Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Polygamist Sect: Children in Custody; A Matter of Faith: Pennsylvania's Catholic Voters; Leadership in Limbo: Zimbabwe Election Results Still on Hold
Aired April 14, 2008 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Who will speak for the children? Four hundred and 16 children from a polygamous compound in Texas need lawyers. Their mothers say they just need their mother.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get chapter and verse on last week's raids, this week's court fights. And we're live in Canada, where our Dan Simon met a polygamous leader and his bountiful family.
Hello. I'm Melissa Long, in today for Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters here in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LONG: So many children, such a secretive society. And the raid on that polygamist ranch in Texas created a mammoth legal case.
A judge in San Angelo is trying to get the ball rolling today. The state is expected to ask for permanent custody of the children this Thursday.
Now, some of the moms say their children are sick, they're traumatized, and living in terrible conditions. They have therefore written the governor for help.
And joining us now by phone, CNN's David Mattingly. He has the details that are emerging today on this case -- David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're standing outside the shelter where the bulk of the 416 kids and the 130-plus women came to over 10 days ago. You were just talking about how they wrote a letter to the governor complaining about the conditions here, about so many people per room and things like that.
What we're seeing here, 19 tour buses just pulled up to the shelter, suggesting that there's going to be some kind of move here today. We talked to the San Angelo police, and they tell us indeed that the children and the people in the shelter are going to be moved a few blocks across town to a much larger building, the city's coliseum.
So, at this point it appears that that letter of complaint may have had some sort of role in this. But the home that they've had for the last 10 days they're about to put behind them and move to a larger building, the coliseum, here in San Angelo.
LONG: One other question. I'm not sure if you have information on this or not, but we've been reading some new stories today about the fact that some of the moms, some of the young moms, have been corresponding by phone, relying on cell phones to communicate with the kids. And cell phones may have been taken away?
MATTINGLY: That's right. A judge's order came down yesterday. The cell phones were all confiscated.
The concern has been among the counselors and investigators here that there's been a great deal of influence from the men at the compound, male relatives calling and making sure certain things are not said. That's what they've been telling us. The judge ordered that these cell phones be taken away, and there is absolutely no communication at this point between the women at the shelter and the men back at the compound.
LONG: Got it.
David Mattingly in Texas with these updates for us in San Angelo. David, thank you.
Now, Texas has never seen a child custody case like this before. And in just a few minutes from now we'll be talking with the former head of the Texas State Bar's family law section. He will tell us what it's going to be like to represent 416 children, again, in what could be the biggest child custody case in U.S. history.
LEMON: Well, the biggest remaining contest on the Democratic presidential calendar is Pennsylvania, with 158 delegates at stake eight days from now. Here's a snapshot of the state.
More than 15 percent of voters are 65 or older. In 2006, Pennsylvania was second only to Florida in the number of senior citizens.
The median household income is just about $40,000. The population, almost 12.3 million, more than 85 percent of whom are white.
When it comes to one of Pennsylvania's key voting blocs, politics is often a matter of faith.
Here's CNN's chief national correspondent, John King.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): St. Sebastian is Pittsburgh's largest Roman Catholic parish. This, a Sunday morning snapshot of the white ethnic voting bloc pivotal in Pennsylvania politics.
TERRY MADONNA, POLLSTER, FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE: It's very, very important because they're numerous. Forty percent of the voters of our state tend to be these more conservative blue-collar working class Catholic Democrats.
KING: More than 700,000 Catholics in the Pittsburgh diocese alone. Political participation is encouraged, but inside the church, clear lines.
REV. JAMES WEHNER, DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH: But Jesus gives us the warning, doesn't he? Be doubtful. A lot of people claim to be (INAUDIBLE). A lot of people claim to have the truth.
KING: No endorsements from the altar. Father James Wehner knows it is an election year, knows the Pope will be visiting the United States this week, and knows the teachings of the church and the platforms of the politicians don't always match up.
WEHNER: So many people think that to be Catholic you are a good American, well, if you could truly be free you can't follow all of the teachings of the Catholic Church. That is a lie.
KING: After mass, he's enthusiastic with the parishioners and careful with how they might choose between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
(on-camera): And both of whom are very outspoken in their support of abortion rights and both of whom are very dependent on blue-collar Catholic votes. That's a hard one.
WEHNER: And that's why in the church, we make it very clear. We don't tell people who to vote for. We tell people how we should be voting. You know, and so, we may agree or disagree as we look at what are all of these moral issues before us.
KING (voice-over): This is Senator Clinton's base. She needs big margins in communities like this to offset Obama's likely edge in inner city Philadelphia.
Hillary Clinton's strength in Pennsylvania has been among working class voters, Catholics, union members, senior citizens and Pennsylvania has those in very large numbers.
DOLLY SCHEIBLE, CATHOLIC VOTER: I'm kind of on the fence right now.
KING: Dolly Scheible has never voted Democrat for president, but says she might if she has a chance to vote for a woman. John McCain definitely gets her vote if the Democrats nominate Obama.
SCHEIBLE: There are a lot of words, you know? And you know, words are cheap many times because how do you think that you're going to change everything? I can't see that you can.
KING: Just one more Sunday before Pennsylvania's presidential primary, and then the question in places like this, turns to how this state's critical Catholic vote will break come November.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: Senators Obama and Clinton shared their views on faith in last night's Compassion Forum, although Senator McCain declined the invitation. If you missed it, you have another chance to watch it. Go online to CNN.com/live and we'll be re-airing the Compassion Forum there at 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern. That's at CNN.com/live.
And this will interest many of you, the Pennsylvania Catholics who we just mentioned. Our worldwide coverage of the visit of the pope begins tomorrow morning.
The pope will arrive in the afternoon, and we'll follow the pontiff throughout the week. And you might want to mark this down. We'll bring you live coverage of the papal mass at Yankee Stadium Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
LEMON: Finally a ruling from Zimbabwe's high court on the release of presidential election returns, but it really doesn't settle anything.
CNN's Robyn Curnow is live for us from Johannesburg, South Africa.
And we're still looking at kind of leadership in limbo.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Melissa.
Well, I don't think the Al Gore/George Bush presidential controversy in 2000 has anything on this. Essentially more than two weeks after the Zimbabweans lined up at the polls to vote for a new president, the electoral commission is still sitting on the votes. They're still no closer to knowing who will be the next president, because the high court has also now weighed in and said, actually, the electoral commission doesn't need to release these results anytime soon.
So indeed, a limbo, and also more and more concerns that the president, the incumbent president, Robert Mugabe, who's been ruling Zimbabwe for 28 years, is using this as a delaying tactic to stuff ballots and to try and ensure that he stays in power. The opposition is trying everything, but it seems like the court process, the legal process, is not going to do them any good.
They say they won this election. But all in all, political limbo, and indeed this comes at a great cost to the people of Zimbabwe, the economy of Zimbabwe, and, of course, the stability of the region as a whole here in southern Africa.
LONG: Help us understand the stability of that area. Why aren't the regional leaders standing up to Mugabe?
CURNOW: You know, it's a funny quirk of politics in this part of the world. Robert Mugabe is the oldest ruler in this part of the world. He's also one of -- the respected elder statesmen. That's how younger politicians view him.
It's sort of an African tradition to respect your elders. But it seems that they're taking this to the extreme, and they're not criticizing him. In fact, fearful of criticizing him.
It's a bit like being scared of, you know, a nasty grandfather or something. And that is the real concern here, is that there would be no tough regional response.
In fact, the South African president came out on the weekend and said there wasn't a crisis in Zimbabwe. So not just a limit or a lack of tough criticism, but also, from many people's point of view here, a real sense that there's absolutely no acknowledgement that there is a crisis.
But the real problem is, is a refugee crisis. More than a quarter of Zimbabweans have left their country in recent years. The economy is one of the worst performing in the world. And for many people here, they say if you don't say there's no crisis up north, well, then you're delusional.
So real worries about the fate of Zimbabwe in the coming days and weeks.
LONG: Certainly a very complicated political story there unfolding in Zimbabwe again.
CNN's Robyn Curnow live for us from Johannesburg. Robyn, thank you.
LEMON: After months of uncertainty and more than a thousand deaths, Melissa, the election crisis in Kenya is officially over. Yesterday, opposition leader Raila Odinga joined the government of President Mwai Kibaki. That's the president on the right and the new prime minister on the left.
It's the first time Kenya has had this kind of arrangement. But international observers said the election was so chaotic, it was impossible to tell who won.
And a reminder that peace is fragile. We want to tell you about Kenyan troops clashed in Nairobi today with an outlawed criminal gang that vowed to take its fight nationwide. The deadly battle wasn't directly related to politics, but it happened in one of the areas racked by post-election violence.
LONG: Ten minutes past the hour, and here's an interesting challenge. How do you round up 350 lawyers by Thursday? It almost sounds like a joke, right? A joke of a question. Well, that's what one member of the Texas Bar actually needs to do after the recent raid at a polygamist ranch in Texas.
LEMON: Plus, a taste of politics straight ahead. Bring sweetener. The back-and-forth between the Democrats can leave a bitter taste.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, last week's raid on a polygamous ranch in Texas has created a mammoth and complex situation in San Angelo. A short time ago we learned many of the 400-plus children and women removed from the compound likely will be bussed from a shelter to the city's coliseum where there is more space.
Some of the mothers have said their children are sick, traumatized and living in terrible conditions. They wrote the governor for help. A judge in San Angelo is trying to get the legal ball rolling today. The state is expected to ask for permanent custody of the children on Thursday.
LONG: Now, in the background, a scramble for attorneys to represent the children.
Tom Vick of the Texas Bar Association joining us from Dallas right now.
And Tom, this is an awesome responsibility, to try to round up more than 400 attorneys -- well, about 350 attorneys, and by this Thursday. How did you get this challenge?
TOM VICK, STATE BAR OF TEXAS: Well, actually, I was watching the news last Tuesday, and I had seen the children leave. And obviously it occurs to everyone who sees that, that these children are going to need a lot of care. And then it occurred to me, well, my goodness, all these kids are entitled to lawyers as well.
The family code requires that the court appoint an attorney. So I called down to the Texas Access to Justice Commission, and I said, what are we doing about that? And they said, well, it's so timely that you called. Would you be interested in volunteering to help us do that?
LONG: You're the lucky guy then. OK.
VICK: I was.
LONG: So all these attorneys, all these children in the courtroom on Thursday, one judge. What will the procedure be like and how long will it last?
VICK: Well, a lot of the logistics of that part of the thing are still being worked out. I'm still recruiting lawyers. The judge is I think now in the process of assigning -- there are some ad litem -- attorney ad litem coordinators there that are helping the judge match lawyers and their experience with these children.
So, the judge will be signing orders today to start appointing lawyers, and the instructions will go to these attorneys about where to go, where to pick up their file, where they might be able to see their client prior to the Thursday hearing. And then it will also have instructions about where to go on Thursday for that hearing. And then Judge Walter will start conducting that hearing in whatever fashion was determined this morning.
LONG: Tom, we have a couple of clips to share with our viewers and with you right now of two moms who were not at that raid -- excuse me, at that home when it was raided. Then we want to talk to you on the other side. These are, again, two mothers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're happy, sweet children. They love it here. They want to be here. They keep saying, "I want to go home. I want to go home. Let us go home."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do not know why they have my children. No one has told me anything except for maybe this and maybe that, and it's because of this. But no one has confronted me and said, this is why.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Now, these mothers are understandably sad and bewildered. And what about the children? I know you can't speak due to confidentiality about your client, about some of the clients of your colleagues, but are these children responding to the attorneys? And how are they connecting with them?
VICK: Well, the children so far have only talked to a couple of ad litem coordinators, in addition to the counselors and the psychological help they've been given. So I don't really know the answer to that. But you would certainly expect that given the background that these kids have had and the place that they've been raised, and the culture they've been raised in, they would be afraid.
And so it's not surprising. And certainly they have only one experience, and they do want to go home. That's not unusual at all.
LONG: Any chance that the children could be sent back?
VICK: There is that chance. When these lawyers get appointed, they're going to go out and interview the children. They'll probably interview the parents, they'll look at all of the evidence. And ultimately, the ad litems will make a recommendation to a court, where they will advocate for their client.
And sometimes as the child's attorney, your position would be at odds with what CPS wants to do or at odds with what the parents want to do. And some of these children have their own ideas about what they want, and that gets to be advocated.
Now, there's sometimes a huge difference between what's in their best interest and what a kid wants. So that's another problem for the court.
LONG: Tom, we're just about out of time. Just the last question. This is an enormous case for the state, possibly for the United States, in terms of just how large it is.
Is the judge up for this job?
VICK: Judge Walter is a fantastic judge. Everything I know about her -- I've met with her, I've visited with her actually at a meeting some time ago, but she is, by all accounts, very well-suited for this job. She'll do a fine job.
LONG: All right.
Tom Vick joining us live from Texas today. Tom, thank you so much.
VICK: Thank you.
LEMON: CNN's Dan Simon talked with a polygamist and was given access to his compound and his family.
Some access to their world and some insight into their thinking straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
LONG: Hello once again. I'm Melissa Long in today for Kyra Phillips, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Well we've been hearing this over and over, it is a must- win state for Hillary Clinton, and she must win big. Eight days before Pennsylvania's presidential primary, our new Poll of Polls -- here's what it shows -- Clinton with a slightly wider lead over Barack Obama.
Recent polls had shown a narrowing race, but an average of three new polls shows Clinton with a six-point edge, up from four last Thursday. And if you look behind the numbers, you'll find some heated words. So let's bring in our senior political analyst, Mr. Bill Schneider, with that.
OK, Bill. So that Poll of Polls is showing a wider lead in Pennsylvania. What's going on here?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well a little bit wider. I wouldn't make too much of going from four to six points. But the fact is she's had a pretty steady lead throughout. And what people are going to be looking at at the primary, which is a week from tomorrow, my God, finally, is whether it shows anything about this issue that's been dividing the candidates, the bitterness issue, where Barack Obama is accused by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain of being an elitist.
It's not the problem he was supposed to have. He was supposed to have a race problem. But he's now got what sounds like a class problem with his competitors saying that he looks down on people. Well, Pennsylvania will be an important test because there are a lot of blue-collar voters in Pennsylvania.
We'll see how he does among those voters. If he does well, holds her down to a very narrow lead, or even defeats her, then it looks like that issue isn't going to have much traction.
LEMON: And, Bill, both of them are speaking out today, correct?
SCHNEIDER: Yes, they both are. You mean Clinton and Obama, yes?
LEMON: Clinton and Obama, yes.
SCHNEIDER: McCain is too.
Yes, and they both had words, each of them accusing the other of being elitist, being out of touch. Obama was insulted, who are they calling an elitist. And he was -- he even mocked her yesterday saying that she's pretending to be Annie Oakley. She -- what does she do, go duck hunting?
So he's also mocking her and saying that she has no right to call him an elitist.
LEMON: And Bill, I think we have sound of it. Let's take a look and then we'll talk.
SCHNEIDER: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, it may be that I chose my words badly, it's not the first time and won't be the last. But when I hear my opponents, both of whom spent decades in Washington, saying I'm out of touch, it's time to cut through the rhetoric and look at the reality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said that they cling to religion and guns and dislike people who are different from them. Well, I don't believe that.
I believe that people don't cling to religion, they value their faith. You don't cling to guns, you enjoy hunting or collecting or sports shooting. I don't think he really gets it, that people are looking for a president who stands up for you, and not looks down on you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK, Bill. Just one night after our "Compassion Forum" and there doesn't seem to be much compassion between either of them today.
SCHNEIDER: There's a lot of personal squabbling. But keep in mind that this debate, while it's bitter and intense, is a very personal debate. They're each challenging each other's credentials, saying that the other one is out of touch and elitist, looking down on people. That's certainly a very tough debate and it's got Democrats on edge.
But it's not ideological and it's not a division based on issues. It's not as if one of them were pro-war and the other one were anti- war, or one of them supported and the other opposed abortion rights. So in that sense, the Democrats, I think, may feel a big relief that once this is finally all over, they may be able to reconcile.
Because in the end, it really is a personal debate, not an issue or an ideological debate.
LEMON: All right. Bill Schneider, thank you very much.
Bill said from four to six, not that big a deal, but I'm sure you're going to be talking about it, breaking it down, in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Bill Schneider, part of the best political team on television. Thank you, Bill.
LONG: This afternoon in Florida, beaches of Ft. Lauderdale, we have been following a shark sighting and possibly a second one. There's some video taken by our affiliate, WFOR, a little bit earlier today.
Live on the line with us right now, a lifeguard, Gio Serrano, joining us to help us to better understand what's going on.
Thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate your time.
VOICE OF LT. GIO SERRANO, FT. LAUDERDALE OCEAN RESCUE: Thank you for having us.
LONG: So help us understand. Earlier there was a siting, a lifeguard confirming that. Everybody was ordered off the beach. And now, another sighting?
SERRANO: Yes. We cleared the water. People can remain on the beach, but we do clear the water, just for precautionary method.
LONG: OK. It's a blacktip reef shark is what many people are considering this shark may be. Tell us about that kind of shark and how worried you are.
SERRANO: We're not too concerned. That's not something we have to -- we've had problems in the past with. They're in the area. We have three different lines of reefs out here not too far from shore. So, this time of year, it's fairly common for them to come a little closer since the bait fish are moving through along the beaches.
LONG: OK. So you said three different lines of reefs. Help us to understand for those that don't spend a lot of time in the water, on the oceans, or in Ft. Lauderdale, why they're coming your way this time of year.
SERRANO: Well with the migration of bait fish, or mollusks (ph), they're going to -- heading back north because of warmer waters. They -- everything else that feeds off of that tends to follow along with it.
LONG: Obviously, safety is at the foremost of everybody's minds today. A lot of people vacationing during spring break down in that area.
What do you advise people to do if they happen to suspect there could be something in the water that could be dangerous?
SERRANO: The best thing to do is just get out of the water -- best thing to do is swim at a beach with lifeguards who keep an eye out for you. But if that's not a possibility, then the best thing to do is, if you're not sure of what's around you, or what's in the water, the best thing is to stay out of the water.
LONG: And a lot of people, though -- I think when you have a lot of teens or young adults on spring break, they may try avoid or think that they may not get in harm's way.
Do you see this often?
SERRANO: In general, people are pretty compliant with the lifeguards. If we ask them or tell them there's something in the water that could be dangerous, they tend to listen pretty good.
LONG: OK. But again, a blacktip reef shark is what is considered to be in the water, possibly two of them today. And again, you're not too worried, but again everybody is taking all the necessary precautions to make sure everybody's safe.
SERRANO: Absolutely. Safety first. We clear the water in whichever direction the shark is heading to and we keep it clear ahead of the shark, and we keep it clear after the shark has left the area for up to half-an-hour.
LONG: All right. It looks like some beautiful water, despite the shark. Looks like some beautiful water. I'm sure some really nice weather for everybody that's vacationing down there, as well.
SERRANO: Yes indeed.
LONG: Gio Serrano, a lifeguard, joining us by phone today from Ft. Lauderdale.
And again, we were talking about this earlier, a lot of people likely vacationing this time of year, it's really the only place you can find warm weather today.
LEMON: Spring break -- yes, and we're glad everybody's OK. No one -- of course, the shark...
LONG: Nope.
LEMON: He says they're not aggressive at all when it comes to humans. All right. Thanks for that.
Let's talk now about last week's raid at a polygamous ranch in Texas. It has created a mammoth and complex situation in San Angelo. Just a short time ago, we learned many of the 400-plus children and women removed from the compound likely will be bussed from a shelter to the city's coliseum where there's more space.
Now some of the mothers have said their children are sick, traumatized and living in terrible conditions. They wrote the governor for help. A judge in the San Angelo area is trying to get the legal ball rolling today. The state is expected to ask for permanent custody of the children on Thursday.
And CNN's Dan Simon got rare access inside the life and lifestyle of a polygamist leader in Canada. He joins us now from Creston, British Columbia with the very latest.
It must have been very interesting going inside, Dan.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very interesting, Don.
The FLDS church that we have chronicled so extensively out of Texas, and in Colorado, also has a thriving population here in Canada. The community is called Bountiful, about 1,000 people here live in polygamy.
Over the weekend, I spoke with Winston Blackmore, he's one of the top polygamy leaders in North America. He has more than 20 wives and more than 100 children. And I first asked him about whether the raid in Texas was justified.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINSTON BLACKMORE, POLYGAMIST LEADER: I don't know. I just think that if somebody called for distress in any other community that size that they wouldn't -- the authorities wouldn't go in and mop up on every last person that was there and go and jackhammer holes in their temple.
I think perhaps they should have thought that out a little bit better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: Now, there's something you should know about Blackmore. The fact that he is defending the FLDS church is something of a surprise. A few years ago, he had a bitter falling out with the church. He was ex-communicated from the church by Warren Jeffs. There was a bitter feud.
But he's such an important character because he knows the church and the practices better than anyone. And we asked him about this notion about whether the beds in the Texas temple were actually used to consummate marriages.
Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKMORE: I could imagine if there was a bed in that place it would be probably housing for whoever was a caretaker of the temple.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: Now, some have speculated that what's happening in Texas and the fact that polygamy seems to be under the microscope in general in the United States that there might actually be an influx of polygamists coming to Canada, so this community of Bountiful could become a greater player in this whole polygamy world, Don.
LEMON: All right. CNN's Dan Simon. Dan, thank you so much for that report.
And you can see Dan's entire interview with Winston Blackmore on "AC 360." Check it out tonight at 10:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
LONG: It is good for you; it's bad for you. When it comes to alcohol and breast cancer, some new research shows too much of one can lead to the other in some ladies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Want to check some of the stories we're working on for you at this hour.
Lawyers are packing a Texas courtroom today trying to figure out how to represent the 416 children seized from a polygamist sect. Well later this week, the state will plead for permanent custody of the children.
Dozens of mayors across the country are meeting in Washington right now to find ways to crack down on weapons trafficking. Meantime, Wal-Mart tells the "Associated Press" it struck a deal with New York mayor Michael Bloomberg to toughen standards for gun sales.
Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says his city council is acting childish -- that's a quote. That's after council members told him they didn't want to hear his budget plan today. Their relationship has been strained over charges that Kilpatrick and his former top aide are accused of facing for allegedly lying under oath to cover up an affair.
LONG: If you happen to drink alcohol every day and you are post- menopausal, you do stand a greater risk of breast cancer. That's simply the bottom line of two new research studies.
Medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joining us now to help us to understand a little bit more.
And I think a lot of women will hear this and say, hey, how much is too much?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, exactly. Well according to this study, even one glass a day is too much. LONG: Wow.
COHEN: Yes, it's very interesting. This study looked at post- menopausal women. It's being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research. And here's what they found.
They found that women who had three or more drinks a day had an increased breast cancer risk of 51 percent. And even just one or two drinks a day, those ladies had an increased risk of 32 percent.
Now, we do need to note the American Cancer Society, based on other studies, because this is not the first on alcohol and women, they don't say that women should give up alcohol altogether. But they do use the word limit -- limit your alcohol to help prevent breast cancer.
LONG: I guess everything in moderation, along those lines. But so many people have sung the praises of having a glass to ward off heart disease.
So, how do you know if you should maybe have that glass of wine a day?
COHEN: Exactly. It is confusing. Because study after study has shown that say -- a glass of wine a day can help yield off -- can help keep away heart disease for women. So, what do you do?
Well, you really want to think about your own personal risk. If you have breast cancer in your family, your mother, your sisters, your grandmother, your aunts, talk to your doctor. You might decide together that you really should not be drinking alcohol at all.
On the other hand, if you have lots of heart disease in your family, you might decide the opposite; you might decided that a glass a day is a good idea. So it really depends on your individual risks and your own health history.
LONG: Yes, weighing the risks. So what else can we do, though, to prevent breast cancer?
COHEN: Right. There are a couple of tried-and-true things that can help prevent breast cancer.
So here's this from the American Cancer Society. Women need to keep their weight down, stay at a healthy weight. Also, exercise regularly. Breast feed -- that can help. And, after menopause, don't use hormone replacement therapy. So those are some of the things that can help you ward off breast cancer.
But you know what? We all know sometimes there's nothing you can do, sometimes it's genetic and sometimes, for who knows why, women get breast cancer.
LONG: The exercise for this, for warding off breast cancer, of course helping of so many ailments as well --
COHEN: Right.
LONG: -- trying to prevent them.
Elizabeth Cohen, medical correspondent. Thank you.
COHEN: Thank you.
LEMON: More medical news to tell you about. In the next few years, 78 million baby boomers will turn 65 and thus qualify for Medicare. Is the system ready? Well, committing with the Institute of Medicine finds a shortage of specialists in geriatric medicine and low doctor reimbursement rates -- combined it says, those factors could prevent seniors from getting the care that they need.
LONG: Searching for a solution to keep your children safe at college? One option, allow concealed weapons on campus. But what do the students think about this idea?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, it was a year ago Wednesday, 32 people were killed when a student gunman opened fire at Virginia Tech. Today, lawmakers in several states want to let gun owners, with permits, carry concealed weapons into public colleges.
CNN's justice department correspondent, Kelli Arena, asked students whether that would make them feel safer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What will it take to stop the next campus gunman? The answer, for a growing number of students, is this.
MICHAEL FLITCRAFT, CONCEALED WEAPONS SUPPORTER: Would you rather just sit there and cower underneath a desk while someone executes you, or would you rather have a chance to defend your life? That's what it really boils down to.
ARENA: Michael Flitcraft is a student in Ohio.
(on-camera): Ohio is one of eight states currently considering legislation to allow guns on college campuses. But supporters know they have an uphill battle.
(voice-over): Flitcraft is licensed to carry a concealed weapon on the streets, but can't bring it to school.
FLITCRAFT: To me it makes no sense if I can defend myself legally over there, but I'm a felon if I step on the grass over here.
ARENA: Utah, Colorado and Virginia already allow guns on campus, though it's up to school officials to set policy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see carrying a concealed firearm as a kind of life insurance policy. ARENA: Still, most students aren't convinced.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that it's completely absurd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It shocks me. It kind of scares me a little bit.
ARENA: Since 1966, there have been about a dozen campus shootings. As tragic as they were, experts contend that campuses are still among the safest places for young adults.
GENE FERRARA, SECURITY CHIEF, UNIV. OF CINCINNATI: I don't think the answer to bullets flying is to send more bullets flying.
ARENA: University of Cincinnati security chief, Gene Ferrara, thinks the idea is a recipe for disaster.
FERRARA: When someone is shooting, the officer responds to the scene. There's a person there with a gun in their hand. Now, is that the bad guy or is that a citizen who is trying to help out?
ARENA: But Michael Flitcraft says he won't give up.
FLITCRAFT: I do see in the future, eventually, it might take ten or 15 years for it to happen, but people being able to defend their lives on campus.
ARENA: Kelli Arena, CNN, Cincinnati, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Private about prayer. John McCain talks war, talks the economy, but he's not too vocal about faith. Will the senator lose a key voting bloc because of this. We're going to take a closer look coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Evangelical vote -- it is a traditional Republican stronghold. But can the presumptive GOP nominee count on it this time?
Here's CNN's Dana Bash. She's part of the best political team on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sunday morning at the New Covenant Fellowship Church (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (singing): Heavily father, beautiful son...
BASH: The sights and sounds of prayer in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's pray. BASH: These are evangelical voters that Republican presidential candidates rely on to win this state. But they're expressing the kind of faith John McCain almost never does.
DOUG ENDERS, PENNSYLVANIA EVANGELICAL VOTER: Honestly, I haven't gotten a good feel for him. I haven't -- I've been to his Web site a few times, but I haven't gotten a good feel as to where he stands when it comes to other issues that aren't the ones that are maybe mainstream issues that Christians tend to look at.
BASH: McCain, raised an Episcopalian, now belongs to a Baptist church, but was not baptized.
On the rare occasions he mentions his faith, it's usually in his comfort zone -- the military and its men.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Their duty and loyalty belong to their country. They find solace in their faith in God.
BASH: Quite a contrast to the current GOP president who famously said this, when asked to name his favorite philosopher.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Christ. Because he changed my heart.
BASH: McCain is from an older generation, more private about prayer.
MCCAIN: I'm unashamed and unembarrassed about my deep faith in God. But I do not, obviously, try to impose my views on others.
BASH: But he is equally quiet about his policy positions important to evangelicals, like his opposition to abortion, and has angered social conservatives on a host of issues, like support for embryonic stem cell research.
MIKE GEER, PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY INSTITUTE: He's got some problems, no question about it. And if he talks about those things that are important and has a track record behind it, I think he can win people over.
BASH: Back at the evangelical church, Pastor Brett Hartmann disagrees with McCain on several issues, but says he's not bothered that McCain doesn't talk much about his faith.
REV. BRETT HARTMANN, NEW COVENANT FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: Sometimes, when people kind of use the platform of their faith, that takes a little bit away from their integrity.
BASH: He tells his conservative flock to judge a candidate by his actions, not words. That's what the gospel teaches.
Dana Bash, CNN, Grantham, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LONG: Senators Obama and Clinton shared their views on faith in last night's "Compassion Forum." If you happened to miss it, guess what? You have another chance to watch today. Just go on line to CNN.com/live. We will rebroadcast the "Compassion Forum" this afternoon in just a matter of minutes, 3:00 in the afternoon and then 6:00 Eastern time. Again, CNN.com/live.
LEMON: Don't bank on it, but your mortgage lender may be more flexible than you think in the face of foreclosure. We follow one woman's surprising story, Melissa.
LONG: Plus, building a bigger airline. Two major carriers are moving toward a merger and the deal may be just a day away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, Pope Benedict the XVI arrives tomorrow for his first visit to the U.S. as leader of the world's Catholics. He'll be greeted at Andrews Air Force base by the President and Mrs. Bush, and that is a first, too.
Never before has President Bush met a visiting leader at the airport. The Pope will meet with Mr. Bush at the White House, hold stadium size masses and address the U.N., even though his papacy started three years ago this Saturday. Our Vatican analysts say Americans still have a lot to learn about Benedict XVI.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: I think it's enormously important, both for the Pope, and also for the United States. For the Pope, he sees himself, in part, as a voice of conscience in global affairs. This is a chance for him to play that role on the world's biggest stage.
For the Catholic church in the United States, this is, in the first place, a chance for them to get to know their new leader. After three years I think, in many ways, Benedict XVI is still a bit of an unknown for the average American Catholic. Recent polls find that almost two-thirds of American Catholics say they know nothing or next to nothing about Benedict XVI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Some of the victims of -- families of the victims of the sex abuse scandal plan to make their voices heard during the Pope's visit. Some believe the Pope hasn't punished church officials who turned blind eyes to abusive Catholic priests.
And our worldwide coverage of the visit of the Pope begins tomorrow morning. The Pope will arrive in the afternoon and we'll follow the pontiff throughout the week.
And, you might want to mark this down, We'll bring you live coverage of the papal mass at Yankee stadium. That's Sunday, 2:00 p.m. Eastern. And the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxantshop.com
