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American Morning
Reverend Jeremiah Wright Takes on Critics; Oil Prices Soar Closer to New Record High; Miley Cyrus Sorry for Photo Shoot with 'Vanity Fair'
Aired April 28, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Rayola Dougher, thanks for joining us.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: (INAUDIBLE) the top of the hour now. Barack Obama's former pastor makes a passionate speech declaring differences between African-Americans and white Americans.
Reverend Jeremiah Wright took on his critics last night at the NAACP's Annual Freedom Fund Dinner. Wright says his controversial sermons that appeared on the Internet are, quote, "descriptive and not divisive." Some 10,000 people have attended to hear him talk about differences when it comes to religion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT, FORMER PASTOR, TRINITY UNITED CHURCH: I come from a religious tradition where we shout in the sanctuary and march on the picket line. I come from a religious tradition where we give God the glory and we give the devil the blues. The black religious tradition is different. We do it a different way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It is one of the most popular stories on cnn.com right now. Reverend Wright also mentioned CNN's special correspondent Soledad O'Brien in his speech last night. She joins us live from Detroit.
You know, this was not a speech aimed just at folks at the end of an NAACP dinner last night but also people across the country because it was carried on television. Do you think that Reverend Wright, I don't want to say changed any minds, but helped give people a better understanding of who he is and where he comes from?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that the theme of "different is not deficient" maybe should have been a subtitle which would have been "this is who I am by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright," because I think, really, what he's trying to do was define himself for the audience to really hear.
You know, it looks kind of hurt him in a little snippet and sound bites and eight-second little chunks. So I think he knew that he would be carried live and knew that this would be a speech a lot of people would got to watch. So, I think he was trying to define himself and he used the opportunity really to underscore that theme and also at the same time call for unity. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WRIGHT: Please run and tell my stuck on stupid friends that Arabic is a language. It's not a religion. Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama. There are Arabic-speaking Christians, Arabic-speaking Jews, Arabic-speaking Muslims and Arabic- speaking atheists. Arabic is a language. It's not a religion. Stop trying to scare folks by giving them an Arabic name as if it's some sort of disease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: If there was anything, John, that was controversial, I think it's what the Reverend said about the innate learning or educational differences between black and white children. I think that there'll be a lot of people who, involved in education, would say, well, you know, all children learn differently; it's not necessarily black children versus white children. But take a listen to what he said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WRIGHT: Dr. Hail showed us that in comparing African-American children and European-American children in the field of education, we were comparing apples and rocks. She discovered that the two different worlds have two different ways of learning.
European and European-American children have a left-brain cognitive object-oriented learning style. African and African- American children have a different way of learning. They are right- brain, subject-oriented in their learning styles.
Right brain, that means creative and intuitive. Subject-oriented means they learn not from an object but from a subject, they learn from a person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: So there are certainly plenty of people in education who will say, not so fast on that Reverend. All children across the board learn differently.
It would be interesting, though, to see, of course maybe the primary question -- what's the fallout for the Barack Obama campaign? Because I thought the 10,000 people inside at this dinner really thought it was a home run. But then you know, he's preaching to the choir. This was a very supportive crowd.
And I think for people who really just wanted to hear Reverend Wright for themselves, you know, unfiltered, just hear what he had to say. It was an illuminating speech. It was a really funny, not angry, interesting, dynamic speech. So, certainly a home run for him from that perspective.
John? ROBERTS: And people will get a chance to hear more from him coming in about 25 minutes' time when he appears at the National Press Club in Washington.
Soledad O'Brien for us this morning from Detroit. Soledad, thanks so much.
PHILLIPS: Barack Obama refusing Hillary Clinton's latest debate offer with eight days to go before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. She wants a Lincoln-Douglas style debate with no moderators, just the two candidates on stage asking each other questions and speaking their minds. Obama says they've already debated 21 times. He doesn't want to do it.
Meantime, Hillary Clinton is criticizing U.S. war policies, saying that Afghanistan needs as much attention as Iraq, if not more. She said the Taliban's attempt to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul yesterday is proof that more resources are needed there.
ROBERTS: Five minutes after the hour. Next week's primaries will not break the stalemate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Now, the Democratic Party Chairman is pushing superdelegates to pick a side. We talked with Howard Dean a few minutes ago here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: There's no reason for folks not to make up their mind by the end of June as opposed to the end of August. And that would give us an extra two months to heal the party and to avoid having a really divisive convention.
Look, John McCain is a flawed candidate. As you know, we have a new ad up, talking about his position on the 100 years in Iraq. And we're not going to lose to John McCain unless we lose to ourselves first. And the only way that will happen is if we're not unified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Chairman Dean also said that there will be some sort of compromise to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan by the time that the Democratic convention comes around. That will be in Denver in August.
John McCain says he didn't do anything wrong by flying on a private jet that belongs to his wife's company. "The New York Times" reported that McCain was using the jet apparently a contradiction to his stance on Campaign Finance Reform. The rule is candidates must pay charter rates for flights on private jets but they don't have to pay if it's owned by a member of their family.
PHILLIPS: New this morning. Firefighters say that they're gaining ground in the battle against a wildfire burning in southern California. Officials say thanks to low winds and high humidity, they've contained about 30 percent of the fire, but not before it burned more than 400 acres and at least 10,000 people have also been evacuated. Officials say the mandatory evacuation could be listed by afternoon.
And authorities will reopen an eight-mile stretch of beach in San Diego County after a deadly shark attack. They think a Great White killed a 66-year-old triathlete on Friday. Coast Guards and San Diego County sheriff's helicopters patrolled the coastlines over the weekend and said there were no signs of the shark.
And in Florida, two surfers attacked by sharks off New Smyrna Beach. A 24-year-old was bitten on his cap. Another man had to have surgery after a shark bit his foot. Doctors say that both surfers are expected to recover.
And truck drivers hurt by the rising cost of fuel are heading to Washington. In less than an hour, hundreds of drivers are expected to disrupt the morning rush as they make their way through D.C. Drivers will then head to a rally later this morning at the capital.
And the Olympic torch getting a warm welcome in North Korea. Thousands of people lined up that 12-mile route through Pyongyang waving flags and flowers. North Korea, an ally of China, has supported China's crackdown against protests in Tibet. Tomorrow the Olympic torch heads to Vietnam.
ROBERTS: Not surprising not a hint of protest there in North Korea.
You may want to think twice before pulling out the plastic. Some banks are doubling and in some cases tripling interest rates. We'll tell you which companies are asking for your cash. Coming up next.
And oil prices soar closer to a new record high, pushing gas prices to highest ever. Why even more higher prices could be headed your way. Straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Nine minutes after the hour. Oil prices inch closer to an all-time record. Like today should be any different than any other day. Ali Velshi here now with more on that. And what about gasoline -- $3.60 a gallon now.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Here's the thing. We've had gas records for 13 straight days. Last week, we took a little bit of a break on the oil prices, which is kind of interesting. Here's what we got this morning -- $119.93, which is three cents higher than we've ever hit before.
It's kind of pulled back a little bit. But there are some real reasons. You know, some days you ask me why is it going on. There's really no clear reason. There are a bunch of reasons why oil is actually at this level right now. And I'll tell you what some of them are.
On Friday, there was a bit of a skirmish off the coast of Iran between some U.S. boats that were under contract to the U.S. military and some Iranian boats. And that's when we started to see the price going up. And then there was a strike at a BP operation in the U.K. which shut down a North Sea pipeline.
Then there were two particular oil disruptions in Nigeria which could have affected and might be affecting more than a quarter of the output in that very large oil-producing nation. And the President of OPEC says oil could hit $200.
Doesn't see any reason why it wouldn't. We started to get predictions on how high oil can go. So, as John said, gasoline has hit another record. This is the 14th, I think, consecutive record for the price of gas. $3.60 is the national average, 32 cents higher than it was a month ago at $3.28. But even that thing -- even every day we go it seems 30 cents higher because every day last month, the prices were higher.
I want to tell you one more thing and that is that people have been asking us, people have been talking about the fact that premium gasoline is necessary only in cars that require premium gasoline not in those that don't. We spoke to somebody from Consumer Reports. Here's what he told us about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL QUINCY, CONSUMER REPORTS: Read the owner's manual. Make sure you know exactly how much money you need to spend on a fuel before you go wasting it on fuel you don't need. If it says required, then I would put in premium, otherwise don't spend your money on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Piece of advice. Don't put premium gas in your engine if it doesn't need it. If it does need, you have to. Otherwise, you get pinging or detonation in your engine.
ROBERTS: Or pre-ignition as well.
VELSHI: Pre-ignition, yes.
ROBERTS: Or as they call it Britain -- pinking.
VELSHI: Pinking. There you go.
ROBERTS: All right, Ali, thanks.
VELSHI: All right.
ROBERTS: 11 minutes after the hour. Miley Cyrus saying sorry for a photo shoot with "Vanity Fair" magazine. It shows the 15-year- old Hannah Montana star half naked.
Cyrus told "People Magazine" that she thought that she took part in an artistic photo shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz but after seeing the pictures she felt so embarrassed. The young star who rose to fame with her squeaky clean Disney show also apologized for racy photos that hit the Web last week. "Vanity Fair" said Miley's parents were at the shoot and knew all about it.
Rob Marciano at the CNN weather Center tracking the extreme weather.
Rob, we'll never see you in a photo like that, I take it?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, no. The Internet is a very, very -- besides I don't look good in black and white. The Internet a very, very evil place, obviously, except when you gather weather information which we've been doing all morning long. And there's lots of weather to talk about from coast to coast. We'll go over it all when we come back. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: Tragedy at an air show. Take a look at this incredible video. It's amateur video as a plane plowed into a crowd of people in central Germany. Police say one person was killed. Look at that. Wow. Ten more were hurt.
Others were screaming and running for their lives as it hit a snack bar and a children's carousel before coming to a stop. Still no word on what went wrong there. Oh, amazing.
PHILLIPS: And let's get ready for a rebate. What do you say? The government's economic stimulus checks will arrive in some of your bank accounts today, believe it or not. It's not just tax filers who are looking forward to the cash back. We're going to tell you who also wants your money.
ROBERTS: Yes and here he is right there waiting for his rebate check. Republican Ron Paul, still a candidate for president, talking about a revolution. He joins us to talk about what's wrong with the campaign and the country and what we need to do to get back on track. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: So, more financial woes this morning. Banks and financial institutions raising credit card interest rates. Even customers who pay on time are finding higher rates. Some customers have seen their rates double. In rare cases, even triple. Banks say they have the right to raise rates when they feel that customers become more risky.
800,000 tax filers will begin to have their checks directly deposited today, tomorrow and Wednesday. And retailers are eager to get them in the door. Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis joins us now to talk about well, some of the offers that are out there.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: There are a lot of offers out there. These retailers are ready to get all of your money.
Let's start with Home Depot who wants you to spend on environmentally-friendly products. They're going to give you a discount for that.
Staples has a great deal for small business. Big promotions there. No interest or payments for six months, 10 percent off some items there.
Listen to this. Sony will give you $400 off if you use your rebate check to buy high def TV. Really important in this recessionary times.
PHILLIPS: I was going to say does that make a dent in the thousands of dollars that those televisions cost?
WILLIS: I don't know what their economics are, but I know what the American public economics are. That's not where you want to go. Zonder.com is a Web site for vacation rentals. They're offering 10 percent which is interesting to see. And even at this level on the web, small Web sites offering those kind of thing.
And big players, Sears, K-Mart, Kroger, they're offering gift cards. They will allow you to spend 10 percent more if you put all your rebate on a gift card. Super Value, big grocery store there, is offering an extra $300 for every 300 you spend in their store from the rebate checks. So those retailers, they want to cash in. They want to take your money and make sure they get to play in the stimulus package.
PHILLIPS: How many people really fill out all the retail information and make that effort now a days?
WILLIS: You know, I think what's fascinating about this is these folks know that there's a big cash cow out there. They're having problems with their sales and they are happy to reach into your pocket to make up the difference. But as you know, there's a recession on. A lot of people --
PHILLIPS: Some would argue that, including those who lead our country.
WILLIS: Some would that. Some people don't know.
PHILLIPS: Exactly. All right. We'll talk about some of those smart moves that people can make.
WILLIS: Well, obviously, I have been saying for a long time now. Pay down your high interest debt if you have credit card debt. You have this great story today about how credit card interest rates are raising going through the roof.
Start an emergency fund if you don't have one already. Three to six months worth of living expenses. And here's another idea. If you are in an industry where you think, you know, maybe my job skills aren't what they should be and I'm worried about getting laid off because that's what happens in recessions. Businesses tend to retrench.
Maybe you want to go out and get some extra education. Use that money to improve your own job skills so you won't get hurt out there if the worst happens to your job.
PHILLIPS: You can negotiate some of those APR rates. I have done that before.
WILLIS: Me, too.
PHILLIPS: And the car, next thing you know, they are dropping it down.
WILLIS: That's right. There are a lot of card offers out there, right?
PHILLIPS: That's right. So shop around.
WILLIS: I love that.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Gerri Willis.
WILLIS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, you can, of course, learn more about all these issues. Join Gerri, Ali Velshi and the CNN money team for "ISSUE #1." All this week, noon Eastern, right here on CNN. And online at cnnmoney.com.
John?
ROBERTS: Senator Barack Obama's former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright is taking on his critics. He defended his fiery sermons while giving the keynote address at the NAACP's Freedom Fund Dinner last night in Detroit.
He's also talking at the National Press Club this morning. Controversial clips of the pastor have been circulating on the Internet and on television for months making it an issue in the presidential campaign. That brings us to this morning's "Quick Vote" question.
Have you heard enough from Reverend Jeremiah Wright? Right now, 71 percent of you say yes, I've heard enough, move one. 29 percent say no, tell me more. Cast you vote at cnn.com/am. We'll keep tallying your votes throughout the morning. You can also send us an e-mail.
Let us know your thoughts on the Reverend Wright and his latest speech, or just the whole controversy in general. We'll be reading some of those e-mails about half an hour from now.
Ron Paul stirred up the Republican Party over the weekend with his talk of revolution. Up next, he tells us where the country went wrong on everything from the financial crisis to the war on terror and how to get it back on track. You're watching the Most News in the Morning on CNN.
And from private jets to Louis Vuitton. A look at why the luxury market is cashing in while it's tough times for many people. That story and today's headlines when AMERICAN MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: 25 minutes after the hour. Supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul managed to bring Nevada's Republican convention to a standstill over the weekend. Proof that his revolution is still very much alive. We should also point out too that he polled 16 percent in the recent Pennsylvania primary coming in second.
Congressman Paul joins us now to talk about the convention and his book. The new book that's just out "The Revolution: A Manifesto."
Good morning, great to see you.
REP. RON PAUL, AUTHOR, "THE REVOLUTION: A MANIFESTO": Good morning. Great to be here.
ROBERTS: And so all the Ron Paul fans who have been plugging this appearance for the last few days, thanks to them as well.
Why is this country in need of a revolution and a Ron Paul revolution in particular?
PAUL: You know, there was a statistic last week, I think 90 percent of the people were annoyed about what's happening in the economy and the future of this country. And they are very annoyed with what's happening. So we need to change. Everybody is talking about that.
The big question is which way are we going? Even the other candidates, the conventional candidates are out there talking about I'm going to do this, I'm going to make change and they are talking about, but they are not very specific.
ROBERTS: Yes. You don't seem to have a lot of faith that they are actually agents of change. You say that the party, it's what you call it "Republicrats" is what the new party should be called.
You say in your book, quote, "No wonder the news networks are rather focused on $400 haircuts than matters of substance. There are no matters of substance."
Do you really believe that? Because the candidates are out there. They are talking about health care, they are talking about the economy, they are talking about the Iraq war, those are substantial issues.
PAUL: Yes, but it's all pretty much status quo or more of the same. I mean, is anybody talking about free market medicine? No, they are talking about more government. Yet we've had government in medicine for 35 years. Look at the mess we've had. Do they talk about change in military policy? No, they are going to maintain this Federal Reserve system which has created the monster. It creates all our bubbles, it creates our recession, creates the inflation. They're not talking about that.
Are they talking about tax reform? Like getting rid of the income tax. Are they talking about a new foreign policy, which is an old foreign policy, an old Republican foreign policy of non- intervention where we don't go out and pretending to police the world?
Even President Bush ran on don't police the world and that's not going to nation going. That's what we're doing and we're going bankrupt. So we need to get busy and really have change because we need to immediately balance a budget, pay down some of the debt, let people go back to work, bring our troops home, have some money. That's a revolution. But in a way, it's just going back to our original revolution.
ROBERTS: Well, at least part of what you just said deposited there, Bill Clinton was trying to do back in the late 1990s. He wanted to balance the budget, pay down the net.
PAUL: He was lucky because he was on the upswing of the boom cycle when the fed was pumping in the money through the 90s. There was a lot of capital gains money coming in. But there were really no significant cuts in there. What program got cut?
Was there less spending or less taxes? There was less deficit. But the national debt continued to go up. We keep borrowing from all the trust funds. We keep borrowing from the Social Security Trust Fund. There was no significant change in policy. And the three other candidates right now in the race, there's not much different between the three, and it's continuation of the same policy.
ROBERTS: Any time you ever asked whether or not you would launch an independent candidacy for the president, you said, without fail, I'm a Republican, I'm a member of the Republican Party.
As a member of the Republican Party, do you have any interest in campaigning for John McCain?
PAUL: Probably not. Not unless he changes his tuning like bring the troops home. But you know, he's the greatest proponent of the war.
ROBERTS: But how can you be a good Republican if you don't campaign for the Republican candidate particularly when you still got an amazing well of support out there?
PAUL: Maybe you are a good Republican if you stand up for Republican principles. I would argue that leadership in the last ten years has drifted from Republican principles. Deficit, financing, big government, more taxes, more bureaucracy, more regulations, more entitlements, policing the world, but that is not what we stand for.
So I would say that our position is very much in tune with being a good Republican.
ROBERTS: Let me ask you about a couple of the big issues that are out there affecting Americans right now. The price of oil, food shortage, which is global -- food prices here in this country, and the debate over biofuels and whether or not food products -- sources of food should be used to try to offset our dependence on foreign oil.
What would a Ron Paul revolution do to address those issues?
PAUL: Turn it over to the market. Politicians and bureaucrats are not smart enough. The most important thing the government can do is make sure there's no inflation, so the prices are held down.
ROBERTS: But if you turn it over to the market, wouldn't they just drill every untapped resource for more oil. Where would the incentive be for alternative fuels?
PAUL: Price. When prices go up, you have alternatives. And politicians don't know about that. We set the price too often or assume that we know. We set the price of money, interest rates which is always, you know, wrong. It's either too high or too low.
So the market is much smarter than anything the politicians can do. So when the prices go up, we use less and they look for alternative sources. But instead, the government gets involved. They say, oh it's corn, so we subsidize corn. We burn up our food and then the prices of food go up.
And we do this with more inflation and more printing of money. So the government just messes the whole thing up. But they have a responsibility. Property rights, protect the environment, have some money, low taxes, less regulations. The government does that, then the market will sort it out and decide which is the most efficient energy source.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: You mentioned interest rates just a second ago. and hand in hand is the value with the dollar which is partly responsible for why our oil prices are so high. Back in the year 2000, you predicted the fall of the dollar. And you take aim at the Federal Reserve in your new book you say "Americans must reject the notion that one man, whether Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke or any other chairman of the Federal Reserve Board can know what the proper money supply and interest rates ought to be. Only the market can determine that."
You're all for abolishing the Fed, they're meeting over the next couple of days, tomorrow and Wednesday, to decide what to do about interest rates. What do you think is going to happen? And what do you think the result will be?
PAUL: Well, they're going to print more money and try to lower interest rates because they are in a mess. But they got in a mess because they had interest rates too low and they printed too much money. So, they created this problem by inflating the currency. And the only solution is inflate the currency more. All I'm arguing there is that you follow the constitution. There's no authority for a central bank, and only gold and silver is supposed to be legal tender. WE knew, the founders do what run-away inflation was all about. How they destroyed the continental dollar. And now we're destroying the dollar once again. It's a serious, serious problem, economically and politically.
ROBERTS: There are so many things to talk about with you. And unfortunately, so little time. But I just want to ask you about one other thing. The Nevada State Convention was suspended over the weekend because your supporters there got a rule changed in which slowed things down in terms of how the delegates were counted and apportioned. What was that all about and what would the net effect be?
PAUL: I don't know all the details. I was there, gave a speech, and I had to move on. But yes, we had a lot of supporters there. And the people who were in charge of the party there seemed to want to exclude us. And they closed it down. Somebody said, you know, sometimes factions walked out, this time the party walked out. And they didn't want us to have the delegates.
ROBERTS: So, are you looking for more delegates?
PAUL: Oh, sure. I mean, we are picking up delegates all the time. That is what campaigns are supposed to be for. I mean, what's the sense of having a convention if everything is decided? And it's sort of a shame, the taxpayers help pay for these conventions, it's nothing more than a show. And we're trying to say that we have a right to argue our case that the republicans ought to stand for something and they used to and I would like to see that happen again.
ROBERTS: And you still got some money to do it too. I think you have $4 million left over from your campaign.
PAUL: Something like that.
ROBERTS: Not bad. Other candidates would like to have money. Congressman Paul, it's always great to see you.
PAUL: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Thanks for dropping by this morning. Congratulations on the book. It's a great read. It's a very small book, too. It's easy to carry around. Thanks, again.
PAUL: Thanks for having me.
ROBERTS: Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's take you live to Washington, D.C. right now. The Reverend Jeremiah Wright speaking to the press club there. The speech is titled the African-American religious experience, theology and practice. As you know, we spoke to the NAACP last night. We have been talking about that throughout the morning. And last week he had a rare interview where he said the media, all the organizations, are circulating these controversial sound bites of him from his sermons on the Internet, and they're trying to paint him as un-American or some sort of fanatic to bring down the democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
As you know, Obama has come forward, so has Reverend Wright saying hey we have not discussed politics. And Reverend Wright is not an adviser to the senator and of course, vice versa, the senator saying he has never sought advice from the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. So, we are following this live event in D.C., waiting to see if anything interesting comes out of this speech. Never fails, usually he's got something that stands out.
Well, we're just a week away -- or a week and a day rather from the next round of primaries in North Carolina and Indiana. Hillary Clinton challenging Barack Obama to the 22nd debate. This time with no moderators. CNN's Jim Acosta live in Indianapolis, and it's not going over so well. Hi, Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. That's right. Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton threw down the gauntlet challenging Barack Obama to a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate with no moderators. And our viewers may be wondering what in the world does that mean. Well, the idea harking back to 1858, yes, 1858, not 1958, when Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln engaged in a series of historic debates that featured no moderator. They went toe to toe with no referee.
Over the weekend, Barack Obama said thanks but no thanks, swatting down the idea, saying that we've had 21 debates so far and there won't be a 22nd, at least not now, between now and May the 6th when these primaries are held in North Carolina and Indiana. He did leave the door open for a debate following those two contests.
In the meantime, D.N.C. chairman Howard Dean, he is trying and scrambling to calm some of these tensions within the democratic party that this long protracted nomination battle is tearing the party apart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN, D.N.C. CHAIRMAN: I think if we go in divided, we will come out divided, and it will be much harder to win. And again, McCain is a flawed economy. He is wrong on the economy, wrong on Iraq and wrong on health care. Those are things -- those are the three biggest issues Americans care about. So, we shouldn't lose this election. We could beat ourselves. And I'm determined not to let that happen.
ACOSTA: And over the weekend, we also saw Barack Obama trying to change the dynamic of this campaign away from confrontation from Hillary Clinton, the kind of confrontations we saw in Pennsylvania, and more towards the photo ops and stump speeches that he feels he can best get this message across to voters. That is why we saw him playing basketball with high school kids in Cocomo, Indiana on Friday night. They are now both, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in North Carolina stumping for votes there. And expect both of these candidates as they did in Indiana to zero in on the economy as it is as we know here at CNN issue number one. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And I've seen Barack Obama play a little basketball. He's definitely got game. Jim Acosta, good to see you.
Well, they're young, there's about 46 million of them and they need jobs. Generation Y entering the workforce, coming up.
ROBERTS: And "Gossip Girl," it's a show for teens, about teens with a racy new ad campaign that is being summed up in four letters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OMG or OMFG, whichever one you want to say are just letters. Anyone you talk to, talk to ten people and they will give you probably ten different answers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: What's going on behind the scenes of "Gossip Girl." That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: They are known as generation Y, those who are coming of age in the first decade of this century are now heading into the workforce, a place where they may not be really well received as they would like to be. Polly Labarre joins us with career tips for the 46 million gen Y'ers. It's the first of series of reports on the new rules for success. I can't keep up with all the letters.
POLLY LABARRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, the point is employers and marketers alike have spent so much of their focus on what does Gen Y want, how do we speak to, market to, to understand Gen Y. And I think the tables are turning a little bit and we're saying hey it might be more urgent for Gen Y to stand up and take responsibility for their own career and crafting their own success. And we've even seen a set of books come out that take the sort of tough love edge around this point which is basically my reality check bounced or (dan pink)ph workplace, leading thinker has the Japanese comic book form that is meant to appeal to Gen Y all around these lessons of how do you take charge of your own success.
PHILLIPS: Are they looked at as lazy? Or?
LABARRE: The rap is kind of negative. I think mostly because it is baby boomers whoa re doing the research and they think who are these alien creatures who are IM'ing all the time and have a short attention span and are a little bit entitled, over coddled. And so there is a little bit of a negative wrap. So, why don't we look at some of the labels we put on them and the lessons and how to move forward and beat the misconception.
PHILLIPS: Exactly.
LABARRE: So, why don't we look at some of the labels that you put on that and the lessons and how to move forward and beat the misconception.
PHILLIPS: Exactly. LABARRE: So, the first one would be that Gen Y'ers are considered entitled. You know the instant success. You know, they want recognition, perks, promotions. You know, without really digging in and paying their dues and doing all that work in the trenches that we did. And we don't like that so much.
PHILLIPS: Yes. I can't think of having to do things that I didn't want to do. But you got to pay your dues in order...
LABARRE: Well, and the lesson is an old-fashioned that doggedness, and hard work and rolling up your sleeves is really important. And that talent is not the only currently that persistence trumps talents of many cases. That's the lesson in (Dan's Pink Book) and I think that's a good one.
PHILLIPS: All right. I just think -- because I just think about when we were growing up, even whether you were low income or wealthy, there was just always this work ethic that was instilled in you. And you knew whether it was making copies or, you know --
LABARRE: Right. So, we have to go into the next one because this is the parents, let's not blame the parents but we do come from a generation of these sort of over coddled, overprotected, over involved parents who are also still are housing their kids well into their 20s. So there's a sense that there's always going to be a safety net. And I think the lesson for Gen Y'ers is to escape the safety net yourself, take responsibility for your own growth, ask for opportunities, ask for stretch projects at work and really plot out your own career.
And let's go into the last one, which is essentially the sort of dream that Gen Y'ers are sold about the world of work. They have these inflated expectations that work is going to be fulfilling, a source of joy, a source of great engagement and fun.
PHILLIPS: It can be, but it doesn't start out that way.
LABARRE: No. It gets to that point.
PHILLIPS: You have you have to create that for yourself.
LABARRE: Sure. It is a combo platter. Like, there's some drudgery in every day, we all know this and we have to get realistic about it. And I think the way to do that is to take your passions and this is a very passion-driven, value-driven cohort and tie it to a larger purpose. Don't just think about self fulfillment but think about how can I contribute in a bigger way. And I think that makes for a more fulfilling career.
PHILLIPS: All right. Polly Labarre. Appreciate it.
LABARRE: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: John.
ROBERTS: It's 42 minutes after the hour. We've got live pictures in from KABC, our affiliate in California. And take a look at this. This is about 15 miles northeast of Los Angeles in Sierra Madre, California, not too far away from Pasadena. About 400 acres have burned there. 500 firefighters on the lines, trying to knock down these flames. But as you can see, they are burning up there in the foothills. Earlier a little bit of a close call when the winds whipped up overnight and those flames came awfully close to a group of homes. Firefighters rushed in and laid down some water on them and tried to tamp down those embers, to stop them from leaping over and setting fire to the roofs of these houses which we see so often. With these California wildfires, obviously not under control, but they hope for some favorable conditions as the sun comes up in probably just a half hour's time. Let's check in with our Rob Marciano, he is at the CNN weather center tracking the extreme weather. What's the weather going to be like there in the Los Angeles basin today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: It's going to be warm and dry again but cooler, slightly more humid weather should roll in tonight. The good news with the sun coming up in the next half hour or so, they will be able to get aircraft back up in the air to attack that blaze from aloft. Complete weather is coming up when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back. Stay there.
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MARCIANO: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. looking at the fire threat in southern California again today. We look for this area of cooler air to slide down and begin to take shape and maybe change things up just a little bit. Here's the forecast for today and really going on through tonight. We've got some cold air not only across the Pacific northwest but also some unseasonably cool air dropping across the northeast. So, this is going to create not so much problems but it's going to definitely create some chilly air tonight and tomorrow. There are freeze warnings that are posted for points Chicago southward.
Look at all these rain driving eastward. This is in advance of the system from Pittsburgh to New York City, rain intensifying as it taps into the Atlantic Ocean for moisture. It turned from a few sprinkles, and some drizzle earlier today. It is now driving into more substantial rainfall. We could see flooding issues especially across northern New England and through parts of Maine, especially the flash flood watches are posted for that area. Pittsburgh through down south to Atlanta, we are seeing rainfall.
The good news with the fire situation is that this thing is going to move this way, the cold front's going to drop this way, and that will change the winds to a more onshore flow and that will provide some relief for firefighters. But I think the next 12 hours really, John and Kyra, we are, you know, still going to look for unusually warm temperatures, still low levels of humidity and they are going to have a fight on their hands today, that is for sure. Guys.
ROBERTS: Maybe they can keep it down until they get some assistance from the weather. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right. PHILLIPS: A new program designed to help those suffering from chronic pain, as medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen even found out it works for patients suffering the most.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: How bad was the pain?
On a scale of one to 10, it was a ten. I would get shooting pains down my arm, the back of the neck, constant headaches, shoulders, hips and front of the thighs.
COHEN: That demo didn't sound like fun but this new program is not a cure. Hear how it helps coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: 11 minutes now to the top of the hour.
ROBERTS: If you can't beat the pain deal with it, that is the mantra of a new program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Center for Pain Management. Patients are trained to manage chronic pain physically and mentally. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now. Elizabeth this is one of the most frustrating things for both patients and doctors. What are they doing here?
COHEN: Here at pain boot camp, John, what they're telling people is you need to stop resting and you need to stop working.
A walk on the treadmill, something Caroline Martinez she couldn't do just a few weeks ago. How bad was the pain?
CAROLYN MARTINEZ, BOOT CAMP PARTICIPANT: On a scale of one to ten, it was a ten. And we get shooting pains down my arms, the back of the neck, constant headaches, shoulders, hips and front of thighs. Martinez has fibromyalgia, which causes muscle pain and fatigue. She says the pain was so intense she could hardly sleep. You'd think her doctor might tell her to take it easy but instead he sent her to boot camp - pain boot camp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a lot of hard work.
COHEN: It's a whole new way of thinking about chronic versus sustained pain that just won't go away. Doctors used to say if it hurts rest. But the new way of thinking is that the best thing for many patients with chronic pain is to work harder. For four weeks, eight hours a day, patients are pushed. Most people think if it hurts stop.
DR. STEVEN STANOS, REHABILITATION INST. OF CHICAGO: In many cases the pain is a constant companion. But we are definitely trying to teach the patients that they can manage it and do more with their life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deep breathing helps her, so does exercise. Plus Carolyn has learned a few tricks. Like how to stand while cooking to ease the tension in her back.
MARTINEZ: OK Thank you.
COHEN: Carolyn graduated from the month-long pain boot camp. She is not pain-free and she may never be. But her life is better. Before boot camp they she had trouble just walking, now she walks five miles a day.
MARTINEZ: For me, this is a miracle. It is phenomenal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Now, this program is for people like Carolyn who are in chronic pain, people who are in acute pain such as after an injury, this program is not for them. John.
ROBERTS: Elizabeth Cohen, fascinating nonetheless. Thanks very much.
COHEN: Thanks.
PHILLIPS: This is why we love our affiliates out of Los Angeles. KTLA and KABC, thank you for these live chopper shots as we follow that 400-acre wildfire. This is the Sierra Madre area outside of L.A., if you are familiar. Hundreds of people we are told evacuated thus far. Also, finding out they don't believe it was natural causes that started this but rather manmade. 500 firefighters more or less out there dealing with this. Also separate fires going on in San Diego as well. We are following both for you in southern California. We'll be back in just a second.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want a baby. I'm pursuing all of my options. I met with an adoption attorney who was very encouraging and I recently began the artificial insemination process. So, with a little bit of luck, I could be pregnant right now. I said too much for a first date, didn't I?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Yes. a little too much for a first day. That is from "Baby Mama," the number one movie in the country at the box office, holding more that $18 million in its debut weekend.
"Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay" drew $14.5 million. "The Forbidden Kingdom." Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Nims Island" rounded out the top five.
PHILLIPS: So, imagine "Sex and the City" and high school just adding a blog. The show "Gossip Girl" follows sophisticated teens in New York but now not only does the show gets steamier so are it's ads with suggestive photos and text message lingo. Here's CNN's Brooke Anderson. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Drinking, drugs, sex.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Porn and hand-cuffs.
ANDERSON: Really and they are still in high school. It is no secret "Gossip Girl" is racy, but it is the show's provocative new ad campaign that has many including the Parents Television Council outraged.
MELISSA HENSON, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL:M They are using nothing but sex to sell the program. Lowest common denominator is a good way to describe it.
ANDERSON: Two high schoolers appearing to have sex with the acronym OMFG splashed online and on posters and on billboards. In plain view of unsuspecting kids and parents.
RICK HASKINS, EVP MARKETING, CW: Some people could say oh my freaking goodness, others people could say it could mean other things.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you kidding?
ANDERSON: Rick Haskins, the vice president of marketing at the CW which airs "Gossip Girl" is serious when he says it's open to interpretation.
HASKINS: What is stands for is an exclamation for surprise or I can't believe it.
ANDERSON: It's been called raunchy. It's been called border line pornography, you don't agree with that?
HASKINS: No, not at all.
ANDERSON: Haskins insist the campaign isn't sending a negative message and that the ads like these on these public sidewalks are meant for older viewers.
HASKINS: OMG, or OMFG, whichever you want to say, are just letters, anyone you talk to, talk to ten people and they will give you probably ten different answers.
ANDERSON: We spoke to more than 30 people. And everyone except two women in their 60s said they knew what it meant. One thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my [ bleep ] god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my [ bleep ] god.
ANDERSON: Could it possibly stand for anything else?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't believe so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's blasphemy actually.
ANDERSON: The P.G.C. is considering pressuring advertisers and is already warning parents.
HENSON: Rather than reinforcing the positive values that parents are trying to instill in their children, this program very often is undermining those positive values.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Got in way over my head.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: So it could stand for a lot of things. Yes, horse hockey, I don't believe that for a second.
PHILLIPS: He says it's geared toward older viewers but it's high schoolers having sex. I mean.
ROBERTS: It's like the "O.C." gone wild.
PHILLIPS: Yes. What happened to the roller rink, you know, making out in the corner? It's a whole different world.
ROBERTS: Final check of our "Quick Vote" now. We've been asking all morning because we have been playing some sounds from Reverend Jeremiah Wright is also appearing at the Press Club in Washington, D.C.. Have you heard enough from Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Look at this. 73 percent of you say yes, move on. 27 percent say no, tell me more. And here's what people have been e-mailing in. We're getting some good e-mails this morning.
This from Judy Elkridge, Maryland "I listened to Reverend Wright's speech last night. This was the one in Detroit. I was so impressed. The country has only seen the one video that has been all over the Internet portraying him as a fanatic. His speeches are on a higher plane and he is obviously, a very learned man."
PHILLIPS: And the Gina in Minnesota said "that I could not listen to Reverend Wright for more than one minutes. How can anyone listen for 20 years and not be impacted by this man?"
ROBERTS: And Denise in Chicago sent in this "Rev. Wright is 100 percent right. It's amazing how it's "unpatriotic" to tell the country you love that is gone astray. The U.S. has lost her moral compass yet many so-called "patriotic" Americans not only refuse to acknowledge this fact, they are "offended" to have facts called out.
PHILLIPS: And Demetrice in Marion, Indiana e-mailed saying "Rev. Wright is not a part of Senator Obama's campaign. He is just a man trying to make a difference with his people. Stop judging every word that he says."
ROBERTS: So obviously a big controversial topic. And as we said, he is appearing at the National Press Club in Washington this morning. Barack Obama yesterday in a big interview that he had with Chris Wallace seemed to be a little uncomfortable about the idea that Rev. Wright was out there because he puts more attention on him but at the same time he understands that he wants to get out there to defend himself.
PHILLIPS: And bottom line, Barack Obama has said look, he has never advised me on politics. We never talked politics. Rev. Wright has come forward to the same exact thing. So, at what point do you move on?
ROBERTS: No question he's a very colorful individual.
PHILLIPS: Yes, he is and if you listen to him preach it is hard to turn the channel. That is for sure.
ROBERTS: Yes, he hasn't quite getting there but a scene from the National Press Club are waiting to hear from him. We'll see you again tomorrow. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING.
PHILLIPS: CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Betty Nguyen begins right now.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Heidi Collins today. She is on maternity leave.
HARRIS: Yes. See events come into the NEWSROOM lives on this Monday morning, April 28th. Here's what's on the rundown.
NGUYEN: Barack Obama's former pastor speaks out again today. Will the candidates comment this morning? We are live from the campaign trail.
HARRIS: Incest shocker, police say a man admits holding his daughter captive and fathering her seven children.
NGUYEN: And filling up feel like a stick up these days.
