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American Morning

Democratic Debate: No Holds Barred in Vegas; Deadly Cyclone in Bangladesh; March for Justice

Aired November 16, 2007 - 08:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): The big gamble.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not playing the gender card. I'm just trying to play the winning card.

ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton comes out swinging in Vegas.

JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She voted with Bush and Cheney.

ROBERTS: The exclusive one-on-ones.

(on camera): You compared to Mitt Romney tonight. It evoked a rousing "boo" from the crowd. Was that over the line?

(voice over): A new march on Washington. Is there justice for all regardless of race? What the numbers say today.

Plus, holiday express. Can it get you there on time? A new plan to speed your travel on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome. Thanks for being with us.

It is Friday. It's November 16th.

I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York.

ROBERTS: And good morning from Las Vegas.

I'm John Roberts.

It was like a Vegas prize fight here last night, but with seven people in the ring. This time, Senator Hillary Clinton joined in the swinging. She spoke out against her fellow Democrats for their criticism of her two weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I don't mind taking hits on my record, on issues. But when somebody starts throwing mud, at least we can hope that it's both accurate and not right out of the Republican playbook.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: That comment aimed right between the eyes of John Edwards. Here is what he had to say when I spoke to him moments after the debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARDS: I think the most important and fundamental difference between us is I really believe if we want to have universal health care, attack global warming, do something about the people who have no voice in this government, it will never happen unless we rest the power out of the hands of drug companies, insurance companies, oil companies, and the people who lobby for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Also after the debate, I spoke with senators Clinton and Obama, who had even more to say about the issues and each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I thought a lot of good questions were asked and it was great having, you know, all of the voters actually participate because, after all, that is what it's about.

ROBERTS: You compared her to Mitt Romney tonight on Social Security. It evoked a rousing "boo" from the crowd. Was that over the line?

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, no. What I said was is that, to use the figure of a trillion-dollar middle class tax increase is a classic Republican line that's used and it doesn't apply in this situation. If you raise the cap, that's six percent of the population that could be remotely affected, not middle class Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: We're going to have more of my interview with Barack Obama coming up later in this hour of AMERICAN MORNING.

And now it is the GOP's turn. Our next debate coming up on November the 28th, and you get to ask the questions.

Go to CNN.com/youtubedebates, post your questions for the Republican presidential candidates. Wednesday, November 28th, your voice will be heard.

Now let's go back to New York, where Kiran's got some more news.

Good morning, Kiran.

CHETRY: Yes. And we're following some breaking developments out of Bangladesh this morning. The wicked weather taking its toll. At least 500 people now reported killed by a tropical cyclone. This number has jumped even in the course of our show this morning.

The storm triggering water surges, washing away homes, crop and livestock. More than 500,000 people evacuated from southern coastal villages in Bangladesh.

CNN's Emily Chang is following all of the breaking developments from our World Update Desk this morning.

Hello, Emily.

EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran.

Right now Bangladesh is reeling after being hit by Cyclone Sidr. Keep in mind this is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world, 150 million people jam-packed into an area smaller than Iowa.

You can see the brunt force of the storm from space. NASA captured this image as it slammed into the coast, bringing winds over 130 miles per hour and torrential rains.

Reports now ,ore than 500 people have been killed, more than 600,000 people have been evacuated. Houses have been leveled, farms and crops destroyed. Coastal areas are completely flooded. Power and telephone lines are down, so electricity is out across the country and communication is almost impossible.

Now, the problem with Bangladesh is that it's an extremely low- lying country. It was really hard for people to get to higher ground because barely any of it is above sea level. Right now we're expecting the death toll to rise as aid workers get into the affected areas; however, winds are dying down, but these torrential rains and the floods still a major threat to the country -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Emily Chang for us from our World Update Desk.

Thank you.

Also some breaking news out of Pakistan. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte just arriving in that country. He's expected to ask President Musharraf to put the political process back on track. Democracy though veered even further off course today when Musharraf appointed a brand new cabinet made up of his allies.

I had a chance to speak with former secretary of state Madeleine Albright just a few minutes ago. And she had a lot to say about what the U.S. can and cannot do diplomatically to help end Pakistan's crisis. But also just how critical the situation in Pakistan is for America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think it is very worrisome, because we depend so much on Pakistan for what we're doing in Afghanistan, and it puts us in a very difficult position of what to do when a military dictator is not, in fact, allowing his people to have any voice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Secretary Albright also says that the Bush administration has given mixed signals to Pakistan's leader, Pervez Musharraf, for so long that anything we do now could be too little, too late.

ROBERTS: Coming up now to six minutes after the hour.

Thousands of people are expected outside the Justice Department in Washington today for what is being called a March for Justice. They are calling for tougher prosecution of hate crimes, including anyone who hangs a noose. And it all started in the small town of Jena, Louisiana.

Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, is live for us this morning from Washington.

Kelli, this ball just keeps on rolling and keeps getting bigger.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It sure does, John. Things are just getting under way here at Freedom Plaza, just blocks away from the Justice Department.

Marchers from all over the nation say the Justice Department needs to step up and aggressively prosecute hate crimes. They say from nooses to swastikas, it's clear that bigotry and hate are on the rise, but they say Justice has let them down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice over): The hanging of nooses from a schoolyard tree in Jena, Louisiana, devastated the African-American community there. Especially when it wasn't prosecuted as a federal hate crime.

AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: When you have students hangman noose in direct response to black students sitting under a tree for the first time, you can't reduce that to a prank.

ARENA: Sharpton and other critics say the Justice Department is turning a blind eye to hate crimes and are demanding more federal action. They point to the fact that the department charged just 22 people with hate crimes last year. That compares with 76 10 years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That says to me we either need stronger laws or we need a more aggressive commitment from the Department of Justice. The numbers weren't great in the Reno years. They're outright abysmal now.

ARENA: Justice officials contend there are several hate crime investigations under way, including probes into noose hangings at Columbia University in New York City and in Alexandria, Louisiana. As for Jena, Justice says it did not prosecute because the nooses were hung by juveniles under the age of 18.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was impossible, under federal law, as written today, for us to go after these particular juveniles.

ARENA: Prosecutors say there is a high bar to reach to file federal hate crime charges. They must prove two things.

First, that the crime was motivated by race, religion or ethnicity. And that it interfered with federally protected right. In plain English, that means someone can threaten or hurt you in or near your home, while you're voting, or trying to get to school or work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: Now, even critics agree that the laws are narrow, but say that Justice could and should be doing more. We repeatedly asked Justice officials for an on-camera interview but they declined -- John.

ROBERTS: Kelli Arena for us this morning with the latest on that from Washington, D.C.

Kelli, thanks.

Now let's go back over to Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, a ground test that went horribly wrong at an airport in France. Police say an Airbus jet crashed nose first into a noise barrier. It was during an engine test. Nine people were on board, hurt, one on the ground hurt. An Airbus spokesman says the plane for unknown reason just started rolling up an embankment.

Seconds away from disaster at 25,000 feet. The FAA saying that cockpit warning sensors are the only thing that saved these two airliners from crashing in midair over Indiana. Close to 60 people on board the planes.

Here is a simulation of just how close they were. Just 600 feet apart during that near miss.

The FAA blamed a 26-year veteran air traffic controller for the close encounter, saying he was in the middle of a shift change and forgot that the Midwest and United Express jets were in the same area.

Well, he never has to put up with traffic delays. He's on board Air Force One, of course. But President Bush is offering some help for people who will be crowding the airports over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The president says he is opening some restricted military air space along the East Coast to airlines from Wednesday through next Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These new routes will help relieve air congestion from Maine to Florida for nearly five full days surrounding the holiday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Critics say that that really does nothing to fix the problems on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK FORREY, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSN.: The bottom line is you can only land a number of aircraft at one time on any given runway. So the capacity at the end game and at the beginning game needs to double or increase before you start killing delays. This is just another gimmick to try and appease the flying publicship. It's not going to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Air traffic controllers say that there is seven percent fewer controllers handling the Thanksgiving congestion compared to last year -- John.

ROBERTS: Well, after the recent news, Kiran, you had to wonder when this was going to happen, and here it comes. More physical searches in carry-on restrictions could be coming to an airport near put.

It tops your "Quick Hits."

Federal investigators told Congress this week that terrorists can sneak a bomb on to an airplane with the pat-down procedures that are currently in place. We first told you about the bombshell report yesterday. Agents smuggled liquid explosives and detonators past checkpoints at 19 different airports. The Transportation Security Administration says better technology is the answer, not more intrusive pat-downs.

A court sends the Bush administration and the auto industry back to the drawing board. Proposed new fuel economy standards were thrown out because they would allow SUVs, pickup trucks and vans to get fewer miles per gallon than passenger cars do. Regulators are being ordered to draw a new plan that is tougher on auto emissions.

It's a critical issue for millions of Americans, but not a word from Democrats last night about the mortgage crisis.

CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, will weigh in with us from Las Vegas.

And like a lot of the other candidates last night, Barack Obama took aim at Hillary Clinton. But they don't disagree on everything. We caught up with Senator Obama right after the debate.

Hear what he had to say ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHETRY: A school district in the Washington, D.C., area is trying something new, and some say it's a little drastic -- throwing thousands of students out of school and threatening their parents with jail if their kids don't get vaccinated.

We're paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta on this one.

Now, I thought that you can get medical -- can you get, like, medical executions for religious reasons or other reasons if you don't want to vaccinate your children?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There are some exemptions, absolutely. And there are school immunization laws as well that say you need to get vaccinated. So these two things sort of coming to play here. But it's interesting.

This is one of the more heavy-handed examples we've seen. About 2,300 children now in Prince County having not attended school really for two months, really since the beginning of the school year, because they did not comply or their parents didn't comply with a couple of specific immunizations, the chicken pox and the Hepatitis B. Because they didn't comply, they are not allowed to attend school. And they're also being threatened with $50 a day fines, the parents are, and legal action from the state attorney general's office as well.

So, this is about as heavy-handed as we've heard it.

As you might imagine, it's a controversial issue. This is some of what we heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA LOE FISHER, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER: I think terrorizing patients and throwing them in jail for not getting their child a chicken pox shot is definitely going too far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: If we all get our children vaccinated, each child is protected and we help protect the others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: And that is really what Dr. Schaffner is talking about there, is this idea that vaccinating your own child may actually protect the health of others as well, which is why it becomes such a controversial issue.

And Kiran, you and I have recently talked about the fact that there is new evidence now that vaccines actually do what they are intended to do in terms of bringing down a lot of childhood diseases that were not only prevalent but big killers in the past. You can take a look at the list there, but smallpox, diptheria, measles, mumps, tetanus.

There have been no deaths at all reported last year from measles, diptheria, mumps, polio or rubella. So there are a lot of vaccinations out there, but there's also a lot of controversy out there about whether or not parents have to give their kids these shots.

CHETRY: The interesting thing, though, is the vaccines in question, chicken pox and Hepatitis B, are those vaccines that have proven to be 100 percent effective in preventing those diseases?

GUPTA: Not 100 percent effective, and very few of them are. Even some of the most effective ones -- you know, smallpox, for example, has been eradicated, but that was a combination of having a good vaccine -- not necessarily 100 percent effective, but a good vaccine and lots of people taking it. And that's sort of at the heart of this public health debate, is that in order for a vaccination protocol to work, not only do you have to a good vaccination, but if the vast majority of people don't take it, then it ultimately is not going to serve the public health tool.

But as you mentioned, again, there are actually legitimate exemptions, even in the face of law, where parents can opt out of that, and one of that is religious reasons, but there are a lot of other reasons that people cite for not wanting to give their kids these vaccinations. The fear about allergic reactions, for example, the concern about thimerosal, which is a mercury derivative that used to be in a lot of different vaccines. People were concerned that there might be an autism link.

Sometimes it's costly. While there are free clinics, not everyone is eligible for those. And just the shear number of vaccinations.

You know, my kid got a bunch of shots. She is 2 years old. I've got to tell you, as a parent, it is concerning and it's tough to watch.

CHETRY: It really is. You know, it's interesting if this will go out of the medical arena and become a legal issue. It looks like the ACLU is investigating the legality of this as well.

So we'll keep our viewers posted on extreme measures in D.C.

GUPTA: Absolutely.

CHETRY: Thanks a lot, Sanjay.

GUPTA: Thank you.

ROBERTS: Well, once again last night we saw a lot of the candidates taking aim at Hillary Clinton. Among them, Barack Obama.

I caught up with him just minutes after the debate ended. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Senator, you were complaining tonight that you hadn't gotten straight answers from Hillary Clinton. Did you get any tonight?

OBAMA: Well, on Social Security, as you saw, we were in the same place. And we didn't have a chance to figure out the position that she had had two weeks ago on drivers' licenses, the one that she has now. But I thought it was an illuminating evening and I enjoyed it very much.

ROBERTS: In fact, the driver's license question seemed to trip you up a little bit tonight.

OBAMA: Well, no. It's just I had answered the question two weeks ago, so I had assumed I was already on record in saying that this is something I support if we continue to make progress on comprehensive reform.

ROBERTS: And also, Senator, one more question, if I could. You compared her to Mitt Romney tonight on Social Security. It evoked a rousing "boo" from the crowd. Was that over the line?

OBAMA: Well, no. What I said was is that to use the figure of a trillion-dollar middle class tax increase is a classic Republican line that is used, and it doesn't apply in this situation. If you raise the cap, that's six percent of the population that could be remotely effected, not middle class Americans.

ROBERTS: So you're saying she is not Mitt Romney?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: He kept trying to run away. I couldn't figure it out.

Up next, it's the GOP's turn. And this time you get to ask the questions.

Go to CNN.com/youtubedebates and post your questions for the Republican presidential candidates. On Wednesday, November the 28th, your voice will be heard only on CNN, your home for politics.

Mum on the mortgage mess. Democrats were silent on the critical pocketbook issue during last night's debate. Our Gerri Willis though isn't silent about. She's going to join us and tell us what Congress is doing to rein in lenders dealing in risky mortgages.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It was a no holds barred battle here in Las Vegas last night, but there is one thing on which Democrats didn't agree to disagree, and that is the current subprime mortgage crisis. The reason? Because it never came up.

CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, joins me now.

And other than the fact that myself, Wolf Blitzer or Campbell Brown didn't ask about it, or anybody in the audience didn't ask about it, why do you think it didn't come up?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you know, this is a hot button topic, obviously. You know, they didn't approach any economic issue. Have you noticed gas prices? Have you noticed the talk about recession?

None of that came up. Nobody wanted...

ROBERTS: I mentioned oil prices.

WILLIS: You did mention oil prices, but nobody picked up on it. There was no larger discussion about what we're doing about the economy, are we going into recession. Nobody wanted to deal with any of that.

And you know in the whole subprime mess Congress has been very hands off. They've been happy to hold press conference, hearings, but they've had difficulty getting to a bill. In the meantime, over a million people have gone into foreclosure. They've lost their homes -- John.

ROBERTS: Right.

So when could this become law? And besides this one bill that they're talking about, what else is out there that can help people?

WILLIS: Let's talk about predatory lending. Now, this actually passed the House. It's not law yet, but it passed the House last night.

This is essentially a predatory lending bill. It would bring regulation to a part of the mortgage market that doesn't have it right now. It would make brokers get registered and licensed, as well as lenders. It really ups the ante on regulation in this area that has been a total free-for-all.

Interesting news there, but it's not going to be law for a while. And in terms of other laws that are potentially out there that could help consumers, there is something called the Cramdown Bill. Now, this would allow bankruptcy judges to change the amount of mortgage that is owed, to say, hey, you can't pay that, we're going to reduce it in bankruptcy court.

Very controversial, especially among Republicans. I think you're going to have to wait a long time...

ROBERTS: Yes. I've been doing a lot of reading on this, and Republicans have been siding with the mortgage lenders up until now. But they know that they're in such trouble in states like Ohio that they've got to reach some sort of compromise.

And bankruptcy courts, correct me if I'm wrong, they can already reduce somebody's exposure on a mortgage on a second property, but not their principal property?

WILLIS: Not principal property. And as you know, that's the big issue here that's been going on in the subprime crisis and in the lending crisis. These are people, for the most part, who, this is their primary home they are having problems with.

But as you say, Republicans were signing on to this predatory lending bill yesterday because I think they're concerned. Hey, this is a big issue that is developing and we may not be on the right side of it.

ROBERTS: You going to be handling more of this this weekend?

WILLIS: Absolutely.

ROBERTS: All right.

WILLIS: We'll be talking about it on "OPEN HOUSE," 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here.

ROBERTS: All right.

Make sure that you catch Gerri's "OPEN HOUSE," not only at 9:30 in the morning on Saturdays, but 3:30 Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Gerri, always good to see you. Thanks very much.

WILLIS: A pleasure.

ROBERTS: Kiran.

(NEWSBEAK)

CHETRY: Meanwhile, here's a story coming up that you can't miss -- breaking a 23-year-old cross-country driving record. It's known as the Cannonball Run. How a rider and race car driving ended up beating speed traps, eluding police officers. There is the car. Alexander Roy and his tripped out ride and how he broke that record.

Today's headlines, plus this when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: That's a beautiful shot this morning from the Vegas Strip in Las Vegas. 55 degrees right now, going up to 76, supposedly mostly sunny today on this Friday, November 16th. I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York. Hey, John.

ROBERTS: It's always mostly sunny here in Las Vegas. And this truly is the town, Kiran, that doesn't sleep. 5:30 in the morning and you can bet inside those hotels, people are still gambling at the casinos. Thanks very much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING.

We got breaking news overseas to tell you about. At least 500 people have been killed in a tropical cyclone that slammed into southern Bangladesh. The storm packing 130-mile-an-hour winds, causing wide spread destruction. It leveled thousands of homes in nearly four-foot high storm surges and flooded low-lying coastal areas. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from villages along the southern coast of Bangladesh.

And CNN has learned that Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to send as many as 3,500 marines and three marine war ships to help with relief efforts after the cyclone in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has not formally requested U.S. aid but military commanders want to move the ships closer to the scene so they're ready and in place if and when that request is made.

President Bush will meet today with a new prime minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda. The White House says North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran and the recent clamp-down in Myanmar are all on the agenda -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, there are more allegations now swirling around an Illinois cop whose young wife has been missing now for more than two weeks. Drew Peterson's second of four wives is now speaking out. Vickie Connolly was married to Peterson for ten years in the '80s. She said that during their marriage, Peterson beat her and threatened to kill her and said he could make it look like an accident. Investigators are now looking into the death of his third wife which initially was ruled an accidental drowning despite questionable circumstances. Kathleen Savio's body was exhumed earlier this week.

We think of the common cold as annoying but not deadly. Now though, the Center for Disease Control is warning of a new and sometimes deadly strain of the common cold virus. Officials say that it's a mutated version called a -- adenovirus 14 and it's caused 10 deaths and killing at least more than 40 people in New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington state. The cases date back as far as May of 2006.

A 4,000 square foot house a total loss after three-alarm fire this morning in Missouri. This fire still burning and it broke out around 5:00 a.m. a little bit southwest in Desoto. The house was on a farm in a rural area, fully engulfed. Firefighters were actually traveling to a nearby creek, trying to get water to help to get control the flames. At this time, we have no word on any injuries but we will bring you more information as it becomes available.

ROBERTS: Thirty-four minutes now after the hour.

The Iowa caucuses are on the minds of a lot of candidates just 50 days away. At first glance it seems like it's anyone's race there on the democrat side. I talked with John Edwards about that last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it is a dead heat in Iowa. It's very close, very competitive there. It is the first place we go and traditionally the winner of the Iowa caucus ends up being the nominee. So we have a hard, tough contest there. I think people are taking a close look at all of us and I think they're looking for a fighter. They're looking for somebody like me who is taking on and fighting corporate interests and beating them my entire life. I did it as a lawyer. I've done it in public life and I think they're also looking for somebody they can trust so we can restore the trust relationship with the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Now, the winner of the Iowa caucus doesn't always become the nominee. 1992, Bill Clinton lost, won New Hampshire, and then became the nominee as president. Mark your calendars, the Iowa caucuses are going to e held on January 3rd of next year. Not too far away now.

First that was the GOPs turn. This time you get to ask the questions. Go to the CNN.com/youtube debates. Post your questions for the upcoming republican presidential candidates. Wednesday, November 28th, your voice will be heard only on CNN, your home for politics.

The Senate could vote as early as today on a $50 billion bill to help fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also would require a gradual troop withdrawal. It's not expected to pass but if it does the White House has promised a veto. Either way, if it doesn't become law top democrats say they will probably drop the issue until next year which may then force the pentagon to shift money around to fund the war.

I had a chance to talk about it with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid whose home state is right here in Nevada.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. HARRY REID (D), NEVADA: I think it's very important that the American people understand that the war in Iraq has been going on soon to be going into its sixth year. The president has asked for $200 billion. Now, keep in mind, we just had him sign a bill for $470 billion for the military.

At the same time that he signed that bill for $470 billion for the military, this country, he vetoed a bill that would allow more medical research for dread diseases in this country, it allowed more money for education, it allowed more money for more police on the street. It doesn't make a lot of sense that we should just lay back and say, go ahead, Mr. President, continue ruining our country. We're not going to do that.

ROBERTS: But, Senator Reid, if you continue to do this, knowing the president is going to end up with what he wants and you're doing it just to satisfy the anti-war movement within the democratic party, do you not end up looking like this is all for political purposes?

REID: This has nothing to do with anti-war movement within the democratic party. It has everything to do with the fact that this war has no support, that it is bankrupting our country. We cannot stop.

ROBERTS: Senator, looking back in May, your favorability rating here in your home state of Nevada was 46%. Recently the numbers have taken a little bit of a down turn. President Bush now has a higher favorability rating by two points than you do. Can you explain that?

REID: Yes, I can very explain it very easily. The poll taken by the "Las Vegas Review Journal" newspaper is worthless. And everyone acknowledges that. Barack Obama in that poll no one knew him. Coincidentally, I had a poll completed in September. And my favorability had gone up in the preceding six months to some 55% or John Hanson and I, nearly the same. This poll is worth nothing.

ROBERTS: Senator, let me ask you a question, if I could, just to finish off here that crosses party lines. Just want to point out to our viewers again that you are a member of the Mormon faith. As a Mormon, do you think that Mitt Romney should make a Kennedy style speech about his faith so that people more fully understand it?

REID: Mitt Romney can run his own campaign. What I have said and I will say again, his electability should be determined on his political views, not his religion.

ROBERTS: Senator Harry Reid, democrat of Nevada. Good to talk to you. Thanks for being with us today.

REID: Thank you very much, John.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Just wasn't going to go there.

The House by the way voted 218-203 to pass that emergency war budget calling for a pull-back of most combat troops to start within 30 days with a goal of completion by December 15th, 2008 but again there aren't just the votes in the senate to pass that -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, baseball's home run king Barry Bonds making news this morning and bracing for the fight of his life after a federal grand jury indicted him for lying about his testimony when it comes to steroid use. Now a strikeout in court could send him to prison. A maximum penalty for some of the charges, 30 years behind bars.

And it brings us to this morning's Quick Vote. Is Barry Bonds being unfairly targeted? We want you to cast your vote at CNN.com/am. Right now, 39 percent of you now saying yes and 61 percent say no. We will continue to update the votes throughout the morning.

Also ahead, how far should we go to curb obesity? Limiting access to fast foods in certain areas? Well, that's one controversial proposal. Up next, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us with this week's "Fit Nation" report.

Also, check this out. It's a pretty sweet ride. A tricked out BMW used to try to break a speed record. Can it make it from New York to Los Angeles in record time? Don't try this at home, of course, but you'll be amazed how little time it took. We're talking to the driver ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Eighteen minutes now to the top of the hour. As our country gets fatter, policymakers are looking for ways to legislate the way we eat and give us healthy alternatives by limiting the types of restaurants we visit. In today's "Fit Nation" Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a Los Angeles community that's taking zoning to a healthier level. He joins us now from the CNN center.

Zoning healthy, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it's interesting. A lot of people don't like the idea of first of all of government interference in what we eat as our food choices as a baseline. We know that from some of the polling we have done investigating this topic. But this idea of trying to bring healthier menus to places where only fast food restaurants existed previously, well that's something that a lot of people are getting interested in.

Here's what we found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): South L.A., more than 95 percent of the people here are minorities. You'll find no large restaurants and few grocery stores. Just fast food places that dot the landscape with neon signs and billboards. That concerns city officials. 30 percent of L.A.'s population is in south Los Angeles but 40 percent of the fast food restaurants are there as well. The health department says that's unfortunate, because 1 in 3 people in south L.A. are obese.

JAN PERRY, COUNCILWOMAN, DISTRICT 9: We have the issue of diabetes, hypertension, childhood obesity, morbid obesity.

GUPTA: Perry wants to ban new fast food restaurants from building in south L.A. for at least a year. She also hopes to attract more sit-down restaurants and more grocery stores.

PERRY: This is an effort to push forward a healthier agenda and to give people some choices that they have not historically had.

GUPTA: And although obesity may not be eliminated entirely. Study shows zoning laws are good first steps to fighting the problem. The big national fast food chains do offer healthy alternatives but people have to choose them. Lawmakers say that's not enough and it's time to upgrade the food establishments in a neighbor that has gone so long without.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: Now, this is not the only community doing things like this, John. But, it was interesting, Councilwoman Perry went on to tell us that in some places in her district it is easier to get a handgun than it is to get some of these fruits and vegetables she is talking about. So, it's not just easy for people to try to be healthy even if they want to, John.

ROBERTS: Anything else that the city of Los Angeles is doing to fight obesity problems besides the zoning issue?

GUPTA: You know, there is something else. And again, some of these things may not seem like earth-shattering ideas but this idea of for example, trans fat. So, the trans fat ban in New York City in New York. In L.A., there is none specifically but if you're a restaurant that volunteers to cook, do all your cooking without trans fat, you actually get a sticker from the city that you can put in the window of your restaurant that says "we don't use trans fats and the idea is that will be attractive to consumers and it gets you more business.

ROBERTS: They are becoming more and more popular in cities across America. Sanjay, thanks. And don't forget to join Sanjay for his show "HOUSE CALL" this weekend and as we do every weekend, the focus is on your vote and your health this weekend. "HOUSE CALL," Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

CNN NEWSROOM is minutes away now. Heidi Collins is at the CNN Center with a look at what lies ahead. Good morning to you, Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, John. Barry Bonds indicted on the NEWSROOM rundown. Baseball's home run king accused of lying about steroid use. Does it make the asterisk on the home run record a sure thing? Our guests are going to be covering the angles.

And a mutated version of a common cold virus turns into a killer. And it's spreading. Dr. Gupta is going to be filling us in on that.

Also these golden girls have got game. Women as old as 90 try out for the granny basketball league. It's all coming up Friday right here on the NEWSROOM, you can join us at the top of the hour -- John.

ROBERTS: Looks like a lot of fun. We'll see you then. Heidi, thanks very much.

Fifteen minutes now to the top of the hour. A pug who thinks he is a blender and just about the craziest door that we've ever seen just ahead when we check out this week's viral video.

CHETRY: Pedal to the metal. Imagine flooring it from New York to California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just slow down. Cop. Opposite side. White unmarked car entering. Police car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: We'll talk to the guy who had to outmaneuver police in order to break the illegal cross country driving record, better known as the cannon ball run, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Friday just beginning to dawn over my shoulder, which means that we've been scouring our inboxes for the best viral video of the week. Our Veronica De La Cruz has got the highlights for us now. Good morning, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you. Happy Friday to you. You know, our first video you can find it all over the Internet. You can find it on YouTube. We also saw it on getpedia.com and it's from Japan. It's a pretty innovative invention.

Take a look at the crazy door that identifies a person's image as part of a security measure. If you look at the way the door opens and closes, you'll notice the door is segmented into multiple strips and opens minimally outlining the person or object that passes through it. Again, it was created in Japan, needless to say. Not really surprising for such a futuristic invention.

All right. Next video passed on this by one of our APs right here on CNN. It comes from the Web site, willitblend.com, home of the total blender. And that in a lab coat question, I love my new iPhone and it can do anything but will it blend? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I'm going to push the smoothie button.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DE LA CRUZ: All right. Blending a phone doesn't really impress you? I guess you can head to the Web site and watch as the good doctor blends everything from footballs to tiki torches. Again, the Web site is willitblend.com. And speaking of blenders, one of the more popular videos this week, John, I don't know if you've got any animals. Maybe a dog. If so, can your dog do this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do it again. Do it again!

DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): Pretty crazy pug there. The dog acts like a blender. On command, you turn on the blender and there he goes. Once you turn off the blender, he stops.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did it. You did real good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DE LA CRUZ: And you can find that video at YouTube.com. John, do you have any pets?

ROBERTS: I do. I have a golden retriever who doesn't chase her tail like that or spin. You got to wonder, though, will that pug blend?

DE LA CRUZ: Oh, no. ROBERTS: We actually don't want to be asking that question. Veronica de la Cruz, thanks. Have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday.

DE LA CRUZ: You, too.

ROBERTS: All right. Now. back up to New York. Here's Kiran outside in Columbus circle. Kiran, I am jealous. I so wanted to meet these guys.

CHETRY: Yes, it's a pretty cool story actually. What we're talking about right now is this baby behind me. This is a tripped out BMS and it helped two guys to break the speed record, the cannon ball run heading all the way from New York to California in record time.

Let's take a look at how they did it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: It's the ultimate road race.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there we go.

CHETRY: And almost 2,800 mile-long speedway starting in New York and winding through 13 states to the finish line in Santa Monica, California. The purpose? To set a new cross-country driving record.

UNIDENTIFIED MAKE: Slow down. Cop. Opposite side.

CHETRY: The time to beat is 32 hours and 7 minutes which was set back in 1983 reaching top speed of 160 miles per hour. The biggest challenge is dodging police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he see us?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll know here in a second.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god, yeah, he's braking and turning around.

CHETRY: They almost get caught in Oklahoma but it's bad weather that slows them down in New Mexico.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will definitely take it back down. This is heavy rain. Hydroplane in this.

CHETRY: Preparations for the race were a year in the making. Including a blue BMW race car outfitted with numerous GPS systems, police scanners and a radar detector. They even had a twin engine spotter plane piloted by a friend acting as a look out for cops, traffic and construction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: How cool? Here we are. We're with Alex Roy, right now. You're the one who you did it, you broke this record 31 hours in your 2005 BMW. Congratulations.

ALEX ROY: Thanks very much.

CHETRY: First of all, what was the most exciting part about doing this?

ROY: Getting to Santa Monica and not having to drive again for a long, long time.

CHETRY: You know, it's funny. In real life, you're a very law abiding citizen. You haven't got any traffic violation. You don't speed?

ROY: I have maybe one minor ticket in five years.

CHETRY: Now, in this case, you guys have to do a lot. First, you had to stay awake for 42 hours. You're driving in and out of traffic. You broke the speed limit in all 13 states at one point 160 miles per hour. You know, even as being the best driver there was a chance that you could have gotten killed and somebody else could gotten hurt. Did you think about that while you're doing this?

ROY: You know, we thought about it a lot but the truth is if everybody in America took out their car stereo and put in a CB radio, it would be a safer place.

CHETRY: How did the CB radio help you?

ROY: If you call every trucker ahead and ask for permission to pass, you're going to get pass a lot more safely.

CHETRY: And so they were encouraging you guys doing this.

ROY: Oh, very.

CHETRY: Breaking the legal speed limit? What was the easiest or the best I guess trick, if you will, to avoiding getting nabbed by police? Is it a lot of luck?

ROY: No tailgating, no weaving. Drive safe.

CHETRY: There was some other interesting things that those of us who commute wonder about. First of all, you had to stop for gas six times but at no point did you take a potty break, let's put it that way.

ROY: We made the most efficient use of time while standing at the pump. That's the best way to put it.

CHETRY: All right. And also I imagine there's not a lot of gourmet meals taking place. What did you guys eat for 32 hours?

ROY: A beef jerky storage would have been right beneath your seat. A lot of nuts and fruit rollups. It was a terrible, terrible diet. CHETRY: I was going to say that this is a pretty cool car. I can't imagine it would be comfortable for that long period of time, especially with no sleep.

ROY: You know, between the beef jerky and the spilled drinks and the air-conditioning and windows rolled up, you could put, left a cucumber and at the end you would have a pickle in the car.

CHETRY: That's hilarious. Now, let me ask you. Because back in 1983 when the first record was broken, they didn't have GPS. I mean this is handy tool. How vital is this for figuring your way around?

ROY: You know, the GPS really is not that useful because there is only four tolls and maybe four turns between New York and L.A. This is purely to calculate our speed and time.

CHETRY: So, you did it. You broke the record. Would you do it again?

ROY: If I did, I wouldn't tell anyone. No, really.

CHETRY: Why?

ROY: It's not a good idea. It's really, really exhausting. I'm never going to climb Mt. Everest and there's a good reason for it.

CHETRY: And you would not recommend anyone do this at home but you're glad you did it?

ROY: Absolutely.

CHETRY: And what did your mom say?

ROY: She is a really slow driver, but she is German.

CHETRY: She is used to the Autobahn, so this is nothing. Well, Alex Roy, congratulations for breaking that record. You didn't get nabbed by police and you got lucky and boy, you have an adventure to tell your kids.

ROY: I hope they don't drive.

CHETRY: Thanks a lot.

ROY: Thank you.

CHETRY: Right now, we head back to the studio and check out what they are working for in the NEWSROOM, coming up.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Barry bonds indicted. What does it mean for baseball's new home run record.

A powerful cyclone kills hundreds in South Asia.

A mutated version of a common cold virus blamed for ten deaths.

A plane slams into a wall.

And a strange new find that dinosaur with a vacuum cleaner mouth. NEWSROOM, just minutes away, at the top of the hour, on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: A final tally now of this morning's Quick Vote. We asked you, is Barry Bonds being unfairly targeted in being indicted. Final check now says 38 percent found, yes. 63 percent say no he has not been unfairly targeted. To everyone who voted, thanks. We'll do it again next week.

That's going to wrap it up for us here on AMERICAN MORNING. Thanks so much for joining us this week.

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