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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Greenspan Proposes Social Security Cuts, Mel Gibson's "Passion."
Aired February 25, 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.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Boomer bombshell. The Fed chairman offers a fix for the nation's budget woes: cut your Social Security benefits.
ALAN GREENSPAN, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: That action is better taken as soon as possible.
BLITZER: Haitians on notice.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will turn back any refugee that attempts to reach our shore.
BLITZER: Amnesia. A top high school wrestler lose the life he once knew in an instant.
JOHN PRIGG SR., SON SUFFERED MEMORY LOSS FROM ACCIDENT: He doesn't have memories of the past and very limited short-term memory right now.
BLITZER: Glory or gory? Mel Gibson's epic stirs "passions" across the country. But does it go too far?
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Wednesday, February 25, 2004.
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BLITZER: There were two stark warnings in Washington today. President Bush had a blunt message for Haitians thinking of fleeing to the United States saying they'll be sent right back by the U.S. Coast Guard.
But Mr. Bush himself was caught off guard by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan who warned that this nation is drowning in red ink. The proposed solution? Cut future Social Security benefits.
We'll go live to CNN's David Ensor on the Haiti crisis in a moment. First, we begin with the bombshell dropped on soon to retire baby boomer. Let's turn to our senior White House correspondent John King -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you know, Chairman Greenspan has almost legendary status in Washington. Both parties listening so closely to his testimony today, trying to see if there's something they could use to their partisan advantage. Instead Mr. Greenspan made both parties nervous by injecting into the presidential race an issue critical to elderly Americans.
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KING (voice-over): The fed chairman put election year pressure on both political parties warning that without difficult choices soon, the looming retirement of the baby boomers will bust the federal budget.
GREENSPAN: We will eventually have no choice but to make significant structural adjustments in the major retirement programs.
KING: By that Chairman Greenspan means raising the Social Security retirement age and reducing annual cost of living increases.
At the White House quick proof there's a reason they call Social Security the third rail of American politics.
BUSH: My position on Social Security benefits is this: that those benefits should not be changed for people at or near retirement.
KING: Both leading Democratic presidential candidates rushed to rule out Social Security cuts.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The wrong way to cut the deficit is to cut Social Security benefits. If I'm president, we're simply not going to do it.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The answer is not to cut Social Security benefits for those who need them and depend on them. The answer instead is to stop tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
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KING: Here at Bush White House and among Democrats in Congress, Wolf, there is a recognition that the chairman is right, that Congress and whoever is president next year need to come to grips with the booming pressure on the Social Security system and the federal budget deficit.
But there is bipartisan agreement on the issue, nobody wants to deal with this in the middle of a presidential campaign. They want that discussion and those tough choices to wait until next year -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King at the White House. Thank you, John, very much.
The president for his part did some tough talking of his own today. The subject, Haiti, and those who may be thinking of fleeing an increasingly desperate situation. Let's turn to our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David. DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, certainly an unequivocal message from the president today for Haitians during the crisis in their country. The message was stay home.
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ENSOR (voice-over): With the Haitian crisis threatening to descend into chaos, a blunt warning from the president. Haitians should not think of the United States as a refuge.
BUSH: I have made it abundantly clear to the Coast Guard that we will turn back any refugee that attempts to reach our shore. And that message needs to be very clear to the Haitian people.
ENSOR: The warning was grounded in the memory of 1994 when thousands of Haitians, often in dangerous overcrowded boats, tried to get to the U.S. during the last major political and humanitarian crisis in their homeland.
Haiti's opposition has refused thus far to accept a power sharing deal suggested by international diplomats. The peaceful opposition in Port-Au-Prince and the gun-toting rebels now holding several Haitian cities both insist President Jean-Bertrand Aristide must go. In a statement France's foreign minister strongly hinted the same thing.
But U.S. officials have avoided blaming Aristide. Bush administration official want to avoid sending American forces to Haiti. They continue to press for a diplomatic solution.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Anything that is done we should do it in a constitutional way.
ENSOR: Congressional Black Caucus members took a bus to the White House to dramatize their plea that the U.S. get more involved and quickly before it's too late.
REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D), MARYLAND: We could be on the brisk of a major catastrophe any minute now.
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: We don't want the blood, any more blood, Haitian blood on American hands, on the international community's hands.
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ENSOR: An emergency session of the U.N. Security Council scheduled for Thursday with fears that Northern Haiti will soon be suffering famine if the standoff is preventing food getting through and doesn't end soon -- Wolf.
BLITZER: An awful situation. Thanks very much, David, for that.
As the violence intensifies, foreigners are fleeing Haiti. But are the Haitians themselves paying heed to President Bush? CNN's Lucia Newman is on the phone for us. She's joining us live from Haiti right now. Lucia, what's the latest? LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I can tell you that boat makers in Haiti haven't heard President Bush's warning at all.
In fact in a fishing village just a few hours out of town boat makers are stepping up the pace with one telling me he plans to build much bigger boats if the violence here increases so people can go to Florida. He says that they would rather take their chances at sea than stay here.
The leader opposition coalition of political parties and civic groups said today that it is up to the international community to convince President Aristide to resign to avoid a bloodbath.
The tension in the capital is intense, Wolf. The city awoke to road blocks all over, many of them armed by masked Aristide sympathizers, some very, very aggressively searching cars and some cases looting according to one report.
The United Nations had to turn off an evacuation of its non- essential personnel and their families because they said the road to the airport where many of the barricades were set up was just too dangerous.
And President Aristide meanwhile continues to refuse to step down, even as some countries, Wolf, such as France blame him directly for the mess Haiti's in -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Lucia Newman on the scene for us as she has been for several days. Thank you, Lucia, very much.
Let's turn to the campaign trail now. Democratic front runner John Kerry picking up the steam as the face moves on to Super Tuesday, that would be this coming Tuesday after winning yesterday's nominating contests in Hawaii, Idaho and Utah.
Kerry is stumping for support today in two Super Tuesday states, Ohio and Minnesota. This morning he met with workers in Cleveland. His campaign is launching a new campaign ad that describes President Bush's economic policy as an astonishing failure. A short time from now Kerry attends a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Kerry's main rival, Senator John Edwards, is spending the day in another Super Tuesday state, the biggest prize of them all, California. All three stops on today's agenda for Edwards in California in Claremont, Fresno and Sacramento. Edwards has finished atop just one contest this year, his native state of South Carolina.
With Super Tuesday approaching, here's how the Democratic delegate race stacks up right now. Take a look. John Kerry is far out front with 733 delegates. His closest rival John Edwards has 214. Howard Dean, who's dropped out of the race, has 179. The Reverend Al Sharpton 16 and Congressman Dennis Kucinich has 10 delegates.
And a lot more delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday, 2,161 delegates needed to win. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is joining us now live from Los Angeles to tell us about the latest polls we're getting. Let's go through the big states, Bill. California, what are the latest numbers there?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The latest numbers in California show Kerry with a very big lead. This is a Field Poll and it shows Kerry with 60 percent, three times as many votes as John Edwards is getting at 19.
Wolf, California is a state that is very connected to the trade with East Asia, it's a state where trade creates jobs not just costs jobs. And it's hard for Edwards' message on trade to get a grip here in California. His message as an outsider may stand a chance, but he's got to deliver that this in a forceful way at the one and only debate tomorrow evening on CNN to get the point across because he doesn't have a lot of money to spend on this very expensive state.
BLITZER: Bill, that field poll similar to the "Los Angeles Times" poll that we saw yesterday. The poll numbers in New York show a similar picture, don't they?
SCHNEIDER: Yes, they do. In New York also, Kerry has a big lead. Not quite as big as in California. It was 41 points in California. In New York it's 33. A lot of economic distress in -- you see 54-21 -- a lot of economic distress in upstate New York, but upstate New York Democrats cast only about a third of the primary vote, which is still dominated by New York City.
BLITZER: Kerry atop in Ohio as well but a little closer for Edwards there, at least, according to this most recent poll there.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. The most recent poll in Ohio is 47 for Kerry, 26 for Edwards. That's just a 21-point margin, but that's a big margin. If there's any state where Kerry has a chance of winning outside the south, it might well be Ohio, which is a state that has lost a lot of jobs to international trade, a lot of jobs have been exported, the steel industry in Ohio has been very hard hit when President Bush lifted the steel tariffs. There's a lot of angry workers there who might be receptive to John Edwards' message.
BLITZER: Edwards might have a chance in Ohio. Georgia, he's counting on Georgia but the most recent poll even in Georgia shows Kerry atop.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. Kerry does well there, 45 but Edwards is right behind him, just 8 points behind at 37. Georgia, of course, is a southern state. If Kerry wins Georgia, I think it will be a very clear message that Edwards has nowhere to go. Edwards must win Georgia in order to maintain his candidacy, a major southern state. But winning just Georgia of all the ten states on Super Tuesday may not be enough to keep his campaign going because he would remain a southern favorite regional son. He has to show more strength than that to be competitive in that all-important delegate race which coming down to the wire.
BLITZER: Well, he's made a surge in other states over the past several days before contest. Let's see if he does in this particular case, in the days leading up to Super Tuesday. Bill Schneider, thank you very much for that. This programming note to our viewers. Larry King will host a special "L.A. Times" Democratic presidential debate, co-sponsored between the "Los Angeles Times" and CNN. That's tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. 6:00 p.m. Pacific. A debate right here on CNN.
Emotional experience. "The Passion of the Christ" inspiring strong responses and severe criticisms from moviegoers around the world. How authentic is the film's depiction of Jesus' death.
A surprisingly short defense testimony ends in the Martha Stewart case. We're live from the courthouse.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I handed him an orange, and he just look at it, and didn't know how to peel it. He didn't know he could put it in his mouth and eat it.
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BLITZER: A heartbreaking story when family members become strangers. Hear how one Texas family is coping with a very tragic accident that robbed their son of his memory.
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BLITZER: Today is Ash Wednesday, and the opening day of one of the most talked about films in recent memory. Mel Gibson's controversial portrayal of the crucifixion, "The Passion of the Christ."
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BLITZER: From Texas...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stunning. It was really powerful.
BLITZER: To Australia...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...it was awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you're watching it, it's sickening, it's very emotionally difficult.
BLITZER: To the Vatican where the pope himself had a private screening, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" has people talking and the faithful flocking to theaters by the thousands.
In Plano, Texas, a Christian businessman spent $42,000 to buy out a local 20-screen movie house for back-to-back screenings of the movie beginning at dawn. Nationwide, the film opened today on 2,500 screens amid considerable controversy. Among the issues, Gibson's graphic depiction of the crucifixion which one critic calls a sickening death trip, and another, the goriest story ever told.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was gruesome and bloody. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is extremely violent. I believe it's realistic as would be a crucifixion.
BLITZER: Also controversial, the movie's portrayal of Jews, sparking concern among some that it could flame anti-Semitism. Gibson says he's not anti-semitic.
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR: It's ludicrous. It's ludicrous to think this. I don't want to lynch any Jews, it's not what I'm about, I love them. I pray for them.
BLITZER: But the portrayal of Jews is troubling to some people who protested against the film. Scholars and now the Vatican say it was not Jews who killed Jesus. But critics say the movie is not as definitive on that point.
DAVID STERRITT, FILM CRITIC, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: It certainly leaves the door open to anybody who comes in already contaminated with the germs of anti-Semitism this. This movie is certainly going to feed those germs.
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BLITZER: So will the movie fan flames of anti-Semitism?
Coming up, we'll hear directly from Rabbi Marvin Higher (ph) and Evangelist Franklin Graham on the authenticity of the film's depictions.
Also, Martha Stewart's defense. Her legal team quickly rests its case without testimony from its biggest star. We're live from the courthouse.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, with having two little kids, we were just concerned about them in taking too much blood, and we know that's not good for your health.
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BLITZER: A shocking story from right here in the nation's capital. Water worries. Frightening warnings to pregnant women and children in Washington, D.C. Why they're being told right now don't drink the water.
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BLITZER: Martha Stewart's lawyers have rested their case in the trial of the embattled businesswoman who's now poised to move into its final stages. CNN's Mary Snow is covering the story for us. She's joining us live from New York -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a week from today jurors are scheduled to begin deliberating the fate of Martha Stewart and her co-defendant Peter Bacanovic. The defense team for Stewart ended quickly today and in stark contrast to the government's case of four weeks and 21 witnesses.
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SNOW (voice-over): When it came to Martha Stewart's turn her lawyers presented and rested their case in one hour and called only one witness. Jurors never heard from Martha Stewart herself. Her attorney, Robert Morvillo.
ROBERT MORVILLO, STEWART'S ATTORNEY: We called only one witness because we thought that was a sufficient way to deal with the quantity and the quality of the evidence that the government had put in.
SNOW: While Stewart's defense expressed confidence, legal experts also say it spells risk.
ROBERT HEIM, FRM. PROSECUTOR: A one-witness defense case is very risky. This is a high-risk strategy where the defense is essentially throwing this case to the jury. It's an all over nothing decision the jury has to make.
SNOW: That single Stewart defense witness was an attorney present during Stewart's interview by government investigators in 2002. The defense tried to show his notes differed from an FBI agent at the same meeting in which some of the false statements against Stewart originated.
The government ended its rebuttal case with a tape recording of co-defendant Peter Bacanovic in a Securities and Exchange Commission interview. In it, Bacanovic contradicted testimony given by Stewart's business manager Heidi Deluca. Deluca earlier said Bacanovic told her about setting a sale floor on ImClone stock at $60 a share.
Question: "So the issue of the stock at $60 didn't come up with Heidi?" Answer: "No."
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SNOW: And that $60 agreement at the heart of the defense's case.
Now what happens next is the lawyers will be meeting with the judge on Friday, closing arguments are set to begin on Monday, and then the judge told jurors today she will instruct them on Wednesday, and they'll begin their deliberations then -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow in New York covering this trial for us. Thanks, Mary, very much.
A top pro football player has just been indicted. That story tops our "Justice Report. "
Prosecutors say Baltimore Raven's running back Jamal Lewis has been indicted on federal drug charges that date back almost four years. Lewis is expected to turn himself in tomorrow.
More legal trouble for Michael Jackson. Court papers filed in Los Angeles show Jackson and his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, have hired a retired judge to help settle a family law matter. The papers don't say what the issue is. The couple divorced in 1999.
And jury selection in the Peterson murder trial is set to start a week from tomorrow. The judge says up to 1,500 potential jurors could be questioned and he expects the trial to last five months. He hasn't decided whether the panel will be sequestered. Scott Peterson is accused of killing his wife Laci and their unborn son.
Heated passion surrounds "The Passion of the Christ." Mel Gibson's controversial new movie spawning intense debate. Up next, I'll speak with evangelist Franklin Graham and Rabbi Marvin Higher (ph).
New stranger. A star high school wrestler loses his memory after a fall. How's his family coping with his unusual tragedy?
And actor activism. Find out why former "Seinfeld" co-star, Jason Alexander, is right now in the Middle East.
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BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Controversial opening. Extremely passionate responses. Does Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" promote anti-Semitism? Hear from Evangelist Franklin Graham, and Rabbi Marvin Hier. We'll get to that.
First though, a quick check of the latest headlines. Two American soldiers were killed today when their helicopter went down in a river in Western Iraq. The U.S. military says the cause of the crash is not yet clear. The Kyowa Reconnaissance chopper crashed near Haditha about 120 miles west of Baghdad. A witness reportedly saw a missile hit the aircraft, but the military says a second helicopter did not observe enemy fire.
A U.S. Senate panel says the Pentagon must do more about sex assaults in the U.S. military. Officials told the Armed Services Subcommittee today there have been at least 109 reported assaults on troops in the Middle East over the last 14 months. But they say the overall rate has been cut in half since 1995.
Updating you now on a story we reported earlier, the head of Washington's National Zoo is resigning after a report criticizing the way the facility cares for its animal. The zoo has suffered a series of fatalities, including a zebra who died from malnutrition and hypothermia and two red pandas who died after eating rat poison.
Ask it wasn't pretty, but at least no one was hurt when this plane made an emergency landing this afternoon in Palm Springs, California. The pilot was unable to get the landing gear down. The plane circled the airport for about an hour while mechanics on the ground tried but failed to solve the problem.
Emotional, graphic, and very controversial, passionate opinions on Mel Gibson's epic new movie, "The Passion of the Christ." The film done entirely in Aramaic and Latin with English subtitles opens nationwide today.
There's controversy about the film's portrayal of Jews, with critics saying it could inflame anti-Semitism.
Earlier, I talked about that with evangelist Franklin Graham and Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.
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BLITZER: Reverend Graham, Rabbi Hier, thanks to both of you for joining us.
Reverend Graham, is this movie authentic?
FRANKLIN GRAHAM, PRESIDENT, SAMARITAN'S PURSE: It's very close, Wolf, to the scripture, yes. When we read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and compare the film to the scriptures, it's very close. You know, Mel Gibson has a little bit of Hollywood artistry in certain areas, but I think it's quite close, yes.
BLITZER: Rabbi Hier, you don't believe it's very authentic, do you?
RABBI MARVIN HIER, FOUNDER, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: No.
With respect to the portrayal of the Jews, the high priests and the mob scenes in the film of those opposed to Jesus, I do not believe that that is an accurate portrayal, because the Jews look unintelligent, and they look mean, pushy and shovy. And the Romans, Pontius Pilate, looks very good, timid. And, therefore, it sets up the audience for a conclusion that it must have been all the Jews, because there's no disclaimer whatsoever to that fact.
BLITZER: Reverend Graham, do you disagree with Rabbi Hier on that?
GRAHAM: Well, I certainly respect the rabbi.
This film, when you look at the scriptures, it was a mob scene, and they were demanding that Christ be crucified. Pilate was a politician. He was a governor. He wanted to please the crowd and he gave into a mob scene. But Jesus Christ willingly went to that cross. We must not forget. It wasn't the Jews that put him on the cross and it wasn't the Romans. It was my sins, Wolf.
It was your sins, the sins of this world. And the Bible says we have all sinned and come short of God's glory. The wages of sin is death. But yet, the Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever so believeth in him shouldn't perish, but have everlasting life.
So, Wolf, I think it is quite accurate and it was a mob scene. But yet it was our sins that put Jesus Christ on the cross.
BLITZER: You want to respond to that, Rabbi Hier?
HIER: Yes, that is, unfortunately -- that Jesus died -- the concept that Jesus for the sins of mankind is a footnote in the film. That is not at all, except a minister, someone familiar with text, this is a visual experience, a two-hour film.
Nearly one hour is the torture scene of Jesus, and I'm afraid the audience, the millions who will see this, will just not see it, that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. They will see mainly that it was the Jews.
BLITZER: Are you concerned about anti-Semitism, Reverend Graham, emerging from this film?
GRAHAM: I'm not concerned that it would emerge from this film.
I certainly agree with the Jewish community of their concerns that a film like this, that evil men could use it for their own evil advantage. But as a minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I want to do everything I can to remind people everywhere that it was Christ who willingly went to the cross, and it was our sins that took him there, and not the Jewish race.
So we love the Jews and appreciate very much our friendship with them, and I wouldn't want to do anything or be a part of anything that would hurt them. But this is biblical truth, the scripture, and I believe that the Bible teaches that this happened. It's very clear in the scriptures. There's no avoiding it. It's there. But we must realize that it was our sins, and that God so loved us that he sent Christ to redeem us from our sins.
And if we put our faith and trust in him, God will forgive us and cleanse us of our sins. So, yes, I think it's a great film. It's a powerful film. There is a lot of violence and a lot of blood. And the Prophet Isaiah said that Jesus was marred more than any other man. And it's true. When you see the scripture -- when you see this picture, I don't think I've seen a picture of a human body that has been beaten so much as Christ, and I believe it's pretty accurate.
I think that's the way it really was, Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, what about that, Rabbi Hier, the whole notion that some people, maybe not only in the United States, pockets perhaps, but around the world might emerge and undertake acts of anti- Semitism? Is this film, in your opinion, Rabbi Hier, anti-Semitic?
HIER: No, I don't say the film is anti-Semitic. I'm worried about the effects of this film around the world, particularly its effect on polluting the young minds. As I said before, not everyone who sees this film can quote scripture line and verse.
It's a visual experience. Millions of people, they come away and what will they think? The Jews -- no one in the film says, look, the Jews were under Roman control. Now, Jesus came. They perceived him as a threat. They turned him over to the Romans. And, you know, if Jews would declare that Jesus is their king, what would the Roman attitude have been? There were great fears at the time. And besides, Jews do not recognize a son of God in the flesh.
If Moses said, I am the son of God, all the Jews would reject Moses. BLITZER: One final question for you, Reverend Graham. Should parents take their children, teenagers, specifically -- forget about young kids -- but teenagers to see this film?
GRAHAM: Wolf, I would say yes, but I would say it with a caution.
Because the film is in Latin and in Aramaic, you feel as though you're an eyewitness to the crucifixion. And I think parents need to explain before they go into the film who Christ was, who he is, and the price that he paid, so that the child is prepared. I think that the violence we see in this film is not for entertainment. So much that comes out of Hollywood is for entertainment. This isn't.
This is historical fact and we need to take it within that context. But it's very graphic, and kids need to be prepared.
BLITZER: Reverend Graham, Rabbi Hier, thanks to both of you for joining us on this important subject.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
HIER: Thank you.
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BLITZER: And later in the show, an unusual account of how Jesus Christ may have died. Stay with us for that. We'll get to that, but also this important programming note for our viewers. "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" profiles Mel Gibson and the controversy surrounding his new movie, "The Passion of the Christ." That airs this Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
And here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: How has the controversy over '"The Passion of Christ' affected your interest in seeing the film? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments anytime. 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.
Studying his death, a detailed account how Jesus died. A modern day medical examiner tells us his theory.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I have high blood lead levels in my blood, I just have to wait for it to go away on its own. There's nothing I can do. So that's -- that's definitely disturbing, because have you no control over that.
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BLITZER: A very disturbing story unfolding right here in the nation's capital, water worries, why residents here in Washington are being warned not to drink their water. And ancient rights. The pope celebrates Ash Wednesday at the Vatican. We'll get to all of that.
First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
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BLITZER (voice-over): Earthquake aftermath. The search for bodies and survivors continues in northern Morocco one day after an earthquake that killed more than 500 people, most of them women and children. Another 300 people were injured by the quake.
Nuclear negotiations. The latest discussions of North Korea's nuclear program have begun in China. Six nations are participating, but U.S. and North Korean officials also had a private meeting.
Activists actor. Actor Jason Alexander is in the Middle East on a peace mission. The former "Seinfeld" co-star is a supporter of the One Voice Campaign, which is trying to find common ground between Israelis and Palestinians.
Green from algae. What happened when two polar bears move to a zoo in tropical Singapore? Instead of getting a nice tan, they turned green from algae growing in their fur. The algae are harmless, but it's not easy being green, so the bears are getting dye jobs, back to the original white.
And that's our look around the world.
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BLITZER: Don't drink the water, that's a warning Americans sometimes hear when they travel abroad. But now Americans are hearing it right here in our nation's capital. What's gone wrong?
CNN's Elaine Quijano is joining us now live with a report on drinking water problems here in Washington, D.C. -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is really an interesting story.
Well, D.C. officials say, somehow, these old lead service lines are contaminating city water. And today, they issued a warning, telling pregnant women and young children not to drink it.
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QUIJANO: Maria Nelson and her dog Dack (ph) get their drinking water out of a bottle instead of the tap ever since D.C. testing last summer found Nelson's water contained levels of lead almost 10 times higher than the federally accepted level. Now 13 weeks pregnant with her and her husband's first child, Nelson is considering whether to cut back on tap water even more. MARIA NELSON, D.C. RESIDENT: I've started to think about whether I should go to the trouble of using bottled water to even brush my teeth.
QUIJANO: The problem, say D.C. water officials, is likely linked to 293,000 lead service lines they're slowly replacing throughout the city. But so far, officials say testing hasn't proven conclusively why those pipes are leeching more lead now than in past years. What is clear, the levels are dangerous, especially for pregnant women and children under 6.
Experts say lead can cause brain damage, among other things, sometimes showing up only years later. That's why Lena Glover had a lead water filter installed before she and her family moved into their home.
LENA GLOVER, D.C. RESIDENT: I do think it's kind of alarming that they didn't either realize this ahead of time or that they weren't following up, knowing that this was going on and not correcting the issue. I think it's very alarming. There are so many young families around the D.C. area and pregnant mothers.
QUIJANO: Maria Nelson, for one, plans to get a blood test to see if her lead level is high.
NELSON: I'm concerned but my doctor said essentially that there's nothing I can do about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now, the city held public hearings on this today. And the Environmental Protection Agency is also involved. And, Wolf, an EPA official saying the preliminary report on the problem is expected by mid-March.
BLITZER: I know you'll keep us updated on what is going on right here in Washington, D.C.
Elaine Quijano, thank you very much.
A memory lost.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'll ask him again, what is your sister's name? And he'll think, and you can see he's trying real hard and -- "I don't know."
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BLITZER: An awful story. A high school wrestling champion's life is forever changed in just one split-second.
Death by crucifixion, a chilling account of the last hours of Jesus' life. A medical examiner tells us it's even worse than any of us have ever imagined. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A high school athlete in Texas lost more than just a match. He lost his past and may lose his future.
CNN's Jennifer Coggiola reports on a severe sports injury that has a teenaged wrestler struggling with amnesia. This is an awful story, Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Wolf, sad and disturbing.
Now, this is a young man, an esteemed athlete, like you said, who now, after a high school sporting event, faces an uphill battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COGGIOLA (voice-over): Medals he doesn't remember winning adorn a wall. He plays computer games with a brother and sister he no longer knows. Everyone in life a stranger, everything in life alien.
DONNA PRIGG, MOTHER: I handed him an orange, and he just looked at it. He didn't know how to peel it. He didn't know that he could put it in his mouth and eat it.
COGGIOLA: Seventeen-year-old John Prigg, once one of the best high school wrestlers in Texas, has been without his memory since February 14. That when he suffered massive head injuries in this championship wrestling match. Pinned by another opponent, John banged his head twice on the wooden floor. The damage was instant.
JOHN PRIGG SR., FATHER: We basically have to retrain ourselves to be able to speak and communicate with our son. And he doesn't have any memories at all of the past and very limited short-term memory right now.
COGGIOLA: His doctors say it's the worst case of memory loss they've ever seen, his future uncertain, harsh realities for a young man with so much potential, the state's No. 1 ranked wrestler at 215 pounds and a 49-0 winning streak.
JOHN PRIGG SR.: When your son doesn't know he's a wrestler in a wrestling meet in his wrestling uniform, that's pretty devastating.
COGGIOLA: Earlier today, the Prigg family appeared on CNN.
JOHN PRIGG JR., INJURED WRESTLER: Every day they get up and ask me, what's your mom's name, what's your dad's name? By now, I've kind of gotten a little more comfortable now.
COGGIOLA: While sports-related injuries like concussions are common for high school athletes, amnesia as profound as John's is uncommon.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: But the vast majority of people who have amnestic sort of events after a blow to the head, a concussion, do get it back. John's has been going on a lot longer than normal, but, still, the data, the statistics would be in his favor.
COGGIOLA: Encouraging words for a mother whose son is now only a shadow of who he once was.
D. PRIGG: Things that you take for granted every day, you can't take for granted in this case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COGGIOLA: I spoke with the wrestling coach at the school where this match took place. And he explained to me that, even had there been the three feet of cushioning surrounding that wrestling ring, as recommended by the National Federation For High School, John's fall still would have exceeded that distance and he would have hit the floor anyway.
BLITZER: Awful story. Thanks very much, Jennifer.
How did Jesus die? A modern day medical examiner details his investigation.
And opening the Lenten season, the pope presiding over Ash Wednesday celebrations at the Vatican.
Also, the results of our "Web Question of the Day" -- all that still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here are the results of our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, this is not, repeat not, a scientific poll.
The focal point of Mel Gibson's new film, "The Passion of the Christ," is the crucifixion of Jesus, which many filmgoers say is very difficult to watch, and with good reason. Modern science reveals how horrifying a death it.
This weekend, "CNN PRESENTS" looks in-depth at the life and death of Jesus.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIAM NEESON, NARRATOR (voice-over): If the crucifixion has always been depicted as an awful death, modern forensic science tells us that it was even worse than we imagined. After three decades as a medical examiner in New York, Dr. Frederick Zugibe has investigated hundreds of homicides. But his research into death by crucifixion is as chilling as anything he has ever seen, a death that began with a ferocious scourging by Roman soldiers using a metal-tipped whip.
DR. FREDERICK ZUGIBE, CRUCIFIXION EXPERT: The bits of metal would literally enter the skin, even up to the front of the body. The weight would carry it the front and rip, rip blood vessels, skin. The pains were literally brutal. NEESON Zugibe says his agony was compounded when Jesus was then forced to carry the 50-pound cross beam out of Pilate's fortress, and through the streets of Jerusalem, today call the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows.
ZUGIBE: In the condition that Jesus was in at this time, the shocking condition which is now being built up, the crowning of thorns adding more shock, Jesus would be stumbling. He would be unsteady on his feet. He would fall. He would get up, fall.
NEESON: Finally, Jesus arrived at a hill outside the city walls called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull, a site that today is covered by the ornate Church of the Holy Sepulche. In Jesus' day, this holy place was a killing field, where a team of Roman soldiers awaited their victim and quickly set about their grisly task.
ZUGIBE: The members of it would hold their legs across their body, their arms while they nailed the nails into their hands.
NEESON: Though some victims lasted a week, Zugibe calculates that Jesus spent about six hours on the cross. Then it was finished.
ZUGIBE: If I were to write a death certificate, I would say the cause of death was due to shock, which causes cardiogenic shock, or the failure of the heart as a pump. And that would be the cause of death.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And you can see the entire presentation of "CNN PRESENTS: The Mystery of Jesus." That's Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.
We're getting this in, a boat off the coast of Florida with Haitians on board.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is joining us on the phone now. You're looking at these live pictures.
What do we know, Susan?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we know that the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as federal law enforcement officials from ICE, involving the old customs group as we know it, are currently -- and you can see from the pictures there -- are currently on board that freighter.
It is registered in Panama, about 200 feet long. And we know that there are 22 passengers aboard that ship and about seven crew members.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: All right, we'll continue to watch this, Susan. Unfortunately, we have to leave right now. But we'll watch it throughout the rest of the night here on CNN. "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
"Passion.">
Aired February 25, 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): Boomer bombshell. The Fed chairman offers a fix for the nation's budget woes: cut your Social Security benefits.
ALAN GREENSPAN, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: That action is better taken as soon as possible.
BLITZER: Haitians on notice.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will turn back any refugee that attempts to reach our shore.
BLITZER: Amnesia. A top high school wrestler lose the life he once knew in an instant.
JOHN PRIGG SR., SON SUFFERED MEMORY LOSS FROM ACCIDENT: He doesn't have memories of the past and very limited short-term memory right now.
BLITZER: Glory or gory? Mel Gibson's epic stirs "passions" across the country. But does it go too far?
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Wednesday, February 25, 2004.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: There were two stark warnings in Washington today. President Bush had a blunt message for Haitians thinking of fleeing to the United States saying they'll be sent right back by the U.S. Coast Guard.
But Mr. Bush himself was caught off guard by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan who warned that this nation is drowning in red ink. The proposed solution? Cut future Social Security benefits.
We'll go live to CNN's David Ensor on the Haiti crisis in a moment. First, we begin with the bombshell dropped on soon to retire baby boomer. Let's turn to our senior White House correspondent John King -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you know, Chairman Greenspan has almost legendary status in Washington. Both parties listening so closely to his testimony today, trying to see if there's something they could use to their partisan advantage. Instead Mr. Greenspan made both parties nervous by injecting into the presidential race an issue critical to elderly Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING (voice-over): The fed chairman put election year pressure on both political parties warning that without difficult choices soon, the looming retirement of the baby boomers will bust the federal budget.
GREENSPAN: We will eventually have no choice but to make significant structural adjustments in the major retirement programs.
KING: By that Chairman Greenspan means raising the Social Security retirement age and reducing annual cost of living increases.
At the White House quick proof there's a reason they call Social Security the third rail of American politics.
BUSH: My position on Social Security benefits is this: that those benefits should not be changed for people at or near retirement.
KING: Both leading Democratic presidential candidates rushed to rule out Social Security cuts.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The wrong way to cut the deficit is to cut Social Security benefits. If I'm president, we're simply not going to do it.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The answer is not to cut Social Security benefits for those who need them and depend on them. The answer instead is to stop tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Here at Bush White House and among Democrats in Congress, Wolf, there is a recognition that the chairman is right, that Congress and whoever is president next year need to come to grips with the booming pressure on the Social Security system and the federal budget deficit.
But there is bipartisan agreement on the issue, nobody wants to deal with this in the middle of a presidential campaign. They want that discussion and those tough choices to wait until next year -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King at the White House. Thank you, John, very much.
The president for his part did some tough talking of his own today. The subject, Haiti, and those who may be thinking of fleeing an increasingly desperate situation. Let's turn to our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David. DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, certainly an unequivocal message from the president today for Haitians during the crisis in their country. The message was stay home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice-over): With the Haitian crisis threatening to descend into chaos, a blunt warning from the president. Haitians should not think of the United States as a refuge.
BUSH: I have made it abundantly clear to the Coast Guard that we will turn back any refugee that attempts to reach our shore. And that message needs to be very clear to the Haitian people.
ENSOR: The warning was grounded in the memory of 1994 when thousands of Haitians, often in dangerous overcrowded boats, tried to get to the U.S. during the last major political and humanitarian crisis in their homeland.
Haiti's opposition has refused thus far to accept a power sharing deal suggested by international diplomats. The peaceful opposition in Port-Au-Prince and the gun-toting rebels now holding several Haitian cities both insist President Jean-Bertrand Aristide must go. In a statement France's foreign minister strongly hinted the same thing.
But U.S. officials have avoided blaming Aristide. Bush administration official want to avoid sending American forces to Haiti. They continue to press for a diplomatic solution.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Anything that is done we should do it in a constitutional way.
ENSOR: Congressional Black Caucus members took a bus to the White House to dramatize their plea that the U.S. get more involved and quickly before it's too late.
REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D), MARYLAND: We could be on the brisk of a major catastrophe any minute now.
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: We don't want the blood, any more blood, Haitian blood on American hands, on the international community's hands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: An emergency session of the U.N. Security Council scheduled for Thursday with fears that Northern Haiti will soon be suffering famine if the standoff is preventing food getting through and doesn't end soon -- Wolf.
BLITZER: An awful situation. Thanks very much, David, for that.
As the violence intensifies, foreigners are fleeing Haiti. But are the Haitians themselves paying heed to President Bush? CNN's Lucia Newman is on the phone for us. She's joining us live from Haiti right now. Lucia, what's the latest? LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I can tell you that boat makers in Haiti haven't heard President Bush's warning at all.
In fact in a fishing village just a few hours out of town boat makers are stepping up the pace with one telling me he plans to build much bigger boats if the violence here increases so people can go to Florida. He says that they would rather take their chances at sea than stay here.
The leader opposition coalition of political parties and civic groups said today that it is up to the international community to convince President Aristide to resign to avoid a bloodbath.
The tension in the capital is intense, Wolf. The city awoke to road blocks all over, many of them armed by masked Aristide sympathizers, some very, very aggressively searching cars and some cases looting according to one report.
The United Nations had to turn off an evacuation of its non- essential personnel and their families because they said the road to the airport where many of the barricades were set up was just too dangerous.
And President Aristide meanwhile continues to refuse to step down, even as some countries, Wolf, such as France blame him directly for the mess Haiti's in -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Lucia Newman on the scene for us as she has been for several days. Thank you, Lucia, very much.
Let's turn to the campaign trail now. Democratic front runner John Kerry picking up the steam as the face moves on to Super Tuesday, that would be this coming Tuesday after winning yesterday's nominating contests in Hawaii, Idaho and Utah.
Kerry is stumping for support today in two Super Tuesday states, Ohio and Minnesota. This morning he met with workers in Cleveland. His campaign is launching a new campaign ad that describes President Bush's economic policy as an astonishing failure. A short time from now Kerry attends a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Kerry's main rival, Senator John Edwards, is spending the day in another Super Tuesday state, the biggest prize of them all, California. All three stops on today's agenda for Edwards in California in Claremont, Fresno and Sacramento. Edwards has finished atop just one contest this year, his native state of South Carolina.
With Super Tuesday approaching, here's how the Democratic delegate race stacks up right now. Take a look. John Kerry is far out front with 733 delegates. His closest rival John Edwards has 214. Howard Dean, who's dropped out of the race, has 179. The Reverend Al Sharpton 16 and Congressman Dennis Kucinich has 10 delegates.
And a lot more delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday, 2,161 delegates needed to win. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is joining us now live from Los Angeles to tell us about the latest polls we're getting. Let's go through the big states, Bill. California, what are the latest numbers there?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The latest numbers in California show Kerry with a very big lead. This is a Field Poll and it shows Kerry with 60 percent, three times as many votes as John Edwards is getting at 19.
Wolf, California is a state that is very connected to the trade with East Asia, it's a state where trade creates jobs not just costs jobs. And it's hard for Edwards' message on trade to get a grip here in California. His message as an outsider may stand a chance, but he's got to deliver that this in a forceful way at the one and only debate tomorrow evening on CNN to get the point across because he doesn't have a lot of money to spend on this very expensive state.
BLITZER: Bill, that field poll similar to the "Los Angeles Times" poll that we saw yesterday. The poll numbers in New York show a similar picture, don't they?
SCHNEIDER: Yes, they do. In New York also, Kerry has a big lead. Not quite as big as in California. It was 41 points in California. In New York it's 33. A lot of economic distress in -- you see 54-21 -- a lot of economic distress in upstate New York, but upstate New York Democrats cast only about a third of the primary vote, which is still dominated by New York City.
BLITZER: Kerry atop in Ohio as well but a little closer for Edwards there, at least, according to this most recent poll there.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. The most recent poll in Ohio is 47 for Kerry, 26 for Edwards. That's just a 21-point margin, but that's a big margin. If there's any state where Kerry has a chance of winning outside the south, it might well be Ohio, which is a state that has lost a lot of jobs to international trade, a lot of jobs have been exported, the steel industry in Ohio has been very hard hit when President Bush lifted the steel tariffs. There's a lot of angry workers there who might be receptive to John Edwards' message.
BLITZER: Edwards might have a chance in Ohio. Georgia, he's counting on Georgia but the most recent poll even in Georgia shows Kerry atop.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. Kerry does well there, 45 but Edwards is right behind him, just 8 points behind at 37. Georgia, of course, is a southern state. If Kerry wins Georgia, I think it will be a very clear message that Edwards has nowhere to go. Edwards must win Georgia in order to maintain his candidacy, a major southern state. But winning just Georgia of all the ten states on Super Tuesday may not be enough to keep his campaign going because he would remain a southern favorite regional son. He has to show more strength than that to be competitive in that all-important delegate race which coming down to the wire.
BLITZER: Well, he's made a surge in other states over the past several days before contest. Let's see if he does in this particular case, in the days leading up to Super Tuesday. Bill Schneider, thank you very much for that. This programming note to our viewers. Larry King will host a special "L.A. Times" Democratic presidential debate, co-sponsored between the "Los Angeles Times" and CNN. That's tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. 6:00 p.m. Pacific. A debate right here on CNN.
Emotional experience. "The Passion of the Christ" inspiring strong responses and severe criticisms from moviegoers around the world. How authentic is the film's depiction of Jesus' death.
A surprisingly short defense testimony ends in the Martha Stewart case. We're live from the courthouse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I handed him an orange, and he just look at it, and didn't know how to peel it. He didn't know he could put it in his mouth and eat it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: A heartbreaking story when family members become strangers. Hear how one Texas family is coping with a very tragic accident that robbed their son of his memory.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Today is Ash Wednesday, and the opening day of one of the most talked about films in recent memory. Mel Gibson's controversial portrayal of the crucifixion, "The Passion of the Christ."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: From Texas...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stunning. It was really powerful.
BLITZER: To Australia...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...it was awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you're watching it, it's sickening, it's very emotionally difficult.
BLITZER: To the Vatican where the pope himself had a private screening, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" has people talking and the faithful flocking to theaters by the thousands.
In Plano, Texas, a Christian businessman spent $42,000 to buy out a local 20-screen movie house for back-to-back screenings of the movie beginning at dawn. Nationwide, the film opened today on 2,500 screens amid considerable controversy. Among the issues, Gibson's graphic depiction of the crucifixion which one critic calls a sickening death trip, and another, the goriest story ever told.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was gruesome and bloody. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is extremely violent. I believe it's realistic as would be a crucifixion.
BLITZER: Also controversial, the movie's portrayal of Jews, sparking concern among some that it could flame anti-Semitism. Gibson says he's not anti-semitic.
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR: It's ludicrous. It's ludicrous to think this. I don't want to lynch any Jews, it's not what I'm about, I love them. I pray for them.
BLITZER: But the portrayal of Jews is troubling to some people who protested against the film. Scholars and now the Vatican say it was not Jews who killed Jesus. But critics say the movie is not as definitive on that point.
DAVID STERRITT, FILM CRITIC, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: It certainly leaves the door open to anybody who comes in already contaminated with the germs of anti-Semitism this. This movie is certainly going to feed those germs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: So will the movie fan flames of anti-Semitism?
Coming up, we'll hear directly from Rabbi Marvin Higher (ph) and Evangelist Franklin Graham on the authenticity of the film's depictions.
Also, Martha Stewart's defense. Her legal team quickly rests its case without testimony from its biggest star. We're live from the courthouse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, with having two little kids, we were just concerned about them in taking too much blood, and we know that's not good for your health.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: A shocking story from right here in the nation's capital. Water worries. Frightening warnings to pregnant women and children in Washington, D.C. Why they're being told right now don't drink the water.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Martha Stewart's lawyers have rested their case in the trial of the embattled businesswoman who's now poised to move into its final stages. CNN's Mary Snow is covering the story for us. She's joining us live from New York -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a week from today jurors are scheduled to begin deliberating the fate of Martha Stewart and her co-defendant Peter Bacanovic. The defense team for Stewart ended quickly today and in stark contrast to the government's case of four weeks and 21 witnesses.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): When it came to Martha Stewart's turn her lawyers presented and rested their case in one hour and called only one witness. Jurors never heard from Martha Stewart herself. Her attorney, Robert Morvillo.
ROBERT MORVILLO, STEWART'S ATTORNEY: We called only one witness because we thought that was a sufficient way to deal with the quantity and the quality of the evidence that the government had put in.
SNOW: While Stewart's defense expressed confidence, legal experts also say it spells risk.
ROBERT HEIM, FRM. PROSECUTOR: A one-witness defense case is very risky. This is a high-risk strategy where the defense is essentially throwing this case to the jury. It's an all over nothing decision the jury has to make.
SNOW: That single Stewart defense witness was an attorney present during Stewart's interview by government investigators in 2002. The defense tried to show his notes differed from an FBI agent at the same meeting in which some of the false statements against Stewart originated.
The government ended its rebuttal case with a tape recording of co-defendant Peter Bacanovic in a Securities and Exchange Commission interview. In it, Bacanovic contradicted testimony given by Stewart's business manager Heidi Deluca. Deluca earlier said Bacanovic told her about setting a sale floor on ImClone stock at $60 a share.
Question: "So the issue of the stock at $60 didn't come up with Heidi?" Answer: "No."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And that $60 agreement at the heart of the defense's case.
Now what happens next is the lawyers will be meeting with the judge on Friday, closing arguments are set to begin on Monday, and then the judge told jurors today she will instruct them on Wednesday, and they'll begin their deliberations then -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow in New York covering this trial for us. Thanks, Mary, very much.
A top pro football player has just been indicted. That story tops our "Justice Report. "
Prosecutors say Baltimore Raven's running back Jamal Lewis has been indicted on federal drug charges that date back almost four years. Lewis is expected to turn himself in tomorrow.
More legal trouble for Michael Jackson. Court papers filed in Los Angeles show Jackson and his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, have hired a retired judge to help settle a family law matter. The papers don't say what the issue is. The couple divorced in 1999.
And jury selection in the Peterson murder trial is set to start a week from tomorrow. The judge says up to 1,500 potential jurors could be questioned and he expects the trial to last five months. He hasn't decided whether the panel will be sequestered. Scott Peterson is accused of killing his wife Laci and their unborn son.
Heated passion surrounds "The Passion of the Christ." Mel Gibson's controversial new movie spawning intense debate. Up next, I'll speak with evangelist Franklin Graham and Rabbi Marvin Higher (ph).
New stranger. A star high school wrestler loses his memory after a fall. How's his family coping with his unusual tragedy?
And actor activism. Find out why former "Seinfeld" co-star, Jason Alexander, is right now in the Middle East.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Controversial opening. Extremely passionate responses. Does Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" promote anti-Semitism? Hear from Evangelist Franklin Graham, and Rabbi Marvin Hier. We'll get to that.
First though, a quick check of the latest headlines. Two American soldiers were killed today when their helicopter went down in a river in Western Iraq. The U.S. military says the cause of the crash is not yet clear. The Kyowa Reconnaissance chopper crashed near Haditha about 120 miles west of Baghdad. A witness reportedly saw a missile hit the aircraft, but the military says a second helicopter did not observe enemy fire.
A U.S. Senate panel says the Pentagon must do more about sex assaults in the U.S. military. Officials told the Armed Services Subcommittee today there have been at least 109 reported assaults on troops in the Middle East over the last 14 months. But they say the overall rate has been cut in half since 1995.
Updating you now on a story we reported earlier, the head of Washington's National Zoo is resigning after a report criticizing the way the facility cares for its animal. The zoo has suffered a series of fatalities, including a zebra who died from malnutrition and hypothermia and two red pandas who died after eating rat poison.
Ask it wasn't pretty, but at least no one was hurt when this plane made an emergency landing this afternoon in Palm Springs, California. The pilot was unable to get the landing gear down. The plane circled the airport for about an hour while mechanics on the ground tried but failed to solve the problem.
Emotional, graphic, and very controversial, passionate opinions on Mel Gibson's epic new movie, "The Passion of the Christ." The film done entirely in Aramaic and Latin with English subtitles opens nationwide today.
There's controversy about the film's portrayal of Jews, with critics saying it could inflame anti-Semitism.
Earlier, I talked about that with evangelist Franklin Graham and Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Reverend Graham, Rabbi Hier, thanks to both of you for joining us.
Reverend Graham, is this movie authentic?
FRANKLIN GRAHAM, PRESIDENT, SAMARITAN'S PURSE: It's very close, Wolf, to the scripture, yes. When we read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and compare the film to the scriptures, it's very close. You know, Mel Gibson has a little bit of Hollywood artistry in certain areas, but I think it's quite close, yes.
BLITZER: Rabbi Hier, you don't believe it's very authentic, do you?
RABBI MARVIN HIER, FOUNDER, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: No.
With respect to the portrayal of the Jews, the high priests and the mob scenes in the film of those opposed to Jesus, I do not believe that that is an accurate portrayal, because the Jews look unintelligent, and they look mean, pushy and shovy. And the Romans, Pontius Pilate, looks very good, timid. And, therefore, it sets up the audience for a conclusion that it must have been all the Jews, because there's no disclaimer whatsoever to that fact.
BLITZER: Reverend Graham, do you disagree with Rabbi Hier on that?
GRAHAM: Well, I certainly respect the rabbi.
This film, when you look at the scriptures, it was a mob scene, and they were demanding that Christ be crucified. Pilate was a politician. He was a governor. He wanted to please the crowd and he gave into a mob scene. But Jesus Christ willingly went to that cross. We must not forget. It wasn't the Jews that put him on the cross and it wasn't the Romans. It was my sins, Wolf.
It was your sins, the sins of this world. And the Bible says we have all sinned and come short of God's glory. The wages of sin is death. But yet, the Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever so believeth in him shouldn't perish, but have everlasting life.
So, Wolf, I think it is quite accurate and it was a mob scene. But yet it was our sins that put Jesus Christ on the cross.
BLITZER: You want to respond to that, Rabbi Hier?
HIER: Yes, that is, unfortunately -- that Jesus died -- the concept that Jesus for the sins of mankind is a footnote in the film. That is not at all, except a minister, someone familiar with text, this is a visual experience, a two-hour film.
Nearly one hour is the torture scene of Jesus, and I'm afraid the audience, the millions who will see this, will just not see it, that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. They will see mainly that it was the Jews.
BLITZER: Are you concerned about anti-Semitism, Reverend Graham, emerging from this film?
GRAHAM: I'm not concerned that it would emerge from this film.
I certainly agree with the Jewish community of their concerns that a film like this, that evil men could use it for their own evil advantage. But as a minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I want to do everything I can to remind people everywhere that it was Christ who willingly went to the cross, and it was our sins that took him there, and not the Jewish race.
So we love the Jews and appreciate very much our friendship with them, and I wouldn't want to do anything or be a part of anything that would hurt them. But this is biblical truth, the scripture, and I believe that the Bible teaches that this happened. It's very clear in the scriptures. There's no avoiding it. It's there. But we must realize that it was our sins, and that God so loved us that he sent Christ to redeem us from our sins.
And if we put our faith and trust in him, God will forgive us and cleanse us of our sins. So, yes, I think it's a great film. It's a powerful film. There is a lot of violence and a lot of blood. And the Prophet Isaiah said that Jesus was marred more than any other man. And it's true. When you see the scripture -- when you see this picture, I don't think I've seen a picture of a human body that has been beaten so much as Christ, and I believe it's pretty accurate.
I think that's the way it really was, Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, what about that, Rabbi Hier, the whole notion that some people, maybe not only in the United States, pockets perhaps, but around the world might emerge and undertake acts of anti- Semitism? Is this film, in your opinion, Rabbi Hier, anti-Semitic?
HIER: No, I don't say the film is anti-Semitic. I'm worried about the effects of this film around the world, particularly its effect on polluting the young minds. As I said before, not everyone who sees this film can quote scripture line and verse.
It's a visual experience. Millions of people, they come away and what will they think? The Jews -- no one in the film says, look, the Jews were under Roman control. Now, Jesus came. They perceived him as a threat. They turned him over to the Romans. And, you know, if Jews would declare that Jesus is their king, what would the Roman attitude have been? There were great fears at the time. And besides, Jews do not recognize a son of God in the flesh.
If Moses said, I am the son of God, all the Jews would reject Moses. BLITZER: One final question for you, Reverend Graham. Should parents take their children, teenagers, specifically -- forget about young kids -- but teenagers to see this film?
GRAHAM: Wolf, I would say yes, but I would say it with a caution.
Because the film is in Latin and in Aramaic, you feel as though you're an eyewitness to the crucifixion. And I think parents need to explain before they go into the film who Christ was, who he is, and the price that he paid, so that the child is prepared. I think that the violence we see in this film is not for entertainment. So much that comes out of Hollywood is for entertainment. This isn't.
This is historical fact and we need to take it within that context. But it's very graphic, and kids need to be prepared.
BLITZER: Reverend Graham, Rabbi Hier, thanks to both of you for joining us on this important subject.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
HIER: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And later in the show, an unusual account of how Jesus Christ may have died. Stay with us for that. We'll get to that, but also this important programming note for our viewers. "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" profiles Mel Gibson and the controversy surrounding his new movie, "The Passion of the Christ." That airs this Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
And here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: How has the controversy over '"The Passion of Christ' affected your interest in seeing the film? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments anytime. 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.
Studying his death, a detailed account how Jesus died. A modern day medical examiner tells us his theory.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I have high blood lead levels in my blood, I just have to wait for it to go away on its own. There's nothing I can do. So that's -- that's definitely disturbing, because have you no control over that.
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BLITZER: A very disturbing story unfolding right here in the nation's capital, water worries, why residents here in Washington are being warned not to drink their water. And ancient rights. The pope celebrates Ash Wednesday at the Vatican. We'll get to all of that.
First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
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BLITZER (voice-over): Earthquake aftermath. The search for bodies and survivors continues in northern Morocco one day after an earthquake that killed more than 500 people, most of them women and children. Another 300 people were injured by the quake.
Nuclear negotiations. The latest discussions of North Korea's nuclear program have begun in China. Six nations are participating, but U.S. and North Korean officials also had a private meeting.
Activists actor. Actor Jason Alexander is in the Middle East on a peace mission. The former "Seinfeld" co-star is a supporter of the One Voice Campaign, which is trying to find common ground between Israelis and Palestinians.
Green from algae. What happened when two polar bears move to a zoo in tropical Singapore? Instead of getting a nice tan, they turned green from algae growing in their fur. The algae are harmless, but it's not easy being green, so the bears are getting dye jobs, back to the original white.
And that's our look around the world.
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BLITZER: Don't drink the water, that's a warning Americans sometimes hear when they travel abroad. But now Americans are hearing it right here in our nation's capital. What's gone wrong?
CNN's Elaine Quijano is joining us now live with a report on drinking water problems here in Washington, D.C. -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is really an interesting story.
Well, D.C. officials say, somehow, these old lead service lines are contaminating city water. And today, they issued a warning, telling pregnant women and young children not to drink it.
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QUIJANO: Maria Nelson and her dog Dack (ph) get their drinking water out of a bottle instead of the tap ever since D.C. testing last summer found Nelson's water contained levels of lead almost 10 times higher than the federally accepted level. Now 13 weeks pregnant with her and her husband's first child, Nelson is considering whether to cut back on tap water even more. MARIA NELSON, D.C. RESIDENT: I've started to think about whether I should go to the trouble of using bottled water to even brush my teeth.
QUIJANO: The problem, say D.C. water officials, is likely linked to 293,000 lead service lines they're slowly replacing throughout the city. But so far, officials say testing hasn't proven conclusively why those pipes are leeching more lead now than in past years. What is clear, the levels are dangerous, especially for pregnant women and children under 6.
Experts say lead can cause brain damage, among other things, sometimes showing up only years later. That's why Lena Glover had a lead water filter installed before she and her family moved into their home.
LENA GLOVER, D.C. RESIDENT: I do think it's kind of alarming that they didn't either realize this ahead of time or that they weren't following up, knowing that this was going on and not correcting the issue. I think it's very alarming. There are so many young families around the D.C. area and pregnant mothers.
QUIJANO: Maria Nelson, for one, plans to get a blood test to see if her lead level is high.
NELSON: I'm concerned but my doctor said essentially that there's nothing I can do about it.
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QUIJANO: Now, the city held public hearings on this today. And the Environmental Protection Agency is also involved. And, Wolf, an EPA official saying the preliminary report on the problem is expected by mid-March.
BLITZER: I know you'll keep us updated on what is going on right here in Washington, D.C.
Elaine Quijano, thank you very much.
A memory lost.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'll ask him again, what is your sister's name? And he'll think, and you can see he's trying real hard and -- "I don't know."
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BLITZER: An awful story. A high school wrestling champion's life is forever changed in just one split-second.
Death by crucifixion, a chilling account of the last hours of Jesus' life. A medical examiner tells us it's even worse than any of us have ever imagined. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A high school athlete in Texas lost more than just a match. He lost his past and may lose his future.
CNN's Jennifer Coggiola reports on a severe sports injury that has a teenaged wrestler struggling with amnesia. This is an awful story, Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Wolf, sad and disturbing.
Now, this is a young man, an esteemed athlete, like you said, who now, after a high school sporting event, faces an uphill battle.
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COGGIOLA (voice-over): Medals he doesn't remember winning adorn a wall. He plays computer games with a brother and sister he no longer knows. Everyone in life a stranger, everything in life alien.
DONNA PRIGG, MOTHER: I handed him an orange, and he just looked at it. He didn't know how to peel it. He didn't know that he could put it in his mouth and eat it.
COGGIOLA: Seventeen-year-old John Prigg, once one of the best high school wrestlers in Texas, has been without his memory since February 14. That when he suffered massive head injuries in this championship wrestling match. Pinned by another opponent, John banged his head twice on the wooden floor. The damage was instant.
JOHN PRIGG SR., FATHER: We basically have to retrain ourselves to be able to speak and communicate with our son. And he doesn't have any memories at all of the past and very limited short-term memory right now.
COGGIOLA: His doctors say it's the worst case of memory loss they've ever seen, his future uncertain, harsh realities for a young man with so much potential, the state's No. 1 ranked wrestler at 215 pounds and a 49-0 winning streak.
JOHN PRIGG SR.: When your son doesn't know he's a wrestler in a wrestling meet in his wrestling uniform, that's pretty devastating.
COGGIOLA: Earlier today, the Prigg family appeared on CNN.
JOHN PRIGG JR., INJURED WRESTLER: Every day they get up and ask me, what's your mom's name, what's your dad's name? By now, I've kind of gotten a little more comfortable now.
COGGIOLA: While sports-related injuries like concussions are common for high school athletes, amnesia as profound as John's is uncommon.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: But the vast majority of people who have amnestic sort of events after a blow to the head, a concussion, do get it back. John's has been going on a lot longer than normal, but, still, the data, the statistics would be in his favor.
COGGIOLA: Encouraging words for a mother whose son is now only a shadow of who he once was.
D. PRIGG: Things that you take for granted every day, you can't take for granted in this case.
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COGGIOLA: I spoke with the wrestling coach at the school where this match took place. And he explained to me that, even had there been the three feet of cushioning surrounding that wrestling ring, as recommended by the National Federation For High School, John's fall still would have exceeded that distance and he would have hit the floor anyway.
BLITZER: Awful story. Thanks very much, Jennifer.
How did Jesus die? A modern day medical examiner details his investigation.
And opening the Lenten season, the pope presiding over Ash Wednesday celebrations at the Vatican.
Also, the results of our "Web Question of the Day" -- all that still to come.
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BLITZER: Here are the results of our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, this is not, repeat not, a scientific poll.
The focal point of Mel Gibson's new film, "The Passion of the Christ," is the crucifixion of Jesus, which many filmgoers say is very difficult to watch, and with good reason. Modern science reveals how horrifying a death it.
This weekend, "CNN PRESENTS" looks in-depth at the life and death of Jesus.
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LIAM NEESON, NARRATOR (voice-over): If the crucifixion has always been depicted as an awful death, modern forensic science tells us that it was even worse than we imagined. After three decades as a medical examiner in New York, Dr. Frederick Zugibe has investigated hundreds of homicides. But his research into death by crucifixion is as chilling as anything he has ever seen, a death that began with a ferocious scourging by Roman soldiers using a metal-tipped whip.
DR. FREDERICK ZUGIBE, CRUCIFIXION EXPERT: The bits of metal would literally enter the skin, even up to the front of the body. The weight would carry it the front and rip, rip blood vessels, skin. The pains were literally brutal. NEESON Zugibe says his agony was compounded when Jesus was then forced to carry the 50-pound cross beam out of Pilate's fortress, and through the streets of Jerusalem, today call the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows.
ZUGIBE: In the condition that Jesus was in at this time, the shocking condition which is now being built up, the crowning of thorns adding more shock, Jesus would be stumbling. He would be unsteady on his feet. He would fall. He would get up, fall.
NEESON: Finally, Jesus arrived at a hill outside the city walls called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull, a site that today is covered by the ornate Church of the Holy Sepulche. In Jesus' day, this holy place was a killing field, where a team of Roman soldiers awaited their victim and quickly set about their grisly task.
ZUGIBE: The members of it would hold their legs across their body, their arms while they nailed the nails into their hands.
NEESON: Though some victims lasted a week, Zugibe calculates that Jesus spent about six hours on the cross. Then it was finished.
ZUGIBE: If I were to write a death certificate, I would say the cause of death was due to shock, which causes cardiogenic shock, or the failure of the heart as a pump. And that would be the cause of death.
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BLITZER: And you can see the entire presentation of "CNN PRESENTS: The Mystery of Jesus." That's Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.
We're getting this in, a boat off the coast of Florida with Haitians on board.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is joining us on the phone now. You're looking at these live pictures.
What do we know, Susan?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we know that the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as federal law enforcement officials from ICE, involving the old customs group as we know it, are currently -- and you can see from the pictures there -- are currently on board that freighter.
It is registered in Panama, about 200 feet long. And we know that there are 22 passengers aboard that ship and about seven crew members.
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BLITZER: All right, we'll continue to watch this, Susan. Unfortunately, we have to leave right now. But we'll watch it throughout the rest of the night here on CNN. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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