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Presidential Ad Wars; Suspect in Touma Murder Case Makes Court Appearance
Aired July 30, 2008 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, with a slumping economy some folks will go to extremes to earn some extra cash. The lightbulb apparently switched on for a guy in Miami when he noticed a light pole on the ground, strapped it to his van, drove to the recycling shop. But before he could cash it in, someone called the cops. The would-be entrepreneur says that the pole had been on the ground for months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much were you hoping to get for it?
ELIO VALERA, SUSPECT: More than the city was going to use. It's been there for four months. About $250, $150, $200, $300, maybe. I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the pole belongs to Florida Power and Light. The suspect faces charging of grand theft and dealing in stolen property.
All packed up and nowhere to go. A software glitch means a hard day for American Airlines bag sorters at JFK. Bag owners aren't too happy either.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: America's oil and gas problems didn't show up overnight, and they probably won't be tackled before lawmakers go on their August recess. Guess who is blaming whom for the standoff?
PHILLIPS: And Kevin Costner's back. And everybody wants him. In his new film, he's the ultimate political demographic, the swing vote. He's going to swing by our New York bureau hour.
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.
And we start right out with some developing news. It involves Israel's embattled prime minister. He announced today he won't run in September's primary election. We're talking about Ehud Olmert, said he will hand over leadership of the Kadima Party on September 17, citing a corruption investigation and deep criticism from his political opponents. Critics say Olmert is ineffective so long as suspicion hangs over him. A U.S. spokesman says whatever happens in September won't change Washington's Middle East strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: the Israelis will work out their inner politics. We're going to continue working on the basis on which we've worked.
We're going to look forward to working with all responsible Israeli leaders in the government, whether it's this government or some future government.
I'm just not going to comment on their politics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, make sure you stay with us right here on CNN -- much, more on these developments in Israel at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER."
PHILLIPS: Well, I guess the good news is they won't have to wait at baggage claim. The bad news is, their bags are somewhere else. American Airlines passengers flying out of JFK are at the mercy of a software glitch right now. It's kept most of their luggage off most of their flights and left employees sorting piles of stuff by hand.
LEMON: Help is on the way for struggling homeowners. But a plan to bring down gas prices, well, that will have to wait. President Bush today signed a housing bill that will provide government-backed loans to homeowners facing possible foreclosure, while bolstering the giant government-sponsored mortgage landers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
But the president says Congress also needs to act on energy legislation. He wanted to lift the ban on offshore oil drilling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The time for action is now. This is a difficult period for millions of American families. Extra dollar they have to spend because of high gas prices is one less dollar they can use to put food on the table or to pay the rent or meet their mortgages. The American people are rightly frustrated by the failure of Democratic leaders in Congress to enact commonsense solutions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, here's what Democrats are saying. They're saying that offshore oil drilling will hurt the environment and won't do much to cut gas prices. They blame speculators for the spike and want new restrictions on trading. The result has been gridlock. On Capitol Hill today, several members of Congress called for compromise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NEIL ABERCROMBIE (D), HAWAII: The people of the United States are completely frustrated and disgusted with the fact that the Congress has done nothing to respond. We can't pass a bill, can't pass the House, can't pass the Senate. It's not working. So, we determined that on a nonpartisan basis that everybody would bring their best efforts to the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, you heard President Bush speak on energy policy.
Josh Levs breaks it down for us. What realistically can we expect, Josh?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hey there.
OK. Let's just go through these one by one. You guys were talking about some of the biggest arguments we're hearing on both sides right now. I wanted to start off with a summary for you about where the Republicans and President Bush largely are standing on this side.
You have offshore oil drilling. Let's go to this graphic here. A lot of Republicans are pushing for it in general. And supporters say it could help in the long term and maybe could even produce some oil in a matter of months after starting. Opponents say that there will be no significant amount of oil from this new offshore oil drilling, plus possible spills they're concerned about.
Well, we looked into what the government was saying, the Energy Information Administration. And let's look at this quote from them. They say the projection indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlanta and the Eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. So, that's quite a ways away.
Let's switch over to the Democrats now. You guys were talking about this and this whole idea of curbing speculators. A lot of Democrats pushing this bill in the Senate to cut down on speculation. Now, some Democrats say that oil speculators are responsible for 20 to 50 percent of the price hike that we have seen in oil, as much as half of the price hike.
Opponents say there is no way it's that much. And even if you crack down on it, all that would do is increase speculation in other countries. You would still have the same amount of speculation going on. It wouldn't fix the prices.
Well, here, there was a interesting reality check that I saw from "The Houston Chronicle." And I want to bring you this quote now. They really dug into this. They said the law of supply and demand remains the prime culprit for high energy prices. OPEC has been holding down supply and they say their best estimate is that about $20 to $30 per barrel is the premium that you can attribute to speculation. So, it's not half the total rise. They're saying about $20 to $30 per barrel. One more topic I want to jump on here really quickly, and that's the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And we pulled this up from factcheck.org, one of the many sites that has really analyzed, how much oil could you get from ANWR?
Look at this. Opening up ANWR would lead to a negligible bump in world oil supply and would provide barely 5 percent of the what the U.S. consumes today. The spigot wouldn't even be fully opened until the mid-2020s, and that is if Congress were to act right now, which isn't at all likely.
Now, you can get a lot more on all this at CNN.com. For example, let's close in on this map for just a second. This map shows you areas that would become open to oil drilling on both coasts.
You have got over here on the West Coast, over here on the East Coast, those areas would become open to offshore oil drilling if the change were to go through. Of course, that's up to Congress.
And, Kyra, as you know, all these things are going to be debated for a while. We just want you all to have some facts to understand the debate, as it rages on, so you can weigh in yourself.
PHILLIPS: All right, Josh, thanks.
Also, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows Americans overwhelmingly supporting offshore oil drilling -- 69 percent say that they're in favor of drilling for oil in U.S. coastal waters and they're almost evenly split on whether offshore drilling would bring gas prices down anytime soon -- 51 percent say yes -- 49 percent say no.
LEMON: Let's go now to North Carolina, where police say an Army sergeant accused of killing a pregnant soldier admits he is the father of her unborn child. Edgar Patino, station at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was arrested last night and charged with first-degree murder.
The body of Specialist Megan Touma was found last month in a motel room near Fort Bragg. She was seven months pregnant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BERGAMINE, FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, POLICE CHIEF: Last night at approximately 6:00 p.m., Fayetteville Police Department homicide detectives arrested Edgar Patino, age 27, of 3704 Lairgate Lane, Hope Mills. He's been charged with first-degree murder of Megan Touma. Patino is a soldier stationed at Fort Bragg assigned to the JFK Special Warfare Training Center. The defendant is also the father of the unborn child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Patino appeared before a judge in Fayetteville today. Specialist Megan Touma is one of three women service members killed in recent months near military bases in North Carolina.
Indicted Senator Ted Stevens will face a judge tomorrow in his corruption case. Arraignment is scheduled for federal district court in Washington. For now, the powerful Alaska Republican is back at work on Capitol Hill, insisting he did nothing wrong. Stevens is accused of lying on financial disclosure forms about work done on his home and gifts that he accepted from a major oil contractor.
Authorities say that the take added up to more than $250,000. The 84-year-old Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, by the way, already faced a tough reelection fight in November.
LEMON: All right, let's talk some politics now, because the economy still trumps all other issues in the race for the White House.
Today, John McCain is talking jobs, taxes and gas prices in the tossup state of Colorado. Earlier, he met with workers at a company that rents and sells construction equipment. A key part of his speech, the nation's energy problems.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need to develop new alternative energies like wind, solar, tide, and biofuels. We also need to develop more existing energies like nuclear power and clean coal. And we need to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. Some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: And we ought to start drilling for more oil at home, including offshore. We ought to start drilling.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: Senator Obama opposes that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Barack Obama is campaigning in another tossup state, Missouri -- on his schedule, two town hall meetings and a barbecue. The Democratic candidate spoke earlier in Springfield, comparing John McCain to President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, we have got a choice in this election. We can either choose a new direction, or we can keep on doing the same things that we have been doing. We can keep on doing the same things we have been doing.
Now, my opponent, John McCain, thinks that we're basically on the right track. He does.
(BOOING) OBAMA: You know, he said that our economy has great -- made great progress in the last eight years.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: He has embraced the Bush economic policies and promises to continue them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: It's the political season's biggest guessing game. Who will John McCain and Barack Obama pick as their running mates?
Here's some of the names believed to be on their short lists we're going to keep -- well, that we keep hearing about, actually. On the Republican side, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Ohio Congressman Rob Portman, and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Also, on the Democratic side, Senators Joe Biden of Delaware, Evan Bayh of Indiana, and Hillary Clinton of New York, also Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia.
Now, you want to know more about the leading V.P. contenders, CNN's political unit and CNNPolitics.com have assembled a primer with pros and cons of each. And if you're curious where CNN.com readers rank the possible candidates, check out the political market. It's all at CNNPolitics.com.
LEMON: A powerful earthquake rattles Los Angeles. It happened just as we were on the air yesterday. And you heard a lot of people calling in.
Now, you get to see what they were all talking about, buildings swaying, bricks falling, nerves jangling. The 5.4 magnitude quake was felt all the way to San Diego. And in this liquor store in Pomona, check out the bottles behind the counter. The quake also produced some special effects for real-life TV shows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Earthquake. What do I do? What do I do.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the ground's moving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Well, even Judge Judy got rattled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE JUDITH SHEINDLIN, "JUDGE JUDY": Well, he got your credit card -- your bank card somehow and he got your pin number somehow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That wake triggered nearly 100 aftershocks, but no -- not many injuries, I should say.
And Governor Schwarzenegger calls Southern California lucky. An earthquake expert says people should view what happened yesterday as a drill.
And CNN's Kara Finnstrom is with seismologists at Caltech in Pasadena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are at Caltech, which is in Pasadena, California, where seismologists have really been monitoring all of the Earth's rumblings since yesterday.
This gives you an idea of what they're doing here. You can see all the normal seismic activity and then take a look at this. This was yesterday quake of 5.4.
Joining us live now, we have one of the folks who has been doing all this busywork, Kate Hutton.
You're continuing to watch the Earth. Tell us what you have been seeing since the quake hit yesterday.
KATE HUTTON, SEISMOLOGIST: Well, we're still having aftershocks, but they're becoming less frequent with time.
So, for example, yesterday, we were talking about in the 70s total number, and now we're in the 90s. OK. So, overnight, there were still a lot of magnitude 1's, 2's, but it has slowed down quite a bit, which is exactly what we expect to see. And by the time we get 24 hours out from the main shock, it will be less than 1 percent chance that's a foreshock.
FINNSTROM: Which is very reassuring to everyone here in this area.
Talk to us about the force of that quake yesterday compared to a maybe 7.8, the big one that everyone is kind of bracing for.
HUTTON: Well, we figured that this earthquake yesterday released about one-one-hundredth of the energy of the Northridge earthquake or maybe one-ten-thousandth of the energy of a possible 7.8 or 7.9 earthquake that would happen on the San Andreas Fault.
FINNSTROM: So, quite a difference in energy there and quite a difference in the damage that we would see.
HUTTON: Right. So, there would be higher damage, higher shaking in every location and the earthquake would last longer and it would also cover a much wider area of the state. So, the relief effort would be much harder -- much higher. FINNSTROM: Scientists here collecting a lot of data. They have even put instruments into some of the buildings and hope to learn more from yesterday's quake about how they affect some of those high-rise structures and other structures in downtown Los Angeles.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN in Pasadena, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And this just in to CNN regarding the salmonella outbreak that first started with what we thought were tomatoes. Now the FDA saying that they have discovered that strain, that salmonella strain linked to a nationwide outbreak found in irrigation water and a serrano pepper at a Mexican farm. That Mexican farm being in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Previously, the FDA had traced a contaminated jalapeno to a farm in another part of Mexico. Now they're saying this is a key finding and a bit of a breakthrough in this case, a second farm in Mexico, this one in Nuevo Leon, Mexican, saying that salmonella strain linked to irrigation water and a serrano pepper on a Mexican farm.
We will continue to follow the investigation, and also if indeed when and where it will be safe to purchase type peppers and also tomatoes. We will stay on that.
Now, on the front lines of an inferno, thousands of California firefighters give it their all and they give everything when they go up against huge wildfires for another day. We have got the latest.
LEMON: This is a highway to nowhere. What would you do if you drove up to this?
PHILLIPS: And cell phones and a possible link to cancer. Are your kids at risk? We are going to hear from our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kyra Phillips.
The weight of the world hangs on his shoulders, his vote deciding who gets to be the next president of the United States. Actor Kevin Costner will sit down with me to talk about his new movie, "Swing Vote."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This has been said about Oprah, Princess Di, different people at different times. But I got a question for you. Is Barack Obama now the biggest celebrity in the world?
Well, John McCain makes that claim in a new campaign ad that raises questions about Obama's leadership as well.
CNN political editor Mark Preston joins me now from Washington with that.
And it's an interesting ad here. Is Barack Obama the biggest celebrity in the world? And, if he is, what does that have to do with the price of tea?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, I will tell you what, Don. Clearly, John McCain's campaign is trying to do that. And by saying so in this new ad that has two very famous faces in it, what they're trying to do is show that while he might be a big celebrity, that he might be able to draw crowds of 200,000 in Germany, he doesn't have the experience to be commander in chief.
LEMON: OK. All right. Let's listen to the ad, Mark, and then we will talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: He's the biggest celebrity in the world.
CROWD: Barack Obama!
NARRATOR: But is he ready to lead? With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling, and says he will raise taxes on electricity? Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that's the real Obama.
MCCAIN: I'm John McCain, and I approve this message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: In your estimation, Mark, of covering political campaigns, sometimes, these things can backfire. Effective or not, this ad?
PRESTON: Too early to tell right now. Certainly, it's going to get a lot of views. People in 11 battleground states, Don, are going to see that, states that Republicans won in 2004, such as New Mexico and Virginia, states that John McCain is really trying to hold on to, and states such as Pennsylvania, where John McCain is trying to take out of the Democratic column.
LEMON: And this is right on for what Republican strategists have been calling John McCain to do lately, is to come out and hit hard.
PRESTON: Yes, absolutely.
Look, John McCain has already been running an ad now for the past couple weeks that hits Barack Obama very hard on the -- on the cost of gasoline. In fact, he blames Barack Obama for the cost of gasoline going over $4 per gallon. And the reason he does that is, he says that Barack Obama opposes offshore drilling, which is what we see in this ad.
LEMON: And this is just only the beginning, Mark Preston.
PRESTON: Only the beginning. LEMON: All right. Thank you, sir, Mark Preston, our political editor, joining us from Washington. Appreciate it again, sir.
LEMON: There is much more on this latest volley in the campaign wars coming up at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer.
PHILLIPS: An Amber Alert today statewide in Massachusetts. That's where four young children are missing from a home where a woman was stabbed to death. Police are searching for this man, Rodlyn Petitbois, considered armed and dangerous and wanted for murder. They believe he abducted the four kids and their mother. The missing children were 11 months to 3 years old.
Police in Florida still dealing with their missing girl case, 2- year-old Caylee Anthony, not seen since early June. Her mother, Casey Anthony, in jail, charged with neglect and obstruction, didn't report the girl missing for more than a month.
The missing girl's grandmother is standing by her daughter's claim that she's innocent. Last night, on CNN's Headline News, someone close to Casey Anthony said she can't believe the charges against her friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: What do you think has happened to Caylee?
HOLLY GAGNE, FRIEND OF ANTHONY FAMILY: I can tell you what I don't know, and I can tell America what I know about Casey as a mother. The mother that I know, the friend that I was neighbors with and that I've known for over six years, believe it or not, in all this craziness, is -- was and is a loving, caring mother.
Now she's not a ditzy mother. She never portrayed being a young mother, what you'd think as a teen. She was very, just, detailed, reading to her child. When I would baby-sit her down to little things.
GRACE: So a good mother, a great mother.
GAGNE: Well, I have a pretty high standard of being a mother. I'd say she was a good mother -- I'd say she was a good mother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Caylee's mother says that she left her daughter with a baby-sitter and that was the last time that she saw her.
LEMON: Well, Delta has got a brand-new bag. Add fee to that, fee. You will either want to pack lighter or carry on some heavy-duty cash.
PHILLIPS: Nice day for a white wedding. In Japan, demand for a Western marriage ceremony has people playing all kinds of roles. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, so Delta is making more changes. And they are going to cost you. Like its rivals, Delta is struggling with sky-high fuel prices. So, as of tomorrow, it's raising baggage charges on new domestic bookings.
Check this out. Your first checked bag is still free. But your second will cost double, $50, from $25. A third checked bag will cost you $125. Man, that sounds like a round-trip ticket to me. Your overhead for overweight and oversized luggage also going up, same for special stuff, such as surfboards and skis.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
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 in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Flying out of New York or American Airlines? Well, your suitcase may not go with you. It may not end up where you want it to go. A luggage system meltdown at JFK Airport and hundreds of bags are being left behind.
Also, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert throws in the towel. Faced with political turmoil and corruption charges, Olmert says he will resign in September, both as prime minister and as leader of his party.
And a court appearance in North Carolina today for the Army sergeant accused of murdering pregnant soldier Megan Touma. Police say Sergeant Edgar Patino has admitted he was the father of Touma's unborn child.
PHILLIPS: Hey, we are sorry about that. We had a little distraction here. Kevin Costner here on the scene. And we're getting ready to interview him. Sorry about the live -- we're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back. That's live television, folks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the weight of the world hangs on his shoulders -- his vote deciding who gets to be the next president of the United States. Actor Kevin Costner talks about his new movie, "Swing Vote," just ahead, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: At least 10 U.S. soldiers, five Marines and a Pentagon contractor, have been accidentally electrocuted in Iraq. And on Capitol Hill today, members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee tried to find out why.
Our Abbie Boudreau of our Special Investigations Unit, she's reporting this from Washington -- Abbie, fill us in, please.
ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Don, most of today's hearing focused on the case of Sergeant Ryan Maseth, a highly decorated shoulder who was electrocuted in his shower.
The Committee uncovered new documents, including several work orders from a soldier complaining about pipes having voltage and getting shocked in the shower. It turns out the soldier who issued those work orders had been living in the same facility as Mason. In a sworn statement, that soldier stated he was shocked four to five times in the shower and on occasion, he would use a wooden handle to turn off the shower nozzle because the electrical current was so strong.
Remember, this was the same sail shower where Sergeant Maseth was later electrocuted.
Also, a top KBR official was questioned at the hearing. Tom Bruni made it clear to members of the Oversight Committee that KBR believes it is not to blame and makes its case. And that's when things got interesting.
Don, watch this exchange between Congressman Davis and KBR manager Tom Bruni when Bruni was pressed about who should be held accountable for what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM DAVIS (R), VIRGINIA: You're saying you're not responsible. I can understand that.
You know, wouldn't the Army then be responsible for this in one way, shape or form?
TOM BRUNI, KBR: I think that the Army has some responsibility in this (INAUDIBLE).
DAVIS: Well, if they have some, who would have the rest of it?
Because conceivably, who else could have it if the Army just had some responsibility?
BRUNI: The responsibility...
DAVIS: Would KBR have some then?
Would KBR have some responsibility?
BRUNI: The responsibility lies with the Army.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOUDREAU: That was actually the first time KBR actually blamed the Army for what ultimately led to the electrocution of Sergeant Maseth -- Sergeant Maseth's death -- a pretty big deal considering KBR holds the largest government contract for services in Iraq.
There's a lot more to this story. We'll have the full report tonight on THE SITUATION ROOM -- Don.
LEMON: Yes, before I let you go, the logical question is, is it getting any better when it comes to electrical problems on bases?
BOUDREAU: Right now?
Well, it's kind of hard to know for sure. The Army says since Ryan Maseth's death, many facilities have been inspected. But today at the hearing, U.S. Senator Bob Casey said that during the last three weeks, he's gotten calls from active duty soldiers in Iraq who say they continue to receive electrical shocks while they carry out their daily tasks. And, Don, that includes taking showers. This is scary stuff.
LEMON: All right. Yes.
Abbie Boudreau, our Special Investigations correspondent.
It is scary stuff and we appreciate your reporting.
Thank you very much.
In the air and on the ground, close to 4,000 firefighters are pouring everything they have on the firefighter near Yosemite National Park, east of San Francisco. Rugged terrain and dry timber are making it an uphill battle. Twenty-five homes have burned. Another 4,000 are threatened. The so-called Telegraph Fire is 20 percent contained and Yosemite is still open, although some visitors are packing up early because of the smoke and the ash.
It's known as the Sea to Sky Highway near Vancouver, British Colombia. Today, it is a very rocky road. A big chunk of cliff slid onto Highway 99 and It could take a couple of days for crews to dig and blast through that. Highway 99 connects Vancouver and Whistler, the popular ski area. A huge construction project is underway on the road. Authorities say no work was going on near the slide.
PHILLIPS: Well, for Kevin Costner, it's no field of dreams. In his new comedy "Swing Vote," the actor is caught in a political tug of war. He's a lovable loser whose daughter sets off a chain of events where his vote decides the presidential race.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Dad. Dad. There's some people outside.
KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: People?
I'm going honey.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: There's a lot of people out there.
COSTNER: OK. Look, let's just -- let's see what the fuss is all about. (END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: The message here -- everyone has the power to change the world.
Joining me now, Kevin Costner, to talk about his new film.
Good to see you.
COSTNER: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, I have to say -- well, let me ask you this, did you ever care about politics?
Were you deeply involved in politics or?
COSTNER: I've always cared about it. When you say deeply involved, I've never been a marcher or something like that. But, you know, I grew up in a Republican household where there was just a lot of fist pounding, you know, boom. Like just, you know, and it was -- and so, you know, you grow up a Baptist, you're a Baptist. You grow up in...
PHILLIPS: Why was there fist pounding?
COSTNER: Well, just the -- when you said were you involved in it and did you care about it?
I mean I grew up in a household where you just saw people, you know, just go yes. I mean they -- you know, it's like if you don't care about politics, it will ultimately overtake you anyway, if you don't get involved.
And so, yes, politics have always been a big part and I watch it pretty religiously, what's going on, so.
PHILLIPS: Now, not a lot of people understand the whole swing vote, Electoral College, all these, you know, fancy political terms.
COSTNER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Did you have to study up on it? Did...
COSTNER: Well, not to make the movie. But I do think it's confusing. I think voting is just not made the easiest. And it just seems like wow, we could get this -- we could get this so that more people could vote. It is a little difficult to go find a house on a street you've never been before and kind of figure this thing out. And I don't know why we have not been able to simplify it. But I think until we do, we're going to continue to see the numbers we see of those that do vote.
PHILLIPS: So are you a Republican or a Democrat?
COSTNER: I'm a registered Independent, just like Bud.
PHILLIPS: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
Just like Bud.
COSTNER: That's right.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk -- did you have fun doing that character...
COSTNER: How -- I don't...
PHILLIPS: ...because he was pretty hilarious.
COSTNER: Yes, he was...
PHILLIPS: And, by the way, the name Bud because you loved your Budweiser beer, we should point out.
COSTNER: Yes. I guess. Yes.
PHILLIPS: Little E (ph) must have loved that.
COSTNER: OK. His real name is Ernest, right.
PHILLIPS: (INAUDIBLE) people.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: He was an earnest Bud drinker.
COSTNER: He was...
PHILLIPS: That makes sense.
COSTNER: Yes, he really was. But, yes, you know I -- it's -- I think it's very difficult for me to align myself with either party. But what I will do is I will, you know, choose the best candidate. It won't always be just as a result of he agrees with everything I do because it's just unlikely. It's unlikely for us to agree. It's unlikely for me, you know, surrounded by my friends.
And sometimes we dismiss somebody because our one hot button issue is not attended to so we're going to, what, throw our weight to something else we don't believe completely?
So it's a process. And, you know, believe it or not, it's not going to seem very scientific, but with all the information that's out there, it's just -- it's a feeling about who you're going to vote for, because we see two very smart guys sometimes say one thing. And the other person said I didn't say that, you know.
And he goes, well you said this. He goes, well, I didn't say that. And you think to yourself, if you have children, you put them in different rooms. And the American public is finding itself where we have to kind of decide who -- was that correct what they just said or not correct? And it turns us into a referee. So I think without trying to seem vague, sometimes it is a feeling, because we're Solomon out here, the American public. We can't always know.
PHILLIPS: Well, did you find yourself getting into political discussions that maybe you wouldn't have before?
Like, in the NEWSROOM, when stories break, we end up getting into these...
COSTNER: No. That's been a constant in my life. You know, it's like provocative things or you see things. And I think probably the thing that bothers me most is a politician almost can't win when they go do something, because it is deemed a political move. I think most politicians go in because they have an idea that they want to make a change. Now, somewhere along the line, maybe the reality of what politics is beats them down so much that they just go with the flow. And they explain it to themselves that I have to do it this way. But I think most people go in with a patriotic notion that they can make a difference.
PHILLIPS: You know what I thought was interesting at the end of the film -- and I don't want to give anything away, of course. Sort of at the beginning, you expected to see some of these things, how they were wooing you -- how these politicians were wooing you and wanting to take you aboard Air Force One and throw you a party and do all of this.
COSTNER: Or not.
PHILLIPS: You know, what the heck, right?
I mean...
COSTNER: It's the biggest job in the world. I think they're willing to change maybe their ideas if they could get this one vote.
PHILLIPS: But at the end, you sort of feel a compassion for these candidates.
COSTNER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: It's -- it's sort of like they changed their tune. They became a little more sensitive...
COSTNER: The movie...
PHILLIPS: ...a little more genuine.
COSTNER: The movie does that great thing that only a movie can do, which is you think you're going to see one thing and when you come out, you feel something you never thought was really possible. And that makes for a great American movie. And I think that there's a certain pride that happens. And you actually have a pride for Bud, who at first you're just -- I mean you know he's not a PTA dad. You know this guy is a real... PHILLIPS: You actually think he's a big ass.
COSTNER: Yes. And there's a moment...
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Then you fall in love with him.
COSTNER: There's a moment where you go, you know what, I see this guy digging in and trying.
PHILLIPS: And he cares.
COSTNER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And he started to read the letters and his daughter influences him. I mean this message is about family and...
COSTNER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: ...and politics and getting involved.
COSTNER: It's not a public service announcement, but maybe it's better, because I think when you see it -- and I hope children go. I hope the high schools go. I hope that parents go with their kids. It's that kind of movie. It's really -- and it doesn't talk down to anybody.
PHILLIPS: No.
COSTNER: I mean Bud's a little rough and gruff.
PHILLIPS: A final question -- are you voting for Obama or McCain?
COSTNER: I'm going to wait and declare in a month or two.
PHILLIPS: OK.
Let us know.
COSTNER: You've got it.
PHILLIPS: Kevin Costner, good to see you.
COSTNER: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: The movie is "Swing Vote".
Thank you so much.
All right -- Don.
LEMON: A prominent cancer doctor is concerned about kids and cell phones.
Should you be worried?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Cell phones and cancer -- for years, we've heard concerns about a possible link there. But few people have given up their trusty cells because of it.
Now, last week's warning from a cancer specialist seems to have resonated more, though, particularly the bit about children only using cell phones for emergencies.
Should you be worried?
Here's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this becomes a pretty complicated argument to make because there's not a lot of data to show that cell phones are dangerous. But part of the problem is there's not a lot of data to show that they are safe, either. And herein lies the problem. Sometimes they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Take a look at some of these images here.
The brain on the left, that's of a 5-year-old. It gives you a sense of how much radiation is absorbed in that brain, a young person's brain, 10 years old, a little bit less.
But compare that to an adult. They just don't absorb very much of this electromagnetic radiation as compared to a child.
Now, admittedly, this is not ionizing radiation. That's the sort of stuff you see in x-rays. Everyone agrees that's bad for you. This is non-ionizing radiation. No one really knows what this is going to do in the long run, not to mention the amount of heat that is also generated by these phones. And keep in mind that kids who have been using these phones for 60, 70, 80 years, we just don't know the impact. We just don't have the data on that.
Now, the wireless industry released a statement saying, look, the overwhelming majority of studies show that cell phones and wireless devices don't pose any kind of health risk.
But the question for a lot of viewers, well, what to do about this if you are really, truly concerned or if a study comes out tomorrow showing some sort of link.
Your best bet is still an earpiece of some sort -- probably a wired earpiece -- actually putting that cell phone, that radiation source, away from your head, away from your body as much as possible, trying to limit the amount of phone, especially for kids, and text message maybe, if you can, as much as possible.
Again, no evidence to show that there is an actual link between cell phone usage and brain cancer. But the first formal advisory coming out from the University of Pittsburgh about this very topic and obviously a lot of people talking about it and concerned.
There is going to be a lot more on this in the days to come and we'll have it for you when we get it.
Back to you for now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks to our Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Meanwhile, here comes the bride.
Japanese couples tying the knot complete with a priest -- not.
Japan's trendy spin on tradition. Nice taffeta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the groom was nervous, the bride wore white and the priest was a complete phony. It must be the newest trend in Japan. It's a Western style wedding ceremony. And if you can't find a real man of the cloth, well, hey, just find someone who looks the part.
CNN's Kyung Lah is in Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A wedding ceremony filled with song, prayer...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
LAH: ...and the sign of a cross from a man wearing priest attire.
MATHEW PETERSEN, INTERPRETER: May the good grace of our lord, Jesus Christ, and God...
LAH: But under the collar, Mathew Petersen is not a real priest or a practicing minister, though he says he's a man of faith. Petersen is actually a full-time interpreter and finding demand from Japanese couples who want an authentic-looking Christian-style wedding.
PETERSEN: I now pronounce you husband and wife.
That's what it comes down to, just the dream -- the great wedding dream -- to have a Christian-style white wedding.
Amen.
LAH: This is a traditional Japanese Shinto wedding, solemn and serious -- and too stiff, say more and more young couples.
(on camera): Shinto and Buddhist weddings are dying out, to some alarm by traditionalists. So-called Catholic weddings now make up 60 percent of all weddings in Japan, yet the population is only 1 percent Christian. So Americans and Europeans who can look the part of a priest are in demand.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LAH (voice-over): Non-priests are taught what to say and how to act at this company and a number of others like it in Japan.
PETERSEN: Love never fails.
LAH: At this company, they're trained by Evangelical pastor Shoichi Yamamoto.
SHOICHI YAMAMOTO, EVANGELICAL PASTOR: You have to -- you have to hold hands, please.
PETERSEN: Heavenly father...
LAH: Pastor Yamamoto then rents out his fake priests. Watsousau (ph) weddings are a lucrative business. While Yamamoto admits he's half in it for the money, he says he's also spreading the word of God.
Weddings are the only thing bringing Christianity into Japanese people's lives, says Pastor Yamamoto. Japan is very non-religious and these weddings are getting the message out.
But for most of these couples, it's about image, not religion. The new Mr. and Mrs. Kato say the ceremony is nice and all, but church -- forget it.
"We're not interested in being Christians," says the new bride. "I just wanted to wear the wedding dress."
For them, the beginning of a life together, the end of the road for their interest in Christianity.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: The best of luck to all of them.
Now let's go to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
He's standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM".
He's going to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour -- hello, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of politics, Don, among other subjects.
Paris Hilton, Britney Spears -- they're both in a new Republican campaign ad. It's part of John McCain's aggressive new tactic mocking Barack Obama. We're going to get reaction from both campaigns.
Also, indicated Republican Senator Ted Stevens back at work on Capitol Hill today, but the fallout could linger for the GOP here in Washington.
How big will the impact be?
And a baggage meltdown at one of the world's busiest airports. Hundreds of suitcases -- they're simply piling up. And it comes as airlines are charging even more for you to check a bag. We're going to go live and show you this really, really amazing mess.
All that and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".
LEMON: All right, Wolf.
Man, it sure seems to be a mess to fly these days. You never know how much it's going to cost, how much you're going to have to pay for a bag, if your bag is going to get there.
Who knows?
PHILLIPS: That's why you drive and I fly.
LEMON: Yes, we're...
PHILLIPS: Our competition is coming up this week, right?
LEMON: Yes, it's coming up -- the great race. I don't know what we're going to call it -- driving versus flying. You fly from Atlanta to Orlando, right?
And I go from here to Orlando. But...
PHILLIPS: I'm just wondering if you had wine, because I wasn't driving.
LEMON: On the way back because I was...
PHILLIPS: Well, OK.
LEMON: ...I took a plane on the way back.
You're rubbing it in, aren't you?
OK, check this out, Kyra. Poor kitty. She's being called a fat cat, when she's probably just big boned.
So what if she weighs as much as a preschooler?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, a new way to enforce school dress codes. The board in Gonzales, Texas is unveiling new dark blue jump suits. They're meant to cover up dress code violations so students don't miss any class time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GLENN MENKING, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT: Hopefully, we can have some success at getting kids to -- to come to school, dressed ready to learn and not lose the time by having to be pulled out of the classroom to go change clothes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JORDAN MEREDITH, GONZALES HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: And I talked to some of my friends about it and they said -- they said they're not going to obey it on purpose, just so they can wear jump suits.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the prison-like jump suits are supposed to be reserved for repeat offenders.
LEMON: Take a look at this -- she is a lean, mean eating -- ow -- what is lean and mean about her -- eating machine. OK, scratch the lean part of it. This 44-pound cat was found lumbering around in Southern New Jersey in the town -- a town there the other day. No collar, no I.D. . So I don't know, I guess she went to the animal shelter. They took here there, where the staff prominently named her Princess Chunk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER ANDERSCH, CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY ANIMAL SHELTER: And I looked in one of the biggest cages we have and here was this cat sitting in this little tiny litter box -- that's what they do when they're scared -- literally only her feet fit in it. Everything else -- all this like blob flab just -- just flopping over the -- the box.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. Clearly, someone has been feeding this cat way too much and that person has until Saturday to claim her. Otherwise, Princess Chunk, her nickname, will be looking for a new home and maybe a new diet, as well.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
LEMON: Well, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.
Kyra Phillips and Susan Lisovicz, you guys see that cat?
Bad, huh?
LISOVICZ: Yes. We've got some fat cats on Wall Street today.
(LAUGHTER)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
LISOVICZ: See you guys. PHILLIPS: All right, Susan.
That's going to do it for us.
LEMON: That's right to both of you.
Let's turn it over now to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.
Take it away -- Wolf.
