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Pentagon To Extend Tours In Iraq; Interview with Lee Bendix, Interview with Richard Daley
Aired April 14, 2007 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Rick Sanchez is straight ahead a more of the NEWSROOM -- and, Rick, we know you've got a lot on tap.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We do, as a matter of fact. We're going to be looking at a bunch of things today. We're going to be talking about the weather, certainly. That's going to be a huge issue here, as far as how it's affecting a lot of people here.
Also, we're going to be talking about something tonight that's going to be quite interesting for you. We'll have that for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, I am proud, very proud to announce the United States applicant city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympics Games is Chicago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There you go, the moment of excitement for the folks in The Windy City.
Can you believe it?
They got Chi. A list of the U.S. candidates to host the 2016 Summer Games has been whittled down to that one. You just heard it. It's Chitown. I'm going to talk to the mayor of Chicago. That would be Richard Daley. And that's coming up in just a little bit.
And have you ever seen anything bigger than that?
Take a look at this thing. It's one of our I-Reporters. He's captured some unbelievable weather in Texas. He was shooting the whole thing. I mean he's got the sound, he's got the pictures and he's got hail like you've never seen before. It's hail in Texas. You'll hear it.
Also, that severe weather system could be heading your way, as well. Up next, the very latest on the damage it's done and what is lying ahead.
So good to have you with us on this day.
We are in B Control. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Hello again, everybody.
Let's try and get you right to the major story developing right now, and that is a story that could affect, as we have said, millions of people across the South and across parts of the Northeast, as well. It's a monster storm, as it's being described, speeding across the South right now, packing high winds, heavy rain and the most dangerous threat of all, serious tornadoes, potentially.
It's already caused some major damage in Texas. A suspected twister touched down in Fort Worth. Homes and businesses were damaged. Huge tractor-trailers flipped over by the winds, on their sides.
Two deaths are being blamed already on this storm. This is what the system has brought to Kansas and Colorado. Take a look at this. A lot of snow, that real wet snow that comes this time of the year, but a lot of it, heavy snow. More than a foot of it fell in some spots.
Slippery roads contributed to at least three deadly crashes in Kansas that we're going to be telling you about, as well.
We've got a lot of pictures. But before we do anything else, let's go to Jacqui, because she's been diligently watching this system all day long and she's expecting it could be a long night for a lot of folks -- Jacqui, get us started.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Well, she mentioned, as you heard, that New York City is going to get walloped by this thing, so they're already taking no chances there, because they are right in the line of what might be a potential direct strike from it. And they could get wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour in some areas to the north, maybe even a little higher.
That is tropical storm wind strength. And that means that they could get severe coastal flooding.
So, what does that all mean?
It means that Governor Eliot Spitzer is taking no chances. He's getting his emergency crews prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ELIOT SPITZER, NEW YORK: We are ready. And we are suggesting to folks that, they, too, should be ready. Use common sense. Be in communication with family members. Be in communication with neighbors whom you are worried about, whom you think might need special assistance. These are commonsense measures. We are doing what we believe government should do in an eventuality like this, and we would suggest the public do the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: By the way, crews are already cleaning up storm drains. They're filling up sandbags -- just a precaution, in case the need to somehow try and block some of the floodwaters and the surges from coming in. And the state's National Guard is already on standby, as well.
Not enough -- well, new developments in that car crash that badly hurt New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine Thursday night. People say that they have found the missing driver who was involved in the accident, the same day that the governor had the second of three surgeries on his badly injured left leg.
CNN's Jim Acosta has the latest now on both fronts.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities have found the driver of a red pickup truck that was wanted in connection with the crash that nearly killed New Jersey's governor. But now state police say they aren't charging the driver of that pickup because he wasn't aware he had inadvertently caused the wreck.
Investigators believe the pickup slid onto a shoulder than over corrected, forcing a third vehicle to swerve and clip the governor's vehicle, resulting in the accident.
Two days after the crash, Corzine's doctors performed the first of two scheduled surgeries on the governor's severely broken leg.
Even though Corzine remains on a ventilator, unable to speak and unaware of his surroundings, doctors called the procedure a success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is back in the trauma center care unit in stable condition and his vital signs are slowly -- I will reiterate, slowly improving.
ACOSTA: The horrible injuries to Jon Corzine only underline the need to wear seatbelts. A spokesman for the governor says Corzine may not have been buckled up while he was en route to the meeting he had arranged between radio personality Don Imus and the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
Still, doctors handling the governor's care see reasons for cautious optimism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is doing well, much better than any of us would have expected, from a respiratory standpoint. And during the course of the next two days, we'll be starting to see whether or not we can allow him to be a little bit more awake.
ACOSTA (on camera): It may be six long months before Corzine can walk again and days, perhaps weeks, before he can resume his duties as governor. His doctors should know more about his long-term prognosis after his next scheduled surgery on Monday.
Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SANCHEZ: Again, it's amazing that those stories are related, but they are, because the governor was going to the meeting at the governor's mansion to meet with the Rutgers players over the Don Imus controversy.
And the Don Imus controversy has drawn reaction now from the highest ranking African-American in the U.S. government.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says it was "disgusting" for Imus to refer to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed 'hos." In an interview with talk show host Michael Medved, she had this to say. She said the basketball players were "showing that they're really fine athletes, playing under extraordinary pressures." Rice also said that their achievements were ruined by Imus' remarks. Strong words.
A CNN/Opinion Research poll finds that most Americans think that Imus' remarks were offensive. However, African-Americans and whites differ on how they view the talk show host. More than half of African-Americans consider Imus a flat out racist. Only about a third of whites, though, think that he's a racist.
The shockwaves from Don Imus doesn't stop here. In fact, we're following them all the way to Hollywood ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
Why did Don Imus get fired when so many others have also said similar things? Does it have to do with, perhaps, frequency in his case?
Then, longer tours of duty for the U.S. military. That's right, they're making them stretch it out.
Does that mean there's a possibility of a draft coming up?
And then a little later, meet a man with one of the most unusual jobs that anybody has ever heard of. He's called Dr. Prison. We're going to take a look at his typical day on the job, behind bars. That's right, we take our cameras there so you can see it.
You're watching CNN and we're the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Let's turn now to Iraq, where a pair of car bombings killed more than 50 people in this day in the Shiite holy city of Karbala. A car bomb exploded in a crowded market. It killed at least 43 people. Another 55 were wounded.
The explosion went off near a bus station just about 200 yards from Karbala's holiest mosque. A short time later, by the way, a car bomb targeted a bridge in Baghdad, killing at least 50 people -- or, pardon me, killing at least 10 people. I misspoke. The bridge was significantly damaged. The attack comes just two days after a suicide bomber destroyed two sections of another major bridge. And that is in Baghdad, as well.
Now, the road home for U.S. troops in Iraq got longer this week. The Pentagon extended soldiers' tours of duty to 15 months instead of 12.
But this move raises the questions that few are really willing to answer, or even want to deal with at this point.
Just how much can we ask of an already stressed Army? How much can they do?
CNN's Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre looks into this.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one in the Pentagon disputes that lengthening combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan will put more stress on already war weary soldiers and their long suffering families. But critics, including many Democrats in Congress, fear the breaking point is near.
SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I think there are limits to -- to human endurance. And there are limits to what families can -- can put up with.
MCINTYRE: The Army likes to point to the latest recruiting and retention numbers, which show both the active duty and National Guard are exceeding goals.
GEN. JAMS LOVELACE, U.S. ARMY DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: That's an overall great picture for the health of the force.
MCINTYRE: But there are other, more ominous trends. Take the number of West Point graduates who are voting with their feet after their five year commitment is up. Forty-six percent from the class of 2001 decided to get out and 54 percent from the class of 2000. That's up significantly from the average of 10 to 30 percent.
And it amounts to a brain drain of captains, many who have served multiple combat tours and may have burned out.
GEN. GEORGE CASEY, U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: Clearly, it will be something that we'll have to keep a very close eye on. I've watched units be extended for 90 to 120 days. It has not had an adverse effect on -- a noticeable effect on a unit.
MCINTYRE: But even strong supporters of the all volunteer force are worried. Senator John Warner issued a warning about the longer tours, saying: "We must carefully monitor the possible risks to that system that these extensions may generate." (on camera): The Army's long-term solution is to get bigger, which it's doing by attracting more volunteers, even though most of them know they'll likely go directly to the war zone. One fix that is not being considered is any return to the draft.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SANCHEZ: So consider that with the U.S. military stretched so thin, some are now saying it may be time to bring back the draft.
New York Congressman Charles Rangel has supported the idea in the past, somewhat of -- in a Machiavellian way, many would argue -- maybe even he would argue it. He brought it up again yesterday on CNN's "SITUATION ROOM," by the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE SITUATION ROOM," FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007)
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D-NY), CHAIRMAN, WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE: If we had the children of affluent Americans, those from the Pentagon, the White House and the children of CEOs, this would not happen. In the first place, they wouldn't be over there.
But to take the National Guard, the Reservists, these people who are catching hell back home on their jobs, with their family, and to take volunteers that have had one, two, three, four tours is a cruel thing to do.
And we never hear them make an appeal to able-bodied Americans to volunteer and to join in this fight for freedom for whoever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That was Charles Rangel.
Well, we've been looking into this throughout the day. Many in Washington and around the country feel that reinstating the draft is just not going to happen. That includes CNN's military analyst, Brigadier General David Grange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST (RET.): I don't think the draft, politically, would be acceptable, or would it be acceptable to the American people right now, at least a draft in the old sense of what it looked like. In other words, the old draft -- and I remember that from Vietnam -- though it goes a cross section of society, there are loopholes in there where some people don't have to serve. It wasn't -- it wasn't fair. And I don't think that you can employ a draft.
I do think you can employ something like a national service that has people do some kind of citizen responsibility for at least a year, some time during their younger years. But it's for not just the military, but other public service needs, which the whole country could use anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So it wouldn't really be a draft, as he explains it, but maybe some kind of volunteer effort.
But what if they end up in a war nonetheless?
The White House is against reinstating the draft, by the way, we checked. And many in Washington say that the idea is really a non- starter.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is joining me now live. She's been following things there at the White House.
If it's a non-starter, is anybody talking about this?
Is it serious discussion anywhere in Washington?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not really, Rick, other than Congressman Rangel, again, who has put forth his measure a couple of times to reinstating the draft. But, again, the last time his measure was voted on show you just how much of a non-starter this idea is.
It was just a couple of years ago when the vote was taken in the House of Representatives and it was 402-2 against the idea. Even Rangel himself voted against it.
As you mentioned, the White House says the president has long opposed the idea of reinstating the draft. A spokesperson I talked with this afternoon about this subject said that have not changed at all.
Basically the White House and most of Washington believes for now the all volunteer military is really working.
But, when you look at those numbers that Jamie McIntyre mentioned in his piece about the military meeting the retention and recruitment goals, you have to ask at what cost?
Last year, in 2006, the Army had to spend $736 million in retention bonuses to get soldiers to stay at their posts, not to leave their jobs. Now, that's nearly nine times what they had to spend just three years earlier, in 2003.
Another problem, the Army has been forced, in order to meet the goals, to lower its standards. It's accepting more and more recruits who have scored very low on aptitude tests, don't have high school degrees or even who have a past history of drug use or a criminal record -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Is there any way they can possibly test to see if there's any backing for something like this?
KOCH: Well, obviously, I think Rangel's vote is a good test. But speaking of tests, the Selective Service system has talked about plans to test the mechanics of the system if the United States were, for some reason, to go back to a draft, do they have a workable system.
And they're talking about in 2009 checking on the mechanics of the system. The system randomly chooses draftees, as you may recall, according to their birthday. There is also these appeals boards that deal with conscientious objectors and others.
Someone who works with the Selective Service system, one of the officials said we're kind of like a fire extinguisher. We sit on a shelf until the president and Congress get together and say turn the machine on.
So they're talking about in 2009 just testing the machine.
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Kathleen, for bringing us up to date on that. An interesting story.
KOCH: OK.
SANCHEZ: Also, you know, we're interested in knowing what you think about this.
What do you think about reinstating the draft?
E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.
We're going to be sharing some of your e-mails a little later on right here on the program. And you can also weigh in with a quick vote on the main page of the cnn.com Web site -- should the United States reinstate the military draft?
Here are some of the results so far.
Thirty-six percent of you voted yes. Sixty-four percent said no.
Later in the program, we're going to read some of your e-mails on this subject, as well.
The awesomeness of the weather is sometimes too hard to resist for some of our I-Reporters. So they take our their cameras, they go out and boy, this guy has got a bone end, huh?
Take a look at this -- hail the size of golf balls. It's up next in THE NEWSROOM. We're going to talk to this fellow, this I-Reporter who was good enough to send us this video. And we'll show you him and we'll share the video with you, as well.
Also, we have a winner. The mayor of Chicago wins the bid to represent the U.S. in the Summer Games sweepstakes. And we say the mayor because he's going to be coming up here and we're going to be talking to him, as he tells us how excited he is, we imagine.
We'll be back.
Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: It's crazy, isn't it?
It sounds like a gun battle in Iraq, but it's not. This is coming from Texas. It's actually a severe weather system that is pounding huge hail. Those are sirens you're hearing, tornado sirens, in the background. We usually associate hail with this.
Huge hail from a storm system that moved through the state Friday. And that I-Report video you're looking at right now was sent by Lee Bendix. He's a CNN viewer and someone who is obviously able to keep his cool during a dangerous storm.
It's a brutal system.
What are we doing?
Are we going to him right now?
Why don't we do that?
Lee Bendix is standing by right now to talk to us about this a little bit.
Hey, Lee, are you there?
LEE BENDIX, I-REPORTER: Yes, I'm here.
SANCHEZ: Wow!
Man, you know, you -- if one of those things would have hit you in the head, you would have keeled over.
BENDIX: Yes, I probably would have passed out, or got knocked out. So luckily we saw that the -- I mean it was this -- this dark cloud. I mean we were just waling around out in the yard and we saw this dark cloud and it just -- I mean, the sirens started going off.
And then all of a sudden it started just pelting all these -- that hail that you see in the video.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and you know what's funny?
We, you know, in this business we say this all the time and, you know, I kid people like Jacqui and other weather people who sometimes say -- other meteorologists who sometimes say golf ball sized hail?
I've never quite seen it actually be as big or bigger than a golf ball. This certainly is.
BENDIX: It...
SANCHEZ: There it is right there.
See it right there? And it almost looked like -- I was looking at the video, Lee, and it was like bouncing off the sidewalk and off the street.
BENDIX: You're correct, it was. I mean actually when I took that, it actually -- that was -- it split in half. So, I mean, that was like you were bouncing and then it split in half. So the smaller pieces are actually -- I mean they are actually a half of what you see. So there's a lot bigger ones before they bounce off the ground and break in half.
SANCHEZ: I was just talking about Jacqui Jeras, who has been following the system all day long.
What do you make of this -- Jacqui.
JERAS: Yes, that's some pretty incredible video. And, Lee, this is the same cell, I think, that produced the tornado that stopped to your east.
Did you see any rotation?
What did the sky look like?
BENDIX: Yes, we did see a wall. I mean there was a -- the wind started picking up. It was, I mean, very calm. And then the wind just starting picking up. And then all of a sudden you hear a little bounce, bounce and then, I mean, the sirens immediately went off. We have a good response system down here for that.
But, yes, we could see this -- I mean we're right between the Texas Motor Speedway and downtown Fort Worth, I mean literally between those two. I mean I'm probably about five minutes from downtown. But, yes, I mean you could see the wall cloud. I mean it was starting to form right above probably where we were at and this trail -- I mean it was going -- I mean we could see it so...
JERAS: Yes.
It should have been right behind that hail. You got really lucky.
BENDIX: Yes.
JERAS: Lee, where were you while you were shooting this video? Were you in the garage or?
BENDIX: No, we were -- yes, we were actually under a carport so, I mean we ran under there and one of the cars got hit, so, we just used that. But, yes, we were just in the front yard, so.
JERAS: Are you a trained storm spotter?
I heard you use the term wall cloud.
BENDIX: No. My uncle is, though, and from this area. So...
SANCHEZ: Wow!
There you go.
JERAS: All right.
We always want you to stay safe when you shoot video like this.
SANCHEZ: Hey, I'm just wondering, you know, as some guy who knows not that much about weather, looking at this, how much
damage can that stuff do, either Lee or Jacqui? I mean can this stuff like damage cars and buildings?
JERAS: Oh, yes, sure.
Was your car outside, Lee?
I would imagine it would have been extensive.
BENDIX: Oh, yes. You see that half of that car that's sticking out?
Yes, half of that vehicle there is sticking out. And they got some damage. And there was some damage, I mean, definitely, to the roof.
So, I mean, this stuff is -- I mean, yes.
SANCHEZ: Time for a new paint job.
BENDIX: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SANCHEZ: Yes.
Lee Bendix, thanks so much.
BENDIX: You're welcome.
SANCHEZ: And, Jacqui, we'll be talking to you in just a little bit.
It's amazing to look at something that big.
JERAS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Wow!
Well, here's another story. The race is long, but the first heat is finally over. Chicago gets the nod to be the U.S. contender for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Why Chicago?
We've got somebody who could probably argue that position. His name happens to be Mayor Richard Daley. He's going to be here live. Also, a lifetime almost impossible to prepare for -- one man is helping his future inmates do just that. Meet Dr. Prison. He's ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It started with the University of Virginia Medical School's vending machines. Dr. Arthur Garson, who is the school's dean, decided to encourage healthy eating everywhere.
Using the FDA nutritional guidelines, all vending machine snacks were marked with stickers. He got green for healthy choices, yellow meant fairly nutritious and red for high fat, high calorie goodies. Red items also carried a five cent surcharge.
Researchers recorded all the items sold for one year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The red item sales went down 5 percent, the yellow items up 30 percent and the green items up 15 percent.
GUPTA: The program was so successful, Garson expanded it to the hospital cafeteria. Everything was labeled with the colored stickers.
Nutritionists say the goal is to make people think about what they're eating before they grab their food and go.
But the manufacturers of snack foods say labeling foods could give consumers the wrong message.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you really try to stick a label on a particular food, you're going to get something that falls into a category that perhaps doesn't belong there.
GUPTA: And that tax surcharge is another issue. Although researchers could not determine if the sale of red items went down because of the five cent surcharge, the levy did raise $7,000 in nickels.
Garson says it's up to the consumer to decide whether they want to pay the extra money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Response to the vending machines, in fact, was great after a little bit of, you know, gee, you're limiting me. In fact, we didn't. We said eat anything you want, but we'll give you choices.
GUPTA: The reaction has been so positive, other hospitals are now looking at the UVA system for their own cafeterias. And education officials are thinking of bringing the system into their schools so kids can better understand all of their choices.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, I am proud, very proud to announce the United States applicant city for the 2016 Olympic and Parolympic games is Chicago.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And there you have it, Chicago is the winner. It's been named as the U.S. domestic choice for a possible host city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. That's the first hurdle, it does not end there. Now the windy city has to compete against some high profile international cities who also want to host the games. We won't know the answer to that question until 2009 by the way, but certainly this is a big step. That announcement was certainly well- received in Illinois. An elated Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley was in Washington to hear the news last hour and he's good enough to join us now. Let me see your best elated look. There you go. It's working for him.
MAYOR RICHARD DALEY, CHICAGO: Yeah, we are really excited the U.S. Olympic committee selecting Chicago for the Olympic and Parolympic for 2016.
SANCHEZ: That's great. But you know, you don't have enough hotel rooms, it's too cold there, it's too windy. You're going to hear all the arguments right, and you're going to have to defend it, man.
DALEY: Yeah, we're excited about it because it gives us an opportunity to really showcase an American city that the history is immigrants and the history of people who migrated throughout the country to Chicago, at the same time, to show really a great country, what it really stands for. The Olympic movement with the U.S. Olympic committee, as partners with us to really showcase what America is all about and to me, we're asking all Americans to really come together on behalf of a great country to submit this city to the international Olympic committee.
SANCHEZ: What does the pitch entail? What do you do from here over the course of the next several months and actually years to make sure that you're chosen?
DALEY: Well, we'll be working very closely with the U.S. Olympic committee, because this is all about athletes. This is all about competition, so that we'll have to bring the business leaders, community leaders, a very diverse community and have ambassadors not only from Chicago but throughout this great country, going around the world and of course, showcasing what an American city can be to host the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics. And to me requires a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of passion, which we had with Pat Ryan, the chairman of the committee, for 2016, an outstanding business leader from Chicago. And to really showcase what we can have in this great country for the 2016 Olympic committee.
SANCHEZ: Mr. Mayor, let me ask you this question. Given the feelings that unfortunately are very anti-U.S. right now, prevalent all over the world, do you think that's a hurdle that you're also going to have to overcome in the minds of some of these folks?
DALEY: Well, I've traveled quite a bit in the last few years, and when you have international issues like that confronting not only our country but other countries, the Olympic movement kind of sets that aside. This is about the Olympians. This is about understanding the sports and competition and cultural education of people. This is all about the Olympic movement, and not about international or local politics, and that's what we're going to show, because America is a great country. We've done great things. Yes, the international questions are out there but those things are set aside. What they're really looking for is the venue appropriate, is it appropriate for the Olympians, is it appropriate the passion that the people want to have for the Olympians and their families and the visitors at a great city. And we have great --
SANCHEZ: Let me ask you another tough question then Mr. Mayor. This one has to do as well with what I think, if I were living in Chicago I would be seriously wondering as well, boy, do I really want this in my city? After all, that does make you a target in a world when we're seeing an awful lot of terrorist activity. I mean, I know it's something that's out there. I ask it, you know, simply because I'm sure it's something that you've thought about.
DALEY: Right. But Rick, we cannot live in fear. You know, fear, we cannot ever live in fear. If we do, we'll close down our cities and close down America and the rest of the world because of terrorists. That's a concern for a lot of people, all of us but at the same time, with the cooperation we've seen with the international Olympic committee, international countries, the cooperation we see in the United States, of course security is a high stake but the people want this. You want to be able to showcase a city. We have the world's fair, we have the pan-American games. We have the soccer, a lot of international events so we're excited about really showcasing what an American city can be. It's an opportunity for young people to understand the whole Olympic movement in Chicago and throughout the country. And how important it is for our country.
SANCHEZ: And I know all of my college buddies in the Midwest say Chicago is the best big city in the United States. I know there's people in L.A. and New York arguing with that right now, but you'll probably vouch, right? Mr. Mayor, you're very kind to talk to us sir. Hey, congratulations.
DALEY: Thank you Rick.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
DALEY: Thank you very much.
SANCHEZ: All right, there you have it. By one estimate there are 2 million Americans in prisons right now and for a San Diego businessman this fact represents an opportunity. Steve Scholl is a counselor who coaches people on how to act once they get into prison. This is an interesting story. We've got to warn you though the subject matter of this story may not be suitable for youngsters, so I'm going to count to three, in case they need to leave the room. CNN's Peter Viles reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a problem nobody talks about. You're going to prison soon. You've never been before and you are terrified. Enter Dr. Prison.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to Dr. Prison radio, with your host, Steve Scholl and Tom Miller.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: This is Dr. Prison radio, broadcasting live Saturday nights 5:00 to 6:0 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. If you're going to prison or jail, if your relative or loved one is going to prison or is in prison or you just got out, we want to hear from you.
VILES: Steve Scholl is a prison coach. He tells you how to avoid trouble in the big house.
STEVE SCHOLL, DR. PRISON RADIO: The company got started with the main focus which was how can we help someone, stop them from doing something stupid to inadvertently get themselves hurt. Walk in the wrong place, talk to the wrong person, you know, sit down at the wrong table, use the wrong telephone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi Dr. Prison, I'm Dave and I'm going to prison for three years and I would like some help if you could give me some help.
SCHOLL: What are you going to prison for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Manufacturing methamphetamine.
SCHOLL: Ok.
VILES: Scholl has never served time but his side-kick Tom Miller did, for dealing drugs. His advice is definitely not politically correct.
TOM MILLER, DR. PRISON RADIO: If you're hanging out with another race, then you're setting yourself up to get a beating. So that's number one thing. You don't steal. You don't gamble. You stay away from homosexuals. And you act, you treat people with respect.
VILES: The radio show is a webcast on drprison.com. Scholl charges $275 and up for personal consultation. We talked with one client in prison.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He taught me something like the three-second rule, sit with the anger for three seconds instead of charging at an inmate in here, you know, which is important, because you don't want to fight especially here. VILES: And that advice is free. Peter Viles for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: There you have it.
Don Imus has always been pretty good at ruffling feathers right? But he certainly is not alone. He has paid the price. Coming up in the NEWSROOM other celebrities who've recently touched a nerve or two and the question, should they also pay the price?
And then there's Reynolds Wolf and a whole lot of robots going on. All right Reynolds, I'm trying to get a sense of what you're doing out there. You told us that there was going to be some kind of race. Did they have the race yet?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what, we're still in the middle of the competition. Every time you guys come back to us, we're in the middle of a break. But next time, next time we're going to have some action for you. Again as you mentioned live from the Georgia Dome for the 2007 Robotics Competition. It's coming up in just a second, Rick.
SANCHEZ: We'll look forward to it Reynolds, thanks so much. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news. We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We welcome you back. I'm Rick Sanchez here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Boy, busy weekend on the campaign trail. Illinois Senator Barack Obama is drumming up Democratic support, this is at the Georgia Tech Campus in Atlanta today. Other Democrats are stumping as well, John Edwards holding a rally in the sunshine state. Delaware Senator Joe Biden is campaigning in New Hampshire. So is New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She's expected to speak to voters at a town hall style meeting in Hampton. Republican candidates are wrapping up the mileage this weekend, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is in South Carolina. There's a crowded field in Iowa. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is in Des Moines. Senator's John McCain and Sam Brownback are also taking their messages to Iowans as well. So they're traveling.
Well, it's not your usual convention, teenagers in town competing to build the best robots. Our resident kid at heart, CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is live at the Georgia Dome. Reynolds, plenty of intelligent conversation I'm sure going on over there, but some of this stuff, is it fun to look at? Did they have that race?
WOLF: You know, it's not really a race. Believe it or not what it is, they made these robots six weeks ago. All of these teams from across the globe start off with basically the same equipment and they construct these robots, as I mentioned, six weeks' time and they compete in these competitions around the country, trying to get here in Atlanta for the 2007 robotics competition. This is basically what we've been seeing. We've got some of these machines, you see people out here on these, I guess it would be just a game floor, and what the objective is, Rick, is just to get these machines, these robots to take these inner tubes and put these inner tubes on top of this contraption you see right in the middle of the arena. The more inner tubes you put on each of the spokes, well the more points your team gets. And the neat thing about the competition here Rick, is that it really places a great deal of emphasis on teamwork, not just individual effort, but teamwork. And what's really cool, is you'll have people say like say (INAUDIBLE) Michigan and someone say from Central Florida, never seen each other before but those two teams are going to come together and fight for a single purpose, to become victorious. So there's no question that that is a big part of it, but so is having fun, so is good sportsmanship. It's just a wonderful event. Now, they're about to get under way. You've seen some of the action. We're going to show you more coming up in a little while later tonight. Plus we're going to have an interview with the winners. That's the latest from the Georgia Dome, let's send it back to you in the studio.
SANCHEZ: You know what it reminds me of as I look at it? You know what it looks like, it looks like Nickelodeon for robots.
WOLF: You nailed it, no question. You got it, man.
SANCHEZ: Reynolds Wolf, thanks, man.
WOLF: You bet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My initial reaction was one of shock and I cringed. I couldn't help it.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: You heard it Don Imus, not the only celebrity caught with his foot firmly planted inside his mouth. Well, some others on the hot seat recently. We'll talk about them and what the repercussions could be next in the NEWSROOM.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Have we got those robots? There you go. Reynolds is promising us the robots and we've got the robots. But of course every time we go to them, nothing is moving. Come on, get them going referees. Kick it. It will go. Yeah -- anything -- whatever. Forget it. We'll come back to it later.
Let's talk about Don Imus. He's been in the news all this week. Latest celebrity really to be in the hot water for offensive remarks. In his case extremely offensive remarks but he's not alone. It's happened before with Hollywood types. Here's CNN's Sibila Vargas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[ bleep ]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I did not call (INAUDIBLE).
DON IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos there.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Over the past several months there has been an onslaught of celebrities making offensive remarks. Don Imus is the newest member of the celebrity foot in mouth club. It started last July when Mel Gibson launched into an anti-Semitic tirade after he was pulled over for drunk driving.
RABBI MARVI HEIR, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: He clearly said some horrible things which had been reported that the Jews are responsible for all wars.
VARGAS: The Jewish community was outraged but that didn't seem to have a major impact at the box office. Five months after his arrest, Gibson's film "Apocalypto" debuted in this country at number one and earned $170 million worldwide. Last fall, Michael Richards was widely condemned for repeatedly yelling the "N" word at some audience members during a routine at an L.A. comedy club.
PAUL MOONEY, COMEDIAN: The performance was a 10. The apology was about a 2. I want a 10 apology.
VARGAS: After a few meetings with black leaders, Richards practically dropped out of sight. Almost three weeks later Rosie O'Donnell had Asian leaders in an uproar after this strange outburst on "The View."
JOHN LIU, NEWYORK COUNCILMAN: My initial reaction was one of shock and I cringed, I couldn't help it.
VARGAS: O'Donnell apologized and she's still on "The View", credited with boosting the show's ratings. A trio of celebs got in trouble for offending gays. In the case of "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington, it was a derogatory reference to a co-star. Washington has sought professional counseling and is still on the hit show. He's doing a public service announcement with a gay advocacy group GLAD about the effect ugly words can have on people. With that same ugly word, political commentator Ann Coulter got a laugh at a conservative conference and got herself into hot water.
ANN COULTER, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word [ bleep ].
VARGAS: Former pro-basketball player Tim Hardaway went farther. When asked in a radio interview how he'd interact with a gay teammate, Hardaway said he hated gay people. The NBA quickly banned him from league-related appearances.
JOHN AMAECHI, AUTHOR/FORMER NBA PLAYER: The problem with his words, is that they ricochet around the corridors of schools, around workplaces and make life ever more difficult for gay and lesbian people.
VARGAS (on camera): One last note, the penalty seems to be going up. Don Imus' removal from radio and TV is the heftiest price any recent offender has had to pay. Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Our e-mail question of the day, you heard it right, should the military draft be reinstated? Many of you have some strong opinions about this. Let's start with Richard, yeah, Richard. Let's go with Richard. He says, "If we had a draft it might make it more difficult to start a preventive war such as Iraq." Let's go to Robert, he says, "Yes, bring back the draft. The army training will do wonders for the nation's youth." Then Joshua says, "I'm currently a drill sergeant for infantry soldiers. I believe the draft wouldn't do any good to our mission in the war against terror. Someone who wants to be there will do a much better job." Finally, Bruce, he says, "No draft. Pay a minimum wage of $50,000 for a private and people would flock to the army." We have time for one more. Here's Marvin, he says, he's an army vet by the way, "We do not need a draft. We need universal national service. Everybody must share in the benefits and burdens of the United States. Everybody goes. No more lip service patriots." That would be like what they have in Israel, as a matter of fact, which seems to work quite well.
Well thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us. We appreciate it and we'll continue to get your e-mails and calls throughout the night.
Next on CNN, Lou Dobbs tackles all the talk about Don Imus, the Rutgers University basketball team has accepted an apology from the shock jock. Lou will discuss the issue with three of the nation's leading voices on racism and sexism, that's "LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK" right here next. We're going to have a check of the day's headlines in about three minutes or so. See you in just a little bit. I'm Rick Sanchez.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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