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Obama's Trip Overseas; McCain Accuses Obama of Armchair Quarterbacking; Racial Slur: Jesse Jackson's Comments Stir Debate

Aired July 18, 2008 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Low pressure, high interest. You're looking at what may become the next tropical storm.
Well, actually, Jesse Jackson started his own storm. But that's the other story.

We're talking about the doorstep of southeast Georgia and the Carolinas. Our Reynolds Wolf is on it.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And we've got a lot of storms brewing today in the CNN NEWSROOM. That was one of them, Kyra.

But we haven't heard the last of Jesse Jackson's inflammatory words into the microphone he thought was turned off. What does he say after he says he is sorry? We're going to talk about that today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips in New York.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And right off the top we begin with two major weather systems brewing in the Atlantic Ocean. You see the radar right behind me. One of them you're looking at right here is off the coast of the Carolinas. Now, take a look at this. It could end up dumping a lot of rain right along the East Coast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Visiting other countries while running for president is a little bit like meeting your fiance's family. You want to fit in, you don't want to mess up, you want to look good in pictures. Barack Obama is about to set out on his first trip overseas since he clenched the Democratic nomination. He'll visit England, France, Germany, Israel and Jordan. He's also going to the war zone to get a first-hand look.

We're going to get more on his travel plans and the politics from CNN's Jessica Yellin and Dana Bash, both in D.C.

Jessica, let's go ahead and start with you.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the pressure is on. I like your analogy, especially with those pictures. Barack Obama going overseas to burnish his foreign policy credentials, particularly in the eyes of the voters.

Now, in the case of those European countries, presumably he'll be there showing Americans what it's like to be beloved in foreign countries. He's expected to turn out massive crowds in England and Germany in particular.

But on his expected trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, the mission there is to get a first-hand look at the situation on the ground to help him argue for, or as he once put it, refine the foreign policy positions he's running on, specifically his plan to draw down combat troops in Iraq and redeploy troops to Afghanistan.

Now, Obama supporters, ahead of all his travel, are circulating a fact sheet that argues Barack Obama has actually been driving the foreign policy agenda. I know, that's not what we usually hear. But they say that on Iran, for example, he promoted more diplomacy.

Republicans criticized him for that position last year. But now an American envoy is joining Iran in talks. In Afghanistan, he called for more troops there, now so is McCain. And on Iraq troop withdrawals, well, more withdrawals are on the table for fall. It's a position followed (ph) next year. It's a position Obama advocated throughout the campaign.

Now, obviously the larger issue here is to encourage Americans to see Obama as a person who is knowledgeable and comfortable overseas. He wants to be seen meeting foreign leaders. And of course, all those photos coming back home show America that this is a man who they can trust on foreign policy as much as Americans already show they can trust John McCain -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK, Jessica. Thanks.

And Obama's opponent has long accused him of talking the talk without walking the walk.

Our Dana Bash has that side of the story -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it was actually interesting. John McCain spent this morning at a GM design center in hard-hit Michigan. He went there to talk about jobs, to talk about alternative energy, and an alternative car using the first- ever electric battery that they're trying to design there. But overall, he was really trying to beef up his economic credentials.

But one voter in that Michigan town hall asked McCain a very pointed question about matters abroad. She asked him about his claim that he knows how to win wars and his plan for Iran and Iraq. Well, McCain was very eager to turn that into his latest whack at Barack Obama, ahead of his trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm glad today that Senator Obama apparently is going to sit down for the first time, for the first time ever with General Petraeus, our general over there, one of the great generals in history. He's never asked for a briefing, to sit down and get a briefing for him.

I'm glad he's going to Afghanistan for the first time. He's never been to Afghanistan. And I'm astonished, I'm really astonished that he should give a policy speech on Iraq and Afghanistan before he goes to find out the facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And that is a message we have heard louder and louder and much more direct as the week has gone on. So, you see, McCain advisers, Kyra, they might not like it, but they know full well, A, that McCain goaded Obama into going to Iraq and Afghanistan. And B, there's going to be so much intense focus on this trip. They're trying to influence it as best they can.

And as you can tell from McCain right there, and really his mantra all week, they've been doing their best to say that -- actually, something that really fell into their laps, that's what aides tell me, which is that Obama detailed his war policy before going on his trip. He did that this week.

The McCain camp says that that's evidence that his positions are based on politics, not information on the ground, and that the trip is a campaign swing, not a fact-finding mission. Again, we heard McCain talk about it over and over, and we'll probably hear a lot more of him talking about it in the days to come.

PHILLIPS: Well, Dana, I love the quote. One of the writers in "The Guardian" said they're comparing this trip to the Beatles' first trip in North America. A lot of high expectations here.

BASH: Which is exactly -- and, you know, the McCain campaign, they know that full well, which is why they're doing as much as they can, as best as they can, to try to influence it. Again, they're not very happy about all the attention, but they're pretty much resigned to it.

PHILLIPS: Well, it will be interesting to follow the outcome.

Dana, thanks.

LEMON: And we asked our viewers this question and they answered: Will Barack Obama's trip overseas have any bearing on what for your vote for president -- or who you vote on for president?

Well, some of you have been e-mailing your thoughts. Here's when Kristopher writes.

He says, "McCain seems to be bullying Obama and coming from a place of fear. While Barack Obama has never had any audience with Petraeus, he certainly is no stranger to the situation in Iraq."

And here's what Jacqueline has to say. "I never thought a whole lot of Obama, but his trip to Europe and how he is handling it has motivated me to become a McCain volunteer. I wonder what he is going to tell the European leaders that we are not going to learn about."

Thanks to all of you who wrote to us. And make sure you write into us, cnnnewsroom@cnn.com.

Let's go now to our Political Ticker. And leading the Political Ticker today, forget the buzz. Al Gore says, it'll never happen.

The former vice president says there is no way he'll be Barack Obama's running mate. Gore is a major supporter of Obama, but he tells CBS News he had enough of the vice presidential job and he's imposing his own term limit.

PHILLIPS: Republican John McCain wants to help America's embattled automakers recover from their slump. During his visit today to a General Motors facility in Michigan, McCain punished his plan to support innovative, new ideas in the industry. He says U.S. car makers can reinvent themselves by coming up with products to help the country wean itself off foreign oil.

LEMON: From Nancy Pelosi, harsh words for President Bush. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, the House speaker calls Mr. Bush "a total failure." The president criticized congressional Democrats earlier this week, accusing lawmakers of doing nothing and saying Americans deserve better.

PHILLIPS: Check out our Political Ticker for all the latest campaign news. Just log on to CNNPolitics.com, your source for all things political.

LEMON: OK, remember when Jesse Jackson said this about using the N-word...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION: Roots (ph) are rooted in hatred and pain and degradation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Oh well. Well, maybe a lesson learned in practicing what you preach.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Jesse Jackson is asking for forgiveness again after it was revealed he used a racial slur in a break during a television interview. The civil rights leader was talking at the time about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Now Jackson says -- he says it's time to move on. But his critics are calling him, frankly, a hypocrite.

CNN's Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We heard Reverend Jesse Jackson apologize after an open microphone caught him making an offensive remark about Senator Barack Obama.

JACKSON: Talking down to black people.

CARROLL (on camera): Now Jackson is apologizing for what you did not hear. Fox would not release the audio, but confirms Jackson used the N-word.

(voice-over): He accused Obama of -- quote -- telling (EXPLETIVE DELETED) how to behave. CNN caught up with Jackson during a religious conference in Madrid, Spain.

JACKSON: That's the form of communication that we chose. It was a very painful and errant conversation. And, fortunately, Senator Barack responded gracefully and quickly. And that healing process has begun.

CARROLL: Jackson's written statement said, "There really is no justification for my comment. And I hope the Obama family and the American people can forgive me."

BRYAN MONROE, "EBONY/JET": I have known Reverend Jackson for more than 20 years. And he's one of the most complex individuals I have ever known. And with that complexity comes the good and the bad.

CARROLL: Jackson's critics are calling him a hypocrite. Just two years ago, Jackson waged a public campaign, trying to get people, especially those in entertainment, to stop using the word.

JACKSON: Its roots are rooted in hatred and pain and degradation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a hypocrite, period. I mean, you can't tell somebody to do something and then you don't buy it yourself.

CARROLL: Jackson's use of the word has raised what can be an uncomfortable question. Is it ever OK to use the N-word? And, if so, who is allowed?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just find it funny that they can say it, and we -- we're not supposed to.

CARROLL: Black rappers and comedians commonly say the word. It's also used within the African-American community.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not used in a derogatory way amongst us. It's like just saying, hi, my friend.

JASON WHITLOCK, COLUMNIST, "THE KANSAS CITY STAR": I think most of us in the African-American community are frauds when it comes to this world. We want other races to eliminate it from their vocabulary, but we don't want to do the same.

CARROLL: The word's use sparking a heated debate on ABC's "The View."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE VIEW")

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST: How are we supposed to then move forward if we keep using terms that bring back that pain?

(CROSSTALK)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST:

HASSELBECK: How?

GOLDBERG: Here's how we do it? You listen and say, OK, this is how we're using this word, and this is why we do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Angry about its use, last year, the NAACP buried the N- word in a symbolic funeral. It seems symbolism was not enough.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. There has been a lot of talk about the use of this word, especially someone of Reverend Jackson's caliber. Did he get a pass? We're going to talk to two people who have some insight on this, and one of them says she's a recovering "N-wordaholic."

Back after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Joining me now from Chicago to talk more about this explosive issue -- and we say explosive because it's really burning up the blogs, newspapers, TV. Everywhere you go.

There's Deborah Douglas. She's a columnist with "The Chicago Sun-Times." And in New York, Carmen Van Kerckhove, the cofounder and president of The New Demographic, a consulting firm that helps people learn about racism.

Thank you very much. We have a lot of ground to cover here.

OK. I'm going to start with you, Deborah, because I called you a recovering N-wordaholic, but you said it was more like a diet. You go on it, and then you go off it. And now you're done with it.

And you said I guess you're a recovering N-wordaholic. I'm not sure. But you say Reverend Jackson should go on that same diet as well.

DEBORAH DOUGLAS, COLUMNIST, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": Well, it's a word that is apropos for many situations. I wouldn't say I use it on a daily basis for every situation. But sometimes you need just that word that has that je ne sais quoi to apply to the situation. So, yes, I have used that word, as many of my friends and family members.

LEMON: So you used that word. But why -- OK, why can't white people use that word? If black people use that word and they say it has a certain je ne sais quoi, then why is it racist and hurtful when white people use it?

DOUGLAS: Well, it's racist and hurtful because there is some intent behind it when white people use it. In the past...

LEMON: But there is intent behind it when black people use it as well. I mean, I don't think that -- that wasn't -- he wasn't saying, I love Barack Obama because he's an N-word, he was saying something -- yes.

DOUGLAS: No. But, no, we use it to chastise. It's a term of endearment.

And like I said, in the case of Jackson, it was some assumed group (ph) thing. But in the past, when white people used the word, you would have the word and then you would have an action behind it. Maybe not giving a person a job.

You know, back in our history, it was stringing somebody up on a tree. If I heard a white person say it, I would get scared and shaky. When a black person uses it, I have to consider the context.

LEMON: OK. Listen, the last words of a column that you wrote -- and I'm reading it -- it says, "So, N-word, like many dysfunctional relationships I've weathered, you must pack up and leave my mouth. We did have a lot of fun."

DOUGLAS: Yes, we did.

LEMON: "Like a drunken uncle, you are a great punch line, but you are hurting people I care about. So you have got to go."

DOUGLAS: Yes. Right.

LEMON: "Mr. Jackson, you are welcome to join me."

DOUGLAS: Yes.

LEMON: So you're done with that word?

LEMON: I'm done with that word. But I'm searching for a new word that is just not so dubious and problematic.

LEMON: OK. All right.

Carmen, thank you for being so patient.

You are saying we make way too much out of this. The media, the public, everyone is making way too much out of this. And this is really stopping people from having a smart and intelligent, in-depth discussion about race. CARMEN VAN KERCKHOVE, CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, NEW DEMOGRAPHIC: Well, I really see this as being very much similar to the curfuffle around Don Imus and Michael Richards in that we really focus a lot on the use of racial slurs by public figures. And you know, that's not excusing it, but I think that by focusing so much on terminology and the words that people use -- even if everybody stopped using this word today, racism wouldn't go away.

LEMON: Yes, but that word, I mean, when you say it, it's just -- I hate it hear the word. And a lot of people hate to hear that word. And when you hear it from someone like Reverend Jackson, it is diminishing of the person he's speaking about to. The question is though, did he get a pass, Carmen? Did he get a pass?

KERCKHOVE: I think that this is a big story, not just because Jesse Jackson is black, but really because he's a civil rights leader, and that he has come out and spoken against that word. But I don't think it's...

LEMON: You're not answering me though. Did he get a pass?

KERCKHOVE: Well, by the fact that we're talking about it, clearly nobody's giving anybody a pass.

LEMON: OK.

Do you think he got a pass, Deborah?

DOUGLAS: Yes, I do think he's getting a pass. But it's OK, because he's a civil rights leader. He's not God. And just because he slips up and he acts like a human being doesn't negate his overall agenda, which is to combat structural racism. And it doesn't...

LEMON: I'm not understanding -- I'm not understanding what you're saying. He fought against this word. He said we should bury this word, we shouldn't use it.

DOUGLAS: Yes. Yes.

LEMON: And all of a sudden, he's using it. That's hypocritical. I don't understand you guys...

DOUGLAS: It's hypocritical. OK. So haven't you made a mistake before? Haven't we all made a mistake?

So he needs to move on, he needs to apologize, but he needs to take what he said into his heart. But it does not diminish his role in giving voice to the voiceless in combating structural racism, which exists.

LEMON: OK. Point taken. Point taken.

But if you have a microphone on, you're in front of a camera, and you know these things, you've been around for years, that's not to diminish what Reverend Jackson has done. Everyone knows his history. And if they have don't, they have should probably read it. DOUGLAS: Right.

LEMON: But it doesn't -- it doesn't take away from the fact of what he's doing right now in the present -- Deborah?

DOUGLAS: Right, OK. So, yes, I'm here.

No, it doesn't take away from what he's doing right now. He apologized. We need to find forgiveness in our hearts and move on, because it doesn't have anything to do with what's really going on in this country...

LEMON: OK.

DOUGLAS: ... which is we're nearing a recession, we're not quite there yet. We have a housing crisis, we have an untenable war. And he's fighting for the overall pursuit of justice for, yes, his constituency, but when we pursue justice for a small group of people, we pursue justice for everyone. And we can't lose sight of that over sort of superficial discussion over people's personality flaws.

LEMON: OK. When you're saying move on, we're going to have to move on because we're running out of time.

And Carmen, I want to apologize. You didn't get a lot of...

DOUGLAS: Sorry.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I really appreciate you taking out your time today, both of you, and joining us.

Thank you. Have a great weekend.

KERCKHOVE: Thank you.

DOUGLAS: Thank you.

LEMON: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, Kevin Federline and Britney Spears, they haven't seen eye to eye in a long while. But today, word their long custody feud might be over.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Taking a look "Across America."

The long Britney Spears/Kevin Federline custody battle could be over. I know all of you have been waiting to hear this news.

The Associated Press reports an agreement has been reached that will give K-Fed permanent custody of the couple's two sons. Spears, in turn, gets more visits with the boys and could even get more visitation rights by the end of the year. That is, if she's a good girl. Spears lost custody last year.

The budget ax swings again at American Airlines. The day after its parent company, AMR, reported a near $1.5 billion loss, 1,300 aircraft mechanics are being shown the door, along with 200 more white collar workers.

And holy wait time, cape crusader. The lines ran long last night for the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," with theaters across the country holding midnight showings to packed houses.

And listen to this. The Internet ticket buying site Fandango says today could be the biggest day in its history, with "Dark Knight" selling almost 10 tickets per second this morning. Full disclosure here. "Dark Knight" studio Warner Brothers is part of CNN's parent company, Time Warner.

LEMON: It's good, clean fun, it looks like. Everybody is having good, clean fun. And that's a good thing.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Time now to tell you about some of the stories we're working on for you today right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Crime in Chicago, is it out of control? Illinois's governor says it is and he's offered up the National Guard. Officials in Chicago acknowledge violent crime is up but they say it's about average for such a big city.

Parts of the southeast coast are getting some much-needed rain due to a low pressure system that could become a tropical depression. Our weather folks say there is no immediate threat. We're keeping a close eye on that.

And a memorial near Raleigh, North Carolina, for a mom of two, Nancy Cooper. Her death still unexplained by police. Her husband has submitted a DNA test.

PHILLIPS: Six Arab men are in jail in Israel today, this comes after Israeli security officials found chat room discussions and videos and bomb making plans all pointing to the planned assassination of President Bush. It was all on a Web site frequented by supporters of al Qaeda. The six men arrested today are all charged with belonging to a terror organization.

Nine American troops died Sunday in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border. No answers yet from military investigators as to how it happened. But no matter what they find out, nine American families are preparing to bury their sons today.

Here's CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were just weeks away from coming home after 15 months fighting in Afghanistan. Sergeant Israel Garcia's (ph) wife learned of his death just hours before she was due to fly to Italy to meet him.

Garcia's little brother is devastated.

RAMSSES GARCIA, SOLDIER'S BROTHER: He's not going to (ph) see my kids. He ain't going to be in my wedding, my graduation.

STARR: Nine young men of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, some just a few years out of high school, killed in a firefight with 200 insurgents near the Pakistan border. It was to be one of their last missions on this tour of duty.

Corporal Gunnar Zwelling's uncle says Zwelling's father has already suffered greatly.

GARY ZWELLING, SOLDIER'S UNCLE: He has cancer and he's just been so sick and his wife just passed away last year. It's just been a horrible year for him.

STARR: Lieutenant Jonathan Badstrom's (ph) biology teacher remembers a great youngster.

MIKE NORMAND, SOLDIER'S TEACHER: Every now and then he'd be a little rascal and make a joke here or there.

STARR: Suzanne Ayers planned to surprise her son, Corporal Jonathan Ayers the minute he touched down in the U.S.

SUZANNE AYERS, SOLDIER'S MOTHER: We had already got his plane ticket and I had bought a ticket to surprise him because he had a layover in New York.

STARR: Michael Bogar spoke with a father's pride. His son, Jason, had served in Iraq in 2003 and wanted to help children in war zones.

MICHAEL BOGAR, SOLDIER'S FATHER: In my opinion, Jason did in 25 years what it takes a lot of people a lifetime to do.

STARR: Corporal Jason Hovater was all set to go backpacking in Europe with his wife, Jenna. They had been sweethearts since they met at the age of 14.

JENNA HOVATER, SOLDIER'S WIFE: I sat at home last night and I saw the prettiest sunset and I just thought, thank you, Jason. That's him. He's in that.

STARR: Now the planning begins for funerals and remembering young boys who in war, served as men.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr joining us now live from the Pentagon. Wow.

What more have you learned about the attack, Barbara?

STARR: Well Kyra, as these families plan their funerals and as the wounded are now beginning to arrive back in the United States, the attack that these men suffered is under investigation. And what military officials tell us is this was one of the most sophisticated insurgent attacks they have seen against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. It is of great concern to them because somehow more than 200 insurgents assembled, undetected and unstopped, before they launched this attack.

So this is something that is quite worrisome, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So all these moves that are being made, Barbara, more troops and more support into Afghanistan, obviously the hope is that -- to make an impact on the loss of life.

STARR: Oh, absolutely.

What they have seen, the big picture if you will, over the last several weeks to couple of months, is more and more insurgents crossing over from the border across Pakistan. That border now fairly uncontrolled in certain areas. And as one senior U.S. military official said, that is what's most worrisome. Because of course, as tragic and as terrible as this attack was, as long as that border is not controlled, they really don't know what the insurgents might be planning next and they want to make sure they really get a handle on this, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Thanks, Barbara.

LEMON: Well he changed the course of one nation forever. And his impact on the rest of the world, priceless.

Happy Birthday wishes are pouring in from around the globe to Nelson Mandela on this, his 90th birthday.

For more now, we go to CNN's Robin Curnow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (singing): How old are you now?

ROBIN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Being teased about your age by your grandchildren is perhaps one of the perils of turning 90. But Nelson Mandela doesn't seem to mind. He's in good spirits on his birthday, even granting CNN a rare interview in his home, sharing with me the secrets of old age. (on camera): The question I wanted to ask you, you're 90-years- old, when you're looking back over your life, is there any memory that you are most fond of?

NELSON MANDELA, FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: Well, it is a question of behavior. And I'm happy that I've made it up till now because there are not many people who can look at themselves and who can live for such a long time. And I'm happy that I'm still alive.

CURNOW: And also, this -- looking back and maybe reflecting over 90 years, when you think back over your life, is there anything you wish you had done differently? I've spoken to your wife and to many of your grandchildren, and they suggested that perhaps you would have wished you had spent more time with your family.

Is that something you think about as you look back?

MANDELA: I'm sure many people, that is their wish. I also have that wish, that I spent more time with my family.

CURNOW: So is that a regret of yours?

MANDELA: I don't regret it because of things that affected me were things that pleased myself. So I don't regret it.

CURNOW (voice-over): A man who, when looking back over his life, acknowledges that sacrificing his family life was for the greater good. And he still rages against inequality and poverty.

MANDELA: There are many people in South Africa who are rich who can share those riches with people who are not so fortunate, who have not been able to conquer poverty. If you look around, even in towns, not only the countryside, even in towns, there's a lot of poverty.

CURNOW: Always the gentleman, happy to pose for pictures, Mandela also said he's reluctant to discuss his legacy. He'd rather other people decide how he's to be remembered.

Robin Curnow, CNN, Culu (ph), South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Very interesting man.

OK. Wait a minute before you get rid of those cow chips. We have got an energy fix that you certainly don't want to poo-poo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Making the mortgage. More homeowners are reverting to their younger days by bringing in a roommate to help with expenses. But it doesn't come issue free.

From CNN affiliate, KGO, reporter Lisa Amin has the story now from San Francisco.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAUTOA, HOMEOWNER: This is a dream come true for me, having this house. I've worked so hard just to keep it going.

LISA AMIN, KGO REPORTER: For Ed Lautoa, happiness fits perfectly into 1,500 square feet. He bought his four-bedroom home two years ago. But from the beginning, making his $3,500 a month mortgage payment hasn't been easy, especially on a sky cap's salary.

LAUTOA: The issues that I have regarding the mortgage, of course, that this is what I have to do for now.

AMIN: He now shares his house with three other boarders. With more and more homeowners facing foreclosure nationwide, it's a trend that's on the rise.

DEBRA SMITH, HIP HOUSING COORDINATOR: This is a sign of the times I feel, definitely.

AMIN: At Hip Housing, a nonprofit in San Mateo that helps people with their housing problems, staffers partner room seekers with homeowners. It's an option they're quick to recommend. But many homeowners are hesitant to accept.

SMITH: Concerns are finding the right person, making sure that the people they -- that come to their home, that want to live with them, are suitable.

AMIN: While Hip does a background check, not every match fits. That's when attorneys like Dave Butler get involved. Currently, he's handling four eviction disputes between homeowners and boarders.

DAVE BUTLER, ATTORNEY: Well it's always after they move in that the problems present themselves, typically relating to domestic problems.

AMIN: Like sharing space, that's why having a rental agreement like this one helps. Butler also suggests homeowners make sure that no zoning ordinances are violated by having extra tenants in the house and that homeowners insurance also covers renters.

But for this homeowner, the key is to keep things between himself and his boarders simple and separate.

LAUTOA: For me, it is kind of a personal issue.

AMIN: That's why he keeps his refrigerator in his closet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And remember, if you want to rent out an extra room, make sure you check with your local authorities so you don't run afoul of any laws.

LEMON: You've heard of girl power. How about cow power? It seems one dairy farmer in California has figured out how to turn his cows into serious energy producers.

CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our Energy Fix. She joins us from New York.

And when you say cows, you're talking about cow patties, aren't you, Poppy?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I am. This energy fix stinks, Don. Are you ready?

LEMON: As ready as I'll ever be. Go for it.

HARLOW: All right. Well folks, behold the power of poop. That is right, a farmer in Lodi, California, says each of his cows produces enough electricity to light one 100 watt light bulb for 24 hours. Our affiliate in Sacramento, WXTV, caught up with farmer Larry Castelanelli.

He has 3,000 cows. And they're droppings create enough methane to power his entire 12-acre farm. Here's how it works. The farmer harvests the cow poop, separates it and sends it into a digester which is basically a two-acre lagoon. You see it right there. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY CASTELANELLI, DAIRY FARMER: What has bubbled up here is all that methane gas. We capture this gas, this methane that would normally go up and get the ozone, but instead we capture it, we run it through the generator, we get electricity and run the dairy with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Wow. Very, very cool. Interesting. Who'd have thunk?

Eventually, all that methane is sent into a generator. It's a little known fact actually that methane from cows is a source of global warming, Don. So this really is solving two big problems at once -- Don.

LEMON: OK. So --

HARLOW: You have to keep a straight face for this, OK?

LEMON: And obviously, it is a -- this is a good question because there was some question about methane, or some people say methane gas, and carbon footprints. Is this a renewable energy source, Poppy?

HARLOW: Oh, you bet it is. As long as the cows keep doing their business, Larry can keep doing his without paying an electricity bill at all.

It does take a little more than a month to turn the manure into energy, so this is not an instant fix. But Larry says the hotter the day, the better the system works. I bet it smells a lot more than too. Other farmers around the country are also doing this. They actually report a reduction in odor.

Well as you can see, Don, we here at CNNMoney.com are following the Energy Fix stories from each and every angle -- Don.

LEMON: There is a lot to be said. And I think it's best to just move on and say, have a great weekend, Poppy.

HARLOW: You too.

LEMON: All right -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: An Idaho couple got married in a small private ceremony. And the wedding reception? Let's just say there won't be anything small or private about it. Yes, everyone is invited. And we mean everyone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Korean KJ Choi has just taken the lead at the British Open, but with play across the pond nearing the half-way point, veteran Greg Norman is the talk of the golf world, having seized second place. Much less shocking, the blustery British weather.

With the story from Southport, England, CNN's Justin Armsden.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUSTIN ARMSDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Most of the competitors at the 137th Open Championship spoke after their first round about the brutal conditions they were forced to play through. While the players have no one option but to trudge through the 7,000 yard course, the spectators do.

(voice-over): And despite the horrid conditions, more fans attended the first round on Thursday than did 10 years ago at the same course. And at over $100 a ticket, Open fans are certainly a dedicated bunch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the good weather is probably in the lakes of Spain and Portugal, which is two hours away on a plane. But, yes, we're used to it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as you get geared up for it -- I've got my Wellington boots and my sailing jacket on and so -- we're pretty well prepared for it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you pay 55 pounds to come, you don't have an option. You stay and watch.

ARMSDEN (on camera): And the dedication of the fans will be tested even further on Saturday, with gale force winds and torrential rain in the forecast. Everyone is braced for the toughest of conditions both on and off the course.

Justin Armsden, CNN, Southport, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Loosing weight by counting calories. If you can't do it, think again. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to one man who lost more than 40 pounds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Sujit Bhattacharya was also thin, but a busy job and eating unhealthy on the run eventually caught up with him.

SUJIT BHATTACHARYA, LOST 40 POUNDS: I was living happily and blissfully ignorant about the fact I was getting overweight and unhealthy.

GUPTA: Sujit feared he wouldn't be around to watch his daughters grow up. So he decided to make a change. He began counting calories and it paid off.

BHATTACHARYA: I have a budget from the calories I have and I know how to spend it. I can spend it on Hershey bars or -- I can have a few Hershey bars and eat an intelligent lunch. I was able to lose a pound every three days just by gradually eating smart and then the weight would just come right off.

GUPTA: And he no longer uses a busy lifestyle as an excuse.

BHATTACHARYA: We all get busy in our day to day lives and we forget simple things about eating right and exercising. But I'm still just as busy now as I was back before I was heavy.

GUPTA: Sujit says it's all about making small changes.

BHATTACHARYA: I went from a 2 percent glass of milk to a 1 percent glass of milk. And if you look at the calorie difference, that's 20 calories. But if you do that once a day over a year, that's 7,000 calories. That's two pounds you've lost in a year by doing almost nothing to your lifestyle.

My name is Sujit Bhattacharya and I lost 40 pounds.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Dallas, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Congratulations, Sujit.

OK, so if having sex on the beach in Dubai has been on your to-do list, better scratch it right off. The UAE is reminding the world that it's still a Muslim nation, no matter how Western it seems.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So what are you doing tomorrow? You want to go to a wedding reception in Idaho? Well you're invited. As a matter of fact, everybody is. Newlywed Alex Smith took out this ad in his local paper. Yes, everyone is invited to help celebrate his marriage to Becky. She had no idea he was going to go public like this until the deed was done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY SMITH, NEWLYWED: Basically he said, I think this is what we're going to do. Oh, by the way, I already did it. And I said, oh, OK, well I guess we're going to have a lot of people. We better start planning now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Hopefully they're at Costco or Sam's right now because Alex says he hopes at least 400 people show up for tomorrow's party on their farm. But he wouldn't care if 2,000 people came out.

LEMON: OK. Well the United Arab Emirates is seen by many as one of the most liberal and successful Muslim nations. But lately some tourists in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have found the warm welcome for foreign tourists and their cultural ways has its limits.

CNN's Wilf Dinnick reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILF DINNICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): These are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. For all of the Westerners who live here and the tourists who flock here, though, they're being reminded of where they are. Dubai, a Muslim society.

They're saying that must be respected. Officials in Dubai have begun to crack down on nudity and topless sun bathers, anybody behaving in an offensive way. Now all this began after a couple was caught having sex on a beach in Dubai. Officials now have been patrolling the beaches. They say they've made 79 arrests so far.

Now the first time will likely just get you a warning. Second time will probably put you in front of a judge. All this is a huge problem here in Dubai because well over 80 percent of the people who live here are foreigners.

And you can get alcohol at the hotel bars. There is a booming night life. The authorities here have always assumed that that should be kept low-key. Clearly they're not satisfied with that. Most employers here for new employees either give a handbook or a lecture on cultural sensitivities. And soon, all the beaches in Dubai will have new signs describing exactly what is acceptable on the beaches here and reminding people exactly where they are. Dubai, a Muslim society.

Wilf Dinnick, CNN, Dubai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now. LEMON: Win the election, see the world? Or is it the other way around? Barack Obama hopes to boost his foreign policy cred with a presidential style visit to the Mid-East and Europe. We'll gauge the political mileage.

PHILLIPS: Sex for sale in Moscow. Every city has it, but CNN uncovers a booming trade in sexual slavery in the Russian capital. We'll get the story this hour.

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

LEMON: I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.