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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Interview with Michael Moore; Iowa Caucus is Now Neck and Neck

Aired January 15, 2004 - 17:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Neck and neck -- and neck. Could it get any closer in Iowa? Well, a fourth horse is riding hard on the outside.

Snap shots of Saddam. New images of his capture.

North Korean nukes. Americans get an inside look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The spent-fuel storage pod was empty. There are no spent fuel rods there.

BLITZER: But what they see is ominous.

Welcome to Brazil? As long as you agree to be fingerprinted and photographed.

Baby, it's cold outside. Make that brutally cold.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, January 15, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Major changes in the Democratic race for the White House just four days before the crucial Iowa caucuses. Polls show three Democrats are in a tight race for first place and another candidate is getting very, very close as well.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in Iowa with details of the sudden changes. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here to tell us what the numbers mean. And our senior White House correspondent John King is at the White House. The Republicans watching all of this very, very carefully.

Let's start out in Iowa. Bob Franken is in Cedar Rapids -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the story today is one of the candidates is up and the candidate who's out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FRANKEN (voice-over): She had little impact on the campaign, but now former Senator Carol Moseley Braun will see what impact she has as a former presidential candidate.

CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN (D), FRM. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Howard Dean is a Democrat we can all be proud to support.

FRANKEN: According to sources, Moseley Braun approached Howard Dean after last Sunday night's debate, after she had chastised Al Sharpton over attacking Dean over his minority record.

BRAUN: And to Reverend Sharpton, the fact of the matter is you can always blow up a racial debate and make people mad at each other.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I am going to miss you about those debates, stepping in and defending me on those outrageous things that people say.

FRANKEN: It's difficult to say whether Dean needs Moseley Braun's small band of supporters. And difficult to gauge how accurate the polls are that show a virtual dead heat between candidates Dean, Gephardt and notably Kerry.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have said all along that I'm always weary of polls, whether I'm up or whether I'm down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Weary is a very good word, Wolf, because the caucuses are too volatile to be any other way -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Bob Franken on the campaign trail for us. Thanks, Bob, very much.

Let's continue our coverage right now. Some more news from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): With just three full days of campaigning left, there's now a three-way tie in Iowa. John Kerry's confidence is riding high with new polls showing him now tied for first. He could earn the title of Comeback Kid for January at least. He kicked off his day with a pancake breakfast in Counsel Bluffs.

KERRY: And I'm going to try to meet every undecided voter I can and persuade them.

BLITZER: Kerry later took to the air to greet some of those undecided voters in Carroll County.

Flipping pancakes in Fort Dodge with Senator Tom Harkin this morning, Howard Dean kicked off his first full day of his Caucus for Change bus tour.

DEAN: What this caucus is really about is changing America. It's not just about changing the White House.

BLITZER: Counting down to what he hopes is victory Monday night, Richard Gephardt has a full day of rallies with his supporter in Iowa.

REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I will be a president who will set up the best contrast with George Bush.

BLITZER: Still toiling for the labor vote with Dean, Gephardt's counting on a strong turnout to push him ahead.

And don't count out this guy. John Edwards, with a surprising last-minute surge in Iowa, today launched his Five Days to Change America tour in Des Moines.

While the others cover Iowa, Wesley Clark's thinking ahead to February. In South Carolina this morning, he held his conversations with Clark. He's now back in New Hampshire where polls show he's gaining momentum against Dean.

WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me just say -- are any of you old enough to vote in the primary? Hey, this is good. All right.

BLITZER: Courting the Clinton vote early this week, Joe Lieberman's courting the younger vote today. He's speaking with high school students in New Hampshire.

And that's our look at the 2004 presidential candidates on the trail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's take a closer look now at the poll numbers that show the race in Iowa getting tighter and tighter. For that, we're joined by our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. What are these numbers precisely showing, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: They're showing that the race which was supposed to be tight between Dean and Gephardt is now tight between Dean and Gephardt and Kerry and Edwards. There are four contender in Iowa. Anyone can win. The campaigns have been saying that all along, that this is a very close race. It's undecided.

And the polls are finally reflecting that. Instead of this race shutting down, a lot of people said, Howard Dean is going to walk away with everything, it's opening up.

BLITZER: Is there any indication what happened to Dean, because he seemed to have a rather formidable lead days ago.

SCHNEIDER: Yes. Well, we can't be sure. But in both Iowa and New Hampshire there are indications that Dean's solid lead isn't quite as solid as it was. Voters are clearly paying more attention to the campaign. The negative advertising and the impacts on Dean may be having an impact on voters. They're raising questions about Howard Dean.

And it's very likely that Democrats are saying we don't want this thing to end just yet. We want to take a very close look at these candidates before we say finally this is the guy.

BLITZER: We're seeing the race incredibly tight in Iowa. A week after Iowa, Iowa's Monday night, the following Tuesday, the 27th of January, the first primary in the nation in New Hampshire. What are the tracking polls, the polls showing in New Hampshire?

SCHNEIDER: They're showing a closer race than had been expected between Dean, who's leading in the tracking polls and in the other poll in New Hampshire, and Wesley Clark who is not competing at all in Iowa.

So Clark is hoping that if Dean doesn't do well in Iowa, if he doesn't win or make a very strong showing, that somehow Wesley Clark can show up as a new face after Iowa and take on Dean and perhaps even beat him in New Hampshire. That would be a strong showing and especially if he even comes in second ahead of John Kerry who's from a neighboring state.

BLITZER: And it would be extremely significant for Wesley Clark if he does very, very well in New Hampshire. The following Tuesday, February 3, there are a bunch of primaries including a very important one in the South in South Carolina.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. South Carolina is very important for John Edwards. He's from South Carolina, represents North Carolina. Wesley Clark's another Southerner.

Look, everybody's contending to be the Stop Dean candidate. It could be Gephardt or Edwards or Kerry if they do well or win in Iowa. It could be Clark if he comes out of New Hampshire looking good or winning or even a strong second. South Carolina could produce Clark or Kerry or Edwards particularly, any one of them could claim that title.

But in the end we expect after the next couple of weeks the race is likely to be between Dean and at least one other candidate, possibly two.

BLITZER: Bottom line, Carol Moseley Braun's decision to drop out and to endorse Howard Dean. How significant, if at all, is that?

SCHNEIDER: It won't be significant in Iowa. She had very little support and she hasn't had much of a vote that she can deliver.

But she is African-American and Dean has very little experience with African-American voters. He governed Vermont which is one of the whitest states in the nation. So he has to gain credibility among African-Americans who are base constituency for the Democrats.

Well this helps him do that. That picture of him, just Howard Dean, Carol Moseley Braun embracing, that could be important in gaining him credibility in the African-American community. BLITZER: And also among women, as well. She did have the endorsement of NOW, the National Organization for Women.

SCHNEIDER: That's right, she did. I don't think Howard Dean has particularly big problems with women voters. Wesley Clark does, but Howard Dean doesn't. But he did have problems because African- Americans really don't know much about him.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider, as usual, thanks very much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

BLITZER: A reminder, I'll be in Des Moines starting tomorrow for live coverage of the Iowa caucuses. We'll see you there then.

In the meantime, here's your chance to weigh in on all of these political stories. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this, will Carol Moseley Braun's withdrawal from the presidential race make a difference? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

While you're there I'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. Send me our comments any time. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day on the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

President Bush looks a bit like a candidate himself today. He's swinging through the south with stop in New Orleans and right now in Atlanta. Our senior White House correspondent John king is joining us with the latest on that front -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the president in two states today as you noted that November battle grounds while the Democrats slug it out in Iowa and New Hampshire. Mr. Bush thinking ahead of the general election, raising more than $2 million combined today.

And noteworthy, the president also trying to make in roads in a traditional Democrat constituency, the African-American vote. Let's look at the most interesting event of the day. The president paying tribute on this what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King's 75th birthday and a few days before the national holiday.

The president here placing a wreath at the tomb of Dr. King in Atlanta, stopping also for a brief moment of silence. paying tribute to the slain civil rights leader. Mr. Bush also taking time during this visit to meet briefly with Coretta Scott King, Dr. King's widow.

Now Mr. Bush, of course, paying tribute as many presidents have in the past also hoping aids concede to get some political benefit from paying more attention to African-American voters and the leadership of the African-American community, but just steps away from the president here at the tomb, about 400 protesters or so making their case quite loudly that they did not believe that this president should be there. They believe this president, again, these protesters, has not spent enough time on the concerns of African-Americans. So certainly a political overtone to what the White House says is simply a tribute by the president to the late Dr. King.

Now Mr. Bush in Atlanta also to raise money tonight, $1.3 million there. Earlier today he was in New Orleans visiting an African- American church promoting his so-called faith-based initiative. While in New Orleans, the president announced more than $3 billion in new government grants that go to churches and other religious organizations.

The president making the case that there's nothing wrong at all with the federal government sending money to religious organizations that help with social services like drug and alcohol counseling -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, stand by for a moment. I want to play for our viewers an excerpt from some of the remarks that the Vice President Al Gore delivered today, took a direct swipe at the president's environmental record and a speech on environmental issues. He accused the Bush administration of listening to the energy industry instead of scientists when it comes to global warming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the real truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors, he is a moral coward, so weak that he seldom, if ever, says no to anything that they want to do, no matter what the public interest at stake is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Al Gore was speaking in New York at a group sponsored by Moveon.org. A series of speeches he's been giving before that organization. John King, I don't know if the White House is reacting at all to what Al Gore is saying. He is, of course, someone who supports Howard Dean right now. But behind the scenes, you speak to these guys all of the time. What do they make of the role Al Gore is playing in this campaign?

KING: Well, they believe, of course, he's very active for Howard Dean. Now the White House believes that is a mistake because they view Dr. Dean as a weak general election candidate. Trust me, Wolf, they are studying more and more his record as he has emerged as the front runner. White House aides say they take offense to the use of the term moral coward. They say they believe that rhetoric is over the line.

But there's no question this administration knows the environment is one of the issues on which Democrats hope to peel away independent- minded swing voters. You see the former vice president attacking the president today. The Sierra Club launching a TV ad today just days before the president's state of the union address. That's one of the issues the Democrats hope helps them in the fight for voters in the middle who tend to care about environmental issues.

BLITZER: All right. White House correspondent. John king. John, thanks very much for that.

Saddam's capture, new pictures surfacing from the day of his arrest.

Rover Roll, hundreds of NASA scientists on cloud nine. Spirit is now ready to start its mission of exploration on Mars.

Ice breaker, a dangerous northeast freeze. Temperatures as low as 45 degrees below zero. Yes, you heard it right. And a warning from the National Weather Service. More hard news that's coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A month after Saddam Hussein was pulled from the hole in the ground near his hometown of Tikrit, images of his capture surfaced on the Internet. Pentagon officials didn't release the pictures and won't officially verify their authenticity. Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, these new photos of Saddam Hussein that have been circulating around the Internet have been getting a lot of currency lately, but the Pentagon is not verifying, nevertheless, they do appear to be real.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Here's Saddam Hussein right after he was pulled from the infamous spider hole held down by a U.S. soldier, or perhaps a translator or other civilian working with the U.S. military.

While some people have suggested this image may show Saddam bleeding from the mouth, the picture is inconclusive. The unofficial photographs were not released by the Pentagon which is not commenting on them. They appear to have been taken by someone in or working closely with the military and seem to show Saddam Hussein as he's brought into one of his former palaces in Baghdad, now serving as a military headquarters, as dozens of U.S. troops look on.

While CNN has not independently verified the authenticity or source of the photos, they do appear genuine according to a senior U.S. government official and key details match. For instance, Saddam appears to be wearing the same clothes and sports the same beard as seen in pictures released by the U.S. government.

Another photograph of the box of U.S. currency found with Saddam matches the green case of $750,000 displayed by the U.S. military after his capture. And a picture of the commander of the 4th Infantry division's 1st Brigade, Colonel James Hickey, who commanded 600 troops who took part in the capture matches other known images of Hickey.

The photos don't reveal much more about Operation Red Dawn but they do give a little more of a look of how Saddam Hussein was handled in the hours after his capture.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: While the photographs were not authorized and not released by the Pentagon, it's not clear that anyone will be reprimanded for taking them. With every soldier nearly in Iraq having a pocket camera, it's not clear that whoever took them will ever actually come forward -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Any international organizations or anyone protesting release of these additional photos, now especially since he's been identified as a P.O.W.? You're not supposed to show pictures like this of P.O.W.s?

MCINTYRE: Not that I'm aware of. Of course, the pictures aren't that different from the ones that were shown by the U.S. military and, again, the Pentagon didn't release them. It appears that somebody took them perhaps as souvenirs and they simply got circulated through e-mail.

BLITZER: That's what happens nowadays very often. Thanks very much, Jamie McIntyre, for that report.

Meantime, new signs of trouble for the transition in Iraq. Shouting no to America, tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims marched through the southern city of Basra. Today they rallied in support of Iraq's top Shiite cleric, the Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is demanding that an interim legislature be elected rather than picked by regional caucuses as outlined in the U.S. blueprint for a transfer of power.

The head of Iraq's governing council says direct elections are unrealistic and would delay the political transition. A U.S. official says a compromise is being considered.

Announcing his choice. The controversial filmmaker Michael Moore names his pick for president. He joins me live this hour.

Success in mission control. Rover rolls out and gives us a new view of the red planet.

And finger flap. An American pilot is detained after giving an obscene gesture. Did he really disobey authority?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: While most of us were sleeping last night the rover Spirit took its first tentative step on the Martian surface rolling off its landing pad and setting off a storm of excitement back here on earth.

Our space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 11 days after it met the surface of Mars, NASA's Spirit Rover is making tracks in the soil.

CHARLES ELACHI, NASA: I can tell you that Spirit is now ready to start its mission of exploration and discovery.

O'BRIEN: The trip of it's landing pad was modest, no more than 10 feet. Just the fact that it happened and the rover sent back some picture postcard proof was enough to launch another celebration in the control room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

JENNIFER TROSPHER, NASA: Now we are the mission that we all envisioned three and a half years ago.

O'BRIEN (on camera): And they're making a bee line for a crater roughly 300 yards away. Scientists believe there's a good chance there are rocks there that could unlock the big riddle, where did all of the water go. And by inference, was there or is there life in this harsh forbidden place?

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: North Korea's capabilities. a team of Americans get inside North Korea and takes a look at the country's make nuclear facility. Hear what they saw and didn't see.

The big chill, let's say if very big chill. An unusually cruel winter for residents in the northeast. We'll tell you how they're coping and if more bone-chilling weather is ahead.

And security spat, questions on Brazil's new security procedures for visitors, specifically American visitors. An American pilot says it's a rude reception. Hear what happened to him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer.

In Washington, North Korean nukes. What a private American delegations found during its recent tour of the countries main nuclear plant. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of the headlines.

(NEWS BREAK)

BLITZER: More than a year after North Korea kicked out the last international inspectors a group of Americans made it inside the North's main nuclear facility and what they saw or didn't see is troubling.

Let's go live to our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, these are the first public statements by a member of this group since they returned from the hermit kingdom. In the last couple of days, they spent three days inside. And they wanted to emphasize they're not part of an official U.S. delegation. That they didn't go as an inspection group. They went as observers. And for its part, they say the North Koreans also had a message that they wanted to convey to the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Just days after getting a first-hand look at North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Jack Pritchard, until recently a key Bush administration expert on North Korea, says he believes Pyongyang is deadly serious about developing nuclear weapons. Senior aid to North Korea's leader telling Pritchard...

JACK PRITCHARD, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Time is not on the U.S. side. The lapse of time -- these are direct quotes. "The lapse of will in result in the quantitative and qualitative increase in our nuclear deterrent."

You know, are they bluffing? No, I don't think so.

KOPPEL: Pritchard was among a handful of American experts, including the former director of the Los Alamos Nuclear Lab, given a seven-hour tour of North Korea's Yongbyon facility. He said the group found a five megawatt nuclear reactor up and running and a storage pond which once had 8,000 spent plutonium fuel rods empty.

PRITCHARD: I didn't see where they went. So, for me to speculate that, in fact, they were reprocessed or they were taken out and hidden someplace, I can't do that.

KOPPEL: North Korea claims the rods had been reprocessed into fuel for nuclear weapons.

In October of 2002, Pritchard was in Pyongyang as part of an official U.S. delegation when North Korea confirmed U.S. intelligence reports and admitted it had a secret program to enrich uranium. But, since then, Pyongyang has changed its tune on its uranium-enrichment program, now denying it exists.

PRITCHARD: This is some of the clearest denials that we have heard in the past year or so.

KOPPEL: Pritchard, who resigned from his government post last summer, is now urging the U.S. to seriously negotiate with Pyongyang, before it's too late.

PRITCHARD: They are prepared at this point to give up their nuclear weapons program.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, one of the obstacles to getting the next round of talks under way had been North Korea's insistence on getting security assurances directly from the United States. But now U.S. and diplomatic sources tell CNN, Wolf, that the North has dropped its assistance and that the next round of what is known as the six-party talks with the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China is expected to take place in Beijing next month -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the stakes, of course, could not be higher.

CNN's Andrea Koppel reporting from the State Department -- thanks, Andrea, very much.

During the storming of Baghdad, two journalists, a Ukrainian and a Spaniard, were fatally shot by U.S. troops. Now a journalist advocacy group is laying blame.

Let's go live to our White House correspondent, Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, indeed a new report today about the military and the media on the battlefields of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): As U.S. soldiers entered Baghdad April 8, they fired a tank shell at the upper floor of the Palestinian Hotel, killing two journalists, soldiers believing they were under attack from someone inside.

Now the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders says the Army was criminally negligent that day because soldiers were not told by their commanders the hotel was full of the international press corps. It's just one of several deadly encounters between the news media and the military on the continuing battlefield of Iraq; 13 journalists have been killed by hostile fire since the war began, four by the U.S. military.

JOEL CAMPAGNA, COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS: So far, the explanations have been inadequate. So I think what's needed is a public accounting of what's taken place.

STARR: The military previously concluded, the soldiers at the Palestinian were not at fault.

MAJ. GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DIRECTOR: We may get into combat in the cities which, from the beginning, we have specifically said would be dangerous and difficult. You put yourself in their position, they have the inherent right of self-defense.

STARR: The Pentagon has completed an investigation into another shooting death, a Reuters cameraman killed by a U.S. soldier at a Baghdad prison in August, his camera mistaken for a weapons launcher.

No one is expected to be penalized. Like other news organizations, Reuters is increasingly worried. Its spokesman says, "What really concerns us is, the safety of our journalists in Iraq has not improved." The Pentagon is now investigating still another incident. After a helicopter shootdown on January 2 near Fallujah, three Reuters employees were taken into custody for three days when soldiers said they were fired upon by men wearing press jackets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Now, Wolf, reporters and journalists have also been killed and injured in Iraq by the insurgents in bombings and roadside attacks. But most news organizations now agree that today Iraq is the most dangerous assignment in the world -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr, thanks very much for that ominous report. Appreciate it very much.

A security spat between the United States and Brazil seems to be getting increasingly unpleasant. It started when the United States began requiring visitors from Brazil to be fingerprinted and photographed. Brazil responded with similar requirements for visitors from the United States. Not even flight crews are exempt.

We have asked CNN's Jennifer Coggiola, who is joining us now live here, to bring us up to date -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Well, when the U.S. issued this new anti-terrorism measure requiring the citizens of all countries entering the U.S. without visas to be fingerprinted and photographed, as you've just explained, it did include Brazil. Well, in return, Brazil ordered all American citizens to be subjected to the same scrutiny when entering their country.

Well, suffice it to say, it didn't go over really well with one pilot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): Say cheese. This American Airlines pilot apparently took offense to having his picture take in Brazil's Sao Paulo Airport, but he had no choice.

Two weeks ago, a Brazilian federal judge ordered the new I.D. measures for U.S. citizens alone in response to the U.S. policy. The judge used strong language, calling the U.S. measures -- quote -- "absolutely brutal and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis." On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva personally appealed to President Bush, asking for an exemption for Brazilians, to no avail.

Brazilian officials have argued the new measure won't be an inconvenience, though, to travelers. But without the latest technology, like the cleaner and speedier fingerprinting method used in the U.S., there could be delays. At Sao Paulo, the country's busiest airport, Brazil security officials expect to register up to 1,800 passenger a day. One possible victim in all of this, tourism, a $40 billion industry in Brazil. In fact, 600,000 Americans visited Brazil each year, according to the Brazilian Tourist Office. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, the country's most popular tourist destination, was quoted, calling the new policy a disaster -- quote -- "I consider this a stupid retaliation that will not bring any benefit to the country."

He's appealed to the Brazilian government to stop retaliating, at least in Rio, where U.S. tourists spend about $250 million a year. But, in the meantime, no effort to immodest to convince travelers that Brazil is still the place to be, some not-so-shy efforts so butter up visiting Americans already seen this week, flowers, welcome gifts, T- shirts and, well, a lively (SPEAKING SPANISH) a Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: Well, that American pilot that you saw letting his finger do the talking, well, he was arrested and charged with disobeying authority.

Today, American Airlines officials offered an apologetic statement to the Brazilian government, police and airport authorities, saying they -- quote -- "regret any misunderstanding that occurred and that American Airlines and its employees pride themselves on always being very professional and courteous to everyone with whom they come in contact and that the captain and other crew members certainly meant no disrespect." American continues to look into the matter -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, a messy situation between U.S. and Brazil. We'll watch that.

Jennifer Coggiola, thanks very much.

Northeast freeze.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is absolutely freezing. You can see I'm tearing right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all about layering.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A brutal cold wave and a warning of extremely dangerous windchills, record low temperatures, so cold, just wait until you see what happens to this egg. We have reports from around the region.

And a new endorsement. The filmmaker Michael Moore names his top choice for president. He'll join me live. We'll get to all of that.

First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: (voice-over): Karachi blast. An explosion in downtown Karachi, Pakistan, has injured several people. Authorities say a car bomb went off near a church in a Bible study center, but it's not immediately clear who was responsible.

Moving day. The Afghan government has started moving heavy weapons out of Kabul to a storage base outside the city. It's part of an effort to get military hardware out of the hands of armed militias and under more direct government control.

Extreme makeover. Iraqis are exchanging their old currency for new bank notes that don't carry the likeness of Saddam Hussein. The old Saddam dinars cease to be legal currency today.

Korean trial. A U.S. soldier has gone on trial in South Korea. Prosecutors say Sergeant Jerry Onken was driving under the influence of alcohol when he killed a Korean woman in a hit-and-run accident. He was the first U.S. soldier to be handed over to Korean custody under an agreement covering troops accused of off-duty crimes.

Body English. Cuba is the birth place of salsa. So why does this British couple to do it so well? That's what many Cubans were wondering when world salsa champions Christopher Marquez (ph) and Jacqueline Spencer (ph) performed in Havana. These are two Brits who apparently don't believe in keeping a stiff upper lip, or, judging from these pictures, a stiff anything else.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Those of you in the Northeast don't need us to tell you it's bitter cold out there. Right now, get this, New York City 14 degrees and a windchill of minus-two. Boston, you're at six degrees, but it feels more like minus-13. Burlington, Vermont, the real temperature right now, six below zero, a windchill, get this, minus 27 degrees. And it's going to get worse before it gets better.

CNN's Galen Crader (ph) has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GALEN CRADER (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not just cold out there. It's dangerous. An intensely frigid mass of arctic air is plunging temperatures to record and near record lows across eastern Canada and the Northeast U.S.

Single-digit temperatures are the norm today for the second day in a row. But it's the windchill that really hurts, down to as much as 45 degrees below zero in Boston. At that extreme, frostbite can set in on unprotected skin in as little as 10 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is absolutely freezing. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all about layering. My boyfriend's from California. And he's even adopted the whole layering approach. So I wore my hooded sweater today. You have to have a nice big scarf to bundle up.

CRADER: Out on Boston Harbor, ice breakers are busy trying to keep a clear path for boats. Still, the weather forced cancellation of at least one commuter boat service in the area. And with temperatures this low, a car is no guarantee of transportation either.

So how cold is it? One reporter spoofed the classic heat wave story of frying an egg on the sidewalk and found his egg frozen in a matter of minutes. Across the region, people are bundling up. Schools are closed. Heaters are blasting. And everyone is just waiting for the weather to warm up.

Galen Crader (ph), CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So how are new Englanders holding up? Let's check in with some reporters there, starting with Steve Cooper of CNN affiliate WHDH in Boston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE COOPER, WHDH REPORTER: The arctic grip continues to joke New England. The temperatures already today struggling to get above zero, and it's only supposed to get worse from here on out. By tomorrow morning, we're talking about temperatures about 10 below zero, with a windchill 40 below zero. Take a cup of coffee. It doesn't take long out there for a hot couple of coffee to turn into ice coffee. Brutal conditions out here. It's a long way before we're going to see an end to this cold snap.

In Boston, Steve Cooper for CNN -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHARON MEYER, REPORTER: Just when you think it can't get any colder, it gets even colder. We had a low this morning of 20 degrees below zero here in Burlington. And up in the northeastern part of the state, we had a few reports of 40 degrees below zero.

Now, to give you an idea of how cold that is, earlier this morning, we took some cups of hot water right from the coffee machine inside, brought it outside and threw that hot water in the air. It freezes before it reaches the ground, just kind of turns into a puff of white ice crystals.

Now, we are expecting it to get bitterly cold again tonight, dropping to between 15, 30, or 35 degrees below zero across the state. And the winds are going to be picking up. So that means our windchills are going to be about 30 to 50 degrees below zero. The good news is, we are expecting the temperatures to struggle above zero tomorrow and then continue to moderate a bit over the weekend.

I'm Sharon Meyer reporting for CNN in Burlington, Vermont.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED MUIR, REPORTER: I'm Ed Muir in Albany, New York, where the sun has been out all day, but it hasn't done a bit of good.

We got to two degrees above zero today, but the windchill has been hovering between 20 and 30 degrees below zero. For the second day in a row, schools in the area have been closed. And they will be shut once again tomorrow, when windchills could reach 40 to 50 degrees below zero, ensuring that water will continue to freeze within seconds -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Our affiliate reporters, thanks to all of you for that chilling news.

Endorsing Wesley Clark, first Madonna, now Michael Moore. Find out why. I'll talk live with the Academy Award-winning filmmaker. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: One of America's most outspoken liberals has announced his choice for the Democratic presidential nomination. And it may come as something as a surprise. Instead of joining other liberal Democrats supporting Howard Dean or, let's even say, Dennis Kucinich, the filmmaker Michael Moore says he'll be voting for Wesley Clark, who is sometimes accused of being a Republican in disguise. In fact, that's what Howard Dean says all the time now. So why is Michael Moore doing this?

He's joining us now live from New York to tell us.

I've got to tell you, Michael, I was pretty surprised. Why do you like Wesley Clark?

MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER/AUTHOR: First of all, I like him as a human being. I think he's a very decent and honorable person.

I trust him. He seems very down to earth. And I like where he comes from. And, most of all, I think, as "The New York Times" pointed out last week, he's actually slightly to the left of Dean. And this is something I think a lot of people don't realize, especially probably a lot of young people. Women, African-Americans, labor people, should really take a close look at this guy, because I did and I really liked what I saw.

BLITZER: I read the article that you posted on your Web site. I got the sense, though, that, for practical political reasons, the main reason you like Wesley Clark is that you think he can beat George W. Bush more than the other Democratic candidates.

MOORE: Well, that is a very good reason. I think certainly you have the best chance with him.

As you know, and you've pointed out many times, Wolf, this election is going to really come down to 15 states and a few percentage points and those states. And you have to ask yourself, who has the best chance of winning these states, Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Missouri? When you put it like that, I think he definitely has the best chance.

But it's not just a matter of strategy for me, because, honestly, I think, you know, other candidates could also beat Bush. I think Bush is beatable. That's my main position. And I'll support whoever the candidate is.

(CROSSTALK)

MOORE: But I think we're going to have the best chance with Clark.

But my reasons for supporting him are the things that he stands for. He's going to end this war. He's going to change the tax rate, so that families of four who make under $50,000 a year are not going to have to pay federal income tax. And the rich are going to have to pay an extra 5 percent.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I also noticed in the article that you wrote, you -- explaining why you like Wesley Clark so much, you said this, "He is clearly not from Park Avenue." Well, we all know Howard Dean was born on Park Avenue. Was that a swipe at Howard Dean? What do you have against Howard Dean?

MOORE: Nothing.

It was more what I have against Park Avenue. It was not meant to be a swipe at Dean. Look, I think Dean's a good guy. What's really been decent about Wesley Clark is that he's not participated in this kind of mud-slinging that the other candidates have. And I think I'd like to participate in that tone and not throw mud at Dean and not bring up things that I think -- look, you could say so many things about any of the candidates, how -- positions they've taken that I don't like or haven't liked in the past, how they've changed their minds, things they've been involved in.

When I hear Dean say that he won't cut a dime out of the Pentagon budget, that's inexcusable. But I also believe he's the kind of person you could possibly move along some day to a better position. So...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I want you to clarify another thing you said that was intriguing to me in the piece. You said, "I will work enthusiastically for any of the non-Lieberman eight who might get the nomination."

MOORE: Yes.

BLITZER: Now, what exactly does that mean?

MOORE: Well, for a long time, I've been in the anyone-but- Lieberman camp. And I think a lot of people are in that same camp.

The point being is that the other candidates -- of course, now with Moseley Braun out, it's now the non-Lieberman seven -- all the Democrats running, you could say something good about all of them. They all have good position on many of the issues. We're very fortunate this year to have this crop of candidates.

I just happen to think Clark is the best among them, best on the issues, best for the working people of this country, best to end this war, and the best to communicate this message to where I come from, in middle America. This is a gift that the Democratic Party has been given. We have a four-star general, top of his class at West Point, a Rhodes scholar. And he's going to go out there and tell middle America what we need to do in terms of cutting the Pentagon budget, of standing up for the rights of working people, affirmative action, nondiscrimination against gays and lesbians.

(CROSSTALK)

MOORE: Go down the whole list, he's extremely strong on these issues.

BLITZER: I assume if Lieberman for some reason were to get the nomination, you would support him, though, over Bush, is that right?

MOORE: It would take a lot of medication, Wolf.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: What do you have against Joe Lieberman?

MOORE: Well, he's running in the wrong party. Lieberman is kind of like a liberal to moderate Republican. You know, he's Bush-light. And God bless him, but he just doesn't really belong in this party.

BLITZER: All right, Michael Moore explaining why he likes Wesley Clark so much. Thanks for joining us.

MOORE: Thank you for having me on.

BLITZER: You and Madonna now are in the same camp.

MOORE: Hey, just to hear those two names in the same sentence, you've made my day, Wolf.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Michael Moore and Madonna both support Wesley Clark.

Thanks very much, Michael, for that.

MOORE: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Last night, we brought you a look at the Democratic candidates' spouses. And, unfortunately, we left out one we don't want you to miss.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Senator John Edwards, is often seen on the campaign trail, all the while maintaining a busy schedule of her own. An accomplished attorney and children's advocate, she juggles her volunteering and fund--raising with parenting for their four children. Their first son, Wade, died tragically in a car accident seven years ago.

The daughter of a decorated Navy pilot, Elizabeth attended school in Japan, then went on to earn her undergraduate and law degree from Chapel Hill. The Edwards were married 27 years ago. We certainly meant no disrespect to Elizabeth Edwards.

Wal-Mart responded to a comment made in our report on Tuesday about an internal audit that turned up tens of thousands of instances that could violate labor laws in some states. We reported that one former Wal-Mart manager told CNN minors often operated heavy equipment, such as power lifters and hydraulic cardboard bailers.

A spokesman for the nation's retailers says -- and I'm quoting now -- "This is certainly not our policy and we take appropriate disciplinary action when we discover violations." Wal-Mart added that it completed its rollout yesterday of a new rule that it says ensures its workers will take full meal breaks. The audit at 128 stores over a two-week period had found more than 60,000 instances of workers not taking breaks.

A mother's blessing, times three, why the birth of these triplets is so extra special.

And our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: Will Carol Moseley Braun's withdrawal from the presidential race make a difference? You can still vote. Go to CNN.com/Wolf.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here are the results of our "Web Question of the Day." Take a look, remembering this is not a scientific poll.

Ten years after a tornado left her paralyzed from the chest down, an Alabama woman is a mother of triplets. Regina Lyles Webb (ph) and her husband, Randy (ph), consider their babies miracles. Emily Grace (ph), Elisa Jeanne (ph), and Lauren Olivia (ph) were 2 1/2 months premature when they were born January 7. But all three are doing quite well.

I'll be in Des Moines tomorrow.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Neck>


Aired January 15, 2004 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Neck and neck -- and neck. Could it get any closer in Iowa? Well, a fourth horse is riding hard on the outside.

Snap shots of Saddam. New images of his capture.

North Korean nukes. Americans get an inside look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The spent-fuel storage pod was empty. There are no spent fuel rods there.

BLITZER: But what they see is ominous.

Welcome to Brazil? As long as you agree to be fingerprinted and photographed.

Baby, it's cold outside. Make that brutally cold.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, January 15, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Major changes in the Democratic race for the White House just four days before the crucial Iowa caucuses. Polls show three Democrats are in a tight race for first place and another candidate is getting very, very close as well.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in Iowa with details of the sudden changes. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here to tell us what the numbers mean. And our senior White House correspondent John King is at the White House. The Republicans watching all of this very, very carefully.

Let's start out in Iowa. Bob Franken is in Cedar Rapids -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the story today is one of the candidates is up and the candidate who's out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FRANKEN (voice-over): She had little impact on the campaign, but now former Senator Carol Moseley Braun will see what impact she has as a former presidential candidate.

CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN (D), FRM. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Howard Dean is a Democrat we can all be proud to support.

FRANKEN: According to sources, Moseley Braun approached Howard Dean after last Sunday night's debate, after she had chastised Al Sharpton over attacking Dean over his minority record.

BRAUN: And to Reverend Sharpton, the fact of the matter is you can always blow up a racial debate and make people mad at each other.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I am going to miss you about those debates, stepping in and defending me on those outrageous things that people say.

FRANKEN: It's difficult to say whether Dean needs Moseley Braun's small band of supporters. And difficult to gauge how accurate the polls are that show a virtual dead heat between candidates Dean, Gephardt and notably Kerry.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have said all along that I'm always weary of polls, whether I'm up or whether I'm down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Weary is a very good word, Wolf, because the caucuses are too volatile to be any other way -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Bob Franken on the campaign trail for us. Thanks, Bob, very much.

Let's continue our coverage right now. Some more news from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): With just three full days of campaigning left, there's now a three-way tie in Iowa. John Kerry's confidence is riding high with new polls showing him now tied for first. He could earn the title of Comeback Kid for January at least. He kicked off his day with a pancake breakfast in Counsel Bluffs.

KERRY: And I'm going to try to meet every undecided voter I can and persuade them.

BLITZER: Kerry later took to the air to greet some of those undecided voters in Carroll County.

Flipping pancakes in Fort Dodge with Senator Tom Harkin this morning, Howard Dean kicked off his first full day of his Caucus for Change bus tour.

DEAN: What this caucus is really about is changing America. It's not just about changing the White House.

BLITZER: Counting down to what he hopes is victory Monday night, Richard Gephardt has a full day of rallies with his supporter in Iowa.

REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I will be a president who will set up the best contrast with George Bush.

BLITZER: Still toiling for the labor vote with Dean, Gephardt's counting on a strong turnout to push him ahead.

And don't count out this guy. John Edwards, with a surprising last-minute surge in Iowa, today launched his Five Days to Change America tour in Des Moines.

While the others cover Iowa, Wesley Clark's thinking ahead to February. In South Carolina this morning, he held his conversations with Clark. He's now back in New Hampshire where polls show he's gaining momentum against Dean.

WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me just say -- are any of you old enough to vote in the primary? Hey, this is good. All right.

BLITZER: Courting the Clinton vote early this week, Joe Lieberman's courting the younger vote today. He's speaking with high school students in New Hampshire.

And that's our look at the 2004 presidential candidates on the trail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's take a closer look now at the poll numbers that show the race in Iowa getting tighter and tighter. For that, we're joined by our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. What are these numbers precisely showing, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: They're showing that the race which was supposed to be tight between Dean and Gephardt is now tight between Dean and Gephardt and Kerry and Edwards. There are four contender in Iowa. Anyone can win. The campaigns have been saying that all along, that this is a very close race. It's undecided.

And the polls are finally reflecting that. Instead of this race shutting down, a lot of people said, Howard Dean is going to walk away with everything, it's opening up.

BLITZER: Is there any indication what happened to Dean, because he seemed to have a rather formidable lead days ago.

SCHNEIDER: Yes. Well, we can't be sure. But in both Iowa and New Hampshire there are indications that Dean's solid lead isn't quite as solid as it was. Voters are clearly paying more attention to the campaign. The negative advertising and the impacts on Dean may be having an impact on voters. They're raising questions about Howard Dean.

And it's very likely that Democrats are saying we don't want this thing to end just yet. We want to take a very close look at these candidates before we say finally this is the guy.

BLITZER: We're seeing the race incredibly tight in Iowa. A week after Iowa, Iowa's Monday night, the following Tuesday, the 27th of January, the first primary in the nation in New Hampshire. What are the tracking polls, the polls showing in New Hampshire?

SCHNEIDER: They're showing a closer race than had been expected between Dean, who's leading in the tracking polls and in the other poll in New Hampshire, and Wesley Clark who is not competing at all in Iowa.

So Clark is hoping that if Dean doesn't do well in Iowa, if he doesn't win or make a very strong showing, that somehow Wesley Clark can show up as a new face after Iowa and take on Dean and perhaps even beat him in New Hampshire. That would be a strong showing and especially if he even comes in second ahead of John Kerry who's from a neighboring state.

BLITZER: And it would be extremely significant for Wesley Clark if he does very, very well in New Hampshire. The following Tuesday, February 3, there are a bunch of primaries including a very important one in the South in South Carolina.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. South Carolina is very important for John Edwards. He's from South Carolina, represents North Carolina. Wesley Clark's another Southerner.

Look, everybody's contending to be the Stop Dean candidate. It could be Gephardt or Edwards or Kerry if they do well or win in Iowa. It could be Clark if he comes out of New Hampshire looking good or winning or even a strong second. South Carolina could produce Clark or Kerry or Edwards particularly, any one of them could claim that title.

But in the end we expect after the next couple of weeks the race is likely to be between Dean and at least one other candidate, possibly two.

BLITZER: Bottom line, Carol Moseley Braun's decision to drop out and to endorse Howard Dean. How significant, if at all, is that?

SCHNEIDER: It won't be significant in Iowa. She had very little support and she hasn't had much of a vote that she can deliver.

But she is African-American and Dean has very little experience with African-American voters. He governed Vermont which is one of the whitest states in the nation. So he has to gain credibility among African-Americans who are base constituency for the Democrats.

Well this helps him do that. That picture of him, just Howard Dean, Carol Moseley Braun embracing, that could be important in gaining him credibility in the African-American community. BLITZER: And also among women, as well. She did have the endorsement of NOW, the National Organization for Women.

SCHNEIDER: That's right, she did. I don't think Howard Dean has particularly big problems with women voters. Wesley Clark does, but Howard Dean doesn't. But he did have problems because African- Americans really don't know much about him.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider, as usual, thanks very much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

BLITZER: A reminder, I'll be in Des Moines starting tomorrow for live coverage of the Iowa caucuses. We'll see you there then.

In the meantime, here's your chance to weigh in on all of these political stories. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this, will Carol Moseley Braun's withdrawal from the presidential race make a difference? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

While you're there I'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. Send me our comments any time. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day on the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

President Bush looks a bit like a candidate himself today. He's swinging through the south with stop in New Orleans and right now in Atlanta. Our senior White House correspondent John king is joining us with the latest on that front -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the president in two states today as you noted that November battle grounds while the Democrats slug it out in Iowa and New Hampshire. Mr. Bush thinking ahead of the general election, raising more than $2 million combined today.

And noteworthy, the president also trying to make in roads in a traditional Democrat constituency, the African-American vote. Let's look at the most interesting event of the day. The president paying tribute on this what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King's 75th birthday and a few days before the national holiday.

The president here placing a wreath at the tomb of Dr. King in Atlanta, stopping also for a brief moment of silence. paying tribute to the slain civil rights leader. Mr. Bush also taking time during this visit to meet briefly with Coretta Scott King, Dr. King's widow.

Now Mr. Bush, of course, paying tribute as many presidents have in the past also hoping aids concede to get some political benefit from paying more attention to African-American voters and the leadership of the African-American community, but just steps away from the president here at the tomb, about 400 protesters or so making their case quite loudly that they did not believe that this president should be there. They believe this president, again, these protesters, has not spent enough time on the concerns of African-Americans. So certainly a political overtone to what the White House says is simply a tribute by the president to the late Dr. King.

Now Mr. Bush in Atlanta also to raise money tonight, $1.3 million there. Earlier today he was in New Orleans visiting an African- American church promoting his so-called faith-based initiative. While in New Orleans, the president announced more than $3 billion in new government grants that go to churches and other religious organizations.

The president making the case that there's nothing wrong at all with the federal government sending money to religious organizations that help with social services like drug and alcohol counseling -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, stand by for a moment. I want to play for our viewers an excerpt from some of the remarks that the Vice President Al Gore delivered today, took a direct swipe at the president's environmental record and a speech on environmental issues. He accused the Bush administration of listening to the energy industry instead of scientists when it comes to global warming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the real truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors, he is a moral coward, so weak that he seldom, if ever, says no to anything that they want to do, no matter what the public interest at stake is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Al Gore was speaking in New York at a group sponsored by Moveon.org. A series of speeches he's been giving before that organization. John King, I don't know if the White House is reacting at all to what Al Gore is saying. He is, of course, someone who supports Howard Dean right now. But behind the scenes, you speak to these guys all of the time. What do they make of the role Al Gore is playing in this campaign?

KING: Well, they believe, of course, he's very active for Howard Dean. Now the White House believes that is a mistake because they view Dr. Dean as a weak general election candidate. Trust me, Wolf, they are studying more and more his record as he has emerged as the front runner. White House aides say they take offense to the use of the term moral coward. They say they believe that rhetoric is over the line.

But there's no question this administration knows the environment is one of the issues on which Democrats hope to peel away independent- minded swing voters. You see the former vice president attacking the president today. The Sierra Club launching a TV ad today just days before the president's state of the union address. That's one of the issues the Democrats hope helps them in the fight for voters in the middle who tend to care about environmental issues.

BLITZER: All right. White House correspondent. John king. John, thanks very much for that.

Saddam's capture, new pictures surfacing from the day of his arrest.

Rover Roll, hundreds of NASA scientists on cloud nine. Spirit is now ready to start its mission of exploration on Mars.

Ice breaker, a dangerous northeast freeze. Temperatures as low as 45 degrees below zero. Yes, you heard it right. And a warning from the National Weather Service. More hard news that's coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A month after Saddam Hussein was pulled from the hole in the ground near his hometown of Tikrit, images of his capture surfaced on the Internet. Pentagon officials didn't release the pictures and won't officially verify their authenticity. Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, these new photos of Saddam Hussein that have been circulating around the Internet have been getting a lot of currency lately, but the Pentagon is not verifying, nevertheless, they do appear to be real.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Here's Saddam Hussein right after he was pulled from the infamous spider hole held down by a U.S. soldier, or perhaps a translator or other civilian working with the U.S. military.

While some people have suggested this image may show Saddam bleeding from the mouth, the picture is inconclusive. The unofficial photographs were not released by the Pentagon which is not commenting on them. They appear to have been taken by someone in or working closely with the military and seem to show Saddam Hussein as he's brought into one of his former palaces in Baghdad, now serving as a military headquarters, as dozens of U.S. troops look on.

While CNN has not independently verified the authenticity or source of the photos, they do appear genuine according to a senior U.S. government official and key details match. For instance, Saddam appears to be wearing the same clothes and sports the same beard as seen in pictures released by the U.S. government.

Another photograph of the box of U.S. currency found with Saddam matches the green case of $750,000 displayed by the U.S. military after his capture. And a picture of the commander of the 4th Infantry division's 1st Brigade, Colonel James Hickey, who commanded 600 troops who took part in the capture matches other known images of Hickey.

The photos don't reveal much more about Operation Red Dawn but they do give a little more of a look of how Saddam Hussein was handled in the hours after his capture.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: While the photographs were not authorized and not released by the Pentagon, it's not clear that anyone will be reprimanded for taking them. With every soldier nearly in Iraq having a pocket camera, it's not clear that whoever took them will ever actually come forward -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Any international organizations or anyone protesting release of these additional photos, now especially since he's been identified as a P.O.W.? You're not supposed to show pictures like this of P.O.W.s?

MCINTYRE: Not that I'm aware of. Of course, the pictures aren't that different from the ones that were shown by the U.S. military and, again, the Pentagon didn't release them. It appears that somebody took them perhaps as souvenirs and they simply got circulated through e-mail.

BLITZER: That's what happens nowadays very often. Thanks very much, Jamie McIntyre, for that report.

Meantime, new signs of trouble for the transition in Iraq. Shouting no to America, tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims marched through the southern city of Basra. Today they rallied in support of Iraq's top Shiite cleric, the Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is demanding that an interim legislature be elected rather than picked by regional caucuses as outlined in the U.S. blueprint for a transfer of power.

The head of Iraq's governing council says direct elections are unrealistic and would delay the political transition. A U.S. official says a compromise is being considered.

Announcing his choice. The controversial filmmaker Michael Moore names his pick for president. He joins me live this hour.

Success in mission control. Rover rolls out and gives us a new view of the red planet.

And finger flap. An American pilot is detained after giving an obscene gesture. Did he really disobey authority?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: While most of us were sleeping last night the rover Spirit took its first tentative step on the Martian surface rolling off its landing pad and setting off a storm of excitement back here on earth.

Our space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 11 days after it met the surface of Mars, NASA's Spirit Rover is making tracks in the soil.

CHARLES ELACHI, NASA: I can tell you that Spirit is now ready to start its mission of exploration and discovery.

O'BRIEN: The trip of it's landing pad was modest, no more than 10 feet. Just the fact that it happened and the rover sent back some picture postcard proof was enough to launch another celebration in the control room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

JENNIFER TROSPHER, NASA: Now we are the mission that we all envisioned three and a half years ago.

O'BRIEN (on camera): And they're making a bee line for a crater roughly 300 yards away. Scientists believe there's a good chance there are rocks there that could unlock the big riddle, where did all of the water go. And by inference, was there or is there life in this harsh forbidden place?

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: North Korea's capabilities. a team of Americans get inside North Korea and takes a look at the country's make nuclear facility. Hear what they saw and didn't see.

The big chill, let's say if very big chill. An unusually cruel winter for residents in the northeast. We'll tell you how they're coping and if more bone-chilling weather is ahead.

And security spat, questions on Brazil's new security procedures for visitors, specifically American visitors. An American pilot says it's a rude reception. Hear what happened to him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer.

In Washington, North Korean nukes. What a private American delegations found during its recent tour of the countries main nuclear plant. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of the headlines.

(NEWS BREAK)

BLITZER: More than a year after North Korea kicked out the last international inspectors a group of Americans made it inside the North's main nuclear facility and what they saw or didn't see is troubling.

Let's go live to our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, these are the first public statements by a member of this group since they returned from the hermit kingdom. In the last couple of days, they spent three days inside. And they wanted to emphasize they're not part of an official U.S. delegation. That they didn't go as an inspection group. They went as observers. And for its part, they say the North Koreans also had a message that they wanted to convey to the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Just days after getting a first-hand look at North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Jack Pritchard, until recently a key Bush administration expert on North Korea, says he believes Pyongyang is deadly serious about developing nuclear weapons. Senior aid to North Korea's leader telling Pritchard...

JACK PRITCHARD, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Time is not on the U.S. side. The lapse of time -- these are direct quotes. "The lapse of will in result in the quantitative and qualitative increase in our nuclear deterrent."

You know, are they bluffing? No, I don't think so.

KOPPEL: Pritchard was among a handful of American experts, including the former director of the Los Alamos Nuclear Lab, given a seven-hour tour of North Korea's Yongbyon facility. He said the group found a five megawatt nuclear reactor up and running and a storage pond which once had 8,000 spent plutonium fuel rods empty.

PRITCHARD: I didn't see where they went. So, for me to speculate that, in fact, they were reprocessed or they were taken out and hidden someplace, I can't do that.

KOPPEL: North Korea claims the rods had been reprocessed into fuel for nuclear weapons.

In October of 2002, Pritchard was in Pyongyang as part of an official U.S. delegation when North Korea confirmed U.S. intelligence reports and admitted it had a secret program to enrich uranium. But, since then, Pyongyang has changed its tune on its uranium-enrichment program, now denying it exists.

PRITCHARD: This is some of the clearest denials that we have heard in the past year or so.

KOPPEL: Pritchard, who resigned from his government post last summer, is now urging the U.S. to seriously negotiate with Pyongyang, before it's too late.

PRITCHARD: They are prepared at this point to give up their nuclear weapons program.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, one of the obstacles to getting the next round of talks under way had been North Korea's insistence on getting security assurances directly from the United States. But now U.S. and diplomatic sources tell CNN, Wolf, that the North has dropped its assistance and that the next round of what is known as the six-party talks with the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China is expected to take place in Beijing next month -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the stakes, of course, could not be higher.

CNN's Andrea Koppel reporting from the State Department -- thanks, Andrea, very much.

During the storming of Baghdad, two journalists, a Ukrainian and a Spaniard, were fatally shot by U.S. troops. Now a journalist advocacy group is laying blame.

Let's go live to our White House correspondent, Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, indeed a new report today about the military and the media on the battlefields of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): As U.S. soldiers entered Baghdad April 8, they fired a tank shell at the upper floor of the Palestinian Hotel, killing two journalists, soldiers believing they were under attack from someone inside.

Now the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders says the Army was criminally negligent that day because soldiers were not told by their commanders the hotel was full of the international press corps. It's just one of several deadly encounters between the news media and the military on the continuing battlefield of Iraq; 13 journalists have been killed by hostile fire since the war began, four by the U.S. military.

JOEL CAMPAGNA, COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS: So far, the explanations have been inadequate. So I think what's needed is a public accounting of what's taken place.

STARR: The military previously concluded, the soldiers at the Palestinian were not at fault.

MAJ. GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DIRECTOR: We may get into combat in the cities which, from the beginning, we have specifically said would be dangerous and difficult. You put yourself in their position, they have the inherent right of self-defense.

STARR: The Pentagon has completed an investigation into another shooting death, a Reuters cameraman killed by a U.S. soldier at a Baghdad prison in August, his camera mistaken for a weapons launcher.

No one is expected to be penalized. Like other news organizations, Reuters is increasingly worried. Its spokesman says, "What really concerns us is, the safety of our journalists in Iraq has not improved." The Pentagon is now investigating still another incident. After a helicopter shootdown on January 2 near Fallujah, three Reuters employees were taken into custody for three days when soldiers said they were fired upon by men wearing press jackets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Now, Wolf, reporters and journalists have also been killed and injured in Iraq by the insurgents in bombings and roadside attacks. But most news organizations now agree that today Iraq is the most dangerous assignment in the world -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr, thanks very much for that ominous report. Appreciate it very much.

A security spat between the United States and Brazil seems to be getting increasingly unpleasant. It started when the United States began requiring visitors from Brazil to be fingerprinted and photographed. Brazil responded with similar requirements for visitors from the United States. Not even flight crews are exempt.

We have asked CNN's Jennifer Coggiola, who is joining us now live here, to bring us up to date -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Well, when the U.S. issued this new anti-terrorism measure requiring the citizens of all countries entering the U.S. without visas to be fingerprinted and photographed, as you've just explained, it did include Brazil. Well, in return, Brazil ordered all American citizens to be subjected to the same scrutiny when entering their country.

Well, suffice it to say, it didn't go over really well with one pilot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): Say cheese. This American Airlines pilot apparently took offense to having his picture take in Brazil's Sao Paulo Airport, but he had no choice.

Two weeks ago, a Brazilian federal judge ordered the new I.D. measures for U.S. citizens alone in response to the U.S. policy. The judge used strong language, calling the U.S. measures -- quote -- "absolutely brutal and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis." On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva personally appealed to President Bush, asking for an exemption for Brazilians, to no avail.

Brazilian officials have argued the new measure won't be an inconvenience, though, to travelers. But without the latest technology, like the cleaner and speedier fingerprinting method used in the U.S., there could be delays. At Sao Paulo, the country's busiest airport, Brazil security officials expect to register up to 1,800 passenger a day. One possible victim in all of this, tourism, a $40 billion industry in Brazil. In fact, 600,000 Americans visited Brazil each year, according to the Brazilian Tourist Office. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, the country's most popular tourist destination, was quoted, calling the new policy a disaster -- quote -- "I consider this a stupid retaliation that will not bring any benefit to the country."

He's appealed to the Brazilian government to stop retaliating, at least in Rio, where U.S. tourists spend about $250 million a year. But, in the meantime, no effort to immodest to convince travelers that Brazil is still the place to be, some not-so-shy efforts so butter up visiting Americans already seen this week, flowers, welcome gifts, T- shirts and, well, a lively (SPEAKING SPANISH) a Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: Well, that American pilot that you saw letting his finger do the talking, well, he was arrested and charged with disobeying authority.

Today, American Airlines officials offered an apologetic statement to the Brazilian government, police and airport authorities, saying they -- quote -- "regret any misunderstanding that occurred and that American Airlines and its employees pride themselves on always being very professional and courteous to everyone with whom they come in contact and that the captain and other crew members certainly meant no disrespect." American continues to look into the matter -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, a messy situation between U.S. and Brazil. We'll watch that.

Jennifer Coggiola, thanks very much.

Northeast freeze.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is absolutely freezing. You can see I'm tearing right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all about layering.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A brutal cold wave and a warning of extremely dangerous windchills, record low temperatures, so cold, just wait until you see what happens to this egg. We have reports from around the region.

And a new endorsement. The filmmaker Michael Moore names his top choice for president. He'll join me live. We'll get to all of that.

First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: (voice-over): Karachi blast. An explosion in downtown Karachi, Pakistan, has injured several people. Authorities say a car bomb went off near a church in a Bible study center, but it's not immediately clear who was responsible.

Moving day. The Afghan government has started moving heavy weapons out of Kabul to a storage base outside the city. It's part of an effort to get military hardware out of the hands of armed militias and under more direct government control.

Extreme makeover. Iraqis are exchanging their old currency for new bank notes that don't carry the likeness of Saddam Hussein. The old Saddam dinars cease to be legal currency today.

Korean trial. A U.S. soldier has gone on trial in South Korea. Prosecutors say Sergeant Jerry Onken was driving under the influence of alcohol when he killed a Korean woman in a hit-and-run accident. He was the first U.S. soldier to be handed over to Korean custody under an agreement covering troops accused of off-duty crimes.

Body English. Cuba is the birth place of salsa. So why does this British couple to do it so well? That's what many Cubans were wondering when world salsa champions Christopher Marquez (ph) and Jacqueline Spencer (ph) performed in Havana. These are two Brits who apparently don't believe in keeping a stiff upper lip, or, judging from these pictures, a stiff anything else.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Those of you in the Northeast don't need us to tell you it's bitter cold out there. Right now, get this, New York City 14 degrees and a windchill of minus-two. Boston, you're at six degrees, but it feels more like minus-13. Burlington, Vermont, the real temperature right now, six below zero, a windchill, get this, minus 27 degrees. And it's going to get worse before it gets better.

CNN's Galen Crader (ph) has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GALEN CRADER (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not just cold out there. It's dangerous. An intensely frigid mass of arctic air is plunging temperatures to record and near record lows across eastern Canada and the Northeast U.S.

Single-digit temperatures are the norm today for the second day in a row. But it's the windchill that really hurts, down to as much as 45 degrees below zero in Boston. At that extreme, frostbite can set in on unprotected skin in as little as 10 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is absolutely freezing. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all about layering. My boyfriend's from California. And he's even adopted the whole layering approach. So I wore my hooded sweater today. You have to have a nice big scarf to bundle up.

CRADER: Out on Boston Harbor, ice breakers are busy trying to keep a clear path for boats. Still, the weather forced cancellation of at least one commuter boat service in the area. And with temperatures this low, a car is no guarantee of transportation either.

So how cold is it? One reporter spoofed the classic heat wave story of frying an egg on the sidewalk and found his egg frozen in a matter of minutes. Across the region, people are bundling up. Schools are closed. Heaters are blasting. And everyone is just waiting for the weather to warm up.

Galen Crader (ph), CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So how are new Englanders holding up? Let's check in with some reporters there, starting with Steve Cooper of CNN affiliate WHDH in Boston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE COOPER, WHDH REPORTER: The arctic grip continues to joke New England. The temperatures already today struggling to get above zero, and it's only supposed to get worse from here on out. By tomorrow morning, we're talking about temperatures about 10 below zero, with a windchill 40 below zero. Take a cup of coffee. It doesn't take long out there for a hot couple of coffee to turn into ice coffee. Brutal conditions out here. It's a long way before we're going to see an end to this cold snap.

In Boston, Steve Cooper for CNN -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHARON MEYER, REPORTER: Just when you think it can't get any colder, it gets even colder. We had a low this morning of 20 degrees below zero here in Burlington. And up in the northeastern part of the state, we had a few reports of 40 degrees below zero.

Now, to give you an idea of how cold that is, earlier this morning, we took some cups of hot water right from the coffee machine inside, brought it outside and threw that hot water in the air. It freezes before it reaches the ground, just kind of turns into a puff of white ice crystals.

Now, we are expecting it to get bitterly cold again tonight, dropping to between 15, 30, or 35 degrees below zero across the state. And the winds are going to be picking up. So that means our windchills are going to be about 30 to 50 degrees below zero. The good news is, we are expecting the temperatures to struggle above zero tomorrow and then continue to moderate a bit over the weekend.

I'm Sharon Meyer reporting for CNN in Burlington, Vermont.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED MUIR, REPORTER: I'm Ed Muir in Albany, New York, where the sun has been out all day, but it hasn't done a bit of good.

We got to two degrees above zero today, but the windchill has been hovering between 20 and 30 degrees below zero. For the second day in a row, schools in the area have been closed. And they will be shut once again tomorrow, when windchills could reach 40 to 50 degrees below zero, ensuring that water will continue to freeze within seconds -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Our affiliate reporters, thanks to all of you for that chilling news.

Endorsing Wesley Clark, first Madonna, now Michael Moore. Find out why. I'll talk live with the Academy Award-winning filmmaker. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: One of America's most outspoken liberals has announced his choice for the Democratic presidential nomination. And it may come as something as a surprise. Instead of joining other liberal Democrats supporting Howard Dean or, let's even say, Dennis Kucinich, the filmmaker Michael Moore says he'll be voting for Wesley Clark, who is sometimes accused of being a Republican in disguise. In fact, that's what Howard Dean says all the time now. So why is Michael Moore doing this?

He's joining us now live from New York to tell us.

I've got to tell you, Michael, I was pretty surprised. Why do you like Wesley Clark?

MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER/AUTHOR: First of all, I like him as a human being. I think he's a very decent and honorable person.

I trust him. He seems very down to earth. And I like where he comes from. And, most of all, I think, as "The New York Times" pointed out last week, he's actually slightly to the left of Dean. And this is something I think a lot of people don't realize, especially probably a lot of young people. Women, African-Americans, labor people, should really take a close look at this guy, because I did and I really liked what I saw.

BLITZER: I read the article that you posted on your Web site. I got the sense, though, that, for practical political reasons, the main reason you like Wesley Clark is that you think he can beat George W. Bush more than the other Democratic candidates.

MOORE: Well, that is a very good reason. I think certainly you have the best chance with him.

As you know, and you've pointed out many times, Wolf, this election is going to really come down to 15 states and a few percentage points and those states. And you have to ask yourself, who has the best chance of winning these states, Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Missouri? When you put it like that, I think he definitely has the best chance.

But it's not just a matter of strategy for me, because, honestly, I think, you know, other candidates could also beat Bush. I think Bush is beatable. That's my main position. And I'll support whoever the candidate is.

(CROSSTALK)

MOORE: But I think we're going to have the best chance with Clark.

But my reasons for supporting him are the things that he stands for. He's going to end this war. He's going to change the tax rate, so that families of four who make under $50,000 a year are not going to have to pay federal income tax. And the rich are going to have to pay an extra 5 percent.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I also noticed in the article that you wrote, you -- explaining why you like Wesley Clark so much, you said this, "He is clearly not from Park Avenue." Well, we all know Howard Dean was born on Park Avenue. Was that a swipe at Howard Dean? What do you have against Howard Dean?

MOORE: Nothing.

It was more what I have against Park Avenue. It was not meant to be a swipe at Dean. Look, I think Dean's a good guy. What's really been decent about Wesley Clark is that he's not participated in this kind of mud-slinging that the other candidates have. And I think I'd like to participate in that tone and not throw mud at Dean and not bring up things that I think -- look, you could say so many things about any of the candidates, how -- positions they've taken that I don't like or haven't liked in the past, how they've changed their minds, things they've been involved in.

When I hear Dean say that he won't cut a dime out of the Pentagon budget, that's inexcusable. But I also believe he's the kind of person you could possibly move along some day to a better position. So...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I want you to clarify another thing you said that was intriguing to me in the piece. You said, "I will work enthusiastically for any of the non-Lieberman eight who might get the nomination."

MOORE: Yes.

BLITZER: Now, what exactly does that mean?

MOORE: Well, for a long time, I've been in the anyone-but- Lieberman camp. And I think a lot of people are in that same camp.

The point being is that the other candidates -- of course, now with Moseley Braun out, it's now the non-Lieberman seven -- all the Democrats running, you could say something good about all of them. They all have good position on many of the issues. We're very fortunate this year to have this crop of candidates.

I just happen to think Clark is the best among them, best on the issues, best for the working people of this country, best to end this war, and the best to communicate this message to where I come from, in middle America. This is a gift that the Democratic Party has been given. We have a four-star general, top of his class at West Point, a Rhodes scholar. And he's going to go out there and tell middle America what we need to do in terms of cutting the Pentagon budget, of standing up for the rights of working people, affirmative action, nondiscrimination against gays and lesbians.

(CROSSTALK)

MOORE: Go down the whole list, he's extremely strong on these issues.

BLITZER: I assume if Lieberman for some reason were to get the nomination, you would support him, though, over Bush, is that right?

MOORE: It would take a lot of medication, Wolf.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: What do you have against Joe Lieberman?

MOORE: Well, he's running in the wrong party. Lieberman is kind of like a liberal to moderate Republican. You know, he's Bush-light. And God bless him, but he just doesn't really belong in this party.

BLITZER: All right, Michael Moore explaining why he likes Wesley Clark so much. Thanks for joining us.

MOORE: Thank you for having me on.

BLITZER: You and Madonna now are in the same camp.

MOORE: Hey, just to hear those two names in the same sentence, you've made my day, Wolf.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Michael Moore and Madonna both support Wesley Clark.

Thanks very much, Michael, for that.

MOORE: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Last night, we brought you a look at the Democratic candidates' spouses. And, unfortunately, we left out one we don't want you to miss.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Senator John Edwards, is often seen on the campaign trail, all the while maintaining a busy schedule of her own. An accomplished attorney and children's advocate, she juggles her volunteering and fund--raising with parenting for their four children. Their first son, Wade, died tragically in a car accident seven years ago.

The daughter of a decorated Navy pilot, Elizabeth attended school in Japan, then went on to earn her undergraduate and law degree from Chapel Hill. The Edwards were married 27 years ago. We certainly meant no disrespect to Elizabeth Edwards.

Wal-Mart responded to a comment made in our report on Tuesday about an internal audit that turned up tens of thousands of instances that could violate labor laws in some states. We reported that one former Wal-Mart manager told CNN minors often operated heavy equipment, such as power lifters and hydraulic cardboard bailers.

A spokesman for the nation's retailers says -- and I'm quoting now -- "This is certainly not our policy and we take appropriate disciplinary action when we discover violations." Wal-Mart added that it completed its rollout yesterday of a new rule that it says ensures its workers will take full meal breaks. The audit at 128 stores over a two-week period had found more than 60,000 instances of workers not taking breaks.

A mother's blessing, times three, why the birth of these triplets is so extra special.

And our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: Will Carol Moseley Braun's withdrawal from the presidential race make a difference? You can still vote. Go to CNN.com/Wolf.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here are the results of our "Web Question of the Day." Take a look, remembering this is not a scientific poll.

Ten years after a tornado left her paralyzed from the chest down, an Alabama woman is a mother of triplets. Regina Lyles Webb (ph) and her husband, Randy (ph), consider their babies miracles. Emily Grace (ph), Elisa Jeanne (ph), and Lauren Olivia (ph) were 2 1/2 months premature when they were born January 7. But all three are doing quite well.

I'll be in Des Moines tomorrow.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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