Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

UN Security Council Issues a Statement on Violence and Political Infighting in Zimbabwe; Barack Obama to Hit the Campaign Trail With Hillary Clinton; Companies and Employers Forced to Shape Up or Pay Up; Don Imus Defending Himself After More Controversial Comments

Aired June 24, 2008 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We'll get to those comments this morning in just a minute from Imus, Kiran and John. But good morning everybody. It was just 14 months ago that Imus was fired for those controversial remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. This time his comments were directed to a troubled NFL player who is African-American.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARNER WOLF, SPORTSCASTER: Here's a guy suspended all of 2007 following a shooting at Vegas nightclub.

DON IMUS, HOST, "IMUS IN THE MORNING": Well, stuff happens. You know, you're in a nightclub for God's sake. What do you think is going to happen in a nightclub? People are drinking, and doing drugs. There are women there and people have guns. So there, go ahead.

WOLF: 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. Now I know.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imus says he wasn't making any link between Jones' race and his legal trouble. Instead, Imus tells "The New York Times", quote, "I meant he was being picked on because he's black."

But it's shaping up as another controversial episode for the man who's career was nearly ruined last year after making this comment about the Rutgers' women's basketball team.

IMUS: There's some nappy headed hoes there.

CHO: That led to a slew of protests and calls for CBS radio to fire Imus from the show that bared his name. The company obliged. And Imus' once legendary career looked dead. Until ABC hired him. His new show hit the airwaves just seven months ago. Now some are wondering if his longtime on-air seat is in jeopardy again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: And just this morning, Imus went on the air this morning and defended himself against these latest comments. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMUS: My point is -- 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 -- he gets arrested six times -- well, we know why he gets arrested six times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which was your point.

IMUS: That was my point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: And Imus is on the air for another two hours. He could say more about this. We'll be watching it -- much more in the next hour or so.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We'll see what the reaction is and as we said we're going to be hearing from Al Sharpton, who was one of the loudest critics with the Rutgers controversy of Don Imus. He's going to be joining us in just about 20 minutes. So you want to stay tune for that right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Alina, thanks very much. We'll see you again soon.

The United Nations Security Council is issuing its first public statement after months of violence and political infighting in Zimbabwe. The council accusing President Robert Mugabe of waging a campaign of terror that's made it impossible to hold a fair election. The violence forcing Mugabe's challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai, to withdraw and go into hiding.

CNN's Zain Verjee has got more on that for us this morning.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, the best way to win an election is to be the only candidate. That's Robert Mugabe's plan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE (voice-over): Imagine this November, you vote for the man you want to be president of the U.S. and get beaten or killed for it. That's what's happening in Zimbabwe and the U.S. can't do much.

TOM CASEY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: There's no secret that we, the United States, have limited ability to influence Mugabe and his regime.

VERJEE: Anarchy in the streets has pro-Mugabe gangs chase down opposition supporters. Just weeks ago, their leader was running for president. Now Morgan Tsvangirai is running for his life, hiding out at the Dutch embassy after pulling out of the election to save his supporters from more bloodshed. The world is outraged.

DAVID MILBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Robert Mugabe and his thugs made an election impossible.

VERJEE: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says without a fair election the government cannot be considered legitimate. Washington wants the United Nations Security Council to turn up the heat and wants African leaders, especially South African president, Thabo Mbeki, to get tough on Mugabe. So far they haven't delivered.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't see anything that President Mugabe has done that has been helpful for the Zimbabwean people. So maybe it's time for international pressure.

VERJEE: Zimbabwe's crops used to feed much of Africa, but under Mugabe it's descended into chaos. Most disturbing with inflation so high, few can afford food. Now the government's been using food aid as a weapon. Seizing food from opposition supporters and giving it to Mugabe's cronies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: The U.S. and Europe are calling on the world to recognize Morgan Tsvangirai as Zimbabwe's real president because he won an earlier election round. They say without a free and fair runoff, those results should stand.

John?

Kiran?

ROBERTS: Zain Verjee for us this morning. Zain, thanks.

CHETRY: Well, the Mississippi River is receding in some places. But downstream in Lincoln County, Missouri, people have been sandbagging around the clocks to shore up levees as the water continues to rise. Forecasters say that the danger won't end with the river's crest. The water is expected to stay at that level for days.

United Airlines says it will sideline 950 pilots by the end of summer as the nation's second largest airline is trying to find a way to cope with the rising fuel costs. Last Wednesday, United announced it was laying off 1,600 employees and parking up to 100 planes out of its fleet.

ROBERTS: Energy companies saying, lights out. People are living in the dark because they can't afford oil anymore and prices are on the rise again this morning.

According to female vote, new proof that Barack Obama may not have a problem carrying over Hillary Clinton's female supporters.

And too fat to work? A government forcing companies to measure waistlines and pay fines for employees who go over the limit. Where? We'll tell you. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Hang on!

CHETRY: It's a big studio and we like to show it off.

ROBERTS: We've got a cyclone in Coney Island there. Well, if life is a highway for you and you want to travel it in an SUV -- duh, who would want to do that? GM is going to make it easier for you.

Felicia is here this morning. But you've also got some news for us this morning on electricity costs.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, right. And this is not a funny story. So by the way, oil jumped another $2 this morning, now trading near $138 a barrel. But it's not just oil that's literally zapping our wallets. Electric bills have also been on the rise, causing some utility companies to pull the plug.

Shutoffs are up 15 percent in some states compared to last year. For instance, Detroit Edison says disconnects are up 56 percent. 27 percent for people's gas in Chicago and 14 percent for Southern California Edison according to "USA Today."

So some homeowners say that bills have nearly doubled since last year, especially with this warmer weather. Now while some states do provide financial aid, often it's up to you to work out a payment plan and get the lights turned on again.

GM, by the way, wants to turn on its customers with some buying incentives. The nation's number one car company is offering zero percent financing for loans as long as six years on some of its 2008 model trucks and SUVs.

The promotion, however, only lasts until Monday. GM has seen sales of its trucks and SUVs take a nosedive of about 37 percent in the last year. GM stock hit the brakes in Monday's trades, sinking more than six percent to a 30-year low. So obviously they're hoping that people will come back to the lots and start buying up those SUVs and trucks.

ROBERTS: Yes, with gas at $4.7 a gallon, it makes perfect sense.

TAYLOR: Oh yes, right. Exactly.

CHETRY: Well, some big families need them. What are you going to do? How do you fit all the kids in a Prius? Some on the roof?

ROBERTS: You use the Mitt Romney principal. You put them on the roof.

CHETRY: Great solution.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: Thank you.

ROBERTS: It's like shaving. Put a little bit of bailing twine.

CHETRY: Great, you too.

Felicia, thank you.

TAYLOR: Thank you.

CHETRY: Meanwhile, Barack Obama's pitch to women as he gets ready to team up with Hillary Clinton. We're going to take a look at whether he can turn some of her strongest supporters out for him.

ROBERTS: Don Imus defending himself this morning after another controversial comment. We'll tell you what he's saying on his radio show this morning and we will also get reaction from the Reverend Al Sharpton. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Courting the female vote. Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton, Friday. And new numbers are showing that Clinton's female supporters are warming up to her former rival.

Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is live for us in Washington. What were they worried about, right? There's a lot of talk that these people would sit out the election.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far so good for Obama. And truly Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton seem to be getting at least step by step a little closer. I'm told by a source confirming that indeed the two of them did talk on Sunday night, talking among other things, about their upcoming appearances together.

One of them, sort of a confab with fund-raisers and then there's that Friday get together for voters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY (voice-over): Apparently, there's no time for subtlety.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: How's it going, New Hampshire!

CROWLEY: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will campaign together for the first time at a Unite for Change rally in Unity, New Hampshire, a town where each won 107 primary votes.

OBAMA: Is this all low-fat?

CROWLEY: The details of the joint Obama-Clinton appearance came on a female focus day as Obama toured a bakery in New Mexico owned by women.

OBAMA: These are beautiful.

CROWLEY: He was introduced by a state official and former Clinton supporter, now in camp Obama.

LT. GOV. DIANE DENISH (D), NEW MEXICO: We are angry. We haven't made any progress in the last eight years. And we might be angry, but we're really smart, too.

CROWLEY: He spent over an hour outlining a litany of proposals aimed at home-and-hearth issues, including his $1,000 middle-class tax cut, up to a 50 percent tax credit for child care, double the funding for after-school programs, $10 billion more for early-childhood education programs, and a requirement that employers provide seven paid sick days a year.

OBAMA: What we spend a week in Iraq would fund all this stuff for a year, or two years, or three years. I mean, the magnitude, the scale of what we're spending at the federal government and what we're short-changing that would make a real difference in the lives of women on a day to day basis.

CROWLEY: As Obama spoke, his campaign put out a press release celebrating the 36 anniversary of "Title 9," which among other things opened up college sports programs to women.

Despite the full court press and the Clinton women won't vote for Obama chatter, the numbers tell a different story. "USA Today" Gallup found Obama with a healthy 55 percent of the female vote. That is more support from women than exit polls showed for John Kerry and on a par with Al Gore and Bill Clinton.

In fact, Obama's more significant problem is among another key Clinton well of support -- seniors. Obama draws about 43 percent of voters over 65 in a recent CNN Opinion Research Corporation Poll. That is well below that of previous Democratic contenders.

It's no small item, about one in five voters is over 65, and in the past quarter century, every nominee who won seniors also won the popular vote.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: The Obama campaign is hoping to counterbalance some of that problem with seniors with the number of new voters and young voters that he is bringing into the system. Nonetheless, he is going to need a sizable portion of those 65 and over people, and that, of course, is something Hillary Clinton can help him with.

Kiran?

CHETRY: Candy, it's all just a coincidence this is in Unity, New Hampshire.

CROWLEY: Exactly. I have to tell you, I have been in New Hampshire many years and covered it quite extensively. I've never heard of Unity. But you know, there's always a first. We'll go and see.

CHETRY: That's right. All right. Candy Crowley, great to see you this morning. Thanks.

John?

ROBERTS: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." One of John McCain's chief strategists says he's sorry for telling a magazine that a terrorist attack on the United States would be beneficial for the McCain campaign. Hear how the candidate is reacting.

CHETRY: Also ahead, sucking it in. Companies and employers forced to shape up or pay up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's difficult to imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Working out in the workplace. To keep fit and avoid fines. Find out how you'd measure up. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's coming up on 18 minutes after the hour. The country where sumo wrestling started is now forcing companies to measure their employees' waistlines, and they could get fined if their workers are too fat.

Kyung Lah has got more for us now from Tokyo.

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL 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 --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

LAH: 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 premiums.

This goal is really tough says NEC's human relations manager. It's a challenge. 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.

(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 fries, and coke -- total calorie count 1,300. More than twice the Japanese meal.

You won't find American food in this cafeteria. NEC facing $19 million in penalty if its employees don't slim down is encouraging a low-calorie, healthy diet.

Physical test.

It's why he's chosen today's healthy meal. Hopeful, but not expecting it will help tomorrow.

So, are you scared?

Yes, 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, it 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?

ROBERTS: Could you imagine your boss coming to you in this country and saying, I think you need to slim down a little bit? Lawsuit!

CHETRY: No. Well, I was just thinking, it would not be fun to be in HR either. Then you have to call up all these people and, lift up your shirt, let me measure your waist.

ROBERTS: The difference is that Japan is not a very litigious society. CHETRY: See that.

ROBERTS: There you go.

CHETRY: So, you blame it on litigation and McDonalds.

Well, you're watching the "Most News in the Morning." Reverend Al Sharpton is speaking out on the latest controversial comments by Don Imus. The Reverend will be joining us live in just a couple minutes.

ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING -- crazy for caffeine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm drinking coffee every waking hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Moms with a baby in one hand and a cup of joe in the other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We find ourselves always on the go and usually with a cup of coffee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at how caffeine may be bringing you down instead of perking you up. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Well, Don Imus once again finding himself needing to explain some comments he made that people thought were racially biased. It happened on air yesterday morning when Imus and sportscaster Warner Wolf were talking about Adam Pacman Jones. He's a football player for the Dallas Cowboys. We want to play it for you how that conversation went. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF: 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 VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, on a show this morning, Imus said that he was actually defending Jones and he was trying to make a, quote, "sarcastic point."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMUS: What did I mean by the Pacman Jones remark? I thought, well -- what I meant was when Warner and I were talking yesterday about Pacman Jones being arrested six times in which I think was just -- you know, was obviously they're picking on him.

So I asked Warner what color he was. 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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

IMUS: Yes. What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason. 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 just -- when does it simply become harassment. 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.

So -- and that, in light of, I'm thinking, this current addition of the Imus Morning Program, in which -- I guess, if you can't see it on TV you don't know, but the producer of the Imus Morning Program, Todd Bowman (ph) is black. Two of the co-hosts, cast members of the program are black -- Karith Foster and Tony Powell.

How insane would I have to be? What would I be thinking -- what would I mean -- why would I sit here and say -- oh, yes, there you go. I mean, how does anyone -- how does anybody -- how do you make that connection?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. And particularly now after the past nearly year. My God.

IMUS: So, I mean, nobody has no -- no white man with a radio or television program has done -- has had more discussions about race relations since December 3rd than I have. It was with the Louise Patterson and Jesse Jackson, Dr. Peter Gorman (ph) and Dr. Debra Dickerson, Dick Gregory, Carl Jeffers. I mean --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May I point out -

IMUS: You know, Kara Foster, Tony Powell. I mean, we talk about it all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which is precisely what you said would be the thrust of this program.

IMUS: I mean, why not report on that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus. IMUS: I mean, I know there's some people want to get me. But this -- you're not going to get me for -- this is ridiculous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: All right. So joining me now to talk about the latest Imus controversy is the Reverend Al Sharpton. Sharpton was one of the chief critics who successfully pushed for Imus to be fired last year after the comments he made about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

And Reverend Sharpton joins me from the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

REV. AL SHARPTON, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: Thank you.

CHETRY: First of all, how did you take Imus' comments -- the original comments he made about Adam Jones?

SHARPTON: I thought that given Imus' background and his track record, it was disturbing. Clearly, he did not clarify what he meant. He left it out there. He said, is he African-American? He brought up race. And this is something that is, given who it is talking, that is very disturbing to groups like National Action Network, our group, and others that have been monitoring him and others since the remarks he made last year.

His statements this morning clarifying it was in no way what he clarified yesterday. So we're looking into this. We'll be talking later today -- Dr. Earl Ofari Hutchinson and others that have been involved in this. But I think that one would be naive to think that we would not be disturbed that Imus making a statement without clarifying at all at that point. Of course, people are going to say -- wait a minute, what is he saying, and look at who's saying this.

CHETRY: You're saying -- you said it before and you said it just now that you want a couple of days to determine what course of action or what you think you should do. Was his explanation today enough? He said that he was actually making the exact opposite point, that he believes this young man was being picked on and targeted by police because of his race.

SHARPTON: Well, one would have to say that those of us, certainly National Action Network, our group, and others have been making that argument about racial profiling for years. And I might add we've been attacked for making it.

If now, Imus is saying he's joined the ranks of those that are raising the questions of racial disparity in the criminal justice system, then he's taken the correct position.

I don't have any record of him saying that in the past. So, again, I think that -- you know, when you look at the climate just from the presidential election, we've had major candidates have to defend their pastor's remarks. I think it would be very naive for people not to make Imus defend his own remarks. We're not talking about him talking about what somebody --

CHETRY: But are people just being too sensitive here -- if every thing, any little thing you say or anything that you say is up for a wide variety of interpretation?

SHARPTON: I think that -- I think that people would be being too sensitive if you were not dealing with someone who -- A, has been fired before for saying something and who said he wouldn't say it again and did not give a clarification when he made the statement of what he meant. He did this morning, and you'd have to -- people would have to determine whether they believe that clarification or not. Well, clearly, as you just played --

CHETRY: Do you believe his clarification?

SHARPTON: Again, I would bow to the collective of all the groups that are involved in dealing with this and not express my personal feeling. I hope he meant what he said and I hope a lot of Americans do understand that blacks are treated differently. Whether or not Imus said it to try and get past this or not, I don't know. And we'll see how people determine it.

But I think that it would be, in my opinion, less than responsible for civil rights groups not to question Imus, particularly when we're questioning everyone in this political season. Imus is certainly one that gives us cause to pause and say -- wait a minute, what are you saying?

CHETRY: And as we said, you were instrumental in his firing over the comments he made about the women's basketball team. How did you feel when he came back on the radio?

SHARPTON: I think that I felt what he said when he came back was good. He said he was wrong and he said he should have been fired. And I think that that was the way to come back and none of us objected to him coming back. But we said we would monitor, and we are, and that's what we're doing today. And I think he's made his statement and I think all of us will collectively talk and see where we go. I think it's good in the long run for everyone. And I think it's particularly good in terms of civil rights, even Imus is saying, we've got to deal with fairness in the criminal justice system, if in fact that's what he's really saying.

CHETRY: All right. Reverend Al Sharpton, thanks for joining us this morning.

SHARPTON: Thank you.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN, ANCHOR: We're crossing the half hour now. We're paying just a little bit less for gas this morning, but you'd need a slide roller to figure out just how less we're paying. AAA reporting the average price of a gallon of unleaded now just under $4.07 a gallon. I know you're saying, what the heck is a slide roller, right?

America's utility companies are disconnecting more customers who are late paying their electric and gas bills. A new report says electricity and natural gas shutoffs are up at least 15 percent in Michigan, Detroit Edison reports disconnecting in one in every five customers.

The mayor of Gloucester, Massachusetts, says there is absolutely no evidence that 17 girls made a pact to get pregnant. Yesterday she cast doubt on claims made by the principal who said the teenage girls actively sought to get pregnant and raise their kids together. School officials say they usually only see about four student pregnancies a year and that 17 is, well, let's say, highly unusual.

John McCain is going to try again today to talk energy and the economy when he campaigns in California. His message got a little bit muddled yesterday when chief strategist Charlie Black was quoted as saying that a terrorist attack against the United States would be good for McCain's presidential prospects. Black told "Fortune" magazine that while Benazir Bhutto's assassination was unfortunate, McCain's knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this was the guy who's ready to be commander in chief and it helped us. Some think it turned around his fortunes in New Hampshire. As for whether an attack on U.S. soil, Black said "certainly, it would be a big advantage to him," McCain rejected the remarks and Charlie Black has since apologized.

CNN's Dana Bash is live in Washington this morning. Dana, the consensus seems to be what Charlie Black said was true, the offense was that he said it.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's very well put, John. I mean, look, the bottom line is, I've talked to Charlie Black and many people inside the campaign umpteen times about the idea that they believe that national security is their issue and that anything that happens around the world that puts national security front and center in terms of the political dialogue is helpful to them. However, they understand inside the McCain campaign that saying point-blank a terror attack on the U.S. could help politically, that is something that you just simply don't say. And Charlie Black clearly understood that. Let's first of all get to what John McCain himself said. He was pretty much caught off guard. He was told about this by reporters before even his staff yesterday, but he was clearly not happy about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true. It's - I've worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America. My record is very clear. If he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenuously disagree.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: He strenuously disagrees. And you know, within minutes of that, Charlie Black at the behest of the campaign, the McCain campaign, did put out an apology. I'll read it to you. What he said was, "I deeply regret the comments, they were inappropriate, I recognize that John McCain had devoted his entire life to protecting his country and placing its security above every other consideration." So there it was clear, very clear, that the campaign was scrambling to clean this up as soon as they possibly could. Charlie Black, somebody who you know, John, is a Washington veteran, a veteran of campaigns, understood very quickly that this is something that was a distraction. The frustration inside the McCain campaign, John, was really palpable, because they felt like they finally yesterday had a message when it comes to energy, the issue that they understand voters care most about, a headline-grabbing idea and it really got muddled big-time by what happened with Charlie Black.

ROBERTS: Dana, some calls from the opposition for McCain to throw Charlie Black overboard. I assume he's not going to do that?

BASH: At this point, it doesn't look that way at all. I mean, Black is somebody who has been a trusted adviser to McCain for a very, very long time. They've known each other for 30 years. And because I think they feel inside the campaign, because he understood very quickly this was something he needed to correct fast and he did so, that they hope that this can get blown over. Having said that, democrats are not going to let this go. You saw all the statements yesterday from democrats calling it a disgrace. They're going to keep pushing this.

ROBERTS: Dana Bash for us this morning from Washington. Dana, thanks.

CHETRY: And Alina Cho joins us now with some other stories new this morning. It seems that we're quite a religious country.

ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are according to a new poll. Good morning again, guys. And good morning to you. New this morning. The United states is apparently a nation of believers. A study by the Pew Forum on religion and public life found 92 percent of Americans believe in god. 37,000 adults were interviewed for this poll. The study also found that more than 80 percent believe in miracles and more than half pray at least once a day. The study's author says Mormons seem to be the most politically conservative.

The publicist for Amy Winehouse says the 24-year-old singer does not have emphysema, despite what her father said recently. The singer's rep says she has early signs of what could lead to the chronic respiratory disease. Winehouse's father is also downgrading his earlier remarks, telling the BBC radio, if Amy stops smoking, she's going to be, "absolutely fine."

And a 24-year-old woman is alive this morning after sending out an SOS, with of all things, her sports bra. Jessica Bruinsma says she was hiking in the German Alps when she slipped and fell about 20 feet, dislocating her shoulder and breaking her ankles and ribs. That's the sports bra there. For three days, she was all alone until he noticed a moving cable nearby. She attached that bra to the supply line and voila, within several hours she was rescued by a helicopter crew. Jessica's family says she's at a hospital in Germany right now. They flew there to be with her. And they say she's even making some jokes. There she is. Anyway, apparently she'll be just fine. But quite a resourceful young woman. Lucky for her they spotted that from above.

CHETRY: It really is amazing she thought to do that in that time of crisis. Wow. Alina, thanks.

CHO: You bet.

CHETRY: Well, California's first couple split along political lines. Arnold Schwarzenegger supporting John McCain and Maria Shriver backing Barack Obama. Turns out, it's more common than you think.

ROBERTS: And $5.50 for a loaf of bread. Proof that not everything is perfect in paradise. The high price of living in Hawaii. You're watching the most news in the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: 20 minutes now to the top of the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Or can it? California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is a staunch John McCain supporter while his wife, Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan, is firmly in Barack Obama's corner. CNN's Kareen Wynter has more on their house divided.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran. This type of political divide, it's a lot more common than you may think.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER (voice-over): She's backing Barack.

MARIA SHRIVER, WIFE OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: He's about empowering all of us.

WYNTER: He's putting his political muscle behind McCain.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CALIFORNIA: He's a great American hero.

WYNTER: California's first couple. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. Partners split on the presidential ticket. They've even placed competing campaign signs outside their home.

CELINDA LAKE, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: It's going to make for some very interesting dinner night conversations.

WYNTER: Even their children are involved in that conversation. Schwarzenegger says his daughters support Obama and his sons back McCain. Democratic pollster Celinda Lake says when it comes to politically mixed marriages, Schwarzenegger and Shriver's dueling party preferences isn't unique.

LAKE: You're going to see men and women disagreeing about races but I think what's different now is it's usually been more private. I think a lot of women went into the ballot box knowing they disagree with their husbands, but they weren't putting yard signs out in their yards. Now, you see it playing out publicly.

WYNTER: According to the battleground survey, Lake says more women tend to vote democratic and men republican, although married women are less likely to vote for the democrats. Lake says an estimated 7.5 million married people will vote differently from their spouses in this election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: McCain's not as good at that.

WYNTER: Barbara and Alan Nichols live under the safe same roof but root for different political parties.

BARBARA NICHOLS, OBAMA SUPPORTER: He's gotten more vocal about it and it does make me mad. And sometimes I just have to let it go.

ALAN NICHOLS, MCCAIN SUPPORTER: I don't see this issue as a killer issue. People can still get along.

WYNTER: Not to mention, this powerhouse couple also share. The governor also recently discussed his secret to their political marriage, staying, "I sleep with a democrat every night."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: Schwarzenegger has also said in the past, his wife isn't afraid to express her opinion and that he has a lot of yes people around him and says that's the last thing he needs in a wife. John and Kiran.

ROBERTS: Who wants a spouse who agrees with you all the time?

CHETRY: Hopefully not. That's got to be one of the keys for a successful marriage, right?

ROBERTS: Yes.

CHETRY: Disagreement every now and then.

ROBERTS: Spices things up.

CHETRY: It sure does.

Well, you're watching the most news this morning. $7.19 for a gallon of orange juice? We'll show you what your grocery list would look like if you lived in Hawaii.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, looking for a boost.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have about four energy drinks a day.

ROBERTS: Moms hooked on caffeine. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are facing the busiest generation of moms ever.

ROBERTS: It might get you through the day, but at what cost?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at the risk and the alternatives. You're watching the most news in the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Eight bucks for a jar of peanut butter? But hey, if that was your backdrop, wouldn't it be worth it? It's just one example of the high cost of food in Hawaii where almost everything has to be shipped from the mainland. Chris Lawrence takes a closer look from Honolulu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 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.

CORRINE 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 these prices will stop. If they keep going up at this rate, there are going to be families priced rate out of paradise. John, Kiran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: All right. Chris Lawrence for us this morning. How did he get that assignment? You got to ask yourself. CNN NEWSROOM just minutes away now. Tony Harris at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead. Tony, do they ever send you to Hawaii on assignment?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: No!

ROBERTS: Me either.

HARRIS: No.

ROBERTS: I got to figure that one out.

HARRIS: Yes. Let me pause for a second on that one. No. Good morning, John. A busy Tuesday morning in the NEWSROOM. Radio jock Don Imus explaining a new remark about race this morning. What he said and what people are saying about it.

Blast in Baghdad, two American soldiers and two U.S. embassy staffers among the dead.

We visit Unity, New Hampshire. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton show up there on Friday. Their first joint campaign appearance. Senator Clinton returning to work at the Capitol today. We cover it right here in the NEWSROOM. Join us at the top of the hour right here on CNN. John, back to you.

ROBERTS: Looking forward to it, Tony. But we've got to work on that Hawaii thing.

HARRIS: That's right.

ROBERTS: I'm there with you. We'll double team. Thanks, Tony.

CHETRY: I bet you Tony also doesn't know that Sammy Davis Jr. put Hawaii's theme song to words and sang it.

ROBERTS: It's one of those little known secrets of music. It counts as the second worst song ever recorded. "Pammies on a Bummer" by Sonny Bono being number one. And Michelle Nichols singing the Star Wars theme being number three.

CHETRY: How about it? Youtube is a great sensation around here.

Well, it's Barack Obama unsealed. His very presidential looking logo has suddenly disappeared. Jeanne Moos takes a look at what happened? You're watching the most news in the morning.

And also for those of you waking up with a cup of coffee, who isn't, right? Well, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is looking at the impact of caffeine on your health. Hi, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. It's not necessarily bad news, but those busy schedules and little sleep, how do you compensate? Caffeine can be something. We'll tell you how it impacts you. That's coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Americans are drinking more caffeine, and with busy schedules, moms are downing more caffeine than ever before. Well, "Paging Dr. Gupta." Sanjay joins us live from the CNN Center in Atlanta this morning. This is something I know little about, surviving on a lot of caffeine to make it through the day.

GUPTA: Yes, morning anchors are especially cut out for this sort of story. No question. But there has been a skyrocketing use of caffeinated beverages, mainly fueled by energy drinks. Some energy drinks have actually gone up 40 percent in sales over the last year alone. So a lot of people are asking, OK, we use caffeine to get through the day, what impact does it have on our health?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): How much caffeine is too much?

VOICE OF SARAH KRIPAL, CNN IREPORTER: I have about four energy drinks a day. I'm drinking coffee every waking hour.

GUPTA: These moms, who are also CNN i-reporters, are fairly typical caffeine consumers. A National Sleep Foundation found more than 65 percent of mothers drink caffeinated beverages to get through their day.

STACY DEBROFF, CEO, MOMCENTRAL.COM: We are facing the busiest generation of moms ever. We dash from place to place. We find ourselves always on the go. And usually with a cup of coffee in hand.

GUPTA: But here's the thing. Research shows caffeine can trigger migraines, heartburn, and put women at increased risk for miscarriage.

DR. ALLEN DOLLAR, CARDIOLOGIST, EMORY UNIVERSITY: The jitteriness, the nervousness, the feeling that the heart may be racing a little bit or even skipping a heartbeat every now and again. Those are very common short-term side effects of caffeine intake. And again the good news is there are no serious health consequences to that. Either in the short or the long-term. GUPTA: So there are no serious long-term health affects. But relying on caffeine for energy drains the body, because it never gets a chance to properly recharge.

DEBROFF: Take advantage of small breaks in the action. Sometimes you only have ten minutes as a mom and you have to think of, what can I do to restore my energy so that I can then get ready to go forth on the next mom mission that awaits me.

GUPTA: The key, of course, is moderation. Experts agree 200 milligrams of caffeine a day is safe. That's between one and four drinks. Depending on how you choose to caffeinate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: Let me put that in a little bit more perspective for you. 200 milligrams of caffeine, some of the energy drinks out there have almost 400 milligrams. So you really have to read those labels. If you're drinking soda, you can have three or four could probably be OK. Coffee, maybe a couple of cups.

CHETRY: All right. If you're supposed to be taking it easy on the caffeine, what are some of the other things you can do, maybe to boost your energy?

GUPTA: Well, you know, I mean, obviously, none of it's going to work if you're not getting enough sleep. So, seven to eight hours, that's sort of the sweet spot according to some of the reports out there. Also, just taking ten minutes a day, taking 10 minutes a day to recharge. If you can just sit down and relax. It's hard for people, but it seems to make a big difference. And keep this is mind, it takes about five hours for your body to actually get rid of caffeine. So the closer you are to bedtime, the more you should limit your intake.

CHETRY: All right, Sanjay. Thanks. It's great to see you as always. For more on how caffeine affects you and also some tips to boost your energy, go to cnn.com/health.

ROBERTS: Coming up on 54 minutes after the hour. Don Imus, more controversial comments have him in trouble again. We're going to be speaking with comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory after the break. He was just on Imus' show. We'll find out if he thinks that his explanation is enough. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Four minutes to the top of the hour. One of the topics this morning has been Don Imus' comments yesterday regarding Dallas Cowboy's quarterback Adam "Pacman" Jones in which Warner Wolf sportscaster said Jones' has been arrested several times. Imus said what color is he? Warner Wolf said, African-American. Imus said, ah, there you go, now we know. Some people saw that a racial comment particularly controversial after what he said about the Rutgers women's basketball team last year that got him fired. Imus went on this morning and explained himself. He was trying to point that Jones was being picked on. Al Sharpton who we had on just a little while ago was skeptical of that explanation. But joining us now is Dick Gregory. He is a civil rights activist. He was just on Mr. Imus' show. Mr. Gregory, good to have you on. What did you think of the explanation?

ON THE PHONE: DICK GREGORY, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Good morning, god bless you, brother.

ROBERTS: What did you think of the explanation?

GREGORY: Well, first, I'm a good stereotype, because as an informed black man who reads over 1,000 hours worth of newspapers every 12 days, I never heard of "Pacman" Jones because I don't read the sports page. But when they played it for me this morning, not Imus, another - I'm listening to it, I know humor, I know comedy. I know Imus knew who "Pacman" Jones was. So when he said, what color, as a comic, I know he's setting up something? And when he comes back and says African-American, and he says, oh, well, here we go again. I take that as he's talking about racial profiling.

ROBERTS: Right. And you were on the program, this morning --

GREGORY: Well, let me say this here. I said to Imus, 'Imus, you must remember that you're held responsible for your past. If your father was a multibillionaire and died broke, people would still give you the benefit of the doubt because they think you've got some money.' And I said this, Hillary and Bill Clinton have had their way in such a way with Obama that if Obama died today from natural causes, it would be people all over the world thinking Bill and Hillary had something to do with it.

ROBERTS: So you're saying prior history plays a lot into this.

GREGORY: Oh, my god, yes. Yes, by all means. And people have a right. Look, look. If I was arrested 30 years ago as a child molester and I've gone to jail, did my time, prayed to god, repent, you would be a stupid man to let me baby sit for your grandchild, just on my past history.

ROBERTS: OK. But despite - so his past history brings a little sharper focus on some of the things that he says, but his explanation this morning that he's talking about this idea, he's trying to eliminate this idea that "Pacman" Jones was being picked on because of his race, and that's always he was trying to get at. Do you accept that explanation?

GREGORY: Look, I had come to that conclusion before. I even heard his explanation. Yes, I do accept that.

ROBERTS: All right, very good. Well, Dick Gregory, thanks very much for being with us this morning.

GREGORY: Thank you, my brother.

ROBERTS: Good to talk to you, sir. All right, take care. Continued success to you. Thanks. There you go. So, Dick was on this morning and he says he accepted it, accepted it even before he even made the clarification. But again Al Sharpton, who you talked to a little while ago, still not quite so sure.

CHETRY: That's right. He's still talking about needing a couple of days to decide whether or not he buys it. Well, thanks so much for joining us this morning. We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

ROBERTS: CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins begins right now.

HARRIS: Hi, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. See events come into the NEWSROOM live on Tuesday morning, June 24th. Here's what's on the rundown.

A new remark about race. Don Imus explains. The McCain campaign backpedals after a terror miscue and a frontline evangelical's choice words for Barack Obama.

HARRIS: St. Charles, Missouri, under a flood warning this hour. A levee breaks the water loose.