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Green Dreams; Don Imus Under Fire; The Crisis in Zimbabwe

Aired June 24, 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: And right off the top, energy and the environment have been the big topics so far today for both presidential candidates. John McCain's in California right now, laying out his ideas for a cleaner, greener and more efficient future.
McCain says, when it comes to energy, Uncle Sam needs to practice what he preaches.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our federal government is never shy about instructing the American people in good environmental practice. But energy efficiency, like charity, should begin at home. So, I propose to put the purchasing power of the United States government on the side of green technology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: McCain says the federal government uses more electricity than anybody on Earth, and making its buildings and vehicles greener would save billions of dollars.

Meantime, Barack Obama is taking his energy message to the land of neon lights. That's Las Vegas, of course. The Democratic presidential candidate sees green as the new gold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A green renewable energy economy isn't some pie-in-the-sky, far-off future. It is now. It's creating jobs now. It is providing cheap alternatives to $140-a-barrel oil now. And it can create millions of additional jobs and entire new industries, if we act now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Obama also criticized the idea that offshore drilling will bring any relief at the gas pump in the short term.

Senator John McCain recently endorsed lifting the drilling ban.

Well, Wolf Blitzer and company will have more on the candidates and their energy plans "THE SITUATION ROOM," the best political team on television right here on CNN starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we will begin now in Zimbabwe where the opposition party is confirming its candidate for president. Morgan Tsvangirai won't be part of Friday's runoff after months of government-sanctioned violence against Tsvangirai and his supporters.

The former opposition leader has taken refuge at the Dutch Embarrass. That leaves President Robert Mugabe unopposed in the runoff now being denounced around the world as a sham.

Now, we have CNN correspondents covering today's developments in Zimbabwe from every angle.

Reporting this hour, Nkepile Mabuse in Africa and Isha Sesay at our Zimbabwe desk.

LEMON: Absolutely.

Let's start our live coverage now with CNN's Nkepile Mabuse. She's at our listening post at Johannesburg, South Africa -- Nkepile.

NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the situation in Zimbabwe has received international condemnation. Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, he's seen mainly as a moral compass, not only in South Africa, but on the continent itself. And this is what he had to say about what is happening in Zimbabwe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU, NOBEL LAUREATE: We can, first of all, let Mr. Mugabe know that if as seems is going to happen, he claims victory on Friday, that that victory is going to be declared null and void. He's going to be declared an illegal. His is going to be declared an illegal administration. And people must take it from there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MABUSE: Well, Robert Mugabe is pressing ahead. He's not listening to everybody. Many have said this election is not going to be legitimate.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader and Robert Mugabe's opponent, has pulled out. But Robert Mugabe is going ahead. He wants this election. He wants to be made president of Zimbabwe.

LEMON: Nkepile Mabuse reporting from our listening post in Johannesburg, South Africa, we appreciate that. Thank you very much.

And much more to come on the crisis in Zimbabwe. At 15 minutes after the hour, Alphonso Van Marsh will report on the possibility Britain may intervene as well. And, at the half-hour, we will talk with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

PHILLIPS: Passed over for plum assignments, it happened time and time again to liberal-leaning applicants at the Justice Department. And an audit now reveals that it was no coincidence.

Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has been investigating this. She joins us live from Washington with more.

Kelli, what did you find out?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, I'm going to have to take you back -- be patient with me -- to late 2006, when several U.S. attorneys were fired.

Now, there were accusations that the firings were politically motivated and that the entire Justice Department had become politicized. Well, the inspector general at DOJ has been investigating those accusations. And that is the first part of what we expect is going to be a pretty extensive report.

It specifically deals with two programs at Justice. One was a summer law internship program. The others was an honors program. Now, both are very hard to get into. And they're used to funnel young lawyers into government jobs.

The report says that Justice officials clearly blocked Democrats and liberals from those positions. Now, Democrats, as expected, immediately pounced on this report, saying that they now want to know if the people that were responsible did it on their own or at the direction of higher-ups. And, as I said, Kyra, this is just the first part of this report. So, we will probably get many more answers as more comes out.

PHILLIPS: So, what can happen to these officials?

ARENA: Well, the inspector-general said that because the officials don't work at Justice anymore, they can't be disciplined by the department for their actions. But the report says that, if they ever apply again for a job at Justice, that those actions should be held against them -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, has anything changed?

ARENA: Well, Justice officials say that the entire hiring process has changed last year, as a result of this controversy. They now that it's completely insulated from politics. A lot of people argue, well, that's the way it should have been all along.

PHILLIPS: All right, Kelli Arena, live from Washington, we will continue to follow up. Thanks.

ARENA: You're welcome.

LEMON: Outspoken radio host Don Imus is in hot water again. And you will recall he was fired by CBS Radio last year for making sexist and racially-charged remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

Now he is being criticized for this exchange yesterday with sportscaster Warner Wolf.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

WARNER WOLF, SPORTSCASTER: Defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys, here's a guy suspended all of 2007 following that shooting in a Vegas nightclub.

DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, stuff happens. You're in a nightclub, for God's sake. What do you think's going to happen in a nightclub? People are drinking and doing drugs.

WOLF: Yes.

IMUS: There are women there, and people have guns. So, there, go ahead.

WOLF: Well, he's also -- he's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.

IMUS: What color is he?

WOLF: He's African-American.

IMUS: Well, there you go. OK. Now we know.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, this morning, Imus said he meant not to offend, but to defend blacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMUS; Well, obviously I already knew what color he was. The point was, in order to make a sarcastic point. What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason. There's no reason to arrest this kid six times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The Reverend Al Sharpton, who calls the initial comments disturbing, says hopes Imus meant what he said this morning -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Danger downriver as another weakened levee gives way. This one is in St. Charles County, Missouri, where the National Guard and volunteers have been sandbagging for days now. They're worried most about a trailer parker that is home to several hundred people. Now, as the floodwaters drop upstream, homeowners start cleaning up. Most don't have flood insurance, by the way, but they say FEMA is sort of pitching in.

And so many wildfires, not nearly enough firefighters. Nevada and Oregon are sending crews to Northern California now, where more than 800 fires are still burning. All were ignited by one lightning storm. Two of the biggest fires are now in Napa and the Shasta- Trinity National Forest. State of emergency have been declared in both areas.

LEMON: Daughters of Iraq -- we will tell you about a new group that hopes to ensure that more Iraqi daughters and sons are not killed in suicide bombings.

PHILLIPS: What is Bill Clinton waiting for? His wife has come out and endorsed Barack Obama. So, why hasn't he? We're going to hear what his spokesperson had to say today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Tel Aviv, what started as a routine departure ceremony didn't end that way for French President Nicolas Sarkozy his wife. They were shaking hands with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other VIPs when suddenly gunfire sent the French first lady scampering up the stairs to the plane ahead of her husband.

Guards rushed Olmert and Israeli President Shimon Peres into their cars. What caused the panic? Well, authorities say an Israeli police officer assigned to secure the airport shot himself to death.

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired rockets and a mortar round into southern Israel today, wounding two people. Islamic Jihad says that was retaliation for an Israeli raid in the West Bank that killed a Palestinian commander, the first serious test of a cease-fire that took effect last week. Israel called the rocket strike a gross violation to the truce. Hamas says it is still committed to the cease-fire, but calls the Israeli attack provocation.

LEMON: Now back to the crisis in Zimbabwe. The outside world has condemned President Robert Mugabe for using violence to stifle his opponents. Now we're hearing Britain has drawn up plans for possible military action.

Let's check with CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh. He's in London.

Tell us about those plans, Alphonso.

ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Don.

Well, let's go back a little bit and just remind some of our viewers that Britain is the former colonial power of the country now known as Zimbabwe. And where we are right now, this is Zimbabwe House, the Zimbabwean Embassy, which, of course, is the focal point of a lot of protests against the rule of Robert Mugabe.

The protesters aren't here right now, but you can see a little bit of what they have left behind, etched in stone, "Make Mugabe History." And that's not the word just on the streets. This is also the word we're hearing from some of the top levels of government. As you mentioned, a lot of options being thrown out there. We're hearing tons of nation -- of events in Zimbabwe, from everybody from parliamentarians to even the prime minister, who says that the regime of Robert Mugabe is no longer legitimate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The current government with no parliamentary majority, having lost the first round of the presidential elections and holding power only through because of violence and intimidation is a regime that should not recognized by anyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAN MARSH: Now, as you mentioned, there some is talk about military intervention, even one of the newspapers reporting on the case for military action in Zimbabwe, a lot of people here saying that it is way too early to be assessing that sort of thing.

Instead, pressure should be coming from the United Nations, and also from African leaders on Zimbabwe to find some sort of resolution to this crisis. However, there's also coming down from London today criticism against the mediator, one of the mediators, South African President Thabo Mbeki, in resolving this action in Zimbabwe. He is saying -- we should say that the politicians here are saying that Robert Mugabe isn't listening to a word that President Thabo Mbeki is telling Robert Mugabe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER HAIN, FORMER BRITISH AFRICA MINISTER: I don't think Mugabe listens to him. And I don't think that the so-called mediating role, which he has played -- that is to say, the president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki -- has been effective at all.

And, so, I think it's now the time for everybody to recognize the truth. The truth is, Mugabe will not respond, and never was going to respond, to diplomatic niceties, to the cocktail circus. He was never going to respond to that. What he will -- the only language he understands is an uncompromising demand, that he either goes or he suffers the consequences personally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN MARSH: Now, whether there are personal consequences, it is entirely too early to tell, at this point, for the president of Zimbabwe.

Also important to stress that many people are saying that it's too early to say that military action is needed. However, right here, in front of the embassy, protesters say that they will continue coming, until Robert Mugabe is out of power -- Don.

LEMON: Alphonso Van Marsh joining us from London -- thank you very much for that, Alphonso.

And former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will join us live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM at the bottom of the hour -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, living and shopping in paradise, it's not as pleasant as you think when everything you need has to bought and shipped from the mainland when those fuel and the delivery costs get passed down to you. We will explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's not just oil and gasoline prices that are soaring these days. So is the price of natural gas. And for millions of Americans, that means one thing, higher energy bills.

CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix."

Hey, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kyra.

Well, we talk about oil and gas prices every single day. They're what's making headlines. But natural gas, that's nearly as important. It's used by more than 60 million residential customers for heating and cooling their homes. And just like oil, natural gas prices are surging.

Get this. They're up 75 percent since the beginning of this year. And one reason for that is the weather. Meteorologists are predicting temperatures in many parts of the country will be above average over the next few weeks. And for a lot of people, that means higher utility bills. And, Kyra, at a time when family budgets are already stretched, that's pretty rough news.

A consumer advocacy group says about 15 percent of households are at least 30 days late on their utility bills. That works out to about 60 million people who owe a whopping nearly $5 billion as of the end of March. And because of that, the group says about 9 percent of those surveyed have actually, Kyra, had their electricity or their natural gas shut off.

PHILLIPS: Well, you mentioned it's summertime. Energy bills are going to go extremely high. What can people do to save money?

HARLOW: Yes, there's a few things they can do. I didn't think of some of these, so listen up for these tips.

Turn the temperature on the A.C. up a little bit. Think about, do you really need it that cool? Another thing to keep in mind is, for each degree you raise the thermostat, you will save about 3 percent to 5 percent on your cooling costs.

Also, it's a common misconception that if you turn the temperature to a lower temperature, it's going to cool the room faster. That's simply not true. And one more energy fix for you. Insulate your attic. In the summer, it will keep the cool air in. In the winter, it will keep the warm air in. A lot more of these tips on our Web site, CNNMoney.com -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Poppy Harlow, thanks so much -- Don.

HARLOW: Sure.

PHILLIPS: All right, thanks Kyra and Poppy.

We have some developing news right into the CNN NEWSROOM. I want to get you some video now. It's happening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, new video into the CNN NEWSROOM. In case you're not sure of what you're looking at, this is a crane that has tipped over at a construction site. And it looks to have caused some damage, at least to a tree and some of the wiring there in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

All we know is that it is at a construction site. No word on any injuries in all of this. But, as we know, and as you know -- there you go -- the crane on the back of that truck there, we're getting -- as it pulls out, we're getting a better picture of exactly what's happening. We have been reporting on these crane collapses. We reported on one, one or two weeks ago happening at the construction of Cowboys' stadium in Texas, and of course two recently in New York, where people have been killed.

So, this one happening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this courtesy of our affiliate WSVN. A crane tipped over at a construction site. No word of any injuries here. We will follow -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, the opposition candidate formally withdraws from Friday's election in Zimbabwe. What's the fallout and what happens next? We're going to check in with Isha Sesay at our Zimbabwe desk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live in New York.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: It's 3:27 Eastern time. Here are some of the stories we're working on right now in the NEWSROOM.

A weakened levee falls victim to the bloated Mississippi River. People in St. Charles, Missouri, are on alert for the possibility of dangerous flash flooding now.

And a hasty change of plans in Tel Aviv. French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's diplomatic goodbye is disrupted by gunfire. Apparently, an Israeli police officer shot himself in the head.

And President Bush meeting with his feel Philippine counterpart in Washington today. He is offering his condolences and U.S. help to the typhoon victims there.

And we have got pictures coming in to us now from a standoff that we have been following in Little Falls, Minnesota. Apparently, there was a hostage situation here at the Morrison County Government Center that ended when a suspect was shot and wounded. Sheriff's deputies reporting that they were called in to the county boardroom about 10:22 Minneapolis time.

And the building was quickly evacuated. Apparently, the suspect, described only as a white male, was wounded by the gunfire and taken to St. Gabriel's Hospital for treatment. There are reports out there that he may have been shot and killed. We have not been able to confirm that yet.

But authorities closed the courthouse complex for the rest of the day. It has stay closed throughout the day, quite a scare to folks living around that area. Not quite sure why the man entered the courthouse, why he -- if he was looking for somebody specifically. We're still working the details right now. We will keep you updated.

LEMON: We are following that.

And we're also keeping our eye on Zimbabwe, where opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai today formally pulled out of Friday's runoff election, leaving the longtime incumbent, Robert Mugabe, the only candidate for president.

Tsvangirai has taken refuge in the Dutch Embassy.

And CNN's Isha Sesay from our international unit here at CNN joins us now with the very latest on that.

Lots of movement in this story, Isha.

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It's been a very, very busy day, as we monitor the fast-moving events.

We're still hearing that despite Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the election on Friday, that the violence continues, still targeting supporters and members of the MDC party. But we have also been monitoring newspapers, how they are responding to the situation, what editorials are saying about the events in Zimbabwe.

And this is what we have come across. Let's bring you something from "The New York Times" now.

They say: "The United States, Zimbabwe's African neighbors and the rest of the international community must immediately press for a postponement of the balloting. And since Mr. Mugabe appears to have lost all sense -- he has now declared that only God, not the voters, can remove him from office -- they must pressure the generals who enable his reign of terror to abandon Mugabe." But, interestingly enough, we also want to bring you the sentiments expressed by the government-owned newspaper, "The Herald," which is in Zimbabwe itself, painting a very different picture. We're hearing of all this violence.

But this is what "The Herald" says: "Isn't it ironic that a man who has traversed rural Zimbabwe, a Zanu-PF stronghold, in his victory buses emblazoned with his image and slogans can claim he fears for his life in his stronghold of Harare to the extent of fleeing to seek refuge in the Royal Netherlands embassy. We are all -- we are sure all progressive Zimbabweans are sick and tired of Tsvangirai's childish games and can't wait to give him the message on Friday." -- Don.

LEMON: Oh, Wow!

Very interesting.

SESAY: Yes.

LEMON: And, you know, I've just -- I've been reading here a response from the African National Congress, as well as many other people, who have been saying that this is an African problem. SESAY: Absolutely.

LEMON: Outsiders should not step in and help with this.

SESAY: Exactly.

LEMON: What are you hearing about that?

What about presidents?

What about leaders, African leaders, I should say?

SESAY: Well, everyone looking at South Africa, as you rightly said. Everyone looking at them to take charge here, because they are Zimbabwe's largest trading partner. Thabo Mbeki, South African's president, up until this point, unwilling to come out and criticize Mugabe. The ANC, as Don was just saying, released a statement on Tuesday in which it said it was dismayed by the events there in Zimbabwe, saying that that Zanu-PF was riding roughshod over the hard- won democratic right of the people.

But crucially, Don, ANC, as you say -- and this is key for anyone who's looking at South Africa to take a more aggressive line. They said that it has always been and continues to be the view of their movement that the challenges facing Zimbabwe must be dealt with by Zimbabweans themselves. Other African leaders taking a different tone. Zambia's president coming down hard. Botswana's president coming down hard. But the key is South Africa.

LEMON: Yes.

SESAY: And they are saying leave it to Zimbabwe.

LEMON: And we shall see. The runoff on Friday. Obviously, just one person, no opposition. So we'll be following this throughout the week, as well.

SESAY: Absolutely.

We certainly will.

LEMON: Thank you very much.

SESAY: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Isha Sesay from our international unit -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has been an outspoken critic of Mugabe's machine.

She joins us now live from Washington, as we continue to follow- up on this story that just seems to be getting worse.

Madame Secretary, great to see you.

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRINCIPAL, THE ALBRIGHT GROUP: Great to be with you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You have pointed out -- and I want to get this quote right -- that Zimbabwe, once the bread basket of Africa, is now a basket case.

Why has it gotten so bad.

ALBRIGHT: Well, the economic situation is a disaster. They have an inflation rate that is impossible. But mostly it has gotten bad because President Mugabe is not doing what a president should do, which is to protect his people and to try to help them. Instead, he is the one that is behind the violence in which people are being killed, beaten up because they want to participate in free elections. And I think it is a major tragedy, because President Mugabe was one of the heroes of the liberation movements in Africa. And he is now a person that is hurting his people in such a way that the international community believes that there is a responsibility to protect those poor people in Zimbabwe from their own president.

PHILLIPS: Now, Africa is a tremendous priority for the United States. It was a priority for you. We're always talking about it from a health perspective, from a human rights perspective, from a political perspective. I could keep going on and on. And we're always raising money for Africa.

Why is it, when it comes down to something like this, with Zimbabwe, the U.S. can go to war in Iraq and take out Saddam Hussein. Some will say Robert Mugabe is worse than Saddam Hussein.

Why does the U.S. stand back and just say just, hmmm, it just needs international pressure here, it's other people's responsibility to step in?

ALBRIGHT: Well, actually, I think the U.S. is taking a very strong action in terms of leading the discussion at the Security Council and getting a statement from the U.N. Security Council condemning the actions in Zimbabwe. I think there is, though, this sense -- and you were reporting on it -- is that there's the hope that the Africans will be able to deal with this African problem. The issue, however, is, is that the Africans themselves are not taking very robust action. But I do believe that here the United States is making some very strong statements.

And I think that, frankly, we are overstretched. We know that. Our forces are being really called upon to do all kinds of things in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I do think that the U.S. is being quite strong in mobilizing international pressure.

And I must say, the report that you just did about the ANC statement on this makes me so sad, because where would the ANC be and where would South Africa be if the international community had not really put pressure on the apartheid government there to change things?

And so the Africans have to act strongly. And I do think the international community has to be with them in condemning the actions of Mugabe.

PHILLIPS: The U.S. has partnered with Africa on so many issues of human rights violations, whatever part of the continent we're talking about. You know, I interviewed Peter Godwin, award winning journalist and author. And he said, look, if it doesn't involve oil and terrorism, the U.S. just simply isn't going to get involved in ways that it should.

ALBRIGHT: Well, I have made that statement myself. But I think at this point, the U.S. is not in a position, nor do I think it's appropriate, to invade Zimbabwe.

I do think that the U.S. should be working with the international community in order to tighten sanctions on Mugabe, in order to really make clear that these are not just small sanctions against some of the leaders, to try to get multilateral sanctions and, frankly, to try to work with the African Union in order to put pressure on Mugabe from the Africans.

The African Union is going to be meeting at the end of this week in Cairo. I think they are the ones that can put tremendous pressure on Mugabe and that there can't be elections under the current circumstances, but some idea of a settlement where, in fact, some kind of a technical government or some kind of a transitional government could actually hold free and fair elections.

But it's very hard to work against somebody who has the military with him in torturing and beating up his own people.

PHILLIPS: And you've got Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, who has now pulled out of this election. He fears for his life. He's hiding out at the Dutch embassy.

What does he do now?

Does he wait it out?

Does he stay in hiding?

Is he the only hope for change?

ALBRIGHT: Well, he is a very dynamic and important leader and his party has been working very hard in order to have free elections. And I think that he has been forced -- I don't think he had a lot of choices here. I mean his people were being beaten up and this was not going to be a fair election. And I think he has to work with other African leaders and with other countries in order to mobilize support for a democratic election under different circumstances, where, in fact, there is a transitional government. I'm chairman of the board of the National Democratic Institute. I just put out a statement, in fact, that makes clear that there needs to be some kind of a transitional government that would, in fact, supervise free and fair elections.

PHILLIPS: Real quickly, if you don't mind. Your advice to Condoleezza Rice right now. ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that she needs to keep putting pressure -- as she did, she was in New York -- in terms of this resolution. And, also, I think that it would be very useful for the United States, as an observer at the African Union, to try to get the Africans to live up to what they're saying, which is that Africans need to take care of this African problem. We need to see African action here. And I would hope that there would be discussions with President Mbeki of South Africa, who plays such an important role, to understand that South Africa would be -- a black South Africa would be nowhere if it had not been for international pressure. He should remember that and so should the ANC

PHILLIPS: Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Always great to see you.

ALBRIGHT: Nice to see you.

Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

LEMON: Let's talk some presidential politics now.

The question, what's Bill Clinton waiting for?

The former president hasn't endorsed Barack Obama, even though his wife has. A Clinton spokesman told CNN today the former president is "obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Barack Obama is the next president."

So where is that endorsement?

Here's CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson -- check, check, check, check. Bill Clinton -- not so much.

QUESTION: President Clinton, will you be endorsing Barack Obama?

ACOSTA: Not only did he steer clear of that question, at a mayor's conference Sunday, Mr. Clinton barely mentioned Obama by name, briefly praising the presumptive nominee's environmental plans.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I favor Senator Obama's position, which is to go to 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases, over Senator McCain's position, which is to go to 70 percent. But the point is that's light years ahead of where the Republicans have been.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I endorse him and throw my full support behind him! ACOSTA: It's also light years from Hillary Clinton's rousing endorsement two weeks ago. And while she and Obama will campaign together later this week, so far there appear to be no such plans for the other Clinton.

B. CLINTON: I was born in a little town called Hope, Arkansas. Three months after, my father died.

ACOSTA: Appearing as Mr. Clinton and Obama on the campaign trail would unite the man from Hope with the man who wrote "The Audacity of Hope." They have similar biographies. Obama was abandoned by his father. Mr. Clinton's father died before he was born. Both skyrocketed to political stardom.

B. CLINTON: This is what you live for. But this hurts the people of South Carolina.

ACOSTA: Then there is the other Bill Clinton.

LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, CENTER FOR POLITICS: When Bill Clinton is on message, there is nobody better. When Bill Clinton is off message, he is very, very bad.

ACOSTA: Some political analysts see Mr. Clinton simply jockeying to get his wife on the ticket.

SABATO: You don't give something for nothing. And, ideally, Hillary would love to get the vice presidential spot. But if she can't have that, she wants some other things. Bill knows it and he's reacting accordingly.

ACOSTA (on camera): The other possibility is that the former president would rather wait and give Senators Obama and Clinton their moment in the sun together this Friday in, of all places, Unity, New Hampshire, where, by the way, each candidate got 107 votes each.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Bonnie Schneider in the Weather Center now looking at more storms in places that don't need the rain -- hey, Bonnie.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: All right. We want parents to listen up because we have some important safety news for parents of infants. Three hundred and twenty thousand Jardine cribs, made in Taiwan, are being recalled. Wooden slats and spindles on the cribs can break, creating a gap which is a strangulation hazard. Now, there have been 42 instances of slats and spindles breaking. Four children have become trapped. Two suffered minor scrapes and bruises and for a complete list of the affected model number, go to cpsc.gov. Again, cpsc.gov. Moving on now, Daughters of Iraq -- we'll tell you about a new group that hopes to ensure that more Iraqi daughters and sons are not killed in suicide bombings. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a major change at Iraqi security checkpoints. Iraqi women are being hired to try to counter women suicide bombers.

Our Jill Dougherty, who is in Iraq, takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a checkpoint in Yusufiya, Iraq, southwest of Baghdad, a woman dressed in the traditional long, black Abaya approaches security. Iraqi cultural norms forbid a man to pat down a woman, so a U.S. female soldier carries out the check.

Is she a peaceful, local woman or could she be hiding a bomb?

In mid-May, an Iraqi Army officer was killed in this town by a female suicide bomber.

CAPT. MICHAEL STARZ, U.S. ARMY: And when he came out to meet her to help her with a problem that she was having, she detonated the vest and killed him and injured some of his soldiers.

DOUGHERTY: Now, in a U.S.-sponsored pilot program, Iraqi women are being hired and trained to carry out security checks on females. It's called Daughters of Iraq, a spin-off from the Sons of Iraq program, which hires local men to run checkpoints. Each woman is fingerprinted and has biometric data registered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just did a square knot.

DOUGHERTY: Their training includes first aid. An Iraqi colonel explains what the job entails. "They'll work two to three days a month and will be paid $200 to $300 a month." Here in Yusufiya, where families struggle to survive, that's good money.

(on camera): These are farm women from local towns. Many of them are widows with numerous children and almost no income.

(voice-over): Fawzia (ph) has six children. Her husband was shot to death when his car broke down.

"I am ready to work as long as it helps me financially," she says. "I have five children in school. My daughter is at home. She's sick. She's very weak. And her medication is so expensive."

Having women work in this tradition-bound society is a social revolution, Fatima, a volunteer leader woman tells me.

"Many women would like to do it," she says, "but their parents would not agree because it's a rural society and it's shameful for girls to go outside the home."

Increasingly, Iraqi insurgent groups are using women as suicide bombers and to smuggle weapons because they know women are rarely checked. The U.S. and Iraqi military hope the Daughters of Iraq will help solve this critical security gap.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Yusufiya, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, America is set to get its first female four star general. Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody has been nominated by President Bush to take over the Army's material command responsible for outfitting and supplying soldiers. If she's confirmed by the Senate, she'll be the highest ranking woman officer in the U.S. military. At the moment, the Army has only 11 active four star generals. It's difficult for women to reach that rank because they're barred from combat roles, which are the fastest route to promotion.

PHILLIPS: He's made a name for himself strutting about Times Square. But he says the candy maker can't. It's Mars and the naked cowboy, straight up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, it is just a small dip, but drivers will take any relief they can get. Gas prices edged lower for the second straight day, dropping three-tenths of a cent. According to AAA, the national average for regular unleaded is just under $4.07 a gallon. Gas prices are 3.5 percent higher than last month, higher still In California, Alaska and Connecticut, where drivers are paying a minimum of $4.37 a gallon.

PHILLIPS: Well, we're all complaining about the high price of gas and the related increases in food prices. But imagine paying $6.50 for a gallon of milk. That's life in Hawaii, where everything has to be shipped in from the mainland.

Our Chris Lawrence reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sun. Surf. Sand. Hawaii is blessed with a natural beauty. But there's a price for this paradise. $7.19 -- that's what it costs to buy a half gallon of orange juice here. Or it'll get you one pack of American cheese slices. You'll need almost eight bucks for a box of cereal and well over that for a jar of peanut butter.

SUSAN OHAMADA, HAWAII RESIDENT: I just spent, for a half gallon of milk, $4.29.

LAWRENCE: Susan Ohamada is going broke shopping for a family of four.

S. OHAMADA: Kleenex. I bought Kleenex for $2.99 today. $3 for a Kleenex. And that was the sale price.

LAWRENCE: Most of Hawaii's food is shipped in from the mainland, so it's generally more expensive. But the high cost of fuel has forced shippers to tack on huge surcharges, which are passed along to the grocery store.

(on camera): What can Hawaiians do to have affordable food?

PROF. IRA ROHTER, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII: You grow your own food. You may have noticed we can grow our own food in Hawaii.

LAWRENCE: Professor Ira Rohter says good land is available on the island. But others say it's expensive and you can't afford to grow celery and carrots on land that's $80,000 an acre. And since most farmers are on short-term leases, there's no real incentive to invest in technology that improves production. Some shoppers have adapted, only buying what's in season.

CORRINE TANTOG, SHOPPER: I went to a nutrition class and that kind of helped. They tell you how to buy food when they're growing, what's cheaper.

LAWRENCE: Right now, a head of lettuce is $2 per pound. Tomatoes are more than $6 a pound. A gallon of regular milk is $6.50. And forget the organic kind -- it's nearly nine bucks.

DAVE OHAMADA, HAWAII RESIDENT: It's amazing how fuel has influenced everything, the price of everything going up. It's just ridiculous.

LAWRENCE (on camera): Even a loaf of bread is $5.50 -- and not the fancy multi-oat grain, either -- old-fashioned white bread. And at this rate, there are going to be some families priced right out of paradise.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Honolulu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We're going to tell you what's happening on Wall Street in just a little bit because the closing bell is about to ring. All the action, coming up straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There he is look dapper today -- Wolf Blitzer, you're supposed to check in.

PHILLIPS: Hey, Wolf.

What you got coming up on "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Thanks very much, guys.

We have lots coming up.

Hillary Clinton back at her day job. She returns to the Senate and answers questions from reporters for the first time since dropping out.

What will life be like now?

And wait until you hear what Bill Clinton is saying about helping Barack Obama. We'll have full reports.

Also, amid the political debate on whether or not to talk to Iran, is President Bush now following Barack Obama's lead?

Sources telling CNN the State Department is considering talking to Tehran in a way the U.S. has not in almost 30 years.

And California has seen a gold rush.

Might there be a rush for black gold next?

Experts believe there are billions -- billions of barrels of oil underneath L.A. -- if only they could get to it.

All that and a lot more, guys, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

PHILLIPS: Hey, Don, Wolf looks really good in that cowboy boots. I don't know if you've seen him.

LEMON: I think I've seen him in Times Square. We're talking about the naked cowboy, a fixture in Times Square.

BLITZER: Ooh.

LEMON: Did you hear Wolf go ooh?

A fixture in Times Square in New York wins a round in federal court. A judge rules Robert Burck -- that's his real name -- can go ahead with his lawsuit against the candy maker Mars. A recent Mars advertising campaign showed the blue M&M strumming a guitar, wearing only boots or whatever. Well, they say that he can go on and pursue that. And Mars says, you know what, it's a parody. So they cite that rule.

It's time now to check in with Miss. Susan Lisovicz on Wall Street -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don and Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Susan.

OK. Now "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.