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American Morning
Don Imus Under Fire; Troop Deadline Standoff; British Sailors Banned From Deals
Aired April 10, 2007 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: No, I understand it's not funny. And I understand there's no excuse for it. I'm not pretending that there is. I wish I hadn't said it. I'm sorry I said it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Sorry, and now he's suspended. Don Imus to be pulled off the air for his racist remarks. He's speaking out this morning, and so are the female basketball players that he insulted.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A political standoff. A new showdown expected today between President Bush and Senate Democrats over the Iraq war.
S. O'BRIEN: And the new American home for the changing American family. Contractors are taking the kitchen outside, (INAUDIBLE) up the theater, and building a solution to snoring spouses.
We're live this morning from Washington, D.C., from London, and right here in New York on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's Tuesday April 10th.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.
We're glad you're with us this morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin with the growing calls for radio host Don Imus to take more than two weeks off. They want him off the air, some of these folks, permanently. Today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, the New York NAACP is going to be holding a news conference demanding that Imus be fired. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference will also ask for Imus's job at a news conference that they are holding this morning as well. Leaders want the FCC to investigate, too.
And we're going to hear from the players that Imus insulted.
CNN's Jim Acosta is on the Rutgers' campus this morning in New Jersey.
And, of course, Jim, we're going to hear from Imus more this morning, as well.
Good morning.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Soledad. Good morning.
Yes, the Rutgers' women basketball team is scheduled to have that press conference at 11:00 a.m. this morning. They've kept quiet up until now, not really addressing the comments, that racial slur made by Don Imus last Wednesday on his radio program.
And speaking of Imus, he was on a different program this morning. He was on NBC's "Today" show. In an interview with Matt Lauer, Imus once again repeated his request, his hope to meet with the women's basketball team here at Rutgers to offer his apology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMUS: I think it's appropriate. As bad as I feel, I don't feel as bad as those young women at Rutgers feel.
We've made extraordinary efforts over the air and officially through members of the religious community in New Jersey and the academic community at Rutgers, and through -- privately through people who know people who are trying to see if these young women will allow me to come out and apologize to them. And I am going to apologize to them and ask them for their forgiveness. I don't expect that, and I don't think they have any obligation to either forgive me or to accept my apology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And again, it's not clear whether or not the women's basketball team will accept that offer. They haven't indicated as of yet as to whether or not they will have the I-Man down here on the Rutgers campus to accept that apology.
Another man who would like to meet with the Rutgers women's basketball team is Al Sharpton. He has said yesterday, pretty much all day long on his radio show, that he would like to also meet with this Rutgers women's basketball team. And that will be one of the questions for the team later this morning at this press conference as to how they feel about all this newfound popularity -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it will be interesting to hear what they have to say finally after keeping their silence for quite a while.
Jim Acosta this morning for us in New Jersey.
Thank you, Jim.
Coming up in just a few minutes, we're going to be talking to Clarence Page of the "Chicago Tribune". You might remember that several years ago he asked Imus to take a pledge, say that he was going to stop making racially insensitive comments. Well, we're going to ask Mr. Page what should happen now.
And we'd like to hear from you, too, this morning. Is a two-week suspension a sufficient punishment for Don Imus?
Go to CNN.com to vote. See the latest results, too.
Right now, 61 percent of people polled say, yes, it's enough. Thirty-nine percent say, no, it's not enough. Obviously, this is not a scientific poll.
M. O'BRIEN: More bad news for some U.S. military families this morning. It appears 15,000 U.S. troops will not come home on time from Iraq. The top general in Iraq, David Petraeus, is asking Defense Secretary Robert Gates to extend their tours of duty by four months. Petraeus trying to keep troop levels higher through the summer.
And we now know which National Guard troops will be getting the call to pack their duffels for Iraq. The 13,000 troops coming from Little Rock, Arkansas; Oklahoma City, Indianapolis; and Columbus, Ohio. Many of them have already done a tour in Iraq.
Meanwhile, in Washington, that political fight over paying the bills for the war coming to a head. It happens as Democrats still insisting the money has some strings attached. The president rejecting any calls for bringing the troops home at a date certain.
Suzanne Malveaux live from the White House with more -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Miles, what you're seeing here is a White House that is trying to shape the terms of the debate here. The president again will go before a friendly audience, this time the American Legion, 10:30 this morning, to make his case.
In his 35-minute speech, we're told just a few new nuggets, but basically reiterating the same message, and that is he is trying to paint this as a fight between members of Congress and the U.S. troops. He is trying to make the case here that members of Congress are overstepping their authority or their bounds.
He will, again, once say that it's up to the generals to make the kinds of decisions where the troops should go, when they should leave, how long they should stay, and not the 535 members of Congress. He will also go ahead and make the case to the American people that there is some progress that they are seeing not only in Iraq, but also Afghanistan. And he will talk about the 3,000-plus new Australian troops that will be going over, the NATO forces that have managed to capture some of the Taliban.
And in Iraq, he will plead once again for patience and for more time here, saying that there is just about half of the U.S. and Iraqi brigades that are in place, and already they're seeing some diminishing violence, at least in Baghdad -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Suzanne, let's talk about the timing here.
On the one hand, you have Democrats saying the troops are good, the money is good, at least until July or some time in the summer. Republicans paint a different picture.
How do we know what is the real story?
MALVEAUX: And it's really hard, Miles, to know what the real story is, because you've got the president, who's emphasizing earlier -- he is talking about mid-April that the Pentagon will have to shift funds around. And then he also says look until about mid-May or so, and that is when you're going to see some diminishing returns here, where they're actually going to have to perhaps extend stay or cut back on certain things involving the Iraq war.
But you have an independent group that says it is not so dire. You also have Democrats who say this thing can go on for months. So it all depends on who you ask -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.
Thank you.
Those British sailors and marines held by Iran will not be able to sell their stories after all. The British defense secretary did an abrupt about-face after a huge backlash from the public, politicians, and family members who have lost loved ones in the war.
CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh live in London.
Alphonso, tell us -- you really get the sense this backlash is building there.
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is building here. And as you mentioned, it comes just days after a few of those 15 British service members who were held captive in Iran actually sold their stories to the local press, television and print interviews.
As you mentioned, the defense secretary reinforcing an immediate ban of armed service members from selling their stories to the press. Now, even though that has come into effect, that hasn't stopped the deal -- those 15 service members from headlining a lot of the local papers.
You see here in one of the tabloids a picture of Faye Turney, one of those 15 service members held in Iran, on the cover. On another paper here, "The Times," talking about exactly what you mentioned -- "Protests Force a U-turn".
Again, that controversy coming from families of British service members who have died in other conflicts, saying that these service members should be proud to do their duty, to serve for their country, and not necessarily profit from those experiences -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Alphonso, also yesterday, that video came out from Iran showing them in captivity, and they were playing Ping-Pong and so forth. And it's difficult to ascertain whether that's a little piece of propaganda or if that truly reflects -- the checkers, or really what it was all about.
What are people saying there?
VAN MARSH: Well, I can tell you what the service members are saying. I've been covering the story over the last few weeks and was there when those British -- some of those British service members decided to address the press. And a few that I spoke with told me that that was completely 100 percent propaganda.
They're saying that they were held in isolation and brought together only for those snippets of video that we saw on Iranian television broadcast throughout the world. Something else that is interesting to note, Miles, is, even in the attitudes, as you mentioned, have changed by the community and the families of those British service members.
When we first got down, for example, to one service member's hometown, their family and friends were eager for the world to know all about that service member, showing us pictures, showing stories. But as this kind of story kind of reached a positive end, when people knew that those service members were, indeed, going to be released, the attitude changed, especially for those who knew that service member well, saying that they had to look out for that service member's future. That was probably code for wanting to be paid to tell their stories -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Which we should point out is much more common in Great Britain than it is here, right, Alphonso?
VAN MARSH: Yes. It is very surprising for some when you learn -- when you go to a story. Again, using that same example, we stopped by one service member's pub, favorite pub where he likes to hang out when he comes home, and we were told by the pub owners and his friend and family, again, everything about the service member. They wanted to share pictures.
Moments later, we learned that a local competing tabloid had offered these folks money not to share those pictures so they could have an exclusive. Of course, people in that community at the time outraged, saying that they didn't want to keep that information to themselves. They wanted the world to know what the service member was like, that he was proud to serve his country, and they wanted him to come home soon -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Alphonso Van Marsh in London.
Thank you.
The road to the White House is leading candidates to spend a lot of time appearing on late-night television. You know what they say, that many a truth is spoken in jest.
Well, check out this scene last night as Barack Obama dropped in on "Letterman" and Letterman asked Obama if he would team up with Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": But you know what I'm getting to?
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do.
LETTERMAN: People will say -- they're saying, oh, well, this isn't Barack Obama's -- he's only been a senator for two years, so maybe we're looking at some sort of a compromise on the ticket. Maybe he'll be the presidential candidate, Hillary might be the vice president. Maybe it will be reverse of that.
Any of that occur at this point or not?
OBAMA: You don't run for second. I don't believe in that. Yes.
LETTERMAN: But that would be -- that would be powerful ticket, undeniably. That would be a powerful ticket.
OBAMA: Which order are we talking about?
LETTERMAN: Well, let's say...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: That was funny, wasn't it?
M. O'BRIEN: Both the Obama and Clinton camps are joining John Edwards in bowing out of a September debate sponsored by FOX News. All of them will participate in CNN's debate in January. As Obama put it, CNN seemed like a more appropriate venue.
We agree.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Senator. Thank you very much.
Coming up this morning, more on the Don Imus uproar. We're going to be talking to syndicated columnist Clarence Page. Imus's racist remarks are nothing new to him.
We'll chat with him.
And can separate bedrooms lead to marital bliss? One of the hot new trends that we're seeing as we take a look at our series, "Your American Home".
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Just about quarter past. Chad Myers at the CNN weather center, watching some cold temperatures all across the country.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Well, Don Imus's show is off the air for two weeks. It's effective Monday. That is the punishment for his racist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.
Clarence Page of the "Chicago Tribune" says he has heard it all before, including all those sorry, sorry, sorries.
He joins us this morning.
Nice to see you, Clarence, as always.
CLARENCE PAGE, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": You, too, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
You know, I know that you talked with Don Imus about his racist comments in the past, and he had said, I take the pledge, I'm not going to do it again. So, when you heard this, what was your first reaction?
PAGE: Well, you mean this latest episode?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
PAGE: My first reaction was, well, I guess he's fallen off the wagon again, particularly egregiously this time. The term he used, "nappy-headed hos," to refer to the Rutgers women's basketball team is just beyond the pale. And that's why we're seeing the kind of negative reaction we've seen the last few days, a bigger negative backlash than he's ever had before.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. You know what has really surprised me about that? It was, like, where did that come from?
"Nappy-headed hos" for these young women who are, you know, basketball phenoms, really? It almost was like synonymous with young, black women the way he kind of threw it out there, that is really what has enraged people.
So you think a two-week suspension is enough or not enough?
PAGE: Well, I think, first of all, that phrase comes from hip-hop. And I've heard from readers who are saying, well, you know, why doesn't Al Sharpton go out and condemn hip-hoppers?
I'll tell you, with a 17-year-old son at home, Soledad, I've heard a lot of hip-hop in recent years, and radio stations have been bleeping out "hos" and "nappy-headed," those kind of phrases. But as far as two weeks being enough, I personally think that's enough. That's more than he has ever gotten before.
He has been called on the carpet by a lot of this public on numerous occasions. So I think this gives a sound warning because it hits him in the pocketbook, although I am sure it's going to just help his ratings.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I would imagine, too.
There is a sense, I think, that it's a bigger outcry because he has got this legitimacy that comedy shows -- even though he keeps saying, you know, we're here, really to do entertainment, even though I didn't think that phrase was very funny in any way, shape or form...
PAGE: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: ... you know, prominent politicians, prominent journalists, very prominent journalists, very prominent politicians go on his show. What do you think happens now?
PAGE: Good friend of mine. That's right.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. OK, good friend of yours.
So what happens now? Who is the first politician who goes on Imus's show? Does it matter? Do you think anybody cares?
PAGE: Well, I'm already being asked to question candidates for president, to ask them if they're going to go on Imus's show again. And I understand Cal Ripken, not a politician, but a wonderful icon of sports and all, has canceled his scheduled appearance. And I know my friends around town here, various journalistic pundits and newsmakers, are giving second thoughts.
A number are still going to go on his show anyway. And that does add to his credibility. It also helps our careers, as far as expanding our audiences.
But I've decided not to play the game anymore. I've been an enabler of Don's. And it's very easy to do, for me to drop out, since he has not invited me back since I pushed him into taking that pledge back in 2001.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. You know, he never invited me on at all. So I guess I can go with you and say I'm not going on...
(CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: He has said now that maybe -- maybe there should be black people on his show every day. When he was talking on the "Today" show this morning, he said, "We'll make an effort to do that, have a black person on the show each and every day."
What do you think of that idea?
PAGE: Well, I think, frankly, it was very clever of him to go to Al Sharpton rather than go to some of the rest of us 30 million black folks in America, because if there's anybody really hated by Don Imus's core audience, which is mostly white males, is Al Sharpton. So, if there was any way to make himself look sympathetic, I think he did that yesterday by going to that broadcast confessional.
So, I'm sure -- you know, Don has always had black folks on here and there in the past. He was a big supporter of Harold Ford in his Senate race. I don't think Don is a racist, but he says racist things. So that little nuance of difference is troubling.
S. O'BRIEN: I was going to say, Mr. Page, that is a little nuance of difference there. Clarence Page, we don't have time to get into that this morning, but always nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.
PAGE: You too. Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a hot new trend in home building, and it's meant to keep your marriage happy. How builders are responding to American families on our real estate series "Your American Home".
How about two bedrooms?
And it sounds too good to be true -- eat more, lose weight. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the little decisions that can go a long way towards extending your life.
Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: This week we're taking a closer look at the real estate market. We're calling our special series "Your American Home".
We have two reports this morning. AMERICAN MORNING'S Alina Cho is in Robinsville, New Jersey, with a look at trends in new home construction. And Ali Velshi is here to explain the grim world of foreclosures.
Let's begin with Alina.
Alina is there. Perfectly color-coordinated with all those studs beside her.
You're where you want it be, among exposed studs.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I would say -- yes, that too.
(LAUGHTER)
CHO: I would say we planned it, but we didn't really plan it.
But hey, Miles, we're here at the Washington Town Center housing development, a new development. We're about halfway between New York City and Philadelphia.
That staircase I just walked down, that actually leads to a mini apartment above the garage. That's one big trend we're seeing. Another big trend, something designed to keep your marriage happy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice over): Homes are getting bigger. And one surprising trend, separate master bedrooms.
Take baby boomers Howard and Bev Rossman (ph). They've been married for 33 years. They love each other, but can't stand sleeping together.
Bev (ph) has restless legs, Howard snores. So they decided to make a change. They bought a home, tore it down, and rebuilt it. In the plans, the key to a good night's sleep, a snoring room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It takes out the tension of sleeping together. Not the romance. So, it eliminates an aspect of conflict.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know when I would have to go to our son's room or our daughter's room in the middle of the night, in the morning he would wake up and go, "Oh, I'm so sorry that you had to move." And now it's great. I mean, it's very nice.
CHO: The National Association of Home Builders predicts by the year 2015, 60 percent of custom homes could have dual master bedrooms.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our main sleeping area.
CHO: Bill and Lauren Kitt (ph) did it. In fact, they not only have separate bedrooms, they have separate closets and bathrooms, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We sleep better, we're in better moods.
CHO: Spa-like bathrooms are another big housing trend. So are home theaters and outdoor kitchens, an extension of the great American barbecue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Americans love to be outside, and the American family is now spending more and more time in outdoor living spaces.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So do you ever take down this post?
CHO: Take the Rossmans (ph), for example. They are adding a tea house. They say all of the changes they've made to their home has have not just improved their living space, it's made their relationship better, too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Now, though the housing market is slow in much of the country, these homes here in this development are selling fast. In fact, of the 800 homes that were available, only 100 are left.
Why? Well, part of the reason why is that these homes are priced well. A three bedroom home starts at about $300,000. But another big reason, which is interesting, is that many of the people who are moving here for are from cities like New York and Philadelphia. These are people who like to walk to their stores.
So, what are they doing here? They're actually bringing the city to the development. They're building restaurants and shops right here in the development. And Miles, that is a big draw for people who are thinking about homes -- buying homes, rather, in this area.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a great idea. You don't have to get in the car every darn time you want to go get something to eat.
CHO: That's right. Just walk right down the street.
M. O'BRIEN: Alina Cho -- all right. Alina Cho among the studs.
Thank you.
Now from the fancy to the foreclosures. They are sharply on the rise all across the country. Take a look at this map. Some of the places where they're most hard hit, Detroit, Denver, Dallas, the three Ds.
Why there? Ali Velshi has some insight for us at about 25 minutes past the hour.
Ali, good morning.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
The trend -- you have to look at a different part of the trend to tell you this story. So, we saw the map of the places that had the high foreclosures. Now let's look at the price appreciation on houses in those areas.
Number one, this is a list of 282 metropolitan markets. As you can see, close to the bottom -- top of our page, but close to the bottom of the list is Detroit. That's obvious. We've had layoffs for years there. It's really paying the price.
So, you understand why foreclosures are happening in Detroit. People are losing their jobs. Their home value is down. They're probably mortgaged high, they can't make the payments. They lose their house.
But look at the rest of them. Prices are actually up.
Indianapolis, not by much. Denver not by much. But remember, the Southwest has enjoyed massive gains over the last several years. So, 1.3 percent now as compared to well over five or eight percent.
Dallas and Atlanta, look at that, 4, 4.3. Why are we seeing foreclosures in places like that? No major job losses. What we're seeing there is people who have had mortgages that are adjustable rates.
They took big, big mortgages, probably a big proportion of the house. So now you're stuck with a mortgage payment that has increased dramatically, and there is not enough equity in your house to actually go back, tap it, get a good rate, and then pay off whatever you owe.
It's a trap of these low rates that people took years ago. They were teaser rates. Nobody thought they would go up.
If you're going to mortgage a big portion of your house, more than 80 percent, you have got to be careful, because rates can go up. And that's where we're seeing people trapped. The housing prices are still going up, not enough to get out and get equity of your house.
M. O'BRIEN: Is it a good time, if it's possible, to lock in at a lower rate? The rates are still pretty low historically.
VELSHI: You know, if you're a gambler, this is an individual thing. But yes, if you think there is a possibility of a problem, or you don't think your wages are going to go up more than inflation rate, at least you'll know how much you're going to pay.
You won't get caught unless you lose your job. You won't get caught not being able to make the payment of an increased mortgage rate in later years.
M. O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi, thank you very much.
VELSHI: OK.
M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Top stories of the morning are coming straight up.
Don Imus speaking out this morning about the growing calls for him to put away his microphone for good after those racist remarks. We'll talk about that.
Plus, extended tours. More National Guard troops.
And a standoff over funding. The war over the war rages on on multiple fronts today.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning, welcome back. It's Tuesday, April 10th. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us this morning.
S. O'BRIEN: There are several stories that are developing this morning, including new reaction from radio host Don Imus preparing for a two-week suspension after his racist comments. We're going to hear from the players that he insulted before the morning is over, too.
M. O'BRIEN: Also, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us with some more tips for extending your life. Today, how eating more can help you slim down. Sound too good to be true?
S. O'BRIEN: I like it.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, it's all in the foods you choose. Sanjay will explain coming up.
S. O'BRIEN: And Clinton-Obama in '08 -- or wait a minute, maybe it should be Obama-Clinton in '08. We're going to hear from one of the senators about that fantasy ticket.
We begin though, another day in the hot seat for the radio host Don Imus. He already suspended as of Monday for making his racist comments on the show last week. This morning the New York NAACP is going to be holding a news conference demanding that Imus be fired. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference also calling for Imus' job, and an FCC hearing to boot, too. And the Rutgers women's basketball team that Imus insulted is also speaking out this morning. Jim Acosta is live for us this morning, in fact, at the Rutgers' campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with more.
Good morning to you.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. Yes, the women's Rutgers basketball team scheduled to have a press conference at 11:00 a.m. later this morning to finally break their silence and have their say about that racial slur that Don Imus made on the radio last Wednesday.
It's unclear what exactly these young ladies will say, but Don Imus is saying plenty, apologizing on his radio show yesterday, then going on Al Sharpton later in the day. And then on "The Today Show" this morning Don Imus said, once again, he would like to personally apologize to the Rutgers' women's basketball team.
He also said that he would like to make some changes to his show. Like perhaps have some more African-American guests and perhaps offer some more African-American perspectives. Here's what the I-man had to say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON IMUS, HOST, "IMUS IN THE MORNING": There ought to be a black person on this show every single day to add some perspective and we ought to have more black guests and the me and the rest of white America ought to understand what's going on in the black community. And I'll make an effort to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And it's unclear as of yet as to whether or not the Rutgers' women's basketball team will accept Imus' invitation to hear that apology in person, but we should hear more from them in just a couple of hours from now here on the Rutgers campus -- Soledad
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, that 11:00 a.m. press conference from those young ladies will certainly be interesting. That you very much, Jim.
We would like to hear from you too this morning. Do you think a two-week suspension is sufficient punishment for Don Imus? Go right to cnn.com to vote. See the latest results too. Right now we have got 61 percent who say yes, 39 percent who say, no. It's not a scientific poll, obviously, but go ahead, give us your opinion.
M. O'BRIEN: More bad news for some U.S. military families this morning. It appears 15,000 U.S. troops will not be coming home from Iraq on time. The top general there, David Petraeus asking Defense Secretary Robert Gates to extend their tours of duty by four months. Petraeus trying to keep troops levels higher through the summer.
And we now know which National Guard troops will be getting the call to pack their duffels for Iraq. The 13,000 troops coming from Little Rock, Arkansas, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and Columbus, Ohio. Many of them have already done a tour in Iraq.
President Bush is expected to speak this morning, expected to again say he will veto a war spending bill that includes a deadline for pulling troops out of Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid holds his own news conference after the president speaks. He says he'll move to cut off money for the war if the president vetoes the bill.
And it's back on too work on Capitol Hill today after the Easter recess. Lawmakers will take up the thorny issue of federal funding for stem cell research. The Senate likely to approve the idea, setting the stage for a presidential veto.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening in America this morning, a heartbreaking tug of war in Texas over terminally ill 17-month-old boy. His name is Emilio Gonzales. He's in the hospital in Austin hooked to tubes to help him breathe and eat. He has a disease that causes brain tissue to die.
Well, today his mom Catarina is going to go to court. She is trying to stop doctors from pulling the plug on the little boy. A law that was passed by the then-Governor George Bush lets the hospital make the decision, lets the hospital decide if it should be life or death for this boy.
In Alabama, punishment for three former college students for a rash of church fires last year. Their names are Matthew Cloyd and Benjamin Moseley. They've been sentenced to eight years in federal prison, ordered to pay $3.1 million. Russell DeBusk is the third. He was sentenced to seven years. The arson spree began as a joke during a night of underage drinking.
In Indiana, a ruling that MySpace is free speech. An appeals court backed up a teenager who has posted a foul-mouthed criticism of her principal on MySpace. Now the principal complained, the girl was punished, she was put on nine months probation. The appeals court ruled that her free speech rights were violated.
Outside of Boston, another bomb scare to tell you about. And it was another marketing stunt gone very wrong. The bomb squad was called to some backpacks that were hanging on a fence outside of a school. Now, the packs contained only newspapers with dollar bills sticking out of them and material about a social networking Web site for teenagers. The Web site's founder says she had nothing to do with the stunt.
And better late than never for 102-year-old Elsie McLean. The California golfer celebrated her dream, a hole in one. Elsie has been golfing since her 20s. The oldest person on record to ever sink a hole in one. She has got a pretty nice shot there.
M O'BRIEN: I should say.
S. O'BRIEN: I hope I look like that by the time I'm 102. But my shot is horrible.
M. O'BRIEN: She could write Sanjay's book.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: "Chasing Life."
S. O'BRIEN: She could write Sanjay's book.
M. O'BRIEN: She could author a chapter of that, yes. The road to the White House is leading a lot of candidates to spend a lot of time appearing on late-night television. And you know how they say many a truth is spoken in jest. Well, check out this scene last night. Barack Obama dropping in on Letterman. Letterman asked Obama if he would team up with Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": But you know what I'm getting to. People they are saying, oh, well, this is Barack Obama's -- he has only been a senator for two years so maybe we're looking at some sort of a compromise on the ticket. Maybe he'll be the presidential candidate and Hillary might be the vice president, maybe it will be a reverse of that. Any of that occur at this point or not?
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You don't run for second. No, I don't believe in that.
LETTERMAN: But that would be -- that would be a powerful ticket, undeniably that would be a powerful ticket.
OBAMA: Which order are we talking about?
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: Well, let's say...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Both the Obama and Clinton camps are joining John Edwards in bowing out of a September debate sponsored by the FOX News Channel. All of them will participate in CNN's debate in January. As Obama put it, CNN seemed like a more appropriate venue. Indeed, it is.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Senator.
Well, it sounds too good to be true, can you really eat more and still lose weight? Up next, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more of those little decisions that you can make every day and extend your life in a big way.
Plus, beneficial brew. You want to grab a second cup of coffee this morning. We'll tell you the startling results of the new study. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING, most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. Some health headlines for you this morning. A study out on the number of Americans who are more than 100 pounds overweight. The latest figures from 2005 show that 6.8 million Americans are morbidly obese, that's up from 4.2 million back in 2000.
And here's an unlikely way to avoid disease, people from families that are prone to Parkinson's who drink coffee or smoke, weirdly, are less likely to develop the disease. Researchers say they don't know why yet. The study comes from the Journal Archives of Neurology.
And a new study released just this morning has the American Cancer Society worried that progress against cancer could begin to decline. U.S. cancer deaths dropped for the second year in a row in 2004, but according to the study, the number of smokers no longer dropping. Mammograms still are not available to a third of the people who need them. That's really disappointing news.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, his name is Sanjay Gupta, but this week we could call him Ponce de Leon -- or as they say in Atlanta, Ponce de Leon in Atlanta. But like the Spanish conquistador, Sanjay is in hot pursuit of the Fountain of Youth, and his search has led to a wellspring of advice in the form of this book, "Chasing Life." And there's a documentary that goes along with it also called "Chasing Life." And he joins us now with a preview.
Hello, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
You know, there is only one proven way to actually extend life as far as your diet goes. This is something that people have been researching for some time. It focuses on calorie restriction, actually eating less. Studies have already been done in mice, more studies are being done in primates and humans, as well.
We wanted to give you some tools. A lot of people say, yes, eat less, I mean, that is easier said than done. But how do you actually restrict the number of calories in some easy ways? Here's what we found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Okinawans tend to eat more food than Americans but are often thinner and live longer. In fact, Okinawa has more centenarians per capita than anywhere else on the planet. You see, despite eating a greater volume of food, they are consuming fewer calories. That's because much of their diet consists of fruits, vegetables, tofu and soup. And all of these foods contain a lot of water.
They also follow a tradition called "harahachibu (ph)," pushing away from the table when they're only 80 percent full.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you're starting the day on the run and you get a typical breakfast, and for 400 calories you're going to get three quarters of a cinnamon bun.
GUPTA: Half a world away, Penn State professor Barbara Rolls studies the way Americans eat. She says Americans are eating too much fast food. It's food she calls calorie dense.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they're sold very cheaply and very conveniently and they're very easy to overeat.
GUPTA: A burger and a fries, for example, is mostly fat, protein and carbohydrates. Fat is 255 calories per ounce. Carbohydrates and proteins are each 113 calories per ounce. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are mostly water and fiber. Fiber averages 57 calories per ounce. Water zero calories.
Rolls thinks we should eat less calorie dense foods, in other words, more fruits and vegetables, as well as soup. She calls this volumetric eating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Volumetrics helps you to feel full on fewer calories. And we know that eating foods that are low in calorie density helps to fill you up.
GUPTA: So what about Americans following harahachibu?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do people know if they're 80 percent full if they don't know even when they're 200 percent full?
GUPTA: Instead, Rolls says we should make sure we get full on less.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Now volumetrics can certainly help you avoid overeating, but there are people who actually take this a step further even by eating the fewest possible calories that they can get while still getting all the required nutrients. It's called calorie restriction. In my special, we are going to introduce you to a couple who is actually giving it a try. They say it is working for them.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. We know that this will probably make you skinnier, but does it really make you live longer though?
GUPTA: There has been some scientific studies here. First there were studies in mice, and everybody said, well, it's mice. But actually they prolonged their life by about 35 percent. So people decided to take that a step further, a study in primates, seemed to worked in primates, as well, a much better model.
And now they just got approval, federal funding to actually study it in humans. It's a hard study to do, Miles. For some of the reasons you were talking about earlier. You need 80 to 100 years to actually see if it prolongs life, but a lot of the biomarkers of aging do seem to improve significantly with this extensive calorie restriction.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Why don't more people do the harahachibu routine?
GUPTA: I think there is a good reason for that. And that is, in the United States, in particular, unlike Okinawa, unlike Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Sardinia, people eat too fast here. It takes about 15 minutes for your stomach to send your brain a message that you're full. The problem is that a lot of us have eaten a three-course meal in that time frame. So actually being able to push away or eat more slowly probably will be able to give you a much better chance of eating less.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm a big offender on that. This business makes it hard. You eat fast, yes, I know. So, what do you have for us tomorrow?
GUPTA: Well, doing all this research now for about a year. I was sort of interested, if I have what it takes to live to 100. Measure my biomarkers, looking at my life, all of those things I am going to share that with you tomorrow to see if I actually have what it takes. Maybe I will see you on the other side.
M. O'BRIEN: You want to give us a clue?
GUPTA: I do OK. I do OK. But you know what, this lifestyle, it takes its toll, it takes its toll.
S. O'BRIEN: Stress must play a big role in all of this, right?
GUPTA: Yes, yes, we'll talk about that, as well.
M. O'BRIEN: Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much. The book once again, "Chasing Life." It's on sale now, book stores everywhere. The hour-long special airs this Saturday and Sunday 8:00 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN. And of course there is a Web component, as well, cnn.com/chasinglife. And if you go there, you might win a signed copy of Sanjay's book -- Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: CNN "NEWSROOM" is just moments away as a matter of fact. Tony Harris is at the CNN Center with a look at what is ahead.
Hello, Tony.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Miles, great to see you. We have got these stories on the "NEWSROOM" rundown for you this morning. Radio host Don Imus drawing a response to day from the women's basketball team at Rutgers. The news conference about Imus' racially charged remarks live at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here in the "NEWSROOM." We will hear live from President Bush also this morning. He will put more pressure on Congress to send him a war funding bill without troop withdrawal deadlines.
Would be Wal-Mart bandits, police say they set the popcorn aisle on fire to divert security so they could wheel out a cart full of free beer. Heidi Collins joins me in the "NEWSROOM" top of the hour right here on CNN.
Miles, back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: So if you watch your program, you get free beer, is that it?
HARRIS: No, boy, but that would work, wouldn't it? Maybe, maybe. Thanks, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Whatever it takes.
HARRIS: There's an idea, yes.
M O'BRIEN: We'll be watching. Thank you. Here's on to you.
"ANDERSON COOPER 360" airs weeknights at 10:00 Eastern. Here's Anderson with a look at what's on his program tonight -- Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Miles, tonight, he's spent half his life behind bars for a heinous crime he did not commit. DNA testing freed him. So why, with a dozen other cases like him isn't law enforcement making more use of DNA evidence? Find out tonight, "360," 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Anderson. Coming up, he's saying I'm sorry again this morning. But is I'm sorry enough for Don Imus after those racist remarks? Stay with us. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Radio host Don Imus is following a tradition of famous people who make infamous comments and they find they find they can't say sorry enough. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His show may be called...
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: "Imus in the Morning."
MOOS: More like "Imus in Mourning" as he apologized over and over, often using the same words.
IMUS: I'm a good person. But I said a bad thing. I did a bad thing. But I'm a good person. Because I'm a good person who said a bad thing.
MOOS: An abject Imus spent most of his show saying sorry to the Rutgers basketball team.
IMUS: To see if these young women will allow me to come apologize to them and their families.
MOOS: So now Imus joins the apologizer hall of fame.
KOBE BRYANT, BASKETBALL PLAYER: I'm so sorry.
MICHAEL RICHARDS, COMEDIAN: I'm really busted up over this.
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: I'm ashamed that that came out of my mouth.
MOOS: What came out of the I-man's mouth was in his opinion supposed to be funny.
(on camera): He called them "nappy-headed hos."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're kidding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My God, that's awful.
MOOS: Should he stay or should he go?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he should go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he should stay.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he should stay.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're gay, so we call each other (expletive deleted) sometimes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I do not call you that.
MOOS: Should Imus stay or should Imus go?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he should be fired. I mean, to make comments like that in 2007, I think that's disgusting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I couldn't say that at my job. They'd fire me in a heartbeat if I referred to a co-worker that way.
MOOS (voice-over): Imus promised to change the climate of his show and reinforce the idea with music as he went to break.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: Some people change.
MOOS: The question is, can Imus change fast enough to satisfy those who want his head?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imus must go!
MOOS: For now Imus' show has been suspended for two weeks, on Al Sharpton's radio show, Reverend Al pointed out someone working there.
REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: You see this young lady?
IMUS: Yes, sir.
SHARPTON: She is not a nappy-headed ho. She's my daughter.
MOOS: Imus was mostly repentant but occasionally feisty.
IMUS: I'm not going to sit here and let you insult me. Do not get into my face about this. I didn't come here to get slapped around, I'm not going to get slapped around.
MOOS: But slapped around is what he's getting. On Reverend Sharpton's show, one black listener came to Imus' defense for helping African-American causes. But when Imus used slang to refer to himself...
IMUS: Some old cracker on the radio.
MOOS: ... Reverend Sharpton even slapped him for that.
SHARPTON: I would appreciate it if you'd respect your own race on my show.
MOOS: In the race to apologize...
IMUS: I'm embarrassed that I did that.
MOOS: Add the I-man to our sorry state of affairs.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": I am deeply sorry about that.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: I need to suffer for this.
JIMMY SWAGGART, TELEVANGELIST: I have sinned against you, my lord.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: And so the apologies...
S. O'BRIEN: I had forgotten that. I have sinned against you.
M. O'BRIEN: That is one of the classics.
S. O'BRIEN: At some point, though, you know, it is like, will it ever be enough? How many times can the guy say he's sorry, he's sorry, he's sorry, he's sorry, he's sorry. He's starting to repeat himself over and over and over again.
M. O'BRIEN: Exactly. I should say.
S. O'BRIEN: It will be interesting to see if, after two weeks, everyone lets it go or after two weeks, he's gone.
M. O'BRIEN: I think the former is going to happen. That is my prediction. What do you think?
S. O'BRIEN: That would be my guess, yes.
CNN "NEWSROOM" is going to have much more on Imus' comments and much more coming up at the top of the hour. Here's a quick preview for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): see these stories in the CNN "NEWSROOM." The Rutgers women's basketball team, response to racially charged remarks by radio host Don Imus. The news conference live in the "NEWSROOM" this morning.
President Bush pressing Congress to approve what he calls no strings attached funding for the Iraq War.
The big reveal, who is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby? DNA results today.
And business booms at a Baghdad amusement park. You're in the "NEWSROOM," 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: That's just about the time we have. But we have a busy day ahead as we follow this story of what happens with Don Imus.
S. O'BRIEN: Eleven o'clock this morning going to be hearing from the NAACP's New York office. They have been calling for Don Imus to lose his job, also the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as well. And then of course, which I think is going to be very much anticipated, these young ladies from the Rutgers University basketball team.
M. O'BRIEN: What do they have to say.
S. O'BRIEN: And you know, I'm curious to know, are they going to say yes, Don, bring it on, we are dying to hear your mea culpa. or are they going to say, you know what, forget it?
M. O'BRIEN: We'll see.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I don't know what I would do.
M. O'BRIEN: The plot thickens. That's all from here on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: CNN "NEWSROOM" with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins begins right now.
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