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Awaiting Obama's VP Announcement; U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq 2011; Russian Withdrawal From Georgia?
Aired August 22, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You're with CNN. Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is off today. Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Friday, August 22nd. Here's what's on the run down.
Barack Obama makes up his mind on a running mate. We are waiting for an announcement.
And Fay. A slow-motion disaster for Florida. The governor now links six deaths in his state to the tropical storm.
And new this morning. A small plane plunging into a Las Vegas home, fueling a huge fire. There are fatalities. More coming up now in the NEWSROOM.
Stakeout in the veepstakes. Barack Obama could announce his choice for a running mate at any time. We are covering this story from all fronts.
We have CNN crews outside the homes of some of the potential picks. To let you know, Senator Joe Biden's home on the top left; Senator Evan Bayh on the top right; and then Midway Airport down in the middle there.
As soon as we get word of Obama's announcement, we, of course, will have live coverage and lots of analysis. In a TV interview, Obama explained what he looked for in choosing a running mate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Obviously, the most important question is, is this person prepared to be president?
The second most important question from my perspective is, can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at home and guiding us through some dangerous waters internationally?
And the third criteria for me I think was independence. I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a "yes" person when it comes to policymaking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The best political team on television is poised and very ready this morning. One of those people, Wolf Blitzer. He's joining us from Washington. And Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider is out in Denver.
Wolf, I want to begin with you. What are you hearing? We've got an hour left on my show to make this thing happen.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You know, I think they were reluctant to go ahead and release it too early this morning. They don't want to wake up a lot of people out on the West Coast. So we're just waiting literally, Heidi. It could be any minute.
On the other hand, they could wait until tonight. We do know that tomorrow he's got a huge event scheduled in the early afternoon in Springfield, Illinois. That's where he started, he launched his campaign a year and a half ago. And all of us assume that's where he and his vice presidential running mate are going to be together to launch the startup for the convention that starts in Denver on Monday.
But, you know, you never know. They say they're going to do it by a text message. I'm just totally impressed so far that they've managed to keep it secret. He says he's made up his mind and it hasn't leaked yet. We have a lot of names out there, but until we know for sure, it's anyone's guess.
COLLINS: Yes, I know. But I thought maybe you had some insight for us.
BLITZER: I have no insight.
COLLINS: Thank you very much, Wolf.
We are watching it obviously very, very closely.
And our Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider is also on the VP watch this morning. He is at the site of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
All right. Come on, Bill, what do you know?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: If Wolf doesn't have any inside information, I don't think I have any inside information. I can offer you analysis, which is that the question is whether he'll go for someone who's reassuring and offers experience to balance what is a problem for Obama, that he's seen as too inexperienced. In that case, well, there are a number of choices.
Hillary Clinton, she's been around Washington for a long time. Evan Bayh has been a senator and a governor, he has a lot of experience. And Joe Biden has been in Congress for 36 years.
On the other hand, he could go for reinforcement, reinforcing his "change" message by picking an outsider. That would be like Tim Kaine, who's been governor of Virginia just a couple of years, never worked in Washington. Kathleen Sebelius, a woman who is the governor of Kansas, a second-term governor. There are a few candidates out there who might provide both, like Bill Richardson, who's been U.N. ambassador, who's been secretary of Energy, but who also is a Latino. An African-American and a Latino on the same ticket? That would certainly create a message of change. So he has a lot of possibilities, and maybe even someone we're not talking about.
COLLINS: Yes. Wouldn't that be awful, if we didn't have that little scoop there?
Hey, Bill, I do wonder, though, because you are in Denver, give us the latest on convention preparations. We got a peek inside the Pepsi Center. It's really quite a set.
SCHNEIDER: Yes, they unveiled the podium this morning, around 8:00 Denver time. It's quite an impressive piece of work.
The first thought that went through my head is, hey, it looks like I'm in Las Vegas. This is really glitzy.
COLLINS: Or the discotheque.
SCHNEIDER: It's got moving lights, it's got TV screens from the floor to the ceiling. It's really a very jazzy podium. But it's only going to be used for three of the four nights of the convention.
Barack Obama, of course, is going to speak at a stadium to a much larger audience; some 75,000 people are going to be in that audience of the stadium. Although there is always the possibility he might just show up, say, a night before, on Wednesday night, to greet and introduce his vice presidential nominee to the convention that's electing -- that's choosing the vice president. That's been known to happen.
COLLINS: Hey, Bill, we're looking at a live shot inside the Pepsi Center right now. Who's gathered there? I see -- I think I can tell there are quite a few people sitting in the seats there.
SCHNEIDER: Well, there are early convention delegate arrivals. I'm not sure. I haven't actually been across the street in the Pepsi Center yet.
COLLINS: OK.
SCHNEIDER: But it's getting crowded here. You have a lot of local officials, a lot of party people. And there are a lot of early convention delegates.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. We know you'll get inside just as soon as you can.
Our CNN political analyst, Bill Schneider, coming to us live from Denver.
Thank you, Bill. And thanks also to Wolf Blitzer, who is working his sources as well to find out who the VP announcement is going to be.
So count on CNN for the best coverage of the Democratic convention. Here is a look now at the lineup for next week.
Michelle Obama addresses the convention on Monday. Senator Hillary Clinton will speak Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, we'll hear from the vice presidential nominee, whoever that may be. And on Thursday night, Senator Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president.
A timetable now to talk about in Iraq. U.S. troop withdrawal to be completed by the end of 2011. The proposal agreed on by U.S. and Iraqi negotiators.
Live now to CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad.
So, Arwa, we understand now that the negotiators from both sides have agreed, but now we've got to talk about the government.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. And that's going to be a much more complicated process.
When it comes to the Iraqi side, it has to be approved by the prime minister's office, as well as a number of other institutions. Various levels of approval, that's what we're talking about here.
And then finally, it has to be approved by parliament. And that is probably going to prove to be the trickiest part in all of this, just because there are so many different political parties and each have their own agenda.
One of the more challenging parties to convince of this agreement is going to be that that is loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al- Sadr. Remember, he once commanded the Mehdi militia that was thought to be responsible for much of the sectarian violence here. And even though that has disbanded, they still do remain in the Iraqi streets. And his group has already come out and said that they do not support this agreement because they do not trust the negotiators.
But other interesting details in it are that things like contractor immunity, for example, are going to be lifted, and also that U.S. troops would be out of Iraqi cities by the date of June 30, 2009. They'll be on their bases with the ability to come back in at the request of the Iraqi government, and then the date that you just mentioned right there, 2011, by then, all U.S. forces would be gone from Iraq.
There are caveats, however. Everyone knows how precarious the security situation is here. The Iraqi government can ask the U.S. military to stay longer. In fact, they'll be forming a joint committee to assess the security situation at that point in time -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we are watching that story very closely.
CNN's Arwa Damon coming to us live from Baghdad.
Thank you, Arwa.
And Tropical Storm Fay, heavy rains and deepening concerns. The very latest on the flood emergency.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: An experimental plane crashes into a house in Las Vegas, flames tearing through the home as soon as the plane hit. Officials say two people were killed, the pilot and one person inside the house. A second person from the house is hospitalized, now in critical condition. It's unclear at this point what caused the plane to crash, but the FAA says the pilot radioed that he wasn't gaining altitude and was about to crash.
New information on Wednesday's deadly plane crash in Madrid, Spain. A source close to the investigation tells CNN the plane was not on fire as it tried to take off, and some reports initially said. Investigators now say the plane caught fire after skidding off the runway.
Meanwhile, the grim task of identifying victims is painstakingly slow. Authorities have identified only 50 of the 153 bodies recovered from the wreckage.
Many of the bodies are so badly burned that fingerprint identification is impossible. Investigators have to rely on DNA. Nineteen crash survivors remain hospitalized.
Tropical Storm Fay, the floodwaters deepen and the death toll grows. Florida's governor now saying six people have died since the storm first came ashore, two of them swimmers caught in the treacherous surf. Both tourists, one woman died in Daytona Beach, the other near Jacksonville Beach.
Flooding is the major danger for much of Florida's east coast now. In Orange City, patients had to be turned away from this hospital. Floodwaters poured into the emergency room and the main entrance.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Much of Texas also dealing with heavy rains and flooding. In Houston, some streets filled with water -- look at that. Strong, drenching storms have created a miserable week for Texans. In the southern part of the state, more than 1,000 homes have been damaged by floods, and in the north, near the Oklahoma border, residents dealt with six straight days of downpours. In some areas, rainfall totals reached nine inches.
Russian forces on the move in neighboring Georgia. Now, they're apparently keeping a promise to start pulling out.
We want to go live now to CNN's Michael Ware in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. So, Michael, is this the real deal?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as real as I suspect it's going to get, Heidi. I mean, let's not kid ourselves. The Russians are still playing hardball, as they had done since the beginning of this conflict, and they're going to continue to press the advantage militarily, and perhaps politically, that they perceive that they have gained.
Now, here in Georgia itself, on the front lines, to quote the Georgian national security adviser, "We are seeing a pullback of Russian troops." However, the picture does remain complicated and hazy.
Some checkpoints have been dismantled, others have not. Some troops and armor are on the move out of undisputed Georgian territory. Others remain. Some troops, according to the Georgia Ministry of Interior, have simply been donning peacekeeper uniforms or putting white markers on their uniforms to identify themselves as peacekeepers.
Now, under the cease-fire agreement, as it's written with its current wording, much of this is allowable or within the wiggle room that the Russians have within that agreement. Indeed, the wording is such, it's so broad, that it's literally wide enough to drive a Russian armored column through it. And that's what they're doing.
So, whilst the Russians are pulling back, they're going to stay in the disputed pro-Russian enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and they're maintaining a buffer zone around their so-called peacekeepers inside Georgia itself. The questions are, how far are those zones going to extend? How many troops are going to be in these territories? And just what are they going to be able to do -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes, it still sounds like there needs to be a lot of clarification as to what this agreement really means. I have a feeling we'll be following the story for a while.
CNN's Michael Ware joining us from the capital of Tbilisi in Georgia.
Thanks so much.
Drugs from your doctor, good for you or good for the drug companies? We'll take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Sick from the deli counter. Canadian health officials are telling people to toss some ready-to-eat meat. An outbreak of Listeriosis has left one person dead and more than a dozen others sick. Officials say the likely source, a plant owned by Maple Leaf Foods, although tests have not confirmed that quite yet.
Leafy greens zapped. Starting tomorrow, farmers can sterilize spinach and lettuce with a tiny amount of radiation. They'll use a machine like that one. This is the word coming into us from the FDA.
The process is supposed to kill bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. Despite concerns from food advocates, the FDA says it is safe and does not seriously affect the nutritional value of the food.
When your doctor chooses a drug for you, is it really because it's best for you, or is your physician influenced by a pharmaceutical company? It's an age-old question.
CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joining us now from new York.
I don't know, Elizabeth. This is certainly something that people talk about and wonder every time they get a prescription.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. Or any time a doctor recommends a device.
COLLINS: Yes.
COHEN: And let me tell you about a woman named Linda Lewis (ph), Heidi. Linda had back pain. She went to her surgeon, and the surgeon recommended an artificial disc over any other treatment, option.
It was a disaster for her. She was in horrible pain, she had to have a second surgery to correct the first. And she thinks it's because her doctor, she later found out, had financial ties to that disc company.
In fact, some doctors get $8 million a year from artificial disc companies. And you have to wonder, does that $8 million perhaps sway their clinical judgment?
As you said, this debate has been going on for a long time. In this month's "New England Journal of Medicine," an article this month, a doctor says most physicians in the U.S. have financial ties with industry in some way or another.
COLLINS: Yes, I bet they do. But boy, you'd sure hope that this really wasn't going on, you know, at least for the majority of physicians out there, professional doctors, if you will. It just seems like such an ethical issue.
How can you protect yourself? I mean, what should you be looking for in all of this?
COHEN: There are a couple of things that you can look for.
First of all, when you go to a doctor, look for signs that drug industry reps have been there to market their drugs -- pens, mugs, pamphlets, pharma reps -- those are the nicely-dressed people with the briefcases. Are they going in and out to see your doctor?
And you can ask your doctor, "Look, you prescribed this blood pressure drug, there were 10 others you could have prescribed. Why this one?" And that might get to the heart of the matter. Also, know when not to worry. For example, if you're getting a prescription for 10 days of antibiotics, those short-term medicines, drug companies don't really push those, they don't make much money.
And Heidi, you said something that I thought was an excellent point. Hopefully doctors aren't swayed, but the bottom line is that sometimes just having a drug rep in your office, it might sway your decision-making even if you don't think that it does. And studies have shown that.
To read more about this, go to CNN.com/empoweredpatient. We have even more tips about how to be a smart patient.
COLLINS: Hey, yes, also curious, what does the American Medical Association actually say regarding this?
COHEN: The American Medical Association says that physicians have patients' best interests in mind when they go about prescribing drugs or devices. But the spokesman for the American Medical Association does add, if you wonder, if you're not sure, go ahead and discuss with your physician the basis for his or her recommended course of treatment. It is OK and actually a good thing to ask doctors questions.
COLLINS: Absolutely.
All right. Elizabeth Cohen, sure do appreciate that.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: And as a quick reminder, for Elizabeth's full "Empowered Patient" column and to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, just log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address, CNN.com/health.
Behind the scenes at the Democratic Convention. We'll take you there with the best political team on television.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The Obama drama cliffhanger. He has picked a running mate, we know that. But we're waiting for him to announce who it is. The fist word will come from Obama in the form of a text message.
Our political team is, of course, on the story. And once we get word of that announcement, we will have extensive live coverage and analysis.
National polls show the presidential race in a dead heat now. And new numbers from some crucial swing states also point to a neck- and-neck contest.
An American Research Group poll from Florida shows McCain leading Obama by one percentage point, 47 percent to 46 percent. Then in New Hampshire, it's Obama over McCain, 46 percent to 45 percent. Both results, of course, are within that margin of error.
Obama has a 10-point lead over McCain in Minnesota, 48 percent to 38 percent. And that is according to a poll done by Minnesota Public Radio and The Humphrey Institute.
If you don't have an all-access pass to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, don't worry. We do. A live shot for you there.
CNN's Joe Johns is on the floor of Denver's Pepsi Center.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Scenes in Denver, where it's getting close to show time. Our guide, a veteran of many a national political convention.
(on camera): So how many of these is this for you?
DAVID BOHRMAN, CNN DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION COVERAGE: Well, I've been doing conventions since 1980, in various roles.
JOHNS (voice-over): David Bohrman is CNN's Washington bureau chief and the executive producer of convention coverage.
Inside the Pepsi Arena, the CNN set is located not in the skyboxes like the other guys, but right down on the floor, which is a big deal because, frankly, a national political convention is not just news in history. It's also a visual experience -- the lights and sounds, the colors and pictures.
BOHRMAN: We're actually in the middle of the delegate floor. The delegates go all the way up to this full bowl on this side of the hall. But the CNN delegation is right here.
JOHNS (on camera): Right.
BOHRMAN: And we've got a great location to feel the presence and feel the electricity in the hall.
JOHNS: And if you think this is a lot of work, there's more.
For the first time since 1960, the Democrats will be convening at two distinct locations; here at the Pepsi Center, and then it all moves to INVESCO Field, just a hundred yards away.
(voice-over): That last time Democrats did a two-step like this was during the convention that nominated John F. Kennedy. A young Nancy Pelosi was in the audience. She of course is now, Speaker of the House
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE SPEAKER: In 1960, when I went to the convention with my parents in Los Angeles, John F. Kennedy spoke at the L.A. Coliseum. And so I saw that change then. This seems very natural to me.
JOHNS: A scene change this time from the Pepsi Center to INVESCO Field may seen natural for some, but, not so easy for the folks bringing the speech into your living room. It's about technology and logistics and the art of television.
BOHRMAN: They put all of this effort into here for three nights. And much of the technology in this room and all the people that are in this room, a few hours later, are going to be doing television from the other stadium.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: While we wait for Barack Obama's announcement, Denver gets ready for the Democrats.
CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is joining us now live from the convention city, if you will.
Is it a little bit surprising, Paul, that this announcement looks like it will come out on a Friday afternoon or Friday night, or maybe even on a Saturday?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. You know, conventional thinking is that you would want this announcement at the latest to come our maybe Friday morning, or early afternoon because of the news cycle, right? Because a lot of Americans don't watch the news by Friday night, and especially over the weekend. Because they're out enjoying the weekend.
But, there's also another thought here. That maybe Obama wants to push it back a little bit so that the momentum starts to build up for the convention a little later. Maybe the momentum starts Friday night, Saturday, and then into Sunday and the convention. So, the timing is interesting. There are kind of pluses and minuses for both, Heidi.
What we do know is he's made up his mind. He told us that yesterday. Our Jessica Yellin has also found out that he's reached out to some of the people who didn't get it and he's told them that unfortunately they are not the running mate.
But, we're all making calls, we're all trying to figure out what's going on. We know Obama is in Chicago today. We're waiting to see if there's going to be a surprise visitor to Chicago today, Heidi.
COLLINS: Well, what's surprising to me is how tight-lipped this whole thing is. I mean, even if there are people who have gotten that phone call, you know, thank you but you are not the person.
We can't get them to talk either?
STEINHAUSER: It's very interesting. But I've got to say one thing about the Obama campaign.
Since the start, since Obama first announced for president a year and a half ago, their campaign has been very, very organized and they're very -- I guess you could say tight-lipped -- in a way. And that has been one of their strengths throughout the primary process and now into the general election.
So maybe that's one reason why we're not getting any good tips.
COLLINS: All right. Well, let me go this direction, then Paul.
As you look around Denver, and as you talk to people and you're there with the Election Express behind you, of course. The convention site, the people of Denver, what is everybody making of all of this?
They excited to have this massive convergence of people in their city?
STEINHAUSER: Yes. I think in a lot of ways they are.
It's been a hundred years since this city has hosted a convention. A lot has changed in a hundred years. This city has really changed in the last decade. Downtown has been really built up and some of the neighborhoods have been revitalized.
As you mentioned right behind me, the CNN Election Express and behind that the Pepsi Center; that's where the convention is the first three nights. And this morning we got a sneak peek. They unveiled the podium. And it's beautiful. It's a lot of lights and glitz and high tech.
That is where on Wednesday night, the vice presidential nominee, whoever he is, will make his speech and we may see Barack Obama that night. And then of course, the next night it's on to INVESCO Field as Joe Johns was just saying in his report. This town is excited. The delegates are starting to arrive. And it's really -- the excitement is building here, Heidi.
COLLINS: And after spending six years living there myself, it's a pretty darn nice place to be. Just gorgeous there as well. I hope you enjoy yourself.
Paul Steinhauser, sure appreciate it. Thank you.
So, who will be No. 2 on the ticket with Barack Obama?
CNN's Mary Snow looks now at recent presidential candidates who played the waiting game with the media.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Barack Obama's every word is being scrutinized for clues about his running mate.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: By the way, my vice president will be a member of the Executive Branch. He won't be one of these fourth branches of government where he thinks he's above the law.
SNOW: Did the fact Obama didn't mention a "she" give anything away? Will his body language provide hints? What does it mean when potential choices downplay their chances? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not the guy. See you.
SNOW: Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro says, don't read too much into it. She laughed about her own experience with CBS's Harry Smith, saying shortly after Walter Mondale called her, she had to give a speech and take questions.
GERALDINE FERRARO (D), FMR. V.P. CANDIDATE: One of the questions was, do you think that Fritz Mondale will pick a woman for vice president? I said, oh well. You know, I didn't tell the truth either so, do you expect others to tell the truth?
SNOW: Campaigns do their part to avoid dropping hints. In 2004, a former aide to Democratic Senator John Kerry says the staff anticipated various scenarios and covered their tracks.
STEPHANIE CUTTER, FMR. KERRY CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL: We had four different signs made up with four different names on them. We had confidentiality agreements. Four different speeches written. Four different backdrops done. So we had done enough planning to throw people off the trail that I thought we could continue to hold this.
SNOW: The "New York Post" cover story printed the wrong choice, declaring Richard Gephardt as Kerry's running mate. An airport worker scooped everyone when he noticed a John Edwards decal going on up the plane, spread the word on a blog, throwing the Kerry team a curve ball.
VUTTER: I try not to panic. And you make sure that nobody confirms that piece of information.
SNOW: 2000 brought a twist when Dick Cheney, who was in charge of leading the VP search for George W. Bush, wound up being the choice. And as for the nominees, sometimes the running mates aren't waiting by the phone. Former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis tells what happened when he called the late Lloyd Benson to ask him to run with him.
MICHAEL DUKAKIS (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Made a decision and I called him about 11:30 at night. And he took his phone off the hook. So I couldn't get through to him until about 6:30 in the morning when he was shaving.
SNOW: Dukakis said Senator Benson accepted after consulting with his wife. And the Dukakis/Benson team were out campaigning only hours later.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Tropical Storm Fay. The rain comes down, the floodwaters creep up in Florida.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Now a city that's seen more than two feet of rainfall.
CNN's John Zarrella is in Melbourne, where floodwaters have swallowed hundreds of homes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Allens, Ron and Mary, left their home in the Lamplighter Village in such a hurry they forgot their medicines. Florida wildlife officers, in a swamp buggy, brought them back in to get what they needed. The Allens hadn't seen their home since the floodwaters started rising.
(on camera): You lose a lot of stuff in your house?
RON ALLEN, HOMEOWNER: Oh, yes.
MARY ALLEN, HOMEOWNER: You have no idea.
R. ALLEN: It may be OK. I know the air conditioner will be gone.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): There are 1,100 homes in the Allens Melbourne neighborhood. Many of the residents are elderly, many won't leave.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you decide you want to get out, you can give us a call.
ZARRELLA: One woman waves from her porch. Mary recognizes her.
M. ALLEN: I know her. She walks her dog every day. I can't believe she wants to stay in there.
ZARRELLA: On streets with names like Waterfront, one house after another is surrounded by water. At the Allens' house, it's good news -- only the porch is under water.
(on camera): The lake is literally in your back Florida room here -- family room.
(voice-over): The house is dry.
R. ALLEN: If it doesn't reach the bottom of the floor joyce, I'm OK. If it does, it will be a complete loss.
ZARRELLA: Others are just that, a complete loss.
(on camera): The houses over there and the houses over here were at one time separated by a lake. That's a lake right there in the middle. They're not separated any longer.
(voice-over): As the swamp buggy makes its way back out, the officers look for more people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me ask you this -- can you guys climb?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't think she can? All right. I'll get a truck in here. We'll come get you
ZARRELLA: Even those who tried waiting out the water are finally giving up.
John Zarrella, CNN, Melbourne, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Boy, such difficult times.
Rob Marciano is in the weather center now to talk a little bit more about all of this. And we can't say it enough, rainfall, rainfall, rainfall.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Yes, definitely an unwelcomed visitor at this point.
All right, Rob Marciano, thank you.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You got it.
COLLINS: The economy may be stuck in a rut and the housing recession is getting worse, but not everyone is feeling the effects. The list of the best-paid chief executives is out. Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stock Exchange now with a look at who made the cut.
People always love to look at this during these times, kind of harder to see how much they make.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think sometimes during these times, Heidi, the rich get richer. Sometimes they take advantage and for some of these guys they just came up with great technology and it's working out well for them.
Let's start off with the pay -- nearly $85 million. And who's the man behind that? Larry Ellison. He is the founder and CEO of software company Oracle. He was the highest paid executive last year, that includes salary, bonus, and stock options. Stock options are key on this one. He got a nearly 40 percent raise from the year before. And as the saying goes, ask and ye shall receive. Ellison actually recommended how much he should be paid, and Oracle's board approved it because the company made a record $5 billion and the share price actually rose last year.
So if you're making it happen, then you can't be too mad about that, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And this is how it works at CNN, we just tell them how much we want to be paid. And they go, OK.
ELAM: And they go, right, and head on out to Silicon Valley and see how that works for you. COLLINS: Exactly. Well who else is on this list?
ELAM: No. 2 on the list is John Thain. He recently took the top job at Merrill Lynch. He used to be here at the New York Stock Exchange, and he earned about $83 million last year.
Then there's Leslie Moonves, he is the head of CBS, and at No. 3, with a pay package of nearly $70 million.
Perhaps less surprising is that CEOs from three energy and gold related companies made the top 10. Those companies have benefited as oil and other commodity prices remain high.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COLLINS: All right, Stephanie Elam with some good news today. Thank you, Stephanie.
Ordinary people taking extraordinary measures to make a difference in people's lives. They are CNN Heroes, nominated you, the viewer.
Here is the story now of David Puckett a man who is lifting spirits in Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID PUCKETT, MEDICAL MARVEL: Here in southeastern Mexico where medical care is poor, it's almost impossible to overcome an amputation. They don't have the opportunity to get out, much less get accepted.
The very first time I came to Mexico, it was stamped (ph) on my heart -- some day, you're going to make a difference here. And when I finally got into the field of orthotics and prosthetics, I said, aha, now I know what I can do.
I'm David Puckett and I bring artificial limbs and orthopedic braces for those in need to Mexico.
There is always a plethora of donations of artificial limbs and orthopedic braces. We take casts into southeastern Mexico and make new limbs and braces from the components that we've recycled. Delivering a limb or brace is just the beginning.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING SPANISH)
PUCKETT: Because we have to come back to make sure that they have what they need.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
When we help one person, it actually affects an entire community. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): My life was sad before because I had to crawl on the ground. He lifted me up to where I am today.
PUCKETT: I didn't really realize how much sacrifice it was going to be. But you know what? Where there's more sacrifice, there's more blessings.
NARRATOR: Get involved -- CNN.com/heroes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Busted in Denver. We'll show you the temporary home for law breakers during the Democratic Convention.
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COLLINS: Suspicious, but not dangerous. That's how authorities describe letters sent to two of John McCain's offices. The offices in suburban Denver and Manchester, New Hampshire, were briefly evacuated. The Denver letter reportedly contained an unknown white powder and a threatening message, but the substance was not hazardous. The Secret Service source tells CNN the New Hampshire case was a false alarm.
Dealing with disturbances in Denver, police will use a converted warehouse to lock up lawbreakers at the Democratic Convention.
Reporter Kyle Clark of affiliate KUSA takes a look.
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KYLE CLARK, KUSA REPORTER: A crowd clambering to get inside a jail? It could only be the media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cells will hold not only (ph) 20 people at a time.
CLARK: Chain linked cells can hold 400 people. The city says it can process 60 through here each hour.
UNDERSHERIFF BILL LOVINGIER, DIRECTOR, DENVER CORRECTIONS: I think we'll be able to keep up with the pace, I think our capacity is more than enough.
CLARK: It's built to replicate what you would see down at the city jail -- mug shots, fingerprints --
LOVINGIER: To my right, you'll see a sign that says Medical.
CLARK: -- a doctor on staff.
LOVINGIER: Immediately next to it is the bonding office.
CLARK: Undersheriff Bill Lovingier allowed cameras inside to counter activist claims that the city was trying to cover up secret jails. LOVINGIER: If you want shots of that, you should walk over and take a picture of it.
CLARK: He says he's not worried about people being arrested for peaceful civil disobedience.
LOVINGIER: We don't anticipate problems with those people. But any time you plan for an event like this, there are also groups out there who may be more violent.
CLARK: You won't see this on any of the signs, but no lawyers allowed. The city says arrestees can meet their attorneys once they go to court.
The ACLU says that's just not legal. The civil rights group also wants assurances that once people post bonds, they won't be held here for hours and hours.
MARK SILVERSTEIN, COLORADO ACLU: What's important is that the processing be efficient enough so that people aren't unreasonably delayed in exercising their right to post bail and get out of there and answer the charges in court.
CLARK: The city may have some legal leeway because this is a temporary facility. One week only, then this warehouse turned jail turns warehouse once again.
LOVINGIER: It's actually being sold, I believe, to somebody. So all of this goes away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Authorities have taken down razor wire that was used on the tops of the cells. Concerns were raised by the mayor and community members after images of the wire first went public.
Well, politics, no laughing matter. Why late night comedians are having a hard time making jokes about Barack Obama.
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COLLINS: Presidential politics may be serious business, but it seems late night TV comics are finding humor only in John McCain.
CNN's Kareen Wynter reports.
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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Leno.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": This is like the opposite of a John McCain rally. I can't believe it.
WYNTER: Letterman. DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Did you want some of the John McCain stuff? You can go to -- it's being sold at the very Old Navy.
WYNTER: The late night kings have seemingly endless punch lines about Republican presidential candidate, John McCain. But the laugh lines haven't rolled so easily about his Democratic challenger, Barack Obama.
BILL CARTER, WRITER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": They really are still searching for that thing about Obama that is instantly funny.
WYNTER: And identifiable to the public, says Bill Carter of the "New York Times," who interviewed the late night comics and their writers for a recent article. Carter says comics like David Letterman are struggling to poke fun at Obama.
LETTERMAN: Italy is designing clothing based on how Barack Obama dresses. And I said, well, yes, that will connect him with the angry working class voters.
CARTER: They tried a few things like that, like that he's got sort of high-brow taste or that he doesn't eat fried food and things like that. That isn't really a good line because it doesn't really have a lot of angles.
WYNTER: Comedian Jimmy Kimmel recently told the "New York Times," Obama isn't the ideal target for late night humor because he's -- quote -- "so polished. "He doesn't seem to have any flaws." But don't expect Kimmel to spare Obama in his monologue.
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Presidential candidate Barack Obama was in Germany today. A huge crowd turned out to hear him speak. More than 200,000 people cheering him enthusiastically. I guess it's the first time they've seen a black person since Milli Vanilli left the country.
WYNTER: Carter thinks comics are walking a fine line because of Obama's race.
CARTER: If you're a white host with white writers, you don't make race jokes because it probably is going to look bad.
D.L. HUGHLEY, COMEDIAN: There ain't no more room on my credit report.
WYNTER: But black comedians like D.L. Hughley aren't afraid to let the jokes fly.
HUGHLEY: He looked like Urkel and the dude from "Mad Magazine" and they had a baby.
The reason we don't hear a lot of Obama jokes is primarily there are a lot of -- I think it is white liberal guilt. I do. I think that people feel in some part guilty in some part that they want Obama to win so bad that they just refuse to do anything that might put him in a light.
WYNTER: Hughley says comedians should have a laugh or two at Obama's expense.
HUGHLEY: As much as they may embarrass, they also humanize you.
Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.
"ISSUE #1" with Gerri Willis and Christine Romans starts right now.
