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Guessing Game: Who Will McCain Tap as Running Mate?; Obama's Big Speech; Vladimir Putin Speaks About Conflict with Georgia
Aired August 28, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. Soledad O'Brien at the CNN Election Center in New York, bringing you continuing coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
They're getting ready at INVESCO Field, AKA Mile High Stadium, and the expectations, as our contributor David Brody put it just a moment ago, well, those expectations are already mile high.
We'll get to that in just a moment. But a little breaking news to get to first on the GOP running mate story.
CNN's John King is working our sources, joins us by phone -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning.
You know, isn't it amazing that the only drama on this day is not Barack Obama's big speech? And make no mistake, I don't assume that's an accident at all.
You know, we reported late last night that we had been told by several sources that John McCain had settled on his choice for running mate. Those sources, of course, would not tell us who that choice was. Well, the candidate himself, just a short time ago, told a radio station, KDKA of Pittsburgh, that he has not decided yet.
Now, are the sources wrong? We don't think so, but we do know this: McCain has a plan in place to make the call later today to the man he has picked or the woman he has picked to be his running mate, and then roll out that choice at a big rally tomorrow in Dayton, Ohio. This would not be the first time a candidate has settled on a choice but said he hasn't decided.
Part of that is a semantics battle, he could change his mind at the last minute, and he hasn't made the official choice because he hasn't extended on offer, we are told. But a bit of a drama here.
The candidate himself saying he has not decided, while several -- at the same time, several sources in the campaign and very close to the campaign say they have been told he has settled on his choice. So we will watch this drama play out today.
And make no mistake about it, the Republicans are not at all disappointed that we have this going on today because they know it's Barack Obama's big day. And the more time we spend talking about John McCain and his running mate, they take that as a benefit -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I was going to stay, you know, we had talked earlier in the week, John, about how historically the other side lays low, and we did not see that this time around. And so it's not exactly a shocker that on a day when people are talking about the weight of history and the importance of Barack Obama's speech, and just the historic nature of his nomination, suddenly we've got a little drama on the Republican side that we spend time talking about.
So right now, officially, McCain has said it's not a done deal. Any insight on when potentially he could tell people when it is a done deal?
KING: Well, our anticipation and our information from very good sources is that he plans to roll all this plan out. They have a plan in place. And again, he's the candidate. He can change his mind. And John McCain is an unpredictable man.
But the plan they have in place is for Senator McCain to make the phone call later today, and also to call the people on his short list, much like Senator Obama did, and say, I'm sorry, you're not the choice, I'm going in a different direction. And then to call his ultimate pick, and then they have to get that person to Dayton, Ohio, for the rally tomorrow. So that -- we are told that that is still the plan and it will play out later today.
Again, he's the candidate and he could change his mind, but you've mentioned a fascinating point. The conventions, A, are late this year because of the Olympics. They're also back to back. There's no break between the Democratic and the Republican conventions.
And John McCain and his staff full well know the history made last night only adds to the fundamentals of this election that favor the Democrats. So they are trying to limit an Obama bounce, and they're trying to remind the American people today, sure you're going to tune in tonight and you're going to watch an amazing historical moment. But tune in tomorrow, because the other side of the story starts Friday morning.
O'BRIEN: Politicians playing politics. I'm absolutely shocked.
John King joining us by phone with the latest update and breaking news there.
Thank you, John. Appreciate it.
Let's get a little more now on Senator Obama's speech tonight. And with us from Denver is Robert Gibbs. He's a communications director for the Obama campaign.
Thank you very much for being with us. We certainly appreciate it.
Let me -- give me a sense of how it works when Barack Obama works on a speech. I mean, is the speech mostly done now? Is he the guy who continues to update the speech and tweak the speech and work on the speech and put in little things in the speech in the very last minute?
Can you hear?
All right. It seems like Mr. Gibbs is not quite ready. We're having a little bit of audio difficulties with him.
We're going to fix those, take a quick break and get back with him on the other side of the break.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Back where we left off with Senator Obama's speech.
With us from Denver is Robert Gibbs. He's the communications director for the Obama campaign.
We had a few audio difficulties. I hope they've been ironed out, sir. Can you hear me?
ROBERT GIBBS, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, OBAMA CAMPAIGN: I can hear you. Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Oh, I can hear you back. So that all makes it good.
Let's begin with what I was asking you at first, which was, how does Barack Obama do his speeches? I mean, is it mostly done -- is he the guy who tweaks to the bitter end and writes little notes in as he's walking up the stairs to the podium?
How does it work?
GIBBS: You know, he starts usually with a yellow pad of paper and a pen or a pencil, and starts to write things out longhand. But he'll be tinkering with this speech probably right up until the very end, changing some words and phrases.
Obviously, the vast majority of it is done and it's on paper. And we look forward to giving it tonight and telling the American people about what we want to do for this country and the direction we want to take it.
O'BRIEN: You know, you hear pundits -- and they've been on TV a lot -- giving sort of helpful little nuggets about what needs to be in this speech. And I imagine -- I mean, I have friends e-mailing me saying, "What needs to be in this speech is..." So I imagine he's getting the same thing.
Do you seriously listen to those things, or is that just sort of white noise behind you guys?
GIBBS: No, no, look, we love to hear suggestions about what people want to hear Senator Obama talk about. I think tonight he's going to do three things.
I think he's going to tell an American story about himself and about this country and how he's lived the American dream. I think secondly, he's going to talk about the direction that the country's been going in the last eight years and how we have to change it, and what he wants to do to create good jobs and make health care more affordable.
And then lastly, I think what he'll do is put in front of the people in that stadium, in front of all of the American people, the choice in this election. Are we going to have the courage to go in the direction of change, the change that we need, or are we going to continue more of the same with George Bush and John McCain for another four years? Quite frankly, we can't afford more of the same. It's time to make a change.
O'BRIEN: Last night after Joe Biden's speech Barack Obama came out. We've got a clip of that and we can roll it while we keep talking about it.
What was the planning behind that? Was it really a surprise, was it scripted in? I mean, give me a little sense of the background on that.
GIBBS: No, it was completely a surprise. Certainly Senator Biden didn't know. And there were about 20,000 people in the Pepsi Center last night that didn't know either.
I was standing up on the podium, and it was a really great scene when Senator Obama walked in, stood there with his vice presidential nominee, Senator Biden. And you could really feel the energy and the enthusiasm in that hall. And I think quite frankly, Democrats, Independents and Republicans can feel real energy and enthusiasm about this ticket, because, again, they know we're going to take this country in a different direction and institute the change we need to create good jobs, make health care affordable, and repair our alliances in this world.
O'BRIEN: You've got, as somebody said earlier today, mile-high expectations. And I think that's actually pretty fair to say. And there are some criticisms about the column thing that's being put out on the field there at INVESCO.
What do you make of that criticism so far?
GIBBS: Well, look, I tell people the columns look a little bit like George Bush's columns when he accepted the nomination in 2004. But look, if Republicans want to talk about what's sitting in the background of this convention and continue to address the issues that are on the minds of millions and millions of Americans -- why are we losing jobs, why are we continuing to give tax breaks for companies moving overseas, why does John McCain want to give a tax break to ExxonMobil after they made $11 billion in a quarter?
O'BRIEN: No, I hear you. And I hear you, but let's get back to my question. Again, I get that you're trying to put the focus back on those issues, but let me take just a moment to ask about some of the criticism of the podium and the setup.
Do you think that's fair criticism or it's not fair criticism?
GIBBS: Look, I think if people want to criticize it, they're more than welcome to. We're more than happy if people want to focus on that. But I've got to be honest with you, I think the American people sitting around their kitchen tables, wondering if they can make next month's mortgage payment, are not really concerned about what the backdrop is at a speech. They're more concerned about what Senator Obama's going to tell America tonight about the direction that he wants to take them in.
O'BRIEN: The first few days of the convention, a lot of the conversation was about a rift and movement towards unity. Do you feel that you have been successful so far at this convention?
GIBBS: Look, I think two of the most powerful speeches at this convention unquestionably were Tuesday night's speech by Senator Clinton, and last night's just brilliant speech by former President Clinton, laying out the case against John McCain. I think they were very powerful speeches. I think they set the real tone. They demonstrated the case, which is change versus more of the same.
We've had dynamic speakers. We've set the agenda. I think we've accomplished everything we set out to do in Denver.
O'BRIEN: Robert Gibbs is a communication director for the Obama campaign.
It's nice to see you. Thanks for taking some time out on your very busy day today, the big day, to talk to us. We appreciate it.
That's it for now.
I'm Soledad O'Brien at the CNN Election Center in New York. I'll see you back here in just about 15 minutes.
We continue our nonstop coverage from the convention.
We'll get back to the CNN NEWSROOM right after these brief messages.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. You're with CNN.
I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is on assignment.
Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Thursday, August 28th. Here's what's on the rundown.
Gustav fuels floods from Haiti to Cuba and targets the U.S. Moments ago, Gustav got company. Tropical Storm Hannah is forming. New this morning, a CNN exclusive. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin one-on-one about the crisis in Georgia, aiming strong accusations at the United States.
A hospital stay can quickly drain your bank account. Getting well without getting in debt -- in the NEWSROOM.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Russia's prime minister says don't blame his country for starting the conflict with the Republic of Georgia.
CNN's Matthew Chance is joining us now from Russia. He has just wrapped up an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Matthew, what do you know?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, it's the first time in more than seven years that we've managed to sit down with Vladimir Putin, who's now the Russian prime minister. And he had some astounding things to say, some astounding accusations to make.
First of all, he made it clear that as far as he was concerned, Russia was not the aggressor in that recent conflict with Georgia. He laid that responsibility at the feet of Georgia's leaders, who he said tried to take back those territories by force without negotiation. But he went further than that.
Vladimir Putin saying that he believed that it was the United States that orchestrated that conflict in order to provide a talking point in the U.S. presidential campaign. He said the war in Iraq has gone so badly, the war in Afghanistan, the poor U.S. economy, that the Republican candidate, he suggested, needed a victory to talk about, something that would give him political points when speaking to the U.S. public. That was the accusation he gave.
He went further than that, still, saying that the defense officials in Russia had told him that there's evidence that U.S. citizens were on the ground not just in the conflict zone, but actually taking part in combat operations against Russian forces. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The fact is that U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict during the hostilities. Then it should be admitted that they would do so only following direct orders from their leaders. Therefore, they were acting in implementing those orders, doing as they were ordered. And the only one who can give such orders is their leader.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Well, Russian defense officials say that some kind of passport was found from a Texas resident, apparently in a village where the Russian authorities say Georgian special forces were located. Well, the accusation has elicited a sharp rejection from the United States. The White House press secretary, Dana Perino, had this to say...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think that those claims, first and foremost, are patently false, but it also sounds like his defense officials who said they believed this to be true are giving him really bad advice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Well, really bad advice or not, clearly the diplomatic tensions within Washington and Moscow are really now being ramped up -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. CNN's Matthew Chance.
We sure do appreciate it. Our exclusive reporting there coming out of (INAUDIBLE).
Thank you very much, Matthew.
Meanwhile, a possible break in the case of missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Forensic investigators have found signs of human decomposition in the trunk of a car linked to her mother Casey. Caylee has not been seen since early June.
A law enforcement source tells CNN forensic investigators had discovered airborne chemical compounds in the trunk. Those compounds are found only in cadavers. Anthony has been charged with child neglect, making false statements, and obstructing a criminal investigation.
From the hospital to your poor house, medical debt forcing people into bankruptcy. Elizabeth Cohen drops by with tips for keeping your finances off the critical list.
(COMMERCIAL)
COLLINS: Your "Daily Dose" of health news now.
A warning this morning about a popular baby bassinet. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says two infants were trapped and strangled in Simplicity's Close Sleeper/Bedside Sleeper models. The group says metal bars in the 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible beds are spaced too far apart. Infants can slip through the bars and suffocate.
SFCA Incorporated acquired Simplicity in April. It denies any responsibility for products made before that time.
One issue that should be mentioned in Barack Obama's acceptance speech tonight is health care. Millions of Americans are drowning in medical debt. In today's "Empowered Patient" segment, our Elizabeth Cohen explains how you can keep your head above water.
So, Elizabeth, just how easy is it -- I mean, I don't even have to ask the question -- to get into medical debt?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Easy.
COLLINS: You get sick, you can easily get into debt.
COHEN: Easy. I talked to one family, Heidi, that went into $15,000 of debt in three hours.
COLLINS: Wow.
COHEN: Three hours in the emergency room. And what's really incredible is that about two-thirds of people who go into medical debt, they have insurance.
COLLINS: Right.
COHEN: They have insurance, but it doesn't cover everything. So we're talking about millions of Americans who are in medical debt. It's a huge problem.
COLLINS: Yes. And you know, we always talk about the insurance companies, and then the doctors have their side as well -- you know, I can't get insurance to cover this, that and the other thing. So then you end up paying up front quite a bit.
So once you get into that situation, what can you do? There's help out there.
COHEN: There is. There's a lot of help out there. And people get nervous and they ignore their statements and all that, and that's the wrong thing to do.
So let's talk about the right thing to do.
One is you don't panic, of course. Look for billing errors. They are rampant. This family that I talked to, they found $3,000 in billing errors. One person found $5,000, she was billed for plastic gloves.
COLLINS: Sometimes it's the Q-tips, too.
COHEN: The Q-tips gets you, absolutely.
COLLINS: Very expensive.
COHEN: Also, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. I heard about one family, a $14,000 bill. They walked into the hospital with a certified check for $4,000 and they said, this is all we've got. And the hospital took it, because they'd rather get something than nothing.
Also, get financial assistance. In my column this week, I have links where you can go to find financial assistance.
You may think that you're too wealthy or whatever, but it is not necessarily true. There are lots of places out there that can help you. And that is at CNN.com/health.
Right now, that's the 17-year-old whose bike ran into a car, $15,000 in three hours.
COLLINS: It's unbelievable.
Obviously, you don't ever want to get into debt. Is there anything you can do ahead of time to keep you from being in this position?
COHEN: You know what you can do? You can shop around. Just as if you were going to buy a car, you would shop around, right?
COLLINS: Yes.
COHEN: So if you need to have an appendectomy, let's say, one place might charge -- and I'm just pulling out numbers -- $5,000, another place might charge $10,000. So you have to shop around. And people don't do that with health care, but it is so important.
COLLINS: Yes. And we talked about that last time we were talking about, you know, heart attacks. Of course, you're not going to know if you're going to have one, but you know if you're at risk. So maybe do it then if you're in that category.
COHEN: Exactly. That's right.
COLLINS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: Appreciate that.
The taco trucks can stay. A California judge tossing a Los Angeles County ordinance out. It required taco trucks across L.A. to keep moving. Owners could be fined if they parked in one spot for more than an hour.
Restaurant owners complained the mobile eateries were taking a bite out of business. The county supervisor who introduced the measure says look for an appeal.
Your iReports from the Democratic convention, plus convention headlines and newsmakers, coming your way after a break.
(COMMERCIAL)
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.
Soledad O'Brien at the CNN Election Center in New York, bringing you continuing coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Truth be told, though, it's really no longer a convention. They've actually left the hall in search of elbow room, big-time. Tonight the traveling Democratic roadshow will land in Mile High Stadium as the largest and most ambitious piece of political theater in a long time. And it's all happening 45 years to the day that Martin Luther King made his speech, "I Have a Dream." Very big night ahead, of course.
And the GOP conventions are just around the corner. We've been hearing lots of buzz today about John McCain's VP pick. So there's lots and lots to talk about.
Let's dig deeper with former John Edwards spokesman, Chris Kofinis and Republican strategist, Leslie Sanchez, who is also a CNN political contributor.
Nice to see you both. Thanks for being with us.
Leslie, we're going to start with you and really start with Joe Biden. Earlier in the week you and I talked about the red meat, the attacks. Let's play a little bit and talk about it on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Millions of Americans have seen their jobs go offshore. If John continues to support tax breaks for corporations that send them there -- that's not change. That's more of the same. He voted 19 times against the minimum wage for people who are struggling just to make it to the next day -- that's not change. That's more of the same. And when he says he'll continue to spend $10 billion a month when the Iraqis have a surplus of nearly $80 billion -- that's not change. That's more of the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: So Leslie you had said early in the week, listen, we need specifics, you can't just get out there and have warm fuzzy -- specifics. So that sounded, to me, like a list of specifics. How worrisome is this now for the Republicans?
LESLIE SANCHEZ, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Not at all. I think it's not really specific, just old, tired Democratic talking points. He talked about Afghanistan, but he completely ignored the surge in Iraq, something that John McCain pushed the Bush administration on those points, and we're seeing success now. He didn't talk about the realities on the ground. And it's really interesting for all of this talk that Barack Obama (sic) is so experienced, especially in foreign affairs, everybody ignores Latin America, the fact that John McCain went down there, understands the real national security and economic threats --
O'BRIEN: Let me stop you there for a second. You can't tell me someone watching who at home who is a voter is not saying, why is he not talking about Latin America? That's what I want to hear about. I'm talking about reaching out and sort of grabbing -- SANCHEZ: I want to talk about Latin America.
O'BRIEN: I know you do, and I would like that, too. But your average American voter, those white middle class voters who are up for grabs, I'm not sure they're saying, more Latin America, bring it on. Do you think so?
SANCHEZ: You know what's interesting, Soledad? What's interesting about Biden's speech last night is the best parts of that kind of snapshot were his son, Beau Biden, who introduced his father, had the compelling story, it was re-introducing -- don't forget you have to put this convention into context. The first two days were introduction, really the identity of Barack Obama and it was identity of the team. And for every strength you saw, it exposed a weakness.
I think with Biden's address, when he was talking about his mother, when he was talking about his personal story, his character, his friendship with John McCain, I think those were the most compelling parts for why people might be attracted to the Democratic ticket. But when he got to the hatchet man job of pulling out the same old tired messages, it doesn't get really to the heart of solutions. I think that's what really swing voters are looking for, people that are ticket splitters who really see themselves as somebody not aligned with either party --
O'BRIEN: Let's turn to Chris and ask him that.
Do you think it was mumbojumbo?
CHRIS KOFINIS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I mean, Leslie would say it was raining today in Denver, and it's a beautiful sunny day. I mean, listen, this has been a great convention. What you saw last night is why Joe Biden is going to make a great vice president and why Barack Obama should be president. Not only did they serve up the red meat, and I think jazz up the base, they made the distinctions very clear to the American people -- the consequences of not only putting John McCain in the White House, but making it very clear what the last eight years have done and why it's so tragic that John McCain, the 2000 maverick, is gone. What he's become is a poor man's version of George Bush. And we can't afford that.
The reality is, if you look at these three days and the momentum that has built up, John McCain is now stuck between a Barack and a hard place. Let's be frank about it.
O'BRIEN: Everyone is coming up with their cute little phrases for me.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: He's fun, Soledad.
KOFINIS: If you look at what's going to happen tonight in INVESCO, forget just the visual, it's the power of the moment. Last night was an historic moment and I think it's going to be an historic moment tonight. He's going to give a great speech and I think we're going to come out of this convention with some real momentum.
O'BRIEN: And the same time, you have a lot of variables, Chris, in that. You have 76,000 people you've got to get seated, it's outdoors, which everybody knows is always a little tricky, you're building the set right now, you've got the weight of history, of course. All those things. It's less manageable than if it was in the same place where everybody had been delivering their speeches behind that same old podium. Are there realistic concerns about that?
KOFINIS: I don't think there's realistic concerns. If it was easy, the Republicans would do it. We like to do it hard because I think this is serious challenges. What's great about what we're doing is not only does it show that there's a real movement behind Senator Obama, but I think what it shows is the power of what we are. It's an historic moment. We have an enormous choice in this country that we are facing. Either we basically risk four more years of George Bush, or go if a new direction. I think it's the power of his words you're going to see tonight and the venue is going to reinforce that. I think that visual is going to be something we're going to remember for a long time.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a question, Leslie, though, about Bill Clinton's speech. We're going to run out of time and I want to get to it. He was the endorser last night, you know. He gave, by a lot of people's estimation, a great speech and kind of put that stamp of endorsement. Who does that for John McCain? I mean, who's that person who tees him up?
KOFINIS: George Bush.
O'BRIEN: Is it George Bush? Who's that person, Leslie?
SANCHEZ: You know, I don't think that there's necessarily one person who does that. The Republicans are in a very different situation. I think if you even look at the vice presidential pick, whoever John McCain picks, a lot of conservatives are looking at that, that's going to be the leader, the next generation of the Republican Party. Is it an economic conservative, social conservative? It's somebody who is going to lead us to that next generation. So I think this is a new time for the Republican Party, very much a realignment.
And also, the Democrats like to forget that this is their year. Every economic and political indication says that the Democrats should be sailing through, and it's not. There's a reason something is fundamentally flawed with this campaign. Barack Obama is going back to these big lofty speeches which got him to this point. But for the 80 million people who are going to vote that are just now tuning in, it's not necessarily what they're looking for.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Now that they have you standing next to each other, you can actually just continue with the fisticuffs because we are out of time. We're going to move on, take a break. We'll come back on the other side of our break, and talk about another topic --
Hang on, Chris.
We're coming back in a moment.
Up next, we're going to turn other attention back to the Democrats and also that speech at Mile High Stadium. Stay with us for just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The agenda tonight, the theme a familiar one -- it's Barack Obama's campaign slogan: change you can believe in. The warm- up speakers, Bill Ritter, the Democratic governor of Colorado, and former Vice President and 2000 candidate, Al Gore. Then a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Obama's acceptance speech.
With us to talk about all of that, our CNN political contributors, Tara Wall, of the conservative "Washington Times," Hilary Rosen, of the liberal HuffingtonPost.com.
Nice to see both of you. Let's get right to the question that we left with our last panel, Tara, because I can't quite figure out who is on the short list even. Who's the endorser, do you think? If Bill Clinton is the guy who put the stamp on Barack Obama last night to a roaring crowd, who does that at the GOP convention?
TARA WALL, "WASHINGTON TIMES," CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well -- look, I think that certainly there are going to be a whole host of speakers at the GOP convention from a diverse group like Michael Williams and Michael Steele --
O'BRIEN: Yes, but who's the guy -- or the woman?
WALL: Or the gal?
O'BRIEN: But who's the person who does the big stamp? Not -- I assume every speaker is going to say, boy what a great guy, he should be president. That's the assumption. Who does the, this is the guy?
WALL: I think Mitt Romney would go a long way in doing that. Certainly he has very broad appeal, he's the most popular among, not just Republicans, but when polled generally, Americans in general. I think he's got the economic piece, obviously, that he adds to McCain's shortcomings in that area. So certainly -- and he's a dynamic speaker, he's been a great surrogate for John McCain. So I think certainly he would definitely be among the closers. I don't see Pawlenty in that role, specifically, but -- and even Carly Fiornina. She seems to be obviously very dynamic. But certainly I would go for Mitt Romney for that particular question.
O'BRIEN: Is it a problem for Republicans that the current president can't be that guy? And -- has anybody I've asked that question doesn't nobody puts George Bush on that list at all.
WALL: Well, George Bush is going to -- obviously George Bush is going to be there. He is going to is speak. He is still very much supported among Republicans, overwhelmingly.
But I think, look, this is a new era, so to speak, and no one can ignore that fact. So I think that, listen, if you're talking about new, fresh blood, if you will, you look to those people who have been your surrogates, who have been out there, and who could potentially be your VP to solidify that. But I think a great start -- it is a great start having someone like George Bush and quite frankly Vice President Dick Cheney.
O'BRIEN: OK. Hilary, you think that's a great start?
HILARY ROSEN, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, HUFFINGTON POST, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well --
WALL: I didn't say great start. I said good start, which it is.
ROSEN: (INAUDIBLE) That's why John McCain is going to lose this election, because that's what he has. For the last eight years, he has been with President Bush 95 percent of the time, and he wants to go to St. Paul next week and expect people to believe that he is the change candidate. I just don't think that's going to wash. I think that the point you're making with Tara sort of struggling -- Tara is one of the smartest people I know, but for her to be struggling for who the Republicans are proud of to give the endorsement to John McCain I think is exactly their problem. They can't do that with President Bush because they know that America does not approve of this presidency, they think we've been going in the wrong direction and they want to go in a different direction.
O'BRIEN: Let's take a moment --
(CROSSTALK)
WALL: Quite frankly, listen, 45 percent of Americans right now are torn between these two candidates, so we can't say that with any certainty. I think they're struggling right now with both, obviously. They're struggling with John McCain and they're struggling with Barack Obama for different reasons.
I think, quite frankly, though, if you look --
ROSEN: That's a fair point.
WALL: -- if you want to talk about popularity, you can also tie the fact that Congress is lower in popularity than the current president. You know, the Democrats can't hang their hat right now on Congress.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSEN: I don't know that we need to --
WALL: What you cannot do is suggest that, you know, George Bush is on the ballot this election. He's not on the ballot this election. This election is between John McCain and Barack Obama.
O'BRIEN: But, Tara, realistically, though, isn't that the Democrats' strategy?
Hang on a second, Hilary. Hold on a second.
Realistically, Tara, you say George Bush isn't on the ballot, but isn't that essentially what Democratic strategists have been telling us all this week is, well we're going to try to make that point? That, in fact, he is on the ballot, just this time around it's John McCain?
WALL: And I would caution against -- of course that's what they're going to do. I would caution against that. And maybe that is some of the reasons why they're struggling.
Listen, history will judge George Bush for all the good and all the bad. Right now --
O'BRIEN: Hang on, let's bring Hilary in.
ROSEN: Elections are about match-ups. And the match-up here is between John McCain and Barack Obama. And Tara's right, George Bush is not on the ballot. So what we're going to be asked to believe is whether John McCain, in this match-up against Barack Obama, can credibly be believed that he's going to be different as president in the next eight years than he has been in the last 25 years. And that's, I think, the biggest hurdle he faces.
Look, our guy's got problems. We're honest pundits. Both our guys have problems. But the issue is -- in a match-up against the two of them, with somebody who's actually got some initiative, some record, some forward thinking ideas without a record of failing at change, you know, I'll take our guy in that match-up. I think that has more credibility with the American people, that he can change instead of somebody who's been the same way for the last eight years, promising change and never having experienced what it feels like.
O'BRIEN: Tara Wall and Hilary Rosen, nice to talk to you guys. Thank you very much. We're out of time.
We've got more convention coverage coming in just 15 minutes and of course throughout the day.
Reporting from New York, I'm Soledad O'Brien at the CNN Election Center in New York. Let's send it back to Atlanta and CNN NEWSROOM with our continuing coverage of Gustav right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. CNN is providing day-long coverage of the Democrat's convention in Denver. We will, of course, return to that shortly.
But another big story we are on top of this morning, Gustav on the brink of becoming a hurricane and keeping Gulf Coast residents on edge. The tropical storm is still in the Caribbean but on track for the Gulf of Mexico. In its wake, landslides, flooding, and 22 deaths. In its future, a wide cone of uncertainty stretching from the Florida panhandle to Texas. Our Rob Marciano has been watching from the weather center -- still watching closely, of course.
Rob, what's the very latest now?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well this thing has done a number of things over the last 12 hours, Heidi. It has weakened tremendously to almost below tropical storm status, then it kind of jumped and reformed well to the south, now it's hitting in Jamaica. It has strengthened over the last several hours, almost to hurricane strength, it's 70 miles an hour, gusting to 85. And right now it's just to the east of Kingston, Jamaica. And you can start to see some of this convection moving onto the island itself.
All right. Where do we think this is going? National Hurricane Center just put this forecast up within the last hour. It hasn't changed a whole lot from the one earlier this morning. The storm expected to shoot the gap, maybe hit the western tip of Cuba. But that's not going to effect it very much at all.
Waters here are very warm. It may hit some disturbances in the upper levels as far as the winds go. Hopefully to knock that down or keep it from becoming a strong three or four or even five.
Right now the forecast is for it to keep that around a three. Intensity forecasts and track beyond the day three or four gets a little bit iffy. So, anybody from the upper Texas coastline to the panhandle of Florida, certainly need to be aware of this. And I mean, emergency managers are already ramping up their plans just in case.
All right, on top of that, we've got tropical storm Hanna. Briefly on this. Winds at 40 miles-an-hour, gusting to 50. We won't have to deal with this for several days. And the word from the National Hurricane Center is they don't really want to deal with it too much either, until they get Gustav off its plate. But just so in case you live in the east coast, this thing may cause a problem late next week. But we'll deal with that -- we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
COLLINS: Yes, I guess that's about the only thing we can do, just be aware of it right now.
OK, Rob Marciano, thank you.
A developing story in the NEWSROOM now to get to. A crane accident in the Dallas area. It happened this morning when the crane's arm collapsed on to a water plant facility that is under construction. Our affiliates KTVT reporting at least one person has been hurt. We' will continue to keep our eye on that video, as we see, new video coming from our affiliate there in Dallas, Texas.
Democrats have their convention, but Republican John McCain has the attention of snooping reporters now. Who will he choose as a running mate? An announcement is expected tomorrow. But, McCain tells a Pittsburgh radio station, he's not made up his mind yet. He said that this morning, hours after multiple sources told CNN McCain had settled on a running mate and plans to notify that person later today. Well, pundits believe two of the front runners are Mitt Romney and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. McCain offered no clues when he spoke this morning on KDKA.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
VOICE OF SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, we haven't -- I haven't decided yet, so I can't tell you who I would be bringing with me or --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK Senator, how about which way are you leaning? Come on, give us something here. Which way are you leaning?
MCCAIN: Wilfred Brimley. He was a dear old friend and a former Marine, and a great guy and he's older than I am, so that might work.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COLLINS: Another name that's been kicked around as a possible McCain choice, Democrat turned Independent Senator Joe Lieberman.
The Democratic National Convention. Hillary Clinton rallies the party, Bill Clinton praises the new nominee. How would you rate the big speeches?
CNN's iReporters are weighing in now and our Josh Levs is here with a little sampling.
So, what did they think?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're all over it. And we are getting so incredibly many response. People are loving it. And I'll just tell you at the top, this is one of the times that I really love to go to iReport, because we get to hear from analysts. But we all keep in mind, at the end, it's about voters. That's what the democracy is. One way that we're hearing directly from voters is through iReport.
Let's go straight in on the board. So incredibly many people writing us how much they love the speeches. These are some of the latest ones we're getting. Let me just bang through a few quotes, here.
"The endorsement of one of our greatest presidents in our history was indeed the passing of the torch to the new generation of Democrats." That's from Ray Santo (ph).
Just a couple more. "You had better believe we are united after hearing Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden." That comes to us from Joel Nahara (ph).
And the last one, little words on your screen. "I love Bill Clinton again." That one comes to us from Claudine Belnap (ph).
Now, we also got some video. I want to show you one of those right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't have the goose bumps that I got with his wife's speech, but overall, he did great. He was finally attacking the Republicans. He was defining the Republicans. And they are so good at defining Democrats, so it was nice to give them a taste of their own medicine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And we encourage you to weigh in on all different sides. Whatever you think of whatever's going on at the DNC. We're piecing through them, we'd love to keep sharing the. And we're going to be doing the exact same thing all week next week when it's the Republicans turn again sharing everything we've got, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Appreciate it.
Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: You got it, thanks.
COLLINS: gas prices, pinching your budget. Well, then you need to know your walk score. We've got Solutions right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: (voice-over): How easy is it for you to walk to where you need to go?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We live in a small town here in Dupont. And everywhere you have to go, you have to drive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have all of that central stuff that you need in everyday life and it's close to your house. Why not walk?
MARCIANO: Walkscore.com helps pinpoint areas in the U.S. that offer a walking lifestyle. Type in an address and up pops the 0-100 rating.
For example, Jerry Seinfeld's Manhattan apartment scores 100, a walker's paradise. President Bush's Texas ranch rates a 0, not that there's anything wrong with that.
MIKE MATHIEU, FRONT SEAT: Anything below a 50, we consider car dependent. Which means that probably the only place you're walking to is your car.
MARCIANO: Mike Mathieu founded the company that developed the company that founded walkscore.com.
MATHIEU: And it gives a rating based on how close you are to the kind of things you'd want to walk to. So, bookstore, grocery store, coffee shop, things like that.
MARCIANO: Now, walkscore doesn't factor in sidewalks, highways, or hills. Which is probably while San Francisco edged out New York as the most walkable city. Followed by Chicago and Boston.
Mathieu says walking not only limits traffic and burning fuel, it also helps you stay in shape.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it just makes it easier to get some exercise in during the day.
MARCIANO: Rob Marciano, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: As Tropical Storm Gustav threatens to become a major hurricane, oil traders are taking notice.
CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our Energy Fix now from New York.
Hi, Poppy.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: You know, they sure are, Heidi. I just talked to one this morning. A lot of volatility in oil. Signs are pointing Gustav strengthening into a much more powerful storm over the weekend.
Right now, the heart of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is right in the storm's cross hairs. Now the Gulf is home to about 40 percent of our domestic refining capacity. See all of these dots there? These are all oil rigs. So, a lot of production there that could come to a halt.
Now, some of the oil companies, including (INAUDIBLE) Shell, ConocoPhillips and BP, have begun evacuating their workers from those rigs. And the "Wall Street Journal" reports that the nation's energy supplies are actually less at risk this year than they were during Hurricane Katrina because now they say we have stronger infrastructure that has really developed over the last three years.
But, while those living in the Gulf must prepare for the worst, the rest of us -- we have to get ready for higher gas prices. Oil prices really volatile this morning, they crossed $120 just a few hours ago. Now we're at $115. So, just as volatile as this storm is, really. High gas prices though down for 41 of the last 42 days. Our national average now, $3.66 -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Boy, it's certainly something to watch in the face of this storm, certainly.
CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow. Thank you, Poppy.
CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour for now at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. AMERICA VOTES 2008 with Soledad O'Brien and John Roberts begins right now.
