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American Morning
Iraq Showdown: Money Fight Escalates Today; Pork Attached to War Fund Bill; 'Children of War'
Aired April 23, 2007 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Battle station. America's top general in Iraq briefs the commander in chief today. Congress working up a bill to bring the troops home. And a plan to further sector off Baghdad runs into a wall on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning. It's Monday, April the 23rd. I'm John Roberts in Washington.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry in New York.
Good to see you, John.
And thanks for joining us, everyone.
ROBERTS: And it was good to see you this past weekend, too, at the White House correspondents dinner, which we'll talk about in just a moment. First, though . . .
CHETRY: Yes, I got a taste of your home turf and it was a blast this weekend.
ROBERTS: It's a lot of fun. It always is.
Stories on our radar this morning for you.
The war funding bill coming up for negotiations between the House and the Senate. It looks like they're going to try to put something before the president that's got a timetable for withdrawal. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that has deadlines. He's going to be meeting with his top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, this morning. And at 10 minutes to 10:00, 9:50, he's going to give us a little bit of a statement from the Oval Office about what he's learned from Petraeus, Kiran, and also again probably stating his opposition to sign (ph) the timetable in the wartime supplemental.
CHETRY: Absolutely. And from both in D.C. and here in New York today, we're going to talk about the war funding with a great group of people. So we'll bring you that.
Also today would be one week since the massacre at Virginia Tech and they have a lot planned. They're going to be doing a memorial event for the victims. We're going to take a look at that coming up in our next hour.
We're also going to have a panel, including a teacher and two students. One of the student's sister was shot by the gunman. She is doing to be doing OK. And we're going to ask them all about what it's like to have to return today. A lot of anxious parents, John, understandably, about letting their children go back to the campus one week after the carnage.
ROBERTS: Absolutely. Which is why campus officials are saying, hey, if you've had enough of school for this year, that's fine, go home with the grade that you've got so far.
We mentioned the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. Kiran and I were there, along with thousands of other people on Saturday night. We're sitting in a table right beside a table that Karl Rove is sitting at. Sheryl Crow and Laurie David -- you know who Sheryl Crow is and Laurie David was the producer of Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth." They go over to talk to Karl. And what happens, Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, we saw some words exchanged, that's for sure. And it was really the talk of the night. I had to laugh because at the last correspondents dinner Karl Rove made the news. He was the headline the next day because of his dance routine, the MC Rove. And this time it was for something a little less entertaining. But all the while still Washington abuzz over some of the war of words between the two of them. So we'll bring you all the dish from the White House Correspondents Dinner.
ROBERTS: They didn't quite come to blows, but it was real close. And Sheryl, of course, is talking green this week. It was Earth Day yesterday. She's got a rather unusual suggestion on "The Washington Post" blog today.
CHETRY: She sure does. And we're going to let our viewers know what it is and we'll see if anybody thinks that in real life that would be a realistic notion. So we're going to explain that coming up a little bit later in the show.
ROBERTS: And, of course, this is something that everybody deals with first thing in the morning. So it will be interesting to see what's coming up with that.
President Bush, by the way, first meets with the top commander in Iraq today, General David Petraeus. He's in Washington this morning, right over from Baghdad. Then the president briefs the American people. A statement from the Oval Office expected at 9:50 a.m. Eastern. And, of course, we'll carry that live here on CNN.
On another front, House and Senate negotiators meet today to work up a final version of the war funding bill. One plan from Democratic Congressman John Murtha would fund the war for two or three months, until the end of the summer, giving Democrats time to rally support among Republicans for a timetable for withdrawal. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a deadline to bring troops home from Iraq.
In Iraq, meantime, three suicide bombings in three different parts of the country today killing at least 27 people. One attack happened at a restaurant right outside the Green Zone in Baghdad. And Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, says he wants to put a stop to a 12-foot-high wall being built to prevent sectarian attacks in one Sunni neighborhood. CNN's Arwa Damon is in Baghdad and shows us why walling in communities is not an easy task.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Welsan Sanmaria (ph) in southwest Baghdad. This is one of two checkpoints into the gated community where Iraqi Army Sergeant Major Ali Hassan is in charge.
SGT. MAJ. ALI HASSAN, IRAQI ARMY, (through translator): An insurgent can just shoot an RPG. And then, a few moments later, comes through the checkpoint and waves hello at me.
DAMON: One problem about sealing a neighborhood like this one, you seal the killers in with the innocent. About 30,000 people, isn't and insurgent, in two square miles.
STAFF SGT. BRIAN HOOD, U.S. ARMY: And you have that mosque right there. That's where we take a lot of sniper fire and stuff like from. And it's just a game you play with them.
DAMON: The game here is deadly. Not just one of chasing insurgents, but also keeping the community gated.
STAFF SGT. MICHAEL DIXON, U.S. ARMY: Well, as you can see, they got the hooks on the top of them. A lot of times the vehicle will come in, chain them up, pull those barriers aside, and then they'll be able to drive in for that night or until we spot it.
DAMON: Here along the northern boundary of the neighborhood, the troops say it's been especially challenging. They are constantly setting up these barriers. And as you can see, coming to find them brought down and then having to set them up once again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: That was CNN's Arwa Damon reporting from Baghdad.
Prime Minister al-Maliki says there are other methods to protect neighborhoods besides building walls.
We'll talk with retired Major General James "Spider" Marks about the wall and General Petraeus' briefing with the president coming up.
And while Congress debates war spending, we'll take a closer look at one of the extras tacked on to the bill. $74 million to store peanuts, Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes, that's quite interesting, isn't it? And we're going to talk about whether or not that's necessary. There was a tease a little later called pork and peanuts. So that pretty much says it all. In the meantime, students returning to class today at Virginia Tech. It's just a week after the shootings that forever changed their campus. And there is a tribute. It's planned today about an hour from now. Its 7:15 Eastern. It's the same time that the first two students were killed at the dormitory. Then at 9:45, a university- wide moment of silence. That will be marking the second shootings that killed 30 students and teachers at Norris Hall. At 9:46 a bell will toll 32 times. Thirty-two white balloons will be released from the drill field. Also along with them 1,000 orange and maroon balloons signifying Hokie unity and spirit.
And CNN's Jim Acosta is in Blacksburg today at the alumni center on the Virginia Tech campus.
And, Jim, it's interesting, after we were there all last week, the message really from a lot was to the media was please leave us alone.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kiran. But a lot of that has changed this morning. I can say one week after the massacre, many but not all students are going back to class this morning, changed by this tragedy but strengthened, they say, as well. Nearly all of the students we talked to told us they're determined to carry on.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA, (voice over): Like many students at Virginia Tech, Greg Wrenn is now back at school. But coming back wasn't easy. He lives at West Ambler Johnston Hall, the scene of the first shooting.
Did it help to see mom? I bet it did.
GREG WRENN, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: Yes. It helped both of us, I think. It helps a bunch just to get away and see family.
ACOSTA: As other parents dropped off their sons and daughters, passing the shrine outside the dorm, it was hard for Greg's mother to say good-bye.
I get the sense, Cindy, that you don't want to let him go here.
CINDY WRENN, MOTHER OF VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: No, I don't. But I have to. I can do it.
G. WRENN: Yes. We'll be OK.
ACOSTA: But she didn't let him go without some motherly advice.
G. WRENN: Don't stop talking. Find people to talk to. Call as much as you need.
ACOSTA: There are other signs of this campus coming back to life. A women's lacrosse game paid tribute to the fallen students. But for the players' parents, it was hard at times to cheer on the team. KAREN GALINDO-WHITE, MOTHER OF VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: We were saying we feel a little guilty being happy.
ACOSTA: At the drill field, the 32 stones designated for each victim are still drawing hundreds of mourners. The sense of loss remains overwhelming.
MAUREEN MALDONADO, MOTHER OF VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: I think it's taken away a lot of innocence in the sense of peace and security here, but I think they'll regain that.
ACOSTA: But also unmistakable is the sense of hope.
KRISTIN PATTERSON, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: Everyone just keeps saying that it's really OK and it's really true and that we all want to see each other, we want to all be there for each other.
ACOSTA: Back at Greg Wrenn's dorm, he sees a campus that has changed.
G. WRENN: There's still not a lot of people back, but the feeling on my hall is of more unity than ever before.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And as you mentioned, Kiran, at 9:45 this morning, there will be that moment of silence, followed by a ringing of the bells and a balloon release over at the drill field here on campus where students will remember their classmates and then, as they've done in the past, go back to class.
Kiran.
CHETRY: And it's going to be quite a sight when they release those thousand balloons, the 32 white ones and then the maroon and orange ones as well.
ACOSTA: It sure will. Yes. It's something that I think a lot of these students are ready for. You get the sense that they're ready to get some closure here. They're not prepared to forget about all of this, obviously. But they're ready to move on. They're ready to get back to class. And they think that will be a major step in this healing process.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Very brave move today for all of them heading back to class.
Thanks so much, Jim.
ROBERTS: So difficult, as well, so many emotions still swirling there.
An autopsy, by the way, confirms that the Virginia Tech shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The Virginia medical examiner says Cho's 32 victims were shot more than 100 times. The evidence shows many had defensive wounds, trying to shield themselves from the gunman. We're waiting for more tests to determine if Cho was taking any drugs.
Kiran.
CHETRY: And speaking of Cho. Family members of the shooter, by their own admission, are living a nightmare right now. His older sister issued a statement late last week apologizing for her brother's "unspeakable actions" and also saying that her family is praying for the Virginia Tech victims. AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho joins us now with a closer look at what Cho's family is going through.
And, you know, it's so tough. Your hears go out to them, as well, because they were really just trying to live the American dream.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, that's absolutely right, Kiran. We touched on this a little bit on Friday. You know, it's this classic Korean-American story. Their parents came here with their children. They sacrificed everything for their children. They worked long hours at a dry cleaner's. And they wanted their kids to be successful. And there's this whole notion in Korean culture of success and failure and there's really nothing in between. So when you look at all of the accomplishments of the sister, and she was accomplished, and you contrast that with the brother, who by all accounts was a weirdo, you know, you put them side-by-side and it's really hard to believe that they were even related.
CHETRY: Yes, tell us about the sister, because she really was the superstar and the hope of her family.
CHO: Oh, a source of pride. And we touched on that as well. You know, she is a graduate of Princeton University. Here's a girl, Sun-Kyung. She's 25-years-old. She chose Princeton over Harvard because she got a better scholarship there. You know, she was very spiritual.
She was, by all accounts, social. She was a member of the Dining Co-op, where she served meals to other students. And like many other students at Princeton, she was highly ambitious. She was an economics major.
She spent one summer doing a Princeton-sponsored internship at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. That's how she spent her summer. And she was looking at labor practices there. She wrote a 54-page thesis.
And once she graduated, she took a job working for a contractor at the U.S. State Department, as you well know, which provides billions of dollars of aid to Iraq. She's now on leave.
And when you contrast that to her brother, like I said, it's very hard to believe that they were related. And you start to wonder how did things go so wrong?
CHETRY: Yes, because a lot of people in his family, even when he was younger, say that they were worried about him, let's put it that way.
CHO: Oh, yes, absolutely. You know, a guy who said that he had an imaginary girlfriend named Jelly. He called himself "question mark." He was painfully shy. You know, Kiran, when he graduated from high school, he didn't have any friends. There was no mention of him in the yearbook. Not even a picture. Of course, there were some signs at school. You know, he wrote these violent plays. Teachers, you know, sent up red flags. But, ultimately, no one was able to predict that this could have ever happened.
CHETRY: Well, thanks for giving us some insight into the Cho family.
CHO: Sure.
CHETRY: Thanks, Alina.
John.
ROBERTS: More headlines from across the country and around the world for you this morning. Right and left if France. Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Segolene Royal will face off in two weeks to determine who will be the next president of France. They are the top two vote getters Sunday among 12 candidates looking to succeed Jacques Chirac. Royal is looking to become France's first female president.
CHETRY: Well, in the skies over South Carolina, the Blue Angels in a "Missing Man" formation. It's a tribute to a pilot killed in an air show Saturday. Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis was killed when his F-18 hornet crashed during the Blue Angel's final formation maneuver. Eight people on the ground also hurt. The Navy says it will be a few more weeks before they know why Davis' plane went down.
ROBERTS: But there's some video of it, too. Perhaps that will aid in the investigation.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline up eight cents in the past two weeks to $2.87. That's according to the Lundberg Survey. Gas is up 69 cents a gallon since January. But the survey predicts that prices will peak in the next few days and start to fall because apparently the crunch in terms of the amount of gasoline we have versus what we need may be about to balance out.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes, until summer hits, right.
ROBERTS: Yes.
CHETRY: Also a milestone for the Peruvian girl known as the mermaid baby. There she is. Milagros Cerron and she's in her ballet class. She just started that. She had a surgery just six months ago, a second operation, to separate her legs. Milagros, which means miracles in Spanish, was born with Mermaid Syndrome, her legs connected from her heels on up, as you can see there. And doctors separated her legs with two surgeries and a second one just took place six months ago. They say that she will need further surgery in about two years, but I'm sure quite a joy for her parents to see her dancing in a ballet class.
ROBERTS: Yes, she's still got some problems, but what a difference from the way that she used to be.
The stars were out in Washington on Saturday night for the White House Correspondents Dinner, and I'm not just talking about Kiran. Of course, President Bush was there. So was Apolo Anton Ohno, an Olympic gold medalist in speed skating, but now more well known for being on "Dancing with the Stars." There was also comedian Larry David, presidential hopefuls Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. Kiran and I were there, as well. There we are sitting at our table.
CHETRY: How about that?
ROBERTS: Yes.
CHETRY: Not too far away from the Karl Rove table actually.
ROBERTS: Yes. It was beside us.
CHETRY: And it was just a month ago when Karl Rove, at the TV and Radio Correspondents Dinner, was MC Rove and was the hit of the party. Let's take a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your name?
KARL ROVE, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR: MC Rove.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see him later hanging in the cove. Tell me what is your name?
ROVE: MC Rove.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, he was a little bit less joyful this time around. We witnessed this. We didn't hear it, but we saw it. Singer Sheryl Crow and Laurie David, who produced "An Inconvenient Truth," went over to Karl Rove at different times to try and to talk to him about global warming. It's not exactly clear who said what. Neither side, though, was satisfied with the discussion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURIE DAVID, PRODUCER, "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH": So we tried to have a conversation with him and, you know, it was odd because he got immediately hostile and very combative and, you know, the conversation went downhill from there. So . . .
SHERYL CROW, SINGER: It was very -- I felt it was very disappointing because . . . DAVID: Right.
CROW: You want to, with leadership, you want to be able to engage. Because we're all Americans here and we all have the same concerns and to be shut down was -- it was very disappointing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You know, I talked with Sheryl about this, Kiran, and she said that Karl was incredibly rude to her. She said she didn't know that she could be treated like that, particularly at a dinner like that on Saturday night. But Karl Rove's side of the story, according to Roxanne Roberts -- what was her last name?
CHETRY: I did witness part of the conversation. I was standing there when Karl Rove was sort of recounting some it. And he, for his side, he says that he felt that he was attacked. I mean we're at a dinner and it's supposed to be a little bit informal, a time when people can let their guard down a little bit because, I mean, you know, things can get combative in Washington the rest of the year, let's put it that way.
ROBERTS: Yes, I was about to say that in the reliable source in "The Washington Post," they quote Karl Rove as saying, they came over to insult me and they succeed.
CHETRY: Yes, he did feel, at least what he said to us, was that he was taken off guard a little bit by how they came at him. But both sides feel that the other one was the one who ratcheted it up. So . . .
ROBERTS: Yes. Beyond all of that, though, everybody had a great time, including Sanjaya. You had a chance to meet with him too.
CHETRY: Yes, we did. And actually we have a couple pictures of that. The "American Idol," Sanjaya Malakar, who was kicked off last week, the subject of so much talk, was truly the hit of this place. I mean the line for pictures with him was around the block and then some. And we'll talk a little bit more about that. He was a great sport. Seventeen years old. Dropped in the middle of all this fame and he certainly looked like he was having a nice time.
ROBERTS: Well, you've got to have a nice time if you're at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. It's the only way to play the game, right?
CHETRY: That's true. And he learned a lesson at a very young age.
In the meantime, we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, the top military leader in Iraq heads to the White House. The president and Congress also headed for a showdown over Iraq funding. We're going to talk about what it will mean for the war and the troops.
And also, John, as you were talking about, peanuts and pork. We're going to go to Georgia to see just how your tax dollars might be spent, $74 million to store peanuts.
Also, 18 homes destroyed and there is still no stopping a massive wildlife. Look at these flames in Georgia. We have the latest ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, including the weather forecast for that area.
The most news in the morning is here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Firefighters are still trying to contain a wildfire in southeast Georgia near Waycross. So far 55,000 acres has burned, 18 homes destroyed. Smoke now being seen as far away as Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The fire has been burning for a week now sparked by a downed power line.
Twenty minutes after the hour. Let's take a look at what's up on the weather front. Chad Myers is at the Weather Center in Atlanta.
Chad, we had a spectacular weekend here. But, of course, along with that, comes the misery of allergies as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHETRY: Also this morning, President Bush's top general in Iraq, David Petraeus, is coming to the White House to give his commander in chief a face-to-face briefing. To get an idea of what might go on in that briefing, we've called retired Major General James "Spider" Marks. He is on the phone with us now.
Good morning, general.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Good morning, Kiran. How are you?
CHETRY: Great. Have you ever been in on one of these meetings? Have you ever had to be the one delivering the news?
MARKS: Not to the president. No, I haven't. But in a bunch of meetings and I've certainly know Dave Petraeus for essentially all of his life.
CHETRY: What is it like, though, when you need to give a frank assessment to your superiors or to others making decisions about what's best for what's going on on the ground?
MARKS: Kiran, great question. Very easy to prep for. Very difficult to execute. You're looking at the most powerful man in the universe and you've got to be very, very frank and honest with him. And certainly David Petraeus will be.
But you also have to be a little bit guarded. Because what you want from the president of the United States is, you want to be able to give him something that becomes actionable. You want to give him the news, you want to give him the assessment, but also he's going to ask you, what can I do for you? And you have to be able to -- he's got to be able to digest that very, very easily. CHETRY: All right. And so what would be some of the things he would be talking about as more criticism grows and the calls become louder for some sort of timetable in Iraq?
MARKS: Well certainly I can't speak for Dave Petraeus, but I do know that General Petraeus is dealing with two time lines. There are two clocks essentially, as Dave Petraeus has indicated. There's the Baghdad clock. What happens in Baghdad, how long does it take, what does it need?
And then there's certainly the D.C. clock. And as you know, that's a very fickle one and it's a very impatient one.
CHETRY: Right.
MARKS: So in many cases these aren't necessarily linked up. And so bear in mind that General Petraeus has three of his five brigades as part of the buildup in country right now. It's about 60 percent. It's got to continue to work through it, to see how it improves. And then you also have to get those forces on the ground and to really make some progress.
CHETRY: Just before I let you go, general, what do you think about the fence, about building this wall? There's a lot of controversy over walling off some of the Sunni areas to protect them.
MARKS: Yes, I mean, frankly, you know, good walls make good neighbors. You've got to get those things up just to provide some security. But as the residents would tell you, as soon as they go up, you got to work at getting them down, and that's based on trying to establish some greater security across the board. You want the neighborhoods to mix, but you also don't want them killing each other, which tends to be the challenge right now.
CHETRY: Sure is. All right, general, thanks for your insight this morning. Good talking to you.
MARKS: Kiran, thank you.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: Coming up, the Iraq War funding bill is heavy with billions of dollars in pork. We're headed to Georgia to show you why peanut farmers are desperate for the $74 million that's been allotted for them.
And he's posted his cell phone number on YouTube. Five thousand calls came in. Why did he do it? What is he going to do now that his free weekend minutes are all used up? Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back. Twenty-seven past the hour right now. Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business." And if you want to be cheered up today, check your 401(k) or check your stocks, right? ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And if you do check your stocks and your 401(k) and they're not up like the rest of the market, this would be a great time to look at why they're not. Are you invested in the wrong things.
Quarterly earnings right now. The market. Look at these markets. The Dow hit a record again for the third day in a row on Friday. Those are the numbers for the week. But on Friday alone, the Dow was up 153 points. The Nasdaq and the S&P are both at six-year highs. This is following earnings.
Now on Friday, we heard from Honeywell, from McDonald's. I'm going to tell you about that the next time I'm up here. And from Pfizer, not doing as well as the other companies. But fundamentally, earnings allow you to determine the health of the companies that you're invested in.
Now, what are we going to look for this week? We've got some economic reports coming out. You don't have to concern yourself with all of them, but on Tuesday we hear from the Conference Board on consumer confidence. How consumers were feeling in the last month or so. We're also going to get on Tuesday existing home sales and on Wednesday new home sales. This is a big gauge of how the economy is doing. It's really important for people to get a sense of how wealthy they feel.
And then, are we headed toward 13,000 on the Dow? The number, it means nothing. It gives me an opportunity to wear a hat or a t-shirt or something like that. But it's a milestone that says we are continuing to move in the right direction. We're going to see earnings this week from many, many companies, 177 of the S&P 500.
But we'll see them from Microsoft, from Amazon, from Boeing. And, of course, on Thursday, we'll get them from Exxon Mobil and we'll all be able to talk all day about how many millions of dollars the oil companies earn per second while you're filling gas.
CHETRY: Uh-oh, that better not be on the day that gas prices take a dip.
VELSHI: Yes, it will be -- it's been high, as you and John were talking about.
CHETRY: All right.
VELSHI: So we've got lots to talk about. But, please, check -- if you do nothing else, just check into that 401(k), see how it's doing.
CHETRY: Good advice.
Ali, we'll see you in a little bit.
VELSHI: All right. See you in a bit.
CHETRY: Thanks. John.
ROBERTS: We hear a lot about the toll that the war is taking on our troops, but what about the toll on their families. Coming up, a look at how a U.S. soldier's seven children and his very busy wife are dealing with his long deployments.
Also, AMERICAN MORNING's Sean Callebs live on peanut politics.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, John. I am standing on a mountain of politics -- a mountain of peanuts, rather. And you may wonder what do these peanuts have to do with the ongoing war in Iraq. Well that's a question some lawmakers are going to have to answer in Washington today. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: War and politics. A new push by Congress this morning to pull American troops out of Iraq.
Plus, President Bush makes an Oval Office address as his top general in Iraq heads to the White House on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning. It's great to have you with us today on this Monday, April 23rd.
I'm Kiran Chetry, here in New York.
ROBERTS: I'm John Roberts, here in Washington. Thanks for joining us.
A lot of action in Washington today. All this week, in fact.
Stories on our radar this morning, the war funding bill that Kiran was mentioning. The conference committee going to get together this week to try to figure out how they can get something to send to the president. They're insisting that it have a timetable for troop withdrawal. The president saying he is going to veto that.
The president is meeting with his top general, David Petraeus, in the Oval Office. And he'll speak to the American people at 9:50 this morning.
We'll be carrying that, of course, live here on CNN -- Kiran.
CHETRY: And John, you're familiar with earmarks, right? We talk a lot about it when these bills come out and there -- and there are some other things that are sort of tacked on to the bill that you wonder, what do they have to do with this?
One that's generating a lot of buzz this morning is millions of dollars earmarked for peanut farmers. And as we saw from Sean Callebs, he's going to bring us the inside story on that. There are two very interesting sides to the debate. We're going to show you where that money could go.
ROBERTS: Ah, yes, all very important stuff.
And classes resume today at Virginia Tech one week after the tragic shooting. We'll be live from the first tribute on the campus. That's coming up in our next half hour, so make sure that you stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Right now to the power struggle here in Washington over funding for the Iraq war. House and Senate negotiators meet today to work on a final bill to send on to President Bush, but the president vows to veto any bill that includes a timetable for troop withdrawal.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg is the White House correspondent for "The New York Times". She joins us on the phone again this morning.
Good morning to you, Sheryl.
SHERYL GAY STOLBERG, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "NEW YORK TIMES": Good morning.
ROBERTS: So what's the Democrats' game plan here? Why do they want to send the president a bill that he'll veto?
STOLBERG: Well, the Congress, of course, has the power of the purse, and the Congress wants to use that power to bring troops home. And I think the Democrats are trying to draw a line in the sand here to say to the president, look, you may be the commander in chief, you may think you are a the decider, but guess what, we're the deciders, too, in this one, and we want to use this measure to make a stand on Iraq.
ROBERTS: It also seems, Sheryl, like they want to send a statement or want to get the president to send a statement to the American people by vetoing funds that he has requested.
STOLBERG: I think that's true. I think each side is betting that the other will take the blame for withholding funding from the troops.
The president wants Congress to take the blame. He's accusing them of delay. The Congress, the Democrats in Congress, want President Bush to put his veto signature on that bill so they can say, Mr. President, we sent you a bill to fund the troops, we gave you the money, and you didn't sign it.
ROBERTS: Now, the Democrats appear absolutely committed to putting a timetable into some sort of bill. However, it may also be a matter of timing here.
Do you expect that there's any chance that they could decide to go instead with this Murtha bill that would fund the troops for two or three months, which gives the Democrats some time to try to peel off a few more Republicans so they may have, let's say, by the end of the summer, a veto-proof bill that includes deadlines?
STOLBERG: I think perhaps they might wind up there, but I think the first step is for the Democrats to send the president this bill with timetables in it so that he can veto it. Then the ball is again in the Democrats' court. What are they going to do? And they'll have some choices to make.
They could go with the Murtha plan. They could try, as Senator Levin has said, to write a bill that includes benchmarks but does not include hard and fast timetables for withdrawal. It's unclear right now where they'll wind up.
ROBERTS: Sheryl, who do you think has got the upper hand in the P.R. war here? It looked a couple of weeks ago, when Harry Reid said that he would sign on to the Feingold bill as though the president had the upper hand -- is it moving in the other direction again?
STOLBERG: I don't know. I think it slips back and forth. I think Harry Reid did not help himself last week when he said the war is lost. Republicans seized on that, and there was quite a lot of criticism. And if you watched the morning shows yesterday, you saw Democrats try and soften that remark and say, well, he didn't really mean the war is lost.
ROBERTS: Right.
STOLBERG: So I think it slips back and forth. I think maybe we'll know more who's won the P.R. war when we see the veto.
ROBERTS: All right. We'll keep an eye on it.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, for "The New York Times," White House correspondent.
Thanks very much. Always good to talk with you.
STOLBERG: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: Thanks, John.
Well, tucked in to the war funding bill, a lot of extras and add- ons, such as $25 million to spinach growers; $252 million for a milk subsidy program; and $500 million in wildfire aid for the western part of the country.
Now, we are most interested in $74 million for peanut storage.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Sean Callebs is in Quitman, Georgia, with a look at where your tax dollars might go.
And that's quite a picture this morning. You're standing on peanuts.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, I am standing on a mountain of peanuts, some three billion -- yes, that is "B" with a billion -- in all.
Now, take a look at this storage facility that we're out here in south Georgia. We have an outside picture. Still dark here in south Georgia, but you get an idea just how big this building is. It is filled to the top.
Well, it costs farmers a lot of money to store these peanuts until they are ready to go to market. Well, Congress is considering a measure that would actually pay farmers to store their peanuts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice over): Peanut farmer Armond Morris lives and works about 900 miles from the nation's capital, but his livelihood has become seemingly inexplicably intertwined with the Iraq war spending bill. And why? Congress is considering authorizing $74 million so farmers can store peanuts.
ARMOND MORRIS, PEANUT FARMER: That measure was tacked on to the much more serious war spending bill. Farmers say they need the help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's frustrating and, yes, it put me -- it would stop the production of peanuts if the farmer has to absorb that. And it's not a laughing matter. Really it isn't.
CALLEBS: But it is fertile ground for late-night TV.
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Yes, yes, we both have our problems. You have an unwinnable war sinking America into a permanent morass, and I have my own problems.
CALLEBS: Unlike soybeans and corn, peanuts can't really be stored on a farm. So they end up in a massive shed like this until farmers can squeeze the best price out of companies like Peter Pan and Jif.
Half the peanuts in the United States are grown in Georgia. No surprise then that a Georgia lawmaker is pushing this agenda.
REP. SANFORD BISHOP (D), GEORGIA: It is an emergency. It will determine whether or not this industry in America survives.
CALLEBS: Peanuts are not as profitable as they used to be. More and more farmers are today using their land to grow other crops. Still, critics call the measure an outrageous example of pork.
TOM SCHATZ, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: And I think taxpayers understand the difference that this is an effort to simply buy votes.
CALLEBS: Armond Morris stresses the money is needed to preserve an important staple of American life.
MORRIS: If they come home and eat a peanut butter sandwich with some bread and some milk in the evenings, that's the most nutritious food that they could eat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: Yes, but the question is, should taxpayers have to eat the money to keep these farmers in business? Now, Armond Morris, like all peanut farmers, gets some federal money to store his peanuts. And this actually, Kiran, had always been a measure in the farm bill dating back to 2002. But it was left out of the most recent farming bill language.
So the question many have for people like Representative Bishop, if this is such an emergency, why can't it stand on its own? Why must it be tacked on to an emergency spending bill for the war in Iraq?
Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. And it is interesting. So how do the farmers feel about being stuck in the middle of this debate?
CALLEBS: You know, most farmers are pretty down-to-earth guys. They don't come out and talk a whole lot. Farmers feel like they are caught between a rock and a hard place, because you can date this subsidy, if you want to call it, supplemental money, if you want, back before World War II. And now is the first time that farmers could lose that money.
And basically, the prices for these peanuts has been the same since 2002, but their cost of operating for fertilizer, water, diesel fuel, things like that, have gone up quite a bit. So they're simply not making the same money that they were five years ago -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Tough issue, for sure.
All right. Sean, thanks for bringing us -- you really painted the picture for us quite literally. Thanks.
ROBERTS: You know, earlier he said that he was standing on a mountain of politics, and then he corrected it to peanuts. I think the politics was the right way to say it.
CHETRY: He's right. Very true.
ROBERTS: Absolutely.
CHETRY: I wonder if they're going to use the peanuts he was standing on, though. I think those are pretty much -- those are done, huh?
ROBERTS: You think? I don't know.
Congress is going to quiz the Food and Drug Administration this week and hear from families about dangers in the food supply. Contaminated peanut butter from Georgia, spinach from California led to outbreaks that killed three people and left hundreds sick last year. "The Washington Post" reports this morning that the FDA knew about the contamination problems at the peanut butter plant but relied on producers to police themselves.
Presidential politics in France this morning. Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Segolene Royal are going to face off in two weeks' time to determine who will be the next president of France. Royal is looking to become France's first female president, succeeding Jacques Chirac -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, students return to class today at Virginia Tech, a week after the shootings that forever changed their campus. There is a tribute planned for 7:15 Eastern Time this morning. It's the same time the first two students were killed.
Then at 9:45, a university-wide moment of silence to mark the second shootings that killed 30 students and teachers at Norris Hall. At 9:46, the bell will toll 32 times, white balloons will be released, along with a thousand orange and maroon balloons, signifying Hokie unity and spirit.
And still to come this morning, it's fight week in Washington, D.C., for sure. Congress getting back to work today on a plan to pull out the troops in Iraq, set some timetables for that. And the White House could veto it before the week is out.
How do both sides come together? We have a live report coming up.
Plus, "Children of War". My visit with the young Snel brothers. What it's like when you're old enough to understand the scary news out of Iraq and your dad is serving there for a second time.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Now our special series, "Children of War," a look at the sacrifices of military families and especially the toll on the children left behind. The pictures, you remember, of Sailor Bill Haus (ph) surprising his son John in kindergarten after being away in Iraq for seventh months made us wonder how other kids are coping, what they miss the most, and also the worries they have about their parents.
I recently paid a visit to West Point to meet with the Snel family. Here's a look at their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time to put your -- everyone, line up to kick.
CHETRY (voice over): Not every family can instantly organize a pickup game in their yard, but the seven Snel brothers are in a league of their own. While they play kickball, their mom Teki runs interference.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't mean to hit him in the head.
TEKI SNEL, HUSBAND IS SERVING IN IRAQ: You need to understand...
CHETRY: The only family member missing from the game, their dad, Major Joe Snel, who is serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
(on camera): When he first told you he was going to Iraq again, how did he tell you guys?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was crying.
CHETRY: Were you guys crying, too?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. CHETRY: Your dad's been gone, it will be nine months. What is the hardest part?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Helping my mom take care of all the brothers.
CHETRY (voice over): No small task. After putting Andrew down for a nap, Teki plays with Jonathan. Then it's off to the doctor and back in time to greet the older kids home from school.
There's Christopher's tears to tend to, and Jeremiah in a tree.
(on camera): How have the deployments been in terms of trying to deal with raising all those boys by yourself?
SNEL: They've been getting harder with the boys getting older and them understanding a whole lot more. The oldest, especially because of his age, he's just at that age group where it would be great to have a daddy there with him.
CHETRY (voice over): Besides the occasional phone call, 12-year- old Jacob's only contact with his father is through e-mails.
(on camera): What is it that you miss the most about your dad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Taking us bowling, to the pool, to movies.
CHETRY (voice over): The younger boys have a tougher time remembering their dad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy.
SNEL: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
SNEL: It looks like daddy, huh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not daddy.
SNEL: No, that's not daddy.
CHETRY: Jonathan wasn't quite 2 when he last saw daddy in person.
(on camera): Do you worry about him getting hurt?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not really.
CHETRY: Why do you say yes? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I've heard a lot in news stories that many people have gotten killed.
CHETRY: And you said you don't worry. Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I know he'll be safe.
CHETRY: You just know that in your heart?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHETRY (voice over): Confident words for a boy who must now face the worries of a man.
(on camera): If you guys had a genie in a bottle and you could wish for three things, and they would happen immediately, what would you pick?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After dad to come home, there's -- I can't think of anything else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Great family, John, really. And the earliest the Snel brothers can expect to see their father is September. Tekie says she doesn't give them specifics because they never know. As we saw with the increase of the deployments to 15 months, you never know how long you're going to be gone.
ROBERTS: And I remember with the 172nd Stryker Brigade more than a year ago, they were told -- they were packed and ready -- some of them were already on their way home and told, come back, you've got another four months to do. And, you know, it's difficult for these kids. It's also difficult, though, for the parents who go to war.
I remember hearing from one fellow who said, "I've been here so long." He had a young, very young child -- said, "I don't know if my child is going to recognize me when I come back."
CHETRY: And they handle all of that with such grace and dignity, the entire families, both the people that are deployed and the spouses back home. But didn't it just break your heart when he said, "Daddy," and she goes, "Well, that looks like daddy, but that's not daddy"? I mean, especially for the younger kids, it is tough.
ROBERTS: Yes, they just don't know.
Great story, Kiran. Looking forward to more as the week progresses as well.
Coming up, the campus of Virginia Tech preparing to honor the moment one week ago that changed their community forever.
Plus, he has posted his cell phone number on YouTube. Duh. Now his free weekend minutes are all used up. No kidding. Find out why he did it and if he'll take your call now. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Why on earth would anyone give out his cell phone number on YouTube? I mean, the whole thing just boggles the mind. What is this person going to do now that his free weekend calls are over, as well?
CNN's Jacki Schechner has got his story.
Jacki, who is this guy? Why did he do this?
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Well, John, his name is Ryan Fitzgerald (ph). He's 20 years old. He's from Southbridge, Massachusetts, and he says that he put his cell phone number online because he just wants to be there for people.
Now, I'll tell you that we called him four times this morning and text-messaged him, and he didn't take our call. So clearly he doesn't want to be there for me. But he does want to be there for other people.
Let's take a listen to Ryan (ph) in his own words on YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Girls, guys, whoever you are, wherever you're from, talk about whatever. If you just want to call and say hi, that's fine. I mean, I'm not judgmental...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHECHNER: Now, his video has been viewed 110,000 times on YouTube, and he did an interview with the "Boston Globe," said he's gotten more than 5,000 calls since he put this online on Friday. He's posted a follow-up video, saying one of the most interesting calls that he's gotten was from a guy who asked him what he should have for lunch at McDonald's, whether he should order the cheeseburger or the Chicken McNuggets.
This is not the first guy to put his cell phone number online. A guy named Luke Johnson (ph) did it back in September. And as of April 16th, he says he's got 138,000 calls. He says his is about numbers, but Ryan (ph) is saying that his about reaching out to strangers.
He was inspired by the Free Hugs campaign, which was voted the most inspirational video on YouTube last year. It's a guy who went out to offer hugs to strangers. It took people a little time to warm up, but they eventually did.
As for me, I'm going to wait for Ryan (ph) to call, John. I have a feeling he might do so some time this morning.
ROBERTS: Well, you know, Jacki, you've got to give him a little bit of a break. When you text-messaged him and called him, it was, what, about 5:30 in the morning?
SCHECHNER: Yes, but I need -- I need John.
ROBERTS: You need...
SCHECHNER: Yes, I need.
ROBERTS: ... you need some human contact right now. Well, maybe he'll call you, hopefully. Thanks, Jacki. That's really interesting -- Kiran.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice over): Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, war report. A special briefing for President Bush today from his top commander in Iraq. This as Congress makes a new push to bring the troops home.
Also...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's taken away a lot of innocence in the sense of peace and security here, but I think they'll regain that.
CHETRY: ... a week since the massacre at Virginia Tech. Students and teachers back to class today.
The mood and the tributes on campus ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Two minutes until the top of the hour, Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business".
And you got some good news on the McNugget front for us today.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. You know we talk about the Dow all the time, and folks wonder why we talk about it. It's only 30 stocks, but they try and represent, you know, everything that's out there. And, of course, one of them is McDonald's -- earnings came out on Friday.
A lot of strength in the Chicken Snack Wrap. I haven't tried one of those.
CHETRY: People love those. But you know what? It's almost a chincier version of the McChicken, because it's smaller.
VELSHI: right. It's the bread thing. It's in the wrap. It doesn't have the carbs.
CHETRY: OK.
VELSHI: I thought we were over that. But, you know, when I thought we were over that, I gained about 15 pounds. So I guess we're not over it.
Chicken snap Wrap very good for McDonald's. Good earnings coming out on Friday.
They have improved performance, and we're hearing this from a lot of companies in China, Japan, France, Germany, Russia. A lot of companies are saying they're doing better elsewhere in the world than they are in the United States.
Some key drivers for McDonald's, for those of us consumers who might not have put it all together, a new focus on breakfast. I got a bunch of coupons the other day for, you know, different kinds of breakfast foods. They've got these McGriddles and all that.
CHETRY: Right?
VELSHI: Extended hours, and salads. Still haven't had a salad from McDonald's. I'm not sure that I ever will.
CHETRY: They're pretty good.
VELSHI: Really?
CHETRY: They have this new -- Select, where they have real things in them, like edamame and mandarin oranges. It's crazy.
VELSHI: It stands to reason, though, that I'd be way more into the sandwiches and look like this, and you're into the salads and look like that. So, you know what? Life is unfolding as it should.
CHETRY: You know what? You've got to try it all. You never know.
Ali, thanks so much.
VELSHI: All right.
CHETRY: Well, the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING begins right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice over): War front, and home front. America's top commander in Iraq briefs the commander in chief.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're looking at the most powerful man in the universe, and you've got to be very, very frank and honest with him. And certainly David Petraeus will be.
ROBERTS: Congress works up a bill to bring the troops home.
And a new roadblock for a plan to build a wall in Baghdad, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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