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Sheehan Targets Pelosi; Terrorists Gaining Strength
Aired July 14, 2007 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. troops can leave Iraq any time they want. That from the head of a country where we're pumping $10 billion a month?
Inside this plain, black notebook, plans on what could have been another Columbine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was akin to the tapes that we all saw from Columbine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: We'll show you the words that sent a school into a panic.
On the campaign trail, al Qaeda stronger, Iraq no better. And then, there's the sex and drugs. Who answers for it? Time for a debate, wouldn't you say?
Tonight, the running of the bulls turns into the revenge of the bulls. And look who's getting it in the end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My leg was split wide open. I was running around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Tip to American tourists. Don't run from angry Spanish bulls.
How do you stop a guy with a gun from robbing you? How about offering him a glass of wine and a hug? How surprised would you be, though, if it worked? Rick at night from the CNN NEWSROOM.
And hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez here in B control with a stunning statement out of Iraq. The duration of the war so far, as you may know, four years plus. American fatalities, 3500 plus. Iraqi fatalities tens of thousands. And that's the most conservative estimate, by the way.
There's a lot of talk in Washington these days about how to end this thing and pull the troops out. Can it be done? Will Iraq remain standing without U.S. soldiers trying to somehow hold it up? Well, that depends on who you ask. That Iraq report card released a few days ago basically said, no, not yet. They're not ready. We've heard from the president from just about every lawmaker who could find a camera. We've heard from Pentagon leaders and commanders in the field.
Now tonight, you're going to hear from the Iraqi prime minister himself. For the first time, Nuri al Malaki says whenever coalition troops decide to leave, his forces can handle it. His exact quote sounds almost boastful.
Here it is. "We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want."
Any time they want. Those are the words that he's using. Expect to hear those words "any time they want" again and again from Democrats and Republicans alike this week. If al Malaki gets what he says he can handle, and U.S. troops end up leaving, expect others like Iran to see that as an invitation. That's what the experts say. Here's what U.S. military officials say. In many ways, Iran is always there. That's what they say they're seeing on the ground. Here's CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. troops on a pre-dawn raid in Baghdad captured an Iraqi police lieutenant suspected of being an Iranian agent, raising questions about whether elements of the police have now been infiltrated by Tehran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're waiting to hear from the folks (INAUDIBLE) investigating this underground. I would not want to presume anything and especially when it comes to that kind of detail.
STARR: But a U.S. military statement said the Iraqi police officer is believed to have close ties to the Iranian revolutionary guard corps, a group the U.S. says is involved in dozens of attacks against American troops in Iraq. After the man was captured, a ferocious fire fight broke out. U.S. troops came under fire from a nearby Iraqi police checkpoint.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think we've been pretty straightforward in saying all along that the Iraqi police were a challenge.
STARR: It's just the latest example of potential growing Iranian influence in Iraq. A U.S. military drone spotted these rockets ready for launch outside Baghdad. Commanders believe Iranian rockets and mortars are being widely used in the growing number of attacks on Baghdad's highly secured green zone and other areas.
Intelligence sources tell CNN insurgents frequently fire these weapons from populated areas, making it tough for the U.S. to launch counter attacks. GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: They hope that they'll be counter battery fire that will be indiscriminate, that will cause damage from where the mortars are being fired. And we're not going to do that.
STARR (on camera): Defense Secretary Robert Gates believes all of this is part of an intense campaign by al Qaeda, Iran, and other insurgent groups to cause as much mayhem as possible, to weaken the Iraqi government and weaken U.S. support for the war.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Something else to consider at this critical time of transition -- missed political goals and shaky security in Iraq. The entire Iraqi government is going to shut down for the month of August. That's right. Shut down. Summer vacation is what they're calling it. They say it gets really hot over there. The White House reporter brought that up to the president and his spokesperson, asking if anyone has tried to talk the Iraqi officials out of doing something like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The entire month of August off before the September deadline?
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: It looks like they may, yes. Just like the U.S. Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you tried to talk them out of that?
SNOW: You know, it's 130 degrees in Baghdad in August. I'll pass on your recommendation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tony, Tony, I'm sorry. You know, I mean, there's things that happen by September and there's 130 degrees for the U.S. military also on the ground.
SNOW: You know, that's a good point. And it's 130 degrees for the Iraqi military. And the Iraqis, you know, I'll let them -- my understanding is at this juncture they're going to take August off, but you know, they may change their minds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: It's hot. By the way, the Iraqi government's vacation was originally planned for two months. U.S. lawmakers are not happy about these vacation plans, especially since there's so many reforms and political and military objectives that need to be pushed there.
Tonight, new/old video of Osama bin Laden inspiring his troops. Footage that we've never seen before of the al Qaeda leader has now surfaced. Experts say it looks like the 40-minute tape was made within the last month, but the clips of bin Laden are old. And some scenes look similar to those that were recorded even before 9/11.
So by the way, the Senate this week decided to double the bounty on Mr. Bin Laden's head. It's now $50 million. This new video of OBL surfaces amid reports that the terrorist group is strong now. In fact, as strong as any time since the 9/11 attacks.
It's a hard pill to swallow with the statement coming in today from the Iraqi prime minister that I read to you just a little while ago. It may be even tougher to swallow when you put the two together.
Some perspective now on both of these stories, both of these developments from our terrorism analyst Jim Walsh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: You know, we are four years into the Iraq War. Certainly, there's problems over there. Zawahiri is still alive and kicking somewhere. Bin Laden, for all we know, is alive and kicking somewhere. And now smack dab in the middle of all this, we get this report, Jim, this week that says that al Qaeda operationally has gotten stronger, and that they could possibly even be ready to attack in the United States. Man, that ain't good.
JIM WALSH, TERRORISM ANALYST: It is not good. It's not good. And the things that you talk about are all tied together, Rick. That is to say, the war in Iraq, the continuation of bin Laden, al Zawahiri being able to be at the head of the organization, all these things are related.
What do I mean by that? Well, unfortunately, the war in Iraq has been a fundraising boon for al Qaeda. It's not that al Qaeda's sending money into Iraq, it's that they're raising so much money for insurgent attacks in Iraq, that they are now sending money back home to Pakistan, back to bin Laden.
So they've replaced their coffers. That's fundraising.
On recruitment, here's another category of capability. Again, they've been able to recruit people from around the world, sort of franchising the idea behind al Qaeda. But they've also replaced some of the people in the central leadership in that frontier region of Pakistan.
And finally, communications, Kelli referred to it. In the first half of this year, Rick, the production company, if you will of al Qaeda, has put out as many audio and videotapes as they did all of 2006. And so, that's not a good sign.
SANCHEZ: We read a story recently. I think it started with "TIME" magazine, where they had pictures of children in parts of Africa where they are wearing T-shirts that have Osama bin Laden's picture on it. And they wear it proudly, almost as if he's some kind of hero to the people there. Boy again, that smacks against what we wanted to do, right? If nothing else from a public relations front, it's a win for the bad guys and a loss for the United States. WALSH: Yes. It's not only a loss, it's a lost opportunity. Because if you track those polling numbers in the Muslim and Arab world, it was not always the case. Right after 9/11, there were a lot of Muslims and Arabs who did not support what al Qaeda had done, who thought it was terrible that the World Trade Center had been attacked.
But when we went into Afghanistan, which I think was a -- you know, we had to do that, but then going on into Iraq, that raised anger and antipathy in the Muslim world. And suddenly, a group that was looked down upon suddenly began to be looked on in favor. Not by everyone.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WALSH: We're still talking about a minority, but that minority is big enough that you can recruit from it and cause a lot of attacks.
SANCHEZ: Jim Walsh, you're good. Appreciate it. Enjoyed the discussion.
WALSH: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: The accountants have done the math. We're spending $10 billion a month on the war on terror. $10 billion. What could they have used that money for here in the United States? We are going to break it down for you and add it up.
Speaking of Iraq, Cindy Sheehan joins us right here on the set for the definitive answer on whether she really is going to take off Nancy Pelosi. And word that she's going to Iraq? How's that going to go over?
Important news, by the way, tonight on those failed bomb plots last month in London and Glasgow. New charges against two more suspects. Sabeel Ahmed is pictured there in the plaid shirt. See him on top?
British police charged him today after holding him for a couple of weeks. Ahmed's second cousin is the one in the other photo. The one on the bottom with a tie. Australian police describe Mohammed Annis (ph) involvement as more recklessness than intentional. He was detained 11 days ago, trying to catch a flight out of Brisbane. A third man was charged last week in connection with a June 30th attack at the Glasgow Airport.
Remember those pictures? All three men, by the way, interestingly enough, are doctors. Medical doctors.
Here in the United States, police say what they found inside a simple black spiral notebook stopped them right in their tracks. They described an alleged attack on the same scale as Columbine.
Now here's the target. It's a high school in Bohemia, New York. It's about 50 miles from the Big Apple. And tonight, we're learning more details about what led police to arrest two boys.
One of them is 15. The other one is 17. Here's what police say one of them wrote in the journal. We quote. "I want to kill so many people in the war-zone and the target, so many this will go down in history. Take out everyone there, then turn the guns on the cops, and then myself. Perfecto."
This is a 17-year-old suspect, Michael Mcdonough. But police say the real instigator was the 15-year-old. Police aren't releasing his name or his picture because of his age. They also say the teens tried to buy an Uzi sub machine gun, an AK-47 assault rifle, and five pounds of black powder explosives, as well.
Coming up, $758 billion and counting. That is the price tag for the U.S. war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but what's that real number? What does it really mean? That's what we're going to be delving into.
Then presidential campaigns in trouble. The good, the bad, the ugly. All this in dog bone politics. It's a new segment.
But next...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Is it true that any of your officers or officers in the past have taken money from these guys? It doesn't exist?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That's what he says. Drug smugglers running wild. I'm going to go on assignment into a Mexican town. This is a town that I couldn't even get a police officer to escort me into. So I go in alone. I'll tell you about the problem down there. And I'll take you with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. Want to count down now some of the best videos that we've been getting in house.
Number four, this is what you do if you're a jeweler and you're sick and tired of people stealing your rings and your diamonds. You get one of those bad boys. Look at the size of that thing. Imagine sticking your hand in there to try and steal something star studded or diamond studded. You won't, right? Because you'll end up with a really bad sting from a scorpion. Novel idea, wouldn't you say?
Now number three, 250,000 bees and not just any kind of bees. They had to go in an assisted - adult assisted living facility to remove a quarter million bees that were stuck in the roof bit by bit. They had to take it apart. And it turns out when they looked at them, they weren't just any bees. These were those Africanized honey bees. In other words, killers.
Number two, we're going to show you a tank in Australia on a joyride. Police are chasing it. Here it is. When was the last time you saw a tank being chased by police? They finally were able to corral him. But not before he knocked over a couple of buildings. Here he is doing a little damage there. Just going on a joyride. Explanation at this point -- unknown.
So I did ask the question, when was the last time you saw a police chasing a tank? How about 1995? In San Diego. Yes, that would be California. Of course. And there it is. That's a Patton tank, even bigger than the one we just showed you that the Australian fellow was in. It ran down the road as well. It took police a long time to finally catch up with this guy.
And finally there on the freeway, they pulled him over. And he tried to explain to police why he had chosen to do this, but not before doing a whole lot of damage to the barricade.
Video number one, a javelin throw. This is in Rome. Now take a look right here and you'll see thrown from there to here. Now go ahead and look at the video. See the javelin come in. Boom! Some guy's practicing for a long jump and he gets hit in the back with a javelin. You're going to see it again.
The guy who's actually throwing the javelin just slipped. He knew it the moment he let it go. There he is. Lost his footing. The javelin went in the wrong direction. And now right here where I put this circle down at the bottom, you'll see the javelin coming in now. Right through the guy. And that's got to hurt, but we're told he's no worse for the wear and he won't be competing today, but maybe soon.
Coming up, have you wondered, I mean in cold cash, actual numbers, how much money is being spent on Iraq? If you took that money, how many high schools could you build in the United States? How many hospitals could you build? What else could you do with the money? Tom Foreman is going to break it down for us. Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: U.S. troops can leave Iraq any time they want. That from the head of a country, where we're pumping $10 billion a month?
On the campaign trail. Al Qaeda stronger. Iraq no better. And then, there's the sex and drugs. Who answers for it? Time for a debate, wouldn't you say?
Tonight, the running of the bulls turns into the revenge of the bulls. And look who's getting it in the end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My leg was split wide open. And I was running around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Tip to American tourists, don't run from angry Spanish bulls. How do you stop a guy with a gun from robbing you? How about offering him a glass of wine? And a hug. How surprised would you be, though, if it worked? Rick at night from the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Rick. This is B control, where we bring you the news and this statement, do your job and we will kill you. At least one Texas newspaper tonight is taking that warning to heart. It is pulling its reporters out of a border city after a Mexican drug cartel made it known it will kill journalists, U.S. journalists, who report on their business.
In our on assignment segment tonight, I found out for myself what my colleagues are up against there. I couldn't even get a police officer to accompany me into this one particular town.
Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): U.S. authorities are telling us they are deliberately pushing border crossers further out into more remote areas. We're about 40 or 50 miles from the more populated San Diego- Tijuana crossing area, which is directly behind us.
This is the U.S. border, but look what happens as we walk over here. It's not just a broken border. I am leaning into the United States right now. This is practically no border at all.
This low fence is not the only reason smugglers are attracted to this desolate Mexican border town of Jacume (ph). Here's another. These hills that provide perfect lookout posts so smugglers in Mexico can monitor the movements of the U.S. border patrol. Bob Mitchell lives on the U.S. side, just across from Jacume (ph). He can see why this place is a perfect spot for smugglers.
BOB MITCHELL, LIVES NEAR BORDER: You can see they've got 180- degree view about 10 miles in each direction here.
SANCHEZ: From their high ground, they can see and control the mountains, trails, and ravines. U.S. border patrol won't comment about Jacume (ph), but Mexican police tell us the area is so dangerous, they generally stay away.
Because of the mountain, because of the deserts, because of the isolation, you're not able to go in there and really do your job?
You don't have the advantage.
With nothing more than handguns, police tell us they're outgunned. But what about the people who live in the town? After a ten-mile dusty dirt road drive, we found residents seemingly afraid to reveal the truth about this place. Drug smuggling and people smuggling, do you know anything about that? You don't know nothing? Are there any people that come in here and do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. SANCHEZ: But off camera, at least one local resident made a tacit admission, telling us we're all innocent until they catch us, that is. The man who lives in this house told us that smugglers pay him up to $10 a person to pick up illegals and hold them until it's time to cross the border.
And then there's Teresa Perez, a local shopkeeper who's lived here for 38 years. Have you seen it change much? The town has grown, she says. We ask her if she thinks the police should do more. Do you think they're complicit? They can't say.
We can say this. In Jacume (ph), a local police officer was recently accused of accepting $5,000 a week from smugglers for protection. We asked the police commissioner directly if his men are corrupt.
Is it true that any of your officers or officers in the past have taken money from these guys? It doesn't exist. Back on the U.S. side, Bob Mitchell says the U.S. border policy that forces illegals to cross in remote, open areas has changed the place where he lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're mostly very fed up here with the behavior of the government and the management of this, quite frankly.
SANCHEZ: Jacume (ph) makes for the perfect crime. The steep geography, the isolation, the apparent willingness of residents and some say the police means in this place, smugglers are kings of the mountain. Tough place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Coming up, some astounding dollar figures from Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are spending $10 billion a month in Iraq alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: As only Tom Foreman can tell it, that's just the start of what we're spending in the wider war on terror. We get specific on how your money is being spent or could be spent.
Also...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been over there a long time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I want to take to the streets to get your opinions on this new report on al Qaeda. You'll never believe what some people are saying and what you say. That's what we call it. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TIME STAMP: 2227:20
SANCHEZ: There are some of the worker bees for us. Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. Tonight, there's a $10 billion question that's been on the table. How much is too much to spend on the war in Iraq? That's what Americans are tussling with. CNN's Tom Foreman examines what is the bottom line.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The cost of America's international war on terror is a whopper. You are spending $10 billion a month in Iraq alone. It goes up another $2 billion to $12 million a month if you add in Afghanistan and all the other international anti-terror efforts. The total tab for all of that so far is $758 billion and counting. Democrats say it's getting out of control.
SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: The surge is not working. No matter how many different ways you explain it, it hasn't worked. Six months, 600 dead Americans, $60 billion.
FOREMAN: That's $60 billion is money Congress gave the president for the surge. As for the president, he says get used to it.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We just started. You got all the troops there a couple of weeks ago. He asked for, you know, 20 something thousand troops. And I said if that's what you need, commander, that's what you got. And they just showed up. And they're now beginning to -- beginning operations in full.
FOREMAN: Translation, as long as the generals say they need the troops, the surge in spending will continue. The Congressional Research Service report is the most comprehensive accounting to date of what has been an accountant's nightmare. It tracks costs from the start of the Iraq War right through today.
So keeping them honest, we decided to look at how else we might use that $10 billion a month. A state of the art high school, like this one being built in Seattle, Washington, can cost $75 million. $10 billion would buy 133 of them.
Let's say a local public hospital isn't keeping up with growth. A major expansion and upgrade can cost over $100 million. $10 billion would get you 100 of those.
Or take the new prescription drug benefit for the nation's elderly, estimated to cost $70 billion a year. Getting that passed into law was a huge fight. With $10 billion a month, we could almost double that benefit.
And where does the money come from? The short answer is we're borrowing it. The national debt is now creeping on $9 trillion. Some say it's a war we can't afford to fight. And others say, it's a war we can't afford to lose.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Time now for what "You Say." It's a new segment we begin. And tonight, I set out to find out what you say about the following question. According to U.S. intelligence analysts, al Qaeda is now stronger than it was prior to the Iraq War. What does that say to you?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If al Qaeda in six or seven years is back up to 9/11 strength, then we're obviously not doing something right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes me wonder if the work we're doing over there is it all in vain or are we actually getting something done over there?
SANCHEZ: Do you think al Qaeda is an organization that we'll be able to eventually stamp out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that if not only us, but everybody throughout the world will come together and know that, you know, we're not going to stand for terrorism and all gather together I think we can get it done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the Democrats have undermined it a lot. And I think they have hurt our efforts and I think they've hurt our soldiers. And I think they have caused death in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does bother me, especially with everybody over there, you think they'd be losing strength instead of gaining strength.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you measure success? I just think it's too early.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, I think they've made good progress in Iraq, but we've been over there a long time and there's still a lot to do.
SANCHEZ: Al Qaeda is number one?
Al Qaeda is stronger now than it used to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So but they have to pay for that?
SANCHEZ: Who has to pay for that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think al Qaeda.
SANCHEZ: So we should charge them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. SANCHEZ: Charge al Qaeda?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Charge al Qaeda.
SANCHEZ: Because they've gotten too strong?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Because they are stronger than...
SANCHEZ: Who do we bill? Who do we send the check to?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The government.
SANCHEZ: The government of al Qaeda?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Do you think they'd pay it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Que? From confused to controversial now. Cindy Sheehan is back in the news because after dropping out of the anti-war effort, she says she is back in. Back in May, she sold her Crawford camp and headed home. But now, she's back and targeting a Democrat. She told me she wants the war funding cut and the president impeached. And she says if the Dems don't do it, she'll take on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: You are willing to announce your candidacy to go up against Speaker Pelosi?
CINDY SHEEHAN, ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST: Exactly. By July 23rd when my caravan for humanity and accountability gets to Washington, D.C., if she has not announced that she's putting impeachment back on the table, green lighting people to support the Resolution 333 that's already in there to impeach Dick Cheney, announce or let impeachment resolution go through against George Bush, then I will run against her in California's Eighth.
SANCHEZ: Are you ready to announce here right now here on CNN that you are prepared now to run?
SHEEHAN: I am absolutely. I've given her to July 23rd. And I will run against her.
SANCHEZ: She's not going to announce the impeachment of George Bush or...
SHEEHAN: Then I guess I'm going to run against her.
SANCHEZ: So you are going to run against her? SHEEHAN: Yes, and I'm very excited. I've gotten support from all over the country. And we're going to go forward with it. When my caravan for humanity and accountability...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Well, there's more to this. She tells me that she's going to be going to Iraq. I asked her if that will cause big problems for her a la Jane Fonda in Vietnam. That's a direct question. Her direct answer, tomorrow. At 10:00.
Coming up, running is supposed to be good for you until you throw in some massive bulls chasing you down a narrow street. And did we mention the horns? Gored in Spain. This has nothing to do with the environment, folks.
Also, what would you do if you faced an armed robber in your home? You offer him a glass of wine maybe. How about a hug? Group hug. True crime story. Coming up in about 25 minutes.
But next --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you think that we should wait a few minutes to see if the other guys show up?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Just one of the memorable moments from the campaign trail this week. We bite into dogbone politics. It's a new segment. We're bringing it to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back. I'm Rick Sanchez. In dogbone politics this is week, political news with a bite. Biting the dust tonight, the campaign of former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, which Jim Gilmore, the one you probably never heard was running for president. He announced he's calling off his bid for the 2008 Republican nomination. Gilmore had less than half of a percent of support in the polls so far.
He blames it on a late start and the "front loaded nature of the primary schedule." As if John Mccain needed more problems, listen to this. On a week when his campaign manager, chief strategist, and two other staff members resigned, he also got the news that his campaign coffers are almost dry. He has only $250,000 left. His response -- we're fine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I never was going to rely on money to win this campaign. I'm not a very good fundraiser. And I'll admit it. But I can out-campaign any of these guys. And I will. And I can. And we're going to be doing just fine. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now add to that a sex scandal. McCain's former Florida campaign manager arrested for allegedly soliciting sex at a park this week. Who did he allegedly solicit? An undercover police officer. State Representative Bob Allen says he's innocent and it's all a big misunderstanding.
Advice to candidates, any candidates. You see this right here? This is a microphone. A mike. When you're around one of these, you're not supposed to say anything that you wouldn't want repeated like talking about how the other candidates don't deserve to be on stage with you, how the group should be smaller but it should include you.
Listen closely to this supposedly off mike exchange between Senator Hillary Clinton and John Edwards right after the NAACP forum this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christopher Dodd...
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: We got to talk because they are just being trivialized.
JOHN EDWARDS: They are not serious.
CLINTON: No.
You know, I think there was an effort by our campaigns to do that, but that got somehow detoured. We've got to get back to it because that's all we are going to do. Our guys should talk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Dennis. Dennis Kucinich, by the way, is one of the folks that she'd like to see minimized because they're trivializing her word, the debates. The conservative congressman from Colorado, Tom Tancredo, who is not exactly a minority favorite, who once called the city of Miami "a third world country", was the only Republican presidential candidate to show up for the NAACP debate, even though all the Republican candidates were invited. Check out his entrance and listen to this. The crowd loved him for it, by the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM TANCREDO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is my kind of debate. I don't know. Do they know something I don't know? Is that it? I think actually the fact is I know something that they don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I guess he could have picked any of the podiums, right? More dogbone politics is straight ahead. I'm going to have a chat with these guys. They're bloggers. One of them's on the left, one of them's on the right. Their thoughts on the latest campaign screw-ups, al Qaeda's growing strength, and al Malaki's comment from today and more.
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SANCHEZ: We are going to try and expand our dogbone politic segment today because we got so many stories to talk about. Al Qaeda gaining strength this week. You read and saw the report. Republican defectors on Iraq. An open mike stings two Democrats. The sex scandals that have been hitting different camps, including Mccain's, as if he needed that kind of problem.
Lots of stuff to talk about with my favorite bloggers tonight. John Aramosis from Americablog.com and Jim Geraghty from National Review online. Hey guys, ready to go at it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. Good to be here.
SANCHEZ: What did you think of the Maliki thing? I mean, it sounds braggadocious, like he's saying if you guys want to leave, you can leave. I can handle it. Wow.
JOHN ARAVOSIS, AMERICABLOG.COM: Let's leave. Let's leave.
JIM GERAGHTY, NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Here's accurate, fantastic. I think I prefer to hear that kind of assessment come from, say, the U.S. military.
SANCHEZ: Right.
GERAGHTY: Someone who might not be posturing and saying oh, don't worry, we're in great shape. You guys can leave wherever you want. And I'm covering my butt politically. But yes, wonderful if it's true. I'm taking it -- not just a grain of salt, the entire salt shaker.
SANCHEZ: But John, I mean, is this some -- can you imagine that quote is probably going to be said more times this week by lefties, righties than anything we have heard in a long time. Right?
ARAVOSIS: No, I mean, it's the last thing that the Bush administration or anybody here really wanted the hear was the Iraqi government saying you know what? We don't need you. Get out. We'll be fine.
SANCHEZ: What? Because it's going to make just about every American who's watching us right now...
ARAVOSIS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: ...say, hey, let's get out of there.
ARAVOSIS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: And if my kid's there, I don't want him there. ARAVOSIS: Well, and I think the problem is that nobody believes Malaki knows what he's talking about. Nobody believes that it's real. I mean, I want us out of Iraq and I don't believe that if we leave, everything's going to be fine.
SANCHEZ: Right.
ARAVOSIS: But two things. First of all, I think we have to leave anyway because I think it's over. Iraq is dead. It's a lost cause. But more importantly, when you talk like that, it sounds like you're playing tough guy like we don't need you Americans here.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ARAVOSIS: You know what? Then we don't want to be there.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Hey, Jim, and you combine this with the report this week about al Qaeda being actually stronger operationally. Oh my goodness.
GERAGHTY: Well, it's one of those rare situations in which the Bush administration can be very thankful that the leadership of Iraq has no credibility whatsoever. It's one of those times where absolute no one believing what they say works in our favor completely.
SANCHEZ: Yes, but the problem is this Iraq study report...
GERAGHTY: Right.
SANCHEZ: Because I think the Bush administration is actually giving it credence, as well, right? And it's - and what it's saying is not good. It's saying we spent, what, $10 billion a month over there and Iraq is as strong as ever.
GERAGHTY: I think al Qaeda is as strong as ever.
SANCHEZ: What did I say? Iraq.
GERAGHTY: Iraq's as strong as ever.
(CROSS TALK)
SANCHEZ: My voice also went up at the end. Did you hear that?
GERAGHTY: Yes.
It's one of those things where al Qaeda has now turned into this amorphous, you know, group where we saw guys trying to ram their car into the airport in Scotland.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
GERAGHTY: It's not a group in which the attacks don't come from - not from any organized structure, but from any guy who just seems to be sufficiently angry enough. Maybe he reads something on the Internet. We'll see if this group over in the U.K. has some sort of connection.
But we're not attacking a - we really wish -- I saw that interview you did with the guy on the street.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
GERAGHTY: I wish there was al Qaeda-istan we could bomb. I wish there was one big...
SANCHEZ: He wants to charge them for it.
GERAGHTY: That would be a tragedy. We should try that.
ARAVOSIS: But you know...
SANCHEZ: Hold on. Hold on. Hold on because we're out of time. Then the producers going to yell at me, then I got to yell at you guys.
ARAVOSIS: Why don't we go after Osama. There is somebody we could bomb.
SANCHEZ: OK, fine. Let's talk about Hillary and John Edwards. Did you see that little whispering conversation they had with each other about...
ARAVOSIS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: ...and then suddenly the poor old little Dennis Kucinich walks by and she goes, "Hey, Dennis. How are you doing?" I want to keep him out of the debate. I mean, it sounded kind of funky, didn't it?
ARAVOSIS: You know, look, it's in their own self interest, obviously, to have a debate of just them. But having said that, I've been a critic of Hillary on a lot of things. On this one, I agree with her. I'm tired of seeing gravel in these debates. I'm tired of seeing Kucinich. On the Republican side, Ron Paul, he's a joy to watch. I got to admit. But I don't want to hear these guys. They're not the real candidates.
SANCHEZ: So what do you want to hear? You want to hear three people talking about how nice the weather is? Because without the Gravels and without the Dennis Kuciniches...
ARAVOSIS: Well...
SANCHEZ: ...they don't really talk about real stuff.
ARAVOSIS: Oh, well, OK. But you know what? I want a real debate. I mean, on the Republican and the Democratic side, I want these guys to go after each other. I want to have it be a real debate.
And you know what? Any of the candidates -- the problem here is it's the candidates. They say, oh, no, if we have a real debate, we're not attending. Let the candidates pull out...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
ARAVOSIS: ...and let Hillary, Edwards or anybody else explain that they're not attending because they don't want to have a real debate. I think we'd win.
SANCHEZ: Hey Jim, what do you think about the Vitter thing? I mean, how tough is that for the GOP? How tough is that for Rudy? I mean, this guy involved in a - what is being alleged to be a prostitution scandal in D.C.?
GERAGHTY: I think it's calling it an outreach to a small business program. Trying to help her out.
SANCHEZ: A what? Say it again.
GERAGHTY: Do you get the feeling at the RNC, there's some sort of big sign, like maybe somewhat of a construction site. We've had four days without an accident. Do you get the feeling that the GOP - there's a big sign that says we have five days since a massive scandal. Take it back to zero again. We're back to another one.
Look, I mean, you know, the good news is you can't blame - you can't pin this -- the actions of Vitter on Rudy.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
GERAGHTY: It's much more - you know, the only - you have this. You have Bernie Kerik. You have the guy in South Carolina who got arrested for cocaine use.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
GERAGHTY: The good news is if you want to weed out crime, you just look for the guys that have signed on for Rrudy's campaign. And that you know, that puts you - on your list of suspects.
SANCHEZ: And you're the Republican in this panel. Jim Geraghty, National Review. John Aravosis, Americablog.com. Look them up, folks. They're good. We appreciate you fellows being on.
GERAGHTY: Thank you.
ARAVOSIS: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: All right, let's talk about some of the other things. What would you ask the presidential candidate if you could? Well, here's your chance to be an expert. CNN is teaming up with youtube for the next presidential debates to submit your videotape questions. Just go to CNN.com/youtube debates. The Democratic candidate's debate is coming up on July 23rd. Republicans in September. Only on your home for politics right here -- CNN.
Making a difference by paying a price. That's the story of tonight's CNN hero. The details 10 minutes away. But next, sometimes you run with the bulls. Sometimes the bulls run through you. You're watching CNN. We'll bring it to you.
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TIME STAMP: 2250:11
SANCHEZ: We call this are you kidding? It's running of the bulls time in Pamplona, Spain. And it never fails to deliver what makes some cringe. But they're worthy pictures. Check out one of the bulls, deciding that he's had enough fun. These two guys are in his sites. They're Americans by the way. Two brothers, Lawrence and Michael Lenahan. Yes, Lenahan, I got it right. They're thinking, we should have gone to Disneyland, right?
Next picture. That's them. Hooked on the horns where the sun don't shine. Both of them at the same time. Talk about keeping it in the family. Now here's Lawrence the next day in the hospital enjoying his five minutes of front page fame. And that's a souvenir you can't buy duty free, by the way.
Can't do the time, don't do the wine. Not many robbery stories end up with a group hug, but this one does. A man with a gun, wearing a hood crashes a garden party in D.C., the guests don't panic. Instead, they offer him some fine vintage. He accepts, apologizes, hugs the guests and then says good-bye. How civilized. A suspect, well, police are still looking for him.
In Minnesota, this man and this woman are accused of doing something incredibly stupid. The police say that the woman was riding on the hood of this car while holding their four-month-old daughter. The man allegedly drove through a red light, swerving through a traffic, and then jumping a curb with the woman and the baby on the hood. Amazingly, no one was hurt. The baby's in protective custody. The adults were charged and released. That's all for now.
Coming up, a woman who has dedicated her life to improving the lives of young women. She is a CNN hero. We're proud to bring you her story. It's next right here in the NEWSROOM.
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TIME STAMP: 2257:09
SANCHEZ: We welcome you back. One very courageous woman with a big voice is speaking out for little girls who can't speak for themselves, little girls who are being forced to endure heinous acts, and shoved into adulthood during the prime of their youth. This is a determined woman. She's also tonight's CNN hero.
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MARGERY KABUYA: ... (INAUDIBLE) as young as ten. Certainly by 13, a lot of them are already married. Girls are very, very important because they're a source of health and wealth. That is why it is very difficult for a Maasai man to let a girl do anything else but get married.
Before a girl gets married here, they must go through the female genital mutilation. When you delay marriage, you delay circumcision.
My name is Margery Kabuya and we and started a school for Maasai girls. We said, OK, what we are going to do is we are using the same process of booking the girl. The girls used to be booked for marriage. Now they're just being booked for school.
We go through the exact same ceremony. We monitor the girl. When they're six, another blessing is done and we are given the girl to take to school. We were not saying the girls should not get married. We were just saying marry them off later. We have managed to delay at least delay the female genital mutilation.
We will grow up into responsible girls, right?
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I think the best thing is that it has given them opportunities that they would never have had. It has opened them and their parents to a different lifestyle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: If you'd like to nominate somebody as a CNN hero, you'll find out all the information that you need at cnn.com/heroes. That's where you can help us out.
Coming up next, they murder at random without reason without remorse. But are serial killers monsters or just mentally ill? Getting a chilling look inside the murderous minds. I'm Rick Sanchez, thanks so much for being with us tonight. CNN's "Special Investigations" is next.
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