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American Morning
Don Imus on the Defensive on Controversial Race Remarks; School Officials at Gloucester High Says There's No Pregnancy Pact; Ferry Disaster in the Philippines: 800 Missing and Feared Dead; Hiker Saved by A Sports Bra; Japan's Plan to Keep Workers Fit; Big Brown Owner Calls for Ban on Steroid Use in Horse Racing
Aired June 24, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN HOST: More than 800 people are missing and feared dead. Rescue efforts underway right now. All of this happening in the Philippines after a boat capsized during a powerful typhoon three days ago. Divers have managed to get inside of the ferry, but so far have found no survivors.
And some foreclosure help. The Senate tackling a plan today to help hundreds of thousands of Americans avoid foreclosure. That plan would provide $300 billion in new mortgages for homeowners who normally would qualify for government-backed fixed rate loans.
And disconnected. More and more Americans getting their power or water cut off because they can't pay their bills. "USA Today" reports that shutoffs are up 15 percent in several states.
Also developing this morning, Don Imus responding to a brand-new on- air controversy centered around race. Let's take a look at his broadcast going on right now. There it is.
Alina Cho has been following the story all morning and joins me now. Right off the top of his show this morning, he did address some comments he made yesterday. It seem to be stirring up another racial controversy.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And a lot of people are saying here we go again. Guys, good morning.
Yes, Imus is on the air right now. And within the hour, he began his radio show by talking about those comments that got him in hot water yesterday. We'll get to that in just a second.
But first, just a little bit of background on this. Imus, while talking about a suspended NFL player, Adam Jones, asked his co-host yesterday, what color is he? When the co-host replied he's African- American, Imus said, "There you go. Now we know." Here's how the radio host responded to those comments this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: My point was that there's no reason to arrest this kid six times. He's a football player. He's a lovely kid. He's out having fun.
He doesn't need to be arrested six times. He gets arrested six times, well, we know why he gets arrested six times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which was your point.
IMUS: Well, that was my point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: In the next hour or so, Imus could talk a bit more about this. We'll be monitoring that. Meanwhile, the NFL star at the center of Imus' latest comments, Adam Jones, told the "Dallas Morning News," "I'm truly upset about the comments. Obviously, Mr. Imus has problems with African-Americans. I'm upset and I hope the station he works for handles it accordingly." He ended by saying, "I will pray for him."
Of course, this brings back memories, guys, of what happened just 14 short months ago when Imus made those controversial comments about Rutgers University and the women's basketball team. Of course, those comments got him fired. This time he is expected to keep his job, but we will be monitoring his show throughout the morning.
CHETRY: All right. Alina, thanks so much.
And we have some more background on this. An "AM EXTRA" has a look at some of Imus' other public missteps. He's accused of calling prominent black journalist Gwen Ifill of PBS "a cleaning lady." "New York Times" columnist William Rhoden a "quota hire." He was also sued by his son's former nanny after he called her -- she said he called her a terrorist. Also, he took some heat after joking about Bill Clinton's infidelities at a White House Correspondents' Dinner, at one point calling him "a pot-smoking weasel."
And the subject of Don Imus' latest remark is the NFL's Adam "Pacman" Jones. The league suspended him back in April of last year following a number of arrests and legal problems, and that includes his connection to a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club. According to "The Associated Press," he's been arrested six times and involved in 12 incidents requiring police intervention since he was drafted in the first round by the Tennessee Titans in 2005.
Now, one of Imus' biggest critics the last time he was in trouble over racial remarks is going to be joining us live. The Reverend Al Sharpton reacting to the latest controversy coming up in the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN HOST: Thousands of firefighters are hard at work in California this morning. More than 800 wildfires are burning across the state, most of them in northern California. Crews from Nevada and Oregon are providing help from the air.
Floodwaters still rising in Missouri as the Mississippi River will crest today in some areas. Here's a look at the flooding in St. Charles, Missouri. Just a few miles north in Winfield, engineers and volunteers used 50,000 sandbags to help fortify a levee.
Flood victims looking for relief found themselves involved in fights; 2,500 people showed up at a county office in Milwaukee expecting to receive food vouchers. Instead, they pushed and shoved until police restored order.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm telling them that I'm handicap, I'm handicap. And I had to grab on to the police officer's arm because they had knocked me down. I can't even find my walker.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently, people started to rush the door. Skirmishes brought out among people that were standing in the crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We shouldn't be having to go through all this fighting. Acting ignorant about some food stamps. Half of them going to go sell them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And to make matters worse, they weren't even giving anything out. The office was just taking names so people could sign up for a state assistance program.
And it's a story that everyone's being talking about. Seventeen girls, 17 pregnant at the same high school. But now, school officials say the girls apparently did not have a pregnancy pact. Our Randi Kaye has got more for us this morning -- Randi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran.
Damage control in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The mayor and school officials questioning reports of a pregnancy pact at Gloucester High School. This school year 17 girls got pregnant. More than four times the school's average, some as young as 15.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR CAROLYN KIRK, GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS: Any planned blood oath bond to become pregnant, there is absolutely no evidence of.
KAYE (voice-over): Just last week, school principal, Dr. Joseph Sullivan, told "Time" magazine the girls were part of a pact. Now, says the mayor --
KIRK: He was foggy in his memory of how he heard about the information. When we pressed him for specifics about who told him, when was he told, his memory failed.
KAYE: Still, on Friday, Superintendent Christopher Farmer told me when the girls found out they were pregnant --
CHRISTOPHER FARMER, SUPERINTENDENT: There's some talk of high fives.
KAYE: High fives to celebrate they were expecting. And this Gloucester resident told us he knew of a pact.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a tremendous amount of peer pressure, negative peer pressure for as many girls as possible to join in this pact. And luckily, my stepdaughter was smart enough or scared enough to say no.
KAYE (on camera): But today, no pact, no principal. He wasn't invited to the press conference. We tried reaching him. No luck.
The mayor used the time to point fingers as to why she thinks so many girls from Gloucester High are expecting.
KAYE (voice-over): Meeting the underfunded demands of No Child Left Behind and state budget cuts, she says, make it impossible for sex education to be taught beyond freshman year. Parents were also on the receiving end.
KIRK: Parents and guardians are the primary educators of their children. They are ultimately responsible for the health and well- being of their children.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Still up for debate is whether the school should dispense contraceptives on site. Only five districts do, and this isn't one of them. For Gloucester, it's a PR nightmare with no end in sight and still no clear beginning -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Randi Kaye this morning.
Superintendent Farmer says he thinks the girls may have come up with the plan to raise their kids together after they found out they were pregnant.
CHETRY: Also new this morning, more than 800 people still missing and feared dead at sea three days after a ferry capsized and sank in the rough waters off of the Philippines. A look at some of the survivors here.
A.P.'s Manila Bureau Chief Paul Alexander joins us now live from the Philippines with the latest -- Paul.
VOICE OF PAUL ALEXANDER, A.P. MANILA BUREAU CHIEF: Well, we've had sort of a very difficult day here with the last hopes really of finding a large number of survivors from this ferry disaster. Basically getting dashed when divers went inside and had so far found only bodies. They're still hoping that there could be a miracle, but certainly the chances are that we're looking at a death toll of somewhere around 800 from the ferry that goes along with well over 200 people who have been killed from the typhoon that caused this tragic incident.
CHETRY: You know, Paul, we're seeing the pictures of some of the survivors lined up, it looks like, on make -- you know, in some makeshift area lined up on little blankets on the floor. How did they survive and what are the prospects right now for them?
ALEXANDER: Well, they survived in a variety of ways. Some of them managed to swim to shore nearby. This was only about 500 meters off of one island in the central Philippines. Others floated for over a full day and ended up 80 miles away before they were found. First, they managed to get into a life raft and then when it capsized they just sort of tried to stay together while wearing their life vests.
CHETRY: All right. Paul Alexander for us, as you said, a very difficult day there in the Philippines as the chance of finding anymore people alive from this capsized ferry grows dimmer. Thank you, Paul.
ROBERTS: It's nine minutes now after the hour. You are watching the "Most News in the Morning."
Coming up at 7:15, saved by a bra. The woman lost in the mountains sends a message to rescuers with her underwear.
CHETRY: Also coming up at 7:31, will he endorse? Hillary Clinton is behind Barack Obama, but Bill Clinton still hasn't come out and said anything. We're going to get a look at how he could help or hurt the presumptive presidential nominee.
ROBERTS: And at 7:48 this morning, $8 milk, a loaf of bread for almost six bucks. It's already happening in America. We'll tell you where. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Money talks. AC/DC, and we're talking money this morning. Felicia Taylor is here for Ali Velshi who is playing in the tar sandbox.
FELICIA TAYLOR, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, good for him, right?
ROBERTS: Exactly.
TAYLOR: But you're right, money talks as always. Unfortunately, oil prices are back on the rise. The price shot up $2 this morning, now hovering around $138 a barrel.
Day-to-day fluctuations are going to take a toll on any company that relies on fuel. United pilots are the latest casualty. The airline has announced it's going to sideline 950 pilots' jobs as of this summer. That's on top of an earlier plan to cut 1,600 jobs and park about 100 planes out of its fleet.
GM is hoping to clear off some of its backlog inventory by offering zero percent financing for loans as long as six years to sell off its 2008 model trucks and SUVs. But the promotion only lasts until next Monday. GM has seen sales of its trucks and SUVs take a nosedive of about 37 percent in the last year.
GM stock also hit the brakes in Monday's trade seeking more than six percent to a 30-year low. And futures this morning are pointing to a negative open on Wall Street. Thanks to higher oil and investors wait to hear from the Federal Reserve about any direction on inflation. Of course, we're talking about interest rates and whether or not they're going to make any move. The speculation is they could go higher.
ROBERTS: All right.
TAYLOR: Would you buy an SUV or a truck now?
ROBERTS: No way.
TAYLOR: Me neither. I don't care what the incentive is.
CHETRY: Right. He's adding to his fleet of bikes. You're getting a unicycle now. You have a Harley, Fat Boy and a bike.
TAYLOR: No gas there.
ROBERTS: Looking for fewer wheels now. And from four to two, and now down to one.
TAYLOR: Down to one.
ROBERTS: All right. Felicia, thanks so much.
TAYLOR: Thanks.
CHETRY: Well, she was lost in the mountains and she used a very creative way to be found. Saved by her sports bra. That's it.
A 24-year-old hiker from Colorado was stranded in the Bavarian Alps in Germany for more than two days. Her family says she was disoriented, lost her way and fell more than 15 feet on to a rocky overhang. Well, it was too isolated to get back but she was able to reach a transport cable that started running up the mountain. That's when she hooked the sports bra around it.
The crew noticed it later on and knew that someone must have been down there. The woman suffered a badly bruised leg and dislocated her shoulder in the fall, but she is expected to be OK.
ROBERTS: Would it have had the same impact as a story if she had used one of her socks?
TAYLOR: No.
CHETRY: I don't know. There's something about the sports bra. Very creative.
ROBERTS: Something about the sports bra.
TAYLOR: I wouldn't have thought of it.
ROBERTS: Yes, there you are.
Fifteen minutes after the hour. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
The Bill Clinton factor. Will he endorse Barack Obama? And a look at whether that is even a good thing right now.
Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, weighing in at work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The crackdown on waist size. How would you measure up?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH JASPER, NEC EMPLOYEE: It's difficult to imagine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: How a 34-inch waist could get you in trouble with the boss. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
And some medical headlines for you now. A little sunshine could be a good thing. A new study shows people with low levels of vitamin D are about twice as likely to die in the next eight years compared with those with the highest levels. The main source of vitamin D, of course, is sunlight. But experts do not recommend that you spend hours in the sun because of the risk of skin cancer. In other words, all things in moderation.
The Centers for Disease Control expert on West Nile virus got a little closer to his line of study. You see, he has West Nile virus.
Lyle Peterson says he ran into a swarm of mosquitoes when he went out to get his mail one day and began feeling symptoms that he immediately recognized. More than a million and a half people in the United States have been infected with West Nile virus.
And wash your tomatoes in warm water. The FDA says using cold water can make the tomatoes suck the water inside the skin. And if there happens to be salmonella lurking on the skin, it could get inside the tomato and multiply making you very, very sick.
Busy moms are drinking more caffeine than ever before. Our I- reporters admit their coffee habits. And Dr. Gupta explains what the effect of all of this caffeine is having on their health. Look forward to that coming up in our next hour here on the "Most News in the Morning" -- Kiran.
CHETRY: He better say it's a wonder potion that helps you live forever, or we're all in trouble.
Well, the country where Sumo wrestling started is now forcing companies to measure waistlines, and they could get fined if their workers are too fat. Kyung Lah has more for us now from Tokyo.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran.
It is a worldwide struggle. Fighting obesity. Well, here in Japan, they're turning to an unusual and, to some, an extreme way in order to slim down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAH (voice-over): One by one, belly by belly, the guts came out and got measured. Now, Okiwada (ph) is not looking forward to this.
At 36.6 inches, he's overweight, according to the Japanese government. And that just won't do under new national guidelines. And if he doesn't lose weight, his company faces massive fines and increased government health premium.
YASUHIKO TASHIRO, NEC HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION: This goal is really tough, says NEC's human relations manager. It's a challenge.
LAH: Companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of all employees and family members over the age of 40. Men over 33 1/2 inches and women over 35 1/2 inches are considered overweight.
Now, if you're thinking that's not fat, well, this is a nation that's not so big, but one that is getting bigger.
LAH (on camera): This is what the traditional Japanese meal looks like. Some vegetables, miso soup, and some fish. Total calorie count, about 600.
But along came American fast food. This is a Big Mac, large fry and Coke. Total calorie count, 1,300. More than twice the Japanese meal.
LAH (voice-over): You won't find American food in this cafeteria. NEC facing $19 million in penalties if its employees don't slim down is encouraging a low calorie, healthy diet.
LAH (on camera): Physical test tomorrow.
LAH (voice-over): It's why he's chosen today's healthy meal. Hopeful, but not expecting it will help tomorrow.
So, are you scared? Well, a little bit, he says. Hoping to get employees moving, the company pumps out exercise music over the loud speaker twice a day. It's encouraging employees to take the stairs and exercise at every other floor.
Can you imagine the U.S. government telling people, we want you to go down to a waist size 33?
JOSEPH JASPER, NEC EMPLOYEE: It's difficult to imagine.
LAH: American NEC employee Joseph Jasper says, sure, this seems a little extreme. But maybe there's a lesson here for his home country.
JASPER: There's things we can all learn from each other. And this happens to be something that is, you know, good for your health.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: So will this program work? Well, when you talk about being overweight in Japan, you're talking about a few pounds, maybe a dozen pounds at the most. So they're already starting out slimmer here than they are in other parts of the world -- John, Kiran.
CHETRY: That is just fascinating. The whole -- the whole thing is pretty fascinating, but there's a little bit more on it. We're going to tell you again what the standards are in Japan. Let's take a look.
Yes, let's take a look at the standards again in Japan. 33.5 inches is a big waist for -- you know, is the acceptable waist for the man. 35.5 for women. And according to the Centers for Disease Control, the average man over 20 in the U.S. is 5'9" and weighs 190 pounds and has a 39 inch waist. That's here in the U.S. Women are 5'4", weigh 163 pounds, and have a 36.5 inch waist. There you have it.
ROBERTS: I'm feeling pretty good. I'm smaller than that.
CHETRY: See that?
ROBERTS: Yes.
CHETRY: And they're trying to blame it all on McDonalds.
ROBERTS: Something to feel good about this morning.
Don Imus responding this morning to his latest comment on color. What he said on the air today and Al Sharpton's response live later on this morning.
CHETRY: Also, there's a new call for banning the use of steroids at horse racing and it's coming from a horse owner who may have benefited more than anyone from their use. We're going to hear why he's changing his mind, ahead on the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: There's a new call in the horse racing world to ban steroids from the sport. The issue came to light after Big Brown's failed Triple Crown bid. His trainor had admitted that he injected the horse with a legal steroid in the months before but didn't do so before Belmont, and that's where Big Brown came in last disappointing many.
Now Congress is looking at a possible ban on steroids. And Big Brown's owner is weighing in as well.
Michael Iavarone owns the horse, Big Brown, and wants steroids banned. He joins me from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, this morning. Michael, thanks for being with us.
MICHAEL IAVARONE, BIG BROWN'S OWNER: Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: So you've decided -- you've decided that voluntarily you're no longer going to inject your horses with this legal steroid. Why is it that horses get steroids in the first place?
IAVARONE: Well, there's various reports and the problem is there's no factual evidence that says whether they're performance enhancers or not. But at the end of the day there is some evidence that proves it could be damaging to the horse's future.
CHETRY: But you're saying that there's some evidence that it helps with their performance and recovery? Is that why -- did steroids help Big Brown possibly win the Preakness and Kentucky Derby?
IAVARONE: Well, Big Brown had his last steroid injection in April. April 15th to be exact. And the Kentucky Derby was on May 3rd and the Preakness was on May 17th. So we don't know what residual steroids were still in his system at the time, but we had stopped it as of April 15th. We just didn't feel he needed it.
The purpose that -- the reason our trainer was using it for him was to keep his appetite up and to keep his coat glowing. But I thought, you know, after April that was the last time we decided to give him an injection.
CHETRY: Yes, because there was a lot of talk in the horse racing world as to whether or not the fact that he wasn't injected with steroids is why he did not win at Belmont. Any truth to that?
IAVARONE: Well, we don't know. That's the problem. There's no sound research that dictates what steroids are really doing. And because we can't really figure out if they're good or if they're bad, there's just no need to have them in the game. And we're looking to ban them starting, you know, immediately.
CHETRY: But you're calling for a voluntary stop, correct?
IAVARONE: We're calling for a voluntary stoppage of all medications that are unnecessary, period. The only thing our horses are going to run on is simply Lasix. We're looking not only to ban steroids but any and all medications that are unnecessary for racehorses.
CHETRY: It was interesting one of the ranking Republicans, Congressman Ed Whitfield, he praised your stance but what he did say was, "I'm confident there's not going to be a mass stampede by owners. There are owners in some states who fear that their horses would become less competitive."
Do you think it's too idealistic that people would say that if there's a chance it gives their horse the edge to say, all right, I'm not going to do it?
IAVARONE: Well, again, and my job is not to worry about what they do. All I can do is worry about my stable and hope that they follow. The integrity of the sport has been severely damaged, and I think it's time to restore it.
I think we're going to take a first step here, and hopefully the other partners and other owners that follow in our footsteps. If they don't, that's, you know, it's their choice entirely and let's hope that legislation comes forward at some point and changes the rules anyway.
CHETRY: There's a columnist for the Louisville "Courier-Journal" that says that talk about steroids is actually taking attention away from a more pressing issue in horse racing saying that, you know, the sad sight of seeing these horses break down and be euthanized on the track could be reduced if they were given bone scanning equipment and if trainers utilized that equipment to make sure that if there are these hairline fractures or any small bone problems with the horses, that is found before they race.
IAVARONE: I'm a big believer in that as well. As a matter of fact, I'm involved in the creation of the Ruffian Equine Medical Center, which is right across the street here from Belmont Park. And a major part of our facility is the nucleus and figure if we determine small fractures in the bones of these young horses and older horses as well. So I do believe in that as well, but there's many steps that have to be taken. And drugs and, you know, bone scans are just two of what I would consider probably 30 or 40 that need to be made in this game.
CHETRY: All right. Michael Iavarone, joining us this morning from Belmont Park. Thanks for being with us.
IAVARONE: Thanks for having me.
ROBERTS: Coming up on 30 minutes after the hour, and here's what's making news this morning.
Don Imus is explaining himself on this morning's radio program after some -- what seemed to be by some people racially-charged comments. On Monday, Imus said, "There you go. Now we know," when he was told that an NFL player who have been arrested several times is black.
Imus says he meant that the player obviously had been targeted because he is black.
Also, filling up for less. Just barely. The price of a gallon of unleaded regular is cheaper this morning than it was yesterday. But you need a microscope to see just how much. Three tenths of a cent. But it did cross just under $4.07.
Evangelical leader James Dobson is accusing Barack Obama of distorting the Bible. In a radio program airing today, Dobson will also say that Obama is pushing the "fruitcake interpretation of the constitution." This stems from a speech back in 2006 that Obama made to a liberal Christian group in which he pointed out the Bible says slavery is okay but eating shellfish is not. Obama was making a point about why it's not practical to govern based only on the Bible.
And late breaking from Iraq. A deadly blast in Sadr City killing two U.S soldiers and two U.S. embassy workers this morning. CNN's Morgan Neill is live for us in Baghdad. What was targeted, Morgan, and what was going on inside at the time?
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's still some speculation about just what was being targeted there. There were initial reports that it may have been targeting U.S troops. But the building where this blast went off is one that's used by Iraqi government employees as well. And in this southern third of Sadr City there are going to be U.S. troops there. But it could just as easily from information we have been targeting Iraqi government employees. As you say, the blast killed two U.S. soldiers and two U.S. civilian employees. It also wounded another U.S. soldier and three Iraqi members of the District Advisory Council. Now, the explosion went off just before 9:30 this morning. The U.S. military is blaming the attack on what it calls special groups. This is a term it uses to refer to Iranian-backed militia. The military does say it has a suspect in custody. This is someone the military says was caught fleeing the scene and who tested positive for explosive residue. So far, though, there's been no claim of responsibility for this attack. John.
ROBERTS: Morgan, the attack comes just a day after the Pentagon said that violence dropped significantly since they made that pronouncement it has gone up significantly, at least in a couple of spots. Any idea why the spike in violence is occurring now?
NEILL: Well, you're talking at least in the case of Sadr City about an area in which the southern third is routinely - you have a good sized U.S presence there that the northern two-thirds are Iraqi army territory only. And we've just been out with the Iraqi army last week. And they themselves admit that there are parts of Sadr City that are still far from secure.
As you mentioned the last two days have seen a real spike - or a significant spike. Yesterday what we saw, an Iraqi city council member opened fire on U.S. forces outside Baghdad killing two U.S. soldiers, three other soldiers, and an interpreter were also wounded in the attack. John.
ROBERTS: Morgan Neill for us live from Baghdad this morning. Morgan, thanks very much.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN, ANCHOR: All right. Well, right now we're going to be talking a little bit about the Bill Clinton factor. The former president on the campaign trail and whether or not we're going to be hearing an endorsement of Barack Obama from the former commander in chief. Here's Jim Acosta.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, Barack Obama's endorsement checklist is almost complete minus one certain former president. Al Gore. Hillary Clinton. John Edwards. Bill Richardson. Check, check, check, check. Bill Clinton, not so much.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 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, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: 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 CLINTON (D), 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.
BILL CLINTON: I was born in a little town called Hope, Arkansas. Three months after, my father died.
ACOSTA: Appearing at 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.
BILL CLINTON: This is what you live for. But this hurts the people of South Carolina.
ACOSTA: Then there's the other Bill Clinton.
LARRY SABATO, UNIV. OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: When Bill Clinton is on message, there's 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. 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: 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. John and Kiran.
CHETRY: Wow. That's interesting. About the exact same amount. I'm sure the name was just coincidence. That's right. Alina Cho joins us now with some new stories this morning. Hi, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, guys. Good morning again and good morning to you. New this morning, we're a nation of believers. A new study says 92 percent of Americans believe in god or some kind of higher power. More than 80 percent believe in miracles. More than half pray at least once a day. And the study says most people are tolerant toward other faiths too.
A woman could hold the Army's highest rank for the very first time. President Bush nominated Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody to four star general yesterday. She's a 33-year veteran, all she needs now is Senate confirmation. It's been hard for women to reach the rank because in the past women couldn't serve in combat roles and they can't now either.
Too much lead in artificial turf? That's what an environmental watchdog group is saying and is threatening to sue the makers and sellers of Turf Grass if they don't fix their products. After New Jersey officials found high lead levels in turf, the group did its own testing and discovered the very same thing.
And troubled singer Amy Winehouse does not have emphysema. That's what her spokeswoman is saying just a day after Winehouse's father said her smoking cigarettes and crack had brought on the disease. A spokeswoman did say she has the early warning signs that could lead to emphysema. The 24-year-old singer's father said he's speaking out out of concern for his daughter.
And at 36 minutes after the hour. That's a look at the headlines. Time to leave that one.
CHETRY: There's a lot of issues here.
CHO: Yes. It's kind of the gift that keeps on giving. She can't seem to keep her name out of the news.
CHETRY: If it's not emphysema it's going to be something else.
CHO: Something else.
ROBERTS: Very good news that she doesn't have emphysema at the age of 24, though.
CHO: That is very good news.
CHETRY: Thanks, Alina.
ROBERTS: Alina, thanks.
General Motors raising prices for 2009 but it's still trying to get rid of those big trucks and SUVs. And $5.50 for a loaf of bread? Not everything is perfect in paradise. The high price of living in Hawaii. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. A check at business headlines. General Motors trying to lure customers back with no interest loans on most models through June 30th. They say these no interest loans will go on for years. GM also announcing it will cut production of trucks and SUVs. That's the second time this month they've revealed plans to build fewer trucks and more small cars.
Also, more downsizing. This time from the airlines. United laying off 950 pilots. That amounts to about 15 percent of its pilots. It comes after the airline announced it would cut flights because of high fuel prices.
And the IRS letting businesses claim higher expenses for gas. Companies that use vehicles for business can now write off 58.5 cents a mile. That's an increase of eight cents from the previous rate. John.
ROBERTS: That's not bad. Breaking news this morning. Don Imus is on the air right now. And he just explained what he was thinking when he made, what some saw as a racial remark yesterday about the NFL's Adam "Pacman" Jones.
DON IMUS: Warner and I were talking yesterday about Pacman Jones being arrested six times, in which I think was just - it's obviously - they're picking on him. So I asked Warner what color he was. Well, obviously I already knew what color he was. The point was, in order to make a sarcastic point, I asked Warner what color he was. Warner told me. I said, well, there you go. That's the point.
UNIDNETIFIED MALE: Exactly.
IMUS: What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason. And, I mean, there's no reason to arrest this kid six times. I mean maybe he did something once but I mean everybody does something once. Well, I have. And - but, I mean, that's just --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When does it simply become harassment?
IMUS: I didn't - yes, exactly. They shoot blacks for no reason. We know about that in New York City. I mean, we already understand all this.
ROBERTS: Yesterday, Imus and legendary sportscaster Warner Wolf were talking about Pacman Jones off field problems when Imus asked what color is he, Wolf replied African-American. And Imus said, well, 'there you go.' Then we know. Kiran.
CHETRY: Polls are showing that women are backing Barack Obama despite his long fight against Hillary Clinton. The numbers as they get ready to hit the campaign trail together.
Also, Don Imus makes another controversial comment about race as we just heard his explanation from his morning show today. So what does Al Sharpton think about it? Reverend Sharpton will be our guest coming up in the next hour. He was one of the biggest critics of Imus after the last racial controversy. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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CHETRY: How about it? Hawaii 5-0. As you're enjoying the sand and the surf don't look down at your grocery bill if you're there. Eight bucks for a jar of peanut butter. That's just one example of the high cost of food in Hawaii where almost everything is shipped from the mainland. Chris Lawrence has a closer look from Honolulu.
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CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPODNENT: Sun. Surf. Sand. Hawaii is blessed with a natural beauty. 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 ONAMADA, HAWAII RESIDENT: I just spent for a half gallon of milk $4.29.
LAWRENCE: Susan Onamada is going broke shopping for a family of four.
ONAMADA: Kleenex. I bought Kleenex for $2.99 cents today. $3 for a Kleenex and that was 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.
LAWRENCE: 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: As 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. 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.
CORINEN TANTOG, SHOPPER: I went to a nutrition class. That helped me tell you how to buy food when they're growing. It'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: Who knows where the prices will stop. If they keep going up at this rate, there are going to be families priced rate out of paradise. John, Kiran.
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CHETRY (voice-over): Under fire again. Don Imus makes another remark about another black athlete.
DON IMUS: What color is he?
WARNER WOLF: He's African-American.
IMUS: Well, there you go. Now we know.
CHETRY: We'll have Al Sharpton's reaction, live.
Plus, caffeinated moms. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm drinking coffee every waking hour.
CHETRY: On the go all day. Dr. Gupta with a warning about the side effects after the crash. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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ROBERTS: 52 minute after the hour. Flip-flopping. George Bush's campaign used it to convince voters that John Kerry wasn't the right choice back in 2004. Today Barack Obama and John McCain are making the same claims about each other.
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SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And he said that if I accepted public financing for campaigns, that he would do the same. But he has gone back on his word. The president has got to keep its word when it's popular and when it's not popular.
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ROBERTS: Joining us now with more on how both sides are playing the flip flop game is "Boston Globe" columnist Joan Vennochi. She is live from the "Globe's" newsroom. Joan, you wrote a great column on this the other day. When it comes to Barack Obama how big a flipper is he?
JOAN VENNOCHI, FMR. NAT'L POLITICS REPORTER, "BOSTON GLOBE": Well, he's getting there, John, I would say. Last week he made a really big flip-flop with that whole public financing issue. He presented his belief in public financing as a core conviction. You know, called upon the republicans to limit their spending. He said he believed the system worked. And the next thing you know, boom, it was out the door. When he's the one with a lot of money that he can raise.
ROBERTS: Right. And what about John McCain? Has he done some flip- flops as well?
VENNOCHI: Well, John McCain, the "Straight Talk Express," which existed in the year 2000 has been derailed. It's really been derailed. You know, for example, on offshore oil drillings. During 2000, he believed in a moratorium on offshore drilling. Now he's saying let the states decide as gas prices edge up and he's looking to, you know, get that vote.
ROBERTS: What about tax cuts?
VENNOCHI: Well, again on tax cuts. I mean, John McCain, he, as a matter of conscious, voted against the Bush tax cuts. Now he's saying the tax cuts should be permanent. So, you know, another big derailing of the "Straight Talk Express."
ROBERTS: And also immigration reform you pointed out in your column?
VENNOCHI: On McCain and immigration reform, my goodness. I mean, he and Ted Kennedy championed comprehensive immigration reform. Called for guest worker pass, a path to citizenship. In a debate in January 30th, John McCain actually said that he would vote against his own plan. That's a pretty big flip-flop, I'd say.
ROBERTS: You know, I think actually we missed a couple of the other ones that you pointed out on Barack Obama. Reverend Wright, he refused to get rid of him, disassociate himself from him, and then did and then the flag pin. And what is it that you wrote about the flag pin?
VENNOCHI: Well, on the flag pin, Obama at one point said that he made a choice not to have a flag pin because he didn't want to just have a knee jerk patriotic symbol. Well, he's decided to pin that symbol on his chest. That's for sure. And on Reverend Wright, I mean, there's another example. He said he couldn't disown Reverend Wright anymore than he could disown his own grandmother. Well, he hasn't disowned his own grandmother yet, but he certainly did walk away from the Reverend Wright.
ROBERTS: Something tells me he's not about to disown his grandmother though. What's wrong with a candidate or a politician changing their mind on issues? Did you say something along the lines of "I've learned more about this since I've made my initial statement and I changed my mind." What's wrong with that?
VENNOCHI: Well, they can do that. I mean, John Kerry tried. And I'm going to tell you the inspiration for my column were a pair of flip- flops I bought during the New York Convention in 2004, the republican convention. They have John Kerry's face on them. And the republicans and Bush used the flip-flop thing brilliantly against Kerry in '04. I actually think it'll be harder this time around. For one thing, both candidates own a lot of flip-flops, as I wrote. And secondly, after all this time of having a president who really doesn't change his mind, who is stubbornly stuck to a course that a lot of people don't agree with, I mean people might appreciate a flip-flop a little bit more than they did in the past.
ROBERTS: So much of what we hear in this election, and really politics in general, it's kind of just some people have called it the politics of distraction, the politics of emotion. They pick up on these little items and they play those back and forth between the two of them. But they don't really get to the heart of the issues. How are voters to uncover all this, get past all of these distraction and really learn about the candidates?
VENNOCHI: Well, I think it's the media's job, I mean, to sort of state the obvious. You know, there's nothing new about a candidate, presidential candidate trying to sell himself. In '68 the selling of the president by Joe McGinnis was classic about how the Nixon campaign sort of presented this candidate as product, as package. Well, these candidates, whether it's McCain with the "Straight Talk Express" or Obama with a different kind of politics, they've got a brand. They're selling to voters. You know, it's up to the media, really to, to strip away the illusion and kind of show the reality. and you know, that's what I'm trying to do anyway.
ROBERTS: Wise words as we head into the general election campaign. Joan Vennochi from the "Boston Globe," this morning. Joan, good to see you. Thanks for being with us.
VENNOCHI: Thank you.
CHETRY: Four minutes before the top of the hour. We recap the top stories now. Evangelical leader James Dobson accusing Barack Obama of distorting the Bible. In a radio program airing today, Dobson refers to a speech in which Obama explains why it would be unfair to govern based on the word of the Bible.
VOICE OF JAMES DOBSON: What the senator is saying there, in essence, is that I can't seek to pass legislation, for example, that bans partial birth abortion because there are people in the culture who don't see that as a moral issue. And if I can't get everyone to agree with me, it is undemocratic to try to pass legislation that I find offensive to the scripture. Now, that is a fruitcake interpretation of the constitution.
CHETRY: The Obama campaign responding this morning, saying, "Barack Obama is committed to reaching out to people of faith and standing up for American families. Obama is proud to have the support of millions of Americans of faith and looks forward to working across religious lines to bring our country together.
And the Senate could vote as early as today on a bill to help homeowners facing foreclosure. At the heart of the plan the government would provide $300 billion to help homeowners refinance their loans into more affordable mortgages. President Bush has threatened to veto it, saying it helps lenders instead of struggling homeowners.
We also have some breaking news out of Baghdad this morning. Four Americans killed in a blast in one of Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhoods. It happened in the Sadr City area of Baghdad. Two soldiers and two U.S. embassy workers were killed in an explosion at a local council building. Iraqi police say at least six Iraqi civilians were also killed. This is new video you're seeing now of that building. Bombers, according to Iraqi police were apparently targeting Americans visiting that building.
Outspoken radio host Don Imus is on the air and defending himself this morning about some comments he made when talking about football player Adam "Pacman" Jones. Comments once again about race. Imus says he was defending Jones. But the exchange threatens to reopen some wounds from 2007. That's when Imus was fired for remarks he made about the Rutgers' women's basketball team. CNN's Alina Cho has been following this story for us this morning. Hi, Alina.
