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American Morning
Bus Crash in Texas Kills 12; Are the Democrats Coming Together?; John McCain Talks to Voters About Spending in Washington; Woman Walks to Thank and Honor American Troops; Courting the Latino Vote: Who Has the Edge?; Military Battle in the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia; The New Oil Barons; Some Head Butting Going on Between United States and China
Aired August 08, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: From garbage man to oil baron.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just walk to the mailbox and there it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The energy hunt leads to black gold in backyards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like 2,000? 10,000?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you can keep going up and up and up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Meet the morning day Jed Clampett.
Plus, walk to remember.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEELA CARR, WALKED 2700 MILES: In the twinkling of an eye it's forever changed when IED goes off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: 2,700 miles. Almost six million steps.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEELA CARR, WALKED 2700 MILES: How can I sit someplace? How dare I bake a cookie and say, thanks for your leg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A woman walks across the country on a personal mission to thank the troops on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome. Thanks so much for being with us. It is Friday. Yay. August 8th.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Big yay. 6:00 a.m. Lots going on this morning. Good morning, Kiran. I'm Rob Marciano in for John Roberts who's hopefully enjoying his week off.
We begin tonight or this morning at least with breaking news. A deadly bus crash overnight about 60 miles north of Dallas. And the pictures now just coming in from the scene. At least 12 people dead and dozens others injured. Doctors say at least four people have life threatening injuries.
Police say the bus was transporting a Vietnamese tour group when it plunged off an interstate bridge. Investigators think a blown tire may have caused the crash. We'll have much more on this story in just a moment.
Former President Bill Clinton will have a prime time role at the Democratic National Convention later this month. Clinton will address delegates on the third night of the convention. That's the same night as the vice presidential nominee's speech. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to speak on the convention's second night. The Democrats will convene in Denver on August 25th.
The president, meanwhile, is in Beijing this morning. He's set to meet with the U.S. Olympic team in about 30 minutes. After that he'll be among the numerous dignitaries attending the opening ceremonies which get under way in about two hours. And as for the Olympic torch, the 130-day relay ended this morning at a middle school in Beijing. The flame will be held there until the start of today's opening ceremony.
CHETRY: Back now to our breaking news. A very sad story. It was a deadly bus crash. It happened about 60 miles north of Dallas overnight.
Police say it was a charter bus that was traveling from Houston to Missouri when it careened off of an interstate bridge. Right now, reports from the scene are saying that at least 12 people are dead and that dozens of others are injured.
We also got word that some critically injured were transported to an area hospital. Some of them are being worked on as we speak.
Joining us now on the phone, Lieutenant Robert Fair. He's a spokesman for the Sherman Police Department, the department that responded to that scene. Are you with us this morning, lieutenant?
ON THE PHONE: LT. ROBERT FAIR, SHERMAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: Yes, I am.
CHETRY: Can you bring us up to date, if you will, on what exactly happened with this bus crash?
FAIR: We are being told that a tire on the bus had blown. That hadn't been confirmed. Our investigators, of course, will go through all the evidence and look at it but that is definitely a consideration as to a possible reason that the bus left the roadway. There are -- our investigation will continue to see if there are other factors that are involved.
CHETRY: And just a startling large number, we're hearing 12 people killed. Apparently there were 55 people on board the bus. What else do you know right now about whether anybody else survived or whether unfortunately you may be talking about more people killed?
FAIR: Right. We've had 18 -- at least 18 air flights out of here taken to the Metroplex area hospitals as well as numerous ambulances going to local hospitals towards the Metroplex as well to assist with the casualties.
CHETRY: Are they being flown because of the seriousness of their injuries or because of the nature of the location not near any other large hospitals?
FAIR: I think because of the amount of people that are here, I don't know if our local hospitals could handle that amount of casualties at one time. So I think it's a little bit of both.
CHETRY: And can you tell us whether or not this -- this happened on an interstate, right? This happened as we're trying to figure out a little bit more about where it happened. But it was a highway overpass. Can you tell us more about the lay of the land there and where this bus may have eventually ended up?
FAIR: It's a major thoroughfare that runs through Highway 75. It's U.S. 75 about a mile and a half north of 1417. It is (INAUDIBLE) north of Dallas. It's a busy highway although the traffic was not heavy at the time.
CHETRY: And as I understand it, the roadway's still shut down this morning as you guys try to continue dealing with that accident scene.
FAIR: That is correct. It will be shut down for several hours.
CHETRY: Lieutenant Robert Fair with the Sherman Police Department updating us on this deadly bus crash. He said at least 12 people reported dead. Eighteen other people air lifted out of the area to hospitals and are being treated right now. We'll keep you updated as we find out more about this developing story this morning -- Rob.
Kiran, the "Most Politics in the Morning" now. Hillary Clinton set to make her first solo campaign appearance for Barack Obama today in -- this afternoon in Las Vegas. Bill Clinton, meanwhile, has been invited by Obama to speak at the Democratic National Convention. Many say it's a major show of party unity. But as CNN's Candy Crowley reports, the Obama and Clinton camps still have some issues.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran, Rob. Sources tell us that Bill Clinton has been slotted to speak Wednesday night at the convention in Denver later this month. It may help cool down the Clinton/Obama drama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination. Presumably, they'll have the kinks worked out by then.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're still working out the mechanics of the four days. And our staffs are in communication with Senator Clinton's staff, but I don't anticipate any problems.
CROWLEY: Obama's sunny side up assessment runs counter to subterranean grumbling from some residents of Clinton land, some peculiar phrase from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton's embrace of a plan to put her name into nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I happen to believe that we will come out stronger if people feel that their voices were heard.
ALL: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: In the modern era of presidential primaries, no losing candidate has so visibly endorsed their opponent months before the convention and still put their name into nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: I know from just what I'm hearing that there's just -- there's incredible pent up desire. And I think that, you know, people want to feel like, OK, it's a catharsis. We are here. We did it. And then everybody get behind Senator Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: It is kink number one.
OBAMA: I'm letting our respective teams work out the details. I don't think we're looking for catharsis. I think what we're looking for is energy and excitement about the prospects of changing this country.
CROWLEY: Kink two. A still smoldering Bill Clinton capable of blazing into the headlines. ABC asked if Barack Obama was ready to be president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You could argue that no one's ever ready to be president. I mean, I certainly learned a lot about the job in the first year. And he's smart as a whip, so there's nothing he can't learn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: A simple yes would have done nicely, but the Obama camp knows the relationship with the former president needs work. Obama, who spoke with Clinton on the phone Thursday, is bent on accentuating the positive.
OBAMA: I thought he showed extraordinary restraint in a fairly provocative interview while he was on his trip. I couldn't ask for him to be any more gracious than he's been and supportive since the campaign ended.
CROWLEY: Conspiracy theorists think the Clintons want Obama to lose so she can run again in four years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Close friends insist that's baloney. Today Hillary Clinton heads for Nevada. It is her first solo flight to campaign on behalf of Barack Obama -- Kiran and Rob.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Candy.
Meantime, John McCain campaigns in Iowa and Arkansas today. The presumptive Republican nominee is offering a new justification for the war in Iraq -- the high price of oil. At a town meeting in Ohio, McCain was asked in hindsight would he still vote to authorize the war. Here's his response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What do you think that Saddam Hussein would be doing with oil at $120, $125, $130 a barrel? He'd be doing what he said he was committed to doing. And that's acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction which he had done twice before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: McCain said the world would be far worse off if Saddam Hussein were still in power, especially with all the money he'd be making from oil.
CHETRY: Well, we're following some good news for the dollar this morning. Ali Velshi is here with more on that. You know, we've talked about the impact of the weak dollar for months it seems.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
CHETRY: And you have some good news.
VELSHI: Yes. Again, once again, I go away, the price of oil goes down. The price of gas goes down. The dollar gets stronger after I, of course, was spending euros.
The dollar against the euro is now at its lowest point -- its highest point, its strongest point in five months. You need $1.93 to buy a British pound. As you know it was over $2. You need $1.52 now to buy a euro. We were over $1.60 and just 95 rents to buy a Canadian dollar.
The U.S. dollar is now stronger again than the Canadian dollar. So we've seen strengthening in the U.S. dollar. That's going to be easier for those of you who are vacationing. It's going to make some products a little bit cheaper to buy, and it may have some relationship to the price of oil.
We've seen oil again below $118 this morning. So, again, there are good and bad things about a strengthening dollar but we've seen a weak dollar for a long time. That dollar versus the euro at $1.93, that is the strongest the dollar has been. I'm sorry -- against the pound?
CHETRY: Yes.
VELSHI: It's the strongest it's been in 17 months against the British pound. So also strong against the Swiss franc. So right now, for those of you traveling or needing to use dollars for things, it's a little bit stronger today.
CHETRY: All right. Good news. We'll see you later in the show.
VELSHI: Absolutely.
CHETRY: Thanks, Ali.
MARCIANO: John McCain says Barack Obama's idea of change is raising taxes. Hear McCain's solution for out of control spending in his own words.
And after 2 1/2 months, 2,700 miles, one woman in a tribute to America's servicemen and women makes her final steps. More on her incredible journey. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." The U.S. and Iraq are close to completing a deal that would begin the removal of combat troops by 2010. Iraqi leaders tell CNN under the proposed plan, U.S. troops would be off the streets and restricted to their bases by June '09, and all would be out of Iraq by 2011. U.S. officials say there are still some unresolved issues and troop withdrawal would be tied to conditions on the ground at the time.
And to thank military service members, one woman set out to crisscross America. Her trek is incredible to show her appreciation. A 2,700 mile walk that's taking Keela Carr 75 days through blistering heat and drenching rain. And today, she'll make her final steps at Arlington National Cemetery. Here's CNN's Brianna Keilar.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rob and Kiran, Keela Carr's journey ends in just a few hours. The 35-year-old personal trainer traveled from California to Washington, D.C. to bring awareness to something that's very important to her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEELA CARR, WALKED 2700 MILES: I came to tell you thank you.
KEILAR (voice-over): On May 26th, far from her home in Florida, Keela Carr set out from Barstow, California, and walked across the United States on a personal mission to honor American troops.
CARR: It blows my mind that some young man somewhere in the twinkling of an eye is forever changed when an IED goes off. And young men and young women are doing it every day, and I may benefit from it.
How could I sit some place? How dare I bake a cookie and say thanks for your leg. Thanks for your sanity. It's worth a cookie to me. It was worth more than that to me.
KELIAR: It was worth selling all of her belongings to fund what Keela calls her journey of a thousand thanks. 2,700 miles. One foot in front of the other. An estimated 5.5 million steps.
CARR: I'm slightly crazy. But in a really good way.
KEILAR: Keela walked through the southwest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Start of day two. Yes, she's got a couple of good blisters on her heel.
KEILAR: And across the continental divide, stopping along the way to personally thank American service members. More than 70 days later when Keela arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit troops in Washington, D.C. this week, she was overwhelmed to be near the end of her trip.
CARR: Yesterday I had a little moment. I just kind of dropped down in the grass. I was really glad to be there. This really -- this means everything to me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Keela will be joined by members of the military as she walks the 9.2 miles from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to Arlington National Cemetery where she'll end her journey by laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns -- Rob and Kiran.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Brianna. Quite a tribute. You know, she can rest her feet.
CHETRY: Exactly.
Well, they have questions, but are Latino voters getting any answers from John McCain and Barack Obama? We're going to hear how both candidates are responding to the concerns of this key voting bloc.
And we also have Reynolds Wolf. He's watching extreme weather for us this morning. Hey, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. It certainly is extreme in parts of, say, New York, back in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. We've got some flash flood watches and warnings that are in effect. Coming up, we'll let you know how long the rain will last.
You're watching CNN, the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: And good morning. A beautiful shot this morning. This is not far from our Time Warner studios here at the CNN Center. But that's good morning, New York.
A beautiful look at Central Park this morning. All of the trees and the reservoirs. It's 68 degrees going up to about 82 today for a high in New York with some scattered thunderstorms possible.
How about it, Rob? For your last day -- I'm sorry we couldn't send you back to Atlanta with a little bit of sunshine.
MARCIANO: I appreciate that. A lot of people licking their chops, looking to get out of the city...
CHETRY: That's true.
MARCIANO: ... as the summer heat is although this week it doesn't look all that bad.
Meanwhile, we're following some extreme weather in Colorado. Flash floods after some serious rain in the Denver area. Water practically up to your knees in some spots there and heavy rain, hail and high winds across the nation's capital. Strong thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines there.
CNN's Reynolds Wolf is covering all the action from the CNN weather desk in Atlanta. Good morning, Reynolds.
WOLF: Hey, tough guy. Let's show you something. The numbers we had yesterday in terms of records, in terms of rainfall, some of these numbers pretty impressive. In Goodland, Kansas, we had over two inches of rainfall. Hartford, Connecticut, 2.15. Tupelo, Mississippi, Harrison, Arkansas and Denver, Colorado all record setters.
Rob, one of the interesting things about these numbers that you're seeing is not just the amount of rainfall but the quick time that much of it fell, especially in parts of Colorado. Now this morning one of the big areas that we have is going to be pulling parts of the northeast where in New York, in Vermont, back into New Hampshire and even into Maine, the rain continues to fall.
It has been very heavy. You're live on a saturate topography. At the same time, remember effects of high elevation so we see more. We're expecting rain later on today. When that rain comes across and moves across that high ground, it's going to have the effect of orographic lift, which is, in essence, kind of like getting a damp wash cloth or a sponge and squeezing all the moisture out of it. So we're going to really see a lot of that rain intensify into the afternoon hours.
Very quickly, take a look at what else you can expect today in terms of heat. Not quite as bad today. A little bit cooler in some spots. Kansas City today and Dallas, you'll notice right along parts of I-35 temperatures mainly into the 90s and 80s. 94 in Houston, 103 in Las Vegas, 58 degrees in San Francisco. Unbelievable. And New York with 80 degrees.
That's a look at your forecast. Let's send it back to you in New York.
MARCIANO: All right, there. Thanks, big shorts.
WOLF: You bet, man.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: When you and Reynolds were talking, he called you tough guy. So I don't know what's going on with you weather folks.
MARCIANO: Yes. You never know what's going to come out of Reynolds' mouth.
CHETRY: Yes. Exactly. That's why we love him. Thanks.
Well, John McCain is attacking Barack Obama's energy solutions. We're going to hear why the presumptive Republican nominee thinks that his Democratic opponent is "confused."
The new oil baron.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't have to work at all. You just walk to the mailbox and there it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The man who went from hauling trash to swimming in cash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like 2,000? 10,000?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you can keep going up and up and up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Welcome back to the "Most Politics in the Morning." And as part of our commitment to help you make a more informed decision on the presidential election, we're playing longer versions of the candidates in their own words so that you can hear the issues they're talking about on the campaign trail. So here's John McCain talking to voters in Ohio about spending in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I spoke up against the administration and Congress and Senator Obama when they gave us an energy bill with more than giveaways to big oil and really no solution to our energy problems. I want to take a minute here on this issue, because I think Senator Obama might be a little bit confused.
Yesterday, he accused me of having President Bush's policies on energy. That's odd because he voted for the president's energy bill, and I voted against it. I voted against -- it had $2.8 billion in corporate welfare to big oil companies. And they're already making record profits, as you know. Senator Obama voted for that bill, and its big oil giveaways.
I know he hasn't been in the Senate that long. But even in the real world, voting for something -- voting for something means you support it, and voting against something means you oppose it. Unfortunately, on issues big and small, what Senator Obama says and what he does are two different things.
Senator Obama says he's going to change Washington, but his plan is to raise your taxes and spend more of your money. That's not my idea of a solution of what troubles Washington. In fact, it sounds a lot like the problem. In the few years he's been in the Senate, he has requested nearly $1 billion in earmarked pork barrel spending. That's $1 million, almost, for every day that he's been in office.
We need to end this out of control spending in Washington, and I'm president, we will stop it. And I'm proud to stand before you to tell you that I have never asked for nor received a single earmarked pork barrel project for my state. I'm proud of it.
I will veto -- I will veto --
(APPLAUSE)
I will veto every pork barrel bill that comes across my desk. I will make them famous and you will know their names, my friends. You will know their names. We will stop this corruption. We'll stop this corruption in Washington, and it is corruption.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: And in about 20 minutes, we'll hear from Barack Obama on the Democratic Convention and prices at the pump.
CHETRY: The Latino vote. It will be crucial for both Barack Obama and John McCain in November. One Latino group sent both candidates a detailed questionnaire. So what did they ask them and how did the candidates respond? We're going to talk about it coming up.
And the countdown is on. It's seven years in the making. And now we're less than two hours away from the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics. We're live in Beijing as China prepares for its big Olympic moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Latino voters could play a pivotal role in this election. Some in the Latino community say that they're not hearing enough from John McCain and Barack Obama on everything from irrigation reform to U.S. trade policy.
Kety Esquivel is a Christian progressive blogger who sent both candidates a detailed questionnaire on behalf ore her blog as well as others. And the Obama campaign answered it. So far, John McCain's camp has not. Kety joins us now along with McCain supporter and CNN political contributor Leslie Sanchez who we'll get to in just a second.
But first, let's talk with Kety. Thanks for being with us once again. We had you on the show in June when you talked about sending out this questionnaire because you wanted to know a little bit more about where the candidates stand. Tell us what you've received back.
KETY ESQUIVEL, CHRISTIAN PROGRESSIVE BLOGGER: Today we've actually received a full comprehensive response from the Obama campaign which we're very excited about. We believe that it shows the campaign's interest in really engaging the Latino community with issues that are important to it.
Unfortunately, we haven't received any kind of response from the McCain campaign as of yet. It would be fantastic if they do respond. We believe that it's only fair to truly be able to compare both responses side by side. So in the absence of a McCain response, we're really only left with stipulations with regards to what his positions might be based on previous communications that he's had with regards to that.
CHETRY: Right. And as I understand, you wanted to ask them not only where they stand on things, but actual policy questions about if they were elected president, what would they do about, for example, NAFTA, or, for example, comprehensive immigration reform.
ESQUIVEL: Exactly.
CHETRY: What did you hear from Barack Obama in terms of comprehensive immigration reform?
ESQUIVEL: With regards to comprehensive immigration reform, we feel that his responses were very positive. We feel that he probably is, to date and so far as what we've seen, the most pro-migrant candidate and so far as the national agenda, which is very exciting.
With regards to the foreign policy perspective, however, we believe that there is perhaps some room for opportunity, specifically as it relates to a NAFTA, as it relates to plan Colombia, plan Mexico. And the reason that we say that is because a lot of these policies, these foreign policies, are going to impact the migration of people from these sender nations.
CHETRY: Right. You also talk it's not only important what we do here to help everybody in terms of the economy, but also how we react with other nations so that people will choose to stay and can make a survivable living where they are, where they're from.
ESQUIVEL: Exactly. And Senator Obama did speak to that, actually. He did speak to how the sender nations, we actually should work with them in order to work on their economic development. And so, that was great that he spoke to those issues. But it would still be wonderful if we could see him speak a little bit more about NAFTA and how he would change NAFTA so that it could make an impact with regards to those sender nations.
CHETRY: You have not endorsed anyone.
ESQUIVEL: No.
CHETRY: What are you wanting to hear from John McCain and his campaign?
ESQUIVEL: We would like for him to respond to our questionnaire. I'm actually very disappointed because when we started this whole process, I'm an independent as you know from the past interview. I'm actually also a progressive Christian Latina and a part of the organization called The Sanctuary, which, as you know, is a group of Latino bloggers from several different blogs in the blogosphere who have come together to speak on behalf of immigration and having a pro-migrant, more humane immigration system in place with comprehensive immigration reform.
Now, when we started this whole process we thought that both candidates would respond to us equally. We thought that we would hear back from the McCain campaign in a positive matter. Unfortunately, when I followed it up with the McCain campaign by way of e-mail, they responded back saying they had never gotten the initial inquiry, to which point I responded and said to them, well, great, we'll give you an extension then. It's perfectly fine. The most important thing is we just want the data to be able to equally compare.
CHETRY: Right. Well, I want to thank you for giving your point of view.
ESQUIVEL: Sure.
CHETRY: Well, I want to thank you for giving me your point of view. Kety Esquivel the Christian progressive blogger with crossleft.org.
ESQUIVEL: Of course.
CHETRY: Thank you very much. And we are going to right now try to get more about that -- about why we haven't heard from John McCain or why these bloggers haven't.
And right now we're going to join with Leslie Sanchez. Thank you so much for being with us.
LESLIE SANCHEZ, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Sure.
CHETRY: Leslie, of course, is with CNN but you also are a McCain supporter. And -- tell us a little bit about what McCain -- why McCain, first of all, did not respond to this.
SANCHEZ: Well, I don't speak for the McCain campaign, so let's leave it. I'm a Republican. More than likely to be with McCain. But the bigger issue, I think, you know, she raised some really important points. Is McCain and are these candidates addressing the Hispanic community. Do Latinos look at issues differently?
I did speak to the McCain campaign about this. And they said, you know, we get a lot of different requests. So, it would be just like "Huffington Post" or maybe a progressive or a left-of-center blogosphere organization trying to say, you know, how are they phrasing the questions. Is it for political posturing or is it really to get to the heart of these things?
I think there might be a little bit of all of that. But the real issue is, are these candidates addressing the concerns of the Hispanics. Are they going out to the communities to do that?
Look at the fact that John McCain attended four different events in the last 30 days with Hispanic audience. And I was at many of those events, and they were very left-of-center Democratic audiences talking there a lot -- very much to what she say about immigration. All the questions that came up.
He, at one point, even tossed the microphone to one of the biggest open borders advocates, who was wearing a Barack Obama pin, when they shut off his microphone and (INAUDIBLE) down at San Diego, and he let him have his say. And he wants to have a dialogue about immigration. He wants economic opportunity for Latinos.
And I think in many ways both of these candidates can still do more to fundamentally understand the role of Latino women in there and how diverse this community is because it's not the same Latino community it was in 2004. It's so different today.
CHETRY: Absolutely. Well, great to get your perspective as well. Leslie Sanchez, good to see you as always. Thanks.
And to review that questionnaire they sent to the candidates in its entirety, you can go to sanctuary.soapbox.net.
Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Kiran, just about 30 minutes past the hour now. And we're following breaking news as new pictures are coming in to CNN of that deadly bus crash in Sherman, Texas. It's about 60 miles north of Dallas.
Police say at least 12 people are dead and dozens more are injured after their bus lost control and plunged off a highway bridge. Police say at least 55 people were on board the bus. And investigators think a blown tire may have been the cause of the accident. We'll have much more on this story throughout the morning.
Well, Wednesday night will be Bill Clinton night at the Democratic National Convention. The former president will address delegates in prime time on the third night of the convention just before the vice presidential nominee's speech. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to speak on the second night. The Democratic convention begins in Denver on August 25th. And breaking news overnight. A military battle in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Government forces are fighting to regain control of the breakaway province of Ossetia. It's raising fears of an all- out war that could draw in Russia, which has close ties with the separatists. NATO officials are calling for an immediate end to Georgia's military action.
And after seven years of buildup and billions of dollars in preparations, you are looking at live pictures from Beijing. In just about 90 minutes the opening ceremonies will begin there.
And CNN's Anjali Rao is live in Beijing this morning with the countdown.
I assume, Anjali, that the excitement is ramping up?
ANJALI RAO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, it is, Rob. But you know, it's almost palpable around these parts. And also the authorities here have made today a public holiday as well so that everybody can really get into the spirit of the thing.
160,000 people are going to be in attendance at the opening ceremony. Among them, of course, U.S. President George W. Bush. He's here with five members of his family including his mother and his father.
On Sunday, he's going to be attending basketball with the -- it's the first game, actually. U.S.A. has drawn China. So, it's going to be an absolutely huge one. Incidentally, he's also meeting with Team U.S.A. in about five minutes from now.
Bush is the first sitting American president to be at an Olympics that's on foreign soil, as well. And we know that the opening ceremony has cost something like $100 million. Although it sounds like a bit in the drop of the ocean of the overall $40 billion cost of the Olympics, it promises to be something absolutely spectacular, Rob.
MARCIANO: We're looking forward to all the action in the coming 10 days or so. Anjali Rao, live for us in Beijing. Thanks, Anjali.
Well, a lot of dignitaries are going to be there in Beijing this week. Here's some more on that. "A.M. Extra" coming up.
President Bush is the first president to attend the Games on foreign soil. He'll be joined by some eighty other heads of states including leaders from Russia, Afghanistan, Israel and Australia. France will also be there despite threatening a boycott after China's crackdown in Tibet. The leaders of England, Germany and Canada are skipping the Games. So are authoritarian rulers from Sudan, Zimbabwe, Iran and North Korea.
CHETRY: All right. Well, still ahead, Bill and Hillary Clinton will speak at the Democratic convention this month. But is it enough for them? We're going to hear what Obama is saying about reports of division among Democrats in his own words.
The new oil barons. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't have to work at all. You just walk in the mailbox and there it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The man who went from hauling trash to swimming in cash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like 2000? 10,000?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you can keep going up and up and up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely, gentleman, that if we do find oil here, and I think there's a very good chance that we will, this community of yours will not only survive, it will flourish.
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CHETRY: Well, just like the movie, "There Will Be Blood," a quiet corner of North Dakota is now home to a new rush of oil drilling. The land is said to contain more than three times the quantity of high quality crude than is found in all of Texas. And all that oil is making millionaires.
Here's CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, Rob, many of the farmers here say their fortune changed just within the last year. For many it began with a phone call or visit from the oilman saying their property would be staked for one of these.
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HERB GEVING, OIL WELL OWNER, NORTH DAKOTA: This is real pretty (INAUDIBLE).
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): For Herb Geving, it is a sight to behold. His newest oil well roaring with the promise of good fortune. We met Herb at a sprawling ranch in Parshal, North Dakota.
You have quite a view up there.
He took us to a room with sweeping views and pointed out that the phenomenon that's changed this town almost overnight.
GEVING: You see oil is being drilled.
GUTIERREZ: Brand new wells dot the landscape. How many wells do you have?
GEVING: Three.
GUTIERREZ: Herb used to haul garbage right up until last year when an oil man told him he might be sitting on black gold. Land that's part of The Bakken Formation. A 200,000 square mile area rich with more than 3 billion barrels of oil. They drilled the first well. Hit it big, then a second, and a third.
GEVING: They dig the well and work on it three to four months before we get a check. So your first check is maybe around thousands.
GUTIERREZ: Like 2,000? 10,000?
GEVING: Well, you can keep going up and up and up.
GUTIERREZ: Each month the royalty checks come.
GEVING: It's amazing. You don't have to work at all. You just walk to the mailbox and there it is, you know.
GUTIERREZ: Amazing because Herb grew up during the great depression. His parents homesteaded the ranch 100 years ago. They raised cattle and four children. Herb's newfound fortune is bittersweet because it came too late for his beloved younger brother to enjoy.
GEVING: Some people don't believe it, but I have no high craving for money or wealth.
GUTIERREZ: Instead, Herb, who lives alone, has willed it all away to 70 family members.
GEVING: What would I have done with it? At least we use it to smallest ones they'd have years to draw on it and...
GUTIERREZ: Go to school?
GEVING: Yes. Go to school. Buy a hot rod.
GUTIERREZ: Herb says at 74 the best thing money can buy is knowing your family will be OK.
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GUTIERREZ: Herb told us he's splurging on something else. He says he is buying a new house for his foreman who's worked for him for 18 years.
Kiran?
Rob?
MARCIANO: How about that? CHETRY: It really just is so unbelievable. I mean, like you said, the checks to show up in the mail. These royalty checks.
MARCIANO: Not a bad deal at all.
CHETRY: They're not at all.
MARCIANO: And he's missing that you want to buy a hot rock, you know, 10 years earlier without that.
All right, well, Bill, Hillary, and Barack -- cue the romance music -- happy together again, possibly? We'll see. The presumptive Democratic nominee thinks it will be smooth sailing at the convention. Hear what he has to say in his own words, coming up.
CHETRY: Bad bust.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suddenly there was an explosion. The door just flew open. I heard gunfire.
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CHETRY: Police raid the wrong house only to find out it belongs to the mayor.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They told the detective that I was crazy.
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CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
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CHETRY: Well, updating our breaking news this morning. These are live pictures now from Sherman, Texas coming to us from WFAA. And what you're seeing there is the remnants of a horrific bus crash. It happened about 60 miles north of Dallas.
Police are saying that 12 people were killed in this crash and 18 others air lifted to area hospitals. It happened when the bus plunged off of an interstate bridge, or the bridge of a major highway there. Investigators think that it could have been a blown tire that caused that crash. It was a group of people, and they were headed to Missouri from Houston and 55 people on board what they say was a private charter bus. We will have more on the story throughout the morning.
Rob?
MARCIANO: Kiran, well, as part of our commitment to help you make a more informed decision in November, we've been playing longer clips of the candidates from the campaign trail so you can hear the issues they're talking about. Here's Barack Obama talking to reporters about conversing energy and closing party ranks before the Democratic convention.
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QUESTION: Senator, there's been some talk that Hillary Clinton's supporters may call for a floor vote at the convention. Do you think this indicates that there's some work to be done still on the healing process and how do you go about that?
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, you know, I spoke to Senator Clinton this week. She's campaigning for me in Nevada and Florida. She is very enthusiastic about the need for a unified party. I think we're going to have a terrific convention.
As is true in all conventions, we're still working out the mechanics of the four days. And our staffs are in communication with Senator Clinton's staffs. But I don't anticipate any problems.
QUESTION: The price of oil and other commodities has dropped sharply in the last couple weeks. It should be reflected at the gas pump soon. Do you think it's time to retool your program in light of the fact that gas prices may not always be over $4 a gallon?
OBAMA: Well, listen, the fact that they're $3.70 is not the kind of relief that people need. I think that there -- I've been talking about these energy issues for a year and a half well before gas was $4 a gallon. I believe that this is critical to the long-term health of our economy. And I think most Americans agree.
We may see some fluctuations in gas prices, short term. And I welcome relief for American families. And if we can see further drops, that is terrific. But I think most Americans know what the experts know, which is the long-term trend is rising demand and supply that is not rising as quick as demand. And that's going to put upward pressure on oil prices.
We've got home heating oil prices that we're going to have to worry about as we go into the winter. Every projection is that they are going to be significantly more expensive than they were last year. Gasoline, even after these price drops, are significantly more than they were last year. People's wages and incomes aren't going up to keep pace with these hikes.
And so, we've got to start now moving forward aggressively on a new energy policy. Otherwise, what's going to happen is we're going to look back 20 or 30 years from now just like we have for the last several decades seeing that we didn't take any serious action. And our economy becomes more vulnerable. Climate change continues the pace. And American families get hurt.
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MARCIANO: And we'll hear more from both candidates in their own words in the next hour.
The torture show.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's awful!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was shocked. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. I said, what the -- oh, my gosh.
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MARCIANO: What's got them all worked up? Jeanne Moos takes us inside the attraction that's freaky, even for Coney Island.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This of course is inhumane.
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MARCIANO: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
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MARCIANO: Well, it's a new addition to New York's Coney Island Amusement Park, but apparently it's not that funny.
CHETRY: Yes. In fact, some are calling it The Torture Show. Here's Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What does the Coney Island boardwalk have to do with waterboarding? Step right up to the window. Squeeze in for a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was shocked. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. I said, what the -- oh, my gosh.
MOOS: In a place known for its freaky side show, its ageing amusement park rides, these odd ball games.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hottest game in Coney Island is called shoot the freaks.
MOOS: You shoot a guy with paint ball, but even that seems tame compared to this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's awful!
MOOS: But it's only awful once you realize what it depicts. This is waterboarding featuring Animatronic Robots. It is, what else, an art project created by Steve Powers.
I mean, how would you describe it?
STEVE POWERS, ARTIST: Disturbing. I would describe it as very disturbing to say the least.
MOOS: Steve says the music is similar to what U.S. interrogators reportedly played to upset prisoners being questioned. Waterboarding involves pouring water over a prisoner's face so that he experiences near drowning. We've seen a number of reporters having themselves waterboarded so they can describe it.
Christopher Hitchens had himself waterboarded for a "Vanity Fair" article. Tough guy journalist came out of the experience writing, believe me, it's torture. In the Christopher Hitchens article, he talked about you weren't really being boarded. You're being watered. Artist Steve Powers wants to make folks think about waterboarding. For something that's not funny, he still manages to work in some more humor.
POWERS: It says it don't Gitmo better.
MOOS: Sponge Bob. Waterboarding Sponge Bob?
POWERS: He can take it. Sponge Bob is built for waterboarding.
MOOS: Though the U.S. has admitted the waterboarding, there is no evidence it took place at Guantanamo. This is supposed to mimic other Coney Island attractions. So, you put in a dollar. The lights come on and you get a 15 second peek at robotic waterboarding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's ridiculous. I wouldn't pay a dollar to see that.
MOOS: Well respected arts organization "Creative Time" bankrolled the project.
ANNE PASTERNAK, EXEC. DIRECTOR, CREATIVE TIME: It is supposed to be confrontational without question. If it's not confrontational, people won't pay attention to it.
MOOS: Though even when some folks did pay attention...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't get it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it looks like someone is being held in captivity, and that's giving them water just to keep them alive.
MOOS: Most of the folks we asked, never heard of waterboarding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This of course is inhumane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the ocean. If people really wanted them to drowned, they get the ocean up there so you don't need this to drown.
MOOS: The artist is hoping a dummy leaves folks not quite so dumb about waterboarding. Jeanne Moos, CNN, Coney Island.
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CHETRY: Breaking news overnight. A bus goes off a bridge. 55 on board. Many passengers killed.
And they got the wrong guy. Police raid a home, shoot the family dog, then they find out it's the mayor's house.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The police shot, your dog is dead, and did this to you, how can I trust them?
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CHETRY: A drug raid on the mayor's house.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in my boxer shorts, literally, when I was brought downstairs at gun point.
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CHETRY: A family shaken. Their dogs shot dead. This morning, the mayor tells his story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sheriffs deputies burst into our front door, you know, rifles blazing.
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CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
Well, a look right now at the most popular videos on cnn.com. Brett Favre traded, but he says, quote, "I'm not a traitor." The NFL's all- time leader in touchdown passes joined the New York Jets yesterday after 16 years with Green Bay.
Biggest egg ever. Cuba claims a chicken there laid the largest egg in history. Now, we haven't been able to independently confirm this. It's about three times the size of a normal chicken egg.
And a bear taking a bath. I-reporter Harry White found this bear splashing around in the backyard in Mammoth Lakes, California. The bear got a little too comfy, police eventually had to chase him away.
There you see it. How cute. It was supposed to attract birds and attracted a bear.
They are the most popular videos right now.
MARCIANO: I don't know how he got in there but he certainly is enjoying it.
Well, the opening ceremonies begin in just over an hour from now. And the Olympic torch just finished its final leg of its relay through Beijing. People waving Chinese and Olympic flags along the route. And the flame almost didn't make it there a few times.
People protesting China's crackdown and Tibet tried to put it out. And heavy security followed it around the world. A Sudanese refugee will carry the U.S. flag today. Track star Lopez * qualified in the 1,500 meter. He fled Sudan at the age of six, one of the original lost boys and moved to the U.S. at age 16.
U.S. captains in every sport voted him to be upfront. The decision comes just days after the Olympic gold medalist, Joey Cheek, a Darfur activist, had his visa to visit China revoked. So did another former medalist. Even though the Chinese government had said she could cover the Games as a reporter.
And some head butting going on between the United States and China ahead of the opening ceremonies. Not only between the president and the Chinese government, but the U.S. media headed to the Games as well.
White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is there right now.
Elaine, are they giving you a hard time over there?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, hard time is in the eye of the beholder, I would say, Rob. But for President Bush it's been a mixture of some substance mostly ceremony, though, as he and other world leaders show their respect for China.
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QUIJANO: President Bush and former President George H.W. Bush envoy to China in the 1970s dedicated the new U.S. Embassy complex in Beijing.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This week has a homecoming feel to it.
QUIJANO: Both men praised China, but the current president again sent a message on human rights and religious freedom.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Continue to be candid about our belief that all people should have the freedom to say what they think and worship as they choose.
QUIJANO: Later, it was all smiles ahead of a pre-Olympic luncheon hosted by Chinese leader Hu Jintao. The choreography, obvious. At one point a Chinese official appeared to usher the U.S. president front and center. And President Bush and President Hu even held hands.
Yet, unscripted events revealed the tensions of China's Olympic moment. A three hour tarmac delay for incoming U.S. media accompanying President Bush as the White House work out logistical issues with Chinese officials.
Later, that delay contributed to a credential snafu.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't working over here so we're going to --
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's with me.
QUIJANO: And as U.S. reporters and photographers rushed to cover the luncheon, their lack of proper badges led to a quarrel with Chinese officials. That escalated into pushing. And eventually a shove back from the Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't touch. Don't touch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These people are on an approved list to be inside.
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