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American Morning
Ivan's Devastation; Presidential Horse Race
Aired September 17, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Now the stunning aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. In state after state, residents now cleaning up their shattered lives and fighting back the water.
Then there's the gator we mentioned today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is about feet and weights anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. It can pull you down, drown you, and swallow you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Zoos can flood, too. And that means Chuckie is on the loose today.
And the storms just keep coming. Now Karl joining Jeanne in the Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, from Iraq today, terror back in the streets today. A car bomb killing police and civilians there.
And the Michael Jackson matter cranking back up. The pop star expected back in court today on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING. Here's Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Good morning again, everyone. Eight o'clock local time here in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
What you're looking at now is a live picture just near Pensacola, Florida. One of the more significant stories out of the storm, Interstate 10 broken down, damaged by Hurricane Ivan. Traffic is stopped in both directions. There is no access in or out of that part of the Panhandle. And that gives you just a small indication of the power and the force of this hurricane.
Max Mayfield at the Hurricane Center yesterday said, "If you see destruction like that along the coast, you can only imagine what happens when the storm moves inland." And back here in Gulf Shores, 10, 20, even 30 years from now, people here will be talking about Hurricane Ivan. And if you look around you will see why.
Ivan's center came ashore here yesterday about 26 hours ago as a Category 3 hurricane, just a tip below Category 4 strength. Winds topping out at 130 miles an hour, and damage is everywhere. The swath of destruction stretches clear over the Florida Panhandle, east of where we are today. And Ivan today still a tropical depression.
Tennessee, up to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, later New York, dumping rain throughout the East today, sometimes with rain as much as seven inches in parts of Pennsylvania. Flooding beginning there and, by all accounts, it may only get worse as we go throughout the weekend.
The death toll now from Ivan at 13 today. Fatalities in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Still almost two million in the area without power.
We are literally standing in the middle of the highway today. This is Highway 59. Behind me is the access road that takes you out to Pleasure Island.
You can't go there. Police won't let you. Neither will the National Guard. They sealed off the area, this 12-mile stretch of land. There are townhomes there, large high-rise condominiums. Some homes upwards of $2 million.
It is the best real estate in the entire state of Alabama when it comes to the Gulf Coast, and there is a lot of concern today from the residents who cleared out of there. They can't get back yet, and there's a lot of concern about what is left for them. Ivan is gone, obviously, but the questions remain again today.
As our coverage continues from here in Alabama, want to get to Heidi Collins again in New York City also.
And Heidi, good morning to you back there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, a little ironic now, too, the name of that area, Pleasure Island. Boy. We'll check in with you a little bit later on, Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, so true.
COLLINS: Thanks so much.
Some of the other stories we are following this morning as well, something strange going on in the election polls. Two new sets of numbers are out and they show vastly different pictures from a blowout on one to a dead heat on the other. Kind of strange. So, we're going to look at that coming up a little bit later on.
Right now, though, we are going to talk to Jack Cafferty.
Good morning again.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
"Rolling Stone" Magazine is out with this week's issue suggesting that Elvis Presley get credit for the birth of rock 'n' roll. It's the 50th anniversary, more or less, of the birth of that art form. And a lot of black singers are saying that maybe that's not accurate, that some of the early rhythm and blues black artists ought to get credit, people like Big Mama Thornton and some of the ones that did some of it.
But the music then was played only on black radio stations. What Elvis did was got the music exposed on white radio. And he gets a lot of the credit. But the music probably belongs in the black community.
In conjunction with that -- so that's the "Question of the Day," who gets the credit? I don't know the answer to that. But I know the answer to this: in conjunction with doing this, this morning, we tried to put a little music on the air. We were going to play some of Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" for you, but we couldn't get it on to -- on to the air.
COLLINS: So, you're going to sing it.
CAFFERTY: So, the question was posed, what is tougher in life than being a television producer? I was asked this by Wil Surratt, who is our executive producer here on AMERICAN MORNING, and the answer, Wil, is putting up with them.
COLLINS: Oh, boy. Is this where I'm supposed to go on and do some news? OK.
CAFFERTY: Nothing coming in here.
COLLINS: They're screaming at me now.
CAFFERTY: They're screaming at you?
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: Yes. They're saying, "Shut him up." OK.
CAFFERTY: Like to share a little behind the scenes, you know, a little look inside here of what we do.
COLLINS: Jack Cafferty this morning, ladies and gentlemen. We'll check with you again in a little bit.
CAFFERTY: Record players invented a long time ago. Edison? Remember the phonograph, you turn the crank, you put the little thing on? Music comes out of it.
COLLINS: I have no control. This is why we have producers.
CAFFERTY: I'll see you later.
COLLINS: All right. Want to check on the stories now in the -- in the news, that is.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country is preparing to act preventively against terrorists. Putin reiterated the actions would be in accordance with the Russian constitution, as well as international law. The comments come on the heels of Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev, who claims that his group was responsible for recent terror attacks in Russia.
Police in Baghdad are clearing debris from this morning's powerful blast there. Officials say a suicide car bomb blew up at an Iraqi checkpoint, killing at least eight people, wounding dozens of others.
Also in Baghdad, officials are awaiting word this morning on the fate of two seized Americans and a British national. The men are employed by a firm based in the Middle East.
To the campaign trail now. President Bush is meeting with supporters in D.C. this morning. This afternoon he'll focus on women's issues at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry at a rally in New Mexico at this hour. He'll be in Colorado this afternoon. And in 15 minutes from now, CNN political analyst Carlos Watson tells us where the candidates stand in the polls. It might be a tougher thing to explain than you might think.
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson will come face to face today with the mother of the boy he is accused of molesting. This is the first time the two will see each other since the allegations were made public. Today's pretrial hearing is set to get under way in just about two hours from now.
Time now to go back to Bill, standing by in Gulf Shores, Alabama -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.
About 27 hours ago, where we're standing, is where the eye came ashore here. We're in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And really, Heidi, if you go up and down this road, Highway 59, you can see the evidence of this storm. That evidence is just about everywhere again today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): It is hard to miss the mark of Ivan. The cleanup's just beginning, and so are the stories.
MARTINA HOWARD, GULF SHORES RESIDENT: It is as noisy as it can be. The house is shaking, the doors are shaking, the windows are shaking. You know, the noise was just tremendous.
HEMMER: People here will get used to this sound. Dr. Lyle Cooper is already trying to get his practice up and running, but he admits it may take weeks.
(on camera): How long will it take now for you to get this place up and running again?
DR. LYLE COOPER, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: I hope we'll be back in a week or two. Hopefully we'll get some electricity, some power back. I don't know about the water. I haven't checked anything to see if that's working yet.
HEMMER (voice-over): For miles along state Route 59, giant trees that stood the test of time could not pass the test of nature. Twisted metal clings to gasoline pumps. Businesses and stores have been cut in half.
(on camera): This storm was so strong, even businesses that took precautions completely wet. This is a tax store and a phone store.
Also, there's a supermarket here. The brick wall here is down, and if you look down this aisle, you can see the roof is gone, too.
(voice-over): And in some areas, there is a new landscape. Here in Gulf Shores, this overflowing lagoon has sliced a river's path across a highway. Just beyond, a stretch of beachfront property is cut off. But the mayor is not panicking.
MAYOR DAVID BODENHAMER, GULF SHORES, ALABAMA: Well, you know, this is not our first rodeo. But unfortunately, you know, it's the biggest one we've ever had. And we certainly are sympathetic with everybody north of us that experienced this. I mean, it was bad for us. We know it's bad for a lot of other people.
HEMMER: Late Thursday, the Alabama National Guard rolled out to help with security and with cleanup. That's welcome news to those who live here and who lived through it.
DAVID PELECHAK, GULF SHORES CITY WORKER: It was a little scary, a little scary. I mean, we were doing some work, and it was so calm you could light a cigarette.
HEMMER: Yes, the stories are just beginning now that Ivan has gone away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (on camera): Jim Walker is Alabama's director of homeland security. He's my guest now live in Clanton, Alabama.
Sir, thank you again for your time today. It was about yesterday when we talked about the storm. Today, 24 hours later, what part of your state took the biggest brunt of Ivan?
JIM WALKER, ALABAMA DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, the coastal areas where you are have taken the biggest hit. But there's not a single part of Alabama that is unaffected by this storm. And we're waiting for the last remnants to move out of the northeastern corner of our state right now.
HEMMER: Pleasure Island is the area behind us. We can't get access to it. Perhaps later today, or even in the weekend -- in fact, we don't get many reports, too, about the damage there. What can you say about what's happening on Pleasure Island, sir?
WALKER: Well, the devastation and destruction down in south Baldwin County, along the coast, as you know, is tremendous. Governor Bob Riley and our congressional delegation and some leaders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington will be touring that area here this morning. And we'll get a better assessment.
You know, the federal partners have been great. This entire effort, from a state standpoint, we were early in the decision-making. We haven't reported any loss of life until early this morning. I think we lost a volunteer firefighter up in northwest Alabama. So, that just reflects how much of your state has been affected by Hurricane Ivan.
HEMMER: The president's coming here this weekend. What does he need to know about your effort today?
WALKER: Well, he needs to know that now the onerous, tough work begins, and that is cleaning up and getting on with our lives. It's going to take quite some time.
You know, we still have over a million residents without electric power. They may not have it for days. And so, it's going to take us awhile to get through this. We just have to have patience, be good neighbors and remember the awesome power of prayer.
HEMMER: The awesome power, indeed. Jim Walker, thank you for your time in Clanton, Alabama.
WALKER: Thank you.
HEMMER: And again, the president makes his way certainly, sir, here in Alabama, and also in the Panhandle for Florida over the weekend.
I want to get to the Panhandle right now. Pensacola hard-hit, too. In the early stage of the storm, too, tornadoes touching down, fatalities in the wake of Ivan. Chris Lawrence is there again this morning.
Chris, good morning there.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good morning, Bill.
Unfortunately, not a lot's changed from yesterday. Power is still out, so is the water. And a lot of local hospitals are working around some pretty extensive damage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): As bad as its looks the day after, living through Ivan was that much worse. Doctors and nurses at this Pensacola hospital are still shocked at how hard this storm hit them.
BARBARA TILSON, NURSE: I lived through Opal here with the hospital. And it was nothing compared to what it was like this time. Nothing.
LAWRENCE: When the hurricane hit, the hospital was cut off for hours. TILSON: We had patients in many rooms, and they were quadriplegics and patients that couldn't move themselves. And worrying whether or not they would blow out the window or -- I know that sounds crazy, but you're scared when you're on the second floor like that and the windows are breaking.
SUSANNE DEATON, HOSPITAL SUPERVISOR: So, we started getting rain in and wind, and so we had to get the patients on out into the hallway.
DEBY VARNEDOE, NURSE: And even though we were scared and terrified of what was going on, we tried not to let the staff know that we felt that, even though they could hear everything, glass breaking and windows popping open and flooding. We tried not to let them realize how scared we was.
TILSON: That fear is gone. But for nurse Deby Varnedoe it's only been replaced by anxiety.
VARNEDOE: A lot of us don't even know if we have homes to go to.
LAWRENCE: She's obviously hoping for the best in a home that looks nothing like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (on camera): Now, homes aren't the only things damaged. Just to keep things in perspective, you're looking live at Interstate 10 over Escambia Bay.
The hurricane destroyed an entire section of the bridge. And you can see the back half of a truck stopped near the edge of that break. The cab of the truck and its driver are missing, and police say there is an oil slick in the water at the base of that break.
The divers have been out searching for that driver. But so far, with all that debris in the water, they've only been able to see about five feet down -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wow. Chris, thanks. Chris Lawrence east of here in Pensacola, Florida.
And we talk about the story being a story for Alabama and Florida. But when Ivan came ashore yesterday, moved up into Georgia and Tennessee, and now headed for the northeast, it's really affecting millions and millions of people east of the Mississippi.
For more on that part of the story, back to Heidi now in New York -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And I'll tell you what, seeing that bridge on the front page of so many newspapers this morning, really wondering what had happened to the driver. So, hopefully we'll get some more information on that.
HEMMER: Yes. COLLINS: Bill, thanks so much.
The remnants of what was Hurricane Ivan are punishing parts of the East Coast this hour. In North Carolina now, rescue crews used emergency ropes to help trapped residents escape their homes and cross dangerous fast-moving floodwaters like this. Parts of Georgia also under water as Ivan moved through, downing power lines, snapping trees just like toothpicks.
Want to check on that weather now. Chad Myers is the man to do that at the CNN Center with the very latest forecast.
Good morning once again, Chad. Amazing how much water comes afterwards.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly, Heidi. And this thing is not moving very fast now. And it's actually forecast to stop, make kind of a right-hand turn and possibly make a U-turn and go west.
So, this is going to rain now for days across some of this area. I mean, we're talking about 24 hour rainfall totals.
Here's the rain coming down right now. Rainfall totals now from our Viper system here with the reds and yellows. Everywhere that you see a yellow it's three inches or more.
We can zoom in to a couple spots here. Some of these spots, especially around Atlanta, four inches or more.
Farther to the North now, not that far from Chattanooga, eight- inch bull's eyes there. Back up now into Kentucky, just to the west of London, just to the west of the I-75, eight inches there. And now it's still raining in this spot, and it's obviously still raining in Cincinnati and Columbus.
And there you see the 1.5, two, 2.5 inch rainfall totals. And again, everywhere that you see the yellow that is three inches or more. Still raining in a lot of those spots, and it's going to be raining for at least another 24 hours or more.
And then we have this to look forward to: Tropical Storm Jeanne. It was a hurricane but lost a little bit of energy as it ran over the Dominican Republic. Good for us, bad for them.
Certainly flooding and even mudslides going on there. The official forecast, though, does take it through the Bahamas, like they need another storm, and then it gets here on Tuesday morning, and the official forecast turns it left back into you know where.
I hope it turns right. We'll have to keep watching it, though.
COLLINS: You and a lot of other people. Boy, that's for sure. Chad Myers, thanks so much for that.
MYERS: You're welcome. COLLINS: Still to come this morning, is the presidential race getting tighter? We're going to look at some new numbers this morning. Some of them kind of confusing.
And getting relief to those who need it. We will hear from the director of FEMA about recovery efforts.
And Ivan's wrath hit a zoo, as well. And the search is on for missing alligators.
It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: In the home stretch of what appears to be a presidential horse race, both campaigns are hitting pretty hard. Senator John Kerry yesterday attacked President Bush's Iraq policy and his credibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe you deserve a president who isn't going to gild that truth or gild our national security with politics, who is not going to ignore his own intelligence, who isn't going to live in a different world of spin, who will give the American people the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Vice President Cheney, though, was very quick to respond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, while speaking to the National Guard Association meeting down in Las Vegas, John Kerry said that our troops deserve no less than the best. But I am stunned by the audacity of that statement since Senator Kerry voted to send the troops into combat and then denied them the support they needed once they were at war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Joining us now from Los Angeles, CNN political analyst Carlos Watson.
Carlos, boy, two very different views on the Iraq war. What do you make of it?
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Iraq is reemerging as a major issue in the campaign. You remember it's been overshadowed recently, Heidi, by both the economy and by the issue of terrorism. But we're seeing both sides dig in to the issue, an issue which right now favors the president by about 12 points.
COLLINS: Well, let's talk about some of those polls. A new one now, a national poll, showing that the race for president is actually tightening. Want to get to the Pew poll first, if we could.
It shows a virtual tie between President Bush and John Kerry. You see those numbers there.
And then, on the Gallup poll, it gives the president a 13-point lead among likely voters, an eight-point lead among registered voters. So, what's the deal?
WATSON: One is zigging and the other's zagging.
COLLINS: That's for sure.
WATSON: Most of the recent polls actually show the race tightening. Most of the polls show that in August the race was close, early August, that the president got a nice little lead coming out of the convention in early September. But now, in mid-September, most of the polls show a tightening again.
I think what may be more important, Heidi, frankly, than these national polls, are some of the individual state polls. Because when all is said and done, we're going to focus on those key swing states.
COLLINS: Of course we are. In fact, let's talk about that now.
At least 17 swing states that we have a list of here to show everybody, including now Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and Ohio. You say, though, that some of those states are actually no longer battlegrounds. Why? And then which ones, so we understand what's happened here.
WATSON: Well, you look at a couple things, Heidi. Number one, when you look at recent polls in some of these states, and number two, when you look at how active each of the campaigns are, you get a sense of whether or not some of these states are still up for grabs, or whether or not the campaigns think they're not.
States like Maine on the East Coast, and the state of Washington, on the West Coast, now seem to be leaning towards John Kerry. And indeed, both of those are states that Al Gore carried by five percentage points or better four years ago.
On the other hand, states like Arizona, states like Arkansas, and perhaps even the bellwether state of Missouri all seem to be leaning towards the president. And there seems to be a sense that John Kerry is not competing as aggressively in those three states. Although, at least in Arizona he sent John Edwards there on Monday.
COLLINS: All right. So, you say that even though some of these states -- or swing states, I should say -- might be shrinking, there are other states that could jump on board and become swing states. Which ones are those? I think something about Minnesota here, right?
WATSON: Minnesota is already there. In fact, Minnesota is a state that hasn't voted I guess since 1972, hasn't voted for a Republican.
COLLINS: Right.
WATSON: But this time around there's some real hope on the part of the Bush-Cheney team. But some of the states that are not on our list of 17, or even on our revised list of 12, our so-called dirty dozen, are states like North Carolina, John Edwards' home state, that potentially could more firmly jump on in the final days. Another state to think about, Heidi, is a place you know well, Colorado.
COLLINS: Yes. Eight electoral votes there.
WATSON: Yes. Yes. Well, Colorado is an interesting place because there's a very competitive U.S. Senate race, and there also may be some interesting ballot initiatives, all of which could play a role.
And then last but not least, you could end up with a strange one, Heidi, somewhere like New Jersey. Somewhere that seems really dedicated one way or another, in this case Democratic, but in the last couple days the other side may say, "Hey, we've got a shot, the polls show us within single digits. Let's spend a little bit more money there."
COLLINS: And I just moved there yesterday. Maybe it's just all about me.
WATSON: Hey, the Heidi Collins story. I like it.
COLLINS: Yes, very, very unlikely. All right. Carlos Watson, thanks so much for breaking it all down for us. Certainly appreciate it.
WATSON: Good to see you.
COLLINS: And want to let you know, all next week, AMERICAN MORNING is sticking to the campaign issues. We begin a five-part series Monday called "Promises, Promises," which delves into the real issues affecting you and whether the candidates can turn their promises into reality.
Our first topic: terrorism and keeping America safe. Again, that series begins Monday right here on AMERICAN MORNING, 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
Meanwhile, still to come this morning, getting help to the areas hardest hit by Ivan. We'll talk with the director of Federal Emergency Management Agency about the recovery efforts.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAFFERTY: Who knows these things?
COLLINS: Jack -- back with Jack now and the "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: I'm surprised they let me come back on the air.
"Rolling Stone" Magazine, which really ought to know better, is out with this allegation in their issue commemorating the 50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll that all the credit for the birth of the art form belongs to Elvis Presley. And there's some black artists, like Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson, who are saying that's absolutely not true. And I think they're right.
They say, without people like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, that Elvis might have wound up a country singer. What Elvis did was get the music exposed on white radio, and thus to a white audience. And so, that -- that's probably his contribution. And Elvis would tell you when he was a kid in Tupelo he spent all his time hanging out in black joints that played jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel music on Sunday in the churches, and he learned his style from the black artists of his day.
So, Hugh writes from Eden, Canada: "Credit? From the music I hear my grandkids playing, the question is who deserves the blame for the birth of rock 'n' roll?"
Joshua writes in Savannah, Georgia: "If you listen to 'Move It On Over' by Hank Williams, along with several of his other early recordings, you'll find the birth of rock 'n' roll."
It's pretty interesting. Actually, some of the early Hank Williams recordings are pretty close to some of that stuff.
COLLINS: "Positas (ph)."
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
COLLINS: "Positas (ph)."
CAFFERTY: Well, that was his kid, right? But this is the old man.
COLLINS: This is the older guy. Got you.
CAFFERTY: Yes, "Move It On Over," that was recorded probably in 1949 or '50, something like that.
Loren in Illinois: "Rock 'n' roll does not belong to any one person or race. It's a type of music that a lot of people like. Let's just call it American and stop crying about who owns or invented or copied it. Put the top down, turn the volume up and enjoy it."
And Richard in Ruston, Louisiana: "I asked my wife if she cared who got credit for starting rock 'n' roll. She said, 'No.' I asked her if she minded if I took credit for it. She said, 'No.' But she said that was very thoughtful of me to do that."
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thank you so much, Jack. Very succinct and to the point. CAFFERTY: Only one more.
Did you hear about the alligator that got out of the zoo and...
COLLINS: I did hear about it. Thank you so much now.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
COLLINS: Still ahead this morning, a different topic to discuss. New details, in fact, this morning about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
And you heard it from Jack first, alligators on the loose in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. Not a comforting thought.
It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired September 17, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Now the stunning aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. In state after state, residents now cleaning up their shattered lives and fighting back the water.
Then there's the gator we mentioned today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is about feet and weights anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. It can pull you down, drown you, and swallow you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Zoos can flood, too. And that means Chuckie is on the loose today.
And the storms just keep coming. Now Karl joining Jeanne in the Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, from Iraq today, terror back in the streets today. A car bomb killing police and civilians there.
And the Michael Jackson matter cranking back up. The pop star expected back in court today on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING. Here's Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Good morning again, everyone. Eight o'clock local time here in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
What you're looking at now is a live picture just near Pensacola, Florida. One of the more significant stories out of the storm, Interstate 10 broken down, damaged by Hurricane Ivan. Traffic is stopped in both directions. There is no access in or out of that part of the Panhandle. And that gives you just a small indication of the power and the force of this hurricane.
Max Mayfield at the Hurricane Center yesterday said, "If you see destruction like that along the coast, you can only imagine what happens when the storm moves inland." And back here in Gulf Shores, 10, 20, even 30 years from now, people here will be talking about Hurricane Ivan. And if you look around you will see why.
Ivan's center came ashore here yesterday about 26 hours ago as a Category 3 hurricane, just a tip below Category 4 strength. Winds topping out at 130 miles an hour, and damage is everywhere. The swath of destruction stretches clear over the Florida Panhandle, east of where we are today. And Ivan today still a tropical depression.
Tennessee, up to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, later New York, dumping rain throughout the East today, sometimes with rain as much as seven inches in parts of Pennsylvania. Flooding beginning there and, by all accounts, it may only get worse as we go throughout the weekend.
The death toll now from Ivan at 13 today. Fatalities in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Still almost two million in the area without power.
We are literally standing in the middle of the highway today. This is Highway 59. Behind me is the access road that takes you out to Pleasure Island.
You can't go there. Police won't let you. Neither will the National Guard. They sealed off the area, this 12-mile stretch of land. There are townhomes there, large high-rise condominiums. Some homes upwards of $2 million.
It is the best real estate in the entire state of Alabama when it comes to the Gulf Coast, and there is a lot of concern today from the residents who cleared out of there. They can't get back yet, and there's a lot of concern about what is left for them. Ivan is gone, obviously, but the questions remain again today.
As our coverage continues from here in Alabama, want to get to Heidi Collins again in New York City also.
And Heidi, good morning to you back there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, a little ironic now, too, the name of that area, Pleasure Island. Boy. We'll check in with you a little bit later on, Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, so true.
COLLINS: Thanks so much.
Some of the other stories we are following this morning as well, something strange going on in the election polls. Two new sets of numbers are out and they show vastly different pictures from a blowout on one to a dead heat on the other. Kind of strange. So, we're going to look at that coming up a little bit later on.
Right now, though, we are going to talk to Jack Cafferty.
Good morning again.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
"Rolling Stone" Magazine is out with this week's issue suggesting that Elvis Presley get credit for the birth of rock 'n' roll. It's the 50th anniversary, more or less, of the birth of that art form. And a lot of black singers are saying that maybe that's not accurate, that some of the early rhythm and blues black artists ought to get credit, people like Big Mama Thornton and some of the ones that did some of it.
But the music then was played only on black radio stations. What Elvis did was got the music exposed on white radio. And he gets a lot of the credit. But the music probably belongs in the black community.
In conjunction with that -- so that's the "Question of the Day," who gets the credit? I don't know the answer to that. But I know the answer to this: in conjunction with doing this, this morning, we tried to put a little music on the air. We were going to play some of Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" for you, but we couldn't get it on to -- on to the air.
COLLINS: So, you're going to sing it.
CAFFERTY: So, the question was posed, what is tougher in life than being a television producer? I was asked this by Wil Surratt, who is our executive producer here on AMERICAN MORNING, and the answer, Wil, is putting up with them.
COLLINS: Oh, boy. Is this where I'm supposed to go on and do some news? OK.
CAFFERTY: Nothing coming in here.
COLLINS: They're screaming at me now.
CAFFERTY: They're screaming at you?
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: Yes. They're saying, "Shut him up." OK.
CAFFERTY: Like to share a little behind the scenes, you know, a little look inside here of what we do.
COLLINS: Jack Cafferty this morning, ladies and gentlemen. We'll check with you again in a little bit.
CAFFERTY: Record players invented a long time ago. Edison? Remember the phonograph, you turn the crank, you put the little thing on? Music comes out of it.
COLLINS: I have no control. This is why we have producers.
CAFFERTY: I'll see you later.
COLLINS: All right. Want to check on the stories now in the -- in the news, that is.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country is preparing to act preventively against terrorists. Putin reiterated the actions would be in accordance with the Russian constitution, as well as international law. The comments come on the heels of Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev, who claims that his group was responsible for recent terror attacks in Russia.
Police in Baghdad are clearing debris from this morning's powerful blast there. Officials say a suicide car bomb blew up at an Iraqi checkpoint, killing at least eight people, wounding dozens of others.
Also in Baghdad, officials are awaiting word this morning on the fate of two seized Americans and a British national. The men are employed by a firm based in the Middle East.
To the campaign trail now. President Bush is meeting with supporters in D.C. this morning. This afternoon he'll focus on women's issues at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry at a rally in New Mexico at this hour. He'll be in Colorado this afternoon. And in 15 minutes from now, CNN political analyst Carlos Watson tells us where the candidates stand in the polls. It might be a tougher thing to explain than you might think.
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson will come face to face today with the mother of the boy he is accused of molesting. This is the first time the two will see each other since the allegations were made public. Today's pretrial hearing is set to get under way in just about two hours from now.
Time now to go back to Bill, standing by in Gulf Shores, Alabama -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.
About 27 hours ago, where we're standing, is where the eye came ashore here. We're in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And really, Heidi, if you go up and down this road, Highway 59, you can see the evidence of this storm. That evidence is just about everywhere again today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): It is hard to miss the mark of Ivan. The cleanup's just beginning, and so are the stories.
MARTINA HOWARD, GULF SHORES RESIDENT: It is as noisy as it can be. The house is shaking, the doors are shaking, the windows are shaking. You know, the noise was just tremendous.
HEMMER: People here will get used to this sound. Dr. Lyle Cooper is already trying to get his practice up and running, but he admits it may take weeks.
(on camera): How long will it take now for you to get this place up and running again?
DR. LYLE COOPER, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: I hope we'll be back in a week or two. Hopefully we'll get some electricity, some power back. I don't know about the water. I haven't checked anything to see if that's working yet.
HEMMER (voice-over): For miles along state Route 59, giant trees that stood the test of time could not pass the test of nature. Twisted metal clings to gasoline pumps. Businesses and stores have been cut in half.
(on camera): This storm was so strong, even businesses that took precautions completely wet. This is a tax store and a phone store.
Also, there's a supermarket here. The brick wall here is down, and if you look down this aisle, you can see the roof is gone, too.
(voice-over): And in some areas, there is a new landscape. Here in Gulf Shores, this overflowing lagoon has sliced a river's path across a highway. Just beyond, a stretch of beachfront property is cut off. But the mayor is not panicking.
MAYOR DAVID BODENHAMER, GULF SHORES, ALABAMA: Well, you know, this is not our first rodeo. But unfortunately, you know, it's the biggest one we've ever had. And we certainly are sympathetic with everybody north of us that experienced this. I mean, it was bad for us. We know it's bad for a lot of other people.
HEMMER: Late Thursday, the Alabama National Guard rolled out to help with security and with cleanup. That's welcome news to those who live here and who lived through it.
DAVID PELECHAK, GULF SHORES CITY WORKER: It was a little scary, a little scary. I mean, we were doing some work, and it was so calm you could light a cigarette.
HEMMER: Yes, the stories are just beginning now that Ivan has gone away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (on camera): Jim Walker is Alabama's director of homeland security. He's my guest now live in Clanton, Alabama.
Sir, thank you again for your time today. It was about yesterday when we talked about the storm. Today, 24 hours later, what part of your state took the biggest brunt of Ivan?
JIM WALKER, ALABAMA DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, the coastal areas where you are have taken the biggest hit. But there's not a single part of Alabama that is unaffected by this storm. And we're waiting for the last remnants to move out of the northeastern corner of our state right now.
HEMMER: Pleasure Island is the area behind us. We can't get access to it. Perhaps later today, or even in the weekend -- in fact, we don't get many reports, too, about the damage there. What can you say about what's happening on Pleasure Island, sir?
WALKER: Well, the devastation and destruction down in south Baldwin County, along the coast, as you know, is tremendous. Governor Bob Riley and our congressional delegation and some leaders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington will be touring that area here this morning. And we'll get a better assessment.
You know, the federal partners have been great. This entire effort, from a state standpoint, we were early in the decision-making. We haven't reported any loss of life until early this morning. I think we lost a volunteer firefighter up in northwest Alabama. So, that just reflects how much of your state has been affected by Hurricane Ivan.
HEMMER: The president's coming here this weekend. What does he need to know about your effort today?
WALKER: Well, he needs to know that now the onerous, tough work begins, and that is cleaning up and getting on with our lives. It's going to take quite some time.
You know, we still have over a million residents without electric power. They may not have it for days. And so, it's going to take us awhile to get through this. We just have to have patience, be good neighbors and remember the awesome power of prayer.
HEMMER: The awesome power, indeed. Jim Walker, thank you for your time in Clanton, Alabama.
WALKER: Thank you.
HEMMER: And again, the president makes his way certainly, sir, here in Alabama, and also in the Panhandle for Florida over the weekend.
I want to get to the Panhandle right now. Pensacola hard-hit, too. In the early stage of the storm, too, tornadoes touching down, fatalities in the wake of Ivan. Chris Lawrence is there again this morning.
Chris, good morning there.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good morning, Bill.
Unfortunately, not a lot's changed from yesterday. Power is still out, so is the water. And a lot of local hospitals are working around some pretty extensive damage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): As bad as its looks the day after, living through Ivan was that much worse. Doctors and nurses at this Pensacola hospital are still shocked at how hard this storm hit them.
BARBARA TILSON, NURSE: I lived through Opal here with the hospital. And it was nothing compared to what it was like this time. Nothing.
LAWRENCE: When the hurricane hit, the hospital was cut off for hours. TILSON: We had patients in many rooms, and they were quadriplegics and patients that couldn't move themselves. And worrying whether or not they would blow out the window or -- I know that sounds crazy, but you're scared when you're on the second floor like that and the windows are breaking.
SUSANNE DEATON, HOSPITAL SUPERVISOR: So, we started getting rain in and wind, and so we had to get the patients on out into the hallway.
DEBY VARNEDOE, NURSE: And even though we were scared and terrified of what was going on, we tried not to let the staff know that we felt that, even though they could hear everything, glass breaking and windows popping open and flooding. We tried not to let them realize how scared we was.
TILSON: That fear is gone. But for nurse Deby Varnedoe it's only been replaced by anxiety.
VARNEDOE: A lot of us don't even know if we have homes to go to.
LAWRENCE: She's obviously hoping for the best in a home that looks nothing like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (on camera): Now, homes aren't the only things damaged. Just to keep things in perspective, you're looking live at Interstate 10 over Escambia Bay.
The hurricane destroyed an entire section of the bridge. And you can see the back half of a truck stopped near the edge of that break. The cab of the truck and its driver are missing, and police say there is an oil slick in the water at the base of that break.
The divers have been out searching for that driver. But so far, with all that debris in the water, they've only been able to see about five feet down -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wow. Chris, thanks. Chris Lawrence east of here in Pensacola, Florida.
And we talk about the story being a story for Alabama and Florida. But when Ivan came ashore yesterday, moved up into Georgia and Tennessee, and now headed for the northeast, it's really affecting millions and millions of people east of the Mississippi.
For more on that part of the story, back to Heidi now in New York -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And I'll tell you what, seeing that bridge on the front page of so many newspapers this morning, really wondering what had happened to the driver. So, hopefully we'll get some more information on that.
HEMMER: Yes. COLLINS: Bill, thanks so much.
The remnants of what was Hurricane Ivan are punishing parts of the East Coast this hour. In North Carolina now, rescue crews used emergency ropes to help trapped residents escape their homes and cross dangerous fast-moving floodwaters like this. Parts of Georgia also under water as Ivan moved through, downing power lines, snapping trees just like toothpicks.
Want to check on that weather now. Chad Myers is the man to do that at the CNN Center with the very latest forecast.
Good morning once again, Chad. Amazing how much water comes afterwards.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly, Heidi. And this thing is not moving very fast now. And it's actually forecast to stop, make kind of a right-hand turn and possibly make a U-turn and go west.
So, this is going to rain now for days across some of this area. I mean, we're talking about 24 hour rainfall totals.
Here's the rain coming down right now. Rainfall totals now from our Viper system here with the reds and yellows. Everywhere that you see a yellow it's three inches or more.
We can zoom in to a couple spots here. Some of these spots, especially around Atlanta, four inches or more.
Farther to the North now, not that far from Chattanooga, eight- inch bull's eyes there. Back up now into Kentucky, just to the west of London, just to the west of the I-75, eight inches there. And now it's still raining in this spot, and it's obviously still raining in Cincinnati and Columbus.
And there you see the 1.5, two, 2.5 inch rainfall totals. And again, everywhere that you see the yellow that is three inches or more. Still raining in a lot of those spots, and it's going to be raining for at least another 24 hours or more.
And then we have this to look forward to: Tropical Storm Jeanne. It was a hurricane but lost a little bit of energy as it ran over the Dominican Republic. Good for us, bad for them.
Certainly flooding and even mudslides going on there. The official forecast, though, does take it through the Bahamas, like they need another storm, and then it gets here on Tuesday morning, and the official forecast turns it left back into you know where.
I hope it turns right. We'll have to keep watching it, though.
COLLINS: You and a lot of other people. Boy, that's for sure. Chad Myers, thanks so much for that.
MYERS: You're welcome. COLLINS: Still to come this morning, is the presidential race getting tighter? We're going to look at some new numbers this morning. Some of them kind of confusing.
And getting relief to those who need it. We will hear from the director of FEMA about recovery efforts.
And Ivan's wrath hit a zoo, as well. And the search is on for missing alligators.
It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: In the home stretch of what appears to be a presidential horse race, both campaigns are hitting pretty hard. Senator John Kerry yesterday attacked President Bush's Iraq policy and his credibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe you deserve a president who isn't going to gild that truth or gild our national security with politics, who is not going to ignore his own intelligence, who isn't going to live in a different world of spin, who will give the American people the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Vice President Cheney, though, was very quick to respond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, while speaking to the National Guard Association meeting down in Las Vegas, John Kerry said that our troops deserve no less than the best. But I am stunned by the audacity of that statement since Senator Kerry voted to send the troops into combat and then denied them the support they needed once they were at war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Joining us now from Los Angeles, CNN political analyst Carlos Watson.
Carlos, boy, two very different views on the Iraq war. What do you make of it?
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Iraq is reemerging as a major issue in the campaign. You remember it's been overshadowed recently, Heidi, by both the economy and by the issue of terrorism. But we're seeing both sides dig in to the issue, an issue which right now favors the president by about 12 points.
COLLINS: Well, let's talk about some of those polls. A new one now, a national poll, showing that the race for president is actually tightening. Want to get to the Pew poll first, if we could.
It shows a virtual tie between President Bush and John Kerry. You see those numbers there.
And then, on the Gallup poll, it gives the president a 13-point lead among likely voters, an eight-point lead among registered voters. So, what's the deal?
WATSON: One is zigging and the other's zagging.
COLLINS: That's for sure.
WATSON: Most of the recent polls actually show the race tightening. Most of the polls show that in August the race was close, early August, that the president got a nice little lead coming out of the convention in early September. But now, in mid-September, most of the polls show a tightening again.
I think what may be more important, Heidi, frankly, than these national polls, are some of the individual state polls. Because when all is said and done, we're going to focus on those key swing states.
COLLINS: Of course we are. In fact, let's talk about that now.
At least 17 swing states that we have a list of here to show everybody, including now Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and Ohio. You say, though, that some of those states are actually no longer battlegrounds. Why? And then which ones, so we understand what's happened here.
WATSON: Well, you look at a couple things, Heidi. Number one, when you look at recent polls in some of these states, and number two, when you look at how active each of the campaigns are, you get a sense of whether or not some of these states are still up for grabs, or whether or not the campaigns think they're not.
States like Maine on the East Coast, and the state of Washington, on the West Coast, now seem to be leaning towards John Kerry. And indeed, both of those are states that Al Gore carried by five percentage points or better four years ago.
On the other hand, states like Arizona, states like Arkansas, and perhaps even the bellwether state of Missouri all seem to be leaning towards the president. And there seems to be a sense that John Kerry is not competing as aggressively in those three states. Although, at least in Arizona he sent John Edwards there on Monday.
COLLINS: All right. So, you say that even though some of these states -- or swing states, I should say -- might be shrinking, there are other states that could jump on board and become swing states. Which ones are those? I think something about Minnesota here, right?
WATSON: Minnesota is already there. In fact, Minnesota is a state that hasn't voted I guess since 1972, hasn't voted for a Republican.
COLLINS: Right.
WATSON: But this time around there's some real hope on the part of the Bush-Cheney team. But some of the states that are not on our list of 17, or even on our revised list of 12, our so-called dirty dozen, are states like North Carolina, John Edwards' home state, that potentially could more firmly jump on in the final days. Another state to think about, Heidi, is a place you know well, Colorado.
COLLINS: Yes. Eight electoral votes there.
WATSON: Yes. Yes. Well, Colorado is an interesting place because there's a very competitive U.S. Senate race, and there also may be some interesting ballot initiatives, all of which could play a role.
And then last but not least, you could end up with a strange one, Heidi, somewhere like New Jersey. Somewhere that seems really dedicated one way or another, in this case Democratic, but in the last couple days the other side may say, "Hey, we've got a shot, the polls show us within single digits. Let's spend a little bit more money there."
COLLINS: And I just moved there yesterday. Maybe it's just all about me.
WATSON: Hey, the Heidi Collins story. I like it.
COLLINS: Yes, very, very unlikely. All right. Carlos Watson, thanks so much for breaking it all down for us. Certainly appreciate it.
WATSON: Good to see you.
COLLINS: And want to let you know, all next week, AMERICAN MORNING is sticking to the campaign issues. We begin a five-part series Monday called "Promises, Promises," which delves into the real issues affecting you and whether the candidates can turn their promises into reality.
Our first topic: terrorism and keeping America safe. Again, that series begins Monday right here on AMERICAN MORNING, 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
Meanwhile, still to come this morning, getting help to the areas hardest hit by Ivan. We'll talk with the director of Federal Emergency Management Agency about the recovery efforts.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAFFERTY: Who knows these things?
COLLINS: Jack -- back with Jack now and the "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: I'm surprised they let me come back on the air.
"Rolling Stone" Magazine, which really ought to know better, is out with this allegation in their issue commemorating the 50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll that all the credit for the birth of the art form belongs to Elvis Presley. And there's some black artists, like Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson, who are saying that's absolutely not true. And I think they're right.
They say, without people like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, that Elvis might have wound up a country singer. What Elvis did was get the music exposed on white radio, and thus to a white audience. And so, that -- that's probably his contribution. And Elvis would tell you when he was a kid in Tupelo he spent all his time hanging out in black joints that played jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel music on Sunday in the churches, and he learned his style from the black artists of his day.
So, Hugh writes from Eden, Canada: "Credit? From the music I hear my grandkids playing, the question is who deserves the blame for the birth of rock 'n' roll?"
Joshua writes in Savannah, Georgia: "If you listen to 'Move It On Over' by Hank Williams, along with several of his other early recordings, you'll find the birth of rock 'n' roll."
It's pretty interesting. Actually, some of the early Hank Williams recordings are pretty close to some of that stuff.
COLLINS: "Positas (ph)."
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
COLLINS: "Positas (ph)."
CAFFERTY: Well, that was his kid, right? But this is the old man.
COLLINS: This is the older guy. Got you.
CAFFERTY: Yes, "Move It On Over," that was recorded probably in 1949 or '50, something like that.
Loren in Illinois: "Rock 'n' roll does not belong to any one person or race. It's a type of music that a lot of people like. Let's just call it American and stop crying about who owns or invented or copied it. Put the top down, turn the volume up and enjoy it."
And Richard in Ruston, Louisiana: "I asked my wife if she cared who got credit for starting rock 'n' roll. She said, 'No.' I asked her if she minded if I took credit for it. She said, 'No.' But she said that was very thoughtful of me to do that."
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thank you so much, Jack. Very succinct and to the point. CAFFERTY: Only one more.
Did you hear about the alligator that got out of the zoo and...
COLLINS: I did hear about it. Thank you so much now.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
COLLINS: Still ahead this morning, a different topic to discuss. New details, in fact, this morning about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
And you heard it from Jack first, alligators on the loose in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. Not a comforting thought.
It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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