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American Morning

President Bush Makes Speech at United Nations Later Today; CBS Anchorman Dan Rather Apologizing for Story Based on Lies

Aired September 21, 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.
And this morning President Bush is back at the United Nations in his speech later today, trying to convince the world his way was the right way for Iraq.

A community grieves as another American in Iraq is murdered by terrorists. Friends and family say Eugene Armstrong was a good guy, just trying to help.

And CBS anchorman Dan Rather apologizing for a story based on lies. Now, though, tough questions aimed at the Kerry campaign, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

HEMMER: And good morning. Welcome to Tuesday. I'm Bill Hemmer.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins in for Soledad. Also this morning, we're going to be talking to Jeff Toobin. He's going to be talking to us about a pair of theory's that Scott Peterson offered to police on why his wife Laci disappeared. We'll talk about that, also whether prosecutors are making a mess of the case on the pace they're taking, four months in so far.

Also round two this morning, our series throughout the week looking at the positions the candidates are taking on those biggest of issues. Today on "Promises, Promises," the focus is Iraq and what each candidate plans to do to get the U.S. out or to improve the situation there in Iraq. So we'll get you with Kelly Wallace on that.

COLLINS: Jack Cafferty is here now with us as well.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. The documents, they were phony. CBS was misled, Dan Rather is sorry, but what about the questions that were raised in that infamous "60 Minutes" piece? We'll take a closer look at those in a few minutes.

COLLINS: All right, very good, Jack. Thanks.

I want to turn over to Kelly Wallace now. She has the latest now in the news this morning, beginning in Iraq -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning to you all. And good morning, everyone. We're actually going to start, first, though in Iran. The country has reportedly restarted its nuclear weapons program. According to newswire reports, an Iranian official says the country has begun converting large amounts of raw uranium into gas for enrichment. The action defies an order from a U.N. nuclear watchdog.

Big Tobacco goes on trial this morning. The $280 billion lawsuit pits the U.S. government against the country's largest tobacco companies. It charges the tobacco industry deliberately deceived the public about the risk of smoking since the 1950s. Opening statements are set to get under way in about two hours.

Interest rates are likely to be raised today. Analysts say the federal reserve is poised to announce a quarter-percent boost. It is the third hike to short-term interest rates this is year. What impact will this all have on you? In 20 minutes, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."

And in the nation's capital, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian is opening today. Some 20,000 Native Americans from across the country will take part in the dedication ceremony. The six-day event features 300 performers, representing 50 native communities. And we all have to check it out the next time we get to Washington.

HEMMER: That we do. Another site to see.

Thank you, Kelly.

As we mentioned, President Bush will address the U.N. General Assembly later this morning. This an attempt to assure the world of the U.S.'s plans in Iraq. Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry now leveling his toughest words to date against the president for the invasion of Baghdad.

Bob Franken this morning. We find him live in Jacksonville, Florida.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And the reason for that, is that's where Senator Kerry will come later in the day to change the subject. The subject du jour will be health care, but it was decidedly Iraq in New York yesterday, where he combined some very stiff criticism of the president with some grim humor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): Campaign humor in this kind of campaign is an oxymoron. Witness the sharp edges as John Kerry on "The David Letterman Show" presented his top 10 Bush tax proposals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Cheney can claim bush as a dependent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: That was the fun part of the day. Earlier, there was nothing below the surface, as Kerry ripped into his opponent over Iraq like never before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: The president has made a series of catastrophic decisions. From the beginning in Iraq, at every fork in the road, he has taken the wrong turn and he has led us in the wrong direction.

The first...

(APPLAUSE)

The first and most fundamental mistake was the president's failure to tell the truth to the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: As President Bush prepared to speak before the U.N. general assembly, Kerry demanded he convene an immediate summit to try to repair international relations over Iraq. The president did not wait to come to New York to charge that Kerry was changing his mind again.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today my opponent continuing his pattern of twisting in the wind, with new contradictions of his old positions on Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: That's the charge of flip-flopping that has had some success for President Bush and put John Kerry on the defensive. Kerry now trying to take the offense as he tries to turn the direction of this campaign around -- Bill.

HEMMER: Bob Franken live in Florida. Thanks, Bob.

President Bush addresses the U.N. General Assembly 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, about 3 1/2 hours from now. What will he say?

Jim Wilkinson, deputy national security adviser, my guest now here in New York City.

Welcome to New York. And good morning to you.

JIM WILKINSON, DEP. NATL. SECURITY ADVISER: Good morning.

HEMMER: What is the intent of the speech today? Expectations are what for the president's address?

WILKINSON: The president today will talk about the importance of finishing the job in Afghanistan and Iraq. You know, many, Bill, say that in places like the Middle East, you can't have democracy, and the president will point out more than 10 million Afghans are registered to vote in the elections that we'll see in October.

He'll talk about Iraq and Afghanistan, but then he'll move on. He'll announce a new initiative on the democracy front. I'll let him make that news.

He will talk about the importance of going after what he calls one of the most important health crisis in the world with AIDS, HIV- AIDS. He'll talk about the importance of stopping sex trafficking, the importance of continuing to help the developing world retire its debt and the importance of really changing how we provide foreign aid to the rest of the world.

HEMMER: So there's a whole lot in the speech, because specifically you mentioned Iraq a couple of times. Go back to what Senator Kerry said yesterday, the policy in Iraq has not strengthened our national security. It has weakened it. What would you say to Senator Kerry?

WILKINSON: First thing I would say is clearly he prefers the stability of a dictator over a new democracy. Prime Minister Allawi this week will come to town. He'll speak as you know before Congress and here at the UNGA and meet with the president today. He'll have an optimistic vision of the future of Iraq. Contrast that with Senator Kerry's plan that really could be accused of plagiarism for stealing ours. I just don't understand what...

HEMMER: Let me get to Senator Kerry's plan in a second, but how is the U.S. more secure with the invasion of Iraq?

WILKINSON: Well, clearly, Bill, I'm a former military man, and the geography in the war on terror is simple. We are going to fight the terrorists. We are either going to fight them over there or we are going to fight them here. The president today will talk about the importance of the international community, who are fighting the terrorists over there on those borders, so we don't have to fight them here within ours.

HEMMER: But even if you are looking at what is happening in Iraq on the ground today, your colleagues over the weekend, Senators Richard Lugar, John McCain, Chuck Hagel. Senator Hagel said the fact is we're in trouble, we're in deep trouble in Iraq. When your own people are speaking like this, how do you defend what's happening in Baghdad today?

WILKINSON: I think have you to look at the strong commitment of the men and women on the ground in Iraq who are fighting those terrorists who are working very hard. Prime Minister Allawi this week will talk about the elections that are coming. Think back to the 1940s and how desperate it must have looked back then when everything was going against this nation. And think to the strong decision our leaders made back then which eventually led to us win the Cold War. This president launched us on another decision path that allows us to go after terrorists where they live, where they hide, where they plot. You'll hear from him and Prime Minister Allawi... HEMMER: Let me stop you there just for a second. Is the address today more directed toward the members of the U.N., or is it directed toward the American people, 42 days away from an election?

WILKINSON: It's directed to the international community. There are important obligations the president will discuss today that every free nation has -- the obligations to help fight the scourge of HIV- AIDS, the obligation to help stop the violence and the genocide in Sudan, the obligation to help retire the debt of nations, the obligations to help finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan and help bring democracy to that part of the world.

HEMMER: Let me jump to a different area here quickly in the time we have left. There's a lot of talk today about the debates. Now that the plan has been out, the rules have been agreed to. The first debate will focus on foreign policy and homeland security. If the president is asked where the Osama bin Laden and why is he not accounted for, what would the White House say?

WILKINSON: Well, I don't want to speak for the president, what he would say in a debate. I'll assume he's on the run and hiding in a cave, which is much better than he was three years ago, where he was in Afghanistan, working very closely with the Taliban leadership that we've now replaced with a new free government that will soon have elections.

Look, Senator Kerry and others are in this wild interesting debate with themselves right now. Senator Kerry had had multiple positions on the issue of Iraq. I follow this closely; I can't tell even you what his position is, frankly. We work at the national security council. We don't do politics, Bill. We're focused on killing and capturing terrorists, and that's what this president if focused on doing.

HEMMER: We will hear the speech at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Joe -- Jim Wilkinson, rather, thank you for your time this morning.

To our viewers, 10:30 a.m. Eastern, we'll have it for you live at 7:30 out on the West Coast, President Bush here in New York City, before the U.N. later today -- Heidi.

COLLINS: President Bush and John Kerry have signed off on details of their debates. There will be three debates, beginning next Thursday at the university of Miami in Corral Gables, Florida, then Friday, October 8th at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Wednesday, October 13, at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

The debates will last 90 minutes, during which there will be at least 16 questions and the candidates will have two minutes to respond to the questions.

Among the more bizarre rules, though, in the 32-page agreement, candidates may not be shown from behind or reacting to the other's answer. After an opening handshake the candidates may not approach each other and they can't ask each other direct questions, and neither George Bush or John Kerry can use any device that makes them look taller.

Bill, over to you.

HEMMER: Now that the rules are set. Thank you, Heidi.

I want to get back to the story in Iraq that broke yesterday afternoon. American hostage Eugene Armstrong apparently executed there. Armstrong kidnapped last week from his residence in west Baghdad, along with another American and a British hostage. A video posted on an Islamic Web site shows the hostage being beheaded by captors believed to be linked by the terrorist Zarqawi. The hostage- takers gave another 24-hour deadline, saying another hostage will be killed if Muslim women are not released from Iraqi prisons.

Also the wife of another hostage pleading for her husband's life. American Jack Hensley, kidnapped along with Armstrong about a week ago. In a CNN exclusive interview last night, Patty Hensley spoke about her concerns for her husband.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATTY HENSLEY, WIFE OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE: I'm making another attempt at pleading with these captors to please open communications with us again so that we can perhaps come to some agreement on what it is exactly they want and perhaps how those needs can be met, and to again remind them that Jack Hensley is a loving and caring man and the father of a 13-year-old girl who doesn't understand exactly what's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That from "AARON BROWN'S NEWSNIGHT" last evening.

Jack Hensley, Gene Armstrong, British captive Kenneth John Bigley. All worked for a Middle Eastern company on reconstruction projects ongoing in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: In the Italian Alps, an amateur photographer caught a massive landslide on tape. It happened Saturday about 80 miles north of Milan, near the Swiss Border. Look at this. Experts say heavy rainfall last week, combined with a sudden rise in temperature, may have triggered the landslide. No one was reported injured.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment, talking on the phone in the car can be dangerous. We know that. Look at this videotape, a pregnant woman lucky she had her cell phone with her. A road turned into a river. We'll have that story.

COLLINS: The water got all the way up to her neck, she said.

Plus, a different theory in the Scott Peterson trial. Did Laci become a target because of her grandmother's jewelry? We'll talk to Jeff Toobin about that. HEMMER: Also, a mea culpa in the Bush document scandal from CBS and its star anchor, but did the network coordinate with the Kerry campaign on this matter? Ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: The reputation of the Tiffany (ph) network is tarnished this morning. CBS and anchor Dan Rather say they made a mistake, using questionable documents for a report about President Bush's National Guard Service.

Jeanne Meserve has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A 180 from CBS, an acknowledgement it made a mistake, that it cannot authenticate documents used to undergird a CBS report raising questions about President Bush's service in the National Guard. The network revealed and interviewed its source, former National Guardsman Bill Burkett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, CBS ANCHOR: Have you forged anything?

BILL BURKETT, FMR. NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: No, sir.

RATHER: Have you faked anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: But you did mislead us. You used the word "lie."

BURKETT: Yes I did.

RATHER: You lied to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Burkett said when CBS pressured him about where he got the documents, he threw out a name. He now says that individual was not the actual source. Though he still says the documents are real, he says he insisted to CBS that the documents be authenticated, something the network did not do.

RATHER: The failure of CBS news to do just that, to properly, fully scrutinize the documents and their source led to our airing the documents when we should not have done so. It was a mistake. CBS News deeply regrets it. Also I want to say personally and directly, I'm sorry.

MESERVE: Bill Burkett has in the past sued the Texas National Guard over medical benefits, and alleged that President Bush's military records were sanitized, a charge that former Bush aides have called hogwash. The White House pounced on the revelation that Burkett was the source. SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: What contact did Mr. Burkett have with Democrats? There are reports that he had senior level contacts with members of the Kerry campaign.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMM. DIR.: Who was behind these documents? Who was behind organizing this story. Those are the critical questions that the American people deserve answers to.

MESERVE: Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said don't point fingers at his party.

TERRY MCAULIFFE, DNC SPOKESMAN: No Democrats. None of the Democratic National Committee or the John Kerry for president had anything to do with the preparations of these documents.

MESERVE (on camera): But Republicans said McAuliffe left unanswered whether Democrats had anything to do with the dissemination of the documents. When it was first broadcast, Democrats hoped the "60 Minutes" report would hurt the Bush campaign. But some ruefully acknowledge that the only group that's been hurt at this juncture is CBS News.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Also this morning, Republicans are crying foul that CBS apparently helped the man who provided the network with the documents, Bill Burkett, to make contact with Kerry campaign adviser Joe Lockhart. Lockart admits speaking with Burkett, but denies any coordination with CBS or any involvement with the documents. Burkett says he wanted to give the Kerry campaign advice in responding to the Republican criticism over Kerry's service in Vietnam, not to discuss the documents.

HEMMER: And that story gets us to Jack and the Question of the Day.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.

All right, so the documents were phony. Dan Rather's apologized. CBS has apologized. Everybody's sorry. What about the questions that were raised in that infamous "60 Minutes" piece? Things like, why didn't President Bush show up for that Air National Guard flight physical? And what about those gaps in his service records where nobody seems to be able to account for his whereabouts? And did anyone use their influence to get him into the National Guard in the first place?

The White House position is the president served and was honorably discharged? Should that be tend of the story?

Here's the question this morning, what questions should the president answer about his National Guard Service? I don't personally care what he or Kerry did 30 or 35 years ago. I'd be very interested to know what they plan to do about health insurance, and Social Security, and outsourcing jobs and the war in Iraq, but we're going to fiddle around with this story about their service records I guess for a while longer. Mercifully at least when the election is over, so will this stuff be -- am@cnn.com.

HEMMER: In the meantime, Kerry comes out yesterday, has all the criticism for the White House and plan in Iraq, and a lot of it is pushed to the sideline because of this story here.

CAFFERTY: Kerry, just -- you know, he really can't catch a break. I mean, every time he does something, this kind of stuff kind of moves him to the 'B' section of the newspaper or the newscast.

I just got through for over a year paying $400 a month for health insurance on a 22-year-old kid that could be the poster child for health. But because she is no longer a student, she couldn't qualify for health insurance -- 400 buck as month. That's $5,000 a year health insurance premiums for a kid that's perfectly healthy. That's baloney. There's 40 million people have no insurance at all. Why don't they talk to us about how they're going to fix that kind of stuff? Who cares about Vietnam and the Air National Guard?

HEMMER: Am@cnn.com. Jack, thanks.

In a moment here, the future of Martha Stewart's career may rest in the kind of reality television, believe it or not. Andy is "Minding Your Business" in a moment here, back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. The world of money completely focused today on the Fed.

Andy is back with us.

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you.

We're going to go from the serious to the sublime this morning. Let's start with the serious. Stocks fell yesterday. Why? Rising oil prices. We've talked about that. Here you go, you can see the Dow. Nasdaq didn't get hurt as much. Colgate-Palmolive, we mentioned that in yesterday's broadcast, that stock really got hit hard, falling 11 percent.

Now the Federal Reserve is meeting. Bill Hemmer is right. At 2:00 today, we'll find out probably that the Fed is going to raise Fed Funds Rate from 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent, third time this year, putting to rest finally the allegation that the Federal Reserve does not raise rates before an election. Yes, it does. Alan Greenspan is in fact independent and we'll be watching the statement to see what they say about the economy. That's very important.

COLLINS: People watching very closely, for sure.

SERWER: That's right. COLLINS: Martha Stewart, though, what's up with that?

SERWER: This is the sublime portion, that's right.

This is some great stuff. You know how she said she wanted to get jail over with and to do some gardening this spring. Another reason why she wants to do that, is because apparently she wants to shoot a new TV show with TV producer Mark Burnett. He is the man who brought the hit reality show "Survivor" and "The Apprentice." Burnett confirming there are talks, and he said the show would be about Martha, and helping people and cooking, wouldn't be about jail time or anything like that.

COLLINS: Would they do it from jail?

SERWER: No, that would be after jail, but possibly during house arrest, if you can imagine.

COLLINS: I see.

SERWER: Yes, why is that everything with Martha Stewart is just a little bit different? I mean, it's really something, isn't it?

COLLINS: It is.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: In a moment here, Kelly Wallace back with us, part two of her weeklong series. We call it "Promises, Promises."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The war in Iraq. One candidate launched it the other voted for it, and both promised to bring home the troops, but when? We cut to the truth in part two of our week-long series "Promises, Promises." Stay with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. 7:30 here in New York. More on the controversy at CBS.

Boy, it's getting a lot of talk this week, huh?

COLLINS: It sure is.

HEMMER: In a moment, we'll talk to the man who wrote the book on the program, "60 Minutes." David Blum is his name. How does a story of this magnitude, 42 days before an election, make it past what many consider to be the most respected news program on television. We'll get to that in a moment. COLLINS: Also parts two of our series on election year issues. Today we're looking at one of the biggest issue of all, the plan for Iraq. Kelly Wallace will tell us what each candidate has in mind and how the two differ. In fact, we're going to check on stories now in the news with Kelly Wallace right now.

Good morning, Kelly, once again.

WALLACE: Good morning again to you. And good morning, everyone. New threats from a group responsible for the killing of an American in Iraq. Eugene Armstrong was apparently beheaded yesterday by a group with ties to terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. The group is now threatening to behead the two remaining hostages unless all female prisoners are released from Iraqi jails within 24 hours. American officials deny they are holding any female prisoners.

Grim news out of Haiti this morning. At least 620 people were reportedly killed by Tropical Storm Jeanne has it tore across the island. Distraught relatives have filled morgues searching for their loved one. The number of dead is expected to rise as flood waters recede.

New York police and the Secret Service are looking for a man who they say made a credible threat against President Bush. That's according to a New York television station. The suspect apparently has a history of mental illness. Security around the president has been beefed up.

And Martha Stewart might serve her five months in prison near her Connecticut home. The Bureau of Prisons says Stewart may be able to get a spot at a minimum security prison in Danbury. That's Stewart's top choice, because mostly it would allow her mother, who turns 90 this week, to visit her.

That's a quick look at the headlines. Now back to Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Kelly, thanks.

And to the black eye at CBS News today. The network says it cannot authenticate documents cited in a "60 Minutes" segment that question the president's military service. Last night Dan Rather apologized for their -- quote -- mistake in judgment, and aired part of his interview with the source of the disputed documents. That's the former National Guardsman, Bill Burkett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, CBS ANCHOR: Have you forged anything?

BILL BURKETT, FMR. NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: No, sir.

RATHER: Have you faked anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: But you did mislead us. You used the word "lie." BURKETT: Yes I did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Well, the author of "Tick, Tick, Tick: The Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes" is David Blum. He's my guest now here in New York.

Good morning.

DAVID BLUM, AUTHOR, "TICK, TICK, TICK": Good morning.

HEMMER: You wrote the book. I think a lot of viewers at home want to know how intense, or how detailed is the vetting process for a story before they go to air at "60 Minutes."

BLUM: Well, normally, it's quite thorough. But in this case, I think there was a rush to get it on. They wanted a story that would make waves in this campaign, and Dan Rather has always been looking for more opportunities to get on air with big stories, and just about anybody else at CBS News has been that way.

HEMMER: But you know that Bill Burkett has got a problem with the National Guard in the first place, has for years. You know he's got a problem with George Bush, has for years. Well-respected producer in Mary Mapes (ph) is working with Dan Rather, their star anchor on this story. You put all that together, and it seems like the stakes are even higher before you go to air.

BLUM: It's incredible, and yet the pressure was there, but not enough to get her -- to force her to admit who her source was and how biased her source was, and that really was the fundamental break in the rules of journalism.

HEMMER: Let me go back to the interview last night that aired on CBS Evening News and talk about the pressure that each side apparently put on each other. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURKETT: Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I did mislead you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.

RATHER: Well we were trying to get the chain of possession.

BURKETT: I understand.

RATHER: And you said you had received from someone.

BURKETT: I understand that.

RATHER: And we did press you to say, well, you received them from someone...

BURKETT: Yes. RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you, because it was a very important point for us.

BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw a name that was basically -- it was I guess to get a little pressure off for a moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: As a viewer watching that last night, I was struck by how honest they were about the amount of pressure that was applied on both sides. Were you?

BLUM: Well, they were honest up to a point. But there's still a hot of holes in the story. Where did the documents come from? What are these documents. I mean, Dan Rather he apologize, but he wasn't clear exactly what he was apologizing for. They still seem to be standing by the essence of the story. But when have you a story where the evidence itself isn't -- turns out now to be true, it undercuts the entire premise.

HEMMER: In a broader sense, what does this say to viewers of this program, of "60 Minutes?" What does it say to readers? Or maybe even your students at Columbia?

BLUM: Well, sadly, you know, students, viewers, have looked at "60 Minutes" for the 36 years as the last 60 years as the gold standard of TV journalism, certainly in the newsmagazine format, and now I think it's tarnished slightly, although I think ultimately the long, strong record of "60 Minutes" will hold. Something, though, will have to be done to clear the air, just as when "The New York Times" had its scandal last year, it's top editor had to resign, and I think we can expect some resignations at CBS News?

HEMMER: Dan Rather?

BLUM: I doubt it. Though he is already, as people are now saying, in the twilight of his career, whatever that means. And I think this will possibly hasten it slightly. But he's much too anxious to stay in the limelight for a little while longer for him to be forced out.

HEMMER: David Blum, you wrote the book. Thanks for joining us this morning -- Heidi.

BLUM: Thank you.

COLLINS: New polls out. Three battleground states show President Bush ahead of Senator John Kerry. According to the latest CNN/USA Today"/ Gallup poll, Bush leads Kerry among likely and registered voters in Iowa. In Missouri, the president has a 7 percentage lead, with 9 percent still undecided, an in Ohio, 50 percent of registered voters back the president, with 42 percent for Kerry, and 2 percent for Ralph Nader.

Well, one of the biggest complaints of voters during a presidential campaign is that they don't hear enough about the issues. And so today, we continue our five-part series "Promises, Promises," five days, five different issues. Our focus today, Iraq. It's one of the top three issues on voters minds according to our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll.

Here's kelly Wallace now.

Kelly, certainly a lot of people talking about Iraq, no question. Everyday we see it in the news.

WALLACE: Everyday.

As you know, yesterday, the debate dominating -- the debate about Iraq dominated the campaign trail. That is expected to continue today. But what we tried to do is clear through the debate and answer this question: What does each candidate promise to do to eventually get the U.S. out of Iraq?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Listen to what President Bush and Senator Kerry...

KERRY: At every critical juncture in Iraq and in the war on terrorism, the president has made the wrong choice.

BUSH: Incredibly, he now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison.

WALLACE: And what's clear is that with few good options in Iraq, the candidates largely criticize each other, instead of getting specific. President Bush's plan for the future, stay the course.

BUSH: Get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they deserve.

(APPLAUSE)

WALLACE: The president promises to bring U.S. troops home, once the mission is completed, but he hasn't said when that will be. He promises to spend what is necessary to restore the peace, but he doesn't mention a price tag, which nonpartisan experts say could ultimately reach $200 billion or more. He says other countries are sharing the burden, but doesn't mention how the 138,000 U.S. troops make up 85 percent of the coalition force. And he touts Iraq as a model for the Mideast, but doesn't note that ongoing violence could jeopardize Iraq's first free election in January.

KERRY: The president now admits to miscalculations in Iraq. Miscalculations? This is one of the greatest understatements in recent American history.

(APPLAUSE)

WALLACE: Senator Kerry is criticizing the president's handling of the war more harshly now than in the past, but he voted for the war resolution two years ago, even said last month he would do so again knowing what he knows now.

KERRY: Yes, I would have voted for the authority.

WALLACE: The senator promises to convince NATO and other allies to send troops to Iraq, but fails to explain how he can persuade world leaders who are reluctant to put boots on the ground. He promises to start bringing U.S. troops home six months after taking office, but is that even possible if other countries refuse to send forces in? And he promises to persuade European countries to help rebuild Iraq by giving them a share of reconstruction contracts, but he can't guarantee he can convince world leaders to pitch in, especially as the violence continues. The death toll now for Americans, above the 1,000 mark.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: President Bush has staked his presidency on the war and, therefore, has the most to lose. So if dissatisfaction in the United States grows, Senator Kerry, Heidi, who so far has been unable to gain an upper hand on the issue, could benefit.

COLLINS: Well, actually, yesterday, we saw some video from NYU, and he reveal this four-point plan for Iraq. But is any of what he's got planned really different from what President Bush is trying to do right now?

WALLACE: Well, that's why White House advisers were so quick to react. They say all the things that Senator Kerry is talking about doing, the president is already doing. He's reaching out to the international community, they say. They say he's also trying to speed up training of Iraqi forces. But what the Democrats will say is he's just not doing it very well, that the Americans can see what is happening on the ground in Iraq, and so their argument is, if the Americans are not happy with what is happening, they have a choice, an alternative, John Kerry.

COLLINS: All right, Kelly Wallace, thanks so much for that.

I want to remind everybody tomorrow, on our "Promises, Promises" series, it will focus on taxes and spending. The economy is tied now for No. 1 as the top issue on voters minds. In our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, once again, we will look at what each candidate promises to do when it comes to your wallet and the nation's budget.

Be sure to log on to CNN.com/am. There you can compare the candidate's positions and what they promise to do on various issues -- Bill.

HEMMER: About 20 minutes before the hour now, Heidi.

A pregnant mother was pulled to safety over the weekend. An amazing videotape as well. Alicia Correll (ph) got in deeper than she thought Saturday when the Tennessee River, rising with the rains of Hurricane Ivan, washed over the road she was on. The 30-year-old woman, almost up to her neck in water when she called 911 for help. She clung to her cell phone, broke open a window and kept her head above floodwaters until rescuers got to her and got her to safety. Good ending there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING today, a new call to duty for America's military veterans, but it's got more to do with nail guns than machine guns. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" on that.

HEMMER: Also in a moment here, there's a police witness testifying that Scott Peterson had his own theory about Laci's disappearance.

Jeff Toobin has that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Prosecutors in Scott Peterson's double murder trial are expected to finish their case sometime next week. In court yesterday, though, the lead police detective testified that Peterson had his own theory about his wife's disappearance.

Joining us now to talk more about the case, CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

Good morning to you, Jeff.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.

COLLINS: All right, so the lead detective, a man by the name of Craig Grogan, testified that Scott told the police early on that when Laci was walking in the park, she was wearing her grandmother's jewelry. And so, therefore, maybe she was robbed for the jewelry, and that that could be where she was abducted from. That park by some sort of transient.

TOOBIN: Right.

COLLINS: What do you think of the theory?

TOOBIN: The prosecution's theory is that Scott had some sort of canned motive already to explain away his wife's disappearance, when, in fact, he of course was the real killer.

You know, I think like a lot of evidence in this case, it's somewhat suggestive of guilt. Yes, it is a little peculiar that he had this theory, but it doesn't really prove anything, and it adds perhaps a little to the weight against him, but not much.

COLLINS: In fact, there's a little bit of criticism of this person, Grogan, because they went immediately to Scott Peterson as a supposed suspect. But he said here's why, four different reason reasons why. Taker a look at this, Scott Peterson was the last person to see Laci alive. He claims he was fishing alone the day that she was abducted, and so no one else could confirm his alibi, of course. He washed his cloths after coming home from that fishing trip. He also said that police believe the cleanup possibly occurred at the house. So any of these things taken by themselves, would they immediately lead police to Scott Peterson?

TOOBIN: You bet. I think this argument of a rush to judgment on the part of the defense is just silly. Who else was a suspect? In fact, after all these months, the defense hasn't even pointed to another suspect yet. So I think the cops would have been irresponsible not to focus on Scott Peterson. Plus, you know, the most obvious fact of all, he was the husband. Alas, husbands kill their wives. And that is by far the most common scenario in a situation like this. So I think the rush to judgment argument is really a loser for the defense.

COLLINS: Yes, sad that we've seen that argument so many times before.

TOOBIN: The cement, let's talk about that. This issue came up once again. There was this 90-pound bag of cement, but apparently Scott Peterson can only account for eight pounds of it. So where's the rest?

TOOBIN: A very good argument by the prosecution. You know, this case is so full of theories and, you know, what you would expect. This is actual physical evidence in the case. Scott Peterson, without doubt, bought a 90-pound bag of cement.

COLLINS: Said he made an anchor with it.

TOOBIN: Said he made one anchor with it, of eight pounds. Said the rest of it he spread on his driveway, making repairs. No one ever found any cement repairs on his driveway. Plus, the cops said his warehouse was a great big mess, and that there were shadows of four anchors, or apparent anchors, that were -- that have never been found. The prosecution theory is that those anchors were used to weigh down Laci's body to dispose of it. That is real evidence. I think it's the kind of thing that might stick in the jury's mind.

COLLINS: Quickly now, we are in the fourth month of this case. Are you amazed at how long it's taken?

TOOBIN: I'm not amazed; I'm appalled. I was at a meeting of the American Bar Association yesterday with judges and lawyers. And they're saying, you know, in these high-profile cases, people in the world get the impression that the average murder case lasts four months. They don't. This is -- there is no reason why this case should have lasted this long. The California judicial system, the judge, the prosecutor, they did not exercise the control that they should have. This is why we have trouble getting jurors in cases, because they think the cases are all marathons like this. They're not, and I really think it is no reason for this trial to have gone on so long.

COLLINS: It's a long time. All right, CNN's legal analyst...

TOOBIN: But maybe it will end soon.

COLLINS: ... Jeffrey Toobin.

Yes, maybe it will.

Thanks so much, Jeff -- Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, Heidi, Home Depot might want to add a touch of camouflage to its famous orange aprons. Andy's "Minding Your Business." Back with that, and Jack, after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.

Finally, there may be some good news for Delta Airlines. Andy is back here "Minding Your Business." The good news is what?

SERWER: The good news is it looks like they've staved off bankruptcy, at least for the time being. Delta Airlines reaching a tentative agreement with its pilots union. This is critical, because obviously this airline, along with a lot of the other big ones, have been in dire need of some cooperation with its unions.

At issue here, specifically, is union pilots will be allowed to fly after they've taken early retirement without jeopardizing their pensions. Kind of a critical thing here. And we go day by day watching these companies try to navigate these very, very difficult waters. I guess that's a mixed metaphor with an airline, but let's just let it lie.

Some more employment news here from the Home Depot. And this is a good story. Home Depot is going to be helping out our veterans and the spouses of veterans. Listen to this, they're planning on hiring 10,000 veterans. This is a company that opens up a new store every 48 hours. I think they're hiring about 20,000 people a year. The other thing they're doing is they're hiring spouses of veterans, and then they will transfer the spouses if the other spouse is in the military gets moved around with the military. So very accommodating there by Big Orange.

HEMMER: Very accommodating, and good PR, too. And they opened up their first one in Manhattan, right?

SERWER: That's right, and with a concierge and a doorman to help you get the stuff in the cab. It's a little weird.

HEMMER: It's in Manhattan.

SERWER: Right.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

COLLINS: I want to check in with Jack now and the Question of the Kay, President Bush and his military service -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes, and the CBS thing. Thanks, Heidi. The documents now are I guess we've established were phony. Dan Rather has apologized. CBS has apologized. Everybody's apologized. What about the questions that came up in that infamous "60 Minutes" piece, questions about why didn't President Bush show up for that physical? And what about these gaps in the service records where nobody seems to be able to account for his whereabouts? And did anyone use their influence to get him into the National Guard in the first place?

The White House position is that the president served honorably, was discharged honorably, end of story. Should that be the or not? The question we're asking this morning, what question should the president answer about his National Guard Service? Getting a ton of mail on this.

Paul in Canada Beach (ph), question, "How did the president get an honorable discharge from his National Guard duty when nobody has come forward to admit ever serving with him in Alabama? If 250 swift boat Veterans remember serving with John Kerry in Vietnam, why can't we find one person who remembers serving with Bush in Alabama?"

Jim in Pine City, Minnesota, "I think the president should come clean. The American people just want the truth, even if it hurts. It will also most likely take a load off his mind if he did."

Leo in Glasgow, Kentucky, "President Bush should not answer any questions about his Guard duty. It was over 30 years ago and has no bearing on any of the current issues."

Alan (ph) in Okinawa, Japan, where we're on in primetime anyway, over there in Japan. Big hit at night. Why aren't we on in primetime here is the question?

SERWER: Because we're in the morning.

CAFFERTY: Yes, but we're better than some of those primetime shows on this network. We should be on at primetime.

SERWER: One man's opinion.

CAFFERTY: Is that all right with you? I mean, that's what I do here.

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: Alan in Okinawa, Japan: What questions are there that are important or relevant at this stage? None of the accusations or assumptions made by the president's enemies or critics have turned out to have enough substance to matter?

Here's the best one, Rex in Toronto, Canada: "He's need to answer why he didn't want to fight in Vietnam? Nobody wanted to fight in Vietnam. His unit was famous for also having the son of former Governor John Conelly, both sons of Senator Lloyd Benson, Bobby Sakowitz, Houston department store money, the grandson of H.L. Hunt, Dallas oil money, and several members of the Dallas Cowboys football team. Anybody who thinks that's a coincidence probably thinks Fox News is journalism."

SERWER: Hitting on all cylinders today, Jack.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

The president's in New York later today, two and a half hours away from his address at the U.N. We'll have a look at that in a moment.

Also, one U.S. lawmaker says the president is living in wonderland when it comes to Iraq and the U.N.? What does he mean by that? Senator Joe Biden, our guest top of the hour live here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired September 21, 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.
And this morning President Bush is back at the United Nations in his speech later today, trying to convince the world his way was the right way for Iraq.

A community grieves as another American in Iraq is murdered by terrorists. Friends and family say Eugene Armstrong was a good guy, just trying to help.

And CBS anchorman Dan Rather apologizing for a story based on lies. Now, though, tough questions aimed at the Kerry campaign, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

HEMMER: And good morning. Welcome to Tuesday. I'm Bill Hemmer.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins in for Soledad. Also this morning, we're going to be talking to Jeff Toobin. He's going to be talking to us about a pair of theory's that Scott Peterson offered to police on why his wife Laci disappeared. We'll talk about that, also whether prosecutors are making a mess of the case on the pace they're taking, four months in so far.

Also round two this morning, our series throughout the week looking at the positions the candidates are taking on those biggest of issues. Today on "Promises, Promises," the focus is Iraq and what each candidate plans to do to get the U.S. out or to improve the situation there in Iraq. So we'll get you with Kelly Wallace on that.

COLLINS: Jack Cafferty is here now with us as well.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. The documents, they were phony. CBS was misled, Dan Rather is sorry, but what about the questions that were raised in that infamous "60 Minutes" piece? We'll take a closer look at those in a few minutes.

COLLINS: All right, very good, Jack. Thanks.

I want to turn over to Kelly Wallace now. She has the latest now in the news this morning, beginning in Iraq -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning to you all. And good morning, everyone. We're actually going to start, first, though in Iran. The country has reportedly restarted its nuclear weapons program. According to newswire reports, an Iranian official says the country has begun converting large amounts of raw uranium into gas for enrichment. The action defies an order from a U.N. nuclear watchdog.

Big Tobacco goes on trial this morning. The $280 billion lawsuit pits the U.S. government against the country's largest tobacco companies. It charges the tobacco industry deliberately deceived the public about the risk of smoking since the 1950s. Opening statements are set to get under way in about two hours.

Interest rates are likely to be raised today. Analysts say the federal reserve is poised to announce a quarter-percent boost. It is the third hike to short-term interest rates this is year. What impact will this all have on you? In 20 minutes, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."

And in the nation's capital, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian is opening today. Some 20,000 Native Americans from across the country will take part in the dedication ceremony. The six-day event features 300 performers, representing 50 native communities. And we all have to check it out the next time we get to Washington.

HEMMER: That we do. Another site to see.

Thank you, Kelly.

As we mentioned, President Bush will address the U.N. General Assembly later this morning. This an attempt to assure the world of the U.S.'s plans in Iraq. Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry now leveling his toughest words to date against the president for the invasion of Baghdad.

Bob Franken this morning. We find him live in Jacksonville, Florida.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And the reason for that, is that's where Senator Kerry will come later in the day to change the subject. The subject du jour will be health care, but it was decidedly Iraq in New York yesterday, where he combined some very stiff criticism of the president with some grim humor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): Campaign humor in this kind of campaign is an oxymoron. Witness the sharp edges as John Kerry on "The David Letterman Show" presented his top 10 Bush tax proposals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Cheney can claim bush as a dependent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: That was the fun part of the day. Earlier, there was nothing below the surface, as Kerry ripped into his opponent over Iraq like never before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: The president has made a series of catastrophic decisions. From the beginning in Iraq, at every fork in the road, he has taken the wrong turn and he has led us in the wrong direction.

The first...

(APPLAUSE)

The first and most fundamental mistake was the president's failure to tell the truth to the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: As President Bush prepared to speak before the U.N. general assembly, Kerry demanded he convene an immediate summit to try to repair international relations over Iraq. The president did not wait to come to New York to charge that Kerry was changing his mind again.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today my opponent continuing his pattern of twisting in the wind, with new contradictions of his old positions on Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: That's the charge of flip-flopping that has had some success for President Bush and put John Kerry on the defensive. Kerry now trying to take the offense as he tries to turn the direction of this campaign around -- Bill.

HEMMER: Bob Franken live in Florida. Thanks, Bob.

President Bush addresses the U.N. General Assembly 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, about 3 1/2 hours from now. What will he say?

Jim Wilkinson, deputy national security adviser, my guest now here in New York City.

Welcome to New York. And good morning to you.

JIM WILKINSON, DEP. NATL. SECURITY ADVISER: Good morning.

HEMMER: What is the intent of the speech today? Expectations are what for the president's address?

WILKINSON: The president today will talk about the importance of finishing the job in Afghanistan and Iraq. You know, many, Bill, say that in places like the Middle East, you can't have democracy, and the president will point out more than 10 million Afghans are registered to vote in the elections that we'll see in October.

He'll talk about Iraq and Afghanistan, but then he'll move on. He'll announce a new initiative on the democracy front. I'll let him make that news.

He will talk about the importance of going after what he calls one of the most important health crisis in the world with AIDS, HIV- AIDS. He'll talk about the importance of stopping sex trafficking, the importance of continuing to help the developing world retire its debt and the importance of really changing how we provide foreign aid to the rest of the world.

HEMMER: So there's a whole lot in the speech, because specifically you mentioned Iraq a couple of times. Go back to what Senator Kerry said yesterday, the policy in Iraq has not strengthened our national security. It has weakened it. What would you say to Senator Kerry?

WILKINSON: First thing I would say is clearly he prefers the stability of a dictator over a new democracy. Prime Minister Allawi this week will come to town. He'll speak as you know before Congress and here at the UNGA and meet with the president today. He'll have an optimistic vision of the future of Iraq. Contrast that with Senator Kerry's plan that really could be accused of plagiarism for stealing ours. I just don't understand what...

HEMMER: Let me get to Senator Kerry's plan in a second, but how is the U.S. more secure with the invasion of Iraq?

WILKINSON: Well, clearly, Bill, I'm a former military man, and the geography in the war on terror is simple. We are going to fight the terrorists. We are either going to fight them over there or we are going to fight them here. The president today will talk about the importance of the international community, who are fighting the terrorists over there on those borders, so we don't have to fight them here within ours.

HEMMER: But even if you are looking at what is happening in Iraq on the ground today, your colleagues over the weekend, Senators Richard Lugar, John McCain, Chuck Hagel. Senator Hagel said the fact is we're in trouble, we're in deep trouble in Iraq. When your own people are speaking like this, how do you defend what's happening in Baghdad today?

WILKINSON: I think have you to look at the strong commitment of the men and women on the ground in Iraq who are fighting those terrorists who are working very hard. Prime Minister Allawi this week will talk about the elections that are coming. Think back to the 1940s and how desperate it must have looked back then when everything was going against this nation. And think to the strong decision our leaders made back then which eventually led to us win the Cold War. This president launched us on another decision path that allows us to go after terrorists where they live, where they hide, where they plot. You'll hear from him and Prime Minister Allawi... HEMMER: Let me stop you there just for a second. Is the address today more directed toward the members of the U.N., or is it directed toward the American people, 42 days away from an election?

WILKINSON: It's directed to the international community. There are important obligations the president will discuss today that every free nation has -- the obligations to help fight the scourge of HIV- AIDS, the obligation to help stop the violence and the genocide in Sudan, the obligation to help retire the debt of nations, the obligations to help finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan and help bring democracy to that part of the world.

HEMMER: Let me jump to a different area here quickly in the time we have left. There's a lot of talk today about the debates. Now that the plan has been out, the rules have been agreed to. The first debate will focus on foreign policy and homeland security. If the president is asked where the Osama bin Laden and why is he not accounted for, what would the White House say?

WILKINSON: Well, I don't want to speak for the president, what he would say in a debate. I'll assume he's on the run and hiding in a cave, which is much better than he was three years ago, where he was in Afghanistan, working very closely with the Taliban leadership that we've now replaced with a new free government that will soon have elections.

Look, Senator Kerry and others are in this wild interesting debate with themselves right now. Senator Kerry had had multiple positions on the issue of Iraq. I follow this closely; I can't tell even you what his position is, frankly. We work at the national security council. We don't do politics, Bill. We're focused on killing and capturing terrorists, and that's what this president if focused on doing.

HEMMER: We will hear the speech at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Joe -- Jim Wilkinson, rather, thank you for your time this morning.

To our viewers, 10:30 a.m. Eastern, we'll have it for you live at 7:30 out on the West Coast, President Bush here in New York City, before the U.N. later today -- Heidi.

COLLINS: President Bush and John Kerry have signed off on details of their debates. There will be three debates, beginning next Thursday at the university of Miami in Corral Gables, Florida, then Friday, October 8th at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Wednesday, October 13, at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

The debates will last 90 minutes, during which there will be at least 16 questions and the candidates will have two minutes to respond to the questions.

Among the more bizarre rules, though, in the 32-page agreement, candidates may not be shown from behind or reacting to the other's answer. After an opening handshake the candidates may not approach each other and they can't ask each other direct questions, and neither George Bush or John Kerry can use any device that makes them look taller.

Bill, over to you.

HEMMER: Now that the rules are set. Thank you, Heidi.

I want to get back to the story in Iraq that broke yesterday afternoon. American hostage Eugene Armstrong apparently executed there. Armstrong kidnapped last week from his residence in west Baghdad, along with another American and a British hostage. A video posted on an Islamic Web site shows the hostage being beheaded by captors believed to be linked by the terrorist Zarqawi. The hostage- takers gave another 24-hour deadline, saying another hostage will be killed if Muslim women are not released from Iraqi prisons.

Also the wife of another hostage pleading for her husband's life. American Jack Hensley, kidnapped along with Armstrong about a week ago. In a CNN exclusive interview last night, Patty Hensley spoke about her concerns for her husband.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATTY HENSLEY, WIFE OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE: I'm making another attempt at pleading with these captors to please open communications with us again so that we can perhaps come to some agreement on what it is exactly they want and perhaps how those needs can be met, and to again remind them that Jack Hensley is a loving and caring man and the father of a 13-year-old girl who doesn't understand exactly what's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That from "AARON BROWN'S NEWSNIGHT" last evening.

Jack Hensley, Gene Armstrong, British captive Kenneth John Bigley. All worked for a Middle Eastern company on reconstruction projects ongoing in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: In the Italian Alps, an amateur photographer caught a massive landslide on tape. It happened Saturday about 80 miles north of Milan, near the Swiss Border. Look at this. Experts say heavy rainfall last week, combined with a sudden rise in temperature, may have triggered the landslide. No one was reported injured.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment, talking on the phone in the car can be dangerous. We know that. Look at this videotape, a pregnant woman lucky she had her cell phone with her. A road turned into a river. We'll have that story.

COLLINS: The water got all the way up to her neck, she said.

Plus, a different theory in the Scott Peterson trial. Did Laci become a target because of her grandmother's jewelry? We'll talk to Jeff Toobin about that. HEMMER: Also, a mea culpa in the Bush document scandal from CBS and its star anchor, but did the network coordinate with the Kerry campaign on this matter? Ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: The reputation of the Tiffany (ph) network is tarnished this morning. CBS and anchor Dan Rather say they made a mistake, using questionable documents for a report about President Bush's National Guard Service.

Jeanne Meserve has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A 180 from CBS, an acknowledgement it made a mistake, that it cannot authenticate documents used to undergird a CBS report raising questions about President Bush's service in the National Guard. The network revealed and interviewed its source, former National Guardsman Bill Burkett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, CBS ANCHOR: Have you forged anything?

BILL BURKETT, FMR. NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: No, sir.

RATHER: Have you faked anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: But you did mislead us. You used the word "lie."

BURKETT: Yes I did.

RATHER: You lied to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Burkett said when CBS pressured him about where he got the documents, he threw out a name. He now says that individual was not the actual source. Though he still says the documents are real, he says he insisted to CBS that the documents be authenticated, something the network did not do.

RATHER: The failure of CBS news to do just that, to properly, fully scrutinize the documents and their source led to our airing the documents when we should not have done so. It was a mistake. CBS News deeply regrets it. Also I want to say personally and directly, I'm sorry.

MESERVE: Bill Burkett has in the past sued the Texas National Guard over medical benefits, and alleged that President Bush's military records were sanitized, a charge that former Bush aides have called hogwash. The White House pounced on the revelation that Burkett was the source. SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: What contact did Mr. Burkett have with Democrats? There are reports that he had senior level contacts with members of the Kerry campaign.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMM. DIR.: Who was behind these documents? Who was behind organizing this story. Those are the critical questions that the American people deserve answers to.

MESERVE: Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said don't point fingers at his party.

TERRY MCAULIFFE, DNC SPOKESMAN: No Democrats. None of the Democratic National Committee or the John Kerry for president had anything to do with the preparations of these documents.

MESERVE (on camera): But Republicans said McAuliffe left unanswered whether Democrats had anything to do with the dissemination of the documents. When it was first broadcast, Democrats hoped the "60 Minutes" report would hurt the Bush campaign. But some ruefully acknowledge that the only group that's been hurt at this juncture is CBS News.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Also this morning, Republicans are crying foul that CBS apparently helped the man who provided the network with the documents, Bill Burkett, to make contact with Kerry campaign adviser Joe Lockhart. Lockart admits speaking with Burkett, but denies any coordination with CBS or any involvement with the documents. Burkett says he wanted to give the Kerry campaign advice in responding to the Republican criticism over Kerry's service in Vietnam, not to discuss the documents.

HEMMER: And that story gets us to Jack and the Question of the Day.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.

All right, so the documents were phony. Dan Rather's apologized. CBS has apologized. Everybody's sorry. What about the questions that were raised in that infamous "60 Minutes" piece? Things like, why didn't President Bush show up for that Air National Guard flight physical? And what about those gaps in his service records where nobody seems to be able to account for his whereabouts? And did anyone use their influence to get him into the National Guard in the first place?

The White House position is the president served and was honorably discharged? Should that be tend of the story?

Here's the question this morning, what questions should the president answer about his National Guard Service? I don't personally care what he or Kerry did 30 or 35 years ago. I'd be very interested to know what they plan to do about health insurance, and Social Security, and outsourcing jobs and the war in Iraq, but we're going to fiddle around with this story about their service records I guess for a while longer. Mercifully at least when the election is over, so will this stuff be -- am@cnn.com.

HEMMER: In the meantime, Kerry comes out yesterday, has all the criticism for the White House and plan in Iraq, and a lot of it is pushed to the sideline because of this story here.

CAFFERTY: Kerry, just -- you know, he really can't catch a break. I mean, every time he does something, this kind of stuff kind of moves him to the 'B' section of the newspaper or the newscast.

I just got through for over a year paying $400 a month for health insurance on a 22-year-old kid that could be the poster child for health. But because she is no longer a student, she couldn't qualify for health insurance -- 400 buck as month. That's $5,000 a year health insurance premiums for a kid that's perfectly healthy. That's baloney. There's 40 million people have no insurance at all. Why don't they talk to us about how they're going to fix that kind of stuff? Who cares about Vietnam and the Air National Guard?

HEMMER: Am@cnn.com. Jack, thanks.

In a moment here, the future of Martha Stewart's career may rest in the kind of reality television, believe it or not. Andy is "Minding Your Business" in a moment here, back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. The world of money completely focused today on the Fed.

Andy is back with us.

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you.

We're going to go from the serious to the sublime this morning. Let's start with the serious. Stocks fell yesterday. Why? Rising oil prices. We've talked about that. Here you go, you can see the Dow. Nasdaq didn't get hurt as much. Colgate-Palmolive, we mentioned that in yesterday's broadcast, that stock really got hit hard, falling 11 percent.

Now the Federal Reserve is meeting. Bill Hemmer is right. At 2:00 today, we'll find out probably that the Fed is going to raise Fed Funds Rate from 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent, third time this year, putting to rest finally the allegation that the Federal Reserve does not raise rates before an election. Yes, it does. Alan Greenspan is in fact independent and we'll be watching the statement to see what they say about the economy. That's very important.

COLLINS: People watching very closely, for sure.

SERWER: That's right. COLLINS: Martha Stewart, though, what's up with that?

SERWER: This is the sublime portion, that's right.

This is some great stuff. You know how she said she wanted to get jail over with and to do some gardening this spring. Another reason why she wants to do that, is because apparently she wants to shoot a new TV show with TV producer Mark Burnett. He is the man who brought the hit reality show "Survivor" and "The Apprentice." Burnett confirming there are talks, and he said the show would be about Martha, and helping people and cooking, wouldn't be about jail time or anything like that.

COLLINS: Would they do it from jail?

SERWER: No, that would be after jail, but possibly during house arrest, if you can imagine.

COLLINS: I see.

SERWER: Yes, why is that everything with Martha Stewart is just a little bit different? I mean, it's really something, isn't it?

COLLINS: It is.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: In a moment here, Kelly Wallace back with us, part two of her weeklong series. We call it "Promises, Promises."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The war in Iraq. One candidate launched it the other voted for it, and both promised to bring home the troops, but when? We cut to the truth in part two of our week-long series "Promises, Promises." Stay with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. 7:30 here in New York. More on the controversy at CBS.

Boy, it's getting a lot of talk this week, huh?

COLLINS: It sure is.

HEMMER: In a moment, we'll talk to the man who wrote the book on the program, "60 Minutes." David Blum is his name. How does a story of this magnitude, 42 days before an election, make it past what many consider to be the most respected news program on television. We'll get to that in a moment. COLLINS: Also parts two of our series on election year issues. Today we're looking at one of the biggest issue of all, the plan for Iraq. Kelly Wallace will tell us what each candidate has in mind and how the two differ. In fact, we're going to check on stories now in the news with Kelly Wallace right now.

Good morning, Kelly, once again.

WALLACE: Good morning again to you. And good morning, everyone. New threats from a group responsible for the killing of an American in Iraq. Eugene Armstrong was apparently beheaded yesterday by a group with ties to terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. The group is now threatening to behead the two remaining hostages unless all female prisoners are released from Iraqi jails within 24 hours. American officials deny they are holding any female prisoners.

Grim news out of Haiti this morning. At least 620 people were reportedly killed by Tropical Storm Jeanne has it tore across the island. Distraught relatives have filled morgues searching for their loved one. The number of dead is expected to rise as flood waters recede.

New York police and the Secret Service are looking for a man who they say made a credible threat against President Bush. That's according to a New York television station. The suspect apparently has a history of mental illness. Security around the president has been beefed up.

And Martha Stewart might serve her five months in prison near her Connecticut home. The Bureau of Prisons says Stewart may be able to get a spot at a minimum security prison in Danbury. That's Stewart's top choice, because mostly it would allow her mother, who turns 90 this week, to visit her.

That's a quick look at the headlines. Now back to Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Kelly, thanks.

And to the black eye at CBS News today. The network says it cannot authenticate documents cited in a "60 Minutes" segment that question the president's military service. Last night Dan Rather apologized for their -- quote -- mistake in judgment, and aired part of his interview with the source of the disputed documents. That's the former National Guardsman, Bill Burkett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, CBS ANCHOR: Have you forged anything?

BILL BURKETT, FMR. NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: No, sir.

RATHER: Have you faked anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: But you did mislead us. You used the word "lie." BURKETT: Yes I did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Well, the author of "Tick, Tick, Tick: The Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes" is David Blum. He's my guest now here in New York.

Good morning.

DAVID BLUM, AUTHOR, "TICK, TICK, TICK": Good morning.

HEMMER: You wrote the book. I think a lot of viewers at home want to know how intense, or how detailed is the vetting process for a story before they go to air at "60 Minutes."

BLUM: Well, normally, it's quite thorough. But in this case, I think there was a rush to get it on. They wanted a story that would make waves in this campaign, and Dan Rather has always been looking for more opportunities to get on air with big stories, and just about anybody else at CBS News has been that way.

HEMMER: But you know that Bill Burkett has got a problem with the National Guard in the first place, has for years. You know he's got a problem with George Bush, has for years. Well-respected producer in Mary Mapes (ph) is working with Dan Rather, their star anchor on this story. You put all that together, and it seems like the stakes are even higher before you go to air.

BLUM: It's incredible, and yet the pressure was there, but not enough to get her -- to force her to admit who her source was and how biased her source was, and that really was the fundamental break in the rules of journalism.

HEMMER: Let me go back to the interview last night that aired on CBS Evening News and talk about the pressure that each side apparently put on each other. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURKETT: Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I did mislead you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.

RATHER: Well we were trying to get the chain of possession.

BURKETT: I understand.

RATHER: And you said you had received from someone.

BURKETT: I understand that.

RATHER: And we did press you to say, well, you received them from someone...

BURKETT: Yes. RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you, because it was a very important point for us.

BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw a name that was basically -- it was I guess to get a little pressure off for a moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: As a viewer watching that last night, I was struck by how honest they were about the amount of pressure that was applied on both sides. Were you?

BLUM: Well, they were honest up to a point. But there's still a hot of holes in the story. Where did the documents come from? What are these documents. I mean, Dan Rather he apologize, but he wasn't clear exactly what he was apologizing for. They still seem to be standing by the essence of the story. But when have you a story where the evidence itself isn't -- turns out now to be true, it undercuts the entire premise.

HEMMER: In a broader sense, what does this say to viewers of this program, of "60 Minutes?" What does it say to readers? Or maybe even your students at Columbia?

BLUM: Well, sadly, you know, students, viewers, have looked at "60 Minutes" for the 36 years as the last 60 years as the gold standard of TV journalism, certainly in the newsmagazine format, and now I think it's tarnished slightly, although I think ultimately the long, strong record of "60 Minutes" will hold. Something, though, will have to be done to clear the air, just as when "The New York Times" had its scandal last year, it's top editor had to resign, and I think we can expect some resignations at CBS News?

HEMMER: Dan Rather?

BLUM: I doubt it. Though he is already, as people are now saying, in the twilight of his career, whatever that means. And I think this will possibly hasten it slightly. But he's much too anxious to stay in the limelight for a little while longer for him to be forced out.

HEMMER: David Blum, you wrote the book. Thanks for joining us this morning -- Heidi.

BLUM: Thank you.

COLLINS: New polls out. Three battleground states show President Bush ahead of Senator John Kerry. According to the latest CNN/USA Today"/ Gallup poll, Bush leads Kerry among likely and registered voters in Iowa. In Missouri, the president has a 7 percentage lead, with 9 percent still undecided, an in Ohio, 50 percent of registered voters back the president, with 42 percent for Kerry, and 2 percent for Ralph Nader.

Well, one of the biggest complaints of voters during a presidential campaign is that they don't hear enough about the issues. And so today, we continue our five-part series "Promises, Promises," five days, five different issues. Our focus today, Iraq. It's one of the top three issues on voters minds according to our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll.

Here's kelly Wallace now.

Kelly, certainly a lot of people talking about Iraq, no question. Everyday we see it in the news.

WALLACE: Everyday.

As you know, yesterday, the debate dominating -- the debate about Iraq dominated the campaign trail. That is expected to continue today. But what we tried to do is clear through the debate and answer this question: What does each candidate promise to do to eventually get the U.S. out of Iraq?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Listen to what President Bush and Senator Kerry...

KERRY: At every critical juncture in Iraq and in the war on terrorism, the president has made the wrong choice.

BUSH: Incredibly, he now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison.

WALLACE: And what's clear is that with few good options in Iraq, the candidates largely criticize each other, instead of getting specific. President Bush's plan for the future, stay the course.

BUSH: Get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they deserve.

(APPLAUSE)

WALLACE: The president promises to bring U.S. troops home, once the mission is completed, but he hasn't said when that will be. He promises to spend what is necessary to restore the peace, but he doesn't mention a price tag, which nonpartisan experts say could ultimately reach $200 billion or more. He says other countries are sharing the burden, but doesn't mention how the 138,000 U.S. troops make up 85 percent of the coalition force. And he touts Iraq as a model for the Mideast, but doesn't note that ongoing violence could jeopardize Iraq's first free election in January.

KERRY: The president now admits to miscalculations in Iraq. Miscalculations? This is one of the greatest understatements in recent American history.

(APPLAUSE)

WALLACE: Senator Kerry is criticizing the president's handling of the war more harshly now than in the past, but he voted for the war resolution two years ago, even said last month he would do so again knowing what he knows now.

KERRY: Yes, I would have voted for the authority.

WALLACE: The senator promises to convince NATO and other allies to send troops to Iraq, but fails to explain how he can persuade world leaders who are reluctant to put boots on the ground. He promises to start bringing U.S. troops home six months after taking office, but is that even possible if other countries refuse to send forces in? And he promises to persuade European countries to help rebuild Iraq by giving them a share of reconstruction contracts, but he can't guarantee he can convince world leaders to pitch in, especially as the violence continues. The death toll now for Americans, above the 1,000 mark.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: President Bush has staked his presidency on the war and, therefore, has the most to lose. So if dissatisfaction in the United States grows, Senator Kerry, Heidi, who so far has been unable to gain an upper hand on the issue, could benefit.

COLLINS: Well, actually, yesterday, we saw some video from NYU, and he reveal this four-point plan for Iraq. But is any of what he's got planned really different from what President Bush is trying to do right now?

WALLACE: Well, that's why White House advisers were so quick to react. They say all the things that Senator Kerry is talking about doing, the president is already doing. He's reaching out to the international community, they say. They say he's also trying to speed up training of Iraqi forces. But what the Democrats will say is he's just not doing it very well, that the Americans can see what is happening on the ground in Iraq, and so their argument is, if the Americans are not happy with what is happening, they have a choice, an alternative, John Kerry.

COLLINS: All right, Kelly Wallace, thanks so much for that.

I want to remind everybody tomorrow, on our "Promises, Promises" series, it will focus on taxes and spending. The economy is tied now for No. 1 as the top issue on voters minds. In our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, once again, we will look at what each candidate promises to do when it comes to your wallet and the nation's budget.

Be sure to log on to CNN.com/am. There you can compare the candidate's positions and what they promise to do on various issues -- Bill.

HEMMER: About 20 minutes before the hour now, Heidi.

A pregnant mother was pulled to safety over the weekend. An amazing videotape as well. Alicia Correll (ph) got in deeper than she thought Saturday when the Tennessee River, rising with the rains of Hurricane Ivan, washed over the road she was on. The 30-year-old woman, almost up to her neck in water when she called 911 for help. She clung to her cell phone, broke open a window and kept her head above floodwaters until rescuers got to her and got her to safety. Good ending there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING today, a new call to duty for America's military veterans, but it's got more to do with nail guns than machine guns. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" on that.

HEMMER: Also in a moment here, there's a police witness testifying that Scott Peterson had his own theory about Laci's disappearance.

Jeff Toobin has that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Prosecutors in Scott Peterson's double murder trial are expected to finish their case sometime next week. In court yesterday, though, the lead police detective testified that Peterson had his own theory about his wife's disappearance.

Joining us now to talk more about the case, CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

Good morning to you, Jeff.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.

COLLINS: All right, so the lead detective, a man by the name of Craig Grogan, testified that Scott told the police early on that when Laci was walking in the park, she was wearing her grandmother's jewelry. And so, therefore, maybe she was robbed for the jewelry, and that that could be where she was abducted from. That park by some sort of transient.

TOOBIN: Right.

COLLINS: What do you think of the theory?

TOOBIN: The prosecution's theory is that Scott had some sort of canned motive already to explain away his wife's disappearance, when, in fact, he of course was the real killer.

You know, I think like a lot of evidence in this case, it's somewhat suggestive of guilt. Yes, it is a little peculiar that he had this theory, but it doesn't really prove anything, and it adds perhaps a little to the weight against him, but not much.

COLLINS: In fact, there's a little bit of criticism of this person, Grogan, because they went immediately to Scott Peterson as a supposed suspect. But he said here's why, four different reason reasons why. Taker a look at this, Scott Peterson was the last person to see Laci alive. He claims he was fishing alone the day that she was abducted, and so no one else could confirm his alibi, of course. He washed his cloths after coming home from that fishing trip. He also said that police believe the cleanup possibly occurred at the house. So any of these things taken by themselves, would they immediately lead police to Scott Peterson?

TOOBIN: You bet. I think this argument of a rush to judgment on the part of the defense is just silly. Who else was a suspect? In fact, after all these months, the defense hasn't even pointed to another suspect yet. So I think the cops would have been irresponsible not to focus on Scott Peterson. Plus, you know, the most obvious fact of all, he was the husband. Alas, husbands kill their wives. And that is by far the most common scenario in a situation like this. So I think the rush to judgment argument is really a loser for the defense.

COLLINS: Yes, sad that we've seen that argument so many times before.

TOOBIN: The cement, let's talk about that. This issue came up once again. There was this 90-pound bag of cement, but apparently Scott Peterson can only account for eight pounds of it. So where's the rest?

TOOBIN: A very good argument by the prosecution. You know, this case is so full of theories and, you know, what you would expect. This is actual physical evidence in the case. Scott Peterson, without doubt, bought a 90-pound bag of cement.

COLLINS: Said he made an anchor with it.

TOOBIN: Said he made one anchor with it, of eight pounds. Said the rest of it he spread on his driveway, making repairs. No one ever found any cement repairs on his driveway. Plus, the cops said his warehouse was a great big mess, and that there were shadows of four anchors, or apparent anchors, that were -- that have never been found. The prosecution theory is that those anchors were used to weigh down Laci's body to dispose of it. That is real evidence. I think it's the kind of thing that might stick in the jury's mind.

COLLINS: Quickly now, we are in the fourth month of this case. Are you amazed at how long it's taken?

TOOBIN: I'm not amazed; I'm appalled. I was at a meeting of the American Bar Association yesterday with judges and lawyers. And they're saying, you know, in these high-profile cases, people in the world get the impression that the average murder case lasts four months. They don't. This is -- there is no reason why this case should have lasted this long. The California judicial system, the judge, the prosecutor, they did not exercise the control that they should have. This is why we have trouble getting jurors in cases, because they think the cases are all marathons like this. They're not, and I really think it is no reason for this trial to have gone on so long.

COLLINS: It's a long time. All right, CNN's legal analyst...

TOOBIN: But maybe it will end soon.

COLLINS: ... Jeffrey Toobin.

Yes, maybe it will.

Thanks so much, Jeff -- Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, Heidi, Home Depot might want to add a touch of camouflage to its famous orange aprons. Andy's "Minding Your Business." Back with that, and Jack, after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.

Finally, there may be some good news for Delta Airlines. Andy is back here "Minding Your Business." The good news is what?

SERWER: The good news is it looks like they've staved off bankruptcy, at least for the time being. Delta Airlines reaching a tentative agreement with its pilots union. This is critical, because obviously this airline, along with a lot of the other big ones, have been in dire need of some cooperation with its unions.

At issue here, specifically, is union pilots will be allowed to fly after they've taken early retirement without jeopardizing their pensions. Kind of a critical thing here. And we go day by day watching these companies try to navigate these very, very difficult waters. I guess that's a mixed metaphor with an airline, but let's just let it lie.

Some more employment news here from the Home Depot. And this is a good story. Home Depot is going to be helping out our veterans and the spouses of veterans. Listen to this, they're planning on hiring 10,000 veterans. This is a company that opens up a new store every 48 hours. I think they're hiring about 20,000 people a year. The other thing they're doing is they're hiring spouses of veterans, and then they will transfer the spouses if the other spouse is in the military gets moved around with the military. So very accommodating there by Big Orange.

HEMMER: Very accommodating, and good PR, too. And they opened up their first one in Manhattan, right?

SERWER: That's right, and with a concierge and a doorman to help you get the stuff in the cab. It's a little weird.

HEMMER: It's in Manhattan.

SERWER: Right.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

COLLINS: I want to check in with Jack now and the Question of the Kay, President Bush and his military service -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes, and the CBS thing. Thanks, Heidi. The documents now are I guess we've established were phony. Dan Rather has apologized. CBS has apologized. Everybody's apologized. What about the questions that came up in that infamous "60 Minutes" piece, questions about why didn't President Bush show up for that physical? And what about these gaps in the service records where nobody seems to be able to account for his whereabouts? And did anyone use their influence to get him into the National Guard in the first place?

The White House position is that the president served honorably, was discharged honorably, end of story. Should that be the or not? The question we're asking this morning, what question should the president answer about his National Guard Service? Getting a ton of mail on this.

Paul in Canada Beach (ph), question, "How did the president get an honorable discharge from his National Guard duty when nobody has come forward to admit ever serving with him in Alabama? If 250 swift boat Veterans remember serving with John Kerry in Vietnam, why can't we find one person who remembers serving with Bush in Alabama?"

Jim in Pine City, Minnesota, "I think the president should come clean. The American people just want the truth, even if it hurts. It will also most likely take a load off his mind if he did."

Leo in Glasgow, Kentucky, "President Bush should not answer any questions about his Guard duty. It was over 30 years ago and has no bearing on any of the current issues."

Alan (ph) in Okinawa, Japan, where we're on in primetime anyway, over there in Japan. Big hit at night. Why aren't we on in primetime here is the question?

SERWER: Because we're in the morning.

CAFFERTY: Yes, but we're better than some of those primetime shows on this network. We should be on at primetime.

SERWER: One man's opinion.

CAFFERTY: Is that all right with you? I mean, that's what I do here.

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: Alan in Okinawa, Japan: What questions are there that are important or relevant at this stage? None of the accusations or assumptions made by the president's enemies or critics have turned out to have enough substance to matter?

Here's the best one, Rex in Toronto, Canada: "He's need to answer why he didn't want to fight in Vietnam? Nobody wanted to fight in Vietnam. His unit was famous for also having the son of former Governor John Conelly, both sons of Senator Lloyd Benson, Bobby Sakowitz, Houston department store money, the grandson of H.L. Hunt, Dallas oil money, and several members of the Dallas Cowboys football team. Anybody who thinks that's a coincidence probably thinks Fox News is journalism."

SERWER: Hitting on all cylinders today, Jack.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

The president's in New York later today, two and a half hours away from his address at the U.N. We'll have a look at that in a moment.

Also, one U.S. lawmaker says the president is living in wonderland when it comes to Iraq and the U.N.? What does he mean by that? Senator Joe Biden, our guest top of the hour live here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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