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American Morning
Assault on Falluja; Interview With New York City Marathon Winner Paula Radcliffe; "90-Second Pop"
Aired November 08, 2004 - 07:30 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: Welcome back, everybody. It's 7:30 here in New York. Good Monday morning. Kelly Wallace working for Soledad today.
Good morning again to you.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. We're moving and grooving.
HEMMER: We are. Moving more than grooving, though.
WALLACE: Yes.
HEMMER: And keeping a close eye, too, on what's happening in and around Falluja. Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops poised now for a major assault on insurgents there. Nic Robertson is in Baghdad. Karl Penhaul is near Falluja. We've established contact with Karl, and we'll get to him in a moment for his report.
WALLACE: Also, Bill, as you know, after disappointments at the Olympics when she had to quit the race early, Paula Radcliffe finds redemption in New York City. The British runner won yesterday's New York City marathon. We will talk to Radcliffe, who is here in our studio, about the race and find out how some bad spaghetti almost caused some problems yesterday.
HEMMER: And so well done, too.
Let's get straight away now back to Iraq, where thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops now amassed in the desert, bracing for that long awaited offensive against Falluja. Warplanes, artillery overnight hammering certain targets in town ahead of the expected assault.
Karl Penhaul, embedded with the U.S. Marines near Falluja, now joins us by way of videophone.
And Karl, what can you tell us at this point, mid-afternoon now, in Iraq?
We apologize. We can see him. We cannot hear him. We've been with this signal in and out for the past hour, the past hour and a half. Once we re-establish contact with Karl, we'll get his report to you. Again, as we watch that situation unfold and continue to develop now on this Monday morning.
As we await that and Karl, let's get back to Daryn Kagan at the CNN center there with more news.
Daryn -- good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
Now in the news -- more questions this morning about the status of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. A Palestinian delegation is heading to France to visit the ailing Arafat at a military hospital. Arafat's wife had denounced the visit. There are various reports that Arafat holds information to secret accounts that could total a sum in the millions or even billions. The exact number is not known.
There are reports of a high-speed train crash in southern England. It may have been caused by a car driver committing suicide. At least seven people were killed Saturday when the train rammed into a car and slipped off the rails. British police say they're also looking into the possibility that the car had mechanical problems.
The man who tried to assassinate former President Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley, is asking for more freedom. Hinckley's lawyers are asking a federal judge to allow him to spend longer, unsupervised visits at his parents' home. Government attorneys oppose that request. Hinckley has been living at a psychiatric hospital since the 1980s.
And New Jersey Governor James McGreevey delivers his public farewell today. He's expected to highlight his accomplishments. McGreevey's term has been cut short following August revelations of an extramarital affair with a man. McGreevey is set to speak in Trenton, New York, this afternoon. He leaves office next week. And New Jersey state Senator Dick Cody will be taking over for the remaining 14 months of McGreevey's term.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: Daryn, thanks.
Let's get to Baghdad now. Nic Robertson is standing by.
Nic -- what can you report at this point regarding Falluja?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly we've heard that Iraqi troops, backed up by U.S. Marines, have taken control of the hospital to the west of Baghdad close to the banks of the Euphrates River. Across that river is where Falluja is proper, the big grid of streets, mosques and school buildings, where the Iraqi government believes the insurgents have been hiding, digging tunnels, hiding weapons.
We have heard from our embedded reporters Karl Penhaul and Jane Arraf. They've been able to see and hear artillery barrages, aircraft bombing runs on parts of the city.
And from the embedded reporter at the hospital this morning just outside Falluja, he said that once Iraqi forces had raised a flag there, a five-hour battle ensued. The insurgents began firing RPGs, mortars, small-arms fires. The U.S. Marines and the Iraqi troops there responded with Cobra attack helicopters, firing Hellfire missiles. Aircraft were brought in to bomb certain buildings. Artillery was brought to bear on some of the houses there.
Indeed, the embedded reporter said that some of the houses that insurgents were believed to be hiding in had collapsed under the weight of fire. And he reported that exchange was going on for five hours this morning.
And at the same time, Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said he has given the green light for the multinational force to begin, as he says, cleaning the insurgents out of Falluja, using the state of emergency that was declared yesterday to begin that or to announce that that offensive can get under way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQ INTERIM PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have given my authority to the multinational forces. I have given my authority to the Iraqi forces to spearhead the multinational forces with help. We are determined to clean Falluja from terrorists. The curfew is intended to protect whoever remains from the Falluja people, the decent people of Falluja, because, as you know, in excess of 200,000 people have left already Falluja, civilians, because they are terrorized by terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now the state of emergency puts more power in the hands of Prime Minister Allawi. He says he has now closed down the border with Syria and Jordan apart from food convoys. He has also closed down Baghdad International Airport, he said, for the next 48 hours. Closed down the highways in and out of Falluja. And he says that is designed to stop the foreign fighters getting out of Iraq and escaping -- Bill.
HEMMER: Nic Robertson with the latest in Baghdad.
Now Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Britain's Paula Radcliffe is the woman's world record holder in the marathon, but her victory in yesterday's New York City marathon was less about time and more about redemption. After a painful failure at the Summer Olympics in Athens, it gives us great pleasure to introduce Paula Radcliffe here in New York City.
You look very relaxed after running a marathon from yesterday.
PAULA RADCLIFFE, 2004 NYC MARATHON WINNER: Thank you. No, I'm recovering. I'm on holiday now.
WALLACE: I want some of our viewers who might not know, this was the tightest finish in the New York City Marathon history. There you are, the final few miles, going neck and neck with Susan Chepkemei -- I believe it is.
What is going through your mind as you guys are neck and neck, elbow to elbow over those final miles?
RADCLIFFE: Well, I've raced Susan for a long time. We've probably raced each other for more than 10 years, so we know quite a lot about each other. And I was pretty confident that I could win in a sprint finish.
So, I was really just trying to gauge my finish. And I'd run the closing stages quite a few times over the last couple days, so I knew that when I got to the crest of the hill, there was round about 100 meters to go.
WALLACE: So, your finish -- two hours, 23 minutes. How important was this finish for you and this victory after what happens in Athens? Our viewers might not know you had to pull out a few miles before the end of the marathon at the Summer Olympic Games. And then, you tried to do the 10,000 meters, you had to pull out -- shots of you in tears because of this.
How important was this victory after your disappointment in Athens?
RADCLIFFE: Well, it was important after the disappointment, because that was a terrible time. But I've put it behind me, and I've moved on from there. And the victory here in New York was special in its own right, regardless of what happened at the Olympics, because it's a great marathon. It's a great city. And it was really important to me to come here and to win the marathon here.
WALLACE: I understand you only decided a couple of weeks ago that you, in fact, felt ready and physically ready to run the marathon. Is that true?
RADCLIFFE: Yes, that's true. It took me a while to recover from the trauma of the Olympics. And I had an injury before, I had a lot of stomach problems there. So, it took a long time for my body to recover. And when it did and I thought about running races, I just thought about coming to New York. And so, I spoke to the organizers to see if I could come.
WALLACE: So many people talk about the New York City Marathon, running through the five boroughs, thousands and thousands of New Yorkers cheering you on at every part of this city. What is that like, and what is it like when you cross that finish line as the number one woman competitor?
RADCLIFFE: It's an amazing atmosphere. As you go through each of the boroughs, you can really tell the difference between the boroughs, and they all have got so much -- they're out there for so long, because if you think the lead women go there and then maybe 45 minutes later the lead men, and then the others runners are coming through for so lone. And those guys are out there on the street really supporting everyone. So, thank you very much. It really, really helps. And just to cross the finish line -- as you come into Central Park, the crowds are getting thicker and thicker. And then, you come up through toward Tavern on the Green and the stands are out of sight and the noise is just amazing. And you just -- you can see the finish line, and you just want to get across it.
WALLACE: Well, Paula Radcliffe, you certainly have made Britain proud. I'm sure you'll get quite a homecoming when you return. Thanks so much for being here today. We really appreciate it.
RADCLIFFE: Thank you.
WALLACE: Bill.
HEMMER: Well done.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, they got their money the old-fashioned way. They inherited it. Andy begins his series on the richest family in America, the Waltons, heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune. Where do they spend it all?
HEMMER: Also, this new reality show that will make you think twice about your boss. And worst of all, the boss has no intention of ever giving them a job. Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: They are the Waltons of Wal-Mart fame. And this morning, Andy gives us a rare glimpse inside America's richest family. Today in part one of a five-part series, a profile of the chairman, Rob Walton, Andy is back in our segment "Minding Your Business."
Good morning to you.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
HEMMER: A great article in "Fortune" magazine.
SERWER: Thank you.
HEMMER: And you get to share it with us today.
SERWER: Yes. Interesting stuff. Most people out there probably know that Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962. He passed away in 1992, leaving a retailing behemoth and a great family fortune as well.
The Walton family controls 39 percent of Wal-Mart stock, worth about $90 billion. But most people don't know very much about Helen Walton, Sam's widow, and Sam's four children, four grown children.
So I decided to take a look and find out about them. Today, as Bill mentioned, I want to talk a little bit about Rob Walton, Sam Walton's oldest son, who is the chairman of Wal-Mart stores. There is Rob right there. He presides over the annual meetings. He's 60 years old, and he is worth about $18.7 billion in Wal-Mart stock.
Interesting, he is someone who pushed Wal-Mart into going overseas and into Canada and Mexico as well, and also decided to develop the Internet business for Wal-Mart. He is the link between the family and the company, Bill. So he's a very sort of critical person in this whole thing.
HEMMER: I think the one thing viewers should understand about this is that they seldom talk to reporters, the Walton family. You made a number of trips down to Arkansas. What was Rob like when you spent time with him?
SERWER: Well, Rob, you know, is a very interesting guy. He was a lawyer. He went to Wooster College in Ohio, then the University of Arkansas, then Columbia Law School. There he is in front of his father's pickup truck there. He races vintage sports car. He's an avid cyclist as well, a supporter of Lance Armstrong and that team.
He chooses words very carefully, a conservative guy, a very understated person. He's recently moved to Colorado, separated from his second wife and has three children.
But you know, all of the Waltons sort of are below the radar screen. They're very understated, and they like their privacy. And it took a while to get them to open up.
HEMMER: You picked up a little bit on their humility, too, in all of these interviews, right?
SERWER: I think that's right. I mean, they just don't like to be known as billionaires. They want to be below the radar screen, as I mentioned. And it's just something they don't want to do or they don't want to be known as wealthy people. But in fact, they are. And it's going to be interesting to see how they step up to the plate in terms of their philanthropy. We'll be talking about that later in the week.
Tomorrow, we'll be talking about Helen Walton, who is the matriarch of the family and sort of the moral compass of the family as well.
HEMMER: Excellent. Part one down. Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: Thank you.
WALLACE: Very interesting, Andy.
And let's check in with Jack, who is back from vacation, the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The "Question of the Day." Thanks Kelly.
Karl Rove, the president's chief political strategist, says that President Bush will absolutely use his second term to spend the political capital he earned by winning the election. It's no secret that evangelical Christians, a part of Mr. Bush's conservative base, were a key to the president's win over John Kerry. And he owes them big time for that. They came out in big numbers for him.
The exact form of the thank you note from Mr. Bush, though, remains unknown. The question this morning that we're pondering is: How far will the president go to repay his debt to conservatives?
Dave in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, writes: "Give it up. The president doesn't owe the right any repayment. He was re-elected by America, and we should all get behind him."
Not a particularly great letter, Dave, but since you live in my town in New Jersey, I felt sort of...
WALLACE: Professional treatment there.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
Linda in Findley, Ohio, writes: "W. will go as far as he can. The rich will get richer. The poor will get poorer. The jobs will continue to go overseas. Wages down. Roe v. Wade will be overturned. Women will resort to back alley abortionists. He'll push home ownership, the poor will not be able to participate. Fewer people will have healthcare. The draft will be reinstated, and the world will increasingly hate us."
Such an optimist you are, Linda. My goodness!
Scott in Gouverneur, New York, I guess that's how you say that, Gouverneur, New York: "Hopefully, he encourages the other 39 states to pass their own bans on gay marriage. The states have taken the lead. And in this no-win issue, Bush should leave it for the states."
Steve in Staten Island, New York: "It doesn't look like he'll have to go too far. Most of the map was red, wasn't it?"
And Dave in Japan: "Like small mammals and Mafia dons, this president prizes loyalty above all else. How far will he go to repay his conservative base? Put it this way: If you want to get an abortion, have gay sex or learn about evolution in the public school, you've got about a two-week window of opportunity."
WALLACE: Yikes!
SERWER: I've never heard that, like, small mammals or Mafia dons before. That's a new metaphor or simile, whatever.
CAFFERTY: We get a lot of pretty insightful stuff from Dave, who stays up all night in Japan just to contribute this dribble to our program. And we appreciate it, Dave.
WALLACE: At 7:49 a.m.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Let's get a break. Here in a moment, Pixar, a huge hit over the weekend. "The Incredibles" did monster numbers at the box office. Is it breaking new ground in the animated world? We'll talk about that and more on "90-Second Pop" right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Time to wake up on a Monday morning, "90-Second Pop" here. Andy Borowitz, chairman of the board at borowitzreport.com. Sarah Bernard, chairwoman of the board at "New York" magazine.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: All right! I like that.
HEMMER: And just flat out plain Toure, whose hair gets taller by the day.
TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.
HEMMER: Good morning, by the way.
BERNARD: Good morning.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Good morning.
HEMMER: Did you see "My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Boss" last night?
BERNARD: I did see it.
HEMMER: And?
BERNARD: I had low expectations, and I thought it was hilarious, honestly. It's the same producers of "My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Fiance," as you might remember. And this really is a goof on the 12 contestants. They are all MBAs who are competing for 250 grand. That is actually real. But they're being put through their paces by a guy who is supposed to be a billionaire. He's actually an actor, William August, who was a very convincing obnoxious boss.
HEMMER: Those crazy Hollywood producers. Why were your expectations so low?
BERNARD: Well, I actually really didn't think that the obnoxious fiance was so funny. And it's kind of like this show to "The Apprentice" was "Joe Millionaire" to "The Bachelor." It was sort of a rip-off.
TOURE: Do they actually get money if they win?
BERNARD: They do actually win.
TOURE: They do?
BERNARD: Right. They do actually get the money. So, it's not all for nothing. But they are humiliated in the process. They are told that they are -- their first task is actually to pretend they're homeless and beg on the street. They're being fed all of this fancy food. They're talking about how wonderful it is, and it's actually spam and, you know, fake cheese.
TOURE: Oh!
BERNARD: So, the whole thing is a joke. But it's really a joke on Donald Trump, and that's where the humor is. There are boardroom scenes when he's sort of grilling the contestants. It's so transparent about how he just has nonsensical questions. It's great.
BOROWITZ: Well, I just have one question. These are all supposed to be, like, Ivy League grads. But I just have one word for them: Google. I mean...
BERNARD: Why didn't they know?
BOROWITZ: And this guy is, like...
TOURE: Yes.
BOROWITZ: How did that not happen?
TOURE: Right.
BOROWITZ: I mean, yeah, it's like you meet someone on the street you Google them.
TOURE: Right. You're a real MBA, and you don't do any research to figure out who this guy is? That always throws me.
BERNARD: That's a good point.
HEMMER: Well, in a word, success or not for this show?
BERNARD: I think a success.
HEMMER: OK. All right.
BERNARD: We'll see next week.
HEMMER: Next topic, what do we got for you, Andy, today? Late, late, late, late comedy stuff.
BOROWITZ: Right.
HEMMER: We have four guys in competition to take over this job. Take us through it.
BOROWITZ: Well, it's CBS. You know, they're still looking for the replacement for Craig Kilborn. And they're bringing back a couple of these guys for sort of more extended tryouts, like D.L. Hughley, Michael Ian Black.
So, CBS says they found four people who could host "The Late Late Show." The real challenge will be to find four people who watch "The Late Late Show." I think that should be next.
(CROSSTALK) TOURE: You (INAUDIBLE), right? That would be cool.
BOROWITZ: It's a little late for me. I have to get up early for this thing. But you know, what I think is hilarious is that they're trying to create all of this drama, like America wants to know who is going to take over the show. This is like choosing somebody to water your plants. I mean, who is watching...
BERNARD: Who can do it?
BOROWITZ: Who is watching this program?
BERNARD: Well, I think the interesting thing was they were going to consider their head writer, right? This guy Mark Ivan (ph) to do it, which would have been going the Conan O'Brien route. You know, you take the funny head writer and you put him in front of the show. But it turns out he might not have had the magnetism of ...
BOROWITZ: You know, I don't know. I mean, I think Conan, you know, that's kind of the big problem. Everyone is watching Conan. And this show is still...
HEMMER: When you find the viewer, bring him on and we'll tall to him.
TOURE: Yes, bring him on.
HEMMER: You had a huge list on Friday of the movies that Toure wanted to see over the weekend. I don't know if you completed your list, but you did see "The Incredibles."
TOURE: I saw "The Incredibles."
HEMMER: Was it?
TOURE: It was No. 1 on the list. It was incredible! I mean, first of all, just the fun of going to it because it's a crossover movie. So there were little, little kids and adults by themselves. But here's America now, right? "Alfie" starring a great-looking but foreign-born cad with no morals. Flops, right? And "Incredible" is about a family saving the world together. They have morals. They have family values. They explode through the roof like this is what America is about.
HEMMER: On Friday, B.J. said this is the next "Finding Nemo."
BERNARD: Absolutely.
TOURE: It's another Pixar, a huge success, not just great animation, but the story is perfect. And the story works.
BOROWITZ: It's a big year for, like, computer-generated characters, because when you look at it, you know, you've got "The Incredibles ," "Shrek" and Ashlee Simpson. I mean, it's just an incredible trend.
HEMMER: Somehow I knew something like that was coming. Go ahead, Sarah
BERNARD: I think that it's interesting, because there is going to be so many animated features in the movies right now. And they were very smart, because they said we're going to be first.
TOURE: Right.
BERNARD: And they were right. They were totally right in doing this. "Polar Express" is coming out soon with Tom Hanks. But have you seen the way it looks? It's creepy!
TOURE: It does.
BERNARD: It doesn't have the same...
TOURE: Thank you for saying that.
BERNARD: It does.
TOURE: It does look creepy.
HEMMER: But "Polar" looks creepy.
TOURE: "Polar" looks creepy.
BERNARD: "Polar" looks creepy. The animation...
TOURE: "The Incredibles" was so cool.
BERNARD: Right. And it only makes "The Incredibles" look better. And I think it's going to make more than "Finding Nemo," I think.
HEMMER: OK. Pixar has magic in a bottle at this point...
TOURE: They do.
BERNARD: I know.
HEMMER: ... or magic in its software anyway. So, hey, thanks. Happy Monday. See you later.
BERNARD: Happy Monday.
HEMMER: Here is Kelly again -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Still to come, U.S. forces ready for large-scale urban warfare in Falluja, but critical information about their enemy is still unknown. The latest here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 8, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. It's 7:30 here in New York. Good Monday morning. Kelly Wallace working for Soledad today.
Good morning again to you.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. We're moving and grooving.
HEMMER: We are. Moving more than grooving, though.
WALLACE: Yes.
HEMMER: And keeping a close eye, too, on what's happening in and around Falluja. Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops poised now for a major assault on insurgents there. Nic Robertson is in Baghdad. Karl Penhaul is near Falluja. We've established contact with Karl, and we'll get to him in a moment for his report.
WALLACE: Also, Bill, as you know, after disappointments at the Olympics when she had to quit the race early, Paula Radcliffe finds redemption in New York City. The British runner won yesterday's New York City marathon. We will talk to Radcliffe, who is here in our studio, about the race and find out how some bad spaghetti almost caused some problems yesterday.
HEMMER: And so well done, too.
Let's get straight away now back to Iraq, where thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops now amassed in the desert, bracing for that long awaited offensive against Falluja. Warplanes, artillery overnight hammering certain targets in town ahead of the expected assault.
Karl Penhaul, embedded with the U.S. Marines near Falluja, now joins us by way of videophone.
And Karl, what can you tell us at this point, mid-afternoon now, in Iraq?
We apologize. We can see him. We cannot hear him. We've been with this signal in and out for the past hour, the past hour and a half. Once we re-establish contact with Karl, we'll get his report to you. Again, as we watch that situation unfold and continue to develop now on this Monday morning.
As we await that and Karl, let's get back to Daryn Kagan at the CNN center there with more news.
Daryn -- good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
Now in the news -- more questions this morning about the status of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. A Palestinian delegation is heading to France to visit the ailing Arafat at a military hospital. Arafat's wife had denounced the visit. There are various reports that Arafat holds information to secret accounts that could total a sum in the millions or even billions. The exact number is not known.
There are reports of a high-speed train crash in southern England. It may have been caused by a car driver committing suicide. At least seven people were killed Saturday when the train rammed into a car and slipped off the rails. British police say they're also looking into the possibility that the car had mechanical problems.
The man who tried to assassinate former President Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley, is asking for more freedom. Hinckley's lawyers are asking a federal judge to allow him to spend longer, unsupervised visits at his parents' home. Government attorneys oppose that request. Hinckley has been living at a psychiatric hospital since the 1980s.
And New Jersey Governor James McGreevey delivers his public farewell today. He's expected to highlight his accomplishments. McGreevey's term has been cut short following August revelations of an extramarital affair with a man. McGreevey is set to speak in Trenton, New York, this afternoon. He leaves office next week. And New Jersey state Senator Dick Cody will be taking over for the remaining 14 months of McGreevey's term.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: Daryn, thanks.
Let's get to Baghdad now. Nic Robertson is standing by.
Nic -- what can you report at this point regarding Falluja?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly we've heard that Iraqi troops, backed up by U.S. Marines, have taken control of the hospital to the west of Baghdad close to the banks of the Euphrates River. Across that river is where Falluja is proper, the big grid of streets, mosques and school buildings, where the Iraqi government believes the insurgents have been hiding, digging tunnels, hiding weapons.
We have heard from our embedded reporters Karl Penhaul and Jane Arraf. They've been able to see and hear artillery barrages, aircraft bombing runs on parts of the city.
And from the embedded reporter at the hospital this morning just outside Falluja, he said that once Iraqi forces had raised a flag there, a five-hour battle ensued. The insurgents began firing RPGs, mortars, small-arms fires. The U.S. Marines and the Iraqi troops there responded with Cobra attack helicopters, firing Hellfire missiles. Aircraft were brought in to bomb certain buildings. Artillery was brought to bear on some of the houses there.
Indeed, the embedded reporter said that some of the houses that insurgents were believed to be hiding in had collapsed under the weight of fire. And he reported that exchange was going on for five hours this morning.
And at the same time, Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said he has given the green light for the multinational force to begin, as he says, cleaning the insurgents out of Falluja, using the state of emergency that was declared yesterday to begin that or to announce that that offensive can get under way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQ INTERIM PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have given my authority to the multinational forces. I have given my authority to the Iraqi forces to spearhead the multinational forces with help. We are determined to clean Falluja from terrorists. The curfew is intended to protect whoever remains from the Falluja people, the decent people of Falluja, because, as you know, in excess of 200,000 people have left already Falluja, civilians, because they are terrorized by terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now the state of emergency puts more power in the hands of Prime Minister Allawi. He says he has now closed down the border with Syria and Jordan apart from food convoys. He has also closed down Baghdad International Airport, he said, for the next 48 hours. Closed down the highways in and out of Falluja. And he says that is designed to stop the foreign fighters getting out of Iraq and escaping -- Bill.
HEMMER: Nic Robertson with the latest in Baghdad.
Now Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Britain's Paula Radcliffe is the woman's world record holder in the marathon, but her victory in yesterday's New York City marathon was less about time and more about redemption. After a painful failure at the Summer Olympics in Athens, it gives us great pleasure to introduce Paula Radcliffe here in New York City.
You look very relaxed after running a marathon from yesterday.
PAULA RADCLIFFE, 2004 NYC MARATHON WINNER: Thank you. No, I'm recovering. I'm on holiday now.
WALLACE: I want some of our viewers who might not know, this was the tightest finish in the New York City Marathon history. There you are, the final few miles, going neck and neck with Susan Chepkemei -- I believe it is.
What is going through your mind as you guys are neck and neck, elbow to elbow over those final miles?
RADCLIFFE: Well, I've raced Susan for a long time. We've probably raced each other for more than 10 years, so we know quite a lot about each other. And I was pretty confident that I could win in a sprint finish.
So, I was really just trying to gauge my finish. And I'd run the closing stages quite a few times over the last couple days, so I knew that when I got to the crest of the hill, there was round about 100 meters to go.
WALLACE: So, your finish -- two hours, 23 minutes. How important was this finish for you and this victory after what happens in Athens? Our viewers might not know you had to pull out a few miles before the end of the marathon at the Summer Olympic Games. And then, you tried to do the 10,000 meters, you had to pull out -- shots of you in tears because of this.
How important was this victory after your disappointment in Athens?
RADCLIFFE: Well, it was important after the disappointment, because that was a terrible time. But I've put it behind me, and I've moved on from there. And the victory here in New York was special in its own right, regardless of what happened at the Olympics, because it's a great marathon. It's a great city. And it was really important to me to come here and to win the marathon here.
WALLACE: I understand you only decided a couple of weeks ago that you, in fact, felt ready and physically ready to run the marathon. Is that true?
RADCLIFFE: Yes, that's true. It took me a while to recover from the trauma of the Olympics. And I had an injury before, I had a lot of stomach problems there. So, it took a long time for my body to recover. And when it did and I thought about running races, I just thought about coming to New York. And so, I spoke to the organizers to see if I could come.
WALLACE: So many people talk about the New York City Marathon, running through the five boroughs, thousands and thousands of New Yorkers cheering you on at every part of this city. What is that like, and what is it like when you cross that finish line as the number one woman competitor?
RADCLIFFE: It's an amazing atmosphere. As you go through each of the boroughs, you can really tell the difference between the boroughs, and they all have got so much -- they're out there for so long, because if you think the lead women go there and then maybe 45 minutes later the lead men, and then the others runners are coming through for so lone. And those guys are out there on the street really supporting everyone. So, thank you very much. It really, really helps. And just to cross the finish line -- as you come into Central Park, the crowds are getting thicker and thicker. And then, you come up through toward Tavern on the Green and the stands are out of sight and the noise is just amazing. And you just -- you can see the finish line, and you just want to get across it.
WALLACE: Well, Paula Radcliffe, you certainly have made Britain proud. I'm sure you'll get quite a homecoming when you return. Thanks so much for being here today. We really appreciate it.
RADCLIFFE: Thank you.
WALLACE: Bill.
HEMMER: Well done.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, they got their money the old-fashioned way. They inherited it. Andy begins his series on the richest family in America, the Waltons, heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune. Where do they spend it all?
HEMMER: Also, this new reality show that will make you think twice about your boss. And worst of all, the boss has no intention of ever giving them a job. Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: They are the Waltons of Wal-Mart fame. And this morning, Andy gives us a rare glimpse inside America's richest family. Today in part one of a five-part series, a profile of the chairman, Rob Walton, Andy is back in our segment "Minding Your Business."
Good morning to you.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
HEMMER: A great article in "Fortune" magazine.
SERWER: Thank you.
HEMMER: And you get to share it with us today.
SERWER: Yes. Interesting stuff. Most people out there probably know that Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962. He passed away in 1992, leaving a retailing behemoth and a great family fortune as well.
The Walton family controls 39 percent of Wal-Mart stock, worth about $90 billion. But most people don't know very much about Helen Walton, Sam's widow, and Sam's four children, four grown children.
So I decided to take a look and find out about them. Today, as Bill mentioned, I want to talk a little bit about Rob Walton, Sam Walton's oldest son, who is the chairman of Wal-Mart stores. There is Rob right there. He presides over the annual meetings. He's 60 years old, and he is worth about $18.7 billion in Wal-Mart stock.
Interesting, he is someone who pushed Wal-Mart into going overseas and into Canada and Mexico as well, and also decided to develop the Internet business for Wal-Mart. He is the link between the family and the company, Bill. So he's a very sort of critical person in this whole thing.
HEMMER: I think the one thing viewers should understand about this is that they seldom talk to reporters, the Walton family. You made a number of trips down to Arkansas. What was Rob like when you spent time with him?
SERWER: Well, Rob, you know, is a very interesting guy. He was a lawyer. He went to Wooster College in Ohio, then the University of Arkansas, then Columbia Law School. There he is in front of his father's pickup truck there. He races vintage sports car. He's an avid cyclist as well, a supporter of Lance Armstrong and that team.
He chooses words very carefully, a conservative guy, a very understated person. He's recently moved to Colorado, separated from his second wife and has three children.
But you know, all of the Waltons sort of are below the radar screen. They're very understated, and they like their privacy. And it took a while to get them to open up.
HEMMER: You picked up a little bit on their humility, too, in all of these interviews, right?
SERWER: I think that's right. I mean, they just don't like to be known as billionaires. They want to be below the radar screen, as I mentioned. And it's just something they don't want to do or they don't want to be known as wealthy people. But in fact, they are. And it's going to be interesting to see how they step up to the plate in terms of their philanthropy. We'll be talking about that later in the week.
Tomorrow, we'll be talking about Helen Walton, who is the matriarch of the family and sort of the moral compass of the family as well.
HEMMER: Excellent. Part one down. Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: Thank you.
WALLACE: Very interesting, Andy.
And let's check in with Jack, who is back from vacation, the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The "Question of the Day." Thanks Kelly.
Karl Rove, the president's chief political strategist, says that President Bush will absolutely use his second term to spend the political capital he earned by winning the election. It's no secret that evangelical Christians, a part of Mr. Bush's conservative base, were a key to the president's win over John Kerry. And he owes them big time for that. They came out in big numbers for him.
The exact form of the thank you note from Mr. Bush, though, remains unknown. The question this morning that we're pondering is: How far will the president go to repay his debt to conservatives?
Dave in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, writes: "Give it up. The president doesn't owe the right any repayment. He was re-elected by America, and we should all get behind him."
Not a particularly great letter, Dave, but since you live in my town in New Jersey, I felt sort of...
WALLACE: Professional treatment there.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
Linda in Findley, Ohio, writes: "W. will go as far as he can. The rich will get richer. The poor will get poorer. The jobs will continue to go overseas. Wages down. Roe v. Wade will be overturned. Women will resort to back alley abortionists. He'll push home ownership, the poor will not be able to participate. Fewer people will have healthcare. The draft will be reinstated, and the world will increasingly hate us."
Such an optimist you are, Linda. My goodness!
Scott in Gouverneur, New York, I guess that's how you say that, Gouverneur, New York: "Hopefully, he encourages the other 39 states to pass their own bans on gay marriage. The states have taken the lead. And in this no-win issue, Bush should leave it for the states."
Steve in Staten Island, New York: "It doesn't look like he'll have to go too far. Most of the map was red, wasn't it?"
And Dave in Japan: "Like small mammals and Mafia dons, this president prizes loyalty above all else. How far will he go to repay his conservative base? Put it this way: If you want to get an abortion, have gay sex or learn about evolution in the public school, you've got about a two-week window of opportunity."
WALLACE: Yikes!
SERWER: I've never heard that, like, small mammals or Mafia dons before. That's a new metaphor or simile, whatever.
CAFFERTY: We get a lot of pretty insightful stuff from Dave, who stays up all night in Japan just to contribute this dribble to our program. And we appreciate it, Dave.
WALLACE: At 7:49 a.m.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Let's get a break. Here in a moment, Pixar, a huge hit over the weekend. "The Incredibles" did monster numbers at the box office. Is it breaking new ground in the animated world? We'll talk about that and more on "90-Second Pop" right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Time to wake up on a Monday morning, "90-Second Pop" here. Andy Borowitz, chairman of the board at borowitzreport.com. Sarah Bernard, chairwoman of the board at "New York" magazine.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: All right! I like that.
HEMMER: And just flat out plain Toure, whose hair gets taller by the day.
TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.
HEMMER: Good morning, by the way.
BERNARD: Good morning.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Good morning.
HEMMER: Did you see "My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Boss" last night?
BERNARD: I did see it.
HEMMER: And?
BERNARD: I had low expectations, and I thought it was hilarious, honestly. It's the same producers of "My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Fiance," as you might remember. And this really is a goof on the 12 contestants. They are all MBAs who are competing for 250 grand. That is actually real. But they're being put through their paces by a guy who is supposed to be a billionaire. He's actually an actor, William August, who was a very convincing obnoxious boss.
HEMMER: Those crazy Hollywood producers. Why were your expectations so low?
BERNARD: Well, I actually really didn't think that the obnoxious fiance was so funny. And it's kind of like this show to "The Apprentice" was "Joe Millionaire" to "The Bachelor." It was sort of a rip-off.
TOURE: Do they actually get money if they win?
BERNARD: They do actually win.
TOURE: They do?
BERNARD: Right. They do actually get the money. So, it's not all for nothing. But they are humiliated in the process. They are told that they are -- their first task is actually to pretend they're homeless and beg on the street. They're being fed all of this fancy food. They're talking about how wonderful it is, and it's actually spam and, you know, fake cheese.
TOURE: Oh!
BERNARD: So, the whole thing is a joke. But it's really a joke on Donald Trump, and that's where the humor is. There are boardroom scenes when he's sort of grilling the contestants. It's so transparent about how he just has nonsensical questions. It's great.
BOROWITZ: Well, I just have one question. These are all supposed to be, like, Ivy League grads. But I just have one word for them: Google. I mean...
BERNARD: Why didn't they know?
BOROWITZ: And this guy is, like...
TOURE: Yes.
BOROWITZ: How did that not happen?
TOURE: Right.
BOROWITZ: I mean, yeah, it's like you meet someone on the street you Google them.
TOURE: Right. You're a real MBA, and you don't do any research to figure out who this guy is? That always throws me.
BERNARD: That's a good point.
HEMMER: Well, in a word, success or not for this show?
BERNARD: I think a success.
HEMMER: OK. All right.
BERNARD: We'll see next week.
HEMMER: Next topic, what do we got for you, Andy, today? Late, late, late, late comedy stuff.
BOROWITZ: Right.
HEMMER: We have four guys in competition to take over this job. Take us through it.
BOROWITZ: Well, it's CBS. You know, they're still looking for the replacement for Craig Kilborn. And they're bringing back a couple of these guys for sort of more extended tryouts, like D.L. Hughley, Michael Ian Black.
So, CBS says they found four people who could host "The Late Late Show." The real challenge will be to find four people who watch "The Late Late Show." I think that should be next.
(CROSSTALK) TOURE: You (INAUDIBLE), right? That would be cool.
BOROWITZ: It's a little late for me. I have to get up early for this thing. But you know, what I think is hilarious is that they're trying to create all of this drama, like America wants to know who is going to take over the show. This is like choosing somebody to water your plants. I mean, who is watching...
BERNARD: Who can do it?
BOROWITZ: Who is watching this program?
BERNARD: Well, I think the interesting thing was they were going to consider their head writer, right? This guy Mark Ivan (ph) to do it, which would have been going the Conan O'Brien route. You know, you take the funny head writer and you put him in front of the show. But it turns out he might not have had the magnetism of ...
BOROWITZ: You know, I don't know. I mean, I think Conan, you know, that's kind of the big problem. Everyone is watching Conan. And this show is still...
HEMMER: When you find the viewer, bring him on and we'll tall to him.
TOURE: Yes, bring him on.
HEMMER: You had a huge list on Friday of the movies that Toure wanted to see over the weekend. I don't know if you completed your list, but you did see "The Incredibles."
TOURE: I saw "The Incredibles."
HEMMER: Was it?
TOURE: It was No. 1 on the list. It was incredible! I mean, first of all, just the fun of going to it because it's a crossover movie. So there were little, little kids and adults by themselves. But here's America now, right? "Alfie" starring a great-looking but foreign-born cad with no morals. Flops, right? And "Incredible" is about a family saving the world together. They have morals. They have family values. They explode through the roof like this is what America is about.
HEMMER: On Friday, B.J. said this is the next "Finding Nemo."
BERNARD: Absolutely.
TOURE: It's another Pixar, a huge success, not just great animation, but the story is perfect. And the story works.
BOROWITZ: It's a big year for, like, computer-generated characters, because when you look at it, you know, you've got "The Incredibles ," "Shrek" and Ashlee Simpson. I mean, it's just an incredible trend.
HEMMER: Somehow I knew something like that was coming. Go ahead, Sarah
BERNARD: I think that it's interesting, because there is going to be so many animated features in the movies right now. And they were very smart, because they said we're going to be first.
TOURE: Right.
BERNARD: And they were right. They were totally right in doing this. "Polar Express" is coming out soon with Tom Hanks. But have you seen the way it looks? It's creepy!
TOURE: It does.
BERNARD: It doesn't have the same...
TOURE: Thank you for saying that.
BERNARD: It does.
TOURE: It does look creepy.
HEMMER: But "Polar" looks creepy.
TOURE: "Polar" looks creepy.
BERNARD: "Polar" looks creepy. The animation...
TOURE: "The Incredibles" was so cool.
BERNARD: Right. And it only makes "The Incredibles" look better. And I think it's going to make more than "Finding Nemo," I think.
HEMMER: OK. Pixar has magic in a bottle at this point...
TOURE: They do.
BERNARD: I know.
HEMMER: ... or magic in its software anyway. So, hey, thanks. Happy Monday. See you later.
BERNARD: Happy Monday.
HEMMER: Here is Kelly again -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Still to come, U.S. forces ready for large-scale urban warfare in Falluja, but critical information about their enemy is still unknown. The latest here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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