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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Scare in the Senate; Seven-State Showdown for Democrats

Aired February 03, 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): Scare in the Senate. Echoes of anthrax. But it's another deadly toxin on Capitol Hill.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: Indeed, this is ricin.

BLITZER: An urgent investigation under way.

Decision day. A seven-state showdown for Democrats.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And we're going to take the White House back!

BLITZER: Can they catch Kerry?

Caught on camera. Every parent's nightmare in broad daylight.

JOE BRUCIA, FATHER OF MISSING GIRL: I just love my daughter very much and I need her home.

SUSAN SCHORPEN, MOTHER OF MISSING GIRL: She's just so special.

BLITZER: A star witness faces Martha Stewart. And what did Kobe Bryant say to detectives?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, February 3, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A little more than two years after anthrax-laced letters shut down Capitol Hill, paralyzed the postal service and killed five people, there's a new scare and a new poison. Tests show the white powder found yesterday in a mail room of the Senate's Dirksen Office building is extremely lethal.

Let's go live to CNN's Jeanne Meserve. She's in our Washington bureau -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It is ricin, Wolf. And a criminal investigation is underway into how the deadly toxin got into a Senate office building. Who might have put it there and why? Right now there are no answers to those questions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FRIST: The question is whether it's a criminal act or terrorist act. In my mind they're the both basically same, they're both...

MESERVE (voice-over): The ricin was discovered on a mail opening machine in the Dirksen Offices of Senator Frist. But authorities don't know how it got there.

FRIST: Whether it came out of one letter or several letters or any letters has not yet been determined.

MESERVE: And there are no clues yet from the analysis of the ricin.

FRIST: We don't know what the nature of this is. We do know, and it's been written by many of you, that it was a powder. The characterization of that powder as to how well it could be aerosolized in the air itself has not been determined. Those studies are under way.

MESERVE: The Senate office buildings are closed and will remain so for several days until they are tested for contamination and unopened mail is retrieved.

Thus far the news is good.

CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: All the examinations of any filters or air systems we have done since the beginning of this continue to be negative and that is a good sign.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: More than 24 hours after the ricin discovered no one has exhibited symptoms of ricin poisoning. But the capitol physician is working with Washington area doctors, health departments and hospitals to be on the lookout for symptoms.

Another note, Wolf, authorities are trying to determine if the mail being handled yesterday in that office had gone through irradiation and other security procedures. Some members of Congress are known to have their district mail forwarded to staffers' homes and then carried into the was to avoid time delays the security procedures create -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve in Washington. Jeanne, thanks very much.

So just how deadly a poison is ricin? how can investigators get to the bottom of this case? Dr. Drew Richardson is a former FBI scientist. He headed the bureau's hazardous response unit. He's joining us now live from Washington.

Dr. Richardson, thanks very much for joining us. Give us your perspective. How big of a problem is this?

DR. DREW RICHARDSON, FRM. FBI SCIENTIST: Thank you very much, Wolf, for allowing me to be here with you. It's a little too early to tell how big a problem this is. You are correct, and as been said many times in the last 24 hours, ricin is very toxic. How toxic for the average healthy adult? Perhaps 220 micrograms might be a lethal dose. Or 200 to 300 micrograms.

To the average viewer saying, What does that mean? Let me put that in perspective. A microgram is roughly 130 millionth of an ounce. And so we're talking about an extremely small amount, two to four hundred times those number of micrograms would be less than one can see with the naked eye.

Also, to relate it to something else that we know, a term we became familiar with as the country, as the world and perhaps and government became critically interested in was GV and sarin. Sarin is the name of the nerve agent used by the Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo -- in the Tokyo subway poisoning roughly a decade ago.

Ricin, which we're talking about now, through a pulmonary administration is roughly 30 to 40 times as toxic as that.

BLITZER: So it's obviously a very, very deadly toxin.

What about the people there in the Dirksen Senate Office building? How concerned must they and their families be right now?

RICHARDSON: Well, I don't think overly concerned. I'm sure they're having constant medical supervision and surveillance. So I don't think that they should be particularly concerned.

One of the issues I've not heard discussed is that there's a difference in toxicity between pulmonary toxicity and the toxicity that might be associated with eating an amount of ricin. For instance, if someone happened to get ricin on their hands and therefore then get it on food and to eat it, that toxicity is a perhaps thousand times less than the toxicity with pulmonary toxicity.

So it could possibly be that even someone came in contact with it but not be severely jeopardized by toxicity.

BLITZER: How readily available is ricin for people to simply get?

RICHARDSON: It's very available. The ricin comes from the castor bean plant. And that plant is essentially available worldwide. It's in virtually every geographic area.

BLITZER: Dr. Drew Richardson, formerly of the FBI, thank you for joining us.

RICHARDSON: Thank you.

BLITZER: The events of the last two days are a stark reminder of the anthrax attacks more than two years ago. Those attacks killed five people, but still not one arrest has been made, no culprit has been found. Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more -- Kelli. KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, investigators say that there has been a steep learning curve. Protocols have had to be establish and the science is complicated and tedious. But still people want answers, and the FBI doesn't seem to have any.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice-over): The scenes are eerily familiar. Two years ago anthrax. This time, ricin.

DASCHLE: We'll learn from this one as we get from the first one.

ARENA: But what the FBI hasn't been able to learn, who the anthrax killer was. And could he or she be at it again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoever it, is be it an individual or small group, they practice very good trade craft. They cover their steps quite well. They were able to stay anonymous. They did not go through the and try and create publicity for themselves by claiming responsibility. It was very professional.

ARENA: Some very public leads turned into dead ends, but the anthrax investigation remains active. More than 5,000 interviews have been conducted and sources say scientists continue to be polygraphed.

The focus in recent months, trying to recreate the strain of anthrax used so it be traced to a specific lab. Sources say that effort is nearly complete and officials hope it will narrow an ever evolving list of potential suspects.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is my believe we will identify the person responsible for it. It is a difficult investigation.

ARENA: The only individual publicly named as a so-called person of interest is former army researcher Steven Hatfield. He insists he's innocent and has not been charged with any crime.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: So after two frustrating years as you said, Wolf, not one arrest, not a single suspect named. Back to you.

BLITZER: Kelli Arena in Washington. Kelli, thank you very much.

Authorities in Connecticut are also investigating a suspicious letter addressed to the Republican National Committee. Tests are being run on a white powder found on the letter which was discovered yesterday at Wallingford Postal Distribution Center. In November 2001, a Connecticut woman died of inhalation of anthrax after handling mail which passed through that same facility.

Will this be the day John Kerry takes a giant step towards the White House, or will his Democratic rivals win enough support to keep the race? We'll have live coverage around the country. And a first look at what voters in key states are thinking. An apparent kidnapping caught on videotape. We'll have the latest from police. And a father's desperate plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCIA: We need her back home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And the prosecution's star witness takes the stand in the Martha Stewart case. We'll have details. All that coming up.

First, though, today's "News Quiz."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): What's happened to the price of the Martha Stewart Omnimedia stock over the last year? Risen, fallen, stayed the same? The answer later in the show.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The Democratic presidential contenders face their first national contest today. The outcome could shake up the race as it stands right now or deliver a commanding lead to the front-runner, Senator John Kerry. Primaries are underway in five states -- Delaware, South Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arizona. Caucuses are being held in North Dakota and New Mexico. Up for grabs in those seven states, a total of 269 delegates.

However, that total represents only about 12 percent of the 2,161 delegates needed to win the nomination. Senator Kerry, at the very least, stands to be competitive in each state tonight. Kerry is now in Washington state for the caucuses coming up later this month. Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace is covering Kerry's activities. She's joining us live from Seattle.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, John Kerry and his aides are very upbeat. They say going into today's contest, Kerry was leading by a wide margin in five of the seven states holding contests today, and if John Kerry, as expected, wins in those five states, one senior Kerry adviser saying this would be unprecedented, saying never before has a candidate won four or more states when you have seven or more contests going on at once.

A sign of the senator's confidence. He is spending time as you said here in Washington state, a state which does not vote until Saturday. Earlier in the day, he was in Spokane and he had a rally there. He will be coming here to Seattle to watch the election return. On his plane, he talked to reporters, he said he was ready, was feeling good, but refusing to say what will happen tonight. He said, obviously, we'll have to wait to see but he's hoping to have good momentum in this race for the Democratic nomination -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kelly Wallace, thanks very much.

The big hope for Senator John Edwards winning the South Carolina primary. And he's predicting he'll do just that. National correspondent Frank Buckley is covering the Edwards campaign, he's joining us live from Columbia, South Carolina -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's also an upbeat -- the Edwards campaign about his prospects here in South Carolina. Senator Edwards from South Carolina, he says he must win here to continue his candidacy. In the preelection polling so far he is, in fact, winning. Senator Kerry in second.

We were on the road with him today. He's suffering from bronchitis and he's taking antibiotics, so when he comes to Jillian's to deliver what he hopes will be a victory speech, he may have to strain his voice. He says South Carolina is a test on a number of levels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think this South Carolina primary is a head-to-head contest on who can compete in the south. Who can win rural voters and who can do well with African American voters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Senator Edwards intends to watch the election returns in a private residence, then come here to deliver his speech. Then tonight we'll all be getting on an aircraft and flying to Tennessee. Tomorrow he'll be concentrating on Tennessee and Virginia which he'll hope to focus on February 10 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Frank Buckley, thank you very much, Frank.

For the most part, the former front-runner Howard Dean is placing his bets not on today's contest but those coming up in the course of the next several days including Washington state, Michigan and Wisconsin. With Dean in Washington state today, also is our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley -- Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, in the Pantages theater in Tacoma where the candidate will have a get out the vote effort here. If Kerry is campaigning here as a sign of confidence, Dean is campaigning here as a sign of where he thinks he has the best chance. They do not believe within this campaign. Although there's been public hope expressed. Privately, they believe they're not going to get any firsts here tonight.

The one state they sort of held out hope for was New Mexico and they continue to do that. But this campaign all along has been looking not just down the road to this Saturday and Michigan and Washington state but to the 17th in Wisconsin where Dean believes he has the best chance of making a stand there and getting a bulk of delegates. The problem, of course, is that Dean is counting on being the last man standing by the time Wisconsin comes along. So what they have to watch out for is anybody comes out of today more powerful than before, they're likely to stay in the race, and Dean is likely to go plan C -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Candy Crowley, thank you very much.

Wesley Clark has his sights on Oklahoma hoping that veterans there will spearhead a victory for him. CNN's Dan Lothian is with the Clark campaign. He's joining us live from Oklahoma City -- Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you know Wesley Clark spent most of the time in the southwest, specifically here in Oklahoma. This is a heavy military area, and he's hoping to reach out to the veterans, also spending time in New Mexico and Arizona, according to Hispanic votes there.

The Clark campaign all along has said they want to get a win, one win in Oklahoma and get some second place finishes in order to move forward. Publicly they're saying they can win, but privately there is concern if they cannot win tonight, they cannot move forward with this campaign. Today, Mr. Clark was doing a little retail politicking going door-to-door from shops, shaking hands and asking folks to vote for him. Then he went to his campaign headquarters here in Oklahoma City, was working the phones, reaching out to voters trying to encourage them to vote for him.

In a sign of what could be some frustration within the Clark camp, his son who has been on the campaign trail with him from time to time, lashed out at the media saying the media was paying too much attention to the horse race rather than the issues and he said that while he believes his father can win in Oklahoma, if he doesn't win, he probably should not stay in the race -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Dan Lothian, thank you very much.

Voters have been going to the polling station since early this morning. What are the issues compelling them to vote? To find out, we spoke to some voters in Missouri and for that, we turn to our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. What are you hearing, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The buzz word of this campaign is the word electability. Everyone's talking about which candidate stands the best chance of beating President Bush. Here's one reason why.

Voters are angry at the Bush administration. We asked them how they felt about the Bush administration in Missouri today. 41 percent were angry over Bush administration policy, 36 percent not angry but just dissatisfied. Only 14 percent satisfied. These voter are motivated to nominate someone who can beat Bush. What are they angry about? They're angry about the economy more than anything else.

Three-quarters of the voters in the Democratic primary today in Missouri said they thought the economy was in bad condition, not good or poor. 2.5 million jobs lost around the country will be the Democrats constant theme. And finally we have a couple of candidates Wesley Clark and John Kerry who are competing for veterans' votes. And this may come as a surprise.

Veterans are a critical constituency in Missouri. 56 percent. That is, a solid majority of voters come from households in which there is a veteran present. And they have been conspicuous players in this campaign, both Clark and Kerry are Vietnam war veterans and both of them have made a very strong appeal to veteran voters for a very important constituency.

BLITZER: Throughout the night, Bill, we'll be getting to these exit poll analysis, these numbers on how voters not only in Missouri but these other six states feel as well.

SCHNEIDER: That's right, we'll be able to look at Latino voters in Arizona, and we'll be able to look at African Americans in South Carolina. The first two times those constituencies have shown up in this campaign, there's enough numbers to characterize.

BLITZER: The electability, they were the Democrats but people are showing up in Missouri, they want someone who can win, someone who can beat George W. Bush.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. That is the No. 1 motivation among the voters and frankly we don't usually see that in elections. Most of the times voters say I'm going to support someone with whom I agree with, if I agree with the person I'll decide if he's electable. In this election, they're deciding on a different basis. They're saying first and foremost, I want to look for someone who can win.

BLITZER: Very consistent with what we saw in New Hampshire and Iowa.

SCHNEIDER: That's right, they're looking for a winner more than anything else.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider will be with us all night. Thank you very much for that.

CNN is the place you want to be tonight for complete election coverage as the precincts in the seven states holding contest begin reporting, we'll carry the counts live. Join me for our special programming. That begins 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 p.m. Pacific.

And here's your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this. "Do you think today's primaries and caucuses will settle who will be the Democratic presidential nominee?" 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 like to hear directly from you. Send me your comments any time. I'll try to read some of them on the air, each day at the end of this program, that's also where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf.

Living with terror. We'll hear from people who work at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in the shadow of repeated terror threats.

Police say they have a potential lead in the search for a girl whose kidnapping was caught on camera. We'll have a live update.

And the star witness takes the stand against Martha Stewart. Find out what he said in court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the mission he would send to Iraq hopes to break the impasse among Iraqi groups and the United States over holding elections before June. That's when the coalition plans to turn control of the country back over to the Iraqis. Annan spoke to reporters while meeting with President Bush today at the White House.

One U.S. soldier has been killed and another wounded by an explosion south of Baghdad. U.S. central command says they were victims of a so-called improvised explosive device or IED. It says they were part of a task force conducting counter-IED operations.

Federal investigators are trying to determine if powder identified as the poison Ricin came in the mail of Senate majority leader Bill Frist's office. 16 employees were decontaminated after possible exposure. Health officials say no one has fallen ill. Senate office buildings are closed.

They've been through it before with the anthrax attacks. Now another deadly toxin has shut down their offices but senators and staffers are coping. Let's go live to CNN's Jennifer Coggiola in Washington -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The latest substance scare on Capitol Hill in 2 1/2 years. And though many Senate staffers stayed home, for some it was business as usual, while others even had a sense of humor about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): It wasn't today's nasty D.C. weather that kept folks away from the Capitol. These Senate staffers took the news of a possible ricin attack on Capitol Hill in stride.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people get snow day today. We have a biological weapons day.

COGGIOLA: This woman taking advantage of the day off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually I'm going to go get another Senate staffer and I think we're going to go catch a movie.

COGGIOLA: And trusting every precaution is being taken.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not worried about me, I know there are exceptional people taking care of this right now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Capitol police and the service take extremely good precautions against this sort of thing, and I don't feel unsafe at all.

COGGIOLA: This Senate staffer says despite the chaos, he has work to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the transportation bill on the floor, and Senate is trying to conduct business as usual. So I'm trying to figure out what's going on, see if we have votes today or not.

COGGIOLA: Senator Elizabeth Dole.

SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R), NORTH CAROLINA: We're coming along, working in here.

COGGIOLA: Found a dry spot indoors to work at the Capitol. While Senator Charles Schumer tried to make do at home.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: This house where I've lived for 20 years with three other Congress members doesn't have any computer hookup.

COGGIOLA: Meanwhile, House representatives' offices remained open with the exception of mail service. Important letters unanswered and undelivered. The Capitol crypt, usually swarmed with tourists, virtually a ghost town. Visitors forced to take in the dreary view from afar.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: The latest update to staffers reinforce that under no circumstances are they to handle mail, and that for any staff with health concerns to go to the CDC website for any information on ricin -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Jennifer Coggiola, thank you very much for that report.

Could military service be an issue in the presidential campaign? Specifically President Bush's military service. Some Democrats and Republicans are already squaring off over whether this is fair or foul.

And right now you're watching an apparent kidnapping. Find out what leads police have in the search for the 11-year-old girl whose abduction was caught on camera.

Also Kobe Bryant back in court. At stake, a ruling that could be crucial to his defense. A live update that's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The star witness takes the stand in the Martha Stewart case; also, an apparent kidnapping caught on camera. You'll hear the latest from police and the parents. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

This is a potentially pivotal day in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The field of candidates could be winnowed down, depending on what voters decide in primaries and caucuses in seven states. The ultimate prize, of course, is the chance to go head-to-head with the Republican president, George W. Bush.

Joining us now to talk about today's balloting and beyond, two guests. Ralph Reed is the chairman of the Bush/Cheney campaign in the all-important south. And Ann Lewis the national chair of the Women's Vote Center of the Democratic National Committee.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Ann Lewis, specify specifically why Terry McAuliffe all of a sudden decides to raise the issue of President Bush's military service in the early 70s, when he served in the Air National Guard and he was honorably discharged?

ANN LEWIS, NATIONAL CHAIR, WOMEN'S VOTE CENTER: Terry McAuliffe was asked a question. He was actually given a quote by Ed Gillespie, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, criticizing John Kerry.

And so what Terry McAuliffe said is, if Republicans try to run the same kind of campaign against John Kerry that we have seen in the past, if they try to question his patriotism, if they question his background on national security, then be assured, Democrats are going to push back and we're going raise issues like George Bush's record.

It's a legitimate issue to raise. Let me say it this way.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Let me interrupt for a second. Why is it legitimate? Tell us why you think this is a legitimate issue to raise, if he got an honorable discharge from the Air National Guard and this issue was reviewed thoroughly four years ago when he ran for president.

LEWIS: Because there are also facts on the record that state pretty clearly that he didn't show up.

Look, I'm not saying how people should decide on this. I'm saying that, when they're given the facts -- and the facts will include a fitness review in which people in his unit said, well, we can't review him because we haven't seen him, that that deserves to be part of the record. And I'm going to repeat, again, this is all in context. You will not see the same kind of campaign run against John Kerry or any Democrat that Republicans ran against Max Cleland. That was a disgraceful, negative campaign. If it happens again, Democrats are prepared to push back. And we're going to fight back hard.

BLITZER: Well, Ralph Reed, you were directly involved in that campaign against Max Cleland here in Georgia.

What do you say to what Ann Lewis just suggested?

RALPH REED, BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN SOUTHEAST CHAIRMAN: Well, I think the campaign, if this is any indication of the kind of campaign John Kerry, if he's the nominee, and the Democrats are going to run, it's beneath the dignity of the office to which he aspires.

It's a disgrace. And it's a personal attack and a smear that has no basis whatsoever in the facts. The facts are, the president served honorably. He was honorably discharged. And, in addition to that, his commanding officer at the Air Force base in Texas where he served said that he was in the top 5 percent of fighter pilots that he had had train under him.

Look, I'm the son of a career Navy veteran who served in an aircraft carrier in Vietnam and the son-in-law of a Vietnam helicopter pilot. To question someone's honor, to associate yourself with Terry McAuliffe's charge of AWOL, suggesting that, somehow or another, he didn't serve honorably, I think is beneath contempt.

And John Kerry should repudiate these remarks immediately. This is a personal smear. It's gutter politics. It's trash politics. And it's a window into the kind of campaign he apparently plans to run.

BLITZER: Let me let Ann respond to that.

Go ahead, Ann.

LEWIS: Just very simply, what we're talking about are facts. It is a fact that his commanding officer in Alabama, which is where he went when he wanted to work on the Senate campaign, said he doesn't remember ever seeing him and thinks he would remember.

It is a fact that there's a fitness record, which people say, well, we can't really judge it because we haven't seen him. Now, again, there are no adjectives in what I just said. These are matters of fact. I think the American public is capable of dealing with the facts.

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: I don't think their ears are so tender that we should try to hide any of this.

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: But I will repeat to Ralph Reed and to any Republicans...

REED: Are you saying he was AWOL, Ann? LEWIS: No, I did not say that.

(CROSSTALK)

REED: All right, that's what Terry McAuliffe said. Are you repudiating Terry's remark?

LEWIS: No, I'm not. I'm giving you my facts. I am speaking for myself.

And, Ralph, if you want to go back and look at the campaign that was waged against Max Cleland, you and I can just settle this right now. But why don't we agree we're not going to have that kind of campaign again?

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: We're not going to run against decorated veterans, guys who went out there and risked their lives and got wounded, by somehow claiming that they're soft on national security. We shouldn't have to do that.

(CROSSTALK)

REED: These are the facts, if I could just respond to that, Wolf.

"The New York Times" reported on November 3, 2000, before the last election that they looked at the same resource Ann is talking about. The president of the United States, then in the National Guard, went and made up for lost sessions that he had in Alabama. Lots of Guardsmen do that.

There was nothing unusual about it. He was honorably discharged. He has a certificate indicating he served honorably and was honorably discharged. That settles it. That ought to be the end of it. In terms of Max Cleland, he voted against the president on homeland security and sided with the government employee unions. It was a legitimate issue in the campaign, and the people of Georgia made their choice.

BLITZER: All right, let's move on and get to some of the politics that are unfolding. John Kerry, the front-runner right now for the Democratic presidential nomination, we'll see what happens after the votes are counted later today.

In the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll -- and I'll put it up on the screen -- in a hypothetical contest right now between the president and John Kerry, look at this, Ralph; 53 percent say they would go for John Kerry, 46 percent for George W. Bush, 4 percent margin of error. This could be an extremely close contest.

REED: Well, it confirms what we've been saying all along, Wolf.

We've been saying for months, even when people weren't listening to us or not believing us, we didn't think this was Nixon '72 or Reagan '84. It's going to be close. It's going to be as close as 2000. It could be closer than 2000. And the president's going to prevail.

And I think one of the reasons why you're seeing these personal smears and gutter politics is because John Kerry and Terry McAuliffe want to distract from his record, voting to dismantle 27 weapons systems, including the MX missile, the Pershing missile, the B-1, the B-2 stealth bomber, the F-16 fighter jet, the F-15 fighter jet, cutting another 18 programs, slashing intelligence spend by $2.85 billion, and voting to freeze defense spending for seven years.

When we get into a campaign and we talk about the issues, the choice is going to be clear. And George Bush is going to prevail.

BLITZER: I think it's fair to say, Ann, that there's been some opposition research done. A long time, a couple decades of voting records in the Senate can produce those kinds of comments.

LEWIS: Absolutely.

And, as I say, we look forward to a campaign that is based on real records and real policies for moving forward, on security, on the economy. Look, right now, Wolf, I would say, Democrats are feeling pretty good. You go back and look at our recent run of primaries, you see Democrats are energized. We're mobilized. Our turnout is high.

But you know what the best news is for me? As we continue this debate and the more voters tune in and they hear our candidates talking about the economy, talking about health care, talking about education, and, yes, talking about national security and what we should be doing and where we go from here, and the more voters hear Democrats talk about that, the better our candidates are doing.

And I think it's going to be that way all the way through the fall. I welcome this debate.

BLITZER: Ann Lewis and Ralph Reed, I think they're just getting started. This debate is going to be very, very intense, by all accounts. Thanks to both of you for joining us.

REED: Thank you, Wolf.

LEWIS: Thank you.

BLITZER: This note, Maria Shriver today resigned from NBC News, saying she couldn't juggle her reporting job with that of her duties as the first lady of California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course, is her husband.

Shriver took a leave of absence from NBC when her husband ran for governor. When he won, she returned to her reporters' job. She says that, after much soul-searching, she asked to be relieved of her duties.

A potential lead in the search for the man who apparently kidnapped an 11-year-old girl at a Florida car wash -- the incident caught on a security camera.

Martha Stewart faces the prosecution's star witness. We'll have details on his testimony.

And what did Kobe Bryant say to police last summer and how might it affect his trial? Details straight ahead.

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Iraq suicide attacks. Dramatic new pictures of twin suicide bombings at the headquarters of Kurdish political parties in Northern Iraq. Just minutes before two bombers blew themselves up, hundreds of well-wishers greeted officials during Muslim holiday celebrations.

Our new pictures also show the scene right after the nearly simultaneous explosions. At least 67 people were killed and almost 250 wounded. The death toll is expected to rise. No one has claimed responsibility, but Iraqi and U.S. military officials say al Qaeda may have carried out the attacks.

British WMD probe. Bowing to pressure, Prime Minister Tony Blair has ordered an investigation into intelligence failures about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. However, Mr. Blair told Parliament he has no doubt that Britain and the United States did the right thing by going to war. The move comes the day after President Bush said he would name a commission to look into why no stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons have been found in Iraq.

Pakistan's nuke scandal. The father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, denies confessing to the government that he gave nuclear technology to other countries. That's the word from an opposition party officials who says he spoke with Khan after the government announced he had confessed selling nuclear information to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

Officials say Khan is being held under tight security at his home.

Russian explosion. A car bomb blast in a southern Russian city killed at least two people and wounded several others. The attack happened near the Republic of Chechnya, site of a long-running fight between Russian troops and Chechen rebels.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're getting new information coming in our top story right now, the poison ricin, deadly poison, found on Capitol Hill.

Our senior White House correspondent, John King, has new information -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, nothing to be alarmed about, but an interesting footnote to the discovery of ricin up on Capitol Hill.

In checking with law enforcement sources today, we also are told that the FBI is now heading an investigation of a letter that was addressed here at the White House, this back in November, more than two months ago, a letter addressed to the White House. All mail to the White House is screened at an off-campus location.

It was seen in that letter, a white powdery substance later confirmed, we are told today, to be ricin. It was determined to be a very low potency granular ricin, again, in a letter addressed to the White House back in February, no public health alarm at time because it was of such low potency. But, Wolf, that is now the subject, we are told, of an FBI investigation, as well, some law enforcement sources telling, as a second letter discovered in Greenville, South Carolina, back in October.

So a footnote as we watch the discovery of ricin up on Capitol Hill in the past 24 hours. We also are told there was a letter addressed, again, here to the White House back in November. No risk at all to anyone, because it was intercepted in an off-site screening location -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, John King with the information -- John, thanks very much.

We'll continue to keep our viewers updated on this investigation, ricin on Capitol Hill.

Let's move on now, other stories we're following.

The search for a missing Florida girl has kicked into high gear. Since her disappearance on Sunday, the urgency to find 11-year-old Carlie Brucia has mounted with each passing second. Finding her could spin on two things, an activated Amber Alert and the watchful eye of a surveillance camera.

CNN's John Zarrella is joining us now live from Sarasota with more -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Wolf.

Well, it has been nearly 48 hours now since Carlie Brucia was last seen. Police are saying that it is no one that her family knows, that it is likely a stranger who took her. Now, the last time she was seen was right here behind this car wash in Sarasota, Florida. This is where she was taken from.

And her parents are also saying that it is no one that they know. And that's because the abductor was captured on a surveillance videotape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ZARRELLA (voice-over): The Amber Alert was issued Monday, precious hours after Carlie Brucia vanished while walking the mile it takes to get to her friend's house to her home. At first, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department wasn't sure what happened to Carlie.

But that changed after investigators saw what could be their most compelling piece of evidence, surveillance video. It shows a white man in his 20s or 30s approaching the 11-year-old Sunday evening behind a car wash she was using as a shortcut home. The video catches a few seconds of conversation before the man takes Carlie by the forearm and leads her away.

MAJ. KEVIN GOODING, SARASOTA CO. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Make no mistake about it. We believe that Carlie was taken against her will. And we are treating this as an abduction. We fear for her safety.

ZARRELLA: The chilling encounter between the sixth-grader and the unknown man occurred near minutes after Carlie head home. Each minute since is a lifetime for her frantic parents.

SUSAN SCHORPEN, MOTHER OF CARLIE: If anybody who has seen this, they need to call. She's so special. And I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter. She's so special.

JOEY BRUCIA, FATHER OF CARLIE: I just love my daughter very much, and I need her home. And any need help that any of you can please give.

ZARRELLA: The search for Carlie Brucia has gone national, with the FBI also providing its resources to find her. As for the mystery abductor, still no prime suspect. Investigators say they're trying to digitally enhance the video to get a better look.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: Now, police they are working one possible lead. A man in Kissimmee, Florida, says he saw a man and a girl, someone dressed in a red top and blue jeans, in an altercation, an argument. He reported that to Kissimmee police. And police from here in Sarasota are there in Kissimmee investigating.

One other new piece of information reported late this afternoon. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been able to digitally enhance the digital images, enhancing that video. They are saying now that the man who took Carlie has a tattoo on each arm. The FBI and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are also going to begin working to further enhance that piece of video -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John Zarrella, with a terrible, terrible story for everyone, thanks. Let's hope that she comes back safe and sound very, very quickly. John, thank you very much.

Did police investigating Kobe Bryant break the law? And what potential impact could that have on the basketball star's sexual assault trial? Also, Martha Stewart's lawyers go after a star prosecution witness. We'll have a live update.

That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked: What's happened to the Martha Stewart Omnimedia stock over the last year? The answer, risen. Although MSO has seen its fair share of ups and downs, the stock is up about three points from where it was one year ago.

The government's key witness against domestic diva Martha Stewart said he was just doing what he was told. Former brokerage assistant Doug Faneuil took the stand today in Stewart's obstruction of justice trial.

CNN financial news correspondent Mary Snow is following the trial. She s joining us now live from New York -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, appearing calm, Doug Faneuil took the stand, testifying this afternoon for about an hour and a half. He is the government's star witness.

He had been the assistant to Martha Stewart's former stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic. He has been cooperating with authorities. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor. He told the court Today why he pled guilty, saying -- quote -- "I told one client about what another client was doing in their account and then lied about covering it up."

He testified about the events surrounding December 27, 2001, the day Martha Stewart sold her ImClone shares. He said he received phone calls from Sam Waksal's accountant, wanting him to sell Sam Waksal's stock, then wanting them, because that couldn't be done, transferred to his account. He also said that Peter Bacanovic told him, oh, my God, get Martha on the phone, and then instructed him to tell Martha about what was going on -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary Snow in New York -- Mary, thank you very much.

Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, was in court today as well in a hearing which could be crucial in the sexual assault case against him. At issue, did investigators play by the rules?

CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman is in Eagle, Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, we're learning about the interview Kobe Bryant did with sheriff'S deputy that was secretly recorded about 24 hours after the alleged rape.

A hearing is being held in this courthouse, where the judge will decide if the statement will be allowed in at trial. Bryant wasn't read his rights. But prosecutors say it wasn't necessary because he wasn't in custody. However, defense attorneys want the statement thrown out, saying, in essence, Bryant was in custody. Prosecutors called the chief detective to the stand who interviewed Kobe Bryant.

That chief detective said Kobe Bryant answered every question consensually and was even willing to go to a hospital for a sexual assault test. However, defense attorneys are saying Bryant was intimidated and pointed out that this type of activity, under Colorado law, wasn't even supposed to happen at night unless you had special permission.

It is very possible that Kobe Bryant will take the stand in this matter in his own defense.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Eagle, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Gary.

Coming up, revelers in Rio masked their feelings about Saddam Hussein.

And the results of our "Web Question of the Day" when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He used to have lots of parades, but Saddam Hussein never imagined one like this. It's our picture of the day.

Two weeks before Rio's Carnival, Brazilians just can't get enough of the former dictator. Masks showing Saddam before and after his capture are flying off the shelves. And when the samba dancers hit the streets, thousands of Saddams will be right there with them.

Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day": Do you think today's primaries and caucuses will settle who will be the Democratic presidential nominee? Forty-eight percent yes, 52 percent no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's get to some of your e-mail.

Richard writes this: "An attack on any politician is an attack on me and my fellow Americans. The ricin found in the Senate leader's mailroom was an attack on our freedoms and our right to choose our leaders."

This from Bob: "The source of the 2001 anthrax attack has still not been discovered, and now we're looking for ricin. Not only can we not find WMD in other countries, but we have events like these happening within our own borders."

A reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll see you later tonight for complete coverage in one hour, starting in one hour, of the Democratic primaries and caucuses. And tomorrow at this time, I'll speak live with Rush Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black.

Thanks very much for joining us.

"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







Aired February 3, 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): Scare in the Senate. Echoes of anthrax. But it's another deadly toxin on Capitol Hill.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: Indeed, this is ricin.

BLITZER: An urgent investigation under way.

Decision day. A seven-state showdown for Democrats.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And we're going to take the White House back!

BLITZER: Can they catch Kerry?

Caught on camera. Every parent's nightmare in broad daylight.

JOE BRUCIA, FATHER OF MISSING GIRL: I just love my daughter very much and I need her home.

SUSAN SCHORPEN, MOTHER OF MISSING GIRL: She's just so special.

BLITZER: A star witness faces Martha Stewart. And what did Kobe Bryant say to detectives?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, February 3, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A little more than two years after anthrax-laced letters shut down Capitol Hill, paralyzed the postal service and killed five people, there's a new scare and a new poison. Tests show the white powder found yesterday in a mail room of the Senate's Dirksen Office building is extremely lethal.

Let's go live to CNN's Jeanne Meserve. She's in our Washington bureau -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It is ricin, Wolf. And a criminal investigation is underway into how the deadly toxin got into a Senate office building. Who might have put it there and why? Right now there are no answers to those questions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FRIST: The question is whether it's a criminal act or terrorist act. In my mind they're the both basically same, they're both...

MESERVE (voice-over): The ricin was discovered on a mail opening machine in the Dirksen Offices of Senator Frist. But authorities don't know how it got there.

FRIST: Whether it came out of one letter or several letters or any letters has not yet been determined.

MESERVE: And there are no clues yet from the analysis of the ricin.

FRIST: We don't know what the nature of this is. We do know, and it's been written by many of you, that it was a powder. The characterization of that powder as to how well it could be aerosolized in the air itself has not been determined. Those studies are under way.

MESERVE: The Senate office buildings are closed and will remain so for several days until they are tested for contamination and unopened mail is retrieved.

Thus far the news is good.

CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: All the examinations of any filters or air systems we have done since the beginning of this continue to be negative and that is a good sign.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: More than 24 hours after the ricin discovered no one has exhibited symptoms of ricin poisoning. But the capitol physician is working with Washington area doctors, health departments and hospitals to be on the lookout for symptoms.

Another note, Wolf, authorities are trying to determine if the mail being handled yesterday in that office had gone through irradiation and other security procedures. Some members of Congress are known to have their district mail forwarded to staffers' homes and then carried into the was to avoid time delays the security procedures create -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve in Washington. Jeanne, thanks very much.

So just how deadly a poison is ricin? how can investigators get to the bottom of this case? Dr. Drew Richardson is a former FBI scientist. He headed the bureau's hazardous response unit. He's joining us now live from Washington.

Dr. Richardson, thanks very much for joining us. Give us your perspective. How big of a problem is this?

DR. DREW RICHARDSON, FRM. FBI SCIENTIST: Thank you very much, Wolf, for allowing me to be here with you. It's a little too early to tell how big a problem this is. You are correct, and as been said many times in the last 24 hours, ricin is very toxic. How toxic for the average healthy adult? Perhaps 220 micrograms might be a lethal dose. Or 200 to 300 micrograms.

To the average viewer saying, What does that mean? Let me put that in perspective. A microgram is roughly 130 millionth of an ounce. And so we're talking about an extremely small amount, two to four hundred times those number of micrograms would be less than one can see with the naked eye.

Also, to relate it to something else that we know, a term we became familiar with as the country, as the world and perhaps and government became critically interested in was GV and sarin. Sarin is the name of the nerve agent used by the Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo -- in the Tokyo subway poisoning roughly a decade ago.

Ricin, which we're talking about now, through a pulmonary administration is roughly 30 to 40 times as toxic as that.

BLITZER: So it's obviously a very, very deadly toxin.

What about the people there in the Dirksen Senate Office building? How concerned must they and their families be right now?

RICHARDSON: Well, I don't think overly concerned. I'm sure they're having constant medical supervision and surveillance. So I don't think that they should be particularly concerned.

One of the issues I've not heard discussed is that there's a difference in toxicity between pulmonary toxicity and the toxicity that might be associated with eating an amount of ricin. For instance, if someone happened to get ricin on their hands and therefore then get it on food and to eat it, that toxicity is a perhaps thousand times less than the toxicity with pulmonary toxicity.

So it could possibly be that even someone came in contact with it but not be severely jeopardized by toxicity.

BLITZER: How readily available is ricin for people to simply get?

RICHARDSON: It's very available. The ricin comes from the castor bean plant. And that plant is essentially available worldwide. It's in virtually every geographic area.

BLITZER: Dr. Drew Richardson, formerly of the FBI, thank you for joining us.

RICHARDSON: Thank you.

BLITZER: The events of the last two days are a stark reminder of the anthrax attacks more than two years ago. Those attacks killed five people, but still not one arrest has been made, no culprit has been found. Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more -- Kelli. KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, investigators say that there has been a steep learning curve. Protocols have had to be establish and the science is complicated and tedious. But still people want answers, and the FBI doesn't seem to have any.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice-over): The scenes are eerily familiar. Two years ago anthrax. This time, ricin.

DASCHLE: We'll learn from this one as we get from the first one.

ARENA: But what the FBI hasn't been able to learn, who the anthrax killer was. And could he or she be at it again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoever it, is be it an individual or small group, they practice very good trade craft. They cover their steps quite well. They were able to stay anonymous. They did not go through the and try and create publicity for themselves by claiming responsibility. It was very professional.

ARENA: Some very public leads turned into dead ends, but the anthrax investigation remains active. More than 5,000 interviews have been conducted and sources say scientists continue to be polygraphed.

The focus in recent months, trying to recreate the strain of anthrax used so it be traced to a specific lab. Sources say that effort is nearly complete and officials hope it will narrow an ever evolving list of potential suspects.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is my believe we will identify the person responsible for it. It is a difficult investigation.

ARENA: The only individual publicly named as a so-called person of interest is former army researcher Steven Hatfield. He insists he's innocent and has not been charged with any crime.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: So after two frustrating years as you said, Wolf, not one arrest, not a single suspect named. Back to you.

BLITZER: Kelli Arena in Washington. Kelli, thank you very much.

Authorities in Connecticut are also investigating a suspicious letter addressed to the Republican National Committee. Tests are being run on a white powder found on the letter which was discovered yesterday at Wallingford Postal Distribution Center. In November 2001, a Connecticut woman died of inhalation of anthrax after handling mail which passed through that same facility.

Will this be the day John Kerry takes a giant step towards the White House, or will his Democratic rivals win enough support to keep the race? We'll have live coverage around the country. And a first look at what voters in key states are thinking. An apparent kidnapping caught on videotape. We'll have the latest from police. And a father's desperate plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCIA: We need her back home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And the prosecution's star witness takes the stand in the Martha Stewart case. We'll have details. All that coming up.

First, though, today's "News Quiz."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): What's happened to the price of the Martha Stewart Omnimedia stock over the last year? Risen, fallen, stayed the same? The answer later in the show.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The Democratic presidential contenders face their first national contest today. The outcome could shake up the race as it stands right now or deliver a commanding lead to the front-runner, Senator John Kerry. Primaries are underway in five states -- Delaware, South Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arizona. Caucuses are being held in North Dakota and New Mexico. Up for grabs in those seven states, a total of 269 delegates.

However, that total represents only about 12 percent of the 2,161 delegates needed to win the nomination. Senator Kerry, at the very least, stands to be competitive in each state tonight. Kerry is now in Washington state for the caucuses coming up later this month. Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace is covering Kerry's activities. She's joining us live from Seattle.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, John Kerry and his aides are very upbeat. They say going into today's contest, Kerry was leading by a wide margin in five of the seven states holding contests today, and if John Kerry, as expected, wins in those five states, one senior Kerry adviser saying this would be unprecedented, saying never before has a candidate won four or more states when you have seven or more contests going on at once.

A sign of the senator's confidence. He is spending time as you said here in Washington state, a state which does not vote until Saturday. Earlier in the day, he was in Spokane and he had a rally there. He will be coming here to Seattle to watch the election return. On his plane, he talked to reporters, he said he was ready, was feeling good, but refusing to say what will happen tonight. He said, obviously, we'll have to wait to see but he's hoping to have good momentum in this race for the Democratic nomination -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kelly Wallace, thanks very much.

The big hope for Senator John Edwards winning the South Carolina primary. And he's predicting he'll do just that. National correspondent Frank Buckley is covering the Edwards campaign, he's joining us live from Columbia, South Carolina -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's also an upbeat -- the Edwards campaign about his prospects here in South Carolina. Senator Edwards from South Carolina, he says he must win here to continue his candidacy. In the preelection polling so far he is, in fact, winning. Senator Kerry in second.

We were on the road with him today. He's suffering from bronchitis and he's taking antibiotics, so when he comes to Jillian's to deliver what he hopes will be a victory speech, he may have to strain his voice. He says South Carolina is a test on a number of levels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think this South Carolina primary is a head-to-head contest on who can compete in the south. Who can win rural voters and who can do well with African American voters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Senator Edwards intends to watch the election returns in a private residence, then come here to deliver his speech. Then tonight we'll all be getting on an aircraft and flying to Tennessee. Tomorrow he'll be concentrating on Tennessee and Virginia which he'll hope to focus on February 10 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Frank Buckley, thank you very much, Frank.

For the most part, the former front-runner Howard Dean is placing his bets not on today's contest but those coming up in the course of the next several days including Washington state, Michigan and Wisconsin. With Dean in Washington state today, also is our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley -- Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, in the Pantages theater in Tacoma where the candidate will have a get out the vote effort here. If Kerry is campaigning here as a sign of confidence, Dean is campaigning here as a sign of where he thinks he has the best chance. They do not believe within this campaign. Although there's been public hope expressed. Privately, they believe they're not going to get any firsts here tonight.

The one state they sort of held out hope for was New Mexico and they continue to do that. But this campaign all along has been looking not just down the road to this Saturday and Michigan and Washington state but to the 17th in Wisconsin where Dean believes he has the best chance of making a stand there and getting a bulk of delegates. The problem, of course, is that Dean is counting on being the last man standing by the time Wisconsin comes along. So what they have to watch out for is anybody comes out of today more powerful than before, they're likely to stay in the race, and Dean is likely to go plan C -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Candy Crowley, thank you very much.

Wesley Clark has his sights on Oklahoma hoping that veterans there will spearhead a victory for him. CNN's Dan Lothian is with the Clark campaign. He's joining us live from Oklahoma City -- Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you know Wesley Clark spent most of the time in the southwest, specifically here in Oklahoma. This is a heavy military area, and he's hoping to reach out to the veterans, also spending time in New Mexico and Arizona, according to Hispanic votes there.

The Clark campaign all along has said they want to get a win, one win in Oklahoma and get some second place finishes in order to move forward. Publicly they're saying they can win, but privately there is concern if they cannot win tonight, they cannot move forward with this campaign. Today, Mr. Clark was doing a little retail politicking going door-to-door from shops, shaking hands and asking folks to vote for him. Then he went to his campaign headquarters here in Oklahoma City, was working the phones, reaching out to voters trying to encourage them to vote for him.

In a sign of what could be some frustration within the Clark camp, his son who has been on the campaign trail with him from time to time, lashed out at the media saying the media was paying too much attention to the horse race rather than the issues and he said that while he believes his father can win in Oklahoma, if he doesn't win, he probably should not stay in the race -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Dan Lothian, thank you very much.

Voters have been going to the polling station since early this morning. What are the issues compelling them to vote? To find out, we spoke to some voters in Missouri and for that, we turn to our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. What are you hearing, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The buzz word of this campaign is the word electability. Everyone's talking about which candidate stands the best chance of beating President Bush. Here's one reason why.

Voters are angry at the Bush administration. We asked them how they felt about the Bush administration in Missouri today. 41 percent were angry over Bush administration policy, 36 percent not angry but just dissatisfied. Only 14 percent satisfied. These voter are motivated to nominate someone who can beat Bush. What are they angry about? They're angry about the economy more than anything else.

Three-quarters of the voters in the Democratic primary today in Missouri said they thought the economy was in bad condition, not good or poor. 2.5 million jobs lost around the country will be the Democrats constant theme. And finally we have a couple of candidates Wesley Clark and John Kerry who are competing for veterans' votes. And this may come as a surprise.

Veterans are a critical constituency in Missouri. 56 percent. That is, a solid majority of voters come from households in which there is a veteran present. And they have been conspicuous players in this campaign, both Clark and Kerry are Vietnam war veterans and both of them have made a very strong appeal to veteran voters for a very important constituency.

BLITZER: Throughout the night, Bill, we'll be getting to these exit poll analysis, these numbers on how voters not only in Missouri but these other six states feel as well.

SCHNEIDER: That's right, we'll be able to look at Latino voters in Arizona, and we'll be able to look at African Americans in South Carolina. The first two times those constituencies have shown up in this campaign, there's enough numbers to characterize.

BLITZER: The electability, they were the Democrats but people are showing up in Missouri, they want someone who can win, someone who can beat George W. Bush.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. That is the No. 1 motivation among the voters and frankly we don't usually see that in elections. Most of the times voters say I'm going to support someone with whom I agree with, if I agree with the person I'll decide if he's electable. In this election, they're deciding on a different basis. They're saying first and foremost, I want to look for someone who can win.

BLITZER: Very consistent with what we saw in New Hampshire and Iowa.

SCHNEIDER: That's right, they're looking for a winner more than anything else.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider will be with us all night. Thank you very much for that.

CNN is the place you want to be tonight for complete election coverage as the precincts in the seven states holding contest begin reporting, we'll carry the counts live. Join me for our special programming. That begins 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 p.m. Pacific.

And here's your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this. "Do you think today's primaries and caucuses will settle who will be the Democratic presidential nominee?" 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 like to hear directly from you. Send me your comments any time. I'll try to read some of them on the air, each day at the end of this program, that's also where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf.

Living with terror. We'll hear from people who work at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in the shadow of repeated terror threats.

Police say they have a potential lead in the search for a girl whose kidnapping was caught on camera. We'll have a live update.

And the star witness takes the stand against Martha Stewart. Find out what he said in court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the mission he would send to Iraq hopes to break the impasse among Iraqi groups and the United States over holding elections before June. That's when the coalition plans to turn control of the country back over to the Iraqis. Annan spoke to reporters while meeting with President Bush today at the White House.

One U.S. soldier has been killed and another wounded by an explosion south of Baghdad. U.S. central command says they were victims of a so-called improvised explosive device or IED. It says they were part of a task force conducting counter-IED operations.

Federal investigators are trying to determine if powder identified as the poison Ricin came in the mail of Senate majority leader Bill Frist's office. 16 employees were decontaminated after possible exposure. Health officials say no one has fallen ill. Senate office buildings are closed.

They've been through it before with the anthrax attacks. Now another deadly toxin has shut down their offices but senators and staffers are coping. Let's go live to CNN's Jennifer Coggiola in Washington -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The latest substance scare on Capitol Hill in 2 1/2 years. And though many Senate staffers stayed home, for some it was business as usual, while others even had a sense of humor about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): It wasn't today's nasty D.C. weather that kept folks away from the Capitol. These Senate staffers took the news of a possible ricin attack on Capitol Hill in stride.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people get snow day today. We have a biological weapons day.

COGGIOLA: This woman taking advantage of the day off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually I'm going to go get another Senate staffer and I think we're going to go catch a movie.

COGGIOLA: And trusting every precaution is being taken.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not worried about me, I know there are exceptional people taking care of this right now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Capitol police and the service take extremely good precautions against this sort of thing, and I don't feel unsafe at all.

COGGIOLA: This Senate staffer says despite the chaos, he has work to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the transportation bill on the floor, and Senate is trying to conduct business as usual. So I'm trying to figure out what's going on, see if we have votes today or not.

COGGIOLA: Senator Elizabeth Dole.

SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R), NORTH CAROLINA: We're coming along, working in here.

COGGIOLA: Found a dry spot indoors to work at the Capitol. While Senator Charles Schumer tried to make do at home.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: This house where I've lived for 20 years with three other Congress members doesn't have any computer hookup.

COGGIOLA: Meanwhile, House representatives' offices remained open with the exception of mail service. Important letters unanswered and undelivered. The Capitol crypt, usually swarmed with tourists, virtually a ghost town. Visitors forced to take in the dreary view from afar.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: The latest update to staffers reinforce that under no circumstances are they to handle mail, and that for any staff with health concerns to go to the CDC website for any information on ricin -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Jennifer Coggiola, thank you very much for that report.

Could military service be an issue in the presidential campaign? Specifically President Bush's military service. Some Democrats and Republicans are already squaring off over whether this is fair or foul.

And right now you're watching an apparent kidnapping. Find out what leads police have in the search for the 11-year-old girl whose abduction was caught on camera.

Also Kobe Bryant back in court. At stake, a ruling that could be crucial to his defense. A live update that's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The star witness takes the stand in the Martha Stewart case; also, an apparent kidnapping caught on camera. You'll hear the latest from police and the parents. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

This is a potentially pivotal day in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The field of candidates could be winnowed down, depending on what voters decide in primaries and caucuses in seven states. The ultimate prize, of course, is the chance to go head-to-head with the Republican president, George W. Bush.

Joining us now to talk about today's balloting and beyond, two guests. Ralph Reed is the chairman of the Bush/Cheney campaign in the all-important south. And Ann Lewis the national chair of the Women's Vote Center of the Democratic National Committee.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Ann Lewis, specify specifically why Terry McAuliffe all of a sudden decides to raise the issue of President Bush's military service in the early 70s, when he served in the Air National Guard and he was honorably discharged?

ANN LEWIS, NATIONAL CHAIR, WOMEN'S VOTE CENTER: Terry McAuliffe was asked a question. He was actually given a quote by Ed Gillespie, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, criticizing John Kerry.

And so what Terry McAuliffe said is, if Republicans try to run the same kind of campaign against John Kerry that we have seen in the past, if they try to question his patriotism, if they question his background on national security, then be assured, Democrats are going to push back and we're going raise issues like George Bush's record.

It's a legitimate issue to raise. Let me say it this way.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Let me interrupt for a second. Why is it legitimate? Tell us why you think this is a legitimate issue to raise, if he got an honorable discharge from the Air National Guard and this issue was reviewed thoroughly four years ago when he ran for president.

LEWIS: Because there are also facts on the record that state pretty clearly that he didn't show up.

Look, I'm not saying how people should decide on this. I'm saying that, when they're given the facts -- and the facts will include a fitness review in which people in his unit said, well, we can't review him because we haven't seen him, that that deserves to be part of the record. And I'm going to repeat, again, this is all in context. You will not see the same kind of campaign run against John Kerry or any Democrat that Republicans ran against Max Cleland. That was a disgraceful, negative campaign. If it happens again, Democrats are prepared to push back. And we're going to fight back hard.

BLITZER: Well, Ralph Reed, you were directly involved in that campaign against Max Cleland here in Georgia.

What do you say to what Ann Lewis just suggested?

RALPH REED, BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN SOUTHEAST CHAIRMAN: Well, I think the campaign, if this is any indication of the kind of campaign John Kerry, if he's the nominee, and the Democrats are going to run, it's beneath the dignity of the office to which he aspires.

It's a disgrace. And it's a personal attack and a smear that has no basis whatsoever in the facts. The facts are, the president served honorably. He was honorably discharged. And, in addition to that, his commanding officer at the Air Force base in Texas where he served said that he was in the top 5 percent of fighter pilots that he had had train under him.

Look, I'm the son of a career Navy veteran who served in an aircraft carrier in Vietnam and the son-in-law of a Vietnam helicopter pilot. To question someone's honor, to associate yourself with Terry McAuliffe's charge of AWOL, suggesting that, somehow or another, he didn't serve honorably, I think is beneath contempt.

And John Kerry should repudiate these remarks immediately. This is a personal smear. It's gutter politics. It's trash politics. And it's a window into the kind of campaign he apparently plans to run.

BLITZER: Let me let Ann respond to that.

Go ahead, Ann.

LEWIS: Just very simply, what we're talking about are facts. It is a fact that his commanding officer in Alabama, which is where he went when he wanted to work on the Senate campaign, said he doesn't remember ever seeing him and thinks he would remember.

It is a fact that there's a fitness record, which people say, well, we can't really judge it because we haven't seen him. Now, again, there are no adjectives in what I just said. These are matters of fact. I think the American public is capable of dealing with the facts.

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: I don't think their ears are so tender that we should try to hide any of this.

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: But I will repeat to Ralph Reed and to any Republicans...

REED: Are you saying he was AWOL, Ann? LEWIS: No, I did not say that.

(CROSSTALK)

REED: All right, that's what Terry McAuliffe said. Are you repudiating Terry's remark?

LEWIS: No, I'm not. I'm giving you my facts. I am speaking for myself.

And, Ralph, if you want to go back and look at the campaign that was waged against Max Cleland, you and I can just settle this right now. But why don't we agree we're not going to have that kind of campaign again?

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: We're not going to run against decorated veterans, guys who went out there and risked their lives and got wounded, by somehow claiming that they're soft on national security. We shouldn't have to do that.

(CROSSTALK)

REED: These are the facts, if I could just respond to that, Wolf.

"The New York Times" reported on November 3, 2000, before the last election that they looked at the same resource Ann is talking about. The president of the United States, then in the National Guard, went and made up for lost sessions that he had in Alabama. Lots of Guardsmen do that.

There was nothing unusual about it. He was honorably discharged. He has a certificate indicating he served honorably and was honorably discharged. That settles it. That ought to be the end of it. In terms of Max Cleland, he voted against the president on homeland security and sided with the government employee unions. It was a legitimate issue in the campaign, and the people of Georgia made their choice.

BLITZER: All right, let's move on and get to some of the politics that are unfolding. John Kerry, the front-runner right now for the Democratic presidential nomination, we'll see what happens after the votes are counted later today.

In the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll -- and I'll put it up on the screen -- in a hypothetical contest right now between the president and John Kerry, look at this, Ralph; 53 percent say they would go for John Kerry, 46 percent for George W. Bush, 4 percent margin of error. This could be an extremely close contest.

REED: Well, it confirms what we've been saying all along, Wolf.

We've been saying for months, even when people weren't listening to us or not believing us, we didn't think this was Nixon '72 or Reagan '84. It's going to be close. It's going to be as close as 2000. It could be closer than 2000. And the president's going to prevail.

And I think one of the reasons why you're seeing these personal smears and gutter politics is because John Kerry and Terry McAuliffe want to distract from his record, voting to dismantle 27 weapons systems, including the MX missile, the Pershing missile, the B-1, the B-2 stealth bomber, the F-16 fighter jet, the F-15 fighter jet, cutting another 18 programs, slashing intelligence spend by $2.85 billion, and voting to freeze defense spending for seven years.

When we get into a campaign and we talk about the issues, the choice is going to be clear. And George Bush is going to prevail.

BLITZER: I think it's fair to say, Ann, that there's been some opposition research done. A long time, a couple decades of voting records in the Senate can produce those kinds of comments.

LEWIS: Absolutely.

And, as I say, we look forward to a campaign that is based on real records and real policies for moving forward, on security, on the economy. Look, right now, Wolf, I would say, Democrats are feeling pretty good. You go back and look at our recent run of primaries, you see Democrats are energized. We're mobilized. Our turnout is high.

But you know what the best news is for me? As we continue this debate and the more voters tune in and they hear our candidates talking about the economy, talking about health care, talking about education, and, yes, talking about national security and what we should be doing and where we go from here, and the more voters hear Democrats talk about that, the better our candidates are doing.

And I think it's going to be that way all the way through the fall. I welcome this debate.

BLITZER: Ann Lewis and Ralph Reed, I think they're just getting started. This debate is going to be very, very intense, by all accounts. Thanks to both of you for joining us.

REED: Thank you, Wolf.

LEWIS: Thank you.

BLITZER: This note, Maria Shriver today resigned from NBC News, saying she couldn't juggle her reporting job with that of her duties as the first lady of California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course, is her husband.

Shriver took a leave of absence from NBC when her husband ran for governor. When he won, she returned to her reporters' job. She says that, after much soul-searching, she asked to be relieved of her duties.

A potential lead in the search for the man who apparently kidnapped an 11-year-old girl at a Florida car wash -- the incident caught on a security camera.

Martha Stewart faces the prosecution's star witness. We'll have details on his testimony.

And what did Kobe Bryant say to police last summer and how might it affect his trial? Details straight ahead.

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Iraq suicide attacks. Dramatic new pictures of twin suicide bombings at the headquarters of Kurdish political parties in Northern Iraq. Just minutes before two bombers blew themselves up, hundreds of well-wishers greeted officials during Muslim holiday celebrations.

Our new pictures also show the scene right after the nearly simultaneous explosions. At least 67 people were killed and almost 250 wounded. The death toll is expected to rise. No one has claimed responsibility, but Iraqi and U.S. military officials say al Qaeda may have carried out the attacks.

British WMD probe. Bowing to pressure, Prime Minister Tony Blair has ordered an investigation into intelligence failures about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. However, Mr. Blair told Parliament he has no doubt that Britain and the United States did the right thing by going to war. The move comes the day after President Bush said he would name a commission to look into why no stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons have been found in Iraq.

Pakistan's nuke scandal. The father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, denies confessing to the government that he gave nuclear technology to other countries. That's the word from an opposition party officials who says he spoke with Khan after the government announced he had confessed selling nuclear information to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

Officials say Khan is being held under tight security at his home.

Russian explosion. A car bomb blast in a southern Russian city killed at least two people and wounded several others. The attack happened near the Republic of Chechnya, site of a long-running fight between Russian troops and Chechen rebels.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're getting new information coming in our top story right now, the poison ricin, deadly poison, found on Capitol Hill.

Our senior White House correspondent, John King, has new information -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, nothing to be alarmed about, but an interesting footnote to the discovery of ricin up on Capitol Hill.

In checking with law enforcement sources today, we also are told that the FBI is now heading an investigation of a letter that was addressed here at the White House, this back in November, more than two months ago, a letter addressed to the White House. All mail to the White House is screened at an off-campus location.

It was seen in that letter, a white powdery substance later confirmed, we are told today, to be ricin. It was determined to be a very low potency granular ricin, again, in a letter addressed to the White House back in February, no public health alarm at time because it was of such low potency. But, Wolf, that is now the subject, we are told, of an FBI investigation, as well, some law enforcement sources telling, as a second letter discovered in Greenville, South Carolina, back in October.

So a footnote as we watch the discovery of ricin up on Capitol Hill in the past 24 hours. We also are told there was a letter addressed, again, here to the White House back in November. No risk at all to anyone, because it was intercepted in an off-site screening location -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, John King with the information -- John, thanks very much.

We'll continue to keep our viewers updated on this investigation, ricin on Capitol Hill.

Let's move on now, other stories we're following.

The search for a missing Florida girl has kicked into high gear. Since her disappearance on Sunday, the urgency to find 11-year-old Carlie Brucia has mounted with each passing second. Finding her could spin on two things, an activated Amber Alert and the watchful eye of a surveillance camera.

CNN's John Zarrella is joining us now live from Sarasota with more -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Wolf.

Well, it has been nearly 48 hours now since Carlie Brucia was last seen. Police are saying that it is no one that her family knows, that it is likely a stranger who took her. Now, the last time she was seen was right here behind this car wash in Sarasota, Florida. This is where she was taken from.

And her parents are also saying that it is no one that they know. And that's because the abductor was captured on a surveillance videotape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ZARRELLA (voice-over): The Amber Alert was issued Monday, precious hours after Carlie Brucia vanished while walking the mile it takes to get to her friend's house to her home. At first, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department wasn't sure what happened to Carlie.

But that changed after investigators saw what could be their most compelling piece of evidence, surveillance video. It shows a white man in his 20s or 30s approaching the 11-year-old Sunday evening behind a car wash she was using as a shortcut home. The video catches a few seconds of conversation before the man takes Carlie by the forearm and leads her away.

MAJ. KEVIN GOODING, SARASOTA CO. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Make no mistake about it. We believe that Carlie was taken against her will. And we are treating this as an abduction. We fear for her safety.

ZARRELLA: The chilling encounter between the sixth-grader and the unknown man occurred near minutes after Carlie head home. Each minute since is a lifetime for her frantic parents.

SUSAN SCHORPEN, MOTHER OF CARLIE: If anybody who has seen this, they need to call. She's so special. And I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter. She's so special.

JOEY BRUCIA, FATHER OF CARLIE: I just love my daughter very much, and I need her home. And any need help that any of you can please give.

ZARRELLA: The search for Carlie Brucia has gone national, with the FBI also providing its resources to find her. As for the mystery abductor, still no prime suspect. Investigators say they're trying to digitally enhance the video to get a better look.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: Now, police they are working one possible lead. A man in Kissimmee, Florida, says he saw a man and a girl, someone dressed in a red top and blue jeans, in an altercation, an argument. He reported that to Kissimmee police. And police from here in Sarasota are there in Kissimmee investigating.

One other new piece of information reported late this afternoon. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been able to digitally enhance the digital images, enhancing that video. They are saying now that the man who took Carlie has a tattoo on each arm. The FBI and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are also going to begin working to further enhance that piece of video -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John Zarrella, with a terrible, terrible story for everyone, thanks. Let's hope that she comes back safe and sound very, very quickly. John, thank you very much.

Did police investigating Kobe Bryant break the law? And what potential impact could that have on the basketball star's sexual assault trial? Also, Martha Stewart's lawyers go after a star prosecution witness. We'll have a live update.

That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked: What's happened to the Martha Stewart Omnimedia stock over the last year? The answer, risen. Although MSO has seen its fair share of ups and downs, the stock is up about three points from where it was one year ago.

The government's key witness against domestic diva Martha Stewart said he was just doing what he was told. Former brokerage assistant Doug Faneuil took the stand today in Stewart's obstruction of justice trial.

CNN financial news correspondent Mary Snow is following the trial. She s joining us now live from New York -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, appearing calm, Doug Faneuil took the stand, testifying this afternoon for about an hour and a half. He is the government's star witness.

He had been the assistant to Martha Stewart's former stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic. He has been cooperating with authorities. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor. He told the court Today why he pled guilty, saying -- quote -- "I told one client about what another client was doing in their account and then lied about covering it up."

He testified about the events surrounding December 27, 2001, the day Martha Stewart sold her ImClone shares. He said he received phone calls from Sam Waksal's accountant, wanting him to sell Sam Waksal's stock, then wanting them, because that couldn't be done, transferred to his account. He also said that Peter Bacanovic told him, oh, my God, get Martha on the phone, and then instructed him to tell Martha about what was going on -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary Snow in New York -- Mary, thank you very much.

Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, was in court today as well in a hearing which could be crucial in the sexual assault case against him. At issue, did investigators play by the rules?

CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman is in Eagle, Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, we're learning about the interview Kobe Bryant did with sheriff'S deputy that was secretly recorded about 24 hours after the alleged rape.

A hearing is being held in this courthouse, where the judge will decide if the statement will be allowed in at trial. Bryant wasn't read his rights. But prosecutors say it wasn't necessary because he wasn't in custody. However, defense attorneys want the statement thrown out, saying, in essence, Bryant was in custody. Prosecutors called the chief detective to the stand who interviewed Kobe Bryant.

That chief detective said Kobe Bryant answered every question consensually and was even willing to go to a hospital for a sexual assault test. However, defense attorneys are saying Bryant was intimidated and pointed out that this type of activity, under Colorado law, wasn't even supposed to happen at night unless you had special permission.

It is very possible that Kobe Bryant will take the stand in this matter in his own defense.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Eagle, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Gary.

Coming up, revelers in Rio masked their feelings about Saddam Hussein.

And the results of our "Web Question of the Day" when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He used to have lots of parades, but Saddam Hussein never imagined one like this. It's our picture of the day.

Two weeks before Rio's Carnival, Brazilians just can't get enough of the former dictator. Masks showing Saddam before and after his capture are flying off the shelves. And when the samba dancers hit the streets, thousands of Saddams will be right there with them.

Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day": Do you think today's primaries and caucuses will settle who will be the Democratic presidential nominee? Forty-eight percent yes, 52 percent no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's get to some of your e-mail.

Richard writes this: "An attack on any politician is an attack on me and my fellow Americans. The ricin found in the Senate leader's mailroom was an attack on our freedoms and our right to choose our leaders."

This from Bob: "The source of the 2001 anthrax attack has still not been discovered, and now we're looking for ricin. Not only can we not find WMD in other countries, but we have events like these happening within our own borders."

A reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll see you later tonight for complete coverage in one hour, starting in one hour, of the Democratic primaries and caucuses. And tomorrow at this time, I'll speak live with Rush Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black.

Thanks very much for joining us.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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