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American Morning

'Kamber & May'; 'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired May 30, 2005 - 08:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: First, though, let's get another look at the headlines with Carol Costello.
Good morning again.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, some 40,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops are undertaking the largest offensive since the fall of Saddam Hussein. General Richard Myers confirming to CNN just last hour that Operation Lightning is under way in Baghdad.

In the meantime, U.S. military sources say a former general in Saddam's intelligence network was captured in overnight raids. He's also suspected of leading a military wing of several terrorist cells operating in west Baghdad.

The fugitive who spent more than two days on top of a 350-foot crane in Atlanta is set to be in court tomorrow. Carl Roland was shot with a stun gun on Saturday as he crawled toward an officer for a cup of water. You see it there. He was booked last night, and faces charges of criminal trespassing, reckless conduct, and first-degree criminal damage. He's also wanted in Florida on a murder charge.

The family of slain Army Ranger Pat Tillman is lashing out against the U.S. army again. Tillman died more than a year ago in Afghanistan from friendly fire, but the military initially said it was an enemy attack. The military did offer the family an apology last week, but in a letter to "The Washington Post" this weekend, Tillman's father claims the military's mistakes were deliberate, calculated and disgraceful.

Vice President Dick Cheney defends U.S. actions in Iraq in a rare interview with CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm absolutely convinced we did the right thing in Iraq. Obviously we want to get it over with as quickly as possible. We regret every loss of an American in combat anyplace in the world.

One of the difficult things about the job the president has, for example, is he has to make those decisions about when to send young Americans in harm's way, and it was necessary to do and Afghanistan, and also necessary to do in Iraq. But we're making major progress there. We've got a new government stood up now. They had elections, free elections, really for the first time in centuries, in January of this year. They're going to be writing a constitution this summer. That will lead to elections under that constitution later this year. There will be a brand new government in place, duly elected under a newly written constitution by the end of the year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And you can see Larry's full interview with the vice president and Mrs. Cheney. That will be tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

And Larry has an exciting slate of guests all week long in celebration for CNN's 25th anniversary.

O'BRIEN: Yes, he really does.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

O'BRIEN: Carol, thanks.

Well, Capitol Hill was quiet this week with Congress is in recess after weeks of partisian battles. One of the most bitter fights is over presidential nominees and the president's pick for U.N. ambassodr John Bolton. Senate Democrats forced a delay in voting on Bolton's nomination, and the Republican leadership responded angrily.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FIRST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: I think what America has just seen is an engagement of another period of obstruction by the other side of the aisle, and it looks like we have, once again, another filibuster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Here to talk about these and other recent battles on Capitol Hill, let's get right to Democratic consultant Victor Kamber and former RNC communications director Cliff May.

Good morning, gentlemen. Nice to see you.

CLIFF MAY, FMR. RNC COMM. DIR.: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning, Vic.

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: You know, we just heard Bill Frist pointing to Democrats. Let's begin with you, Vic. You think the majority leader has a point there?

KAMBER: His head, maybe. It's pointed. I think the majority leader doesn't understand the Senate yet after 10 years. He's the wrong person to be the majority leader. The Democrats are filibustering, there's no question about it, or attempting to find out further information and holding up the process. But the fact is, there's several Republicans joining with him. He doesn't know how to hold onto his own troops.

You know, "The Manchester Guardian" claimed it best I guess, if you can't control 55 Republicans, how do you control the United States? And this is a man who wants to be president of the United States. So I think, frankly, it's a failed leadership. Let's bring back Trent Lott or Bob Dole, somebody who knows how to run the Senate.

O'BRIEN: Cliff, there's no arguing it has been a bad week for Bill Frist. How damaging, though, is this to his leadership, and his presidential goals, if he has them?

MAY: Soledad, I think not as damaging as a lot of people seem to believe. Everybody knows that being the leader in the Senate is like herding cats, and the conservatives who are sort of angry about the fact that for four years Democrats have used filibusters to prevent votes, to prevent other senators from voting on John Bolton, on judicial nominees, on that sort of thing, they understand that Bill Frist is absolutely willing and able to take on this fight, if it comes to that, and it probably will. We're in the middle of the game. The game is not over yet. The deal that was broken could easily fall apart. And if it is, I think then Frist will go to the mats on this one.

KAMBER: But I think the one difference is, that people like Trent Lott and Bob Dole, they understood the institution of the Senate. Frist is walking a fine line, trying to be the spokesperson in the Senate for the president, as well as for the Senate, and I think we know the president doesn't quite -- has a different agenda than the Senate. I think that's the difficulty. Yes, it is herding cats, but other leaders have herded those cats.

MAY: You know what, the Senate, if I may, the Senate is different today than it used to be. The partisanship has become absolutely poisonous in the Senate, and in the House as well. It's a different institution, and it's much more difficult for somebody like -- look, it's difficult for Frist, or anybody who is the Senate majority leader to run for president. That's not a place from which presidents normally come. But I don't think Frist has done anything that's disqualifying.

KAMBER: Hopefully he won't run. Hopefully no Republicans will run.

O'BRIEN: Hello, I've got questions. There are others with presidential ambitions.

In fact, let's listen to a little bit of what John McCain had to say to Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I'd love to be president of the United States. The question is, is do I want to run for it? I know very few senators that would like... WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So what's the answer?

MCCAIN: I've got to wait a couple of years before making that decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Cliff, do you think in fact that John McCain, if he decided to run for president, could win?

MAY: Listen, if he can get through the primary process, he'd be a formidable candidate, maybe the strongest candidate against Hillary Clinton, who I think is the prohibitive favorite on the Democratic side.

O'BRIEN: That's kind of a big if, though. You sort of ran through it, if he gets through the primary process. Vic, what do you think?

KAMBER: I'm all -- we're going to agree for a change. I think John McCain is the strongest Republican and has the best chance of holding onto the presidency for the Republican Party.

Unlike Cliff, I understand the issue of the base of the party and some conservatives are unhappy with him. But the fact has that it's a wide open field, there probably will be three, four, five conservatives, Brownback from Kansas, Allen from Virginia, Frist from Tennessee, and several others that may be running. John McCain is not a bomb-throwing liberal. He's a conservative, but a maverick. I think his bigger-than-life hero and leadership role, obviously, propel him to the who top, and I think a number of primaries he'd do well, and could be the nominee if he wants to run. He's got age and health against him as potentials, but I think, if he runs, I think he could be the nominee, and if he's the nominee, would be a fight for the presidency.

O'BRIEN: Let's go to our third topic this morning, the debate over stem cell research. We heard Republican Senator Arlen Specter say that he thinks the Senate has enough votes to override a presidential veto, should there be one. Cliff, just how damaging would that be to the president?

MAY: Again, I don't think it's that damaging. The president has decided to take an unpopular position. He has done so out of principal. I don't think the public gets mad at you for taking a position out of principal. Again, he's not saying this research can't go forward any at all; he's saying there are certain things for which he doesn't want to put tax dollars. I may disagree with him, others may disagree with him, but I think he's acting on principal. I don't think that hurts.

O'BRIEN: Victor, we're going to give you the final word this morning. What do you think?

KAMBER: Well, I think in the small scheme of things, in the short run, certainly it hurts. It shows a weakness, a lack of understanding, again, of the institution, how to move forward. Long run, I don't think it hurts electorally, and frankly, I just hope it happens for the sake of research and the future of our country.

O'BRIEN: Gentlemen, we're out of time, I thank you as always. Nice to see you.

KAMBER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Victor Kamber and Clifford May in Washington D.C. this morning -- Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad.

Today after President Bush lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Another wreath will be laid by the children of Camp of Good Grief.

Now the children at the camp have all lost a parent in military service. Every Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of kids from around the country come together in Washington to share their grief and learn to deal with it.

The Hall children have been attending Camp Grief for five years. Joining us now Shelly Hall, and her two daughters, Tyler, on the left of your screen, and Tricia. They are both in Washington.

Welcome to all of you. Thank you for being with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

VELSHI: Shelly, this is only part of the Hall posse. Five kids all together?

SHELLY HALL, CHILDREN AT CAMP GOOD GRIEF: Yes, five.

VELSHI: You know what's interesting, is our Question of the Day today is, if you could choose a memory to erase, what would it be? It strikes me that Camp Good grief is the opposite of that. It's about not erasing the memory that you think would be the one you'd most want to erase, the loss of your spouse, or in the kids' case, the loss of their father.

S. HALL: Right, and that's why we're here this weekend to celebrate, celebrate his life, and always, always remember.

VELSHI: Tyler, I want to make sure I got this right. You're over to my left, on your mom's right, is that right?

TYLER HALL, ATTENDS CAMP GOOD GRIEF: Yes.

VELSHI: All right, good. I'm going to ask you a question, Tyler. You've been going to the camp for five years?

T. HALL: Yes. VELSHI: What's good about it? What's different than not going? What it do you identify with the other kids who are at the camp?

TYLER HALL: Well, I mean, it's a lot different than, like, going to a counselor or something, because you relate to these people. I mean, some of them, like my father was killed in a test-pilot accident. And like one of my good friends there, her father was killed in the same situation. So I get to talk about it, and, like, it's different in school, where people don't know how to respond to it, but at TAPS, they know how to respond.

VELSHI: In fact. I guess what you mean is a little bit awkward for kids who haven't had that situation, because we're not really taught to deal with grief that effectively. And here you guys have ways of dealing with it and making it sound, I don't want to say normal, but you treat it as part of your life.

TYLER HALL: Yes.

VELSHI: Now, let me ask you, Tricia -- Tyler, how old are you? You 13 now?

TYLER HALL: Yes.

VELSHI: And Tricia, how old are you?

TRICIA HALL, ATTENDS CAMP GOOD GRIEF: I'm 10.

VELSHI: What do you think? What do you got in common with the kids at the camp? And has it helped you to be there?

TRICIA HALL: Yes, it has, a lot. TAPS helps you to cope with your grief and there's -- like my sister said, there's a lot of people who understand what you're going through, so you can talk to them and that helps a lot.

VELSHI: Shelly, it's good for spouses too, other than the fact that it helps the kids out. But they've actually got some things going on for spouses of military personnel who are killed.

S. HALL: Definitely. There's numerous activities that you share with each other, again to celebrate the memories so that -- and it's not only a time to cry. And it can be a very sad time. There are so many memorable and, you know, very poignant things that we do throughout the weekend, but you know, you make so many friends. This is my fifth time, and I'll continue to come back, even though as life moves on. You know, my children, they -- the bonds that we create here, it's a family. We have so many relationships that we make, and we all share it. It's just something that we'll continue to come back every year.

VELSHI: Tricia, quick question for you. You've got a little brother who is seven, I believe?

TRICIA HALL: Yes. VELSHI: Who didn't have very good memories of his father, obviously. This has helped him draw some of those out and have some appreciation for who his father was?

TRICIA HALL: Yes.

VELSHI: All right, well, excellent. Thank you so much for being with us, Tricia and Tyler and Shelly, and to the rest of your family. And we hope you enjoy this year as much as you have in the past.

S. HALL: Thank you.

TRICIA HALL: Thank you.

TYLER HALL: Thank you.

VELSHI: Shelly, Tyler and Tricia Hall, joining us, talking about Camp Good Grief -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: 42 minutes past the hour.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Coming up next, new details on the reported link between Viagra and blindness. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for the truth about the surprising new study. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Whether or not you use the drug, news about Viagra always gets our attention. And now there's growing concern about a possible link between Viagra and blindness. As Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us, it is not the first red flag for this little blue pill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The concern isn't new. It has been known for years that users of Viagra could experience short term vision changes, seeing green or bluish hues.

MICHAEL BERELOWITZ, VP WORLDWIDE MEDICAL, PFIZER: The first reports we were aware of was in 2000. More cases were published in the literature in March of this year.

GUPTA: The numbers are small, extraordinarily small, only 38 Viagra users of the more than 20 million who take it have come forward with vision problems. There have also been four users of Cialis and one with Levitra with similar problems, the pills manufacturers say.

They say the vision loss is caused by a sort of stroke affecting the blood vessels of the eye. That stroke in the back of the eye occurs when the blood vessels become choked off, eventually causing some of the cells in the eye to die. Interestingly, the number of people who get the same type of stroke is actually about four times higher for people who don't take Viagra, the study's researchers say. But it's the relationship of timing between someone taking the drug and then within a short time getting visual problems that raised the red flags.

DR. HOWARD POMERANZ, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: Well, this patient that I just described from 1998 noticed the effect within 45 minutes after using the drug. Most of these patients experience this within hours.

GUPTA: And what Dr. Pomeranz who published the research showing the association noticed was not complete blindness, but things like loss of peripheral vision or a worsening of vision, for example, going from 20/20 to 20/40.

The truth is, It may be difficult to ever show a link between these medications and vision problems. That's because the same problems who get the stroke in the back of the eye are those with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and a history of smoking. They're also more likely to have erectile dysfunction and take a medication like Viagra.

BERELOWITZ: You have the same group of patients with the same characteristics who might be at risk for this very, infrequent condition that affect the eyes.

GUPTA: Still, if you happen to be one who actually reads those package inserts, you won't find reference to visual loss in there. But Pfizer is talking to the FDA about whether to add it.

Still worried?

POMERANZ: Well, I think there's some concern, but I don't think that everyone needs to go running in panic to their doctors.

GUPTA: And certainly, if you ever had a visual problem after taking Viagra, Levitra or Cialis talk to your doctor about getting your eyes checked.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: I was the last guy that Sanjay talked. On balance, it might be -- it might be a good risk. 38 people out of 20 million. Now, well, Pfizer's talking to the FDA about a warning, the makers of Cialis, its competitor, have updated their drug label, warning of rare cases of blindness.

Now, still on the Viagra story, we are learning more about just how many convicted sex offenders receive Medicaid-funded Viagra. The Associated Press says almost 800 convicted sex offenders in 14 states were given prescriptions for Viagra and other impotence medications at taxpayer's expense. Most of the prescriptions were handed out in Florida, New York and Texas. More than 50 people in New Jersey and Virginia received the drugs -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Coming up in our next hour on CNN, we're going to take a look at a small town that's been hit especially hard by the war in Iraq. Who fills those crucial jobs when a town ships out dozens of its own? The war here on the homefront is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: I like that music for the Toure Experience.

TOURE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm ready now.

O'BRIEN: Rockin' out with Toure.

Good morning. What was the Question of the Day?

TOURE: What was the Question of the Day?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

TOURE: Well, what memory would you like to have erased. But now we're going to do the Toure Experience.

O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm sorry.

TOURE: No problem. Listen, if you think your home is in need of a certain genosequis (ph), and you think that what you need is the 10- foot statue of Rocky as seen in "Rocky III," you're in luck. That statue is now for sale on eBay. Bids start at $1 million. No one has bid on it yet, except for one named A.Velshi.

VELSHI: I was all taken with it when I was in Philadelphia. I thought, that's beautiful. Has somebody told the city of Philadelphia this is for sale, or the museum?

TOURE: Absolutely. Well, the museum didn't want it. They didn't think it was art. They thought, it's a movie prop, so it's been in front of the Spectrum, but now it will soon be in front of your home.

VELSHI: So you're not kidding me? This is real?

TOURE: This is really on eBay.

VELSHI: I thought I was just bidding on a facsimile.

TOURE: A 35-year-old Rhode Island man facing child pornography charges traveled to Las Vegas and sat in the audience of a boxing match on "The Contender." He was violating the conditions of his bail, but probably thought he was safe because no one watches the show, but a detective working on his case spotted him, and he was arrested.

Now since it's National Memories Day, it's a good time to note that Merriam Webster's Dictionary is considering adding the phrase cognitive dysplasia to the dictionary. O'BRIEN: What's that?

TOURE: It's the feeling you have before you leave home that you're going to forget something and not remember it until you leave, which I have every single day. And when I travel, I pack everything and I'm like, oh, God, where's this, where's that. Whatever.

O'BRIEN: Who knew it had an actual term.

VELSHI: No, that's excellent.

O'BRIEN: Cognitive dysplasia.

VELSHI: Wow.

TOURE: And finally from the Ukraine, a 30-year-old businessman was arrested after stripping to his unmentionables and laying down in the middle of a busy street to sunbathe. He folded his suit by his side, and closed his eyes, ignoring everyone around him. He told the cops, it was simply too nice a day to work. We've all felt it, but only he had the courage to act on it. I salute you, sir.

O'BRIEN: Yes, unless you were in traffic trying to get past the man in his underpants blocking traffic.

TOURE: But he just did the right thing.

VELSHI: Thank you at least for saying underpants. Toure, what's going on with the unmentionables? Guys don't call them unmentionables.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Toure.

Well, Memorial Day means the unofficial start of summer. And that means mosquitoes are on the way. We've got some tips on getting rid of those unwanted guests, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 30, 2005 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: First, though, let's get another look at the headlines with Carol Costello.
Good morning again.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, some 40,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops are undertaking the largest offensive since the fall of Saddam Hussein. General Richard Myers confirming to CNN just last hour that Operation Lightning is under way in Baghdad.

In the meantime, U.S. military sources say a former general in Saddam's intelligence network was captured in overnight raids. He's also suspected of leading a military wing of several terrorist cells operating in west Baghdad.

The fugitive who spent more than two days on top of a 350-foot crane in Atlanta is set to be in court tomorrow. Carl Roland was shot with a stun gun on Saturday as he crawled toward an officer for a cup of water. You see it there. He was booked last night, and faces charges of criminal trespassing, reckless conduct, and first-degree criminal damage. He's also wanted in Florida on a murder charge.

The family of slain Army Ranger Pat Tillman is lashing out against the U.S. army again. Tillman died more than a year ago in Afghanistan from friendly fire, but the military initially said it was an enemy attack. The military did offer the family an apology last week, but in a letter to "The Washington Post" this weekend, Tillman's father claims the military's mistakes were deliberate, calculated and disgraceful.

Vice President Dick Cheney defends U.S. actions in Iraq in a rare interview with CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm absolutely convinced we did the right thing in Iraq. Obviously we want to get it over with as quickly as possible. We regret every loss of an American in combat anyplace in the world.

One of the difficult things about the job the president has, for example, is he has to make those decisions about when to send young Americans in harm's way, and it was necessary to do and Afghanistan, and also necessary to do in Iraq. But we're making major progress there. We've got a new government stood up now. They had elections, free elections, really for the first time in centuries, in January of this year. They're going to be writing a constitution this summer. That will lead to elections under that constitution later this year. There will be a brand new government in place, duly elected under a newly written constitution by the end of the year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And you can see Larry's full interview with the vice president and Mrs. Cheney. That will be tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

And Larry has an exciting slate of guests all week long in celebration for CNN's 25th anniversary.

O'BRIEN: Yes, he really does.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

O'BRIEN: Carol, thanks.

Well, Capitol Hill was quiet this week with Congress is in recess after weeks of partisian battles. One of the most bitter fights is over presidential nominees and the president's pick for U.N. ambassodr John Bolton. Senate Democrats forced a delay in voting on Bolton's nomination, and the Republican leadership responded angrily.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FIRST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: I think what America has just seen is an engagement of another period of obstruction by the other side of the aisle, and it looks like we have, once again, another filibuster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Here to talk about these and other recent battles on Capitol Hill, let's get right to Democratic consultant Victor Kamber and former RNC communications director Cliff May.

Good morning, gentlemen. Nice to see you.

CLIFF MAY, FMR. RNC COMM. DIR.: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning, Vic.

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: You know, we just heard Bill Frist pointing to Democrats. Let's begin with you, Vic. You think the majority leader has a point there?

KAMBER: His head, maybe. It's pointed. I think the majority leader doesn't understand the Senate yet after 10 years. He's the wrong person to be the majority leader. The Democrats are filibustering, there's no question about it, or attempting to find out further information and holding up the process. But the fact is, there's several Republicans joining with him. He doesn't know how to hold onto his own troops.

You know, "The Manchester Guardian" claimed it best I guess, if you can't control 55 Republicans, how do you control the United States? And this is a man who wants to be president of the United States. So I think, frankly, it's a failed leadership. Let's bring back Trent Lott or Bob Dole, somebody who knows how to run the Senate.

O'BRIEN: Cliff, there's no arguing it has been a bad week for Bill Frist. How damaging, though, is this to his leadership, and his presidential goals, if he has them?

MAY: Soledad, I think not as damaging as a lot of people seem to believe. Everybody knows that being the leader in the Senate is like herding cats, and the conservatives who are sort of angry about the fact that for four years Democrats have used filibusters to prevent votes, to prevent other senators from voting on John Bolton, on judicial nominees, on that sort of thing, they understand that Bill Frist is absolutely willing and able to take on this fight, if it comes to that, and it probably will. We're in the middle of the game. The game is not over yet. The deal that was broken could easily fall apart. And if it is, I think then Frist will go to the mats on this one.

KAMBER: But I think the one difference is, that people like Trent Lott and Bob Dole, they understood the institution of the Senate. Frist is walking a fine line, trying to be the spokesperson in the Senate for the president, as well as for the Senate, and I think we know the president doesn't quite -- has a different agenda than the Senate. I think that's the difficulty. Yes, it is herding cats, but other leaders have herded those cats.

MAY: You know what, the Senate, if I may, the Senate is different today than it used to be. The partisanship has become absolutely poisonous in the Senate, and in the House as well. It's a different institution, and it's much more difficult for somebody like -- look, it's difficult for Frist, or anybody who is the Senate majority leader to run for president. That's not a place from which presidents normally come. But I don't think Frist has done anything that's disqualifying.

KAMBER: Hopefully he won't run. Hopefully no Republicans will run.

O'BRIEN: Hello, I've got questions. There are others with presidential ambitions.

In fact, let's listen to a little bit of what John McCain had to say to Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I'd love to be president of the United States. The question is, is do I want to run for it? I know very few senators that would like... WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So what's the answer?

MCCAIN: I've got to wait a couple of years before making that decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Cliff, do you think in fact that John McCain, if he decided to run for president, could win?

MAY: Listen, if he can get through the primary process, he'd be a formidable candidate, maybe the strongest candidate against Hillary Clinton, who I think is the prohibitive favorite on the Democratic side.

O'BRIEN: That's kind of a big if, though. You sort of ran through it, if he gets through the primary process. Vic, what do you think?

KAMBER: I'm all -- we're going to agree for a change. I think John McCain is the strongest Republican and has the best chance of holding onto the presidency for the Republican Party.

Unlike Cliff, I understand the issue of the base of the party and some conservatives are unhappy with him. But the fact has that it's a wide open field, there probably will be three, four, five conservatives, Brownback from Kansas, Allen from Virginia, Frist from Tennessee, and several others that may be running. John McCain is not a bomb-throwing liberal. He's a conservative, but a maverick. I think his bigger-than-life hero and leadership role, obviously, propel him to the who top, and I think a number of primaries he'd do well, and could be the nominee if he wants to run. He's got age and health against him as potentials, but I think, if he runs, I think he could be the nominee, and if he's the nominee, would be a fight for the presidency.

O'BRIEN: Let's go to our third topic this morning, the debate over stem cell research. We heard Republican Senator Arlen Specter say that he thinks the Senate has enough votes to override a presidential veto, should there be one. Cliff, just how damaging would that be to the president?

MAY: Again, I don't think it's that damaging. The president has decided to take an unpopular position. He has done so out of principal. I don't think the public gets mad at you for taking a position out of principal. Again, he's not saying this research can't go forward any at all; he's saying there are certain things for which he doesn't want to put tax dollars. I may disagree with him, others may disagree with him, but I think he's acting on principal. I don't think that hurts.

O'BRIEN: Victor, we're going to give you the final word this morning. What do you think?

KAMBER: Well, I think in the small scheme of things, in the short run, certainly it hurts. It shows a weakness, a lack of understanding, again, of the institution, how to move forward. Long run, I don't think it hurts electorally, and frankly, I just hope it happens for the sake of research and the future of our country.

O'BRIEN: Gentlemen, we're out of time, I thank you as always. Nice to see you.

KAMBER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Victor Kamber and Clifford May in Washington D.C. this morning -- Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad.

Today after President Bush lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Another wreath will be laid by the children of Camp of Good Grief.

Now the children at the camp have all lost a parent in military service. Every Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of kids from around the country come together in Washington to share their grief and learn to deal with it.

The Hall children have been attending Camp Grief for five years. Joining us now Shelly Hall, and her two daughters, Tyler, on the left of your screen, and Tricia. They are both in Washington.

Welcome to all of you. Thank you for being with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

VELSHI: Shelly, this is only part of the Hall posse. Five kids all together?

SHELLY HALL, CHILDREN AT CAMP GOOD GRIEF: Yes, five.

VELSHI: You know what's interesting, is our Question of the Day today is, if you could choose a memory to erase, what would it be? It strikes me that Camp Good grief is the opposite of that. It's about not erasing the memory that you think would be the one you'd most want to erase, the loss of your spouse, or in the kids' case, the loss of their father.

S. HALL: Right, and that's why we're here this weekend to celebrate, celebrate his life, and always, always remember.

VELSHI: Tyler, I want to make sure I got this right. You're over to my left, on your mom's right, is that right?

TYLER HALL, ATTENDS CAMP GOOD GRIEF: Yes.

VELSHI: All right, good. I'm going to ask you a question, Tyler. You've been going to the camp for five years?

T. HALL: Yes. VELSHI: What's good about it? What's different than not going? What it do you identify with the other kids who are at the camp?

TYLER HALL: Well, I mean, it's a lot different than, like, going to a counselor or something, because you relate to these people. I mean, some of them, like my father was killed in a test-pilot accident. And like one of my good friends there, her father was killed in the same situation. So I get to talk about it, and, like, it's different in school, where people don't know how to respond to it, but at TAPS, they know how to respond.

VELSHI: In fact. I guess what you mean is a little bit awkward for kids who haven't had that situation, because we're not really taught to deal with grief that effectively. And here you guys have ways of dealing with it and making it sound, I don't want to say normal, but you treat it as part of your life.

TYLER HALL: Yes.

VELSHI: Now, let me ask you, Tricia -- Tyler, how old are you? You 13 now?

TYLER HALL: Yes.

VELSHI: And Tricia, how old are you?

TRICIA HALL, ATTENDS CAMP GOOD GRIEF: I'm 10.

VELSHI: What do you think? What do you got in common with the kids at the camp? And has it helped you to be there?

TRICIA HALL: Yes, it has, a lot. TAPS helps you to cope with your grief and there's -- like my sister said, there's a lot of people who understand what you're going through, so you can talk to them and that helps a lot.

VELSHI: Shelly, it's good for spouses too, other than the fact that it helps the kids out. But they've actually got some things going on for spouses of military personnel who are killed.

S. HALL: Definitely. There's numerous activities that you share with each other, again to celebrate the memories so that -- and it's not only a time to cry. And it can be a very sad time. There are so many memorable and, you know, very poignant things that we do throughout the weekend, but you know, you make so many friends. This is my fifth time, and I'll continue to come back, even though as life moves on. You know, my children, they -- the bonds that we create here, it's a family. We have so many relationships that we make, and we all share it. It's just something that we'll continue to come back every year.

VELSHI: Tricia, quick question for you. You've got a little brother who is seven, I believe?

TRICIA HALL: Yes. VELSHI: Who didn't have very good memories of his father, obviously. This has helped him draw some of those out and have some appreciation for who his father was?

TRICIA HALL: Yes.

VELSHI: All right, well, excellent. Thank you so much for being with us, Tricia and Tyler and Shelly, and to the rest of your family. And we hope you enjoy this year as much as you have in the past.

S. HALL: Thank you.

TRICIA HALL: Thank you.

TYLER HALL: Thank you.

VELSHI: Shelly, Tyler and Tricia Hall, joining us, talking about Camp Good Grief -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: 42 minutes past the hour.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Coming up next, new details on the reported link between Viagra and blindness. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for the truth about the surprising new study. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Whether or not you use the drug, news about Viagra always gets our attention. And now there's growing concern about a possible link between Viagra and blindness. As Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us, it is not the first red flag for this little blue pill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The concern isn't new. It has been known for years that users of Viagra could experience short term vision changes, seeing green or bluish hues.

MICHAEL BERELOWITZ, VP WORLDWIDE MEDICAL, PFIZER: The first reports we were aware of was in 2000. More cases were published in the literature in March of this year.

GUPTA: The numbers are small, extraordinarily small, only 38 Viagra users of the more than 20 million who take it have come forward with vision problems. There have also been four users of Cialis and one with Levitra with similar problems, the pills manufacturers say.

They say the vision loss is caused by a sort of stroke affecting the blood vessels of the eye. That stroke in the back of the eye occurs when the blood vessels become choked off, eventually causing some of the cells in the eye to die. Interestingly, the number of people who get the same type of stroke is actually about four times higher for people who don't take Viagra, the study's researchers say. But it's the relationship of timing between someone taking the drug and then within a short time getting visual problems that raised the red flags.

DR. HOWARD POMERANZ, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: Well, this patient that I just described from 1998 noticed the effect within 45 minutes after using the drug. Most of these patients experience this within hours.

GUPTA: And what Dr. Pomeranz who published the research showing the association noticed was not complete blindness, but things like loss of peripheral vision or a worsening of vision, for example, going from 20/20 to 20/40.

The truth is, It may be difficult to ever show a link between these medications and vision problems. That's because the same problems who get the stroke in the back of the eye are those with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and a history of smoking. They're also more likely to have erectile dysfunction and take a medication like Viagra.

BERELOWITZ: You have the same group of patients with the same characteristics who might be at risk for this very, infrequent condition that affect the eyes.

GUPTA: Still, if you happen to be one who actually reads those package inserts, you won't find reference to visual loss in there. But Pfizer is talking to the FDA about whether to add it.

Still worried?

POMERANZ: Well, I think there's some concern, but I don't think that everyone needs to go running in panic to their doctors.

GUPTA: And certainly, if you ever had a visual problem after taking Viagra, Levitra or Cialis talk to your doctor about getting your eyes checked.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: I was the last guy that Sanjay talked. On balance, it might be -- it might be a good risk. 38 people out of 20 million. Now, well, Pfizer's talking to the FDA about a warning, the makers of Cialis, its competitor, have updated their drug label, warning of rare cases of blindness.

Now, still on the Viagra story, we are learning more about just how many convicted sex offenders receive Medicaid-funded Viagra. The Associated Press says almost 800 convicted sex offenders in 14 states were given prescriptions for Viagra and other impotence medications at taxpayer's expense. Most of the prescriptions were handed out in Florida, New York and Texas. More than 50 people in New Jersey and Virginia received the drugs -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Coming up in our next hour on CNN, we're going to take a look at a small town that's been hit especially hard by the war in Iraq. Who fills those crucial jobs when a town ships out dozens of its own? The war here on the homefront is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: I like that music for the Toure Experience.

TOURE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm ready now.

O'BRIEN: Rockin' out with Toure.

Good morning. What was the Question of the Day?

TOURE: What was the Question of the Day?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

TOURE: Well, what memory would you like to have erased. But now we're going to do the Toure Experience.

O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm sorry.

TOURE: No problem. Listen, if you think your home is in need of a certain genosequis (ph), and you think that what you need is the 10- foot statue of Rocky as seen in "Rocky III," you're in luck. That statue is now for sale on eBay. Bids start at $1 million. No one has bid on it yet, except for one named A.Velshi.

VELSHI: I was all taken with it when I was in Philadelphia. I thought, that's beautiful. Has somebody told the city of Philadelphia this is for sale, or the museum?

TOURE: Absolutely. Well, the museum didn't want it. They didn't think it was art. They thought, it's a movie prop, so it's been in front of the Spectrum, but now it will soon be in front of your home.

VELSHI: So you're not kidding me? This is real?

TOURE: This is really on eBay.

VELSHI: I thought I was just bidding on a facsimile.

TOURE: A 35-year-old Rhode Island man facing child pornography charges traveled to Las Vegas and sat in the audience of a boxing match on "The Contender." He was violating the conditions of his bail, but probably thought he was safe because no one watches the show, but a detective working on his case spotted him, and he was arrested.

Now since it's National Memories Day, it's a good time to note that Merriam Webster's Dictionary is considering adding the phrase cognitive dysplasia to the dictionary. O'BRIEN: What's that?

TOURE: It's the feeling you have before you leave home that you're going to forget something and not remember it until you leave, which I have every single day. And when I travel, I pack everything and I'm like, oh, God, where's this, where's that. Whatever.

O'BRIEN: Who knew it had an actual term.

VELSHI: No, that's excellent.

O'BRIEN: Cognitive dysplasia.

VELSHI: Wow.

TOURE: And finally from the Ukraine, a 30-year-old businessman was arrested after stripping to his unmentionables and laying down in the middle of a busy street to sunbathe. He folded his suit by his side, and closed his eyes, ignoring everyone around him. He told the cops, it was simply too nice a day to work. We've all felt it, but only he had the courage to act on it. I salute you, sir.

O'BRIEN: Yes, unless you were in traffic trying to get past the man in his underpants blocking traffic.

TOURE: But he just did the right thing.

VELSHI: Thank you at least for saying underpants. Toure, what's going on with the unmentionables? Guys don't call them unmentionables.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Toure.

Well, Memorial Day means the unofficial start of summer. And that means mosquitoes are on the way. We've got some tips on getting rid of those unwanted guests, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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