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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Former President Bill Clinton to Have Heart Bypass Surgery, Hurricane Frances Hits the Bahamas and Heads for Florida, Hostage Crisis in Russia Ends in Carnage

Aired September 03, 2004 - 17:00   ET

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

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


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now. A live picture of New York Presbyterian Hospital, where President Clinton may be only hours away from undergoing heart surgery. Also happening now: Hurricane Frances in action. This is what it's doing to the Bahamas. And here's what's happening on the shores of Florida? Which coastal city will get the worst of this storm? A new forecast coming out right now.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

Clinton scare. Why the former president has become a patient.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: He went to our local hospital yesterday complaining of some chest pains and shortness of breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Bashing the Bahamas and eying the mainland. Florida residents brace for Hurricane Frances.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not going to stay on the beach?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we don't want to. It's not safe here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Schoolhouse terror. Did Russian commandos make the wrong move at the wrong time? A school is stormed and the consequences catastrophic.

And the battle begins. Two conventions down, just two months to go. Are there too few new jobs?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE WALKER BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our economy is strong and getting stronger. We added 144,000 new jobs.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is the first president in 60 years who is absolutely certain to be running for reelection on election day having lost jobs in America!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, September 3, 2004.

BLITZER: We begin with a developing story right here in New York City. The former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, complaining of chest pains, checked into a hospital and will soon undergo heart bypass surgery. CNN's Ed Henry is in Washington. Alina Cho is outside Clinton's hospital here in New York. Let's begin with Ed -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the former president has been the picture of health, showing off a trimmer waistline as he promotes his book and Democratic candidates. That's why today's news caught so many by surprise.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Just this past Sunday, the former president looked vigorous denouncing Republicans at New York's historic Riverside Church.

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The other party about to convene here, putting on its once every four years compassionate face...

HENRY: He hit the campaign trail Monday in Pittsburgh and did a book signing. But on Friday morning, Mr. Clinton called close friends to reveal he needed heart bypass surgery. He was said to be upbeat and optimistic about a full recovery. The trouble started Thursday, his office said, when he went to the hospital near his New York home with mild chest pain and shortness of breath. Mr. Clinton was sent back to Chappaqua and was expected to join his wife Friday at the New York state fair in Syracuse.

SEN. CLINTON: He said he felt fine and not to worry, and he'd see me at the fair. But his doctors asked him to come back early this morning for some additional tests. And as a result of those additional tests at Westchester Medical Center, they did advise him to have bypass surgery and do it as soon as he could.

HENRY: Sources say an angiogram showed significant blockage. Senator Clinton cut short her trip and headed to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, as did daughter Chelsea. During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton became known for having a soft spot for fast food, especially McDonald's. Late night comics had a field day with his appetite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your McNugget is released from Great Britain to Somalia, intercepted by warlords.

HENRY: Despite his well-known jogging, he struggled with his weight throughout his presidency. But since leaving the White House, Mr. Clinton has dramatically trimmed down and touted the benefits of a popular low-carb diet.

CLINTON: I work out a lot, and I went on the South Beach diet for a while. That helped. But the combination -- I have a -- I have a wonderful man who comes in two or three times a week and we work out. You know, when you get older, you got to really watch it. It's harder. The older I get, the harder it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: Mr. Clinton, who's 58, has no known history of heart trouble. Democratic Party officials say he had agreed to a slew of political events this fall, but officials are now, of course, bracing for the fact that one of their biggest fundraisers will be on the sidelines for a bit, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Ed Henry. Good work today, Ed. Thanks very much. Let's go now to CNN's Alina Cho. She's standing by right outside New York Presbyterian Hospital. Alina, what's happening there? What are the doctors saying, if anything?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, nothing at all. In fact, no official statement from the hospital, Wolf. We can tell you that the former president, we understand, is staying in a private VIP wing of the building right here. It is on a high floor, and it is here in this building where heart bypass surgeries are performed, we understand.

Earlier, I spoke to a man whose wife is staying on the same floor. He told me that he noticed today a dramatic increase in security. He said upon arriving on the floor, he was asked who he was going to see, that there was a list of patients. And when he asked how the former president was doing, he was told by a security guard that he is doing very well.

Now, CNN has learned that this bypass surgery will happen as early as tomorrow. Mr. Clinton's wife, the senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, arrived here at New York Presbyterian Hospital about 90 minutes ago. It is unclear whether daughter Chelsea was with her. Mrs. Clinton earlier today was at the New York state fair in Syracuse. She cut that visit short to be by her husband's side. This, by the way, and Wolf, as you know, was an event that the former president was supposed to attend with his wife.

We are also told by an aide to Senator Clinton that Mrs. Clinton will not be making additional press statements today. And as I mentioned before, Wolf, the hospital won't be making any statements, either -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Alina Cho, thanks very much.

President Bush was back on the campaign trail after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican national convention here in New York City last night. He was informed of President Clinton's hospitalization while he was in Wisconsin. And taking a few minutes from a rally, he offered encouragement to the former president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE WALKER BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: En route here, we just received news that President Clinton has been hospitalized in New York. He is in our thoughts and prayers. We send him our best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: John Kerry heard about President Clinton's condition while campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio, and he, too, offered these words of support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We want to extend our wishes and our prayers and our thoughts to him. President Clinton went in the hospital today, and he's going to be fine. He's going to have -- he's going to have bypass surgery that's going to take place, I think, tomorrow. But every single one of us -- every single one of us wants to extend to him our best wishes, our prayers and our thoughts. And I want you all to let a cheer out and clap that he can hear all the way to New York! All the way to New York!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: President Clinton was expected to campaign for John Kerry during the last eight weeks of this very, very tight race. Just what he'll be able to do now, of course, depends completely on his recovery. We'll have much more on this tough battle for the White House, by the way, coming up later in this program.

Also, coming up, I'll speak live Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's a cardiologist, a famed cardiologist in Washington. Among his patients, the vice president, Dick Cheney. I'll ask Dr. Reiner what the prognosis is for former president Clinton, who will undergo bypass surgery fairly soon.

I'll also have more on some of the other issues involving Bill Clinton's heart.

But there are other stories we're following today. And one of the other huge stories, a huge hurricane, Frances, is pounding Nassau in the Bahamas as it closes in on Florida. We'll have reports from CNN's Karl Penhaul -- he's in the Bahamas right now, which is taking a direct hit. We'll have the latest forecast from CNN's Jacqui Jeras. She's at the CNN weather center. But our coverage begins with CNN's Anderson Cooper in Melbourne, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: If you're on a barrier island or on a low-lying area and haven't left, now's the time to do so.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): As Hurricane Frances battered the Bahamas, Florida braced for the huge storm's arrival sometime on Saturday. Already, winds and waves are picking up along the Florida coast. Governor Jeb Bush worries that Frances could be even more destructive than Hurricane Charley, which did billions of dollars worth of damage just three weeks ago.

GOV. BUSH: This storm, unlike Charley and others in the past, will be with us for a long, long while because of its -- of the speed. So as it hits the coast, it will be take a long while for it to leave Florida, which means that there's going to be a lot of rain and a lot of sustained winds over the inland areas of our state.

COOPER: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is bringing in three times as many relief workers as it did for Charley, putting out calls for crews from as far away as Seattle. Despite the extensive preparation, FEMA's Michael Brown has this warning.

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: Be prepared to take care of yourself. Hurricane Frances is so large that, in some cases. it might be several hours or a couple of days before first responders can get to you.

COOPER: Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for parts of 16 Florida counties, and voluntary evacuations are in effect for 5 more. They are the largest evacuations in state history. Officials say about 2.5 million people live in those areas. The American Red Cross. preparing for its largest natural disaster response ever, opened 82 shelters. Thousands of displaced residents have already moved in. Others were staying with friends or relatives. and still others were hitting the road. There were long lines at gas stations, and some ran out of fuel. Near Valdosta, Georgia, a few miles north of the Florida state line, Interstate 75 was jammed with vehicles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to head east over to Charleston, South Carolina, wherever -- out of the storm's path, until we can go back home and try to get back home and see what's left of our house.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: With each passing minute here, with each passing hour, the winds are picking up, the water inching closer to shore. It is still some 24 hours until the storm is supposed to hit here on Melbourne beach on the east coast of Florida. This area has already been evacuated. The stores have shut down. The hotels have closed. Most people have already left. Right now, there's nothing to do but just wait for the storm to hit -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Are there some hardy souls or stupid people out there who are deciding to brace for more, Anderson?

COOPER: There are. As I look down the beach now, in the distance, you can see maybe a handful, a few dozen or so. But the beach is largely empty. And as you can see, the waves are pretty big. They're coming closer and closer to shore. This beach was much larger earlier this morning. It now seems much smaller, and it's going to get smaller still as these waves come closer and as this hurricane approaches, Wolf. BLITZER: All right, Anderson Cooper covering the story for us. Anderson, thanks very much. Anderson, by the way, will be back live on his program, "ANDERSON COOPER 360." That airs 7:00 PM Eastern tonight. Extensive live coverage from Florida with Anderson.

Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, is following Hurricane Frances, as well. She has the latest information just in only a few minutes ago. And what is that information, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, that it's holding steady, Wolf, still 115 mile-per-hour winds at the strongest center of this thing, and we are expecting potential for this to still strengthen. So even though we've been holding steady for, like, the last six hours, we could see a little bit of intensification. Once it gets through the Bahamas, it's going to be getting up into the warm Gulf Stream waters, and that is where it could fire up a little bit once again. So we're still not sure exactly how strong this is going to be when it makes landfall.

We are feeling the effects of the showers and thunderstorms already moving on shore. The winds are gusting. The waves are already coming up. We have advisories all the way up and down the coast of Florida, with the hurricane warnings from Flagler Beach all the way down to Florida City at this time. Final preparations need to be made now.

Flood watches are in effect for much of south Florida, extending up the east coast. We could see as much as 20 inches of rain in the path of this thing. And the path still a little bit uncertain, but it looks like it could be somewhere around 24 hours from now likely north of Miami and south of Jacksonville -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jacqui Jeras with the latest information on that. Thank you very much.

And as we mentioned, all eyes right now on the Bahamas, where Hurricane Frances is relentlessly lashing the islands right now. We'll go to Freeport straight ahead live.

Plus, another major story we're following for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're seeing an absolutely horrific scene here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A chaotic and extremely tragic scene. Gunfire, explosions, as a hostage situation unfolds at a Russian school. We'll take you inside this deadly stand-off.

And on the trail. With a new aggression, both candidates on the attack. Also, a brand-new poll in just now. We'll show you the gap is widening in this race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Hurricane Frances is heading toward Florida, but it's already tearing across the Bahamas. The storm has been blowing out windows, uprooting trees and knocking out electricity and phone service. For the latest, let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul. He's live in Freeport.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, good afternoon. Yes, the leading edge of that hurricane now beginning to batter Freeport on Grand Bahama now. It's the leading edge, though, and what meteorologists have told us we can expect for the next short while at least is strong, gusting winds followed by a little bit of a lull and bands of rain coming in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) And then, as the core of the storm moves over Grand Bahama, then those gusts of wind will develop into sustained 120-mile-an-hour winds, and the rain will become a torrential downpour.

The meteorologists have also told us that we can expect a tidal surge of anything between 14 and 18 feet. And that, they say, could be devastating for a low-lying island like Grand Bahama. In fact, as you might imagine, the people living at oceanside have already been evacuated. They've come inshore. A short while ago, we did a tour of parts of the island as the initial gusts were blowing in. Trees are down and roads are already flooded here, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Karl Penhaul reporting from Freeport in the Bahamas via videophone. Karl, be careful. Thanks very much.

A special operation to end a hostage crisis at a Russian school, but it's a worst-case aftermath. Hundreds are dead or wounded, and many are children.

Our top story: President Bill Clinton in a New York hospital right now to undergo heart surgery. We'll hear from his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and I'll speak with Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist.

And speaking to the masses. Is anyone listening, though? How major news events happening today could affect voters, and the president's impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Details are emerging right now in the tragic ending to a hostage stand-off at a school in southern Russia. Russia state news agency Interfax is now reporting that at least 200 people, many of them children, are dead. Hundreds more are wounded. Julian Manyon of ITN has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIAN MANYON, ITN (voice-over): It wasn't clear how it began, but by noon, the battle to save the child hostages was under way. Russian armor moved towards the school and troops advanced down streets and alleyways. Very soon, the first of the children were freed, as the sounds of fighting continued to echo around the town. The child hostages were in a state of shock after more than two days of real nightmare. These children had been held at gunpoint, with explosive charges placed among them. Some of them had apparently been used by the rebels as human shields. Now they were saved, but there was still fear in their eyes. Some were injured and were rushed away in ambulances and civilian cars. Many of them just looked lost and bewildered.

One young girl I managed to talk to briefly gave a glimpse of the horror that she had survived.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): In the room where we were held, they had 18 big bombs hanging over us from the ceiling. One woman terrorist blew herself up with a suicide belt right among us, and another one was pushed outside before she could do the same thing.

MANYON: Then she was quickly led away. Some lucky children were immediately reunited with their families. And as more and more hostages came out, many of them the parents and teachers who had also been held, there was utter pandemonium.

But while many were saved, the battle at the school went on. The building was soon on fire, and there were reports that part of the roof had fallen in. As the first bodies came out, the question was how many of the hostages had lost their lives.

(on camera): As you can hear, shooting is still going on here. There are Russian combat troops behind me. There appear to be soldiers from a special unit, judging by their uniforms, moving forward over there. We've seen armored vehicles moving down the Oktobrskaya (ph), which is the street that leads to the school, and above the school still there are helicopter gunships overhead.

(voice-over): Moving through gardens and back alleys, we got through the Russian lines and approached the school. And as we got there, it became clear that it had suffered terrible damage.

(on camera): The battle for the school itself has just ended, though, as you can hear, there are some sounds of shooting from just beyond it. The Russian troops still seem to be meeting some resistance. What's going on here is a clean-up operation. Most of the hostages seem to be taken away, but the emergency workers are here, seeing if there's anybody left, anybody that needs help.

(voice-over): Inside the school courtyard, an extraordinary spectacle, Russian emergency teams trying to work while fighting continued to rage on the other side of the building, where Some of the Chechen rebels were still holding out. At times, gunfire was continuous. Near us, a Russian soldier was hit. His friend helped him away to safety. Firemen worked to put out the blaze in the school's gym, where many of the hostages had been held and where the roof had collapsed.

Our cameraman, Sasha Lomarkin (ph), managed to get inside. There appeared to be a large number of charred corpses lying in the ruins. There is, unfortunately, no doubt that many innocents died in the murderous chaos at the school. Bodies are still arriving at the town's morgues, and some have been identified. Already, there is the sight that will become more frequent in the coming days, of relatives in despair over the loss of loved ones.

It's not yet clear if the fighting broke out by accident or if there could have been another way. But it is certain that suicidal terrorists have delivered another savage blow to Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from ITN's Julian Manyon. What a horrible, horrible situation there.

And handling a hostage crisis. Coming up: What did Russian security forces really go through as the situation deteriorated? We'll have an inside look at a special training program. That's coming up.

Also, much more on former president Bill Clinton's upcoming bypass surgery. We'll hear from Mrs. Clinton on how her husband is doing. She spoke out earlier today. And did President Clinton's lifestyle contribute to his health problems? We'll discuss heart health with the vice president's cardiologist. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now back to our top story.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton cut short her visit to the New York State Fair in Syracuse after explaining her husband's medical condition to the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: He was admitted to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital just in the last hour or so.

He went to our local hospital yesterday complaining of some chest pains and shortness of breath. And the initial testing was normal, so he spent the night at home. And we talked through the day. And he said he -- you know, he felt fine and not to worry and he'd see me at the fair.

But his doctors asked him to come back early this morning for some additional tests. And as a result of those additional tests at Westchester Medical Center, they did advise him to have bypass surgery and to do it as soon as he could.

So I'm leaving here, and I know you understand. And I'm sorry I'm not going to get a chance to see each of your personally, as I like to do every year. And I'm also sorry that I'm not going to be able to go through the fair and enjoy the booths and get to see a lot of people that ordinarily I wouldn't get to see.

But, you know, we have to really follow through on the recommendations that the physicians have made. He's in excellent hands and he's at one of the great hospitals in the world.

But I'm going to leave now so that I can go be with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And their daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is there as well. The former president will undergo the surgery at a New York hospital as early perhaps as tomorrow. Clinton has lost weight since leaving office, but while serving as president, he gained a reputation, at least at times, for his eating habits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): This reporter has spent more than a little time watching Bill Clinton eat and offers these impressions. On the one hand, the famous fast-food fixation, about which so many late- night jokes were made, may have been something of a bum rap.

Sure, Mr. Clinton was fond of ducking into whatever fast food place he might found along his jogging route, but he almost always came out with a cup of decaf coffee. Really. We saw this ourselves. On the other hand, we also saw this. Bill Clinton approaches a table the way he approaches life, with arms wide. Those who have watched the process -- and as we say, we have often -- come away impressed by the man's appetite and gusto and clear enjoyment of what's laid out in front of him.

It is abundantly clear Bill Clinton loves to eat. There was one famous restaurant meal in Washington with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, no slouch himself in the appetite department, at which "The Washington Post" later calculated, the diners must have taken in 4,000 calories each.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's the problem. It all looks good.

BLITZER: So, of course, Mr. Clinton's weight has been up and down. And there have been diets.

QUESTION: You look a little thinner.

W. CLINTON: I'm a little thinner.

QUESTION: What have you been doing? What's different?

W. CLINTON: I work out a lot and I went on the South Beach diet for a while. That helped. But the combination -- I have a wonderful man who comes in two or three times a week and we work out. You know, when you get older, you have got to really watch it. It's harder. The older I get, the harder it is.

BLITZER: And his cholesterol has been going up, from 179 in 1997 to 196 two years later in 1999 to 233 in January of 2001. So, for now, it's too late for diet and exercise, though, after the surgery, he will certainly have to worry about both. It's as we've been saying. Bill Clinton doesn't do anything by halves. We hope that's also true of his recovery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's get some more insight now on what former President Clinton will be undergoing as he goes forward with the bypass surgery.

For that, we turn to Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's Dick Cheney's cardiologist. He's at George Washington University, joining us now from our studios in Washington.

The fact, Dr. Reiner, that he felt he had some chest pains, they did some tests and immediately now, within 24 hours, they decided he's going to go forward with this bypass surgery, what does it say to you?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CARDIOLOGIST: Well, Wolf, it's hard to know exactly, you know, where his narrowings are and the extent of them.

But the fact that the president is scheduled for bypass surgery suggests that he has serious, significant narrowings in probably several places in his coronary arteries or in potentially hazardous places, which would preclude repairing these arteries with a less invasive technique like angioplasty.

BLITZER: So the fact that he needs the bypass surgery indicates it's more surgery than if he would have been required just to go for an angioplasty, which puts a balloon in there.

REINER: That's right. We treat many of these narrowings now with these interventional techniques that we can use through the top of the leg. There are still, however, many patients who either have too extensive disease to fix with balloons and stents or have these narrowings in places which are too hazardous to repair with these devices.

So still we do send quite a few patients for bypass surgery.

BLITZER: I know you have a model of a heart over there.

REINER: Yes.

BLITZER: We don't have the specifics of the specific blockages where Bill Clinton's heart may have some serious problems.

But give our viewers a sense of the kind of procedure he is about in the next few hours, a day or so from now -- the procedure he's about to undertake.

REINER: Sure, Wolf.

Well, the heart muscle is supplied by three major arteries and their branches which supply blood to the heart muscle itself. And bypass surgery is a procedure where the surgeon opens the chest, usually the sternum, the breast bone, and then uses various kinds of conduit, either a vein from the leg and almost always now an artery from the wall of the chest. And the surgeons attach these grafts beyond the areas of narrowings.

So the president will almost certainly receive a mammary artery from the wall of his chest to somewhere on the front wall of his heart. And then he will receive either a vein from his leg or a radial artery from his wrist from the aorta, the big vessel that takes blood away from the heart, to various other spots on the heart, depending on his particular lesions where his narrowings are.

BLITZER: Dr. Reiner, I spoke earlier with our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, he said mortality for these procedures, even though they're very common nowadays, still about 10 percent. That sounds significant to me.

REINER: No, I think that's actually too high.

We would quote for an otherwise 58-year-old man like President Clinton with really no other significant medical issues who comes in stable, who is not having a heart attack, who has been in really good shape prior to this event, a much lower mortality rate, probably in the low single digits. And although this is a big surgery, opening the chest, usually resting the patient's heart on bypass, using the heart-lung machine, it's an operation that patients tolerate very well and it's become very routine to do.

So, not knowing the specifics of the president's medical history, in general, for a 58-year-old man with no other major medical problems, we would quote a mortality less than 3 percent probably.

BLITZER: I think when Sanjay was suggesting all heart patients, in their 60s, 70s and even 80s...

REINER: Yes, sir.

BLITZER: He was including the mortality rate for everyone, not necessarily a strong individual who is 58 years old. That's probably the difference in that mortality rate.

REINER: That's right.

BLITZER: Dr. Reiner, thanks very much for joining us, helping us better appreciate what Bill Clinton is about to go through.

REINER: My pleasure.

BLITZER: New presidential poll numbers coming out, for the first time, they show one candidate, at least right now, with a clear lead.

Fighting words. Is John Kerry trying a brand new strategy?

And Hurricane Frances. We'll have the latest update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: With just eight weeks to go until Election Day, a new "TIME" magazine poll just out shows President Bush right now -- look at this -- with a double-digit lead over John Kerry. Among likely voters questioned, 52 percent say they would vote for Bush if the election were held today; 41 percent favor Kerry; 3 percent, they pick the independent candidate Ralph Nader. And this poll was done even before -- even before -- President Bush's acceptance speech in New York last night. So we'll get some new numbers in the next few days, a significant boost, though, in those poll numbers, the "TIME" magazine poll numbers for President Bush.

The president's on a post-convention swing right now through three states he lost four years ago. And he's putting a positive spin on some new jobs figures that were released today.

Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is with the president in Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, you just mentioned that new poll, senior Bush campaign officials discounting those numbers. They say they want to wait and see the polls taken after the convention, not a poll taken in part during the convention, before they get a sense of just where the president stands right now.

But I will say this. They do feel they have momentum coming out of the convention. And one key test as we look at the polls over the next several days, will be, does the president crack 50 percent support against Senator Kerry? Never in this race has he cracked 50 percent support against Senator Kerry. So that is one test of the president's post-convention bounce.

Now, the president campaigning, as you noted, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, here in Iowa right now today, three states he lost last time, three states critical to him this time. And in all three states, a message very much like we heard at the New York convention, President Bush casting John Kerry as too indecisive to take command of the war on terrorism and sounding very conservative themes, themes he think will help in small-town America.

On his trip today, the president saying John Kerry is on the wrong side of gun control, the wrong side of abortion and the wrong side of gay marriage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I support a culture of life in which every person matters and every person counts. We strongly support the religious charities that are providing hope to millions. Government should never discriminate against faith-based programs. We support family and marriage, which are the foundations of our society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, as for those new job numbers, the government reporting 140,000 new jobs created last month, 60,000 more jobs created in July. The president says that's at least good trend, perhaps not robust job growth, but 200,000 new jobs over the past two months, 1.5 million since August of last year. The president says that's a good trend. The Democrats say it is far below what this president promised -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John King reporting for us from Iowa -- thanks, John.

John Kerry came out fighting on the campaign trail today, declaring that the person unfit to lead the country is not him, but George W. Bush. And Kerry says the same jobs figures touted by the president are in fact another example of what he calls the president's record of failure to create new jobs.

CNN's Joe Johns is with the Kerry campaign in the battleground state of Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Senator Kerry had two stops in Newark, Ohio, on Friday. At the first stop, he didn't mention former President Clinton. But at the second stop, a very large crowd greeted him in the Newark town square. He gave them a status report.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We want to extend our wishes and our prayers and our thoughts to him. President Clinton went in the hospital today and he's going to be fine. He's going to have -- he's going to have a bypass surgery that's going to take place, I think, tomorrow. But every single one of us, every single one of us wants to extend to him our best wishes, our prayers and thoughts.

And I want you all to let a cheer out and clap that he can hear all the way to New York, all the way to New York.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JOHNS: Meanwhile, Senator Kerry was back on the attack Friday, going after the Republicans, the big new thing, that jobs report indicating jobs increased in the month of July, but not as much as expected.

Kerry said that's not good enough.

KERRY: At that rate, you won't have a net new job created in the state of Ohio until 2011. John Edwards and I have a plan to put America back to work now, not 10 years from now.

JOHNS: Since securing the Democratic nomination, John Kerry has spent almost 20 days in the state of Ohio. His running mate, John Edwards, is in Wisconsin. The Democratic ticket is getting off to a quick start for the fall campaign.

Joe Johns, CNN, Newark, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Time now for our regular Friday feature, "The Inside Edge" with our political analyst Carlos Watson.

The fact, Carlos, that much of our show today and a lot of other news organizations were devoting time to President Clinton, his bypass surgery, the hurricane, the horrible situation in Russia, not so much time to President Bush's speech last night at the convention, what does that mean, if anything?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well a couple of thoughts on that. First and foremost, this new poll is good news. It's not definitive.

BLITZER: Good news for Bush.

WATSON: Good news for President Bush. It's good news. Even without his acceptance speech, at least one poll is showing some movement. Clearly, there's probably that same belief within the Kerry camp, which is why you had the Thursday night rally. So there's good news there.

No. 2, remember, three out of five voters still get the majority of the news from the local news. So did they see him on 11:00 newscast last night? Did they read it in the morning paper? Probably. But last but not least, you're right, it's a reminder -- and we saw this in the spring, by the way, as well -- how external events, whether it's what's going on in Iraq, weather et cetera, can wipe this campaign off the front page.

But if you're John Kerry, that can hurt, too. You need more airtime than anyone else.

BLITZER: How did the president do at this convention?

WATSON: He did relatively well. The first two days certainly put a number of popular moderates out there. The third day revved up the base, although Zell Miller's interviews even after his speech may have cast a slightly negative light.

But, ultimately, the president delivered what a number of people were looking for, which is more detail on a second term.

BLITZER: We've been asking our viewers what the president has to do on the issue of values to win. Let's get to some of those.

Tessa wrote this: "The president needs to stop treating values as if he and people like him are the only ones that have them. The true role of government is to value education, the environment, fiscal sanity and equality."

Jim wrote this: "I believe the president should demonstrate his own values. And he should make it clear that values can never be regulated or legislated. Enforcing good values can only be done by example."

There were references, plenty of them, to values in his speech last night.

WATSON: It's been an extraordinarily good issue for Republicans, not just in this election, but over the last several decades.

Bill Clinton was one of the few Democrats to really actively engage on that issue. And ultimately you saw a number of voters who disagreed with him, by the way, on issues like abortion and gun control, vote for him at higher rates than they did Al Gore in 2000. So being able to discuss values, even if people don't agree with you on the issues, can make a real difference.

By the way, the gun issue may be the ultimate value issue in a number of key border states that both sides will contest, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky.

BLITZER: I didn't hear him make any reference to guns last night. Did you?

WATSON: You'll hear it in a week, because, remember the assault weapons ban ends on September 13. But, remember, he's got control of the Congress, so how that conversation happens in part will be determined by his colleagues, people like Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert and others.

BLITZER: Is this smart, for Kerry to go on the offensive, now raising questions about Vice President Cheney's five deferments, as opposed to serving in the military?

WATSON: You know what the reality is, Wolf? It probably is smart and they should have done it a long time ago. People don't give the president enough credit. I think he's one of the best political tacticians we've seen in a long time. He's going to be on the offensive and defensive.

If John Kerry is only laying out his plans and not attacking the other guy, he's going to be in a world of trouble and this campaign will be over very soon.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson with The Inside Edge," as he does for us every Friday, thanks very much, Carlos.

WATSON: Good to be here.

BLITZER: To win the presidential election, what should be President Bush's top priority? You can weigh in on my Web site. Go to CNN.com/Wolf.

Russian troops faced a horrible, truly horrible dilemma today. There's no way to know what they really went through at that school. But there's a new way that security forces are learning how to deal with real-time danger. We'll have that report for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Returning now to one of our top stories, that hostage standoff in Russia that exploded into violence today, leaving more than 200 people dead, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. Was there a way to cut down on the casualties? CNN's Brian Todd has been asking that question. Brian is joining us now live -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's just too early and there's no answer to that right now. But we did get a sense of the palpable danger involved and what security forces have to do to control their fear and adrenaline and make decisions when a hostage situation is deteriorating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): And that's only on the outside. As experts try to learn more about what went wrong at the school in southern Russia, we find perspective on how incredibly difficult and dangerous it is to confront hostage takers, negotiate with them or try to kill them.

We got access to a new 360-degree simulator that immerses you in real-time danger. A company called VirTra Systems makes the simulator, trains U.S. law enforcement and military units. Hostage standoffs, armed robberies, domestic disturbances are recreated, some based on real incidents where officers and others have been wounded or killed. Real weapons are modified. Your sense of real terror is not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is nonnegotiable, do you understand, nonnegotiable. I pull the switch and boom, we're all dead.

TODD: One setting inside a school, a hostage taker, explosives around his waist, holding kids. He's already wounded one officer and he's agitated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got your attention?

TODD (on camera): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I have your attention?

TODD: Yes, you have my attention.

JERRY LONG, TRAINER, VIRTRA SYSTEMS: And now it's an officer's call. What do you do?

TODD (voice-over): Trainer Jerry Long talks me through it. His background in military intelligence and law enforcement is crucial, but doesn't diminish the fear and adrenaline once the simulation begins.

On my first attempt trying to read the hostage taker's move, the reaction is too late.

LONG: Are you going to shoot? OK, you had about three seconds to make a decision.

TODD: Another scenario, Long instructs me to aim at a spot that officers are often trained to target, so-called center mass, above the waist, below the neck. LONG: Shoot him.

(GUNFIRE)

LONG: Bad choice.

TODD: Third try.

LONG: OK, he just dropped the toggle.

TODD: This type of immersion training, experts say, is invaluable.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The scenarios have to be complex. They have to be reality-based. You have to have a tempo that gets the heart rate up.

TODD: But, remember, I got three chances. In Russia, they barely got one. And Jerry Long admits this simulator cannot fully prepare an officer for extreme situations.

LONG: It's very difficult. A situation like that has so many variables. The mind-sets of the individuals that are holding the hostages, if they're intent on losing their own life in suicidal tendencies, what can you do?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Russian forces have a recent history of ending hostage standoffs by storming in and sustaining civilian casualties. But terrorism experts we spoke to said this situation today was so fluid and so difficult, there were really just two choices, bad and worse -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us -- thanks, Brian.

Hurricane Frances battering the Bahamas right now and the massive storm heading toward Florida, millions of residents leaving the state or at least moving inland. Right now, this is the scene in southern Georgia as people head north.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Before we go, the latest on Hurricane Frances.

The Category 3 storm remains over the Bahamas, where its 115- mile-an-hour winds have toppled trees, downed power lines and shattered windows. The storm is expected to hit Florida's east coast in about 24 hours. There were long lines at service stations, and some gas pumps went dry.

Please stay with CNN around the clock for complete coverage of the storm, extensive coverage tomorrow and Sunday.

And a reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Please join us Sunday on "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Among my special guests, the former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani. He'll join me on "LATE EDITION." That's Sunday at noon Eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York.

"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 September 3, 2004 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now. A live picture of New York Presbyterian Hospital, where President Clinton may be only hours away from undergoing heart surgery. Also happening now: Hurricane Frances in action. This is what it's doing to the Bahamas. And here's what's happening on the shores of Florida? Which coastal city will get the worst of this storm? A new forecast coming out right now.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

Clinton scare. Why the former president has become a patient.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: He went to our local hospital yesterday complaining of some chest pains and shortness of breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Bashing the Bahamas and eying the mainland. Florida residents brace for Hurricane Frances.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not going to stay on the beach?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we don't want to. It's not safe here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Schoolhouse terror. Did Russian commandos make the wrong move at the wrong time? A school is stormed and the consequences catastrophic.

And the battle begins. Two conventions down, just two months to go. Are there too few new jobs?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE WALKER BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our economy is strong and getting stronger. We added 144,000 new jobs.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is the first president in 60 years who is absolutely certain to be running for reelection on election day having lost jobs in America!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, September 3, 2004.

BLITZER: We begin with a developing story right here in New York City. The former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, complaining of chest pains, checked into a hospital and will soon undergo heart bypass surgery. CNN's Ed Henry is in Washington. Alina Cho is outside Clinton's hospital here in New York. Let's begin with Ed -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the former president has been the picture of health, showing off a trimmer waistline as he promotes his book and Democratic candidates. That's why today's news caught so many by surprise.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Just this past Sunday, the former president looked vigorous denouncing Republicans at New York's historic Riverside Church.

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The other party about to convene here, putting on its once every four years compassionate face...

HENRY: He hit the campaign trail Monday in Pittsburgh and did a book signing. But on Friday morning, Mr. Clinton called close friends to reveal he needed heart bypass surgery. He was said to be upbeat and optimistic about a full recovery. The trouble started Thursday, his office said, when he went to the hospital near his New York home with mild chest pain and shortness of breath. Mr. Clinton was sent back to Chappaqua and was expected to join his wife Friday at the New York state fair in Syracuse.

SEN. CLINTON: He said he felt fine and not to worry, and he'd see me at the fair. But his doctors asked him to come back early this morning for some additional tests. And as a result of those additional tests at Westchester Medical Center, they did advise him to have bypass surgery and do it as soon as he could.

HENRY: Sources say an angiogram showed significant blockage. Senator Clinton cut short her trip and headed to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, as did daughter Chelsea. During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton became known for having a soft spot for fast food, especially McDonald's. Late night comics had a field day with his appetite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your McNugget is released from Great Britain to Somalia, intercepted by warlords.

HENRY: Despite his well-known jogging, he struggled with his weight throughout his presidency. But since leaving the White House, Mr. Clinton has dramatically trimmed down and touted the benefits of a popular low-carb diet.

CLINTON: I work out a lot, and I went on the South Beach diet for a while. That helped. But the combination -- I have a -- I have a wonderful man who comes in two or three times a week and we work out. You know, when you get older, you got to really watch it. It's harder. The older I get, the harder it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: Mr. Clinton, who's 58, has no known history of heart trouble. Democratic Party officials say he had agreed to a slew of political events this fall, but officials are now, of course, bracing for the fact that one of their biggest fundraisers will be on the sidelines for a bit, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Ed Henry. Good work today, Ed. Thanks very much. Let's go now to CNN's Alina Cho. She's standing by right outside New York Presbyterian Hospital. Alina, what's happening there? What are the doctors saying, if anything?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, nothing at all. In fact, no official statement from the hospital, Wolf. We can tell you that the former president, we understand, is staying in a private VIP wing of the building right here. It is on a high floor, and it is here in this building where heart bypass surgeries are performed, we understand.

Earlier, I spoke to a man whose wife is staying on the same floor. He told me that he noticed today a dramatic increase in security. He said upon arriving on the floor, he was asked who he was going to see, that there was a list of patients. And when he asked how the former president was doing, he was told by a security guard that he is doing very well.

Now, CNN has learned that this bypass surgery will happen as early as tomorrow. Mr. Clinton's wife, the senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, arrived here at New York Presbyterian Hospital about 90 minutes ago. It is unclear whether daughter Chelsea was with her. Mrs. Clinton earlier today was at the New York state fair in Syracuse. She cut that visit short to be by her husband's side. This, by the way, and Wolf, as you know, was an event that the former president was supposed to attend with his wife.

We are also told by an aide to Senator Clinton that Mrs. Clinton will not be making additional press statements today. And as I mentioned before, Wolf, the hospital won't be making any statements, either -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Alina Cho, thanks very much.

President Bush was back on the campaign trail after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican national convention here in New York City last night. He was informed of President Clinton's hospitalization while he was in Wisconsin. And taking a few minutes from a rally, he offered encouragement to the former president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE WALKER BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: En route here, we just received news that President Clinton has been hospitalized in New York. He is in our thoughts and prayers. We send him our best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: John Kerry heard about President Clinton's condition while campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio, and he, too, offered these words of support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We want to extend our wishes and our prayers and our thoughts to him. President Clinton went in the hospital today, and he's going to be fine. He's going to have -- he's going to have bypass surgery that's going to take place, I think, tomorrow. But every single one of us -- every single one of us wants to extend to him our best wishes, our prayers and our thoughts. And I want you all to let a cheer out and clap that he can hear all the way to New York! All the way to New York!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: President Clinton was expected to campaign for John Kerry during the last eight weeks of this very, very tight race. Just what he'll be able to do now, of course, depends completely on his recovery. We'll have much more on this tough battle for the White House, by the way, coming up later in this program.

Also, coming up, I'll speak live Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's a cardiologist, a famed cardiologist in Washington. Among his patients, the vice president, Dick Cheney. I'll ask Dr. Reiner what the prognosis is for former president Clinton, who will undergo bypass surgery fairly soon.

I'll also have more on some of the other issues involving Bill Clinton's heart.

But there are other stories we're following today. And one of the other huge stories, a huge hurricane, Frances, is pounding Nassau in the Bahamas as it closes in on Florida. We'll have reports from CNN's Karl Penhaul -- he's in the Bahamas right now, which is taking a direct hit. We'll have the latest forecast from CNN's Jacqui Jeras. She's at the CNN weather center. But our coverage begins with CNN's Anderson Cooper in Melbourne, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: If you're on a barrier island or on a low-lying area and haven't left, now's the time to do so.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): As Hurricane Frances battered the Bahamas, Florida braced for the huge storm's arrival sometime on Saturday. Already, winds and waves are picking up along the Florida coast. Governor Jeb Bush worries that Frances could be even more destructive than Hurricane Charley, which did billions of dollars worth of damage just three weeks ago.

GOV. BUSH: This storm, unlike Charley and others in the past, will be with us for a long, long while because of its -- of the speed. So as it hits the coast, it will be take a long while for it to leave Florida, which means that there's going to be a lot of rain and a lot of sustained winds over the inland areas of our state.

COOPER: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is bringing in three times as many relief workers as it did for Charley, putting out calls for crews from as far away as Seattle. Despite the extensive preparation, FEMA's Michael Brown has this warning.

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: Be prepared to take care of yourself. Hurricane Frances is so large that, in some cases. it might be several hours or a couple of days before first responders can get to you.

COOPER: Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for parts of 16 Florida counties, and voluntary evacuations are in effect for 5 more. They are the largest evacuations in state history. Officials say about 2.5 million people live in those areas. The American Red Cross. preparing for its largest natural disaster response ever, opened 82 shelters. Thousands of displaced residents have already moved in. Others were staying with friends or relatives. and still others were hitting the road. There were long lines at gas stations, and some ran out of fuel. Near Valdosta, Georgia, a few miles north of the Florida state line, Interstate 75 was jammed with vehicles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to head east over to Charleston, South Carolina, wherever -- out of the storm's path, until we can go back home and try to get back home and see what's left of our house.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: With each passing minute here, with each passing hour, the winds are picking up, the water inching closer to shore. It is still some 24 hours until the storm is supposed to hit here on Melbourne beach on the east coast of Florida. This area has already been evacuated. The stores have shut down. The hotels have closed. Most people have already left. Right now, there's nothing to do but just wait for the storm to hit -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Are there some hardy souls or stupid people out there who are deciding to brace for more, Anderson?

COOPER: There are. As I look down the beach now, in the distance, you can see maybe a handful, a few dozen or so. But the beach is largely empty. And as you can see, the waves are pretty big. They're coming closer and closer to shore. This beach was much larger earlier this morning. It now seems much smaller, and it's going to get smaller still as these waves come closer and as this hurricane approaches, Wolf. BLITZER: All right, Anderson Cooper covering the story for us. Anderson, thanks very much. Anderson, by the way, will be back live on his program, "ANDERSON COOPER 360." That airs 7:00 PM Eastern tonight. Extensive live coverage from Florida with Anderson.

Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, is following Hurricane Frances, as well. She has the latest information just in only a few minutes ago. And what is that information, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, that it's holding steady, Wolf, still 115 mile-per-hour winds at the strongest center of this thing, and we are expecting potential for this to still strengthen. So even though we've been holding steady for, like, the last six hours, we could see a little bit of intensification. Once it gets through the Bahamas, it's going to be getting up into the warm Gulf Stream waters, and that is where it could fire up a little bit once again. So we're still not sure exactly how strong this is going to be when it makes landfall.

We are feeling the effects of the showers and thunderstorms already moving on shore. The winds are gusting. The waves are already coming up. We have advisories all the way up and down the coast of Florida, with the hurricane warnings from Flagler Beach all the way down to Florida City at this time. Final preparations need to be made now.

Flood watches are in effect for much of south Florida, extending up the east coast. We could see as much as 20 inches of rain in the path of this thing. And the path still a little bit uncertain, but it looks like it could be somewhere around 24 hours from now likely north of Miami and south of Jacksonville -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jacqui Jeras with the latest information on that. Thank you very much.

And as we mentioned, all eyes right now on the Bahamas, where Hurricane Frances is relentlessly lashing the islands right now. We'll go to Freeport straight ahead live.

Plus, another major story we're following for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're seeing an absolutely horrific scene here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A chaotic and extremely tragic scene. Gunfire, explosions, as a hostage situation unfolds at a Russian school. We'll take you inside this deadly stand-off.

And on the trail. With a new aggression, both candidates on the attack. Also, a brand-new poll in just now. We'll show you the gap is widening in this race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Hurricane Frances is heading toward Florida, but it's already tearing across the Bahamas. The storm has been blowing out windows, uprooting trees and knocking out electricity and phone service. For the latest, let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul. He's live in Freeport.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, good afternoon. Yes, the leading edge of that hurricane now beginning to batter Freeport on Grand Bahama now. It's the leading edge, though, and what meteorologists have told us we can expect for the next short while at least is strong, gusting winds followed by a little bit of a lull and bands of rain coming in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) And then, as the core of the storm moves over Grand Bahama, then those gusts of wind will develop into sustained 120-mile-an-hour winds, and the rain will become a torrential downpour.

The meteorologists have also told us that we can expect a tidal surge of anything between 14 and 18 feet. And that, they say, could be devastating for a low-lying island like Grand Bahama. In fact, as you might imagine, the people living at oceanside have already been evacuated. They've come inshore. A short while ago, we did a tour of parts of the island as the initial gusts were blowing in. Trees are down and roads are already flooded here, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Karl Penhaul reporting from Freeport in the Bahamas via videophone. Karl, be careful. Thanks very much.

A special operation to end a hostage crisis at a Russian school, but it's a worst-case aftermath. Hundreds are dead or wounded, and many are children.

Our top story: President Bill Clinton in a New York hospital right now to undergo heart surgery. We'll hear from his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and I'll speak with Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist.

And speaking to the masses. Is anyone listening, though? How major news events happening today could affect voters, and the president's impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Details are emerging right now in the tragic ending to a hostage stand-off at a school in southern Russia. Russia state news agency Interfax is now reporting that at least 200 people, many of them children, are dead. Hundreds more are wounded. Julian Manyon of ITN has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIAN MANYON, ITN (voice-over): It wasn't clear how it began, but by noon, the battle to save the child hostages was under way. Russian armor moved towards the school and troops advanced down streets and alleyways. Very soon, the first of the children were freed, as the sounds of fighting continued to echo around the town. The child hostages were in a state of shock after more than two days of real nightmare. These children had been held at gunpoint, with explosive charges placed among them. Some of them had apparently been used by the rebels as human shields. Now they were saved, but there was still fear in their eyes. Some were injured and were rushed away in ambulances and civilian cars. Many of them just looked lost and bewildered.

One young girl I managed to talk to briefly gave a glimpse of the horror that she had survived.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): In the room where we were held, they had 18 big bombs hanging over us from the ceiling. One woman terrorist blew herself up with a suicide belt right among us, and another one was pushed outside before she could do the same thing.

MANYON: Then she was quickly led away. Some lucky children were immediately reunited with their families. And as more and more hostages came out, many of them the parents and teachers who had also been held, there was utter pandemonium.

But while many were saved, the battle at the school went on. The building was soon on fire, and there were reports that part of the roof had fallen in. As the first bodies came out, the question was how many of the hostages had lost their lives.

(on camera): As you can hear, shooting is still going on here. There are Russian combat troops behind me. There appear to be soldiers from a special unit, judging by their uniforms, moving forward over there. We've seen armored vehicles moving down the Oktobrskaya (ph), which is the street that leads to the school, and above the school still there are helicopter gunships overhead.

(voice-over): Moving through gardens and back alleys, we got through the Russian lines and approached the school. And as we got there, it became clear that it had suffered terrible damage.

(on camera): The battle for the school itself has just ended, though, as you can hear, there are some sounds of shooting from just beyond it. The Russian troops still seem to be meeting some resistance. What's going on here is a clean-up operation. Most of the hostages seem to be taken away, but the emergency workers are here, seeing if there's anybody left, anybody that needs help.

(voice-over): Inside the school courtyard, an extraordinary spectacle, Russian emergency teams trying to work while fighting continued to rage on the other side of the building, where Some of the Chechen rebels were still holding out. At times, gunfire was continuous. Near us, a Russian soldier was hit. His friend helped him away to safety. Firemen worked to put out the blaze in the school's gym, where many of the hostages had been held and where the roof had collapsed.

Our cameraman, Sasha Lomarkin (ph), managed to get inside. There appeared to be a large number of charred corpses lying in the ruins. There is, unfortunately, no doubt that many innocents died in the murderous chaos at the school. Bodies are still arriving at the town's morgues, and some have been identified. Already, there is the sight that will become more frequent in the coming days, of relatives in despair over the loss of loved ones.

It's not yet clear if the fighting broke out by accident or if there could have been another way. But it is certain that suicidal terrorists have delivered another savage blow to Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from ITN's Julian Manyon. What a horrible, horrible situation there.

And handling a hostage crisis. Coming up: What did Russian security forces really go through as the situation deteriorated? We'll have an inside look at a special training program. That's coming up.

Also, much more on former president Bill Clinton's upcoming bypass surgery. We'll hear from Mrs. Clinton on how her husband is doing. She spoke out earlier today. And did President Clinton's lifestyle contribute to his health problems? We'll discuss heart health with the vice president's cardiologist. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now back to our top story.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton cut short her visit to the New York State Fair in Syracuse after explaining her husband's medical condition to the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: He was admitted to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital just in the last hour or so.

He went to our local hospital yesterday complaining of some chest pains and shortness of breath. And the initial testing was normal, so he spent the night at home. And we talked through the day. And he said he -- you know, he felt fine and not to worry and he'd see me at the fair.

But his doctors asked him to come back early this morning for some additional tests. And as a result of those additional tests at Westchester Medical Center, they did advise him to have bypass surgery and to do it as soon as he could.

So I'm leaving here, and I know you understand. And I'm sorry I'm not going to get a chance to see each of your personally, as I like to do every year. And I'm also sorry that I'm not going to be able to go through the fair and enjoy the booths and get to see a lot of people that ordinarily I wouldn't get to see.

But, you know, we have to really follow through on the recommendations that the physicians have made. He's in excellent hands and he's at one of the great hospitals in the world.

But I'm going to leave now so that I can go be with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And their daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is there as well. The former president will undergo the surgery at a New York hospital as early perhaps as tomorrow. Clinton has lost weight since leaving office, but while serving as president, he gained a reputation, at least at times, for his eating habits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): This reporter has spent more than a little time watching Bill Clinton eat and offers these impressions. On the one hand, the famous fast-food fixation, about which so many late- night jokes were made, may have been something of a bum rap.

Sure, Mr. Clinton was fond of ducking into whatever fast food place he might found along his jogging route, but he almost always came out with a cup of decaf coffee. Really. We saw this ourselves. On the other hand, we also saw this. Bill Clinton approaches a table the way he approaches life, with arms wide. Those who have watched the process -- and as we say, we have often -- come away impressed by the man's appetite and gusto and clear enjoyment of what's laid out in front of him.

It is abundantly clear Bill Clinton loves to eat. There was one famous restaurant meal in Washington with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, no slouch himself in the appetite department, at which "The Washington Post" later calculated, the diners must have taken in 4,000 calories each.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's the problem. It all looks good.

BLITZER: So, of course, Mr. Clinton's weight has been up and down. And there have been diets.

QUESTION: You look a little thinner.

W. CLINTON: I'm a little thinner.

QUESTION: What have you been doing? What's different?

W. CLINTON: I work out a lot and I went on the South Beach diet for a while. That helped. But the combination -- I have a wonderful man who comes in two or three times a week and we work out. You know, when you get older, you have got to really watch it. It's harder. The older I get, the harder it is.

BLITZER: And his cholesterol has been going up, from 179 in 1997 to 196 two years later in 1999 to 233 in January of 2001. So, for now, it's too late for diet and exercise, though, after the surgery, he will certainly have to worry about both. It's as we've been saying. Bill Clinton doesn't do anything by halves. We hope that's also true of his recovery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's get some more insight now on what former President Clinton will be undergoing as he goes forward with the bypass surgery.

For that, we turn to Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's Dick Cheney's cardiologist. He's at George Washington University, joining us now from our studios in Washington.

The fact, Dr. Reiner, that he felt he had some chest pains, they did some tests and immediately now, within 24 hours, they decided he's going to go forward with this bypass surgery, what does it say to you?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CARDIOLOGIST: Well, Wolf, it's hard to know exactly, you know, where his narrowings are and the extent of them.

But the fact that the president is scheduled for bypass surgery suggests that he has serious, significant narrowings in probably several places in his coronary arteries or in potentially hazardous places, which would preclude repairing these arteries with a less invasive technique like angioplasty.

BLITZER: So the fact that he needs the bypass surgery indicates it's more surgery than if he would have been required just to go for an angioplasty, which puts a balloon in there.

REINER: That's right. We treat many of these narrowings now with these interventional techniques that we can use through the top of the leg. There are still, however, many patients who either have too extensive disease to fix with balloons and stents or have these narrowings in places which are too hazardous to repair with these devices.

So still we do send quite a few patients for bypass surgery.

BLITZER: I know you have a model of a heart over there.

REINER: Yes.

BLITZER: We don't have the specifics of the specific blockages where Bill Clinton's heart may have some serious problems.

But give our viewers a sense of the kind of procedure he is about in the next few hours, a day or so from now -- the procedure he's about to undertake.

REINER: Sure, Wolf.

Well, the heart muscle is supplied by three major arteries and their branches which supply blood to the heart muscle itself. And bypass surgery is a procedure where the surgeon opens the chest, usually the sternum, the breast bone, and then uses various kinds of conduit, either a vein from the leg and almost always now an artery from the wall of the chest. And the surgeons attach these grafts beyond the areas of narrowings.

So the president will almost certainly receive a mammary artery from the wall of his chest to somewhere on the front wall of his heart. And then he will receive either a vein from his leg or a radial artery from his wrist from the aorta, the big vessel that takes blood away from the heart, to various other spots on the heart, depending on his particular lesions where his narrowings are.

BLITZER: Dr. Reiner, I spoke earlier with our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, he said mortality for these procedures, even though they're very common nowadays, still about 10 percent. That sounds significant to me.

REINER: No, I think that's actually too high.

We would quote for an otherwise 58-year-old man like President Clinton with really no other significant medical issues who comes in stable, who is not having a heart attack, who has been in really good shape prior to this event, a much lower mortality rate, probably in the low single digits. And although this is a big surgery, opening the chest, usually resting the patient's heart on bypass, using the heart-lung machine, it's an operation that patients tolerate very well and it's become very routine to do.

So, not knowing the specifics of the president's medical history, in general, for a 58-year-old man with no other major medical problems, we would quote a mortality less than 3 percent probably.

BLITZER: I think when Sanjay was suggesting all heart patients, in their 60s, 70s and even 80s...

REINER: Yes, sir.

BLITZER: He was including the mortality rate for everyone, not necessarily a strong individual who is 58 years old. That's probably the difference in that mortality rate.

REINER: That's right.

BLITZER: Dr. Reiner, thanks very much for joining us, helping us better appreciate what Bill Clinton is about to go through.

REINER: My pleasure.

BLITZER: New presidential poll numbers coming out, for the first time, they show one candidate, at least right now, with a clear lead.

Fighting words. Is John Kerry trying a brand new strategy?

And Hurricane Frances. We'll have the latest update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: With just eight weeks to go until Election Day, a new "TIME" magazine poll just out shows President Bush right now -- look at this -- with a double-digit lead over John Kerry. Among likely voters questioned, 52 percent say they would vote for Bush if the election were held today; 41 percent favor Kerry; 3 percent, they pick the independent candidate Ralph Nader. And this poll was done even before -- even before -- President Bush's acceptance speech in New York last night. So we'll get some new numbers in the next few days, a significant boost, though, in those poll numbers, the "TIME" magazine poll numbers for President Bush.

The president's on a post-convention swing right now through three states he lost four years ago. And he's putting a positive spin on some new jobs figures that were released today.

Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is with the president in Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, you just mentioned that new poll, senior Bush campaign officials discounting those numbers. They say they want to wait and see the polls taken after the convention, not a poll taken in part during the convention, before they get a sense of just where the president stands right now.

But I will say this. They do feel they have momentum coming out of the convention. And one key test as we look at the polls over the next several days, will be, does the president crack 50 percent support against Senator Kerry? Never in this race has he cracked 50 percent support against Senator Kerry. So that is one test of the president's post-convention bounce.

Now, the president campaigning, as you noted, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, here in Iowa right now today, three states he lost last time, three states critical to him this time. And in all three states, a message very much like we heard at the New York convention, President Bush casting John Kerry as too indecisive to take command of the war on terrorism and sounding very conservative themes, themes he think will help in small-town America.

On his trip today, the president saying John Kerry is on the wrong side of gun control, the wrong side of abortion and the wrong side of gay marriage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I support a culture of life in which every person matters and every person counts. We strongly support the religious charities that are providing hope to millions. Government should never discriminate against faith-based programs. We support family and marriage, which are the foundations of our society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, as for those new job numbers, the government reporting 140,000 new jobs created last month, 60,000 more jobs created in July. The president says that's at least good trend, perhaps not robust job growth, but 200,000 new jobs over the past two months, 1.5 million since August of last year. The president says that's a good trend. The Democrats say it is far below what this president promised -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John King reporting for us from Iowa -- thanks, John.

John Kerry came out fighting on the campaign trail today, declaring that the person unfit to lead the country is not him, but George W. Bush. And Kerry says the same jobs figures touted by the president are in fact another example of what he calls the president's record of failure to create new jobs.

CNN's Joe Johns is with the Kerry campaign in the battleground state of Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Senator Kerry had two stops in Newark, Ohio, on Friday. At the first stop, he didn't mention former President Clinton. But at the second stop, a very large crowd greeted him in the Newark town square. He gave them a status report.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We want to extend our wishes and our prayers and our thoughts to him. President Clinton went in the hospital today and he's going to be fine. He's going to have -- he's going to have a bypass surgery that's going to take place, I think, tomorrow. But every single one of us, every single one of us wants to extend to him our best wishes, our prayers and thoughts.

And I want you all to let a cheer out and clap that he can hear all the way to New York, all the way to New York.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JOHNS: Meanwhile, Senator Kerry was back on the attack Friday, going after the Republicans, the big new thing, that jobs report indicating jobs increased in the month of July, but not as much as expected.

Kerry said that's not good enough.

KERRY: At that rate, you won't have a net new job created in the state of Ohio until 2011. John Edwards and I have a plan to put America back to work now, not 10 years from now.

JOHNS: Since securing the Democratic nomination, John Kerry has spent almost 20 days in the state of Ohio. His running mate, John Edwards, is in Wisconsin. The Democratic ticket is getting off to a quick start for the fall campaign.

Joe Johns, CNN, Newark, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Time now for our regular Friday feature, "The Inside Edge" with our political analyst Carlos Watson.

The fact, Carlos, that much of our show today and a lot of other news organizations were devoting time to President Clinton, his bypass surgery, the hurricane, the horrible situation in Russia, not so much time to President Bush's speech last night at the convention, what does that mean, if anything?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well a couple of thoughts on that. First and foremost, this new poll is good news. It's not definitive.

BLITZER: Good news for Bush.

WATSON: Good news for President Bush. It's good news. Even without his acceptance speech, at least one poll is showing some movement. Clearly, there's probably that same belief within the Kerry camp, which is why you had the Thursday night rally. So there's good news there.

No. 2, remember, three out of five voters still get the majority of the news from the local news. So did they see him on 11:00 newscast last night? Did they read it in the morning paper? Probably. But last but not least, you're right, it's a reminder -- and we saw this in the spring, by the way, as well -- how external events, whether it's what's going on in Iraq, weather et cetera, can wipe this campaign off the front page.

But if you're John Kerry, that can hurt, too. You need more airtime than anyone else.

BLITZER: How did the president do at this convention?

WATSON: He did relatively well. The first two days certainly put a number of popular moderates out there. The third day revved up the base, although Zell Miller's interviews even after his speech may have cast a slightly negative light.

But, ultimately, the president delivered what a number of people were looking for, which is more detail on a second term.

BLITZER: We've been asking our viewers what the president has to do on the issue of values to win. Let's get to some of those.

Tessa wrote this: "The president needs to stop treating values as if he and people like him are the only ones that have them. The true role of government is to value education, the environment, fiscal sanity and equality."

Jim wrote this: "I believe the president should demonstrate his own values. And he should make it clear that values can never be regulated or legislated. Enforcing good values can only be done by example."

There were references, plenty of them, to values in his speech last night.

WATSON: It's been an extraordinarily good issue for Republicans, not just in this election, but over the last several decades.

Bill Clinton was one of the few Democrats to really actively engage on that issue. And ultimately you saw a number of voters who disagreed with him, by the way, on issues like abortion and gun control, vote for him at higher rates than they did Al Gore in 2000. So being able to discuss values, even if people don't agree with you on the issues, can make a real difference.

By the way, the gun issue may be the ultimate value issue in a number of key border states that both sides will contest, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky.

BLITZER: I didn't hear him make any reference to guns last night. Did you?

WATSON: You'll hear it in a week, because, remember the assault weapons ban ends on September 13. But, remember, he's got control of the Congress, so how that conversation happens in part will be determined by his colleagues, people like Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert and others.

BLITZER: Is this smart, for Kerry to go on the offensive, now raising questions about Vice President Cheney's five deferments, as opposed to serving in the military?

WATSON: You know what the reality is, Wolf? It probably is smart and they should have done it a long time ago. People don't give the president enough credit. I think he's one of the best political tacticians we've seen in a long time. He's going to be on the offensive and defensive.

If John Kerry is only laying out his plans and not attacking the other guy, he's going to be in a world of trouble and this campaign will be over very soon.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson with The Inside Edge," as he does for us every Friday, thanks very much, Carlos.

WATSON: Good to be here.

BLITZER: To win the presidential election, what should be President Bush's top priority? You can weigh in on my Web site. Go to CNN.com/Wolf.

Russian troops faced a horrible, truly horrible dilemma today. There's no way to know what they really went through at that school. But there's a new way that security forces are learning how to deal with real-time danger. We'll have that report for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Returning now to one of our top stories, that hostage standoff in Russia that exploded into violence today, leaving more than 200 people dead, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. Was there a way to cut down on the casualties? CNN's Brian Todd has been asking that question. Brian is joining us now live -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's just too early and there's no answer to that right now. But we did get a sense of the palpable danger involved and what security forces have to do to control their fear and adrenaline and make decisions when a hostage situation is deteriorating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): And that's only on the outside. As experts try to learn more about what went wrong at the school in southern Russia, we find perspective on how incredibly difficult and dangerous it is to confront hostage takers, negotiate with them or try to kill them.

We got access to a new 360-degree simulator that immerses you in real-time danger. A company called VirTra Systems makes the simulator, trains U.S. law enforcement and military units. Hostage standoffs, armed robberies, domestic disturbances are recreated, some based on real incidents where officers and others have been wounded or killed. Real weapons are modified. Your sense of real terror is not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is nonnegotiable, do you understand, nonnegotiable. I pull the switch and boom, we're all dead.

TODD: One setting inside a school, a hostage taker, explosives around his waist, holding kids. He's already wounded one officer and he's agitated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got your attention?

TODD (on camera): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I have your attention?

TODD: Yes, you have my attention.

JERRY LONG, TRAINER, VIRTRA SYSTEMS: And now it's an officer's call. What do you do?

TODD (voice-over): Trainer Jerry Long talks me through it. His background in military intelligence and law enforcement is crucial, but doesn't diminish the fear and adrenaline once the simulation begins.

On my first attempt trying to read the hostage taker's move, the reaction is too late.

LONG: Are you going to shoot? OK, you had about three seconds to make a decision.

TODD: Another scenario, Long instructs me to aim at a spot that officers are often trained to target, so-called center mass, above the waist, below the neck. LONG: Shoot him.

(GUNFIRE)

LONG: Bad choice.

TODD: Third try.

LONG: OK, he just dropped the toggle.

TODD: This type of immersion training, experts say, is invaluable.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The scenarios have to be complex. They have to be reality-based. You have to have a tempo that gets the heart rate up.

TODD: But, remember, I got three chances. In Russia, they barely got one. And Jerry Long admits this simulator cannot fully prepare an officer for extreme situations.

LONG: It's very difficult. A situation like that has so many variables. The mind-sets of the individuals that are holding the hostages, if they're intent on losing their own life in suicidal tendencies, what can you do?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Russian forces have a recent history of ending hostage standoffs by storming in and sustaining civilian casualties. But terrorism experts we spoke to said this situation today was so fluid and so difficult, there were really just two choices, bad and worse -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us -- thanks, Brian.

Hurricane Frances battering the Bahamas right now and the massive storm heading toward Florida, millions of residents leaving the state or at least moving inland. Right now, this is the scene in southern Georgia as people head north.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Before we go, the latest on Hurricane Frances.

The Category 3 storm remains over the Bahamas, where its 115- mile-an-hour winds have toppled trees, downed power lines and shattered windows. The storm is expected to hit Florida's east coast in about 24 hours. There were long lines at service stations, and some gas pumps went dry.

Please stay with CNN around the clock for complete coverage of the storm, extensive coverage tomorrow and Sunday.

And a reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Please join us Sunday on "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Among my special guests, the former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani. He'll join me on "LATE EDITION." That's Sunday at noon Eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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