Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
A State of Emergency in Florida; Record-Low Poll Numbers for President Bush
Aired May 09, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A state of emergency right now in Florida, as wildfires spread along I-95, closing parts of that major interstate. The National Guard has now been called in to help.
Three police officers gunned down in front of their own police station in Northern Virginia. This morning, a search for a reason why.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Jubilation for some miners today after spending two weeks underground. They walk out Rocky style. Not bad. Their amazing stories straight ahead.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kathleen Koch at the White House. New record-low poll numbers for President Bush. What's behind them? That story coming up.
M. O'BRIEN: A brand new report this morning blaming Duke University for moving too slowly in the lacrosse team rape investigation. But it also shows Durham police didn't take the case too seriously.
S. O'BRIEN: And this man, he calls himself "fat man walking." This morning, he's just a few miles from the end of his incredible journey. We'll go coast to coast with Steve Vaught, just ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us this morning.
We begin with the rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program. There's widespread agreement to give up enriching uranium by countries outside -- in the West. But there's no real agreement on just how to respond.
CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joining us live now with more on all that.
Richard, what are the sticking points as this comes before the U.N. Security Council?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: The main sticking point is that China and Russia fear that the resolution really opens the way down the road towards sanctions on Iran or even military force. There's a bad hangover in the diplomatic community from the run-up to the Iraq War. The U.S., Britain and France are on the other side, and they haven't been able to calm those fears -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Richard, what's the reaction about that letter, that first letter in 27 years we know about between an Iranian president and an U.S. president? In this case, the White House saying there's not much in it.
ROTH: Well, that letter, according to Condoleezza Rice, who discussed the whole issue Iranian issue at a dinner last night with her key foreign minister allies, and the Chinese and the Russians. For Condoleezza Rice and the U.S., that letter just doesn't cut it. She said to the A.P., it's not really a new proposal, as the word out of Iran was. And they're not really going to do much with it, though it was a historic Iranian president writing to a U.S. president. That hasn't happened in over 25 years. Some, including U.S. Ambassador Bolton, feel that the Iranians only want to talk when they're squeezed. And for the Russians and the Chinese who were at the dinner, they can say, look, Iran wants to talk now, so there's not going to be a vote at the moment that we know of on this resolution, though the letter certainly helps complicate things.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, you have to wonder about the timing of this letter, suddenly appearing as this is all being discussed in New York.
ROTH: That's correct, though they are used to receiving letters from governments under the microscope here at the U.N.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Richard Roth at the United Nations, thank you very much -- Soledad.
ROTH: Some new poll numbers aren't giving the White House anything to cheer about this morning. A new "USA Today"/Gallup poll shows President Bush's approval rating at 31 percent. Sixty-five percent of people polled say they disapprove of the way he's handling his job. Both these numbers are new lows.
CNN's Kathleen Koch joining us live from the White House this morning.
Hey, Kathleen. Good morning.
KOCH: Good morning, Soledad.
And there are a number of reasons why Americans say they disapprove of the job that President Bush is doing, but one stands out above all others. In a new CNN poll, when Americans were asked why it was that they most did disapprove of President Bush some 56 percent of those surveyed blame the war in Iraq, 13 percent blamed gas prices, and 26 percent said that it was other reasons.
Now, on the point of gas prices, Americans were asked if the rising gas prices caused hardship for them or for members of their families, and yes, 65 percent said they have.
Now, the new record low poll numbers cause concern not just here at the White House, but throughout the Republican Party, because even though President Bush is not running for re-election, there are plenty of men and women on Capitol Hill who are. And they're worried that these new record-low poll numbers could pull them down as well -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: So then what to do, I guess, is the follow-up question to that. What's the president's plan?
KOCH: Well, The president is doing all he can, obviously, to get his message out, and he's touting one of the successes today down in Florida. That's the Medicare prescription drug plan. The president is going to be visiting several communities today and tomorrow, three specifically, trying to get seniors to sign up for the drug plan, which, for most seniors, does mean a reduction in the cost of their medication. If they don't sign up by May 15th deadline, they can face some pretty high penalty fees -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch at the White House for us. Kathleen, thanks -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Parts of Florida on fire this morning. A state of emergency is in effect as we speak. The National Guard is rushing to help fight growing wildfires. More than 8,000 acres now destroyed. Hundreds of homes evacuated. The thick smoke also causing a traffic nightmare this morning. A 12-mile stretch of the heavily traveled Interstate 95 closed from Edgewater, Florida, north to Port Orange.
Josh Einiger with our affiliate WFTV joining us once again from New Smyrna Beach.
Josh, bring us up to date.
JOSH EINIGER, WFTV REPORTER: Well, good morning, Miles.
Actually we're in Orange County, right near Sea World. Who would have thought that after the last couple of years, people here in Florida would actually be hoping for a hurricane? But that is what firefighters tell me they actually need. That's how much water they need to eliminate this fire threat. Right here is just an example of what we're talking about, the most recent fire. Burned up palmettos and toppled trees right mere in hotspots. Less remarkable for its size, only about 30 acres than for its location. It's within about a quarter-mile of Sea World, and right across the street from that hotel where tourists last night had quite an interesting night watching the flames in what is now the smoky Sunshine State.
In fact, right now, as you said, Miles, Interstate 95, one of two major north-south arteries throughout the state is shutdown in two different spots, including in the city of New Smyrna Beach, which Governor Jeb Bush toured yesterday when he declared that statewide fire emergency. In that New Smyrna fire, which burned almost 2,000 acres and destroyed three homes, it also displaced about a thousand people, who finally were able to return home late yesterday afternoon.
Now we are in the Orlando area, which right now is averaging about an eight-inch rain deficit.
And this morning, right now, we have good news and bad news. The good news is that they are expecting us to return to a more summer- like pattern of afternoon thunderstorms, but the bad news, Miles, is that the storms bring lightning, which could add even more fires.
M. O'BRIEN: They give and they take away. All right, Josh Einiger, with our affiliate WFTV, thank you very much -- Soledad.
(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, the high price of free cigarettes. We'll tell you why one tobacco company is paying up bigtime.
S. O'BRIEN: And the extreme highs and lows for the family of a child who's got autism. A mother and father talk about the overwhelming challenges they face every single day.
M. O'BRIEN: And in Rhode Island, a tearful day of testimony. Victims' families confront the man responsible for that horrible nightclub fire that killed 100 people. We'll take you inside the courtroom, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Wild gunfight in the parking lot of a police station has left a detective dead, two officers wounded. It happened in Fairfax County in Virginia. Also killed in the shootout, the teenager who used a high-powered weapon to take aim at police during a shift change.
Alisa Parenti with out affiliate WJLA is live at the scene this morning.
Alicia, good morning.
ALISA PARENTI, FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA: Good morning, Soledad.
The identity of the fallen officer, 40-year-old Vicki Armel (ph). She was with the department for nine years, a detective, a mother of two elementary school children and married to a police officer. So you can imagine just how hard this first-ever fatal shooting of a police officer in Fairfax County is hitting the entire department.
Another officer, a 53-year-old man, is in critical condition after undergoing hours of surgery.
A third officer was just grazed by a bullet and is expected to be OK.
Now, the details of what happened are chilling. Apparently this 18-year-old, Michael Kennedy, from the Centerville area, has laid in wait for officers outside of the Sully police station as they were getting ready for a shift change, and police are still trying to sort out the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY ANN JENNINGS, FAIRFAX CO. POLICE SPOKESWOMAN: When something like this happens, there are officers involved at so many different locations, we have to bring all of them together. We have to interview witnesses. So we don't know exactly what happened, until we get all of those people together, and we find out from the investigators exactly what they know to have happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PARENTI: The 18-year-old apparently had an entire cache of weapons with him. He apparently specifically targeted police officers because he had previous trouble with the law in Maryland. He was awaiting charges on a carjacking incident. And it was Fairfax County police detectives who served him warrants, and that's why police believe he may have targeted those Fairfax officers. That's the latest from here, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Lisa Parenti with out affiliate WJLA in Fairfax. Thanks, Lisa -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: In Rhode Island today, sentencing resumes for the man held responsible for 100 deaths at a Rhode Island nightclub three years ago. The families of those victims are getting the chance to tell their stories. AMERICAN MORNING's Dan Lothian has more from the families.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's unimaginable pain triggered by a devastating fire. Gripping, emotional, often graphic memories.
PAULA MCLAUGHLIN, SISTER OF VICTIM: Have you ever had to receive a plastic bag filled with what was left of your little brother's belongings? They smelled so toxic of fire and smoke that you had to soak them in bleach just so you could hold on to them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How much (INAUDIBLE) of our lives? We never had a chance to say goodbye, to kiss him one last time, or to even touch that face we loved so much.
TIMOTHY MICHELI, VICTIM'S FATHER: Sammy, what would I do without you? Today, I know. It is a pain from the very core of my heart. A victim impact statement.
LOTHIAN: One by one, relatives of the station nightclub victims pour out of their hearts at the sentencing hearing for Daniel Biechele, the van tour manager who set off the pyrotechnics display three years ago which turned deadly. As Biechele listens and waits to hear the sentence, relatives of some of the victims say they already feel locked in eternal despair.
EILEEN DIBONAVENTURE, VICTIM'S MOTHER: Our family name ended when our son perished that horrible night. We will never see our son pursue his dreams, or marry or be able to enjoy grandchildren. We have been sentenced to life without parole.
JESSICA GARVEY, VICTIM'S SISTER: No child should ever have to ask why his mother is in a casket and why we can't see her. How can you answer his questions of how and why when we didn't understand it all ourselves?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just have to spend the rest of our lives wondering what might have been.
LOTHIAN: Time may heal, but for many here, three years seems like three seconds.
TAMMY AYER, VICTIM'S TWIN SISTER: It hurts so bad. I think that's why I cannot heal or let go from all of this.
SUZANNE FOX, VICTIM'S FAMILY SPOKESMAN: But this is not about forgiveness. Make no mistake, there is not a shred of forgiveness in my heart. And I suspect there never will be.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I don't think we could have survived.
LOTHIAN: Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: The tour manager, Daniel Biechele, pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntarily manslaughter. Under a plea deal, he is expected to spend less than 10 years in prison. More families are expected to testify when the hearing gets under way 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time this morning -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Brutal for those family members. How awful. It just tears your heart out to hear them say -- and Dan's right. Three years have gone by like that for these family members. The are not close to forgiving or forgetting certainly. Oh, that's horrible.
Really, the opposite spectrum for the folks Down Under who've been waiting for good news. They finally got it. Listen.
There they are. Those two Australia miners, we've been following their circumstances and their story. They were trapped underground for two weeks. And, look, they just walked out of the mine finally. The two men were able to stay alive 3,000 feet below because they were protected inside of a cage which is just about the size of a double bed. Their wives ran over to hug them. They were Taken off to the hospital. Both are said to be in excellent condition. In fact, one of the miners basically walked into the hospital and checked out not long afterwards.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: They're absolutely fine.
M. O'BRIEN: I don't know if you noticed, but you know, it's custom when you go into a mine to leave your I.D. card on the board. He pulls the I.D. card, finally out of there.
S. O'BRIEN: Curious to see if they go back after that experience.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow.
M. O'BRIEN: They were fortunate to be working in that cage.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it saved them, because that big slab that fell on them didn't crush them, but protected them really.
And also, a little good news at the gas pump. Andy Serwer's going to tell you that story just ahead as he minds your business.
Plus, tell you what's behind the president's still-low approval ratings. We'll look at one issue that's hurting him more than anything else.
That's ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
M. O'BRIEN: Today is the day for self-proclaimed "fat man walking" guy to arrive in New York City. He's due this evening. As a matter of fact, 5:30 p.m. local time, meet him at the G.W. Bridge. '
Steve Vaught started out near San Diego last year. He decided a cross country walk would be a good way to lose weight, and he was a hefty guy, in excess of 400 pounds. He's lost 100 pounds now. He went through 14 pairs of shoes, and a dozen pairs of pants. Only three shirts, though, can't figure that one out. Anyway, he's about 10 miles outside New York City right now, and we look forward to his arrival.
SERWER: Is Going to tie up the traffic on the bridge, though? You're telling everyone to go out there.
M. O'BRIEN: Everybody get throughout.
SERWER: Police are going to love you, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Those guys on 1010 Winds (p) are not going to be happy, are they?
All right, Andy Serwer, thank you very much. Back with more in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
