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American Morning
Senator Kerry Will Continue Attacking President Bush's Decision to Go to War in Iraq; War Stories
Aired September 08, 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, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. The campaign talk getting more fiery by the day. President Bush now saying John Kerry has flip-flopped to Howard Dean's position on Iraq.
And this morning, John Kerry gets his chance to respond.
Back from vacation, Congress moving fast on the 9/11 recommendations, in fact, considering each and every one of them.
And at the U.S. Open...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERENA WILLIAMS, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: I'm extremely angry. I am bitter. I just feel robbed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: There is controversy in the quarter finals. Serena Williams beat, and an umpire thrown out, and talk of a conspiracy, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: All right. It's 2:00 in the morning here in New York City.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: That's what it feels like.
HEMMER: I'm telling you. It's very dark outside.
WALLACE: Hello, look at the rain.
HEMMER: And the after-effects perhaps of Frances with us today. Kelly Wallace working with us. Soledad is out. So, too, is Heidi.
And we've got some microphone issues already today.
WALLACE: We do. It's going to be a...
HEMMER: That's a heck of a way to start.
WALLACE: It's going to be a jam-packed, fun, rock 'n' roll kind of morning.
Yes, exactly. Great.
Well, some of the other stories, Bill, we are following, continuing to look at what's going on in Russia. Russia says it is prepared now for preemptive strikes against terrorists anywhere in the world after the massacre in Beslan. Much more on that coming up, including reaction to some incredible video shot by the terrorists while inside that school.
HEMMER: Tough story.
Also the number of Americans killed in Iraq is now more than 1,000. In a few minutes, the courage and sacrifice these men and women have seen through the eyes of an embedded photographer. David Swanson took some incredible pictures there on the ground in Ramadi, came home with a deep bond with these troops. His story and their stories coming up today.
Jack is back with us. Toure's back in with us.
First of all, let's check with Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center, top stories there.
Daryn, good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, my friends in New York City.
An American soldier was killed earlier this morning in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad. This death brings the U.S. war toll to 1,003.
In Fallujah, smoke is rising above the city. U.S. forces there swooped down on suspected insurgent hideouts just hours ago. In 15 minutes, a glimpse at Iraq's frontline as a Philadelphia man remembers 12 fallen Marines.
President Bush is meeting this morning with key lawmakers from the intelligence community. They're expected to discuss some of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, including the creation of a post for intelligence, national intelligence director. That meeting is set to begin at the White House about two hours from right now.
Remnants of Hurricane Frances are pounding North Carolina this hour. Forecasters say the depression will cause some of the worst flooding in nearly a decade. Up to 10 inches of rain is expected to fall in western parts of the state.
In 10 minutes, the latest flood advisory with Chad Myers.
And finally, bringing some of the sun back to Earth. Later today, helicopters will try to snatch NASA's returning Genesis spacecraft over Utah. Genesis has been collecting particles that stream from the sun. CNN will have live coverage that of that dramatic retrieval. That's starting today at 12:15 p.m. Eastern.
For now, back to Bill in New York. HEMMER: Dramatic indeed.
Daryn, thanks for that.
Senator John Kerry will continue attacking President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq when he speaks in Cincinnati 2 1/2 hours from now. Both sides in the campaign lately turning up the heat as they clash over the issue. Ed Henry starts out this morning, live there in the queen city.
Ed, Good Morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
From the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, Senator Kerry's speech comes at a time when the jabs between he and President Bush are flying fast and furious. It grew so intense yesterday, that both Vice President Cheney and Senator John Edwards joined the action as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(APPLAUSE)
HENRY (voice-over): all for contenders slugged it out on the campaign trail, with the toughest punch thrown by Vice President Cheney. He suggested that victory by the Democratic ticket might invite another terrorist attack.
DICK CHENEY (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today on November 2nd we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint ever the United States, and that we'll fall back into the pre-9/11 mindset.
HENRY: That enraged senator John Edwards.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Dick Cheney's scare tactics today crossed the line. What he said to the American people, that if you go to the polls in November and elect anyone other than that and another terrorist attack occurs, it's your fault. This is un-American.
HENRY: The harsh exchange among the vice presidential candidates capped two days of sparring between John Kerry and President Bush over Iraq.
At a stop in North Carolina, Kerry charged that the president made a mess of the war.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, all of America is paying this price. Almost all of the casualties, the sons and daughters of American families.
HENRY: The president fired back in Missouri. He mocked Kerry's claim that Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Even used the same words Howard Dean did, back when he supposedly disagreed with him. Look, no matter how many time my opponent flip-flops, we were right to make America safer by removing Saddam Hussein from power.
(APPLAUSE)
HENRY: At his last stop of the day in Cincinnati, Kerry displayed a more somber tone.
KERRY: Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq: More than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have now given their lives on behalf of their country, on behalf of freedom in the war on terror.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: This is the very spot where President Bush made the case for war in October of 2002. Senator Kerry comes here this morning to charge that the president went to war without a plan to win the peace, and that that has shortchanged major domestic priorities back here in America -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ed Henry in Cincinnati.
Tucker Eskew is a senior adviser to the Bush campaign. He's my guest now in Washington.
And welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.
TUCKER ESKEW, SR. ADVISER TO BUSH CAMPAIGN: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: I want to get to four topics. I want to go through them quickly.
What did Dick Cheney mean yesterday when he said the wrong choice with John Kerry as president when it comes to fighting the war on terror?
ESKEW: Look, it's clear, Bill, that terrorists want to attack America, no matter which party controls the White House, so that's not the issue. The issue is how we deal with it. President Bush decided before the smoke had cleared that we were at war, and we had to go on offense, and we had to on offense on their turf, not our own ground. And Vice President Cheney highlighted the fact that Senator Kerry said in his convention speech he would respond in the attack. We don't need to respond. We need to act before we have to respond. That's the point he makes.
HEMMER: John Edwards says it's un-American using scare tactics. Your response?
ESKEW: No, it's none un-American. What we need to have is a forward-looking debate in this country. The vice president is underscoring some very troubling facts about Senator Kerry, who's been reluctant to call it a war. His own national security people prefer to use the word "struggle." And this is much more than a struggle. We're at war, and it's a very serious topic. The president vice president are, and I think the American people recognize, taking it very seriously.
HEMMER: Senator Kerry is set to make a very strong speech later today in Cincinnati, saying it's the wrong war at the wrong time, and it's time to make it right. How will the White House counter this speech today?
ESKEW: Well, Bill, you know, I think what's been troubling in this campaign is the number of positions John Kerry's taken. There are people who disagree with President Bush's leadership, the decisions he made to not accept the word of a madman and to attack a threat before it fully materialized. That's a decision he made, and he stood by it. Unfortunately, Senator Kerry has made decisions and then changed them. He's flip-flopped a great deal. Today's speech may move over into double digits the number of positions that he's had in the war on Iraq.
HEMMER: Next issue, debates. There's a report today in "The Washington Post" that says the White House right now does not want to have the debate, possibly, in Missouri, which is the middle of the three right now on the schedule. Is that the case? Is the White House backing away from that commitment, or possibility of that debate?
ESKEW: No. We've named a debate team, headed by former Secretary James Baker, a very skilled negotiator, and there's a tremendous team of people, very close to the president, lined up to help put the debates together. We're going to have debates.
We started, really, a serious debate in this country, not just about the president's record, and not just about the fact the Democrats refused to really discuss John Kerry's record, but also about visions for the future, which our convention was about; their convention really ignored.
So I think there's already a debate underway. We're going to have debates, and I don't think we'll be negotiating it on television or in the newspaper much, but they'll be debates, and we look forward to them.
HEMMER: Two or three, Tucker?
ESKEW: Two or three? I don't know the number, Bill. I think they'll be certainly more than one, and certain less than eight, that Senator Kerry had in his last campaign.
HEMMER: All right, next topic here for me, the Bush records, National Guard duty back in the earl '70s. Apparently a number of news organizations are going back to this issue yet again, and they are saying now, reporting, that President Bush fell well short of meeting his military obligations. The White House responds to this how now, Tucker?
ESKEW: Bill, the president served honorably and was discharged honorably. The president has made a point of underscoring that Senator Kerry served honorably. In fact, Senator Kerry was applauded at the Republican convention in New York, that you and I were just both at. And yet from the Democrats, we've heard a lot of this kind of talk.
You know, you think a lesson might have been learned in August, that the American people really aren't interested in debating 35 years ago. There are people who want to speak up about this. They're free to do so. The president served honorably, was discharged honorably, and he's very much focus on defending his record and talking about the future.
HEMMER: Tucker Eskew, thanks for your time, in D.C., 55 days and counting...
ESKEW: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: ... on my counter. We'll talk again.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, my guest at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time, about 20 minutes from now. We'll talk to her on the Kerry camp then -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Turning our attention now to Russia. The country says it is ready to launch preemptive strikes on terrorist bases anywhere in the world. The announcement comes in the aftermath of a school hostage taking that ended with more than 300 people dead, and as new chilling video from inside the school is shown to the public.
Jill Dougherty is live now in Moscow.
Good morning, Jill.
Jill, what's the latest from there?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kelly, some of the most interesting and disturbing information is now coming from the prosecutor general of Russia, Vladimir Ustinov. He met with President Putin in the Kremlin today, and gave him a very detailed briefing of how that terrorist operation was carried out. He said that there were 32 terrorists. They met in a forest, and they took three cars and headed for the school. When they arrived there, he said they a very large amount of weapons and explosive devices.
And one very interesting point, he says there appears to be have dissension in the ranks of the terrorists. In fact, one of them questioned, why are we taking a school? And the head of the operation, who was called "the colonel," shot him dead. And then later, in order to strike fear into the hearts not only of the people who were being held hostage, but his own accomplices, he detonated a remote control device and blew up two of the women hostages who had explosives on their bodies.
And then he also said, on Friday, when we saw that horrible video of the explosion and then people running from that building, that explosion apparently was triggered accidentally. The terrorists, the prosecutor general says, were rearranging the bombs and one of them went off, sparking the others. That's which the fire broke out and that is when the people literally ran for a their lives, and many hundreds were killed.
Now, in other developments, the Russian government is offering a reward, $10 million for any information that might lead to the apprehension of warlord leader Shamil Basayev and also separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, both of them, the Russian government is implicating in this.
And then finally, as you mentioned, General Baluyevsky -- he's the head of the general staff -- saying Russia is prepared now to strike anywhere in the world to go after terrorists -- Kelly.
WALLACE: And, Jill, obviously, something that has really kind of captured the attention of the Russian public, that video that was shown to the Russian people yesterday. The video, I believe, taken by the hostage-takers themselves inside the school, showing moments before potentially the explosions and the shooting took place. What has been the reaction to this horrific video?
DOUGHERTY: Well, people are really stunned by it, because it is one thing to hear about this, but when you see these men in masks, with their weapons drawn, and mostly the poor people, the poor children, and mothers and parents who are sitting there, some of them with hands behind their backs, in that auditorium, it is petrifying.
WALLACE: Heartbreaking video, Jill. Jill covering a lot ground for us this morning in Moscow. Thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you. Jill Dougherty in Moscow this morning.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
HEMMER: There was controversy, and controversial calls may have knocked Serena Williams out of the U.S. Open tournament. Jennifer Capriati beat Williams, yesterday's quarterfinals, 2-6, 6-4 and 6-4. You see the call there. Williams lost a key game in the final set when the chair ump overruled a line call, awarding that point to Capriati. TV replay showed that and two other calls against Serena were wrong. She was angry, upset, but she took it in pretty good stride afterwards. Here is Serena Williams last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: I'm very angry and bitter. I'm extremely angry, bitter. I'm upset. I feel cheated.
And should I keep going?
I just feel robbed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Downright ticked off last night. She added that quote, "It kind of reminded me of the Wimbledon conspiracy against Venus, her sister." A judging mistake knocked Serena's sister, Venus, out Wimbledon. The chair ump was kicked out of that tournament. Which means Capriati continues.
And we've got a great one brewing here in Flushing Meadow.
WALLACE: Very exciting. Boy, Serena, was awfully easy going about some controversy.
HEMMER: To a degree, I would say, yes, yes it was quite evident how she felt. Not happy.
WALLACE: Absolutely.
Well, Serena may be coming out swinging, but the Bush/Cheney campaign, Bill, definitely coming out swinging against John Kerry yesterday, but the Democrats are fighting back. We'll talk to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
HEMMER: Also in a moment, getting the lights back on in Florida, this after Frances. Why is it taking longer in some areas than others, and how many people still affected by it? We'll look at that in a moment.
WALLACE: And as the U.S. death toll crosses a tragic milestone in Iraq, we'll talk to one man who worked alongside some of those lost, his moving stories and stirring photographs, all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: It is a grim milestone for the war in Iraq: more than 1,000 Americans have now died there since that conflict began 17 months ago. "Philadelphia Enquirer" photographer David Swanson now remembering 12 fallen Marines from Echo Company who died in a firefight last April. Swanson was embedded with that unit. What you're about to see this morning is part of his video tribute to their final days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID SWANSON, "PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER": I intended to be out there for maybe three or four days, and it turned into two weeks after the fighting started. The first night was a patrol. The second was a raid. The third day was a court and a knock (ph), and then this firefight happened.
HEMMER: This DVD that you produced is very strong.
SWANSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: To say the least.
On the first day of the firefight, you were actually injured, hit with a bullet.
What do you remember from that day?
SWANSON: We were just walking through a field. I was with Captain Royer (ph), and it was about 6:00 in the morning. Some shots were heard. I didn't know if it was us or them, and I thought the Marine behind me pulled my arm, and I realized I was hit. And we were taking small-arms fire, dove forward into a ditch, and spent the next 15 minutes there waiting out the firefight. Deuce, in front of me, he climbed on my back, started firing off on top of me. He was hit in the leg. The captain was hit in his helmet. A Marine, two behind me, broke his leg diving in a ditch, and we just crawled forward for about 100 yards until we got to safety.
HEMMER: What was their attitude as they went through this?
SWANSON: Get some. They wanted to get some. They're there to do their job. They were very gung ho.
HEMMER: Tell me about the photograph, private First Class Eric Ion (ph)?
SWANSON: Tuesday before was another firefight, and it had ended around 5:00 or 6:00 in the afternoon. Two Humvees were destroyed, and he got behind the wheel of the first one, had about two dozen bullet holes in it. Eight Marines died there, and he tried to get it started. Three days later, he was driving a seven ton truck over the same intersection, and an IED, a bomb went off, and jumped from the truck and was killed there.
HEMMER: There was also a photograph from Lieutenant John Rableski (ph), and you were walking through a neighborhood in Ramadi, and apparently he had an uneasy feeling about what was happened?
SWANSON: I spent a good 14, 15 hours with him, walking along their supply route. And we entered a bad section of Ramadi, and he said, keep alert here, they haven't come out to say hi to us, or the children weren't walking with us. And the next day, he was shot in the jaw at the same intersection that Ion died.
HEMMER: Since you've come back to the U.S., you went and visited his wife.
SWANSON: I did.
HEMMER: What did she say to you? Or what did you relate to her about what you could?
SWANSON: She is an amazing woman. He would always end his phone calls with, "I love you, babe," or something, and the last phone call, a few days before, he said, "I'll always be with you," and he died, and she knew it.
HEMMER: There's a photograph also, that shows a pair of glasses, eyeglasses on the desert floor. Tell me about those.
SWANSON: They belonged to Ryan Jeravik (ph). And I wanted to pick them up and take them home to his family, but I didn't. And when I got home, I visited the Jeraviks, flew to Green Bay, made it to the driveway and completely lost it. The father came out, put his arm around me, and just said, come in, come in and relax, let me take care of you.
HEMMER: So they were giving you comfort.
SWANSON: Yes.
HEMMER: They showed you strength, didn't they?
SWANSON: Yes.
HEMMER: How has this changed you? Can you say yet?
SWANSON: I don't think it's hit me yet, what I've gone through. And again, it's not 1,000 soldiers and Marine that have died. It's one, plus one, plus one, and all of the families that have been affected for their losses.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: David Swanson's DVD tribute is calmed "Echoes of War." Let's get a break here, back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Jack is on vacation, so time for the question of the day from Toure.
TOURE, "ROLLING STONE": Look at this beautiful shirt. This is a Toure shirt.
WALLACE: I told Bill, I was making sure I wouldn't clash with you.
(LAUGHTER)
WALLACE: We kind of coordinate today, though.
TOURE: Yes, we do, we do.
So the president wants to cut the number of debates from three to two. Whether he's scared or just trying to maximize his strengths, you can decide. Either way, presidential debating is a peculiar blood sport that makes me happy. It often makes all the difference. It's a mano a mano battle for the biggest job in the world, and sometimes the littlest things can make all the difference. In '84, the race was all but over when Reagan, referring to Mondale, said, "I won't use my opponents youth and inexperience against him."
In 2000, Gore completely fumbled when he continuously sighed during his second debate with then-Texas Governor Bush. This year's debates, whether there's three or two or none, are sure to produce great moments, and they're going to be great fun to watch.
HEMMER: Yes, they are. WALLACE: Yes.
TOURE: This is the best part of the whole political season.
HEMMER: Ratings killer.
WALLACE: I love it.
TOURE: Will they make the difference though? The Question of the Day: How important are the presidential debates in influencing your vote?
HEMMER: You know, Kelly said yesterday...
WALLACE: What did I say?
HEMMER: The first one that matters is sometimes the only one that matter.
TOURE: Is it the first one or the last one?
WALLACE: No, the first one, perceptions are formed, so people might getting their first real look at John Kerry versus President Bush, and...
HEMMER: And oftentimes, you get the biggest viewing audience, too, for the first one as well.
Heck with debates -- what happened with Serena Williams last night?
TOURE: Well, she got completely robbed. But here's the thing, it's not the calls. It's your emotional reaction and how you deal with that.
HEMMER: Well, I think that's understandable, though.
TOURE: Well, it's understandable, but you're a professional. (AUDIO GAP). Stay in the game.
HEMMER: Maybe it's the new outfit?
TOURE: The outfit looks great.
HEMMER: Thanks, Toure.
Back in a moment here. "90-Second Pop" on a Wednesday morning still to come this hour.
The Donald's back, and a new batch of power-hungry candidates, too. But his ex-wife Ivana may give him a run for his money.
Plus, there's a spat with a mobster's grandson, putting Paris Hilton, once again, back in the spotlight.
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Aired September 8, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. The campaign talk getting more fiery by the day. President Bush now saying John Kerry has flip-flopped to Howard Dean's position on Iraq.
And this morning, John Kerry gets his chance to respond.
Back from vacation, Congress moving fast on the 9/11 recommendations, in fact, considering each and every one of them.
And at the U.S. Open...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERENA WILLIAMS, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: I'm extremely angry. I am bitter. I just feel robbed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: There is controversy in the quarter finals. Serena Williams beat, and an umpire thrown out, and talk of a conspiracy, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: All right. It's 2:00 in the morning here in New York City.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: That's what it feels like.
HEMMER: I'm telling you. It's very dark outside.
WALLACE: Hello, look at the rain.
HEMMER: And the after-effects perhaps of Frances with us today. Kelly Wallace working with us. Soledad is out. So, too, is Heidi.
And we've got some microphone issues already today.
WALLACE: We do. It's going to be a...
HEMMER: That's a heck of a way to start.
WALLACE: It's going to be a jam-packed, fun, rock 'n' roll kind of morning.
Yes, exactly. Great.
Well, some of the other stories, Bill, we are following, continuing to look at what's going on in Russia. Russia says it is prepared now for preemptive strikes against terrorists anywhere in the world after the massacre in Beslan. Much more on that coming up, including reaction to some incredible video shot by the terrorists while inside that school.
HEMMER: Tough story.
Also the number of Americans killed in Iraq is now more than 1,000. In a few minutes, the courage and sacrifice these men and women have seen through the eyes of an embedded photographer. David Swanson took some incredible pictures there on the ground in Ramadi, came home with a deep bond with these troops. His story and their stories coming up today.
Jack is back with us. Toure's back in with us.
First of all, let's check with Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center, top stories there.
Daryn, good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, my friends in New York City.
An American soldier was killed earlier this morning in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad. This death brings the U.S. war toll to 1,003.
In Fallujah, smoke is rising above the city. U.S. forces there swooped down on suspected insurgent hideouts just hours ago. In 15 minutes, a glimpse at Iraq's frontline as a Philadelphia man remembers 12 fallen Marines.
President Bush is meeting this morning with key lawmakers from the intelligence community. They're expected to discuss some of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, including the creation of a post for intelligence, national intelligence director. That meeting is set to begin at the White House about two hours from right now.
Remnants of Hurricane Frances are pounding North Carolina this hour. Forecasters say the depression will cause some of the worst flooding in nearly a decade. Up to 10 inches of rain is expected to fall in western parts of the state.
In 10 minutes, the latest flood advisory with Chad Myers.
And finally, bringing some of the sun back to Earth. Later today, helicopters will try to snatch NASA's returning Genesis spacecraft over Utah. Genesis has been collecting particles that stream from the sun. CNN will have live coverage that of that dramatic retrieval. That's starting today at 12:15 p.m. Eastern.
For now, back to Bill in New York. HEMMER: Dramatic indeed.
Daryn, thanks for that.
Senator John Kerry will continue attacking President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq when he speaks in Cincinnati 2 1/2 hours from now. Both sides in the campaign lately turning up the heat as they clash over the issue. Ed Henry starts out this morning, live there in the queen city.
Ed, Good Morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
From the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, Senator Kerry's speech comes at a time when the jabs between he and President Bush are flying fast and furious. It grew so intense yesterday, that both Vice President Cheney and Senator John Edwards joined the action as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(APPLAUSE)
HENRY (voice-over): all for contenders slugged it out on the campaign trail, with the toughest punch thrown by Vice President Cheney. He suggested that victory by the Democratic ticket might invite another terrorist attack.
DICK CHENEY (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today on November 2nd we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint ever the United States, and that we'll fall back into the pre-9/11 mindset.
HENRY: That enraged senator John Edwards.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Dick Cheney's scare tactics today crossed the line. What he said to the American people, that if you go to the polls in November and elect anyone other than that and another terrorist attack occurs, it's your fault. This is un-American.
HENRY: The harsh exchange among the vice presidential candidates capped two days of sparring between John Kerry and President Bush over Iraq.
At a stop in North Carolina, Kerry charged that the president made a mess of the war.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, all of America is paying this price. Almost all of the casualties, the sons and daughters of American families.
HENRY: The president fired back in Missouri. He mocked Kerry's claim that Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Even used the same words Howard Dean did, back when he supposedly disagreed with him. Look, no matter how many time my opponent flip-flops, we were right to make America safer by removing Saddam Hussein from power.
(APPLAUSE)
HENRY: At his last stop of the day in Cincinnati, Kerry displayed a more somber tone.
KERRY: Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq: More than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have now given their lives on behalf of their country, on behalf of freedom in the war on terror.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: This is the very spot where President Bush made the case for war in October of 2002. Senator Kerry comes here this morning to charge that the president went to war without a plan to win the peace, and that that has shortchanged major domestic priorities back here in America -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ed Henry in Cincinnati.
Tucker Eskew is a senior adviser to the Bush campaign. He's my guest now in Washington.
And welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.
TUCKER ESKEW, SR. ADVISER TO BUSH CAMPAIGN: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: I want to get to four topics. I want to go through them quickly.
What did Dick Cheney mean yesterday when he said the wrong choice with John Kerry as president when it comes to fighting the war on terror?
ESKEW: Look, it's clear, Bill, that terrorists want to attack America, no matter which party controls the White House, so that's not the issue. The issue is how we deal with it. President Bush decided before the smoke had cleared that we were at war, and we had to go on offense, and we had to on offense on their turf, not our own ground. And Vice President Cheney highlighted the fact that Senator Kerry said in his convention speech he would respond in the attack. We don't need to respond. We need to act before we have to respond. That's the point he makes.
HEMMER: John Edwards says it's un-American using scare tactics. Your response?
ESKEW: No, it's none un-American. What we need to have is a forward-looking debate in this country. The vice president is underscoring some very troubling facts about Senator Kerry, who's been reluctant to call it a war. His own national security people prefer to use the word "struggle." And this is much more than a struggle. We're at war, and it's a very serious topic. The president vice president are, and I think the American people recognize, taking it very seriously.
HEMMER: Senator Kerry is set to make a very strong speech later today in Cincinnati, saying it's the wrong war at the wrong time, and it's time to make it right. How will the White House counter this speech today?
ESKEW: Well, Bill, you know, I think what's been troubling in this campaign is the number of positions John Kerry's taken. There are people who disagree with President Bush's leadership, the decisions he made to not accept the word of a madman and to attack a threat before it fully materialized. That's a decision he made, and he stood by it. Unfortunately, Senator Kerry has made decisions and then changed them. He's flip-flopped a great deal. Today's speech may move over into double digits the number of positions that he's had in the war on Iraq.
HEMMER: Next issue, debates. There's a report today in "The Washington Post" that says the White House right now does not want to have the debate, possibly, in Missouri, which is the middle of the three right now on the schedule. Is that the case? Is the White House backing away from that commitment, or possibility of that debate?
ESKEW: No. We've named a debate team, headed by former Secretary James Baker, a very skilled negotiator, and there's a tremendous team of people, very close to the president, lined up to help put the debates together. We're going to have debates.
We started, really, a serious debate in this country, not just about the president's record, and not just about the fact the Democrats refused to really discuss John Kerry's record, but also about visions for the future, which our convention was about; their convention really ignored.
So I think there's already a debate underway. We're going to have debates, and I don't think we'll be negotiating it on television or in the newspaper much, but they'll be debates, and we look forward to them.
HEMMER: Two or three, Tucker?
ESKEW: Two or three? I don't know the number, Bill. I think they'll be certainly more than one, and certain less than eight, that Senator Kerry had in his last campaign.
HEMMER: All right, next topic here for me, the Bush records, National Guard duty back in the earl '70s. Apparently a number of news organizations are going back to this issue yet again, and they are saying now, reporting, that President Bush fell well short of meeting his military obligations. The White House responds to this how now, Tucker?
ESKEW: Bill, the president served honorably and was discharged honorably. The president has made a point of underscoring that Senator Kerry served honorably. In fact, Senator Kerry was applauded at the Republican convention in New York, that you and I were just both at. And yet from the Democrats, we've heard a lot of this kind of talk.
You know, you think a lesson might have been learned in August, that the American people really aren't interested in debating 35 years ago. There are people who want to speak up about this. They're free to do so. The president served honorably, was discharged honorably, and he's very much focus on defending his record and talking about the future.
HEMMER: Tucker Eskew, thanks for your time, in D.C., 55 days and counting...
ESKEW: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: ... on my counter. We'll talk again.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, my guest at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time, about 20 minutes from now. We'll talk to her on the Kerry camp then -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Turning our attention now to Russia. The country says it is ready to launch preemptive strikes on terrorist bases anywhere in the world. The announcement comes in the aftermath of a school hostage taking that ended with more than 300 people dead, and as new chilling video from inside the school is shown to the public.
Jill Dougherty is live now in Moscow.
Good morning, Jill.
Jill, what's the latest from there?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kelly, some of the most interesting and disturbing information is now coming from the prosecutor general of Russia, Vladimir Ustinov. He met with President Putin in the Kremlin today, and gave him a very detailed briefing of how that terrorist operation was carried out. He said that there were 32 terrorists. They met in a forest, and they took three cars and headed for the school. When they arrived there, he said they a very large amount of weapons and explosive devices.
And one very interesting point, he says there appears to be have dissension in the ranks of the terrorists. In fact, one of them questioned, why are we taking a school? And the head of the operation, who was called "the colonel," shot him dead. And then later, in order to strike fear into the hearts not only of the people who were being held hostage, but his own accomplices, he detonated a remote control device and blew up two of the women hostages who had explosives on their bodies.
And then he also said, on Friday, when we saw that horrible video of the explosion and then people running from that building, that explosion apparently was triggered accidentally. The terrorists, the prosecutor general says, were rearranging the bombs and one of them went off, sparking the others. That's which the fire broke out and that is when the people literally ran for a their lives, and many hundreds were killed.
Now, in other developments, the Russian government is offering a reward, $10 million for any information that might lead to the apprehension of warlord leader Shamil Basayev and also separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, both of them, the Russian government is implicating in this.
And then finally, as you mentioned, General Baluyevsky -- he's the head of the general staff -- saying Russia is prepared now to strike anywhere in the world to go after terrorists -- Kelly.
WALLACE: And, Jill, obviously, something that has really kind of captured the attention of the Russian public, that video that was shown to the Russian people yesterday. The video, I believe, taken by the hostage-takers themselves inside the school, showing moments before potentially the explosions and the shooting took place. What has been the reaction to this horrific video?
DOUGHERTY: Well, people are really stunned by it, because it is one thing to hear about this, but when you see these men in masks, with their weapons drawn, and mostly the poor people, the poor children, and mothers and parents who are sitting there, some of them with hands behind their backs, in that auditorium, it is petrifying.
WALLACE: Heartbreaking video, Jill. Jill covering a lot ground for us this morning in Moscow. Thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you. Jill Dougherty in Moscow this morning.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
HEMMER: There was controversy, and controversial calls may have knocked Serena Williams out of the U.S. Open tournament. Jennifer Capriati beat Williams, yesterday's quarterfinals, 2-6, 6-4 and 6-4. You see the call there. Williams lost a key game in the final set when the chair ump overruled a line call, awarding that point to Capriati. TV replay showed that and two other calls against Serena were wrong. She was angry, upset, but she took it in pretty good stride afterwards. Here is Serena Williams last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: I'm very angry and bitter. I'm extremely angry, bitter. I'm upset. I feel cheated.
And should I keep going?
I just feel robbed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Downright ticked off last night. She added that quote, "It kind of reminded me of the Wimbledon conspiracy against Venus, her sister." A judging mistake knocked Serena's sister, Venus, out Wimbledon. The chair ump was kicked out of that tournament. Which means Capriati continues.
And we've got a great one brewing here in Flushing Meadow.
WALLACE: Very exciting. Boy, Serena, was awfully easy going about some controversy.
HEMMER: To a degree, I would say, yes, yes it was quite evident how she felt. Not happy.
WALLACE: Absolutely.
Well, Serena may be coming out swinging, but the Bush/Cheney campaign, Bill, definitely coming out swinging against John Kerry yesterday, but the Democrats are fighting back. We'll talk to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
HEMMER: Also in a moment, getting the lights back on in Florida, this after Frances. Why is it taking longer in some areas than others, and how many people still affected by it? We'll look at that in a moment.
WALLACE: And as the U.S. death toll crosses a tragic milestone in Iraq, we'll talk to one man who worked alongside some of those lost, his moving stories and stirring photographs, all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: It is a grim milestone for the war in Iraq: more than 1,000 Americans have now died there since that conflict began 17 months ago. "Philadelphia Enquirer" photographer David Swanson now remembering 12 fallen Marines from Echo Company who died in a firefight last April. Swanson was embedded with that unit. What you're about to see this morning is part of his video tribute to their final days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID SWANSON, "PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER": I intended to be out there for maybe three or four days, and it turned into two weeks after the fighting started. The first night was a patrol. The second was a raid. The third day was a court and a knock (ph), and then this firefight happened.
HEMMER: This DVD that you produced is very strong.
SWANSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: To say the least.
On the first day of the firefight, you were actually injured, hit with a bullet.
What do you remember from that day?
SWANSON: We were just walking through a field. I was with Captain Royer (ph), and it was about 6:00 in the morning. Some shots were heard. I didn't know if it was us or them, and I thought the Marine behind me pulled my arm, and I realized I was hit. And we were taking small-arms fire, dove forward into a ditch, and spent the next 15 minutes there waiting out the firefight. Deuce, in front of me, he climbed on my back, started firing off on top of me. He was hit in the leg. The captain was hit in his helmet. A Marine, two behind me, broke his leg diving in a ditch, and we just crawled forward for about 100 yards until we got to safety.
HEMMER: What was their attitude as they went through this?
SWANSON: Get some. They wanted to get some. They're there to do their job. They were very gung ho.
HEMMER: Tell me about the photograph, private First Class Eric Ion (ph)?
SWANSON: Tuesday before was another firefight, and it had ended around 5:00 or 6:00 in the afternoon. Two Humvees were destroyed, and he got behind the wheel of the first one, had about two dozen bullet holes in it. Eight Marines died there, and he tried to get it started. Three days later, he was driving a seven ton truck over the same intersection, and an IED, a bomb went off, and jumped from the truck and was killed there.
HEMMER: There was also a photograph from Lieutenant John Rableski (ph), and you were walking through a neighborhood in Ramadi, and apparently he had an uneasy feeling about what was happened?
SWANSON: I spent a good 14, 15 hours with him, walking along their supply route. And we entered a bad section of Ramadi, and he said, keep alert here, they haven't come out to say hi to us, or the children weren't walking with us. And the next day, he was shot in the jaw at the same intersection that Ion died.
HEMMER: Since you've come back to the U.S., you went and visited his wife.
SWANSON: I did.
HEMMER: What did she say to you? Or what did you relate to her about what you could?
SWANSON: She is an amazing woman. He would always end his phone calls with, "I love you, babe," or something, and the last phone call, a few days before, he said, "I'll always be with you," and he died, and she knew it.
HEMMER: There's a photograph also, that shows a pair of glasses, eyeglasses on the desert floor. Tell me about those.
SWANSON: They belonged to Ryan Jeravik (ph). And I wanted to pick them up and take them home to his family, but I didn't. And when I got home, I visited the Jeraviks, flew to Green Bay, made it to the driveway and completely lost it. The father came out, put his arm around me, and just said, come in, come in and relax, let me take care of you.
HEMMER: So they were giving you comfort.
SWANSON: Yes.
HEMMER: They showed you strength, didn't they?
SWANSON: Yes.
HEMMER: How has this changed you? Can you say yet?
SWANSON: I don't think it's hit me yet, what I've gone through. And again, it's not 1,000 soldiers and Marine that have died. It's one, plus one, plus one, and all of the families that have been affected for their losses.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: David Swanson's DVD tribute is calmed "Echoes of War." Let's get a break here, back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Jack is on vacation, so time for the question of the day from Toure.
TOURE, "ROLLING STONE": Look at this beautiful shirt. This is a Toure shirt.
WALLACE: I told Bill, I was making sure I wouldn't clash with you.
(LAUGHTER)
WALLACE: We kind of coordinate today, though.
TOURE: Yes, we do, we do.
So the president wants to cut the number of debates from three to two. Whether he's scared or just trying to maximize his strengths, you can decide. Either way, presidential debating is a peculiar blood sport that makes me happy. It often makes all the difference. It's a mano a mano battle for the biggest job in the world, and sometimes the littlest things can make all the difference. In '84, the race was all but over when Reagan, referring to Mondale, said, "I won't use my opponents youth and inexperience against him."
In 2000, Gore completely fumbled when he continuously sighed during his second debate with then-Texas Governor Bush. This year's debates, whether there's three or two or none, are sure to produce great moments, and they're going to be great fun to watch.
HEMMER: Yes, they are. WALLACE: Yes.
TOURE: This is the best part of the whole political season.
HEMMER: Ratings killer.
WALLACE: I love it.
TOURE: Will they make the difference though? The Question of the Day: How important are the presidential debates in influencing your vote?
HEMMER: You know, Kelly said yesterday...
WALLACE: What did I say?
HEMMER: The first one that matters is sometimes the only one that matter.
TOURE: Is it the first one or the last one?
WALLACE: No, the first one, perceptions are formed, so people might getting their first real look at John Kerry versus President Bush, and...
HEMMER: And oftentimes, you get the biggest viewing audience, too, for the first one as well.
Heck with debates -- what happened with Serena Williams last night?
TOURE: Well, she got completely robbed. But here's the thing, it's not the calls. It's your emotional reaction and how you deal with that.
HEMMER: Well, I think that's understandable, though.
TOURE: Well, it's understandable, but you're a professional. (AUDIO GAP). Stay in the game.
HEMMER: Maybe it's the new outfit?
TOURE: The outfit looks great.
HEMMER: Thanks, Toure.
Back in a moment here. "90-Second Pop" on a Wednesday morning still to come this hour.
The Donald's back, and a new batch of power-hungry candidates, too. But his ex-wife Ivana may give him a run for his money.
Plus, there's a spat with a mobster's grandson, putting Paris Hilton, once again, back in the spotlight.
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