight?
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTOR (OFF-MIC): The other coast.
JACKMAN: He's on the other coast? Matthew's bicoastal?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Jackman won for "A Boy from Oz." Phylicia Rashad won best actress for "A Raisin in the Sun." She was the first African- American actress to win best actress in a play. And the best play went to "I Am My Own Wife." And "Avenue Q" was a surprise winner for best musical.
Good for Phylicia. Congratulations to her and everybody else.
Still to come on this AMERICAN MORNING, "90-second Pop" just ahead.
"The Sopranos" say so long to season five. Who survived to get to season number six? We'll take a look at that this morning.
Plus maybe the third time is the charm for J. Lo as she goes down the aisle yet again.
And the boy magician's bank account gets even bigger. Get a load of Harry Potter's latest haul.
Those stories all ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 7, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CO-HOST: Good morning. Flags at half-staff here at the presidential library of Ronald Reagan, Simi Valley, California. In six hours, the late president's body will arrive for public display.
Good morning, everyone. And welcome to this Monday morning in a special edition of CNN's AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Bill Hemmer, live today at the presidential library. I'll be here throughout the week.
And for the next three hours here on AMERICAN MORNING, we have an enormous show planned for you today affecting the life of an enormous president, the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
A number of people stopping by today to share their thoughts and reflections. And also the schedule now that we can look forward to, not only today but leading up to the final burial procession at sundown Friday evening here on this property at the presidential library.
I'll be here live in California. My colleague, Soledad O'Brien, back live in New York this morning.
Soledad, good morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: And good morning to you, Bill. Thank you very much.
Lots of other news this morning as well.
World leaders are on their way to the coast of Georgia this week for the G-8 summit. President Bush has a lot riding on these meetings at Sea Island. We're going to take a look at that this morning. Also, whether protesters are expected to play a major role in this story, as they have in years past.
Also ahead this morning on a much lighter note, "90-second Pop." Everybody ready to talk about "The Sopranos." Big season finale, the big surprises, the story lines for next year. Who got rubbed out?
And, of course, you know, J. Lo got hitched. We've got that for you as well this morning.
For any of that, though, Jack Cafferty.
JACK CAFFERTY, CO-HOST: That's something to look forward to, that J. Lo thing, right?
O'BRIEN: Well, I know you're such a big fan.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Watching Jennifer Lopez get married and divorced is like watching a traffic light go from red to green and back again. It happens frequently, and it's not very interesting.
We will -- we will look at the law of unintended consequences as relates to the death of President Ronald Reagan, particularly as it may relate to the campaign. Have you seen John Kerry's name anywhere in the last two or three days? We'll explore that a little bit in the next few minutes.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
And let's head back out to California where Bill Hemmer is -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right. Soledad, thank you.
This is the schedule, as we understand it right now.
The former president's body, the late president, Ronald Reagan, now at a funeral home in Santa Monica about a 45-minute drive from here. Later today, about six hours, we expect the casket, the coffin carrying his body, to arrive here at presidential library in Simi Valley.
After that, the family will hold a private ceremony. And then following that ceremony, the public will be allowed to come here and view at the presidential library.
On Tuesday, will lie in repose as well. And then on Wednesday, there is an enormous procession from here down to a naval base in Ventura County. Not too far from where we are sitting here at the presidential library.
From there, the president's body will be flown to the Andrews Air Force Base outside of Washington, D.C. A funeral procession will then proceed to the U.S. capitol building.
Some say after the funeral on Wednesday evening in the U.S. capitol, 100,000 people may file through to pay their final respects for the late president.
His body will lie in state for 24 hours, concluding late Thursday. And then on Friday, the national cathedral will hold the funeral for the 40th president of the United States.
All of this concluding, after five very long days for the family, on Friday evening, back here at the presidential library in Simi Valley, where he will be buried in a ceremony to be held at sunset.
Edwin Meese is the attorney general -- the former attorney general for the late Ronald Reagan. He's our first guest this morning, live in Washington.
And, sir, we welcome you on this Monday morning. Thank you for your time.
We all know who Ronald Reagan was when he left office in 1989. Who was he like in 1966, when you first met him here in the golden state?
EDWIN MEESE, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER REAGAN: Well, he was a tremendous figure already. I met him for the first time in December of 1966, after he'd been elected and as he was forming a staff to take office as governor of California.
And as a result of our meeting, a half-hour meeting in which I was tremendously impressed -- I had never met him before. I just admired his ability to assimilate information.
We were talking about matters that I had worked on most of my career up until then: criminal justice, law enforcement, things like that. And he had his own ideas. And those ideas seemed to match. And he offered me a job, and I went to work for him, which started an association that's lasted up until today.
HEMMER: Let's move forward 15 years: 1981. On the 70th day of it his presidency he is shot at the Washington Hilton. For a 12-day period he's in the hospital. You spent some time with him there. You consistently remark about the sense of humor he had and that he used for that two-week period.
How did he use that humor to be more effective as a president, do you believe?
MEESE: I think he illustrated it during that time after he was shot, and that was, it relieved people of tension. It showed that he was in command of the situation, and it also showed that while he took his job very seriously, he didn't take himself seriously.
And I think that resonated with the American people, that he was a regular person that they could identify with.
And humor was a very important part of that, whether it was in a cabinet meeting, in a meeting in the Oval Office, or even in meetings with foreign leaders. That sense of humor and cheerfulness came through, and it was an important part of Ronald Reagan's personality.
HEMMER: And during his eight years in the Oval Office, perhaps the biggest black eye came in the Iran/Contra scandal and you essentially revealed that the U.S. was selling arms to Tehran.
How big was that stain on his presidency?
MEESE: Well, it wasn't -- Yes. It wasn't really -- There was nothing illegal or wrong about his selling arms. That was a part of a broader strategy to develop relationships with modern elements within the Iranian government.
And likewise, on the other end we had a very important strategy of supporting freedom fighters in Nicaragua. But when funds were diverted from the Iranian project to the Nicaraguan project, that's where the wrongdoing came in, the unauthorized activity.
And that was a very tough thing for Ronald Reagan. He himself, of course, had no knowledge of it whatsoever. Some very trusted people in his administration did it out of an abundance of zeal. They were trying to accomplish something, but they went about it the wrong way.
And that was very hard for him, particularly because some people impugned his own credibility and his own integrity, which was absolutely wrong, but I think that was what bothered him the most about it.
HEMMER: And despite that, he still left office with an approval rating of about 63 percent.
Finally, if you could, Mr. Meese, what do you want us to know about your former friend?
MEESE: Well, I think the most important thing is that he was a man who rose to the occasion, rose to the needs of our country rose to the needs of the world, and as he said, we came to change a country, and we changed the world.
And I think what he did in terms of revitalizing the economy of the United States, starting the economic expansion that continued for two decades, the fact that he put into shape the forces that led to the end of the Cold War, with the cause of freedom winning, and reviving the spirit of the American people, which had been so important in our history so that we continued to be a can-do type of nation.
I think all of these things are why people will remember Ronald Reagan as one of our greatest presidents.
HEMMER: Thank you for your time. Edwin Meese, the former attorney general with us live in Washington.
In a moment, back here live in Simi Valley, we'll talk with Sheila Tate, the former press secretary for Nancy Reagan. And we'll gather her thoughts on that relationship.
And also this, this "TIME" magazine piece that Nancy Reagan had published as of today. We'll get to all that when our coverage continues here in a moment in southern California. Back to New York and Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Bill.
The body of President Reagan will arrive in Washington on Wednesday where it will lie in stay at U.S. capitol. More than 100,000 people are expected to pay their respects there, including legions of lawmakers past and present.
Congressional correspondent Ed Henry is live for us on Capitol Hill this morning.
Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
We are expecting an overwhelming turnout for people paying respects to Ronald Reagan. Of course, that's due in part to the fact he's a blood (ph) figure. He generated that personal warmth among people and also with good reason that he was known as a great communicator.
As a young man, he was a standout on radio and sports broadcasting. Then he headed to Hollywood, became a star on the silver screen. And when he was elected president, he put those skills to work right here on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): Ronald Reagan liked playing the hero against all odds, like the dying football player George Gipp.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Win just one for the Gipper.
HENRY: He enjoyed the same role as president with Congress as his stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Presidential power is not really one of those things where there are a lot of concrete weapons available to you. As much as anything, it's reputation. It's the sense of momentum. It's the belief that even if it looks like you're down, you'll win.
HENRY: Democrats, led by speaker Tip O'Neill, thought Reagan was a lightweight. They were determined to stop his big tax cuts.
But Reagan turned on the charm, even as he recovered from the attempt on his life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was actually calling Democrats from his recuperation bed, asking them to give him a vote for the Gipper on his budget and tax cuts.
HENRY: Reagan got his tax cuts and sharp increases in defense spending.
JAMES BAKER, REAGAN CHIEF OF STAFF: He said, "You know, Jim," he said, "I would much rather get 80 percent of what I want than to go over the cliff with my flag flying." He was a wonderful negotiator. He knew how to compromise.
HENRY: At times, even Reagan and O'Neill, the larger than life Irish pals forged a partnership.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if they were frustrated with one another, they had to work together, and that was the makings of a series of deals, really, that were worked out between Reagan and Congress that made for a pretty successful presidency.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now, Soledad, obviously, Ronald Reagan was not able to win and he was not successful on all of his initiatives.
He was not able to reduce the size of government like he wanted to do. He was not able to push through that Strategic Defense Initiative, which Democrats ridiculed as Star Wars. And as was noted a moment ago, Congress became very aggressive late in his presidency, investigating that Iran/Contra scandal.
But what people like Senator John McCain are saying now is that they remember a president who, even though he had some policies that may have been polarizing, he had a very close, personal touch that was -- enabled him to generate friendships on both sides of the aisle, much different from what we see these days on Capitol Hill, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Ed Henry for us this morning. Ed, thanks.
One of the themes that defined Ronald Reagan's political career was the tendency of his critics to underestimate him. For a closer look at that now, we're joined by CNN senior analyst Jeff Greenfield.
Jeff, good morning.
We heard Ed just a moment ago talk about some of his critics considering him a lightweight. When did that begin? Did it start with the presidency?
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No. It actually began from the moment he entered elective politics.
Back in 1966 when Reagan defeated a more moderate Republican at the gubernatorial primary, the campaign of Democratic Governor Edmund Brown was ecstatic. He had beaten Richard Nixon four years earlier for the governorship. How could he lose to an actor?
In 1980, remember, the Carter campaign was absolutely delighted to be facing the extremist 69-year-old Reagan instead of a more moderate, electable candidate like George H.W. Bush or Senator Howard Baker.
And when Reagan won, the Washington establishment was pretty sure he'd fail. Look what had happened to the last governor, Jimmy Carter.
And when Reagan began to spend a lot of money on a defense buildup, the Soviet Union was sure that he would alienate his allies in Western Europe and split the western alliance.
So Soledad, you can see this is a theme, really, all through his public life.
O'BRIEN: And it was basically based on the fact that he came from a background as an actor? Was that it? GREENFIELD: I think that's really an important part of it. I mean, he did not spend his public life in the traditional paths that legislators do, and actors, generally speaking, are considered puppets. People who words get put in their mouth.
Also the fact that he was given to sweeping statements. He once said that there are no easy answers but there are simple answers.
And political people and political journalists don't like that.
And then, to be honest about it, he -- he often was careless with the facts. He -- one of his aides once said if Reagan read something and he believed it, it got on his mind. No matter how many times you told him it was wrong, he would repeat it.
He did sometimes confuse movies with real-life events. And I remember back in 1980, he couldn't even explain his own tax program. He was not a detail man.
You combine all that and it was easy for people to dismiss him as kind of an actor, too simplistic, and not see the political strength that he had at his core, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: So then in the end, how do you think history overall, not just journalists and not just his critics, how will it judge him?
GREENFIELD: Well, you know, we'll still debating the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln. So I think, you know, two days after his death may be a little soon.
But I do believe this: even though the historians are predominantly, because they come from academia, of the liberal persuasion, I do not think they will dismiss Reagan. They have to see him in political terms as a larger than life figure.
I think, actually, because we always look at the past through the present prism, there may be some criticism about yes, he won the Cold War, but he didn't see early on the rising tide of Islamic extremism.
In fact, in Beirut when 241 Marines were killed in a bombing, he pulled American Marines out a few months later, and some people think that helped persuade our enemies that America was paper tiger.
But the one thing I'm reasonably sure of at this point is they are going to see him as a significant, consequential president, not just some kind of actor. I think we're long past that stage, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jeff Greenfield. Jeff, thanks, as always.
Time now to turn to the "Cafferty File," the question of the day from Jack. Really on the same theme, the political impact of the death of President Reagan, to some degree.
CAFFERTY: Sort of. Here's an exercise: try to find John Kerry's name in the newspaper. It's not there. In addition to the death of former President Reagan, the newspapers are full of stories this morning about President Bush, the 60th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. President Bush at the G-8 summit this week in Georgia.
Senator Kerry has canceled all scheduled appearances for the next five days out of respect to the Reagan family and the presidency, and due to the reality that, at the moment, nobody is paying any attention to John Kerry.
His former campaign manager Jim Jordan says this, quote, "I have been dreading this every election year for three cycles. Bush has totally attached himself to Ronald Reagan. He's going to turn Reagan into his own verifier."
So here's the question this morning: "How will President Reagan's death affect the campaign?" You can e-mail us at AM@CNN.com.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, in all fairness, you hear quotes and read quotes from Senator Kerry about his respect for the former president, the late president. So...
CAFFERTY: Out of respect for Reagan and due to the reality that at the moment, nobody's paying attention.
O'BRIEN: Right. But I mean, you can find him in the newspaper. It's this big. But it's there.
CAFFERTY: OK, Soledad. You'll find him in the newspaper. Sure.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. Thank you, Jack. Thanks for letting me be right.
It's about a quarter past the hour this morning. Time to take a look at some of the other stories making news today with Daryn Kagan, joining us from Atlanta.
Hey, Daryn, good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: I'm honored to be part of your show this morning. Good morning to you, Soledad.
We begin in Iraq, where at 15 past the hour, news of an explosion triggering a fire at a mosque in the holy city of Kufa. A coalition official says the blast was related to the stores of ammunition kept at the mosque by fighters loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Militia members said that an American rocket caused the explosion. It's not clear if there are any casualties.
A new U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraq is expected to come up for a vote as early as tomorrow. That is according to U.S. officials. The revised U.N. resolution will support Iraq sovereignty and call for U.S.-led military forces to remain in Iraq.
Last night Security Council members discussed letters exchanged between Iraq's interim prime minister and Secretary of State Colin Powell, calling for, quote, "a full partnership." Those letters are expected to be added to the new resolution.
Now to Maryland. FBI investigators say there were no explosives on an Amtrak train that was headed for Washington, D.C. Officials say the train was stopped in western Maryland yesterday after a report that passengers were acting in a suspicious manner.
A bomb squad and canine unit searched the cars but found nothing suspicious. About 200 passengers were transported to Washington, D.C., by bus.
In California, firefighters are allowing hundreds of residents in the Santa Barbara area to come back home. A massive wildfire fueled by dry and wind-charred hills has charred more than 7,000 acres of land.
Some buildings have been destroyed. There are no reports of any injuries. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Also in southern California, from the world of basketball, a bit of a stunner in the opening game of the NBA finals. The Detroit Pistons used a strong defense last night. They swatted down the L.A. Lakers in Los Angeles, winning game one of best of seven series. Final score, 87-75.
Game two is tomorrow night, right there's at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. It is a seven-game series, of course, Soledad, but you don't want to go losing game one at home.
O'BRIEN: That's what they call a very bad start. Wouldn't it be?
KAGAN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Daryn. Thanks a lot.
KAGAN: More ahead.
O'BRIEN: We appreciate it.
Well, President Bush has turned his attention to this week's G-8 economic summit in Sea Island, Georgia after spending the weekend in Europe.
The president and the first lady arrived in Georgia last night.
The serious business for the leaders of the world's eight most powerful nations doesn't begin, though, until tomorrow. Security in the area, of course, ultra tight.
Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve in Savannah for us this morning.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
You might be able to see this morning behind me on the Savannah River that orange boat down there. That is an armed Coast Guard patrol. Just one piece of the security that is swarming all over this part of Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Georgia's Golden Isles, renowned for their tranquility, are about to lose it.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: It's obviously very important venue when you have the leaders of the eight economic powers coming to the United States. We want to make sure security is at a top level.
MESERVE: Police here will be on the lookout for individuals the FBI wants to question in connection with terrorism.
But terrorism is just one concern. Massive, sometimes violent, demonstrations, have sometimes greeted the G-8. In Italy three years ago, one protester was killed.
Since then, organizers have favored remote locations. Sea Island, for instance, is more than 70 miles from Savannah, the nearest large city in Georgia.
Close to the conference site some local officials are looking at the bright side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the kind of advertisement you could not buy.
MESERVE: But the intense security has some residents fed up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Closed down the streets. Bring in the Patriot missiles. What? Couldn't they do a conference call?
MESERVE: The Secret Service is coordinating dozens of federal, state and local agencies for this sprawling special national security event.
Flight restrictions are being imposed in a 30-mile ring around Savannah and a 40-mile ring around St. Simon's island. Some local airports are being shut to general aviation. Military radars will detect intruders. Combat air patrols will police the skies.
The single causeway leading to Sea Island will be closed to everyone but residents and meeting participants, and recreational boating will be banned in a 120 square mile security zone near Sea Island. Commercial traffic will be restricted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: The protest events that have been held thus far have been sparsely attended, protesters few and far between, but it's early there.
Soledad, back to you.
O'BRIEN: Jeanne, quick question for you. To what degree do you think the security and the other special services have been stretched, because they're not only dealing of course, with the g summit, but also with all of the happenings following the death of President Reagan?
MESERVE: Well, the funeral for President Reagan in Washington has been designated a national special security event. That means the Secret Service is in charge of security overall there, as it is here.
The planning here has been going on for about a year. They've got a lot of help from other federal agencies. Also, state and local agencies. They seem to be pretty well set here.
In Washington, they're going to be dealing with the capitol police and D.C. police, who are used to securing events on a regular basis. But undoubtedly, this is going to be a stretch for the Secret Service.
Soledad, back to you.
O'BRIEN: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning. Jeanne, thanks.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the war in Iraq lowered gas prices but not here in the U.S. Guess who is getting cheaper gas? In "Minding your Business," coming up next.
Also ahead, a Hollywood love story. We're going to talk to a woman who saw the Reagan romance up close. Find out why Nancy Reagan said their marriage was so special.
And Hugh Jackman brought down the house, but did he bring home the gold? We'll have a look at the winners at the Tony Awards.
All ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It is an ironic economic twist in the Iraq war. Guess where gasoline is cheap? With that and a market preview, Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Hello. Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hello, good morning.
O'BRIEN: Well, let me take a guess. It's not here.
SERWER: It's not here. You know that. We're paying record prices for gasoline right now, of course, Soledad. But where gas is cheap: Iraq. Guess what they're paying? Pennies for a gallon of gas in Iraq.
This is part of a program, Soledad, obviously, to aid the Iraqis. They're paying about five cents a gallon for gasoline in Iraq right now, costing U.S. taxpayers about $500 million for a three-month period.
So how does that work out? A 22 tank of gas over there costs about -- well, $1.27. Here it costs you about -- yes, to fill up. Look, now here's a picture. This is nice. Everyone's happy here. I mean, the soldiers happy to help the Iraqis. Why wouldn't you be happy paying all that money?
And there's concern, Soledad, that when this program runs out, the Iraqis are going to be in for a huge shock, because they're going to start paying market prices again.
O'BRIEN: Which are -- do you know what?
SERWER: Well, I mean, it could be anywhere from $5 a gallon, which you're paying in the U.K., to $2 here. I mean, it's probably going to be somewhere over $2, maybe $3 a gallon.
And that will be a huge shock to all these Iraqis who have gone out and bought cars because of the cheap gas prices.
O'BRIEN: Interesting. The market opening after the weekend break.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Give me a preview.
SERWER: Well, what's happening this morning is futures are a lot higher, again, because of lower oil prices around the globe over the past couple of days.
Last week we saw -- it's kind of a mixed picture from the exchanges, made up a lot of ground later in the week again because of those lower oil prices.
Of course, the exchange is going to be closed at the open for two minutes. Moments of silence for President Reagan.
And kind of an interesting note here. On Friday, the national day of mourning for President Reagan, the exchange has not yet announced whether or not it will be closed.
Last time it closed for a president was in April -- you can see where we were last week. Last time the exchange closed for a full day for a president was April 27, 1994, for President Nixon's funeral.
We expect an announcement probably this morning.
O'BRIEN: So one has to imagine that that's something that they would do?
SERWER: I would think so.
O'BRIEN: Because the rest of the government's closed.
SERWER: That's right. Yes, I would think it's going to happen.
O'BRIEN: Andy, thank you very much.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Well, Broadway's Hugh Jackman a Tony award last night for best actor in a musical, after performing a hit from the show at last night's awards, ending with a dance that made even Sarah Jessica Parker blush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: There's a few nervous people in the front row all of a sudden.
Oh! I feel like a little "Sex and the City." Hello Sarah Jessica! Very nice. You look gorgeous. Stand up. Where's Matthew tonight?
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTOR (OFF-MIC): The other coast.
JACKMAN: He's on the other coast? Matthew's bicoastal?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Jackman won for "A Boy from Oz." Phylicia Rashad won best actress for "A Raisin in the Sun." She was the first African- American actress to win best actress in a play. And the best play went to "I Am My Own Wife." And "Avenue Q" was a surprise winner for best musical.
Good for Phylicia. Congratulations to her and everybody else.
Still to come on this AMERICAN MORNING, "90-second Pop" just ahead.
"The Sopranos" say so long to season five. Who survived to get to season number six? We'll take a look at that this morning.
Plus maybe the third time is the charm for J. Lo as she goes down the aisle yet again.
And the boy magician's bank account gets even bigger. Get a load of Harry Potter's latest haul.
Those stories all ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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