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American Morning
Senator Clinton to Release Delegates to Obama; McCain and Obama a Dead Heat in the Polls; Biden Unveiled: His Role, His Impact on the Ticket, and His Stance on the Economy; A Look Inside the Convention; Police Beefing Up Security in Democratic Convention
Aired August 25, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This long lingering kiss between presidential nominee Al Gore and wife Tipper provided the most enduring image from the 2000 convention and had pundits speculating whether it was spontaneous or calculated.
Conventions are also moments to catch rising stars. That was evident in 2004 when an Illinois State Senator with an unusual name gave the keynote address.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: There is not a liberal America and a conservative America. There is the United States of America.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Boy, he looks young, doesn't he? Here's a fun fact for you. Sixteen keynote speakers have gone on to run for president but only two of them eventually won their party's presidential nomination -- Barack Obama and, Kiran, William Harding. He gave the keynote address back in 1916 and became the GOP presidential nominee in 1920, four years later.
(CROSSTALK)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I know you were digging through the convention textbook to get that little tidbit for us.
CHO: I certainly was. Going through the pages.
CHETRY: Very interesting how time flies. Even in the four years between the first time we saw Bill Clinton and then now.
CHO: And how you see them age over the years. It's incredible.
CHETRY: It takes a lot out of you for sure.
CHO: It does.
CHETRY: Alina, thanks.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: It is 7:00, Monday, August 25th. We're coming to you live from Denver, Colorado, at the Pepsi Center, home to the Democratic National Convention. Good morning. John Roberts with the entire CNN political team. We've taken over parts of the floor here at the Pepsi Center. Just an incredible facility the way that they've got it set up here for the Democratic National Convention.
We have lined up all the big newsmakers this morning and coming up this hour we're going to speak with former Obama campaign communications director Robert Gibbs. He's now a senior adviser to the campaign.
And from the McCain campaign, Carly Fiorina. We're also going to take a closer look at Senator Biden's economic plan and where he stands on key issues that affect your wallet. Plus, don't miss CNN contributor and radio talk show host Roland Martin. He sat down one-on-one with Michelle Obama. Find out what she has to say about claims that she's unpatriotic.
And Michelle Obama is the headline speaker tonight at the convention. The theme for today, "One Nation." Others taking the podium today Nancy Pelosi, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Senator Claire McCaskill, Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson, and as well, Jesse Jackson Jr.
But first this hour, Senator Hillary Clinton will meet with her delegates on Wednesday and in an effort to unify the party she's going to tell her supporters to cast their votes for Barack Obama.
Dana Bash has been on top of the story since it broke. She's with us this morning. The question is, will they follow her lead? Will they cast their vote for Barack Obama?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting. When you take a look at the floor here, about 40 percent -- 40 percent, John, of the delegates supported Hillary Clinton. I mean, that's an unbelievable number. So we're talking about a big source of tension that is already starting right off the bat here.
Will they follow her lead? Many of whom I have talked to say, you know, we understand what she's trying to do. What she's trying to do is create unity. She's trying to be a good soldier. But we came here with a pledge to support her. We're going to do that.
Some of them that we talked to say after that, that maybe they will go ahead and support Barack Obama but not all of them. Some of them, many of them are still quite angry. Not just about the process, the very, very long primary process, but also about what's happened in the couple of months since then. And they feel that they really haven't, really gotten the attention in terms of the issues and basic public relations, if you will, from Barack Obama and his campaign.
ROBERTS: Look, that's what the delegates are feeling.
BASH: Right.
ROBERTS: But CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll took a look at what the voters are actually thinking. We asked people who wanted to see Hillary Clinton as the nominee whether or not they would support Barack Obama or John McCain. Look at the change in the numbers.
Back at the end of June, 75 percent said that they would have voted for Barack Obama. That's now down to 66 percent. Back in June for John McCain, 16 percent said that they would vote for him. That's up 11 points to 27 percent. It would appear he's got a real concern on his hands.
BASH: A real concern. And that is a stunning, stunning figure because when we first saw those statistics that some Hillary Clinton voters would vote for John McCain after the bruising primary battle was over it was oh, well, that's just hard feelings, that they would subside. The fact that they have grown is pretty unbelievable and it's not going unnoticed inside the McCain campaign.
In fact, out this morning we actually have a brand new television ad from John McCain's campaign trying to capitalize on this. Take a listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a proud Hillary Clinton democrat. She had the experience and judgment to be president. Now, in a first for me, I'm supporting a Republican, John McCain. I respect his maverick and independent streak and now he's the one with the experience and judgment.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A great program going on. Pete Domenici --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: So there you have it. The McCain campaign is very much trying to exploit, very much trying to stoke the very real tension that's still going on here and the reality that some of the supporters here despite what Hillary Clinton is going to say to her delegates, despite what she's going to say on the floor here tomorrow night, a lot of them are going to leave and say, you know, we still might vote for John McCain, and that is something not only John McCain wants, he absolutely needs in some of those key states in order to get elected.
ROBERTS: You know, they got a wedge in one hand and a sledge hammer in the other. They're going to try as hard as they can to drive it through this convention.
BASH: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: See if it works.
Dana, thanks so much.
BASH: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Convention headlines in your Monday morning political ticker. It is a dead heat. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows Barack Obama and John McCain both now with 47 percent. That is a slight drop for Obama. It is the first poll conducted entirely after his selection of Senator Joe Biden as a running mate.
Florida and Michigan delegates now have their full voting power back. The Democratic National Committee unanimously agreed to restore full rights back to both states' delegates. They had been given a half vote as punishment for the states holding their primaries early.
No arrest after an anti-war march by about a thousand people here in Denver. The crowd marched from the state capitol to just near our spot here at the Pepsi Center. Leading the protest was activist Ron Kovic, the Vietnam veteran who became, whose story became the book in the movie "Born on the Fourth of July." You remember starring Tom Cruise.
Senator Ted Kennedy could make a surprise appearance when the convention opens tonight. The 76-year-old Obama supporter was diagnosed with brain cancer back in May. In June he had surgery on the tumor. He has not been seen in public since his one triumphant return to the Capitol for a vote. A final decision on whether or not he will appear here in Denver will come later on today.
Lots more to come from the Pepsi Center and the Democratic National Convention. But right now, let's go to New York and here's Kiran.
CHETRY: Thanks, John. You know, Senator Joe Biden has already jumped into his role as running mate not only focusing criticism on John McCain but also reaching out to voters resistant to Barack Obama.
CNN's Candy Crowley takes a look at how the two men came together.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran and John. You know, Joe Biden has some problems. He is gaffe prone. He does have 35 years in the Senate and that seems to run counter to Barack Obama's mantra of change. And not all that long ago he said Obama wasn't experienced enough to be president. Still, the Obama campaign took a look at it and overall saw many more pluses than minuses.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): The Democratic ticket came together for the first time in Springfield, Illinois, the epicenter of Barack Obama's explosive career.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On the steps of the old statehouse, in the land of Lincoln, President Lincoln once instructed us to be sure to put your feet in the right place then stand firm. Today, Springfield, I know my feet are in the right place.
CROWLEY: Nineteen months ago in the frigid climate of an Illinois winter, Obama launched his improbable presidential campaign, an electric but untested senator selling something new. From improbable to incredible, Obama returned in the high heat of August, selling the familiar -- 35-year Senate veteran Joe Biden.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This working class kid from Scranton and Washington has always been a friend to the underdog and all who seek a safer and more prosperous America to live their dreams and raise their families.
CROWLEY: Biden brings a burst of energy to a campaign that stalled in late June and reassurance to establishment Democrats concerned Obama is underperforming in the polls. Biden immediately began to earn his pay. A regular Joe reaching into a voting bloc resistant to Obama.
BIDEN: I'm here for the cops and the firefighters, the teachers and the line workers, the folks who live, the folks whose lives are the measure of whether the American dream endures.
CROWLEY: And Biden slipped easily into the traditional number two role as attack dog ala Biden. Slice them up with a smile or a tinge of regret.
BIDEN: To tell you frankly I've been disappointed in my friend John McCain, who gave into the right wing of his party and yielded to the very swift vote politics that he so once so deplored.
CROWLEY: One is the half black, half white son of a single mom raised mostly in Hawaii, the other the oldest of four in a white working class family raised in Pennsylvania. They will campaign on their commonality as the products of the American dream that brought them together in Springfield, Illinois.
BIDEN: Ladies and gentlemen, that's your story. That's America's story. It's about if you get up, you can make it.
OBAMA: We will restore that fair shot at your dream that is at the core of who Joe Biden is and I am and what America is as a nation.
CROWLEY: And out of Springfield, the journey continues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: With the exception of the McCain campaign, the Biden choice has been well received. In fact, a new poll shows a majority of Americans thought the choice was excellent or pretty good -- Kiran and John.
CHETRY: Candy, thanks. Well, we're just getting started. Here's what we're working on for you this morning.
Senator Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, one-on-one and refuting claims she's unpatriotic. We've got the interview you'll see only on CNN.
And also, Senator Joe Biden on the economy. When it comes to your wallet and issue number one, how does the VP nominee measure up?
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." A special edition live from the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's coming up on 13 1/2 minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
We are coming to you live from inside the Pepsi Center this morning. And this is our CNN platform here. We are right behind Pennsylvania, a large delegation. They've got the seats right in front of us, and we are sitting in front of California, Minnesota and South Carolina. They are on the seats that are immediately in front of us here.
And a note to folks in that delegation, you've got partially obstructed views in the House. So you want to get here early and get the seats higher up to get a good view of the going on up on stage.
A last minute change though over the weekend. Delaware's delegation moving down to the floor of the arena getting front row seats in a nod to vice presidential nominee Senator Joe Biden. They had been up in the nosebleed section.
You're taking a look here now at the time lapse video of the move. Now, there they are taking that for Old Idaho and moving it back up to the nosebleed section, and Delaware comes down. So Delaware is right next to the podium where Senator Joe Biden is going to be speaking on Wednesday and, of course, as we said that means that Idaho got moved up to where Delaware was. Well, unfortunately for them, they've now got the long view.
Let's get back to our round table now. Joining me now to talk about the race and the convention, CNN political contributor and Republican analyst Leslie Sanchez, Democratic strategist Chris Gates. He served as the co-chair of Denver's bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention. And John Avlon, a contributor to the "Politico" and a registered independent.
Welcome back to all of you. Let's talk a little bit about Joe Biden, his selection as the vice presidential running mate.
John, let's start with you because independents will be looking at this. Biden appeals to some degree to independents. But what does he mean for this overall notion of change that Barack Obama has been driving home for the last little while? You know, 36 years in the Senate doesn't exactly to some people represent change. What does it mean to independents?
JON AVLON, CONTRIBUTOR, POLITICO.COM: Well, that's exactly right. Well, politics is perception. What Biden does is balance out Obama's perceived negatives. What the polls have been showing over and over is that he's lagging when it comes to national security, international relations.
Joe Biden is a direct attempt to correct that. And I can't help but thinking that we may be seeing the first vice presidential pick by Vladimir Putin. I mean, I do think the whole dynamics of this race changed when Russia invaded Georgia and all of a sudden national security rose dramatically up on the scale.
ROBERTS: Now, Chris, Republicans are ecstatic about Joe Biden being chosen because they've got a very lengthy record of sound bites on him including earlier from earlier in the primary season when he suggested that Barack Obama was not ready to be president. Let's listen to what he said with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" recently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC ANCHOR, "THIS WEEK": You said I think he can be ready but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: I think that I stand by the statement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So he stands by that statement and that was not too long ago.
CHRIS GATES, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, but I think it was in a different moment in a different era and it was a heated battle kind of moment. I think that everybody recognizes that certain things get said during campaigns, but I also think it reinforces some people had a fear that Barack Obama would only surround himself with sort of sick or (INAUDIBLE), people who believed in his vision, people are with him. And he clearly understood that he needed a sort of enlarged attempt, bring other people to the table. Actually I think in the end it's going to be a very positive thing that Joe Biden was a guy who was once skeptical about him but is now his running mate.
ROBERTS: So, Chris, let me call you on this point. Let's get Leslie to ring in here, too. Whenever we say to a Democrat, Joe Biden has said some things about Barack Obama that questioned his leadership. They say oh, well, during the campaign you say anything.
Well, I mean, during the campaign you're supposed to say things that you believe in or are we to take it that these candidates say things that they just don't believe?
GATES: I just hope we have the same conversation next week or in a couple of days when John McCain chooses Mitt Romney to be his running mate.
LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Let's not change the subject. Let's not change the subject. I mean, Barack Obama went from pro change to no change. I mean, that's the bottom line.
He picked somebody who's been on the federal or state dole his entire career. He was somebody who ran 36 years ago as an anti-Vietnam War liberal, and he basically has run that platform. So you have two extreme liberals running on the Democratic ticket. It's exactly a centrist vote.
From a Republican standpoint we're very -- we're delighted. I think there was truly a fear that it was going to be Hillary Clinton and that would mobilize for better or worse all that intensity behind the Democratic ticket which would be much more formidable.
ROBERTS: Although he is going to be a tough opponent in that vice presidential debate. SANCHEZ: Well, I think so. You know, Biden is somebody who is a hothead, who likes to hear himself talk. He is somebody who says -- he basically gutted Obama during the primary. Gutted him like a fish. And you can't walk away from that.
ROBERTS: We're out of time for this segment. We'll be sure to ask Joe Biden what he thinks of you, too.
(LAUGHTER)
Leslie, thanks very much. Leslie Sanchez, Chris Gates and John Avlon, thanks. We'll be back with you a little bit later on -- Kiran.
CHETRY: John, speaking of Joe Biden, many Democrats are praising Barack Obama's selection of Joe Biden as a running mate because of Biden's foreign policy experience. But how about his credentials when it comes to issue number one, the economy?
Christine Romans joins us now. And you look into this...
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, YOUR MONEY: That's right.
CHETRY: ... and you looked into Joe Biden and how his selection as the VP nomination will relate to the economy.
ROMANS: Well, Kiran, when he was running for president last year he said he wanted to "reinvigorate the middle class and he, himself, is more middle class than millionaire senator.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): Senator Joe Biden's forte, foreign policy, not the economy. But he's more average Joe than millionaire senator.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My net worth is $70,000 to $150,000. That's what happens when you get elected at 29. I couldn't afford to stay in the Congress at minimum wage, but if I get a second job I'd do it.
ROMANS: He has voted to raise the minimum wage. He was an early supporter of NAFTA. More recently he voted against the CAFTA, the Central American Trade Agreement, trade deals unpopular in potential swing states where they're blamed for lost factory jobs. But economic clout, many say, is more critical now for the McCain camp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's McCain who really needs to get somebody on his ticket who has real economic credentials. Because of the situation with the economy, you know, Obama is going to just have a real edge there. He can talk about, you know, the inflation rate. He can talk about the debt because all these things have been accrued under a Republican administration.
ROMANS: If there is a hallmark of Biden's economic record, it is as a representative of the corporate interests in his home state of Delaware. Three years ago, Biden sided with the credit card industry to make it harder for people to file for bankruptcy. He voted with Senator John McCain and against Senator Barack Obama.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Now the challenge for the ticket is convincing voters that it has the solution to the near term, a housing crisis, skyrocketing food and gas prices. And then there are these bigger issues -- a $9 trillion national debt, growing trade and budget deficits and, Kiran, more than 40 million people without health insurance.
So on the near term, we've got the head wins right now to the economy. A longer term this ticket or whoever wins is going to have to fix some very, very big problems with the economy.
CHETRY: It's funny because you're balancing that with figuring out how politically viable or what can come back --
ROMANS: Absolutely. Absolutely.
CHETRY: You have a 35-year record of voting inside.
ROMANS: That's right. And you can imagine that a lot of people are going through that record. The progressives are crazy about the fact that he voted with the credit card industry to make it harder to file for personal bankruptcy. That's something that drove the progressives just nuts.
But lunch bucket Joe is what some of the rank and file Democrats call him because they think he's really voted for the working man for most of the 30-some year history.
CHETRY: All right. It will be very interesting to see how it all shakes out. Great to see you, Christine.
ROMANS: Nice to be here, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Coming up now on 21 minutes after the hour. Protestors here in Denver may be shouting at the delegates but it's the police who are listening. Today new tactics being used to keep unruly crowds under control. We'll show those to you.
And why Biden? We'll ask a senior adviser to the Obama campaign how the decision was made to put Joe Biden on the ticket over someone like Hillary Clinton.
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: 24 minutes after the hour. As you can imagine, security is ramped up here in Denver. Tens of thousands of people descending on the city. Police keeping an eye on things using everything from new technology to new ways of corralling protesters.
CNN's Joe Johns is on the security beat. He's here now with a look. Good morning to you, Joe. JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. A couple of uneventful dry runs this weekend, real time giving the police an opportunity to sort of fine tune their plans. The only issues that really arose were crowd control and now, of course, it's time for the main event.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): Denver airport just in time for the convention. Today, TSA is rolling out new technology to help keep people safe without being invasive. This is a passive screening gizmo that looks for explosives with no x-rays, no prying, no peeking under people's clothes, no lines.
(on camera): So it's like not cooking me, right?
DAVID BASSETT, TSA DIRECTOR, DENVER AIRPORT: Correct.
JOHNS: It's not putting out something that's going through my body?
BASSETT: No opportunity to microwave your coffee or any other type of food products.
JOHNS: Right. Can it, you know, -- so if I have something in my pocket, you know, can it see it?
BASSETT: No, actually, it's not looking through your clothes. It's just registering energy that's being emitted from you.
JOHNS (voice-over): But don't think for a minute that this convention is coming off without the sort of in your face security measures that get civil liberty advocates upset.
JORDAN HILL, ALLIANCE FOR REAL DEMOCRACY: It's a bummer. It's a bummer.
JOHNS: Like this warehouse divided into pens made of chain-link fencing to hold people who get locked up during the convention. Critics are comparing it to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay though it's only supposed to be a processing center, not a jail house.
HILL: What's wrong with them doing that is that this is America and we have established a system of -- in which we deal with people who violate our codes and our laws and that is the jailing and prison system.
JOHNS: Then there's the parking lot around the corner from the convention hall fenced in by the city for demonstrations. Protesters are angry because they say it is so far from the action. The Secret Service says their grievances will still be heard by the delegates as they walk into the arena.
CATHY MAHALKO, SECRET SERVICE: For all intents and purposes this will be the greeting party for lack of a better way to put it because it will be the first -- the first exposure as the delegates come through the screening process. JOHNS: Add to that the recent police warnings for officers to be on the lookout for stockpiles of supplies. Anything from nails to cause flat tire, to pipes, chemicals, helmets, and shields that could be used by violent demonstrators. The ACLU is irate.
MARK SILVERSEIN, LEGAL DIRECTOR, COLORADO ACLU: This poses a tremendous risk of getting officers all ramped up, all amped up for a confrontation.
JOHNS: OK. So are the law enforcement guys going overboard?
LT. RON SAUNIER, DENVER POLICE: I don't think we will. I think that we're set to take action when it needs to be taken, and I'm hoping we don't have to take any.
JOHNS: Activist groups we talked to say everything they are planning is peaceful. The authorities say they've got a plan for the worst.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: Yesterday, there was a pretty fair sized protest outside. The only problem there, of course, they had to briefly close down one of the entrances to the convention complex, John.
ROBERTS: Quite a large frozen zone around the complex too. We had to walk quite a distance this morning to get here.
JOHNS: That's right. There will be more entrances today so it will be a little easier, they say.
ROBERTS: All right. Joe, thanks so much for that -- Kiran.
CHETRY: John, thanks. Well, she's proud of her country. She wants to make sure everyone knows it. Michelle Obama speaking out this morning in a new interview with Roland Martin about her patriotism.
Also, Senator John McCain defending himself over the how many homes do you own flap. The presumptive Republican nominee trying to set the record straight. And we're speaking with one of his senior advisers straight ahead.
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN, ANCHOR: Welcome back to the most politics in the morning. We are live from the Pepsi Center here where this week the democrats will officially nominate Barack Obama for president and Joe Biden for vice president. So how did Obama's campaign decide the senator from Delaware is the right man for the vice presidential slot? Robert Gibbs is the senior advisor for the Obama campaign and he joins us now live from the Pepsi Center. Good morning to you, Robert. It's good to see you in person.
ROBERT GIBBS, Obama CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Good morning. Thanks for having me. ROBERTS: You're usually you're a little square on the wall in New York.
GIBBS: It's nice to be here in person.
ROBERTS: It's good to see you're actually a real person. Before we talk about Biden let me ask you a little bit about Hillary Clinton. Because we have news this morning that she is releasing her delegates to vote for Barack Obama on Wednesday. Do you - the question appears to be even though she does that, will they vote for him?
GIBBS: Look, I think that the case we're going to make to democrats, independents, and republicans for the next 71 days is that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are a ticket that can bring about the change that we need. We can't afford four more years of the same Bush-McCain policies. Look, if you supported Hillary Clinton you did it because she was a vocal advocate, an eloquent spokesperson for working families in America, for better health care, for better schools, for strong national security. We believe and I think her delegates will come to understand that the person that best picks up those policy positions in a presidential campaign is indeed Barack Obama. That's why she's supporting Barack Obama.
ROBERTS: We're talking about this with our Dana Bash just a couple of minutes ago and also pointing out that the delegates are one thing but then voters who supported Hillary Clinton are quite another. We've got a new poll out that shows that Senator Obama's support has slipped about nine points among that group of people where John McCain's has increased by 11 points. Now 27 percent of Hillary Clinton voters say they're going to vote for him. How much of a problem does that pose?
GIBBS: Well look, we've got 71 days before an election. The polls are going to go up and down. We understand that. But again, I think if we put the choice in front of delegates here and the voters all across this country, who's going to help rebuild this economy and put your family back to work? Who's going to keep your family safe at night? Who's going to produce - reduce our dependence on foreign oil because we send billions of dollars every year to dictators halfway around the world that then use that money to fund terrorism. The best person to do those things isn't John McCain, it's Barack Obama. And if Hillary Clinton who has worked with both of these guys and she has come to the same conclusion. Barack Obama is her guy.
ROBERTS: You mentioned a lot of national security issues and a lot of people are pointing to that as the reason why Joe Biden is now the vice presidential running mate. Ron Fournier, political reporter from the "Associated Press," one of the best political reporters in the country said this about your pick, recently, he said it showed a lack of confidence he thought, "for all his self-confidence, the 47-year- old Illinois senator worried he couldn't beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack. The Biden selection is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative - a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens to run counter to his image." What do you say about that?
GIBBS: Well, Ron and I had some discussions about that column, most of which we can't repeat on the air. Obviously we vehemently disagree with that. Look, here is what Joe Biden brings to this ticket, an unrivaled resume on national security, cops and firefighters know him as just Joe. He's worked across party lines to get things done. If you look at Senator Lugar from Indiana, a republican, Chuck Hagel a republican from Nebraska, both lauded the pick. But you know, it's also who he is as a man, who he is as a person. He's been tested by adversity.
ROBERTS: And what would he be as vice president, would he be sort of a global firefighter, would he be a strong vice president?
GIBBS: Well, I think he would be a very strong vice president. The one thing that Barack Obama wanted was somebody who could give him unvarnished advice, tell him what he needed to hear, not just what he wanted to hear and I think that's what we've got in Joe Biden.
ROBERTS: Well, he has said some things in the past that you didn't want to hear so we'll see if he continues to do it. Robert, it's great to see you. Thanks for coming in.
GIBBS: Thanks for having me.
ROBERTS: Appreciate it. Good luck during the week.
GIBBS: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN, ANCHOR: John, thanks. You know, this week in Denver it's supposed to be all about Barack Obama but will there be any bad blood resurfacing between Obama and the Clintons? New reports this weekend that there are tensions possibly building over the topic of Bill Clinton's speech. All of it seems to come down to whether the Clintons should accept Obama or should Obama try to win over the Clintons and Clinton supporters.
Joining me to discuss this is former Clinton campaign senior adviser Lisa Caputo and republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins. Thanks for being with us. Lisa, you have an interesting take on this because you said it's a 24-hour news cycle that's generating this dustup. Do you believe it's much ado about nothing?
LISA CAPUTO, FMR. CLINTON CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: I do. I think in the end democrats will unite around Barack Obama as the leader of the democratic party going into this election. Democrats want to get rid of the McCain-Bush era and I think it's fair to say that going into this convention you're going to see the democratic party highlight the strengths of the ticket. What Joe Biden brings to this ticket? What Barack Obama brings to this ticket? In change, Biden bringing the experience, an appeal to women voters as a sponsor of, an author of the Violence Against Women Act. Very pro-Israel, Joe Biden, which will help with Jewish voters -
CHETRY: What's going on with these changing numbers where even more Hillary Clinton supporters than in June now say they're picking McCain over Obama. CAPUTO: If you look in today's "New York Times" however you'll see that there is a poll out saying more than half of the delegates, the Clinton delegates, are for Obama. And I think in the end you will see absolutely Hillary Clinton do the right thing. On Wednesday she is convening her delegates. She is going to talk to them and ask them to throw all of their support against Barack Obama. So I think that democrats will absolutely unite. It's Barack Obama's convention and it's Barack Obama's day.
CHETRY: Ed, is it going to be hard in your opinion for Barack Obama to get out of the Clinton shadow?
ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Always. The Clintons are gigantic, a gigantic couple both as individuals, the president elected twice and obviously a first lady with great respect who was a tremendous campaigner. I think at the end of the day maybe they'll be able to get the delegates back in line. And there's still going to be some blue collar democrats and some women out there who are not going to be totally happy with this ticket and I think it comes down to it's a resume. Joe Biden has a very strong resume. Barack Obama has a very thin resume. When you're picking the commander in chief John McCain has moved forward to make it about leadership. If they can make it about Bush, then they can come back. They can make it about John McCain and the future and who's the best leader then John McCain is going to do very well.
CHETRY: All right. Let's take a listen. This is the McCain campaign already making an ad criticizing Barack Obama for not picking Hillary Clinton. Let's take a quick look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: She won millions of votes but isn't on his ticket. Why? For speaking the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: What do you think about the fact that John McCain's camp is really trying to actively take these people - he also has a youtube ad out right now where you have former Hillary supporters saying I can't go with Obama, I'm going with McCain. Is he going to be able to capitalize on this>
CAPUTO: No. I think he has nowhere else to go except to try and grasp at a straw here and take the tact of why didn't he pick Hillary Clinton? The fact of the matter is Biden was a very strong pick and even as Ed has said, you know very strong resume, and he is going to appeal to swing voters. He's a Catholic. He's from a working class background, reared in Scranton, Pennsylvania near my hometown of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. And so I think Biden was absolutely a strong pick and I think the McCain campaign is scrambling to figure out, gee, now what do they do because Obama picked such a credible number two.
ROLLINS: Republicans would much rather run against him and compare the contrast between his resume and Biden's. Hillary was the one who always was going to add great dimension to the ticket. At the end of the day, Joe Biden is not a vote getter. No matter what you say after spending 240 days in Iowa he got less than one percent of the vote. So I mean, he's not someone who can go out there and cross over votes.
CHETRY: All right. We're out of time and we're going to leave it here but we'll check back with you both in the next hour as well. Ed Rollins, Lisa Caputo, thanks.
CAPUTO: Nice to be here.
ROLLINS: Great. Thank you.
CHETRY: John. Actually Ali has business for us. Hey, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN, SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: ... going on, Kiran. You're going to hear a lot about who's better for the economy, democrats or republicans. Well, I've got some hard numbers about who's better for your investments and your retirement and I'll have those as soon as we come back right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: And welcome back right now to AMERICAN MORNING. Ali Velshi in "Minding your Business." You were talking last hour about the best combination. Is it a democrat or a republican in the White House that is the best thing for the economy?
VELSHI: Well, our friends at Standard and Poors Capital I.Q. have crunched the numbers. We talk about the economy, generally, the economy is a big thing to measure. Let's talk about the stock market and let's talk about your 401Ks and your IRAs over the last 25, 10 years, 25 years, and 50 years. Have a look at the best combinations for your money. It is when there is a president who is of a different party than Congress in the White House.
Take a look at this. Over the last 10 years, with a GOP president, with a republican president and democratic congress, the markets have been up an average of six percent. The other way around under a democratic president and a republican Congress, 14 percent. But 10 years is hard to measure because the last administration has been in, this administration has been in for eight years so you want to go further back. Over 25 years, with a republican president and democrat Congress, the Dow has returned an average or the S&P has returned an average of 13 percent. With a democrat in the White House and republicans in Congress, 22 percent return and that's the same over 50 years.
So history says that the best combination for your retirement for your 401(k), for your IRA, is a democratic president and a republican Congress. That combination of sort of a big program that's for middle class America and a Congress that is fiscally conservative saying hold on, if you're going to do this we have to balance it against that. That's what turns actually best for the market.
CHETRY: That's the tension. The good tension that work. VELSHI: That's the good tension that's good for the market. That's not necessarily good for the whole economy but if you're looking at the markets right now that's something to keep in mind.
CHETRY: All right. Ali, thanks. It's good to see you.
Well, the McCain campaign sets the record straight. We're talking with his senior advisor about his real estate blunder and the new push to get democratic and independent voters over to his side.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barack Obama is campaigning in front of nice midwesterners before he heads off to the convention in Denver but nice is not on the democratic agenda. That story coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: The convention will have a huge impact on the city of Denver. Here's a look at an "A.M. Extra." At least 35,000 people are expected in town, 15,000 of them will be media covering the event. The party says 21,000 people have signed up as volunteers and the city says the convention could bring in up to $200 million. Kiran.
CHETRY: Senator John McCain is speaking out about his recent verbal blunder on the number of homes he owns. This is Senator Barack Obama and now vice presidential candidate Joe Biden continue to hit him on the economy. Joining me from Denver is a Carly Fiorina. She's a senior advisor for the McCain campaign. Good morning, Carly. Great to see you.
CARLY FIORINA, MCCAIN CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Good morning, Kiran. How are you? Great to be with you.
CHETRY: Thank you. I know a lot going on there. And this weekend was the first time that Senator John McCain sort of responded to some of the heat he was taking when he was asked by a reporter how many homes do you own and he really couldn't answer the question. So let's listen to what he said this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have homes and I'm grateful for it. We spend our time primarily in Washington, D.C. where I have a condominium in Crystal City, here in this beautiful Sedona that I'm blessed every moment I can spend here. Our condominium in Phoenix, Arizona, and a place over in San Diego. The others are also for investment purposes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: So, Carly, how does John McCain make the case to the American people, people some of them who are struggling to pay their mortgage. I understand what you're going through, when he does have way more homes than let's say the average American?
FIORINA: Well, I think John McCain has been very fortunate in his life but you have to remember that this is a man who has these blessings and these assets because he's worked hard all his life. That's part of the American dream. I think John McCain demonstrates that he understands what the American people are going through by proposing many months ago a home plan to keep people in their homes to allow them to trade out a mortgage for which they probably can no longer afford to something that the federal government would guarantee. He put that proposal forward on April 15th. And I think frankly it's quite amazing to me that there's this much discussion about this when obviously his wife has had an investment portfolio that's been managed by others but there's very little discussion about the fact that Barack Obama got the opportunity to buy a house that he couldn't afford through his associations with a gentleman named Tony Rezko who's now in jail.
So I think if we want to talk about houses and who's out of touch with the American people we ought to be balanced in that. But let me tell you that John McCain spends every day out talking to hard working Americans and understands very well what they're going through and has a very comprehensive program to get this economy moving again and to create more jobs in this country and to keep Americans in their homes.
CHETRY: There's a new ABC-"Washington Post" poll out that shows that 17 percent of Hillary Clinton supporters are going to support and back Barack Obama. But that leaves about 30 percent up for grabs, why do you think these voters, women in particular, should back McCain? Because we understand that McCain is going to attempt to really go after these voters. We've seen it in a new ad where a Hillary Clinton supporter now says I've decided I'm going to support McCain. How is he going to make the case to these women in particular that he's the better pick for them?
FIORINA: Well, you know, John McCain has been out talking to democrats and independents for many months now. And I have had the privilege of talking with many of them on his behalf. And what I see is a group of women who want a leader whose judgment and experience they can trust. These are people who want a leader who will honor the contributions of women in this country, in our businesses, and in his administration. They want a leader who will reach his hand across the aisle and has a proven record of bipartisanship. They want a leader who will govern from the center. And all of these things they see in John McCain.
CHETRY: And let me ask you -
FIORINA: And they are quite -
CHETRY: I just want to ask you -
FIORINA: Go ahead.
CHETRY: You said speaking of women voters, and before we ran out of time, I do want to ask you this, should there be a woman on the republican ticket for vice president?
FIORINA: Well, I think John McCain will make the best choice. It is his choice alone. And we will see what that choice is shortly. But I think what women are really interested in is how will this man lead. And what I know, having known him for many years, is this is a man who understands and honors the contribution of women. He has strong women all throughout his professional life and personal life. There will be women represented in his administration. But I will also say there are many democratic women here who were quite stunned by the fact that Barack Obama would select someone he claims as a good debator, a good campaigner and could garner votes when Hillary Clinton was clearly, in the democratic primaries, as a woman who, the person who gathered the most votes, 18 million of them, was a great debater and a great campaigner.
CHETRY: All right. Carly Fiorina, McCain campaign senior adviser. Thanks for being with us.
FIORINA: Thank you.
CHETRY: And Michelle Obama will be taking center stage tonight, the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. She sat down with CNN political analyst and radio host Roland Martin and defended herself against claims that she's unpatriotic. She said hers is a quintessential American family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, SEN. BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: I have said and will continue to say that I am absolutely proud of my country. And no other place in this country could my story be possible. That's, you know, I am here because of the opportunities that my father had, that my mother had. You know, we are who Americans were supposed to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, you can see more of the interview coming up in our next hour when Roland Martin joins us live from Denver.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice-over): Her moment. As Michelle Obama gets ready for the biggest speech of her life. An exclusive interview with tonight's star attraction.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Our stories are the quintessential American stories.
ROBERTS: And picking the ticket. Why Joe Biden and why was Clinton never betted for the job. Inside from the co-chair of Obama's selection committee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN F. KENNEDY, JR.: Over a quarter century ago, my father stood before you to accept the nomination for the presidency of the United States. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A moment from the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. It was John F. Kennedy Jr.'s political debut who brought back memories of his father during an introduction of his uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy. And Senator Ted Kennedy being honored tonight here in Denver and a chance that if his health is good enough he may actually show up.
Joe Biden has years of experience on the Senate floor but will a decision to add him to the ticket help or hurt Obama's message of change. Joining us now is David Sirota. He's a nationally syndicated columnist based in Denver, also the author of "The Uprising." He's been following Biden for years. We should point out, first of all, David getting into this that you are a registered democrat.
DAVID SIROTA, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: A registered democrat.
ROBERTS: You got some thoughts on Biden here. And you categorize him into three different areas, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let's start with the good.
SIROTA: The good - the guy has got a very solid, progressive record on economic issues. I think he can reach out to working class voters with that record. He's had long experience I think on Capitol Hill. And that might be a double-edge sword. But in terms of knowing how the system works, I think that's good. And I think, again, as it relates to economic issues, this nomination is proof that the progressive wing of the democratic party I think has won over the corporate wing of the democratic party.
ROBERTS: All right. What about the bad?
SIROTA: The bad - he is a guy who is supposed to be very, very experienced on foreign policy. That's why he was theoretically put on the ticket. But Barack Obama spent the campaign saying that it's less about experience and more about judgment on an issue like the Iraq war. And Joe Biden voted for the Iraq war.
ROBERTS: Even though he's been very, very critical though of this administration's handling of it. Does that mitigate his original support?
SIROTA: I think it does a little bit. But I think the question will be asked, what does this mean for the anti-war movement in general, that Obama felt comfortable putting somebody on the ticket who did vote for the war? I think that's a bigger question about Obama.
ROBERTS: And what about the ugly?
SIROTA: Well, the ugly I think is beyond the idea that Joe Biden is known as a gaffe-prone guy. The hope is that he doesn't make any gaffes. But I think also the ugly is that, you know, he did vote for the bankruptcy bill, which was a bill that puts people into sort of crushing debt and exacerbates that debt. He's a senator from Delaware which is basically a corporate banana republic. That's why he voted for the bankruptcy bill, MBNA is there. I think he'll have to answer for that.
And I also think as I said before, the double-edged sword of the 36 years in the Senate, Barack Obama saying he's a changed guy but he's put somebody on the ticket who is from the inside.
ROBERTS: Now, what about some of the things that he said about Senator Obama during the primary campaign particularly this debate in August of last year. Let's watch this exchange between Joe Biden and George Stephanopoulos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS HOST: You were asked if he's ready. You said I think he can be ready but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.
JOE BIDEN, VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that I stand by the statement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So there he is standing right beside Barack Obama suggesting he's not ready to lead this country. And now he has to back him up and defend him.
SIROTA: Well, what I think he'll say is Barack Obama has become ready. He has grown into the role through the campaign. And lots of candidates grow into the role through the campaign. That's what the campaign is about. I also think that Joe Biden will be uniquely qualified to talk about John McCain and say, I have worked with John McCain and I have seen how John McCain has changed from the McCain the maverick of 2000 into the Bush clone of 2008.
ROBERTS: Well, he said that already.
SIROTA: Yes and he's likely qualified to say that.
ROBERTS: Yes. Very ready to throw McCain, his old buddy, under the bus. David, it's great to see you. Thanks for dropping by this morning.
SIROTA: Thanks so much.
ROBERTS: Appreciate it.
Well, it is now coming up to the top of the hour. Coming to you live from Denver, Colorado and the Pepsi Center, home to the Democratic National Convention. This is the most news in the morning.
So we're inside the Pepsi Center, we are down on the floor today where we will be for the next three days. On Thursday, we're going to move over to Invesco Field, the Mile High Stadium where Senator Barack Obama is going to give his nomination address to the nation and to democrats. And then next week, of course, we're going to be in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Republican National Convention. Well, the Democratic National Convention gavels in at five o'clock Eastern time today with an appeal to middleclass voters, especially women. Tonight's featured speaker, Michelle Obama. Also taking the podium, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former president Jimmy Carter and Michelle's brother, Craig Robinson. They are the featured speakers tonight. Also tonight, a video tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy who is battling brain cancer. There's a chance he might, just a chance though that he might show up in person if his health permits. They'll make that decision just a little while from now.
Outside the convention, a heavy police presence. Officers wearing riot gear, daily anti-war demonstrations are planned.
Here are the latest political headlines that we're following for you this morning. A new CNN opinion research corporation poll has Senators Barack Obama and John McCain now in a dead heat, both with 47 percent.
