Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Interview with Liz Cheney; Interview With Cate Edwards; '90- Second Pop'

Aired October 06, 2004 - 07:29   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: Welcome back to Cleveland. It feels like fall today here in northern Ohio. Welcome back, everyone. And good morning. Nice to have you with us today.
Last night, I got a chance yet again to talk directly to voters, mostly undecided, about what they heard in the vice presidential debate; a very interesting discussion, too. Twelve men, 12 women in our focus group. The women were monitored with the yellow line, the men with the (AUDIO GAP)...

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get back to Bill Hemmer in just a moment here in Cleveland, Ohio. You saw some of those reaction numbers there from the polls that we were taking as the debate was going on. Very interesting stuff, and he's going to expound on that in just a little while.

In the meantime, though, also this morning, "90-Second Pop," a special look back at a great life in show biz for Rodney Dangerfield. The legendary master of one-liners died yesterday. We'll talk about all he leaves behind for generations of fans.

We want to get to the news now first this morning.

One of Afghanistan's key politicians is safe this morning after an attack on his convoy. A government official says insurgents attacked interim President Hamid Karzai's running mate while he was traveling in a northeastern province. Afghanistan is set to hold its first presidential elections on Saturday.

The Pentagon has agreed to delay the withdrawal of some 12,500 troops from South Korea. Under an agreement announced just hours ago, American forces will remain in the country until 2008. That's three years longer than the original Pentagon plan.

U.S. health officials are preparing for a flu shot shortage after learning this year's supply has been cut almost in half. The British Health Department announced yesterday almost 50 million doses of the U.S. flu vaccine were no longer pure. Health officials say they will now focus on making sure the remaining supply reaches those most vulnerable.

And a missing pilot we told you about yesterday is on his way back home to Australia. The Coast Guard dropped a life raft to the man after they spotted him some 750 miles south of Hawaii. A container ship picked up the 67-year-old pilot yesterday. He had spent 16 hours floating in the ocean and is happy to be out of there this morning, that is for sure.

Back now to Bill Hemmer. Bill, I think we can hear you.

HEMMER: Hey, Heidi. Good morning. Sorry about that. It sounds like a Tom Hanks film in there somewhere, doesn't it?

COLLINS: It does. You got it.

HEMMER: That guy getting picked up in Hawaii.

Listen, before we were interrupted by the gods in the solar system here, Heidi, in a moment here, we're going to be joined by the daughters of the vice-presidential men last night. Cate Edwards is my guest here in a moment, and Liz Cheney as well.

But before we go there, I also want to introduce you to our focus group from last night. We sat down with a group of people, undecided voters here in Ohio, and measured their responses in real-time. Have a look at what we found last night here in Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER (voice over): Twelve men, 12 women, 24 mostly undecided voters, watching the debate from the campus of Ohio State University. They were armed with hand-held touch pads to register their reactions, 1 being the lowest negative score, 10 the highest positive. Men in blue, women in yellow.

The candidates came out sparring, both getting higher positives from women throughout the debate. When Edwards attacked the Bush administration's record on jobs, he scored big with our voters.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: During the time that the vice president and the president have been in office, four million more Americans have fallen into poverty.

HEMMER: When Vice President Cheney turned to gay marriage, his daughter being gay, he also raised the bar.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whether or not government should sanction or approve or give some sort of authorization, if you will, to these relationships.

HEMMER: Senator Edwards lost points when he tried to accuse the vice president of drawing a link between Saddam Hussein and September 11.

J. EDWARDS: The vice president keeps suggesting that there is. There is not.

HEMMER: When Mr. Cheney got personal, his rating took a dip as well.

D. CHENEY: Almost 70 percent of the meetings of the Intelligence Committee. You've missed a lot of key votes.

HEMMER: And when it was over, just like any good focus group, some liked what they heard, some did not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They talked a lot about the war, but I would have liked to hear more about how and when we're pulling the troops out and not how we got there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard far more definitive answers than I heard from the previous debate between our presidential candidates. I still heard too much he said/she said/you said accusations, but there were some definitive answers to specific questions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Overnight results also indicate the two vice presidential candidates fought to a draw. ABC found that Dick Cheney won. A CBS News poll showed John Edwards the winner last night.

More debate analysis now from two of those closest to the men last night. Liz Cheney is the vice president's daughter and an advisor also to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. She is also in Cleveland this morning.

And good morning, Liz. Nice to have you along with us today.

LIZ CHENEY, DAUGHTER OF DICK CHENEY: Good morning. It's great to be here. Thank you.

HEMMER: I want to get your evaluation of your father's performance last night. Also, do you think he did better than the president last Thursday?

L. CHENEY: I think that they both had very strong performances. I think my dad's performance last night made very clear the challenges that the country faced. He made very clear the problems with Senator Kerry's record.

And, also, I think he very effectively made the point that, you know, you can't expect to sort of talk tough in a 90-minute debate and obscure your record of the last 20 years, where Senator Kerry has really been wrong on every important national security issue facing the nation.

I think you really had on Thursday night last week the president laying out a very strong case for Senator Kerry's lack of credibility in terms of being able to attract allies to our cause, the importance of the war on terror, followed up by an equally strong performance from my dad last night.

HEMMER: You mentioned...

L. CHENEY: So, we are very proud of him...

HEMMER: I apologize for the interruption here.

L. CHENEY: That's OK.

HEMMER: But some of the arguments you are raising here, listen to how this flip-flop issue was addressed last night and how the senator tried to turn that around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. EDWARDS: They should know something about flip-flops. I mean, they have seen a lot of it during their administration. They were first against the 9/11 Commission, then they were for it. They were for the Department of Homeland Security -- they were against the Department of Homeland Security, then they were for it. They said they were going to put $2 trillion of the surplus when they came into office aside to protect social security, then they changed their minds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Liz, do you think the senator was successful in turning that issue back on your father?

L. CHENEY: No, I think that was a very clear example of a case where the senator, who is a very effective and successful trial lawyer, you know, had memorized a sort of a set piece to lay out. But it makes light of what is really a critically-important issue, which is that John Kerry has taken 12 different positions on the war in Iraq during this campaign alone. He, you know, a month ago was saying that he would have voted the way he voted still today, that he would have voted to go to war. And then, you know, in the debate last week, he said, no, it was a mistake.

And, you know, that's something that they can sort of make light of, but as I have traveled around the country and talked to security moms, they say to me they are very concerned about that. You know, they want a commander-in-chief who, at a minimum, knows whether or not he supports the mission.

HEMMER: Liz, also your father mentioned last night he had never met the senator until he walked onstage last evening. Democrats were quick to pounce on this issue. They mentioned back in February of 2001 at a prayer breakfast in Washington the two men apparently did at least cross paths. There's videotape of that. Watch and listen here, and we'll talk about it after.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D. CHENEY: Thank you very much, Congressman Watts, Senator Edwards, friends from across America and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: There you see Senator Edwards and the vice president. Did your father misspeak?

L. CHENEY: No. I think, you know, the prayer breakfast, I think, was probably a large roomful of about 500 people. And frankly, when I heard that that was their response, you know, my reaction is that that's a response that proves our point. My dad's point was that Senator Edwards has been missing-in- action. His hometown newspaper calls him "Senator Gone." He has missed 70 percent of the meetings of the Intelligence Committee, which he credits as his main foreign policy, you know, experience.

So, if anything, I would say that the response that, you know, Senator Edwards was at a prayer breakfast three years ago that my father attended proves our point. He has not been on the floor of the Senate. He hasn't been involved in the major national issues of the day. And that was the point my dad was making.

HEMMER: But just to be clear on this, there's a room of 500 people, but we can see clearly from the videotape that your father is sitting next to Senator Edwards.

L. CHENEY: You know, again, I would say, you know, if, in fact, they did meet, clearly it did not leave much of an impression. And it just proves the point. You know, the point was...

HEMMER: OK.

L. CHENEY: ... Senator Edwards has not been engaged in these issues. And the fact that they are able to sort of pull up one prayer breakfast from three years ago I would say is evidence that what my dad was saying is exactly right.

HEMMER: Liz, thanks for your time. Liz Cheney here in Cleveland with me.

L. CHENEY: Thanks, Bill. It's great to be with you.

HEMMER: Sure. Sure. You are most welcome.

Now for the other side, Cate Edwards, the daughter of Senator Edwards, here is my guest in Cleveland as well.

And good morning to you.

CATE EDWARDS, DAUGHTER OF JOHN EDWARDS: Good morning.

HEMMER: I asked Liz the same question I'll ask you.

C. EDWARDS: OK.

HEMMER: How did your father do last night, do you believe?

C. EDWARDS: Oh, I thought did he a great job. I thought he showed strength and conviction, a command of the facts. And I thought he showed the American people that he is ready to lead.

HEMMER: There are some analysts who thought your father looked nervous last night, especially in the first 10 to 15 minutes. Did you see it?

C. EDWARDS: Oh, of course he was nervous. I mean, you're talking about a national debate. I'm sure Vice President Cheney was a bit nervous as well, probably the first question or so. And I, of course, was just freaking out next to my mom. But he relaxed after the first, you know, question.

HEMMER: I want you to listen here to a moment to how Dick Cheney described your father last night early on here.

C. EDWARDS: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D. CHENEY: Your hometown newspaper has taken to calling you "Senator Gone." You've got one of the worst attendance records in the United States Senate. Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of the Senate and the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they are in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Oftentimes last night the vice president was hitting on your father about his, what he considered, inconsistencies and his record as a six-year senator. How do you defend your father this morning?

C. EDWARDS: Well, it's a couple of things. First of all, I think the most important thing here is when we're talking about judgment, when we're talking about where we want to take this country in the next four years, you know, you can't put a really bad bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate and say, but you didn't even vote against it. You shouldn't put a bad bill on the floor of the Senate.

In addition, I would say, you know, that was an inconsistency in itself. Of course my dad -- you know, I think you just showed the clip from the prayer breakfast. Of course my dad has met Dick Cheney before. And my mom actually went up to the vice president after the debate and said, vice president, are you -- you know, are you kidding me? You met me and John at the prayer breakfast in 2001. You met us at Libby Dole's swearing in. And he said, oh, oh, yes. You know, I mean, I think that's inconsistent.

HEMMER: If Liz Cheney were sitting in this chair right now, she would likely say the inconsistencies are showing in the record here of a senator, not only for John Edwards, but also for John Kerry, and the fact that they do not have, in Dick Cheney's words, a record to run on. How would you respond to that?

C. EDWARDS: Well, I would respond by saying that they certainly do a record. They have a record that does speak for itself in the first place. But also that -- I think my dad mentioned this last night -- I mean, Dick Cheney's record and George Bush's record over the past four years, and Dick Cheney's record over the past 25 years or however long he's been around, really does show that they don't know how to lead. That they're not making the choices that Americans want them to make. They are not sharing the values.

For example, right now they won't even acknowledge that there's a problem going on in Iraq. They won't acknowledge the problems facing the middle class, the rising cost of health care, the fact that No Child Left Behind isn't working. There are so many issues on the table and so many judgments that they've made in the past four years that have proven that their record is not so hot.

HEMMER: We have to leave it there. The daughters speak this morning. Cate Edwards, thanks to you.

C. EDWARDS: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: And also Liz Cheney from earlier today. Very interesting perspectives from two people very close to the men we all watched last night.

Another reminder. For the presidential candidates gearing up for round two in Saint Louis on Friday night, our prime-time coverage starts at 7:00 Eastern Time on Friday night. The debate starts two hours later at 9:00 Eastern. We will have it all for you then.

Back to Heidi now with more in New York -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Bill, thanks so much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING now, is the bunny coming back to a playboy club near you? We'll talk about that in just a moment.

there may be many reasons Michael Jackson must long for yesterday. Is he about to lose control of Beatles songs, too?90 second pop is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Playboy Enterprises with plans to get its bunnies hopping again in clubs. And Andy Serwer is with us. He is "Minding Your Business," if that is business.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It's business.

COLLINS: OK, of course.

SERWER: It's business. The bunny suit is back, that's business, indeed.

Yes, Playboy is going to be reopening a playboy club in, where else, Las Vegas. Eighteen years after the last one closed down, they are going to be opening up at the Palms nightclub in Las Vegas. There used to be 40 clubs, Heidi, across the globe. They are getting a little bit long in the tooth.

This is a story in "The Wall Street Journal" this morning about it, and I highly commend you -- highly recommend to you, I should say, recommend that you read it. They had this really interesting point from Gloria Steinem, the feminist who you may remember in 1963 went undercover in Playboy and wrote an article about being a bunny. She said -- quote: "They died for a reason. It was an artificial atmosphere, and the food was terrible."

I thought it was pretty good.

Now, what's happened to Playboy, of course, is that Hooters have opened up all across the place and FHM and Maxim.

COLLINS: Competition.

SERWER: But that brand is so strong, you know, that iconic bunny, and they are going to be selling mugs and t-shirts.

Another interesting point -- you can here see the stock has not been a great performer. Another interesting thing in this article, I thought, was that other former bunnies were supportive, including Debra Harry, Blondie.

COLLINS: Blondie!

SERWER: I had no idea that Blondie was a Playboy bunny.

COLLINS: Oh!

SERWER: And she said it was a respectful work environment in a statement.

COLLINS: Well, all right then.

SERWER: Yes. So, maybe we can all go to Las Vegas when this is over and...

COLLINS: No, you can go. I'll let the boys on the show go to Vegas for that.

SERWER: And I just read it for the article.

COLLINS: OK, of course you did. All right, Andy, we'll check back a little bit later.

SERWER: OK.

COLLINS: We're going to go back now to Bill for the "Question of the Day." Hey, Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Heidi, thanks for that. Jack is out this week. Carlos Watson is doing the honors today. We want to know if you agree with Carlos' evaluation. Our e-mail question is pretty straightforward: Did last night's debate tie the series between the Republicans and the Democrats?

Good morning to you, by the way.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Kay from Texas says: "Dick Cheney won the debate. John Edwards used standard lawyer tricks and canned campaign rhetoric. It was easy to tell when Dick Cheney told the truth about Edwards. As any good lawyer does, Edwards just didn't respond and pretended it was never said."

Do you see it the same way?

WATSON: I don't. I actually thought both were active counter punches. But here's what she says, which is true. When they didn't like something, they would only respond to it a little bit and then move on. You saw Cheney do that on Halliburton. You saw Edwards do that in terms of the tax break that he did or didn't get.

HEMMER: Gloria in Mississippi: "It looks like it's two for two for the Democrats. Edwards was comfortable, controlled and thoughtful." She writes, "Cheney was patronizing and pouting."

WATSON: Two for two is right. I wouldn't call Cheney patronizing and pouting. In face, he had a couple of good jokes in there. And he did try to identify his stature gap. You heard him refer to historical involvements on his part as a policy-maker.

HEMMER: This takes us in another direction now. In Florida, Denise says: "The story of the VP debate was not the candidates, but the moderator. Gwen Ifill's questions were partisan toward the vice president."

WATSON: Ooh, interesting. Now, I think the moderator was a big part of the story. I thought her questions were spicier, more pointed. She actually got more questions, 20 versus 16 earlier. But I don't know that they were partisan towards the vice president. I don't think that's quite right. She covered a broad set of topics.

HEMMER: Let's pick up that issue again next hour about Gwen Ifill. I want to get your thoughts on the questions that she put together and how well she did as compared to Jim Lehrer from last week. All right?

WATSON: And you've got to send those e-mails in. I like these e-mails.

HEMMER: Keep them coming at AM@CNN.com. We'll talk to you later.

WATSON: See you.

HEMMER: All right -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Bill and Carlos, thanks so much for that.

Still to come this morning, the man who was always the target of his own jokes is remembered for leaving us laughing. Stay with us. More on Rodney Dangerfield in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: It is 90 second pop for a Wednesday. Meet the players today. Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.

Sarah, good morning.

SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

COLLINS: B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."

B.J., hello.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Hello.

COLLINS: And Crystal McCrary Anthony, author of "The Gotham Diaries."

Good morning to all of you.

We've got to talk about some sad news this morning. B.J., starting with you, Rodney Dangerfield, 82 years old...

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: ... dead this morning.

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: He went into a coma. He was in a coma for quite some time and never recovered and is now gone. But, you know, he is the guy that is just famous for so many great one-liners.

SIGESMUND: Yes. Well, you know, a generation of guys came of age with Rodney Dangerfield. My generation. You know, "Caddy Shack," "Easy Money," "Back to School." We're going to hear some of his one- liners, I think, right now.

COLLINS: Yes, this is a stand-up routine. This is probably his most famous line, I think.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY DANGERFIELD, ACTOR: He wants to have sex in the back seat of the car. I drove her and that guy around all night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIGESMUND: But the thing he was most successful...

COLLINS: That wasn't it.

SIGESMUND: No. He was most successful, of course, for his "I get no respect."

COLLINS: Right. SIGESMUND: Now, a lot of people don't know he actually didn't have that line until well into his career when he saw "The Godfather"...

COLLINS: Oh.

SIGESMUND: ... and, you know, respect was a big part of that movie with the Don.

COLLINS: Yes.

SIGESMUND: And he said, I kind of get no respect. Let me try that out in a routine. And it just caught on. And that became his signature line throughout the whole rest of his career, the biggest part of his career in the '70s and '80s.

BERNARD: And he always had the whole 'I'm a loser" kind of persona going. And that is something he picked up early on.

COLLINS: That's right. People identified with him.

CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "THE GOTHAM DIARIES": My grandfather totally loved Rodney Dangerfield, and that was the every man component of him that I think most people across the country identified with. . SIGESMUND: Do you know what his name was, though? His real name was Jacob Cohen. Now, who would change their name from Jacob Cohen to Rodney Dangerfield?

BERNARD: There are a lot of Jacob Cohens out there.

COLLINS: I don't know which is better. Let's listen for a minute to one of his most popular movies. Everybody loves "Caddy Shack." Let's listen to see what he said on there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANGERFIELD: Hey, I'll buy out the joint. Mike, stop me, will you? Oh, this is the worst looking hat I ever saw. Well, you buy a hat like this, I bet you'll get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you, though.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIGESMUND: Poor Ted Knight.

BERNARD: Yes, I know.

SIGESMUND: They -- oh, I remember they hated each other actually making that movie, Ted Knight and Rodney Dangerfield.

COLLINS: Oh.

BERNARD: It looked like they hated each other.

COLLINS: Well, obviously Rodney Dangerfield is very much missed by not only by other comedians but his audience as well.

Crystal, let's move on. Sony and Michael Jackson are expected not to talk...

ANTHONY: Right.

COLLINS: ... but not really in a good regard. They've going to be...

ANTHONY: They're going to...

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: ... yes, dissolving a partnership for owning the rights to these Beatles songs. What's up with this?

ANTHONY: Right. I know. These publishing rights to the Beatles songs, I mean, are very possibly Michael Jackson's, you know, most valuable asset. I mean, he's potentially -- you know, it's rumored that he could get up to 500 million for these rights. I mean, to me what it mounts up to are, you know, financial troubles that it's been speculated he has been having for some time.

I mean, with the cost of mounting legal fees, you know, a potential out-of-court settlement for, you know, the civil case once the criminal aspect of this child molestation case moves forward. And, I mean, also, the cost of running Neverland. I mean, that's extravagant in itself.

BERNARD: Well, he's also taken a loan against them.

ANTHONY: Right.

BERNARD: I think he's actually -- if he sells them, he's going to have to pay back the 200 million.

ANTHONY: Right, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), yes.

BERNARD: But there is something so strange about an artist owning another artist's songs. I mean, I know that it happens all the time that you sort of sell the rights to someone else. But there was always something kind of strange, don't you think, about owning...

ANTHONY: I think that the relationship that he had with Paul McCartney that, you know, it gave it sort of a weird feeling. I know Paul McCartney didn't necessarily appreciate that Michael Jackson...

BERNARD: No.

ANTHONY: ... because I think they bid against one another for that.

SIGESMUND: Right.

ANTHONY: And there's the friendship there that I think was an issue. But, I mean, business is business it turns out to be. You know, he may walk away with 300 million after paying back the 200 million in loans.

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: And Beatles fans are probably kind of divided about that, too...

ANTHONY: Sure.

COLLINS: ... because either they love that he's carrying on the songs or they think you can't sing those songs. No one can do them like the Beatles.

SIGESMUND: Right. You know...

ANTHONY: Right.

SIGESMUND: I was going to say, Sony is releasing yet another Michael Jackson greatest hits compilation next month.

COLLINS: Oh.

SIGESMUND: They are still making as much money out of Michael Jackson as they can.

COLLINS: Sure. Yes.

ANTHONY: Sure.

COLLINS: All right. Well, to the three of you this morning, thank you so much for your time as always. Sarah Bernard, B.J. Sigesmund and Crystal McCrary Anthony, thanks again, guys.

ANTHONY: Thank you.

COLLINS: And back now to Bill once again in Cleveland, Ohio -- Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Heidi, do you want my favorite Rodney Dangerfield line?

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

HEMMER: "When I was born I was so ugly the doctor slapped my mother."

COLLINS: I have heard that.

HEMMER: Do you like that?

COLLINS: Yes, that's a good one.

HEMMER: He's remembered today.

COLLINS: He is.

HEMMER: In a moment here, debating the debate from last night. Was there a clear winner last night? And if so, what does that mean for the next debate between the presidential face-off on Friday evening?

Back in a moment, live in Cleveland, as our coverage continues here on a chilly morning in northern Ohio.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.


Aired October 6, 2004 - 07:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to Cleveland. It feels like fall today here in northern Ohio. Welcome back, everyone. And good morning. Nice to have you with us today.
Last night, I got a chance yet again to talk directly to voters, mostly undecided, about what they heard in the vice presidential debate; a very interesting discussion, too. Twelve men, 12 women in our focus group. The women were monitored with the yellow line, the men with the (AUDIO GAP)...

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get back to Bill Hemmer in just a moment here in Cleveland, Ohio. You saw some of those reaction numbers there from the polls that we were taking as the debate was going on. Very interesting stuff, and he's going to expound on that in just a little while.

In the meantime, though, also this morning, "90-Second Pop," a special look back at a great life in show biz for Rodney Dangerfield. The legendary master of one-liners died yesterday. We'll talk about all he leaves behind for generations of fans.

We want to get to the news now first this morning.

One of Afghanistan's key politicians is safe this morning after an attack on his convoy. A government official says insurgents attacked interim President Hamid Karzai's running mate while he was traveling in a northeastern province. Afghanistan is set to hold its first presidential elections on Saturday.

The Pentagon has agreed to delay the withdrawal of some 12,500 troops from South Korea. Under an agreement announced just hours ago, American forces will remain in the country until 2008. That's three years longer than the original Pentagon plan.

U.S. health officials are preparing for a flu shot shortage after learning this year's supply has been cut almost in half. The British Health Department announced yesterday almost 50 million doses of the U.S. flu vaccine were no longer pure. Health officials say they will now focus on making sure the remaining supply reaches those most vulnerable.

And a missing pilot we told you about yesterday is on his way back home to Australia. The Coast Guard dropped a life raft to the man after they spotted him some 750 miles south of Hawaii. A container ship picked up the 67-year-old pilot yesterday. He had spent 16 hours floating in the ocean and is happy to be out of there this morning, that is for sure.

Back now to Bill Hemmer. Bill, I think we can hear you.

HEMMER: Hey, Heidi. Good morning. Sorry about that. It sounds like a Tom Hanks film in there somewhere, doesn't it?

COLLINS: It does. You got it.

HEMMER: That guy getting picked up in Hawaii.

Listen, before we were interrupted by the gods in the solar system here, Heidi, in a moment here, we're going to be joined by the daughters of the vice-presidential men last night. Cate Edwards is my guest here in a moment, and Liz Cheney as well.

But before we go there, I also want to introduce you to our focus group from last night. We sat down with a group of people, undecided voters here in Ohio, and measured their responses in real-time. Have a look at what we found last night here in Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER (voice over): Twelve men, 12 women, 24 mostly undecided voters, watching the debate from the campus of Ohio State University. They were armed with hand-held touch pads to register their reactions, 1 being the lowest negative score, 10 the highest positive. Men in blue, women in yellow.

The candidates came out sparring, both getting higher positives from women throughout the debate. When Edwards attacked the Bush administration's record on jobs, he scored big with our voters.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: During the time that the vice president and the president have been in office, four million more Americans have fallen into poverty.

HEMMER: When Vice President Cheney turned to gay marriage, his daughter being gay, he also raised the bar.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whether or not government should sanction or approve or give some sort of authorization, if you will, to these relationships.

HEMMER: Senator Edwards lost points when he tried to accuse the vice president of drawing a link between Saddam Hussein and September 11.

J. EDWARDS: The vice president keeps suggesting that there is. There is not.

HEMMER: When Mr. Cheney got personal, his rating took a dip as well.

D. CHENEY: Almost 70 percent of the meetings of the Intelligence Committee. You've missed a lot of key votes.

HEMMER: And when it was over, just like any good focus group, some liked what they heard, some did not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They talked a lot about the war, but I would have liked to hear more about how and when we're pulling the troops out and not how we got there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard far more definitive answers than I heard from the previous debate between our presidential candidates. I still heard too much he said/she said/you said accusations, but there were some definitive answers to specific questions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Overnight results also indicate the two vice presidential candidates fought to a draw. ABC found that Dick Cheney won. A CBS News poll showed John Edwards the winner last night.

More debate analysis now from two of those closest to the men last night. Liz Cheney is the vice president's daughter and an advisor also to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. She is also in Cleveland this morning.

And good morning, Liz. Nice to have you along with us today.

LIZ CHENEY, DAUGHTER OF DICK CHENEY: Good morning. It's great to be here. Thank you.

HEMMER: I want to get your evaluation of your father's performance last night. Also, do you think he did better than the president last Thursday?

L. CHENEY: I think that they both had very strong performances. I think my dad's performance last night made very clear the challenges that the country faced. He made very clear the problems with Senator Kerry's record.

And, also, I think he very effectively made the point that, you know, you can't expect to sort of talk tough in a 90-minute debate and obscure your record of the last 20 years, where Senator Kerry has really been wrong on every important national security issue facing the nation.

I think you really had on Thursday night last week the president laying out a very strong case for Senator Kerry's lack of credibility in terms of being able to attract allies to our cause, the importance of the war on terror, followed up by an equally strong performance from my dad last night.

HEMMER: You mentioned...

L. CHENEY: So, we are very proud of him...

HEMMER: I apologize for the interruption here.

L. CHENEY: That's OK.

HEMMER: But some of the arguments you are raising here, listen to how this flip-flop issue was addressed last night and how the senator tried to turn that around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. EDWARDS: They should know something about flip-flops. I mean, they have seen a lot of it during their administration. They were first against the 9/11 Commission, then they were for it. They were for the Department of Homeland Security -- they were against the Department of Homeland Security, then they were for it. They said they were going to put $2 trillion of the surplus when they came into office aside to protect social security, then they changed their minds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Liz, do you think the senator was successful in turning that issue back on your father?

L. CHENEY: No, I think that was a very clear example of a case where the senator, who is a very effective and successful trial lawyer, you know, had memorized a sort of a set piece to lay out. But it makes light of what is really a critically-important issue, which is that John Kerry has taken 12 different positions on the war in Iraq during this campaign alone. He, you know, a month ago was saying that he would have voted the way he voted still today, that he would have voted to go to war. And then, you know, in the debate last week, he said, no, it was a mistake.

And, you know, that's something that they can sort of make light of, but as I have traveled around the country and talked to security moms, they say to me they are very concerned about that. You know, they want a commander-in-chief who, at a minimum, knows whether or not he supports the mission.

HEMMER: Liz, also your father mentioned last night he had never met the senator until he walked onstage last evening. Democrats were quick to pounce on this issue. They mentioned back in February of 2001 at a prayer breakfast in Washington the two men apparently did at least cross paths. There's videotape of that. Watch and listen here, and we'll talk about it after.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D. CHENEY: Thank you very much, Congressman Watts, Senator Edwards, friends from across America and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: There you see Senator Edwards and the vice president. Did your father misspeak?

L. CHENEY: No. I think, you know, the prayer breakfast, I think, was probably a large roomful of about 500 people. And frankly, when I heard that that was their response, you know, my reaction is that that's a response that proves our point. My dad's point was that Senator Edwards has been missing-in- action. His hometown newspaper calls him "Senator Gone." He has missed 70 percent of the meetings of the Intelligence Committee, which he credits as his main foreign policy, you know, experience.

So, if anything, I would say that the response that, you know, Senator Edwards was at a prayer breakfast three years ago that my father attended proves our point. He has not been on the floor of the Senate. He hasn't been involved in the major national issues of the day. And that was the point my dad was making.

HEMMER: But just to be clear on this, there's a room of 500 people, but we can see clearly from the videotape that your father is sitting next to Senator Edwards.

L. CHENEY: You know, again, I would say, you know, if, in fact, they did meet, clearly it did not leave much of an impression. And it just proves the point. You know, the point was...

HEMMER: OK.

L. CHENEY: ... Senator Edwards has not been engaged in these issues. And the fact that they are able to sort of pull up one prayer breakfast from three years ago I would say is evidence that what my dad was saying is exactly right.

HEMMER: Liz, thanks for your time. Liz Cheney here in Cleveland with me.

L. CHENEY: Thanks, Bill. It's great to be with you.

HEMMER: Sure. Sure. You are most welcome.

Now for the other side, Cate Edwards, the daughter of Senator Edwards, here is my guest in Cleveland as well.

And good morning to you.

CATE EDWARDS, DAUGHTER OF JOHN EDWARDS: Good morning.

HEMMER: I asked Liz the same question I'll ask you.

C. EDWARDS: OK.

HEMMER: How did your father do last night, do you believe?

C. EDWARDS: Oh, I thought did he a great job. I thought he showed strength and conviction, a command of the facts. And I thought he showed the American people that he is ready to lead.

HEMMER: There are some analysts who thought your father looked nervous last night, especially in the first 10 to 15 minutes. Did you see it?

C. EDWARDS: Oh, of course he was nervous. I mean, you're talking about a national debate. I'm sure Vice President Cheney was a bit nervous as well, probably the first question or so. And I, of course, was just freaking out next to my mom. But he relaxed after the first, you know, question.

HEMMER: I want you to listen here to a moment to how Dick Cheney described your father last night early on here.

C. EDWARDS: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D. CHENEY: Your hometown newspaper has taken to calling you "Senator Gone." You've got one of the worst attendance records in the United States Senate. Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of the Senate and the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they are in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Oftentimes last night the vice president was hitting on your father about his, what he considered, inconsistencies and his record as a six-year senator. How do you defend your father this morning?

C. EDWARDS: Well, it's a couple of things. First of all, I think the most important thing here is when we're talking about judgment, when we're talking about where we want to take this country in the next four years, you know, you can't put a really bad bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate and say, but you didn't even vote against it. You shouldn't put a bad bill on the floor of the Senate.

In addition, I would say, you know, that was an inconsistency in itself. Of course my dad -- you know, I think you just showed the clip from the prayer breakfast. Of course my dad has met Dick Cheney before. And my mom actually went up to the vice president after the debate and said, vice president, are you -- you know, are you kidding me? You met me and John at the prayer breakfast in 2001. You met us at Libby Dole's swearing in. And he said, oh, oh, yes. You know, I mean, I think that's inconsistent.

HEMMER: If Liz Cheney were sitting in this chair right now, she would likely say the inconsistencies are showing in the record here of a senator, not only for John Edwards, but also for John Kerry, and the fact that they do not have, in Dick Cheney's words, a record to run on. How would you respond to that?

C. EDWARDS: Well, I would respond by saying that they certainly do a record. They have a record that does speak for itself in the first place. But also that -- I think my dad mentioned this last night -- I mean, Dick Cheney's record and George Bush's record over the past four years, and Dick Cheney's record over the past 25 years or however long he's been around, really does show that they don't know how to lead. That they're not making the choices that Americans want them to make. They are not sharing the values.

For example, right now they won't even acknowledge that there's a problem going on in Iraq. They won't acknowledge the problems facing the middle class, the rising cost of health care, the fact that No Child Left Behind isn't working. There are so many issues on the table and so many judgments that they've made in the past four years that have proven that their record is not so hot.

HEMMER: We have to leave it there. The daughters speak this morning. Cate Edwards, thanks to you.

C. EDWARDS: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: And also Liz Cheney from earlier today. Very interesting perspectives from two people very close to the men we all watched last night.

Another reminder. For the presidential candidates gearing up for round two in Saint Louis on Friday night, our prime-time coverage starts at 7:00 Eastern Time on Friday night. The debate starts two hours later at 9:00 Eastern. We will have it all for you then.

Back to Heidi now with more in New York -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Bill, thanks so much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING now, is the bunny coming back to a playboy club near you? We'll talk about that in just a moment.

there may be many reasons Michael Jackson must long for yesterday. Is he about to lose control of Beatles songs, too?90 second pop is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Playboy Enterprises with plans to get its bunnies hopping again in clubs. And Andy Serwer is with us. He is "Minding Your Business," if that is business.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It's business.

COLLINS: OK, of course.

SERWER: It's business. The bunny suit is back, that's business, indeed.

Yes, Playboy is going to be reopening a playboy club in, where else, Las Vegas. Eighteen years after the last one closed down, they are going to be opening up at the Palms nightclub in Las Vegas. There used to be 40 clubs, Heidi, across the globe. They are getting a little bit long in the tooth.

This is a story in "The Wall Street Journal" this morning about it, and I highly commend you -- highly recommend to you, I should say, recommend that you read it. They had this really interesting point from Gloria Steinem, the feminist who you may remember in 1963 went undercover in Playboy and wrote an article about being a bunny. She said -- quote: "They died for a reason. It was an artificial atmosphere, and the food was terrible."

I thought it was pretty good.

Now, what's happened to Playboy, of course, is that Hooters have opened up all across the place and FHM and Maxim.

COLLINS: Competition.

SERWER: But that brand is so strong, you know, that iconic bunny, and they are going to be selling mugs and t-shirts.

Another interesting point -- you can here see the stock has not been a great performer. Another interesting thing in this article, I thought, was that other former bunnies were supportive, including Debra Harry, Blondie.

COLLINS: Blondie!

SERWER: I had no idea that Blondie was a Playboy bunny.

COLLINS: Oh!

SERWER: And she said it was a respectful work environment in a statement.

COLLINS: Well, all right then.

SERWER: Yes. So, maybe we can all go to Las Vegas when this is over and...

COLLINS: No, you can go. I'll let the boys on the show go to Vegas for that.

SERWER: And I just read it for the article.

COLLINS: OK, of course you did. All right, Andy, we'll check back a little bit later.

SERWER: OK.

COLLINS: We're going to go back now to Bill for the "Question of the Day." Hey, Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Heidi, thanks for that. Jack is out this week. Carlos Watson is doing the honors today. We want to know if you agree with Carlos' evaluation. Our e-mail question is pretty straightforward: Did last night's debate tie the series between the Republicans and the Democrats?

Good morning to you, by the way.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Kay from Texas says: "Dick Cheney won the debate. John Edwards used standard lawyer tricks and canned campaign rhetoric. It was easy to tell when Dick Cheney told the truth about Edwards. As any good lawyer does, Edwards just didn't respond and pretended it was never said."

Do you see it the same way?

WATSON: I don't. I actually thought both were active counter punches. But here's what she says, which is true. When they didn't like something, they would only respond to it a little bit and then move on. You saw Cheney do that on Halliburton. You saw Edwards do that in terms of the tax break that he did or didn't get.

HEMMER: Gloria in Mississippi: "It looks like it's two for two for the Democrats. Edwards was comfortable, controlled and thoughtful." She writes, "Cheney was patronizing and pouting."

WATSON: Two for two is right. I wouldn't call Cheney patronizing and pouting. In face, he had a couple of good jokes in there. And he did try to identify his stature gap. You heard him refer to historical involvements on his part as a policy-maker.

HEMMER: This takes us in another direction now. In Florida, Denise says: "The story of the VP debate was not the candidates, but the moderator. Gwen Ifill's questions were partisan toward the vice president."

WATSON: Ooh, interesting. Now, I think the moderator was a big part of the story. I thought her questions were spicier, more pointed. She actually got more questions, 20 versus 16 earlier. But I don't know that they were partisan towards the vice president. I don't think that's quite right. She covered a broad set of topics.

HEMMER: Let's pick up that issue again next hour about Gwen Ifill. I want to get your thoughts on the questions that she put together and how well she did as compared to Jim Lehrer from last week. All right?

WATSON: And you've got to send those e-mails in. I like these e-mails.

HEMMER: Keep them coming at AM@CNN.com. We'll talk to you later.

WATSON: See you.

HEMMER: All right -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Bill and Carlos, thanks so much for that.

Still to come this morning, the man who was always the target of his own jokes is remembered for leaving us laughing. Stay with us. More on Rodney Dangerfield in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: It is 90 second pop for a Wednesday. Meet the players today. Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.

Sarah, good morning.

SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

COLLINS: B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."

B.J., hello.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Hello.

COLLINS: And Crystal McCrary Anthony, author of "The Gotham Diaries."

Good morning to all of you.

We've got to talk about some sad news this morning. B.J., starting with you, Rodney Dangerfield, 82 years old...

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: ... dead this morning.

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: He went into a coma. He was in a coma for quite some time and never recovered and is now gone. But, you know, he is the guy that is just famous for so many great one-liners.

SIGESMUND: Yes. Well, you know, a generation of guys came of age with Rodney Dangerfield. My generation. You know, "Caddy Shack," "Easy Money," "Back to School." We're going to hear some of his one- liners, I think, right now.

COLLINS: Yes, this is a stand-up routine. This is probably his most famous line, I think.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY DANGERFIELD, ACTOR: He wants to have sex in the back seat of the car. I drove her and that guy around all night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIGESMUND: But the thing he was most successful...

COLLINS: That wasn't it.

SIGESMUND: No. He was most successful, of course, for his "I get no respect."

COLLINS: Right. SIGESMUND: Now, a lot of people don't know he actually didn't have that line until well into his career when he saw "The Godfather"...

COLLINS: Oh.

SIGESMUND: ... and, you know, respect was a big part of that movie with the Don.

COLLINS: Yes.

SIGESMUND: And he said, I kind of get no respect. Let me try that out in a routine. And it just caught on. And that became his signature line throughout the whole rest of his career, the biggest part of his career in the '70s and '80s.

BERNARD: And he always had the whole 'I'm a loser" kind of persona going. And that is something he picked up early on.

COLLINS: That's right. People identified with him.

CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "THE GOTHAM DIARIES": My grandfather totally loved Rodney Dangerfield, and that was the every man component of him that I think most people across the country identified with. . SIGESMUND: Do you know what his name was, though? His real name was Jacob Cohen. Now, who would change their name from Jacob Cohen to Rodney Dangerfield?

BERNARD: There are a lot of Jacob Cohens out there.

COLLINS: I don't know which is better. Let's listen for a minute to one of his most popular movies. Everybody loves "Caddy Shack." Let's listen to see what he said on there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANGERFIELD: Hey, I'll buy out the joint. Mike, stop me, will you? Oh, this is the worst looking hat I ever saw. Well, you buy a hat like this, I bet you'll get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you, though.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIGESMUND: Poor Ted Knight.

BERNARD: Yes, I know.

SIGESMUND: They -- oh, I remember they hated each other actually making that movie, Ted Knight and Rodney Dangerfield.

COLLINS: Oh.

BERNARD: It looked like they hated each other.

COLLINS: Well, obviously Rodney Dangerfield is very much missed by not only by other comedians but his audience as well.

Crystal, let's move on. Sony and Michael Jackson are expected not to talk...

ANTHONY: Right.

COLLINS: ... but not really in a good regard. They've going to be...

ANTHONY: They're going to...

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: ... yes, dissolving a partnership for owning the rights to these Beatles songs. What's up with this?

ANTHONY: Right. I know. These publishing rights to the Beatles songs, I mean, are very possibly Michael Jackson's, you know, most valuable asset. I mean, he's potentially -- you know, it's rumored that he could get up to 500 million for these rights. I mean, to me what it mounts up to are, you know, financial troubles that it's been speculated he has been having for some time.

I mean, with the cost of mounting legal fees, you know, a potential out-of-court settlement for, you know, the civil case once the criminal aspect of this child molestation case moves forward. And, I mean, also, the cost of running Neverland. I mean, that's extravagant in itself.

BERNARD: Well, he's also taken a loan against them.

ANTHONY: Right.

BERNARD: I think he's actually -- if he sells them, he's going to have to pay back the 200 million.

ANTHONY: Right, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), yes.

BERNARD: But there is something so strange about an artist owning another artist's songs. I mean, I know that it happens all the time that you sort of sell the rights to someone else. But there was always something kind of strange, don't you think, about owning...

ANTHONY: I think that the relationship that he had with Paul McCartney that, you know, it gave it sort of a weird feeling. I know Paul McCartney didn't necessarily appreciate that Michael Jackson...

BERNARD: No.

ANTHONY: ... because I think they bid against one another for that.

SIGESMUND: Right.

ANTHONY: And there's the friendship there that I think was an issue. But, I mean, business is business it turns out to be. You know, he may walk away with 300 million after paying back the 200 million in loans.

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: And Beatles fans are probably kind of divided about that, too...

ANTHONY: Sure.

COLLINS: ... because either they love that he's carrying on the songs or they think you can't sing those songs. No one can do them like the Beatles.

SIGESMUND: Right. You know...

ANTHONY: Right.

SIGESMUND: I was going to say, Sony is releasing yet another Michael Jackson greatest hits compilation next month.

COLLINS: Oh.

SIGESMUND: They are still making as much money out of Michael Jackson as they can.

COLLINS: Sure. Yes.

ANTHONY: Sure.

COLLINS: All right. Well, to the three of you this morning, thank you so much for your time as always. Sarah Bernard, B.J. Sigesmund and Crystal McCrary Anthony, thanks again, guys.

ANTHONY: Thank you.

COLLINS: And back now to Bill once again in Cleveland, Ohio -- Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Heidi, do you want my favorite Rodney Dangerfield line?

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

HEMMER: "When I was born I was so ugly the doctor slapped my mother."

COLLINS: I have heard that.

HEMMER: Do you like that?

COLLINS: Yes, that's a good one.

HEMMER: He's remembered today.

COLLINS: He is.

HEMMER: In a moment here, debating the debate from last night. Was there a clear winner last night? And if so, what does that mean for the next debate between the presidential face-off on Friday evening?

Back in a moment, live in Cleveland, as our coverage continues here on a chilly morning in northern Ohio.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.