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American Morning

Craig Under Fire: Tapes Increase Calls for Resignation; Remembering Princess Diana; Gonzales Inquiry: Questions About Testimony

Aired August 31, 2007 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, this is tape that just came in from a few moments ago. It's the...
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Queen.

CHETRY: Well, who -- there is the queen walking in, but before that, that was the arch bishop, I think. He's going to be overseeing the ceremony of the Anglican Church there.

But, yes, a lot of people gathered outside clapping to say hello to the queen as she enters. As we saw, pictures of Prince William and Prince Harry. There we see them again, as well as Prince Charles, also arriving, bringing the 500 guests that are going to be seated inside. But there's hundreds and hundreds, even thousands more, gathered outside to get a glimpse of the royal family and others. And there is a live look inside.

Again, this is the Royal Military Chapel at London's Wellington Barracks.

So, we're going to dip in and out and see a little bit more of the service as the morning goes on.

ROBERTS: All right.

Ali Velshi here, in the meantime, "Minding Your Business".

And home prices are going so low that some people are thinking about maybe jumping into the market.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's where the conversation is going now, is it as low as it goes? Most people say probably not. In fact, there are a lot of estimations that this thing will go down more over the course of next year, maybe year and a half. Some people are saying 2009 before we see a rebound.

But, if you're not looking to sell a house in the next year or so, is this the time to get in? Maybe it is if you've got a stomach for the fact that home prices might actually go lower for the next little while.

If you're not buying for a quick turnaround on a house, you're looking for something that might take more than a year, or a year and a half. This might be a good time to get in, say some experts, because mortgage rates, despite what you might hear, are still quite low.

What you're looking at right now are mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage that are around 6.5 percent. Very little -- about the same as they were last year.

The trick is, where do you buy? We're going to be covering that this weekend on "YOUR $$$$$," which airs on Saturday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m.

We'll be taking a quick look -- or a deeper look at what you might do if you want to get into the housing market.

I'll have more on that -- yes, I noticed the glasses are missing there. I'll put it on for the next time I'm on.

You'll get to see that in a half an hour, because the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS (voice over): Exit strategy. This morning, new reports Republican Senator Larry Craig is readying to resign as the arrest tape from his bathroom sting goes public.

SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: I don't seek activity in bathrooms... I'm not going to fight you.

SGT. DAVE KARSNIA, ARRESTING OFFICER: I know you're not going to fight me... but you're sitting here lying to a police officer.

ROBERTS: The White House and the housing crisis -- what's in the president's new plan to help homeowners?

Plus, smackdown. Ten pro wrestlers out of the ring, accused of flunking steroid and drug tests. Can pro wrestling clean up its act?

On this AMERICAN MORNING.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: A big day in the news today, particularly in the political front.

Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING, Friday, the 31st of August, as we kiss most of the summer good-bye today.

I'm John Roberts.

CHETRY: And I'm Kiran Chetry.

And as you alluded to, could we see a resignation by a senator today embroiled in scandal? That's the big question.

And we begin with the growing pressure on Senator Larry Craig to step down.

Republican sources are now telling CNN they expect Craig to resign soon. Maybe even today.

Then there is the tape. It's a nine-minute long interrogation between Senator Craig and the arresting officer, Dave Karsnia. And it gets testy at times.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KARSNIA: I just, I just -- I guess -- I guess I'm going to say I'm just disappointed in your, sir. I just really am. I expect this from the guy that we get out of the hood. I mean, people vote for you.

CRAIG: Yes, they do.

KARSNIA: Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

CRAIG: I'm a respectable person and I don't do these kinds of...

KARSNIA: And (INAUDIBLE) respect right now though?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHETRY: Dana Bash is live in Boise, Idaho, with more on the reaction and the fallout from the release of these tapes.

Good morning, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.

Well, several well-placed GOP sources do tell CNN that the expectation is now that Senator Craig will likely resign very soon, perhaps as early as today.

Now, I put what I was hearing from these sources directly to Senator Craig's spokesman, and he replied with a carefully-worded statement. What he said yesterday is that there will be no announcements from Senator Craig Thursday, meaning yesterday. Nothing beyond that. So this is something certainly that is kind all of the buzz by informed sources in Washington and here in Idaho.

I actually caught up with one of the few people known to have spoken with Senator Craig about his crisis. It is Idaho's governor, Butch Otter.

He and I spoke about the situation, and essentially what he said in his words and really in his message and body language, Kiran, is that it is very uncomfortable for him what is going on in terms of the pressure that Senator Craig is getting on a national level, particularly the fact that Republican leaders in Washington stripped Senator Craig of his top spot on key committees. He said that hurts a lot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BUTCH OTTER (R), IDAHO: Ranking member is a very important position. BASH: It strips him of a lot of influence that he has that helps the state of Idaho.

OTTER: That's right.

BASH: Isn't that problematic?

OTTER: I'm sure -- well, of course it's problematic. And I'm sure Larry is going -- Larry and his family are going to take those things into consideration as they go forward with their decisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, the governor was careful not to specifically call on Senator Craig to resign, but as you just heard, all indications were that he does seem to expect that that is probably what's going to happen. I asked him if he thinks Senator Craig can survive, Kiran, and he replied, "I'm not going to go there" -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, it looks like a tough day ahead for the senator.

Dana Bash, thank you.

We want to take you quickly back to London right now.

Just a couple of moments ago, the memorial service under way for Princess Diana. People singing hymns. Some 500 people attending this 10 years after the death -- the day that Princess Diana was killed in Paris.

Among those attending, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Prince William the heir to the thrown. Her former husband, Prince Charles, as well as her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth.

Notably not present is Prince Charles' new wife, Camilla. She made the call, a tough call not to show. She felt as though her presence would be a "diversion," so she opted out, although she was invited.

This is, once again, a tribute, and it's just starting to get under way right now with some of the singing of the hymns, so we will take you back into it later and we will look at some of the highlights live throughout the show -- John.

(NEWSBREAK)

CHETRY: Time now to check in with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents for some other stories new this morning.

It was 10 years ago today that Princess Diana's sudden death stunned the world, and there is a huge tribute for her that's going on right now.

CNN's Monita Rajpal is live in London with more on that.

Hi, Monita. MONITA RAJPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.

The thanksgiving service to Diana has begun at Guards Chapel here in London. Some of Diana's favorite music is being played, hymns are being sung, and prayers being said.

Just minutes ago, just before the service had started, her sons, Prince William and Prince harry, who had organized this event, stood outside the Guards Chapel to welcome the guests that they invited. Some 500 people have been invited. They include members -- senior members of the royal family, as well as celebrities -- Sir Elton John, Mario Testino, the famed photographer, as, of course, friends and members of the charities that she supported.

The princes want this to be a celebration of their mother's life, a recognition of the work that she did, the service that she did to others. Again, Prince William will be giving a reading to start things off, to start the service off as well, just momentarily.

And again, some of her favorite music, such as Rachmaninov's "Oh Virgin, Mother of God Rejoice," was her favorite piece of her music. Rachmaninov was one of her favorite composers. It was said that it was music that she would play to her sons while they were in the car. And again, some of her favorite hymns will be sung as well.

This, again, a celebration of probably one of the most iconic and most photographed woman of our time. Of course, there are many questions about her life and the kind of service that she did but, again, on this day, more than anything, Prince William and Prince Harry want to remember the woman that they so dearly loved -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Monita Rajpal outside of Buckingham Palace for us.

Thanks so much.

Well, Rob Marciano is in the CNN weather center, tracking once again some extreme weather for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: He has already resigned, but Alberto Gonzales may have more problems ahead. The Justice Department said yesterday that it is investigating whether the outgoing attorney general may have misled Congress intentionally.

Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is live in our Washington bureau.

Kelli, any indication that Gonzales knew about this before he resigned on Monday?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, there had been a request made by the Democratic leadership in Congress for this investigation. So, obviously, it was something that was very much on the table, John. But the Justice Department's inspector general is actually conducting this investigation, looking at Gonzales' testimony last month to determine, as you said, whether he lied or otherwise misled Congress. And what he was talking about was the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program.

Now, you may remember, John, his appearance on Capitol Hill. It was very tense with Democratic senators telling him to his face that they were having a hard time believing him.

Gonzales was trying to defend his actions when he visited former attorney general John Ashcroft in the hospital to try to get him to sign off on that surveillance program. Senators weren't satisfied then. Still not now.

ROBERTS: All right.

Kelli Arena for us in Washington this morning.

Kelli, thanks.

ARENA: You're welcome.

ROBERTS: We want to take you back to London now and the Guards Chapel just outside of Buckingham Palace. Prince William giving a reading on behalf of his mother here on the 10 anniversary of her death today.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

PRINCE WILLIAM: ... what is the breadth and length and height and depth. And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled with all of the fullness of God.

Now to him, by the power at work within us, is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. To him, the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations for ever and ever. Amen.

Thanks be to God.

CHETRY: We just heard a reading by His Royal Highness, Prince William of Wales, the heir to the throne. They'll be reading another hymn, and then there will be another reading by a member of the royal family.

There's 30 (sic) in attendance at this remembrance for Princess Diana. They're going to have another song. And then we're going to hear from other members of the royal family as well. A little bit later, we're going to hear from Prince Harry as well.

So there's a look right now, a live look in London, once again, at the remembrance for Princess Diana 10 years ago today, the day of her death.

Still ahead, we've heard both sides of the story. Well, from each side of the bathroom stall, if you will. But is a disgraced senator telling the truth? We're going to hear the interrogation tape and talk about whether it helps or hurts Larry Craig's chances ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: Sources tell CNN that today could be Senator Larry Craig's last day in office. We've been playing portions of his interrogation after his arrest for allegedly trying to solicit sex in a men's room stall. So, will this new tape help or hurt the senator, who's trying to retract his guilty plea for disorderly conduct?

CNN's legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin joins us now with some more insight on this.

What was your read on that tape?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Well, that it was laying the groundwork for a reasonable defense at trial, that the whole thing was a misunderstanding, that he had possibly been entrapped. So I don't think it was in itself all that damaging.

However, the overriding fact here is that he has pled guilty. So the fact that he might have had a possible defense if he went to trial is now simply irrelevant.

ROBERTS: Let's take a quick listen to just a portion of that tape and then I'll ask you about it specifically.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KARSNIA: I understand.

CRAIG: I had to spread my legs.

KARSNIA: OK.

CRAIG: When I lower my pants so they won't slide.

KARSNIA: OK.

CRAIG: Did I slide them too close to yours? Did I -- I looked down once, your foot was close to mine.

KARSNIA: Yes.

CRAIG: Did we bump? You said so, I don't recall that, but apparently we were close.

KARSNIA: Yeah, well, your foot did touch mine, on my side of the stall.

CRAIG: All right.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Is there any wiggle room in there? I mean, obviously, he's pled guilty to this. But in the court of public opinion, any wiggle room in there? Because some of what Karsnia talks about could be open to interpretation.

TOOBIN: That's true, but what you have to do is juxtapose the transcript against the arrest report, which -- where Karsnia reports on what happened between them. According to the detective, there was a lot of contact between them, that there was lots of -- there was footsy, there were hand signals, there was lingering outside the door.

So, what Craig is very much trying to minimize was, in fact, a much extensive series of contacts, at least according to the detective. But again, I don't see how he can make much argument here about what ultimately -- about what happened when he's pled guilty.

CHETRY: It's interesting that you say that though when you talk about the issue of entrapment, the possibility of that being a defense.

Let's listen to what he says to the officer.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KARSNIA: I don't care about sexual preference or anything like that.

CRAIG: I know you don't. You're out to enforce the law.

KARSNIA: Right.

CRAIG: But you shouldn't be out to entrap people, either.

KARSNIA: This isn't entrapment.

CRAIG: All right.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHETRY: And you talked about how he said -- you said, after all, he did plead guilty. It seemed as though the police officer was saying, look, if you just plead guilty, people don't necessarily have to know about this, but if you try to fight me, I'm going to go to court with you.

TOOBIN: And it might have been a more sympathetic situation to -- for Craig if he had simply pled guilty that day, if he had sort of in a panic signed something. But it's important to remember this event took place in June. He didn't plead guilty until August.

He had all those weeks to think about it. He was it in touch with the detectives during that period. He said to the Minneapolis authorities he was talking to lawyers -- now he may not actually have talked to lawyers, but, you know, this wasn't a spur of the moment decision on Craig's part to plead guilty. He took a lot of time.

ROBERTS: But what about this idea though -- and sometimes people see this with traffic tickets or parking tickets, that you know that you can fight this in court, but you don't want to take the time to go to court, the expense and all of that. He's a Republican senator from the conservative state of Idaho. Perhaps he really believed that he did anything wrong, but didn't want to go to court and have this guy testify and have all of that testimony become public, so could he have just said, look it, let's try to get rid of this, the guy says it's going to be done, he's not going to go to the media about it, maybe I can escape all of the public scrutiny about this.

TOOBIN: I think you're accurately describing what his mindset was. I think he probably did believe what you were saying.

The problem with that is, if you look at the form he signed, his guilty plea form, it says very clearly, "I, the judge, will not accept a guilty plea except from a person who actually is guilty."

CHETRY: Right.

TOOBIN: So the idea that he was doing this out of some sort of dumb strategy, it just seems pointless.

CHETRY: All right. And it was a lesser plea, disorderly conduct, not the lewd behavior, that he eventually pled to.

TOOBIN: Correct. But that's a tough argument to make to the voters, hey, I only pled disorderly conduct.

CHETRY: All right.

ROBERTS: Jeff, thanks.

CHETRY: Jeff Toobin, thanks so much.

And we're going back now. There is Prince Harry. He is going to be doing a reading at the 10th anniversary memorial service for his mother.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

PRINCE HARRY: And then there are the 10 years since our mother's death. When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivaled love of life -- laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector. She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated.

She will always be remembered for her amazing public work. The behind-the-media glare, to us, just two loving children. She was quite simply the best mother in the world.

We would say that, wouldn't we? But we miss her.

She kissed us last thing at night, her beaming smile greeted us from school. She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day.

She encouraged us when we were nervous or unsure. She, like our father, was determined to provide us with a stable and secure childhood.

To lose a parent so suddenly at such a young age, as others have experienced, is indescribably shocking and sad. It was an event which changed our livers forever, as it must have done for everyone who lost someone that night. But what is far more important to us now and into the future is that we remember our mother as she would of wished to be remembered, as she was, fun-loving, generous, down to earth, and entirely genuine.

We both think of her every day. We speak about her and laugh together at all of the memories. But put simply, she made us and so many other people happy.

May this be the way that she is remembered.

CHETRY: What touching words. His brother, actually, Prince William, read, you know, a biblical passage. Yet, Harry told a little bit more of a personal story about remembering.

ROBERTS: I think that's probably keeping in protocol. William is the heir to the throne, more official business, more official sort of statement. And then the "from the heart" thing from Harry there. But I'm sure he was speaking on behalf of his brother as well.

CHETRY: Yes. Recalling his mother hysterically laughing, greeting them with a smile from school. You know, the type of things that, you know, are so priceless when it comes to the parent/child relationship.

And the fact that they are sharing that with the world is also touching, given how many people cared and loved their mother.

ROBERTS: It's got to be -- yes, especially them. It has got to be tough for them. They've spent the last 10 years of their lives without a woman to whom they were so very close.

So I guess later on, we're expecting -- well, Elton John is there. I wonder if he is going to sing.

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: I don't know if he is on the official program or not, but...

CHETRY: They're singing another anthem right now, a hymn.

And we're going to take a quick break.

You're watching some of the service 10 years later, remembering Diana in London today.

AMERICAN MORNING will continue in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: The nation's top military officers will give President Bush their assessment of the Iraq War today. The briefing comes ahead of a report due to Congress next on the so-called success of the so- called troop surge.

CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry live on the North Lawn for us this morning.

Ed, what are we expecting from this meeting today?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, John. It's crunch time, as you noted, just two weeks from General Petraeus' progress report, so the president heading to the Pentagon this afternoon to hear from the Joint Chiefs of Staff about their thoughts on troop levels.

What's significant is senior officials are saying the president will be getting private briefings from each member of the Joint Chiefs, suggesting that maybe not everyone is not on the same page.

For example, we have heard indications that General Peter Pace, the outgoing chair of the joint chiefs, may want to start some troop cuts sooner than other generals want.

All of this meant to give the impression that the president is hearing all sides among his generals. But when you listen closely to what the president is actually saying, he does not sound like someone who is about to shift course.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, I'm often asked about coalition troops and my attitude is our coalition partners ought to be making decisions based upon conditions on the ground, because failure in Iraq would lead to, in my judgment, turmoil, chaos in the Middle East and other attacks on the United States and other nations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Sounds very similar to something the president could have said three months ago, six months ago. Bottom line, is it really sounds like a president who's about to try and lay the groundwork for making the case the surge is working, in his estimation, and he needs more time to implement it and try to bring along political reconciliation in Iraq -- John.

ROBERTS: And, Ed, the Pentagon is pushing back against this GAO report that suggested that 13 of the 18 benchmarks that were laid down by the president and Congress have not been met. What's the White House's take on that report? HENRY: Well, it's interesting, because another part of that report suggests that not all U.S. agencies are on board with the notion that sectarian violence is decreasing in Iraq as well. White House pushing back hard on that notion, because, you know, the president himself has been trying to make the case that sectarian violence is going down. That's a key plank in his platform, saying that surge is working, but what's working interesting is critics are suggesting that maybe sectarian violence is decreasing in Baghdad because of the fact that the surge has moved forward. There are so many troops there, but that in other parts of Iraq, sectarian violence may be increasing -- John.

ROBERTS: Ed Henry for us at the White House this morning. Ed, thanks. Good to see you.

CHETRY: Well, it was an operation that was expected to take five days. It ended up taking five weeks. It was the epic battle of Fallujah.

Tom Foreman has spent some time talking to survivors of that battle, and has put together a special that will air tonight at 10:00 Eastern.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carefully selected, highly disciplined, the Marine snipers spend endless hours seeking the enemy through their scopes, keeping stealthy attackers in tight alleys from getting too close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were our gods. They helped us out a lot. They were guardian angels in a lot of times. We were going somewhere, they had that overwatch on us.

FOREMAN: For Bravo, two snipers stand out. Corporal Nick Zilkowsky (ph), or "Ski," is a tall, handsome surfer from near Baltimore.

What was Ski like?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cool. Really cool. Really nice guy.

FOREMAN: Everyone seems to know and admire him. His calm professionalism and easy manner, an oasis in the turmoil.

Corporal Kirk Bossleman (ph) is another sniper from Maryland, also known for his confidence, absolute reliability and rock-solid shooting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One shot means one kill for them. And when they fired, you knew they meant it.

FOREMAN: They have to be good. As officers plot their moves, military intelligence believes the insurgents have imported dozens of trained foreign shooters to pick off the American snipers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ski said that he had been looking for a particular sniper, one that had been firing at him, and he had been looking for the whole battle.

FOREMAN (on camera): How could he identify this man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no idea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: Reporter: This was just one part of this amazing battle. Fallujah is the only time in this entire war when large numbers of insurgents actually tried to hold ground. They considered Fallujah to be the capital of the insurgency at the time. There were car bomb factories. There were torture chambers. There were places where they were holding kidnap victims and forging documents, and making false uniforms so they could masquerade as Iraqi soldiers and as policemen. It was unbelievable place, and the battle for Fallujah, absolutely in the history of this war, will go down as one of the most intense areas of urban combat that American troops have seen in many, many decades.

CHETRY: It is fascinating. It's what they train for. And oftentimes they didn't have to use it, but in this case they certainly did, so it's going to be very interesting to watch. Again, you can catch Tom's special, "Anvil of God." It's tonight, 10:00 Eastern.

We'll be watching, Tom. Thanks.

CHETRY: Just about 38 minutes after the hour. Still Ahead, they are larger than life and heroes to many, but is the world of wrestling fueled by something unnatural? Former wrestler Dell Wilkes joins us live next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

CHETRY: Ten WWE stars are now suspended and under investigation for steroid use. It's not the first time pro wrestlers have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs. Just how rampant are they? And what's the solution? We're joined live from South Carolina by former wrestler Dale Wilkes.

Dale, thanks for being with us this morning.

So they talked about suspending 10 for violating the, quote, "wellness policy" is how they're putting it, and they're say these names could come to light soon.

How prevalent are steroids in the WWE today?

DELL WILKES, FMR. PRO WRESTLER: Well, as someone that's been involved with pro wrestling now a little over 20 years in some capacity, and based on my experiences it's very prevalent in pro wrestling. You can look. You can look at the guys. You can look at the bodies. You can look at the physiques and still tell that it's still a part of the business, even today. And, obviously, with what we've just heard about the ten wrestlers being suspended, that it's still a big problem.

CHETRY: All right, well, there's like, what, about 150 or more wrestlers within the WWE. Do you think it's a small problem that's contained to about 10 or 20, or do you think in some way, shape or form everyone's doing this?

WILKES: Well, I think it's a widespread problem. I don't know that everyone's doing it. There's, obviously, some guys, again, you can tell by looking, that aren't on steroids. So I don't know that everyone is doing it, that it's fair to paint everyone with that same broad brush, but I do think that it is a pretty big problem, a problem that's widespread.

And my concern is, is I hope that they're doing this for the right reason. I hope this isn't a smokescreen to try to maybe take the heat off them. I hope that they're actually going to suspend these guys. I hope we find out who they are, and that it's just not 10 guys that we don't know much about.

CHETRY: Right.

WILKES: But some of the main superstars.

CHETRY: As you said, the P.R. problems with the death of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, others. And you also said that when you were with pro wrestling, you used steroids as well.

Is this suspension of 10 really a step in the right direction, or do you think that if they wanted to, couldn't they just test everyone, and if you're on steroids, you're out?

WILKES: Well, they could. But I want to take it -- I want to believe that they're doing the right thing here. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, and I want to have faith that Vince and those that are in charge of the wellness program are, in fact, doing the right thing. And I want to look at it as this is a step in the right direction.

I love that business. I love pro wrestling. It's a great business. And it can be even greater if they can clean up the drug problem and get the steroids out of it and the other drugs that are a big part of the business, if they can clean it up.

CHETRY: And why are steroids a big part of the business? Why is it so necessary? When a lot of these matches are predetermined, why is it necessary to be on steroids, which have such devastating effects, not only mentally, but physically?

WILKES: Well, you're dealing with guys to a lot of people they're larger-than-life characters. They're cartoon characters. They're hero-type characters. And when you're in a business where you make a living, night after night, in front of millions of people on TV, thousands in attendance at these buildings, and you make a living without a shirt, certainly your physique plays a big part in your character, in your position in the company. It affects your income. So physique and that big, lean, cut athletic look is very important. So that's why a lot of the guys have fallen into, you know, using the steroids to get that big muscled-up look.

CHETRY: Right. So it will be interesting to see if this is just the tip of the iceberg, if they can clean it up and eventually have a successful WWE without any steroids.

Dell Wilkes, thanks for being with us.

WILKES: Thank you.

ROBERTS: Coming up, it's one of the most frightening moments of a child's life. They wake up in the middle of the night, can't breathe. Today there are new guidelines for treating asthma. What patients and parents need to know, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: For the first time in a decade new guidelines to diagnose and manage asthma. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Atlanta now. He joins us now with the specifics.

So what are the new guidelines?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have been paying a lot of attention to this. A lot of the guidelines make perfect sense. But I want to tell you really quick, John, because this is something that always struck me, just trying to determine what it's like to have asthma or to be someone who's suffering from it. Try breathing through a straw, just through a straw. Plug your nose, whatever you have to do. It's really hard to get air. Kids get confused. They're not sure what's happening exactly, and it can be a killer. About 4,000 people a year die of asthma-related diseases. Millions of people obviously have it.

There are some concerns the way asthma is treated, both in the short term and the long term, which prompted these new guidelines, specifically looking at things like strict monitoring by doctors, recognizing that someone's asthma, the specific disease itself, changes as someone gets older.

The second one, which I think is a big one, is to remind people they need to take their medications even if they're not having any symptoms or even if they think the disease has gone away.

And finally, to really have a program between doctors and their patients to identify triggers. Triggers in urban settings are much different than in suburban setting. They're different than in rural areas. Identifying those triggers can be a big part of managing this disease. Too many people literally die with the inhalers in their hands, John, as well. So teaching people how to use those inhalers properly, also a big part of these guidelines.

ROBERTS: Very important to continue to take the medication. You said that asthma changes over the years. Does it actually subside in some people?

GUPTA: Well, it can subside, but it's not cured. And I think that's one of the takeaway points that I got from this particular study and these particular guidelines, was that it's not cured.

So what happens a lot of times, and this is just a tragic situation, is someone thinks it's gone, and they don't worry about their inhalers, they don't have them close by anymore, and all of a sudden as an adult or maybe slightly older person, it comes back, it flares up, and that's when people can die from it. It doesn't go away, so always think about as something that you need to have the inhaler close by, and think about this disease.

ROBERTS: You mentioned earlier, Sanjay, triggers. What are triggers? I know that some asthma can be allergy-induced. Anything else?

GUPTA: It can be allergy induced. It can also be exercise- induced, simply someone who goes out there and runs for the first time especially, it can be cold-weather induced. Certain pollutants. John, I mentioned that urban triggers, for example, are different than rural triggers. Pollutants can be a big factor, which is why you see asthma rates so much higher in big cities like the one you're in right now.

ROBERTS: Sanjay, some good tips. Thanks very much, with those new guidelines.

GUPTA: Thank you, sir.

(NEWSBREAK)

CHETRY: Making sense of the mortgage crisis. The White House is set to unveil a new bailout plan today, but are homeowners or lenders to blame for all of the problems? We're going to take a look, coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Well, the news doesn't stop for the weekend. T.J. Holmes will be in tomorrow for "CNN SATURDAY MORNING."

Hi, T.J.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, kind ma'am. I've got a gift for you here. I'm getting you some of these, no doubt about it. You know, NASCAR people think it's for the good ol' boys, but look here, Kiran, the checkered flag is going upscale.

CHETRY: Love 'em!

HOLMES: high heels, and boots and all kinds of things just a few of the items coming to a store near you. They're targeting women here. And I know you are all about these shoes. We're going to get you hooked up this weekend. We'll have the details.

CHETRY: Now T.J., NASCAR, though. I'm hearing some whispers that you drive a minivan.

HOLMES: Those are just whispers. And tell John Roberts to stop whispering, please!

CHETRY: It was actually Ali Velshi.

HOLMES: Ali Velshi.

ROBERTS: Ali is sitting right here.

HOLMES: Ali loves telling people I drove a minivan, but I do not, OK, just want to make that clear.

ROBERTS: Never have.

CHETRY: OK, Jeff Gordon, OK.

HOLMES: Also this weekend, tonight's drawing, the $300 plus million jackpot. You can buy a lot of, I guess, minivans and checkered shoes with this. You can tune in tomorrow to see if I show up at work, and also to see if anybody bought that ticket and is going to be able to their boss, I quit. We're going to have that, plus this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you have no idea how long the troops will be here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I wouldn't comment on that at all. We're prepared to stay as long as the situation demands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Next week marks the 50th anniversary of one of the turning points really in the civil rights history. Nine black stunts escorted into the all-white Little Rock Central High School. We'll talk to some of the students involved. They were known as the Little Rock Nine. Again, that's "CNN SATURDAY" and "SUNDAY" morning. That begins at 7:00 Eastern. And I'll be rolling in here in my SUV, not in my minivan. I'm going to put my vehicle on the show tomorrow just to prove to people that Ali is just messing around here.

CHETRY: That's right, bring a picket of your Town and Country and you'll be redeemed.

HOLMES: Oh, wow. OK.

ROBERTS: How many minivans do you think $310 million would buy?

CHETRY: A lot.

T.J., thank you.

ROBERTS: An unapologetic plug for a new radio show now? Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business."

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what the question is we're getting from a lot of people. We know we're in this housing mess. We know people got loans that they couldn't afford, but who is to blame? Some people say the banks. Some people say the government. Some people say mortgage brokers. Some people say us, the media. Some people say the ads that come on in between our shows advertising cheap mortgages. And a few people say it might actually be the borrowers themselves, who believe that rates would never go up and housing prices would never go down, and that 2 percent was actually something that was sustainable for a long time.

So we are going to examining that, who is to blame for this thing and what are we doing to make sure it doesn't happen again in a one- hour radio special. It's a CNN Radio special, so you can it on CNN Radio affiliates across the country. If you don't have a CNN Radio affiliate, you can go to CNN.com/podcast or iTunes, and it's available there.

It's good discussion with a bunch of people who know a lot about this, including a lot of people who are having trouble because they got into mortgages that they didn't want to be in, or didn't expect to be in.

ROBERTS: Forget Howard Stern, man. You are the king of all media.

VELSHI: Well, I don't know about that, but...

ROBERTS: Television, radio, podcasts.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Ali.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com