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American Morning
Iraq Progress Report; Where Is Bin Laden?; Showdown In Pakistan; Extreme Weather; Britney Bombs; State Of The Surge; Minding Your Business
Aired September 10, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: War report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I ask the members of Congress to just sit back and listen to what we all have to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: General David Petraeus on Capitol Hill today, on the war's progress and possible exit strategies, even as one report this morning says the U.S. is planning a base on the Iranian border. Live from Baghdad to Washington, breaking it down and checking the facts.
Plus, breaking news. Chaos in Pakistan for the short-lived homecoming of a former prime minister. The dramatic airport standoff, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning. Thanks very much for joining us. It is Monday, September the 10th, as the eyes of the nation descend on Washington D.C. for the report today from General Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. We're going to have all the coverage for you here on AMERICAN MORNING. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry.
Good to see you, John.
You know, we've already heard from Iraq's prime minister this morning. Nuri al-Maliki is saying that Iraqi forces are not yet ready to take over security from the U.S. military. And as you said, within hours we're going to be hearing the assessment from the top man himself, America's top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and also the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq, Ryan Crocker. Both will be testifying before Congress about the war, about its progress and the future and possible plans to start bringing troops home. CNN's Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon with details for us.
Hi, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Kiran.
Well, I think it's safe to say everyone will be watching what General Petraeus has to say about when the first U.S. troops will be coming home from Iraq. It's certainly a question at this point of the calendar. Will he say that he's willing to bring the first brigade, about 4,000 troops, home perhaps as soon as Christmas, and when will the rest of those surge forces come home?
The surge runs out in April. General Petraeus well knows he simply doesn't have the troops on hand to keep it all up much beyond the spring of next year. So that is really the first question on the table, when will the first troops come home.
But beyond that, when will he recommend that fundamentally there is an overall draw down in Iraq? After the 30,000 surge troops, what about the rest of the troops? When will they be able to leave?
Kiran.
CHETRY: You know, it's also interesting because ahead of this, "New York Times"/CBS did a poll about who Americans think will come up with a solution for Iraq. Only 5 percent feel the Bush administration will. Only 21 percent believe Congress. And the majority, 68 percent, believe it's really in the hands of U.S. military commanders. How does that bode for General Petraeus and his credibility as he heads to Capitol Hill today?
STARR: Well, you know, over the weekend we saw a number of Democrats coming out. And while they may personally respect General Petraeus as an military officer, they are beginning to raise a lot of questions about whether he will be an independent evaluation of the surge in the Iraq. Will his judgments later today that he delivers to Congress be colored by the political realities here in Washington? General Petraeus is well aware of the politics he faces and many people are questioning whether he will offer this sort of token, if you will, draw down of that first brigade, the first 4,000 troops, perhaps coming home in the December/January time frame in order to dampen some of the political opposition in Congress.
It will be a very interesting day to watch. He does understand the politics that he's facing. But the question is, how much of that will become part of his judgment and how much of his judgment will be purely on the basis of the military facts on the ground.
Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Well, the public will certainly be listening. And if this poll is to be believed, it's at least the military commanders who they're willing to put some faith into at this point.
Barbara Starr, thank you.
Also, we're going to be carrying this testimony from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. It all gets underway at 12:30 Eastern Time this afternoon here on CNN. We'll also be comparing notes from what's been said today, to what's been reported before, all from CNN's Iraq Fact Check Desk.
John. ROBERTS: Looking forward to all of that.
Other news from Washington this morning.
Senator Larry Craig is expected to file papers this morning to try to take back his guilty plea. Craig pleaded guilty back in August to disorderly conduct after a sting in the men's room at the Minneapolis Airport on June 11th. He says he didn't consult an attorney and only pleaded guilty to get the matter behind him. Senator Arlen Specter came out in Craig's defense on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) PENNSYLVANIA: I think that Senator Craig is entitled to the same rights as any other person, no more or no less. Look here, Wolf, frequently you get a parking ticket and the meter's broken, but you enter a guilty plea, you sign off, you pay a small check and not to fight it. He thought that this matter would not be publicly disclosed. And that was very foolish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Craig could decide to stay in office if the court clears his name. We're expecting to hear from Craig's attorney, Billy Martin, this morning. We'll bring you that when it happens.
Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel will announce today that he is not running for president or seeking re-election next year. Hagel has been one of the more outspoken Republican critics of the war in Iraq. Former Senator Bob Kerrey and former Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns are among the names surfacing as potential candidates for Hagel's seat.
And Democrats running for president held the first ever debate in Spanish last night at the University of Miami. Anchors from Univision asked questions in Spanish. The candidates head a translation in English, and then their answers were then translated into Spanish for views. Immigration reform was one of the biggest topics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do favor much more border patrolling and much more technology on both of our borders. And in certain areas, even a physical barrier, because I think we've got to secure our borders. That has to be part of comprehensive immigration reform.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This wall is a horrendous example of Washington misguided policy. Congress only funded half of the wall. And in addition to that, if you're going to build a 12-foot wall, you know what's going to happen? A lot of 13- foot ladders. This is a terrible symbol of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: All of the candidates said that they will deal with immigration in their first year in office. And, Kiran, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson a little upset that he was not allowed to address the crowd in Spanish. The assumption there, I guess, is that that might have given him an unfair advantage.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, they certainly probably had no doubt, though, that, of course, he could speak it quite fluently.
Well, a rocky start to the week for stocks. Asian markets lower this morning. The Nikkei losing more than 2 percent. That fell followed the Dow's drop on Friday. Ali Velshi will be along in a moment with a look to today's markets as well.
Also, gas prices are up for the first time since July. The latest Lundberg Survey says that the nationwide average is now $2.81. That's up from $2.78 a month ago and 15 cents from a year ago. It's still way off of the all-time high, $3.18. Remember, we were paying that back in May.
Well there is concern this morning about whether Buffalo Bill's tight end Kevin Everett will ever be able to walk again. Everett had emergency surgery last night after fracturing his neck against the Denver Broncos yesterday. Doctors say it may be a couple of days before an official prognosis is made.
ROBERTS: Tomorrow the United States marks the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks here in Washington, in New York and in Pennsylvania. Terror analysts are also looking for clues within the latest bin Laden tape to see what they can learn about his health, his whereabouts and whether he is trying to send messages to followers. Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is in our Washington bureau this morning with our terror watch.
Jeanne, what are officials learning from their analysis of the bin Laden tape so far?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it's really not in the interest of intelligence officials to say much about what they've gleaned from the tape. And if their analysis is producing any information of significance, it is not being made public. Intelligence officials are offering no comment on the al Qaeda leader's appearance, health or location, though the president's homeland security adviser did offer this on CNN's "Late Edition."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRAN TOWNSEND, HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: We've never seen bin Laden use a tape to trigger any operational activity. That said, we take it very seriously and, obviously, we're looking at that now. But, you know, we ought to remember, six years since the tragedy of September the 11th, we haven't seen another attack. This is a man on the run, in a cave, who's virtually impotent, other than his ability to get these messages out. It's propaganda.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MESERVE: But some analysts point out the tape makes one very important point. Six years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is alive, despite the efforts of the U.S. government.
John.
ROBERTS: What about the content of the tape, Jeanne? Fran Townsend also said that bin Laden appeared to be virtually impotent. That all he could do was to send out these tapes. I mean, that's pretty harsh commentary in the Muslim world, considering where it came from.
MESERVE: That's right. Well, intelligence analysts have noted the current reference in the tape to the new president of France, for instance. That helps them date when this was made. Beyond that, they're saying only that the tape is broadly consistent with tapes they've seen previously and, in some cases, it is the same bin Laden, for instance, returns to a familiar theme, his desire to bleed the American economy.
John.
ROBERTS: All right. Jeanne Meserve for us this morning on the terror watch.
Jeanne, thanks.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, it's time now to check in with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents for other stories new this morning.
A high stakes political drama playing out overnight in Pakistan. The Musharraf government turning away a former prime minister. Monita Rajpal is live in London at our international update desk.
Good morning, Monita.
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.
Yes, what we understand is that former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is on a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was spirited on to Pakistan International Airlines flight from Islamabad just over two hours ago. He had arrived in Islamabad at around 11:45 Eastern Time at night.
He had returned to Pakistan after seven years in exile. He wanted to challenge Musharraf's presidency, saying that it was not a democracy, calling him a dictator. He had arrived in Islamabad but after about a few hours on the plane and then an altercation as well with his supporters at the airport, he was taken into the lounge at the airport where he was arrested.
He was taken into police custody, served the arrest papers for money laundering and corruption. Apparently, according to reports, he was given a choice, either return to exile, or to face detention. Again, according to reports, he had chosen detention. But from what we understand now, he is on a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He was in exile for under a 2000 agreement to spend 10 years in exile in Saudi Arabia. But just a couple of weeks ago, the Pakistan high court had ruled that he could return home. There has been no comment from Musharraf or government officials at this time.
Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Monita Rajpal at our International Update Desk. Thank you.
Well, Gabrielle becomes a tropical depression overnight after bouncing off of North Carolina's outer banks. Rob Marciano is live in Cape Hatteras this morning with more for us.
Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.
Tropical Storm Gabrielle yesterday made landfall just southwest of here, Cape Lookout, at 11:45 with sustained winds at 50 miles an hour. And the only measured wind speed I could find was 52. So winds not that much of an issue. A hundred or so people without power this morning.
Flooding, though, an issue in places like Atlantic Beach, south of here. Overwash of State Highway 12. A problem in some spots with overrunning water of about a foot and a half. But that has since receded.
All right, let's talk rainfall here, some of the totals. And 8.3 inches of rainfall in Beauford, North Carolina. Five and a half inches in Morehead City. Harlowe, 4.75 and Cherry Point 4.5. that's good, but they were hoping for more. Places like Hatteras and Wilmington are at a deficit of over 19 inches. So locals here disappointed with the lack of rain.
There you see the satellite picture taking what's left of this thing out to sea. Here's the track of what is now a Tropical Depression Gabrielle with winds of 35 miles an hour. It will be absorbed in the jet stream and head off towards to the southwest.
All right. What else is going on? There's a little wave there. The Windward Islands. That shouldn't be too much of an issue, at least for now. But another wave that's more substantial there in the central Atlantic that we're watching.
Today, Kiran, is the statistical peak of hurricane season, September 10th, meaning that from here on we start to decrease the frequency. But it does means that the next several weeks will likely be pretty active.
Kiran, back over to you.
CHETRY: Right, because sometimes those storms aren't looking at the calendar. You know, they have their own mind. All right, Rob Marciano, thanks so much.
Well, there was a lot of drama at the MTV Video Music Awards. Alina Cho joins us now with more. One star in particular, Britney Spears. These awards made her a star year after year. This was supposed to be her big comeback and, wow, it didn't happen, did it, Alina?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, who could forget 2003, when she made waves by kissing Madonna on stage at the VMAs. You know, as you mentioned, this was billed as Britney Spears' big comeback. But by most accounts, her performance at last night's VMAs, well, it was anything but. In fact, many are calling it a bust.
CHO: Among the litany of problems, lip sinking that didn't match. Dance moves that were either badly choreographed or badly executed. And, well, some people are also talking about the body that's not as in shape as it was before. In her defense, she has had two children.
Now Spears was the opening act. She was trying to drum up excitement for her now album which is out in November. But last night's performance drew mixed reviews.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COMMON, R&B ARTIST: I saw Britney Spears and it didn't look like she was too enthused about being there. So it was kind of disappointing. You felt bad.
50 CENT, R&B ARTIST: I think she did good. I think the production was great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, 50 Cent is the only person who thinks that.
Spears isn't the only star people are talking about this morning. There was also a fight at the post show between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. Not sure what it was about. But since both of them used to be married to Pamela Anderson, well, it might not be a stretch to assume it may have had something to do with that.
Now as for who won last night, Justin Timberlake was the big winner with four trophies, including male artist of the year. Twice he called on MTV to go back to its roots and play more music videos instead of reality shows. Fergie, by the way, won female artist of the year. And Kanye West, Kiran, well, he came up empty-handed last night and he has vowed never to attend the VMAs again. We'll have to wait until next year to find out if that actually comes true.
CHETRY: He also had some controversial comments to make about why he wasn't the opening act and why Britney Spears was. We'll talk about that a little later as well.
Alina Cho, thank you. John.
ROBERTS: Landing gear down and out. A plane full of passengers skid to a fiery stop on the runway. We've got the incredible pictures for you just ahead.
And was the risk worth the reward? The long-awaited report on President Bush's troop buildup and whether it could change any skeptical minds, next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING on this Monday. Some of the most amazing shots of the morning in our "Quick Hits" now.
A small plane making an emergency landing on the roof of a warehouse. This is in Colombia, South Carolina. It apparently lost engine power shortly after taking off yesterday, clipped a power line, came right down on top of the building. Just a few cuts and bruises for the pilot and two passengers.
Meanwhile to Utah now where it was an emotional good-bye for the nine men lost in the Crandall Canyon Mine. This memorial service taking place last night in Huntington. Six men were trapped in the original mine collapse and three men died trying to save them. The search for the six was called off back on August 31st.
And adoptable pets on demand? Well, that's what Comcast, the cable giant, is doing now. They're teaming up with animal shelters to air footage and profiles of pets. Shelters say that the program has helped find homes for older animals and hard-to-place pets. There you go. It's almost like the shopping channel but for a new pet.
John.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Kiran.
The state of the so-called surge and one of the most anticipated reports of the war. General David Petraeus is expected to tell Congress that the increase in U.S. troops has been successful enough to keep it going. But many critics have already lost patience. Joining me now here in Washington is the former NATO supreme allied commander, General George Joulwan. He's also a member of the Jones Commission which reported on Iraq last week.
Speaking about specifics now as opposed to the overall tone, what do you expect General Petraeus to say today, general?
GEN. GEORGE JOULWAN, FMR. SUPREME ALLIED CMDR., NATO: I think he's going to give a fair assessment. On the military side, I think there's been tactical success. And I think he'll call it that. And I think there's some momentum that's been generated. He will also talk in terms of, as we did, the need for reconciliation, for the end of sectarian strive and lot more to be done on building political capacity within Iraq. ROBERTS: You were there back in July. Did you see the same level of success that a lot of the current military commanders are talking about? And is there enough progress there to justify leaving the so-called surge at the level it is for at least the next few months?
JOULWAN: Let me put it this way. What we saw in talking to many Iraqi commanders, U.S. and coalition commanders, not just at the division commander level, but all the way down. I had two majors with me. We looked quite deep into the Iraqi -- particularly the Iraqi army and special forces, and we did find some improvement.
What we were charged with, though, and where (ph) are we going to be -- this was by the Congress -- in 12 or 18 months. Will the Iraqis be able to defend their territory with integrity in 12 or 18 months independently? The answer, of course, is, no. But in 12 or 18 months, they may be making significant progress to be able to reduce U.S. and coalition forces. That's the point we were trying to make.
ROBERTS: "The New York Times'" Michael Gordon, who's a terrific correspondent . . .
JOULWAN: Yes.
ROBERTS: Suggests that General Petraeus is going to urge Congress today not to make any decisions about troop withdrawals beyond the so-called surge until March of next year. Would you agree with that? Because we want to keep that core of what is about 130,000 there?
JOULWAN: I would say by the spring of next year, perhaps March. We say in the report, by 2008 there can be a reduction, if this progress continues, particularly on the military side, and . . .
ROBERTS: But he's basically saying to the Democrats, let's stop all this talk about deep troop reductions until next March. Would you agree with that?
JOULWAN: I hope he's not just speaking to Democrats. I hope he's speaking for the sons and daughters, the families of those sons and daughters he's charged with. That's what military commanders do. We give clear, military advice. And that, to me, is extremely important.
The political side, of course, is there. And I think he needs to be absolutely clear in that the hat that he wears, which is giving clear military advice, Crocker is the one that needs to talk about what as to happen on the political side.
ROBERTS: And you say that that might be the more important piece of this?
JOULWAN: I think it is.
ROBERTS: But a question, there has been some criticism, particularly among Democrats, of the statistics that General Petraeus will use regarding a decrease in violence, such as they were saying that if somebody was found shot in the forehead, that was considered a crime. But if they were shot in the back of the head, that was considered sectarian violence. Do you have faith in the statistics that he's going to use?
JOULWAN: I don't know. I will trust Petraeus to speak the truth. But what we saw were trends. And let me talk trends. We saw, at least I did, a clear movement now where people, not just in al Anbar, but Mosul, really providing intelligence -- what we call tippers -- to the Iraqi commanders. We saw Iraqi commanders able to take more of a lead in operations than ever before.
We saw some more integration in the army -- which is, by the way, 75 percent to 80 percent Shia -- more integration in the army than, for example, in the national police. So I think there are trends here that we need, I hope he talks about, rather than just statistics. But in many of the areas we're seeing the Sunnis, which were shooting at us, turning on al Qaeda, which I think is a positive sign.
ROBERTS: All right. Well, we'll find out today at 12:30. General George Joulwan, thanks very much for being with us. Good to see you.
JOULWAN: Thank you very much, John.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Well, still ahead, the parents of Madeleine McCann are back in England today. She's a little missing four-year- old. Portuguese police named them official suspects in the case. Now they're saying that police want Madeleine's mother to confess to murder and hiding the body. What is next for the couple and the investigation? We get hometown reaction ahead.
And it was a rocky start to the week for stocks. The signs from Asian markets, at least, not looking good. We're going to look ahead to the markets here at homecoming coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It is 26 minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business." And whenever he starts by drawing some sort of chart that is a precipitous drop, you know it's not a good Monday.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I like to keep things simple. Friday, late in the morning, we had this jobs report and no one was really expecting this precipitous drop in the jobs report. We were expecting to create more than 100,000 jobs in America. Ended up that we lost more than 4,000 in August.
Now that has raised the specter of recession again. And all through the day on Friday, take a look at what happened on markets, we ended up losing 250 points on the Dow, 48 points on the Nasdaq, 25 points on the S&P 500. That's all about 2.2 percent. And in typical fashion, that carries on into Asia. So overnight tonight in Japan, the Nikkei lost another about 2 percent. It doesn't look like that's going to spread back into the United States, however. Futures, right now, are looking flat for the S&P and actually up for the Nasdaq and the Dow, just a little bit, although I hate talking about futures a couple hours before markets open.
The big question now is if the Fed meets next week, are they going to cut rates and make money a little easier and cheaper for all of us and businesses? And that's where we're going to keep an eye on.
CHETRY: So bad news coming out ahead of that. Will that change the decision?
VELSHI: You know, some people say there's absolutely no question, there's nothing that can work against the Fed cutting rates right now. Others say it's the worst thing that can happen because cheap, easy credit was what may have gotten us into this mess in the first place. So everything matters between now and a week Tuesday.
CHETRY: All right. Ali Velshi, check in with you in a couple of minutes. Thanks.
Meanwhile, here's a look at a story coming up right now that you can't miss. I know you saw it last night, John. I know you stayed up late to see the MTV Video Music Awards.
ROBERTS: Hey, you didn't need to stay up late to see it. It's supposed to be a video awards presentation. But according to some critics, it looked more like a train wreck. Pop singer Britney Spears, this was supposed to be her big comeback but it didn't come off quite like she had hoped. She doesn't quite look like herself there, does she.
CHETRY: No, she certainly doesn't. And the other thing is, is for years she built her name and sold albums based on these incredible and memorable performances on MTV's Video Music Awards and this just, for people that have followed her, it just wasn't her. And so the question this morning a lot of people are saying, how much did this performance where she is lip syncing, seems to forget the words to her own song and can't dance, how much will it damage her already damaged career? Well, we're going to hear from the editor of "US Weekly" and also a bit later, our own Lola Ogunnaike was there, John. So she's going to dish for us as well on what the reaction was like when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to "AMERICAN MORNING" on this Monday, September 10th. I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: And good morning. I'm John Roberts here in Washington, D.C., where just afternoon, today, we're getting to hear from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who will testify before Congress on the military and political progress or lack thereof in the Iraq war.
Here is a closer look at the general and his war experience. Petraeus assumed full leadership of the multinational forces in Iraq in February. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974. He went on to earn a PhD in international relations from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In 2004, he led the training and equipping of Iraqi forces.
The general is expected to report today that the recent troop surge has been successful in reducing the number of insurgent attacks in Iraq. The Iraq progress report comes as a recent CNN opinion research poll shows that 53 percent of those polled do not trust Petraeus to report what the situation really is like in Iraq.
CNN will carry the Petraeus-Crocker hearing live at 12:30 eastern. You can also get it live on the web at cnn.com.
Also news this morning about Senator Larry Craig and his fight to overturn his guilty plea. He is expected to file documents this morning.
CNN's Dana Bash has been following the story, every twist and turn of it. She joins me live outside the Cannon Building in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill.
What exactly happens in this filing?
DANA BASH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We'll see the very first -- the very first time Senator Craig's lawyers make the argument for why he really is innocent, even though he pleaded guilty to this misdemeanor. We're expected they're going to argue he suffered a manifest injustice at the hands of the police officer who arrested him.
Remember the audiotape we heard of the post arrest interview where the police officer suggested that a guilty plea is a way out of this. Well, what his lawyers are going to argue is that's why Craig did not make a knowing and intelligent plea.
Minnesota law does allow a guilty plea to be withdrawn or allows a judge to withdraw it if it is not intelligently made. Remember, Senator Craig waived his rights. He didn't have an attorney. He didn't even appear before a judge. What his lawyer also argues that this plea was not intelligently made.
But you've talked to lawyers. I've talked to lawyers. It is going to be incredibly tough for him to do.
ROBERTS: You mentioned, on the tape, Detective Dave Karsnia said, you pay a fine, it all goes away. I'm not the way that does this c-r-a-p and dishes to the media. We looked about whether Larry Craig might have looked at that and said I can keep this out of the public forum. I'm not going to have to go to court or have him testify against me. It won't be a huge case of he said-she said. What's the Republican leadership and what are his colleagues saying about this?
BASH: Most of his colleagues -- for sure, most of his colleagues, they just want this to go away politically and legally. There is one Republican Senator, though, John, who still is out there defending him, sort of the lone ranger on the political and legal defense side, and that's Senator Arlen Specter. He spoke to Wolf Blitzer on "Late Edition" yesterday and he made the argument, it's just like you and I pleading guilty to a parking ticket, even though we didn't really mean it. Listen to what he said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R), PENNSYLVANIA: It was foolish of him to enter the plea and equally foolish not to consult with an attorney, but here you have a guilty plea to disorderly conduct. And bear in mind, that is not moral turpitude, and just disorderly conduct is not a major offense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Not a major offense, legally. That is certainly the case. But politically, as I said, Republican Senators just want this to be over and done with. They understand that Senator Craig is going to go through the motions, that he is going to try to clear his name legally, that he said he might, might, might stay in office if he's able to do that.
Twenty days from now is September 30th, though. That is the day that he says he will leave if he doesn't do this.
ROBERTS: He doesn't have a whole lot of time to get the job done.
Dana Bash for us this morning. Dana, good to see you in person.
BASH: You, too. Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: All right, thanks.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Well some other headlines this morning. A strong earthquake rocks Columbia. A 6.8 magnitude quake hit on the pacific coast near Columbia's border with Ecuador. The shaking lasted some 30 seconds, according to witnesses. Power was knocked out to two towns. So far, no reports of deaths, injuries or any major structural damage.
It was a crash landing caught on tape. Landing gear problems forced a pilot to make an emergency landing in Denmark. You see it there. Looks like the tire went out. The plane lands on its belly. You see sparks flying. The right wing and engine were sent skidding across the runway. A propeller broke loose. You see some debris flying into the air. Some of it flew into the cabin. Police said that all 73 passengers, four crew members escaped before the engine caught fire. And there you see the beginnings of the fire there. No one suffered any major injuries.
The parents of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, missing in Portugal, are back in England this morning, even though police in Portugal named them official suspects in their daughter's disappearance. And more details are coming out right now about it. Kate McCann saying police pressured her to confess that she accidentally killed Madeleine and then hid her body for days. This morning, British papers are suggesting that the McCann's are being framed by police.
CNN's Adrian Finnegan is live in their hometown of Rothley, England, with more.
It's interesting, Adrian, because they've gotten so much support around the world. And I'm sure in their hometown. What is the reaction to this news that the Portugal police say they have physical evidence that links them to their daughter's murder?
ADRIAN FINNEGAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kiran, good morning. People here are bewildered by the developments of the last few days. Let me tell you about where we are, Rothley, Leicestershire. It's about 120 miles north of London. It's a commuter belt for the cities of Leicester and Nottingham. It's a busy, pretty ordinary place. Far from ordinary today. The McCann's are back in town.
I spoke to one local resident, who is a patient of Gerry McCann's. He's a heart surgeon. She said it's becoming difficult now to tell fact from fiction, even though publicly people are still expressing unstinting support for the McCanns.
Yesterday the family requested a bit of media privacy. CNN has respected that wish. We, along with the rest of the media circus, have moved here to the village square. The McCann's live about a mile away.
This is the war memorial. In the early days after Madeleine disappeared, it was festooned with yellow ribbons. It so got so unkempt, so untidy, they had to clear it up. There's now just a single candle here.
As I say, people pretty bewilders by what's going on and by all of this media speculation. They just don't know what to believe anymore -- Kiran?
CHETRY: It is interesting, a lot of, of that speculation has come from some of the British papers, including some of these details about possibilities of Kate sedating her child, and perhaps giving her too much. And then also some questions about their lifestyle, that have raised a lot of issues within the media.
FINNEGAN: Yeah. We've got to be careful with what Kate and Gerry McCann are alleged to have said or reports that are alleged to have been leaked from the Portuguese police to the media there in Portugal.
Gerry and Kate McCann have got the official status, this Arguidos status. They can't actually say anything. They can't actually respond to any of these criticisms. There are a lot of things that we would like to put to them. One of the things that Gerry McCann said before they made the trip back from Portugal was that he'd like to put together a crack legal team.
There is of course this fund that exists. There is about $2 million in this fund at the moment, which was set up to help find Maddie and help with the family's expenses while both the doctors, Kate and Gerry McCann, aren't working. Now that they're official suspects, they can't touch this fund.
Although papers have been reporting that Michael Kaplan, Q.C., has been consulted by the family. He is a well-known media -- a well- known expert in international criminal law in this country, perhaps best known for preventing the extradition of General Pinochet to Spain. As I said, the family has no access to that legal fund. But he doesn't come cheap, Kiran?
CHETRY: Adrian Finnegan giving us an update on some new details on that case that has captured international attention. Thank you.
Still ahead, Gabriella blows ashore on North Carolina's coast. Our Rob Marciano is watching where this former tropical storm made landfall. And he also has the stormy forecast for the eastern seaboard coming up.
And it was one of the most anticipated opening acts in VMA history. See how Britney Spears got the party started, ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Boy, this is not something you expect when you're doing a live report for a sporting event. A fight at a rugby game. There you see what happens. It was a reporter who was trying to do a little live shot there, and a drunk fan apparently came over and, while he was live on air, grabbed him around the neck. The fight broke out. The reporter says he was hit several times on the head but was not seriously injured.
We first told you about this one last week, two front row seats at a Miami Beach synagogue, auctioning off on eBay, advertises including all of the major holidays and free parking thrown in. The bidding started at $1.8 million. It's currently up to $1.8 million. No bidders yet. Still time though. The auction ends in a few hours.
And five members of the Makah Tribe are being held on suspicion of shooting a whale with a machine gun. It is legal for the tribe in Washington State to hunt whales. However, this shooting was carried out without permission and tribal leaders say they are shocked.
Tropical Storm Gabrielle downgraded to a depression overnight, heading out to sea today after crashing onshore in North Carolina's Outer Banks. Rob Marciano live in Cape Hatteras with today's extreme weather forecasting. When you look at those waves compared to what Cape Hatteras, as well as the Outer Banks, have had to deal with, that ain't nothing, right, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's correct. And you know this storm a bit of a disappointment. And I say that for the locals because they wanted to get some heavy-duty rainfall for much of the eastern half of the state, which has been in extreme drought, over 19 inches below what they should see by this time of year. So that part of it is a disappointment.
There were some spots that did see some flooding. You could see the satellite picture. This thing really taking off to the east- northeast, just a tropical depression and the forecast track is such that it will continue to bring it out to sea, maybe fire up along the Gulf Stream, but that really is about it.
Check this Google Earth map out. We're watching the next system now, which is in the central Atlantic. And that's probably going to develop into something. Some of our computer models are saying just that. And our next system, which is well off the Windward islands there, developing into a hurricane as we go through time there.
Flooding, there were some over wash, John, of State Highway 12, which is fairly typical not just for tropical storms or hurricanes, but also for your regular nor'easters. So locals fared fairly well. Only 100 or so people without power.
Now the sun coming up over the eastern horizon, over the last bit of trailing clouds from what's left of Tropical Storm Gabrielle.
Back up to you in New York.
ROBERTS: Such a beautiful area down there, Rob. Thanks very much. We'll take it here in Washington.
Drama on stage and off at MTV's Video Music Awards. It involves Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, and Britney Spears' performance, the lip syncing, off-beat dancing. Grading Britney, ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."
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ROBERTS: A McDonald's worker outside of Atlanta spent the night jail, charged with reckless conduct for serving a police officer a hamburger doused in salt. He says it made him sick. She says it was an accident and that if the officer didn't like the taste of the burger, he should have thrown it away. McDonald's has put her on unpaid leave.
Oprah star power helped ring in some $3 million for Senator Barack Obama. A-listers flocked to her fund-raiser in Hollywood over the weekend. The guest list included Sydney Portier, Forest Whitaker, Chris Rock and a performance by Stevie Wonder.
Kiran? CHETRY: More drama at the MTV Video Awards last night. Tommy Lee and Kid Rock apparently came to blows at an after-party in Las Vegas. It reportedly happened during a performance by Alicia Keys. The two men sharing ex-wife, Pamela Anderson. There you see -- looks like a screen grab of Tommy Lee being escorted out. And there is another picture of Tommy Lee. They don't look like exes in that picture, do they?
According to one MTV vee-jay, during the post show, he says he saw Kid Rock walk up to Lee and, quote, "deck him." Another eye witness, rap producer Rich Nice, said that although Kid Rock threw the blows that landed, it was Tommy Lee that was the instigator. They were both eventually thrown out.
Well, it was supposed to be Britney's big comeback. Britney Spears opened the MTV Video Music Awards in Vegas last night with her new single "Gimme More." And maybe fans are hoping they had less because what they got was some lip syncing that looked out of sync and Britney looking a little lost on stage.
As for how much this will damage her already damaged career, we're turning to Bradley Jacobs, senior editor for "US Weekly." He joins us from Toronto.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
BRADLEY JACOBS, SENIOR EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Thanks for having me, Kiran.
CHETRY: It was much hyped. Many in your industry talked about it all week saying this is it. This is do or die. It's either her comeback or the end of her career. What did you think?
BRADLEY JACOBS, SENIOR EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Wow. If you had to pick one or the other -- I'm not sure it's over for Britney. But, yes, this performance was particularly painful for Britney Spears because she had really set herself up for it. She wanted to open the MTV awards. She wanted to make a splash. She wanted to show everyone she could do it. This just made things worse for Britney.
We did a flash poll on usmagazine.com immediately afterward, asking is Britney back, and 81 percent said no. It was -- you know, as everyone talked, it was stiff, it was flat. She need about 100 hours more practice before this thing was ready for prime time, let alone to open the MTV Video Music Awards.
CHETRY: Forget appearance, because people have made comments about her not being in peak shape. She looked downright out of it. I mean, this is somebody who perhaps you may have questioned whether or not she had the best voice in the world. She was known for being an entertainer and for being able to dance. She's being directed and shuffled around the stage by the backup dancers. What is the buzz about what's going on with her?
JACOBS: She did have a little bit of a glossy-eyed appearance. She did not look like she was taking it seriously enough. And, actually, she wasn't taking it seriously enough. She arrived in Vegas Friday. She stayed out until 2:30 a.m., club hopping. The next night, she stayed out until 3:00 a.m. And the next day had to perform in front of millions of people. Clearly, she didn't realize or she thought she had it down and she could just go out and have fun the night before. We could all see she had not done the work beforehand.
CHETRY: It makes you wonder who is handling her, because there's a lot -- there's a huge machine behind most celebrities. And it makes you wonder what's going on. Who let her, after seeing any of those rehearsals, go on stage?
JACOBS: That's right. Well, Kiran, she fired her long-time manager, Larry Rudolph, in April. And as we reported in "US Weekly," she's gone very strange with various members of her family.
She's not working with the same team that created the Britney Spears of the late '90s and early 2000. Think back to how hot she was the night of the VMAs when she kissed Madonna, that was four years ago. What a difference.
CHETRY: Yeah, and I guess to add insult to injury for Britney, her ex, Justin, won four awards last night and, you know, is on a hot streak.
Bradley Jacobs, senior editor of "US Weekly," thanks for being with us.
JACOBS: Sure thing, Kiran. Thank you.
ROBERTS: The search for Steve Fossett topping your "Quick Hits." False leads dash the hopes of rescuers Sunday. Wreckage from two planes were found, but neither was Fossett's plane. The search picks up today in an area where Fossett took off.
The trial of music producer Phil Spector goes to the jury today. Spector is charged with second-degree murder for the death of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. He faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
Gasoline prices on the rise again. Could we see numbers creep up over $3 a gallon? Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business," ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."
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CHETRY: Two minutes past the hour right now. Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business."
And apparently, your fashion. He's trying to tell me you can't wear white.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's fashion week. I thought that after Labor Day two things happened, gas prices go up and you're not supposed to wear white shoes. Now, you're telling me you're allowed to wear white shoes? And I'm telling you...
CHETRY: Right. We'll double check with Alina Cho, the expert of the show.
VELSHI: We can check. The other rule -- the other post-Labor Day rule is gone. Gas prices didn't go down. In fact, as you said earlier, are up for the first time since July.
Take a look. The Lundberg survey puts Chicago in the number one spot again. We're used to thinking it might be San Francisco or somewhere in California. Chicago, $3.27 a gallon, self-serve unleaded, lowest gas prices. Exactly where I filled up my tank yesterday in Newark -- New York, $2.52. What a deal. I'm going to go back and fill up more gas today.
National average is $2.81. That's gone up because the price of oil has gone up for a number of reasons, but going the wrong direction after Labor Day.
CHETRY: So take out your white shoes out of your closet and...
VELSHI: Get a tank of gas.
CHETRY: That's right. Ali, thanks.
John?
ROBERTS: Here's the story coming up in our next half hour that you can't miss. General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker go before Congress in a few hours' time.
We'll hear what former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers expects them to talk about. Remember that Myers was the chairman during the initial Iraq invasion and for almost two and a half years afterwards. So he'll be joining us.
The next hour of "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
The September progress report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I asked the members of Congress to sit back and listen to what we all had to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Congress gets a long-awaited update from the military.
And the new political front lines in Iraq. The talk today of progress, and possible exit strategy. We're checking the facts.
Plus, under a cloud of suspicion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERRY MCCANN, FATHER OF MADELEINE: We have played no part in the disappearance of our lovely daughter, Madeleine.
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ROBERTS: The parents of Madeleine McCann speaking out back home. The new outrage and accusations this morning.
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