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CNN Live Sunday

Aftermath of Hurricane Ivan; Bush, Kerry's Position on Abortion

Aired September 19, 2004 - 16:00   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.


COLLINS SPENCER, CNN ANCHOR: Hurricane Ivan may be over, but its affects aren't. Dogs search the Appalachians for survivors.
Al Qaeda, the American presidential election. Who is the latest player to invoke its name?

Reproductive rights. Do you know the candidates' positions? And we're not exactly sure why he took the interstate, but we're sure there's a good reason.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Collins Spencer. Those stories coming up in our show, but first the headlines.

The U.S. military says it cannot concede to the demands of militants holding two Americans and one Briton hostage in Iraq. The militants want all female Iraqi prisoners released from two U.S. run prisons there. The U.S. military says it's not holding any and U.S. policy is against negotiating with terrorists.

Louisiana voters are speaking out against same sex marriages and civil unions. They've overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional ban. The amendment also stops the state from recognizing same sex marriages performed somewhere else. Opponents are promising legal challenges.

Touring the devastation from hurricane Ivan. President Bush is offering sympathy and support today to Gulf coast residents in the hardest hit areas of Alabama and Florida.

Up first this hour, officials in North Carolina County say it's the worst natural disaster they've ever seen. It's been days since the remnants of hurricane Ivan passed over the state. The storms deadly aftermath have left a permanent scar on the region. Our Brian Todd is at Franklin, near one of the areas hardest hit. Hi Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Collins. We are now in the third full day of a massive recovery effort underway in the tiny neighborhood of Peak's (ph) Creek, just outside Franklin, North Carolina. That is where a mudslide Thursday night wiped out what officials say are now, they can just count now, 15 homes or more. That is in the Peak's Creek neighborhood.

Four people are confirmed dead. They list four people as missing now. They are not identifying the dead or the missing. Canine teams and so-called swift water teams are looking through the debris and the water for bodies. The search effort has been complicated unbelievably by some locals who -- the sheriff just told me he didn't recognize these people and he's lived there all his life. Some locals have been coming in trying to take souvenirs, taking pictures of the area, but they have since gotten those people out.

They're looking for anything they can find. The debris is just massive. They still don't know what exactly caused this mudslide on Thursday night. Right now, it's just a massive recovery effort. Some 14,000 customers in and around this area are still without power. It's going to take days to just reestablish power to these people and then officials are telling us it's going to take months to get this area of Peak's Creek just back on its feet. Collins.

SPENCER: Todd, are there enough resources coming in to help rescue crews with their search?

TODD: Yes there are. There were search and recovery teams from at least four municipalities in North Carolina, including Charlotte and Raleigh here. FEMA has come here. They're setting up an office. That office will be fully operational by mid week. They have -- FEMA has arranged for individual assistants to come in. They're putting people up in hotels.

They had people in shelters. Those shelters have since been closed down and they're putting people up in hotels. They are -- they believe that at least two of the four missing people may be people who have left the area and they simply can't locate them. They are confident they say of being able to at least locate those two people so that could be some good news by day's end, but right now they don't have those people in hand.

SPENCER: All right. One last question Todd. Are the main roads going into that area, are they open, or most of them?

TODD: Yes, all the roads in this county in Macon County, are open now. They did have a problem with that over the last couple of days. They have restored those roads to service and that is helping out the effort a great deal.

SPENCER: All right. That's good news. Good to see you, Brian. Brian Todd in Franklin, North Carolina.

Well, President Bush got a first hand look at hurricane Ivan's devastation today. He returned to Florida to tour the damage from the third storm to hit the Sunshine State in just over a month. Meanwhile, some residents are standing in line for hours for basic supplies. CNN's Chris Lawrence in Pensacola. Hi Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right here in Pensacola, there are still tens of thousands of people without power, running water or fuel and in the big picture, FEMA now says the total damage from all three recent hurricanes is comparable to what California experienced during the 1994 earthquake outside Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LAWRENCE (voice-over): With temperatures soaring near 90 degrees, hundreds of people are standing outside up to four hours just for a few gallons of gas. Most operators still don't have power to run the pumps, but one of the few gas stations that is open has frustrated some residents with its membership policy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was told that because I was not a member of Sam's Club, I could not get gasoline. I ended up paying someone to get my gas.

LAWRENCE: In addition to fuel, hundreds of thousands of Florida residents still have no water or power. And as many line up for free supplies at Red Cross stations, there have been almost 100 complaints of price gouging.

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Somebody was trying to get a price to clear the trees out of their yard for $1200 when it was actually worth $300.

LAWRENCE: Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist arrived in Pensacola promising to prosecute anyone who's caught price gouging. He's also urging the legislature to increase the punishment for looting after police arrested 15 people in one county since Wednesday's mandatory evacuations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody shouldn't take advantage of you when you're forced out of your house and home.

LAWRENCE (on camera): The emergency operations center says several people are still missing in the area after the storm. But it's unclear whether they're actually in danger or simply evacuated and forgot to tell anyone where they were going. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Pensacola, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: And turning now to the presidential race, with just over six weeks to go until the election, a prominent Republican is voicing fears about what terrorism may be planning to influence the outcome. But Democrats charge it's a tactic to raise doubts about John Kerry. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Washington with details. Hello Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you Collins. Well, there is new rhetoric in the ongoing debate over who is the stronger leader, President Bush or Senator John Kerry. This time though the comments came from Illinois Republican and House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The remarks came last night as the speaker appeared at a fund-raiser in northern Illinois along with Vice President Dick Cheney. And here is what part of Hastert said then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), HOUSE SPEAKER: I think that the terrorists, the al Qaeda, would like to influence this election. They would like to influence this election just like they influenced the election in Spain. But the American people aren't going to let that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now that is not a new idea. We have in fact heard Bush administration officials express that same concern. But before that, a reporter asked Hastert directly whether he thought al Qaeda would operate with quote, a little more comfort with Kerry than with Bush and Hastert replied yes. Now as expected, that provoked a sharp response from Senator Kerry's running make, Sen. John Edwards. Campaigning in Pennsylvania today, here you see some file videos, but Senator Edwards was out campaigning in Pennsylvania today and he used strong language in defending Senator Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Literally in the last 24 hours, Denny Hastert, the speaker of the House has joined the fear mongering choir. You know, he said and I'm paraphrasing now, he said last night something to the effect that al Qaeda wants John Kerry to be president of the United States. Let me -- let me just say this in the simplest possible terms. When John Kerry is president of the United States, we will find al Qaeda where they are and crush them before they can do damage to the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now meanwhile, a Bush campaign spokesman did not have any comment on Speaker Hastert's remark last night, saying that he hadn't had a chance to see them, but what this official with the Bush campaign does say is, they are continuing basically to employ the strategy and try to reinforce the notion that John Kerry, they say, is a flip flopper, trying to portray him as a person who would be a weak leader. Look for that to continue, that theme to continue, Collins, in the days and the weeks ahead. Collins.

SPENCER: Elaine, any reaction from other Republicans about Hastert's comments?

QUIJANO: There are some reactions coming in, notably from Senator Jon Kyl who basically said that it was silly for either side to say that one would be safer with this leader or that leader in place, his point being that terrorists are simply going to act as terrorists, that it doesn't really matter who is in charge. Collins.

SPENCER: Thanks Elaine, Elaine, Elaine Quijano in Washington.

Well, last week Kerry again pounded President Bush's position on Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Of all the choices that George Bush has made, the most catastrophic single choice that he has made is the mess that he has created in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER: The war in Iraq is obviously a huge campaign issue. With Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert now joining the fray, let's get some insight from our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Bill, I want to welcome you.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you Collins.

SPENCER: What do you make of this, the latest comments by Speaker Hastert?

SCHNEIDER: What I make of it is there are really two separate issues here. One is Iraq and the other is the war on terror and al Qaeda. The administration, the Bush campaign has always tried to link the two. But what Speaker Hastert was saying essentially was warning Americans there could be another attack. You have to be concerned that al Qaeda will try to influence American elections. These terrorists have been known to be knowledgeable about American politics.

Remember the hostage crisis in Iran? That was a long time ago, but they waited until Jimmy Carter left office and the very day Ronald Reagan took over, they released the hostages. They follow American politics. So the question is, will they try to influence American election the way they did the Spanish election, where the government, which supported the United States, was overthrown days after a terrorist attack.

Well, I got to tell you this, if that were to happen tragically, that would virtually ensure George Bush's reelection, because if there's fear and anger in the country, that works to Mr. Bush's benefit.

SPENCER: And that brings me to this question. Is Iraq an issue that Kerry can gain some ground on in the coming days?

SCHNEIDER: That's the other issue. That's the war in Iraq, which has not been going very well and now we have an intelligence assessment saying that even the intelligence services are pessimistic about the outlook in Iraq for the next few years. That is an issue Kerry can gain some ground on, but he's been losing ground on it because many voters say they're not sure exactly what the difference is between Senator Kerry's position and President Bush's position. Kerry voted for the war. It's not clear what he would do differently in Iraq now. He's been trying to play up those differences to argue he'd take a more multilateral approach and to heighten that issue, because if he can get more Americans concerned about what's happening in Iraq and the way that war is going, then those people are very likely not to vote to reelect President Bush.

SPENCER: Bill, the fact that the violence is getting worse in Iraq. Is that going to hurt Bush in the coming weeks leading up to the election day?

SCHNEIDER: My guess is it will, particularly if God forbid, Americans get killed in larger numbers than they have been. We've already passed the 1,000 death milestone. When Americans see Americans getting killed overseas, they get upset. They get angry. They do look to President Bush as a strong and protective figure, but it's going to raise this very central question that Kerry will play in the campaign, namely is the United States, are Americans safer as a result of the war in Iraq or are we in fact got a good deal more trouble?

SPENCER: Thanks, Bill, Bill Schneider in Washington.

Well, are more Iraqi civilians siding with insurgents and against coalition forces? We'll talk about what's happening in Iraq, whether or not there is a growing split in the country's population and if so, what lessons the coalition forces need to learn.

Switching gears but still on politics, up next the gang at the fictional "West Wing." Will they bring home the gold from the Emmy's? And what's the deal with this runaway bull? A Texas size story coming up later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: Insurgents are threatening to kill 15 kidnapped members of the Iraqi National Guard. They want an aide to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr released, but the Iraqi government says it has no reports of any missing Iraqi forces. The U.S. military has made it clear it cannot meet the demands of another group of militants. Hostage takers who are holding two Americans and a Briton have asked the U.S. military to release female prisoners. The military says it doesn't have any women in custody.

The wife of one the American hostages told CNN her message for the abductors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATTY HENSLEY, WIFE OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE: Please understand that these three men are very gentle, very kind men. They were very honored to be in Iraq and helping the Iraqi people. They wanted to provide a better world for everyone that was over there and they certainly don't deserve the fate that is hanging over their head. I know all three of them will gladly come home if they're released and please realize that they are loving family men who have people who want them back terribly and please let them go. They need to come home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER: Iraq's interim prime minister visited with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London today/ Commenting on the upsurge in violence in his country, Ayad Allawi said the insurgency is getting more desperate. He also said the trial of Saddam Hussein could start as early as next month.

As the U.S. works to rebuild Iraq and restore calm to its cities, there are some Iraqis who are struggling just to find a decent place to stay and to eat food. Diane Muriel takes us to a community surviving on other's spare change. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Down an anonymous back street in Baghdad's Katamia (ph) district is a boardinghouse that is home to a small army, a small army of beggars. A series of one- room hovels 150 people crammed in together.

With just one communal tap and one latrine, the stench is overwhelming. There weren't many people around the day we visited, most of the inhabitants out working. Each day, a Dickensian Fagan figure who runs this establishment and several others like it, collects the children and puts them to work begging in the streets. Each child must earning the equivalent of $3.50 a day. For that, they and their families get living space.

But not all the children here are with their parents. This woman, who was too frightened to give her name and age, says she and her husband found seven kids in the street. They bring in just enough for rent and food she says. She has two sons of her own, but barely enough food to give them. She herself grew up in this compound after being picked up off the street. She found her husband here. The only man in the community with a legitimate job, he works at a sewage pipe laying company. Once inside there is almost no way out. The people here live in fear of the man who runs their lives.

Only a few of the prettiest young girls can escape. This one, too frightened to show her face to the camera, has been sold to a man she has never met in Syria. She knows she's destined to be a prostitute. She's just happy to be leaving.

The oldest members of the community are perhaps the most pitiful. We have nothing wails this woman. Tears run down her husband's face as he explains how he suffered a stroke and she was forced to go out into the streets to beg. She demonstrates her technique to the camera.

This is one of the most profitable places to beg in Baghdad, outside the mosques and it's here that beggars congregate. But even so, there are few pickings and little pity for some of the city's most desperate. Diana Muriel, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: Is the kind of poverty we just saw in Diana Muriel's report the kind of problem that can push more Iraqi citizens towards the insurgents? Well, joining us to talk about that is Mamoun Fandy. He's a senior fellow at the Baker Institute. He joins us live from Houston, Texas. I want to thank you for joining us sir.

MAMOUN FANDY, THE BAKER INSTITUTE: Thank you.

SPENCER: Well, getting to the question, how does the U.S., how does the U.S. go about addressing the question of abject poverty in Iraq?

FANDY: Well, I think you have to first of all look at the Iraq as three pieces, really Iraq and the southern part of Iraq is fairly OK after the removal of Muqtada Sadr from Najaf and northern Iraq is doing well where the Shia virtually build an independent state there. And we're talking about really sort of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who are most Iraqis are not willing to sign on the program of Ayad Allawi and the new government. They are resisting and they are making the lives of people miserable. So it's really only at the center and the United States, the only thing the United States can do is just stay the course, because I think Iraqis still have a shaky trust about the United States since abandoning the insurgents of the Shia in 1991. So the United States ought to stay the course and commit to its word by trying to make Iraq the model of a democratic government in the Middle East.

SPENCER: Is this going to help move or push the Iraqis more to the insurgent's side?

FANDY: Well, right now I think, if you look at the insurgents, it is made of, as Ayad Allawi pointed out, is made of the jihadists, the Zarqawi group. It's made of the common criminals that Saddam released before the war. It's made of the ex-regime Baathists and these are people who are going to fight until the finish, because they are the ultimate losers of, in the new Iraq. But it is, it's not going to move the general population towards the resistance because Iraqis as you pointed out, they are desperate and poor and Saddam Hussein left the country terribly in miserable conditions. So I don't predict that many Iraqis would move towards the resistance.

SPENCER: Is there a lot of anti-U.S., anti-U.S. sentiment, anti- sentiment that is in Iraq?

FANDY: Well the anti-U.S. sentiment is more outside Iraq than inside it. And as I said, the jihadist of Zarqawi and others have always seen the United States as the ultimate evil, as the ultimate Satan and so on, but in the region in general, all you have all the major satellite television in the Arab world, Al Jazeera namely and Al Arabiya, basically fanning this anti-U.S. sentiment so there is a lot to blame on the U.S. I mean all the failures of Arab politics have been blamed on the United States and Israel for the last few decades.

SPENCER: Let's talk about the insurgents now. Who are the insurgents?

FANDY: I mean the insurgents basically people coming from neighboring countries and that are led by Zarqawi and al Qaeda. Second there are ex-regime Baathists who know that at the end of the day, they are going to be the ultimate losers in Iraq and finally as yet Allawi pointed out, it is the common criminal that Saddam Hussein released from prison. But these are people who occupy only very specific areas in the Sunni center, in Fallujah and Ramadi, but the rest of Iraq, the rest of Iraq, the picture is totally different.

SPENCER: Right. We have a few seconds left. Do you think the latest violence is going to disrupt the upcoming elections in Iraq?

FANDY: Well, there will always be more violence. As the government of Allawi tries to go for the final stretch toward elections, there would be lots of people who are trying to disrupt the elections, but I hope that the United States and the interim government would stay the course and convince the Iraqis that they are there for the good, to build the democratic Iraq that would be a model for the rest of the region.

SPENCER: All right. Thanks for joining us sir.

FANDY: Thank you.

SPENCER: Mamoun Fandy with the U.S. Institute of Peace.

There are numerous charities working to help the people of Iraq. If you would like to help, here are a couple that are on the ground and would appreciate your assistance. You can make a donation to the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF through its Web site, www.supportunicef.org or you can mail a donation to this address: UNICEF, 3 U.N. Plaza, New York, New York 10017.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is also helping people in Iraq. You can make the donation on its Web site, www.icrc.org.

Well, are you a "Sopranos" fan? Think their alter egos will bring home Emmy awards tonight? Well, stay tuned. We've got a guest who will handicap the entertainment race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: It's television's biggest night of the year. Some shows will try to make Emmy history tonight. Brook Anderson looks at some of the nominees in the best drama category.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOK ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America's favorite mobsters are hoping to whack their competition this year. The HBO show dominated all series with 20 nominations, including best drama.

The investigators of "CSI" think their work is dead on and over at CTU, Kiefer and the gang are hoping the clock ticks down to a win for their drama, "24." But you can never forget the president. The "West Wing" stumping for a fifth top drama trophy.

Rounding out the supreme nominees, the God-fearing "Joan of Arcadia."

The jury has spoken. The best actor race, led by first time Emmy nominee James Spader but James Gandolfini the overwhelming favorite. He's won the trophy the last three times he's been eligible. Eligible and hoping he doesn't disappear without a trace from contention. Anthony LaPaglia.

Martin Sheen needs his first lead actor win. At stake for Sutherland, his first acting Emmy. Newcomer Amber Tamblin hoping for a divine win in the best dramatic actress category and rounding out the top actors candidates, former winner Alison Janney, Mariska Hargitay, Jennifer Garner and Edie Falco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: That was our colleague Brook Anderson and joining us now live from the red carpet in Los Angeles is CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas. Hello, Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Collins. You know, it's just so exciting right now at the Shrine auditorium as we prepare for television's biggest night. The celebrities are expected in just a few hours and just to put things in perspective for us, we have E!online's TV critic Kristin Veitch. Thank you so much for joining us. It looks like HBO's dominating.

KRISTIN VEITCH, E!ONLINE'S TV CRITIC: Absolutely. HBO actually has the most nominations this year and that's fairly typical. HBO normally has the most nominations, but they don't take home a lot of wins for some reason. This I think is going to be the year that that changes thanks to primarily, "Angels in America." "Angels in America" is expected to basically sweep every category in the miniseries, and I think they might possible break the record that roots set 27 years ago for most Emmy wins in one night. So it's going to be a huge year for HBO.

VARGAS: They have 21 nominations, right?

VEITCH: Absolutely, yes. And we also have a lot of Oscar winners that are going to become Emmy winners tonight because of "Angels in America." Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, or Emma Thompson, they're all expected to win.

VARGAS: And let's talk about the girls from "Sex and the City," because they really heated things up with their finale.

VEITCH: Absolutely, absolutely. And they're obviously a sentimental favorite this year, because it is their last year. And I'm telling you, if Sarah Jessica Parker does not win -- she's never ever won before -- I think the fans are going to be up in arms, and you're going to see "Sex and the City" fans rioting across the nation, because...

VARGAS: She's been nominated six times in a row.

VEITCH: Six times in a row and has never won. So she really is the Susan Lucci of the primetime Emmys.

VARGAS: And she's in great company because all the girls got nominated this year.

VEITCH: Yes, this is the first year that all four of them nominated. So obviously, the supporting category is going to be a very tight race, with all three of the supporting actresses there from "Sex and the City."

VARGAS: All right, let's talk about the Jersey boys of "The Sopranos." VEITCH: Yes. OK, here's the thing, you guys. "West Wing" has actually won the last four years. If they win tonight for best drama series, they will actually tie "Fraser" for most consecutive wins ever at the Emmys. That's not expected to happen, though, because "The Sopranos," it's supposed to be "The Sopranos'" year. We say that every year, but I think it's going to be true, actually, because "The West Wing" has hit somewhat of a creative slump and a ratings slump, and "The Sopranos" had a stellar year.

So I think James Gandolfini will probably win. Edie Falco is a lock. And "The Sopranos" should win for best drama series.

VARGAS: So many years and no -- I mean, nominated, but no wins.

VEITCH: Which is amazing, because it's really, it's held to be one of the best television shows ever. So for it not to win is really a crime.

VARGAS: Also a very emotional year. I mean, you've got John Ritter who passed away... posthumous nomination, and also Kelsey Grammer. Those two in the comedy category...

VEITCH: Right, yes. They're actually, you know, they're the lead actor comedy category, and I think that is going to be the most emotional moment of the night, because you have Kelsey Grammer, who's played the same role for 20 years, and this is his last year there, and then obviously, John Ritter. How could you not give it to John Ritter? He's had such an amazing body of work, and absolutely deserves it.

VARGAS: And with Kelsey Grammer, you're talking about three wins for "Fraser." The academy absolutely loves him. He's had 16 nominations throughout the years.

VEITCH: Right, absolutely. And I think also in the comedy category, what's going to be interesting is "Arrested Development" is up against "Sex and the City," and I think that could be the big shocker tonight, is if "Arrested Development" wins.

VARGAS: So that's the dark horse.

VEITCH: Yeah.

VARGAS: Well, thank you so much for putting things into perspective for us.

VEITCH: Thank you.

VARGAS: And back to you, Collins.

SPENCER: Right. We'll see if "The Sopranos" can do it. Good to see you, Sibila. Sibila Vargas in LA, at the Emmys. In the news now, it looks like Floridians can breathe a sigh of relief. Tropical Storm Jeanne is now edging past the Bahamas, as you can see in the upper left-hand part of your screen. And forecasters expect it to turn away from Florida. The Associated Press reports Jeanne is blamed for at least 38 deaths in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Hurricane Ivan's fury is still being felt. Hundreds of New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents had to evacuate their homes today when the Delaware River flooded. The high water blocked several bridges connecting the two states. The river is expected to crest this evening.

"We're praying for you"... that's the message President Bush had for Hurricane Ivan victims in Florida and Alabama. The president got a firsthand look at the storm damage along the gulf coast earlier today. He promised to speed federal aid to those devastated areas.

Now, both the Bush and Kerry campaigns are trying to get out the vote in battleground states. One of their main targets, women. Coming up, why the female vote could make the difference this election year. Plus, on the issues, a look at the candidates' positions on tax cuts, the job market, and social security.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: The Keystone State is a key battleground state in the election. Volunteers in Pennsylvania are pushing doorbells on street after street in the suburbs to get out the vote. Alina Cho takes a closer look at the grass roots project whose sole focus is attracting women to the ballot box.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The work can be tedious...

SUNSHINE O'BRIEN, ACTIVIST: We can start at 607 Rodman and work back to the 500s.

CHO: ... and thankless.

O'BRIEN: And I'm canvassing today to talk about the importance of reproductive rights in the upcoming election... well, thank you.

CHO: Yet these volunteers carryon.

O'BRIEN: I'm Sunshine. I'm here canvassing with Planned Parenthood to talk about the upcoming election.

CHO: Going door to door, even in the rain.

O'BRIEN: Canvassing is exciting, huh?

CHO: Hoping to get out the vote, especially among women, who make up more than half of the nation's voting block. You hear that 22 million single women did not vote in the last election.

O'BRIEN: That's alarming. That's incredibly alarming, and I'm glad to get out at any point I can, up until November 2nd, to make sure that women get out and speak their minds, and make sure that their voices are heard at the polls this year. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It matters. It matters who's making decisions for us.

CHO: This grass roots effort is part of a nationwide push to register women voters. Volunteers are targeting swing states like Pennsylvania.

GLORIA STEINEM, ACTIVIST: The Philadelphia suburbs are key, key -- I'm sure you've all been reading this -- to this state. And this state is key to the entire election.

CHO: You don't have to tell the candidates.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: A single mother is the toughest job in America.

CHO: President Bush has his "W is for women campaign." Senator John Kerry has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood. The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll shows while men are more likely to vote for Mr. Bush, women are evenly split. Pete and Ellen Mahoney are longtime Democrats.

ELLEN MAHONEY: Instead of staying at home and not voting, but complain about whoever happens to win the election.

CHO: You're saying get out there and...

MAHONEY: Get out there.

CHO: ... make a difference.

MAHONEY: Yes, make a difference.

CHO: Volunteer Sunshine O'Brien agrees. I mean, it could make the difference.

O'BRIEN: Absolutely, it could make the difference. I hope it will make the difference. And I believe that women voting will make the difference. On election day, the only day that counts. Alina Cho, CNN, Abington, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: Women's issues, record deficits, terrorism and tax cuts... high profile issues are stoking up the campaigns of both President Bush and his opponent John Kerry. But do you know where each stands on the issues important to you? Well, I'm going to talk about that with Terry Neal. He's the chief political correspondent with TheWashingtonPost.com. Hi, Terry.

TERRY NEAL, THEWASHINGTONPOST.COM: Hey, Collins. How are you?

SPENCER: Good, thank you. Well, we just saw that... we were just talking about women getting out the vote, and abortion is a key issue with women. Where do the candidates stand on abortion? NEAL: Well, this is one of the key issues where there's some real significant differences between the candidates, although it's not an issue that really comes up a lot, for various reasons, on the campaign trail. On the very general level, John Kerry supports abortion rights. George W. Bush is opposed to abortion, on a general level.

On specific issues, John Kerry, probably the most notable thing is, in 2003, voted against the successful bill that went through to ban late term abortions. And he also voted, in 1998, against the parental choice bill. So there's some real sharp key differences. George W. Bush obviously supports both of those things. And we know education and jobs is going to be playing big in the election. Do the candidates have firm plans in regards to these issues?

NEAL: Well, yeah, I mean, there are some significant differences here between the candidates also. First of all, let's sort of start with jobs. The president says that the best way to ensure continued job growth is to make permanent his tax cuts that he put into place in 2001, 2002, and 2003. But he also has some other ideas for continuing job creation. But the tax cut thing is probably the most significant.

I would say on John Kerry's side, his ideas are a couple things -- a significant increase in the minimum wage. I believe it's about a 35 percent increase in the minimum wage, as well as a manufacturer's job credit. So there are some differences there as well.

SPENCER: OK, let's go to social security. Are there vast differences there with the candidates?

NEAL: Well, the biggest difference, obviously, is that the president, who pushed this idea in 2000, hasn't really done a whole heck of a lot to advance this issue in his first term here. But the president supports allowing younger voters to take a portion of their payroll tax and to put that into private funds, essentially, in exchange for sort of a reduction in their social security payout. John Kerry opposes that idea.

SPENCER: OK, let's talk about tax cuts. Is President Bush going to keep his tax cuts in place, and is Kerry going to roll back the tax cuts?

NEAL: Well, as I mentioned earlier, obviously, on the issue of tax cuts, the president wants to make permanent -- it's close to $2 trillion in tax cuts between the three tax cuts that he pushed through. So John Kerry voted against two of those. He voted against the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. He voted for the 2002 bill, which was primarily focused on business tax cuts and things like that.

But John Kerry, what John Kerry says now is that he would keep in place cuts that primarily benefit lower income people, like the child tax credit. He would repeal the tax cuts for people who make over $200,000 a year.

SPENCER: OK, gay marriage, is that going to be a big issue? NEAL: Well, I mean, this is one of these things that's a big issue for certain people. Neither one of the candidates are making a big issue of it on the campaign trail, in part because their positions are similar, to some extent. Both candidates oppose gay marriage. However, John Kerry, of course, supports civil unions, and he, most significantly, opposed President Bush's attempt to sort of push through or advocate a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

SPENCER: OK, and gay adoption, we've got a few seconds left. Will that play into the...

NEAL: I don't see it being a very big deal. John Kerry said that he supports this, in some instances. George W. Bush opposes it.

SPENCER: And let's talk about the gun issue real quick. Is that going to be a big issue, gun control?

NEAL: See, I think this is actually a big issue, although there's still a question mark about to what extent John Kerry will make it an issue. He made it an issue, obviously... the assault weapons ban sunsetted earlier this week, or last week I should say, and it's no longer in place. John Kerry says that the president didn't provide the leadership on this issue.

The president says that he supports the ban on assault weapons, but did almost nothing in Congress to make sure that Congress reauthorized that bill. So that's a major difference in terms of... not in terms of what they believe, but what their actions are. And it'll be interesting to see if John Kerry keeps pushing President Bush and criticizing him for not doing enough to make sure that the bill was reauthorized this year.

SPENCER: All right, Terry Neal, thanks for your insight there.

NEAL: Thank you.

SPENCER: Terry Neal, who's the chief political correspondent for The Washington Post. Good to see you, Terry.

NEAL: Good to see you too.

SPENCER: When CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" continues, our look at the campaign issues in the week ahead. Tune in for "Promises, Promises," beginning tomorrow at 7 AM Eastern. The first issue in this five-part series, terrorism and keeping America safe. The U.S. team makes a comeback, but is it enough for victory at this year's Ryder Cup? We'll have a live report from Michigan. And then, a little later, the story behind this traffic jam.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: News around the world now, Panama declares a state of emergency after deadly flooding. At least 14 people were killed. Torrential rains and mudslides also damaged thousands of homes.

China's former president is making room for a younger generation of leaders. Seventy-eight-year-old Jiang Zemin turned over his last major post as chairman of the commission that runs China's military. Jiang's resignation is the country's first peaceful leadership transition in its communist history.

And the "material girl" is concluding her spiritual pilgrimage to Israel. She was in Tel Aviv, and at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of Judaism's holiest sites. Madonna is in Israel with 2,000 other students of Kabbala, a mystical form of Judaism.

Now, our Larry Smith is at the Ryder Cup in Michigan. Larry, what happened today?

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what happened is the Europeans have won it again. Four matches still in progress, but all right now have been relegated to the status of exhibitions, as Europe has already clinched the Ryder Cup, as they've come out strong today. Seventh time in the last 10 tries that Europe wins the Ryder Cup.

And fittingly, it was Colin Montgomerie's win over David Tom just a few moments ago that clinched the victory for Europe. Montgomerie, the seven-time Ryder Cup veteran now 5-0 and 2 in singles play, in Ryder Cup play. And, in fact, he came into the day as one of only two Europeans -- Padraig Harrington, who is still on the course, is the other one -- who had won singles matches in Ryder Cup play for the Europeans before today. But, of course, that number has increased.

Two European golfers who have finally won singles matches in play, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. They both go 4-0 and 1 in this competition this weekend. And the U.S. started off strong in this, with three wins and a tie in the first five matches to finish, including Tiger Woods getting a win. He never trailed versus Ryder Cup rookie Paul Casey.

But Europe, keep in mind, they needed only three wins to secure the cup, and again, they already have that. In fact, they've already secured four and a half points already. Now, I mentioned that there are still four course, four matches still on the course. Chris Dimarco of the U.S. has clinched at least a half point, as he is now on 18, one up with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

But right now, the U.S., in the final three matches, needing for some kind of magic, or else they could suffer their worst defeat since the rest of Europe joined England in this prestigious tournament here back in the late '70s. It's been more than two decades since we've had someone score as many as 18 points, and Europe appears to be on the way to doing that. Collins...

SPENCER: And Larry, why is the U.S. always favored, but they're not able to pull it out?

SMITH: You know, that is the age-old question. And I think that the powers that be in the United States will be scratching their heads the next two years, trying to figure it out. But it really comes down to the outstanding team play. And really, on the back nine, it seemed that Europe, all weekend long, really found a way to succeed, to make the putts, and the U.S. did not. Their mistakes came late. Europe would always come on strong, as they did again today, late. But again, strong team efforts by Europe. They're closer. They play together. They take bus rides together, eat dinner together. I have to say, the Americans are not friendly with each other. But certainly, it's just... it's different. That's the only way you can explain it, because the Europeans aren't as highly ranked as the Americans, have no major championships on any of their resumes -- 12 for the U.S. And yet, here they are, seventh time in 10 tries, taking home the Ryder Cup.

SPENCER: Right. Larry, I was able to watch a little bit of it. The U.S. did come out strong. What happened?

SMITH: Well, what happened again was that just late, the mistakes happening late. Phil Mickelson on 16, he was leading the match, and then Sergio Garcia, three straight birdies to take the lead away. And then, on 16 Mickelson hits his second shot into the water. That pretty much ended that match there.

And really, the momentum that the U.S. had, which was already slipping, faded from that point, and it's just been downhill ever since then. And a much deeper European team as well from top to bottom. The final four or five matches that went off late in the day, keep in mind, the Americans top loaded their lineup -- Woods, Mickelson, and Love, the top three guns all going up high for the U.S., trying to get some momentum going.

But the back half of the U.S. lineup, the last four or five golfers, have trailed most of the day, and again, are really struggling right now to try to get a victory in those final three matches.

SPENCER: All right, thanks, Larry. Larry Smith in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at the Ryder Cup. Thanks again, Larry. Up next, rubbernecking like you've never seen it before. The great adventures of one raging bull when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: Accidents, roadwork, stalled cars -- they all create traffic nightmares. And now, some drivers on a Dallas, Texas interstate can add raging bull to that list. Burt Lozano from CNN affiliate WFAA shows us how one bull created a big commotion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BURT LOZANO, WFAA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The traffic came to a curious crawl on the westbound lanes of I-20. The cause? A runaway cow, or make that a bull, judging by the size of his horns, the brave bovine running alongside 18-wheelers and not backing down. The lost bull took up several lanes on the interstate, running for more than two miles, stubbornly ignoring drivers trying to veer him off the road.

At one point, the driver of a big rig tried to corral the bull off to the access road as another truck attempted to block the lanes. The bull kept running, but finally exited off the interstate at Bonnie (ph) View Road. He trotted down the street and looked warn out. But just as you figured he'd given up, something caught his eye. A man wearing a red shirt got in the wrong path of this raging bull.

DONALD MORGAN, PEDESTRIAN: I saw he had a rope tied to him, thought maybe I could draw his attention off into the grass over here and get a hold of him, get him tied up. About that time, he charged me.

LOZANO: What did you think when he was staring you down?

MORGAN: Get the hell out of his way.

LOZANO: And so did our photographer.

MORGAN: Amazingly, he hit me with his head, knocked me down. He never stepped on me.

LOZANO: The bull jumped back on the interstate, this time followed by Hutchins Police.

CPL. GARY MCLAIN, HUTCHINS POLICE: Yeah, he charged the car, hit it with the horn, and kicked the mirror off the side of the car.

LOZANO: The horn left a dent in the patrol car, but officers and Dallas County Sheriffs Deputies did finally manage to steer him off into this field, where he walked toward a patch of trees, just as a trailer full of curious cows passed by.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: I could have tackled the bull. Yeah, right. Well, that's it for us, and "NEXT@CNN" is coming up with the latest technology helping firefighters in southern California. Here's Daniel Sieberg with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ahead on "NEXT@CNN," some hurricane history. How does Ivan compare to the biggest storms of the past? And a look at what some new cell phones can do. How about recording four hours of video?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER: At 6 Eastern, CNN LIVE SUNDAY continues with Carol Lin and a look at whether the Supreme Court will take on an eminent domain case. And if it does, it would be the first time in 50 years. And tonight on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," the life and times of LL Cool J, and then the Williams sisters. Thanks for joining us. Back with the headlines after a quick 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 September 19, 2004 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLINS SPENCER, CNN ANCHOR: Hurricane Ivan may be over, but its affects aren't. Dogs search the Appalachians for survivors.
Al Qaeda, the American presidential election. Who is the latest player to invoke its name?

Reproductive rights. Do you know the candidates' positions? And we're not exactly sure why he took the interstate, but we're sure there's a good reason.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Collins Spencer. Those stories coming up in our show, but first the headlines.

The U.S. military says it cannot concede to the demands of militants holding two Americans and one Briton hostage in Iraq. The militants want all female Iraqi prisoners released from two U.S. run prisons there. The U.S. military says it's not holding any and U.S. policy is against negotiating with terrorists.

Louisiana voters are speaking out against same sex marriages and civil unions. They've overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional ban. The amendment also stops the state from recognizing same sex marriages performed somewhere else. Opponents are promising legal challenges.

Touring the devastation from hurricane Ivan. President Bush is offering sympathy and support today to Gulf coast residents in the hardest hit areas of Alabama and Florida.

Up first this hour, officials in North Carolina County say it's the worst natural disaster they've ever seen. It's been days since the remnants of hurricane Ivan passed over the state. The storms deadly aftermath have left a permanent scar on the region. Our Brian Todd is at Franklin, near one of the areas hardest hit. Hi Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Collins. We are now in the third full day of a massive recovery effort underway in the tiny neighborhood of Peak's (ph) Creek, just outside Franklin, North Carolina. That is where a mudslide Thursday night wiped out what officials say are now, they can just count now, 15 homes or more. That is in the Peak's Creek neighborhood.

Four people are confirmed dead. They list four people as missing now. They are not identifying the dead or the missing. Canine teams and so-called swift water teams are looking through the debris and the water for bodies. The search effort has been complicated unbelievably by some locals who -- the sheriff just told me he didn't recognize these people and he's lived there all his life. Some locals have been coming in trying to take souvenirs, taking pictures of the area, but they have since gotten those people out.

They're looking for anything they can find. The debris is just massive. They still don't know what exactly caused this mudslide on Thursday night. Right now, it's just a massive recovery effort. Some 14,000 customers in and around this area are still without power. It's going to take days to just reestablish power to these people and then officials are telling us it's going to take months to get this area of Peak's Creek just back on its feet. Collins.

SPENCER: Todd, are there enough resources coming in to help rescue crews with their search?

TODD: Yes there are. There were search and recovery teams from at least four municipalities in North Carolina, including Charlotte and Raleigh here. FEMA has come here. They're setting up an office. That office will be fully operational by mid week. They have -- FEMA has arranged for individual assistants to come in. They're putting people up in hotels.

They had people in shelters. Those shelters have since been closed down and they're putting people up in hotels. They are -- they believe that at least two of the four missing people may be people who have left the area and they simply can't locate them. They are confident they say of being able to at least locate those two people so that could be some good news by day's end, but right now they don't have those people in hand.

SPENCER: All right. One last question Todd. Are the main roads going into that area, are they open, or most of them?

TODD: Yes, all the roads in this county in Macon County, are open now. They did have a problem with that over the last couple of days. They have restored those roads to service and that is helping out the effort a great deal.

SPENCER: All right. That's good news. Good to see you, Brian. Brian Todd in Franklin, North Carolina.

Well, President Bush got a first hand look at hurricane Ivan's devastation today. He returned to Florida to tour the damage from the third storm to hit the Sunshine State in just over a month. Meanwhile, some residents are standing in line for hours for basic supplies. CNN's Chris Lawrence in Pensacola. Hi Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right here in Pensacola, there are still tens of thousands of people without power, running water or fuel and in the big picture, FEMA now says the total damage from all three recent hurricanes is comparable to what California experienced during the 1994 earthquake outside Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LAWRENCE (voice-over): With temperatures soaring near 90 degrees, hundreds of people are standing outside up to four hours just for a few gallons of gas. Most operators still don't have power to run the pumps, but one of the few gas stations that is open has frustrated some residents with its membership policy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was told that because I was not a member of Sam's Club, I could not get gasoline. I ended up paying someone to get my gas.

LAWRENCE: In addition to fuel, hundreds of thousands of Florida residents still have no water or power. And as many line up for free supplies at Red Cross stations, there have been almost 100 complaints of price gouging.

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Somebody was trying to get a price to clear the trees out of their yard for $1200 when it was actually worth $300.

LAWRENCE: Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist arrived in Pensacola promising to prosecute anyone who's caught price gouging. He's also urging the legislature to increase the punishment for looting after police arrested 15 people in one county since Wednesday's mandatory evacuations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody shouldn't take advantage of you when you're forced out of your house and home.

LAWRENCE (on camera): The emergency operations center says several people are still missing in the area after the storm. But it's unclear whether they're actually in danger or simply evacuated and forgot to tell anyone where they were going. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Pensacola, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: And turning now to the presidential race, with just over six weeks to go until the election, a prominent Republican is voicing fears about what terrorism may be planning to influence the outcome. But Democrats charge it's a tactic to raise doubts about John Kerry. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Washington with details. Hello Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you Collins. Well, there is new rhetoric in the ongoing debate over who is the stronger leader, President Bush or Senator John Kerry. This time though the comments came from Illinois Republican and House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The remarks came last night as the speaker appeared at a fund-raiser in northern Illinois along with Vice President Dick Cheney. And here is what part of Hastert said then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), HOUSE SPEAKER: I think that the terrorists, the al Qaeda, would like to influence this election. They would like to influence this election just like they influenced the election in Spain. But the American people aren't going to let that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now that is not a new idea. We have in fact heard Bush administration officials express that same concern. But before that, a reporter asked Hastert directly whether he thought al Qaeda would operate with quote, a little more comfort with Kerry than with Bush and Hastert replied yes. Now as expected, that provoked a sharp response from Senator Kerry's running make, Sen. John Edwards. Campaigning in Pennsylvania today, here you see some file videos, but Senator Edwards was out campaigning in Pennsylvania today and he used strong language in defending Senator Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Literally in the last 24 hours, Denny Hastert, the speaker of the House has joined the fear mongering choir. You know, he said and I'm paraphrasing now, he said last night something to the effect that al Qaeda wants John Kerry to be president of the United States. Let me -- let me just say this in the simplest possible terms. When John Kerry is president of the United States, we will find al Qaeda where they are and crush them before they can do damage to the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now meanwhile, a Bush campaign spokesman did not have any comment on Speaker Hastert's remark last night, saying that he hadn't had a chance to see them, but what this official with the Bush campaign does say is, they are continuing basically to employ the strategy and try to reinforce the notion that John Kerry, they say, is a flip flopper, trying to portray him as a person who would be a weak leader. Look for that to continue, that theme to continue, Collins, in the days and the weeks ahead. Collins.

SPENCER: Elaine, any reaction from other Republicans about Hastert's comments?

QUIJANO: There are some reactions coming in, notably from Senator Jon Kyl who basically said that it was silly for either side to say that one would be safer with this leader or that leader in place, his point being that terrorists are simply going to act as terrorists, that it doesn't really matter who is in charge. Collins.

SPENCER: Thanks Elaine, Elaine, Elaine Quijano in Washington.

Well, last week Kerry again pounded President Bush's position on Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Of all the choices that George Bush has made, the most catastrophic single choice that he has made is the mess that he has created in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER: The war in Iraq is obviously a huge campaign issue. With Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert now joining the fray, let's get some insight from our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Bill, I want to welcome you.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you Collins.

SPENCER: What do you make of this, the latest comments by Speaker Hastert?

SCHNEIDER: What I make of it is there are really two separate issues here. One is Iraq and the other is the war on terror and al Qaeda. The administration, the Bush campaign has always tried to link the two. But what Speaker Hastert was saying essentially was warning Americans there could be another attack. You have to be concerned that al Qaeda will try to influence American elections. These terrorists have been known to be knowledgeable about American politics.

Remember the hostage crisis in Iran? That was a long time ago, but they waited until Jimmy Carter left office and the very day Ronald Reagan took over, they released the hostages. They follow American politics. So the question is, will they try to influence American election the way they did the Spanish election, where the government, which supported the United States, was overthrown days after a terrorist attack.

Well, I got to tell you this, if that were to happen tragically, that would virtually ensure George Bush's reelection, because if there's fear and anger in the country, that works to Mr. Bush's benefit.

SPENCER: And that brings me to this question. Is Iraq an issue that Kerry can gain some ground on in the coming days?

SCHNEIDER: That's the other issue. That's the war in Iraq, which has not been going very well and now we have an intelligence assessment saying that even the intelligence services are pessimistic about the outlook in Iraq for the next few years. That is an issue Kerry can gain some ground on, but he's been losing ground on it because many voters say they're not sure exactly what the difference is between Senator Kerry's position and President Bush's position. Kerry voted for the war. It's not clear what he would do differently in Iraq now. He's been trying to play up those differences to argue he'd take a more multilateral approach and to heighten that issue, because if he can get more Americans concerned about what's happening in Iraq and the way that war is going, then those people are very likely not to vote to reelect President Bush.

SPENCER: Bill, the fact that the violence is getting worse in Iraq. Is that going to hurt Bush in the coming weeks leading up to the election day?

SCHNEIDER: My guess is it will, particularly if God forbid, Americans get killed in larger numbers than they have been. We've already passed the 1,000 death milestone. When Americans see Americans getting killed overseas, they get upset. They get angry. They do look to President Bush as a strong and protective figure, but it's going to raise this very central question that Kerry will play in the campaign, namely is the United States, are Americans safer as a result of the war in Iraq or are we in fact got a good deal more trouble?

SPENCER: Thanks, Bill, Bill Schneider in Washington.

Well, are more Iraqi civilians siding with insurgents and against coalition forces? We'll talk about what's happening in Iraq, whether or not there is a growing split in the country's population and if so, what lessons the coalition forces need to learn.

Switching gears but still on politics, up next the gang at the fictional "West Wing." Will they bring home the gold from the Emmy's? And what's the deal with this runaway bull? A Texas size story coming up later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: Insurgents are threatening to kill 15 kidnapped members of the Iraqi National Guard. They want an aide to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr released, but the Iraqi government says it has no reports of any missing Iraqi forces. The U.S. military has made it clear it cannot meet the demands of another group of militants. Hostage takers who are holding two Americans and a Briton have asked the U.S. military to release female prisoners. The military says it doesn't have any women in custody.

The wife of one the American hostages told CNN her message for the abductors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATTY HENSLEY, WIFE OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE: Please understand that these three men are very gentle, very kind men. They were very honored to be in Iraq and helping the Iraqi people. They wanted to provide a better world for everyone that was over there and they certainly don't deserve the fate that is hanging over their head. I know all three of them will gladly come home if they're released and please realize that they are loving family men who have people who want them back terribly and please let them go. They need to come home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER: Iraq's interim prime minister visited with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London today/ Commenting on the upsurge in violence in his country, Ayad Allawi said the insurgency is getting more desperate. He also said the trial of Saddam Hussein could start as early as next month.

As the U.S. works to rebuild Iraq and restore calm to its cities, there are some Iraqis who are struggling just to find a decent place to stay and to eat food. Diane Muriel takes us to a community surviving on other's spare change. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Down an anonymous back street in Baghdad's Katamia (ph) district is a boardinghouse that is home to a small army, a small army of beggars. A series of one- room hovels 150 people crammed in together.

With just one communal tap and one latrine, the stench is overwhelming. There weren't many people around the day we visited, most of the inhabitants out working. Each day, a Dickensian Fagan figure who runs this establishment and several others like it, collects the children and puts them to work begging in the streets. Each child must earning the equivalent of $3.50 a day. For that, they and their families get living space.

But not all the children here are with their parents. This woman, who was too frightened to give her name and age, says she and her husband found seven kids in the street. They bring in just enough for rent and food she says. She has two sons of her own, but barely enough food to give them. She herself grew up in this compound after being picked up off the street. She found her husband here. The only man in the community with a legitimate job, he works at a sewage pipe laying company. Once inside there is almost no way out. The people here live in fear of the man who runs their lives.

Only a few of the prettiest young girls can escape. This one, too frightened to show her face to the camera, has been sold to a man she has never met in Syria. She knows she's destined to be a prostitute. She's just happy to be leaving.

The oldest members of the community are perhaps the most pitiful. We have nothing wails this woman. Tears run down her husband's face as he explains how he suffered a stroke and she was forced to go out into the streets to beg. She demonstrates her technique to the camera.

This is one of the most profitable places to beg in Baghdad, outside the mosques and it's here that beggars congregate. But even so, there are few pickings and little pity for some of the city's most desperate. Diana Muriel, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: Is the kind of poverty we just saw in Diana Muriel's report the kind of problem that can push more Iraqi citizens towards the insurgents? Well, joining us to talk about that is Mamoun Fandy. He's a senior fellow at the Baker Institute. He joins us live from Houston, Texas. I want to thank you for joining us sir.

MAMOUN FANDY, THE BAKER INSTITUTE: Thank you.

SPENCER: Well, getting to the question, how does the U.S., how does the U.S. go about addressing the question of abject poverty in Iraq?

FANDY: Well, I think you have to first of all look at the Iraq as three pieces, really Iraq and the southern part of Iraq is fairly OK after the removal of Muqtada Sadr from Najaf and northern Iraq is doing well where the Shia virtually build an independent state there. And we're talking about really sort of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who are most Iraqis are not willing to sign on the program of Ayad Allawi and the new government. They are resisting and they are making the lives of people miserable. So it's really only at the center and the United States, the only thing the United States can do is just stay the course, because I think Iraqis still have a shaky trust about the United States since abandoning the insurgents of the Shia in 1991. So the United States ought to stay the course and commit to its word by trying to make Iraq the model of a democratic government in the Middle East.

SPENCER: Is this going to help move or push the Iraqis more to the insurgent's side?

FANDY: Well, right now I think, if you look at the insurgents, it is made of, as Ayad Allawi pointed out, is made of the jihadists, the Zarqawi group. It's made of the common criminals that Saddam released before the war. It's made of the ex-regime Baathists and these are people who are going to fight until the finish, because they are the ultimate losers of, in the new Iraq. But it is, it's not going to move the general population towards the resistance because Iraqis as you pointed out, they are desperate and poor and Saddam Hussein left the country terribly in miserable conditions. So I don't predict that many Iraqis would move towards the resistance.

SPENCER: Is there a lot of anti-U.S., anti-U.S. sentiment, anti- sentiment that is in Iraq?

FANDY: Well the anti-U.S. sentiment is more outside Iraq than inside it. And as I said, the jihadist of Zarqawi and others have always seen the United States as the ultimate evil, as the ultimate Satan and so on, but in the region in general, all you have all the major satellite television in the Arab world, Al Jazeera namely and Al Arabiya, basically fanning this anti-U.S. sentiment so there is a lot to blame on the U.S. I mean all the failures of Arab politics have been blamed on the United States and Israel for the last few decades.

SPENCER: Let's talk about the insurgents now. Who are the insurgents?

FANDY: I mean the insurgents basically people coming from neighboring countries and that are led by Zarqawi and al Qaeda. Second there are ex-regime Baathists who know that at the end of the day, they are going to be the ultimate losers in Iraq and finally as yet Allawi pointed out, it is the common criminal that Saddam Hussein released from prison. But these are people who occupy only very specific areas in the Sunni center, in Fallujah and Ramadi, but the rest of Iraq, the rest of Iraq, the picture is totally different.

SPENCER: Right. We have a few seconds left. Do you think the latest violence is going to disrupt the upcoming elections in Iraq?

FANDY: Well, there will always be more violence. As the government of Allawi tries to go for the final stretch toward elections, there would be lots of people who are trying to disrupt the elections, but I hope that the United States and the interim government would stay the course and convince the Iraqis that they are there for the good, to build the democratic Iraq that would be a model for the rest of the region.

SPENCER: All right. Thanks for joining us sir.

FANDY: Thank you.

SPENCER: Mamoun Fandy with the U.S. Institute of Peace.

There are numerous charities working to help the people of Iraq. If you would like to help, here are a couple that are on the ground and would appreciate your assistance. You can make a donation to the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF through its Web site, www.supportunicef.org or you can mail a donation to this address: UNICEF, 3 U.N. Plaza, New York, New York 10017.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is also helping people in Iraq. You can make the donation on its Web site, www.icrc.org.

Well, are you a "Sopranos" fan? Think their alter egos will bring home Emmy awards tonight? Well, stay tuned. We've got a guest who will handicap the entertainment race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: It's television's biggest night of the year. Some shows will try to make Emmy history tonight. Brook Anderson looks at some of the nominees in the best drama category.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOK ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America's favorite mobsters are hoping to whack their competition this year. The HBO show dominated all series with 20 nominations, including best drama.

The investigators of "CSI" think their work is dead on and over at CTU, Kiefer and the gang are hoping the clock ticks down to a win for their drama, "24." But you can never forget the president. The "West Wing" stumping for a fifth top drama trophy.

Rounding out the supreme nominees, the God-fearing "Joan of Arcadia."

The jury has spoken. The best actor race, led by first time Emmy nominee James Spader but James Gandolfini the overwhelming favorite. He's won the trophy the last three times he's been eligible. Eligible and hoping he doesn't disappear without a trace from contention. Anthony LaPaglia.

Martin Sheen needs his first lead actor win. At stake for Sutherland, his first acting Emmy. Newcomer Amber Tamblin hoping for a divine win in the best dramatic actress category and rounding out the top actors candidates, former winner Alison Janney, Mariska Hargitay, Jennifer Garner and Edie Falco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: That was our colleague Brook Anderson and joining us now live from the red carpet in Los Angeles is CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas. Hello, Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Collins. You know, it's just so exciting right now at the Shrine auditorium as we prepare for television's biggest night. The celebrities are expected in just a few hours and just to put things in perspective for us, we have E!online's TV critic Kristin Veitch. Thank you so much for joining us. It looks like HBO's dominating.

KRISTIN VEITCH, E!ONLINE'S TV CRITIC: Absolutely. HBO actually has the most nominations this year and that's fairly typical. HBO normally has the most nominations, but they don't take home a lot of wins for some reason. This I think is going to be the year that that changes thanks to primarily, "Angels in America." "Angels in America" is expected to basically sweep every category in the miniseries, and I think they might possible break the record that roots set 27 years ago for most Emmy wins in one night. So it's going to be a huge year for HBO.

VARGAS: They have 21 nominations, right?

VEITCH: Absolutely, yes. And we also have a lot of Oscar winners that are going to become Emmy winners tonight because of "Angels in America." Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, or Emma Thompson, they're all expected to win.

VARGAS: And let's talk about the girls from "Sex and the City," because they really heated things up with their finale.

VEITCH: Absolutely, absolutely. And they're obviously a sentimental favorite this year, because it is their last year. And I'm telling you, if Sarah Jessica Parker does not win -- she's never ever won before -- I think the fans are going to be up in arms, and you're going to see "Sex and the City" fans rioting across the nation, because...

VARGAS: She's been nominated six times in a row.

VEITCH: Six times in a row and has never won. So she really is the Susan Lucci of the primetime Emmys.

VARGAS: And she's in great company because all the girls got nominated this year.

VEITCH: Yes, this is the first year that all four of them nominated. So obviously, the supporting category is going to be a very tight race, with all three of the supporting actresses there from "Sex and the City."

VARGAS: All right, let's talk about the Jersey boys of "The Sopranos." VEITCH: Yes. OK, here's the thing, you guys. "West Wing" has actually won the last four years. If they win tonight for best drama series, they will actually tie "Fraser" for most consecutive wins ever at the Emmys. That's not expected to happen, though, because "The Sopranos," it's supposed to be "The Sopranos'" year. We say that every year, but I think it's going to be true, actually, because "The West Wing" has hit somewhat of a creative slump and a ratings slump, and "The Sopranos" had a stellar year.

So I think James Gandolfini will probably win. Edie Falco is a lock. And "The Sopranos" should win for best drama series.

VARGAS: So many years and no -- I mean, nominated, but no wins.

VEITCH: Which is amazing, because it's really, it's held to be one of the best television shows ever. So for it not to win is really a crime.

VARGAS: Also a very emotional year. I mean, you've got John Ritter who passed away... posthumous nomination, and also Kelsey Grammer. Those two in the comedy category...

VEITCH: Right, yes. They're actually, you know, they're the lead actor comedy category, and I think that is going to be the most emotional moment of the night, because you have Kelsey Grammer, who's played the same role for 20 years, and this is his last year there, and then obviously, John Ritter. How could you not give it to John Ritter? He's had such an amazing body of work, and absolutely deserves it.

VARGAS: And with Kelsey Grammer, you're talking about three wins for "Fraser." The academy absolutely loves him. He's had 16 nominations throughout the years.

VEITCH: Right, absolutely. And I think also in the comedy category, what's going to be interesting is "Arrested Development" is up against "Sex and the City," and I think that could be the big shocker tonight, is if "Arrested Development" wins.

VARGAS: So that's the dark horse.

VEITCH: Yeah.

VARGAS: Well, thank you so much for putting things into perspective for us.

VEITCH: Thank you.

VARGAS: And back to you, Collins.

SPENCER: Right. We'll see if "The Sopranos" can do it. Good to see you, Sibila. Sibila Vargas in LA, at the Emmys. In the news now, it looks like Floridians can breathe a sigh of relief. Tropical Storm Jeanne is now edging past the Bahamas, as you can see in the upper left-hand part of your screen. And forecasters expect it to turn away from Florida. The Associated Press reports Jeanne is blamed for at least 38 deaths in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Hurricane Ivan's fury is still being felt. Hundreds of New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents had to evacuate their homes today when the Delaware River flooded. The high water blocked several bridges connecting the two states. The river is expected to crest this evening.

"We're praying for you"... that's the message President Bush had for Hurricane Ivan victims in Florida and Alabama. The president got a firsthand look at the storm damage along the gulf coast earlier today. He promised to speed federal aid to those devastated areas.

Now, both the Bush and Kerry campaigns are trying to get out the vote in battleground states. One of their main targets, women. Coming up, why the female vote could make the difference this election year. Plus, on the issues, a look at the candidates' positions on tax cuts, the job market, and social security.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: The Keystone State is a key battleground state in the election. Volunteers in Pennsylvania are pushing doorbells on street after street in the suburbs to get out the vote. Alina Cho takes a closer look at the grass roots project whose sole focus is attracting women to the ballot box.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The work can be tedious...

SUNSHINE O'BRIEN, ACTIVIST: We can start at 607 Rodman and work back to the 500s.

CHO: ... and thankless.

O'BRIEN: And I'm canvassing today to talk about the importance of reproductive rights in the upcoming election... well, thank you.

CHO: Yet these volunteers carryon.

O'BRIEN: I'm Sunshine. I'm here canvassing with Planned Parenthood to talk about the upcoming election.

CHO: Going door to door, even in the rain.

O'BRIEN: Canvassing is exciting, huh?

CHO: Hoping to get out the vote, especially among women, who make up more than half of the nation's voting block. You hear that 22 million single women did not vote in the last election.

O'BRIEN: That's alarming. That's incredibly alarming, and I'm glad to get out at any point I can, up until November 2nd, to make sure that women get out and speak their minds, and make sure that their voices are heard at the polls this year. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It matters. It matters who's making decisions for us.

CHO: This grass roots effort is part of a nationwide push to register women voters. Volunteers are targeting swing states like Pennsylvania.

GLORIA STEINEM, ACTIVIST: The Philadelphia suburbs are key, key -- I'm sure you've all been reading this -- to this state. And this state is key to the entire election.

CHO: You don't have to tell the candidates.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: A single mother is the toughest job in America.

CHO: President Bush has his "W is for women campaign." Senator John Kerry has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood. The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll shows while men are more likely to vote for Mr. Bush, women are evenly split. Pete and Ellen Mahoney are longtime Democrats.

ELLEN MAHONEY: Instead of staying at home and not voting, but complain about whoever happens to win the election.

CHO: You're saying get out there and...

MAHONEY: Get out there.

CHO: ... make a difference.

MAHONEY: Yes, make a difference.

CHO: Volunteer Sunshine O'Brien agrees. I mean, it could make the difference.

O'BRIEN: Absolutely, it could make the difference. I hope it will make the difference. And I believe that women voting will make the difference. On election day, the only day that counts. Alina Cho, CNN, Abington, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: Women's issues, record deficits, terrorism and tax cuts... high profile issues are stoking up the campaigns of both President Bush and his opponent John Kerry. But do you know where each stands on the issues important to you? Well, I'm going to talk about that with Terry Neal. He's the chief political correspondent with TheWashingtonPost.com. Hi, Terry.

TERRY NEAL, THEWASHINGTONPOST.COM: Hey, Collins. How are you?

SPENCER: Good, thank you. Well, we just saw that... we were just talking about women getting out the vote, and abortion is a key issue with women. Where do the candidates stand on abortion? NEAL: Well, this is one of the key issues where there's some real significant differences between the candidates, although it's not an issue that really comes up a lot, for various reasons, on the campaign trail. On the very general level, John Kerry supports abortion rights. George W. Bush is opposed to abortion, on a general level.

On specific issues, John Kerry, probably the most notable thing is, in 2003, voted against the successful bill that went through to ban late term abortions. And he also voted, in 1998, against the parental choice bill. So there's some real sharp key differences. George W. Bush obviously supports both of those things. And we know education and jobs is going to be playing big in the election. Do the candidates have firm plans in regards to these issues?

NEAL: Well, yeah, I mean, there are some significant differences here between the candidates also. First of all, let's sort of start with jobs. The president says that the best way to ensure continued job growth is to make permanent his tax cuts that he put into place in 2001, 2002, and 2003. But he also has some other ideas for continuing job creation. But the tax cut thing is probably the most significant.

I would say on John Kerry's side, his ideas are a couple things -- a significant increase in the minimum wage. I believe it's about a 35 percent increase in the minimum wage, as well as a manufacturer's job credit. So there are some differences there as well.

SPENCER: OK, let's go to social security. Are there vast differences there with the candidates?

NEAL: Well, the biggest difference, obviously, is that the president, who pushed this idea in 2000, hasn't really done a whole heck of a lot to advance this issue in his first term here. But the president supports allowing younger voters to take a portion of their payroll tax and to put that into private funds, essentially, in exchange for sort of a reduction in their social security payout. John Kerry opposes that idea.

SPENCER: OK, let's talk about tax cuts. Is President Bush going to keep his tax cuts in place, and is Kerry going to roll back the tax cuts?

NEAL: Well, as I mentioned earlier, obviously, on the issue of tax cuts, the president wants to make permanent -- it's close to $2 trillion in tax cuts between the three tax cuts that he pushed through. So John Kerry voted against two of those. He voted against the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. He voted for the 2002 bill, which was primarily focused on business tax cuts and things like that.

But John Kerry, what John Kerry says now is that he would keep in place cuts that primarily benefit lower income people, like the child tax credit. He would repeal the tax cuts for people who make over $200,000 a year.

SPENCER: OK, gay marriage, is that going to be a big issue? NEAL: Well, I mean, this is one of these things that's a big issue for certain people. Neither one of the candidates are making a big issue of it on the campaign trail, in part because their positions are similar, to some extent. Both candidates oppose gay marriage. However, John Kerry, of course, supports civil unions, and he, most significantly, opposed President Bush's attempt to sort of push through or advocate a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

SPENCER: OK, and gay adoption, we've got a few seconds left. Will that play into the...

NEAL: I don't see it being a very big deal. John Kerry said that he supports this, in some instances. George W. Bush opposes it.

SPENCER: And let's talk about the gun issue real quick. Is that going to be a big issue, gun control?

NEAL: See, I think this is actually a big issue, although there's still a question mark about to what extent John Kerry will make it an issue. He made it an issue, obviously... the assault weapons ban sunsetted earlier this week, or last week I should say, and it's no longer in place. John Kerry says that the president didn't provide the leadership on this issue.

The president says that he supports the ban on assault weapons, but did almost nothing in Congress to make sure that Congress reauthorized that bill. So that's a major difference in terms of... not in terms of what they believe, but what their actions are. And it'll be interesting to see if John Kerry keeps pushing President Bush and criticizing him for not doing enough to make sure that the bill was reauthorized this year.

SPENCER: All right, Terry Neal, thanks for your insight there.

NEAL: Thank you.

SPENCER: Terry Neal, who's the chief political correspondent for The Washington Post. Good to see you, Terry.

NEAL: Good to see you too.

SPENCER: When CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" continues, our look at the campaign issues in the week ahead. Tune in for "Promises, Promises," beginning tomorrow at 7 AM Eastern. The first issue in this five-part series, terrorism and keeping America safe. The U.S. team makes a comeback, but is it enough for victory at this year's Ryder Cup? We'll have a live report from Michigan. And then, a little later, the story behind this traffic jam.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: News around the world now, Panama declares a state of emergency after deadly flooding. At least 14 people were killed. Torrential rains and mudslides also damaged thousands of homes.

China's former president is making room for a younger generation of leaders. Seventy-eight-year-old Jiang Zemin turned over his last major post as chairman of the commission that runs China's military. Jiang's resignation is the country's first peaceful leadership transition in its communist history.

And the "material girl" is concluding her spiritual pilgrimage to Israel. She was in Tel Aviv, and at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of Judaism's holiest sites. Madonna is in Israel with 2,000 other students of Kabbala, a mystical form of Judaism.

Now, our Larry Smith is at the Ryder Cup in Michigan. Larry, what happened today?

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what happened is the Europeans have won it again. Four matches still in progress, but all right now have been relegated to the status of exhibitions, as Europe has already clinched the Ryder Cup, as they've come out strong today. Seventh time in the last 10 tries that Europe wins the Ryder Cup.

And fittingly, it was Colin Montgomerie's win over David Tom just a few moments ago that clinched the victory for Europe. Montgomerie, the seven-time Ryder Cup veteran now 5-0 and 2 in singles play, in Ryder Cup play. And, in fact, he came into the day as one of only two Europeans -- Padraig Harrington, who is still on the course, is the other one -- who had won singles matches in Ryder Cup play for the Europeans before today. But, of course, that number has increased.

Two European golfers who have finally won singles matches in play, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. They both go 4-0 and 1 in this competition this weekend. And the U.S. started off strong in this, with three wins and a tie in the first five matches to finish, including Tiger Woods getting a win. He never trailed versus Ryder Cup rookie Paul Casey.

But Europe, keep in mind, they needed only three wins to secure the cup, and again, they already have that. In fact, they've already secured four and a half points already. Now, I mentioned that there are still four course, four matches still on the course. Chris Dimarco of the U.S. has clinched at least a half point, as he is now on 18, one up with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

But right now, the U.S., in the final three matches, needing for some kind of magic, or else they could suffer their worst defeat since the rest of Europe joined England in this prestigious tournament here back in the late '70s. It's been more than two decades since we've had someone score as many as 18 points, and Europe appears to be on the way to doing that. Collins...

SPENCER: And Larry, why is the U.S. always favored, but they're not able to pull it out?

SMITH: You know, that is the age-old question. And I think that the powers that be in the United States will be scratching their heads the next two years, trying to figure it out. But it really comes down to the outstanding team play. And really, on the back nine, it seemed that Europe, all weekend long, really found a way to succeed, to make the putts, and the U.S. did not. Their mistakes came late. Europe would always come on strong, as they did again today, late. But again, strong team efforts by Europe. They're closer. They play together. They take bus rides together, eat dinner together. I have to say, the Americans are not friendly with each other. But certainly, it's just... it's different. That's the only way you can explain it, because the Europeans aren't as highly ranked as the Americans, have no major championships on any of their resumes -- 12 for the U.S. And yet, here they are, seventh time in 10 tries, taking home the Ryder Cup.

SPENCER: Right. Larry, I was able to watch a little bit of it. The U.S. did come out strong. What happened?

SMITH: Well, what happened again was that just late, the mistakes happening late. Phil Mickelson on 16, he was leading the match, and then Sergio Garcia, three straight birdies to take the lead away. And then, on 16 Mickelson hits his second shot into the water. That pretty much ended that match there.

And really, the momentum that the U.S. had, which was already slipping, faded from that point, and it's just been downhill ever since then. And a much deeper European team as well from top to bottom. The final four or five matches that went off late in the day, keep in mind, the Americans top loaded their lineup -- Woods, Mickelson, and Love, the top three guns all going up high for the U.S., trying to get some momentum going.

But the back half of the U.S. lineup, the last four or five golfers, have trailed most of the day, and again, are really struggling right now to try to get a victory in those final three matches.

SPENCER: All right, thanks, Larry. Larry Smith in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at the Ryder Cup. Thanks again, Larry. Up next, rubbernecking like you've never seen it before. The great adventures of one raging bull when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: Accidents, roadwork, stalled cars -- they all create traffic nightmares. And now, some drivers on a Dallas, Texas interstate can add raging bull to that list. Burt Lozano from CNN affiliate WFAA shows us how one bull created a big commotion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BURT LOZANO, WFAA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The traffic came to a curious crawl on the westbound lanes of I-20. The cause? A runaway cow, or make that a bull, judging by the size of his horns, the brave bovine running alongside 18-wheelers and not backing down. The lost bull took up several lanes on the interstate, running for more than two miles, stubbornly ignoring drivers trying to veer him off the road.

At one point, the driver of a big rig tried to corral the bull off to the access road as another truck attempted to block the lanes. The bull kept running, but finally exited off the interstate at Bonnie (ph) View Road. He trotted down the street and looked warn out. But just as you figured he'd given up, something caught his eye. A man wearing a red shirt got in the wrong path of this raging bull.

DONALD MORGAN, PEDESTRIAN: I saw he had a rope tied to him, thought maybe I could draw his attention off into the grass over here and get a hold of him, get him tied up. About that time, he charged me.

LOZANO: What did you think when he was staring you down?

MORGAN: Get the hell out of his way.

LOZANO: And so did our photographer.

MORGAN: Amazingly, he hit me with his head, knocked me down. He never stepped on me.

LOZANO: The bull jumped back on the interstate, this time followed by Hutchins Police.

CPL. GARY MCLAIN, HUTCHINS POLICE: Yeah, he charged the car, hit it with the horn, and kicked the mirror off the side of the car.

LOZANO: The horn left a dent in the patrol car, but officers and Dallas County Sheriffs Deputies did finally manage to steer him off into this field, where he walked toward a patch of trees, just as a trailer full of curious cows passed by.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: I could have tackled the bull. Yeah, right. Well, that's it for us, and "NEXT@CNN" is coming up with the latest technology helping firefighters in southern California. Here's Daniel Sieberg with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ahead on "NEXT@CNN," some hurricane history. How does Ivan compare to the biggest storms of the past? And a look at what some new cell phones can do. How about recording four hours of video?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER: At 6 Eastern, CNN LIVE SUNDAY continues with Carol Lin and a look at whether the Supreme Court will take on an eminent domain case. And if it does, it would be the first time in 50 years. And tonight on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," the life and times of LL Cool J, and then the Williams sisters. Thanks for joining us. Back with the headlines after a quick break.

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