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Who Will be Obama's V.P.?; U.S., Iraq Reach Agreement on Withdrawal; Fay Floods Florida; Gulf War Vet Could Lose Job Due to Watch List

Aired August 22, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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


KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Well, I can tell you this much we know: Barack Obama knows who his running mate will be. And we can assume he's watching all the rest of us squirm.
Out of Iraq by 2011. A tentative deal sets a deadline for U.S. troops. But nobody asked the next commander in chief. We'll ask an expert at Brookings.

And Fay can't seem to leave Florida, but after two feet of rain and millions of dollars in damage, the attraction isn't mutual.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, and you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It's the question of the day, the question of the hour, even: who has Barack Obama chosen as his running mate? Conventional wisdom centers on fellow senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Evan Bayh, as well as governors Kathleen Sebelius and Tim Kaine.

We know for sure that Obama is home today in Chicago, and he's calling some of the runners-up telling them they will not be joining him on the ticket. What we don't know, what almost no one knows besides Obama, is when he's going to make that big announcement.

Now Obama and his soon-to-be running mate are expected to headline a rally tomorrow at the Illinois capital. Then they'll hopscotch through some battleground states as they make their way to Denver for the party convention. The massive stage was unveiled this morning, and Democrats are promising quite a show.

Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is standing by at the convention site.

Bill, let's talk about the buzz around Obama's running mate. What do you think? Is Obama going with experience or change?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's got a nice choice there, because he could pick either one, and maybe he could pick both.

There are several candidates who could give him experience. Clearly Hillary Clinton, Evan Bayh, who's been in Congress, was a governor of Indiana. Joe Biden has been in Washington and Congress for 36 years. If he wants to reassure voters that someone with experience is on the ticket, any of those choices would do it. But suppose he wants someone who's going to reinforce his message that he's going to change Washington? He wants an outsider. That would be Tim Kaine, possibly. He's the governor of Virginia, only for a couple of years, never worked in Washington. Kathleen Sebelius, who of course, is a woman and the governor of Kansas, has never worked in Washington. She also would reinforce the message of change.

But maybe he wants someone who can do both. Bill Richardson, he's been in the cabinet. He's been in Congress. But he's a Latino. An African-American and a Latino on the ticket, that would look like the new America. And Jack Reed, the senator from Rhode Island, a West Point graduate who has -- who voted against the war in Iraq. That would be a mix of change and experience.

And the newest name on the list, Chet Edwards, a congressman from Texas who happens to represent George Bush's district, Crawford, Texas, the very model of a moderate Democrat, recommended by Nancy Pelosi. CNN has found out he has, indeed, been vetted for the vice presidency, though he says he has not spoken to Obama any time in the last few days. He is now a hot contender. He has been in Washington since 1990. He's an experienced member of Congress, but he's very much a moderate Democrat and a bipartisan figure, and that is the direction of change that Barack Obama says he wants to go.

PHILLIPS: All right, Bill Schneider, your gut. I know you've got your sources. I know you're talking to everyone. Wouldn't it make sense for Obama to come out on the stage and introduce the name of the V.P. then? Versus 2 p.m. in the afternoon on a Friday?

SCHNEIDER: He can do it any time he wants, but he has made a pledge that the first people to find out are going to be his supporters, and he's going to text message them.

Well, one of the problems he didn't think of is there are a lot of hoaxes out there. Some news organizations may be falling for those hoaxes. We keep hearing it's this name; it's that name. No, it's a hoax, because a lot of hackers have figured out how to text-message people and put out a false name. So you've got to be careful.

PHILLIPS: I'll get nervous when I see your name coming across my text message.

SCHNEIDER: I am available.

PHILLIPS: OK, talk to you in a little bit, Bill.

Well, on the Republican side, our sources say that John McCain is still deciding on a running mate. Among the possibilities: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Now Pawlenty is a co-chair of the McCain campaign. Before he was elected governor, he was Minnesota's house majority leader. He was first elected to the Minnesota House of representatives in 1993. Now Romney was one of McCain's rivals, as you know, for the Republican nomination. He served as governor of Massachusetts between 2003 and 2007. He lost a 1994 U.S. Senate bid to Edward Kennedy. Well, U.S. troops in Iraq, about 150,000 are there now, but all could be gone in just a little over three years. That's according to a tentative agreement reached in Baghdad between U.S. and Iraqi negotiators. Of course, a lot can happen between now and the end of 2011, including the November elections.

CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad with more.

Arwa, how set is this date?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it still has to go through a number of levels of agreements, to include being agreed on by both the U.S. and the Iraqi government. So even though this initial draft might have been agreed to, it could take quite some time, especially when it comes to the Iraqis. Not only does the prime minister have to sign off on it, but then it goes forward to a number of councils, and eventually, it ends up in parliament.

And this could perhaps be the toughest sell yet. There are so many political parties. They each have their own agenda.

And then of course, there is the political bloc that is loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. They have already been demonstrating against U.S. forces for the last few weeks. And they have said that they will not sign on to this agreement, quite simply because they don't trust the negotiators. So we could see it all come apart at the end of the day.

But at the same time, while the Iraqi side is negotiating this agreement, they're doing it, keeping in mind what the demands of the various political parties are. And that's why they're saying they're including these dates. That date of 2011 that you just mentioned thereby, which all U.S. forces could be gone, and the date of June 30, 2009. That's when U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraqi cities to bases on the outskirts.

But there are caveats throughout this entire deal because of the precarious security situation here. The Iraqi government could choose at any point in time to call U.S. troops back into the cities or just to use them for backup on operations. And it also can request that they stay on longer. In fact, it will be forming a joint committee to assess the security situation on the ground at that point, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Arwa Damon, live from Baghdad. Thanks so much.

And you better believe the two men competing for the White House have some pretty strong feelings on this agreement. Stay with CNN. In just a couple of minutes, we'll show you how the candidates view on the Iraq pullout.

Record floods in two states have folks saying enough is enough. First to Florida, where Tropical Storm Fay is still hanging around. With flood waters 2 feet and higher, President Bush has declared a state of emergency. At least six deaths are blamed on that storm. A hospital in central Florida had to turn patients away after floodwaters poured into its emergency room. Much of Texas is also saturated. More than 1,000 homes are damaged after six straight days of downpours.

Let's get the latest on Fay from someone who's right there in the middle of it. Reporter Jonathan Petramala of our affiliate Bay News 9 is in Crystal River for us on the western edge of Florida -- Jonathan.

JONATHAN PETRAMALA, BAY NEWS 9 REPORTER: Hey, good afternoon.

Well, it's actually deteriorated throughout the day. It started out, it was just light steady rain. And in the last hour or so, the wind has really picked up, blowing Fay. Fay is just hitting Citrus County here in the western part of Florida very hard. A state of emergency was actually just announced a few minutes ago. What that means, the shelters are going to open up here in the county around 4 p.m. in the afternoon.

I'm actually standing in Kings Bay, but I'm actually in somebody's front yard. The water has been pushed in with the strong wind throughout the day, and it was really pushed in high around early this morning when there was a high tide, but the water has stayed here throughout the day. And that's what's really worrying emergency managers, because they assumed they knew that there was going to be some sort of coastal flooding here, and this is about what they expected.

(AUDIO/VIDEO GAP)

PHILLIPS: As you can tell, with the conditions there picking up like they are, we lost that signal with Jonathan Petramala of our affiliate there, Bay 9 News -- or Bay News 9, rather, in Crystal River. We'll follow, though, what's happening there on the western edge of Florida.

Meanwhile, Fay seems determined to visit every corner of Florida. Right, Chad Myers?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Even on the other side. This is the west side that the reporter was on. Way over here north of Tampa. Not really in a whole lot of rain for the rest of the storm.

But this flooding that he's standing in is not rainfall. It is literally salt water being brought in with the wind off the Gulf of Mexico and pushed right into those communities, Homosassa and all the way back down to Crystal River, and go all the way down toward the beaches here, around New Port Richey. All of that wind is blowing right onshore here.

A couple of other threats today: tornadoes. Big tornado watch box all the way from Charleston to Jacksonville. Two tornado warnings right now. Doppler indicated there's enough spin in the storms east of Jacksonville, immediately, down to St. Augustine. That's where the tornado warnings are now, which means you need to take cover now if you're in those areas, because it is possible, not just there's the potential, it's possible that there is a storm that is spinning significantly enough to put down a tornado.

There's the big center of the storm, from Jacksonville all the way down, really almost down to Tampa. Look at the numbers here, Kyra: 26 inches in Melbourne. You can't deal with 2 feet of rain anywhere. And it just doesn't run off in time.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep tracking it with you. Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Our iReporters have been helping us cover all the angles of the record flooding, as well. Get a load of some of what they're seeing a little bit later in the hour.

An avalanche in August? You bet. Harrowing video from Washington's Snoqualmie Pass. Two teenage boys spent almost five hours trapped under thick sheets of ice yesterday before rescuers got to get them out. Authorities believe that those boys were posing for a picture when the unimaginable happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW MILLER, WITNESS: It just -- I mean, just came down really quick. I mean, it seems like it was really fast. You could never tell anything like that would happen.

MARILYN PYKE, WITNESS: There were just huge blocks of ice that had come straight down, and then others were starting to break loose and fall down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The boys are 14 and 17 years old. Both have hypothermia now. One reportedly is in serious condition. We'll bring you more from Snoqualmie Pass as we get information on those boys.

Now, somewhere in the ruins of this burned-out home in Las Vegas is the wreckage of an experimental plane that crashed through the roof. Fire officials first reported two deaths: the pilot and a person in the home. Now CNN confirms a third person has died. The FAA says that moments before that crash the pilot radioed that he wasn't gaining altitude.

Another day, another court appearance for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. At an arraignment, a prosecutor offered to drop one of the two assault charges if Kilpatrick agrees to resign. The mayor's new lawyer said no, and not-guilty pleas were entered. The judge scheduled a bond hearing for Monday. That's opening day of the Democratic convention in Denver, by the way. And Kilpatrick says he still hopes he's going to go. Right now, he's forbidden to leave Detroit.

Now here comes the conventions. Have you ever wondered who pays for these things? We're going to probably guess that you'll be shocked and the amount, as well. And the troop withdraw deal with Iraq, will the next president keep it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, an Iraq war veteran could lose his job. Why? Because he's on the government watch list. How did that happen?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Russia says its troops are pulling out, really. Georgians aren't so sure. But here's what we know.

Today's the day that the Russian president promised a full pullback of soldiers from occupied regions of Georgia. Now, last we heard, there were lots of military traffic, but no confirmation yet of a full Russian withdrawal. Georgia's interior minister says the Russians are playing a game: just changing their appearance to look like peacekeepers.

Meanwhile, a CNN producer there saw something that might support that theory: Russian troops putting on white arm bands, the kind worn by checkpoint peacekeepers.

And heavy fighting today in western Afghanistan. The U.S.-led coalition, alongside Afghan troops, killed 30 Taliban militants, including, we're told, a head commander. A coalition spokesperson says the troops were ambushed in Herat province. The U.S. and Afghan soldiers also took several Taliban prisoners and found a stash of weapons and bomb-making materials.

New details for you now on that horrible plane crash that we saw this week. Remember, it killed 153 people in Spain? Well, word today that the Boeing MD-82 jet was not on fire when it skidded off the runway during takeoff. That's contrary to some witness accounts that an engine on the plane was on fire.

Now, our source says that an airport video shows the plane lifting off, then immediately veering off course and skidding to a stop as a fire ball erupted at that point. U.S. investigators are in Madrid, helping to determine the cause of that crash.

We've reported a lot on the watch list: hundreds of thousands of names that the government associates with terrorism but that also could belong to innocent people. The list makes it very hard to fly and very hard for a Gulf War veteran in Pennsylvania to even make a living.

CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric Scherfen was an infantry man on the front lines in the first Gulf War. Even has a signed photograph with him with the first President Bush. He later became a National Guard helicopter pilot and, after his discharge, got a job as a pilot with a small commuter airline.

Then last April, his employer told him he was on a watch list. He was banned from the cockpit and was told he would lose his job September 1 unless he clears his name.

ERICH SCHERFEN, SUSPENDED PILOT: My entire career depends on me getting off this list. I probably won't be able to get a job anywhere else in the world having this mark that I'm on this list, this undetermined list.

MESERVE: Scherfen is a convert to Islam. His wife, Rabina Tureen, an American citizen, was born in Pakistan. She sells Islamic books and DVDs.

ROBINA TAREEN, SCHERFEN'S WIFE: It's mainstream. It's a very moderate kind of perspective on Islam.

MESERVE: They have both been delayed at airports and borders, told by security personnel they are on a list.

(on camera) Are you guys terrorists?

SCHERFEN: No.

TAREEN: No.

MESERVE: Do you associate with people who are terrorists?

TAREEN: No.

SCHERFEN: No.

MESERVE: Do you give money to any organization which might have terrorist links?

SCHERFEN: Not at all.

MESERVE: Why do you believe you may be on a list?

SCHERFEN: At this time, we do not know. That's the problem.

TAREEN: Maybe because I'm a Muslim. And because -- because of my ethnicity.

MESERVE (voice-over): They have tried to find out. In May they wrote to the Department of Homeland Security, in June to the Transportation Security Administration traveler redress program. This week, after publicizing their plight by filing a lawsuit, they finally got a number to track their case.

WITOLD WALCZAK, ACLU OF PENNSYLVANIA: The TSA has set up a complaint system where you basically put your complaint, and it goes into a black hole. And you get no response, you get nowhere. And bottom line is, it is not the kind of effective process that the Constitution demands when the government is going to take away your life, liberty, or property. MESERVE (on camera): The Justice Department will not even say if Scherfen and Tareen are, indeed, on a watch list. But the TSA says it is trying to resolve their complaint. And a judge looking at the case asks that Scherfen's termination date be moved back to October 1. Thursday it was, giving everyone a little more breathing room.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The Internet chatter about China's gold-medal gymnasts won't quit. Were they old enough to compete? Now the International Olympics Committee steps in.

Hallmark, when you care enough to send the very best. The company's now working on a same-sex card collection. You'll see it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, it could be a first in Native American history. Two young women plan to marry next spring on the coast of southern Oregon. They finalized plans after the Coquille Indian tribe adopted a law to recognize same-sex marriage. The tribe is not bound by the state's constitution. Legal scholars say the tribal law is likely to stand unless Congress intervenes.

Here's another sign of the times: same-sex wedding cards from hallmark. They were added to the brand after California joined Massachusetts as the first states to sanction same-sex marriage. A gay activist notes that, given Hallmark's mammoth distribution, you'll probably see cards like these in mainstream stores, not just ones known for being a little quirky.

More bad news about the economy. Fed chief Ben Bernanke says the U.S. is still getting hit by a financial storm that's reached (UNINTELLIGIBLE) force. But stocks are soaring nevertheless. Stephanie Elam on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to explain why.

Hey, Steph.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Yes, it seems that investors are paying more attention to what the Fed chief had to say about inflation. And that's why we're seeing the numbers where they are today.

Speaking in Wyoming today, and Bernanke actually said that he sees inflation moderating. The pressure there, this year into next year. So that's what the markets are reading into.

And if you take a look at oil today, you can also see that it is down close to $4 a barrel today, which is welcome news after an almost $6 spike yesterday.

Take a good look at the numbers. Right now, the Dow up 182 points, 11,613. And taking a look at the NASDAQ, also on the up side by 27 points. So obviously, that's welcome news.

Now one stock to tell you about: Lehman Brothers. It's up about 12 percent today. And this is because there is speculation that Lehman could be a takeover target for a state-run Korean development bank. And so that's part of the reason why we're seeing the stock run up today, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, why would Wall Street like news that Lehman could be bought up? Doesn't that show that the firm is getting hit by the credit crisis?

ELAM: Yes, that totally makes sense, but at the same time, being bought out is better than a collapse. So at this point, when you have news like this, it feeds into the idea that this is sort of a white knight coming in to rescue them.

A lot of analysts think that there could be more losses for Lehman, that there could be more write-downs. And so the fact that they will keep the economy moving -- Lehman is a big player in our economy -- is actually good news there. So that's why the markets like to see this one here.

Now, coming up, we are going to take a look at some people who are making a lot of money. Even though the economy's bad, there are some CEOs whoa re doing pretty nice. We'll talk about that in the next hour -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Stephanie Elam, thank you so much.

And just as Stephanie was giving me a little wrap-up there of the markets, another word being -- or I guess another name being tossed in the hat now, Chet Edwards, a congressman from Texas. His name is getting out. Could he possibly be up in -- for the position of V.P., side by side with Barack Obama? Could we hear that name?

Apparently, reporters headed to his house just outside of Waco. He did say that he was vetted for that V.P. position. This is what he told reporters just a moment ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHET EDWARDS (D), TEXAS: I'm real honored that she and others in the Congress have said they thought I would make a good vice president. You know, just grateful that some felt that way, and I'm honored to have been considered by the Obama campaign in this process.

But there's only one person that makes this decision, and regardless of what that decision is, I'm going to be strongly supportive of Senator Obama for the presidency and his choice for V.P.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Chet Edwards, a Democrat, been a congressman from Texas there nine terms. He endorsed Obama in February. Fifty-six years old. He's got his MBA from Harvard University, his BA in economics from Texas A&M. Married, two kids. We'll see what happens as we await that announcement of Barack Obama's V.P. pick.

Now, there's a big party next week. You're probably not invited, but you may be paying for it. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: One twenty-nine Eastern Time. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM for you.

An announcement could come any time now on Democrat Barack Obama's choice for vice-presidential running mate. We just learned that Texas Congressman Chet Edwards is being or has been vetted. As soon as we know, you'll know.

A small experimental aircraft crashed into a house in Las Vegas. The pilot and two people inside that house are now reported dead.

And two people are in serious condition after a tour bus accident on Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey. Police say that the bus plunged 50 feet off of an overpass.

Barack Obama has made up his mind and already calling the people who won't be joining him on the Democratic ticket. So all that's left to the big announcement naming the running mate and that could happen any time. We've heard the possibilities over and over -- Governors Kaine and Sebelius. Senators Bayh, Biden and Clinton, among them. CNN political team will bring you any new developments as they happen.

The balloons, the (INAUDIBLE), the music and the celebration. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, a national political convention is a grand old party. So, who's paying the bill?

CNN's Drew Griffin of our special investigations unit says you might be surprised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): If you check that little box on your tax return pledging $3 to presidential elections matching funds, you are contributing a lot to this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't know that. No, it does surprise me actually.

MUSIC: Let's all celebrate and have a good time.

GRIFFIN: It surprised us, too. Hold on to your goofy convention hats. The Federal Election Commission will give $34 million of your money, $17 million to each party to help pay for the party.

SHEILA KRUMHOLZ, CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: And you have to wonder what that buys us. The taxpayers are footing the bill for essentially four-day long campaign ads for the parties and their candidates.

GRIFFIN (on camera): So who came up with that idea? Come on, you already know, don't you?

SCOTT THOMAS, FMR. FED. ELECTION COMMISSION CHAIR: It was an act of Congress.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Yes, an act of Congress, of course. Former Federal Election Commissioner Scott Thomas says the idea was noble at the time. Back in the 1970s amid concerns over corruption, the push was to get private money, big donors out of presidential elections and equal the playing field for little known candidates. In a compromise, Congress decided each taxpayer could even choose to contribute by simply checking that box.

THOMAS: With the checkoff, the concept is, you know, only if citizens are actually willing to basically earmark at that time, a dollar of their taxes to go to this program. Will it get there?

GRIFFIN: But keeping them honest, here's what Congress never bothered to tell you about that check box. It hasn't replaced private money or big donor influence. It doesn't give enough to even the playing field for lesser known candidates and nowhere does it say "check here to pay for a party."

(on camera): It sounds like the voters are getting hoodwinked on this thing.

STEVE ELLIS, TAXPAYERS FOR COMMON SENSE: Certainly I think that most people when they're checking that box have no idea that they're paying for party conventions in Denver and St. Paul.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Steve Ellis, with Taxpayers for Common Sense, says no matter how you look at it, it doesn't make sense.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: U.S. troops, all of them, out of Iraq, in little over three years. That's what we're told is the bottom line with a lot of conditions on a preliminary agreement hammered out in Baghdad. Well, is it realistic? doable? Those are questions for Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Michael, good to see you.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Hi Kyra, nice to be with you.

PHILLIPS: You know, this is -- we're hearing 2001, that there's this agreement and now everybody has to sign off on it. But obviously, it's not that easy and that's why I'm coming to you.

Because the question is, how solid is this and how definitive is this, especially as we're coming up on an election and you have a new president that's going to have to weigh in?

O'HANLON: Right. Well, it's not definitive. In fact, this is what some people call an aspirational time line, or a vision.

I was on a television show about a week ago with the Foreign Minister Zebari, the Iraqi, who winds up being on TV with Rice this week, talking about the deal. And he emphasized, this is a vision, this is a hope. But Iraqis themselves, have political incentives at home to say they're trying to take over their own country, get U.S. troops out.

And so yes, it's a goal, but it's not necessarily going to happen. However, 2011 is at least plausible. It's a very best case. But it's probably the soonest we could realistically get most of our combat forces out.

PHILLIPS: Tell me why. Tell me why 2011 and why you think that's plausible. Because this is the first time we've actually heard a hard year.

O'HANLON: Right. Well, in 2009, you know, Iraqis go to have their own elections. That's not a good year to be doing a big U.S. draw down, I don't believe because that creates a security vacuum or the risk of a security vacuum at just the moment when you want Iraqis to be reaching out across sectarian lines.

Also, they have more than 4 million refugees in internally displaced persons who haven't yet started to come home. We need to be involved, I think, in helping the resettlement process begin so you don't get a new round of sectarian cleansing or ethnic cleansing during that process.

And there a couple other big sticking issues that I think we can see progress on over the next year or so. But until we do, to begin that big U.S. draw down risks creating a security vacuum. So I think you can start the big draw down, maybe early in 2010, and maybe go along, more or less the same pace that Obama has proposed at that time.

But, if you start going down as soon as the next U.S. president's inaugurated, you create this big sense of insecurity among Iraqis just as they need to go to the elections, just as they need to try to bring the refugees home and so forth.

PHILLIPS: So basically, when we hear 2011, there is no way the president of the United States now -- President Bush -- would sign off on this and this would be anything solid because you have John McCain and Barack Obama saying different things on what they're going to do.

And they can't be tied or committed to a 2011 deal, right?

O'HANLON: There's that and there's also the fact that no one ever gets Iraq right looking out more than a year or two. I certainly would concede that whenever I try to put on my, you know, look into my crystal ball on Iraq, I've usually had to revise things. Even trying to look out 6 to 12 months. It's a dynamic environment.

The good news is, that means maybe 2011 is plausible, even though, you know, a few months ago it seemed very optimistic, there's a chance it could happen. But, you better keep some flexibility. Because with Iraq, you just don't know.

PHILLIPS: So these were low-level negotiations that came up with this year, but there's still quite a long way to go.

O'HANLON: But they're high-level negotiations because they have a political purpose in Iraq. The Iraqi prime minister needs to show his people he's trying to get his people he's trying to get us out. Whether he really can is another matter..

PHILLIPS: Got it. Mike O'Hanlon, always great to talk to you. Put it in perspective. Appreciate it.

O'HANLON: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Home swallowed by flood waters, alligators swimming in the streets. These are just some of the things that we've heard about among the chaos from Tropical Storm Fay.

CNN iReporters have other views, as well of the flooding. And Veronica de la Cruz is in New York to share just some of them with us.

Hey, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there Kyra.

Let's go ahead and start with Melissa Smith. She sent us some photos of a pond that she says normally isn't there. She lives in Dulan (ph), Florida, take a look. She says her apartment complex has been trying to pump out all of the water. They really haven't been able to. This is the backyard. But take a look at this. This is the parking lot which Melissa says was flooded in just two hours. She says she's also been struggling with the power going in and out throughout the day.

And Louise Mills sent us this video from Cape Canaveral, Florida. She says she hasn't been able to leave her condo now because of all the water. She's been there for a couple of days. So, she shot this video of her son and grandson coming to pay her a visit. As you can see, he has his waders, there and he's carrying his son on his shoulders.

And then Kyra, just to give you some perspective, she also snapped this photo. If you pull back for a second, this is the entire condominium complex under water.

Also in Cape Canaveral, Theresa Casper shot some video of her beach community. Take a look, as you can see the neighborhood completely flooded out. She says the water is knee deep in a lot of spots. And some of the homes have as much as 5 inches of water damage already. It's a story that we are hearing over and over again.

So, if you have pictures and video, you can go ahead and send them to us by logging on to iReport.com. And of course, we're going to get those on the air throughout the day -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Great. Veronica, thanks. Drugs from your doctor, good for you or good for the drug companies?

And he looks the part, but he's not. An ordinary man with extraordinary way to honor fallen U.S. soldiers just one step at a time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Medical marking. It's a big business, but, is it in your best interest? When your doctors prescribe a certain drug, how do you know that they haven't been swayed by a pharmaceutical company?

Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is in New York, talking about this today.

Hey, Elizabeth, what should we look for, I guess?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Key, Kyra. There are a bunch of things you should look for. And let's learn some lessons from a woman named Linda Lewis.

Linda lives in California, she had terrible lower back pain. She went to a surgeon and she said that he recommended a certain artificial disk over other possibilities because she says that he -- she later learned he had a link to the company that made the disk. It was a mess. It didn't work out. She was in terrible pain, had to have a secondary procedure and she was livid when she found out that he had ties that he did not disclose to her.

Now, we tried to call her surgeon. His office said that he was not available for comment. But Kyra, just this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, there was an article that said that most, not many, but, most U.S. physicians have financial ties of one kind or another to pharmaceutical and device companies -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. So, tell me exactly what we need to look for. What all of us need to look for.

COHEN: Right. If you want to look for signs that your doctor's advice might be based on some kind of financial tie that they have to accompany, first of all, you want to look for signs that marketers have been there to visit him or her.

For example if the office is full of coffee cups or pamphlets from a drug company, that that's a good sign. Or if you see drug reps coming in and out. Also, ask questions. Let's say you're getting a blood pressure drug and there were 10 other ones your doctor could have prescribed, you can say, what is it about this drug that you like so much doctor?

Also, know when not to worry. If you get a prescription for a very short-term drug, let's say, 10 days of an antibiotic, chances are no one's marketed that antibiotic to your doctor. It's so short-term that drug companies don't really spend that much time marketing drugs like that -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: So, what does the American Medical Association say about this?

COHEN: The American Medical Association is very clear. They say that physicians have top most in their mind, concerns about their patients' well being.

But they also say a patient if concerned, can ask a doctor about how they're making their treatment decisions if they feel that they need to do that. They can ask, what is the basis for this recommended course of treatment?

Now, you can find other tips from me on CNN.com/empoweredpatient. Ways to figure out whether your doctor's recommendations are really what's best for you, or is he just a victim of marketing?

PHILLIPS: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, doctors are worried more children in this country are getting measles. Health officials say that almost half of the cases involve children whose parents won't let them get vaccinated fearing that the vaccine might cause autism. Now, so far this year, there have been 131 cases of measles. In all of last year, there were 42 cases.

Now in Canada, people are being told to toss certain brands of ready-to-eat deli meat. Health official says that the food might be linked to an outbreak of listeriosis. Two people have died, at least 16 other people have gotten sick. Maple Leaf Foods is recalling 23 varieties of its deli meat. And its resanitizing its Toronto plant as a precaution.

The internet chatter about China's gold medal gymnasts won't quit. Were they old enough to compete? Now the International Olympics Committee steps in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The thrill of competition, the spirit of the games. OK. But it's all about the medals, right? The United States still leads in overall Olympic medals with 102 to China's 89. Russia's next with 60, followed by Great Britain and Australia. China leads in the gold department by the way, with 47. The U.S. has 31.

Well, the Chinese gymnastics program is standing firm insisting that its young athletes are indeed old enough to compete.

CNN's John Vausse tells us about the controversy in Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As China's gymnasts proudly showed off their Olympic gold medals on Friday, officials went on the defensive over repeated questions that as many as half their women's team might be under the 16 year age limit.

HUANG YUBIN, CHINESE GYMNASTICS COACH (through translator): Asians have different body shapes than people from the west. So that's caused their suspicion. They shouldn't be suspicious says China's head gymnastics coach.

VAUSSE: The International Olympic Committee isn't accusing anyone of cheating, but, it is asking for more evidence that the girls are as old as China says they are.

GISELLE DAVIES, I.O.C SPOKESWOMAN: There have been questions that have been on the table and discrepancies that have been eluded to by certain parties. And the I.O.C. is simply wanting to do its due diligence.

VAUSSE: The are they, or aren't they age debate is almost a month old. First raised by a "New York Times" investigation. And this week, a blogger reportedly a U.S.-based security expert, claims to have found Chinese government cyber documents that one of their star gymnasts He Kexin, was born in 1994 not 1992, making her 14, not 16.

(on camera): The blogger also alleges that any reference to He's younger age on the internet is being systematically deleted. There's no way to verify those claims. But, we did find one web site from last year's Sixth National City Games here in China, where the head of this country's Sports Bureau specifically referred to He as being 13 years old.

(voice-over): If He is, in fact younger, it may be part of the reason why she beat American Nastia Liukin in a tie break on the uneven bars. 14-year-olds with their smaller, lighter bodies, are more agile and flexible than older competitors. Chinese officials say all of these questions are because the U.S. team lost.

LU CHANZHEN, CHINESE WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS COACH (through translator): It's because the Chinese women's team is such a strong competitor for the U.S. team. That's why there are such suspicions, he says.

VAUSSE (on camera): As for the girl who seems to be the focus of this controversy He Kexin says that now she wants to go shopping in Hong Kong, have a little fun, perhaps, just like most teenagers, who are 16, or may be 14-years-old.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: So what can cockroaches tell us about presidential politics? No,, not what you may be thinking. We're going to tell you about a unique race in New Jersey.

But first, the Democratic National Convention starts Monday, and the city of Denver is front and center. In today's Election Express Yourself, we took to the city streets to hear from locals. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it could be an insane convention, especially with the acceptance speech given in front of 80,000 people and people clamoring for tickets. Tickets are harder to get for this than they were the World Series last year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now there is a sense of excitement about what's going on. You can really feel it in town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well I heard that it's the 40th anniversary of the MLK "I have a Dream" speech, so I think he's got something special.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they have to come together. If they don't come together coming out of this, then it doesn't speak well for their chances in November.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a brand-new start. It's 1952 all over again. It's Stevenson and Eisenhower, Eisenhower being McCain and Stevenson being Obama. It's really two different views of America. I think it's really gotten the country energized.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If everyone can kind of play nice and get along together and realize that we're trying to look at the bigger picture now not just one side versus the other, I think -- I hope that that's what will happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Big plans for a historic firehouse in Peekskill, New York.

Oh, well, never mind.

This was the old, vacant (INAUDIBLE) firehouse built in 1890, by the way. It was being moved just a block away to make way for a highway project. Not anymore, though. The historic firehouse is now a pile of historic bricks.

You remember Damien Maynard, the man honoring U.S. troops in Iraq by walking a mile for each of the fallen? He began in December 2006 in Nevada. We caught up with him just a few weeks back in Ohio, some 2,800 miles later. Now he's in upstate New York where reporter Robert Wolf of News 12 Westchester caught up with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David, good luck in achieving your goals.

DAMIEN MAYNARD, HONORING FALLEN U.S. TROOPS: Thank you, Chief.

ROBERT WOLF, NEWS 12 REPORTER (voice-over): Damien Maynard receives a farewell from the Irvington Police Department who treated him to lunch Thursday. He's from Idaho. And despite his uniform and pack, Maynard is not a soldier. But he's walking a mile at a time to honor their sacrifices.

MAYNARD: I started in Carson City, Nevada -- 2,810 miles ago -- on December 17th of 2006. I'm walking one mile for each of our military personnel who have fallen in Iraq.

WOLF: Maynard says the idea to honor the fallen in this way just came to him. On his journey, he carries 45 pounds of gear, including an aluminum pole topped with an American flag. As he walks from place to place, he picks up a meal here and there, but he's resorted to other means as well.

MAYNARD: Whatever the case may be on that day, but I've foraged for food throughout my journey. I've eaten cactus and snakes, turtles, all kinds of stuff. And -- it's been quite the learning experience, I'll tell you.

WOLF: Maynard has made a point of stopping at military bases where he's collected various patches and other insignia, gifts from military personnel and their families. He wears them as a reminder of the sacrifices they've made. Maynard, along with his wife and 5-year- old daughter, have made sacrifices as well.

MAYNARD: When my daughter says, I want you home now -- and I told her I couldn't be home now. So she says, well how about one minute? So, you know, she's getting anxious for me to be home.

WOLF: Maynard says his family is very supportive and he'll be wearing out some more pairs of shoes before he's done honoring those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

MAYNARD: I've been through at 8:00, and I'm working on my ninth pair.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, that was Robert Wolf from News 12, Westchester. Damien is more than halfway finished, by the way, with some 1,400 miles to go. We're going to stay in touch with him and keep you posted.

You may kiss the bride and tee off. All right, it's my kind of wedding. Hitting the links takes a whole new meaning today in Nebraska where a golf course will serve as a wedding chapel of sorts. Four couples tying the knot near Omaha. This is a rehearsal, by the way, for the big day. Making this more notable, half of the betrothed are brothers and sisters. Talk about a family affair, and further proof that golf doesn't have to handicap your love life.

Let's get one thing straight, we would never, ever compare a presidential race to a cockroach race. But maybe that's just us. In New Jersey where they know something about politics and something about cockroaches, they race roaches every four years to predict who the next president will be. And this year, a roach representing John McCain defeated a roach representing Barack Obama in the cockroach racing equivalent of a landslide. That left Obama supporters for a lack of a better term, bugged.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before the race, he looked a little sluggish. And McCain came right out of the shoot and it wasn't even a contest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's fixed. I think it was fixed. It was a fixed roach race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well save the Florida in 2000, let's hope nobody starts talks about hanging chads or hanging cockroaches.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

The "Brady Bunch" it isn't, "Hollywood Squares," nope. It's at least four of the people Barack Obama didn't choose for a running mate. His pick may be one of these, or not.

Three years after Katrina, you may think you've seen it all. Trust me, you haven't. "Trouble the Water" is rocking the film world with sights and sounds that only the survivors knew till now.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.