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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Dean Quits Presidential Race; Al Qaeda Connection?

Aired February 18, 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): Dean's decision.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency.

BLITZER: As the Vermont doctor pulls the pull on his ailing campaign, is it a shot in the arm for John Edwards?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It appears we're in a two-man race.

BLITZER: Al Qaeda connection? A U.S. roundup in Iraq. But the bombers strike again.

Insult to injury. A stunning allegation from a female football player. But a coach is unmoved.

GARY BARNETT, COACH, UNIV. OF COLORADO: Katie was a girl. Not only was she a girl, she was terrible.

BLITZER: Internet shock. A teen finds himself on a missing children's site.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Wednesday, February 18, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Three major stories unfolding right now. The controversial issue of gay marriage. President Bush is troubled by gay weddings taking place right now in San Francisco.

A stunning new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll. For the first time, John Edwards opens a wide lead over President Bush.

And Howard Dean, the former front runner, abandons his quest for the White House.

In giving up his bid for the highest office of the country today, Howard Dean vowed not to give up his fight to change America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): He spent more than a year on the campaign trail, raised and spent more than $40 million, found new ways to exploit the Internet. But wound up winless in 18 conquests. His quests for the White House which once looked so promising, now over.

DEAN: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency.

BLITZER: Speaking in a subdued, measured tone, he quickly insisted he would remain true to his cause.

DEAN: We will, however, continue to build a new organization, using our enormous grassroots network to continue the effort to transform the Democratic Party and to change our country.

BLITZER: In spelling out his new mission, he said his name would remain on the ballot, and urged supporters to continue voting for him in the upcoming primaries and caucuses.

DEAN: Use your network to send progressive delegates to the convention in Boston.

BLITZER: But he also reassured nervous Democratic Party officials about his personal agenda.

DEAN: Let me be clear, I will not run as an independent or third party candidate. And I urge my supporters not to be tempted to support any effort by another candidate.

The bottom line is that we must beat George W. Bush in November, whatever it takes.

BLITZER: He did not endorse John Kerry or John Edwards or any other Democrat. Howard Dean, the doctor turned governor in Vermont, who went from front runner to also-ran in only a matter of weeks, left his supporters a parting shot, vintage Dean.

DEAN: You have the power to take our country back so that the flag of the United States of America no long is the exclusive property of John Ashcroft and Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh and Jerry Falwell, that it belongs to all of us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: John Edwards is one of the reasons Howard Dean is no longer in the race for the White House. The North Carolina senator placed well ahead of Dean to finish behind John Kerry in Wisconsin's primary. CNN's Dan Lothian is joining us now with more on Edwards' surprise showing -- Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Senator Edwards may not have won yesterday. After being down in the polls and making a comeback, he's calling Wisconsin's showing a victory.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN (voice-over): On the road to the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator John Edwards is hoping momentum for his strong second place showing in Wisconsin will help him move up the fast lane. EDWARDS: The voters of Wisconsin sent a clear message, the message was this -- objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear.

LOTHIAN: That rearview mirror illusion was shattered says his campaign by a key newspaper endorsement, an aggressive advertising campaign, support from independents and some Republicans and a focused message on jobs and trade.

On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING", Senator Edwards said his message will only sharpen in what has essentially become a two-person race with Senator John Kerry.

EDWARDS: I think voters need to see the difference in our views on what needs to be done about trade and how trade can work for America and American workers.

LOTHIAN: That's why the campaign strategy going into the March 2 Super Tuesday contest is to focus first on key cities and states like Ohio, Georgia and New York, impacted by the loss of manufacturing jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His message on the economy is going to resonate in Upstate New York very, very powerfully. It's clear upstate New Yorkers are looking for someone to change our approach to jobs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN: Senator Edwards will be here in New York for a fund raiser tonight. His campaign saying their financial situation is, quote, "in fine shape through Super Tuesday."

As for Howard Dean, Senator Edwards said he has been a powerful voice for change. And said earlier on CNN, that he would love to have his support. Back to you.

BLITZER: Dan Lothian in New York for us. Dan, thank you very much.

As for Senator Kerry, yesterday's victory was 16th so far, and he vows to fight for every vote in every contest still ahead. Kerry is on the stump in Columbus, Ohio, which is one of ten states holding contests on March 2. And with Kerry, our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now it appears Kerry team in a way to counter Edwards' latest in Wisconsin, is raising questions about the senator's vocal opposition for the North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade deal Kerry supported.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have the same policy on trade, exactly the same policy. He voted for the China Trade Agreement, so did I. And we both of us want to have labor agreements and environment agreements as part of the trade agreement.

WALLACE: The candidate then seemed to raise questions about where and when Edwards signaled his opposition to the trade deal before this current campaign.

KERRY: He wasn't in the Senate back then. I don't know where he registered his vote, but it wasn't in the Senate.

WALLACE: Kerry spoke to reporters before Howard Dean's announcement. He said he and Dean talked last night and he expressed great admiration for the former Vermont governor's campaign.

KERRY: He has done an extraordinary job of invigorating a whole group of people who were divorced from the political process.

WALLACE: This campaign is now hoping that Howard Dean and his supporters get behind the Kerry candidacy. A senior Kerry adviser says that in past contest a large number of Dean supporters cited John Kerry as their No. 2 choice.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Dayton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: With the race for the Democratic presidential nomination showing new signs of being a two-man contest, there are significant new polling results out today. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll suggests that either John Kerry or John Edwards could defeat President Bush if the election were today.

Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider has been looking at these new numbers. He's joining us now live. What does it show in a hypothetical contest right now between Kerry and Bush?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It shows that John Kerry leads President Bush by a rather striking margin, 12 points, 55 to 43 percent. Kerry is running on electability. He says he can beat Bush, and right now that claim has evidence behind it.

BLITZER: How about John Edwards? How would he do in a similar hypothetical contest?

SCHNEIDER: He claims he would do better than John Kerry because he says has more appeal to independents and Republicans. Take a look at this. Edwards ten points ahead of Bush. Essentially they do the same against George Bush. They look electable, equally electable because in the end, the election is a referendum on President Bush. And doesn't seem to make a lot of difference which of the candidates the Democrats put up.

BLITZER: Four points margin of error in both of these polls.

The key question of trustworthy. How are likely voters looking at the candidates, the potential candidates right now?

SCHNEIDER: Right now George Bush has a problem with his credibility. It's under challenge in Iraq, his military service and on the budget.

Right now 55 percent of Americans say President Bush is honest and trustworthy. And that is a big drop. That's the lowest level of credibility he's ever had as president.

Slightly more, 61 percent, say John Kerry is honest and trustworthy. That could be one of the key reasons why Kerry is leading right now.

BLITZER: On the issue of special interests, some of the Democratic candidates like Howard Dean and the Republicans accuse John Kerry of being a tool of special interests. What does our poll show?

SCHNEIDER: Well so does George Bush he ran an ad on the Internet saying that Kerry is too close to the special interests.

Kerry can now say, Who are you calling too close to the special interests? Take a look. Once again, the public here does not see much difference between Bush and Kerry. Most Americans do not think either man stands up to special interest groups. They both have a problem with special interest, and it's about an equal measure.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider, as usual, thank you very much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

BLITZER: Now the results of the Wisconsin primary put new light into the Democratic presidential race. Here's a look what's coming up next. Next Tuesday, there's a primary in Utah and caucuses in Idaho and Hawaii.

A week later, that's March 2, it's called Super Tuesday, that will feature primaries in California, Ohio, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland and Georgia, and a caucus in Minnesota.

And look at this. It may not be over yet. March 9 will bring primaries in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. We'll have extensive coverage throughout all, all of these contests.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this. "Does Edwards' strong showing in Wisconsin mean the Democratic race still is up for grabs?" You can vote right now, go to CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast. While you're there, please write to me, I'd love 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 our daily online column, CNN.com/wolf.

Same-sex marriages...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage. I've watched carefully what's happened in San Francisco. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: This president speaks out bluntly on the mass matrimony in California.

Successful raid. Several suspects believed to have links to al Qaeda are arrested in Iraq.

Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY BARNETT, CU HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: It was obvious Katie was not very good, she was awful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: On the record but off the cuff. The University of Colorado head football coach makes some surprising remarks after a former player says she was raped by a teammate. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: President Bush is speaking out on the more than 2,600 same-sex weddings that have taken place in San Francisco since last week. But he still has not said words social conservatives are anxiously waiting to hear. Senior White House correspondent John King is joining us live with details -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The issue came up during a meeting Mr. Bush had in the Oval Office because of all the attention on those marriages in San Francisco in recent days, also some legal wrangling in Massachusetts. The president did not publicly back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage but did appear to inch a bit closer to such an endorsement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage. I have watched carefully what's happened in San Francisco where licenses were being issued, even though the law states otherwise. I have consistently stated that I support law to protect marriage between a man and a woman, and obviously these events are influencing my decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now other White House aides say the president, his legal team, and his political team will watch developments in California, Massachusetts, elsewhere in the United States as this debate unfolds. They say there is no timetable for any public decision as to whether to back such a constitutional amendment. Wolf, conservatives in Congress who met directly with the president and other conservative activists who have met with top White House officials including top political adviser Karl Rove say they have been assured that the president will indeed back a constitutional amendment and they expect such an endorsement to come in the relatively near future -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, this being an election year, how does the White House feel this issue plays? Does it help or hurt the president if he were to go forward and directly call for a constitutional amendment?

KING: Of course, they insist this is a question of principle to the president, not a question of politics but they also concede they do believe this is an issue that helps the president in the campaign. They believe it will help rally the conservative Republican base, they believe it will especially help in the conservative south and in rural areas, values, questions they believe will play to the president's advantage in the campaign ahead -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's John King, at the White House, thank you very much.

In San Francisco, there's a continuing effort to go ahead and license and marry gay couples after two judges declined to order the city to stop. CNN's David Mattingly is joining us now live with the latest -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, strangely enough it was President Bush's comments on marriage that actually helped contribute to the timing we see happening in San Francisco. The San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said he decided it was time to allow same-sex marriages in San Francisco, after the president spoke on behalf of protecting marriages in his State of the Union address. Now since Thursday, we have seen more than 2,600 marriage licenses issued by the city to same-sex couples. And we are on a pace right now to exceed 3,000 couples by the weekend. Couples in line awaiting their turn to marry, reacted to the president's latest comments in ways you might expect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bush is not representing me. I support him, I support him and represent him as a citizen of the United States, you know, an equal taxpayer, somebody that follows the laws of the land and basically what he's saying is he'll protect the sanctity of a man and a woman, but he not protect the sanctity of a woman to woman or man-to-man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he made up his mind a long time ago he's anti-gay, and I don't think anything's going to change that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Many couples I talked to say they look at this act that they're doing here at City Hall as much an act of civil disobedience as much as it is a commitment ceremony to one another. They are fully aware that there could be some court action in the future that could render their licenses invalid -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David, the earliest that court action would be now come would be Friday, is that right? MATTINGLY: The next court appearance is Friday. That is scheduled for Friday and opponents to gay marriage will be arguing that what the city of San Francisco is doing is in violation of California state law which strictly specifies marriage between one man and one woman -- Wolf?

BLITZER: David Mattingly in San Francisco for us, watching this important story. Thank you very much.

When we come back, deadly blasts. A runaway train explodes, killing dozens of people. Most of them victims. Most of the victims are firefighters and rescue workers.

Changing trail. Howard Dean is out. What it means for the candidates and voters now focused on a two-man race. Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: The thing is Katie was a girl and not only was she a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Adding fuel to the fire, a coach's controversial comments after a former female player says she was sexually assaulted by a teammate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: University of Colorado head football coach Gary Barnett is facing deep controversy today over his remarks about a former player who says she was raped by a teammate. Matt Morrison of CNN Sports has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: As the University of Colorado deals with allegations of rape, the most recent by the only female ever to make the football team, Katie Hnida, school administrators are distressed by comments from head coach Gary Barnett. Under review now is his response to a question about Hnida's abilities when she was a walk-on place kicker in 1999.

BARNETT: Just new, different. It's a guy's sport. And they felt like Katie was forced on them. It was obvious Katie was not very good, she was awful, OK? You know what guys do? They respect your ability. You can be 90 years old. But if you can out and play, they respect you. Well, Katie was a girl, and not only she was a girl. She was terrible, OK? there's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights.

MORRISON: Colorado president Betsy Hoffmann was not pleased when informed of Barnett's comments.

BETSY HOFFMAN, CU PRESIDENT: I wish he had not made a comment like that. Very clearly at a time like this, we need to take the high road, and I certainly will have a conversation with him about making a statement like that on TV. What I've said is no one's job is secure. My job isn't secure.

MORRISON: Rumors that Barnett would step down circulated among the media on Tuesday, but the coach said he wasn't going anywhere, and reiterated his belief that the team was innocent.

BARNETT: We have not done anything wrong, there isn't a shred of evidence to this date to back up any allegations that have been made, and there won't be, and so, you know, we're going along with this program.

MORRISON: Where that program is headed remains to seen. The university is being sued by three other women who claim they were raped by players and recruits in December of 2001. Hnida, who was a kicker for the University of New Mexico last season says she doesn't want to press charges. "Sports Illustrated's" Rick Reilly broke her story and said Hnida will also not disclose names.

RICK REILLY, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": I wish she would come forward with names. I would love for her to come forward with names. I asked her in every way to come forward with names, she can't do it, she's terrified. I mean, this was a group -- ten to 12 guys who were, she feels, were out to get her, and I think she thinks they would still come get her.

MORRISON: Hnida has had no further comment. The school president encourages Hnida to file charges and also says she is aware of one other allegation but will not release any information until the individual involved comes forward on her own. Matt Morrison, CNN Sports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Yesterday the University of Colorado informed the public a special administrator would oversee its athletic department after the allegations were made public.

More news coming up including this. An al Qaeda connection? U.S. troops in Iraq round up suspects in a raid. Could they be tied to the terror network?

Dean's out but he says his movement will continue on. A look back at the impact he's made on the presidential race.

And child abduction allegations. A woman faces charges of kidnapping her own son. And there's another bizarre twist.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Decision day for Howard Dean. The rise and fall of the onetime front-runner's campaign for the presidency. We'll get to that. First, though, a quick check of the latest headlines. Top U.S. postal health and security officials agree on a preliminary plan to use the nation's letter carriers to help deliver antibiotics if, if a bioterror attack occurs. Individual postal worker participation would be voluntary. The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Union endorses the concept.

After squeaking past John Edwards to win last night's Wisconsin primary, Democratic presidential contender John Kerry stumps in Ohio. Kerry says he looks forward to battling Edwards and he says he doesn't hold any grudges for the negative comments his rival Howard Dean has said about him. Dean dropped out of the presidential race today.

The government of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide warns a coup attempt is at hand. The Red Cross estimates more than 50 deaths have occurred since violence ignited almost two weeks ago. The United States has called on Mr. Aristide's government to reach a peaceful settlement and remains cool to intervening in the matter at this time.

Is there an al Qaeda connection in Iraq? The U.S. military says an overnight raid has netted a group of insurgents that may have a ties to the terror network.

Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, for weeks, the U.S. military has said that the violence in Iraq bears the fingerprints of al Qaeda.

Today, a raid netted some of those they believe had a hand in recent attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): The raid, conducted by soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, was aimed at taking down an anti-coalition cell in Baquba, an Iraqi city in the heart of the so-called Sunni Triangle, where opposition to the U.S. remains strong.

According to the U.S. military, 22 people were detained, including seven suspects who were specifically targeted and are believed to have links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network.

COL. WILLIAM ADAMSON, U.S. ARMY: And this morning in Baquba, we conducted a series of raids to detain people associated with a terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda. We suspected that they were responsible for a suicide car bombing in Baquba on 15 January.

MCINTYRE: Suicide attacks like the one that rocked the Polish military base south of Baghdad Wednesday are thought to be closer to the M.O. of al Qaeda fanatics, rather than former Iraqi regime members.

Since earlier this month, when the coalition authority released the contests of a seized document reportedly written by top al Qaeda operative Abu Musab Zarqawi, U.S. officials have been blaming more of the violence on outside agitators.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They're also terrorists that are coming in from other countries across the Iranian border, the Syrian border, and they're determined to have a radical regime, a regime that is -- would be supportive of Osama bin Laden and people of that ilk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Though many local Iraqis are fearful, the U.S. military says most continue to support the coalition, providing daily tips about the hideouts of its enemies. And this week, the U.S. military released a new most-wanted list, 32 people believed behind the insurgency, with rewards ranging from 50,000 to $1 million -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon -- Jamie, thank you very much.

The bombings, meanwhile, continue. A twin suicide attack was launched today on a base of the Polish coalition force south of Baghdad. A dozen allied troops were wounded, but Iraqi civilians bore the brunt of the blast. Eight died and many others were hurt.

Here's our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Officials are saying it could have been much worse. As it was, it was pretty bad, this after what appears to be a simultaneous suicide car and truck bomb detonated outside a multinational base, about 60 kilometers, 40 miles, south of Baghdad, near Hillah.

Now, according to officials, this was a car bomb that was fired upon and exploded just at the perimeter of the base, near a civilian neighborhood, explaining the civilian casualties. A suicide truck bomb ran into the car, detonating at well. At least 700 kilograms of explosives detonated. Among the wounded, at least 30 other people, 10 of them, according to officials, Polish soldiers, one Hungarian, one American official.

But those casualty tolls expected to rise, an indication that this attack, that foreign fighters who are increasingly blamed for attacks like these, the suicide attacks, may have been responsible, are searching for softer targets than simply American bases.

Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: More now on our top story.

After a disappointing third-place showing in Wisconsin, onetime Democratic front-runner Howard Dean has given up his bid for the presidency. It was a campaign that caught fire early, but flamed out just as quickly.

CNN's Brian Todd has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It can't be a good sign when the high point of your presidential campaign comes nearly a year before the general election.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And that's why I'm here to endorse Howard Dean as the next president!

TODD: December 9, 2003, with Al Gore's endorsement, Howard Dean is the Democrat to beat, a rise that began a year and a half earlier, the first Democrat on the ballot, the longest of long shots, no national profile. But he quickly seizes on the anger over President Bush's agenda, especially the war on Iraq.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Howard Dean, and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

TODD: Dean gets all the right publicity through much of 2003. Through the Internet, he builds a solid grassroots network. Some believe that contributes to the demise.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: It's very much like Internet dating. Internet dating, you can advertise yourself. You can talk about what you like and what you believe. But, in the end, the people you're speaking to have to meet you.

TODD: Still, the Deaniacs formed huge crowds at rallies, young, organized, energetic, behind the insurgent with a wallet, $40 million raised, enough for him to opt out of federal matching funds. But the money dissipates, replaced by questions of temperament. Does this guy have the personality for the long haul?

DEAN: White folks in the South who drive pick trucks with Confederate flags decals in the back ought to be voting with us and not them, because their kids don't have health insurance either and their kids need better schools, too.

TODD: Mid-December, Saddam Hussein is captured. Dean stays on message, to his detriment.

DEAN: But the capture of Saddam has not made America safer.

TODD: Before long, he's the loose cannon with a mean streak.

DEAN: Is that Willie Nelson? It looks like he had Botox injections, too.

(LAUGHTER) STUART ROTHENBERG, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think Dean, to some extent, imploded personally as a candidate. He looked angry.

TODD: Third place in Iowa, disaster on the podium.

DEAN: And then we're going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House! Yes!

TODD: Dean complains, with some justification, perhaps, of being beaten into the ground with replays of his delivery.

DEAN: You chose to play it 673 times in one week.

TODD: Dean never does recover from the scream. The new portrait of the candidate, too liberal, too nasty, won't go away.

DEAN: This is the end of phase one of this fight, but the fight will go on, and we will be together.

TODD: As Howard Dean fades, perhaps the legacy will be kinder than the campaign trail, memories of a lone candidate who took on a popular president before anyone else and galvanized a party.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now to get some insight into Dean's decision and its impact on the races ahead, our political analyst, Carlos Watson.

Carlos, thanks very much.

Who stands to gain the most by Dean's departure, Edwards or Kerry?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Kerry in the short run, because Kerry is still likely to be the nominee. He's far ahead in the delegates. And, as we have said before, it looks like Edwards will only participate a little bit on March 2. So Kerry is likely to end March 2 with 1,200 or 1,300 delegates.

But here's why Dean is important. He's important not for the votes, but for the fund-raising. Kerry is almost fresh out of money. The Bush campaign has over $100 million and is about to start running ads in a half-dozen-plus states. And Kerry very much needs to raise money in a short period of time. And who better to help him do it than Howard Dean, if Dean so decides?

BLITZER: And Dean is not endorsing anyone. But isn't it almost natural that his supporters, if they have to make a decision between Kerry and Edwards next week, the week after, the week after, the assumption is, many of them would go to John Edwards. Is that your assumption?

WATSON: It's not. I think it remains to be seen. No one is more fervent about ABB, anybody but Bush, than the Dean supporters. And you heard Howard Dean say very clearly -- maybe the most important thing he said is that I don't endorse a third-party candidacy by myself or anyone else. And what I most want to see happen is for Democrats to take back the White House.

If that's true, then right now, the smart money, whether you're a Dean supporter or a Kerry supporter at the moment, has got to be on Kerry. And so I think you're likely to see a disproportionate number of them flow towards John Kerry.

BLITZER: Edwards came in surprisingly well, a second-placed showing, yesterday. But when all is said and done, he's only won South Carolina so far, the state in which he was born. Realistically, what kind of chance does he have, looking ahead to Super Tuesday and beyond?

WATSON: His chances are slim. His chances are slim to win the presidency.

The only two exceptions, Wolf, would be, one, an enormous scandal, a scandal of the likes we haven't seen, even larger than the Gary Hart scandal. Or, two -- and we hope this doesn't happen, obviously -- but some kind of illness. You remember that he had prostate cancer treatment last year. But I don't think that will happen.

But here's what will happen for John Edwards. He is getting a tremendous chance to audition not only for the vice presidency or perhaps the attorney general role in a Kerry administration, but he's also going to get a chance to audition in some critical states for 2008. If this is a guy who wants to come back and run again, should Kerry ultimately win the nomination, but lose the general election, what better opportunity than to have had a chance to campaign in California, New York, not to mention Texas and Florida on March the 9th?

BLITZER: Terry McAuliffe always wanted this to be contracted to get a candidate out there quickly, early, to prepare for Bush in November. But there's an argument that can be made, the longer this process goes on, the better it is for the Democrats, because they're in the forefront in the news.

Look at the gap in these most recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup polls. Kerry and Edwards beat Bush in a hypothetical contest right now, even in the midst of the battle.

WATSON: And those numbers are significant, Wolf.

Remember, just six weeks ago, before Iowa, in those head-to-head matchups, Kerry was down in some polls by as much as 16 points. So if we believe these polls, there's been as much as a 27-point swing. And you're right. The free media and the bounce of seeing win after win, 16 wins in all, has been incredibly helpful for Kerry.

But let me say this. I think Kerry has got to be very careful not to squander this political capital. He's got to transform himself from, if you will, the war hero and the attractive, electable nominee to someone of real presidential timber, meaning he's got to talk about education. He's got to talk very convincingly about jobs, not just economic growth, but economic fairness, as you hear John Edwards talk about.

And I think you're going to hear a lot more conversation about social issues. Remember, they're coming to California, where the issue of gay marriage is very hot at the moment. And he's going to have to talk about that in a compelling, probably centrist way.

BLITZER: Carlos, the president is clearly out campaigning aggressively already as well. What does he need do in the short term to turn around some of these polling trends which are not necessarily going in his favor?

WATSON: Two things. Clearly, he needs to lower Kerry's favorability ratings. And so I think you're going to continue to see them try and draw clear distinctions on issues like special interest money, the argument being that John Kerry has said one thing, but done another and has taken a lot of special interest money, and on other issues as well.

And, two, I think the president is going to need to put forth, again, a very compelling economic message. And, frankly, he's had trouble over the last several weeks. You saw the report was issued by the Council of Economic Advisers saying that 2.6 million jobs would be created this year. And then you saw the treasury secretary, John Snow, and you saw the commerce secretary, Don Evans, back off of that and say, well, maybe it won't be quite 2.6 million.

Clearly, the president knows that the economic climate has changed. He's trying to figure out a way to communicate that. He doesn't feel like the jobs number by itself tells the whole story. Lots of families have become wealthier through their homes and their equity in their homes. And we have got the highest home ownership rates in more than 25 years, 68, 69 percent. So he's got to be able to get that story out, that there is economic health and economic health that is on an upswing.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson, our political analyst, thanks very much for joining us.

WATSON: Good to see you.

BLITZER: Train tragedy. A runaway train carrying fuel and chemicals explodes in Iran. We'll have details.

Plus, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROD STEINMANN, FATHER: I'm very concerned that I don't know about things like if he got sick, did you take him to the hospital?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A father finds his son after 14 years. But wait until you hear how he was found and who had him.

And three's company, why the leaders of Britain, France and Germany are meeting today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's a sad story. Reports put the death toll between 200 and 300 after a huge explosion along a railway line in northeast Iran. A string of railway cars filled with chemicals and fuel products derailed and exploded about 400 miles east of Tehran.

CNN's Matthew Chance has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first images of a train disaster that has claimed so many lives. Rescue teams are at the scene battling the flames, evacuating the hundreds of dead and injured.

The train had been carrying large quantities of gasoline and industrial chemicals, as well as cotton, all highly flammable. Officials say more than 50 heavily loaded freight carriages had somehow become uncoupled from the rest of the train and rolled away. At speed and uncontrolled, they derailed, crashing into several villages near the city of Neyshabur in Iran's northeast.

But it was only after rescue workers and locals had rushed to the scene that the major casualties were suffered. As firefighters and villagers picked through the debris, the train's volatile cargo appears to have been ignited. The explosion ripped through the wreckage, killing many bystander. Iranian officials say the local governor, the mayor, and even the fire chief, are among the dead.

(on camera): Over recent months, a number of fatal accidents have befallen this country's crumbling transport system. That exact cause of the train crash has yet to be determined. But aside from the human cost, there remain some concerns about what environmental damage this latest Iranian disaster may have wrought.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Click of fate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RHONDA MORGAN, MISSING CHILDREN SOCIETY OF CANADA: Putting their name into the Google search engine, and when he did that, he got a hit on our site.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A teenager learns he's been considered missing for more than a decade. And Martha Stewart's attorneys on the offensive. 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): Red Cross red light. The Red Cross is criticizing Israel's plan to build a security barrier in the West Bank. The International Committee of the Red Cross says the barrier would limit Palestinian access to water, health care and education.

Red-faced Russians. President Vladimir Putin traveled to northern Russia to watch missile exercises. But while he saw some successful tests, there also were some embarrassing failures. One missile failed to launch. A second veered from its path, triggering its self-destruction system.

So far, so good. Diplomats from India and Pakistan were upbeat as they ended three days of talks aimed at settling long-running disputes over Kashmir and other issues. Talks are to resume after India's elections in April.

Three's company. Three top European leaders met in Berlin to discuss economic issues. Britain's Tony Blake, France's Jacques Chirac and Germany's Gerhard Schroeder want the European Union to do more to promote economic growth. Some other European leaders are said to be miffed they weren't invited to the talks.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Martha Stewart's defense attorneys run offense. That story tops our "Justice Report."

In court today, they were trying to fend off securities fraud charges against Stewart. Prosecutors say she illegally lied to try to prop up her company's stock price in the wake of the ImClone scandal. Her lawyers introduced evidence to show she was just making smart business moves.

And Scott Peterson's lawyers accused prosecutors of not sharing evidence in a timely manner. Attorney Mark Geragos complained about documents he's only recently received, including forensic results he says favor Peterson, who's accused of killing his pregnant wife, Laci. The judge warned, he'll set a deadline if the problem continues.

A Canadian woman is due in court in Los Angeles this hour on charges of child abduction, the alleged victim, her own son. But the story gets even stranger.

CNN's Jennifer Coggiola is here with more -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what makes the story so unusual is that the young man, who knew nothing of his dramatic past, uncovered his own alleged kidnapping, this through a bizarre twist of fate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): The 17-year-old got what must have been the shock of his life while working on a project at school.

MORGAN: Putting their name into the Google search engine, and when he did that, he got a hit on our site.

COGGIOLA: A Canadian Web site for missing children. This is the picture the teenager saw of himself as a child. He alerted a teacher and the story began to unfold, how his mother, according to U.S. Marshals, abducted him at age 3 from his father, who had been granted custody in Alberta, Canada, how they fled to Mexico first and eventually settled in the Los Angeles area, where the mother was arrested last week.

JIMMELL GRIFFIN, U.S. MARSHAL: Took her into custody. And we turned the kid over to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, now have custody of the kid.

COGGIOLA: In Canada, the boy's father reflected on what he's missed not having his son the last 14 years.

STEINMANN: I don't know about things like, if he got sick, did you take him to the hospital? When he was 6, did he go to school?

COGGIOLA: But he's also realistic what a reunion will bring.

STEINMANN: I respect that he's an adult and that, you know, father, son, it's going mean something different.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: The mother is being held without bail, pending extradition to Canada on child abduction charges. But the teen is reported to be upset by the arrest of his mom, who family members said she did just what she had to do -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jennifer Coggiola, sad story, indeed. Thank you very much.

Cheetah challenge, an unusual event in South Africa, and the results of our "Web Question of the Day" when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: This just in to CNN. There's been another shooting in the Columbus, Ohio area. Authorities say a minivan was struck on the passenger side on a state route in Columbus. No one was hurt. It's not clear yet whether the shooting is related to a series of sniper attacks in the Columbus area. We'll follow the story.

Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, this is not a scientific poll. Looked at results: 52 percent said yes, 48 no.

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

Jean writes this: "A same-sex couple who loves each other joining in marriage can't possibly hurt anyone. Look at all those wonderful, happy, smiling new families on San Francisco's City Hall steps. The things that truly threatens families are lack of health care, substance abuse, domestic violence and unemployment. I think the Bush administration prefers that the public be distracted from these real problems."

Leonard writes this: "California law says same-sex marriages are illegal. Is it now appropriate to violate any law that is not liked? Claiming discrimination is ridiculous. The only thing they want to gain is status for free handouts. Since when are we required to bend to the whims of minorities?"

The fastest land animal in the world put to the test in our picture of the day. Look at this. The cheetah can reach speeds of 70 miles an hour when chasing its prey, but this cat is racing to raise support for the endangered species. She's fast enough to win Olympic gold, but she fell short of the cheetah record.

That's it for now.

"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 18, 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): Dean's decision.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency.

BLITZER: As the Vermont doctor pulls the pull on his ailing campaign, is it a shot in the arm for John Edwards?

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It appears we're in a two-man race.

BLITZER: Al Qaeda connection? A U.S. roundup in Iraq. But the bombers strike again.

Insult to injury. A stunning allegation from a female football player. But a coach is unmoved.

GARY BARNETT, COACH, UNIV. OF COLORADO: Katie was a girl. Not only was she a girl, she was terrible.

BLITZER: Internet shock. A teen finds himself on a missing children's site.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Wednesday, February 18, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Three major stories unfolding right now. The controversial issue of gay marriage. President Bush is troubled by gay weddings taking place right now in San Francisco.

A stunning new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll. For the first time, John Edwards opens a wide lead over President Bush.

And Howard Dean, the former front runner, abandons his quest for the White House.

In giving up his bid for the highest office of the country today, Howard Dean vowed not to give up his fight to change America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): He spent more than a year on the campaign trail, raised and spent more than $40 million, found new ways to exploit the Internet. But wound up winless in 18 conquests. His quests for the White House which once looked so promising, now over.

DEAN: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency.

BLITZER: Speaking in a subdued, measured tone, he quickly insisted he would remain true to his cause.

DEAN: We will, however, continue to build a new organization, using our enormous grassroots network to continue the effort to transform the Democratic Party and to change our country.

BLITZER: In spelling out his new mission, he said his name would remain on the ballot, and urged supporters to continue voting for him in the upcoming primaries and caucuses.

DEAN: Use your network to send progressive delegates to the convention in Boston.

BLITZER: But he also reassured nervous Democratic Party officials about his personal agenda.

DEAN: Let me be clear, I will not run as an independent or third party candidate. And I urge my supporters not to be tempted to support any effort by another candidate.

The bottom line is that we must beat George W. Bush in November, whatever it takes.

BLITZER: He did not endorse John Kerry or John Edwards or any other Democrat. Howard Dean, the doctor turned governor in Vermont, who went from front runner to also-ran in only a matter of weeks, left his supporters a parting shot, vintage Dean.

DEAN: You have the power to take our country back so that the flag of the United States of America no long is the exclusive property of John Ashcroft and Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh and Jerry Falwell, that it belongs to all of us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: John Edwards is one of the reasons Howard Dean is no longer in the race for the White House. The North Carolina senator placed well ahead of Dean to finish behind John Kerry in Wisconsin's primary. CNN's Dan Lothian is joining us now with more on Edwards' surprise showing -- Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Senator Edwards may not have won yesterday. After being down in the polls and making a comeback, he's calling Wisconsin's showing a victory.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN (voice-over): On the road to the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator John Edwards is hoping momentum for his strong second place showing in Wisconsin will help him move up the fast lane. EDWARDS: The voters of Wisconsin sent a clear message, the message was this -- objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear.

LOTHIAN: That rearview mirror illusion was shattered says his campaign by a key newspaper endorsement, an aggressive advertising campaign, support from independents and some Republicans and a focused message on jobs and trade.

On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING", Senator Edwards said his message will only sharpen in what has essentially become a two-person race with Senator John Kerry.

EDWARDS: I think voters need to see the difference in our views on what needs to be done about trade and how trade can work for America and American workers.

LOTHIAN: That's why the campaign strategy going into the March 2 Super Tuesday contest is to focus first on key cities and states like Ohio, Georgia and New York, impacted by the loss of manufacturing jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His message on the economy is going to resonate in Upstate New York very, very powerfully. It's clear upstate New Yorkers are looking for someone to change our approach to jobs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN: Senator Edwards will be here in New York for a fund raiser tonight. His campaign saying their financial situation is, quote, "in fine shape through Super Tuesday."

As for Howard Dean, Senator Edwards said he has been a powerful voice for change. And said earlier on CNN, that he would love to have his support. Back to you.

BLITZER: Dan Lothian in New York for us. Dan, thank you very much.

As for Senator Kerry, yesterday's victory was 16th so far, and he vows to fight for every vote in every contest still ahead. Kerry is on the stump in Columbus, Ohio, which is one of ten states holding contests on March 2. And with Kerry, our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now it appears Kerry team in a way to counter Edwards' latest in Wisconsin, is raising questions about the senator's vocal opposition for the North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade deal Kerry supported.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have the same policy on trade, exactly the same policy. He voted for the China Trade Agreement, so did I. And we both of us want to have labor agreements and environment agreements as part of the trade agreement.

WALLACE: The candidate then seemed to raise questions about where and when Edwards signaled his opposition to the trade deal before this current campaign.

KERRY: He wasn't in the Senate back then. I don't know where he registered his vote, but it wasn't in the Senate.

WALLACE: Kerry spoke to reporters before Howard Dean's announcement. He said he and Dean talked last night and he expressed great admiration for the former Vermont governor's campaign.

KERRY: He has done an extraordinary job of invigorating a whole group of people who were divorced from the political process.

WALLACE: This campaign is now hoping that Howard Dean and his supporters get behind the Kerry candidacy. A senior Kerry adviser says that in past contest a large number of Dean supporters cited John Kerry as their No. 2 choice.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Dayton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: With the race for the Democratic presidential nomination showing new signs of being a two-man contest, there are significant new polling results out today. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll suggests that either John Kerry or John Edwards could defeat President Bush if the election were today.

Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider has been looking at these new numbers. He's joining us now live. What does it show in a hypothetical contest right now between Kerry and Bush?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It shows that John Kerry leads President Bush by a rather striking margin, 12 points, 55 to 43 percent. Kerry is running on electability. He says he can beat Bush, and right now that claim has evidence behind it.

BLITZER: How about John Edwards? How would he do in a similar hypothetical contest?

SCHNEIDER: He claims he would do better than John Kerry because he says has more appeal to independents and Republicans. Take a look at this. Edwards ten points ahead of Bush. Essentially they do the same against George Bush. They look electable, equally electable because in the end, the election is a referendum on President Bush. And doesn't seem to make a lot of difference which of the candidates the Democrats put up.

BLITZER: Four points margin of error in both of these polls.

The key question of trustworthy. How are likely voters looking at the candidates, the potential candidates right now?

SCHNEIDER: Right now George Bush has a problem with his credibility. It's under challenge in Iraq, his military service and on the budget.

Right now 55 percent of Americans say President Bush is honest and trustworthy. And that is a big drop. That's the lowest level of credibility he's ever had as president.

Slightly more, 61 percent, say John Kerry is honest and trustworthy. That could be one of the key reasons why Kerry is leading right now.

BLITZER: On the issue of special interests, some of the Democratic candidates like Howard Dean and the Republicans accuse John Kerry of being a tool of special interests. What does our poll show?

SCHNEIDER: Well so does George Bush he ran an ad on the Internet saying that Kerry is too close to the special interests.

Kerry can now say, Who are you calling too close to the special interests? Take a look. Once again, the public here does not see much difference between Bush and Kerry. Most Americans do not think either man stands up to special interest groups. They both have a problem with special interest, and it's about an equal measure.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider, as usual, thank you very much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

BLITZER: Now the results of the Wisconsin primary put new light into the Democratic presidential race. Here's a look what's coming up next. Next Tuesday, there's a primary in Utah and caucuses in Idaho and Hawaii.

A week later, that's March 2, it's called Super Tuesday, that will feature primaries in California, Ohio, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland and Georgia, and a caucus in Minnesota.

And look at this. It may not be over yet. March 9 will bring primaries in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. We'll have extensive coverage throughout all, all of these contests.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this. "Does Edwards' strong showing in Wisconsin mean the Democratic race still is up for grabs?" You can vote right now, go to CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast. While you're there, please write to me, I'd love 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 our daily online column, CNN.com/wolf.

Same-sex marriages...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage. I've watched carefully what's happened in San Francisco. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: This president speaks out bluntly on the mass matrimony in California.

Successful raid. Several suspects believed to have links to al Qaeda are arrested in Iraq.

Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY BARNETT, CU HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: It was obvious Katie was not very good, she was awful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: On the record but off the cuff. The University of Colorado head football coach makes some surprising remarks after a former player says she was raped by a teammate. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: President Bush is speaking out on the more than 2,600 same-sex weddings that have taken place in San Francisco since last week. But he still has not said words social conservatives are anxiously waiting to hear. Senior White House correspondent John King is joining us live with details -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The issue came up during a meeting Mr. Bush had in the Oval Office because of all the attention on those marriages in San Francisco in recent days, also some legal wrangling in Massachusetts. The president did not publicly back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage but did appear to inch a bit closer to such an endorsement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage. I have watched carefully what's happened in San Francisco where licenses were being issued, even though the law states otherwise. I have consistently stated that I support law to protect marriage between a man and a woman, and obviously these events are influencing my decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now other White House aides say the president, his legal team, and his political team will watch developments in California, Massachusetts, elsewhere in the United States as this debate unfolds. They say there is no timetable for any public decision as to whether to back such a constitutional amendment. Wolf, conservatives in Congress who met directly with the president and other conservative activists who have met with top White House officials including top political adviser Karl Rove say they have been assured that the president will indeed back a constitutional amendment and they expect such an endorsement to come in the relatively near future -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, this being an election year, how does the White House feel this issue plays? Does it help or hurt the president if he were to go forward and directly call for a constitutional amendment?

KING: Of course, they insist this is a question of principle to the president, not a question of politics but they also concede they do believe this is an issue that helps the president in the campaign. They believe it will help rally the conservative Republican base, they believe it will especially help in the conservative south and in rural areas, values, questions they believe will play to the president's advantage in the campaign ahead -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's John King, at the White House, thank you very much.

In San Francisco, there's a continuing effort to go ahead and license and marry gay couples after two judges declined to order the city to stop. CNN's David Mattingly is joining us now live with the latest -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, strangely enough it was President Bush's comments on marriage that actually helped contribute to the timing we see happening in San Francisco. The San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said he decided it was time to allow same-sex marriages in San Francisco, after the president spoke on behalf of protecting marriages in his State of the Union address. Now since Thursday, we have seen more than 2,600 marriage licenses issued by the city to same-sex couples. And we are on a pace right now to exceed 3,000 couples by the weekend. Couples in line awaiting their turn to marry, reacted to the president's latest comments in ways you might expect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bush is not representing me. I support him, I support him and represent him as a citizen of the United States, you know, an equal taxpayer, somebody that follows the laws of the land and basically what he's saying is he'll protect the sanctity of a man and a woman, but he not protect the sanctity of a woman to woman or man-to-man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he made up his mind a long time ago he's anti-gay, and I don't think anything's going to change that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Many couples I talked to say they look at this act that they're doing here at City Hall as much an act of civil disobedience as much as it is a commitment ceremony to one another. They are fully aware that there could be some court action in the future that could render their licenses invalid -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David, the earliest that court action would be now come would be Friday, is that right? MATTINGLY: The next court appearance is Friday. That is scheduled for Friday and opponents to gay marriage will be arguing that what the city of San Francisco is doing is in violation of California state law which strictly specifies marriage between one man and one woman -- Wolf?

BLITZER: David Mattingly in San Francisco for us, watching this important story. Thank you very much.

When we come back, deadly blasts. A runaway train explodes, killing dozens of people. Most of them victims. Most of the victims are firefighters and rescue workers.

Changing trail. Howard Dean is out. What it means for the candidates and voters now focused on a two-man race. Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: The thing is Katie was a girl and not only was she a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Adding fuel to the fire, a coach's controversial comments after a former female player says she was sexually assaulted by a teammate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: University of Colorado head football coach Gary Barnett is facing deep controversy today over his remarks about a former player who says she was raped by a teammate. Matt Morrison of CNN Sports has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: As the University of Colorado deals with allegations of rape, the most recent by the only female ever to make the football team, Katie Hnida, school administrators are distressed by comments from head coach Gary Barnett. Under review now is his response to a question about Hnida's abilities when she was a walk-on place kicker in 1999.

BARNETT: Just new, different. It's a guy's sport. And they felt like Katie was forced on them. It was obvious Katie was not very good, she was awful, OK? You know what guys do? They respect your ability. You can be 90 years old. But if you can out and play, they respect you. Well, Katie was a girl, and not only she was a girl. She was terrible, OK? there's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights.

MORRISON: Colorado president Betsy Hoffmann was not pleased when informed of Barnett's comments.

BETSY HOFFMAN, CU PRESIDENT: I wish he had not made a comment like that. Very clearly at a time like this, we need to take the high road, and I certainly will have a conversation with him about making a statement like that on TV. What I've said is no one's job is secure. My job isn't secure.

MORRISON: Rumors that Barnett would step down circulated among the media on Tuesday, but the coach said he wasn't going anywhere, and reiterated his belief that the team was innocent.

BARNETT: We have not done anything wrong, there isn't a shred of evidence to this date to back up any allegations that have been made, and there won't be, and so, you know, we're going along with this program.

MORRISON: Where that program is headed remains to seen. The university is being sued by three other women who claim they were raped by players and recruits in December of 2001. Hnida, who was a kicker for the University of New Mexico last season says she doesn't want to press charges. "Sports Illustrated's" Rick Reilly broke her story and said Hnida will also not disclose names.

RICK REILLY, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": I wish she would come forward with names. I would love for her to come forward with names. I asked her in every way to come forward with names, she can't do it, she's terrified. I mean, this was a group -- ten to 12 guys who were, she feels, were out to get her, and I think she thinks they would still come get her.

MORRISON: Hnida has had no further comment. The school president encourages Hnida to file charges and also says she is aware of one other allegation but will not release any information until the individual involved comes forward on her own. Matt Morrison, CNN Sports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Yesterday the University of Colorado informed the public a special administrator would oversee its athletic department after the allegations were made public.

More news coming up including this. An al Qaeda connection? U.S. troops in Iraq round up suspects in a raid. Could they be tied to the terror network?

Dean's out but he says his movement will continue on. A look back at the impact he's made on the presidential race.

And child abduction allegations. A woman faces charges of kidnapping her own son. And there's another bizarre twist.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Decision day for Howard Dean. The rise and fall of the onetime front-runner's campaign for the presidency. We'll get to that. First, though, a quick check of the latest headlines. Top U.S. postal health and security officials agree on a preliminary plan to use the nation's letter carriers to help deliver antibiotics if, if a bioterror attack occurs. Individual postal worker participation would be voluntary. The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Union endorses the concept.

After squeaking past John Edwards to win last night's Wisconsin primary, Democratic presidential contender John Kerry stumps in Ohio. Kerry says he looks forward to battling Edwards and he says he doesn't hold any grudges for the negative comments his rival Howard Dean has said about him. Dean dropped out of the presidential race today.

The government of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide warns a coup attempt is at hand. The Red Cross estimates more than 50 deaths have occurred since violence ignited almost two weeks ago. The United States has called on Mr. Aristide's government to reach a peaceful settlement and remains cool to intervening in the matter at this time.

Is there an al Qaeda connection in Iraq? The U.S. military says an overnight raid has netted a group of insurgents that may have a ties to the terror network.

Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, for weeks, the U.S. military has said that the violence in Iraq bears the fingerprints of al Qaeda.

Today, a raid netted some of those they believe had a hand in recent attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): The raid, conducted by soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, was aimed at taking down an anti-coalition cell in Baquba, an Iraqi city in the heart of the so-called Sunni Triangle, where opposition to the U.S. remains strong.

According to the U.S. military, 22 people were detained, including seven suspects who were specifically targeted and are believed to have links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network.

COL. WILLIAM ADAMSON, U.S. ARMY: And this morning in Baquba, we conducted a series of raids to detain people associated with a terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda. We suspected that they were responsible for a suicide car bombing in Baquba on 15 January.

MCINTYRE: Suicide attacks like the one that rocked the Polish military base south of Baghdad Wednesday are thought to be closer to the M.O. of al Qaeda fanatics, rather than former Iraqi regime members.

Since earlier this month, when the coalition authority released the contests of a seized document reportedly written by top al Qaeda operative Abu Musab Zarqawi, U.S. officials have been blaming more of the violence on outside agitators.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They're also terrorists that are coming in from other countries across the Iranian border, the Syrian border, and they're determined to have a radical regime, a regime that is -- would be supportive of Osama bin Laden and people of that ilk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Though many local Iraqis are fearful, the U.S. military says most continue to support the coalition, providing daily tips about the hideouts of its enemies. And this week, the U.S. military released a new most-wanted list, 32 people believed behind the insurgency, with rewards ranging from 50,000 to $1 million -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon -- Jamie, thank you very much.

The bombings, meanwhile, continue. A twin suicide attack was launched today on a base of the Polish coalition force south of Baghdad. A dozen allied troops were wounded, but Iraqi civilians bore the brunt of the blast. Eight died and many others were hurt.

Here's our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Officials are saying it could have been much worse. As it was, it was pretty bad, this after what appears to be a simultaneous suicide car and truck bomb detonated outside a multinational base, about 60 kilometers, 40 miles, south of Baghdad, near Hillah.

Now, according to officials, this was a car bomb that was fired upon and exploded just at the perimeter of the base, near a civilian neighborhood, explaining the civilian casualties. A suicide truck bomb ran into the car, detonating at well. At least 700 kilograms of explosives detonated. Among the wounded, at least 30 other people, 10 of them, according to officials, Polish soldiers, one Hungarian, one American official.

But those casualty tolls expected to rise, an indication that this attack, that foreign fighters who are increasingly blamed for attacks like these, the suicide attacks, may have been responsible, are searching for softer targets than simply American bases.

Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: More now on our top story.

After a disappointing third-place showing in Wisconsin, onetime Democratic front-runner Howard Dean has given up his bid for the presidency. It was a campaign that caught fire early, but flamed out just as quickly.

CNN's Brian Todd has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It can't be a good sign when the high point of your presidential campaign comes nearly a year before the general election.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And that's why I'm here to endorse Howard Dean as the next president!

TODD: December 9, 2003, with Al Gore's endorsement, Howard Dean is the Democrat to beat, a rise that began a year and a half earlier, the first Democrat on the ballot, the longest of long shots, no national profile. But he quickly seizes on the anger over President Bush's agenda, especially the war on Iraq.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Howard Dean, and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

TODD: Dean gets all the right publicity through much of 2003. Through the Internet, he builds a solid grassroots network. Some believe that contributes to the demise.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: It's very much like Internet dating. Internet dating, you can advertise yourself. You can talk about what you like and what you believe. But, in the end, the people you're speaking to have to meet you.

TODD: Still, the Deaniacs formed huge crowds at rallies, young, organized, energetic, behind the insurgent with a wallet, $40 million raised, enough for him to opt out of federal matching funds. But the money dissipates, replaced by questions of temperament. Does this guy have the personality for the long haul?

DEAN: White folks in the South who drive pick trucks with Confederate flags decals in the back ought to be voting with us and not them, because their kids don't have health insurance either and their kids need better schools, too.

TODD: Mid-December, Saddam Hussein is captured. Dean stays on message, to his detriment.

DEAN: But the capture of Saddam has not made America safer.

TODD: Before long, he's the loose cannon with a mean streak.

DEAN: Is that Willie Nelson? It looks like he had Botox injections, too.

(LAUGHTER) STUART ROTHENBERG, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think Dean, to some extent, imploded personally as a candidate. He looked angry.

TODD: Third place in Iowa, disaster on the podium.

DEAN: And then we're going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House! Yes!

TODD: Dean complains, with some justification, perhaps, of being beaten into the ground with replays of his delivery.

DEAN: You chose to play it 673 times in one week.

TODD: Dean never does recover from the scream. The new portrait of the candidate, too liberal, too nasty, won't go away.

DEAN: This is the end of phase one of this fight, but the fight will go on, and we will be together.

TODD: As Howard Dean fades, perhaps the legacy will be kinder than the campaign trail, memories of a lone candidate who took on a popular president before anyone else and galvanized a party.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now to get some insight into Dean's decision and its impact on the races ahead, our political analyst, Carlos Watson.

Carlos, thanks very much.

Who stands to gain the most by Dean's departure, Edwards or Kerry?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Kerry in the short run, because Kerry is still likely to be the nominee. He's far ahead in the delegates. And, as we have said before, it looks like Edwards will only participate a little bit on March 2. So Kerry is likely to end March 2 with 1,200 or 1,300 delegates.

But here's why Dean is important. He's important not for the votes, but for the fund-raising. Kerry is almost fresh out of money. The Bush campaign has over $100 million and is about to start running ads in a half-dozen-plus states. And Kerry very much needs to raise money in a short period of time. And who better to help him do it than Howard Dean, if Dean so decides?

BLITZER: And Dean is not endorsing anyone. But isn't it almost natural that his supporters, if they have to make a decision between Kerry and Edwards next week, the week after, the week after, the assumption is, many of them would go to John Edwards. Is that your assumption?

WATSON: It's not. I think it remains to be seen. No one is more fervent about ABB, anybody but Bush, than the Dean supporters. And you heard Howard Dean say very clearly -- maybe the most important thing he said is that I don't endorse a third-party candidacy by myself or anyone else. And what I most want to see happen is for Democrats to take back the White House.

If that's true, then right now, the smart money, whether you're a Dean supporter or a Kerry supporter at the moment, has got to be on Kerry. And so I think you're likely to see a disproportionate number of them flow towards John Kerry.

BLITZER: Edwards came in surprisingly well, a second-placed showing, yesterday. But when all is said and done, he's only won South Carolina so far, the state in which he was born. Realistically, what kind of chance does he have, looking ahead to Super Tuesday and beyond?

WATSON: His chances are slim. His chances are slim to win the presidency.

The only two exceptions, Wolf, would be, one, an enormous scandal, a scandal of the likes we haven't seen, even larger than the Gary Hart scandal. Or, two -- and we hope this doesn't happen, obviously -- but some kind of illness. You remember that he had prostate cancer treatment last year. But I don't think that will happen.

But here's what will happen for John Edwards. He is getting a tremendous chance to audition not only for the vice presidency or perhaps the attorney general role in a Kerry administration, but he's also going to get a chance to audition in some critical states for 2008. If this is a guy who wants to come back and run again, should Kerry ultimately win the nomination, but lose the general election, what better opportunity than to have had a chance to campaign in California, New York, not to mention Texas and Florida on March the 9th?

BLITZER: Terry McAuliffe always wanted this to be contracted to get a candidate out there quickly, early, to prepare for Bush in November. But there's an argument that can be made, the longer this process goes on, the better it is for the Democrats, because they're in the forefront in the news.

Look at the gap in these most recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup polls. Kerry and Edwards beat Bush in a hypothetical contest right now, even in the midst of the battle.

WATSON: And those numbers are significant, Wolf.

Remember, just six weeks ago, before Iowa, in those head-to-head matchups, Kerry was down in some polls by as much as 16 points. So if we believe these polls, there's been as much as a 27-point swing. And you're right. The free media and the bounce of seeing win after win, 16 wins in all, has been incredibly helpful for Kerry.

But let me say this. I think Kerry has got to be very careful not to squander this political capital. He's got to transform himself from, if you will, the war hero and the attractive, electable nominee to someone of real presidential timber, meaning he's got to talk about education. He's got to talk very convincingly about jobs, not just economic growth, but economic fairness, as you hear John Edwards talk about.

And I think you're going to hear a lot more conversation about social issues. Remember, they're coming to California, where the issue of gay marriage is very hot at the moment. And he's going to have to talk about that in a compelling, probably centrist way.

BLITZER: Carlos, the president is clearly out campaigning aggressively already as well. What does he need do in the short term to turn around some of these polling trends which are not necessarily going in his favor?

WATSON: Two things. Clearly, he needs to lower Kerry's favorability ratings. And so I think you're going to continue to see them try and draw clear distinctions on issues like special interest money, the argument being that John Kerry has said one thing, but done another and has taken a lot of special interest money, and on other issues as well.

And, two, I think the president is going to need to put forth, again, a very compelling economic message. And, frankly, he's had trouble over the last several weeks. You saw the report was issued by the Council of Economic Advisers saying that 2.6 million jobs would be created this year. And then you saw the treasury secretary, John Snow, and you saw the commerce secretary, Don Evans, back off of that and say, well, maybe it won't be quite 2.6 million.

Clearly, the president knows that the economic climate has changed. He's trying to figure out a way to communicate that. He doesn't feel like the jobs number by itself tells the whole story. Lots of families have become wealthier through their homes and their equity in their homes. And we have got the highest home ownership rates in more than 25 years, 68, 69 percent. So he's got to be able to get that story out, that there is economic health and economic health that is on an upswing.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson, our political analyst, thanks very much for joining us.

WATSON: Good to see you.

BLITZER: Train tragedy. A runaway train carrying fuel and chemicals explodes in Iran. We'll have details.

Plus, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROD STEINMANN, FATHER: I'm very concerned that I don't know about things like if he got sick, did you take him to the hospital?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A father finds his son after 14 years. But wait until you hear how he was found and who had him.

And three's company, why the leaders of Britain, France and Germany are meeting today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's a sad story. Reports put the death toll between 200 and 300 after a huge explosion along a railway line in northeast Iran. A string of railway cars filled with chemicals and fuel products derailed and exploded about 400 miles east of Tehran.

CNN's Matthew Chance has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first images of a train disaster that has claimed so many lives. Rescue teams are at the scene battling the flames, evacuating the hundreds of dead and injured.

The train had been carrying large quantities of gasoline and industrial chemicals, as well as cotton, all highly flammable. Officials say more than 50 heavily loaded freight carriages had somehow become uncoupled from the rest of the train and rolled away. At speed and uncontrolled, they derailed, crashing into several villages near the city of Neyshabur in Iran's northeast.

But it was only after rescue workers and locals had rushed to the scene that the major casualties were suffered. As firefighters and villagers picked through the debris, the train's volatile cargo appears to have been ignited. The explosion ripped through the wreckage, killing many bystander. Iranian officials say the local governor, the mayor, and even the fire chief, are among the dead.

(on camera): Over recent months, a number of fatal accidents have befallen this country's crumbling transport system. That exact cause of the train crash has yet to be determined. But aside from the human cost, there remain some concerns about what environmental damage this latest Iranian disaster may have wrought.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Click of fate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RHONDA MORGAN, MISSING CHILDREN SOCIETY OF CANADA: Putting their name into the Google search engine, and when he did that, he got a hit on our site.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A teenager learns he's been considered missing for more than a decade. And Martha Stewart's attorneys on the offensive. 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): Red Cross red light. The Red Cross is criticizing Israel's plan to build a security barrier in the West Bank. The International Committee of the Red Cross says the barrier would limit Palestinian access to water, health care and education.

Red-faced Russians. President Vladimir Putin traveled to northern Russia to watch missile exercises. But while he saw some successful tests, there also were some embarrassing failures. One missile failed to launch. A second veered from its path, triggering its self-destruction system.

So far, so good. Diplomats from India and Pakistan were upbeat as they ended three days of talks aimed at settling long-running disputes over Kashmir and other issues. Talks are to resume after India's elections in April.

Three's company. Three top European leaders met in Berlin to discuss economic issues. Britain's Tony Blake, France's Jacques Chirac and Germany's Gerhard Schroeder want the European Union to do more to promote economic growth. Some other European leaders are said to be miffed they weren't invited to the talks.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Martha Stewart's defense attorneys run offense. That story tops our "Justice Report."

In court today, they were trying to fend off securities fraud charges against Stewart. Prosecutors say she illegally lied to try to prop up her company's stock price in the wake of the ImClone scandal. Her lawyers introduced evidence to show she was just making smart business moves.

And Scott Peterson's lawyers accused prosecutors of not sharing evidence in a timely manner. Attorney Mark Geragos complained about documents he's only recently received, including forensic results he says favor Peterson, who's accused of killing his pregnant wife, Laci. The judge warned, he'll set a deadline if the problem continues.

A Canadian woman is due in court in Los Angeles this hour on charges of child abduction, the alleged victim, her own son. But the story gets even stranger.

CNN's Jennifer Coggiola is here with more -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what makes the story so unusual is that the young man, who knew nothing of his dramatic past, uncovered his own alleged kidnapping, this through a bizarre twist of fate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): The 17-year-old got what must have been the shock of his life while working on a project at school.

MORGAN: Putting their name into the Google search engine, and when he did that, he got a hit on our site.

COGGIOLA: A Canadian Web site for missing children. This is the picture the teenager saw of himself as a child. He alerted a teacher and the story began to unfold, how his mother, according to U.S. Marshals, abducted him at age 3 from his father, who had been granted custody in Alberta, Canada, how they fled to Mexico first and eventually settled in the Los Angeles area, where the mother was arrested last week.

JIMMELL GRIFFIN, U.S. MARSHAL: Took her into custody. And we turned the kid over to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, now have custody of the kid.

COGGIOLA: In Canada, the boy's father reflected on what he's missed not having his son the last 14 years.

STEINMANN: I don't know about things like, if he got sick, did you take him to the hospital? When he was 6, did he go to school?

COGGIOLA: But he's also realistic what a reunion will bring.

STEINMANN: I respect that he's an adult and that, you know, father, son, it's going mean something different.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: The mother is being held without bail, pending extradition to Canada on child abduction charges. But the teen is reported to be upset by the arrest of his mom, who family members said she did just what she had to do -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jennifer Coggiola, sad story, indeed. Thank you very much.

Cheetah challenge, an unusual event in South Africa, and the results of our "Web Question of the Day" when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: This just in to CNN. There's been another shooting in the Columbus, Ohio area. Authorities say a minivan was struck on the passenger side on a state route in Columbus. No one was hurt. It's not clear yet whether the shooting is related to a series of sniper attacks in the Columbus area. We'll follow the story.

Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, this is not a scientific poll. Looked at results: 52 percent said yes, 48 no.

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

Jean writes this: "A same-sex couple who loves each other joining in marriage can't possibly hurt anyone. Look at all those wonderful, happy, smiling new families on San Francisco's City Hall steps. The things that truly threatens families are lack of health care, substance abuse, domestic violence and unemployment. I think the Bush administration prefers that the public be distracted from these real problems."

Leonard writes this: "California law says same-sex marriages are illegal. Is it now appropriate to violate any law that is not liked? Claiming discrimination is ridiculous. The only thing they want to gain is status for free handouts. Since when are we required to bend to the whims of minorities?"

The fastest land animal in the world put to the test in our picture of the day. Look at this. The cheetah can reach speeds of 70 miles an hour when chasing its prey, but this cat is racing to raise support for the endangered species. She's fast enough to win Olympic gold, but she fell short of the cheetah record.

That's it for now.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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