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American Morning

Kerry Campaign; The Issues; Quints' War Story

Aired October 20, 2004 - 8:59   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.


ANNOUNCER: From Union Station in Chicago, this is AMERICAN MORNING on the road with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. And welcome back from Chicago.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The tour continues, Union Station today. And let's recap for the week right now.

On Monday, along the river, the Chicago River, right in the heart of downtown Chicago. There's that car that Jack loves again.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That is so lame.

HEMMER: I think Serwer will have to ride that time. That was Monday. And then on Tuesday we went over to the Magnificent Mile, Loyola University there, right along Michigan Avenue. And today we've come across town again to Union Station.

Great location, too. One of the great interior spaces in all over America. And five people in the car, too.

O'BRIEN: Yes, they squished everybody in.

HEMMER: Also in a moment here, Jeff Greenfield comes up in a few moments, talking about why this election is so unlike any we have seen before. Jeff says whatever you think you know, forget it.

O'BRIEN: OK, Jeff. Thanks.

HEMMER: His explanations in a moment, too.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, a really remarkable story about those major crossroads in life and a family with more than its share of them coming in a span of just a couple days. The husband severely injured in Iraq, the wife has quintuplets just four days later. We're going to find out how mother and father and the five babies are doing, and the two older siblings, too. We're going to be speaking with the lieutenant governor of Illinois who has really been helping them out.

HEMMER: In the meantime, if you want to catch your train to Champagne, Illinois, stop by the AMERICAN MORNING studios here at Union Station.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

HEMMER: Good morning, Chicago. Jack Cafferty came to say hello to you.

CAFFERTY: You people are going to be late for work. Go to the office.

I was talking to two kids. Earlier I said I was going to grab a train to Sheboygan if things didn't work out.

I met two young ladies who are in law school. They're finishing up their third year. One of them is from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the other is from Ohio.

I've never been to Sheboygan, but I can certainly understand why the woman doesn't want to stay in Ohio. They're both going -- they're both living in Chicago when they graduate.

That's for Hemmer's benefit. He's from Cincinnati.

Anyway, you believe in curses? The curse of the bambino? The Boston-Red Sox game seven tonight against the Yankees. If they beat the Yankees, it's on to the World Series.

They haven't won since, I don't know, Jesus walked the land. It's been a long time. And they'll wind up either playing the Astros or the Cardinals. The Cubs have their own curse.

We'll do another special edition of things people say Chicago style. Great quotes. You can get farther in life from a smile and a gun than you can...

O'BRIEN: Great quotes.

CAFFERTY: So stick around.

O'BRIEN: Are you going to run that one again?

CAFFERTY: Yes, I like that.

O'BRIEN: I like it, too.

CAFFERTY: More stuff. We've got more stuff.

O'BRIEN: We've got lots going on. All right, Jack. Thanks.

We've also got some headlines to look at. Heidi Collins has a look at that.

Hey, Heidi. Good morning again.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Coming to you live, Soledad, from Millennium Park, about 25 acres here of an incredible park. We're going to tell you a little bit more about it, coming straight from downtown Chicago here this morning. But now, to the news today.

Rescue teams in northern Missouri are looking for five possible survivors of a plane crash. At least eight people were killed when the corporate airlines jet crashed last night. There are at least two survivors, both in stable condition. Federal officials are heading to the site to start an investigation.

Still five people missing there. We'll have an update just as soon as it becomes available to us.

The highest ranking soldier charged in connection with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal pleaded guilty. Staff Sergeant Ivan Chip Frederick admitted to five charges, including conspiracy and maltreatment of Iraqi detainees. Frederick is expected to be sentenced tomorrow.

In California, a search continues this morning for four hikers in the Sierra National Forest. Crews are combing through heavy snow looking for the group. More than two feet of snow has fallen since the hikers ventured out on Friday.

Wow. Lots of snow there.

You just heard Jack talking about this, two big baseball games. The Houston Astros take on the St. Louis Cardinals today in game six for the National League Pennant. And the Red Sox getting a little closer to breaking their infamous curse. They go head-to-head with the Yankees tonight.

The Red Sox took last night's game, beating the Yanks 4-2. The Sox could, in fact, become the first time in Major League history to come back from a three game deficit to win a best of seven series. And I think they are probably still celebrating this morning -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I bet they are, Heidi. All right, Heidi. Thanks.

Senator John Kerry is expected to deliver a national security speech in about two hours from now. National correspondent Kelly Wallace is with the Kerry campaign in Waterloo, Iowa.

Hey, Kelly. Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. And great to see you back.

This speech by Senator Kerry is as much, aides say, about trying to neutralize attacks coming from President Bush, as it is about trying to win over those undecided voters who still haven't decided which candidate can keep the U.S. safer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator John Kerry!

WALLACE (voice-over): Last night in Dayton, Ohio, a backdrop that made this baseball lover smile. From center field, Senator John Kerry firing off what he hopes will be a winning pitch.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm looking you in the eye and I'm telling you, I will fight a smarter, more effective, tougher war on terror. And I'll make America safer.

WALLACE: According to excerpts released by his campaign, in his speech later here in Waterloo, Iowa, the senator will say, "The president's failures in Iraq have made us weaker, not stronger, in the war on terrorism."

Senator Kerry will try to make the case that he, as opposed to the president, can win wars in Iraq and against terrorism by getting help from U.S. allies. He is expected to say, "Mr. President, look behind you. There's no one there. It's not leadership if no one follows."

The strategy now, according to aides, try to narrow the president's advantage in the polls when it comes to handling the war on terrorism and widen the senator's advantage on domestic issues. The rhetoric almost exclusively aimed at the small number of undecided.

KERRY: They call themselves conservative? That's radical, ladies and gentlemen. That's the most radical, economic policy I've ever heard of.

WALLACE: And now it's also about getting out the vote. For the Democrats, there's one person who turns out the party faithful like no one else.

KERRY: Our friend, President Clinton.

WALLACE: The senator was asked about the former president, who is still recovering from heart surgery, during a stop yesterday in Pennsylvania.

KERRY: You know, I think it's possible in the next days former President Clinton may be here working. I mean, we're all working. And I'm not going to leave any vote unasked for. So we're going to work hard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And a senior Kerry advisor telling CNN that details are still being finalized, but it is likely the former president will stump for Senator Kerry in Philadelphia next week and that Senator Kerry would likely be with him -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Kelly Wallace in Waterloo, Iowa. She's traveling with the Kerry campaign. Kelly, thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: A whole lot to talk about now, 13 days away. Our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, back in New York City.

Jeff, good morning to you. Want to pick up on the last point that Kelly made about the significance of Bill Clinton on the stump next week. What do you make of it?

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Well, there are some people who felt that Al Gore's unwillingness to use Bill Clinton in 2000 may have cost him some critical votes that might have cost him Ohio, you know, in Missouri, St. Louis, a powerful Democratic area. I also think, you know, you might be looking South.

There are some weird polls out there in North Carolina and Virginia which should be solidly red states that suggest that Kerry is within striking distance. Bill Clinton and the African-American community in those states could make a difference.

HEMMER: Jeff, let's talk about the crystal ball.

GREENFIELD: OK.

HEMMER: Because the crystal ball is something we look to, to try to predict what's going to happen in two weeks.

GREENFIELD: Yes.

HEMMER: You believe that ball may be cracked this time around. Tell us why.

GREENFIELD: Well, having just come back from Yankee Stadium last night, I can tell you in one area that is true. But let's talk about politics.

Look at what we think are reliable guides to what voters do. When an incumbent runs again, his job approval rating is historically the key. Presidents over 50 percent get reelected, presidents below that, Ford, Carter, the first President Bush, don't.

Now, the latest numbers have Bush's job approval rating hovering around or even below 50 percent. But that hasn't translated into a Kerry lead. Unusual.

Similarly, there's a right track-wrong track question we rely on. Do you think things are going pretty well in the country or are we off on the track? That's always been a clue to an incumbent's reelection. The numbers here are negative for Bush, but, once again, the president is even or a bit ahead in most surveys -- Bill.

HEMMER: So then, what everyone wants to know, given that, is why.

GREENFIELD: I think it's September 11th more than anything else. People may feel things are on the wrong track because they're more worried about their safety than they were three years ago. And some voters may see that concern as a reason to keep the president and not remove him.

And I think at least some voters are keying in to Bush's major campaign message. We heard it from the convention on, look, you folks may want to change, but this is too risky a time, and the other guy is too indecisive to trust with your safety. I think that's the biggest thing standing between John Kerry and the White House right now.

HEMMER: And many analysts would tell you the economy, the pocketbook is always issue number one when it comes to deciding these elections. With 9/11 out there in the foreground, is the economy less important, Jeff?

GREENFIELD: Yes, absolutely. Yes. Nationally, yes. We've seen it in every survey.

The concern over national security and terrorism and Iraq clearly trumps economic issues. But here, again, cracked crystal ball time. That is not necessarily good news for Mr. Bush.

First, more voters seem to be separating Iraq from the terrorism issue. They give Bush negative marks on Iraq.

And second, the economy is a big issue in key states. And Ohio, for example, which could well be the key to the whole election, has had as bad a job loss picture as anywhere.

So what the polls say nationally may still not tell you what it is going to decide this election. Welcome to the cracked crystal ball.

HEMMER: I've got to think this is one tired week for you. As a die-hard Yankee fan at the game last night, I know you're going tonight. Do you crack the ball on the series now? It's 3-3.

GREENFIELD: You know what? I have to say, whatever happens tonight -- I'll tell you what I learned from this. And you learned it in Florida.

Just because something has never happened before, doesn't mean it can't happen. You can win the popular vote and lose the electoral vote.

This curse nonsense and no team has ever come back, that's right. And the Red Sox have a 50-50 chance of doing it tonight. And as I've said, you know, the fact that the owner of the Yankees gets in pain (ph) from this makes things a little easier to take if they should lose.

HEMMER: You feeling confident tonight?

GREENFIELD: I don't -- I -- you know, one of the things that I also have to point out to you...

HEMMER: Come on.

GREENFIELD: Fans -- no, I'm not. Fans are nuts. That's what I was going to say.

People will go -- will go there. And if they're die-hard Yankee or Red Sox fans -- when Alex Rodriguez knocked that ball out and the umpire made the wrong call, I thought Yankee Stadium was going to, you know, look like the Paris Commune of 1848.

This is an outrage. So I'm just going to wait and see what happens, Bill, just as I do in politics, because that way I have less of a chance of making a complete idiot of myself.

HEMMER: Well, then, so we will, OK? Thank you, Jeff. Enjoy tonight.

GREENFIELD: All right.

HEMMER: Jeff Greenfield.

O'BRIEN: He always says, we'll wait and see.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Time to check in on the weather. Orelon Sidney is in for Chad Myers. And she's at the CNN Center with the latest forecast for us.

Good morning to you.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: All right. Orelon for us this morning. Thank you for that. We'll check in with you a little bit later.

And it's time to go check in once again with Heidi Collins, who's at Millennium Park.

Hi, Heidi. Good morning again.

COLLINS: Good morning once again to you, Soledad.

We are standing right outside of one of the incredible sculptures here in Millennium Park. We've already told you there's nearly 25 acres here right in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Behind me, you can see it. It's called The Beam to locals. Much to the chagrin, however, of world renowned sculpture Anish Kapoor, who actually designed and built this sculpture. His name for it known as The Cloud Gate. He says that it's a way to open up the skies and look up at the clouds.

You know who loves it? Kids. They love to walk underneath and look up into the stainless steel plates. There are 168 of them that have put this together, and they love to look up and see their faces in this incredible reflection.

You also see the reflection, just a moment ago, of all the buildings that surround Millennium Park. The Prudential building is here. Really an incredible display.

But, you know, that's exactly what Millennium Park is made up of, several sculptures, incredible gardens, and an amazing fountain, as well, that shows the people of Chicago in video images. We're going to take a closer look right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS (voice-over): First conceived in 1997, this Chicago landmark is the crown jewel of the city's park system. Located in downtown Chicago, the nearly 25-acre Millennium Park is a center for everything, from interactive art and ice skating to fine dining and free concerts.

The Pritzker Pavilion and great lawn make up nearly half the park. An open-air acoustic canopy makes it one of the most technologically advanced concert venues in the world.

The Crown Fountain is another of the park's striking features. It has two 50-foot high glass towers at each end of a reflecting pool. In addition to the cascading water, the towers display video images of various Chicagoans and lights.

The promenade crossing the park provides an area for year-round cultural events. And the 925-foot long BP Pedestrian Bridge provides incomparable views of the city's skyline and Lake Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Well, the last thing I want to tell you about The Beam here, the 168 steel panels that are comprised here of The Beam, they're going to be buffed out, all of those seams. It will be a completely seamless sculpture.

They're going to do that over the winter, though. It's going to be pretty cold, I thin, to be buffing anything out.

But as you know, this public park opened in July, and there's already been, Bill, Soledad, a million visitors. People are loving it here.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I bet.

HEMMER: Well, we were told before we came here that's the one spot we need to go.

O'BRIEN: It's gorgeous. I mean, in the pictures it looks beautiful. I'm dying to go see it.

HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi, for that.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Sorry. What was that?

COLLINS: Oh, I just said wonderful gardens, too. I'm getting a chance to look at it all around me. It's just beautiful, even though it is a little rainy.

HEMMER: Rainy and cloudy. Well, what happened to the great weather we were supposed to get yesterday? Maybe today?

O'BRIEN: Friday. I'm confident about Friday.

HEMMER: Is that it? All right.

O'BRIEN: Hey, we're indoors, Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment, a longtime Illinois is our guest here. The Reverend Jesse Jackson supporting the Kerry campaign. President Bush has made significant inroads, according to polling, for African- Americans voters. We'll ask Jesse Jackson why that is happening in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, the Horton family. When Taunacy gave birth to quintuplets just last week, her husband Josh was lying in a hospital bed with wounds from the war in Iraq. We're going to see how their home state of Illinois is helping them out, and we're also going to tell you how you can help them, as well.

HEMMER: Also, a seasonal dance. The ups and downs along the Chicago River ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.

This morning we're talking about the Horton family. The story has brought the hardships that face military families really home to the Chicago area.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Marine Sergeant Josh Horton faced the toughest decision of his life, serve his country in Iraq or serve his family which was about to get much bigger. His wife Taunacy, already the mother of two, was pregnant with quintuplets.

TAUNACY HORTON, GAVE BIRTH TO QUINTUPLETS: It would have been so easy just to say, you know, "I need you here." And that was really hard for me.

O'BRIEN: Josh decided to go and arrived in Iraq last month as part of the 2nd Battalion 24th Marine Regiment. His right leg and arm were shattered during intense fighting south of Baghdad two weeks ago. Doctors were able to save both.

Four days later, his wife gave birth to three girls and two boys 14 weeks early. All are in critical but stable condition at Edward Hospital in the Chicago suburban of Naperville.

HORTON: Josh was told of the arrival of the quintuplets and was able to see a video of them. His mother, Rosalyn (ph), said that he was deeply moved and reached out to touch the TV screen with his hand. I wish I could have been there, but I know that he is keeping them in his heart until he can see them in person.

O'BRIEN: And that should happen in a few more weeks, when Josh is well enough to fly home to Oswego, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Illinois's lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn, has gotten personally involved in the Horton situation. And he joins us this morning to talk about that.

Thanks for being with us. First, I know you just talked to Josh not too long ago. How's he doing?

LT. GOV. PAT QUINN (D), ILLINOIS: Oh, great. I talked to him yesterday, and Josh is doing well. I think the quintuplets are doing pretty well, as well.

It's going to take several months in the hospital, but it's a miraculous story. It's a great story of how people in America, really, have helped the Horton family. And the Horton family is one of the most patriotic, religious families you'll ever find. They really are committed to our country.

O'BRIEN: And they seem like remarkable people. I mean, we saw obviously Taunacy tearing up as she talked a little bit about getting Josh's reaction to his newborn babies.

You brought for us this morning -- can you guys get a shot of this? This is -- I thought this was a tissue. This is a diaper. This is the diaper that they're putting on the -- on the quintuplets, if you guys can get a shot of it.

See how little and tiny this is? This is, what, because they're born ranging between one pound nine ounces and one pound 15 ounces.

QUINN: That's right.

O'BRIEN: How did you get involved with the family in the first place? You've been really working with them from well before Josh went off to Iraq.

QUINN: Well, we have. In Illinois we have a whole program called the Military Family Relief Family Trust Fund that helps the families of Reservists and Guard members who are called to active duty.

And we learned of the Horton family. And were working with them really from the summer on.

And Josh decided to go to Iraq because he felt that dads and moms over there wanted to come back home to see their kids. And he thought it was his duty when he was called up from the Reserves to serve in Iraq until the babies were going to be born. And unfortunately, he was wounded in Iraq on the Friday before the birth of the babies on a Monday.

So he was in a hospital, a military hospital when the five quintuplets were born. And it is a great story now because Taunacy, the mom, is recovering well. And Josh, as well.

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, it's a wonderful story. We're glad to hear that you've been helping out the family and really residents of the state really helping out the family, as you mentioned, across the country. They've been getting much-needed assistance. Maybe even working on a new home, I know. QUINN: We have for sure. We have a program called OperationHomefront.org. that's our Web site. And we've had over eight million hits on this Web site.

It tells people how to help soldiers and their families. And people in other states who want to set up a military family relief trust fund can learn from our Web site how to help. And it also has a link to how to help the Horton five, the family of the quintuplets.

O'BRIEN: Yes. We have that information as well. Lieutenant Governor, thank you so much for being with us.

QUINN: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for having us in your fair city. We've had a great time. Appreciate it.

QUINN: Yes, it's a great city. My grandfather helped build this building.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a fabulous building. So thank you.

We should mention that if you want to contribute to the Horton Five Fund, write in care of Harris Bank. It's P.O. Box 6201 in Carol Stream, Illinois. And there's the zip there, 60197-6201 -- Bill.

HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, Cubs fans know a thing or two about curses, do they not? How does the one in Chicago compare to the one in Bean Town? A look at that.

And speaking of baseball, another Chicago fun fact today. If you see a white flag with a blue "W" flying atop the Wrigley Field scoreboard, what does that mean? Kind of a gimme.

O'BRIEN: Really?

HEMMER: Back in a moment with the answer here in Chicago after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Down on the floor inside Union Station, Chicago. Here's the question.

What does a white flag with a blue "W" flying atop Wrigley Field mean after a game? Well, it means a Cubs victory. That's right. "W" stands for "win."

O'BRIEN: "W" is for "win," as opposed to Wrigley, which is what I actually thought it meant.

HEMMER: Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win!

O'BRIEN: All right.

HEMMER: Yes. O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty is back downstairs. Let's go check in with him.

Hey, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Soledad.

The Cubs have not won with the white flag and the "W" in the World Series since 1908. Some people blame something called the curse of the billy goat, a farm animal forcibly eject from the ballpark, despite the fact he was sitting in the stands with a paid-for ticket in 1945.

And the Red Sox -- and the Red Sox, of course, long suffering in -- I'm going to take this out because I'm hearing all kinds of conversations that have nothing to do with what I'm talking to you about. The Red Sox suffering from the curse of the trade of Babe Ruth; 1918 the last year they won. And they traded Babe Ruth the next year, and it's been downhill ever since.

They got into the series in '86. They lost to the Mets when (UNINTELLIGIBLE) let that ball go between his legs on first base.

You think there will be any audience in Boston and New York tonight for game seven of the ALCS? Anyway, the question is, do you believe in curses for these ball clubs?

"Curse? What curse?" This is from Adam. "I live in Nebraska. Now, that's a curse."

Wait a minute, I got these -- no I didn't. "I live in Nebraska. That's a curse. I don't have a baseball team to lament over and find blame with, but I am surrounded by angry cornhusker fans. I'll take the Cubs or the Sox curse any day."

"Hey, Jack, I hope you don't believe in curses because the testy blond girl from Gibson's restaurant is probably hexing you right now." Ken, in Kingston, Nova Scotia.

"Are Boston and Chicago cursed? Let's see now. Median salaries of $3.1 and $1.6 million, 160 games a season. That works out to almost $20,000 per game for the Red Sox. Assuming no missed games, that's $2,300 per inning."

"The pitchers, assuming they pitch 13 games a season, average 280 pitches a game. That's almost $900 per pitch. So the answer to your question is no."

Ian, you don't have enough to do to sit down and figure out all that stuff. Ian lives in Ottawa.

And Florence writes from Massachusetts, "The curse? Ask me again tomorrow."

Now I'll put this back in so I can hear my good friends, Bill and Soledad. We're having a little crossed wires down here. O'BRIEN: I think we fixed it. We fixed it. But I have to tell you, I think that last answer was the best. "Ask me tomorrow."

CAFFERTY: Ask me tomorrow. Who's going to win tonight do you think?

O'BRIEN: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

HEMMER: I've got no clue.

O'BRIEN: You know what?

HEMMER: I would have never told you the Red Sox would have come back from three games to nothing, though, either. So...

CAFFERTY: No. They made it a series. Everybody kind of wrote them off for dead there...

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Yes, they did.

O'BRIEN: And it was Jeff -- Jeff Greenfield...

HEMMER: But the Yankees were steam-rolling them, too.

O'BRIEN: Jeff Greenfield said just because it didn't happen before doesn't mean it can't happen again.

HEMMER: Hang on a second here.

Folks, who wins the game tonight? Yankees? Say "yes." Red Sox, say...

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Yes!

HEMMER: Wow.

O'BRIEN: Wow. I think we have taken an unofficial poll. Wow.

HEMMER: They get the sympathy vote.

Thank you, Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right.

HEMMER: Break here. In a moment, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, his thoughts on the election in a moment here. And also, the new polling that shows the president making inroads with African- Americans. The reverend responds in a moment when we continue after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 20, 2004 - 8:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: From Union Station in Chicago, this is AMERICAN MORNING on the road with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. And welcome back from Chicago.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The tour continues, Union Station today. And let's recap for the week right now.

On Monday, along the river, the Chicago River, right in the heart of downtown Chicago. There's that car that Jack loves again.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That is so lame.

HEMMER: I think Serwer will have to ride that time. That was Monday. And then on Tuesday we went over to the Magnificent Mile, Loyola University there, right along Michigan Avenue. And today we've come across town again to Union Station.

Great location, too. One of the great interior spaces in all over America. And five people in the car, too.

O'BRIEN: Yes, they squished everybody in.

HEMMER: Also in a moment here, Jeff Greenfield comes up in a few moments, talking about why this election is so unlike any we have seen before. Jeff says whatever you think you know, forget it.

O'BRIEN: OK, Jeff. Thanks.

HEMMER: His explanations in a moment, too.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, a really remarkable story about those major crossroads in life and a family with more than its share of them coming in a span of just a couple days. The husband severely injured in Iraq, the wife has quintuplets just four days later. We're going to find out how mother and father and the five babies are doing, and the two older siblings, too. We're going to be speaking with the lieutenant governor of Illinois who has really been helping them out.

HEMMER: In the meantime, if you want to catch your train to Champagne, Illinois, stop by the AMERICAN MORNING studios here at Union Station.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

HEMMER: Good morning, Chicago. Jack Cafferty came to say hello to you.

CAFFERTY: You people are going to be late for work. Go to the office.

I was talking to two kids. Earlier I said I was going to grab a train to Sheboygan if things didn't work out.

I met two young ladies who are in law school. They're finishing up their third year. One of them is from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the other is from Ohio.

I've never been to Sheboygan, but I can certainly understand why the woman doesn't want to stay in Ohio. They're both going -- they're both living in Chicago when they graduate.

That's for Hemmer's benefit. He's from Cincinnati.

Anyway, you believe in curses? The curse of the bambino? The Boston-Red Sox game seven tonight against the Yankees. If they beat the Yankees, it's on to the World Series.

They haven't won since, I don't know, Jesus walked the land. It's been a long time. And they'll wind up either playing the Astros or the Cardinals. The Cubs have their own curse.

We'll do another special edition of things people say Chicago style. Great quotes. You can get farther in life from a smile and a gun than you can...

O'BRIEN: Great quotes.

CAFFERTY: So stick around.

O'BRIEN: Are you going to run that one again?

CAFFERTY: Yes, I like that.

O'BRIEN: I like it, too.

CAFFERTY: More stuff. We've got more stuff.

O'BRIEN: We've got lots going on. All right, Jack. Thanks.

We've also got some headlines to look at. Heidi Collins has a look at that.

Hey, Heidi. Good morning again.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Coming to you live, Soledad, from Millennium Park, about 25 acres here of an incredible park. We're going to tell you a little bit more about it, coming straight from downtown Chicago here this morning. But now, to the news today.

Rescue teams in northern Missouri are looking for five possible survivors of a plane crash. At least eight people were killed when the corporate airlines jet crashed last night. There are at least two survivors, both in stable condition. Federal officials are heading to the site to start an investigation.

Still five people missing there. We'll have an update just as soon as it becomes available to us.

The highest ranking soldier charged in connection with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal pleaded guilty. Staff Sergeant Ivan Chip Frederick admitted to five charges, including conspiracy and maltreatment of Iraqi detainees. Frederick is expected to be sentenced tomorrow.

In California, a search continues this morning for four hikers in the Sierra National Forest. Crews are combing through heavy snow looking for the group. More than two feet of snow has fallen since the hikers ventured out on Friday.

Wow. Lots of snow there.

You just heard Jack talking about this, two big baseball games. The Houston Astros take on the St. Louis Cardinals today in game six for the National League Pennant. And the Red Sox getting a little closer to breaking their infamous curse. They go head-to-head with the Yankees tonight.

The Red Sox took last night's game, beating the Yanks 4-2. The Sox could, in fact, become the first time in Major League history to come back from a three game deficit to win a best of seven series. And I think they are probably still celebrating this morning -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I bet they are, Heidi. All right, Heidi. Thanks.

Senator John Kerry is expected to deliver a national security speech in about two hours from now. National correspondent Kelly Wallace is with the Kerry campaign in Waterloo, Iowa.

Hey, Kelly. Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. And great to see you back.

This speech by Senator Kerry is as much, aides say, about trying to neutralize attacks coming from President Bush, as it is about trying to win over those undecided voters who still haven't decided which candidate can keep the U.S. safer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator John Kerry!

WALLACE (voice-over): Last night in Dayton, Ohio, a backdrop that made this baseball lover smile. From center field, Senator John Kerry firing off what he hopes will be a winning pitch.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm looking you in the eye and I'm telling you, I will fight a smarter, more effective, tougher war on terror. And I'll make America safer.

WALLACE: According to excerpts released by his campaign, in his speech later here in Waterloo, Iowa, the senator will say, "The president's failures in Iraq have made us weaker, not stronger, in the war on terrorism."

Senator Kerry will try to make the case that he, as opposed to the president, can win wars in Iraq and against terrorism by getting help from U.S. allies. He is expected to say, "Mr. President, look behind you. There's no one there. It's not leadership if no one follows."

The strategy now, according to aides, try to narrow the president's advantage in the polls when it comes to handling the war on terrorism and widen the senator's advantage on domestic issues. The rhetoric almost exclusively aimed at the small number of undecided.

KERRY: They call themselves conservative? That's radical, ladies and gentlemen. That's the most radical, economic policy I've ever heard of.

WALLACE: And now it's also about getting out the vote. For the Democrats, there's one person who turns out the party faithful like no one else.

KERRY: Our friend, President Clinton.

WALLACE: The senator was asked about the former president, who is still recovering from heart surgery, during a stop yesterday in Pennsylvania.

KERRY: You know, I think it's possible in the next days former President Clinton may be here working. I mean, we're all working. And I'm not going to leave any vote unasked for. So we're going to work hard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And a senior Kerry advisor telling CNN that details are still being finalized, but it is likely the former president will stump for Senator Kerry in Philadelphia next week and that Senator Kerry would likely be with him -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Kelly Wallace in Waterloo, Iowa. She's traveling with the Kerry campaign. Kelly, thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: A whole lot to talk about now, 13 days away. Our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, back in New York City.

Jeff, good morning to you. Want to pick up on the last point that Kelly made about the significance of Bill Clinton on the stump next week. What do you make of it?

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Well, there are some people who felt that Al Gore's unwillingness to use Bill Clinton in 2000 may have cost him some critical votes that might have cost him Ohio, you know, in Missouri, St. Louis, a powerful Democratic area. I also think, you know, you might be looking South.

There are some weird polls out there in North Carolina and Virginia which should be solidly red states that suggest that Kerry is within striking distance. Bill Clinton and the African-American community in those states could make a difference.

HEMMER: Jeff, let's talk about the crystal ball.

GREENFIELD: OK.

HEMMER: Because the crystal ball is something we look to, to try to predict what's going to happen in two weeks.

GREENFIELD: Yes.

HEMMER: You believe that ball may be cracked this time around. Tell us why.

GREENFIELD: Well, having just come back from Yankee Stadium last night, I can tell you in one area that is true. But let's talk about politics.

Look at what we think are reliable guides to what voters do. When an incumbent runs again, his job approval rating is historically the key. Presidents over 50 percent get reelected, presidents below that, Ford, Carter, the first President Bush, don't.

Now, the latest numbers have Bush's job approval rating hovering around or even below 50 percent. But that hasn't translated into a Kerry lead. Unusual.

Similarly, there's a right track-wrong track question we rely on. Do you think things are going pretty well in the country or are we off on the track? That's always been a clue to an incumbent's reelection. The numbers here are negative for Bush, but, once again, the president is even or a bit ahead in most surveys -- Bill.

HEMMER: So then, what everyone wants to know, given that, is why.

GREENFIELD: I think it's September 11th more than anything else. People may feel things are on the wrong track because they're more worried about their safety than they were three years ago. And some voters may see that concern as a reason to keep the president and not remove him.

And I think at least some voters are keying in to Bush's major campaign message. We heard it from the convention on, look, you folks may want to change, but this is too risky a time, and the other guy is too indecisive to trust with your safety. I think that's the biggest thing standing between John Kerry and the White House right now.

HEMMER: And many analysts would tell you the economy, the pocketbook is always issue number one when it comes to deciding these elections. With 9/11 out there in the foreground, is the economy less important, Jeff?

GREENFIELD: Yes, absolutely. Yes. Nationally, yes. We've seen it in every survey.

The concern over national security and terrorism and Iraq clearly trumps economic issues. But here, again, cracked crystal ball time. That is not necessarily good news for Mr. Bush.

First, more voters seem to be separating Iraq from the terrorism issue. They give Bush negative marks on Iraq.

And second, the economy is a big issue in key states. And Ohio, for example, which could well be the key to the whole election, has had as bad a job loss picture as anywhere.

So what the polls say nationally may still not tell you what it is going to decide this election. Welcome to the cracked crystal ball.

HEMMER: I've got to think this is one tired week for you. As a die-hard Yankee fan at the game last night, I know you're going tonight. Do you crack the ball on the series now? It's 3-3.

GREENFIELD: You know what? I have to say, whatever happens tonight -- I'll tell you what I learned from this. And you learned it in Florida.

Just because something has never happened before, doesn't mean it can't happen. You can win the popular vote and lose the electoral vote.

This curse nonsense and no team has ever come back, that's right. And the Red Sox have a 50-50 chance of doing it tonight. And as I've said, you know, the fact that the owner of the Yankees gets in pain (ph) from this makes things a little easier to take if they should lose.

HEMMER: You feeling confident tonight?

GREENFIELD: I don't -- I -- you know, one of the things that I also have to point out to you...

HEMMER: Come on.

GREENFIELD: Fans -- no, I'm not. Fans are nuts. That's what I was going to say.

People will go -- will go there. And if they're die-hard Yankee or Red Sox fans -- when Alex Rodriguez knocked that ball out and the umpire made the wrong call, I thought Yankee Stadium was going to, you know, look like the Paris Commune of 1848.

This is an outrage. So I'm just going to wait and see what happens, Bill, just as I do in politics, because that way I have less of a chance of making a complete idiot of myself.

HEMMER: Well, then, so we will, OK? Thank you, Jeff. Enjoy tonight.

GREENFIELD: All right.

HEMMER: Jeff Greenfield.

O'BRIEN: He always says, we'll wait and see.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Time to check in on the weather. Orelon Sidney is in for Chad Myers. And she's at the CNN Center with the latest forecast for us.

Good morning to you.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: All right. Orelon for us this morning. Thank you for that. We'll check in with you a little bit later.

And it's time to go check in once again with Heidi Collins, who's at Millennium Park.

Hi, Heidi. Good morning again.

COLLINS: Good morning once again to you, Soledad.

We are standing right outside of one of the incredible sculptures here in Millennium Park. We've already told you there's nearly 25 acres here right in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Behind me, you can see it. It's called The Beam to locals. Much to the chagrin, however, of world renowned sculpture Anish Kapoor, who actually designed and built this sculpture. His name for it known as The Cloud Gate. He says that it's a way to open up the skies and look up at the clouds.

You know who loves it? Kids. They love to walk underneath and look up into the stainless steel plates. There are 168 of them that have put this together, and they love to look up and see their faces in this incredible reflection.

You also see the reflection, just a moment ago, of all the buildings that surround Millennium Park. The Prudential building is here. Really an incredible display.

But, you know, that's exactly what Millennium Park is made up of, several sculptures, incredible gardens, and an amazing fountain, as well, that shows the people of Chicago in video images. We're going to take a closer look right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS (voice-over): First conceived in 1997, this Chicago landmark is the crown jewel of the city's park system. Located in downtown Chicago, the nearly 25-acre Millennium Park is a center for everything, from interactive art and ice skating to fine dining and free concerts.

The Pritzker Pavilion and great lawn make up nearly half the park. An open-air acoustic canopy makes it one of the most technologically advanced concert venues in the world.

The Crown Fountain is another of the park's striking features. It has two 50-foot high glass towers at each end of a reflecting pool. In addition to the cascading water, the towers display video images of various Chicagoans and lights.

The promenade crossing the park provides an area for year-round cultural events. And the 925-foot long BP Pedestrian Bridge provides incomparable views of the city's skyline and Lake Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Well, the last thing I want to tell you about The Beam here, the 168 steel panels that are comprised here of The Beam, they're going to be buffed out, all of those seams. It will be a completely seamless sculpture.

They're going to do that over the winter, though. It's going to be pretty cold, I thin, to be buffing anything out.

But as you know, this public park opened in July, and there's already been, Bill, Soledad, a million visitors. People are loving it here.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I bet.

HEMMER: Well, we were told before we came here that's the one spot we need to go.

O'BRIEN: It's gorgeous. I mean, in the pictures it looks beautiful. I'm dying to go see it.

HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi, for that.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Sorry. What was that?

COLLINS: Oh, I just said wonderful gardens, too. I'm getting a chance to look at it all around me. It's just beautiful, even though it is a little rainy.

HEMMER: Rainy and cloudy. Well, what happened to the great weather we were supposed to get yesterday? Maybe today?

O'BRIEN: Friday. I'm confident about Friday.

HEMMER: Is that it? All right.

O'BRIEN: Hey, we're indoors, Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment, a longtime Illinois is our guest here. The Reverend Jesse Jackson supporting the Kerry campaign. President Bush has made significant inroads, according to polling, for African- Americans voters. We'll ask Jesse Jackson why that is happening in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, the Horton family. When Taunacy gave birth to quintuplets just last week, her husband Josh was lying in a hospital bed with wounds from the war in Iraq. We're going to see how their home state of Illinois is helping them out, and we're also going to tell you how you can help them, as well.

HEMMER: Also, a seasonal dance. The ups and downs along the Chicago River ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.

This morning we're talking about the Horton family. The story has brought the hardships that face military families really home to the Chicago area.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Marine Sergeant Josh Horton faced the toughest decision of his life, serve his country in Iraq or serve his family which was about to get much bigger. His wife Taunacy, already the mother of two, was pregnant with quintuplets.

TAUNACY HORTON, GAVE BIRTH TO QUINTUPLETS: It would have been so easy just to say, you know, "I need you here." And that was really hard for me.

O'BRIEN: Josh decided to go and arrived in Iraq last month as part of the 2nd Battalion 24th Marine Regiment. His right leg and arm were shattered during intense fighting south of Baghdad two weeks ago. Doctors were able to save both.

Four days later, his wife gave birth to three girls and two boys 14 weeks early. All are in critical but stable condition at Edward Hospital in the Chicago suburban of Naperville.

HORTON: Josh was told of the arrival of the quintuplets and was able to see a video of them. His mother, Rosalyn (ph), said that he was deeply moved and reached out to touch the TV screen with his hand. I wish I could have been there, but I know that he is keeping them in his heart until he can see them in person.

O'BRIEN: And that should happen in a few more weeks, when Josh is well enough to fly home to Oswego, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Illinois's lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn, has gotten personally involved in the Horton situation. And he joins us this morning to talk about that.

Thanks for being with us. First, I know you just talked to Josh not too long ago. How's he doing?

LT. GOV. PAT QUINN (D), ILLINOIS: Oh, great. I talked to him yesterday, and Josh is doing well. I think the quintuplets are doing pretty well, as well.

It's going to take several months in the hospital, but it's a miraculous story. It's a great story of how people in America, really, have helped the Horton family. And the Horton family is one of the most patriotic, religious families you'll ever find. They really are committed to our country.

O'BRIEN: And they seem like remarkable people. I mean, we saw obviously Taunacy tearing up as she talked a little bit about getting Josh's reaction to his newborn babies.

You brought for us this morning -- can you guys get a shot of this? This is -- I thought this was a tissue. This is a diaper. This is the diaper that they're putting on the -- on the quintuplets, if you guys can get a shot of it.

See how little and tiny this is? This is, what, because they're born ranging between one pound nine ounces and one pound 15 ounces.

QUINN: That's right.

O'BRIEN: How did you get involved with the family in the first place? You've been really working with them from well before Josh went off to Iraq.

QUINN: Well, we have. In Illinois we have a whole program called the Military Family Relief Family Trust Fund that helps the families of Reservists and Guard members who are called to active duty.

And we learned of the Horton family. And were working with them really from the summer on.

And Josh decided to go to Iraq because he felt that dads and moms over there wanted to come back home to see their kids. And he thought it was his duty when he was called up from the Reserves to serve in Iraq until the babies were going to be born. And unfortunately, he was wounded in Iraq on the Friday before the birth of the babies on a Monday.

So he was in a hospital, a military hospital when the five quintuplets were born. And it is a great story now because Taunacy, the mom, is recovering well. And Josh, as well.

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, it's a wonderful story. We're glad to hear that you've been helping out the family and really residents of the state really helping out the family, as you mentioned, across the country. They've been getting much-needed assistance. Maybe even working on a new home, I know. QUINN: We have for sure. We have a program called OperationHomefront.org. that's our Web site. And we've had over eight million hits on this Web site.

It tells people how to help soldiers and their families. And people in other states who want to set up a military family relief trust fund can learn from our Web site how to help. And it also has a link to how to help the Horton five, the family of the quintuplets.

O'BRIEN: Yes. We have that information as well. Lieutenant Governor, thank you so much for being with us.

QUINN: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for having us in your fair city. We've had a great time. Appreciate it.

QUINN: Yes, it's a great city. My grandfather helped build this building.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a fabulous building. So thank you.

We should mention that if you want to contribute to the Horton Five Fund, write in care of Harris Bank. It's P.O. Box 6201 in Carol Stream, Illinois. And there's the zip there, 60197-6201 -- Bill.

HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, Cubs fans know a thing or two about curses, do they not? How does the one in Chicago compare to the one in Bean Town? A look at that.

And speaking of baseball, another Chicago fun fact today. If you see a white flag with a blue "W" flying atop the Wrigley Field scoreboard, what does that mean? Kind of a gimme.

O'BRIEN: Really?

HEMMER: Back in a moment with the answer here in Chicago after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Down on the floor inside Union Station, Chicago. Here's the question.

What does a white flag with a blue "W" flying atop Wrigley Field mean after a game? Well, it means a Cubs victory. That's right. "W" stands for "win."

O'BRIEN: "W" is for "win," as opposed to Wrigley, which is what I actually thought it meant.

HEMMER: Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win!

O'BRIEN: All right.

HEMMER: Yes. O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty is back downstairs. Let's go check in with him.

Hey, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Soledad.

The Cubs have not won with the white flag and the "W" in the World Series since 1908. Some people blame something called the curse of the billy goat, a farm animal forcibly eject from the ballpark, despite the fact he was sitting in the stands with a paid-for ticket in 1945.

And the Red Sox -- and the Red Sox, of course, long suffering in -- I'm going to take this out because I'm hearing all kinds of conversations that have nothing to do with what I'm talking to you about. The Red Sox suffering from the curse of the trade of Babe Ruth; 1918 the last year they won. And they traded Babe Ruth the next year, and it's been downhill ever since.

They got into the series in '86. They lost to the Mets when (UNINTELLIGIBLE) let that ball go between his legs on first base.

You think there will be any audience in Boston and New York tonight for game seven of the ALCS? Anyway, the question is, do you believe in curses for these ball clubs?

"Curse? What curse?" This is from Adam. "I live in Nebraska. Now, that's a curse."

Wait a minute, I got these -- no I didn't. "I live in Nebraska. That's a curse. I don't have a baseball team to lament over and find blame with, but I am surrounded by angry cornhusker fans. I'll take the Cubs or the Sox curse any day."

"Hey, Jack, I hope you don't believe in curses because the testy blond girl from Gibson's restaurant is probably hexing you right now." Ken, in Kingston, Nova Scotia.

"Are Boston and Chicago cursed? Let's see now. Median salaries of $3.1 and $1.6 million, 160 games a season. That works out to almost $20,000 per game for the Red Sox. Assuming no missed games, that's $2,300 per inning."

"The pitchers, assuming they pitch 13 games a season, average 280 pitches a game. That's almost $900 per pitch. So the answer to your question is no."

Ian, you don't have enough to do to sit down and figure out all that stuff. Ian lives in Ottawa.

And Florence writes from Massachusetts, "The curse? Ask me again tomorrow."

Now I'll put this back in so I can hear my good friends, Bill and Soledad. We're having a little crossed wires down here. O'BRIEN: I think we fixed it. We fixed it. But I have to tell you, I think that last answer was the best. "Ask me tomorrow."

CAFFERTY: Ask me tomorrow. Who's going to win tonight do you think?

O'BRIEN: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

HEMMER: I've got no clue.

O'BRIEN: You know what?

HEMMER: I would have never told you the Red Sox would have come back from three games to nothing, though, either. So...

CAFFERTY: No. They made it a series. Everybody kind of wrote them off for dead there...

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Yes, they did.

O'BRIEN: And it was Jeff -- Jeff Greenfield...

HEMMER: But the Yankees were steam-rolling them, too.

O'BRIEN: Jeff Greenfield said just because it didn't happen before doesn't mean it can't happen again.

HEMMER: Hang on a second here.

Folks, who wins the game tonight? Yankees? Say "yes." Red Sox, say...

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Yes!

HEMMER: Wow.

O'BRIEN: Wow. I think we have taken an unofficial poll. Wow.

HEMMER: They get the sympathy vote.

Thank you, Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right.

HEMMER: Break here. In a moment, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, his thoughts on the election in a moment here. And also, the new polling that shows the president making inroads with African- Americans. The reverend responds in a moment when we continue after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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