Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview with Lida Rodriguez Taseff, Nelda Blair
Aired November 06, 2004 - 08:00 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, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Let's get to our e-mail question of the day, and a couple of your responses. We wanted to know, from you, if you think the Democrats and Republicans will be able to work it out over the next four years?
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Nadine in Massachusetts writes, "No, we have a stalemate."
HARRIS: And this one from John, in New Port Richey, Florida: "Now I know CNN has to be kidding!"
NGUYEN: Well, we're not kidding. That is our e-mail question of the day. Send us your thoughts. The next hour, of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
HARRIS: And from the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is 8:00 a.m. here in the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. And 5:00 a.m. on the West Coast.
NGUYEN: Early.
HARRIS: Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us today.
"Now in the News": In Iraq, extreme violence and a heavy toll today in Samarra. At least 34 people were killed and dozens wounded this morning in a series of car bomb explosions and mortar attacks in the city north of Baghdad. We'll go live to Baghdad for an update in just one minute.
And this just in this morning, insurgents attack a military convoy in Iraq Al Anbar Province, near Ramadi; 20 U.S. Marines are injured. We, of course, will bring you further details as this story develops.
Also, supporters of Yasser Arafat keep vigil outside the hospital in suburban Paris where he remained in a coma. A hospital spokesman says Arafat's condition is stable. U.S. Officials say the Palestinian leader is on life support. The chief Palestinian negotiator denies that report.
And in Afghanistan, there's word of new efforts to end a hostage standoff. Militants threatened to kill three United Nations workers unless the U.N. pulls out of Afghanistan. This morning, a spokesman for the militants says they started talks with Afghan and U.N. officials. Officials have not confirmed that.
HARRIS: And coming up this hour, in Iraq, new deadly attacks, details on the bloodshed in Samarra and other parts of the country just ahead.
And, it isn't exactly musical chairs, but some in the Bush Cabinet won't be sitting still in the president's second term. Who is in? Who is out? And why? Those questions and possible answers coming up in minutes.
And a tragic scene, some burning questions, 10 people were killed in this accident. Should an 87-year-old driver go to jail because of it? We'll debate it this morning's "Legal Briefs".
NGUYEN: We start off this hour with the fight for Iraq. U.S. Marines are wounded in attack on their convoy. Insurgent attacks caused dozens of casualties in Samarra. And U.S. bombers pound Fallujah, ahead of a planned new offensive.
Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson has details now live from Baghdad.
Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, there was an concerted effort by insurgents in the town of Samarra about 60 miles north of Baghdad. About 9:30 in the morning, a car bomb exploded outside the mayor's office. Dozens of people injured and killed there.
At about the same time, a police station attacked by mortar fire, there was small arms fire reported at the same time in the same location. There, three, policemen were killed and six other policemen injured.
And about a half an hour later, a coalition patrol supported by Iraqi troops; the Iraqi troops spotted what they thought was a roadside bomb. They dealt with the roadside bomb. One of their number was injured. Four civilians injured, but none of the U.S. troops on that patrol were injured at that time.
Also hearing that west of Baghdad close to the town of Ramadi, 20 Marines have been injured in a convoy as they were driving in Al Anbar Province. Details are still scarce. But certainly, we're being told by coalition officials, 20 Marines injured. Not clear the details of those injuries.
Also, the coalition saying overnight in the last 24 hours in Fallujah, they have used aircraft to target and take out, they say, an anti-aircraft gun position, a weapons cache in the town of Fallujah; as well as what they described, three fortified defensive positions built by the insurgents in the town of Fallujah, designed to head off the impending attack by U.S. Marines, who are now outside the town of Fallujah. We're told by people inside Fallujah, many of them beginning to leave the town at this time. Pack up their belongings. Many of them saying that military targets are not being hit and they are showing damage to some of their houses that appear to be civilian property. Betty?
NGUYEN: Lots of developments in Iraq. Nic Robertson, we'll be checking back with you. Thanks for that report live from Baghdad this morning.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan warning the U.S., Britain, and Iraq that major military assaults right now can seriously jeopardize Iraq's upcoming elections. But U.S. officials raids on insurgent strongholds, like Fallujah, Ramadi and Samarra, are necessary to ensure elections can happen as planned in January.
A top official says the U.N. will increase the number of staff assisting the independent electoral commission in Iraq.
HARRIS: There's a report a top Bush advisor plans to step down. "The Washington Post" says Robert Blackwell has unexpectedly announced his resignation. The White House brought Blackwell in last year to manage the administration's troubled Iraq policy. White House officials say it's not a sign of disagreement among Iraq advisors.
President Bush is at Camp David resting from a back breaking re- election campaign. While back in Washington, speculation is rampant about his Cabinet. Dana Bash is our White House correspondent.
And, Dana, changes are coming, aren't they?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Expect changes, Tony. That is certain. The president even said so in the press conference this week.
Now, as you said, he is at Camp David this weekend. He even said he is thinking about those changes while at Camp David waiting to hear from his top lieutenants and his Cabinet, especially about whether or not they want to stay.
Now, a senior administration official does confirm to CNN that Robert Blackwell, who is the Bush point man at the National Security Council, on Iraq policy, announced yesterday he is resigning. He told colleagues that he had always planned to leave after the election, and therefore he is.
Now, that's the second high profile departure, after the State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism Cofer Black also said he was leaving yesterday.
Now, Tony, many believe that Black's boss, Secretary of State Colin Powell would be among the first to say good-bye, as well. But some in the administration think that changes in the Palestinian leadership, that are likely upcoming, could provide a new opportunity in the Mid East and in the peace process there. And that is something that Secretary of State Powell may want to participate in. Now, on the domestic front, Attorney General John Ashcroft tops the list of those widely expected to leave, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. He told associates before the election he also hoped to bow out of a second Bush term.
But administration officials said this week that the president and chief of staff are trying to stagger these departures. They don't want to deal with multiple Senate confirmations at once, especially since the president made clear he has an ambitious congressional agenda that he wants to push early on.
HARRIS: All right. Dana Bash reporting for us from the White House.
Dana, thank you.
NGUYEN: All right, this just in, U.S. forces staging fierce air and artillery strikes on Fallujah. A hospital, a medical warehouse and dozens of houses have been destroyed. CNN's Karl Penhaul is embedded with U.S. Marines in the area and joins us with the latest on this.
What do you know so far, Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Betty.
Yes, we have seen those pictures, the daylight pictures of some of the aftermath of the overnight bombing on Fallujah. In fact, we were out last night with a U.S. Marine patrol. We were traveling in armored attack vehicles through the desert. We at one point reached about 600 yards outside the northern edge of Fallujah.
The aim of that mission trying to probe the insurgent positions from inside the city to see how the insurgents would react to an U.S. Marine advance. It was very little fire from the ground from insurgent positions, but across in the northwest of the city, a heavy machine gun did open fire. Marines fired back.
Then a U.S. AC-130 Spectre gunship was called in. That was blasting away at targets on the ground with a 105-millimeter Howitzer cannon. We suspect that some of the pictures, the daylight pictures that we have seen today, could be the aftermath from that.
That's Specter gunship sent in about 20 or 30 rounds, at times parts of the city appeared to be on fire in a very limited sector of the northwest, as I say.
We have seen over recent weeks and months from reports from inside the city that civilians have been hit in these airstrikes and also civilians facilities. But those aren't always corroborated by the Marines. They say that they feel that when they do target buildings, that these are precision targets based on intelligence information -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. Karl Penhaul, embedded with U.S. Marines, thanks for that report. It was a summer day at the market that turned deadly when a driver lost control and plowed into a group of unsuspecting bystanders. Should the 87-year-old driver face prison time? We'll debate that issue, just ahead, in our legal round-up.
HARRIS: And a jury weighs the evidence and poses new questions as they decide Scott Peterson's fate. Our legal experts consider the possible outcome of that case.
NGUYEN: And later, on "House Call", with Doctor Sanjay Gupta, the battle against aging. You won't want to miss what he has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR, OPEN HOUSE (voice over): Cut the cost of moving. If you move across state lines, costs are based on the weight of the goods and the distance traveled. Most long-distance movers use a set of national guidelines to come up with their rates.
But to stay competitive, many offer have big discounts, so get at least three estimates for leverage. Be flexible. You are more likely to get a better deal if you are amenable to shifting your moving date.
Doing your own packing reduced costs and instead of buying packing materials, from the movers, you may be able to get them cheaper from the do-it-yourself movers, like U-Haul or Ryder. I'm Gerri Willis. That's your "Tip of the Day".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A weight loss program that is apparently working. No pills. No extensive diets to test your will power, but it has about 300,000 people on the move. How do they do it? Tune into CNN SATURDAY MORNING at 9:00 a.m. Eastern to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning, New Orleans.
NGUYEN: New Orleans.
HARRIS: New Orleans. And to all those attending the Rock'n'Roll Bowl Zydeco Festival. Rob Marciano is here with the forecast.
NGUYEN: Rob, look at the sunshine.
HARRIS: Beautiful.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This month of November and October are really some of the best months to go to the Big Easy, as they call it. I've been to Rock'n Bowl (sic) down there.
NGUYEN: Have you?
MARCIANO: It is a fun time, you know. Friday and Saturday nights, turn the lights down. Crank up the music and they bowl.
NGUYEN: I could see you there.
MARCIANO: Apparently, this festival is like Zydeco music and all that jazz, so it should be fun.
(NEWS BREAK)
HARRIS: At 15 past the hour, here's a look at the headlines.
The latest violence in Iraq has claimed dozens of lives. Insurgents carried out three nearly simultaneous bomb and mortar attacks in Samarra. And 20 U.S. Marines are wounded in a roadside bomb attack on their convoy near Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
With Yasser Arafat said to be on life support, Palestinian officials explore the next their steps without broaching the subject of succession, prime minister Ahmed Qorei heads Gaza to meet with various political factions.
NGUYEN: An elderly driver ordered to stand trial on charges he killed 10 people when he lost control of his car at a California market, what the case could mean for other elderly drivers.
HARRIS: And jurors in the Scott Peterson murder trial asked to review several items. Does this give a clue to a possible verdict? We'll ask our legal experts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The big question this morning, was this fatal accident a criminal act or just a case of an 87-year-old man losing control of his car? Ten people were killed, dozens of others injured. Should George Russell Weller spend 18 years in prison for manslaughter?
Also this morning, the jury takes the weekend off after spending three days deliberating the fate of accused double murderer Scott Peterson.
Two emotional cases on the docket this morning in our regular legal combatants join us to do battle over these cases. Of course, we're talking about former prosecutor Nelda Blair, who joins us live from Houston. And we have civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez- Taseff in our Miami bureau.
Good morning to you both.
LIDA RODRIGUEZ TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Good morning.
NELDA BLAIR, FMR. U.S. PROSECUTOR: Good morning.
NGUYEN: Well, Lida, let's talk to you first. Jurors have asked to see the boat that Scott Peterson allegedly used to dump his wife's body, according to prosecutors. What does this tell you about what they're thinking right about now?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: It tells us absolutely nothing.
Anybody who says that you can figure out what jurors are thinking about it, especially the early part of deliberating is really, really wrong. You can't tell very much. They're going through the evidence. They have selected a former lawyer/doctor as the foreman. They're probably going through each and every piece of evidence, so it doesn't really tell you very much that they're looking at this boat at this point.
NGUYEN: Nelda, do you agree?
BLAIR: Well, you know, juries, especially capitol murder juries, juries that are possibly facing a death penalty phase, usually are very, very, very careful. That's what they're doing. They're being very careful.
You know, a lot of times you'll hear defense lawyers say, oh, the jury is out too long, it favors the defense, it is against the prosecution. But this is not a typical case. And this jury is going to be very careful because it knows it's is going to be scrutinized once it's out of that jury room.
NGUYEN: And being careful. Sources tell CNN that these jurors want to review phone records between Scott Peterson and Laci's mother. What kind of questions will that answer, Nelda?
BLAIR: Well, you never know what they're thinking, just like Lida says. They're a jury. We can't predict them.
They probably want to be able to justify their decision once they come out because I think it's going to be guilty. I still think that.
They're trying to go through every phase, every section of the case so that they can say this is exactly why we found that man guilty and talking to -- him talking to Laci's mother only shows what kind of person he is, it shows his lies, it shows his deceit, that's what they're going to base it on.
NGUYEN: All right, Lida. Nelda says she thinks he's guilty and that this jury is going to find him guilty. What do you think? But there is a lot of circumstantial evidence on the table, what do you think?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF I think the jury will likely find him guilty and has nothing to do with the charges themselves or the evidence presented. What it will have to do is, with two things. One, sequestration, and two, the second degree murder charge.
This jury is not at the spa. This jury is sequestered, kept from their families, limited even in what kind of television they can watch. Sequestration helps the prosecution.
In addition, the prosecution is being helped by the fact that the judge allowed a second-degree murder charge, meaning that the prosecution does not have to prove premeditation to convict. So, as a result, the circumstantial evidence that you were just talking about will go along way to helping that jury go home by convicting Scott of second-degree murder.
BLAIR: Now, Lida, when they convict him of first degree murder, are you going to finally admit that this prosecution had a good circumstantial case?
NGUYEN: There you two go, again.
OK, quickly, before we move on, the judge has decided that cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom for the verdict. Originally, he said it was OK. He has reversed that. Is that a good idea, Lida?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF No, absolutely not. Limiting the public's access to courts is a bad idea. At that point, the jury is done with the case. They have already rendered a verdict. Whatever harm could have been done from television cameras would have come way beforehand. At this point, there's no reason to exclude cameras from the courtroom.
BLAIR: No, he's just trying to -- the judge is trying to make sure that this does not become a circus. Even though it may not be harmful to the case itself, it is still decorum, it is still a courtroom. I applaud the fact there won't be cameras there (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: We have to move on. The 87-year-old man, let's talk about him. The man that plowed into a Santa Monica's farmer market with his car. He has been ordered to stand trial for manslaughter. Now, his attorney says his case doesn't merit criminal prosecution.
Nelda, does it? I mean, is this just a case of the man who just pushed the wrong pedal, or is he negligent here?
BLAIR: No, I do not. I think he is absolutely negligent.
You know, we're not talking about intentional murder that this man is charged with. We're talking about murder with gross negligence. That means it's a standard of how much care he should have taken.
And this man, granted he was 87, but I don't care what age he was. He hit a car first. He then went down the wrong way. He took prescription drugs before he got behind the wheel. He could have stopped when he hit the first body, the second body, the third body.
It's a standard of care and whether or not he should have taken more care and obviously, he should have. I think it's a good criminal prosecution.
NGUYEN: Lida, what do you think?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF Betty, I vote that we let Nelda do the closing argument on this one. Absolutely not. Gross negligence does not mean that you prosecute somebody because the crime is gross. Gross negligence means that you prosecute somebody because the negligence rose to the level of criminality. In this case you don't have that.
You have a man who pushed a wrong pedal and you have a missing barrier that the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board, says should have been in place to protect that market. It wasn't.
This is why the city of Santa Monica is being sued by the survivors of these people who were so tragically killed, because the reality is, is that, yes, he pushed the wrong pedal. But the deaths were caused by the lack of a barrier to stop the car.
BLAIR: Well, I can't wait to see the defense. Their defense is, quote, "pedal error", unquote. I am going to have a real good time listening to this one
NGUYEN: All right, on a broader view, what does this mean for elderly drivers? Is this going to set some kind of a precedent, Nelda?
BLAIR: I don't think so. Because. as I said, it was -- doesn't matter if this man was 37 or 87. He still should have taken some care because there are 40-year-olds that shouldn't be driving and 80-year- olds that drive just fine. That is not the point. It is not his age, it is the other type of care he should have taken no matter what age he is.
NGUYEN: Lida, couple of seconds, I'll give you the last word.
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF Absolutely disagree. This is a case that should be a wake-up call to people. As you get older, your ability to drive diminishes. And you should be very, very careful not to get behind that wheel once you're out about a certain age.
Nelda, you're still too young. That's OK.
BLAIR: I was just going to say, Thanks, Lida.
NGUYEN: All right, Lida, Nelda, always going at it.
(CROSS TALK)
NGUYEN: Thank you again. We'll see you next weekend.
BLAIR: All right.
HARRIS: Boy, that is good stuff.
All right, I want to squeeze in a quick e-mail before we leave.
The question this morning is, whether you believe Democrats and Republicans can work together over the next four years?
We have this e-mail from Jimmy, who writes: "Democrats and Republicans must learn to work together for the next four years in order for this country to run smoothly. There is not other way."
We love your e-mails. We want you to send them to us at Wam@cnn.com. And we will read those e-mail responses to you in the next hour.
NGUYEN: Yes. Top stories, they are straight ahead followed by "House Call" with Doctor Sanjay Gupta.
HARRIS: Today, on "House Call", a special look at the battle against aging. Don't go down without a fight! Don't do it.
I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. "House Call" with Doctor Sanjay Gupta is straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A violent Saturday morning in Iraq. Car bombs and mortar attacks killed at least 34 Iraqis in Samarra. Some of the victims were police officers. Near Ramadi, 20 U.S. Marines were wounded in an attack on a Marine convoy. U.S. war planes bombed suspected insurgent targets in Fallujah, thousands of U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers surround the insurgent and terrorist controlled city and the ground attack is expected soon.
And it is a new space race with a big pay off. The X-Prize will be officially awarded in St. Louis today to the Space Ship One team. The California team will take home the $10 million prize after successfully making two manned trips into space within two weeks. The winning ship was funded by Microsoft billionaire, Paul Allen.
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 November 6, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Let's get to our e-mail question of the day, and a couple of your responses. We wanted to know, from you, if you think the Democrats and Republicans will be able to work it out over the next four years?
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Nadine in Massachusetts writes, "No, we have a stalemate."
HARRIS: And this one from John, in New Port Richey, Florida: "Now I know CNN has to be kidding!"
NGUYEN: Well, we're not kidding. That is our e-mail question of the day. Send us your thoughts. The next hour, of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
HARRIS: And from the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is 8:00 a.m. here in the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. And 5:00 a.m. on the West Coast.
NGUYEN: Early.
HARRIS: Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us today.
"Now in the News": In Iraq, extreme violence and a heavy toll today in Samarra. At least 34 people were killed and dozens wounded this morning in a series of car bomb explosions and mortar attacks in the city north of Baghdad. We'll go live to Baghdad for an update in just one minute.
And this just in this morning, insurgents attack a military convoy in Iraq Al Anbar Province, near Ramadi; 20 U.S. Marines are injured. We, of course, will bring you further details as this story develops.
Also, supporters of Yasser Arafat keep vigil outside the hospital in suburban Paris where he remained in a coma. A hospital spokesman says Arafat's condition is stable. U.S. Officials say the Palestinian leader is on life support. The chief Palestinian negotiator denies that report.
And in Afghanistan, there's word of new efforts to end a hostage standoff. Militants threatened to kill three United Nations workers unless the U.N. pulls out of Afghanistan. This morning, a spokesman for the militants says they started talks with Afghan and U.N. officials. Officials have not confirmed that.
HARRIS: And coming up this hour, in Iraq, new deadly attacks, details on the bloodshed in Samarra and other parts of the country just ahead.
And, it isn't exactly musical chairs, but some in the Bush Cabinet won't be sitting still in the president's second term. Who is in? Who is out? And why? Those questions and possible answers coming up in minutes.
And a tragic scene, some burning questions, 10 people were killed in this accident. Should an 87-year-old driver go to jail because of it? We'll debate it this morning's "Legal Briefs".
NGUYEN: We start off this hour with the fight for Iraq. U.S. Marines are wounded in attack on their convoy. Insurgent attacks caused dozens of casualties in Samarra. And U.S. bombers pound Fallujah, ahead of a planned new offensive.
Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson has details now live from Baghdad.
Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, there was an concerted effort by insurgents in the town of Samarra about 60 miles north of Baghdad. About 9:30 in the morning, a car bomb exploded outside the mayor's office. Dozens of people injured and killed there.
At about the same time, a police station attacked by mortar fire, there was small arms fire reported at the same time in the same location. There, three, policemen were killed and six other policemen injured.
And about a half an hour later, a coalition patrol supported by Iraqi troops; the Iraqi troops spotted what they thought was a roadside bomb. They dealt with the roadside bomb. One of their number was injured. Four civilians injured, but none of the U.S. troops on that patrol were injured at that time.
Also hearing that west of Baghdad close to the town of Ramadi, 20 Marines have been injured in a convoy as they were driving in Al Anbar Province. Details are still scarce. But certainly, we're being told by coalition officials, 20 Marines injured. Not clear the details of those injuries.
Also, the coalition saying overnight in the last 24 hours in Fallujah, they have used aircraft to target and take out, they say, an anti-aircraft gun position, a weapons cache in the town of Fallujah; as well as what they described, three fortified defensive positions built by the insurgents in the town of Fallujah, designed to head off the impending attack by U.S. Marines, who are now outside the town of Fallujah. We're told by people inside Fallujah, many of them beginning to leave the town at this time. Pack up their belongings. Many of them saying that military targets are not being hit and they are showing damage to some of their houses that appear to be civilian property. Betty?
NGUYEN: Lots of developments in Iraq. Nic Robertson, we'll be checking back with you. Thanks for that report live from Baghdad this morning.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan warning the U.S., Britain, and Iraq that major military assaults right now can seriously jeopardize Iraq's upcoming elections. But U.S. officials raids on insurgent strongholds, like Fallujah, Ramadi and Samarra, are necessary to ensure elections can happen as planned in January.
A top official says the U.N. will increase the number of staff assisting the independent electoral commission in Iraq.
HARRIS: There's a report a top Bush advisor plans to step down. "The Washington Post" says Robert Blackwell has unexpectedly announced his resignation. The White House brought Blackwell in last year to manage the administration's troubled Iraq policy. White House officials say it's not a sign of disagreement among Iraq advisors.
President Bush is at Camp David resting from a back breaking re- election campaign. While back in Washington, speculation is rampant about his Cabinet. Dana Bash is our White House correspondent.
And, Dana, changes are coming, aren't they?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Expect changes, Tony. That is certain. The president even said so in the press conference this week.
Now, as you said, he is at Camp David this weekend. He even said he is thinking about those changes while at Camp David waiting to hear from his top lieutenants and his Cabinet, especially about whether or not they want to stay.
Now, a senior administration official does confirm to CNN that Robert Blackwell, who is the Bush point man at the National Security Council, on Iraq policy, announced yesterday he is resigning. He told colleagues that he had always planned to leave after the election, and therefore he is.
Now, that's the second high profile departure, after the State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism Cofer Black also said he was leaving yesterday.
Now, Tony, many believe that Black's boss, Secretary of State Colin Powell would be among the first to say good-bye, as well. But some in the administration think that changes in the Palestinian leadership, that are likely upcoming, could provide a new opportunity in the Mid East and in the peace process there. And that is something that Secretary of State Powell may want to participate in. Now, on the domestic front, Attorney General John Ashcroft tops the list of those widely expected to leave, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. He told associates before the election he also hoped to bow out of a second Bush term.
But administration officials said this week that the president and chief of staff are trying to stagger these departures. They don't want to deal with multiple Senate confirmations at once, especially since the president made clear he has an ambitious congressional agenda that he wants to push early on.
HARRIS: All right. Dana Bash reporting for us from the White House.
Dana, thank you.
NGUYEN: All right, this just in, U.S. forces staging fierce air and artillery strikes on Fallujah. A hospital, a medical warehouse and dozens of houses have been destroyed. CNN's Karl Penhaul is embedded with U.S. Marines in the area and joins us with the latest on this.
What do you know so far, Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Betty.
Yes, we have seen those pictures, the daylight pictures of some of the aftermath of the overnight bombing on Fallujah. In fact, we were out last night with a U.S. Marine patrol. We were traveling in armored attack vehicles through the desert. We at one point reached about 600 yards outside the northern edge of Fallujah.
The aim of that mission trying to probe the insurgent positions from inside the city to see how the insurgents would react to an U.S. Marine advance. It was very little fire from the ground from insurgent positions, but across in the northwest of the city, a heavy machine gun did open fire. Marines fired back.
Then a U.S. AC-130 Spectre gunship was called in. That was blasting away at targets on the ground with a 105-millimeter Howitzer cannon. We suspect that some of the pictures, the daylight pictures that we have seen today, could be the aftermath from that.
That's Specter gunship sent in about 20 or 30 rounds, at times parts of the city appeared to be on fire in a very limited sector of the northwest, as I say.
We have seen over recent weeks and months from reports from inside the city that civilians have been hit in these airstrikes and also civilians facilities. But those aren't always corroborated by the Marines. They say that they feel that when they do target buildings, that these are precision targets based on intelligence information -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. Karl Penhaul, embedded with U.S. Marines, thanks for that report. It was a summer day at the market that turned deadly when a driver lost control and plowed into a group of unsuspecting bystanders. Should the 87-year-old driver face prison time? We'll debate that issue, just ahead, in our legal round-up.
HARRIS: And a jury weighs the evidence and poses new questions as they decide Scott Peterson's fate. Our legal experts consider the possible outcome of that case.
NGUYEN: And later, on "House Call", with Doctor Sanjay Gupta, the battle against aging. You won't want to miss what he has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR, OPEN HOUSE (voice over): Cut the cost of moving. If you move across state lines, costs are based on the weight of the goods and the distance traveled. Most long-distance movers use a set of national guidelines to come up with their rates.
But to stay competitive, many offer have big discounts, so get at least three estimates for leverage. Be flexible. You are more likely to get a better deal if you are amenable to shifting your moving date.
Doing your own packing reduced costs and instead of buying packing materials, from the movers, you may be able to get them cheaper from the do-it-yourself movers, like U-Haul or Ryder. I'm Gerri Willis. That's your "Tip of the Day".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A weight loss program that is apparently working. No pills. No extensive diets to test your will power, but it has about 300,000 people on the move. How do they do it? Tune into CNN SATURDAY MORNING at 9:00 a.m. Eastern to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning, New Orleans.
NGUYEN: New Orleans.
HARRIS: New Orleans. And to all those attending the Rock'n'Roll Bowl Zydeco Festival. Rob Marciano is here with the forecast.
NGUYEN: Rob, look at the sunshine.
HARRIS: Beautiful.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This month of November and October are really some of the best months to go to the Big Easy, as they call it. I've been to Rock'n Bowl (sic) down there.
NGUYEN: Have you?
MARCIANO: It is a fun time, you know. Friday and Saturday nights, turn the lights down. Crank up the music and they bowl.
NGUYEN: I could see you there.
MARCIANO: Apparently, this festival is like Zydeco music and all that jazz, so it should be fun.
(NEWS BREAK)
HARRIS: At 15 past the hour, here's a look at the headlines.
The latest violence in Iraq has claimed dozens of lives. Insurgents carried out three nearly simultaneous bomb and mortar attacks in Samarra. And 20 U.S. Marines are wounded in a roadside bomb attack on their convoy near Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
With Yasser Arafat said to be on life support, Palestinian officials explore the next their steps without broaching the subject of succession, prime minister Ahmed Qorei heads Gaza to meet with various political factions.
NGUYEN: An elderly driver ordered to stand trial on charges he killed 10 people when he lost control of his car at a California market, what the case could mean for other elderly drivers.
HARRIS: And jurors in the Scott Peterson murder trial asked to review several items. Does this give a clue to a possible verdict? We'll ask our legal experts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The big question this morning, was this fatal accident a criminal act or just a case of an 87-year-old man losing control of his car? Ten people were killed, dozens of others injured. Should George Russell Weller spend 18 years in prison for manslaughter?
Also this morning, the jury takes the weekend off after spending three days deliberating the fate of accused double murderer Scott Peterson.
Two emotional cases on the docket this morning in our regular legal combatants join us to do battle over these cases. Of course, we're talking about former prosecutor Nelda Blair, who joins us live from Houston. And we have civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez- Taseff in our Miami bureau.
Good morning to you both.
LIDA RODRIGUEZ TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Good morning.
NELDA BLAIR, FMR. U.S. PROSECUTOR: Good morning.
NGUYEN: Well, Lida, let's talk to you first. Jurors have asked to see the boat that Scott Peterson allegedly used to dump his wife's body, according to prosecutors. What does this tell you about what they're thinking right about now?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: It tells us absolutely nothing.
Anybody who says that you can figure out what jurors are thinking about it, especially the early part of deliberating is really, really wrong. You can't tell very much. They're going through the evidence. They have selected a former lawyer/doctor as the foreman. They're probably going through each and every piece of evidence, so it doesn't really tell you very much that they're looking at this boat at this point.
NGUYEN: Nelda, do you agree?
BLAIR: Well, you know, juries, especially capitol murder juries, juries that are possibly facing a death penalty phase, usually are very, very, very careful. That's what they're doing. They're being very careful.
You know, a lot of times you'll hear defense lawyers say, oh, the jury is out too long, it favors the defense, it is against the prosecution. But this is not a typical case. And this jury is going to be very careful because it knows it's is going to be scrutinized once it's out of that jury room.
NGUYEN: And being careful. Sources tell CNN that these jurors want to review phone records between Scott Peterson and Laci's mother. What kind of questions will that answer, Nelda?
BLAIR: Well, you never know what they're thinking, just like Lida says. They're a jury. We can't predict them.
They probably want to be able to justify their decision once they come out because I think it's going to be guilty. I still think that.
They're trying to go through every phase, every section of the case so that they can say this is exactly why we found that man guilty and talking to -- him talking to Laci's mother only shows what kind of person he is, it shows his lies, it shows his deceit, that's what they're going to base it on.
NGUYEN: All right, Lida. Nelda says she thinks he's guilty and that this jury is going to find him guilty. What do you think? But there is a lot of circumstantial evidence on the table, what do you think?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF I think the jury will likely find him guilty and has nothing to do with the charges themselves or the evidence presented. What it will have to do is, with two things. One, sequestration, and two, the second degree murder charge.
This jury is not at the spa. This jury is sequestered, kept from their families, limited even in what kind of television they can watch. Sequestration helps the prosecution.
In addition, the prosecution is being helped by the fact that the judge allowed a second-degree murder charge, meaning that the prosecution does not have to prove premeditation to convict. So, as a result, the circumstantial evidence that you were just talking about will go along way to helping that jury go home by convicting Scott of second-degree murder.
BLAIR: Now, Lida, when they convict him of first degree murder, are you going to finally admit that this prosecution had a good circumstantial case?
NGUYEN: There you two go, again.
OK, quickly, before we move on, the judge has decided that cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom for the verdict. Originally, he said it was OK. He has reversed that. Is that a good idea, Lida?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF No, absolutely not. Limiting the public's access to courts is a bad idea. At that point, the jury is done with the case. They have already rendered a verdict. Whatever harm could have been done from television cameras would have come way beforehand. At this point, there's no reason to exclude cameras from the courtroom.
BLAIR: No, he's just trying to -- the judge is trying to make sure that this does not become a circus. Even though it may not be harmful to the case itself, it is still decorum, it is still a courtroom. I applaud the fact there won't be cameras there (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: We have to move on. The 87-year-old man, let's talk about him. The man that plowed into a Santa Monica's farmer market with his car. He has been ordered to stand trial for manslaughter. Now, his attorney says his case doesn't merit criminal prosecution.
Nelda, does it? I mean, is this just a case of the man who just pushed the wrong pedal, or is he negligent here?
BLAIR: No, I do not. I think he is absolutely negligent.
You know, we're not talking about intentional murder that this man is charged with. We're talking about murder with gross negligence. That means it's a standard of how much care he should have taken.
And this man, granted he was 87, but I don't care what age he was. He hit a car first. He then went down the wrong way. He took prescription drugs before he got behind the wheel. He could have stopped when he hit the first body, the second body, the third body.
It's a standard of care and whether or not he should have taken more care and obviously, he should have. I think it's a good criminal prosecution.
NGUYEN: Lida, what do you think?
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF Betty, I vote that we let Nelda do the closing argument on this one. Absolutely not. Gross negligence does not mean that you prosecute somebody because the crime is gross. Gross negligence means that you prosecute somebody because the negligence rose to the level of criminality. In this case you don't have that.
You have a man who pushed a wrong pedal and you have a missing barrier that the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board, says should have been in place to protect that market. It wasn't.
This is why the city of Santa Monica is being sued by the survivors of these people who were so tragically killed, because the reality is, is that, yes, he pushed the wrong pedal. But the deaths were caused by the lack of a barrier to stop the car.
BLAIR: Well, I can't wait to see the defense. Their defense is, quote, "pedal error", unquote. I am going to have a real good time listening to this one
NGUYEN: All right, on a broader view, what does this mean for elderly drivers? Is this going to set some kind of a precedent, Nelda?
BLAIR: I don't think so. Because. as I said, it was -- doesn't matter if this man was 37 or 87. He still should have taken some care because there are 40-year-olds that shouldn't be driving and 80-year- olds that drive just fine. That is not the point. It is not his age, it is the other type of care he should have taken no matter what age he is.
NGUYEN: Lida, couple of seconds, I'll give you the last word.
RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF Absolutely disagree. This is a case that should be a wake-up call to people. As you get older, your ability to drive diminishes. And you should be very, very careful not to get behind that wheel once you're out about a certain age.
Nelda, you're still too young. That's OK.
BLAIR: I was just going to say, Thanks, Lida.
NGUYEN: All right, Lida, Nelda, always going at it.
(CROSS TALK)
NGUYEN: Thank you again. We'll see you next weekend.
BLAIR: All right.
HARRIS: Boy, that is good stuff.
All right, I want to squeeze in a quick e-mail before we leave.
The question this morning is, whether you believe Democrats and Republicans can work together over the next four years?
We have this e-mail from Jimmy, who writes: "Democrats and Republicans must learn to work together for the next four years in order for this country to run smoothly. There is not other way."
We love your e-mails. We want you to send them to us at Wam@cnn.com. And we will read those e-mail responses to you in the next hour.
NGUYEN: Yes. Top stories, they are straight ahead followed by "House Call" with Doctor Sanjay Gupta.
HARRIS: Today, on "House Call", a special look at the battle against aging. Don't go down without a fight! Don't do it.
I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. "House Call" with Doctor Sanjay Gupta is straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A violent Saturday morning in Iraq. Car bombs and mortar attacks killed at least 34 Iraqis in Samarra. Some of the victims were police officers. Near Ramadi, 20 U.S. Marines were wounded in an attack on a Marine convoy. U.S. war planes bombed suspected insurgent targets in Fallujah, thousands of U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers surround the insurgent and terrorist controlled city and the ground attack is expected soon.
And it is a new space race with a big pay off. The X-Prize will be officially awarded in St. Louis today to the Space Ship One team. The California team will take home the $10 million prize after successfully making two manned trips into space within two weeks. The winning ship was funded by Microsoft billionaire, Paul Allen.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
