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CNN Saturday Morning News
Novak Zone: A Reflection on the Life of Ronald Reagan
Aired June 12, 2004 - 09:00 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, JR.: He is home now. He is free. In his final letter to the American people, Dad wrote, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life." This evening, he has arrived.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: The sun rises over the grave of America's 40th president after the final farewell from -- or for Ronald Reagan.
Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen. Welcome to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It was a warm, heartfelt conclusion to the week-long celebration of the former president's life and the mourning of his death. We'll take you to the Reagan Library in just a few moments.
First, though, here's what's happening at this hour.
A top Iraqi diplomat is dead, the victim of a drive-by shooting. Bassam Salih Kubba, one of Iraq's deputy foreign ministers, was killed when gunmen sprayed his car with bullets outside his Baghdad home. It is the second attack on an Iraqi government official this week. Kubba just recently returned to Iraq from a U.N. meeting in New York.
For the first time, Serbian officials have admitted to the mass genocide at Srebrenica. The admissions were made during an investigation into the massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in July of 1995. A report from the commission investigating the incident found that Bosnian-Serb military and police participated in those killings.
For now, it looks like a wildfire in eastern Arizona will spare a tiny mountain town. The fire has burned more than 7,000 acres. Firefighters report the blaze was heading away from the community of upscale vacation homes. Officials say the fire was ignited by a camper.
The FBI is warning enforcement in 10 cities to watch out for possible ecoterrorism attacks today. The security bulletin refers to an international action called in support of Jeff Luers. Now, he was convicted four years ago of burning sport utility vehicles in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene and San Francisco are two of the 10 cities that were alerted.
Our top story this hour, remembrances and reflections as the nation comes together in mourning.
In a private service and sunset burial in California yesterday, the love and affection for Ronald Reagan could be measured in somber sounds.
CNN's Miguel Marquez, who is live at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, has more this morning. Good morning to you.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
Where the sun is rising here in Simi Valley, the Ronald Reagan Library, the flag still at half-staff here. With 700 friends and family members, mostly California friends that gathered here last night, and put a cap on a week-long state funeral. It was a more intimate service than we had seen earlier in the week. Here's a few sights and sounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have come from sea to shining sea, to this soil which he loved so much.
MICHAEL REAGAN, RONALD REAGAN'S SON: You knew my father as governor, as president. But I knew him as Dad.
PATTI DAVIS, RONALD REAGAN'S DAUGHTER: I know that at his last moment, when he opened his eyes, eyes that had not opened for many, many days, and looked at my mother, he showed us that neither disease nor death can conquer love.
RON REAGAN, RONALD REAGAN'S SON: In his final letter to the American people, Dad wrote, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life." This evening, he has arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire. Ready, aim, fire. Ready, aim, fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We commend into your hands the spirit of your servant, Ronald Wilson Reagan. We commend him into your care and keeping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: And for as much as a solemn and somber occasion it was last night, it was also a celebration for many people. The Reagan Library for now remains closed until Monday morning, when it will have extended hours opening from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific time and then staying open until 6:00 p.m., somewhat extended for the rest of the week, Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Miguel Marquez in Simi Valley. Thank you very much. Join us later today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific, for "Ronald Reagan: A Week of Remembrance." That's about five hours from now.
Time now to check out some other stories making news across America this Saturday.
Las Vegas pays tribute to Ronald Reagan by dimming their bright lights for three minutes. Reagan is just the second president to be given the Vegas salute. John F. Kennedy was the first. Reagan had a history, though, in Vegas. In 1954, he tried his hand as a song-and- dance man, of all things, at the Last Frontier Hotel. But that lasted just two weeks.
An Oklahoma jury deadlocked on the death penalty for Terry Nichols. Since the jury couldn't decide, the sentencing now goes to the judge. But the judge is limited to imposing only life in prison with or without parole.
Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz is denied parole for a second time. He's serving six consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences for the 1977 murders. His next chance at parole comes in just two years.
In campaign news, John McCain has said it before, and he is saying it again, Thanks, but no thanks. The Republican senator has personally rejected John Kerry's overtures to join the Democratic presidential ticket. A party official confirms that McCain made it clear he would not change his mind.
There are signs of more anarchy in Iraq today. It's highlighted by the killing of a top Iraqi diplomat and the deaths of several kidnapped civilians.
CNN's Harris Whitbeck has the latest now from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Another Iraqi government official assassinated in Baghdad on Saturday. Bassam Salih Kubba, a deputy foreign minister, was gunned down as he left his home to go to work early Saturday morning.
Kubba was the foreign ministry's most senior diplomat, and, at the time of his death, he was in charge of that ministry's legal affairs department.
The attack was the second in four days on a member of the new interim government. Last Wednesday the deputy health minister escaped an assassination attempt.
Meanwhile, coalition officials say they are feeling better about the situation in the holy city of Najaf, where for several weeks U.S. forces have battled militias loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. During Friday prayers, one of al-Sadr's top lieutenants seemed to indicate that al-Sadr was taking a more conciliatory tone in terms of the changes taking place in Iraq. He endorsed the new interim government, albeit with certain conditions.
SHEIKH ABBAS AL-RUBEI, SADR SPOKESMAN (through translator): "I want to inform the Iraqis that I'm endorsing this interim Iraqi government if it declares their objection to the occupation of coalition of forces in Iraq and demand a timetable for their withdrawal. So if they will accept, then we'll go along. But if it fails to do so, it will be seen in front of God and the community."
WHITBECK: Meanwhile, we are hearing that seven Turkish civilian contractors who had been held hostage in Iraq have been released. Earlier this week, a videotape was shown of the hostages kneeling in front of masked armed militiamen. They were holding their passports. A video shown earlier this week showed three other Turks surrounded at gunpoint by militants.
Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And coalition officials have scheduled a briefing from Iraq to begin in a few minutes, 9:30 Eastern time. And of course CNN plans on live coverage when that happens.
Americans from coast to coast paid their respects to Ronald Reagan. In a sunset service, Mr. Reagan is laid to rest in California, but the funeral began in our nation's capital. Coming up, our Bob Novak reflects on the tributes and farewells to the former president and revisits the Reagan years in the White House.
Former president and Reagan vice president George H.W. Bush gets set to turn 80 this weekend. Up next, a new book takes a look at how he and our nation's other leaders fared in the White House.
And good morning to you folks in Las Vegas. We'll have your complete weather forecast in about 10 minutes.
CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Former president George H.W. Bush will celebrate a long life by thumbing his nose at death. Mr. Bush will celebrate his 80th birthday tomorrow by making another parachute jump like you're seeing here. He made a successful jump on his 75th birthday.
Well, who is the biggest chief among them all? All morning long, we've been asking you that question, Who's the greatest American president? But another question is, what goes into being a truly great commander in chief? Following the death of Ronald Reagan, many are praising his leadership virtue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH: As his vice president for eight years, I learned more from Ronald Reagan than from anyone I encountered in all my years of public life. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: James Taranto is the editor of "Presidential Leadership," a collection of essays that rates the best and worst leaders who have lived in the White House. James Taranto joins us now live from New York.
Good morning to you.
JAMES TARANTO, EDITOR, "PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP": Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: This is very interesting. Tell us, first of all, what criteria do you use to rate the best from the worst?
TARANTO: Well, we asked 78 scholars to rate each president on a five-point scale. We averaged the ratings and came up with rankings. That's how we did it.
NGUYEN: Who made the top of the list?
TARANTO: The top of the list was George Washington, followed by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. They're the three who made the cut as great.
NGUYEN: Now, why these guys?
TARANTO: Well, I think what the great presidents have in common is three things. They all faced unprecedented challenges, they all dealt with them boldly, and they all succeeded.
NGUYEN: And. of course, as you all know, or we all know, that this past week Ronald Reagan has been talked about a lot, his presidency and all that he has done. How does he rank?
TARANTO: He comes up number eight, which is in the near-great category. One of the reasons we did this survey, the "Journal" and the Federalist Society, is because Reagan wasn't getting his due from similar surveys of scholars. For example, Arthur Schlesinger, a liberal historian, did a study in 1986 in which he asked 30 historians to rate the presidents. Reagan came up number 25th. And four of the 30 historians said his presidency was a failure.
We thought that wasn't an accurate view, so we tried to get a balanced panel. We had conservative scholars as well as liberals, and Reagan did a lot better.
NGUYEN: Do you think that's the only reason why he's doing a lot better, or you think people are now starting to look a lot closer at his presidency and the achievements that he made?
TARANTO: Well, the passage of time tends to diminish partisan passions. So probably if Schlesinger did the same survey today, Reagan would do somewhat better than he did then. On the other hand, Reagan came up in our survey as the third most controversial president after only Bill Clinton and Woodrow Wilson. That is to say, there was the greatest divergence in the scholars' opinions of him. So that's the...
NGUYEN: So what are these controversies? Let's talk about those.
TARANTO: Well, you know, there are -- conservatives tend to think that what he did on -- with cutting taxes was a good thing. Liberals would rather see higher taxes. Liberals place emphasis on things like, you know, he wasn't -- they say he wasn't -- he didn't talk enough about AIDS. Conservatives maybe think that's not quite so important for a president.
So there, you know, there are differences of opinion, and they're not quite as raw as they were 16 years ago when he left the White House. But, you know, these are living memories for a lot of people.
WHITBECK: Absolutely. And as we just showed video a little bit earlier of the former president Bush parachuting for his 75th birthday. He's celebrating his 80th this weekend. How does he rank?
TARANTO: That's right, today is his birthday. He ranks 21st, which puts him in the average category. Bill Clinton, by the way, is also average at 24th.
NGUYEN: Just average, huh?
TARANTO: Just average, that's right.
NGUYEN: Why?
TARANTO: Well, I think if you look at Bush and Clinton, you know, Bush's presidency in some ways, he did lead the country through the Gulf War. On the other hand, he was turned out of office after one term. There was a sense when he left office that he was sort of out of touch. He broke his promise and raised taxes. So I think he's not viewed as one of the greats.
Clinton was probably a more successful president in some ways, but he presided over tranquil times, so he didn't have those kinds of challenges, which I think is something that bothers him, because he's conscious of his legacy. And in addition, he was impeached, which is a black mark on the two presidents to whom that's happened.
NGUYEN: Quickly, we're almost out of time, how does the current president rank, or how do you think he will rank?
TARANTO: Well, I think in the long run he could end up being great if his mission to combat terrorism by promoting democracy in the Middle East is successful. If it's not, I think he'll end up somewhere lower. He's not in our survey because it was taken in 2000 before he was elected.
NGUYEN: We're still watching and waiting to see on that. All right, Joseph Taranto, editor of...
TARANTO: James Taranto.
NGUYEN: I'm sorry, James Taranto, editor of "Presidential Leadership." Thank you for that.
TARANTO: Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Coming up, Washington remembers Ronald Reagan. A very special Novak Zone. That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look at this. Tornadoes have caused scattered damage in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, but no injuries reported so far. Tornadoes touched down in at least two Iowa counties, and across the state line in Minnesota, at least three homes were damaged.
For the latest on the weather situation, we turn now to Jill Brown. Good morning.
JILL BROWN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
I had saw reports that 43 tornado touched down, more than 100 reports of hail.
NGUYEN: Already?
BROWN: That was from last night.
NGUYEN: Goodness. Hope today's going to be better.
BROWN: I think today will be better. Let's take a look (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BROWN: This is typically the quiet time of day, and we're in good shape, as you can see. Here's the satellite. Not a lot of clouds out there, so not a lot of thunderstorms. But we do have some rain, and it looks fairly heavy coming in toward Detroit and heading in toward Cleveland as well. We're looking at some fairly heavy downpours. We've had a few places where flooding is a concern, so we'll kind of watch for some of those heavy rains and just make sure we're doing OK there.
But otherwise, Northeast looks terrific. Southeast looks OK, hot and humid. We may get a few thunderstorms here. You may wish for a few thunderstorms. It's going to be temperatures in the 90s that will feel more like the mid-90s because of the humidity.
Now, upper Midwest, of course, this is the spot that got hit yesterday. Looks better for today, maybe overnight in the Twin Cities, Kansas City, you're one of the spots that we may get severe weather late this afternoon, so watch it.
Northwest, very quiet, a little bit of rain along the coast. And Southwest looks good too. As a matter of fact, let's take a look at Las Vegas. Good morning. Beautiful day here. Now, in June, typically, we do not have much rain. And to go along with that, we do not have any rain in the forecast. Temperature should stay below 100 today. That we think that in the next 24 hours or so, we'll start getting the temperatures above 100.
So there you can see, 99 in Phoenix. We'll look for 100-plus in the next couple of days.
Back to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: So enjoy 99 while you can, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BROWN: Yes, that's right.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Jill.
Here's a quick recap of our top stories.
Gunmen killed one of Iraq's deputy foreign ministers this morning by firing on his car. Bassam Salih Kubba was shot outside his Baghdad home shortly after returning from a U.N. meeting in New York. It is the second attack this week on an Iraqi government official.
A judge must now decide the sentence for convicted Oklahoma City murderer Terry Nichols. Jurors in his state trial deadlocked on his punishment, sparing him death for a second time. Under state law, the judge is limited to giving a sentence of life in prison with or without parole.
CNN's Bob Novak covered President Ronald Reagan extensively throughout his political life. He also co-authored a book with his late colleague Roland Evans entitled "The Reagan Revolution."
Bob Novak joins us this morning from Washington with a look back at the Reagan legacy. Good morning to you.
ROBERT NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, you were at the LBJ and Kennedy funerals, also at the funeral this week of Ronald Reagan. How do they compare and differ?
NOVAK: It was a -- it was quite different than the LBJ funeral, which was kind of an afterthought. There was a lot of controversy about Johnson. But everybody in the country seemed to come together on Ronald Reagan, even if they didn't agree with him that he was a great leader.
The Kennedy funeral was a -- everybody was in a state of shock. We had a young, vibrant president assassinated. There was real grief.
But, Betty, at the funeral yesterday, of course, it was an invitation-only funeral, 2,100 invitations went out to friends, family, supporters. And it was -- somebody said it was like an Irish wake without the whiskey. Ronald Reagan had been lost to us for 10 years with Alzheimer's. And so there was less grief and sadness than remembering the good times and all he had done for the country and for the conservative movement. NGUYEN: Speaking of remembering the good times, as we all look back at Reagan's legacy, are Americans remembering him more fondly in his death than when he was alive?
NOVAK: Yes, I believe so. And that is not contrary (UNINTELLIGIBLE) some people said, it doesn't happen to all presidents after they leave office. Most of the presidents in my time have not become more popular after they left office. But Ronald Reagan has. And I think there has been a belated realization of the things that were quite controversial.
His hard line against the Soviet Union did win the cold war. His very, at that time, radical tax cuts, did revive the economy and energize the American people.
So I think there has been a recasting of feeling about him. A lot of people say it's sadness over his Alzheimer's disease. I don't think it's that. It's just 10 years gives people a question -- a chance to ponder and realize the qualities he brought to the presidency.
NGUYEN: So, basically, his achievements will outshine the rest?
BROWN: I believe they will. You know, I -- Betty, I first covered him the year before he was -- ran for governor. In 1965, I met him for the first time, went to a fund raiser in Cincinnati. And at that time, they were talking about him running for governor next year, this B, class B movie actor. And I wrote -- sometimes I am right -- I wrote that I thought that this, he was going to be a presidential candidate in the future. I never dreamed it would take until 1980, when he was the oldest president ever elected.
NGUYEN: The president is being remembered for a lot more than what he did in office. A lot of it is also centering around his love affair with his wife, Nancy Reagan. You were at the funeral this week. Talk to us about how stoic she's been and strong she's been.
NOVAK: She, she, she was indeed. I just, I -- everybody's heart goes out to her. And yesterday on the, this very long day with the funeral at the National Cathedral, which was a great occasion, then flying across the continent for the burial after a very difficult week.
And, you know, that's another question, Betty, that at the time of his presidency, she was very controversial, very unpopular. She was not an uncontroversial first lady such as Laura Bush. She was much more controversial, like Hillary Clinton. People thought she had too much influence. I even criticized her for that.
But she was a tremendous partner of the president. I don't think she had much effect on his ideology or his policy. I always suspected she was a little more liberal than he was. I don't think she influenced him at all. But in that way that I think she was enormous helpmate to him.
And it is a great love affair, and I think all America appreciates a great love affair.
NGUYEN: Not only do we appreciate it, but what can be learned from that relationship and that love affair?
NOVAK: I think we can learn that a first lady, or the wife of a great figure who is not important for what her policy contributions are but for her help and her support for her husband. That may sound very old-fashioned. I hope I don't offend anybody by saying that. But I believe she was of enormous assistance to the president through all the years. And of course the 10 years of support during his tragic confrontation with Alzheimer's can't be minimized.
NGUYEN: Bob, I want to ask you, being there for this funeral, this historic moment, talk to us a little about what you will remember most about the man they called the great communicator.
NOVAK: Well, you always look at things personally. And the opportunities I had to be alone with him, and I was -- I was always amazed that he never seemed downhearted. The last long conversation I had with him was over lunch in -- during the Iran/Contra affair. And he just shrugged it off. He says, I don't listen to those, to that criticism.
He loved to tell jokes. He loved to tell in private Jewish and Irish (UNINTELLIGIBLE) dialect jokes, which were politically incorrect. He couldn't do it in public. Liked to tell stories about show, gossip about show business. He didn't like to gossip much about politics.
But what I can remember most of all was the positive attitude he had. He was a very unusual -- I've been cover -- Betty, I've been covering politics all my life. And most politicians really are in attack mode. He could, he could be, he could attack at times, but he was also very positive.
One other thing I have to say, which didn't, wasn't said much this week, is how tough he could be. And when he fired all the air controllers because they had broken the law, his aides wanted him to put them back to work in 1981. I think that was a message to the world, to the Kremlin, that this -- beyond the smiling and the jokes and the "Aw shucks" mannerisms, this was one tough guy.
And let's not forget how tough, tough (UNINTELLIGIBLE), tough he could be when he was in a confrontation.
NGUYEN: He knew how to negotiate. All right.
CNN's Bob Novak. We thank you for your insight.
NOVAK: Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: All morning long, we have been asking you for your thoughts on our e-mail question of the day. And that question is Who do you think America's greatest president is or was? And we do have some e-mails coming in for you to tell you. James from New Mexico writes to us, "Ronald Reagan. He made this country feel good about itself again, and he had a very positive impact overseas. He was great, and he will be missed."
And we thank all of you for all the e-mails coming in to our e- mail question of the day. And of course, every weekend we read those right here CNN SATURDAY and SUNDAY MORNING.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A final farewell to two American legends.
Welcome back. That story coming up.
First, though, headlines at this hour.
Seven Turkish civilians taken hostage in Iraq have been released. Some of the hostages are shown in this video with their captors. Meanwhile, three other hostages, a Lebanese and his two Iraqi co- workers, were found shot to death today on a road near Ramadi. The three, who worked for a telecommunications company, were abducted earlier this week.
Gunmen killed an Iraqi deputy foreign minister this morning outside his home in Baghdad. The drive-by shooting occurred as Bassam Salih Kubba, a career diplomat, was leaving his home. Kubba, a member of Iraq's delegation to the U.N., had just returned from the United States.
U.S. intelligence officials are trying to confirm the authenticity of a newly released audiotape reportedly by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The voice on the tape, though, said Americans don't want democracy and freedom in the Arab world. It first aired yesterday on the Arab network Al Arabiya.
This has been a week of extensive coverage of the state funeral of President Ronald Reagan. If you haven't had time to keep up with other news, here's your update. It's time to rewind.
On Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously gave a stamp of approval to the new Iraqi interim government. The resolution passed 15 to zero, endorsing the June 30 transfer of power and authorizing a U.S.-led multinational force to stabilize the country. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called it "a genuine expression of the will of the international community."
Iraq continued to be a focus on Wednesday as the G-8 summit got under way in Sea Island, Georgia. Leaders of the summit met with Middle Eastern officials, including the interim president of Iraq, to discuss diplomatic reform in the region.
Also Wednesday in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez asked that a higher-ranking general be put in charge of the prison abuse investigation. General Sanchez said he also wants his actions scrutinized in order to clear his name. Sanchez has denied he was aware of the abuse.
Tomorrow we will fast forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.
About 20 million viewers tuned in every week last season to hear Donald Trump say, "You're fired." Now a radio network tells the Donald he's hired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: The thing that I'm most happy about, in the history of radio, I'm told, this is the largest opening of a show. And so that's pretty impressive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The billionaire signed a deal that will put him on the radio every morning in a segment called "Trumped." But of course it's called "Trumped." He talks about the new venture and why he's doing it in an exclusive interview that is tomorrow on CNN SUNDAY MORNING at 9:00 Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Plenty more ahead on CNN this morning. At the top of the hour, it's "ON THE STORY," followed at 11:00 a.m. by "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," our special presentation, "D-Day: A Call to Courage." It's an hour-long look at the Normandy invasion told through the eyes of four U.S. veterans, General Dwight D. Eisenhower's son, and veteran journalist Walter Cronkite. And at noon, it is "CNN LIVE SATURDAY."
CNN SATURDAY MORNING, though, continues right after this quick timeout.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SOPRANOS," HBO)
EDIE FALCO, ACTOR (on phone): Christopher, hi. It's Carmela.
Is Adriana there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
FALCO: I was just wondering what was going on. I stopped by Fortunoff's. She was supposed to get back to them with a final decision about her china pattern, and she hasn't returned their call. Is everything all right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We broke up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? Why? What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing. She left. Broke my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in America, yet thousands take it up every year. In fact, one in every five women in America smokes.
But there are people and groups hoping to change those numbers, and one of those is Emmy Award-winning actress Edie Falco, who you just saw there in that clip. And she joins us now from New York.
Good morning to you. Love the hair. Can you hear us, Edie?
FALCO: Yes, yes, I can.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning to you.
FALCO: Good morning to you.
NGUYEN: This is New York's first race to help women live smoke- free. Tell us why you're involved.
FALCO: Can't hear it so good.
NGUYEN: All right. We're having some technical difficulties in trying to get Edie Falco. We're going to work on that and get right back with you.
But for now, though, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We're back now with Emmy Award-winning actress Edie Falco, who joins us live from New York, where a race is under way to help women live smoke-free.
Good morning to you.
FALCO: Good morning to you.
NGUYEN: Well, tell us about this event and why you're involved.
FALCO: Well, I was thrilled that they asked me to be involved, because it is an organization called Circle of Friends that help support women who are looking for support to quit smoking. I myself was a smoker for many years, a very heavy smoker, and I quit on my own. It was very hard. I would strongly suggest getting support if it's something you're looking to do. And it's really the best thing in the world.
NGUYEN: And that's what Circle of Friends is all about, getting that support network so that smokers can quit.
FALCO: Yes. Yes. It's very, it's exceedingly important. Lung cancer is the leading cancer-killer of women, even more than breast cancer, when the statistics for breast cancer are so high. It's exceedingly important.
NGUYEN: And did you have... FALCO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: ... that support group, Edie, when were you trying to quit? And how important was that to you?
FALCO: I -- well, you know what? I know what I should say, but I -- the truth is, I did it on my own, just because that's the way that I was about it at the time. And also, I had tried to quit so many times and was not able to, and I was embarrassed to continue involving people. But I know that I would have been helped had I been able to enlist more people in the cause.
NGUYEN: And you're also involved because you have a friend who was affected by smoking-related disease. Tell us a little bit about that. She actually was on the show "Sopranos."
FALCO: Are you referring to Nancy Marchand?
NGUYEN: Yes.
FALCO: Yes, she was -- you know, had an oxygen tank with her the whole time that I knew her. And she was very clear about the fact that she was a four-pack-a-day smoker and had become deeply addicted before it was clear just how dangerous it was. And once you're in that deep, you know, she was also of an era where it was just not as supported, the idea of being a nonsmoker was not as cool as it is now. And people didn't realize how important it is.
NGUYEN: It's very important. As you said, it's one of the leading killers among women. And you're there today. How many women are there in support of this?
FALCO: I should know the answer to that, but I don't. From what I understand, it's quite a few more than they had anticipated. I mean, and also, some very serious runners, from what I understand, people who are preparing for the Olympics and preparing for this year's marathon and...
It's such an exciting thing, because it's such a physical endeavor that these women are undergoing this morning. And to see that in response to women trying to quit smoking, it's actually very exciting and very appropriate.
NGUYEN: And a very good cause, because 440,000 people die every year because of tobacco-related diseases. And we do want to talk to you, though. I can't let you go. We're almost out of time. But cannot let you go without talking about your role and what's coming up for Carmela. Can you give us some insight into this final season?
FALCO: Into the, into which "Soprano" season, the one that just happened?
NGUYEN: No, the final one that's coming up.
FALCO: I, you know what? I don't think there is a person alive that knows the answer to that question, including the writers. They, and if they do know it, they keep it very close to the vest, which is how I would have it. And the truth of the matter is, if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.
NGUYEN: All right, we are out of time. Couldn't get it out of you. But I guess we'll just have to stay tuned and watch. Edie Falco, thank you so much.
FALCO: It was my pleasure.
NGUYEN: Coming up at the top of the hour, it is "ON THE STORY." We want to check in with Kathleen Hays in Washington for a preview. Good morning.
KATHLEEN HAYS, "ON THE STORY": Hi, Betty. We're "ON THE STORY" from here in Washington to Oklahoma and Texas and on to California. Candy Crowley will be talking about what she saw this week as the nation remembered Ronald Reagan. We'll talk about the impact on this year's presidential politics and how Reaganomics looks after 20 years.
Plus, we're "ON THE STORY" of military and diplomatic developments this week in Iraq. And Susan Candiotti is in Oklahoma, where a jury deadlocked over the fate of bombing conspirator Terry Nichols. All coming up, all "ON THE STORY."
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, thank you.
And we do want to update our top story.
One of Iraq's deputy foreign ministers was shot and killed today outside his Baghdad home. Gunmen opened fire on Bassam Salih Kubba's car as he was heading to work. This is the second attack this week on an Iraqi government official.
Want to get you up to speed on the weather. It's been kind of stormy overnight, Jill.
BROWN: That's right, after a stormy night, though, it is a pleasant Saturday morning, it really is. And we think that while things may get a little rough again this afternoon, you should enjoy it in many spots.
Northeast looks great. Southwest looks great. Southeast sort of a little hot and steamy, but at least we won't have any real big thunderstorms, we don't think.
So more severe weather definitely in the midsection of the country. Steamy in the Southeast, maybe with a little relief with an afternoon thunderstorm.
Some of the best weather definitely pleasant in the West. Let's take you there. Santa Monica, good morning to you. We want to take a look at some scenes in the Southwestern U.S. And you can see maybe some morning clouds here, but they should burn off and temperatures should be in the low 70s. It should be a really nice afternoon. We're going to keep it dry. Temperatures overall will be popping up a little bit day by day in the Southwest. So places like Phoenix and Las Vegas, it's going to get hot. But along the coast, no problem. Should be terrific.
So let's take a look. Right now, temperatures are in the 50s in San Francisco, 60s in Los Angeles, 79 Dallas. Now, you may have an afternoon thunderstorm, but basically hot weather. Heat index will be over 100 degrees, so the beginning of summertime heat. You'll feel it in Atlanta, 91. In Miami, same thing, 90. You'll feel warmer but you might get an afternoon thunderstorm to cool it off.
Best weather may be here in the Northeast, where New York City will be up around 73. And if you like that, you'll like tomorrow, 74. Boston, a little cool today, especially as you get out toward the Cape, that influence of the cool water, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it gets a little bit warmer as we get into Sunday.
So again, it looks like the midsection of the country is the spot to watch. Things are pretty quiet now, but from about Kansas City possibly up to Chicago again, Minneapolis overnight tonight, we'll be watching for severe thunderstorms. There is a moderate-risk area, and that typically means we're looking at the possibility of tornadoes.
So we think that may show up again this afternoon. If so, you'll be hearing a lot about it.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: From storms to the heat. Let's talk about Phoenix. One hundred and four, are you kidding me?
BROWN: No. That is, you know, June, as you get into June and July, that's about the hottest time of year. As you get into later July, you get a better chance of seeing a few clouds and a little bit of rain. But for now, heat is on.
NGUYEN: And I thought it was hot here in Atlanta.
BROWN: You're wrong.
NGUYEN: All right. Jill Brown, thank you.
BROWN: Sure.
NGUYEN: Two American legends were lost this week. Both, however, will be linked by one event forever, the 1984 Republican Convention. President Ronald Reagan, seeking a second term in the White House, got a huge boost from singer Ray Charles. His emotional version of "America the Beautiful" certainly lifted Republicans on that night, but it has lifted Americans ever since.
Thanks for joining us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RAY CHARLES (singing): Oh, beautiful, for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.
America, oooh, America, may God thy gold refine till all success in nobleness and every gain divine.
You know, when I was in school, we used to sing it something like this. Listen here.
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.
Well, now, wait a minute, I'm talking about America, sweet America, you know, God done shed his grace on thee. He crowned thy good, yes, he did, with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
You know, I wish I had somebody to help me sing this.
America, America, I love you, America. You see, Lord God, he done shed his grace on thee. You ought to love him for it, because he crowned thy good, he told me he could, with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, I thank you, Lord.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 12, 2004 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, JR.: He is home now. He is free. In his final letter to the American people, Dad wrote, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life." This evening, he has arrived.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: The sun rises over the grave of America's 40th president after the final farewell from -- or for Ronald Reagan.
Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen. Welcome to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It was a warm, heartfelt conclusion to the week-long celebration of the former president's life and the mourning of his death. We'll take you to the Reagan Library in just a few moments.
First, though, here's what's happening at this hour.
A top Iraqi diplomat is dead, the victim of a drive-by shooting. Bassam Salih Kubba, one of Iraq's deputy foreign ministers, was killed when gunmen sprayed his car with bullets outside his Baghdad home. It is the second attack on an Iraqi government official this week. Kubba just recently returned to Iraq from a U.N. meeting in New York.
For the first time, Serbian officials have admitted to the mass genocide at Srebrenica. The admissions were made during an investigation into the massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in July of 1995. A report from the commission investigating the incident found that Bosnian-Serb military and police participated in those killings.
For now, it looks like a wildfire in eastern Arizona will spare a tiny mountain town. The fire has burned more than 7,000 acres. Firefighters report the blaze was heading away from the community of upscale vacation homes. Officials say the fire was ignited by a camper.
The FBI is warning enforcement in 10 cities to watch out for possible ecoterrorism attacks today. The security bulletin refers to an international action called in support of Jeff Luers. Now, he was convicted four years ago of burning sport utility vehicles in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene and San Francisco are two of the 10 cities that were alerted.
Our top story this hour, remembrances and reflections as the nation comes together in mourning.
In a private service and sunset burial in California yesterday, the love and affection for Ronald Reagan could be measured in somber sounds.
CNN's Miguel Marquez, who is live at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, has more this morning. Good morning to you.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
Where the sun is rising here in Simi Valley, the Ronald Reagan Library, the flag still at half-staff here. With 700 friends and family members, mostly California friends that gathered here last night, and put a cap on a week-long state funeral. It was a more intimate service than we had seen earlier in the week. Here's a few sights and sounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have come from sea to shining sea, to this soil which he loved so much.
MICHAEL REAGAN, RONALD REAGAN'S SON: You knew my father as governor, as president. But I knew him as Dad.
PATTI DAVIS, RONALD REAGAN'S DAUGHTER: I know that at his last moment, when he opened his eyes, eyes that had not opened for many, many days, and looked at my mother, he showed us that neither disease nor death can conquer love.
RON REAGAN, RONALD REAGAN'S SON: In his final letter to the American people, Dad wrote, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life." This evening, he has arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire. Ready, aim, fire. Ready, aim, fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We commend into your hands the spirit of your servant, Ronald Wilson Reagan. We commend him into your care and keeping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: And for as much as a solemn and somber occasion it was last night, it was also a celebration for many people. The Reagan Library for now remains closed until Monday morning, when it will have extended hours opening from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific time and then staying open until 6:00 p.m., somewhat extended for the rest of the week, Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Miguel Marquez in Simi Valley. Thank you very much. Join us later today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific, for "Ronald Reagan: A Week of Remembrance." That's about five hours from now.
Time now to check out some other stories making news across America this Saturday.
Las Vegas pays tribute to Ronald Reagan by dimming their bright lights for three minutes. Reagan is just the second president to be given the Vegas salute. John F. Kennedy was the first. Reagan had a history, though, in Vegas. In 1954, he tried his hand as a song-and- dance man, of all things, at the Last Frontier Hotel. But that lasted just two weeks.
An Oklahoma jury deadlocked on the death penalty for Terry Nichols. Since the jury couldn't decide, the sentencing now goes to the judge. But the judge is limited to imposing only life in prison with or without parole.
Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz is denied parole for a second time. He's serving six consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences for the 1977 murders. His next chance at parole comes in just two years.
In campaign news, John McCain has said it before, and he is saying it again, Thanks, but no thanks. The Republican senator has personally rejected John Kerry's overtures to join the Democratic presidential ticket. A party official confirms that McCain made it clear he would not change his mind.
There are signs of more anarchy in Iraq today. It's highlighted by the killing of a top Iraqi diplomat and the deaths of several kidnapped civilians.
CNN's Harris Whitbeck has the latest now from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Another Iraqi government official assassinated in Baghdad on Saturday. Bassam Salih Kubba, a deputy foreign minister, was gunned down as he left his home to go to work early Saturday morning.
Kubba was the foreign ministry's most senior diplomat, and, at the time of his death, he was in charge of that ministry's legal affairs department.
The attack was the second in four days on a member of the new interim government. Last Wednesday the deputy health minister escaped an assassination attempt.
Meanwhile, coalition officials say they are feeling better about the situation in the holy city of Najaf, where for several weeks U.S. forces have battled militias loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. During Friday prayers, one of al-Sadr's top lieutenants seemed to indicate that al-Sadr was taking a more conciliatory tone in terms of the changes taking place in Iraq. He endorsed the new interim government, albeit with certain conditions.
SHEIKH ABBAS AL-RUBEI, SADR SPOKESMAN (through translator): "I want to inform the Iraqis that I'm endorsing this interim Iraqi government if it declares their objection to the occupation of coalition of forces in Iraq and demand a timetable for their withdrawal. So if they will accept, then we'll go along. But if it fails to do so, it will be seen in front of God and the community."
WHITBECK: Meanwhile, we are hearing that seven Turkish civilian contractors who had been held hostage in Iraq have been released. Earlier this week, a videotape was shown of the hostages kneeling in front of masked armed militiamen. They were holding their passports. A video shown earlier this week showed three other Turks surrounded at gunpoint by militants.
Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And coalition officials have scheduled a briefing from Iraq to begin in a few minutes, 9:30 Eastern time. And of course CNN plans on live coverage when that happens.
Americans from coast to coast paid their respects to Ronald Reagan. In a sunset service, Mr. Reagan is laid to rest in California, but the funeral began in our nation's capital. Coming up, our Bob Novak reflects on the tributes and farewells to the former president and revisits the Reagan years in the White House.
Former president and Reagan vice president George H.W. Bush gets set to turn 80 this weekend. Up next, a new book takes a look at how he and our nation's other leaders fared in the White House.
And good morning to you folks in Las Vegas. We'll have your complete weather forecast in about 10 minutes.
CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Former president George H.W. Bush will celebrate a long life by thumbing his nose at death. Mr. Bush will celebrate his 80th birthday tomorrow by making another parachute jump like you're seeing here. He made a successful jump on his 75th birthday.
Well, who is the biggest chief among them all? All morning long, we've been asking you that question, Who's the greatest American president? But another question is, what goes into being a truly great commander in chief? Following the death of Ronald Reagan, many are praising his leadership virtue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH: As his vice president for eight years, I learned more from Ronald Reagan than from anyone I encountered in all my years of public life. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: James Taranto is the editor of "Presidential Leadership," a collection of essays that rates the best and worst leaders who have lived in the White House. James Taranto joins us now live from New York.
Good morning to you.
JAMES TARANTO, EDITOR, "PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP": Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: This is very interesting. Tell us, first of all, what criteria do you use to rate the best from the worst?
TARANTO: Well, we asked 78 scholars to rate each president on a five-point scale. We averaged the ratings and came up with rankings. That's how we did it.
NGUYEN: Who made the top of the list?
TARANTO: The top of the list was George Washington, followed by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. They're the three who made the cut as great.
NGUYEN: Now, why these guys?
TARANTO: Well, I think what the great presidents have in common is three things. They all faced unprecedented challenges, they all dealt with them boldly, and they all succeeded.
NGUYEN: And. of course, as you all know, or we all know, that this past week Ronald Reagan has been talked about a lot, his presidency and all that he has done. How does he rank?
TARANTO: He comes up number eight, which is in the near-great category. One of the reasons we did this survey, the "Journal" and the Federalist Society, is because Reagan wasn't getting his due from similar surveys of scholars. For example, Arthur Schlesinger, a liberal historian, did a study in 1986 in which he asked 30 historians to rate the presidents. Reagan came up number 25th. And four of the 30 historians said his presidency was a failure.
We thought that wasn't an accurate view, so we tried to get a balanced panel. We had conservative scholars as well as liberals, and Reagan did a lot better.
NGUYEN: Do you think that's the only reason why he's doing a lot better, or you think people are now starting to look a lot closer at his presidency and the achievements that he made?
TARANTO: Well, the passage of time tends to diminish partisan passions. So probably if Schlesinger did the same survey today, Reagan would do somewhat better than he did then. On the other hand, Reagan came up in our survey as the third most controversial president after only Bill Clinton and Woodrow Wilson. That is to say, there was the greatest divergence in the scholars' opinions of him. So that's the...
NGUYEN: So what are these controversies? Let's talk about those.
TARANTO: Well, you know, there are -- conservatives tend to think that what he did on -- with cutting taxes was a good thing. Liberals would rather see higher taxes. Liberals place emphasis on things like, you know, he wasn't -- they say he wasn't -- he didn't talk enough about AIDS. Conservatives maybe think that's not quite so important for a president.
So there, you know, there are differences of opinion, and they're not quite as raw as they were 16 years ago when he left the White House. But, you know, these are living memories for a lot of people.
WHITBECK: Absolutely. And as we just showed video a little bit earlier of the former president Bush parachuting for his 75th birthday. He's celebrating his 80th this weekend. How does he rank?
TARANTO: That's right, today is his birthday. He ranks 21st, which puts him in the average category. Bill Clinton, by the way, is also average at 24th.
NGUYEN: Just average, huh?
TARANTO: Just average, that's right.
NGUYEN: Why?
TARANTO: Well, I think if you look at Bush and Clinton, you know, Bush's presidency in some ways, he did lead the country through the Gulf War. On the other hand, he was turned out of office after one term. There was a sense when he left office that he was sort of out of touch. He broke his promise and raised taxes. So I think he's not viewed as one of the greats.
Clinton was probably a more successful president in some ways, but he presided over tranquil times, so he didn't have those kinds of challenges, which I think is something that bothers him, because he's conscious of his legacy. And in addition, he was impeached, which is a black mark on the two presidents to whom that's happened.
NGUYEN: Quickly, we're almost out of time, how does the current president rank, or how do you think he will rank?
TARANTO: Well, I think in the long run he could end up being great if his mission to combat terrorism by promoting democracy in the Middle East is successful. If it's not, I think he'll end up somewhere lower. He's not in our survey because it was taken in 2000 before he was elected.
NGUYEN: We're still watching and waiting to see on that. All right, Joseph Taranto, editor of...
TARANTO: James Taranto.
NGUYEN: I'm sorry, James Taranto, editor of "Presidential Leadership." Thank you for that.
TARANTO: Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Coming up, Washington remembers Ronald Reagan. A very special Novak Zone. That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look at this. Tornadoes have caused scattered damage in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, but no injuries reported so far. Tornadoes touched down in at least two Iowa counties, and across the state line in Minnesota, at least three homes were damaged.
For the latest on the weather situation, we turn now to Jill Brown. Good morning.
JILL BROWN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
I had saw reports that 43 tornado touched down, more than 100 reports of hail.
NGUYEN: Already?
BROWN: That was from last night.
NGUYEN: Goodness. Hope today's going to be better.
BROWN: I think today will be better. Let's take a look (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BROWN: This is typically the quiet time of day, and we're in good shape, as you can see. Here's the satellite. Not a lot of clouds out there, so not a lot of thunderstorms. But we do have some rain, and it looks fairly heavy coming in toward Detroit and heading in toward Cleveland as well. We're looking at some fairly heavy downpours. We've had a few places where flooding is a concern, so we'll kind of watch for some of those heavy rains and just make sure we're doing OK there.
But otherwise, Northeast looks terrific. Southeast looks OK, hot and humid. We may get a few thunderstorms here. You may wish for a few thunderstorms. It's going to be temperatures in the 90s that will feel more like the mid-90s because of the humidity.
Now, upper Midwest, of course, this is the spot that got hit yesterday. Looks better for today, maybe overnight in the Twin Cities, Kansas City, you're one of the spots that we may get severe weather late this afternoon, so watch it.
Northwest, very quiet, a little bit of rain along the coast. And Southwest looks good too. As a matter of fact, let's take a look at Las Vegas. Good morning. Beautiful day here. Now, in June, typically, we do not have much rain. And to go along with that, we do not have any rain in the forecast. Temperature should stay below 100 today. That we think that in the next 24 hours or so, we'll start getting the temperatures above 100.
So there you can see, 99 in Phoenix. We'll look for 100-plus in the next couple of days.
Back to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: So enjoy 99 while you can, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BROWN: Yes, that's right.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Jill.
Here's a quick recap of our top stories.
Gunmen killed one of Iraq's deputy foreign ministers this morning by firing on his car. Bassam Salih Kubba was shot outside his Baghdad home shortly after returning from a U.N. meeting in New York. It is the second attack this week on an Iraqi government official.
A judge must now decide the sentence for convicted Oklahoma City murderer Terry Nichols. Jurors in his state trial deadlocked on his punishment, sparing him death for a second time. Under state law, the judge is limited to giving a sentence of life in prison with or without parole.
CNN's Bob Novak covered President Ronald Reagan extensively throughout his political life. He also co-authored a book with his late colleague Roland Evans entitled "The Reagan Revolution."
Bob Novak joins us this morning from Washington with a look back at the Reagan legacy. Good morning to you.
ROBERT NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, you were at the LBJ and Kennedy funerals, also at the funeral this week of Ronald Reagan. How do they compare and differ?
NOVAK: It was a -- it was quite different than the LBJ funeral, which was kind of an afterthought. There was a lot of controversy about Johnson. But everybody in the country seemed to come together on Ronald Reagan, even if they didn't agree with him that he was a great leader.
The Kennedy funeral was a -- everybody was in a state of shock. We had a young, vibrant president assassinated. There was real grief.
But, Betty, at the funeral yesterday, of course, it was an invitation-only funeral, 2,100 invitations went out to friends, family, supporters. And it was -- somebody said it was like an Irish wake without the whiskey. Ronald Reagan had been lost to us for 10 years with Alzheimer's. And so there was less grief and sadness than remembering the good times and all he had done for the country and for the conservative movement. NGUYEN: Speaking of remembering the good times, as we all look back at Reagan's legacy, are Americans remembering him more fondly in his death than when he was alive?
NOVAK: Yes, I believe so. And that is not contrary (UNINTELLIGIBLE) some people said, it doesn't happen to all presidents after they leave office. Most of the presidents in my time have not become more popular after they left office. But Ronald Reagan has. And I think there has been a belated realization of the things that were quite controversial.
His hard line against the Soviet Union did win the cold war. His very, at that time, radical tax cuts, did revive the economy and energize the American people.
So I think there has been a recasting of feeling about him. A lot of people say it's sadness over his Alzheimer's disease. I don't think it's that. It's just 10 years gives people a question -- a chance to ponder and realize the qualities he brought to the presidency.
NGUYEN: So, basically, his achievements will outshine the rest?
BROWN: I believe they will. You know, I -- Betty, I first covered him the year before he was -- ran for governor. In 1965, I met him for the first time, went to a fund raiser in Cincinnati. And at that time, they were talking about him running for governor next year, this B, class B movie actor. And I wrote -- sometimes I am right -- I wrote that I thought that this, he was going to be a presidential candidate in the future. I never dreamed it would take until 1980, when he was the oldest president ever elected.
NGUYEN: The president is being remembered for a lot more than what he did in office. A lot of it is also centering around his love affair with his wife, Nancy Reagan. You were at the funeral this week. Talk to us about how stoic she's been and strong she's been.
NOVAK: She, she, she was indeed. I just, I -- everybody's heart goes out to her. And yesterday on the, this very long day with the funeral at the National Cathedral, which was a great occasion, then flying across the continent for the burial after a very difficult week.
And, you know, that's another question, Betty, that at the time of his presidency, she was very controversial, very unpopular. She was not an uncontroversial first lady such as Laura Bush. She was much more controversial, like Hillary Clinton. People thought she had too much influence. I even criticized her for that.
But she was a tremendous partner of the president. I don't think she had much effect on his ideology or his policy. I always suspected she was a little more liberal than he was. I don't think she influenced him at all. But in that way that I think she was enormous helpmate to him.
And it is a great love affair, and I think all America appreciates a great love affair.
NGUYEN: Not only do we appreciate it, but what can be learned from that relationship and that love affair?
NOVAK: I think we can learn that a first lady, or the wife of a great figure who is not important for what her policy contributions are but for her help and her support for her husband. That may sound very old-fashioned. I hope I don't offend anybody by saying that. But I believe she was of enormous assistance to the president through all the years. And of course the 10 years of support during his tragic confrontation with Alzheimer's can't be minimized.
NGUYEN: Bob, I want to ask you, being there for this funeral, this historic moment, talk to us a little about what you will remember most about the man they called the great communicator.
NOVAK: Well, you always look at things personally. And the opportunities I had to be alone with him, and I was -- I was always amazed that he never seemed downhearted. The last long conversation I had with him was over lunch in -- during the Iran/Contra affair. And he just shrugged it off. He says, I don't listen to those, to that criticism.
He loved to tell jokes. He loved to tell in private Jewish and Irish (UNINTELLIGIBLE) dialect jokes, which were politically incorrect. He couldn't do it in public. Liked to tell stories about show, gossip about show business. He didn't like to gossip much about politics.
But what I can remember most of all was the positive attitude he had. He was a very unusual -- I've been cover -- Betty, I've been covering politics all my life. And most politicians really are in attack mode. He could, he could be, he could attack at times, but he was also very positive.
One other thing I have to say, which didn't, wasn't said much this week, is how tough he could be. And when he fired all the air controllers because they had broken the law, his aides wanted him to put them back to work in 1981. I think that was a message to the world, to the Kremlin, that this -- beyond the smiling and the jokes and the "Aw shucks" mannerisms, this was one tough guy.
And let's not forget how tough, tough (UNINTELLIGIBLE), tough he could be when he was in a confrontation.
NGUYEN: He knew how to negotiate. All right.
CNN's Bob Novak. We thank you for your insight.
NOVAK: Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: All morning long, we have been asking you for your thoughts on our e-mail question of the day. And that question is Who do you think America's greatest president is or was? And we do have some e-mails coming in for you to tell you. James from New Mexico writes to us, "Ronald Reagan. He made this country feel good about itself again, and he had a very positive impact overseas. He was great, and he will be missed."
And we thank all of you for all the e-mails coming in to our e- mail question of the day. And of course, every weekend we read those right here CNN SATURDAY and SUNDAY MORNING.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A final farewell to two American legends.
Welcome back. That story coming up.
First, though, headlines at this hour.
Seven Turkish civilians taken hostage in Iraq have been released. Some of the hostages are shown in this video with their captors. Meanwhile, three other hostages, a Lebanese and his two Iraqi co- workers, were found shot to death today on a road near Ramadi. The three, who worked for a telecommunications company, were abducted earlier this week.
Gunmen killed an Iraqi deputy foreign minister this morning outside his home in Baghdad. The drive-by shooting occurred as Bassam Salih Kubba, a career diplomat, was leaving his home. Kubba, a member of Iraq's delegation to the U.N., had just returned from the United States.
U.S. intelligence officials are trying to confirm the authenticity of a newly released audiotape reportedly by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The voice on the tape, though, said Americans don't want democracy and freedom in the Arab world. It first aired yesterday on the Arab network Al Arabiya.
This has been a week of extensive coverage of the state funeral of President Ronald Reagan. If you haven't had time to keep up with other news, here's your update. It's time to rewind.
On Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously gave a stamp of approval to the new Iraqi interim government. The resolution passed 15 to zero, endorsing the June 30 transfer of power and authorizing a U.S.-led multinational force to stabilize the country. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called it "a genuine expression of the will of the international community."
Iraq continued to be a focus on Wednesday as the G-8 summit got under way in Sea Island, Georgia. Leaders of the summit met with Middle Eastern officials, including the interim president of Iraq, to discuss diplomatic reform in the region.
Also Wednesday in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez asked that a higher-ranking general be put in charge of the prison abuse investigation. General Sanchez said he also wants his actions scrutinized in order to clear his name. Sanchez has denied he was aware of the abuse.
Tomorrow we will fast forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.
About 20 million viewers tuned in every week last season to hear Donald Trump say, "You're fired." Now a radio network tells the Donald he's hired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: The thing that I'm most happy about, in the history of radio, I'm told, this is the largest opening of a show. And so that's pretty impressive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The billionaire signed a deal that will put him on the radio every morning in a segment called "Trumped." But of course it's called "Trumped." He talks about the new venture and why he's doing it in an exclusive interview that is tomorrow on CNN SUNDAY MORNING at 9:00 Eastern.
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NGUYEN: Plenty more ahead on CNN this morning. At the top of the hour, it's "ON THE STORY," followed at 11:00 a.m. by "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," our special presentation, "D-Day: A Call to Courage." It's an hour-long look at the Normandy invasion told through the eyes of four U.S. veterans, General Dwight D. Eisenhower's son, and veteran journalist Walter Cronkite. And at noon, it is "CNN LIVE SATURDAY."
CNN SATURDAY MORNING, though, continues right after this quick timeout.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SOPRANOS," HBO)
EDIE FALCO, ACTOR (on phone): Christopher, hi. It's Carmela.
Is Adriana there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
FALCO: I was just wondering what was going on. I stopped by Fortunoff's. She was supposed to get back to them with a final decision about her china pattern, and she hasn't returned their call. Is everything all right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We broke up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? Why? What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing. She left. Broke my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in America, yet thousands take it up every year. In fact, one in every five women in America smokes.
But there are people and groups hoping to change those numbers, and one of those is Emmy Award-winning actress Edie Falco, who you just saw there in that clip. And she joins us now from New York.
Good morning to you. Love the hair. Can you hear us, Edie?
FALCO: Yes, yes, I can.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning to you.
FALCO: Good morning to you.
NGUYEN: This is New York's first race to help women live smoke- free. Tell us why you're involved.
FALCO: Can't hear it so good.
NGUYEN: All right. We're having some technical difficulties in trying to get Edie Falco. We're going to work on that and get right back with you.
But for now, though, we'll be right back.
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NGUYEN: We're back now with Emmy Award-winning actress Edie Falco, who joins us live from New York, where a race is under way to help women live smoke-free.
Good morning to you.
FALCO: Good morning to you.
NGUYEN: Well, tell us about this event and why you're involved.
FALCO: Well, I was thrilled that they asked me to be involved, because it is an organization called Circle of Friends that help support women who are looking for support to quit smoking. I myself was a smoker for many years, a very heavy smoker, and I quit on my own. It was very hard. I would strongly suggest getting support if it's something you're looking to do. And it's really the best thing in the world.
NGUYEN: And that's what Circle of Friends is all about, getting that support network so that smokers can quit.
FALCO: Yes. Yes. It's very, it's exceedingly important. Lung cancer is the leading cancer-killer of women, even more than breast cancer, when the statistics for breast cancer are so high. It's exceedingly important.
NGUYEN: And did you have... FALCO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: ... that support group, Edie, when were you trying to quit? And how important was that to you?
FALCO: I -- well, you know what? I know what I should say, but I -- the truth is, I did it on my own, just because that's the way that I was about it at the time. And also, I had tried to quit so many times and was not able to, and I was embarrassed to continue involving people. But I know that I would have been helped had I been able to enlist more people in the cause.
NGUYEN: And you're also involved because you have a friend who was affected by smoking-related disease. Tell us a little bit about that. She actually was on the show "Sopranos."
FALCO: Are you referring to Nancy Marchand?
NGUYEN: Yes.
FALCO: Yes, she was -- you know, had an oxygen tank with her the whole time that I knew her. And she was very clear about the fact that she was a four-pack-a-day smoker and had become deeply addicted before it was clear just how dangerous it was. And once you're in that deep, you know, she was also of an era where it was just not as supported, the idea of being a nonsmoker was not as cool as it is now. And people didn't realize how important it is.
NGUYEN: It's very important. As you said, it's one of the leading killers among women. And you're there today. How many women are there in support of this?
FALCO: I should know the answer to that, but I don't. From what I understand, it's quite a few more than they had anticipated. I mean, and also, some very serious runners, from what I understand, people who are preparing for the Olympics and preparing for this year's marathon and...
It's such an exciting thing, because it's such a physical endeavor that these women are undergoing this morning. And to see that in response to women trying to quit smoking, it's actually very exciting and very appropriate.
NGUYEN: And a very good cause, because 440,000 people die every year because of tobacco-related diseases. And we do want to talk to you, though. I can't let you go. We're almost out of time. But cannot let you go without talking about your role and what's coming up for Carmela. Can you give us some insight into this final season?
FALCO: Into the, into which "Soprano" season, the one that just happened?
NGUYEN: No, the final one that's coming up.
FALCO: I, you know what? I don't think there is a person alive that knows the answer to that question, including the writers. They, and if they do know it, they keep it very close to the vest, which is how I would have it. And the truth of the matter is, if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.
NGUYEN: All right, we are out of time. Couldn't get it out of you. But I guess we'll just have to stay tuned and watch. Edie Falco, thank you so much.
FALCO: It was my pleasure.
NGUYEN: Coming up at the top of the hour, it is "ON THE STORY." We want to check in with Kathleen Hays in Washington for a preview. Good morning.
KATHLEEN HAYS, "ON THE STORY": Hi, Betty. We're "ON THE STORY" from here in Washington to Oklahoma and Texas and on to California. Candy Crowley will be talking about what she saw this week as the nation remembered Ronald Reagan. We'll talk about the impact on this year's presidential politics and how Reaganomics looks after 20 years.
Plus, we're "ON THE STORY" of military and diplomatic developments this week in Iraq. And Susan Candiotti is in Oklahoma, where a jury deadlocked over the fate of bombing conspirator Terry Nichols. All coming up, all "ON THE STORY."
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, thank you.
And we do want to update our top story.
One of Iraq's deputy foreign ministers was shot and killed today outside his Baghdad home. Gunmen opened fire on Bassam Salih Kubba's car as he was heading to work. This is the second attack this week on an Iraqi government official.
Want to get you up to speed on the weather. It's been kind of stormy overnight, Jill.
BROWN: That's right, after a stormy night, though, it is a pleasant Saturday morning, it really is. And we think that while things may get a little rough again this afternoon, you should enjoy it in many spots.
Northeast looks great. Southwest looks great. Southeast sort of a little hot and steamy, but at least we won't have any real big thunderstorms, we don't think.
So more severe weather definitely in the midsection of the country. Steamy in the Southeast, maybe with a little relief with an afternoon thunderstorm.
Some of the best weather definitely pleasant in the West. Let's take you there. Santa Monica, good morning to you. We want to take a look at some scenes in the Southwestern U.S. And you can see maybe some morning clouds here, but they should burn off and temperatures should be in the low 70s. It should be a really nice afternoon. We're going to keep it dry. Temperatures overall will be popping up a little bit day by day in the Southwest. So places like Phoenix and Las Vegas, it's going to get hot. But along the coast, no problem. Should be terrific.
So let's take a look. Right now, temperatures are in the 50s in San Francisco, 60s in Los Angeles, 79 Dallas. Now, you may have an afternoon thunderstorm, but basically hot weather. Heat index will be over 100 degrees, so the beginning of summertime heat. You'll feel it in Atlanta, 91. In Miami, same thing, 90. You'll feel warmer but you might get an afternoon thunderstorm to cool it off.
Best weather may be here in the Northeast, where New York City will be up around 73. And if you like that, you'll like tomorrow, 74. Boston, a little cool today, especially as you get out toward the Cape, that influence of the cool water, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it gets a little bit warmer as we get into Sunday.
So again, it looks like the midsection of the country is the spot to watch. Things are pretty quiet now, but from about Kansas City possibly up to Chicago again, Minneapolis overnight tonight, we'll be watching for severe thunderstorms. There is a moderate-risk area, and that typically means we're looking at the possibility of tornadoes.
So we think that may show up again this afternoon. If so, you'll be hearing a lot about it.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: From storms to the heat. Let's talk about Phoenix. One hundred and four, are you kidding me?
BROWN: No. That is, you know, June, as you get into June and July, that's about the hottest time of year. As you get into later July, you get a better chance of seeing a few clouds and a little bit of rain. But for now, heat is on.
NGUYEN: And I thought it was hot here in Atlanta.
BROWN: You're wrong.
NGUYEN: All right. Jill Brown, thank you.
BROWN: Sure.
NGUYEN: Two American legends were lost this week. Both, however, will be linked by one event forever, the 1984 Republican Convention. President Ronald Reagan, seeking a second term in the White House, got a huge boost from singer Ray Charles. His emotional version of "America the Beautiful" certainly lifted Republicans on that night, but it has lifted Americans ever since.
Thanks for joining us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RAY CHARLES (singing): Oh, beautiful, for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.
America, oooh, America, may God thy gold refine till all success in nobleness and every gain divine.
You know, when I was in school, we used to sing it something like this. Listen here.
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.
Well, now, wait a minute, I'm talking about America, sweet America, you know, God done shed his grace on thee. He crowned thy good, yes, he did, with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
You know, I wish I had somebody to help me sing this.
America, America, I love you, America. You see, Lord God, he done shed his grace on thee. You ought to love him for it, because he crowned thy good, he told me he could, with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, I thank you, Lord.
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