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Released British Sailors Speak Out; Third Suspect Captured in New Jersey Bank Robbery; Army National Guard to Do Second Tour in Iraq; Advice for Pet Owners on Selecting Safe Food
Aired April 06, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CO-HOST: Hello there, everybody, I'm T.J. Holmes, live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Don Lemon off today.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CO-HOST: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips, who's on assignment in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were blindfolded. Our hands were bound. We were forced up against the wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Thirteen days in Iranian custody; isolation, mind games and constant psychological pressure. Freed British troops now telling the world what happened.
KEILAR: And an FBI agent killed in the line of duty, but was he shot by one of his own? New developments in that deadly bank shooting in New Jersey.
HOLMES: Also, the list of contaminated pet food products still growing. What you need to look at before buying pet food.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
KEILAR: They're home, they're safe, and today they're talking, some of those British marines and sailors who spent almost two weeks in Iranian custody.
And CNN's Paula Hancocks heard quite a lot at a base in southwest England. She joins us now -- Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Brianna.
Well, it's a very different set of events that we have heard from what we heard from the Iranian side. We have heard from six of the 15 British military personnel who were taken into captivity for almost two weeks.
They say they were definitely in Iraqi waters. They gave exact nautical details, 1.7 nautical miles from the Iranian side.
They say that they were treated humanely, but questions were aggressive, and the handling was rough. They say the worst part of it all was they were often kept in solitary confinement. They said there were mind games played against them.
Faye Turney, the leading seaman, the only woman within the 15 who was taken hostage, was kept in solitary confinement. And she was told for four days that all the others had been released and it was only her left in captivity.
One of the marines saying it was a media stunt, and he was disgusted that he had been used as part of a propaganda tool.
Now, we spoke to Captain Christopher Air, and he told us how it felt to be home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS: Captain Christopher Air, thank you for joining us. How does it feel, first of all, to be at home and know that you're safe?
CAPT. CHRIS AIR, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: We're just delighted. I think it was only when we touched done at London Heathrow that we knew we were safe. To see the look of delight on our families' faces. It was just wonderful.
HANCOCKS: How much have you been through? What sort of -- what sort of treatment did you have?
AIR: We were -- sort of encountered a variety of different organizations and people at different stages in the time we were in Iran. And the treatment varied from being very polite to people who -- who said they were there to help us and, therefore, benefit. To the people who we really couldn't trust and we thought were out there to harm us.
HANCOCKS: Are there any points where you thought that you would perhaps try and the escape?
AIR: There was, I guess, some critical points. One of them was when we encountered the Iranians first, when we were on the vessel. And that was probably the key point. It could have gone very wrong.
And I think the fact that we're back home here alive and there isn't a major political incident is clearly -- shows the right decision was made. We had a choice to engage them, and I chose to just cooperate, put our hands in the air.
HANCOCKS: When you were doing the televised message, when you were being coerced into something like that, what goes through your mind? What are you thinking?
AIR: Well, we knew what we were going to be asked before because we were told before, and they were asking us to state several things. And if you listen to the interview I gave, I myself and several others were very specific with what we said. We never admitted we were in Iranian waters. And we were very clear about that.
We just said that there were differences and discrepancies between the charts they'd showed us and the ones that we knew we had correct. And just that a mistake had been made. We didn't say who'd made a mistake, but I think everyone knows.
HANCOCKS: And your training, obviously, you've been trained for this kind of situation, as the worst case scenario. What goes through your mind and how do you keep yourself going?
AIR: Well, the marines, I guess a lot of the training we go through is under duress. And we are taught about qualities. And my life shows them in abundance, qualities like unselfishness, determination and a sense of human adversity that really kept us going.
HANCOCKS: And then you being in the Iraqi waters in the first place, I mean, what was your primary reason for being there? You have said, and you've cleared this up to a certain extent, but also you gather intelligence on Iranian activities in the area. What does that mean?
AIR: Well, what I mean is, in terms of the fact that Iranians actually coming into Iraqi waters and they're part of the activity and craft that are going into Iraqi waters. So we were not just gathering intelligence on them specifically, but in all sorts of activities in the waters. They're included in that.
HANCOCKS: And then finally, obviously, you're going back to HMS Cornwall. But this could happen again. You say you were in Iraqi waters, this could happen again. What can you do physically to stop this?
AIR: I think in terms of the intelligence picture, we now know a bit more about their intent.
HANCOCKS: You see them more as enemies now?
AIR: Well, we don't regard them as the enemy. And this event hasn't been unprecedented in coming into Iraqi waters and taking us. We'll have several issues, looking into, making sure this doesn't happen again.
HANCOCKS: Captain Christopher Air, thank you very much for joining us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS: Now, the six also said that, as well as being in solitary confinement, there were times when they were blindfolded. They were stripped of their kit, put in pajamas, lined up against the wall and could hear guns cracking in the background. They said that the mind games was actually the hardest part for them to deal with -- Brianna.
KEILAR: And Paula, we also heard something very interesting during that news conference, one of them saying they realized they wouldn't have won a confrontation from the get-go, and that this would have major strategic impacts if they were to confront the Iranian troops that were around, the Iranian sailors that were around them.
Did you get the sense right that there was a bigger picture they were seeing from the very beginning?
HANCOCKS: Well, I did ask that question to a couple of them, saying why did you not fight back when you realized what position you were in?
And the first point they made was, Iran is not our enemy. They were not there considering the Iranian troops and the Iranian sailors to be their enemy. They were there patrolling the waters. So that took them off their guard to start with.
And then they said that the colleagues on HMS Cornwall, the big ship nearby, couldn't come to their aid because the waters were too shallow. And they also said the number of Iranians around them with RPGs, with heavy guns pointed at them, they knew that if they had tried to fight, they probably wouldn't be here today, and they also knew that that would have sparked a diplomatic crisis.
KEILAR: All right, Paula Hancocks, live for us from southwest England. Thanks for that report.
HOLMES: A manhunt is over, but now another hunt is going on: for answers, after an FBI stakeout ends with one agent dead.
CNN's Randi Kaye watching these developments for us in New Jersey. And Randi, what are you getting from the authorities on this?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., the last suspect in this bank incident was picked up early this morning. Around 7:30 this morning, a 911 call was placed by a woman who said that she saw a guy matching the suspect's description trying to break into her car. He was shirt less, and he wasn't wearing any shoes.
Now, at that point, state police rushed to the scene. The officer who arrived first found Francisco Herrera-Genao laying in the grass outside a motel. The FBI just wrapped up a press conference. And here's how they say things went down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. RICK FUENTES, SUPERINTENDENT, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: As Trooper Pasquino approached, the individual got up. Trooper Pasquino drew his weapon. And the individual put his had hands in his pocket and began to say to the trooper approaching him slowly, "Please shoot me. Please kill me."
At around that time, the two Readington officers ran up to back up Trooper Pasquino, and they effected the arrest of Mr. Herrera.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The FBI also telling us today that the suspect was covered in leaves, he was muddy. He also showed signs that he had been in the woods and the water throughout the night. They also confirmed for us today that the suspect was not armed, which is a very interesting point, since late yesterday, after FBI agent Barry Lee Bush was shot dead at the scene, the FBI announced that it may have been friendly fire that killed him. He may actually have been shot by another agent, his own man, in the confusion of the confrontation outside the bank.
Police did recover, though, they say, two assault rifles and a pistol from the suspects.
HOLMES: Randi, I guess that's the question. That's the operative word there you used, confusion. Exactly what happened here? The suspects, did they fire weapons or not?
And if they didn't fire weapons, I guess why were they fired upon in the first place? Do we know that? And also, what are these suspects charged with?
KAYE: Right now, the suspects, we're told, did not fire their weapons. There was a lot of confusion, apparently, outside that bank yesterday. It's very unclear at this point.
It's still under investigation where the agent who was killed was actually standing. Was he nearby his fellow agents? How close was he to the agent who may have killed him? Or was he across the street at the bank nearby these other suspects? So that's one question that's still in the air.
Did the suspects ever fire? No, apparently they did not, according to FBI. They confirmed that last night. They're also confirming that again today.
These guys are now charged with armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, which could get them 35 years in prison, up to that time, at least. That is because they are being connected, according to the FBI, to at least four other bank robberies in the area during which they did fire their weapons, according to police.
HOLMES: All right. Randi Kaye for us. A lot to still be worked out, but sad -- sad to hear, an FBI agent has been killed. Randi, thank you so much for the update.
KEILAR: U.S. troops, four combat brigades gearing up for Iraq, but there's something unique about this call-up. To Pentagon now and our Barbara Starr -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to sign alert orders later today that will send eventually 12,000 Army National Guard troops to Iraq early next year on a rotation assignment.
What is new, what is different about this? Well, this is going to be the first time that the Army National Guard has gone back to Iraq for a second tour of duty. They went in the early months of the war, of course. Now going back for another tour of duty. To be clear, this is a rotation. This is not additional plus-up, if you will, no additional increase in the overall troop levels in Iraq. This is a rotation.
But these National Guard troops will be tasked with very tough duty. They will be assigned, we are told, to convoy security and guarding U.S. military bases around the country -- Brianna.
KEILAR: All right. Barbara Starr live for us from the Pentagon. Thanks for that.
HOLMES: Well, the shelves get emptier and emptier, and pet owners get angrier and angrier. Is there anything safe to feed your furry family members these days? Sit, stay, as we've got the answers ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
KEILAR: Breaking in the campaign cash, but how do those dollars translate into votes? We're going to talk with campaign veteran Joe Trippi about the fine art of fund raising. That's also ahead here in the NEWSROOM.
HOLMES: And a heavyweight report on climate change. Scientists forecast disaster. Details ahead. You've got to hear this one. It's in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, it's 1:15 in the CNN NEWSROOM, and here are three of the stories we're working on for you today.
The FBI says an agent who was shot and killed yesterday in New Jersey may have been shot accidentally by another agent. It happened as the agents tried to arrest three suspected bank robbers.
Also, some of the British marines and sailors held for almost two weeks in Iran faced reporters today on home soil. They said they were kept blindfolded and separated from one another. They also described what they called mind games during their detention.
And two workers in east Tennessee were hurt this morning when the oil well they were working on exploded and caught fire. The well's owner says a drill struck a gas pocket.
New questions and a troubling theory in the pet food fiasco. The FDA's chief vet tells CNN it's investigating whether the contamination started with a deliberate attempt to drive up profits.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. STEPHEN SUNDLOF, VETERINARY MEDICINE, FDA: Somebody may have added melamine to the wheat gluten in order to increase what appears to be the protein level. Wheat gluten is a high protein substance, and by trying to artificially inflate the protein level, it could command a higher price.
But that's just one theory at this point, and we are not in a position to say whether or not this is our major theory or whether it may be some other.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And a lot of people have asked why it's been taking so long. Apparently, the melamine is not toxic enough in these small quantities to actually kill an animal, at least according to some scientists, so it deepens the mystery. Have you gotten any closer to figuring out what's causing these deaths?
SUNDLOF: Well, we are looking into that. That's true: melamine is not very toxic as a chemical. And so we're wondering why we are seeing the kinds of serious conditions, especially the kidney failure, that we're seeing in cats and dogs.
So, we -- but we do know that the wheat gluten that contained the melamine is the -- by far the most probable source of the contamination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Meanwhile, the FDA may face questions of its own. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin says the agency was tragically slow to respond. Senate hearings are planned now.
In the meantime, 40 new products are being added to the recall list, including 20 varieties of dog biscuits from Sunshine Mills. For its part, Menu Foods is expanding its recall to include products made as far back as November.
And we have posted the entire list, including those new additions, on our web site. You can check it out at CNN.com/petfoodrecall. And check out the ticker running across the bottom of your screen. We're going to be listing all the affected brands there.
KEILAR: The recall seems to be growing by the day, which says something, since it started with almost 100 brands of dog and cat food. Now, unless you print an updated list and take it with you to store, it's hard to know which products are safe, but you may not have to resort to that. I spoke with a pet store owner today who had some really good advice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAURA SAUNDERS, PET STORE OWNER: When buying or purchasing pet foods for the store, for my customers and for my own pets, I want to make sure that the first few ingredients on the pet food is the meat source.
And it should be identified. It shouldn't be meat byproduct or chicken byproduct or turkey. It needs to be the whole, the whole grain, the whole meat source, which is turkey, chicken.
Make sure that it doesn't have any byproducts in it. Anything that says byproduct, either grain or protein or meat source, I would pass on that and go to a better brand of food.
KEILAR: Byproduct is the scary buzz word that you should steer clear of?
SAUNDERS: Yes, it's basically what it says, byproduct. Something that is the waste product of either the grain or the meat source.
KEILAR: It's really about educating yourself as a consumer. So what do pet owners need to do to make sure they're getting the best information?
SAUNDERS: Well, first they can either go to the local pet store and talk to the sales clerk about how to understand and what's in the pet food and how to read the labels.
And if they don't know, then they should go to another pet store, A. Or, B, they can go to the web site of the pet food company itself, and it should have the list of ingredients on there. And explaining exactly what it is.
They should also look for -- make sure that it doesn't have byproducts in it or wheat gluten in it or any kind of grain or protein byproduct in the food itself.
And there's also usually a phone number they can call the company, and they can explain exactly what's in the pet food, as well.
It's just a matter of understanding and knowing what you're feeding your pet so you can give them the best food possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: A massive Greek cruise ship goes down in the Aegean sea? That's no vacation. That dramatic story is ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Investors will have to wait until Monday to react to the biggest economic report of the month. That's because the stock market closed today. Susan Lisovicz does not have the day off, however, unfortunately for you. She is in New York, actually, to break down numbers in today's jobs report.
Hello to you, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, T.J. And it's good to be with you.
This doesn't happen very often where the stock market on a weekday isn't open to receive a big report. The government's latest read shows the labor market is, indeed, strong.
Employers added a much greater than expected 180,000 new jobs in March, thanks largely to some big gains in the housing sector, of all places, construction, as well as retail, education and health care. And job growth in January and February was revised up, as well.
Meanwhile, a separate survey within the report shows the nation's unemployment rate taking an unexpected dip, down to 4.4 percent. That matches the lowest level in nearly six years.
Like you said, the stock market is closed today for the Good Friday holiday. The Dow Industrials ended the shortened trading week on a roll with a six-day win streak. And ditto for the NASDAQ, as well.
HOLMES: I know -- I know during all your live shots when you're reporting for us you keep that crystal ball right next to you. So we don't know. We have to wait to see how they're going to react on Monday but give us an idea how they might react to the news.
LISOVICZ: Right, T.J., because you know, it's -- on the one hand, it's a relief. You know, will investors see the glass half full or half empty?
Because the report is so strong, that can actually present a problem. Some analysts say it could prompt concerns about inflation. A tight job market means workers have more power to demand higher pay, and that can lead to higher prices or inflation.
The bond market, which was open for just a few hours this morning because of this report, saw prices tumble after the report came out, on fears the strong report means the Federal Reserve will not cut interest rates any time soon and could, in fact, consider a rate hike. And stock market does not like rate hikes.
So we'll see. We'll have to wait until Monday, but it could be an interesting day. That's the latest from Wall Street.
Coming up next hour, the company that dishes out dotcoms is raising its fees. I'll tell you how much it's going to cost to own an Internet domain.
For now, T.J., Brianna, back to you. And I realize that I caught myself. I said that's the latest from Wall Street. I'm not on Wall Street today.
HOLMES: Not on Wall Street today. I know you're used to being there.
LISOVICZ: But I will be on Monday.
HOLMES: And we will see you there, Susan. Thank you so much.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
HOLMES: Meanwhile, we've got a heavyweight report on climate change to tell you about. And scientists are forecasting disaster. Those details ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hello again, everyone. I'm T.J. Holmes life at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar. Separated, blindfolded, subjected to the sounds of cocking guns. We've got new and chilling details today from 15 British captives just back from Iran.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We're getting a much clearer picture now of what happened to those British troops captured by Iran in the Persian Gulf two weeks ago. Today, the royal navy sailors and marines held a news conference in Britain aimed at countering all the video we saw of them from Iran. You may have heard their dramatic remarks -- pardon me -- live here on CNN.
Of keen interest: were the troops in Iranian or Iraqi waters on March 23?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. FELIX CARMAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: We were equipped with true navigational equipment and handheld GPS for backup. The helicopters and supports provided continuous navigational confirmation, and we were also linked through HMS Cornwall, who were monitoring our exact position at all times.
Let me make it absolutely clear. Irrespective of what's been said in the past when we were detained by the IRG, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, we were inside internationally recognized Iraqi territorial waters. And I can clearly state we were 1.7 nautical miles from Iranian waters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The troops also explained their decision to surrender.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIR: Let me be absolutely clear. From the outset, it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option. Had we chosen to do so, and many of us would not be standing here today. Of that I have no doubts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The former captives all say they were used by Iran for propaganda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE TINDELL, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: We were subjected to various mind games, and obviously we're not pleased about it, and as far as I'm concerned, the whole thing was a complete media stunt, and I've got nothing to say really. I'm not their biggest fan, put it that way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Of course, everyone is eager to know whether the group had been tortured.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. FELIX CARMAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: We were blindfolded, our hands were bound, we were forced up against the wall. Throughout our ordeal we faced constant psychological pressure. Later, we were stripped, and then dressed in pajamas. The next few nights were spent in stone cells, approximately 8 feet by 6, sleeping on piles of blankets. All of us were kept in isolation. We were interrogated most nights and presented with two options. If we admitted that we had strayed, we'd be back on a plane to the U.K. pretty soon. If we didn't, we faced up to seven years in prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And on to another major story today, a chilling report on global warming. A panel of U.N. experts offers dire predictions about the effects of manmade climate change. Some experts say the report was even bleaker before it was watered down by politicians and bureaucrats.
CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): February's report from a United Nations panel on global climate change was just the tip of the iceberg. It concluded that global warming is real, it's getting worse, and that human activity is driving it. And a follow-up released Friday in Brussels offers new details of the devastating effects climate change will likely bring to bear on humans, animals and the environment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're no longer arm-waving with animals. This is what we call empirical information. On the ground, we can measure it.
MARCIANO: Reporter: Perhaps the most troubling finding is that by the end of the century, floods will permanently displace hundreds of millions of people, as low-lying coastal areas are swallowed up by rising sea levels.
ROBERT CORELL, CLIMATE SCIENTIST: With a meter or two of sea level rise, we're likely to see hundreds of millions of what we'll call environmental refugees, people who no longer can live where they had lived for maybe thousands of years.
MARCIANO: The report predicts where it's wet and hot, insect- borne diseases such as malaria will explode. Where it's dry, it's likely to become much drier, and some water supplies will vanish, notably the glaciers in the Himalayas, the key water source for hundreds of millions of Asians, and the deserts will expand.
JAMES HANSEN, EARTH SCIENTIST: Already, we're beginning to see in the western United States that it is becoming drier and hotter. And if we go down the path of business as usual, we can expect basically permanent drought in the western United States.
MARCIANO: Another grim finding is that the world will see a spike in endangered species, with a wave of extinction from coral reefs to polar bears.
CORELL: Our study in the Arctic suggested that the polar bear is on its way to extinction, during this century, in most likelihood, and the reason for that is that they live on the ice, they get their food off the ice, they snatch the seals through small air holes, and now most of that ice is no longer there, and will disappear.
MARCIANO (on camera): Next month, another key section of the report will be released, and it's going to provide some much-needed guidance as to what we humans can do to stop global warming. And even scientists who fear the worst say it's not too late to avoid some of these nightmare scenarios.
Rob Marciano, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
We certainly want to know what you think about this. Are you worried global warming will affect you? That is the question we're asking on our quick vote today. And right now, 63 percent of you saying yes, you are worried just a bit. You can go to CNN.com and cast your quick vote.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KEILAR: Political news this week has been dominated by one issue, and that's money. Though some would say that's the dominant issue every week. Well, democratic presidential contender Barack Obama stole the spotlight by raising $25 million over the past three months. A big chunk of That came from small donors on the Internet.
Joe Trippi was the Internet guru and campaign manager for Howard Dean's 2004 campaign for the Democratic nomination, and he's joining us now live from Washington.
Thanks for being with us, Joe.
JOE TRIPPI, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Great to see you, Brianna.
KEILAR: And you know, I'm just wondering, you were really credited during the Howard Dean campaign for really, for the first time, making the Internet really work for you. I'm just wondering, how is the Internet in terms of fund-raising being used differently in this campaign compared to 2004?
TRIPPI: It's not being used differently as much -- so much as it's being used by everybody. I mean, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, all of them are using it. Last time people were laughing at the Dean campaign, the other campaigns. This time, every single campaign on the Republican side and the Democratic side is trying to exploit it. And when you see what Barack Obama put up as numbers, it's really made a big difference in how much money people are raising this year. KEILAR: So is that a little validation that maybe you were a man ahead of your time, obviously? It was treated with some novelty when Howard Dean was running.
TRIPPI: Yes, they used to say we were a bar scene out of "Star Wars." I mean, literally we were ridiculed for it. But I think it's rewarding to see so many campaigns out there pioneering as well. There's still pioneering that -- we're still at the very beginning of how the Internet is going to change politics by letting individuals out there contribute to the campaign that they care about. And so as much as we pioneered in 2004, I think you're seeing the Obama campaign, the Edwards campaign, the Clinton campaign, all of them, pioneering even further this time.
KEILAR: So, then what is the next revolution? Where does it go from here?
TRIPPI: No one can tell you that. I mean, I look back at the McCain campaign, which I thought was visionary Internet campaign of 2000. He had 40,000 people sign up, and they raised a few million dollars. The Dean campaign comes along, we do 650,000 people and $59 million. This year, you're going to see these candidates have millions of people sign up for them, raise hundreds of millions of dollars, in my view. And I can't tell you what the tool will be.
But one of these campaigns will really pioneer the next big breakthrough, and you're going to see it happen in 2008. It may make the difference in two the nominee is and who wins the presidency.
KEILAR: All right, and also you know, this election season, this cycle seems to be ramping up pretty early, especially with some of the primaries that are moving up. Do you think there's a danger of some of these candidates peaking too early, that the landscape of what we see now is going to be entirely different down the road?
TRIPPI: I think the landscape's going to be entirely different. What you see here is the first move, or the person that gets that big lead with small donors is going to become more and more important, so you can't get there too early. And it's very tough to catch that person. Once Obama has 100,000 people out there, 90 percent of them who gave less than $100, they're going to will be able to get -- he's going to be able to go back to those people over and over again and ask for money. He's going to be able to replicate this quarter. That means getting that lead, getting out there sooner is going to be more important every year, and very important this year. He may have scored a big advantage for the rest of this primary season.
KEILAR: And, you know, even before Howard Dean was really using the Internet, before you really had him making that Internet work for him, as you said, John McCain in 2000, it was somewhat of a novelty then for his campaign. On the Republican side, what do you see? Who is really using this tool?
TRIPPI: Well, they're all trying, but so far there hasn't been a real breakthrough candidacy on the Republican side, no one showing anywhere near the prowess of either Obama or Edwards or even Clinton. I mean, you know, the Clinton campaign did their -- she announced virtually pretty much over the Internet, and -- but you don't see that kind of innovation yet on the Republican side this year.
Again, McCain was a big innovator in 2000 so I suspect you will see something break out over there but not so far in the first quarter.
KEILAR: All right. Joe Trippi, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us.
TRIPPI: Great to be with you, Brianna.
KEILAR: And of course, all the day's political news is available any time day or night at CNN.com/ticker. It's constantly updating with the latest from the campaign trail.
HOLMES: All right, take a listen to this. This guy is locked up for being sick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally would have been perfectly happy if Mr. Daniels had shown the sense that God gave a goat and kept his mask on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The sense that God gave a goat, sounds like something my mama would say. But this time we are talking about a tuberculosis patient who fails to follow instructions and winds up in solitary confinement. Stick around for that here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Would you rather be sick or locked up? Probably neither, but a man in Arizona is both. In a story that's pitting public safety against civil rights.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Phoenix, Arizona, Robert Daniels is in custody, in solitary confinement in a hospital prison ward. Not because he's committed a crime, but because he's sick, very sick.
VOICE OF ROBERT DANIELS, TUBERCULOSIS PATIENT: I never thought that this could happen. I'm telling you, I'm sitting on a bed, and I'm just crying because of all the quietness.
GUTIERREZ: We can't see Robert Daniels. We can't meet him. Daniels has tuberculosis, a deadly, drug-resistant strain. He's been quarantined by the state.
DANIELS: I'm not being isolated. I'm being incarcerated. GUTIERREZ: For the past eight months, the 27-year-old has been confined to his room, equipped with a special ventilation system. His only contact with the outside world is the medical staff who feed and treat him, and a telephone.
DANIELS: I don't have nobody to talk to. I have my mental health is going down. I'm just slowly dying.
GUTIERREZ: Daniels says he contracted T.B. while living with his wife and children in Moscow. He returned to the United States for medical treatment. Arizona health officials told Daniels that he was infectious and repeatedly warned him to wear a mask in public. He didn't.
DR. BOB ENGLAND, MARICOPA CO. HEALTH DEPT.: I hate locking people up.
GUTIERREZ: Maricopa County health director says when the public is at risk, he has no choice.
ENGLAND: It is a very rare individual for whom we need to pursue legal remedies and legally isolate somebody so that they don't expose others.
GUTIERREZ: But some say Daniels' civil rights are being violated because he has not been charged with any crime.
DANIEL POCHODA, ARIZONA ACLU: He gets no TV, no phone, he has a light on in his cell 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. His phone calls are monitored.
GUTIERREZ: The Maricopa sheriff's department says Daniels created his own problem.
JOHN MACINTYRE, MARICOPA CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE: I personally would have been perfectly happy if Mr. Daniels had shown the sense that God gave a goat and kept his mask on.
GUTIERREZ: For Robert Daniels, there's no end in sight. Doctors say treatment for the type of T.B. he has could take years.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Former First Lady Betty Ford is said to be recovering well from surgery. That statement from the office of the late President Gerald Ford said Mrs. Ford had an operation earlier this week at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. It doesn't say exactly what that surgery was for. Betty Ford turns 89 on Sunday.
KEILAR: The stations of the cross, a lesson for the faithful, or is it a myth? We're following the footsteps of Jesus, ahead in the NEWSROOM. HOLMES: And do you rember this priceless home coming? A sailor just home from Iraq, surprising his young son. We will see how this family is doing today. Stick around.
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KEILAR: A Greek cruise ship due to dock today, instead lies at the bottom of the Aegean Sea. It sank within hours of hitting a volcanic reef yesterday. And now two French passengers are missing. Divers and Coast Guard teams are searching for them just off the island of Santorini. CNN's Diana Magnay has the latest.
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DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dramatic nighttime pictures of the doomed Greek cruise ship, the Sea Diamond. Rescue workers still circling long after they had evacuated those on board. At this stage, powerless to prevent the inevitable.
And here, just before 7:00 in the morning, 15 hours after she began to take in water, it's all over. All 225,000 tons of this enormous ship now lying on the sea bed near the Greek island of Santorini. The Sea Diamond was carrying almost 1600 people when she scraped a reef. Passengers said it all happened very suddenly.
TOM GATCH, PASSENGER: I heard the noise, and it was a loud noise, of course. And then I stepped outside of my cabin and looked, and the water was coming down the hall way. And I thought, I have to go back inside to get my life jacket but I had to open the door and I didn't have time because now the water was up over my ankles.
KATIE SUMMER, PASSENGER: We heard a big shudder and then the whole boat started to tilt. All of our glasses were sliding everywhere. And our warning that the ship was sinking was some of the staff running down the corridor screaming out, life jackets and banging on the doors.
MAGNAY: Military and commercial vessels took part in the three hour rescue operation. And local fishermen rushed to help while tourists on Santorini watched as the ship built as the ultimate in luxury, took on more and more water.
But on Friday, the Greek tourism minister announced that two passengers were still missing.
FANNY PALLI PETRALIA, GREEK MINISTER OF TOURISM (through translator): The mother told me that it all happened within a few seconds, while one of the two children was upstairs on the deck, the rest of the family was in the cabin which suddenly filled with water. They managed to open the cabin door and the mother dived and got out. She doesn't know whether her husband and her daughter managed to follow her.
MAGNAY: In September 2000 more than 80 people drowned when the express ferry Samina hit rocks and sank off the another Greek island of Paros. Greece has since worked hard to improve its safety record. The crews' operator says they have already launched an investigation into how this latest ferry disaster was allowed to occur. Diana Magnay, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: We have a few more pictures of this dramatic accident at sea. Our I-reporter on the scene, Nikos Sirigos, he just happened to be on the island of Santorini taking pictures of a wedding. You, too, can share your photos or video of news in the making. Just go to CNN.com and click on I-report.
HOLMES: Well, big-time bust on the high seas, 15 tons of cocaine off loaded from the USS McInerney at the May Port, Florida, naval station. Coast Guard crews made two separate busts in the Pacific. Fourteen suspected smugglers are being held. And that cocaine has an approximate street value of $400 million.
KEILAR: America's city of brotherly love is losing its claim on the title. Philadelphia leads the nation right now in homicides for 2007. One hundred four people killed there since January, which averages out to more than a person per day. Two much larger cities come in at second and third. We are told there have been 90 homicides so far in Chicago and in New York, 89.
HOLMES: And a shocking discovery in a fifth grade classroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the girls came in and said, there's no teacher. We can do whatever we want.
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HOLMES: Whatever they want, in a fifth grade classroom. Well, how bad could it be? We'll tell you what they're accused of doing and it has caused such an uproar in a rural Louisiana parish. Those details in the NEWSROOM.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, bud.
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KEILAR: Remember this? Last week, we showed you the tearful reunion of U.S. Navy Petty Officer Bill Hawes who had been away for ten months serving in Iraq. This, of course, is his overwhelmed 6- year-old son, John. And today, on "CNN's American Morning" the Hawes family told us what they have been up to since dad has been home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL HAWES, U.S. NAVY PETTY OFFICER: What did we go do? JOHN HAWES, SON: We went to Disneyland.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN ANCHOR: You went to Disneyland? How much fun did you have there?
HAWES: A lot.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN ANCHOR: Yes? Tell me a little bit about what you do now that your dad's back. What do you guys do together?
HAWES: What did we do yesterday?
HAWES: We went and rode quads.
KEILAR: That's the father and son stuff that, Julie, you weren't doing with him, right?
JULIE HAWES, WIFE OF BILL HAWES: No, I was grocery shopping, actually.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN ANCHOR: Right. Because the meal still has to be on the table in the morning.
Let me ask you, Bill, what was it like when you finally got a chance to see him after being away from your kids for so long?
HAWES: I cant really describe how it feels, you know, missing almost 10 months. We have a lot of catching up to do. I will say I love everyone over here and I'm just glad to see him and everyone is doing good and surprised at how much they've grown. He was three inches shorter the last time I saw him. So that was a shock.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Little John there. Not much of a talker but sure is cute, isn't he?
HOLMES: But he's good for the dramatic moments.
KEILAR: That's right. And John's mom, Julie, says that for the entire ten months her husband was away, she would tell her son and daughter that daddy is coming home soon.
HOLMES: So it came to pass. And daddy is home. That was good to see.
KEILAR: Yes.
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