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American Morning
Discussing the Final Presidential Debate; Bill O'Reilly Involved in a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit; "Crowded House"
Aired October 14, 2004 - 09:30 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: Hey, Christmas comes early. Well done, Whoopi. Enjoy that, Jack. Jack, how many gigs in that iPod, by the way? You're going to have to learn this terminology now.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: About -- about seven. There's seven.
HEMMER: Got to go higher than that.
CAFFERTY: What's a gig?
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Not enough.
HEMMER: Maybe 10.
CAFFERTY: What?
HEMMER: Storage space. I'll explain it all to you.
CAFFERTY: All right.
HEMMER: Merry Christmas.
In a moment here, three down now for President Bush and Senator Kerry. Debates are over. Where do we stand now? Jeff Greenfield checks in in a moment as we continue after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: It's just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. We're going to get back to Bill in just a few minutes in Columbus, Ohio -- getting a reaction, of course, from last night's debate, the third and final one.
Also, we're going to have some news coming up from Iraq. Two powerful explosions today in Baghdad with U.S. and Iraqi casualties. Brent Sadler is standing by for a report on that.
Also, sexual harassment allegations made against Bill O'Reilly. Lawsuits have now been filed from both sides. We're going to have a report on that, as well.
But now, directly to the news this morning. Five days after the landmark election, the first votes are being counted this hour in Afghanistan. A senior election official says tallying has begun in centers across the country. The count was delayed by complaints of voting irregularities. Interim President Hamid Karzai is expected to win, but final results will not be in until the end of the month.
In Saudi Arabia, Yaser Hamdi says he's not bitter about being held as an enemy combatant in the U.S. for more than three years. The 24-year-old returned to his native country Monday, and Hamdi now speaks out about his detention for the first time in an exclusive interview with CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASER HAMDI, FMR. DETAINEE: I really want to say for the people that I was really hoping that my case would be solved earlier than that. I was hoping that the people and the American government will understand and take my case more seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Hamdi maintains his innocence. His father says he plans to make Hamdi a productive member of society.
And moving on now this morning into Florida -- in fact, some worries about electronic voting just weeks before the presidential election. A test of electronic voting machines similar to the ones you're seeing here has been delayed due to a computer crash. Critics say that highlights the need for paper records. Officials hope to test the machines tomorrow.
Hope that will be in time. Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi.
Last night's debate, the last scheduled meeting between George Bush and John Kerry head-to-head face-to-face. Nineteen days to go now. The home stretch run here.
Did either man get on the scoreboard last night? Let's check in with our senior analyst out in Tempe, Arizona, Jeff Greenfield back with us here. And Jeff, I think it was at midnight last night when you thought this debate was kind of like watching C-SPAN. I take it you were not overly impressed with what you heard. Good morning there.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Hi. Well, I tend to be a C- SPAN junkie, but that's me. I thought this debate was awash with wonkery, where the candidates did two things -- Jack's e-mail indicates that.
The first thing they did was to just kind of go back and forth with lines we heard before and were swapping numbers in a dizzying way. But there were a couple of other moments. I think we got, once again, a clear sense of where the Bush campaign wants to go in this next 19 or 18 days and that's to paint John Kerry as too liberal for the country.
Take a listen to what the president said, Bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a mainstream in American politics, and you sit right on the far left bank. As a matter of fact, your record is such that Ted Kennedy, your colleague, is the conservative senator from Massachusetts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: You are going to hear a lot more of this in the coming days, Bill.
HEMMER: What about the talk about healthcare, the talk about health costs? Was it gobbledygook at one time, or did it become perhaps more understandable to others watching at home?
GREENFIELD: Yeah, I think after a series of questions and answers where the numbers were just making my hair hurt, John Kerry tried to summarize his reaction to the president's charge that he was fiscally irresponsible generally, and this gets my reward for the most obviously canned, prepared line of the evening. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country.
This president has taken a $5.6 trillion surplus and turned it into deficits as far as the eye can see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: One thing, Bill, is whenever professional politicians try to sound like they know a lot about pop culture, it usually doesn't work. So, that was my reaction to that line.
HEMMER: You know, for our focus group, Jeff, we noticed some of the highest marks for both men in the positive category came at the end of the 90 minutes. Lighter moments. Human moments.
What did you make of that?
GREENFIELD: Yeah. Because this debate was so awash in policy arguments, the last question about strong women in the lives of these candidates was the moment that both of these candidates struck a human note. And I particularly want you to pay attention to John Kerry's response. We're going to hear from both of them right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB SCHIEFFER, MODERATOR: What is the most important thing you've learned from these strong women?
BUSH: To listen to them. To stand up straight and not scowl.
KERRY: Well, I guess the president and you and I are three examples of lucky people who married up -- and some would say maybe me more so than others. But I can take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: Now, that is the first time, as far as I know, Bill, that John Kerry has made any joking reference to the fact that his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is a billionaire. That he would be the richest man ever to occupy the White House.
And for a guy who so often appears less comfortable in personal matters than the president, who is a much more accessible candidate in that sense, that was an interesting moment. What it told me, Bill, is that there was a certain sense of ease and confidence that Kerry was showing, even if it was the last sentence of the last debate.
So, we're going to hear a lot about that bite all day today, I think.
HEMMER: All right. Thanks, Jeff, for that.
And one more note here from Columbus, it was very interesting to see the difference in the genders. In the last two debates, we saw the women going for Bush and the men going for Kerry. Last night, it appeared that the women were going for Kerry and the men were going for Bush. Why this is, we can't say. Perhaps the topic matter. Perhaps the group, the audience we had here.
Bottom line is we did know the shift and the change in our polling group last night.
Much more from Columbus in a moment. Want to go back to New York again and Heidi with more news back there -- Heidi?
COLLINS: In fact, much more now from Iraq, Bill. Americans were killed along with Iraqi civilians today in Baghdad following two large blasts in the so-called Green Zone. It's an area we hear a lot about.
CNN's Brent Sadler is live in Baghdad now with the details on this. Good morning to you, Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Heidi.
Two Americans killed inside the Green Zone along with five others -- we don't know their nationalities at this stage. There are two very powerful explosions several hours ago, confirmed more or less immediately to have taken place inside the Green Zone.
Now, this is a high-security area. It's home to the U.S. embassy and the British embassy, as well as many of the institutions and governmental offices of the interim authorities here in Baghdad. We saw pretty soon after those explosions large columns of smoke rising from the two blast sites.
The target areas: a souvenir market that's used by all sorts of people inside the Green Zone, and also a cafe. Now, the Green Zone has been the subject of regular attacks over many months, rockets and mortars. But this was actually an attack whereby explosives have been taken inside the Green Zone, raising very serious concerns about just how impregnable this effectively seat of power in Iraq is. And very strong suspicions at this stage that at least one, possibly two suicide bombers were involved inside the Green Zone.
So, very serious repercussions in terms of security inside that very well-protected -- supposedly well-protected area -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Hopefully they'll be reassessing that situation in the security there, as you say. Brent Sadler, thanks so much, live from Baghdad this morning.
FOX News anchor Bill O'Reilly filed a lawsuit now against a New York City lawyer and a FOX News employee. O'Reilly says the two tried to extort $60 million in hush money to keep quiet about allegations of sexual harassment.
Jason Carroll has the story.
We will have that actually for you in just a moment. Get to it as soon as we can here. Once again, Jason Carroll is going to have that.
We want to turn it over now to Chad Myers, instead. We're going to look at the weather first -- Chad?
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: All right, Chad Myers, thank you.
Want to get back to the story we were telling you about just a moment ago. Bill O'Reilly of FOX News has filed a lawsuit, talking about sexual harassment allegations here involving $60 million. Suit's been filed on both sides. Here are more details from Jason Carroll now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the night of the last presidential debate, FOX News anchor Bill O'Reilly, politics would not be the first story in his show.
BILL O'REILLY, HOST, "THE O'REILLY FACTOR": But there comes a time when enough's enough. And so, this morning I had to file a lawsuit against some people who are demanding $60 million where they will, quote, "punish me and FOX News."
CARROLL: Faced with sexual harassment allegations against him, O'Reilly said he had no choice but to file a complaint claiming extortion. This in response to allegations made by Andrea Mackris, an associate producer for "The O'Reilly Factor." Mackris' suit, filed after his boss and FOX News filed theirs, alleges on several occasions O'Reilly made sexually explicit comments to her.
BENEDICT MORELLI, MACKRIS' ATTORNEY: Suddenly, without provocation or warning, Mr. O'Reilly said to the plaintiff, Andrea Mackris, "and just use your vibrator to blow off steam."
"What?"
"You've got a vibrator, don't you? Every girl does."
CARROLL: Mackris spoke through her attorney, who alleged O'Reilly's inappropriate comments were made in person, over dinners, and over the phone. Mackris' complaint contains detailed quotes allegedly from O'Reilly.
O'Reilly's attorney says he will ask the attorney to turn over copies of any recorded conversations, certain there is nothing incriminating. Her attorney would not say if there were any tapes.
O'Reilly's accuser worked at FOX News from April 2000 until January 2004, during which time, according to her complaint, O'Reilly allegedly made several sexually inappropriate comments. Mackris left FOX News and took a higher-paying producer position at CNN, but in July 2004, she returned to "The O'Reilly Factor" working again for O'Reilly -- on condition, her complaint says, quote, "he no longer engaged in inappropriate conduct."
But Mackris alleges that conduct resumed. O'Reilly's attorney says, "none of the actions rise to the level of unlawful activity." O'Reilly says the suit is motivated by greed and politics.
MORELLI: Let me tell you, if it was politically motivated, I would have brought the lawsuit originally and not engaged in negotiations and discussions with their lawyers for the last two-plus weeks.
O'REILLY: Sixty million dollars. I really can't say anything else. I don't want to waste your time with this. The justice system has the case. We'll see what happens.
CARROLL (on camera): Mackris' attorney would not comment on FOX's claim he demanded $60 million hush money to prevent the filing of the sexual harassment lawsuit. He did say O'Reilly's extortion claim is without merit and that O'Reilly's behavior will be proven in court.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Still to come now, Andy's "Minding Your Business." The Pope is getting a new set of wheels. It's red and a whole lot faster than you might expect.
Plus, it's time for us to check in again with Soledad and her new little babies. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has part four of his special series "Crowded House" coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome to week four of our series "Crowded House." In past weeks, we've looked at toddler twins and triplets. But this week, we focus on the teens. Sanjay is joining us once again from Los Angeles this morning. As we said before, one teenager, some parents would say, would be tough. But this is insane.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Seven of them at the same time, Heidi. It's incredible. And we're going to hear directly from the mouths of these multiples -- a set of quadruplets and a set of triplets in the same family. What's life like for them as they grow up in terms of bonding, in terms of rivalry? All those sorts of issues.
They have a lot to say when it comes to a crowded house.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Soledad's boys were born just minutes apart. Twins, who will forever be remembered for their similarities in these pictures. Still, the hope is one day they will grow into individuals. And that's a goal that experts often give to parents of multiples.
Of the nine children in the Swick family, there is a set of quadruplets, all freshmen in high school, and a set of triplets, all college freshmen. Seven teenagers at once.
TARA SWICK, QUADRUPLET: It's nice having brothers and a sister that are the same age. You kind of know how the guys think that are your age and how then we can talk to them about how the girls think.
GUPTA: Born in the late 1980s, the seven Swicks were part of an era of increased multiple births that has since tapered off. The Swicks used fertility drugs for all of the births. All of them are healthy and none of them are identical. But...
DREW SWICK, QUADRUPLET: It is pretty easy to tell us apart. So, -- as soon as they learn that we're quads, they have troubles with our names.
GUPTA: As for sibling rivalry...
CARLY SWICK, QUADRUPLET: You just kind of decide for yourself that it won't bother you if they are better at something than you, because you have your own thing that you are better than them at. So, it's all good.
KYLA SWICK, TRIPLET: One thing my parents said is they would try not to always call us, "Oh, triplets, come here." They try to say individual names so that we weren't always lumped into one group.
GUPTA: Parenting multiples may be a unique experience, but financially caring for all seven may seem impossible.
TOM SWICK, FATHER OF MULTIPLES: I have an accounting degree. I mean, the numbers don't add up. But the biggest thing you have to do is plan.
GUPTA: Over the years, the Swicks have learned to haggle, getting group prices on everything from eyeglasses to soccer uniforms to college tuition. But the most important life lessons...
MICHA SWICK, TRIPLET: We, already from a young age, had to learn to be unselfish with each other. You have to learn how to react to so many different personalities at the start of your life.
C. SWICK: Learning how to just do it on your own and not have to worry about your parents doing everything for you.
GUPTA: Learning how to manage such a large family may seem like an amazing feat, but to the Swick parents, it's remarkably simple.
SUE SWICK, MOTHER OF MULTIPLES: If you are a good parent with one or two, you would probably be a good parent with more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (on camera): Nine children. Really remarkable. And the experts we've talked to said identical multiples tend to be closer as they grow up than fraternal twins. But in the case of the Swick family, all nine of them very close, Heidi.
COLLINS: But they share so much -- I mean, their birthdays, their life experiences. Do you think parents should maybe on purpose separate them in school or other activities they might be doing?
GUPTA: Well, you know, I've got two schools of thought on this, because a lot of the experts we talked to said yes, it's probably a good idea to start fostering and nurturing individuality among twins or multiples as early in life as possible -- different schools, different sports teams, all sorts of different activities as they're growing up.
In the case of the Swick family, they really didn't do that. For example, the two older boys of the triplets -- there's triplets, two boys and a girl -- the two boys actually live together in college, Micha and Isaac, and they seem to get along very well and still have their own individual lifestyles, even though they live together, Heidi.
COLLINS: They seem like just a really great family.
Well, next week, though, our big finale. What are we going to see, Sanjay?
GUPTA: For the finale, we're going to bring somebody back. Soledad's coming back. She's going to talk to us about her experience with multiples. We're also going to meet one mom who's a single mom, mother of triplets. She's taking care of them on her own.
How did she get back to work? How did she get back in shape? How does she maintain her lifestyle now? We're going to have all of that. The series -- the finale "Crowded House," that's next Thursday here on AMERICAN MORNING.
COLLINS: How does she do it? All right, Sanjay. Thanks so much. GUPTA: Thank you.
COLLINS: Still to come now, Andy's "Minding Your Business" to tell you about Ferrari's idea of a Pope-mobile. Keep it here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAFFERTY: Coming soon, a Pope-mobile that will go from zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds and a check of the markets. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." I don't believe this. This is wild.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Why are you giving me that stuff? That's crazy.
OK, let's talk about the markets first of all. The stocks trading down to start the day, down 25 points. Widening trade deficit. Mixed earnings picture from General Motors. Citigroup earnings looking pretty good. 'Tis earnings season, of course.
One stock on the move, Apple Computer. Apple computer up eight percent, 315 to 42.90. This stock's at a four-year high. Jack, you've seen these iPods?
CAFFERTY: I just got one.
SERWER: You just got an iPod from Whoopi.
CAFFERTY: I got one in the mail from Whoopi.
SERWER: I could use a Rolls-Royce. I don't really know -- you know, anyway, forget it. Speaking of hot cars.
This is the ultimate product placement. The president of Ferrari, one Luca di Montezemolo, has decided to give the Pontiff a Ferrari marking his 26th anniversary as Pope.
CAFFERTY: Oh, that's cool.
SERWER: It will be called, as Heidi was saying, the Pope-mobile -- I think. They're going to leave it racing red. And my only question is: Where does this leave Lamborghini and Maserati? I really think what you guys want to follow suit here, because you're going to be left in the dust.
CAFFERTY: The other thing they better do is alert the people on the streets of Rome if he decides to take that thing out for a spin.
SERWER: Yeah, don't know about his driving skills, right?
CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
COLLINS: All right. As you probably have heard by now, AMERICAN MORNING is on the move. Next week, Soledad is going to be coming back. And so, we're going to take the show on the road a little bit. Maybe a little bit more music like this throughout the week. AMERICAN MORNING in Chicago all next week.
In the meantime, though, we'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, that'll do it for us right here in the New York studio. Jack Cafferty, Andy Serwer, nice being with you.
SERWER: ... to see you.
COLLINS: I'm so glad that we've matched today.
SERWER: Me, too. The pick, the gray, it works.
COLLINS: Jack's odd man out.
CAFFERTY: They're going to go pick out furniture now.
COLLINS: Want to send it back now quickly to Bill Hemmer, standing by once again in Columbus, Ohio. Bill, see you tomorrow?
HEMMER: See you again -- see you tomorrow. You got it.
Yeah, and let Jack know I know he loves to take walks, and Jack, you're going to love that iPod with a walk in New Jersey.
CAFFERTY: Yeah, I'm going to wear it while you carry my...
(LAUGHTER)
SERWER: There you go again. That's the punchline every...
HEMMER: I told you to watch it. See you guys tomorrow in New York.
Here's Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center with a new partner today. Daryn, good morning to you.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
And yes, we have big news. Bill, have you met Rick Sanchez?
HEMMER: Certainly have, yes, I was going to let you do the honors...
KAGAN: OK, well, we'll let you go there in Columbus, Ohio. Thank you, OK.
HEMMER: You got it.
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 14, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Christmas comes early. Well done, Whoopi. Enjoy that, Jack. Jack, how many gigs in that iPod, by the way? You're going to have to learn this terminology now.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: About -- about seven. There's seven.
HEMMER: Got to go higher than that.
CAFFERTY: What's a gig?
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Not enough.
HEMMER: Maybe 10.
CAFFERTY: What?
HEMMER: Storage space. I'll explain it all to you.
CAFFERTY: All right.
HEMMER: Merry Christmas.
In a moment here, three down now for President Bush and Senator Kerry. Debates are over. Where do we stand now? Jeff Greenfield checks in in a moment as we continue after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: It's just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. We're going to get back to Bill in just a few minutes in Columbus, Ohio -- getting a reaction, of course, from last night's debate, the third and final one.
Also, we're going to have some news coming up from Iraq. Two powerful explosions today in Baghdad with U.S. and Iraqi casualties. Brent Sadler is standing by for a report on that.
Also, sexual harassment allegations made against Bill O'Reilly. Lawsuits have now been filed from both sides. We're going to have a report on that, as well.
But now, directly to the news this morning. Five days after the landmark election, the first votes are being counted this hour in Afghanistan. A senior election official says tallying has begun in centers across the country. The count was delayed by complaints of voting irregularities. Interim President Hamid Karzai is expected to win, but final results will not be in until the end of the month.
In Saudi Arabia, Yaser Hamdi says he's not bitter about being held as an enemy combatant in the U.S. for more than three years. The 24-year-old returned to his native country Monday, and Hamdi now speaks out about his detention for the first time in an exclusive interview with CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASER HAMDI, FMR. DETAINEE: I really want to say for the people that I was really hoping that my case would be solved earlier than that. I was hoping that the people and the American government will understand and take my case more seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Hamdi maintains his innocence. His father says he plans to make Hamdi a productive member of society.
And moving on now this morning into Florida -- in fact, some worries about electronic voting just weeks before the presidential election. A test of electronic voting machines similar to the ones you're seeing here has been delayed due to a computer crash. Critics say that highlights the need for paper records. Officials hope to test the machines tomorrow.
Hope that will be in time. Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi.
Last night's debate, the last scheduled meeting between George Bush and John Kerry head-to-head face-to-face. Nineteen days to go now. The home stretch run here.
Did either man get on the scoreboard last night? Let's check in with our senior analyst out in Tempe, Arizona, Jeff Greenfield back with us here. And Jeff, I think it was at midnight last night when you thought this debate was kind of like watching C-SPAN. I take it you were not overly impressed with what you heard. Good morning there.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Hi. Well, I tend to be a C- SPAN junkie, but that's me. I thought this debate was awash with wonkery, where the candidates did two things -- Jack's e-mail indicates that.
The first thing they did was to just kind of go back and forth with lines we heard before and were swapping numbers in a dizzying way. But there were a couple of other moments. I think we got, once again, a clear sense of where the Bush campaign wants to go in this next 19 or 18 days and that's to paint John Kerry as too liberal for the country.
Take a listen to what the president said, Bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a mainstream in American politics, and you sit right on the far left bank. As a matter of fact, your record is such that Ted Kennedy, your colleague, is the conservative senator from Massachusetts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: You are going to hear a lot more of this in the coming days, Bill.
HEMMER: What about the talk about healthcare, the talk about health costs? Was it gobbledygook at one time, or did it become perhaps more understandable to others watching at home?
GREENFIELD: Yeah, I think after a series of questions and answers where the numbers were just making my hair hurt, John Kerry tried to summarize his reaction to the president's charge that he was fiscally irresponsible generally, and this gets my reward for the most obviously canned, prepared line of the evening. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country.
This president has taken a $5.6 trillion surplus and turned it into deficits as far as the eye can see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: One thing, Bill, is whenever professional politicians try to sound like they know a lot about pop culture, it usually doesn't work. So, that was my reaction to that line.
HEMMER: You know, for our focus group, Jeff, we noticed some of the highest marks for both men in the positive category came at the end of the 90 minutes. Lighter moments. Human moments.
What did you make of that?
GREENFIELD: Yeah. Because this debate was so awash in policy arguments, the last question about strong women in the lives of these candidates was the moment that both of these candidates struck a human note. And I particularly want you to pay attention to John Kerry's response. We're going to hear from both of them right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB SCHIEFFER, MODERATOR: What is the most important thing you've learned from these strong women?
BUSH: To listen to them. To stand up straight and not scowl.
KERRY: Well, I guess the president and you and I are three examples of lucky people who married up -- and some would say maybe me more so than others. But I can take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: Now, that is the first time, as far as I know, Bill, that John Kerry has made any joking reference to the fact that his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is a billionaire. That he would be the richest man ever to occupy the White House.
And for a guy who so often appears less comfortable in personal matters than the president, who is a much more accessible candidate in that sense, that was an interesting moment. What it told me, Bill, is that there was a certain sense of ease and confidence that Kerry was showing, even if it was the last sentence of the last debate.
So, we're going to hear a lot about that bite all day today, I think.
HEMMER: All right. Thanks, Jeff, for that.
And one more note here from Columbus, it was very interesting to see the difference in the genders. In the last two debates, we saw the women going for Bush and the men going for Kerry. Last night, it appeared that the women were going for Kerry and the men were going for Bush. Why this is, we can't say. Perhaps the topic matter. Perhaps the group, the audience we had here.
Bottom line is we did know the shift and the change in our polling group last night.
Much more from Columbus in a moment. Want to go back to New York again and Heidi with more news back there -- Heidi?
COLLINS: In fact, much more now from Iraq, Bill. Americans were killed along with Iraqi civilians today in Baghdad following two large blasts in the so-called Green Zone. It's an area we hear a lot about.
CNN's Brent Sadler is live in Baghdad now with the details on this. Good morning to you, Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Heidi.
Two Americans killed inside the Green Zone along with five others -- we don't know their nationalities at this stage. There are two very powerful explosions several hours ago, confirmed more or less immediately to have taken place inside the Green Zone.
Now, this is a high-security area. It's home to the U.S. embassy and the British embassy, as well as many of the institutions and governmental offices of the interim authorities here in Baghdad. We saw pretty soon after those explosions large columns of smoke rising from the two blast sites.
The target areas: a souvenir market that's used by all sorts of people inside the Green Zone, and also a cafe. Now, the Green Zone has been the subject of regular attacks over many months, rockets and mortars. But this was actually an attack whereby explosives have been taken inside the Green Zone, raising very serious concerns about just how impregnable this effectively seat of power in Iraq is. And very strong suspicions at this stage that at least one, possibly two suicide bombers were involved inside the Green Zone.
So, very serious repercussions in terms of security inside that very well-protected -- supposedly well-protected area -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Hopefully they'll be reassessing that situation in the security there, as you say. Brent Sadler, thanks so much, live from Baghdad this morning.
FOX News anchor Bill O'Reilly filed a lawsuit now against a New York City lawyer and a FOX News employee. O'Reilly says the two tried to extort $60 million in hush money to keep quiet about allegations of sexual harassment.
Jason Carroll has the story.
We will have that actually for you in just a moment. Get to it as soon as we can here. Once again, Jason Carroll is going to have that.
We want to turn it over now to Chad Myers, instead. We're going to look at the weather first -- Chad?
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: All right, Chad Myers, thank you.
Want to get back to the story we were telling you about just a moment ago. Bill O'Reilly of FOX News has filed a lawsuit, talking about sexual harassment allegations here involving $60 million. Suit's been filed on both sides. Here are more details from Jason Carroll now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the night of the last presidential debate, FOX News anchor Bill O'Reilly, politics would not be the first story in his show.
BILL O'REILLY, HOST, "THE O'REILLY FACTOR": But there comes a time when enough's enough. And so, this morning I had to file a lawsuit against some people who are demanding $60 million where they will, quote, "punish me and FOX News."
CARROLL: Faced with sexual harassment allegations against him, O'Reilly said he had no choice but to file a complaint claiming extortion. This in response to allegations made by Andrea Mackris, an associate producer for "The O'Reilly Factor." Mackris' suit, filed after his boss and FOX News filed theirs, alleges on several occasions O'Reilly made sexually explicit comments to her.
BENEDICT MORELLI, MACKRIS' ATTORNEY: Suddenly, without provocation or warning, Mr. O'Reilly said to the plaintiff, Andrea Mackris, "and just use your vibrator to blow off steam."
"What?"
"You've got a vibrator, don't you? Every girl does."
CARROLL: Mackris spoke through her attorney, who alleged O'Reilly's inappropriate comments were made in person, over dinners, and over the phone. Mackris' complaint contains detailed quotes allegedly from O'Reilly.
O'Reilly's attorney says he will ask the attorney to turn over copies of any recorded conversations, certain there is nothing incriminating. Her attorney would not say if there were any tapes.
O'Reilly's accuser worked at FOX News from April 2000 until January 2004, during which time, according to her complaint, O'Reilly allegedly made several sexually inappropriate comments. Mackris left FOX News and took a higher-paying producer position at CNN, but in July 2004, she returned to "The O'Reilly Factor" working again for O'Reilly -- on condition, her complaint says, quote, "he no longer engaged in inappropriate conduct."
But Mackris alleges that conduct resumed. O'Reilly's attorney says, "none of the actions rise to the level of unlawful activity." O'Reilly says the suit is motivated by greed and politics.
MORELLI: Let me tell you, if it was politically motivated, I would have brought the lawsuit originally and not engaged in negotiations and discussions with their lawyers for the last two-plus weeks.
O'REILLY: Sixty million dollars. I really can't say anything else. I don't want to waste your time with this. The justice system has the case. We'll see what happens.
CARROLL (on camera): Mackris' attorney would not comment on FOX's claim he demanded $60 million hush money to prevent the filing of the sexual harassment lawsuit. He did say O'Reilly's extortion claim is without merit and that O'Reilly's behavior will be proven in court.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Still to come now, Andy's "Minding Your Business." The Pope is getting a new set of wheels. It's red and a whole lot faster than you might expect.
Plus, it's time for us to check in again with Soledad and her new little babies. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has part four of his special series "Crowded House" coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome to week four of our series "Crowded House." In past weeks, we've looked at toddler twins and triplets. But this week, we focus on the teens. Sanjay is joining us once again from Los Angeles this morning. As we said before, one teenager, some parents would say, would be tough. But this is insane.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Seven of them at the same time, Heidi. It's incredible. And we're going to hear directly from the mouths of these multiples -- a set of quadruplets and a set of triplets in the same family. What's life like for them as they grow up in terms of bonding, in terms of rivalry? All those sorts of issues.
They have a lot to say when it comes to a crowded house.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Soledad's boys were born just minutes apart. Twins, who will forever be remembered for their similarities in these pictures. Still, the hope is one day they will grow into individuals. And that's a goal that experts often give to parents of multiples.
Of the nine children in the Swick family, there is a set of quadruplets, all freshmen in high school, and a set of triplets, all college freshmen. Seven teenagers at once.
TARA SWICK, QUADRUPLET: It's nice having brothers and a sister that are the same age. You kind of know how the guys think that are your age and how then we can talk to them about how the girls think.
GUPTA: Born in the late 1980s, the seven Swicks were part of an era of increased multiple births that has since tapered off. The Swicks used fertility drugs for all of the births. All of them are healthy and none of them are identical. But...
DREW SWICK, QUADRUPLET: It is pretty easy to tell us apart. So, -- as soon as they learn that we're quads, they have troubles with our names.
GUPTA: As for sibling rivalry...
CARLY SWICK, QUADRUPLET: You just kind of decide for yourself that it won't bother you if they are better at something than you, because you have your own thing that you are better than them at. So, it's all good.
KYLA SWICK, TRIPLET: One thing my parents said is they would try not to always call us, "Oh, triplets, come here." They try to say individual names so that we weren't always lumped into one group.
GUPTA: Parenting multiples may be a unique experience, but financially caring for all seven may seem impossible.
TOM SWICK, FATHER OF MULTIPLES: I have an accounting degree. I mean, the numbers don't add up. But the biggest thing you have to do is plan.
GUPTA: Over the years, the Swicks have learned to haggle, getting group prices on everything from eyeglasses to soccer uniforms to college tuition. But the most important life lessons...
MICHA SWICK, TRIPLET: We, already from a young age, had to learn to be unselfish with each other. You have to learn how to react to so many different personalities at the start of your life.
C. SWICK: Learning how to just do it on your own and not have to worry about your parents doing everything for you.
GUPTA: Learning how to manage such a large family may seem like an amazing feat, but to the Swick parents, it's remarkably simple.
SUE SWICK, MOTHER OF MULTIPLES: If you are a good parent with one or two, you would probably be a good parent with more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (on camera): Nine children. Really remarkable. And the experts we've talked to said identical multiples tend to be closer as they grow up than fraternal twins. But in the case of the Swick family, all nine of them very close, Heidi.
COLLINS: But they share so much -- I mean, their birthdays, their life experiences. Do you think parents should maybe on purpose separate them in school or other activities they might be doing?
GUPTA: Well, you know, I've got two schools of thought on this, because a lot of the experts we talked to said yes, it's probably a good idea to start fostering and nurturing individuality among twins or multiples as early in life as possible -- different schools, different sports teams, all sorts of different activities as they're growing up.
In the case of the Swick family, they really didn't do that. For example, the two older boys of the triplets -- there's triplets, two boys and a girl -- the two boys actually live together in college, Micha and Isaac, and they seem to get along very well and still have their own individual lifestyles, even though they live together, Heidi.
COLLINS: They seem like just a really great family.
Well, next week, though, our big finale. What are we going to see, Sanjay?
GUPTA: For the finale, we're going to bring somebody back. Soledad's coming back. She's going to talk to us about her experience with multiples. We're also going to meet one mom who's a single mom, mother of triplets. She's taking care of them on her own.
How did she get back to work? How did she get back in shape? How does she maintain her lifestyle now? We're going to have all of that. The series -- the finale "Crowded House," that's next Thursday here on AMERICAN MORNING.
COLLINS: How does she do it? All right, Sanjay. Thanks so much. GUPTA: Thank you.
COLLINS: Still to come now, Andy's "Minding Your Business" to tell you about Ferrari's idea of a Pope-mobile. Keep it here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAFFERTY: Coming soon, a Pope-mobile that will go from zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds and a check of the markets. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." I don't believe this. This is wild.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Why are you giving me that stuff? That's crazy.
OK, let's talk about the markets first of all. The stocks trading down to start the day, down 25 points. Widening trade deficit. Mixed earnings picture from General Motors. Citigroup earnings looking pretty good. 'Tis earnings season, of course.
One stock on the move, Apple Computer. Apple computer up eight percent, 315 to 42.90. This stock's at a four-year high. Jack, you've seen these iPods?
CAFFERTY: I just got one.
SERWER: You just got an iPod from Whoopi.
CAFFERTY: I got one in the mail from Whoopi.
SERWER: I could use a Rolls-Royce. I don't really know -- you know, anyway, forget it. Speaking of hot cars.
This is the ultimate product placement. The president of Ferrari, one Luca di Montezemolo, has decided to give the Pontiff a Ferrari marking his 26th anniversary as Pope.
CAFFERTY: Oh, that's cool.
SERWER: It will be called, as Heidi was saying, the Pope-mobile -- I think. They're going to leave it racing red. And my only question is: Where does this leave Lamborghini and Maserati? I really think what you guys want to follow suit here, because you're going to be left in the dust.
CAFFERTY: The other thing they better do is alert the people on the streets of Rome if he decides to take that thing out for a spin.
SERWER: Yeah, don't know about his driving skills, right?
CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
COLLINS: All right. As you probably have heard by now, AMERICAN MORNING is on the move. Next week, Soledad is going to be coming back. And so, we're going to take the show on the road a little bit. Maybe a little bit more music like this throughout the week. AMERICAN MORNING in Chicago all next week.
In the meantime, though, we'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, that'll do it for us right here in the New York studio. Jack Cafferty, Andy Serwer, nice being with you.
SERWER: ... to see you.
COLLINS: I'm so glad that we've matched today.
SERWER: Me, too. The pick, the gray, it works.
COLLINS: Jack's odd man out.
CAFFERTY: They're going to go pick out furniture now.
COLLINS: Want to send it back now quickly to Bill Hemmer, standing by once again in Columbus, Ohio. Bill, see you tomorrow?
HEMMER: See you again -- see you tomorrow. You got it.
Yeah, and let Jack know I know he loves to take walks, and Jack, you're going to love that iPod with a walk in New Jersey.
CAFFERTY: Yeah, I'm going to wear it while you carry my...
(LAUGHTER)
SERWER: There you go again. That's the punchline every...
HEMMER: I told you to watch it. See you guys tomorrow in New York.
Here's Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center with a new partner today. Daryn, good morning to you.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
And yes, we have big news. Bill, have you met Rick Sanchez?
HEMMER: Certainly have, yes, I was going to let you do the honors...
KAGAN: OK, well, we'll let you go there in Columbus, Ohio. Thank you, OK.
HEMMER: You got it.
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