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Russia and Georgia Sign Cease-fire; Faith and Politics; Olympic Highlights
Aired August 16, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: On the ground though, the fighting appears to have stopped but Russian troops remain in parts of Georgia. Word also that they destroyed a bridge in the city of Gori. President Bush is standing firm against Russia on this. He says the two break away regions at the center of the conflict must remain in Georgia. The president was briefed this morning at his Texas ranch by U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice who is just back from Georgia's capital. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now from Crawford. You have been listening to the president and the secretary of state this morning. What are they saying?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., I just arrived back here in Crawford from the president's ranch where he spoke to the media for only about three minutes about his briefing from the secretary of state. What the president had to say was basically, he says quote, "There is some progress to report." He spoke about the fact that the Russian President Medvedev has signed to this apparent cease-fire and he says quote, "It's an important development, hopeful step." He said what Russia needs to do now is to honor the agreement, withdraw its forces and end military operations. The president spoke out very forcefully about what could be and is really the major sticking point here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: A major issue is Russia's contention that the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia may not be a part of Georgia's future. The regions are a part of Georgia. The international community has repeatedly made clear that they will remain so. Georgia's a member of the United Nations and South Ossetia and Abkhazia lie within its internationally recognized borders. Georgia's border should command the same respect as every other nation. There's no room for debate on this matter.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: After the president spoke, the secretary of State took questions off camera from the media and I asked her what about the statement by the Russian foreign minister that there was not going to be an immediate pullout. It would take as long as Russian forces needed and that the units would stay in place until additional security measures were implemented and the secretary of state you could tell was very concerned about that. She says that is what we want to clarify. And the way she put it she said this is a very limited mandate and she said it should be very clear what these limited security measures are. And obviously reporters peppered her with questions about the fact it appears the Russians aren't withdrawing even though they said they would and what about what (INAUDIBLE) said. She said well that Russia perhaps is already not honoring their word. So the United States trying to get all of this clarified with the Russians but she did say when she spoke with French President Sarkozy that he said that Russian President Medvedev told him as soon as Georgians signed the agreement Russian forces would begin to pull out. But again, T.J., we're still not seeing that.
HOLMES: We're still not seeing that yet and certainly not getting those reports from the ground just yet. Kathleen Koch for us, keeping an eye on things there in Crawford, Texas. Kathleen we appreciate you.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest on the situation on the ground in Georgia. CNN's Michael Ware is near the city of Gori. Michael, what are you seeing there?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, what I'm seeing here is the destruction which is ongoing by Russian troops and what the Georgian government says it not only defines of the newly signed cease-fire agreement but in fact the Georgian government says the Russians have already broken the cease-fire agreement. Now just a couple hours ago I personally witnessed Russian mechanized infantry not far from where I'm standing right now about six miles out of the Georgian city of Gori. That's in Georgia proper.
But more than that according to locals, only about seven hours ago that the Russian military destroyed this key railway bridge right behind me. That's clearly another act in breech of the agreement according to Georgia's vice prime minister. Now, he says that there's absolutely no point in the Georgian capital Tbilisi making complaints to Moscow about this or that the ongoing presence or as he called it the barbarism of the Russian military here in Georgia because he says there's no point. He's calling for firmer action from the United States, the European community, and the international community at large.
But what I can tell you is that despite whatever agreements have been signed in the diplomatic levels, here on the ground the military standoff continues. The Russian military still flexes its muscles. Not just by its mere presence but by destroying a key railway line that links the capital to the black sea port of Porti and a railway line that carries oil even for foreign companies like BP. And more (INAUDIBLE) than that is despite the fact that there is few if any real military options left to the Georgians. The Georgian vice prime minister said that if this continues, then his country and his people are prepared to take up the fight again and reignite this conflict if the Russians do not adhere to the cease-fire. Randi?
KAYE: Michael, I'm curious. Given what's going on there, are you seeing any sign at all of the Russian troops pulling out because as we just heard there seems to be some confusion, French President Sarkozy helped negotiate this, thinking that once the cease-fire was signed that Russian troops would be moving out immediately but the Russian troops apparently think that they need some time to collect ammunition, weapons, booby traps which they were put out there by Georgia's troops. Have you seen any sign of withdrawal at all?
WARE: Absolutely not. Quite the opposite, Randi. In fact, we've seen some consolidation of the Russian military position. Now remember there are two fronts for this war. When Russia invaded Georgia just over a week ago they attacked along two axis, one two the west and here in the east. Having been on the western front yesterday, I'm returning again to the eastern front today. As this evidence behind me shows that the destruction of this bridge the Russians not only continue to operate and maintain their presence but they're exerting their domination. In fact, to some degree they're consolidating. Yesterday on the western front I saw them digging in, which is quite the opposite to withdrawal. Now, as for clearing mines or ordnance left by the Georgians, I'm sure the Georgian government would argue that that's their responsibility. What it's all now turning upon is the varying definitions under the terms of the agreement of immediate withdrawal. Now, Georgia would like to see that happening today, now. They want Russian troops out but clearly the Russians are in no hurry to go anywhere Randi and I'm afraid there's no one or nothing that can really force them to do otherwise.
KAYE: All right. Our Michael Ware for us on the ground there in Gori, Georgia. Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: The growing rift between Russia and another one of its neighbors may deepen. Ukraine now says it's interested in joining other nations in a joint missile defense system. That word comes from that former soviet republic's foreign ministry. A spokeswoman would not say if that partnership would include the United States. The U.S. recently signed missile defense agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland. The move has drawn sharp objections from Moscow.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAYE: Presidential politics and religion intersect tonight and you'll see it live right here on CNN. Barack Obama and John McCain discuss faith at a forum in southern California. Evangelical preacher, Rick Warren, author of "Purpose Driven Life," will ask the questions in the sanctuary of his mega church. Obama will try to sway conservative Christians, McCain already shares many of their views but at times appears uncomfortable talking about his own faith. Warren outlined his plans for tonight on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. RICK WARREN, EVANGELICAL PASTOR AND AUTHOR: We'll look at four different segments. One is a segment on leadership. What is the personal character, competence, experience of each of these guys? One section will be on what I call stewardship, which is on the role and responsibility of the presidency, what they believe about the constitution, about the role of America. We're going to look at a section on world view which is all of those mind field questions that no matter how you answer them, somebody is not going to like it. And then we're going to look at America's role internationally, how we've been a blessed nation and how should we bless others. (END OF VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: There you have it. You can watch the "Faith Forum" live tonight right here on CNN. John McCain and Barack Obama together on stage for the very first time at 8:00 eastern.
HOLMES: Evangelicals are rallying in Washington, D.C. all day today. A former McCain rival will be one of this morning's highlights at this event. CNN's Kate Bolduan is on the national mall. Kate, good morning to you, this is supposed to be a religious gathering but a little politics going to be thrown in here as well.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You pretty much summed it up right there T.J. They say it's not about politics but when you talk about evangelical issues it does normally become issues. You can see that we're right in the middle of this. This is an annual gathering of evangelical Christians. Organizers say they expect thousands and I could say at this point from what I could see that they probably have a pretty good guess and a pretty good estimate there. Organizers are saying this is more about spirituality and core evangelical issues than it is about politics. But, one of the headliners at this event today, a politician himself, former republican presidential candidate and Pastor Mike Huckabee spoke just moments ago. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The problems that this country has are with us who claim we know the lord but have not lived it. And we have not been as faithful. So repentance and revival cannot start in the building behind me until it starts in the temple inside me. This nation has sinned. We have killed 50 million unborn children. Lord, forgive this country. We look at the sins of those who have committed genocide in Rwanda or Darfur. Our hearts are broken. But they're not even broken for the 50 million that have died within our own borders, within the wombs of their own mothers.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: The most recent CNN Opinion Research poll shows that John McCain, the presumptive republican nominee is leading Barack Obama in terms of evangelical support. This is a group of voters that is traditionally a lock for Republican Party but we have been hearing evangelicals here and they still feel that they have not heard enough from either candidate and that's a little bit of what today is about. Evangelicals once again, their key issues in same-sex marriage as well, forcing them to get that back to being the focus on the campaign trail and that's one of the reasons they're here today. It starts today (INAUDIBLE). And then in California for the Faith Forum and they say this is what it's about, trying to change the focus. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Kate Bolduan, as she said in the middle of it all where literally thousands appear to be gathering there on the national mall. Kate, we appreciate you this morning.
KAYE: One of America's favorites is out at the Olympics and no his name is not Michael Phelps.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Stabbing victim Barbara Bachman is back in Minnesota this morning. She and her husband were attacked at a tourist site while attending the Olympics. He was killed and an air ambulance brought Mrs. Bachman to the Mayo Clinic for more treatment. She had eight hours of surgery in Beijing. Doctors say she is alert and talking. The Bachman's son-in-law is also back at the helm of the U.S. men's volleyball team. He coached the men to victory over China.
HOLMES: Any story that you are seeing about the Olympics probably starts with Michael Phelps. This one kind of does, too. He has seven gold medals now but he won that seventh one just by a little something. A fingernail maybe. CNN's Larry Smith is in Beijing keeping an eye on things. Larry, Michael Phelps has not disappointed during the Olympics. So we will skip him to start with and talk about who has now disappointed in a major way on the track.
LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it was wild on this night T.J. You know when you have a major disappointment and a major surprise that story almost bigger than Michael Phelps today. But first a disappointment, Tyson Gay, the world champion, the American sprinter, you wonder if he really is fully healed after pulling that hamstring, suffering that injury in the U.S. trials several weeks ago. He never saw that pop in his runs before hand. So he didn't even make the final, finishing only fifth in the semifinals. He did not make the finals in the 100 meter, instead it was Hussein Volt(ph) of Jamaica, running away with a world record that was so impressive, 9.69 seconds. He even began celebrating, pumping his chest and throwing his hands out before he hit the finish. He could've even run faster than that, but Hussein Volt takes the gold in that.
Now Michael Phelps, as you mentioned seven gold medals, for once though, the only time this one didn't come in world record fashion, just a fingernail photo finish. One one hundredth of a second better than Mike Havitch of Serbia. In fact, the judges came out and literally looked at the photos to determine that Phelps was the winner. So he ties a record set by Mark Spitz back in 1972. He'll go for the record eighth gold medal, Saturday night east coast time in the men's 4x100-meter medley relay. It's an event the Americans have never failed to win gold in an Olympics in which they were competing.
Now, also in that same hour in the swimming pool, is the final race of Dara Torres' great career. She's already won 10 Olympic medals and she has qualified first in the finals for the 50-meter freestyle. The 41 year old, again, oldest swimmer in Olympic history. So another very busy day here in the capital city of China. T.J., let's go back to you.
HOLMES: Well yes, some major highlights but again a pretty major disappointment not to see an American in that 100-meter final in track and field. Larry Smith in Beijing, been keeping us updated all morning, we appreciate you, Larry. As we've been talking about, the man that's been in the spotlight a lot, that guy right there, you can talk to him on cnn.com. He'll be with us Tuesday at cnn.com. You can go to ireport.com and submit your video questions for him. Don't miss it. Michael Phelps Tuesday morning 8:30 eastern only on cnn.com/live.
KAYE: I'm going to make my i-Report right after this. I'm going to get that done.
HOLMES: Are you really?
KAYE: Yeah.
HOLMES: What are you going to ask him?
KAYE: I'm going to ask him about his 12,000 calorie diet. That's the only thing that I want to know about.
HOLMES: To keep it off I would like to eat that much.
KAYE: It doesn't look like he eats 12,000 calories.
HOLMES: He burns a lot of calories. It's tough to break a lot of world records and you use a lot of calories, apparently.
KAYE: Rushing through the airports but getting slowed down by your laptop, there is a new solution.
HOLMES: Really?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A Louisiana teenager gets four months in prison for using hangman's nooses to threaten civil rights marchers. Federal prosecutors announced the sentence against Jeremiah Munson yesterday. Munson pleaded guilty in April to federal hate crime charges. Last September he drove a pickup truck with nooses on the back. He drove it past marchers from the Jena 6 demonstrations. The marchers were protesting what they considered unfair charges against six black teenagers accused of beating a white classmate.
KAYE: The airlines are having second thoughts about slapping U.S. troops with those extra baggage fees. Military luggage is often stuffed with heavy combat gear going to and from the war zones. Most of the big airliners will give troops a pass.
HOLMES: If you just cannot travel without your laptop, you will love what I have to say to you. Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is going to report here there is now a way to keep from wasting so much time and from having to take that laptop out of that bag.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you travel, you know the drill, laptops out at the security checkpoint.
UNIDENTIIFED MALE: It definitely slows you down.
MESERVE (on camera): All of that's about to change. This looks like a standard computer case but big difference. A zipper goes like this and it opens up like a clam shell. Computer on one side, wire on the others. You can just put it right through the x-ray machine.
(Voice-over): It lays flat giving screeners an unobstructed view of anything suspicious, like an improvised explosive device. In addition to security, speed.
ELLEN HOWE, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMIN.: If they can get a clean look at the laptop while it's still in the bag, that's less time spent putting things in the bin and putting things back in the bag at the other end. It may help move the process along.
MESERVE: A possible added bonus, fewer computers accidentally abandoned by their owners after screening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They grab their bags and they forget their laptop.
MESERVE: Travelers we talked to love the new cases.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything that can make it easier getting through her is positive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sign me up.
MESERVE (on camera): Starting Saturday the TSA will let you bring your laptop through the checkpoint in a specially designed case like this. There are many different manufacturers and styles that cost about the same as any high end laptop case. This one runs about $100. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Reagan National Airport.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: He's hosting tonight's faith forum with the presidential candidates. How much do you know about Pastor Rick Warren? We'll fill in a few of the blanks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back everyone. Just about 11:30 here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what we're working on at this hour. President Bush this morning calling Russia's agreement to a cease-fire a hopeful step. He insists the break away regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia must remain part of Georgia. Russian troops now pulling back but not out of the former soviet republic.
Evangelicals are rallying right now in Washington and tonight Barack Obama and John McCain face off on the issues of faith and values. You can watch them live 8:00 eastern right here on CNN.
The United Nations estimates the week long fighting in South Ossetia and Georgia has displaced more than 100,000 people.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We want to bring in our Josh Levs now who has been looking around on the web, looking at the humanitarian problems that are being caused by this conflict. JOSH LEVS: It's astounding how many people were affected by this. One of the things we wanted to know throughout this is how many people on the ground are displaced. Now we have this latest figure. This is the U.N. Relief - the agency that follows those who are displaced which includes refugees and internally displaced. Let me show you this quote here, the latest estimates more than 118,000 people. Now let's go to a graphic. I'm going to put that in context for you. 118,000 or even more. Population in that country, 4.6 million. That means one out of every 40 Georgians has been displaced by this crisis. That's at the least. They're saying it could be even more than that. It's pretty astounding. I have a map over here. I'm going to show you where these people come from and how this happened. Let's focus in on this map we have at cnn.com. What we're told, this is the figures from the government that more than 30,000 went from South Ossetia up into Russia. Then you have about 15,000 that went from South Ossetia down into Georgia. And in other parts of the country you got about 70,000, a little more, who are displaced as well.
I'm going to go to a more confusing map because what Michael Ware tells us today could have a big affect on all of these displaced people. Ignore everything here except the two things I'm going to point to. This is Gori, a city you've been hearing a lot about. This is Kaspi. Now we heard from Michael Ware that a bridge was bombed, I have the name of it here, the Metephi(ph) Bracali(ph) bridge in the Kaspi district. This right here, this line you see, the dark line with the vertical marks on it, also the red line is a highway. The dark line is a railway. The only way to travel east-west in all of Georgia is on that railway or on that road. Russian officials have been on that road a lot. Now we have a bombing along the highway and along the railway right there which we saw earlier. This can really hamper all efforts to help anyone who is stuck anywhere in that country who is trying to get from one side of the country to the another part of the country. Most of the economy takes place over on the west.
So you have a few things now. You have not only all of these people displaced some want to get home and can't get there but also of these convoys that want to get in now and help and can't necessarily without a railway or without a highway to travel east-west. It's one of the big things we're looking at today guys, will these convoys be able to make it to the people who are most in need. We don't know right now. It's awful
KAYE: All right, thank you Josh.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAYE: He is a mega church pastor and one of "Time" magazine's top 25 most influential evangelicals. Rick Warren has questions tonight for Barack Obama and John McCain. See the faith forum live right here on CNN. When we first brought you Warren's story in 2005, his book "The Purpose Driven" had become the bestselling nonfiction title in American history. Here's CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We grew up extremely poor.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This little boy could not have had more humble beginnings.
CHAUNDEL HOLLIDAY, RICK WARREN'S SISTER: I remember my mom sitting and trying to figure out the bills and what she was going to pay.
GUTIERREZ: Chaundel Holliday is Rick Warren's kid sister. She says Rick followed the footsteps of their father Jimmy who was a pastor. And so was Rick's great grandfather.
HOLLIDAY: This is Rick when he was about 10.
GUTIERREZ: She says growing up she knew her brother had a gift. That gift, his ability to connect with people.
HOLLIDAY: He can express the truth that preachers have been preaching for 10,000 years. There's nothing new. Rick would say that. Of course there's nothing new, it's just the way he expresses it.
GUTIERREZZ: Rick Warren is not your average southern Baptist minister. He prefers a Hawaiian shirt to a dark suit.
REV. RICK WARREN: You have to know who you are, where you came from, where you're going.
GUTIERREZ: And sounds much more like a motivational speaker than a fire and brimstone preacher.
WARREN: You don't have to be perfect to be used by God. You just have to be available.
GUTIERREZ: Rick Warren's message is spreading way beyond the walls of his church in Orange County, California.
WARREN: It's really about God. The thesis is that we were made by God for god. And until we understand that life isn't going to make sense.
GUTIERREZ: A simple thought that became "The Purpose Driven Life." Warren's friends say there was a time he wasn't so godly.
GLEN KRUEN, EXEC. PASTOR, SADDLEBACK CHURCH: Rick as a high schooler was going to be a Jimi Hendrix, a musician. Rick plays guitar. He loved music. He loved rock music. And we tease him about it.
GUTIERREZ: He was also going to be a page for the U.S. senate. But at the tender age of 16, his life took a huge turn. He preached his first sermon, went to seminary, moved to southern California and with his wife founded a church that began with just one family meeting in their home. His goal was 20,000 members, something unheard of at the time. KRUEN: In 1980 a church of 20,000 was inconceivable. The largest churches in the era were probably 8,000 or 9,000. Those were just incredible. This was a young pastor, 28 years old.
GUTIERREZ: Warren took a methodical approach, studied other churches.
KRUEN: He wrote letters to the hundred largest churches in America asking those pastors some specific questions about their church growth. Why and why not they were growing or not growing.
GUTIERREZ: He also visited 2,000 homes asking people what they wanted from a church that they weren't getting. The overwhelming response, relevance to their lives. That became the seed for a business plan. 25 years later, Rick Warren has the largest church in the country. 20,000 faithful attending Saddleback Church each week. Tithes and offerings bring in $27 million a year. And then there's the book, it has brought in $200 million. His royalties, 25 percent of retail sales go into a separate nonprofit foundation which now pays Warren's undisclosed salary. Before the book Warren earned as much as $130,000 a year from the church. Now they say, he's giving it all back. Every penny he earned for 24 years. Does he live large?
KRUEN: He drives a Ford Expedition.
GUTIERREZ: Rick's sister says his brother, wife and three kids live in the same modest house as before. Even though now he has the bestselling nonfiction hard cover book in American history. Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Since Thelma's first profile of Rick Warren back in 2005, his book has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and is published in 91 different languages.
Of course you can see Rick Warren in action tonight. He's asking Barack Obama and John McCain questions about faith. You can watch it live right here on CNN. You don't want to miss it. It's at 8:00 eastern time.
HOLMES: A natural gas field under your church. Given these times, all of the energy needs, some might say that's a good thing and you should be happy to have that.
KAYE: That's what you would think but that's not necessarily the case in Texas.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Are you good this morning, you're all right?
KAYE: Yes, I'm fine.
HOLMES: Got gas or anything?
KAYE: No. I hope you're talking about gasoline. No I didn't fill up, thank you.
HOLMES: There's some bad gas but there is some good gas.
KAYE: I don't want to know where you're going. Just read what it says and keep us out of trouble.
HOLMES: Some people in Ft. Worth, Texas are sitting on a fortune in natural gas I should say.
KAYE: Thank you for clarifying. A blessing for some. A curse for others. Ed Lavandera reports the situation is what you might call explosive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bishop Kenneth Spears always thought gifts from God came from above. He never really imagined he would find one under his pulpit.
BISHOP KENNETH SPEARS, FIRST ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH: I want to believe that if I prayed over that ground, if I walked over that ground, something good was going to come from it.
LAVANDERA: Then you find out you're sitting on a bunch of natural gas.
SPEARS: I found out we're sitting on a bunch of natural gas. I said what a God we serve.
LAVANDERA: The First St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas, sits on one of the largest natural gas fields in the country. There are now more than 7,000 gas wells all over Ft. Worth. Never before has such a massive residential area been the epicenter of an urban drilling bonanza. Even actor Tommy Lee Jones has touted the drilling effort.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know we're making a lot of millionaires up here in the (INAUDIBLE) hill area.
LAVANDEAR: Bishop Spears' church signed a drilling lease and got a $32,000 bonus and as the congregation worships, natural gas is pulled out of the ground below them. That brings in between $3,000 and $10,000 a month in royalties.
(On camera): Energy companies are literally going door to door negotiating for access to drill under people's homes in exchange for those checks and thousands of people have already signed on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few people can get rich.
LAVANDERA: But opponents like Don Young say the promises of people getting rich aren't true.
DON YOUNG, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: The divide and conquer strategy by going around and giving everybody enough money to keep them quiet so to speak. Hush money is what I call it. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pipeline they told me would be here right under my trees.
LAVANDERA: Jerry Horton says she rejected a $12,000 offer from Chesapeake Energy to bury a pipeline through her front yard. Now the company is suing her claiming eminent domain. Her 100 year old oak trees would be chopped down and she worries the pipelines are a safety hazard.
JERRY HORTON, DRILLING OPPONENT: We don't need to destroy our homes, all of our trees and blow ourselves up. Who's going to be here to enjoy the gas then?
LAVANDERA: Chesapeake Energy insists the pipelines are necessary, without which no one would profit. Bishop Kenneth Spears' church will use their profits to help pay for a new sanctuary and they pray that gas keeps flowing from below. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Ft. Worth.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Picking a vice president, well that's the easy part. Vetting one, that's another story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: You might say it's been the summer's best kept secret. Who will Barack Obama and John McCain choose?
HOLMES: One reason it takes so long to find a vice president, the desire to avoid a running mate with some embarrassing secrets. CNN's Gary Tuchman explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before Dick Cheney was George W. Bush's vice president, he was heading the search effort to choose George W. Bush's vice president.
DICK CHENEY: The lesson I want to share with you is this if you ever get asked to head up an important search committee, say yes.
TUCHMAN: Cheney's selection was a surprise. But the way the search was conducted was not. It was secretive, because --
MICHAEL BERMAN, FMR. MONDALE ADVISER: One of the things is to make sure there's no distraction.
TUCHMAN: Michael Berman is a lawyer and lobbyist. He was in charge of vetting Geraldine Ferraro for Walter Mondale.
BERMAN: For me the pressure was having to look at Gerri Ferraro in one day. The preceding day I had actually spent looking at Michael Dukakis. So I felt a fair amount of pressure there and felt afterwards that -- I felt badly about the fact that we had missed some things obviously. TUCHMAN: Allegations about her husband's financial dealings caused considerable controversy and plagued Mondale's campaign. Rest assured, one-day vetting is a thing of the past.
SEN. JOHN KERRY, 2004 DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE: The next vice president of the United States of America will be Senator John Edwards from North Carolina.
TUCHMAN: With the help of the internet the first step is now public reviewing of the candidate, documents, quotes, finances are scoured before discussions even begin, and then intense time-consuming face-to-face interrogations.
BERMAN: It's really lawyers, doctors, accountants, you name it, to know everything there is to know about the person's finances, their health, their social life, their married life, anything you can think of.
TUCHMAN: So what type of person should presidential candidates be looking for and what shouldn't they be looking for?
DAN COEN, VICEPRESIDENTS.COM: We really feel in the old days candidates were selected to bring home a state or a region, like a Lloyd Bentsen in 1988 who was there to bring home Texas. It doesn't work.
TUCHMAN: Dan Coen is a vice presidential scholar who runs a web magazine called vicepresidents.com. He says after the VP candidate is elected the public and media need to say --
COEN: Yes, you got it right. You want to rule anybody out who simply isn't going to make a good impression right from the start. If people don't feel that the choice was made correctly, then that candidate for president is O for 1 right out of the gate.
BERMAN: A successful vetter is one who at the end of the day if a person is selected, that nothing comes out that the nominee didn't know about in advance.
TUCHMAN: We'll know the level of success soon enough. Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And CNN of course your home for politics. Tonight, a special report, "The Next President Campaign Kickoff," 7:00 eastern only right here on CNN.
KAYE: NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with Fredricka Whitfield. Fred, you're working on some good stuff?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, yes, good to see you guys. What happens when an employer tries to tamper with the employee's choice for the presidency in this election year?
KAYE: Trouble. WHITFIELD: It is trouble. Our legal minds are going to be delving into these accusations and it involves retail giant Wal-Mart.
And well before Michael Phelps clinched his seven medals in Beijing and Carl Lewis, yes, a familiar name, clinched nine in his career of Olympic games, there were other names such as Reggie Pierman, Pat McCormick right there, Charles Jenkins and Mal Whitfield. These are Olympians of yesteryear. I sit down and talk with them about what kept them going, what kept their Olympic dream alive and how is they paved the way for so many Olympians of today. That's straight ahead noon eastern hour.
HOLMES: We will see you. Mal Whitfield.
WHITFIELD: Ring a bell?
KAYE: Kind of.
HOLMES: Kind of sort of.
KAYE: You know him?
WHITFIELD: Just a little bit.
HOLMES: We will. We've been looking forward to seeing some of that, haven't got a chance to really look into a lot of that stuff. I know that you're doing that but you teased us with it. See you soon.
KAYE: Americans in Cuba? A group of little leaguers hit a home run for friendship.
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KAYE: Baseball diplomacy, both big and little. First the big. The U.S. Olympic baseball team lost to Cuba.
HOLMES: But in little league, the U.S./Cuba match up was a whole different ball game. Morgan Neill reports now from a baseball field just outside Havana.
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MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just hours after the U.S. Olympic baseball team lost to Cuba in Beijing, this team of American little leaguers in Cuba was ready to play ball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, guys, hustle out. I know it's hot but let's look like a baseball team.
NEILL: In gray, the Peregrines, an all-star team from Vermont and New Hampshire. In blue uniforms, donated by the Americans, the Santos, the Cuban squad made up of kids from this area outside Havana. The U.S. embargo prohibits most Americans from seeing Cuba. The Peregrines coaches worked for two years to get a permit which raised the hackles of a Cuban-American lawmaker. But that hasn't stopped these kids from coming to Cuba and learning some basic lessons. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really hot and they can hit the ball.
NEILL: They played a series of games all building up to today's final.
(On camera): This may not look like the setup for an international baseball final. We're about 20 miles outside of Havana next to a convent. Over here you've got the family members of all the kids playing. And just through this gate here you can see the players themselves, some of whom are taking this very seriously.
(Voice-over): "Watch out, he's a lefty" warns one of the Cuban coaches. Behind the fence, one of the sisters from the nearby convent leads the cheers. But in the end, it's not enough. With a swing and a miss, the game is over. The Americans have won this time. But you won't find any taunting here.
BRANDON GRAY, PEREGRINES: It was a blast playing kids that are overall better than us by hitting and fielding. I think the only reason we won is because of our ace pitching.
YUNIEL GAMBOA, SANTOS: "They played better than us," says Yuniel from the Santos. "They bat and pitch well."
NEILL: All (INAUDIBLE), we asked the Americans, what have they learned from the experience?
BEN HERNDON-MILLER, PEREGRINES: I've learned that the Cuban kids are a lot like us. We both love baseball and we both just want to have fun.
NEILL: Afterwards the boys sign each other's jerseys, trade baseball card. A sign, perhaps, that the political pressures dividing their countries don't translate so well with this generation. Morgan Neill, CNN, Havana.
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HOLMES: All right, CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Fredricka Whitfield.
KAYE: Hi there, Fred.
HOLMES: We don't know if it will continue with her. We might have to handle it -- we can't hear Fredricka.
KAYE: We can't hear you.
WHITFIELD: You can't hear me?
HOLMES: There she is.
KAYE: There you are!
WHITFIELD: Why not? Maybe I'm not projecting because you know I'm quite the loud mouth. I can project. I'll do better next time. KAYE: We hear you loud and clear now.
WHITFIELD: Ok, good, you all have a great day.
With both sides agreeing to a cease-fire, there are new hopes today for an end to the military conflict between Russia and Georgia. Here's what we know right now. Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has signed a cease-fire plan designed to end the fighting one day after Georgia's president reluctantly agreed to it. On the ground the fighting appears to have stopped, but Russian troops remain in parts of Georgia and Georgian officials now accuse them of blowing up a key railway bridge in the Kaspi district in east central Georgia.
Meantime, President Bush standing firm with Georgia in its conflict with Russia. The president was briefed just this morning at his Texas ranch by secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, who is just back from Georgia's capital. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now from Crawford with the very latest. Kathleen?
