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American Morning

'Kamber & May'; Nevada Family Reunited After Little Girl Found With Convicted Child Molester

Aired August 01, 2005 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Police in Italy holding a suspect in connection with the attempted July 21st bombings in London. British officials are awaiting word on the extradition request for Hamdi Adus Isaac. Italian authorities say they arrested two of Osman's brothers on non-terrorism charges. Officials are trying to determine if a terror cell is operating in Italy.
Iraqi officials say Saddam Hussein's trial could begin as early as mid-October. Iraq's national security adviser says Hussein's or Saddam's trial will be broadcast throughout the Arab world to show Iraqis that the former dictator has, quote, "gone into the past." Officials hope the trial begins before Iraqis vote to ratify a new Constitution. That's supposed to happen on October 15th.

Al Gore may be hoping he won't need a recount for this audience. The former presidential candidate launched his new network called Current TV. Happened overnight. The channel is aimed at younger viewers with the audience contributing most of the network's content. Current TV will show pods, two to seven minute -- let me explain what that is. There are two-to-seven minute long pieces on topics like jobs, technology and current events, unlike what you usually think of pods, sort of like science fiction-y.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Exactly. Not that.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Suffice to say there won't be any anchors named Chad on that network.

S. O'BRIEN: That wasn't even funny.

M. O'BRIEN: Chad, you know, hanging chads.

S. O'BRIEN: We got it. No, we got it.

COSTELLO: Move on now.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's move on, please.

Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally for U.S. forces in the Gulf region. So with the death of the Saudi monarch, King Fahd, Washington will be watching closely as his half brother, Prince Abdullah, takes the throne.

Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon. Of course the prince has been running the country for some time, Barbara. So does this really mean there will be much of a difference?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not right off the bat, Miles. As you say, King Fahd had been ill for many years. Now, while Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had often met with King Fahd during his many trips to Saudi Arabia when the king was up to it, behind the scenes there had been complete understanding, here of course, that Crown Prince Abdullah, now King Abdullah, was running the country.

The relationship remains excellent. Officials say the relationship will not change, but certainly the threat that Saudi Arabia faces has changed considerably in recent years. You know, for years we had all heard about the Saudis spending billions of dollars to buy advanced fighter jets, missiles, tanks to build up their military force to defend their country against an external threat, especially after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. That had really been what the U.S.-Saudi relationship was all about. In return for selling weapons, the U.S. wanted access to Saudi air bases if there was to be another war in the Persian Gulf.

But, of course, now that Saddam Hussein is gone, Iraq is in the ally column of the United States. It is not the external threat. It is the internal threat of Islamic extremists, those loyal to Osama Bin Laden, that King Abdullah is now facing, of course, as he comes to the throne. So expect to see a lot more about that counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism threat in the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Many people, of course, said the Saudis were very slow in understanding their internal extremist threat, especially after the 9/11 attacks, but by all accounts, now-King Abdullah has been someone who's been very strong against that threat in recent months. That will certainly remain one of the top agenda items between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Barbara, is it a coincidence that there's been a change in the U.S. ambassador's job there? Long-time ambassador now being changed to a new person there.

STARR: Absolutely, Miles. Something that is being watched very closely, but perhaps not yet well understood. The new ambassador to Washington will be a man named Prince Turki. Prince Turki is the former head of Saudi Intelligence Services. He is an old hand in this business. He has met Osama Bin Laden in recent years. He knows every intelligence service that is worth knowing out there. It's an area that he is quite familiar with. He will now be the ambassador to Washington, and will certainly be the day-to-day point of contact between the Bush administration and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Will President Bush skirt the Senate to install his controversial nominee John Bolton as the next ambassador to the U.N.? He could use a recess appointment, which will put Bolton in place while Congress is out of session. A leading Democrat is urging the president, though, not to do it. Joining us this morning to talk about that, from Las Vegas, Democratic consultant Victor Kamber joins us. And in Washington, Cliff May. He's a former RNC communications director. He's now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Nice to see both of you.

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

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Good morning, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: And in fact, Cliff, we're going to begin with you. You heard, I'm sure, what Senator Chris Dodd, Democrat, had to say. Take a look at this. He said, "He's damaged goods." He's talking about John Bolton. "This is a person who lacks credibility. That's not what you want to send up, a person who doesn't have the confidence of Congress." Do you think that's true at all? Is there any credibility there, that he's damaged goods?

MAY: I think there's some irony in Chris Dodd, who's done a lot to attempt to damage Bolton, now saying Bolton is damaged. The United Nations is a very important institution. It is a flawed institution. It is a troubled institution, but it's important we should have an ambassador there.

Now, if the Senate wanted to vote against him, that would be fine. President Bush would find a new nominee. But people like Senator Dodd are preventing their colleagues from voting on Bolton, preventing us from having an ambassador at all.

S. O'BRIEN: But that brings back my question, by setting him as a recess appointment, isn't he damaged goods?

MAY: He is -- Bolton will be the president's representative at the United Nations. He will represent the president's policies. I think everyone will understand he doesn't represent Chris Dodd.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Vic, that's, I guess, a point worth noting there. A hundred and forty recess appointments. That was made by President Clinton. So it's not like it's that unusual.

KAMBER: Well, it's unusual in that this is the highest level State Department or diplomatic appointment ever made in the history of this country, number one. Number two, to answer your question, there's no doubt he'll be damaged goods going up there. It's not that he doesn't represent Chris Dodd. He hasn't been approved or confirmed by the Senate, and we do have a constitutional provision that does call for advise and consent.

And if you think of it, the president's -- President Bush's appointments, something like 99 percent have been advised and consented upon, have been approved. So when the Senate takes the opportunity to hold back, to review, to look at someone, it is unusual.

Lastly, and most importantly, he's going up there for a year, a year and three or four months because a recess appointment only is until the next Congress. So he's not going to accomplish much. It's really George Bush sticking it in your face and saying, I made a choice. I'm going to do it, I don't care what Congress wants. MAY: I'm afraid it's Chris Dodd sticking it in your face, because he and a few others are saying we will not permit a vote.

KAMBER: Without other information.

MAY: Without other -- they're saying, we're going to vote against him because we don't have enough information.

S. O'BRIEN: You guys sound like the senators arguing over John Bolton. Let's move on and talk a little bit about Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. As you well know, last week he took a position counter to the president's position, and he wants increased federal funding for stem cell research. What kind of impact, Cliff, do you think it's going to have on the debate?

MAY: Not a tremendous amount. I think there's more in common in their positions than there is contrary. Both favor stem cell research. Both favor some federal funding. Both have ethical concerns. They just draw the lines in slightly different places. This is a very difficult issue. And I think that, in this case, Dr. Frist, who is a heart surgeon who spends his vacations in Africa, is treating the poorest of the poor. I don't think this is a political calculation. He is simply saying what he believes to be true, and it's slightly different from what the president says. Again, this is the first president in American history who has federally funded stem cell research.

S. O'BRIEN: Do you think, Vic, that with Frist's change, that can overcome a promised presidential veto on this matter?

KAMBER: No, I think the president -- I think Cliff maybe doesn't understand the issue. It's not a slight difference.

S. O'BRIEN: Ouch, that's cold. Go ahead.

KAMBER: It's not a slight difference; it's a major, major difference. Bill Frist has broken with the White House. I think it will have significance in terms of the vote in the Senate. Obviously, Frist probably didn't calculate politics. He made a decision based on his information, scientific information, that he believes is in the interest of this country, and the president, I think, will veto it if it gets to his desk. I'm not sure it will pass the House. I do believe it'll probably pass the Senate.

S. O'BRIEN: Rick Santorum said this is going to be problematic for any kinds of ambitions in 2008 for Senator Frist. Do you agree, Cliff?

MAY: I think most likely -- and again, I don't think this is based on political calculation. It will make it more difficult for Frist in the primaries, because conservatives tend to be a activists and tend to vote in the primaries in large numbers. It will probably make it easier for him in a general election, because there are those more to the left who would support where he is moving the line on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.

S. O'BRIEN: Cliff May and Victor Kamber, nice to see you guys as always. Thanks -- Miles.

MAY: You, too.

M. O'BRIEN: A Nevada family is reunited after a little girl missing for a week is found with a convicted child molester in Mexico.

Correspondent Jen Rogers with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a reunion neither mother nor daughter will ever likely forget. After eight agonizing days, a mother had her little girl back in her arms again.

CARMEN BAUER, MOTHER: I want to thank everybody, the police in Mexico, all the authorities, everybody that helped me finding my daughter.

ROGERS: Police say Fernando Aguerro, the mother's live-in boyfriend, disappeared with the eight-year old on July 22nd, allegedly taking her birth certificate, Social Security card, photos and even her dog.

It was Mexican authorities who found the two in a low income shelter in Ensenada after locals recognized them from photographs on flyers that had been distributed.

Police who questioned Aguerro say he admitted to sexually abusing the young girl, while he was living with her family near Reno.

ANTONIO MARTINEZ, ATTY. GEN. NORTHERN BAJA, MEXICO: When we interviewed him with the district attorney's office, he said that four months previous to today, he had sexually assaulted or molested the little girl, and that he decided to bring her to Mexico.

ROGERS: Despite several efforts, CNN was unable to confirm whether Aguerro has an attorney. The victim's mother said she had no idea Aguerro was a convicted sex offender or that he posed a risk to her daughter.

BAUER: He loved her. They were very close. They became like father and daughter. They got along really well.

CAPT. JEFF PAGE, LYON CTY., NEVADA SHERIFF'S DEPT.: This man was a predator. He's a manipulator. He spent a great deal of time working his way into this family. He had planned this abduction for quite some time.

ROGERS: If convicted, authorities say Aguerro could face up to 38 years in a Mexican prison.

(on camera): U.S. and Mexican officials will likely meet next month to discuss extradition issues as well.

Jen Rogers for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: U.S. authorities say they'll meet with Mexican officials today to determine whether Aguerro would be extradited -- Soledad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, Andy is "Minding Your Business." He'll tell us about Harry Potter and the purloined prose. Latest book from Rowling.

S. O'BRIEN: Very interesting.

Also, ever wonder how people stay so active well into their old age? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for the secrets of successful aging.

Those stories up next, on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: We are "Paging Dr. Gupta" this morning about the secrets of successful aging. Sanjay says it's less about diet and exercise and more about attitude and activity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So you want to live longer? Well, a couple of things to keep in mind. It's estimated that the maximum age our bodies can reach right now is about 120. It could change as science progresses, but 120. And that's based on a complicated mathematical formula. It's about 20 years from the time of our birth to the time of reproductive age. You multiply that times six, and that's how they get the 120.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, as long as we live is 30 percent determined by our genes. That means 70 percent is determined by everything we do from the moment that we're born. Sure, we've been told to eat right and not smoke and all those sorts of things.

But what about stress? Apparently, stress plays a huge role in determining how long we live. Take a look at this animation. When you get stressed, several things happen. This is called the "flight or fight" response, and a lot of cortisol is being released into the body. Your heart speeds up, that cortisol starts making its way through your bloodstream. It deregulates your blood sugar, it increases your blood pressure and it may decrease your immune system, as well. All those things could lead to a shorter lifespan. So try and cut down on the stress.

In fact, researchers looked at centenarians -- those are people who live over 100 years old -- and tried to find out what was it about their personality that caused them to live so long. Out of 16 personality traits, they found four that were some of the most common in centenarians. Some of those things specifically are: they tended to be more dominant personalities and they also had strong, but flexible characters. They didn't have the explosive heat, for example, of a type A personality. They also had more suspiciousness. They didn't take information necessarily at face value. They were practical, but also more relaxed.

And that leads to several tips for you, if you're thinking about trying to live longer. And who isn't? Tip number one, take as much control of those things that you can control and relax about those things that you don't have any control over. Tip number two, stay socially connected. Now, this is probably more important for women than for men. And it's important to stay socially connected to people who are younger than you, as well. So grandparents, pay attention to those grandkids, for example. And finally, tip number three, design exercise and stress relief methods according to what you enjoy the most.

That's what the centenarians tell us. Those are tips for you to hopefully live longer and healthier, as well.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: And it appears Americans are getting the message on this front. While the average person in the U.S. lives for nearly 78 years, the fastest growing age group, 85 to 94 -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, still to come this morning, Harry Potter runs into an enemy as tough as the evil Lord Voldemort: pirates. Andy will explain as he minds your business, coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We've got this news just in to CNN. President Bush is going to appoint John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. It will be a recess appointment. We're getting that word from a senior administration official. That means, of course, that John Bolton, who has faced some very contentious hearings in front of the Senate, will take the post as the American ambassador to the U.N. We've got a live report coming to you right at the top of the hour. We're going to bring that to you from CNN's Bob Franken in just a few moments.

First, though, a look at some news. "Harry Potter and the Chinese Pirates," that could be the title of the latest chapter in the young wizard's story.

Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" on that. Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Want to talk a little bit about the markets first and the price of oil, which is reacting a bit to the news of the death of Saudi King Fahd, up over $61.

More relevant to investors this morning probably is that red-hot stock market. Last week kind of went out with a wimper, but overall, the markets were having a bang in the whole month. This is last week. You can see here just a little bit of movement. But it was a very, very hot July for all the indexes. The Dow up 3.6 percent, the best month since July of 1997. And Nasdaq best since December '03. Nasdaq and S&P in positive territory now for the year. The Dow still down a little bit, and futures up this morning.

As Soledad mentioned, Harry Potter very hot in China. And it's only been two weeks since that smash release of the new book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" here in the U.S.

S. O'BRIEN: I meant hot as in popular. But you mean hot as in hot.

SERWER: Hot, yes, exactly.

S. O'BRIEN: Stolen hot.

SERWER: That's right, both senses of that term. And in China, the book is not supposed to be released for three months. But pirated editions making their way over there, and missing some paragraphs and has some facts wrong, apparently, only costing about $2. But if you can stand that, I guess it's a pretty good deal.

A couple of interesting points here, Soledad. Harry potter is known as "Ha-li Bo-tay" in China. And the book is so popular over there that someone penned a complete forgery called "Harry Potter Leopard Walk Up to Dragon," was just an edition that someone made up and made a lot of money on. Of course, none of this is good news for J.K. Rowling. But she's making pretty good money as it is.

S. O'BRIEN: Wow. All right, Andy, thanks -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: I think something got lost in the translation on that one, "Leopard Walk Up to Dragon." All right.

So you ask, who are the leading sports personalities for the past 25 years? This week we're counting them down as part of the continuing celebration of CNN's 25th anniversary.

Here's Larry Smith with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The top sports characters of CNN's first 25 years. We asked the editors at "Sports Illustrated" magazine to come up with a list.

At number 25, quarterback Doug Flutie proved stature had nothing to do with impact on the gridiron.

At number 24, skier Picabo Street took no guts, no glory to new heights as she sped downhill to victory.

At number 23, former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden. He was the first guy to take that pen and wipe it across the screen in ways that were not only informative, but entertaining.

At number 22, skateboarder Tony Hawk elevated his extreme sport to the mainstream.

At number 21, Scotty Bowman was the winningest hockey coach ever. He took three teams under his wing to skate to nine Stanley Cups. Stay tuned as we countdown to number one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

We'll have more on the countdown tomorrow right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

And breaking news out of Washington. President Bush ready to name John Bolton U.N. ambassador, so-called recess appointment, just as many Democrats were saying he was unacceptable. The controversy continues, but the appointment does as well, as the president gets ready to head to the ranch for a little while. We will give you the latest on all of this as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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