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United Nations Urges Myanmar to Accept Help For Storm Victims; Hillary Clinton on Borrowed Time?
Aired May 07, 2008 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: In it to win it or just to make it last as long as possible? Hard questions for Hillary Clinton in the wake of the latest primaries, and the money part is not exactly easy. We will look at all the facts and the figures here.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if the facts are grim in Myanmar, the figures are worse. A U.S. diplomat estimates 100,000 people dead, maybe more, in the wake of a weekend cyclone. And aid groups are desperate to help, but if only Myanmar's rulers would let them.
Hi there. I'm Brianna Keilar at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: It's kind of hard to fathom, when you think of 100,000 people there, and many more, as you have been saying homeless from all of this.
KEILAR: Homeless, injured.
LEMON: Yes.
And I'm Don Lemon. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And, of course, Myanmar, that is our big story today in the CNN NEWSROOM. The U.N. pleading with the government of Myanmar to let aid workers in to help storm victims. Food and medicine are trickling into the country, but with some difficulty. But volunteers from outside are having a tough time getting visas.
And once they get in, they face poor or nonexistent roads, no communication, and a government not used to outsiders. It's four days since a Category 3 hurricane wiped away much of the low-lying parts of this country. The top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar told reporters just a short time ago that a staggering number, more than 100,000 people, may be dead in the wake of that enormous storm.
Earlier today, word from Myanmar's military government was just a fraction of that.
KEILAR: Now take a look at these amazing pictures just into the CNN NEWSROOM. This is video taken as the cyclone was ravaging towns on the Burmese coast, people struggling just to stay upright, trees there bending under the winds, and then, of course, the terrible aftermath, because homes here were not built to withstand wind and rains like this. There's also the question of how much warning villagers had, and whether they were even told the size and strength of the oncoming storm.
LEMON: All right, and we want to you pay attention to this next story, because this is undoubtedly the best information and pictures you are going to get, from our Dan Rivers. He was at one time the only Western journalist there on the ground. Not sure if he still is, but a U.S. diplomat in Myanmar now says more than 100,000 people may be dead.
And, as I mentioned, here's CNN's Dan Rivers. He saw some of the worst-ravaged neighborhoods.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not even the Buddhist temples were spared the fury of Cyclone Nargis. Even the venerable symbols of religion have somehow been toppled by the wind.
It brought unremitting fury to this landscape, turning much of the Irrawaddy delta into a wasteland, a land where funerals and death are at every turn. Some are buried, but many bodies are still lying amid the rubble.
And everywhere, those haunting hollow faces, the drowned world that feels beyond hope.
(on-camera): But it's not just people's homes that have been destroyed here. The very infrastructure of Myanmar has taken a severe battering. This is all that remains of a school science laboratory, completely flattened by Cyclone Nargis. The school says it doesn't know what it is going to do, and it still hasn't heard anything from the authorities.
(voice-over): This is the schoolyard. The water was three feet deep, and it's miles from the river. Save the Children estimate that 40 percent of those who have died are children.
The classrooms have no roofs. It will be a long time before the lessons can be taught here again. State television has shown aid being distributed by the army, but the need here is immense. And so far, many foreign aid agencies haven't been able to get their staff and equipment into Myanmar. They say the red tape of this reclusive country is preventing progress. Food shortages are critical in some areas. And opposition groups are cynical about the army's motives.
EGOY BANS, FREE BURMA COALITION: We are also leashing the military junta not to politicize the delivery of relief services. This is one of our concerns, because it might be that the military structure supporting the delivery of relief and rehabilitation services will be very selective and prioritize their communities that are a stronghold of the military junta and intentionally miss out on those communities supportive of the democratization movement.
RIVERS: Another crippling problem right now is fuel. This is the line of cars waiting for gas.
(on-camera): It just goes on and on and on, for -- for miles, really, just this never-ending queue, all the way down here. And I guess the people at the back are going to be waiting God knows how long, hours and hours, you would think.
(voice-over): Here, the gas is $1.50 for a gallon, or for four liters. But if you don't want to wait for hours, you can pay the black market rates of 10 times that amount.
But it's here in the Irrawaddy River delta that the real misery and suffering is happening. These people are reaching breaking points. How much longer will they be made to wait before the help they desperately need arrives?
Dan Rivers, CNN, southern Myanmar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Barack Obama won big in one state. Hillary Clinton won barely in the other. Today, Obama is closer to clinching the nomination, and Clinton is looking for cash and all of those all- important superdelegates.
Our Jessica Yellin is in Indianapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Today, Senator Clinton says she is not getting out of this race and is making the case that she has a better chance than Obama of beating John McCain in November.
Speaking to reporters, she put a positive spin on just about every bit of disappointing news that has come out today. Of her landslide loss in North Carolina, she says, well, she's winning among key demographics. Of the fact that her one-time supporter and longtime friend George McGovern has come out asking her to withdraw from the race, she says somebody else essential came out in support of her. Congressman Heath Shuler, whose North Carolina district she won, has endorsed her, as a superdelegate, today.
Even in a letter to fund-raising to supporters, Clinton's campaign is calling her narrow win in Indiana a come-from-behind victory. Senator Clinton is showing every sign of fighting this out until the last primary on June 3. But, at the same time, Barack Obama is sounding and seeming like the presumptive nominee. And his campaign aides today say that, in the next few weeks, we will see him campaigning not just in the upcoming primary states, but even in some of those states that have already voted, but are considered essential battlegrounds to win in November.
Barack Obama already looking ahead to the general election. He's even taking a day of rest today. He's off with his family in Chicago.
Jessica Yellin, CNN, Indianapolis. (END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Jessica Yellin, she's in Indianapolis. And no doubt it was a late night for her and a late night for Hillary Clinton as well and many people watching the primaries here. But Hillary Clinton is back on the road today insisting this race is not over, not over, she says.
Our Jim Acosta previews the battle for West Virginia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coal is king in West Virginia, but another fuel, gasoline, is running a close second these days. And that hurts in a state where workers have one of the longest commute times in the country.
GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: I have never felt more helpless as being governor of my great state of West Virginia that I just want to jump in and do something. It's wrong.
ACOSTA: Which is why West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin is open to Hillary Clinton's plan for a Gas Tax Holiday. But that doesn't mean this superdelegate is ready to make an endorsement. He did take note, however, when Barack Obama infamously referred to bitter, small- town Pennsylvania voters who cling to their guns.
MANCHIN: I'm going to give every candidate the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes things slipped out.
ACOSTA: But you must have heard something, Governor.
MANCHIN: Sure. Well, here, first of all, I can assure you we're a state that really, really clings to the Second Amendment.
ACOSTA: West Virginia plays to nearly all of Clinton's demographic strengths. It's older, whiter and more rural than the rest of America. But that doesn't mean voters here are resistant to change.
DAVID LOVEJOY, RETIRED COAL MINER: I think it's time. Either a woman or a black person or an African-American. I think it's time.
ACOSTA: This is after all the state that made Democratic primary history a half century ago. Can people in West Virginia vote for a guy named Barack Obama?
ROBERT RUPP, WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: 48 years ago they asked if they could vote for a Boston Irish millionaire who was a Catholic, and they did in a landslide vote.
Jim Acosta, Charleston, West Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: The presidential hopefuls are divided over a summertime break from the federal gas tax holiday. Barack Obama is against the idea. Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain, well, they like it.
On today's "AMERICAN MORNING," Republican Mitt Romney, McCain's former rival, of course, who has since endorsed him, discussed McCain's stand with our John Roberts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICAN MORNING")
JOHN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": What do you think of this idea of a gas tax holiday that the senator is trying to get through?
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR: I believe the senator's feeling is that you got a lot of folks in this country who are really, really suffering.
ROBERTS: Sure, what do you thinking about it?
ROMNEY: I'm sorry.
ROBERTS: What do you think about it?
ROMNEY: Well, I think that he's made it very, very clear he wants to help people who are suffering right now...
ROBERTS: But do you think it's a good idea?
ROMNEY: You know, this is something I looked at a long time ago in the state of Massachusetts. It's not something I did there, so I'm not going to describe what I would do, but what I can tell you is what he would do is to help the American people at a time they're facing very large gasoline bills and wants to make sure they see a little lower price at the pump.
ROBERTS: Just a lot of people don't think it's a good idea and I take it because of the way that you approached it in Massachusetts, you don't necessarily think it's a good idea either.
ROMNEY: Well, I think it's a good idea to help people and right now Senator McCain wants to help people see lower gasoline bills. Of course, we all recognize that if we're going to become independent of our dependence on foreign oil, it's going to take a long-term strategy to get us off of foreign oil.
That's something which Republicans have been fighting for years, and Democrats, frankly, often times out of a concern about environmentalism, which I care very deeply about, but they have opposed nuclear power, they have opposed building new power plants, opposed drilling in ANWR and drilling in additional places. We're going to have to develop new sources of energy if we want to become energy independent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Romney aimed most of his criticism today at Barack Obama. He told John Roberts that, while Obama is a great speaker, America will choose someone who is "tested and proven." LEMON: And all of the best and the latest campaign news is at your fingertips. Just go to CNNPolitics.com. We also have analysis from the best political team on television. It's all there, CNNPolitics.com.
KEILAR: We have just learned a short time ago from the top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar that the death toll there from that cyclone over the weekend could reach as high as 100,000.
We just heard moments ago from Secretary of State Condi Rice, talking about the situation there.
Let's listen to her comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, first, let me say we are deeply concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis in Burma. This is a terrible event.
While it is not possible to get reliable figures on how many people are affected, we know that they are many, many, many people, who need the help of the international community. And I have been very gratified by the willingness of the international community to step up to the task.
There are millions and millions of dollars waiting to be delivered that can help the Burmese people to get through this difficult time. There are assistance teams, including an American assistance team that would be ready to help the people of Burma.
And what remains is for the Burmese government to allow the international community to help its people. It should be a simple matter. This is not a matter of politics. This is a matter of a humanitarian crisis.
And it should be a matter that the government of Burma wants to see its people receive the help that is available to them. And, so, we are speaking with governments that might have influence with Burma. We have spoken with all of the nations that you might expect. And I will myself make some other calls, because this is the kind of crisis that will only get worse without humanitarian assistance being made available from the international community.
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: And a very delicate situation getting aid into Myanmar, also nobody as Burma. The U.S., as well as many, many other nations, are offering that aid, but the military junta, the authoritarian government in Myanmar that rules there, not readily accepting that aid. In fact, there are many aid workers with resources waiting in nearby Thailand waiting to get visas into Myanmar that -- and they haven't been granted yet. We are going to continue to watch this. LEMON: A veto threat today from President Bush. He warned House Democrats against providing government mortgage insurance for struggling homeowners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are committed to a good housing bill that will help folks stay in their house, as opposed to a housing bill that will reward speculators and lenders. There's a House alternative that will do the right thing for the American people when it comes to housing.
I will veto the bill that's moving through the House today if it makes it to my desk, and I urge members on both sides of the aisle to focus on a good piece of legislation that is being sponsored by Republican members.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Well, despite the president's threat, the House may vote on the measure today anyway.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve joins us now.
OK, so, he's saying it's going to veto it. Then why do it? Just to show them that it's important to them and he should consider it? Why do it?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, no, this is a situation that's still very much in flux.
Let me tell you that the House is looking at a couple of housing bills today. One of them would give people incentives to buy foreclosed property and revive neighborhoods. The other one is the one the president is so upset about. It would provide $300 billion in government-guaranteed loans to people who are facing foreclosure. And there are some people in the House are very much with the president on this, others who are very much against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DAVID SCOTT (D), GEORGIA: This country needs help. And they're looking for their government to do what government is supposed to do, help their country in a moment of greatest need. And there's no greater need today than to help in this mortgage crisis.
REP. DOC HASTINGS (R), WASHINGTON: Why should American taxpayers be footing the bill for calculated mistakes made by others? Why should American taxpayers who are making their mortgage payments each month or who are paying rent have to come along and fund billions of dollars of giveaway grants and zero-interest loans for those who speculated, gambled and lost?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Despite the White House opposition, there were 10 Republicans in committee who voted for this legislation. It's expected some Republicans in the full House will back it too and that it will gain passage.
The situation in the Senate a little bit less certain. There are some Republicans, including senator Richard Shelby, who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, who shares some of the president's concerns. But he is also saying discussions are continuing. So, that's why I say, Don, still a situation in flux.
LEMON: Yes, still very fluid. OK, Jeanne Meserve, appreciate that. Thanks.
KEILAR: A changing of the guard at the Kremlin. Russia's new president takes office. We will go live to Moscow for the very latest.
LEMON: And Hillary Clinton is running out of chances to win over those superdelegates. Does she still have a chance to win? And, if not, why is she still in the race? We will look for some answers straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have some new information we want to tell you about in that police stop, and what some are calling a beating in Philadelphia where more than a dozen police officers could be pulled off the streets in Philadelphia after a beating Monday night that was caught on camera.
This is what we can show you, officers pulling three men out of a vehicle. Some hold the suspects down, while others kick, punch and beat them. OK, so, here's what the mayor's spokesperson is saying. Police were investigating a triple shooting at the time and warns against prejudging anybody. We don't know everything that was taking place, he said.
And we want to tell you that we're expecting a Philadelphia police press conference within the hour, and we will bring you any details that emerge out of that -- Brianna.
KEILAR: We want to get you some new information about an officer-involved shooting in St. Petersburg, Florida. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office -- and this is video you're seeing now from WFLA of that courthouse -- according to the sheriff's office there, a white man was entering this courthouse.
He was instructed to proceed through the metal detector, and he pulled a handgun and began shooting. He hit one deputy. Then two deputies returned fire. They killed the suspect, and apparently the deputy who was hit received non-life-threatening injuries. He's been transported to a local hospital.
At this point, detectives are on the scene, trying to figure out exactly what happened and why this man shot at sheriff's deputies there in St. Petersburg, Florida. Details, of course, still developing in this story. We will bring them to you as soon as they become available.
Is permafrost in the forecast, or are U.S./Russian relations in for a thaw here? That's a question in both Moscow and Washington with today's swearing-in of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
CNN State Department correspondent, Zain Verjee, joins us now from Washington.
What does the U.S. think of the new president? Some say it may be a puppet presidency.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don.
Well, Dmitry Medvedev is little bit of a mystery. Is he Putin's puppet or will he come out and be his own man? Well, many analysts that we have spoken to say that Medvedev will just have symbolic power, that he's Vladimir Putin's puppet. The view from the State Department is this, that Medvedev will start out slowly and consult with and defer to Putin a lot on some of the important issues, and then they say they expect him to gradually come into his own and make more of his own definitive decisions.
Senior State Department officials also tell us that they don't really expect any major change in Russia's foreign policies under Medvedev. The U.S. wants him, as well, to take action on some of his promises. He's been saying he wants to give Russians more democratic freedoms, more basic liberties.
Under Putin, Don, as you know, there's been a real crackdown on human right, especially on the freedom of the press. That's been something the U.S. has been really unhappy about. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack had this to say just a short while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Ultimately, though, it's the Russian government and the Russian people who are going to have to make those decisions. But, clearly, we think we have been distressed by the direction of Russian politics, Russia's democracy over the course of the past several years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: U.S. officials have told us that they still plan on dealing with Prime Minister Putin, but they say, when they want the boss, they're going to calm the Kremlin -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Zain Verjee -- Zain, thank you very much for that.
KEILAR: Well, Hillary Clinton is running out of chances to win over those superdelegates. Does she still have a chance to win? And, if not, why is she still in the race? We're looking for some answers ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, this just into the CNN NEWSROOM.
You're looking at pictures of New York City. And what this is, is a day of civil disobedience. And it is in protest of the verdicts for those three New York City police officers involved in the shooting death of Sean Bell. And you see the protesters, many of whom are at the top of your screen marching there.
Here's exactly what's happening. There are six locations in New York City where they are protesting. Many of them are peaceful protests, and also prayers. This is led by the National Action Network, which is of course Reverend Al Sharpton -- these pictures courtesy of News 12 New York, which is our affiliate there, new video coming in. This was scheduled to happen at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, not only to happen here in New York City, but to happen in Atlanta and Chicago as well.
Not exactly sure of the estimate of people there. The picture that you just saw, you could see the officers in the background. Of course, New York City police are saying they don't expect to have any incidents with any of this, and so they're just watching close by. But you're looking at that march getting under way, New York City, in protest in the death of an unarmed man by New York City police officers and the acquittal there.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
LEMON: A country reflects on six decades of pride, and struggle and -- Israel's Independence Day. We're live from Jerusalem.
KEILAR: Hillary Clinton is running out of chances to win over those superdelegates. Does she still have a chance to win? And, if not, why is she still in the race?
We'll look for some answers, ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We want to get you to more developing news again in Florida. This is in Miami-Dade, courtesy of our affiliate, WSVN, Miami-Dade County. You see there is a brush fire. And because there's so much smoke there, we can't exactly make out what this structure is in the middle, if it's a home or what have you. But it appears at the top left of your screen.. You can see the firefighters are on top of this. And it could be a residential neighborhood. But, again, it is a brush fire, we're told, in Miami-Dade County.
We are working to get our bureau down there on it and get more information from them. But you can see now, a lot of firefighters on the scene there and a lot of smoke coming out. We'll continue to update you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Miami-Dade County, Florida.
KEILAR: Some of the pundits say it is over. They say Hillary Clinton doesn't have the money or even the time to overtake Barack Obama. CNN's latest estimate gives Obama 1,842 delegates to Clinton's 1,686. That puts Obama even closer to the 2,025 needed to clinch the nomination.
So is this race a done deal?
Well, let's ask Jim Vandehei, the executive editor at Politico.com, and, also, April Ryan, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks.
Thank you to both of you for being with us today.
JIM VANDEHEI, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, POLITICO.COM: Thank you.
KEILAR: And I want to start by reading to you what we've heard from a very steadfast Clinton supporter, Senator Diane Feinstein. She actually said -- if I can find it right here -- she said: "I think the race is reaching a point now where there are negative dividends in terms of strife within the party. I think we need to prevent that as much as we can."
We also saw former Senator George McGovern today, an elder in the Democratic Party, switch his endorsement from Clinton to Obama and actually call for Clinton to jump out of the race.
Does this signal a wave of major pressure for her to get out?
APRIL RYAN, AMERICAN URBAN RADIO NETWORKS: Yes it does, actually. The signs are there pretty much, that it's almost over. The fat lady is singing, if you will.
But what's happening is the Democratic National Committee, they want to make sure that the loser has a fair shot and feels it was fair in their loss. So, you know, Hillary Clinton wants to count Michigan and Florida. And, you know, the DNC is charged with trying to find out an equitable way to make sure something happens. Barack Obama doesn't mind having the people seated from Michigan and Florida, but he also wants it to be fair for him.
KEILAR: Jim?
VANDEHEI: I think there's no doubt that there's virtually no chance for her to win. I think it's been that case for some time, because she was never going to be able to overcome the pledged delegate and the popular vote advantage that he had. She's not going to get pushed out right away. I don't think that there's a wave. There's certainly a trickle. I think most Democrats are saying let's at least, you know, go through the end of this month. Let the rest of these primaries and let the rest of these states vote. But they all think it's clear. They think it's inevitable that she's going to have to step aside.
She's going to have to do that on her own terms. She's going to have to come to the conclusion that you know what, I can't win and this is the best thing for the party.
She's not there right now. And, quite frankly, maybe she shouldn't be there right now. Go through the next couple of weeks of voting. Who knows what's going to happen?
A month-and-a-half ago, nobody knew that Reverend Wright would pop up and go on this media tour and cause so many headaches for Barack Obama. Clearly, those headaches didn't hurt him in the last two states.
But who knows what else is going to happen. And I think that's what the Clintons are focused on right now.
KEILAR: And I want to get your response to something that Senator Clinton had said earlier today.
Let's listen to part of why she says she's staying in the race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When Senator Kerry got the nomination in, I guess, March, you could say, he was ahead of President Bush, but he didn't win. So this is a dynamic electoral environment.
What matters is what strength you have going into the general election, who you're going to be able to bring to your side, what the electoral map will look like.
Look, if we had the rules that the Republicans have, I'd already be the nominee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So, Jim, is she talking Florida and Michigan there, right? Is that what she's talking about?
VANDEHEI: Oh, yes. They -- yes, the Clintons use a rather twisted logic right now to say that they should be the winners, because they want to count Michigan and Florida when everyone knows no one is going to count Michigan and Florida...
KEILAR: Well, sure. And...
VANDEHEI: ...and they don't have time to -- they don't have time to revote. That's not going to happen. And she also says well, you know, if we used the Republican rules, that she would win the nomination. Well guess what?
They don't use the Republican rules, so who cares?
KEILAR: Sure.
VANDEHEI: I mean you have to work by the rules that you're actually playing by.
KEILAR: But let me ask you, obviously, both Michigan and Florida went for Hillary Clinton, but the candidates didn't campaign there.
VANDEHEI: Yes, correct.
KEILAR: Is this even -- this is just a moot point, is that right?
VANDEHEI: Really, it is...
RYAN: Well, actually...
VANDEHEI: It's make believe. I mean there was no -- you know, I mean they didn't campaign. They were sanctioned by the DNC so there was no serious campaign in Michigan and Florida. So no one seriously thinks they're going to count those votes as they turned out.
The smartest thing for the Democrats -- and the fairest thing -- might have been to do a revote. But there's not enough time. It's not going to happen, so it's a moot point.
RYAN: Well, Barack Obama's name was not on the ballot in Michigan. So they technically weren't both on the ballot. They didn't campaign but she was on the ballot in Michigan. But they didn't campaign in Florida and Hillary Clinton was on the ballot in Michigan. So -- but you have to -- you have to weigh all things. She thinks she still has a chance. And people are giving her that chance because she is the former first lady, the wife of former President Bill Clinton. And they're giving her a chance.
KEILAR: But what do you guys think, when Hillary Clinton was there -- this sort of reshuffled schedule this morning. She was in West Virginia making comments basically to show hey, I'm still in this.
What do you think a lot of observers, even people on her side, were thinking about her being there saying that?
RYAN: She's in trouble. They know she's in trouble. And that's one of the reasons why she reshuffled. And not only that, last night you could see a different Hillary Clinton giving her -- her congratulatory speech, that she won. She won narrowly last night. She's a different Hillary Clinton and she's trying to pull out all the stops at the very last minute.
KEILAR: And, Jim, we have about 20 seconds for the final word from you.
VANDEHEI: OK. Well, you know, the last thing you're hearing today from a lot of the Clintonites is, is there going to be some sort of surprise about Obama that we don't know. I mean that's sort of silly. We don't -- obviously, if it's a surprise, we don't know that it's going to happen. So I don't think any superdelegate is going to be swayed by that. I have not heard from anybody who thinks you know what, we just -- there might be an unknown about Obama that we can't contemplate or ponder right now.
Everyone thinks this thing is going to be over -- it's going to be over in June and barring some miracle, it's going to be Barack Obama as the nominee and that's why he's headed to general election swing states soon.
KEILAR: Jim Vandehei with Politico, April Ryan with American Urban Radio Network.
Thanks, guys, for your time.
RYAN: Thank you.
VANDEHEI: Thank you.
LEMON: A country reflects on six decades of pride, struggle, doubt, as well. Israel's Independence Day. We're live from Jerusalem.
KEILAR: Caught on camera -- a toddler smoking pot. Find out what happened and why the community is even more outraged.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: And while the Jewish state turns 60 years old, that's not even a lifetime. But Israel's relatively few decades of independence has seen several lifetimes of unrest, despair and also conflict -- all of which remain to this date.
CNN's Atika Shubert is in Jerusalem with the very latest on how they're marking it.
And I see fireworks behind you -- Atika.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We're actually getting to the finale of today's celebrations -- fireworks, a laser show. And all of this is just kicking off a week of celebrations here in Israel. Tomorrow, the Israeli Air Force will be having its own display, along with the Navy. And then next week the highlight is U.S. President George Bush will be visiting, all as part of the independence celebrations.
And for many Israelis, particularly Jewish Israelis, there is a lot to celebrate. They really see the country as triumphing over the odds, rising out of the ashes of the Holocaust, emerging victorious out of its many wars against Arab neighbors.
And despite all of this, even thriving. The country has grown to nine times its size. It's gone from agriculture to becoming a leader in the high tech industry.
But despite all the celebration, that a lot of concerns overshadowing that, particularly peace, security and the conflict with the Palestinians. There is a security alert out here, warnings of possible attacks. The Palestinian territory of the West Bank has been closed off.
And just to give you a sense of what Israelis are thinking here, recent polls show that more than 70 percent of Israelis did not think there would be a peace deal with Palestinians in the next five years. And, in fact, 75 percent think there will be a war in the next five years. That just gives you an idea the state of mind of Israel at its 60th birthday.
LEMON: All right. Atika Shubert reporting from Jerusalem.
Thank you. Very beautiful pictures there. Atika, thanks again.
KEILAR: Caught on camera -- a toddler smoking pot. Find out what happened here and why this community is especially outraged.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, did you understand that?
That was a soldier shouting for more ammo during a firefight all the way in Afghanistan.
Why was it on his mother's answering machine? We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: And this is called naked and caught on camera and -- OK.
Why did the naked man climb the tree?
It's not a riddle. And we have no idea what the answer is.
We can't roll that back, can we?
But his fall was caught on tape by our affiliate, KTLA, in Los Angeles. L.A. police say they got a call -- there it is -- about a man threatening to jump from a tree. You can't even see him with that big dot.
The man fell onto an inflatable mattress. He was taken into custody without incident -- and, of course, without clothing. The naked truth right there. Hope the mattress was...
KEILAR: I'm speechless. Yes, he got caught on the mattress. That's a good thing. All right...
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: Well, I don't know. I don't even know what to say about that. Moving on...
LEMON: Oh my gosh.
KEILAR: A warning for parents about this next story.
LEMON: Yes.
KEILAR: We're going to tell you, it could really tick you off, because police in suburban Milwaukee have released this cell phone video of a 2-year-old seen smoking pot with his mother and two of her friends. All three adults pleaded guilty to furnishing a child marijuana. But the boy remains in his mother's custody, much to the chagrin of the local community there. Despite what we see in the video, blood tests of the boy showed no marijuana in his system.
LEMON: Oh my gosh.
OK, this one is, you know, just really -- we say unbelievable a lot, but it really is and it probably scared the daylights out of you. And if you want to give -- this one wasn't caught on camera, but it probably gave his family fits anyway.
Listen, up kids. Here's how to give your mother a heart attack.
Listen to this closely.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. You can't really understand what it was, but you've got to go to Afghanistan, right.
How do you give your mom a heart attack?
You go to Afghanistan then you unintentionally dial her number when you're in the middle of a gun battle. That's what happened to the Petee family in Oregon. Their soldier son apparently pressed redial on his cell phone while manning a machine gun right in the middle of the war zone. He is fine. Mom says she aged a couple of years listening to the recording. And the family got a unique earful of the dangerous live their son is living in Afghanistan.
KEILAR: All right. Car Care 101. Pop the hood, you check those belts and hoses.
LEMON: Right.
KEILAR: And, you know, you don't forget to watch out for the pit bull.
What?
LEMON: Say what?
KEILAR: Say what?
Leticia Ordaz, of affiliate KCRA, reports a truck owner got the shock of a lifetime.
LEMON: That's crazy, you all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER WITTHOEFT, FOUND DOG IN ENGINE: I opened the door, popped the hood -- hey. There it was.
LETICIA ORDAZ, KCRA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Walt Witthoeft still can't believe what he found in his engine of his work truck when he popped his hood before his morning commute to the Bay Area.
WITTHOEFT: And when I opened it up, there's a pair of eyes staring at me and this growl. It's like oh -- it blew me away. I didn't know what to do.
ORDAZ: Those around him took pictures of this 60-pound pit bull wedged in the engine for several hours. The dog kept himself entertained.
WITTHOEFT: The dog couldn't back out, so it ate up everything on the engine.
ORDAZ: With the dog still stuck, Witthoeft needed help, so he called Vacaville Police, animal control and his daughters.
MARIANNA PALMER, DAUGHTER: Sure enough there was a dog staring at me. And I guess through all our excitement she just wriggled her way out. And we saw all the wires and everything cut.
ORDAZ: Full of grease and scared, Solano County Animal Control took the 3-year-old pit bull to this shelter. With no tags, they're hoping someone will recognize her and come forward.
WITTHOEFT: I kind of call it a pit stop. You know, this pit got stuck in my engine and it's a fine place to stop. But I just got the truck out of repair last week.
PALMER: It's something we're just going to laugh at, you know, 10 years down the road.
WITTHOEFT: Oh I'm never going to forget it, you know. I'm never going to forget this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: I'm sure he won't. Well, the truck owner is going to have to pay more than a thousand dollars to repair what the dog chewed up.
I'm a softy. That's a small price to save the little doggy.
LEMON: Did he say a pit stop?
KEILAR: He did.
LEMON: Badumbump (ph).
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Everybody's a comedian.
KEILAR: Yes. LEMON: OK. All right, the closing bell and a wrap of the action on Wall Street. There's the big board. It doesn't look so good -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Well, you could say the cab stand at Newark's International Airport was live with the sound of music yesterday.
That is Grammy-nominated musician Philippe Quint, who wanted to personally thank cab driver Mohamed Khalil. This cabby returned the violin that Quint left in his cab last month. It wasn't just any instrument, it was a Stradivarius worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 million.
LEMON: Wow!
KEILAR: Time for our favorite --
LEMON: Attempt to bring Stephanie Elam in.
Stephanie, I've got a little joke --
What do you call it? A limerick.
What do you call it? It's a joke.
Why did the --
What do you call that again? Sorry.
Why did the naked man climb a tree?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To fall out of it with a big dot. I don't know. What?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: We thought this video was an amazing video of the day. They're telling us to move on, but come on. We need to lighten it up a little bit. It's funny stuff.
KEILAR: Nothing to see here.
ELAM: I just want to know why.
LEMON: Well --
KEILAR: We can surmise, Stephanie. But you know if we do we'll just get in trouble for whatever comes out of our mouths.
LEMON: Yes, he's OK.
ELAM: Especially Don, Brianna. Don't trust Don. Don will get you in trouble.
LEMON: Stef, there is nothing you can say without getting in trouble with this. So I'll just toss it to you. How are you doing?
ELAM: I'm good. Completely different than what I was going to talk about.
LEMON: What's the naked truth about Wall Street today?
ELAM: You're always trying to get me to say something inappropriate on the air, especially when Kyra is around. But she's not here right now.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
ELAM: Have a fabulous evening.
KEILAR: All right, you too, Stephanie.
LEMON: Thank you -- Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange.
Have a great one.
Now it is time to turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Mr. Wolf Blitzer.
I hope he's awake today.
