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American Morning
A Show Down at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport; Big Interest Cuts on Some College Loans; Barack Obama Hoping for Massive Black Voter Turn Out in November
Aired July 01, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And his comments follow McCain adviser Charlie Black recently saying a terror attack between now and the election would help McCain. Black apologized. A Lieberman aide told CNN the senator was not playing the fear card. He was just highlighting McCain's qualifications.
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: We need a president who's ready to be commander-in-chief on day one. Senator McCain is -- incidentally, Senator Clinton said that over and over again. She was right. She was ready to be president on day one. Why? Because our enemies will test the new president early.
HENRY: Asked about Lieberman's comments, White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino agreed there could be a terror attack next year.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think Senator Lieberman, unfortunately, could be right. And only reason I say that is because we know that there are people who are very dangerous, who are trying to attack us every day. The president has been looking for Osama Bin Laden since September 12th. That effort has never let up.
HENRY: "The New York Times" alleged, Monday, the Bush administration did let up. Military and intelligence officials charging the Iraq war diverted resources from the fight against al Qaeda. The president's approach to Iran is also under fire with journalist Seymour Hersh claiming in "The New Yorker," the U.S. is stepping up covert operations inside Iran, and edging closer to a possible attack.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: At this point, with George W. Bush as unpopular as he is, to argue this case for continuity in foreign policy is -- does not seem to be a big election winner.
HENRY (on camera): That's why McCain is walking a fine line. His allies are touting his traditional national security credentials when voters may be ready for a new approach.
Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this morning, drivers in California must use a hands-free device if they want to drive and talk on their cell phone. The state says the new law will save nearly 300 lives a year. But critics warn the law doesn't go far enough.
Here's CNN's Chris Lawrence.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, a recent study found that 18 percent of cell phone users text and drive. And that's the one part of this law that's either not included are very hard to enforce.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Technology is already outrunning California's new hands-free law. It forces adult drivers to put down their cell phones when talking, but doesn't stop them from texting. When the bill was first proposed seven years ago, texting wasn't all that popular.
NICOLETTE WHITTEN, CALIFORNIA DRIVER: People now text more than they talk, I think, younger people. My sister is a big texter, so she won't buy hands-free. She'll just text people instead, which is worse.
LAWRENCE: Anyone under 18-years-old is banned from talking or texting, like in this YouTube video. North Carolina passed a similar law two years ago. But a recent study found it did not stop teenagers from texting. Even police admit it will be hard to enforce in California.
WHITTEN: I don't know how they would be able to catch you. Like, make a law saying you can't text on the phone because, you know, you can't really see if somebody's doing that.
LAWRENCE: It's a $20-fine for a first offense, $50 for a second. But a driver who ignores the law and causes an accident could face huge civil judgments or even jail. But some critics say it's not enough.
STEVEN BLOCH, AAA RESEARCHER: Well, hands-free is not risk-free.
LAWRENCE: Sociologist Steven Bloch monitors driving habits for AAA. He says just talking causes inattention blindness, where drivers focus straight ahead.
BLOCH: Well, it cuts down on peripheral vision tremendously. People simply can't see to the side.
LAWRENCE: The CHP says cell phones were a factor in nearly 600 injury crises two years ago. The state expects the hands-free law to save lives. But some are wondering how far the government will go to legislate good behavior.
TOM OWEN, CALIFORNIA DRIVER: What's next, my hot coffee? Can I drink my coffee in my car? Am I going to be able to do that? Maybe not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: But that's the thing. You still can. Put on your makeup, flip through the play list on the iPod. The new law doesn't specifically ban any of it, even reading the paper. Now, some of this is vaguely covered by negligence laws. But, like texting, it's not inherently illegal -- John, Kiran?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Chris Lawrence this morning. One of our producers once was coming back from one of the primaries and two laptops going on the dashboard.
CHETRY: Oh, goodness. The things we do --
ROBERTS: She got pulled over and they cited for it.
CHETRY: The no-typing, surfing the net and driving law.
ROBERTS: Just silly is what it was.
CHETRY: Well, here's some more on cell phone bans in our "A.M. Extra" right now. Six states outlawed driving without using a hands- free device for your cell phone. Six more allow cities and towns to pass their own bans. And in eight states, cities and towns are not allowed to have any bans on cell phones and driving.
How about texting and driving? Well, just Washington State, New Jersey and D.C. currently ban it for all drivers but Alaska and Minnesota will join them later this year.
Coming up on the next half hour, we'll show you some of the craziest laws that are still on the books.
ROBERTS: There could be a show down at Atlanta's Hartsfield- Jackson Airport. A new Georgia state law eases restrictions on where a gun can be carried. But city officials say they will still arrest anyone who carries a weapon at the airport. The law's cosponsor says he just might be the first one arrested.
Representative Tim Bearden told the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" that he will be carrying his gun when he picks up the family at the terminal today. The airport's general manager fired back saying, quote, "I can identify him and I will have him arrested." We'll be watching this story today.
CHETRY: Well, some good news for college students. Interest rates on some student loans are dropping. Personal finance editor Gerri Willis tells you how to get in on that.
ROBERTS: Young voters throwing their support behind Barack Obama. But will they show up at the polls in November? Later on, a look at how the hip hop culture can make a difference in this election.
CHETRY: And the makers of PedEgg -- I'm sure you've seen the commercials -- are under fire. Two foot models said they were duped and they are now seeking legal action. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: King of the road.
CHETRY: At least --
VELSHI: I love karaoke, by the way.
CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE) music, because they're not coming in with some good news (INAUDIBLE) music.
VELSHI: Pardon me. Pardon me.
ROBERTS: Somebody's sitting in my seat.
VELSHI: Sorry. Just speaking to the young lady, I didn't know she's with you. Sorry about that.
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: Excuse me, buddy. Do you come here often, honestly?
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I like karaoke bars. I'm really liking the music, I must say. "King of the Road," which is really apropos because today is the day, every month on this day, we get the auto sales numbers for June. And General Motors has been the king of the road in the United States for -- I don't know, since the '30s or something like that.
And today, they might be unseated. I don't know. We sort of thought we -- we speculated on this before. There's some speculation that Toyota might actually take the lead today. The bottom line though is that car sales in the United States have been declining for some years. And this rapid acceleration in the price of gas -- we have a new record today, $4.09 a gallon, is speeding that up.
So we are expecting almost all of the automaker that sell cars in the United States to be lower today. The exception might be Honda. Honda might have sold more cars in June than they did the month before or the year before in the same period.
So bottom line is we're expecting GM maybe unseated as the king of the road in terms of auto sales. GM has been really, really having a rough go of it. The automakers in the U.S. have been because the emphasis has been on these trucks and larger cars for so long.
CHETRY: And as you put it out yesterday, there were -- I mean, Toyota is already winning if you take a look at the worth.
VELSHI: The value of the company is 25 times greater than General Motors, 25 times.
ROBERTS: How did things go so horribly wrong? VELSHI: Well, you know, when everybody was saying why are you not switching to more fuel-efficient cars, the American automakers were saying that Americans are buying and prefer to buy big cars.
Americans did hold on to their love of large automobiles for a very long time. Really to the bitter end. $3.50 a gallon is where we started to see a remarkable drop off. It was around March -- in March. When the April numbers came out, we saw a massive drop off in sales. And then, at $4 a gallon, we saw further drop off. So Americans held on for very long time. It wasn't a rapid evolution. Now, you can't get yourself a Toyota Prius if you wanted one. There's a three month waiting list or something.
ROBERTS: I saw a smart car on the highway the other day.
VELSHI: They do it in Europe.
ROBERTS: You see them in an urban area, but you never see one on the highway before.
VELSHI: Yes. So, we'll keep a close eye on these. But looks like changes are being imposed on these.
CHETRY: I think the Ford Fiesta was the first smart car.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: That's right.
CHETRY: It's like this big.
VELSHI: I had a friend -- like my largest friend had the smallest car.
CHETRY: My largest friend also, Ford Fiesta. We used to call it the pregnant roller skate.
VELSHI: That's kind of what it looked like.
ROBERTS: Ali, thank you so much.
VELSHI: All right.
ROBERTS: A trained chimp on the loose in southern California. Mo escaped from a training facility on Friday. Officials think that the 42-year-old chimpanzee may be hiding out in a forest. The chimp learned to use the toilet and can eat with a knife and fork. So, maybe he's hiding out at a Motel 6.
But three years ago, he attacked and nearly killed one of his owners, who was visiting him in the sanctuary. So, they're a little bit concerned about the issue of public safety there.
CHETRY: Wow. Well, our Rob Marciano is in the CNN Weather Center watching the wildfires in California and I guess on the lookout for more than that. We're going to talk more about how the weather today will factor -- oh, there you are.
Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, guys. Yes, California wildfires. Over 2 million acres have burned in the U.S. so far this year, plus record-breaking heat and some action in the tropics. July 1 getting into the heart of hurricane season. AMERICAN MORNING will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Thirteen minutes now after the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning. The march of the penguins apparently slowing down. A new report says the penguin population is falling and about a dozen of the 16 to 19 species are now in trouble. Scientists are blaming global warming and pollution and say that the penguin problem is a sign that the world's oceans are in danger. A lot of warning signs out there these days.
Our Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta. And Rob, don't know if it has anything to do with global warming, but we've been seeing an awful lot of severe weather this spring and early summer.
MARCIANO: We have and certainly the wildfires out west, the record heat. That would be a signal. And it's been very active the past couple of years, for sure.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: Rob, thank you so much.
MARCIANO: All right.
CHETRY: Well, we have just one month, by the way, until the Beijing Games and the forests of blue-green algae washed into the King Dow (ph), clogging the routes for Olympic sailing events and making a big mess along the shore. There we have it. It's not supposed to look like that. China's State News Agency reports thousands of people are helping scoop that unwanted algae out of the sea.
Big interest cuts on some college loans. Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is going to tell us what students and parents need to know to save some money.
ROBERTS: And Barack Obama hoping that black voters will turn out in massive numbers in November. Will they give him the edge to win the White House?
CHETRY: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiss my (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHETRY: They might be friendly now but Jeanne Moos investigates. Did Bill Clinton once tell Obama to --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOSS: Kiss my (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the most news in the morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOSS: Who bleeped me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Here's some good news for college students. Some student loan interest rates are set to fall today.
Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is here with what you need to know about that.
So, these rates are going to fall. What are the students are going to look forward to?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: There's great news out there. I love it when I can report great news. We normally -- in business world, we're not doing that.
OK, if you're college student out there and you're getting a Stafford loan, this is for undergrads, the rates on your loan will fall from 6.8 percent to 6 percent. Good news there. If you're getting a needs-based grant, a Pelt grant, you'll be able to borrow more money as much as $4,700 this year.
And parents who are getting loans -- these are called plus loans, qualification is easier and, look, even if you're in debt now, you're going to be able to get a plus loan. It used to be if you were 90 days late on any debt at all, you couldn't get a plus loan as a parent. But now, even if you're 180 days' late, let's say a mortgage or a medical bill, you're going to be able to get that loan.
We spoke with Representative George Miller, one of the congressmen who authored this bill, a real advocate for changing these rules. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GEORGE MILLER (D), CALIFORNIA: We know now that almost a quarter of a million students who are fully qualified to go to college are making the decision not to go because of finances. We think that this bill and a combination of benefits that it provides to the students beginning on July 1st will make it much easier for those students and they should not turn down the opportunity of a college education because of the expenses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: All right. So, as you can see, lots of benefits there, Kiran. And I know you are wondering about all the other people with college debt right out.
CHETRY: If you already have one of these Stafford loans, let's say, does it automatically drop?
WILLIS: No. If you're in a position to consolidate, let's say you've never consolidated your debt before, maybe you're in the six- month grace period after college, well, go out and consolidate now. You're going to get one of the best rates known to consumers right now. 3.625 percent. It doesn't get much better than that.
And if you are in repayment already and you can consolidate again, 4.25 percent. I'm here to tell you, there's not much anywhere that I can think of, actually, that you actually borrow money and pay rates that low.
CHETRY: That's right. And you know a lot of people are saying the reason they're not going to college is because they can't afford it right now. And so, hopefully, this will make a difference for people.
WILLIS: That's exactly what they were doing with this bill, trying to make college more affordable for people out there who are really struggling with the bills.
CHETRY: And then after you get out, it keeps on giving. Right, Gerri?
WILLIS: Yes.
CHETRY: Paying those college loans.
WILLIS: There you go.
CHETRY: Thanks so much.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
CHETRY: Don't forget. You can catch Gerri and Ali at noon. It's "ISSUE #1" and it's right here on CNN.
ROBERTS: Twenty minutes after the hour now. So, it's a tough job market out there for students looking for summer employment. Well, if you really want to see something tough, look no further than Wisconsin. Young people competing for a unique job out of Lake Geneva. They do this every summer. They leap from a moving boat to deliver the mail.
Reporter Chloe Morroni with CNN affiliate, WISN, tried it out and discovered it certainly not as easy as you might think.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHLOE MORRONI, WISN REPORTER (voice-over): It is unlike any other summer job.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a rock n' roll ride for two and a half hours around the lake.
MORRONI: This is tryouts to see which six will get the coveted title of mail jumper.
ELLE VOGT, TRYING OUT FOR MAILBOAT JUMPER: I'm a little nervous but I think it will be really exciting if I get to do it so crossing my fingers.
MORRONI: It all started on Lake Geneva in the 1800s, when there weren't any roads around the water so residents had to get their mail delivered by boats. And even though times have changed, the tradition stuck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They can get their Sunday papers, their mail delivered right to their pier. They don't even have to go into town and they're legitimate getting their mail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So as she jumps right away, she'll hit the mailbox. Everything is real tight here.
MORRONI: Quickness and timing are key. After all, the boat never stops.
AMANDA BARTZ, TRYING OUT FOR MAILBOAT JUMP: So I keep parallel to the boat and jump at the closest to the boat. Pretty much try to do.
JENN EDWARDS, JUDGING MAILBOAT JUMPERS: Jump off. Run down the pier. You open the mail. You throw it in. Now, mind you, if there's outgoing mail, you need to take that with you. You got to take that, slide down, slam that door. The outgoing mail goes into (INAUDIBLE). You run back down the pier. By this time, you're about mid ship or aft, and you're jumping back on board anyway and anyhow you can.
MORRONI: Here we go. Easy enough, right? Well, I think I'll give it a try. Oh, no!
Not exactly what I wanted to do, but I'm not giving up. Here goes round two. It's a lot harder than it looks.
Even though, everyone stays dry today you better believe it's easy to end up wet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: They have to do something similar when we bring the pontoon boat in on my father-in-law's boat. He makes me jump and then quickly grab the rope and tie it around, and then throws it in reverse.
ROBERTS: Do you have to deliver the mail first? You don't want the dock to be wet when you're doing this.
CHETRY: No. You will slip.
ROBERTS: Right off the edge.
CHETRY: She was (INAUDIBLE), though. First time, didn't quite make it. Second time, she did it.
ROBERTS: You know, reporters need to learn how to let, you know, the people who are suppose to do these things do it, because they always end up in trouble.
CHETRY: That's right. And don't hold the cat.
ROBERTS: It's like the woman who is squishing the grapes on the platform and ended face planting on the ground. Just let the experts handle it.
CHETRY: Including which reporter of ours -- was it Dave Mattingly that was standing in there while those fish were hitting him in the face?
ROBERTS: Oh, right.
CHETRY: It's one of the best video I have seen in a while.
ROBERTS: (INAUDIBLE). There's always Rick Sanchez getting tasered. We won't talk about that now.
CHETRY: He did that on purpose.
Well, you probably seeing commercials for the PedEgg advertised on TV. The revolutionary foot file turns the stomachs of some, but it's apparently effective advertising. And now two actors in that commercial claim they were duped and they're suing.
ROBERTS: Barack Obama is hoping for a boost in November from African-American voters casting their first-ever ballots. And he's starting to push to get more voters registered.
CHETRY: Also, Barack Obama strongly defending his patriotism as John McCain hits back at a top Obama adviser who questions the relevance of his military service. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 26 minutes after the hour. Barack Obama's campaign is making a big push to get out the African-American vote in key states. They say first-time black voters could help push Obama over the edge in November. Will that effort work, though?
Joining us now to talk more about that is John McWhorter. He is the author of the new book "All About the Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can't Save America." He's also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute Center for Race and Ethnicity. John, good to have you here this morning.
JOHN MCWHORTER, AUTHOR, "ALL ABOUT THE BEAT": Thank you for having me.
ROBERTS: A campaign event back in the wintertime, Barack Obama said that he believes that he could increase African-American turnout at the polls by some 30 percent.
MCWHORTER: Yes.
ROBERTS: You know, I guess saying the Democratic Party is the party for you. Come on out. Here's what you write in your book, though. You say, quote, "If the Democrats really had to work for our votes, they would be more moved to attend the black concerns. The Democrats in the real world of 2008 exploit the black vote. What then, is the solution? One tack would be to vote for the other party more often and leave the Democrats in the lurch."
Is it really a better idea for black Americans to vote for the Republican Party when you have Barack Obama running for president?
MCWHORTER: Well, you know, I wrote that before anybody had any idea that Barack Obama was going to get this far. And at this point, I would say that given realities -- yes, it is a good idea for black people to vote for Barack Obama for all sorts of reasons.
One of them being just the ground swell motivation that he seems to stimulate. Now, under other conditions, I definitely feel that, we, as a people like other people need to split our vote in order to have our concerns heard. However, given the fact that Barack Obama happens to be black, there might be an extent to which obviously these concerns might be heard more than they usually.
ROBERTS: Do you think by and large that the Democratic Party takes the African-American vote for granted?
MCWHORTER: I certainly do. If I were the Democratic Party, I would. It's natural. I mean, if everybody's basically to a man that's going to vote for the same party -- and this is important. I have not yet voted Republican.
This is not me schilling for anybody. But if we're all going to vote for the same party, then why in the world should they do anything for us after a certain 1960s hubbub has calmed down? There's a simple logic behind that. And I hope that in future elections, as things shift that more of the black community will understand that. This year, however, is different.
ROBERTS: All right. Barack Obama is obviously reaching out to a lot of young people. Exit poll showed that they came out and droves for him. One segment of that youth vote is the hip-hop generation. You write about that in your new book in how hip-hop likes to believe it's a force for political change, but you argue that it's not.
I'm interested in these voters. Will those voters, do you think, come out to the polls in November?
MCWHORTER: You know, it looks like they will, especially in the north and the west. And it seems to me that the sort of awareness that a lot of people seem to think that the better hip-hop lyrics are going to create is actually being created by this person.
It seems that instead of looking to conscious rap to teach people what to do or to stimulate people to vote that we actually have Barack Obama. And so, you could say that he's creating a kind of hip-hop revolution of his own. Although, I don't think he's really going to be a hip-hop president when he gets in.
ROBERTS: He talked about rap music in an interview he did recently with "Rolling Stone." He said, quote, "I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and the materialism of a lot of rap lyrics. But I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music."
In your book, as I said, you talked about this idea of -- is hip- hop a force for political change? You argue that it's not. You say, "Hip-hop represents nothing useful to forging political change in the real world. It's all about attitude and just that. It's just music."
What's missing?
MCWHORTER: Well, for example, even with the better-hip hop, and that's statement was not meant to say that the music isn't worthwhile in other ways. If you look at the ways in which a Barack Obama or anybody else could change the country, you don't see it much in this music, because there are things that music wouldn't be very good at communicating.
If you want to talk about health care, if you want to talk about building more highways, if you want to talk about what we're going to do to change our schools, setting that to a beat and singing about it as one person who is bragging and walking back and forth -- I don't think that's really going to work. And so, I think that it is part of Obama's genius as a politician that he kind of off (INAUDIBLE) to hip- hop.
ROBERTS: So you say that rap music doesn't offer solutions to political problems?
MCWHORTER: To be honest not only does it not offer solution, because I don't think it will be responsible for. It doesn't even really set the terms of the debate because even when it's good, what it's saying is basically screw you, be angry, screw you, be angry. History hasn't been there. The president isn't great, either.
But that alone is not what we need when we're teaching kids to read with phonics, when we're building a highway, when we're improving our health care system, and other things that impact the black community. I just think that the terms have shifted.
ROBERTS: So, if you change the terms, is it still going to sell? Because bottom line, it is about making money. MCWHORTER: I think it is about making money and making people feel good. You can't change the terms. It wouldn't be hip-hop, which just mean there's hip-hop in your iPod and reality here where we actually live.
ROBERTS: I wanted to ask you about Ralph Nader. Because there's so many people who believe Barack Obama would be a positive force for change particularly with inner city issues and even some conservatives like J.C. Watts and Armstrong Williams who are considering voting for him because of that.
Let's listen to what Ralph Nader said about Barack Obama and his attention towards inner city issues.
MCWHORTER: Must we?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RALPH NADER (I), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I haven't heard him have a strong, crack down on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans. Predatory loaning. Asbestos. Lead. You know? What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Is there anything in what Ralph Nader said that you think is fair? Has he addressed many of these concerns in his public platforms?
MCWHORTER: Ralph Nader appears to be looking at YouTube and the evening news. If you actually study Barack Obama, if you actually read his Web site and if you read his books, he has addressed things like that. You just have to do a little bit of work to find it. I think Nader, and I'm not ashamed to admit that some years ago I did give the man a vote, I think that the man might be losing touch.
ROBERTS: All right. John McWhorter, it's good to talk to you. Thanks for coming in this morning.
MCWHORTER: Thank you so much for having me.
ROBERTS: I appreciate the book. It's very good.
MCWHORTER: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, we're just about 30 minutes after the hour and here are some top stories we're following. There are no credible terrorist threats for Friday's July 4th holiday, according to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Both, though, are still urging state and local officials to be vigilant and to watch for unusual surveillance of popular gathering places.
Senator John McCain is headed to Latin America for discussions on free trade. The Republican hopeful begins his three-day trip today in Colombia today. A free trade deal with the country is stalled in Congress right now. McCain will also discussed illegal immigration during a visit to Mexico.
Retired General Wesley Clark is explaining comments that he made when he questioned whether McCain's war record is a credential for being a good president. Appearing on "ABC" this morning, Clark says as someone who spent 38 years in the military he would never discredit anyone who wears an American uniform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), OBAMA SUPPORTER: I would never discredit anyone who chose to wear the uniform. I fully respect John McCain and his service. And I said so repeatedly. My point is that there's a difference in preparing yourself for the highest office in the land depending on which levels you've served at in the Armed Forces.
John McCain is a young officer who demonstrated courage and character but the service as president is about judgment. And the experience that he had as a fighter pilot isn't the same as having been at the highest levels of the military and having to make -- work with the president and other heads of state and make those kinds of life or death decisions about national strategic issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: And this morning, John McCain continues to fire back after Clark took a shot at his military service record. While at the same time, Barack Obama is responding to attacks on his patriotism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm proud of my record of service and I have plenty of friends and leaders who will attest to that. But the important thing is, if that's the kind of campaign that Senator Obama and his surrogates and his supporters want to gauge, I understand that.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley has been following the campaign and joins us live from Washington this morning.
Good to see you, Candy. How concerned is the Obama camp on this issue of patriotism that he is addressing at yet again?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it came up as you know from time to time on the campaign trail. They understand that because of some misstep that he made and because of a very tenacious e-mail campaign that really began from the day he announced his bid for the presidency, that they have to sort of keep addressing it. Because it is out there.
There are e-mails out there saying that he is un-American. That he refuses to pledge allegiance to the flag and so it gets out there and sometimes it seeps into the grass roots. He also wanted to talk, as David Axelrod said earlier, he wanted to talk about the broader view of patriotism and what it is and love of country and therefore service to country but they obviously are concerned. And it was a good week to do it leading up to Fourth of July.
CHETRY: Now, the other interesting thing that we talked to Rick Davis of McCain's campaign, campaign manager yesterday and what he said, what he alluded to about Barack Obama is that with -- allowing that type of talk to happen, and of course, Barack Obama did says that he renounced the remarks that Wesley Clark made but he said it just shows it's politics as usual. he's part of the attack. Is that going to resonate on the campaign trail?
CROWLEY: Well, it certainly was at least a part of the attack that Hillary Clinton launched against Barack Obama saying, oh, you think he is a new kind of politician but he is not who you think he is. He is just a garden variety kind of liberal politician. Obviously, McCain as the liberal part.
So, what they're trying to do is sort of take some of the shine off Barack Obama. You know, the politics of hope. The politics of the sort of on a higher plain and say, well look, this is sort of a standard attack and it came from someone who supports Barack Obama. Ergo that means that, in fact, Barack Obama isn't all that different. So it will be an ongoing theme as it has been for the McCain campaign.
CHETRY: Candy Crowley for us this morning in Washington, thanks.
CROWLEY: Sure.
ROBERTS: It's 36 minutes after the hour. Talk about the agony of defeat. Two foot models are taking the makers of Ped Egg to court. So why are they putting their food down and what do they want in return. Ahead, our Sunny Hostin joins us. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Most popular right now on cnn.com, the IRS is targeting Swiss bank accounts. Officials suspect American taxpayers are hiding up to $20 billion worth of assets in overseas accounts.
Also surprising new research about gun owners. A new study shows 55 percent use the weapons on themselves in suicide attempts.
And the high price of gas forcing boaters back on to dry land but there is an upside to the fuel crunch. Lots of good boat deals in show rooms right now. See if you can afford to fill them up. We'll be right back in 60 seconds. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Embarrassed by ugly feet and sexy sandals? Are dry, cracked feet ruining your stockings? Don't put sexy shoes on ugly feet. Now, treat your feet to a foot makeover with PedEgg. The amazing foot grooming miracle that removes -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: No doubt you have seen the commercial for the PedEgg. It is the so called foot file that promises to smoothen your feet to perfection. Balloons to --
CHETRY: Gross! Don't watch this while eating a spaghetti dinner. OK. Two of the actors featured in the commercial said they were duped and now they're actually suing its maker.
AMERICAN MORNING's legal analyst Sunny Hostin is here to explain the rub.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: That's right. Hi. How are you, Kiran?
I mean, they are suing and they are two professional actors as you mentioned and they're saying that they were duped. They had a verbal agreement. And that agreement was pretty clear. They would be paid approximately $300. They would receive a pedicure and a manicure. Only their hands and feet would be shown and the project was just to be an Internet only infomercial.
Now, we know that it's everywhere. It's not just on the Internet and also, you can see their faces, as well. So they're saying, you know what? This is really a question of compensation. We spoke to the plaintiff's attorney and he made that clear. He said for my clients, the case is primarily about appropriate compensation for the right to use their images in the Pedegg commercial. They were told not to worry. That they would be contacted in if future to iron out the scope of usage. That is how and where their images would be used.
We also spoke to PedEgg and PedEgg said at this time our company has not been served. We believe that the lawsuit as described has no merit and we will vigorously defend "any claims made against our company." So that's both sides of the case. One is saying you owe me some money. And the other saying, not so fast.
ROBERTS: So you've gone through the documents in this case. There's something about a verbal agreement and then maybe a release form that was signed later. If they had said that this was going to be an Internet ad and then they put it out on television, would they have then had to subsequently sign another agreement to get a release from them or royalties or whatever to have it go on broadcast television?
HOSTIN: Well, that's really the crux of the case. They're saying, the plaintiffs were saying there was a verbal agreement but part of that verbal agreement is if the game plan changed and if it was going to be a commercial and not just on the Internet, we were going to be consulted.
However, I have to say, John, it is a verbal agreement. It happened in the state of Florida. In most states, verbal agreements are binding but the rub, Kiran, how do you prove that? People even challenge written contracts. They really have an uphill battle here, I think.
CHETRY: And meanwhile, the larger question, does the darn thing work?
HOSTIN: Well -- I have to tell you. It is a sensation. It has such a cult following. It is everywhere. My producer uses it, the head of our makeup department says it's fantastic. Some of our talent folk say it's not so good. And I mean it's all over YouTube. There's this one comedian that you see that goes into this incredible spiel about he ordered it and he couldn't wait for it and shows his -- there you have it. He's showing his PedEgg and his foot filings.
So, you know, it is all over the place. And I got to tell you, if it weren't all over the place, we may not be here speaking about it today. So it is a matter of compensation.
ROBERTS: Another great idea I didn't invent and didn't make millions of dollars off of. Sunny, thanks.
HOSTIN: Thank you.
CHETRY: Well, "Mamma mia," here I go again.
The hit Broadway show headed to the silver screen and we are at the London premiere, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
ROBERTS: And when enjoying the summer sun? Are you still burned even when you slather on the sunscreen? Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is coming on to tell you what might be wrong with your SPF.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, it was a mega hit in the '70s and then it became a billion dollar smash hit musical. Now, "Mamma Mia" is hoping to clean up at the box office.
CNN's Morgan Neill is on hand for the premiere in London.
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep and executive producer Tom Hanks, they're all here in London for the world premier of the new summer movie, "Mamma Mia" set to the music of Abba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEIL: It's not your typical formula for a hit summer movie. Musical with a sound track from Sweden. But judging by fan reaction in the world premier in London, "Mamma Mia" the movie could buck the trend. The movie tells a story of Donna played by Meryl Streep who tries to find out which of three former lovers is her daughter's father. Swedish pop group, Abba, whose songs provide the sound track remains hugely popular. The stage version of "Mamma Mia" has grossed more than $2 billion globally.
We're here for the world premier at London's Odian cinema. If there's any doubt about just how much of a market there is for a summer musical/movie, just take a look at this crowd. Fans will see stars like Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep as never before. Singing and dancing.
MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: Yes, I was flabbergasted that they wanted me to do it and I was thrilled to be able to do it and I'm amazed that I did do it, frankly.
NEIL: Former 007 Brosnan says taking the role was a no brainer.
PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: My agent called me up and said, got a job. Meryl Streep. "Mamma Mia," "Grease," you're just a shoe in. I didn't even know what the show was about. I had no idea. I have never seen the show. It was just a poster on the side of a bus.
NEIL: Executive producer and former Abba member, Bjorn Ulvaeus, can't hide a grin when asked about Brosnan's performance.
BJORN ULVAEUS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: It's awesome, isn't. 007 singing, you know, S.O.S.
NEIL: Producers can only hope audiences enjoy "Mamma Mia" half as much as the cast has.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEILL: And they were clearly enjoying themselves at the premier, obviously relishing the chance to show us talents we've rarely seen before -- Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Thanks so much.
You know, it's a good idea. It gets copied and copied. So, it made billions on Broadway, and hoping to do the same on the silver screen.
ROBERTS: You never know. Sometimes they go one way or sometimes the other.
It's 47 minutes after the hour. I just want to correct something I said a couple of minutes ago when we're running down our top stories. We said that 55 percent of gun owners use guns on themselves. That, of course, is incorrect. The Center for Disease Control found out that 55 percent of gun deaths were due to suicide, owners using the guns on themselves. We just want to make sure we got that straight for you this morning.
CNN NEWSROOM is just minutes away. Tony Harris at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead. Hey, Tony.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, John. Good morning to you. Good morning, everyone.
Politics in the NEWSROOM for you this morning. We hear live from John McCain before his trade trip to Colombia. Barack Obama's focus today, expanding President Bush's faith-based programs.
A teenager accused in the death of a police officer strangled in jail. Officials say only guards and supervisors had access to his cell. Unusual spin on "ISSUE #1" for you today. HGTV designer Vern Yip stops by. Should you renovate your home and stay put or try to sell in a very tough market?
Join us in the NEWSROOM. Top of the hour, right here on CNN. John, back to you.
ROBERTS: Tony, we will see you then. Just a little more than 12 minutes from now.
Former President Bill Clinton and Senator Barack Obama may have buried the primary season hatchet but there is a report that Clinton wanted Obama to pay a heavy price for his support. Jeanne Moos has got that story ahead.
CHETRY: And the Fourth of July is just around the corner. You probably got a supply of sunscreen ready. And our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has found out that you SPF may not help as much as you think.
Hi, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. That's right, Kiran. When you slather on the sunscreen this holiday weekend, will it work? It might not. Find out by coming back to us after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNE MAHLUM, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: I'm out running, usually between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. It is sort of my solitude time. On my daily morning runs, I would see this group of homeless men. It has been a big problem in Philadelphia and has been for a long time. I started to realize that I'm moving my life forward every day. Physically, emotionally, mentally. And these guys are standing in the same spot.
My name is Anne Mahlum and I run an organization called "Back on my Feet" where we use running to help the homeless move forward. When you join Back on my Feet, you get a new pair of shoes, a hat, a long- sleeved shirt like welcome to our team.
We run together three times a week between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning. We're going to do a mile and a half together and have them do their separate miles. We have doctors, homeless people. All you can tell is who's the fastest. You can't tell, you know, who's homeless and who's not.
Imagine if you don't have anybody in your life saying I'm really proud of you. Back on my Feet does just that. See you later.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Seven minutes now to the top of the hour. Even if you are religious about slathering on the sunscreen, you may still be getting burned. The environmental working group says four out of five brands don't work and may even contain potentially harmful chemicals. The FDA sunscreen makers and industry leaders deny all of those claims.
CNN's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is standing by in Atlanta for us this morning surrounded by sunscreens. Elizabeth, from what you've found, what are some of the best and some of the worst?
COHEN: Well, this is all according to the environmental working group, which is an advocacy organization. Let's jump right in to the worst, shall we? Take a look at this group of sunscreen. There are some heavy hitters here. Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Coppertone and here's what they say is problematic.
For example, take this Coppertone product right here. They say that it does not have adequate UVA protection. And you need UVA and UVB. They also say that Coppertone claims that it bonds to the skin and will stay on you even when you sweat. And environmental working group says that's just is not true. Now, here's Neutrogena. And the criticisms against this product also not adequate UVA protection and that it contains a chemical called oxybenzone.
Now, this part is very controversial, John. I'll sort of lay it out here for you. The Environmental Working Group says the oxybenzone can cause hormone problems, maybe it's even linked to cancer. There are lots of dermatologists who would disagree with that and say oxybenzone is just fine. So just laying it out. There is the controversy. And of course, we contacted these companies and let's take a listen to what they have to say.
Coppertone say that it rigorously test all of its products in the lab and in the real world. And Neutrogena says its products have been embraced by dermatologists and by consumers for their efficacy. The makers of Banana Boat, which also makes one of these products, did not respond to CNN's request for a comment -- John.
ROBERTS: Well, I'm kind of feeling sheepish today because I used that one on my face.
COHEN: Right there, huh?
ROBERTS: Over the weekend. What are the good ones and what should people be looking for buying when they go out and buy a sunscreen?
COHEN: Right. We have specific some things to look for. Here's the group of good ones that the Environmental Working Group pointed out. What they have in common is they offer UVA and UVB and they do not use oxybenzone.
So, here's a list when you're out shopping this week for sunscreen of what to look for. You want to look for UVA and UVB protection. You want an SPF that is 15 or higher. And you want sunscreens that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Those are two ingredients to look for. And avoid insect repellent and sunscreen combos.
I learned something here. I use those on my kids all the time. Apparently the ingredient in the insect repellant, it means that the sunscreen is not working as well. Now if you go to cnn.com/health, you can find links where you can put in the name of your sunscreen and see what the Environmental Working Group has to say about it.
ROBERTS: All right. Good advice there, Elizabeth. But we should point out though that this is one organization's opinions and it is being disputed by several other organizations.
COHEN: Absolutely not everyone agrees with this group. That is important to say.
ROBERTS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen for us. Elizabeth, thanks.
COHEN: Thanks.
CHETRY: Kiss and tell from the campaign trail. What did Bill Clinton reportedly want Barack Obama to do? Well, Jeanne Moos has details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have kissed and made up.
ROBERTS: But one report has Bill Clinton so bitter that he wants Barack Obama to kiss the other cheek in return for his support.
Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): There's a lot of kissing in politics. Barack kisses Michelle. Bill kisses Hillary. And lately, Hillary and Barack kiss and make up. But this was the kind of kissing that ricocheted around the web. It's what Bill Clinton supposedly said Barack Obama would have to do to get Clinton's support. Some struggled with how to phrase it.
He is going to have to kiss my -- I can't read that part.
Grits.
Believe me, it's a little north of grits. All right?
The story surfaced before Monday's chummy phone call between Bill and Barack. It was reported by a British paper, the "Telegraph."
(on-camera): As is the case with some of the very best quotes, we don't really know if Bill Clinton even actually said this. His office wouldn't comment. It's the kind of taunt that brings down the house if, for instance, a firefighter says it about America's arch enemy.
MICHAEL MORAN, FDNY FIREFIGHTER: Osama Bin Laden, you can kiss my royal Irish [ bleep ].
MOOS: Now, Bill Clinton's posterior isn't Irish but it could be considered royal or at least presidential. Even as the online debate raged, will Barack pucker up? The quote itself was still in question. So try to follow me here. This is an unidentified source quoting Bill Clinton as saying to friends, that Senator Obama could kiss my (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Who bleeped me?
We've heard Bill Clinton's earthy side before. When he didn't realize he was being recorded after an interview about racial issues with radio station WHYY.
BILL CLINTON, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't think I should take any (EXPLETIVE DELETED) from anybody about that, do you?
MOOS: And if Bill did say kiss my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) to Barack, maybe what he really meant was kiss my Democratic donkey. Bill and Barack aren't exactly buddies. We had to look long and hard to find a shot like this.
But on Monday, they had a phone conversation that the Obama camp called "terrific" and the Clinton camp called "good." Barack described Bill as a great leader, one of our most brilliant minds. Does that count as kissing up?
Take it from Tyra Banks who delivered the same phrase with gusto when she herself was mocked for looking large in a swimsuit.
TYRA BANKS, FMR. MODEL AND TV SHOW HOST: Kiss my fat (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
(CHEERING)
MOOS: Hey, she'd have them standing in line to take her up on that offer.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: I wonder if, like Tyra, that Bill Clinton was brought to tears when he said it. I hope not.
CHETRY: Yes, he said it. Well, thanks so much for joining us. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
ROBERTS: And I'll see you this afternoon, 4:00 for Wolf Blitzer on "THE SITUATION ROOM."
CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins begins right now.
