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Highlights of CNN/YouTube Debate; President Bush on al Qaeda; NBA Gambling Probe
Aired July 24, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the people have spoken and the candidates spoke. Now the people are speaking again.
After the YouTube debate, the I-Report analysis.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And a day in the -- a new day in the presidential politics.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Never before seen or done, putting the "you" in inclusive. The CNN/YouTube presidential debate, in case you missed last night's unique exchange with the Democratic contenders or just can't get enough, here are some of the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. My name is John McCalpin (ph). I'm a proud-serving member of the United States military. I'm serving overseas.
This question is to Senator Hillary Clinton.
The Arab states, Muslim nations believe as women as being second- class citizens. If you're president of the United States, how do you feel that you would even be taken seriously by these states in any kind of talks, negotiations or any other diplomatic relations?
I feel that's a legitimate question.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, John. And thank you for your service to our country.
You know, when I was first lady, I was privileged to represent our country in 82 countries. I have met with many officials in Arabic and Muslim countries. I've met with kings and presidents and prime ministers and sheikhs and tribal leaders, and certainly in the last years during my time in the Senate I have had many high-level meetings with presidents and prime ministers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Pakistan and many other countries.
I believe that there isn't much doubt in anyone's mind that I can be taken seriously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever I read an editorial about one of you, the author never feels to mention the issue of race or gender, respectively. Either one is not authentically black enough or the other is not satisfactorily feminine.
How will you address these critics and their charges if one or both of you should end up on the Democratic ticket in '08?
ANDERSON COOPER, MODERATOR: Senator Obama, how do you address those who say you're not authentically black enough?
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: Hey, it's not my question. It's Jordan's question.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know, when I'm catching a cab in Manhattan in the past, I think I've given my credentials. But let me -- let me go to the broader issue here, and that is that race permeates our society, it is still a critical problem. But I do believe in the core decency of the American people. And I think they want to get beyond some of our racial divisions.
Unfortunately, we've had a White House that hasn't invested in the kinds of steps that have to be done to overcome the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow in this country. And as president of the United States, my commitment on issues like education, my commitment on issues like health care, is to close the disparities and the gaps, because that's what's really going to solve the race problem in this country.
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Anybody who's considering not voting for Senator Obama because he's black or for Senator Clinton because she's a woman, I don't want their vote. I don't want them voting for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Joining us now from Charleston, South Carolina, site of the -- last night's debate, our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.
So, Bill, as we just saw, questions about race and gender, not your typical debate questions. Did we break any political ground with this debate?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the issue of electability came up implicitly in those questions, because what the -- what the questioners were getting at was, will Americans elect an African-American or biracial candidate like Barack Obama? Will they elect a woman to be president of the United States?
Hillary Clinton's response on the woman question was pretty clear. She said, "I don't think there's much doubt I would be taken seriously." And I think a lot of women, you know, in that audience, when she said that very pointedly, I think a lot of women said, you go, girl.
Her electability has been brought up. So has Barack Obama's. Let me give you an interesting response.
When we asked Democrats -- this was actually an ABC News- "Washington Post" poll -- "Who do you think would have the best chance of beating the Republican candidate in November, 50 percent said Hillary Clinton, 23 percent said Barack Obama. And here in South Carolina, when African-Americans were asked a similar question about Clinton and Obama, they said by an even being margin they thought Hillary Clinton would be more likely to win in November.
So, African-Americans seem to have some doubts about the electability of another African-American candidate.
LEMON: And it was good that towards the end that Senator Obama took that question seriously, because I think the voters -- it's a question on voters' minds.
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
LEMON: That's why that question was asked. And Hillary Clinton took the woman question very seriously early on.
OK, Bill. So we gave...
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
LEMON: Undecided Democrats, we gave them meters. So we're going to listen to Senator Hillary Clinton right now and watch the response of these voters as she is speaking.
Now, this line is about -- that you're about to see represents their interest in what she's saying at that time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: I'm excited that I may...
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: ... you know, may be able finally to break that hardest of all glass ceilings. But obviously I'm not running because I'm a woman. I'm running because I think I'm the most qualified and experienced person to hit the ground running in January 2009.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So the line went down. What does it say about her appeal beyond the Democratic base, Bill?
SCHNEIDER: Well, she has problems beyond the Democratic base, there's no question. Her negatives are very high. In our polling, most Independents and Republicans have an unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton. So she's a very controversial figure. There's no secret about that. But among Democrats, as I indicated before, among Democrats the electability issue has not come up. As you indicated, the people responding with those buttons were uncommitted Democrats and Independents. But among Dependents, by and large, around the country, they see Hillary Clinton as a candidate who can be elected, who is likely to be elected, and the electability issue really has not come up very strongly among Democrats.
LEMON: And some of the candidates, Bill, they were very decisive in their answers. Others, you know, not so much.
Let's take a listen to a couple of the examples and we'll get your take on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I heard the same arguments after I came back from meeting with Milosevic. We can't act, we can't send troops there.
Where we can America must. Why Darfur? Because we can. We should now. Those kids will be dead by the time the diplomacy is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDWARDS: I personally have been on a journey on this issue. I feel enormous conflict about it. As I think a lot of people know, Elizabeth -- my wife Elizabeth spoke out a few weeks ago, and she actually supports gay marriage. I do not. But this is a very, very difficult issue for me, and I recognize and have enormous respect for people who have a different view of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Bill, this is as close as they're going to get, I think. So are -- or they've gotten so far to being put on the spot in front of a huge audience.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. And politicians rarely like to show uncertainty.
What John Edwards was doing there was saying, I have an uncertain response about the issue of same-sex marriage. I differ with my wife on it. I'm thinking about the issue.
He says he's been on a long journey with respect to the issue. He knows that if he supports same-sex marriage it's very controversial. It can do him damage in the general election, because most Americans continue to oppose it. On the other hand, there is a very vocal and adamant constituency in the Democratic Party that supports same-sex marriage, and he doesn't endorse their position.
So he's really displaying his uncertainty there, hoping that voters will sympathize with him.
In the case of Darfur, Joe Biden was as certain as I've ever heard a politician. He said, "These children are going to die unless we do something, and we can do something." There he's really trying to provoke the voters' conscience on that issue, a real issue of death and brutality happening in Africa, where he says the United States can make a difference if only we wake up and understand that.
LEMON: Yes. Bill Schneider, you have to admit, though, it was very interesting. Probably the most interesting debate that I've ever seen.
Thank you so much for that.
SCHNEIDER: Yes. Very, very interesting. Unusual. Yes.
LEMON: All right. Thanks, Bill.
Of course our analysts aren't the only ones with feedback on the Democrats' performance. We'll hear what you are saying in the form of CNN I-Reports in just a few minutes, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And here's a programming reminder for you. The Republicans get their chance to answer your questions in another CNN/YouTube debate. That's on September 17th, only on CNN.
PHILLIPS: At an Air Force Base that ships cargo to Iraq, President Bush shopped his best argument that Iraq is a crucial battleground against al Qaeda. His central point? The group Al Qaeda in Iraq is part and parcel of the main terror network. His central evidence? Some newly-classified items and some well-known information.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's hard to argue that Al Qaeda in Iraq is separate from bin Laden's al Qaeda when the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq took an oath of allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us live from Charleston, South Carolina, where Mr. Bush just left.
Hi, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.
That's right, President Bush said bluntly today that he believes the United States is fighting Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda in Iraq. The president clearly trying to push back against some renewed criticism that his administration took its eye off the ball in the war on terrorism by invading Iraq and did not aggressively pursue terrorists elsewhere. The president spoke to a crowd of about 250 military personnel here at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina. The president pointing to some newly declassified information essentially designed to bolster his argument that Al Qaeda in Iraq is linked to the broader al Qaeda organization.
The president trying to make the case again that the Iraq war has helped keep America safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: We've already seen how al Qaeda used a failed state thousands of miles from our shores to bring death and destruction to the streets of our cities. And we must not allow them to do so again.
So, however difficult the fight is in Iraq, we must win it. And we can win it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, what the president did not mention is the recent national intelligence estimate that said al Qaeda has already established safe haven in Pakistan, especially in those tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan. That has, of course, given fuel to the president's critics. They want him to start publicly looking beyond the surge and pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq.
But the president insists, as he did today, that in his view, Iraq continues to be the central front in the war on terrorism. And despite bipartisan political pressure, Kyra, to change course in Iraq, the president is holding firm and urging lawmakers to give the surge more time to work -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right.
White House correspondent Elaine Quijano.
Thanks.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the top man in the NBA defending his sport against a gambling scandal.
Commissioner David Stern insists that allegations former ref Tim Donaghy bet on games is an isolated case. Stern also says an FBI investigation into the matter is the worst moment he's had as commissioner.
CNN's Jason Carroll is in New York with more on the case.
Jason, what do you know?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is really just another blow to professional sports, isn't it, Kyra?
NBA commissioner David Stern calling the referee in question, Tim Donaghy -- these are his words -- a "rogue, isolated criminal." His words. This is what he said during a press conference that was held a little earlier this afternoon. He also confirmed an FBI probe into allegations Donaghy, the former ref, was allegedly calling games he may have been betting on, and that he was providing information to other people so he could then profit on those games.
Then Stern talked about how this probe has affected him personally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID STERN, NBA COMMISSIONER: I feel betrayed by what happened on behalf of the sport regardless of how protective I've been. This is not something that is anything other than an act of betrayal of what we know in sports as a sacred trust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Stern also confirmed the time period that investigators are looking on. They're looking at the season, the past two seasons, '05 and '07. During that time, Donaghy refereed 139 regular games, eight playoff games, and four preseason games.
Donaghy resigned, as you know, Kyra, I believe it was on July 9th. He has not commented as of yet on these allegations.
Once again, Stern calling this one of the most difficult days he's ever had to deal with as commissioner -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And as we mentioned, you know, the talk is this is an isolated case. But what's the reality of that, Jason? I mean, could he be working with others? Could there be other individuals attached to this that just haven't come forward yet and may as this progresses?
CARROLL: You know, since we've very early on in this investigation, I would say that, you know, it's definitely a possibility. Once again, Stern sticking to what he knows at this point in this investigation. He strongly believes that it is just an isolated case.
But you also have to think about what kind of effect this is going to have on the players, you know, who played those games that are now under question. They're going to be looking at some of these close calls and wondering if it was the right call that was made.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jason Carroll from New York.
Thanks, Jason.
LEMON: Come Thursday, NFL star quarterback Michael Vick will be the biggest no-show when the Atlanta Falcons open training camp. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has ordered Vick to stay away. Now, Vick will be in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday, facing arraignment on federal charges of running a dogfighting ring. The Falcons owner and coach expected to weigh in later this afternoon.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, Connecticut police say it started as a home invasion and ended in triple murder and the home in flames.
Shocking details straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE CHEN, YOUTUBE CO-FOUNDER: We're still waiting to hear some of the feedback, but being personally there and being a witness to the events live last night, I really think that it changed the entire environment in which the political debates are actually conducted. And I really think that beyond this point, beyond this day, that I think future debates, not just in the U.S., but I think globally speaking, that, you know, this event is going to be referenced, especially when it sort of integrates the user-generated content and user-generated questions into the atmosphere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Those are two extremely wealthy young men right now, the founders of YouTube.
First, voters took their questions directly to the candidates. Today, some are taking their reactions straight to you.
CNN's Internet correspondent, Jacki Schechner, has been monitoring all of these post-debate I-Reporters. She's joining us from Washington.
Jacki, what are people saying? And don't you wish that maybe you would have been partnered up there with Mr. Chen or his partner?
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Is it me, or did they look like they had such a good time celebrating last night?
PHILLIPS: Oh my goodness. But they were still looking very polished for kajillionaires.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHECHNER: Kajillionaires, I think that's the official term for how much money they have now.
PHILLIPS: There you go.
SCHECHNER: We actually have been getting floods of I-Reports, this whole user-generated thing. I think it's catching on just a little bit.
I want you to take a listen to what some people had to say about how the candidates did last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She spoke well. She spoke strong. And she even showed a little bit of her sense of humor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really thought that John Edwards really stood out. I didn't really think about him as a contender until tonight.
Hillary Clinton did great. Barack Obama, he looked really inexperienced.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden and Chris Dodd showed maybe tonight more than any of the other debates that they are brilliant statesmen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHECHNER: So, clearly, a lot of our I-Reporters getting their -- the bottom half of their face cut off. But, you know, they all had a similar sentiment. They were really engaged in all of this.
And the same sentiment from our I-Reporters is what we're following online. A lot of people thought that Hillary Clinton was really strong last night, really polished. Other people gave it to Edwards. They thought that he did a really good job.
Others said that Obama had shown improvement. A little bit of inexperience, but was certainly coming up in the ranks, that last night was a good format for him -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, what did -- all right, so the format -- OK, people pretty much liked it.
Now, you were mentioning how they didn't know how to shoot each other very well.
SCHECHNER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Well, you know, they're not MPAA photographers, right? They're YouTubers.
But let's talk about any other critiques.
SCHECHNER: It was actually our fault, because we put that little banner across the bottom of the screen.
PHILLIPS: Oh, OK. SCHECHNER: It's not their fault. I'm not blaming those. I've done those YouTube videos.
PHILLIPS: We're all about the banners.
SCHECHNER: No, those YouTube videos are hard to shoot. I've tried to make myself look half as cute as I do on TV. It doesn't work.
But as far as the format -- as far as the format's concerned, you know, people had plenty to say about that. And we had had hyped this up a lot. So it was interesting to see what people had to say. We'll give you some I-Reports on that topic.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good.
Jacki Schechner...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The YouTube debate is an exciting opportunity for democracy, and we hope it's just the beginning of this kind of debate in politics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think what we're going to find is a more engaged citizenry, a citizenry that's more interested in the political process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHECHNER: So people -- people really liked the format in that regard. They were saying that this was conducive to less sound bites. That the way that this -- this was presented to the candidates, that they spoke in less sound bites last night. Other people were saying that this just made the process more fun.
I mean, I certainly thought that this was a really exciting and interesting debate. We were all sort of waiting to see what the next question was going to be, because, of course, we didn't know either. So if you can make politics fun and you can get people generally engaged, that can't be a bad thing.
PHILLIPS: No, I think everybody was talking about that. Not only viewers, but so were we, that it was a totally different format. And pretty much everyone responded well to it.
All right, Jacki. We'll be talking.
Well, keep those comments coming. Be a pundit for us. Tell us what you thought of last night's debate. You can still go to cnn.com/ireport. Give us your two cents and see what everyone is saying. (BUSINESS REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Hundreds of arrests, just a handfull of convicts. The threat of al Qaeda has Italian police on edge, but is it more a matter of panic attacks then looming terror attacks?
LEMON: Actress Lindsay Lohan arrested again on DUI charges. The strange details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World Healdquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
A western country targeted by al Qaeda. Apparently, police in Italy fear their nation is a likely target.
PHILLIPS: But are they overreacting to potential threat? CNN's Alessio Vinci investigates.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Police in Italy are holding the Imam of a mosque and two aides. They're suspected of running a terror school with teenagers as students. Prosecutors have yet to charge them. Since 9/11, Italian police have investigated thousands of terror suspects.
But as CNN's Rome Bureau Chief, Alessio Vinci explains, only a fraction have been convicted of terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Every time there is a terror-related arrest, the Italian media sounds the alarm. Headlines screaming "al Qaeda School in Italy," and "Terrorists, Ready to Strike." One daily even identified airports in Rome and Milan as potential targets.
The accused incluse the Imam of a mosque near the central Italian town of Peruja (ph). Investigators are said to be analyzing toxic materials and remote control devices found in his home.
(on camera): Every time there is a terror alert in this country, a mosque seems to be involved.
MARIO SCIALOJA, ROME ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTER: When somebody is arrested or the police make an incursion (ph) in one place or another, it looks like big matter, and then it boils down to very minor offenses, if any. So, (INAUDIBLE). We must be vigilant.
VINCI (voice-over): The arrests were carried out on suspicion the Imam and his aides were involved in terror training activities. The first test of a new law that makes the teaching of terrorism as much a crime as terrorism itself. Court documents show the suspects used mainly material downloaded from the Internet, such as how to detonante a bomb using a cell phone and how to pilot a 747. Court documents also suggest the Imam instigated and radicalized a group of Muslim teenagers attending the mosque, and trained them in this room to combat the Greeks.
But officials point out the group was not ready to strike.
"We averted a potential danger," said this chief of police, "coming from what was a proper terrorism school."
(on camera)Since 9/11, more than 20,000 terror suspects have been investigated in this country, resulting in the arrest on terror- related charges of about 600 individuals. Of those, about 80 of them have been convicted, and although prosecutors say that more convictions are expected later this year, critics, especially among the Muslim community here, say that those numbers suggest that most of those arrested here have nothing to do with terrorism or al Qaeda.
(voice-over): Muslim community leaders in Rome say highly- publicized arrests are rarely followed by disclaimers when the suspects are released for lack of evidence.
"There is the risk that a Muslim feels like he's always persecuted," he says, "and there is a risk weak elements in our community sees the activities as a reason to radicalize and we must avoid it."
Some anti-immigration politicians suggested all the country's mosques should be closed and checked for illegal activities. A measure, Italian officials dismiss, but one that is likely to find a growing number of supporters every time the press tells the people that an attack is imminent, even when police say one is not.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: 2:37 Eastern time, here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A surgeon accused of killing four hospital patients in days after Hurricane Katrina is not indicted. Today, a grand jury declined to bring charges against Dr. Ana Powell (ph), or Ana Powe (ph) rather.
At a meeting on Iraq's security, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker coyly told Iran its support of Iraqi militias had increased, not decreased since their last talks back in May.
Playing defense today, NBA Commissioner David Stern insists a referee gambling scandal is an isolated case, limited just to one official, Tim Donaghy.
We're keeping track of where it's raining. Right now, our own weather expert, Chad Myers in today. Did we officially welcome you to the team, Chad? (WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Two career-criminals have been arraigned in a violent home invasion that left three people dead in Connecticut. Steven Hayes and Joshua Komosovieski (ph) were both on parole for prior burglaries. They are now charged with assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery and arson and police expect even more charges.
A mother and her 17 and 11-year-old daughters were found dead in their burning house yesterday with her husband badly injured but still alive. Police were tipped off by bank employees who saw one of the suspects and one of the victims making a withdrawal.
PHILLIPS: The people who help keep us safe in the air say they are not very safe on the ground. Air traffic controllers told a House sub-committee today poor maintenance of their towers, all over the country is affecting their health and their work. The head of a controllers group cited everything from mold and pest issues to asbestos, water leaks, heating and cooling systems. The FAA says critical problems are given priority but admits it is way behind on routine upkeep of those towers.
LEMON: Less than two weeks out of rehab and under arrest for alleged DUI again. We will talk about the latest batch of trouble for Lindsay Lohan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CECILLA SMITH, CNN/YOUTUBE DEBATE QUESTIONER: If you are elected to serve, would you be willing to do this service for the next four years and be paid the national minimum wage?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, yes I would. But I would say that we don't need a minimum wage, we need a living wage. We don't have that in this country no matter what they pass.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN/YOUTUBE DEBATE HOST: Senator Dodd, would you work for the minimum wage?
DODD: I have two young daughters who I am trying to educate. I don't think I can live on the minimum wage but I am a strong advocate for seeing to it that we increase it at least to nine or ten dollars to give people a chance out there to be able to provide for their families. That's leadership in the country.
COOPER: Senator Edwards?
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.
COOPER: Senator Clinton?
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sure.
COOPER: Senator Obama?
SEN. BARAK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, we can afford to work for the minimum wage because most folks on this stage have a lot of money. It's the folks on that screen who deserve -- you're doing alright, Chris -- the ...
DODD: Not that well!
OBAMA: We don't have Mitt Romney money, but we could afford to do it for a few years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The CNN/YouTube debates are just the latest efforts to stir up interest in the presidential campaign. But television gets the credit for creating the presidential debate format.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice over): The year was 1960, 70 million viewers tuned in to watch the first nationally televised presidential debate. Democrat John F. Kennedy squaring off against Republican Richard Nixon.
JOHN F. KENNEDY, (D) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: ... or are the communists going to be successful?
RICHARD NIXON, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We are in a deadly competition.
LEMON: The visual contrast was stunning. Nixon, just out of the hospital, was 20 pounds underweight and looked pale. He refused makeup to hide his perpetual five o'clock shadow. JFK sported a tan and exuded confidence in front of the camera. Who won? Well, opinion remains mixed. But many analysts say Kennedy would have won with or without the debate.
Sixteen years passed before the next debates. The main reason? Incumbents refusing to take part. Also, federal law requiring equal time for all candidates, even minor ones. In '76, that law had been repealed and President Ford took on Jimmy Carter in three debates. They are remembered for Ford's remarks that eastern Europe wasn't dominated by the Soviet Union.
GERALD FORD, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: There is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe and there never will be.
LEMON: Many analysts believe that Ford's blunder helped Carter win. Other notable presidential debates?
Ronald Regan and the younger Walter Mondale in 1984. Regan helped himself with the quip, "I'm not going to exploit for political purposes my opponents youth and inexpedience." And then there was Michael Dukakis's debacle in the 1988 debate with President George H.W. Bush.
DEBATE HOST: If Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?
MICHAEL DUKAKIS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I don't, Bernard, and I think you know that I have opposed the death penalty during all of my life. I don't see any evidence that it's a deterrent and I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: The Republicans get their chance to answer your questions in another CNN/YouTube debate, that is September 17th, only on CNN.
PHILLIPS: The hunt for Madeleine McCann comes to the United States. The four-year-old British girl disappeared on May 3rd, during a family vacation in Portugal. She was snatched from her hotel room while her parents were having dinner 50 to 100 yards away. Madeleine's father, Gerry, is in the U.S. and he met with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday to discuss efforts to tackle child abduction. Gerry McCann talked about his daughter on CNN's "American Morning."
GERRY MCCANN, FATHER OF MADELEINE MCCANN: Well, the investigation is still very active, 82 days after she was abducted, but the very disappointing news is we still don't know where Madeleine is. Clearly that's the only thing that will bring happiness back to our family is the day we get her back, but the police are still working very hard and following quite a lot of information that's coming in.
CNN HOST: Gerry, is there any truth to this article that was in Britian's "Daily Mail" that you and your wife could face a child endangerment probe because of the circumstances surrounding Madeleine's disappearance?
MCCANN: That certainly was news to us and we had been assured that the authorities have -- can set up that what we did was well within the bounds of responsible parenting and you know, what we want to keep the focus on, is Madeleine was targeted by a predator. She was taken out of bed while she was sleeping and that, you know, we shouldn't have to be worrying about people getting into your homes or your garden's or your playgrounds for that matter, and abducting children. That's the real criminal act here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Gerry McCann's visit to the United States continues today and includes meetings with members of Congress.
LEMON: Well after more than eight years in a Libyan prison, six medics are now free. They arrived in Sopia, Bulgaria today, the six were serving life sentences after being convicted of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV. The five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor denied the charges and say they were tortured to confess. Many blame the infections on poor hygiene at a Libyan hospital under a deal brokered by the European Union Libya transferred the six to Bulgaria to finish serving their sentences. Bulgaria's president pardoned them at the airport.
PHILLIPS: Identifying illegal immigrants and helping them become apart of the community. One city is doing both, we'll show you how, right here, in the CNN NEWSROOM.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brooke Anderson in New York. Actress Lindsay Lohan in legal hot water again, busted for alleged DUI and cocaine possession. The trouble she's in, the charges she's facing when CNN NEWSROOM returns.
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LEMON: Here's a question that's on a lot of people's minds -- what is going on with Lindsay Lohan? She's becoming more famous or infamous than famous. The fresh out of rehab star might have taken some very big steps back. Our Entertainment Correspondent Brooke Anderson joins us now from New York. Brooke, Lindsay could face some serious consequences from this arrest, right?
ANDERSON: That's right. And it is far more likely that she could face some jail time, Don, rather than just stemming from her previous charges from a May incident. Those DUI hit-and-run charges. It is far more likely because she is now facing even more very serious charges.
Two charges, two counts of driving under the influence, possession of cocaine, bringing a controlled substance into a jail facility, and driving on a suspended license. Her blood-alcohol content was between a .12 and a .13, which exceeded the legal limit of .08. The circumstances surrounding the arrest are a bit convoluted. The Santa Monica Police Department responded to a call from the mother of Lindsay's former personal assistant. This mother felt afraid for her safety, felt threatened. There had been some sort of verbal altercation, so police responded to the parking lot of an auditorium where they detained Lindsay Lohan. And listen to what happened next.
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LT. ALEX PADILLA, SANTA MONICA POLICE DEPARTMENT: After officers conducted an initial investigation, they determined that she was driving her vehicle under the influence. She was arrested for driving under the influence and transported here to the Santa Monica jail. While in the jail, officers found in her possession a small amount of cocaine.
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ANDERSON: The officer said Lindsay was cooperative, that she was booked and that she was released, Don, on $25,000 bail.
LEMON: Twenty-one and just turned it.
ANDERSON: Yes.
LEMON: My mom would have my hide.
ANDERSON: You and me both.
LEMON: I know and that's probably the issue here. So, as a condition of her previous arrest, she was wearing this ankle bracelet, I think called a SCRAM Bracelet that monitors her alcohol use. What's the status on that, Brooke?
ANDERSON: That's right. Well, the bracelet has been taken off. But we were told she was wearing it voluntarily as a part of her extended rehab. She'd just gotten out of a facility in Malibu. Her representative told us she was wearing it so there would be no question about her sobriety if she, in fact, decided to dine or dance at a place that did serve alcohol.
Her attorney, Blair Berke, issued this statement. "She has been monitored on a SCRAM Bracelet. That stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. And tested daily in order to support her sobriety. Throughout this period, I have received timely and accurate reports from the testing companies. Unfortunately, late yesterday, I was informed that Lindsay had relapsed. The bracelet has now been removed. She is safe, out of custody and presently is receiving medical care."
Don, we are hearing word that she is back in a rehab facility. That is not confirmed, but if it is the case, that would be her third stint in rehab just, you know, this year, all in one year, actually.
LEMON: Every time you go to rehab or something like this happens, is this necessarily bad publicity? You know, there's no such thing as bad publicity. It couldn't have happened at a worse time or maybe a better time, because she's got a movie coming out on Friday. So, how do you gauge it? Is it good or bad?
ANDERSON: Well, nothing about this seems good to me, Don. I don't know -- I don't think the old adage rings true here, but, yes, it is interesting timing. Her new movie, a thriller, "I Know who Killed Me," is out this Friday. In fact, she was supposed to appear on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno today to promote that movie. That appearance, of course, has been canceled.
But this was really her first post-rehab attempt to really get back into Hollywood's elite. But Don, a lot of people, including myself really think her movie career is in serious jeopardy.
LEMON: Wow. All right. Brooke Anderson, we'll be watching tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, headline prime.
Thank you.
ANDERSON: Thanks.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, river runs deep where it's never been before.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been in that house 45 years, never dreamed that the flood would ever get here.
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PHILLIPS: The English face a battle royal with devastating floods.
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