World News Tonight (ABC) - 2000-08-16 (Democratic Convention)
Channel: malgent
Transcript
Language: English (YouTube automatic captions)
[0:04] On World News tonight, this Wednesday,
[0:06] the Russians say there is air left in
[0:08] their crippled submarine. More help is
[0:10] on the way, but it is desperate.
[0:13] Al Gore has arrived in Los Angeles. We
[0:15] will look at why he's having trouble
[0:17] getting white men to support him.
[0:19] On the campaign money trail, the senator
[0:21] who shepherds the other senators into
[0:24] the company of those with the money.
[0:26] >> Senator, where are you hiding?
[0:27] >> And the 50-year-old homemaker who beat
[0:30] out 28,000 other wannabes for that slot
[0:33] on The Sopranos.
[0:40] >> From ABC, this is World News Tonight
[0:43] with Peter Jennings.
[0:47] Reporting tonight from the Democratic
[0:49] National Convention in Los Angeles.
[0:52] >> Good evening. Two down, two to go for
[0:53] the Democrats at their convention here
[0:55] in Los Angeles. We'll get to that story
[0:57] right after the Russian tragedy. We said
[1:00] last night that time may have run out
[1:01] for the 118 Russian submariners at the
[1:04] bottom of the Barents Sea.
[1:06] And yet, men have survived such
[1:08] disasters before. And where there are no
[1:11] final answers, there is always hope,
[1:13] however faint. Nothing has worked so
[1:15] far, but the Russians think there is
[1:17] some air in that submarine, and so they
[1:19] try and try again. And today, they
[1:22] called in outside help as well. We're
[1:24] going to begin in Moscow with ABC's
[1:26] Hillary Brown.
[1:27] >> Russia has finally accepted an offer of
[1:29] help from the West. Great Britain flew a
[1:32] special submersible to Norway today, but
[1:35] it won't reach the site until Saturday.
[1:37] And many believe that's too late. Russia
[1:40] asked NATO for equipment, but wouldn't
[1:42] answer NATO's request for a specific,
[1:44] such as the size of the sub's emergency
[1:46] hatch or its precise depth.
[1:49] The families of the Kursk crew know
[1:51] they're on borrowed time.
[1:53] A sister breaks down as she reads her
[1:55] brother's last letter.
[1:58] A mother sobs as she clutches an icon
[2:01] praying for her son's safety. A father,
[2:03] a former Navy man, says he knows his son
[2:06] has a 10% chance of survival.
[2:09] The temperature is very low and the
[2:11] oxygen must be low, too, he says. Today,
[2:14] a former officer on the Kursk showed his
[2:16] own video of the submarine's first sea
[2:18] trials. Some of the men he served with
[2:21] then are now trapped at the bottom of
[2:23] the sea. Russian officials say the
[2:25] crew's tapping sounds stopped 24 hours
[2:28] ago.
[2:29] There is concern about the danger of a
[2:31] radiation leak from the sub's nuclear
[2:34] reactors.
[2:34] >> The worst case scenario
[2:37] in the way we see it right now is that
[2:38] we get a totally meltdown of one or two
[2:41] of the reactors.
[2:42] >> The Kursk is the fifth Russian nuclear
[2:44] submarine to sink since 1968.
[2:47] The last to go down was the Komsomolets
[2:49] in 1989. That sub lies in the same
[2:52] Arctic waters as the Kursk and is still
[2:55] leaking radiation.
[2:57] >> According to US intelligence sources,
[2:59] the Russian Navy believes that half the
[3:01] submarine was flooded with seawater on
[3:04] the day of the accident, which probably
[3:07] means that at least half the crew are
[3:09] already dead. Hillary Brown, ABC News,
[3:13] Moscow.
[3:14] >> ABC's John McWethy is monitoring this
[3:16] from Washington, not to mention the US
[3:18] government is monitoring. John, picking
[3:20] up where Hillary left off, does the US
[3:22] think that the Russians are not or know
[3:25] more than they're saying publicly?
[3:27] >> Uh yes, they definitely do, Peter. Uh
[3:29] for example, US intelligence sources
[3:32] believe that right after the accident,
[3:34] that the Russians had direct voice
[3:37] contact with the men in that submarine.
[3:39] Uh it didn't last very long, but US
[3:42] officials believe they the Russians, as
[3:44] a result of that, should have a fairly
[3:46] good idea of what the status of the
[3:48] inside of that submarine is.
[3:50] >> Are there any signs of life now? What
[3:51] about these reports of tapping that
[3:53] Hillary mentioned?
[3:54] >> Uh
[3:54] the US believes that there was tapping
[3:57] after they lost uh some of the voice
[3:59] after they lost voice communication, but
[4:02] the tapping, according to American
[4:04] officials and things that they have been
[4:06] able to uh figure out from Russian
[4:08] communications, stopped a day or 2 or 3
[4:11] days ago, Peter. So, it's been a long
[4:13] time.
[4:13] >> And why the why the information
[4:15] blackout? Just old Russian tendencies
[4:17] from the Soviet days?
[4:18] >> Uh yes, uh the the Russians definitely
[4:22] uh have a problem with trying to
[4:25] provide straightforward answers on
[4:28] sensitive military issues. There's also,
[4:30] of course, uh a matter of national
[4:32] pride. They did blackout all
[4:33] communications from the fleet uh to each
[4:36] other and uh ordered the captains of the
[4:39] different ships, "Do not talk about this
[4:41] accident over your radios."
[4:43] >> John, thanks very much. John McWethy
[4:44] continues to monitor this, as does US
[4:46] intelligence from Washington.
[4:48] Now, let's turn to the political news of
[4:49] the day here. The Democratic nominee is
[4:52] in Los Angeles. It's not something you
[4:53] notice easily in this fast city, but now
[4:56] that Mr. Gore has arrived here, this
[4:58] Democratic convention will spend less
[5:00] time focused on the past, as it has with
[5:03] the Kennedys and Clintons in day 1 and
[5:05] 2, and begin to focus on the team of
[5:07] Gore. And yes, that's Mr. Lieberman, his
[5:09] running mate with him. They'll
[5:10] concentrate on the future. There has
[5:12] been ample praise, as you would expect,
[5:14] for Mr. Gore's leadership, but now the
[5:16] Democrats get into the final phase of
[5:18] trying to make the message stick and
[5:20] acceptable enough to win. A big part of
[5:23] that job here today is for Mr. Gore's
[5:24] running mate, Senator Lieberman. ABC's
[5:26] Linda Douglas is here on the convention
[5:28] floor. Linda, pick up the Lieberman
[5:30] burden, if you would.
[5:32] >> Well, the big speech is tonight. Joe
[5:33] Lieberman is largely unknown, as you
[5:35] know, Peter, to most of the country. So,
[5:38] tonight in that speech, he will explain
[5:40] who he is and what he believes, and the
[5:42] Democrats will be listening very
[5:44] closely.
[5:46] Lieberman has been working hard to win
[5:48] over all of the Democrats' most
[5:50] important interest groups, trying to
[5:52] connect to party activists whose
[5:53] enthusiastic support is crucial to a
[5:55] Democratic victory.
[5:57] >> You are You are like family.
[6:00] >> He spoke to groups of Hispanics,
[6:02] Asian-Americans, gays and lesbians,
[6:05] trying to reassure hardcore Democrats
[6:08] that he is not as conservative as they
[6:10] think he is. Some in the Black Caucus
[6:12] demanded that he explain past statements
[6:14] in which she has criticized affirmative
[6:16] action.
[6:17] >> We've had a meeting. We have talked, and
[6:20] I and others said to him, "You have got
[6:22] to make your positions clear."
[6:25] >> Lieberman told them what he thought they
[6:26] needed to hear.
[6:27] >> I have supported affirmative action. I
[6:30] do support affirmative action, and I
[6:32] will support affirmative action.
[6:36] >> The Gore campaign has been calling other
[6:37] key groups, trying to appease their
[6:39] doubts about Lieberman. Teachers upset
[6:42] about his votes for school vouchers.
[6:44] Hollywood worried about his moral
[6:45] crusade against their industry. Some
[6:48] Democrats say Lieberman must make clear
[6:50] that on issues where he and Gore
[6:52] disagree, Gore's views will prevail.
[6:54] >> Well, I think Joe Lieberman has to
[6:56] indicate
[6:57] that he is one of the soldiers in Al
[7:00] Gore's army.
[7:01] >> Of course, I know how this works, and
[7:03] when the president decides Joe Lieberman
[7:06] will support President Gore
[7:07] enthusiastically. He has the last word.
[7:10] >> But many here say Lieberman should not
[7:11] go too far trying to paper over his
[7:13] differences with liberals in the party
[7:16] because his greatest asset is his image
[7:18] as an independent thinker and his appeal
[7:20] to swing voters.
[7:22] >> There are some signs that liberal
[7:23] doubters are starting to come around as
[7:25] they learn more about Lieberman.
[7:26] African-Americans, for example, Peter,
[7:28] were surprised to learn that he marched
[7:29] in Mississippi in the South during the
[7:31] Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
[7:33] Tonight, his mission will be to convince
[7:35] all of them that they can trust him,
[7:37] Peter.
[7:37] >> Thanks, Linda, very much. Look forward
[7:38] to having you with us. For all the
[7:40] effort that Mr. Lieberman put into
[7:41] wooing the party's traditional
[7:43] constituency today, this very tight
[7:45] election as of now is going to be
[7:47] decided by the independent voters, which
[7:49] very much includes white men.
[7:52] ABC's Michelle Martin is on the
[7:53] convention floor. Michelle, that is a
[7:55] problem for Al Gore right now, is it
[7:57] not?
[7:58] >> It sure is, Peter. Just as in
[7:59] Philadelphia, you see the massive
[8:01] display of diversity here this week, but
[8:03] that probably won't solve the Democrats'
[8:05] biggest demographic problem.
[8:08] They may not look like a minority,
[8:10] but as Democratic voters, increasingly
[8:13] they are. White men. Polls show that
[8:16] white men are Republican George W.
[8:18] Bush's strongest supporters.
[8:20] >> George W. Bush, hands down he's got the
[8:22] best character.
[8:23] >> I like his style. He seems to be more up
[8:25] front than than open.
[8:27] >> In the latest ABC News poll, white men
[8:29] favored Bush by almost two to one. A
[8:32] showing so poor it could be the Vice
[8:34] President's Achilles' heel this
[8:35] November.
[8:37] Linda Duvall is a Republican pollster.
[8:39] >> Unless he does better with men, he's not
[8:41] going to win this election. And the
[8:42] problem for Al Gore with men is they
[8:45] don't believe that he knows his real
[8:46] identity. They think that he is a fake
[8:49] and artificial.
[8:50] >> It is a problem for Democrats on the
[8:52] whole.
[8:52] >> I do see a steady erosion that the
[8:55] Democrats have had with white males in a
[8:57] lot of elections.
[8:58] >> Pollster Mark Gersh, who works to elect
[9:00] Democrats to Congress, says the party's
[9:02] positions on so-called family values
[9:05] issues like abortion and gay rights have
[9:07] alienated many of these white men. And
[9:09] the President's personal behavior
[9:11] compounds the problem because it
[9:12] represents weak character and a lack of
[9:15] values.
[9:15] >> White males seem to be more sensitive to
[9:17] those issues than any other group in the
[9:19] electorate.
[9:20] >> A particular problem for Al Gore because
[9:22] of his close ties to the President.
[9:24] >> I think it's time to restore a little
[9:25] integrity to the White House. I I I know
[9:28] Bill has said he's sorry, but it's time
[9:30] for him to go.
[9:31] >> It comes down to a fundamental question
[9:33] of character and core values. And with
[9:36] men, they're saying, "You can't have it
[9:38] both ways. On the one hand, you're
[9:39] trying to be You're trying to get my
[9:41] vote. On the other hand, you're trying
[9:42] to be loyal to Clinton. You can't have
[9:43] it both ways."
[9:44] >> The Vice President's task now, Peter,
[9:47] distance himself enough from the
[9:48] President personally, but not enough to
[9:50] alienate those voters who like Mr.
[9:52] Clinton's policies.
[9:54] >> Thank you, Michelle. Talk to Michelle
[9:55] Martin again in primetime this evening.
[9:57] We learned today that Arizona Senator
[9:59] John McCain has been diagnosed with skin
[10:01] cancer again. He had a cancerous mole
[10:03] removed from his shoulder in 1993. His
[10:06] melanoma has returned. For now, Senator
[10:08] McCain has stopped campaigning for the
[10:11] Republican Party.
[10:13] Later in this program, on the money
[10:14] trail at this convention, the senators
[10:17] here are strongly encouraged to attend
[10:20] the lavish parties.
[10:22] >> Well, there were the fruit baskets and
[10:24] corporate receptions to some extent at
[10:26] previous conventions, but this is a what
[10:28] I called sort of the Jurassic Park
[10:30] version of what used to occur at small
[10:32] levels.
[10:33] >> And when we come back, a state of
[10:35] emergency for all of Montana.
[10:41] >> This is World News Tonight with Peter
[10:43] Jennings,
[10:45] brought to you by Staples.
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[11:55] >> I'll trade you this salad for your
[11:56] pudding.
[11:57] >> No, this newspaper for that comic.
[11:59] >> Two minutes.
[12:00] >> No. I'll trade you my 1998 Gateway PC
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[12:18] >> I'll trade in my little sister for a
[12:20] scanner.
[12:25] >> My dad and I are pretty close.
[12:29] One day last year, his arthritis was
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[12:34] has all the strength of prescription
[12:35] Tylenol. It relieved his pain.
[12:38] The next day,
[12:39] he suffered a heart attack.
[12:41] Incredibly, the doctor said Bayer not
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[12:45] aspirin helped save his life. Knowing
[12:48] all that Bayer can do, why would anyone
[12:50] take any other pain reliever again?
[12:51] >> Bayer, powerful pain relief and so much
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[12:57] >> In Montana today, the governor declared
[12:58] his entire state a disaster area because
[13:01] of the fires burning there. ABC's Tom
[13:03] Foreman has been in Montana for several
[13:05] days. We asked him what that meant in
[13:07] practical terms, and is the whole state
[13:10] now affected by the fires?
[13:12] >> The governor's order means only that
[13:14] National Guard troops can be kept on the
[13:16] fire lines as long as needed, and that
[13:19] federal disaster aid might show up a
[13:21] little quicker. All the fires in Montana
[13:24] are covering less than 1/2 of 1% of this
[13:27] immense state, but the smoke and impact
[13:30] are reaching so much further.
[13:33] Summer tourism is the economic backbone
[13:36] here, and this summer was off to a
[13:38] record start. Now, near the fires, the
[13:41] rivers and woods are closed.
[13:43] >> People are not now going into the
[13:44] sporting goods stores and buying hunting
[13:47] and fishing equipment. They're not
[13:48] buying their license to go hunting.
[13:50] Um
[13:50] >> All that has a huge impact.
[13:52] >> It has a huge impact here.
[13:54] >> Some stores have lost thousands of
[13:56] dollars. Mark Basics fly fishing shop
[13:59] should be packed. It is empty.
[14:01] >> Now, there are many people that I know
[14:02] that probably won't make it through this
[14:04] season because of the the impact of all
[14:05] the conditions.
[14:07] >> At this log home company, production is
[14:09] down. Too many workers are on the fire
[14:12] lines or protecting their homes.
[14:15] At this school, the soccer team is
[14:17] practicing indoors. Classes will start
[14:20] in 2 weeks. No one knows how that will
[14:22] go.
[14:23] >> We have kids who are
[14:24] in situations that have been evacuated
[14:27] from their homes.
[14:28] We have kids who are
[14:30] potentially going to be evacuated from
[14:32] their homes depending on what happens
[14:33] with the fire.
[14:36] >> Even the county fair has been canceled
[14:38] for the first time since World War II.
[14:41] Where there should be rodeo horses,
[14:43] there are animal refugees.
[14:46] Like many in this state, they are
[14:48] removed from the fires but struggling to
[14:50] deal with them just the same.
[14:53] Tom Foreman, ABC News, Hamilton,
[14:55] Montana.
[14:57] >> A story, as you know, repeated in many
[14:58] parts of the West. In other news today,
[15:00] the government is going to order a
[15:01] safety check for all Boeing 767s.
[15:05] Airlines will have to test the elevators
[15:07] that move the plane's nose up and down.
[15:10] This is because an inspection turned up
[15:11] a failure in the mechanism on one 767,
[15:15] and Egyptair officials believe that same
[15:17] very problem may be linked to their 767,
[15:19] which crashed off the East Coast last
[15:22] year.
[15:23] On the money tonight, the Dow Jones
[15:24] Industrial Average was down more than 58
[15:26] points to close at 11,008 points today.
[15:30] On the NASDAQ, stocks were up more than
[15:32] nine points. By the way, the lure of
[15:34] young Internet companies is fading for
[15:36] this year's college graduates. A study
[15:38] by a group that tracks college graduates
[15:40] finds only 13% of them want to work at
[15:42] an Internet startup. More young people
[15:45] are opting for the security of
[15:47] traditional firms instead.
[15:49] It looks like Britain may become the
[15:51] first country to officially permit the
[15:54] cloning of human beings. It has been
[15:56] very strongly discouraged here, as you
[15:58] know. The British government plan to let
[16:00] scientists clone human embryos for
[16:02] research purposes only. There will be no
[16:06] endorsement of growing clone babies, but
[16:08] it may well cause an uproar anyway.
[16:11] There's a political item from Canada
[16:12] today with several connotations. The
[16:15] Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien,
[16:17] who was in the province of Prince Edward
[16:18] Island, had a plate full of whipped
[16:20] cream
[16:21] pushed into his face.
[16:25] There is a group called the Pie Brigade,
[16:28] which says it does it to people who take
[16:29] themselves too seriously.
[16:31] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police took
[16:33] this guy away, but it was a reminder
[16:35] that it wasn't a friend who got so
[16:38] close.
[16:40] Our daily program reminder of where we
[16:41] are, just a few steps off the convention
[16:43] floor here at the convention hall.
[16:47] We superimpose the convention
[16:49] technically. When we come back, on the
[16:52] campaign money trail, the senator who
[16:55] tells the other senators when and where
[16:57] to show up at this convention.
[16:59] He travels with protection.
[17:01] >> Brian Ross, maybe see why would why did
[17:03] you run away?
[17:10] >> What is it, Chuck?
[17:11] >> I mean, what was it?
[17:12] >> Uh-uh, no nibbling.
[17:14] >> Don't worry.
[17:14] >> Is she kidding?
[17:15] >> Nah, she's cooking.
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[17:28] >> Trust me,
[17:29] >> he's not.
[17:30] >> Should we save him some?
[17:31] >> Whiskas Homestyle Favorites, what cats
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[18:08] >> It's allergy season.
[18:12] Or Allegra season.
[18:15] Enjoy your world with non-drowsy Allegra
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[18:31] into Allegra season. Enjoy your world.
[18:35] >> Is that kid stacking Total in the dairy
[18:37] case?
[18:38] >> That he is, sir.
[18:40] >> Son, the cereal aisle is over there.
[18:41] >> Yeah, but now this is where Total
[18:43] deserves to be. It's the only food with
[18:44] 100% of the daily value of calcium. Give
[18:47] me a hand.
[18:47] >> 100% calcium, huh?
[18:49] >> That's like downing three glasses of
[18:51] milk at once.
[18:53] >> We got to talk.
[18:54] >> You bet.
[18:55] >> Hey, are you getting enough calcium? Cuz
[18:57] most adults aren't.
[18:59] Total, now with 100% calcium.
[19:01] >> Attention, shoppers.
[19:02] >> Total is now in the dairy case.
[19:05] >> Tomorrow, this supermodel's got a super
[19:07] view of the convention floor. Christie
[19:09] Brinkley with her her video diary of the
[19:11] Democratic convention on Good Morning
[19:13] America tomorrow.
[19:16] >> We learned today that George W. Bush has
[19:18] broken another fundraising record. He
[19:20] and his team have now raised a hundred
[19:22] million dollars for his campaign from
[19:24] 350,000 separate donors, and the money
[19:27] is still flowing in. Money's flowing
[19:29] like water here in Los Angeles this
[19:31] week, and among the people in most
[19:33] demand from the special interest groups
[19:35] are the Democratic senators.
[19:37] And among the senators, one in
[19:40] particular who is acting like the other
[19:42] senator's manager on the campaign money
[19:44] trail, ABC's Brian Ross.
[19:48] >> At one lavish private party after
[19:50] another here this week, the Democrats
[19:52] have put access to their 46 United
[19:54] States senators up for sale. But now,
[19:58] one of them is refusing to go along with
[20:00] it.
[20:00] >> I think it's legalized bribery. I think
[20:02] it's legalized extortion.
[20:04] >> Senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin
[20:06] says he and other senators were given
[20:08] this confidential list of 25 select
[20:11] gatherings and told they were expected
[20:13] to attend at least nine of them during
[20:15] the course of the week to spend time
[20:17] with wealthy donors, mostly corporate
[20:19] executives and lobbyists.
[20:21] >> Well, I think it's wrong to attend
[20:22] events that involve access only for
[20:25] those who give amounts of money that I
[20:26] think should be illegal.
[20:28] >> The Democrat who is orchestrating all
[20:30] this is this man, Senator Robert
[20:32] Torricelli of New Jersey, the chairman
[20:34] of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
[20:36] Committee, whose fundraising for his own
[20:38] campaign in New Jersey is now the
[20:40] subject of an ongoing federal
[20:41] investigation.
[20:43] >> Senator Brian Ross may be seated
[20:44] >> Throughout the week, Torricelli has
[20:46] repeatedly refused to speak with ABC
[20:48] News.
[20:49] >> Senator?
[20:51] Senator, why are you hiding, sir?
[20:53] >> As he has been escorted around town from
[20:55] party to party by a squad of armed
[20:57] Capitol Police bodyguards brought from
[20:59] Washington at taxpayer expense.
[21:02] >> Hey, Brian, get us out of here.
[21:03] >> Torricelli and his Senate colleagues
[21:05] started on Sunday with cocktails at a
[21:07] beachfront hotel, paid for by insurance
[21:09] companies, all senators requested to
[21:12] attend. On the way out, one of
[21:14] Torricelli's guards body blocked an ABC
[21:16] camerawoman as she neared the senator.
[21:19] >> Are you training me for that kind of
[21:19] violence, sir?
[21:21] >> On Monday, it was lunch on a private
[21:23] train car, dinner at a trendy nightclub,
[21:25] closed to reporters as the rich and the
[21:27] powerful engage in whatever it is they
[21:30] don't want anyone on the outside to see.
[21:32] >> I think it's really awful. I think it's
[21:34] embarrassing. I think it's a turn-off
[21:36] for the American people.
[21:38] >> But Torricelli's efforts have brought in
[21:40] almost $60 million for Democrats in the
[21:42] Senate. Yesterday, it was an exclusive
[21:45] lunch at the Beverly Hills mansion of
[21:47] billionaire producer David Geffen.
[21:49] Again, all senators requested to attend.
[21:52] >> Okay, stand in front of the camera the
[21:53] whole time.
[21:54] >> Geffen's private security guards were
[21:56] instructed to stand in front of our
[21:57] cameras, but we were able to see
[21:59] senators Bob Graham, Bob Kerrey, and
[22:02] Chuck Schumer, among others, who
[22:04] followed their orders and Torricelli to
[22:06] come here.
[22:07] >> The more senators are there, the more
[22:08] people feel that that the contribution
[22:10] will make a difference.
[22:12] >> And does it?
[22:13] >> I'm afraid it does sometimes.
[22:15] >> Every single one of the Senate
[22:17] Democrats, including Torricelli, say
[22:19] they support the bill Feingold has
[22:21] introduced along with Senator McCain to
[22:23] end corporate money in politics. But
[22:25] this week, many are saying one thing and
[22:28] doing quite another. Brian Ross, ABC
[22:31] News, Los Angeles.
[22:33] >> Just a couple of other things, Brian
[22:34] mentioned a reference to the fact that
[22:35] Senator Torricelli is accompanied by
[22:37] bodyguards at both conventions. The
[22:39] political leadership is provided with
[22:41] round-the-clock security by the US
[22:43] Capitol Police. And if you want to talk
[22:45] to Brian Ross, you can do so after this
[22:46] broadcast at abcnews.com.
[22:50] When we come back, the television debut
[22:53] of a very fortunate late bloomer.
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[23:44] >> While Mike was putting up his own for
[23:46] sale sign, someone was helping his
[23:48] neighbors John and Diane with plans to
[23:50] sell their home. As Mike spent Saturday
[23:53] figuring out legal agreements and
[23:54] guessing his home's value, someone was
[23:57] preparing a counter offer so John could
[23:59] help with the school fundraiser. And
[24:01] while Mike and his wife were
[24:02] re-evaluating their asking price for the
[24:04] third time, someone was closing the sale
[24:07] on John and Diane's home. You've got a
[24:09] life. We let you live it. We're
[24:11] Realtors. Real estate is our life.
[24:14] >> The world is a beautiful place, but not
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[25:00] >> Who says you can't share secrets with
[25:02] your grandson for years and years?
[25:05] >> Who says you can't watch the waves break
[25:08] for many summers to come?
[25:10] >> Pravachol says you can fight back
[25:12] against heart attack. If you have high
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[25:16] and exercise still aren't enough, adding
[25:18] Pravachol can make a difference. Other
[25:20] drugs lower cholesterol, but Pravachol
[25:22] is the only drug of its kind that's also
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[25:26] second heart attacks, so you can live a
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[25:30] doctor about Pravachol today. Pravachol,
[25:33] a prescription drug, isn't for everyone,
[25:35] including people with liver problems or
[25:37] women who are pregnant, nursing, or may
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[25:41] side effects can result, tell your
[25:42] doctor about any muscle pain or weakness
[25:44] you experience while on Pravachol. Your
[25:46] doctor may do blood tests to check for
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[25:51] >> Who says you can't spend a lifetime with
[25:54] your first love?
[25:55] >> Pravachol, it's your life. Fight for it.
[25:59] >> As Democrats rally in Los Angeles,
[26:01] America turns to ABC News. Tonight,
[26:05] history takes center stage as Joseph
[26:07] Lieberman accepts his nomination.
[26:09] >> All of the
[26:09] >> Peter Jennings, Sam Donaldson, Cokie
[26:11] Roberts, the Democratic Convention
[26:13] tonight.
[26:15] >> Find of this evening, not quite an
[26:16] ingenue, but perfect for the part. There
[26:19] was a picture in the newspaper one
[26:20] Saturday morning some months ago which
[26:21] showed people lined up from here to
[26:23] forever
[26:24] because the television show The Sopranos
[26:26] was having a casting call looking for
[26:28] characters, not to mention having a
[26:30] field day of publicity. Tonight, one of
[26:33] the lucky ones. Here's ABC's Bill
[26:34] Blakemore.
[26:36] >> Her chances of getting picked were about
[26:38] 28,000 to one.
[26:40] >> I came from Westchester.
[26:41] >> Amid all the hopeful actors who mobbed
[26:43] the auditions for the mob show. And
[26:45] anyway, Marie Donato, 50-year-old
[26:47] homemaker, grandmother of three, had
[26:49] just tagged along with a friend hoping
[26:51] to glimpse one of the show's stars.
[26:53] >> It's over.
[26:54] It's over.
[26:55] >> No such luck.
[26:57] But such luck, on a lark, she tossed a
[26:59] photo of herself into a box.
[27:01] >> Photos being collected only right here.
[27:05] >> I love the show so much and I always
[27:06] used to say,
[27:08] "You know, I should be in there."
[27:10] And then it happens.
[27:11] >> Her South Philly accent appealed to the
[27:13] casting directors and 1 week later, she
[27:15] got a call.
[27:16] >> And so, like, I have a lot of miracle
[27:18] and thanks to God. I really do.
[27:20] >> She's a local hero.
[27:21] >> Go, Marie Donato. We're proud of you.
[27:23] Go, Marie.
[27:25] >> Marie Donato describes herself as an
[27:27] Italian-looking person, very
[27:29] straightforward, who says what she
[27:30] thinks right off. It's a style of
[27:33] personality that could fit into The
[27:35] Sopranos world.
[27:36] >> Get over here.
[27:37] >> Marie has shot one episode in a role
[27:40] that was written before they found her.
[27:42] HBO's not saying if they'll use her in
[27:44] more episodes, but if they do, would now
[27:46] tailor her role to fit her particular
[27:48] acting talents. Which before all this
[27:50] had only ever been displayed to the
[27:52] world in an elementary school Christmas
[27:54] play.
[27:55] Bill Blakemore, ABC News, New York.
[27:57] >> How much will she change now that she's
[27:59] in show business? Our convention
[28:01] coverage continues on abcnews.com. Hope
[28:03] you'll join us again in primetime.
[28:05] Vice Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman.
[28:07] I'm Peter Jennings. Until then, good
[28:08] evening from Los Angeles.
[28:17] >> This has been a presentation of ABC
[28:19] News. More Americans get their news from
[28:21] ABC News
[28:24] than from any other source.
[28:47] >> Now, News 2 at 6, first, fast, accurate.
[28:52] >> The whole entire situation was not a
[28:55] comfortable situation.
[28:57] >> Testimony at the trial of Byron Looper
[28:59] focuses on Looper's behavior just after
[29:02] the murder of State Senator Tommy Burks.
[29:05] >> Hi everyone, welcome to News 2 at 6.
[29:07] Looper is accused of shooting Burks, his
[29:09] political opponent, just before the
[29:11] election in 1998.
[29:13] >> Today, prosecutors continue to build
[29:15] their case against him in court. News
[29:17] 2's Christy Lo is also in court today
[29:20] and she joins us live with more on the
[29:21] story. Christy?
[29:23] >> Looper's attorneys in their
[29:24] cross-examination of witnesses seem to
[29:27] be hinting that they believe Looper was
[29:29] framed by political officials in