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CNN Saturday Morning News
A Look at 2004 Presidential Polls; Novak Zone Talks About Swing States
Aired October 23, 2004 - 10:00 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.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone, from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
It is 9:00 a.m. in Jacksonville, Florida, 7:00 a.m. in Pueblo, Colorado. Thank you much for joining us this morning.
Now in the news, three strong earthquakes strike northwestern Japan one after the other. The strongest tremor was a magnitude 6.8. Blackouts, ruptured water mains, collapsed houses, and a high-speed train derailment are reported. Associated Press reports three people dead so far.
In Afghanistan, police report a suicide attack in downtown Kabul. The attacker had six grenades strapped to his body, according to Kabul's police chief. The explosions blew the attacker apart and left six other people injured.
In western Iraq, a suicide car bomber attacked an Iraqi police station near a U.S. Marine base. Ten Iraqi police officers were killed there.
And in Mosul, gunmen in a car attacked a truck convoy delivering food to a U.S. military base. Two (UNINTELLIGIBLE) drivers were killed, and two were wounded.
And in Fallujah, U.S. and Iraqi forces continued the assaults on militant forces. Coalition officials say an insurgent leader has been captured. The suspect is said to be a senior leader in the terrorist organization headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Five others were also detained. The U.S. is offering a $25 million bounty on al-Zarqawi, dead or alive.
HARRIS: And this hour, the political pop quiz. It's just 10 days till election time. Do you know where your candidate is? Blazing through the battlegrounds, of course. We will tell you where and when in just a few minutes.
And you probably know her voice. Now you'll see her face. Terry Gross of National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" program is stepping from behind the mike and in front of the TV cameras. She's promoting her new book, "All I Did Was Ask." And she'll be our guest. And will Boston quiet the Cardinals? Will St. Louis sock the Sox? How cute can this get? Now that the curse is reversed, both teams are dying to quench their thirst for a World Series win. We'll have a preview of tonight's opening game at Fenway Park.
NGUYEN: All right, just 10 days till voting day, and the White House race is still neck and neck. A consensus of 11 media polls shows President Bush holding a 49 to 46 percent lead over Senator John Kerry. Colorado went into the Republican column in the last presidential election. Vice President Dick Cheney is there today to push it in that direction once again. John Kerry is also there trying to pull it the other way.
CNN's Ed Henry is traveling with the Kerry campaign, which starts today in Pueblo, Colorado. Good morning, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.
That's right, in this final sprint, the last 10 days, John Kerry trying to focus his resources very carefully on only about 12 states that are still up for grabs, including Colorado. He arrived here in Pueblo last night, greeted supporters.
He will be speaking at very a historic spot, the Union Depot behind me here in Pueblo. This is where in 1919, Woodrow Wilson delivered a famous speech, and afterwards actually collapsed and later suffered a stroke.
Obviously, Senator Kerry hoping that things go a little better today as he completes this three-state swing through the West. This afternoon, he will be heading on to New Mexico, another battleground state that went very narrowly for Al Gore in 2000. Polls show it neck and neck again this time around.
Last night, Senator Kerry fulfilled a promise to make a stop in Reno, Nevada, another battleground, went for George Bush in 2000. Polls show Bush leading again slightly this time, but again, it's neck and neck, like many of these other key battlegrounds. After fulfilling that promise to show up in Reno, Senator Kerry made another promise about not shipping nuclear waste to a famous mountain site in Nevada.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There's a second promise that I've made to the state of Nevada. And it's about Yucca Mountain. And you can sum up in four words -- not on my watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Then later today, Senator Kerry will be moving on to Florida, where he will overnight, bunch of events tomorrow as well in Florida, obviously a key, key state, Betty.
NGUYEN: Hey, Ed, Colorado has a ballot referendum to split its electoral votes. How is that affecting the campaigning there? HENRY: Major issue here, because basically what would happen, nine electoral votes at stake here. If Senator Kerry were to win parts of Colorado, and, say, pick up three electoral votes, because they want -- this ballot initiative would allow the electoral votes to be split up, say he carries three electoral votes, and President Bush gets six instead of a winner-take-all, in a close race, that could decide it.
In fact, in the year 2000, if the electoral votes here in Colorado were split proportionally, based on the popular vote, Al Gore would have won a few electoral votes and would have won the White House in 2000, Betty.
NGUYEN: Ooh, it's shaping up to be an interesting election day. CNN's Ed Henry, thank you.
Tony?
HARRIS: President Bush has four Florida stops today, rallies at Fort Myers, Lakeland, Melbourne, and Jacksonville. But those are all areas that voted for him four years ago.
Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is with the Bush campaign, and we'll bring you a live report from her at the bottom of the hour.
NGUYEN: Our latest count of electoral votes gives the president 277. Now, that is seven above the number needed for election.
HARRIS: As election day looms, concerns about the voting process loom larger. The clouds of doubt look especially worrisome in, where else, the Sunshine States.
CNN's Peter Viles has a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS (voice-over): When this story left off, two former secretaries of state, James Baker for the Republicans, Warren Christopher for the Democrats, were leading rival armies of lawyers that fought from Florida all the way to the Supreme Court. So nobody should be surprised, those armies are back, and they're bigger, lawyers by the thousands, the 2004 election now a legal as well as a political contest.
ELLIOT MINCBERG, PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY: We hope to have as many as 25,000 volunteers, of which we hope 5,000 will be lawyers and law students at polls predominantly in minority areas on election day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a fundamental.
VILES: That army of lawyers is in addition to the two huge legal teams the campaigns are putting together to fight a legal battle that has already begun. Lawsuits in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Missouri, Colorado, all focus on the same new issue. What are the exact terms under which a voter who is not found on the list of registered voters can, under a new federal law, cast a professional ballot?
In Ohio, Democrats are fighting Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell on the issue.
DAVID SULLIVAN, DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEY, OHIO: We're interested in making sure that it is easy for people to vote. The Republicans seem to be interested in making it harder for people to vote.
VILES: In Florida, the Bush team already claiming Democrats are trying to win the election in court and not at the ballot box.
HAYDEN DEMPSEY, GOP ATTORNEY, FLORIDA: If you look in every single battleground state around the country, you're going to see almost identical litigation. And what is striking is that they've waited until the very eve of election to bring the lawsuits, even though they are challenging statutes that passed, in most cases, years ago.
VILES: Another new area of legal dispute, how to recount votes from electronic machines that leave no paper trail. A key issue, guess where, Florida.
(on camera): Now, Democrats now say they have a legal team of volunteers that numbers 10,000 or more lawyers. Republicans are not saying how many lawyers they have rounded up, but there is no reason to believe that either side will be outmanned or outgunned in the courtroom.
Peter Viles, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: No shortage of attorneys, that's for sure.
And our e-mail question of the day, is the U.S. election system broken? Former president Jimmy Carter, who has helped monitor troubled elections abroad, says the U.S. system doesn't meet the Carter standards for a fair vote.
We'd like to know what you think about this. E-mail us at wam@cnn.com. We're reading your replies all morning long.
NGUYEN: Want to get more now on those rumblings in Japan. There are lots of frayed nerves after several strong earthquakes shook the northwestern part of the country. Aftershocks, well, they are still being reported.
CNN's Atika Shubert joins us now from Tokyo on the telephone with the latest. Hi (audio interrupt)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on phone): Hi, Betty.
Local authorities are now patrolling the streets in Niigata Prefecture trying to assess how much damage was caused by the earthquakes. There were three in all, the highest measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, all of them happening in Niigata Prefecture, which is north of Tokyo.
Now, in the towns closest to the epicenter, there was quite a bit of damage. Several houses collapsed, glass windows (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shattered. Dozens were injured, many of them by falling objects.
Now, in several towns, the tremors also ruptured water mains and caused blackouts, also disrupted traffic and transportation, in particular roads near the epicenter buckled and cracked under the force of the earthquake, causing one expressway to be closed (audio interrupt). A train that was actually en route to Niigata Province derailed. Fortunately, though, no one was hurt, Betty.
NGUYEN: Atika, you're talking about road damage. Give us a sense of exactly when this happened. Around 6:00 in the evening? Is this a busy time for people to be out on the roadways, out and about?
SHUBERT: Well, actually, it is a weekend here, so not as busy as it would have been on a weekday, when people would have been rushing home. However, the danger was that at this time in the evening, people were just sitting down to dinner, and many people would have been cooking. So one of the main concerns with that, with so much gas being used, there could be a number of fires. And in fact, when the tremors hit, sure enough, fires did happen.
Fortunately, however, authorities were able to get to most of them and extinguish them on time.
NGUYEN: Good news there. CNN's Atika Shubert in Tokyo this morning for us. Thank you.
HARRIS: Change of gears now. After the American League uproar, the fall classic starts tonight. Are the Sox ready to shuffle, shuffle the Cards? We'll have a preview.
NGUYEN: You know her from the radio. Now Terry Gross of NPR's "Fresh Air" joins us to live on TV to talk about some of her favorite interviews over the years.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And it's a rainy start for many across the Midwest, extending all the way down to the Southern Plains. Good morning to Chicago. The rain is coming down, and you have 60 degrees. Could see some severe weather rumbling your way later on this afternoon. We'll have the severe weather outlook with the nation's forecast coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
Now to the headlines.
A trio of strong earthquakes in northwestern Japan. The tremors struck within minutes of one another (audio interrupt) magnitude 6.8 quake. At least 10 Iraqi policemen have been killed in a suicide car bombing. The explosion went off near a U.S. Marine base in western Iraq. No American casualties reported.
And on the road to the White House (audio interrupt) four rallies in Florida. Senator John Kerry makes campaign stops in Colorado and New Mexico, with a quick stop in Texas.
And coming up in about 15 minutes, Bob Novak throws himself into The Novak Zone to talk about the candidates, the voters, the attorneys in this presidential election. That is still ahead.
NGUYEN: Now to the terror watch.
A fugitive with a price on his head. The U.S. is offering $25 million for the capture or death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. One official says the Jordanian's capture would have a significant impact on stopping or slowing rising levels of insurgent violence in Iraq.
Officials are also pondering a statement said to be from al- Zarqawi pledging allegiance to Osama bin Laden (audio interrupt). In that statement, posted on an Islamic Web site, the group headed by al- Zarqawi promised the al Qaeda leader it would, quote, "listen to your orders." U.S. officials have long claimed a link between al-Zarqawi and al Qaeda.
And the hardline Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Mazriis facing 16 charges, including 10 counts of (AUDIO GAP) to murder. British authorities filed the charges earlier this week. Al-Mazri, who's been held at a prison in south London, also faces an extradition request from the United States for alleged links to al Qaeda.
HARRIS: Well, they aimed for her face and ended up hitting Ann Coulter's shoulder. Now criminal charges could be brought against the alleged pie throwers.
That and more when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, Chicago. Looks like you got some...
HARRIS: Little wet and nasty, isn't it?
NGUYEN: ... rainy streets there. Yes, but it is the site of the city's Halloween Happening Parade, which takes place today, maybe under an umbrella or two. Jaqui Jeras, who has her Halloween costume, is up in a little bit with a complete forecast in about three minutes.
Welcome back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Oh, we're going to have some fun right now.
NGUYEN: OK. HARRIS: Oh, this is one of my favorite shows on the radio. And Terry Gross is fantastic. Going to be there in just a second. On the radio, she asks the kinds of questions you're dying to know the answer to. And she even thinks of a few that can catch you and her guests off guard.
Now she's put those questions and answers into print. Terry Gross, host of "Fresh Air" on National Public Radio, has written the book "All I Did Was Ask." I don't know why I want to put a question mark on the end of that. "All I Did Was Ask." It's a collection of 39 interviews with some of her most fascinating guests.
She joins us live from Philadelphia with more.
Terry, good to see you.
TERRY GROSS, HOST, NPR'S "FRESH AIR": Good to see you. Thank you.
HARRIS: Well, first, let me ask you to sort of set the stage for folks who may not have heard your program. And I can't imagine there are many out there. But tell us how long you have been hosting the show, and describe it a little bit for us, if you would.
GROSS: Well, I started hosting the show when it was local in 1975, and it's has been national since 1987. And our guests range from, you know, ex-presidents to, you know, John Travolta and Kevin Spacey. It's a real mix of entertainment, the arts, politics, and news.
HARRIS: Well, did you grow up aspiring to be a radio talk show host and interviewer?
GROSS: No, I didn't, because when I was growing up, I mean, I listened to, like, rock and roll radio when I was a kid. And there weren't women on the radio. So I never thought, Oh, I'll be on the radio, because there -- I never heard a woman on the radio till I was in my late teens.
HARRIS: So how did the idea of the book come about? Were you dragged kicking and screaming to write it? Or did it come to you (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
GROSS: Definitely kicking and screaming. My goal in life is always to work a little bit less, and doing a book was not consonant with that goal.
However, at some point I figured, OK, I'll do it. And what really made it work is that I worked with a collaborator named Margaret Pick (ph), who's a friend of mine. I've worked with her before. And she did a lot of the editing of the interviews, and that freed me up to do the writing that I needed to do for the book. So it was a great collaboration.
HARRIS: What did you learn about yourself in the process of putting this book together? GROSS: Well, you know, when you have to listen back to a lot of your interviews and read the transcripts of a lot of your interviews, you learn a lot about what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. It's good feedback. But then at some point you think, I have to stop listening to myself. You know, it makes you so self-conscious to go back and review all of your work.
HARRIS: Yes, this is a little bit of a reach, but play along with me here.
GROSS: OK.
HARRIS: You talk to a lot of very, very creative people. But you all -- your show is also current. You're taking on current topics and events in the news right now. But give me a sense, do you get a different perspective, do you take a bit of a different take on the news, being the benefit of talking to so many creative people in the arts?
GROSS: Well, sure. I mean, you have to really be involved in it. And, like, when I go to see a movie, I'm not only just, like, enjoying the movie, I'm thinking, I think that actor would make a good interview, or, Boy, I want to talk to the screenwriter. So you're always -- you know, the world is, like, your catalog. You're always looking at it and thinking, What story should we cover? Who should we be on the show?
HARRIS: I got to ask you, we're going to put a quote up here, and it's...
GROSS: OK.
HARRIS: ... going to lead to this question about this one interview that I know you get a ton of questions about. I suspect that if this had happened on commercial radio, the program director would have been in my office the next day, encouraging me to fight with all my guests. Is this an allusion to the Gene Simmons interview?
GROSS: Yes, it is. Gene Simmons is one of the founders of KISS, a kind of heavy metal rock band for teens, for preteens.
HARRIS: Yes, I got to tell you, I heard the interview on the way to work. And I couldn't go to work. I had to sit there in the car until the interview was over. And I don't even know how quite to describe it. He was just unbelievable...
GROSS: Let, let, let, let...
HARRIS: ... reflecting on it -- You want to set it up?
GROSS: Yes, let's just say...
HARRIS: OK.
GROSS: ... most of my guests don't say to me, If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you'll also have to welcome me...
HARRIS: With open legs.
GROSS: ... with open legs.
HARRIS: Yes.
GROSS: So when a guest says something like that to you, you have to ask yourself, Well, now what do I do? Do I just say, Oh, that's fine, let's get back to your music, or do you say, as if you're a kindergarten teacher, Mr. Simmons, if you're going to be rude like that, we'll have to terminate this interview.
So what I said was just the kind of thing I was thinking, which is, Gee, that's really obnoxious. So we both started, like, trading insults, and how often do you hear that on public radio? Public radio, we have this reputation where we're sensitive, we're thoughtful, we're respectful.
And suddenly here we are trading insults with each other. Which is why, I think, this interview made such news. It was written up in lots of magazines and newspapers.
HARRIS: Well, Terry, it is one of the defining interviews of your show. But not the only great moment on your show. Really enjoy it.
Terry Gross, the host of "Fresh Air," has a new book. We encourage you. It's a great read. Terry, good for being with us. Thank you for being with us.
GROSS: Oh, thank you so much for having me.
HARRIS: Appreciate it.
GROSS: Thank you.
HARRIS: Thank you. Have a great day.
NGUYEN: And speaking of asking questions, we're asking a few questions of our own, and that's of Jacqui Jeras and this weather outside. Little rainy in Chicago today.
JERAS: A lot rainy.
NGUYEN: Yes.
JERAS: Unfortunately. And they've got the parade there today.
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: Oh, not a good day for it.
JERAS: I know. Bring the umbrellas, you're going to need it. Rain slickers over the costumes, if the kids are going to wearing their costumes out there for it today. (WEATHER FORECAST)
JERAS: Dry in the Northeast today. Big game for tonight.
HARRIS: Oh, absolutely.
JERAS: Wet weather holding off for a day. You going to be watching?
NGUYEN: I think so.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: You got a rooting interest in this?
JERAS: Well, not particularly.
HARRIS: OK, all right.
NGUYEN: Just a fan. We can all just be fans.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Nothing wrong with that.
JERAS: ... Midwestern team.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: Thank you, Jacqui.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: We're on the campaign trail. President Bush heads to Florida to try to swing voters in the Sunshine State. We have a live report from Fort Myers straight ahead.
HARRIS: Meet me in Boston. The last time the St. Louis Cardinals, Jacqui, met up with the Red Sox in Beantown, it was 1967. Are they ready for tonight? Don't miss our fall classic preview, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. What will it take to win the White House? Bob Novak is here with his insight on that. We'll check in with him a little bit later.
Want to welcome you back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
That story coming up.
First, here is what is happening now in the news. Three strong earthquakes hit northwestern Japan today. In their wake, collapsed houses, ruptured water mains, blackouts, and a high- speed-train derailment. The strongest quake had a 6.8 magnitude. Local media reports at least one person dead and dozens injured.
At least 11 Iraqis were killed today in a car bombing at a police station at a national guard camp. A witness to the police station bombings said dozens of civilians were lined up to hand over their weapons or to join the police.
Britain's Prince Harry had to go talk to his dad about that scuffle. A spokesman for the prince, for Prince Charles, wouldn't go into details, but a newspaper reported Harry said he was sorry. A royal official said Harry was hit in the face with a camera outside of a London nightclub. The, photographer, who suffered a split lip, says the prince struck him without provocation.
And a U.S. astronaut comes back to earth with his Russian colleague today. Gennady Padalka and Michael Fincke, seen in the front of the picture there, are leaving the International -- look at the hair -- the International Space Station after six months. The two were allowed to sleep in this morning so they could have energy for their strenuous preflight routine.
President Bush is campaigning in Florida today. His mission is to rally the faithful in four cities that backed him in the last election.
CNN's Dana Bash is traveling with the Bush campaign today. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
And you've probably seen certainly here the crowd behind me, and the music and the band playing to rally the crowd, you know, while they're waiting for the president, who should arrive here shortly in Fort Myers. And as you mentioned, this is the first of four stops here in Florida today, four rallies.
The Bush campaign says these rallies will get larger as they go. The president obviously starts here in Fort Myers, then he goes (UNINTELLIGIBLE), (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Melbourne, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Florida.
And all of these areas are areas that President Bush won pretty big last time around in a state where the president obviously did not take full state (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but these are areas where he has a lot of Republican support. And the goal of these rallies are to make sure that all of the Republicans who in these areas actually go out and vote, that they tell their friends to go out and vote. This is a get-out-the-base kind of trip.
Now, Democrats, the Kerry campaign, said, they say that the president is essentially giving up on swing voters, swing voters that Senator Kerry is making it very clear he's still going after. Bush campaign says that this is just one part of their strategy, what they're doing today.
Now, what we're likely to hear from the president today is a revamped stump speech that he started to give yesterday, trying to make the themes of his campaign more personal, more geared towards families, talking about the things that we've heard all along, health care and security and the economy, all framing those, all things, as all things that he says he can do much better than John Kerry, but certainly a special emphasis on terrorism and security.
That is still where President Bush's biggest advantage is, and the president's campaign is planning on playing that up this last week.
HARRIS: Dana Bash with the Bush campaign this morning. Dana, thank you.
John Kerry starts his day in Pueblo, Colorado. It is traditionally a Republican state, and George Bush won it in 2000. But Kerry hopes to capture the state's nine electoral votes on election day. Next he's off to a rally in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He'll then travel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to prep for campaign stops there tomorrow.
NGUYEN: All right, here's that question again. What will it take to win the White House? Which states will it come down to? To talk about this and more, we're joined by Bob Novak in The Novak Zone.
Good morning. How are you?
ROBERT NOVAK, HOST, THE NOVAK ZONE: Good morning.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about Iowa. With all the talk about Florida, the focus is on the Hawkeye State. Why is this state so important?
NOVAK: Well, of course, it's a traditional starting point for the Democrats. And that's where Senator Kerry raised his campaign. But it's, it's, there's only, there's only 10 states that are really swing states, that are gettable states, and that has seven electoral votes. It's entirely conceivable that who wins Iowa wins the election.
So it's, it's -- big states like New York, Texas, California, nobody goes there, because they are already decided. It is not how big you are, it is whether you are a possible to be won by either side.
NGUYEN: Earlier this morning, Ed Henry called Florida the mother of all battleground states. Let's talk about Florida for just a moment now. With all the problems that are going on right now, including concerns over these widespread voter fraud complaints, is this going to be a major factor? Is election day going to be just chaotic in Florida?
NOVAK: It has that potential. It always does. And Florida is just a state that's very hard to analyze, to get a strong prediction on. I would say right now, it's -- nobody can really tell who's going to win that state. But there's a good chance whoever wins Florida will win the election, as was the case in 2000.
I think, although they have thousands of lawyers, particularly Democratic lawyers, ready to step in there, I think the procedure is much improved over 2000, and you're not going to have the chaos that you had four years ago.
NGUYEN: We can only hope that we don't have that kind of chaos.
Bob, in Ohio, let's talk about that, too, because people are receiving phone calls saying that their polling sites have changed, when in fact they have not. How concerned are both camps about all that's going on right now with voters, and the possibility of them not getting to the right sites, not being registered correctly, and all that?
NOVAK: Well, the lawyers are -- on both sides are stepping in. They've denuded Washington of lawyers, and that's saying something, just sending them around the country, and particularly to Ohio to cause trouble there.
Ohio is a swing state. The interesting thing about Ohio, however, is that no Republican has ever been elected without carrying Ohio. This may be the first time. It is entirely possible that George W. Bush can lose Ohio and be elected president. Of course, he has to win Florida and a lot of other states.
But Ohio is -- it used to be a sure Republican state, it is now a swing state. And anytime you have a swing state, and, well, also two- thirds of the Ohio votes are punchcards, you know, hanging chads, you remember that?
NGUYEN: I remember those.
NOVAK: So that's, that's...
NGUYEN: How could we...
NOVAK: ... that's, that's a...
NGUYEN: ... forget, Bob?
NOVAK: ... that's a formula for trouble.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Well, you know, today in "The New York Times," it cites Republican Party officials taking formal steps to place recruits, thousands of them, inside polling places to challenge people if they think maybe they're not eligible. Is this going to make polling places a hostile environment come election day?
NOVAK: I think so. This has been going on a long time. I, it really dates back to the '60s, particularly Republicans challenging Democratic voters and Republicans claiming the Democrats are stuffing the ballot box with voters who shouldn't vote.
I saw the other day on "INSIDE POLITICS" that if you're a lobbyist in Washington, and you're sitting in your office in K Street right now, you don't mean much, because the -- any lawyer worth his -- any lobbyist worth his salt has been recruited to go out, and a lot of these Republican lobbyists are going out on this ballot security question to make sure the right people vote.
NGUYEN: All right, we got to talk about this before we let you go. And we'll get to the big question in just a moment. But this last, this past week, Teresa Heinz, or Teresa Heinz Kerry, raised some eyebrows when she said she wasn't for sure if Laura Bush ever held a real job. Now, Mrs. Bush served as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and, of course, a mother of two. How much of a difference is that comment going to make with those female voters?
NOVAK: Well, everybody, when, Democrats I have talked to all year, starting back in the convention in Boston, said Teresa Heinz Kerry was a train wreck (UNINTELLIGIBLE) waiting to happen, because she, she -- you know, if you're a billionaire, and you're very fond of your own words, and you can say anything you want.
Now, the trouble was, she apologized. She said, Gee, I (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I forgot she was a librarian and a schoolteacher. Well, that increased the insult, because I think some of the hardest working women in America are women who...
NGUYEN: Mothers.
NOVAK: ... stay home and take care of their children. That is a real tough job. And it's a job that my mother and my wife, my daughter, and my daughter-in-law have had. And they're, and they all gave up good jobs outside to do this. So that was a mistake.
But I'm going to tell you a little secret. It doesn't make any difference. The American people do not vote for first ladies. I think personally, if they voted for third -- first ladies, Laura Bush would win in a landslide. But they don't. They're not voting for Teresa, they're voting for John Kerry and George W. Bush.
But this is a lot of fun for us in the news media to play around with because although don't mean anything, you know what? They're more interesting than the men are.
NGUYEN: It's a big talker. All right, we got to get to your big question of the day. Let's roll that graphic. And the question is, what do the candidates need to do to win this election? We only have 10 difficulties left, Bob.
NOVAK: What they have to do is avoid mistakes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) both of these candidates, they've made (UNINTELLIGIBLE) little boo- boos, but nothing anything big, like boo-boos I have seen in the past by candidates like Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. They have avoided mistakes so far, and that's what they have to do now. I don't think there's a silver bullet.
The thing, if they had a real surprise like the driving under the influence conviction of George Bush that was revealed by the Bush, by the Gore campaign four years ago, and nearly elected Al Gore, that is something they could find. I'm not sure they have any of those kind of surprises. But in the absence of a surprise, avoid mistakes.
All reiterating these same campaign themes, I can't believe they really win any votes. And, you know, when you have Bill Clinton coming in and saying, Bill, I'm going to go in and win the election for John Kerry, tell me, tell me the Bush voter who is going to vote for Bush and now says Gee, Bill Clinton is campaigning, I'm going to vote for Kerry, I don't think he exists.
NGUYEN: You heard it right here. Bob Novak in The Novak Zone this morning. Thank you, Bob. Have a great day.
NOVAK: Thank you very much.
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and there's this. You might be amazed at the creativity of some of the people involved in the presidential election. Tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" at 9:00 Eastern, political ads you can find on the Internet, like this anti-Bush spot featuring a toy called the Bush Global Dominator Action Figure. "It invades sovereign nation, starts wars, and misleads the media."
There's also this one from a Bush supporter, the John Kerry Flip- Flop Olympics. The judges include caricatures of Senators Edward Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.
Political ads in The Best of the Web tomorrow morning on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" at 9:00 Eastern.
And time now for our weekly rewind, a look at the top stories from the past week.
On Tuesday, a high-profile hostage crisis starts in Baghdad. Gunmen seized Margaret Hassan, the head of CARE International's relief efforts in Iraq. Hassan was later shown on videotape pleading for her life.
On Wednesday, the Red Sox made baseball history. Boston came back from three games down to beat the New York Yankees and clinch the American League pennant. Celebrations in Boston were marred by the death of a fan. She was killed by a pepper spray projectile fired by police.
On Thursday, a stiff penalty for a key figure in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. A U.S. military judge in Baghdad sentenced Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick to eight years behind bars. Frederick was the highest-ranking U.S. soldier charged in connection with the abuse scandal.
Tomorrow, we'll fast forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will be grabbing the spotlight.
NGUYEN: In the meantime, Ann Coulter was attacked by a pie. But are the alleged attackers the ones who will end up with pie on their face? Don't miss this twist on the story. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Checking our top stories, six Americans soldiers are wounded in a roadside bomb attack in western Baghdad. That bomb blew up a Bradley fighting vehicle, engulfing it in flames, as you see here.
Suicide car bombings kill 11 members of Iraq's security forces this morning. The deadliest attack happened near a U.S. Marine base which is west of Baghdad. Another bomb went off at a national guard camp in Samarra north of Baghdad. There were no U.S. casualties.
And aftershocks continue in Japan following three strong earthquakes in the northwestern part of the country. The tremors were so powerful, buildings shook in Tokyo, some 155 miles away.
And we're asking you the e-mail question of the day. Is the U.S. election system broken? We'll read some of your responses a little bit later. But send those in to wam@cnn.com.
HARRIS: Pie in the face? Not for conservative columnist Ann Coulter. But she did get a little on her shoulder. Two man ran on stage -- take a look at this -- and threw custard pies. Boy, she was quick on her feet. As she spoke at the University of Arizona, the men are now facing felony and misdemeanor charges.
NGUYEN: Well, the Redbirds and Red Sox come out tonight in Boston for game one of the World Series. And as CNN's Larry Smith reports, hitters on both teams will definitely be hacking away.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS: In the 100th renewal of the World Series, few would be shocked if we saw that many runs scored before a champion is crowned. The Cardinals come in having put up more than five runs game in these playoffs, while the Red Sox, baseball's most prolific offense during their regular season, have scored nearly seven runs per game and are riding the momentum of a 3-0 comeback over the Yankees.
WOODY WILLIAMS, CARDINALS STARTING PITCHER: There's no doubt that I have to make sure that I focus every hitter. And I got to keep the top of the lineup off the bases, because the big boys can definitely make that a three- or four-run inning real quick.
JOHNNY DAMON, RED SOX OUTFIELDER: Hopefully the bats come out swinging in game one. But, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we know that we can rely on anybody on this team. If someone doesn't come through one game, we know they can step up in another. So there's not going to be any panic on our team.
LARRY WALKER, CARDINALS OUTFIELDER: It seems like fairly evenly matched teams. I saw what was written in one paper, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just matching up position, my position, and the numbers are very similar. So, you know, it could come down to pitching and bullpens.
SMITH: St. Louis' manager, Tony LaRussa, can make history and join Sparky Anderson as the only managers to win World Series titles in both leagues. While it's the same old story for the Red Sox, their fifth World Series appearance since the infamous trade of Babe Ruth back in 1920. The last four trips all ended in game seven losses.
Larry Smith, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We will be right back with your e-mails. We're asking today, Is the U.S. election system broken? What you're saying when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And good morning, Portland. I bet you didn't think we knew this, but we know all. Pumpkin Funland is officially open for the season. The exhibit is known as one of the best Halloween displays in the U.S.
Jacqui Jeras is coming up in just a couple of moments with your weekend forecast.
NGUYEN: Can't forget Pumpkin Funland, of course, no.
HARRIS: No.
NGUYEN: And we don't want to forget Jeanne Meserve. In fact, we want to check in with her now in Washington with the latest on "ON THE STORY." Good morning, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, "ON THE STORY": Good morning, Betty and Tony.
We're "ON THE STORY" from the campaign trail to the World Series. Dana Bash and Kelly Wallace will talk of their travels with the president and with John Kerry. I'll talk about local governments' security concerns for election day. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is on the flu vaccine story. And we'll talk to "Sports Illustrated's" Melissa Segura about the Red Sox and the Series. All coming up, all "ON THE STORY."
NGUYEN: Looking forward to that. Thank you, Jeanne.
HARRIS: Jeanne, thank you.
And all morning long, we've been asking for your thoughts on our e-mail question. We're basically asking the question of whether or not you believe the election system is broken and needs repair.
NGUYEN: We have a lot of people writing in.
This first person, Erik, writes, "Yes!" with an exclamation point. "In a country where the electoral college outweighs the popular vote, we are in a dire need of reform. Last election, I voted for President Bush at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time. Prior to my leaving my home to vote, the state had already been called for Gore. I know without a doubt that the vote I cast in 2000 may as well not have been counted. I believe that we should count all votes in our election."
HARRIS: One more e-mail, we got time for it? OK. "Yes, it's broken. We need to get back to the popular vote only. That would make sure the regular people elect the president. And with paper trails. If we can't trust the system, why even bother to vote?"
Sandra, thank you for that (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that e-mail response.
NGUYEN: Well, we definitely want to vote come election day, just 10 days away from now. But how's the weather today, as both parties stumping all across the U.S.? Jacqui?
JERAS: Hey. A little wet across much of the Pacific Northwest for today.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
JERAS: Beautiful start in Portland this morning, guys. I just got back from the National Weather Association annual conference in Portland. Had a wonderful time. Got to see the Columbia River Gorge...
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
JERAS: ... very nice area. First time there.
HARRIS: OK. Thank you, Jacqui. Thank you for that.
NGUYEN: All right, Jacqui.
HARRIS: That's all of our time. Thank you.
NGUYEN: But we invite you to stay tuned. "ON THE STORY" is up next, right after a check of the headlines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 October 23, 2004 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone, from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
It is 9:00 a.m. in Jacksonville, Florida, 7:00 a.m. in Pueblo, Colorado. Thank you much for joining us this morning.
Now in the news, three strong earthquakes strike northwestern Japan one after the other. The strongest tremor was a magnitude 6.8. Blackouts, ruptured water mains, collapsed houses, and a high-speed train derailment are reported. Associated Press reports three people dead so far.
In Afghanistan, police report a suicide attack in downtown Kabul. The attacker had six grenades strapped to his body, according to Kabul's police chief. The explosions blew the attacker apart and left six other people injured.
In western Iraq, a suicide car bomber attacked an Iraqi police station near a U.S. Marine base. Ten Iraqi police officers were killed there.
And in Mosul, gunmen in a car attacked a truck convoy delivering food to a U.S. military base. Two (UNINTELLIGIBLE) drivers were killed, and two were wounded.
And in Fallujah, U.S. and Iraqi forces continued the assaults on militant forces. Coalition officials say an insurgent leader has been captured. The suspect is said to be a senior leader in the terrorist organization headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Five others were also detained. The U.S. is offering a $25 million bounty on al-Zarqawi, dead or alive.
HARRIS: And this hour, the political pop quiz. It's just 10 days till election time. Do you know where your candidate is? Blazing through the battlegrounds, of course. We will tell you where and when in just a few minutes.
And you probably know her voice. Now you'll see her face. Terry Gross of National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" program is stepping from behind the mike and in front of the TV cameras. She's promoting her new book, "All I Did Was Ask." And she'll be our guest. And will Boston quiet the Cardinals? Will St. Louis sock the Sox? How cute can this get? Now that the curse is reversed, both teams are dying to quench their thirst for a World Series win. We'll have a preview of tonight's opening game at Fenway Park.
NGUYEN: All right, just 10 days till voting day, and the White House race is still neck and neck. A consensus of 11 media polls shows President Bush holding a 49 to 46 percent lead over Senator John Kerry. Colorado went into the Republican column in the last presidential election. Vice President Dick Cheney is there today to push it in that direction once again. John Kerry is also there trying to pull it the other way.
CNN's Ed Henry is traveling with the Kerry campaign, which starts today in Pueblo, Colorado. Good morning, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.
That's right, in this final sprint, the last 10 days, John Kerry trying to focus his resources very carefully on only about 12 states that are still up for grabs, including Colorado. He arrived here in Pueblo last night, greeted supporters.
He will be speaking at very a historic spot, the Union Depot behind me here in Pueblo. This is where in 1919, Woodrow Wilson delivered a famous speech, and afterwards actually collapsed and later suffered a stroke.
Obviously, Senator Kerry hoping that things go a little better today as he completes this three-state swing through the West. This afternoon, he will be heading on to New Mexico, another battleground state that went very narrowly for Al Gore in 2000. Polls show it neck and neck again this time around.
Last night, Senator Kerry fulfilled a promise to make a stop in Reno, Nevada, another battleground, went for George Bush in 2000. Polls show Bush leading again slightly this time, but again, it's neck and neck, like many of these other key battlegrounds. After fulfilling that promise to show up in Reno, Senator Kerry made another promise about not shipping nuclear waste to a famous mountain site in Nevada.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There's a second promise that I've made to the state of Nevada. And it's about Yucca Mountain. And you can sum up in four words -- not on my watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Then later today, Senator Kerry will be moving on to Florida, where he will overnight, bunch of events tomorrow as well in Florida, obviously a key, key state, Betty.
NGUYEN: Hey, Ed, Colorado has a ballot referendum to split its electoral votes. How is that affecting the campaigning there? HENRY: Major issue here, because basically what would happen, nine electoral votes at stake here. If Senator Kerry were to win parts of Colorado, and, say, pick up three electoral votes, because they want -- this ballot initiative would allow the electoral votes to be split up, say he carries three electoral votes, and President Bush gets six instead of a winner-take-all, in a close race, that could decide it.
In fact, in the year 2000, if the electoral votes here in Colorado were split proportionally, based on the popular vote, Al Gore would have won a few electoral votes and would have won the White House in 2000, Betty.
NGUYEN: Ooh, it's shaping up to be an interesting election day. CNN's Ed Henry, thank you.
Tony?
HARRIS: President Bush has four Florida stops today, rallies at Fort Myers, Lakeland, Melbourne, and Jacksonville. But those are all areas that voted for him four years ago.
Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is with the Bush campaign, and we'll bring you a live report from her at the bottom of the hour.
NGUYEN: Our latest count of electoral votes gives the president 277. Now, that is seven above the number needed for election.
HARRIS: As election day looms, concerns about the voting process loom larger. The clouds of doubt look especially worrisome in, where else, the Sunshine States.
CNN's Peter Viles has a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS (voice-over): When this story left off, two former secretaries of state, James Baker for the Republicans, Warren Christopher for the Democrats, were leading rival armies of lawyers that fought from Florida all the way to the Supreme Court. So nobody should be surprised, those armies are back, and they're bigger, lawyers by the thousands, the 2004 election now a legal as well as a political contest.
ELLIOT MINCBERG, PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY: We hope to have as many as 25,000 volunteers, of which we hope 5,000 will be lawyers and law students at polls predominantly in minority areas on election day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a fundamental.
VILES: That army of lawyers is in addition to the two huge legal teams the campaigns are putting together to fight a legal battle that has already begun. Lawsuits in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Missouri, Colorado, all focus on the same new issue. What are the exact terms under which a voter who is not found on the list of registered voters can, under a new federal law, cast a professional ballot?
In Ohio, Democrats are fighting Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell on the issue.
DAVID SULLIVAN, DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEY, OHIO: We're interested in making sure that it is easy for people to vote. The Republicans seem to be interested in making it harder for people to vote.
VILES: In Florida, the Bush team already claiming Democrats are trying to win the election in court and not at the ballot box.
HAYDEN DEMPSEY, GOP ATTORNEY, FLORIDA: If you look in every single battleground state around the country, you're going to see almost identical litigation. And what is striking is that they've waited until the very eve of election to bring the lawsuits, even though they are challenging statutes that passed, in most cases, years ago.
VILES: Another new area of legal dispute, how to recount votes from electronic machines that leave no paper trail. A key issue, guess where, Florida.
(on camera): Now, Democrats now say they have a legal team of volunteers that numbers 10,000 or more lawyers. Republicans are not saying how many lawyers they have rounded up, but there is no reason to believe that either side will be outmanned or outgunned in the courtroom.
Peter Viles, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: No shortage of attorneys, that's for sure.
And our e-mail question of the day, is the U.S. election system broken? Former president Jimmy Carter, who has helped monitor troubled elections abroad, says the U.S. system doesn't meet the Carter standards for a fair vote.
We'd like to know what you think about this. E-mail us at wam@cnn.com. We're reading your replies all morning long.
NGUYEN: Want to get more now on those rumblings in Japan. There are lots of frayed nerves after several strong earthquakes shook the northwestern part of the country. Aftershocks, well, they are still being reported.
CNN's Atika Shubert joins us now from Tokyo on the telephone with the latest. Hi (audio interrupt)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on phone): Hi, Betty.
Local authorities are now patrolling the streets in Niigata Prefecture trying to assess how much damage was caused by the earthquakes. There were three in all, the highest measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, all of them happening in Niigata Prefecture, which is north of Tokyo.
Now, in the towns closest to the epicenter, there was quite a bit of damage. Several houses collapsed, glass windows (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shattered. Dozens were injured, many of them by falling objects.
Now, in several towns, the tremors also ruptured water mains and caused blackouts, also disrupted traffic and transportation, in particular roads near the epicenter buckled and cracked under the force of the earthquake, causing one expressway to be closed (audio interrupt). A train that was actually en route to Niigata Province derailed. Fortunately, though, no one was hurt, Betty.
NGUYEN: Atika, you're talking about road damage. Give us a sense of exactly when this happened. Around 6:00 in the evening? Is this a busy time for people to be out on the roadways, out and about?
SHUBERT: Well, actually, it is a weekend here, so not as busy as it would have been on a weekday, when people would have been rushing home. However, the danger was that at this time in the evening, people were just sitting down to dinner, and many people would have been cooking. So one of the main concerns with that, with so much gas being used, there could be a number of fires. And in fact, when the tremors hit, sure enough, fires did happen.
Fortunately, however, authorities were able to get to most of them and extinguish them on time.
NGUYEN: Good news there. CNN's Atika Shubert in Tokyo this morning for us. Thank you.
HARRIS: Change of gears now. After the American League uproar, the fall classic starts tonight. Are the Sox ready to shuffle, shuffle the Cards? We'll have a preview.
NGUYEN: You know her from the radio. Now Terry Gross of NPR's "Fresh Air" joins us to live on TV to talk about some of her favorite interviews over the years.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And it's a rainy start for many across the Midwest, extending all the way down to the Southern Plains. Good morning to Chicago. The rain is coming down, and you have 60 degrees. Could see some severe weather rumbling your way later on this afternoon. We'll have the severe weather outlook with the nation's forecast coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
Now to the headlines.
A trio of strong earthquakes in northwestern Japan. The tremors struck within minutes of one another (audio interrupt) magnitude 6.8 quake. At least 10 Iraqi policemen have been killed in a suicide car bombing. The explosion went off near a U.S. Marine base in western Iraq. No American casualties reported.
And on the road to the White House (audio interrupt) four rallies in Florida. Senator John Kerry makes campaign stops in Colorado and New Mexico, with a quick stop in Texas.
And coming up in about 15 minutes, Bob Novak throws himself into The Novak Zone to talk about the candidates, the voters, the attorneys in this presidential election. That is still ahead.
NGUYEN: Now to the terror watch.
A fugitive with a price on his head. The U.S. is offering $25 million for the capture or death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. One official says the Jordanian's capture would have a significant impact on stopping or slowing rising levels of insurgent violence in Iraq.
Officials are also pondering a statement said to be from al- Zarqawi pledging allegiance to Osama bin Laden (audio interrupt). In that statement, posted on an Islamic Web site, the group headed by al- Zarqawi promised the al Qaeda leader it would, quote, "listen to your orders." U.S. officials have long claimed a link between al-Zarqawi and al Qaeda.
And the hardline Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Mazriis facing 16 charges, including 10 counts of (AUDIO GAP) to murder. British authorities filed the charges earlier this week. Al-Mazri, who's been held at a prison in south London, also faces an extradition request from the United States for alleged links to al Qaeda.
HARRIS: Well, they aimed for her face and ended up hitting Ann Coulter's shoulder. Now criminal charges could be brought against the alleged pie throwers.
That and more when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, Chicago. Looks like you got some...
HARRIS: Little wet and nasty, isn't it?
NGUYEN: ... rainy streets there. Yes, but it is the site of the city's Halloween Happening Parade, which takes place today, maybe under an umbrella or two. Jaqui Jeras, who has her Halloween costume, is up in a little bit with a complete forecast in about three minutes.
Welcome back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Oh, we're going to have some fun right now.
NGUYEN: OK. HARRIS: Oh, this is one of my favorite shows on the radio. And Terry Gross is fantastic. Going to be there in just a second. On the radio, she asks the kinds of questions you're dying to know the answer to. And she even thinks of a few that can catch you and her guests off guard.
Now she's put those questions and answers into print. Terry Gross, host of "Fresh Air" on National Public Radio, has written the book "All I Did Was Ask." I don't know why I want to put a question mark on the end of that. "All I Did Was Ask." It's a collection of 39 interviews with some of her most fascinating guests.
She joins us live from Philadelphia with more.
Terry, good to see you.
TERRY GROSS, HOST, NPR'S "FRESH AIR": Good to see you. Thank you.
HARRIS: Well, first, let me ask you to sort of set the stage for folks who may not have heard your program. And I can't imagine there are many out there. But tell us how long you have been hosting the show, and describe it a little bit for us, if you would.
GROSS: Well, I started hosting the show when it was local in 1975, and it's has been national since 1987. And our guests range from, you know, ex-presidents to, you know, John Travolta and Kevin Spacey. It's a real mix of entertainment, the arts, politics, and news.
HARRIS: Well, did you grow up aspiring to be a radio talk show host and interviewer?
GROSS: No, I didn't, because when I was growing up, I mean, I listened to, like, rock and roll radio when I was a kid. And there weren't women on the radio. So I never thought, Oh, I'll be on the radio, because there -- I never heard a woman on the radio till I was in my late teens.
HARRIS: So how did the idea of the book come about? Were you dragged kicking and screaming to write it? Or did it come to you (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
GROSS: Definitely kicking and screaming. My goal in life is always to work a little bit less, and doing a book was not consonant with that goal.
However, at some point I figured, OK, I'll do it. And what really made it work is that I worked with a collaborator named Margaret Pick (ph), who's a friend of mine. I've worked with her before. And she did a lot of the editing of the interviews, and that freed me up to do the writing that I needed to do for the book. So it was a great collaboration.
HARRIS: What did you learn about yourself in the process of putting this book together? GROSS: Well, you know, when you have to listen back to a lot of your interviews and read the transcripts of a lot of your interviews, you learn a lot about what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. It's good feedback. But then at some point you think, I have to stop listening to myself. You know, it makes you so self-conscious to go back and review all of your work.
HARRIS: Yes, this is a little bit of a reach, but play along with me here.
GROSS: OK.
HARRIS: You talk to a lot of very, very creative people. But you all -- your show is also current. You're taking on current topics and events in the news right now. But give me a sense, do you get a different perspective, do you take a bit of a different take on the news, being the benefit of talking to so many creative people in the arts?
GROSS: Well, sure. I mean, you have to really be involved in it. And, like, when I go to see a movie, I'm not only just, like, enjoying the movie, I'm thinking, I think that actor would make a good interview, or, Boy, I want to talk to the screenwriter. So you're always -- you know, the world is, like, your catalog. You're always looking at it and thinking, What story should we cover? Who should we be on the show?
HARRIS: I got to ask you, we're going to put a quote up here, and it's...
GROSS: OK.
HARRIS: ... going to lead to this question about this one interview that I know you get a ton of questions about. I suspect that if this had happened on commercial radio, the program director would have been in my office the next day, encouraging me to fight with all my guests. Is this an allusion to the Gene Simmons interview?
GROSS: Yes, it is. Gene Simmons is one of the founders of KISS, a kind of heavy metal rock band for teens, for preteens.
HARRIS: Yes, I got to tell you, I heard the interview on the way to work. And I couldn't go to work. I had to sit there in the car until the interview was over. And I don't even know how quite to describe it. He was just unbelievable...
GROSS: Let, let, let, let...
HARRIS: ... reflecting on it -- You want to set it up?
GROSS: Yes, let's just say...
HARRIS: OK.
GROSS: ... most of my guests don't say to me, If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you'll also have to welcome me...
HARRIS: With open legs.
GROSS: ... with open legs.
HARRIS: Yes.
GROSS: So when a guest says something like that to you, you have to ask yourself, Well, now what do I do? Do I just say, Oh, that's fine, let's get back to your music, or do you say, as if you're a kindergarten teacher, Mr. Simmons, if you're going to be rude like that, we'll have to terminate this interview.
So what I said was just the kind of thing I was thinking, which is, Gee, that's really obnoxious. So we both started, like, trading insults, and how often do you hear that on public radio? Public radio, we have this reputation where we're sensitive, we're thoughtful, we're respectful.
And suddenly here we are trading insults with each other. Which is why, I think, this interview made such news. It was written up in lots of magazines and newspapers.
HARRIS: Well, Terry, it is one of the defining interviews of your show. But not the only great moment on your show. Really enjoy it.
Terry Gross, the host of "Fresh Air," has a new book. We encourage you. It's a great read. Terry, good for being with us. Thank you for being with us.
GROSS: Oh, thank you so much for having me.
HARRIS: Appreciate it.
GROSS: Thank you.
HARRIS: Thank you. Have a great day.
NGUYEN: And speaking of asking questions, we're asking a few questions of our own, and that's of Jacqui Jeras and this weather outside. Little rainy in Chicago today.
JERAS: A lot rainy.
NGUYEN: Yes.
JERAS: Unfortunately. And they've got the parade there today.
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: Oh, not a good day for it.
JERAS: I know. Bring the umbrellas, you're going to need it. Rain slickers over the costumes, if the kids are going to wearing their costumes out there for it today. (WEATHER FORECAST)
JERAS: Dry in the Northeast today. Big game for tonight.
HARRIS: Oh, absolutely.
JERAS: Wet weather holding off for a day. You going to be watching?
NGUYEN: I think so.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: You got a rooting interest in this?
JERAS: Well, not particularly.
HARRIS: OK, all right.
NGUYEN: Just a fan. We can all just be fans.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Nothing wrong with that.
JERAS: ... Midwestern team.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: Thank you, Jacqui.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: We're on the campaign trail. President Bush heads to Florida to try to swing voters in the Sunshine State. We have a live report from Fort Myers straight ahead.
HARRIS: Meet me in Boston. The last time the St. Louis Cardinals, Jacqui, met up with the Red Sox in Beantown, it was 1967. Are they ready for tonight? Don't miss our fall classic preview, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. What will it take to win the White House? Bob Novak is here with his insight on that. We'll check in with him a little bit later.
Want to welcome you back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
That story coming up.
First, here is what is happening now in the news. Three strong earthquakes hit northwestern Japan today. In their wake, collapsed houses, ruptured water mains, blackouts, and a high- speed-train derailment. The strongest quake had a 6.8 magnitude. Local media reports at least one person dead and dozens injured.
At least 11 Iraqis were killed today in a car bombing at a police station at a national guard camp. A witness to the police station bombings said dozens of civilians were lined up to hand over their weapons or to join the police.
Britain's Prince Harry had to go talk to his dad about that scuffle. A spokesman for the prince, for Prince Charles, wouldn't go into details, but a newspaper reported Harry said he was sorry. A royal official said Harry was hit in the face with a camera outside of a London nightclub. The, photographer, who suffered a split lip, says the prince struck him without provocation.
And a U.S. astronaut comes back to earth with his Russian colleague today. Gennady Padalka and Michael Fincke, seen in the front of the picture there, are leaving the International -- look at the hair -- the International Space Station after six months. The two were allowed to sleep in this morning so they could have energy for their strenuous preflight routine.
President Bush is campaigning in Florida today. His mission is to rally the faithful in four cities that backed him in the last election.
CNN's Dana Bash is traveling with the Bush campaign today. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
And you've probably seen certainly here the crowd behind me, and the music and the band playing to rally the crowd, you know, while they're waiting for the president, who should arrive here shortly in Fort Myers. And as you mentioned, this is the first of four stops here in Florida today, four rallies.
The Bush campaign says these rallies will get larger as they go. The president obviously starts here in Fort Myers, then he goes (UNINTELLIGIBLE), (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Melbourne, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Florida.
And all of these areas are areas that President Bush won pretty big last time around in a state where the president obviously did not take full state (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but these are areas where he has a lot of Republican support. And the goal of these rallies are to make sure that all of the Republicans who in these areas actually go out and vote, that they tell their friends to go out and vote. This is a get-out-the-base kind of trip.
Now, Democrats, the Kerry campaign, said, they say that the president is essentially giving up on swing voters, swing voters that Senator Kerry is making it very clear he's still going after. Bush campaign says that this is just one part of their strategy, what they're doing today.
Now, what we're likely to hear from the president today is a revamped stump speech that he started to give yesterday, trying to make the themes of his campaign more personal, more geared towards families, talking about the things that we've heard all along, health care and security and the economy, all framing those, all things, as all things that he says he can do much better than John Kerry, but certainly a special emphasis on terrorism and security.
That is still where President Bush's biggest advantage is, and the president's campaign is planning on playing that up this last week.
HARRIS: Dana Bash with the Bush campaign this morning. Dana, thank you.
John Kerry starts his day in Pueblo, Colorado. It is traditionally a Republican state, and George Bush won it in 2000. But Kerry hopes to capture the state's nine electoral votes on election day. Next he's off to a rally in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He'll then travel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to prep for campaign stops there tomorrow.
NGUYEN: All right, here's that question again. What will it take to win the White House? Which states will it come down to? To talk about this and more, we're joined by Bob Novak in The Novak Zone.
Good morning. How are you?
ROBERT NOVAK, HOST, THE NOVAK ZONE: Good morning.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about Iowa. With all the talk about Florida, the focus is on the Hawkeye State. Why is this state so important?
NOVAK: Well, of course, it's a traditional starting point for the Democrats. And that's where Senator Kerry raised his campaign. But it's, it's, there's only, there's only 10 states that are really swing states, that are gettable states, and that has seven electoral votes. It's entirely conceivable that who wins Iowa wins the election.
So it's, it's -- big states like New York, Texas, California, nobody goes there, because they are already decided. It is not how big you are, it is whether you are a possible to be won by either side.
NGUYEN: Earlier this morning, Ed Henry called Florida the mother of all battleground states. Let's talk about Florida for just a moment now. With all the problems that are going on right now, including concerns over these widespread voter fraud complaints, is this going to be a major factor? Is election day going to be just chaotic in Florida?
NOVAK: It has that potential. It always does. And Florida is just a state that's very hard to analyze, to get a strong prediction on. I would say right now, it's -- nobody can really tell who's going to win that state. But there's a good chance whoever wins Florida will win the election, as was the case in 2000.
I think, although they have thousands of lawyers, particularly Democratic lawyers, ready to step in there, I think the procedure is much improved over 2000, and you're not going to have the chaos that you had four years ago.
NGUYEN: We can only hope that we don't have that kind of chaos.
Bob, in Ohio, let's talk about that, too, because people are receiving phone calls saying that their polling sites have changed, when in fact they have not. How concerned are both camps about all that's going on right now with voters, and the possibility of them not getting to the right sites, not being registered correctly, and all that?
NOVAK: Well, the lawyers are -- on both sides are stepping in. They've denuded Washington of lawyers, and that's saying something, just sending them around the country, and particularly to Ohio to cause trouble there.
Ohio is a swing state. The interesting thing about Ohio, however, is that no Republican has ever been elected without carrying Ohio. This may be the first time. It is entirely possible that George W. Bush can lose Ohio and be elected president. Of course, he has to win Florida and a lot of other states.
But Ohio is -- it used to be a sure Republican state, it is now a swing state. And anytime you have a swing state, and, well, also two- thirds of the Ohio votes are punchcards, you know, hanging chads, you remember that?
NGUYEN: I remember those.
NOVAK: So that's, that's...
NGUYEN: How could we...
NOVAK: ... that's, that's a...
NGUYEN: ... forget, Bob?
NOVAK: ... that's a formula for trouble.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Well, you know, today in "The New York Times," it cites Republican Party officials taking formal steps to place recruits, thousands of them, inside polling places to challenge people if they think maybe they're not eligible. Is this going to make polling places a hostile environment come election day?
NOVAK: I think so. This has been going on a long time. I, it really dates back to the '60s, particularly Republicans challenging Democratic voters and Republicans claiming the Democrats are stuffing the ballot box with voters who shouldn't vote.
I saw the other day on "INSIDE POLITICS" that if you're a lobbyist in Washington, and you're sitting in your office in K Street right now, you don't mean much, because the -- any lawyer worth his -- any lobbyist worth his salt has been recruited to go out, and a lot of these Republican lobbyists are going out on this ballot security question to make sure the right people vote.
NGUYEN: All right, we got to talk about this before we let you go. And we'll get to the big question in just a moment. But this last, this past week, Teresa Heinz, or Teresa Heinz Kerry, raised some eyebrows when she said she wasn't for sure if Laura Bush ever held a real job. Now, Mrs. Bush served as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and, of course, a mother of two. How much of a difference is that comment going to make with those female voters?
NOVAK: Well, everybody, when, Democrats I have talked to all year, starting back in the convention in Boston, said Teresa Heinz Kerry was a train wreck (UNINTELLIGIBLE) waiting to happen, because she, she -- you know, if you're a billionaire, and you're very fond of your own words, and you can say anything you want.
Now, the trouble was, she apologized. She said, Gee, I (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I forgot she was a librarian and a schoolteacher. Well, that increased the insult, because I think some of the hardest working women in America are women who...
NGUYEN: Mothers.
NOVAK: ... stay home and take care of their children. That is a real tough job. And it's a job that my mother and my wife, my daughter, and my daughter-in-law have had. And they're, and they all gave up good jobs outside to do this. So that was a mistake.
But I'm going to tell you a little secret. It doesn't make any difference. The American people do not vote for first ladies. I think personally, if they voted for third -- first ladies, Laura Bush would win in a landslide. But they don't. They're not voting for Teresa, they're voting for John Kerry and George W. Bush.
But this is a lot of fun for us in the news media to play around with because although don't mean anything, you know what? They're more interesting than the men are.
NGUYEN: It's a big talker. All right, we got to get to your big question of the day. Let's roll that graphic. And the question is, what do the candidates need to do to win this election? We only have 10 difficulties left, Bob.
NOVAK: What they have to do is avoid mistakes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) both of these candidates, they've made (UNINTELLIGIBLE) little boo- boos, but nothing anything big, like boo-boos I have seen in the past by candidates like Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. They have avoided mistakes so far, and that's what they have to do now. I don't think there's a silver bullet.
The thing, if they had a real surprise like the driving under the influence conviction of George Bush that was revealed by the Bush, by the Gore campaign four years ago, and nearly elected Al Gore, that is something they could find. I'm not sure they have any of those kind of surprises. But in the absence of a surprise, avoid mistakes.
All reiterating these same campaign themes, I can't believe they really win any votes. And, you know, when you have Bill Clinton coming in and saying, Bill, I'm going to go in and win the election for John Kerry, tell me, tell me the Bush voter who is going to vote for Bush and now says Gee, Bill Clinton is campaigning, I'm going to vote for Kerry, I don't think he exists.
NGUYEN: You heard it right here. Bob Novak in The Novak Zone this morning. Thank you, Bob. Have a great day.
NOVAK: Thank you very much.
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and there's this. You might be amazed at the creativity of some of the people involved in the presidential election. Tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" at 9:00 Eastern, political ads you can find on the Internet, like this anti-Bush spot featuring a toy called the Bush Global Dominator Action Figure. "It invades sovereign nation, starts wars, and misleads the media."
There's also this one from a Bush supporter, the John Kerry Flip- Flop Olympics. The judges include caricatures of Senators Edward Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.
Political ads in The Best of the Web tomorrow morning on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" at 9:00 Eastern.
And time now for our weekly rewind, a look at the top stories from the past week.
On Tuesday, a high-profile hostage crisis starts in Baghdad. Gunmen seized Margaret Hassan, the head of CARE International's relief efforts in Iraq. Hassan was later shown on videotape pleading for her life.
On Wednesday, the Red Sox made baseball history. Boston came back from three games down to beat the New York Yankees and clinch the American League pennant. Celebrations in Boston were marred by the death of a fan. She was killed by a pepper spray projectile fired by police.
On Thursday, a stiff penalty for a key figure in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. A U.S. military judge in Baghdad sentenced Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick to eight years behind bars. Frederick was the highest-ranking U.S. soldier charged in connection with the abuse scandal.
Tomorrow, we'll fast forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will be grabbing the spotlight.
NGUYEN: In the meantime, Ann Coulter was attacked by a pie. But are the alleged attackers the ones who will end up with pie on their face? Don't miss this twist on the story. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Checking our top stories, six Americans soldiers are wounded in a roadside bomb attack in western Baghdad. That bomb blew up a Bradley fighting vehicle, engulfing it in flames, as you see here.
Suicide car bombings kill 11 members of Iraq's security forces this morning. The deadliest attack happened near a U.S. Marine base which is west of Baghdad. Another bomb went off at a national guard camp in Samarra north of Baghdad. There were no U.S. casualties.
And aftershocks continue in Japan following three strong earthquakes in the northwestern part of the country. The tremors were so powerful, buildings shook in Tokyo, some 155 miles away.
And we're asking you the e-mail question of the day. Is the U.S. election system broken? We'll read some of your responses a little bit later. But send those in to wam@cnn.com.
HARRIS: Pie in the face? Not for conservative columnist Ann Coulter. But she did get a little on her shoulder. Two man ran on stage -- take a look at this -- and threw custard pies. Boy, she was quick on her feet. As she spoke at the University of Arizona, the men are now facing felony and misdemeanor charges.
NGUYEN: Well, the Redbirds and Red Sox come out tonight in Boston for game one of the World Series. And as CNN's Larry Smith reports, hitters on both teams will definitely be hacking away.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS: In the 100th renewal of the World Series, few would be shocked if we saw that many runs scored before a champion is crowned. The Cardinals come in having put up more than five runs game in these playoffs, while the Red Sox, baseball's most prolific offense during their regular season, have scored nearly seven runs per game and are riding the momentum of a 3-0 comeback over the Yankees.
WOODY WILLIAMS, CARDINALS STARTING PITCHER: There's no doubt that I have to make sure that I focus every hitter. And I got to keep the top of the lineup off the bases, because the big boys can definitely make that a three- or four-run inning real quick.
JOHNNY DAMON, RED SOX OUTFIELDER: Hopefully the bats come out swinging in game one. But, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we know that we can rely on anybody on this team. If someone doesn't come through one game, we know they can step up in another. So there's not going to be any panic on our team.
LARRY WALKER, CARDINALS OUTFIELDER: It seems like fairly evenly matched teams. I saw what was written in one paper, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just matching up position, my position, and the numbers are very similar. So, you know, it could come down to pitching and bullpens.
SMITH: St. Louis' manager, Tony LaRussa, can make history and join Sparky Anderson as the only managers to win World Series titles in both leagues. While it's the same old story for the Red Sox, their fifth World Series appearance since the infamous trade of Babe Ruth back in 1920. The last four trips all ended in game seven losses.
Larry Smith, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We will be right back with your e-mails. We're asking today, Is the U.S. election system broken? What you're saying when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And good morning, Portland. I bet you didn't think we knew this, but we know all. Pumpkin Funland is officially open for the season. The exhibit is known as one of the best Halloween displays in the U.S.
Jacqui Jeras is coming up in just a couple of moments with your weekend forecast.
NGUYEN: Can't forget Pumpkin Funland, of course, no.
HARRIS: No.
NGUYEN: And we don't want to forget Jeanne Meserve. In fact, we want to check in with her now in Washington with the latest on "ON THE STORY." Good morning, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, "ON THE STORY": Good morning, Betty and Tony.
We're "ON THE STORY" from the campaign trail to the World Series. Dana Bash and Kelly Wallace will talk of their travels with the president and with John Kerry. I'll talk about local governments' security concerns for election day. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is on the flu vaccine story. And we'll talk to "Sports Illustrated's" Melissa Segura about the Red Sox and the Series. All coming up, all "ON THE STORY."
NGUYEN: Looking forward to that. Thank you, Jeanne.
HARRIS: Jeanne, thank you.
And all morning long, we've been asking for your thoughts on our e-mail question. We're basically asking the question of whether or not you believe the election system is broken and needs repair.
NGUYEN: We have a lot of people writing in.
This first person, Erik, writes, "Yes!" with an exclamation point. "In a country where the electoral college outweighs the popular vote, we are in a dire need of reform. Last election, I voted for President Bush at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time. Prior to my leaving my home to vote, the state had already been called for Gore. I know without a doubt that the vote I cast in 2000 may as well not have been counted. I believe that we should count all votes in our election."
HARRIS: One more e-mail, we got time for it? OK. "Yes, it's broken. We need to get back to the popular vote only. That would make sure the regular people elect the president. And with paper trails. If we can't trust the system, why even bother to vote?"
Sandra, thank you for that (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that e-mail response.
NGUYEN: Well, we definitely want to vote come election day, just 10 days away from now. But how's the weather today, as both parties stumping all across the U.S.? Jacqui?
JERAS: Hey. A little wet across much of the Pacific Northwest for today.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
JERAS: Beautiful start in Portland this morning, guys. I just got back from the National Weather Association annual conference in Portland. Had a wonderful time. Got to see the Columbia River Gorge...
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
JERAS: ... very nice area. First time there.
HARRIS: OK. Thank you, Jacqui. Thank you for that.
NGUYEN: All right, Jacqui.
HARRIS: That's all of our time. Thank you.
NGUYEN: But we invite you to stay tuned. "ON THE STORY" is up next, right after a check of the headlines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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