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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Senator Sticks to Schedule after Fainting Spell; Iraq, The Day After; Madeleine Albright on Iraqi Elections; Jackson Court Case Under Way; Strom Thurmond's Biracial Daughter Speaks Out
Aired January 31, 2005 - 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, HOST: Happening now, a senator's scare. Hillary Rodham Clinton faints then avoids a trip to the hospital. Why is the senator sticking to her schedule and is it wise? I'll speak with a witness to her scare and CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Iraq, the day after. They're counting the votes and counting on a brighter future.
But the insurgents have their own ideas.
Dramatic new video purports to show a shootdown.
What's next? We'll hear from our correspondents on the scene. And I'll speak with former secretary of state Madeline Albright.
Michael Jackson in court. The pop star's future and freedom are at stake as his child molestation trial gets under way.
Strom Thurmond's secret. The late senator's biracial daughter tells us about her life on the other side of the color line.
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, January 31, 2005
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: In Iraq, millions brave bombs and bullets and showed up at the polls. Today they're celebrating and leaders in Baghdad and here in Washington are calling the vote a victory. But insurgents are vowing more violence and, by any measure, the Iraqi election is just the first step on a very long road. We begin our coverage with CNN's Jeff Koinange in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hope for the dawn of the new era in Iraq and for many here relief despite continued security measures across the country on the ground and in the air. For the country's interim prime minister, though, Sunday's vote was a chance for the country to exorcise some of its past demons. AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI INTERIM PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Yesterday, the Iraqi people showed to the world their courage, their determination and their love of freedom. Yesterday, Iraqis poured out into the streets, their villages and their cities. They marched together in their millions as a national army, armed with the determination to live in freedom. The terrorists were defeated yesterday in Iraq.
KOINANGE: On this, the day after, supporters taking to the streets in the sprawling Shia neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. One group expected to gain power -- the United Iraqi Alliance, a coalition which has the endorsement of Shia Islam's highest authority, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. But one group is set to lose power, the minority Sunnis which Saddam Hussein kept in power for decades leading some Sunnis like computer studies student Omar Maulud (ph) to refuse to vote.
"I didn't vote because I'm not convinced in these elections," he says. "They've been rigged from the start."
KOINANGE: Iraqi actress Suad Abdullah (ph) a Shia says she's waited a long time to vote for a candidate of her choice. And no suicide bombers or mortars were going to stop her.
"I walked in the streets and it was so nice to feel that I have the freedom of choice," she says. "The next step, counting the ballots."
ADIL AL-LAMI, IRAQI ELECTORAL COMMISSION (through translator): We have more than 200 employees. They have 80 computers at their disposal. And they are working 24 hours all the way around in order to complete the counting process. I would estimate ten days.
KOINANGE: With a free election, a chance for Iraqis to start a new chapter in their history, with results still days away, a nation watches, counts and waits. Jeff Koinange, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Al Qaeda's allies in Iraq say they won't be affected by the election results, and they're promising to step up what they call their holy war.
Meantime, yesterday's crash of a British C-130 transport plane has brought two claims of responsibility and some dramatic video. Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we know that in the past insurgents have tried to shoot down planes. What we don't know is if this time they may have succeeded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): This videotape aired on the Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera purports to show a surface-to-air missile or missiles fired by insurgents at the British transport plane followed by the aftermath. Flames, then wreckage through an overall wide area. Experts say the wreckage shown on the tape including this engine does seem to be consistent with a C-130 flown by the Royal Air Force. But it's impossible to tell, they say if the crudely edited missile launching sequence is legitimate.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The launcher box appears to be totally bogus to me. That's a launcher box that's consistent with IEDs, improvised explosive devices, the type that they use on roadsides.
BLITZER: The C-130 crashed about 20 miles north of Baghdad on a short hop to Balad. The weather was good, there was no distress call and hostile fire has not been ruled out.
JOCK STIRRUP, BRITISH AIR CHIEF MARSHAL: I'm aware that there's a great deal of speculation about what caused this crash, not least because of the video that we've seen today purporting to be of a missile shooting down an aircraft. We all want to know what caused it and we all want to know (AUDIO GAP) we can but we have to find out the facts.
MCINTYRE: Insurgents have targeted aircraft using Baghdad International Airport with surface-to-air missiles in the past forcing U.S. and coalition planes to use steep takeoffs or corkscrew landings to make them harder to hit.
In November of 2003 a DHL cargo plane limped back to Baghdad after losing its hydraulic system when its wing was hit by what appeared to be a heat-seeking shoulder-fired missile. A month later a U.S. C-17 landed safely at Baghdad after a similar missile hit one of its engines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Two different groups have claimed responsibility for this. One said that it fired an anti-tank missile at the plane something experts say would be very difficult. A British investigation will determine if there's any other explanation for what brought the plane down -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Thank you, Jamie.
As the ballots are counted has Iraq turned a corner? CNN's Anderson Cooper is joining us now live from Baghdad where there's word just coming in, Anderson, that U.S. guards have opened fire on some rioting Iraqi prisoners. What do we know about this?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Wolf. This happened down in Camp Bucca which is very far to the south in Iraq. This has nothing to do with the Abu Ghraib facility which is around Baghdad. Camp Bucca is found near Umm Qasr down in the southeast of Iraq.
Basically what happened, and this is all according to the U.S. military to a press release they handed out, four Iraqis were killed, six other Iraqis were injured. All of them detainees. Camp Bucca is a sprawling compound. Ten separate compounds, actually within Camp Bucca. There are about 5,300 Iraqi detainees there. There were four compounds involved in this prison riot is essentially what it was.
It began in one compound and quickly spread, escalated to three other compounds. Iraqi detainees there started to throw rocks at U.S. guards, started to fashion weapons out of materials they could get in the compound. About 2,900 prisoners are housed in the four compounds which were involved in the melee. It took guards -- all the U.S. guards were mobilized as quickly as the rioting began in first compound and quickly, as I said, it escalated to encompass four compounds in total.
For about 45 minutes, according to the U.S. military, they tried nonlethal force, verbal warnings. They then began using lethal force after 45 minutes. And, as I said, four Iraqis were killed, six others wounded. Several of those were flown out to a hospital facility for treatment after receiving those injuries.
All of this began with a routine search for contraband, according to the U.S. military. Contraband, you know, routine. They always have these searches, trying to see if the prisoners have been fashioning weapons, trying to confiscate anything they can. The search was going on in this one compound. And then it quickly spread out, Wolf. As far as we know though, no U.S. soldiers were hurt or certainly none killed in this incident -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. We'll continue to follow this story. Anderson Cooper reporting for us from Baghdad. Anderson, thank you very much. We'll have much more on what's happening in Iraq on this day after the election. That's coming up.
Let's move on to some other news we're watching right now, including right here in the United States. There was a health scare for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who fainted while giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, earlier today. CNN's Deborah Feyerick has the latest on the former first lady's condition. She's joining us live from New York -- Deborah.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, about an hour after she fainted, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was back on schedule talking about health care and downplaying a doctor's advice to cancel her afternoon speaking engagements.
Before taking questions from the crowd at Canisius College, she told them that the whole thing wasn't as dramatic as it sounds, saying it was a 24-hour bug and that she would be fine. Clinton's press secretary blamed the whole thing on a stomach virus, saying she felt week, needed to sit down, and then fainted briefly. It happened at a luncheon. Mrs. Clinton speaking to a woman's group in Buffalo, New York.
One local official tells CNN that before she started she warned the crowd that she was feeling queasy. Sources tell CNN Clinton had a retreat for her staff over the weekend. And about half of the people there actually came down with some sort of a stomach bug. Today, Mrs. Clinton did not go to the hospital and no ambulance was called. She did return to Washington, D.C. this afternoon after the second and final speaking engagement -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Deborah Feyerick reporting for us from New York.
Len Lenihan is the chairman of the Erie Country Democratic Committee. He saw Mrs. Clinton faint. Lenny Lenihan is joining us now live from Buffalo.
Lenny, tell our viewers what you saw, what were you doing there?
LEN LENIHAN, CHMN., ERIE CO. DEM. CMTE.: Well, Wolf, I greeted Hillary as she came into the building in my role as Democratic chairman. We talked briefly. But she said right off the bat that she wasn't feeling well. Said she had a little stomach virus. And she looked pale. She then was taken into the main room where the luncheon was, where we all sat down for lunch. She spoke before a women's political action committee called the Women's Tap Fund.
She got up to speak, she started talking about Social Security. And right at the top she told the audience that she was feeling somewhat queasy. And then she started speaking.
About five minutes into her talk, she said, I think I'm going to sit down and talk from a chair. And they gave her a hand mike. And then a couple of minutes after that she said, I think I'm just going to leave the room for a few minutes and catch my breath and maybe take my jacket off.
When she came back, she simply went back to the podium, and she grabbed the podium, and her staff was there putting the microphone back in place and so forth. And then you could tell she was -- it became clear she was faint.
The good news was her staff was right there around her and there was a doctor in the house. They just brought her down gently on the floor for a couple minutes. She went in the back room. And we cleared the place out.
And the good news is she's great. And amazingly 45 minutes later she was speaking for a tough audience at Canisius College. She did fantastic.
BLITZER: Did she actually, Lenny, fall to the ground?
LENIHAN: She didn't. She started fanting and the people around her simply held her and brought her down gently on the ground. She was down just for a couple of minutes. And then there was a doctor in the house watching the speech. And then she was taking -- they took her in the back room and basically emptied the room.
And I basically thought -- I called John LaFalce, the former congressman who was handling the Canisius College event which was next. And I called to tell him that she had fainted and I wasn't sure she would make it. But they would get back to him. And sure enough, she was back on her feet. Very resilient, one tough individual.
BLITZER: How long was she actually out, though, when she fainted?
LENIHAN: I don't know if she was ever unconscious. She was certainly -- you know, again, she was brought down by her staff very gently on the floor to make sure -- to observe her and a doctor went right up to her and started treating her. And then she got up a couple minutes later, they went in the back room behind a curtain. And that's the last time I saw her.
BLITZER: Lenny Lenihan is the chairman of the Democratic Party in Erie County, that's where Buffalo, New York, is. He is also someone who grew up with me in suburban Kenmore, New York. I've known him only since second grade.
Lenny, thanks very much.
LENIHAN: Wolf, all the best.
BLITZER: Why did Hillary Rodham Clinton faint and how can you make sure the same thing doesn't happen when you're sick? Our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins us next. He'll have some information that probably will be useful for you.
Counting the votes in Iraq? Does a smooth election mean those who oppose the war were wrong? I'll speak live with the former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: Please keep an open mind and let me have my day in court. I deserve a fair trial like every other American citizen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: A pop star's plea. Jury selection begins in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. We'll have details what happened today.
And later, she was a secret for more than 70 years. Now Strom Thurmond's daughter shares her story with us and the world. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Fainting can be alarming, but it's not necessarily uncommon. And while it's usually not serious, fainting at times can be life-threatening. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us now on more on what happened.
Hillary Clinton faints earlier today in Buffalo, Sanjay. What goes through your mind when you hear about this?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, I was sorry to hear that this happened to her. In a young, healthy person, as you mentioned, Wolf, it is probably not of significance consequence in the long term.
Why does someone faint who doesn't have a pre-existing medical condition? One is -- the most llikely reason is just simple dehydration. Everyone has been, well, it's a stomach flu that she had. These things are linked. You get the stomach flu. You may not be able to keep food down or liquids down as well. You slowly become more dehydrated. Add to that a hot stage, a somewhat stressful situation, and suddenly someone can start to feel a little queasy. What's happening in the body is that not enough blood flow is getting to the brain because the body is a little bit dehydrated.
Other things that can cause it as well, Wolf, a slight abnormality in the heart rhythm, a new medication perhaps. There is no reason to believe that either one of those were the cause here, as -- and her office released a statement saying it was really the stomach flu. She just wasn't feeling well.
BLITZER: Well, wouldn't it be prudent to basically err on the side of caution, to go check it out, go to the hospital, make sure everything is normal?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, if I were still working with her, I probably would have told her that it's probably a good idea for her to take the rest of the day off. And a couple of things.
One is to rehydrate as much possible. If she wasn't able to keep fluids down by mouth, and then to maybe even go get an IV, intravenous fluids in a hospital or in an emergency room.
Also I would probably, on the side of caution, would just get a simple EKG of her heart to make sure she doesn't have some sort of underlying heart abnormality and this was the first time that it had sort of declared itself. Again, I'm not saying that's what happened, I don't think that's what happened.
But to answer your questions sort in the name of prudence, I think I'd do those two things at least, but certainly try and some get fluids down either by mouth or by IV -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And you point out you used to work for her. You were a White House fellow during the Clinton administration and you worked on her staff. Is that right?
GUPTA: That's right, yes.
BLITZER: So you got to know her. She's basically a very healthy woman.
GUPTA: She's a very healthy person. She's very, very hard working as well. She's always on the go. I can tell you in the short time that I was with her, I know her life has changed, even quite busier now as a senator, but it is hard to get meals in, it's hard to make sure that you're eating right and drinking well. All these things can contribute on top of an already busy schedule, add to that a stomach flu, a stomach virus, that can really knock somebody down as it did in her case probably today -- Wolf. BLITZER: And also they're suggesting there may have been some food poisoning or something else going on. They were all at a retreat over the weekend in Rye, New York, and about 20 of her staffers also -- felt a little queasy, didn't feel good. Is that something that can result in one fainting?
GUPTA: Yes, I had heard the same thing as well, Wolf. It sounded like several people on her staff were not feeling well. It can result in fainting. Not directly. What happens again is that when someone is starting to feel not well in terms of their stomach, they're maybe not able to keep food down, they may have diarrhea, they may be getting dehydrated as a result of that. And that dehydration really is the problem.
Again, the dehydration -- the overall volume of blood in your body is somewhat down. You can't get enough blood flow to your brain. And for example, if you go from sitting to standing very quick, you might feel a little bit light-headed.
If you're somewhat nervous or you have a lot of anxiety about -- you know, she's giving a speech, she's up there in front of a lot of people, all that can contribute to it as well. Not that she gets nervous in front of people, but that could have happened as well -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I doubt if she's getting nervous giving speeches in Buffalo, New York. She's been doing it for quite a bit. And fortunately her staff says she's just fine right now. She gave that speech at Canisius College in Buffalo. She's now back -- at least on the way back to Washington. Thank God she's OK.
GUPTA: I'm going to send her some Gatorade, Wolf, I think.
BLITZER: Maybe you should give her some medical advice, too, Sanjay. Thanks very much. Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Were the critics wrong on Iraq? The former secretary of state Madeleine Albright. She's standing by. She'll join me live. That's coming up next.
Also, Michael Jackson launches a preemptive strike as jury selection begins in the child molestation trial.
And a new health problem for the pope forcing him to cancel public appearances. We'll have details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: More now on our top story, the day after the elections in Iraq. Where does Iraq go from here? And does the election offer some light at the end of the tunnel for the United States? Joining us the former secretary of state Madeleine Albright. Madam secretary, thanks very much for joining us.
Give us your quick reaction. This has to be good news for the United States and the world that there were free and fair elections in Iraq.
MADELINE ALBRIGHT, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's great news for the Iraqi people who really went out there and showed how tough they were and determined they were. And it is good news for the United States. So it is a very important event that happened. But it's only the beginning. And democracy is not an event. Democracy's a process. And we are at the beginning of a long process here to make sure that the Iraqi people really have the government that they want and that the country stays together.
BLITZER: So what do you want to see unfold right now? What should happen? What should the U.S. policy -- the Bush administration policy from your perspective be?
ALBRIGHT: First of all, there are the governance issues. The Iraqis have to write a constitution, which is not without its difficulties because one of the things we know about democracy is majority wins but minority rights have to be respected. And in this case, it's the Sunnis who really did not vote in large numbers and the question is what their representation will be.
So that issue comes up in the constitution. Then the role of the Kurds. The Kurds, who did vote, but they would like to have a measure of autonomy and the question, how much of that will be represented in the constitution?
So writing a constitution is going to be a complicated process.
BLITZER: Does the president deserve credit for getting to this stage in Iraq? It's been painful over these past two years, but there has been a free election now in an Arab country, namely Iraq.
ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that it's a very important point. The president, however, took us in on the basis of finding weapons of mass destruction. The idea of democracy is something that has come later. But I think it's great. It's a great day for the people of Iraq. And a great day for our troops. And I think the president does deserve credit. I think the question is what happens next?
BLITZER: Do you agree with Senator Kennedy that it is time now for the U.S. to immediately start withdrawing troops? He wants 12,000 troops, he said before the election, to immediately leave after the election.
ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that we would all like to know what the exit strategy is. I think the reason that Senator Kennedy made the speech he did was because it's unclear what the administration's plans really are. I personally am not for setting dates and deadlines because they then become a problem. What needs to be done, though, are a set of benchmarks. What has to happen?
So some of it has to do with the governance that I mentioned. Some of it has to do with economic reconstruction. And one of the things we've learned, Wolf, from the euphoria of democracies and the voting, democracy has to deliver. In the end, people have to see that their lives are better. The only way that's going to happen is if the reconstruction process goes forward. And we haven't heard that much from the administration about how that's going to go and which countries are going to help and how the Iraqi people really are in control. 2005 is a huge year. And this is the beginning of the story.
BLITZER: Senator Kennedy says the U.S. military presence in Iraq is part of the problem, not part of the solution because it reinforces this notion that the United States is occupying Iraq. You agree with him?
ALBRIGHT: Well, Wolf, I just came back -- I was in Cairo. And I met with a lot of different representatives of a variety of Arab countries. And that is a statement that is made, is that the American troops are both the problem and the solution. Clearly the American troops were vital yesterday in maintaining security. And despite the fact that, as I said, the Iraqi people deserve huge credit, Iraq was in a lockdown mode. It was not a normal day in any shape or form. And the American troops were absolutely vital.
On the other hand, they, as I heard from many people when I was in Egypt, it is a source of concern. Why are they there, how long are they going to stay?
So they are both, as I say, a solution and the problem.
BLITZER: Did you get any indication that any other Arab country is going to follow Iraq's lead? Right now, for example, Egypt, a good ally of the United States, are they going to have elections, Saudi Arabia, Syria, are any of these other countries in the Arab world going to follow the Iraqi example?
ALBRIGHT: Well, I don't think they'll follow the Iraqi example because they don't want to see an invasion make it happen. But I do think that there are definitely stirrings of reform in all of these countries. And the question is what the U.S. approach towards that should be.
BLITZER: What should it be?
ALBRIGHT: Well, I personally think that we need to support the reformers, but we have to be very careful about not overembracing them so that we don't create the problem that just because we like them that the local people will not like them. But there is a process in place and it has started. And I think that the Iraqi elections are important, but there are countries in the neighborhood who would prefer not to have a democratic Iraq.
BLITZER: Let's hope it works out. Let's hope this is the start of something good and something important. Appreciate it very much.
ALBRIGHT: For the Iraqi people, I really think that's essential. Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Madeleine Albright, thanks very much.
ALBRIGHT: Thank you. BLITZER: The votes have been cast, but what's next for the Iraqis in their quest for democracy? We'll break down the who's who and what their roles may be.
Judging Jackson. The pop star goes to court as lawyers try to find 12 people to judge him on his child molestation charges. We'll go live to Santa Maria, California.
And breaking her lifelong silence, the biracial daughter of former Senator Strom Thurmond speaks out about her life on the other side of the color line.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Iraqis may have woken up today feeling like they're breathing a different air. They may be tasting freedom and independence. But a day after their election, they still have quite a way to go.
Joining us now for more on that, our own Brian Todd -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf.
A lot of people have the misperception that this is the culmination of the democratic process in Iraq. But transforming this former dictatorship will take the better part of a year. And that's only if everything goes smoothly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): The euphoria of democracy in a country clearly not used to it. But when celebrations simmer down, the realization may soon set in. This vote was one step in a drawn-out process.
IYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI INTERIM PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In a week or two, the numbers of the new elected National Assembly will be named. And then the process of forming a new inclusive government will begin.
TODD: Even if everything goes smoothly, this government will be in place only for about a year.
JAMES DOBBINS, RAND CORPORATION: The main requirement is negotiation within parties, which won't be too hard, about who should occupy the most senior positions, but then among parties about how those positions should be distributed.
TODD: This vote, when it's counted, will determine the 275 members of Iraq's National Assembly. The assembly's first order of business? To select a president and two vice presidents. This so- called presidential council will then appoint a prime minister.
DOBBINS: The prime minister will be in charge of day-to-day policy. Certainly, as the system has functioned to date, Allawi, the prime minister, has been much more influential than the president.
TODD: And the new boss may be the same as the old boss. Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is one of the stronger candidates. This post of prime minister will almost certainly be filled by a Shiite, since that group is the majority and has the largest turnout.
Another prominent, but controversial candidate, Ahmad Chalabi, former leader of the Iraqi National Congress, a prime mover behind the U.S. invasion who has since falling out with the Bush administration. Analysts say the more ceremonial post of president will likely be filled by a Sunni or a Kurd. Names circulated for that? The current interim president, Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani, and senior statesman Adnan Pachachi, a Sunni who spoke about the next important part of this process.
ADNAN PACHACHI, FORMER MEMBER, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: The political parties and groups that did not take part in the election should be invited to participate in the writing of the permanent constitution.
TODD: Work on the constitution begins as soon as the prime minister, president and vice presidents are in place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: The timetable calls for the draft of the Iraqi constitution to be finished by August 15, a referendum on that document by October 15 and, if the constitution is passed, new elections for a more permanent government on December 31, 2005. Wolf, we've got a year left.
BLITZER: We'll watch all those dates together with you.
Brian Todd, thanks very much. Excellent report.
Many of Iraq's minority Sunni population favored during the Saddam Hussein era are not necessarily sharing in all the euphoria.
CNN's Jane Arraf is near Baquba, which has been a stronghold of insurgents. She's joining us now live via videophone.
On this day after, what's the mood there, Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, about 30 hours after the polls have closed, we are here surrounded by ballot boxes.
Now, what they've done is, they've taken the ballots from the polling stations, put them in these plastic boxes from Baquba and surrounding areas and brought them here to this location near Baquba, so they can count them. And that's what we're seeing now, election workers who have been here since the polls closed yesterday afternoon, who will be here for at least another day counting these ballots.
This was supposed to have been done in Baghdad. Everything was to have been sent there. But because of security, because of concerns of attacks on the road, the ballot boxing being stolen, there's a slight change in plans. And that means that hundreds of boxes are coming in here. Thousands of ballots are being counted. They expect, here in Baquba, perhaps about 300,000 people may have come out to vote.
That would mean that between 30 percent and 40 percent of people here who are registered to vote have voted, despite the threats of intimidation. These workers here far fewer than they had expected. A lot of them stayed away. But those here said they feel it is important not just to vote, but to make this elections process happen -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And most of those voters, at least where you are, were Sunnis; is that right, Jane?
ARRAF: I'm sorry, Wolf. Can you say that again?
BLITZER: Were most of the voters where you are Sunnis?
ARRAF: No. Most of the voters would have been Shia and Kurdish, likely.
Now, this is a Sunni stronghold. And the largest group of people here are Sunni Muslim, Wolf. But, as you know, the problem has been that they haven't had candidates to vote for, and they feel they've been cut out of the political process.
Here in Baquba, even though they were given a dispensation from Sunni religious leaders saying that even though they had urged followers to boycott the elections, Sunnis here in this province could vote, they ended up not having many people to vote for. One of their main candidates was actually left off the ballot, a developing story that could lead to further rifts between the Sunnis and the Shias, already a concern here, of course -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jane Arraf reporting for us from Baquba, thank you very much.
To our viewers, here is your chance to weigh in on the story. Our Web question of the day is this. Do you believe the Iraqi election was a defeat for terrorists? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results coming up later in this broadcast.
Let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines right now around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): The European Union is forging closer ties with Cuba. E.U. foreign ministers agreed today to restore normal diplomatic relations with the communist country, but they also pledged to increase contacts with critics of Cuban President Fidel Castro. The European Union froze high-level contacts with Cuba after Havana cracked down on dissidents almost two years ago.
Much of Japan is in the deep freeze after a bitter cold front swept in from Siberia. Heavy snow fell from the northern island of Hokkaido to southern Japan. And forecasters are predicting even more snow.
From the Vatican, there's word that Pope John Paul II is suffering from the flu. But it's being described as a mild case.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Selecting a Jackson jury. Michael Jackson goes to court, as his child molestation trial gets under way. And, of course, it's part trial, part circus. We'll have a live report. That's coming up next.
Plus, Jackson Incorporated. Is the king of pop in financial trouble? Our Mary Snow has been investigating. She'll have a closer look at his business empire.
And later, Strom Thurmond's secret. He supported segregation while fathering a biracial child. Now his daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, speaks out. She's standing by to join me live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The child molestation case against Michael Jackson is now officially under way. But even before jury selection began today, the pop star took the offensive, releasing a videotaped message on his Web site.
CNN's Sean Callebs is outside the courthouse in Santa Maria, California. And he has the latest -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Without question, Michael Jackson and his legal team quite upset about the amount of pretrial publicity and leaks that have come regarding this case.
Now, Jackson has been in court for the afternoon session for just about an hour. The session has been under way for 45 minutes. The judge in this case has a very ambitious schedule. He wants to question some 750 prospective jurors over 2 1/2 days. And if the morning session was any indication, an overwhelming number of people are willing to sacrifice the four to six months necessary for a chance to sit in on this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): For a generation, he's simply been the king of pop. But on this stage at the Santa Barbara County courthouse, Michael Jackson is known as defendant. At stake, child molestation charges that could cost the entertainer his reputation, his career and his freedom.
Still, in the town of Santa Maria, Jackson's vocal supporters are out in force.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very proud to do what I do. And I'm very proud to be a Michael Jackson fan and to support him today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, America has this tendency to, like, like to build people up and break them down. And they can't break him down, so they're just kind of stuck on, like, trying to. It's not going to work.
CALLEBS: Jury selection is under way. The challenge, find 12 jurors and eight alternates who have not been tainted by pretrial publicity. Judge Rodney Melville hopes to question 750 prospective jurors over 2 1/2 days.
Court observers say a large number in the jury pool are willing to give up between four and six months to sit on the jury.
LINDA DEUTSCH, ASSOCIATED PRESS: More than half said they could serve, which is kind of unusual. Jurors usually have more hardships than this group. But they were willing to serve, many of them.
CALLEBS: Lawyers hope to begin selecting jurors by the end of the week. Jackson is accused of four counts of child molestation and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent. Despite a gag order in the case, lurid allegations involving Jackson and a 13-year- old cancer-stricken patient have surfaced.
In a court-approved statement on Jackson's Web site, the pop icon urged his fans to be patient, that he will be exonerated.
MICHAEL JACKSON, DEFENDANT: Please keep an open mind and let me have my day in court. I deserve a fair trial, like every other American citizen. I will be acquitted and vindicated when the truth is told.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: A few noticeable absences in Jackson's entourage today, his mother and father. The judge said, during jury selection, just not enough room. But once the trial does begin, the family will have seats in the courtroom -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Sean Callebs reporting from Santa Maria at the courthouse -- thanks , Sean, very much.
Jackson's continuing legal problems have already taken a toll on what once was a considerable fortune.
CNN's Mary Snow picks up that part of the story. She's joining us from New York -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Jackson's financial advisers were not immediately available for comment, but besides the hefty legal bills that he faces, the charges against Jackson are also cutting into his paycheck.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): Michael Jackson's legal troubles have implications beyond the courthouse, posing a threat to his financial empire.
ALAN LIGHT, "TRACKS": Anything short of being fully exonerated in this trial is going to be sort of a death blow to him professionally.
SNOW: Music industry observers can't put an exact figure on Jackson's net worth. And his advisers keep the information close to the vest.
QUESTION: Mr. Jackson is in financial trouble. Can you clarify that, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, do we look worried?
QUESTION: But is he in financial trouble?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course not.
SNOW: In his heyday, with hits like "Thriller," some estimate he was worth as much as $900 million. But with no tours, no new albums and lavish spending, like the upkeep of his Neverland Ranch, Jackson's financing have been shrinking.
Industry observers say his main sources of income are the rights to music catalogs, including a stake with Sony/ATV of 251 Beatles songs.
BRUNO DEL GRANADO, ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCER: Michael, if you count his music publishing catalog, is probably worth several hundred million dollars. ?
SNOW: Jackson has reportedly taken out $270 million in loans from Bank of America that are backed by his two music publishing catalogs. While his own new music may not be the bread and butter of his bank account these days, he has flocks of fans outside the United States.
DEL GRANADO: He has a fairly strong and consistent following outside the United States, like a lot of '80s superstars.
SNOW: Unlike the '80s, though, when Jackson was known only for his talent, today's generation of young people know him mainly because by the controversy around him.
LIGHT: For him to go on and rebuild and shift the focus away from the Michael Jackson freak show and on to Michael Jackson the brilliant singer and dancer and performer, you know, he's got to hope that everything works absolutely for the best and then decide that he wants it bad enough to go for that. It's possible. It's a long, long shot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And to underscore the difference between the '80s and now, it was about 20 years ago right around this time Michael Jackson was making headlines for co-writing "We Are the World," a song that went on to makes tens of millions dollars for famine relief in Africa -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow reporting for us from us New York, Mary, thank you.
When we come back, a family secret. Coming up, the biracial daughter of Strom Thurmond speaks out after eight almost decades of silence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There's a new book out about the late Senator Strom Thurmond. It is not a political biography. It's a very personal account written by the senator's African-American daughter, whose very existence was a secret until after the senator died.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): To many Americans on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, Strom Thurmond was a symbol of the old south. As a governor, then a senator from South Carolina during the Jim Crow era, he was a strong supporter of segregation. In 1948, President Harry Truman tried to push the national Democratic Party to adopt a strong civil rights stance. Southern Democrats bolted and formed a third party with Thurmond as their presidential candidate.
STROM THURMOND, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... part of this president to dominate this country by force and to put into effect these uncalled-for and these damnable proposals he has recommended under the guise of so-called civil rights.
BLITZER: Nine years later, Thurmond staged a 24-hour, 18-minute filibuster against a civil rights bill that ended only when the Senate physician threatened to drag him from the floor.
For years, though, Thurmond had had a secret. Shortly after Thurmond died at the age of 100 in 2003, a retired African-American schoolteacher named Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward. She said Thurmond was her father.
ESSIE MAE WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS, AUTHOR, "DEAR SENATOR": At this juncture in my life, I am looking for closure. I am not bitter. I am not angry.
BLITZER: When Washington-Williams was born in 1925, her mother, a housekeeper for Thurmond's family, was 16. Thurmond was 22. After the Thurmond family confirmed the paternity claim, critics said the disparity between Thurmond's public stance and private actions were typical of the sexual hypocrisy that flourished during the Jim Crow era.
Washington-Williams says that, while in her teens, she learned about her father's identity and she saw him at least 60 times over the next six decades. The meetings were friendly, but formal. Still, Washington-Williams says she understands. She says the same personal code that prevented Thurmond from forsaking her also prevented him from embracing her. WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Throughout his life and mine, we respected each other. I never wanted to do anything to harm him or cause detriment to his life or to the lives of those around him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The same of Essie Mae Washington-Williams' book is "Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond."
She's joining us now to talk about it.
Congratulations on writing this book. Thanks very much for joining us, Ms. Washington-Williams.
Let's talk a little bit about the book, because it's a powerful memoir. Among other things, you write this about the first time you met with Senator Thurmond: "'Isn't she a lovely girl?' he said. 'You have a lovely daughter.' It was a kind thought, but, inside, it hurt me. I would have liked to have heard him say, we have a lovely daughter."
You remember that moment?
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, very distinctly.
BLITZER: So was it, what, surprise? Explain a little bit what you were feeling then.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Well, once my mother made the arrangements to take me to meet him, I had never heard of him before. No one had ever said anything about him. And we had gone to her sister's funeral.
And the next day, she took me over to see him after making the arrangements with him. And I was quite shocked, because, as I've stated before, he was a Caucasian. I wasn't looking for a Caucasian man to be my father. But it happened that way. And, of course, after I got to know him, it was fine with me. It really didn't matter.
BLITZER: And you were familiar with his political views, his views about segregation and race.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: At the time I met him, I was not.
BLITZER: But later in life, you were?
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Later, yes, after I got to know him. But when I first had contact with him and would visit him when he was the governor, he had come to the school where I was attending. He didn't seem to be doing all the rhetoric that later he did once he ran for the president on the Dixiecrat ticket.
BLITZER: During those 60 encounters you had with him, eventually, did the issue of race come up? Did he ever talk to you openly about his own views? WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: No, he didn't. He never said anything as far as blacks were concerned to me. And when I asked him certain questions after I heard his speeches, and I wanted to know why was he saying those things, and he was saying that he was trying to keep the races the way they were always separated in the South. And there wasn't anything he could do about it. He didn't start it.
And I said, well, I thought, in your position, maybe you could be more influential and try to do more positive things.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Did you ever regret not speaking up?
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Well, I did speak up. Several times, we discussed this.
But he'd say a few things about it that he wanted to. Then he'd go on to another subject. But, at this one time, later in the book, you'll read where we had this conflict, because I was tired of him -- hearing him say the same old thing. And then I questioned him.
BLITZER: Well, you've written an excellent, excellent book, worthy of reading by all of our viewers. I appreciate your coming and sharing your story with us.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Oh, well, I'm happy to do that, because, when I once decided to come out, then I wanted everybody to know the answer to all those questions I had been asked all those years, but would never comment on it until I was ready to make the announcement.
BLITZER: Essie Mae Washington-Williams. The book is entitled "Dear Senator." Thanks very much for doing this.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: All right. Thank you for having me.
BLITZER: We'll take a quick break. We'll have the results of our Web question when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Take a look at the results of our Web question. Remember, not a scientific poll.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," though, 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 January 31, 2005 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now, a senator's scare. Hillary Rodham Clinton faints then avoids a trip to the hospital. Why is the senator sticking to her schedule and is it wise? I'll speak with a witness to her scare and CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Iraq, the day after. They're counting the votes and counting on a brighter future.
But the insurgents have their own ideas.
Dramatic new video purports to show a shootdown.
What's next? We'll hear from our correspondents on the scene. And I'll speak with former secretary of state Madeline Albright.
Michael Jackson in court. The pop star's future and freedom are at stake as his child molestation trial gets under way.
Strom Thurmond's secret. The late senator's biracial daughter tells us about her life on the other side of the color line.
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, January 31, 2005
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: In Iraq, millions brave bombs and bullets and showed up at the polls. Today they're celebrating and leaders in Baghdad and here in Washington are calling the vote a victory. But insurgents are vowing more violence and, by any measure, the Iraqi election is just the first step on a very long road. We begin our coverage with CNN's Jeff Koinange in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hope for the dawn of the new era in Iraq and for many here relief despite continued security measures across the country on the ground and in the air. For the country's interim prime minister, though, Sunday's vote was a chance for the country to exorcise some of its past demons. AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI INTERIM PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Yesterday, the Iraqi people showed to the world their courage, their determination and their love of freedom. Yesterday, Iraqis poured out into the streets, their villages and their cities. They marched together in their millions as a national army, armed with the determination to live in freedom. The terrorists were defeated yesterday in Iraq.
KOINANGE: On this, the day after, supporters taking to the streets in the sprawling Shia neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. One group expected to gain power -- the United Iraqi Alliance, a coalition which has the endorsement of Shia Islam's highest authority, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. But one group is set to lose power, the minority Sunnis which Saddam Hussein kept in power for decades leading some Sunnis like computer studies student Omar Maulud (ph) to refuse to vote.
"I didn't vote because I'm not convinced in these elections," he says. "They've been rigged from the start."
KOINANGE: Iraqi actress Suad Abdullah (ph) a Shia says she's waited a long time to vote for a candidate of her choice. And no suicide bombers or mortars were going to stop her.
"I walked in the streets and it was so nice to feel that I have the freedom of choice," she says. "The next step, counting the ballots."
ADIL AL-LAMI, IRAQI ELECTORAL COMMISSION (through translator): We have more than 200 employees. They have 80 computers at their disposal. And they are working 24 hours all the way around in order to complete the counting process. I would estimate ten days.
KOINANGE: With a free election, a chance for Iraqis to start a new chapter in their history, with results still days away, a nation watches, counts and waits. Jeff Koinange, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Al Qaeda's allies in Iraq say they won't be affected by the election results, and they're promising to step up what they call their holy war.
Meantime, yesterday's crash of a British C-130 transport plane has brought two claims of responsibility and some dramatic video. Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we know that in the past insurgents have tried to shoot down planes. What we don't know is if this time they may have succeeded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): This videotape aired on the Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera purports to show a surface-to-air missile or missiles fired by insurgents at the British transport plane followed by the aftermath. Flames, then wreckage through an overall wide area. Experts say the wreckage shown on the tape including this engine does seem to be consistent with a C-130 flown by the Royal Air Force. But it's impossible to tell, they say if the crudely edited missile launching sequence is legitimate.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The launcher box appears to be totally bogus to me. That's a launcher box that's consistent with IEDs, improvised explosive devices, the type that they use on roadsides.
BLITZER: The C-130 crashed about 20 miles north of Baghdad on a short hop to Balad. The weather was good, there was no distress call and hostile fire has not been ruled out.
JOCK STIRRUP, BRITISH AIR CHIEF MARSHAL: I'm aware that there's a great deal of speculation about what caused this crash, not least because of the video that we've seen today purporting to be of a missile shooting down an aircraft. We all want to know what caused it and we all want to know (AUDIO GAP) we can but we have to find out the facts.
MCINTYRE: Insurgents have targeted aircraft using Baghdad International Airport with surface-to-air missiles in the past forcing U.S. and coalition planes to use steep takeoffs or corkscrew landings to make them harder to hit.
In November of 2003 a DHL cargo plane limped back to Baghdad after losing its hydraulic system when its wing was hit by what appeared to be a heat-seeking shoulder-fired missile. A month later a U.S. C-17 landed safely at Baghdad after a similar missile hit one of its engines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Two different groups have claimed responsibility for this. One said that it fired an anti-tank missile at the plane something experts say would be very difficult. A British investigation will determine if there's any other explanation for what brought the plane down -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Thank you, Jamie.
As the ballots are counted has Iraq turned a corner? CNN's Anderson Cooper is joining us now live from Baghdad where there's word just coming in, Anderson, that U.S. guards have opened fire on some rioting Iraqi prisoners. What do we know about this?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Wolf. This happened down in Camp Bucca which is very far to the south in Iraq. This has nothing to do with the Abu Ghraib facility which is around Baghdad. Camp Bucca is found near Umm Qasr down in the southeast of Iraq.
Basically what happened, and this is all according to the U.S. military to a press release they handed out, four Iraqis were killed, six other Iraqis were injured. All of them detainees. Camp Bucca is a sprawling compound. Ten separate compounds, actually within Camp Bucca. There are about 5,300 Iraqi detainees there. There were four compounds involved in this prison riot is essentially what it was.
It began in one compound and quickly spread, escalated to three other compounds. Iraqi detainees there started to throw rocks at U.S. guards, started to fashion weapons out of materials they could get in the compound. About 2,900 prisoners are housed in the four compounds which were involved in the melee. It took guards -- all the U.S. guards were mobilized as quickly as the rioting began in first compound and quickly, as I said, it escalated to encompass four compounds in total.
For about 45 minutes, according to the U.S. military, they tried nonlethal force, verbal warnings. They then began using lethal force after 45 minutes. And, as I said, four Iraqis were killed, six others wounded. Several of those were flown out to a hospital facility for treatment after receiving those injuries.
All of this began with a routine search for contraband, according to the U.S. military. Contraband, you know, routine. They always have these searches, trying to see if the prisoners have been fashioning weapons, trying to confiscate anything they can. The search was going on in this one compound. And then it quickly spread out, Wolf. As far as we know though, no U.S. soldiers were hurt or certainly none killed in this incident -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. We'll continue to follow this story. Anderson Cooper reporting for us from Baghdad. Anderson, thank you very much. We'll have much more on what's happening in Iraq on this day after the election. That's coming up.
Let's move on to some other news we're watching right now, including right here in the United States. There was a health scare for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who fainted while giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, earlier today. CNN's Deborah Feyerick has the latest on the former first lady's condition. She's joining us live from New York -- Deborah.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, about an hour after she fainted, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was back on schedule talking about health care and downplaying a doctor's advice to cancel her afternoon speaking engagements.
Before taking questions from the crowd at Canisius College, she told them that the whole thing wasn't as dramatic as it sounds, saying it was a 24-hour bug and that she would be fine. Clinton's press secretary blamed the whole thing on a stomach virus, saying she felt week, needed to sit down, and then fainted briefly. It happened at a luncheon. Mrs. Clinton speaking to a woman's group in Buffalo, New York.
One local official tells CNN that before she started she warned the crowd that she was feeling queasy. Sources tell CNN Clinton had a retreat for her staff over the weekend. And about half of the people there actually came down with some sort of a stomach bug. Today, Mrs. Clinton did not go to the hospital and no ambulance was called. She did return to Washington, D.C. this afternoon after the second and final speaking engagement -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Deborah Feyerick reporting for us from New York.
Len Lenihan is the chairman of the Erie Country Democratic Committee. He saw Mrs. Clinton faint. Lenny Lenihan is joining us now live from Buffalo.
Lenny, tell our viewers what you saw, what were you doing there?
LEN LENIHAN, CHMN., ERIE CO. DEM. CMTE.: Well, Wolf, I greeted Hillary as she came into the building in my role as Democratic chairman. We talked briefly. But she said right off the bat that she wasn't feeling well. Said she had a little stomach virus. And she looked pale. She then was taken into the main room where the luncheon was, where we all sat down for lunch. She spoke before a women's political action committee called the Women's Tap Fund.
She got up to speak, she started talking about Social Security. And right at the top she told the audience that she was feeling somewhat queasy. And then she started speaking.
About five minutes into her talk, she said, I think I'm going to sit down and talk from a chair. And they gave her a hand mike. And then a couple of minutes after that she said, I think I'm just going to leave the room for a few minutes and catch my breath and maybe take my jacket off.
When she came back, she simply went back to the podium, and she grabbed the podium, and her staff was there putting the microphone back in place and so forth. And then you could tell she was -- it became clear she was faint.
The good news was her staff was right there around her and there was a doctor in the house. They just brought her down gently on the floor for a couple minutes. She went in the back room. And we cleared the place out.
And the good news is she's great. And amazingly 45 minutes later she was speaking for a tough audience at Canisius College. She did fantastic.
BLITZER: Did she actually, Lenny, fall to the ground?
LENIHAN: She didn't. She started fanting and the people around her simply held her and brought her down gently on the ground. She was down just for a couple of minutes. And then there was a doctor in the house watching the speech. And then she was taking -- they took her in the back room and basically emptied the room.
And I basically thought -- I called John LaFalce, the former congressman who was handling the Canisius College event which was next. And I called to tell him that she had fainted and I wasn't sure she would make it. But they would get back to him. And sure enough, she was back on her feet. Very resilient, one tough individual.
BLITZER: How long was she actually out, though, when she fainted?
LENIHAN: I don't know if she was ever unconscious. She was certainly -- you know, again, she was brought down by her staff very gently on the floor to make sure -- to observe her and a doctor went right up to her and started treating her. And then she got up a couple minutes later, they went in the back room behind a curtain. And that's the last time I saw her.
BLITZER: Lenny Lenihan is the chairman of the Democratic Party in Erie County, that's where Buffalo, New York, is. He is also someone who grew up with me in suburban Kenmore, New York. I've known him only since second grade.
Lenny, thanks very much.
LENIHAN: Wolf, all the best.
BLITZER: Why did Hillary Rodham Clinton faint and how can you make sure the same thing doesn't happen when you're sick? Our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins us next. He'll have some information that probably will be useful for you.
Counting the votes in Iraq? Does a smooth election mean those who oppose the war were wrong? I'll speak live with the former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: Please keep an open mind and let me have my day in court. I deserve a fair trial like every other American citizen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: A pop star's plea. Jury selection begins in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. We'll have details what happened today.
And later, she was a secret for more than 70 years. Now Strom Thurmond's daughter shares her story with us and the world. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Fainting can be alarming, but it's not necessarily uncommon. And while it's usually not serious, fainting at times can be life-threatening. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us now on more on what happened.
Hillary Clinton faints earlier today in Buffalo, Sanjay. What goes through your mind when you hear about this?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, I was sorry to hear that this happened to her. In a young, healthy person, as you mentioned, Wolf, it is probably not of significance consequence in the long term.
Why does someone faint who doesn't have a pre-existing medical condition? One is -- the most llikely reason is just simple dehydration. Everyone has been, well, it's a stomach flu that she had. These things are linked. You get the stomach flu. You may not be able to keep food down or liquids down as well. You slowly become more dehydrated. Add to that a hot stage, a somewhat stressful situation, and suddenly someone can start to feel a little queasy. What's happening in the body is that not enough blood flow is getting to the brain because the body is a little bit dehydrated.
Other things that can cause it as well, Wolf, a slight abnormality in the heart rhythm, a new medication perhaps. There is no reason to believe that either one of those were the cause here, as -- and her office released a statement saying it was really the stomach flu. She just wasn't feeling well.
BLITZER: Well, wouldn't it be prudent to basically err on the side of caution, to go check it out, go to the hospital, make sure everything is normal?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, if I were still working with her, I probably would have told her that it's probably a good idea for her to take the rest of the day off. And a couple of things.
One is to rehydrate as much possible. If she wasn't able to keep fluids down by mouth, and then to maybe even go get an IV, intravenous fluids in a hospital or in an emergency room.
Also I would probably, on the side of caution, would just get a simple EKG of her heart to make sure she doesn't have some sort of underlying heart abnormality and this was the first time that it had sort of declared itself. Again, I'm not saying that's what happened, I don't think that's what happened.
But to answer your questions sort in the name of prudence, I think I'd do those two things at least, but certainly try and some get fluids down either by mouth or by IV -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And you point out you used to work for her. You were a White House fellow during the Clinton administration and you worked on her staff. Is that right?
GUPTA: That's right, yes.
BLITZER: So you got to know her. She's basically a very healthy woman.
GUPTA: She's a very healthy person. She's very, very hard working as well. She's always on the go. I can tell you in the short time that I was with her, I know her life has changed, even quite busier now as a senator, but it is hard to get meals in, it's hard to make sure that you're eating right and drinking well. All these things can contribute on top of an already busy schedule, add to that a stomach flu, a stomach virus, that can really knock somebody down as it did in her case probably today -- Wolf. BLITZER: And also they're suggesting there may have been some food poisoning or something else going on. They were all at a retreat over the weekend in Rye, New York, and about 20 of her staffers also -- felt a little queasy, didn't feel good. Is that something that can result in one fainting?
GUPTA: Yes, I had heard the same thing as well, Wolf. It sounded like several people on her staff were not feeling well. It can result in fainting. Not directly. What happens again is that when someone is starting to feel not well in terms of their stomach, they're maybe not able to keep food down, they may have diarrhea, they may be getting dehydrated as a result of that. And that dehydration really is the problem.
Again, the dehydration -- the overall volume of blood in your body is somewhat down. You can't get enough blood flow to your brain. And for example, if you go from sitting to standing very quick, you might feel a little bit light-headed.
If you're somewhat nervous or you have a lot of anxiety about -- you know, she's giving a speech, she's up there in front of a lot of people, all that can contribute to it as well. Not that she gets nervous in front of people, but that could have happened as well -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I doubt if she's getting nervous giving speeches in Buffalo, New York. She's been doing it for quite a bit. And fortunately her staff says she's just fine right now. She gave that speech at Canisius College in Buffalo. She's now back -- at least on the way back to Washington. Thank God she's OK.
GUPTA: I'm going to send her some Gatorade, Wolf, I think.
BLITZER: Maybe you should give her some medical advice, too, Sanjay. Thanks very much. Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Were the critics wrong on Iraq? The former secretary of state Madeleine Albright. She's standing by. She'll join me live. That's coming up next.
Also, Michael Jackson launches a preemptive strike as jury selection begins in the child molestation trial.
And a new health problem for the pope forcing him to cancel public appearances. We'll have details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: More now on our top story, the day after the elections in Iraq. Where does Iraq go from here? And does the election offer some light at the end of the tunnel for the United States? Joining us the former secretary of state Madeleine Albright. Madam secretary, thanks very much for joining us.
Give us your quick reaction. This has to be good news for the United States and the world that there were free and fair elections in Iraq.
MADELINE ALBRIGHT, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's great news for the Iraqi people who really went out there and showed how tough they were and determined they were. And it is good news for the United States. So it is a very important event that happened. But it's only the beginning. And democracy is not an event. Democracy's a process. And we are at the beginning of a long process here to make sure that the Iraqi people really have the government that they want and that the country stays together.
BLITZER: So what do you want to see unfold right now? What should happen? What should the U.S. policy -- the Bush administration policy from your perspective be?
ALBRIGHT: First of all, there are the governance issues. The Iraqis have to write a constitution, which is not without its difficulties because one of the things we know about democracy is majority wins but minority rights have to be respected. And in this case, it's the Sunnis who really did not vote in large numbers and the question is what their representation will be.
So that issue comes up in the constitution. Then the role of the Kurds. The Kurds, who did vote, but they would like to have a measure of autonomy and the question, how much of that will be represented in the constitution?
So writing a constitution is going to be a complicated process.
BLITZER: Does the president deserve credit for getting to this stage in Iraq? It's been painful over these past two years, but there has been a free election now in an Arab country, namely Iraq.
ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that it's a very important point. The president, however, took us in on the basis of finding weapons of mass destruction. The idea of democracy is something that has come later. But I think it's great. It's a great day for the people of Iraq. And a great day for our troops. And I think the president does deserve credit. I think the question is what happens next?
BLITZER: Do you agree with Senator Kennedy that it is time now for the U.S. to immediately start withdrawing troops? He wants 12,000 troops, he said before the election, to immediately leave after the election.
ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that we would all like to know what the exit strategy is. I think the reason that Senator Kennedy made the speech he did was because it's unclear what the administration's plans really are. I personally am not for setting dates and deadlines because they then become a problem. What needs to be done, though, are a set of benchmarks. What has to happen?
So some of it has to do with the governance that I mentioned. Some of it has to do with economic reconstruction. And one of the things we've learned, Wolf, from the euphoria of democracies and the voting, democracy has to deliver. In the end, people have to see that their lives are better. The only way that's going to happen is if the reconstruction process goes forward. And we haven't heard that much from the administration about how that's going to go and which countries are going to help and how the Iraqi people really are in control. 2005 is a huge year. And this is the beginning of the story.
BLITZER: Senator Kennedy says the U.S. military presence in Iraq is part of the problem, not part of the solution because it reinforces this notion that the United States is occupying Iraq. You agree with him?
ALBRIGHT: Well, Wolf, I just came back -- I was in Cairo. And I met with a lot of different representatives of a variety of Arab countries. And that is a statement that is made, is that the American troops are both the problem and the solution. Clearly the American troops were vital yesterday in maintaining security. And despite the fact that, as I said, the Iraqi people deserve huge credit, Iraq was in a lockdown mode. It was not a normal day in any shape or form. And the American troops were absolutely vital.
On the other hand, they, as I heard from many people when I was in Egypt, it is a source of concern. Why are they there, how long are they going to stay?
So they are both, as I say, a solution and the problem.
BLITZER: Did you get any indication that any other Arab country is going to follow Iraq's lead? Right now, for example, Egypt, a good ally of the United States, are they going to have elections, Saudi Arabia, Syria, are any of these other countries in the Arab world going to follow the Iraqi example?
ALBRIGHT: Well, I don't think they'll follow the Iraqi example because they don't want to see an invasion make it happen. But I do think that there are definitely stirrings of reform in all of these countries. And the question is what the U.S. approach towards that should be.
BLITZER: What should it be?
ALBRIGHT: Well, I personally think that we need to support the reformers, but we have to be very careful about not overembracing them so that we don't create the problem that just because we like them that the local people will not like them. But there is a process in place and it has started. And I think that the Iraqi elections are important, but there are countries in the neighborhood who would prefer not to have a democratic Iraq.
BLITZER: Let's hope it works out. Let's hope this is the start of something good and something important. Appreciate it very much.
ALBRIGHT: For the Iraqi people, I really think that's essential. Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Madeleine Albright, thanks very much.
ALBRIGHT: Thank you. BLITZER: The votes have been cast, but what's next for the Iraqis in their quest for democracy? We'll break down the who's who and what their roles may be.
Judging Jackson. The pop star goes to court as lawyers try to find 12 people to judge him on his child molestation charges. We'll go live to Santa Maria, California.
And breaking her lifelong silence, the biracial daughter of former Senator Strom Thurmond speaks out about her life on the other side of the color line.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Iraqis may have woken up today feeling like they're breathing a different air. They may be tasting freedom and independence. But a day after their election, they still have quite a way to go.
Joining us now for more on that, our own Brian Todd -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf.
A lot of people have the misperception that this is the culmination of the democratic process in Iraq. But transforming this former dictatorship will take the better part of a year. And that's only if everything goes smoothly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): The euphoria of democracy in a country clearly not used to it. But when celebrations simmer down, the realization may soon set in. This vote was one step in a drawn-out process.
IYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI INTERIM PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In a week or two, the numbers of the new elected National Assembly will be named. And then the process of forming a new inclusive government will begin.
TODD: Even if everything goes smoothly, this government will be in place only for about a year.
JAMES DOBBINS, RAND CORPORATION: The main requirement is negotiation within parties, which won't be too hard, about who should occupy the most senior positions, but then among parties about how those positions should be distributed.
TODD: This vote, when it's counted, will determine the 275 members of Iraq's National Assembly. The assembly's first order of business? To select a president and two vice presidents. This so- called presidential council will then appoint a prime minister.
DOBBINS: The prime minister will be in charge of day-to-day policy. Certainly, as the system has functioned to date, Allawi, the prime minister, has been much more influential than the president.
TODD: And the new boss may be the same as the old boss. Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is one of the stronger candidates. This post of prime minister will almost certainly be filled by a Shiite, since that group is the majority and has the largest turnout.
Another prominent, but controversial candidate, Ahmad Chalabi, former leader of the Iraqi National Congress, a prime mover behind the U.S. invasion who has since falling out with the Bush administration. Analysts say the more ceremonial post of president will likely be filled by a Sunni or a Kurd. Names circulated for that? The current interim president, Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani, and senior statesman Adnan Pachachi, a Sunni who spoke about the next important part of this process.
ADNAN PACHACHI, FORMER MEMBER, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: The political parties and groups that did not take part in the election should be invited to participate in the writing of the permanent constitution.
TODD: Work on the constitution begins as soon as the prime minister, president and vice presidents are in place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: The timetable calls for the draft of the Iraqi constitution to be finished by August 15, a referendum on that document by October 15 and, if the constitution is passed, new elections for a more permanent government on December 31, 2005. Wolf, we've got a year left.
BLITZER: We'll watch all those dates together with you.
Brian Todd, thanks very much. Excellent report.
Many of Iraq's minority Sunni population favored during the Saddam Hussein era are not necessarily sharing in all the euphoria.
CNN's Jane Arraf is near Baquba, which has been a stronghold of insurgents. She's joining us now live via videophone.
On this day after, what's the mood there, Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, about 30 hours after the polls have closed, we are here surrounded by ballot boxes.
Now, what they've done is, they've taken the ballots from the polling stations, put them in these plastic boxes from Baquba and surrounding areas and brought them here to this location near Baquba, so they can count them. And that's what we're seeing now, election workers who have been here since the polls closed yesterday afternoon, who will be here for at least another day counting these ballots.
This was supposed to have been done in Baghdad. Everything was to have been sent there. But because of security, because of concerns of attacks on the road, the ballot boxing being stolen, there's a slight change in plans. And that means that hundreds of boxes are coming in here. Thousands of ballots are being counted. They expect, here in Baquba, perhaps about 300,000 people may have come out to vote.
That would mean that between 30 percent and 40 percent of people here who are registered to vote have voted, despite the threats of intimidation. These workers here far fewer than they had expected. A lot of them stayed away. But those here said they feel it is important not just to vote, but to make this elections process happen -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And most of those voters, at least where you are, were Sunnis; is that right, Jane?
ARRAF: I'm sorry, Wolf. Can you say that again?
BLITZER: Were most of the voters where you are Sunnis?
ARRAF: No. Most of the voters would have been Shia and Kurdish, likely.
Now, this is a Sunni stronghold. And the largest group of people here are Sunni Muslim, Wolf. But, as you know, the problem has been that they haven't had candidates to vote for, and they feel they've been cut out of the political process.
Here in Baquba, even though they were given a dispensation from Sunni religious leaders saying that even though they had urged followers to boycott the elections, Sunnis here in this province could vote, they ended up not having many people to vote for. One of their main candidates was actually left off the ballot, a developing story that could lead to further rifts between the Sunnis and the Shias, already a concern here, of course -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jane Arraf reporting for us from Baquba, thank you very much.
To our viewers, here is your chance to weigh in on the story. Our Web question of the day is this. Do you believe the Iraqi election was a defeat for terrorists? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results coming up later in this broadcast.
Let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines right now around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): The European Union is forging closer ties with Cuba. E.U. foreign ministers agreed today to restore normal diplomatic relations with the communist country, but they also pledged to increase contacts with critics of Cuban President Fidel Castro. The European Union froze high-level contacts with Cuba after Havana cracked down on dissidents almost two years ago.
Much of Japan is in the deep freeze after a bitter cold front swept in from Siberia. Heavy snow fell from the northern island of Hokkaido to southern Japan. And forecasters are predicting even more snow.
From the Vatican, there's word that Pope John Paul II is suffering from the flu. But it's being described as a mild case.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Selecting a Jackson jury. Michael Jackson goes to court, as his child molestation trial gets under way. And, of course, it's part trial, part circus. We'll have a live report. That's coming up next.
Plus, Jackson Incorporated. Is the king of pop in financial trouble? Our Mary Snow has been investigating. She'll have a closer look at his business empire.
And later, Strom Thurmond's secret. He supported segregation while fathering a biracial child. Now his daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, speaks out. She's standing by to join me live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The child molestation case against Michael Jackson is now officially under way. But even before jury selection began today, the pop star took the offensive, releasing a videotaped message on his Web site.
CNN's Sean Callebs is outside the courthouse in Santa Maria, California. And he has the latest -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Without question, Michael Jackson and his legal team quite upset about the amount of pretrial publicity and leaks that have come regarding this case.
Now, Jackson has been in court for the afternoon session for just about an hour. The session has been under way for 45 minutes. The judge in this case has a very ambitious schedule. He wants to question some 750 prospective jurors over 2 1/2 days. And if the morning session was any indication, an overwhelming number of people are willing to sacrifice the four to six months necessary for a chance to sit in on this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): For a generation, he's simply been the king of pop. But on this stage at the Santa Barbara County courthouse, Michael Jackson is known as defendant. At stake, child molestation charges that could cost the entertainer his reputation, his career and his freedom.
Still, in the town of Santa Maria, Jackson's vocal supporters are out in force.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very proud to do what I do. And I'm very proud to be a Michael Jackson fan and to support him today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, America has this tendency to, like, like to build people up and break them down. And they can't break him down, so they're just kind of stuck on, like, trying to. It's not going to work.
CALLEBS: Jury selection is under way. The challenge, find 12 jurors and eight alternates who have not been tainted by pretrial publicity. Judge Rodney Melville hopes to question 750 prospective jurors over 2 1/2 days.
Court observers say a large number in the jury pool are willing to give up between four and six months to sit on the jury.
LINDA DEUTSCH, ASSOCIATED PRESS: More than half said they could serve, which is kind of unusual. Jurors usually have more hardships than this group. But they were willing to serve, many of them.
CALLEBS: Lawyers hope to begin selecting jurors by the end of the week. Jackson is accused of four counts of child molestation and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent. Despite a gag order in the case, lurid allegations involving Jackson and a 13-year- old cancer-stricken patient have surfaced.
In a court-approved statement on Jackson's Web site, the pop icon urged his fans to be patient, that he will be exonerated.
MICHAEL JACKSON, DEFENDANT: Please keep an open mind and let me have my day in court. I deserve a fair trial, like every other American citizen. I will be acquitted and vindicated when the truth is told.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: A few noticeable absences in Jackson's entourage today, his mother and father. The judge said, during jury selection, just not enough room. But once the trial does begin, the family will have seats in the courtroom -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Sean Callebs reporting from Santa Maria at the courthouse -- thanks , Sean, very much.
Jackson's continuing legal problems have already taken a toll on what once was a considerable fortune.
CNN's Mary Snow picks up that part of the story. She's joining us from New York -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Jackson's financial advisers were not immediately available for comment, but besides the hefty legal bills that he faces, the charges against Jackson are also cutting into his paycheck.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): Michael Jackson's legal troubles have implications beyond the courthouse, posing a threat to his financial empire.
ALAN LIGHT, "TRACKS": Anything short of being fully exonerated in this trial is going to be sort of a death blow to him professionally.
SNOW: Music industry observers can't put an exact figure on Jackson's net worth. And his advisers keep the information close to the vest.
QUESTION: Mr. Jackson is in financial trouble. Can you clarify that, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, do we look worried?
QUESTION: But is he in financial trouble?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course not.
SNOW: In his heyday, with hits like "Thriller," some estimate he was worth as much as $900 million. But with no tours, no new albums and lavish spending, like the upkeep of his Neverland Ranch, Jackson's financing have been shrinking.
Industry observers say his main sources of income are the rights to music catalogs, including a stake with Sony/ATV of 251 Beatles songs.
BRUNO DEL GRANADO, ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCER: Michael, if you count his music publishing catalog, is probably worth several hundred million dollars. ?
SNOW: Jackson has reportedly taken out $270 million in loans from Bank of America that are backed by his two music publishing catalogs. While his own new music may not be the bread and butter of his bank account these days, he has flocks of fans outside the United States.
DEL GRANADO: He has a fairly strong and consistent following outside the United States, like a lot of '80s superstars.
SNOW: Unlike the '80s, though, when Jackson was known only for his talent, today's generation of young people know him mainly because by the controversy around him.
LIGHT: For him to go on and rebuild and shift the focus away from the Michael Jackson freak show and on to Michael Jackson the brilliant singer and dancer and performer, you know, he's got to hope that everything works absolutely for the best and then decide that he wants it bad enough to go for that. It's possible. It's a long, long shot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And to underscore the difference between the '80s and now, it was about 20 years ago right around this time Michael Jackson was making headlines for co-writing "We Are the World," a song that went on to makes tens of millions dollars for famine relief in Africa -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow reporting for us from us New York, Mary, thank you.
When we come back, a family secret. Coming up, the biracial daughter of Strom Thurmond speaks out after eight almost decades of silence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There's a new book out about the late Senator Strom Thurmond. It is not a political biography. It's a very personal account written by the senator's African-American daughter, whose very existence was a secret until after the senator died.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): To many Americans on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, Strom Thurmond was a symbol of the old south. As a governor, then a senator from South Carolina during the Jim Crow era, he was a strong supporter of segregation. In 1948, President Harry Truman tried to push the national Democratic Party to adopt a strong civil rights stance. Southern Democrats bolted and formed a third party with Thurmond as their presidential candidate.
STROM THURMOND, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... part of this president to dominate this country by force and to put into effect these uncalled-for and these damnable proposals he has recommended under the guise of so-called civil rights.
BLITZER: Nine years later, Thurmond staged a 24-hour, 18-minute filibuster against a civil rights bill that ended only when the Senate physician threatened to drag him from the floor.
For years, though, Thurmond had had a secret. Shortly after Thurmond died at the age of 100 in 2003, a retired African-American schoolteacher named Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward. She said Thurmond was her father.
ESSIE MAE WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS, AUTHOR, "DEAR SENATOR": At this juncture in my life, I am looking for closure. I am not bitter. I am not angry.
BLITZER: When Washington-Williams was born in 1925, her mother, a housekeeper for Thurmond's family, was 16. Thurmond was 22. After the Thurmond family confirmed the paternity claim, critics said the disparity between Thurmond's public stance and private actions were typical of the sexual hypocrisy that flourished during the Jim Crow era.
Washington-Williams says that, while in her teens, she learned about her father's identity and she saw him at least 60 times over the next six decades. The meetings were friendly, but formal. Still, Washington-Williams says she understands. She says the same personal code that prevented Thurmond from forsaking her also prevented him from embracing her. WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Throughout his life and mine, we respected each other. I never wanted to do anything to harm him or cause detriment to his life or to the lives of those around him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The same of Essie Mae Washington-Williams' book is "Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond."
She's joining us now to talk about it.
Congratulations on writing this book. Thanks very much for joining us, Ms. Washington-Williams.
Let's talk a little bit about the book, because it's a powerful memoir. Among other things, you write this about the first time you met with Senator Thurmond: "'Isn't she a lovely girl?' he said. 'You have a lovely daughter.' It was a kind thought, but, inside, it hurt me. I would have liked to have heard him say, we have a lovely daughter."
You remember that moment?
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, very distinctly.
BLITZER: So was it, what, surprise? Explain a little bit what you were feeling then.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Well, once my mother made the arrangements to take me to meet him, I had never heard of him before. No one had ever said anything about him. And we had gone to her sister's funeral.
And the next day, she took me over to see him after making the arrangements with him. And I was quite shocked, because, as I've stated before, he was a Caucasian. I wasn't looking for a Caucasian man to be my father. But it happened that way. And, of course, after I got to know him, it was fine with me. It really didn't matter.
BLITZER: And you were familiar with his political views, his views about segregation and race.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: At the time I met him, I was not.
BLITZER: But later in life, you were?
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Later, yes, after I got to know him. But when I first had contact with him and would visit him when he was the governor, he had come to the school where I was attending. He didn't seem to be doing all the rhetoric that later he did once he ran for the president on the Dixiecrat ticket.
BLITZER: During those 60 encounters you had with him, eventually, did the issue of race come up? Did he ever talk to you openly about his own views? WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: No, he didn't. He never said anything as far as blacks were concerned to me. And when I asked him certain questions after I heard his speeches, and I wanted to know why was he saying those things, and he was saying that he was trying to keep the races the way they were always separated in the South. And there wasn't anything he could do about it. He didn't start it.
And I said, well, I thought, in your position, maybe you could be more influential and try to do more positive things.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Did you ever regret not speaking up?
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Well, I did speak up. Several times, we discussed this.
But he'd say a few things about it that he wanted to. Then he'd go on to another subject. But, at this one time, later in the book, you'll read where we had this conflict, because I was tired of him -- hearing him say the same old thing. And then I questioned him.
BLITZER: Well, you've written an excellent, excellent book, worthy of reading by all of our viewers. I appreciate your coming and sharing your story with us.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: Oh, well, I'm happy to do that, because, when I once decided to come out, then I wanted everybody to know the answer to all those questions I had been asked all those years, but would never comment on it until I was ready to make the announcement.
BLITZER: Essie Mae Washington-Williams. The book is entitled "Dear Senator." Thanks very much for doing this.
WASHINGTON-WILLIAMS: All right. Thank you for having me.
BLITZER: We'll take a quick break. We'll have the results of our Web question when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Take a look at the results of our Web question. Remember, not a scientific poll.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," though, starts right now.
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