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American Morning
Palin Takes Center Stage at the RNC Tonight; Palin's Past Revealed; The Pros and Cons for John McCain on the Bush Legacy; Chaos Erupted in the Streets Outside the Excel Center; Vice President Dick Cheney Arrives in Azerbaijan; Three Storms Brewing at Sea; Production Resuming on Oil Rigs Along the Gulf Coast
Aired September 03, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Party on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED THOMPSON (R), FMR. TENNESSEE SENATOR: The man who will be that president is John McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The Republicans kick off their first full night in the spotlight. Their candidate gets the commander in chief's blessing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He is ready to lead this nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And protests turned downright ugly. Tonight, Sarah Palin accepts the nomination as her private life sparks a public debate. It's the "Most Politics" on day three of the RNC, live from the Twin Cities.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Thanks for being with us. It is Wednesday, September 3rd. I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York. Hi, John.
ROBERTS: Hey, good morning to you, Kiran. John Roberts here at the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Center in Saint Paul. Republicans finally taking to the convention floor last night to rally behind John McCain and his vice presidential pick.
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska takes the center stage tonight. Her speech likely to be one of the most dramatic moments of this convention for the fastest rising star in the Republican Party has a job to do, define herself to the American public, and prove that she has the knowledge and judgment to sit down the hall from a 72-year-old president should John McCain be elected.
But last night it was all about Senator McCain, President Bush, Fred Thompson and independent Senator Joe Lieberman sold the Republican's nominee as a genuine political maverick. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: John is an independent man who thinks for himself. He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees. Believe me, I know. No matter what the issue, this man is honest and speaks straight from the heart.
FRED THOMPSON (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's pretty clear there are two questions that we'll never have to ask ourselves. Who is this man? And can we trust this man with the presidency?
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: So tonight, I want to ask you whether you are an independent, a Reagan Democrat, a Clinton Democrat, or just a plain, old Democrat. This year, when you vote for president, vote for the person you believe is best for our country, not for the party you happen to belong to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And just outside the convention walls, police in riot gear were forced to use tear gas to fight back hundreds of protesters who were trying to scale security fences.
CNN's Jessica Yellin joins us now for more on what we can expect tonight along with some of the highlights from last night. And let's take a look at one highlight.
We just heard from Joe Lieberman there installing the virtues of John McCain and why he would be a good president. But he also, and to some degree, unexpectedly, because he didn't tell me yesterday morning when I talked to him he was going to do this, really took a strip off of Barack Obama. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: Senator Barack Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who I think can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But, my friends, eloquence is no substitute for a record. Not in these tough times for America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, they loved it here in the audience but Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, didn't like it very much. I mean, he really went after him there.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. They were not pleased at all, the Democrats. Not only did Lieberman go after Obama on experience, he also accused him of not actually working across the aisle. The Democratic leadership expected him to give a speech that was praising of John McCain but not necessarily attacking Obama. So that was very upsetting to the Dem leaders.
ROBERTS: But he did, here in the House, do a very good job of selling his friend John McCain. YELLIN: He did, and so did Fred Thompson. All the speakers last night suddenly started taking on the partisan message that this Republican Convention has needed to have from the beginning, defending John McCain and squaring off against Obama as not ready for the job essentially.
ROBERTS: So the big moment tonight, and it will be a great opportunity to be in the hall to see what the reaction is, as Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska will give her acceptance speech as the nominee. What does she have to do this evening given everything that's been swirling around her for the last 72 hours?
YELLIN: A little bit about her personal back story but a lot of focus on this idea that she has stood up to the entrenched interest in Alaska. That's the message they want her to sell. That's how they want America to see her, sort of try to put aside or make these issues about her family secondary to what they believe she can be a symbol of, which is this sort of, again, the maverick image they want to sell. She's the younger maverick in the model of John McCain.
ROBERTS: So a question that many people have been asking is, was she adequately vetted? Did John McCain know all there was to know about Governor Palin before he nominated her to be his running mate?
He was asked that at a campaign stop yesterday. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator, was your vetting process thorough enough, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please go out that door back there.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The process was completely thorough, and I'm grateful for the results.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The campaign was really hot about this issue yesterday. And there was an article in the "New York Times" Elisabeth Neumuller wrote, and they were just on fire about that.
YELLIN: And let me explain why. It's not because it's only about what a vetting process is. Who really cares? It's because the Democrats want to, instead of attacking Sarah Palin, attack John McCain's judgment and his temperament.
How did he make this decision? A big decision. Is he up to making this kind of big decision in the Oval Office? If they can establish that he didn't vet her well, then they can make the storyline evolve where John McCain is not ready to have the judgment to be commander in chief.
ROBERTS: All right. Jessica Yellin for us this morning. Jessica, it's good to see you, thanks. Kiran?
CHETRY: John, thanks.
Tonight John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, steps into the white hot convention spotlight. She's going to be addressing the Republican delegates and the nation in prime time. The Alaska governor had a private meeting yesterday in Minneapolis with Cindy McCain as well as First Lady Laura Bush.
A week ago most Americans had never heard of Sarah Palin, but the GOP is rallying forcefully behind the vice presidential running mate. We sent CNN's Kyra Phillips to Anchorage to find out more about Palin -- Kyra.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, no matter what your politics are, Governor Sarah Palin is a fascinating person. Very dynamic, well rounded in ways that we haven't seen in the past. She's sort of this renaissance woman who operates in a man's world on so many levels.
But if something were to happen to the commander in chief, could she lead the free world? We've been digging into her background.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Governor Sarah Palin of the great state.
PHILLIPS (voice-over): She's been Alaska's governor for just 21 months, and she's hardly a household name. So who is Sarah Heath Palin and is she ready to lead?
FRED DYSON (R), ALASKA STATE SENATE: She's a very capable person and very bright and tough without being abrasive. And I don't know whether she can do it or not. Time will tell.
PHILLIPS: Most of her government experience is local. Two terms on the city council and two terms as mayor of Wasilla, a town near Anchorage, population 7,000. She earned a reputation as a tax-cutting conservative who limits spending, cleans up government, and challenges the establishment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She didn't settle for the status quo, and she took on the establishment whether it was in her own party or out of her party.
PHILLIPS: In her first state-wide position, as chairman of Alaska's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Palin even went after the head of her own state party in 2003 for alleged ethics violations. As governor, she signed an ethics bill and opened up the process for oil and gas bidding.
Her record as mayor of Wasilla gives ammunition to supporters and detractors alike. She did cut property taxes in Wasilla. And while it's not exactly the Pentagon budget, reduced spending on the town museum while opposing a bigger library. She was also mayor when the local sales tax was increased to build a popular sports complex.
And then there's the controversial bridge to nowhere. A favorite target of Senator John McCain because of the enormous cost of building a bridge to a remote Alaskan community.
MCCAIN: The next vice president --
PHILLIPS: When John McCain introduced Palin to America last week --
SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I told Congress thanks, but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere.
PHILLIPS: While running for governor, Palin supported the bridge saying it was essential for local prosperity. But in office she spiked it citing rising costs and the needs of other projects. A long-time opponent of Palin accuses her of a flip-flop.
ANDREW HALCRO (R), FMR. GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: It was a bridge to somewhere. And then when she got elected and the political winds had changed, it became a bridge to nowhere.
PHILLIPS: Now the governor's biggest problem -- an investigation by the Alaska legislature into why she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Did she abuse her power because Monegan wouldn't terminate her former brother-in-law, a state trooper who was involved in a nasty divorce with her sister?
Monegan says the governor never raised the issue with him directly. Now investigators are expected to rule before election.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And tonight is Governor Palin's big night. She's giving her speech at the RNC. A lot of people here in Alaska will be tuning in, and we'll be with them giving you reaction right after it takes place -- John, Kiran.
CHETRY: Kyra, thanks.
You know, the McCain campaign is also releasing details of its vice presidential vetting process. Here's a look now in an "AM EXTRA."
A 25-person team compiled reports on 20 top contenders using only public documents like disclosure forms, newspaper articles as well as interview transcripts. That information was then presented to McCain and four top aides who then narrowed the choices down to a short list. And the finalists were then asked for tax returns, credit checks and other financial documents.
They were also asked 70 "intrusive questions" including have you ever paid for sex and have you ever been fairly or unfairly accused of sexual harassment. Finally, the candidates were interviewed. Palin's lasted three hours and that's where she revealed her teenage daughter was pregnant.
Meantime, Barack Obama extending his lead six points over McCain in the latest poll of polls. Obama has 49 percent compared to 43 percent for McCain. Eight percent remain undecided.
ROBERTS: Live via satellite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not with you in the Twin Cities on this wonderful night for our party.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A convention and candidate running from Bush's legacy. Our panel debates, can McCain climb out of the shadow? You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: President Bush like most of the speakers last night focused on Senator John McCain -- McCain's heroic biography saying that he is ready to lead the nation.
Joining me now to talk more about this is John Avlon. He's a registered independent, author of "Independent Nation." Julian Epstein, Democratic analyst, and Tracey Schmitt, former press secretary for the Republican National Committee.
So, did John McCain climb out of the shadow of President Bush last night? I was saying it was kind of ironic that they were promoting John McCain and then they also clapped for President Bush, the guy who caused all the problems that John McCain says he's going to fix.
TRACEY SCHMITT, FMR. RNC PRESS SECRETARY: I don't actually agree that John McCain ever was in Bush's shadow over the last few months. I mean, McCain has really been traveling the country defining himself as his own man.
And look, the president's speech did what it needed to do. President Bush is cognizant of the challenging political dynamics, so he was out there to give John McCain his heartfelt endorsement but also to point out that John McCain is an independent and recognizes that he's not always going to go along the party line. And I think that was important for the president to do.
ROBERTS: Did you buy that, Julian, that he was not in the shadow? And it's difficult not for a new candidate not to be in the shadow of an incumbent president. Plus, a lot of people have said that in the last couple of years John McCain has pretty much been in lock step with President Bush's way of thinking, at least he has voted that way?
JULIAN EPSTEIN, DEMOCRATIC ANALYST: That's right. I mean, I think it continues with the theme that this is a convention without a very clear message. Here the president's doing the warm-up act for John McCain last night, and the Democratic riff on that is going to be that the Bush eight years is a warm-up act for the next four years for John McCain if he were to be elected.
So I think it's a tough message. It allows Democrats -- I mean, Bush was kind of like your neighbor next door. He didn't want to come to the party but you had to invite him. And I think it just gives Democrats, you know, the opportunity to say if you like what you have had in the last eight years, the next four years are going to be great.
ROBERTS: John, how did it play with independents?
JOHN AVLON, REGISTERED INDEPENDENT: Well, I mean, independents are the ones who are being targeted with the core message of this campaign, of this convention, which is country first. That's why Joe Lieberman spoke last night. And I think, you know, it's interesting with the Bush administration you've got the most popular member, Laura Bush, up front.
You know, President Bush four minutes from the White House. Dick Cheney nowhere to be seen. That's about the right order in terms of independents' affection for the Bush administration. But John McCain, what he's trying to do very clearly in this convention, by putting folks like Joe Lieberman for us to remind people that independents are the ones who supported him from 2000, and remind Republicans the reason he is running ahead of the Republican brand is because of his independence, not in spite of it.
ROBERTS: So let's look ahead to tonight. Sarah Palin is on the stage tonight giving her acceptance speech. Fred Thompson last night set the table, took a swing at the media as well for giving her a rough ride. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED THOMPSON (R), FMR. TENNESSEE SENATOR: Some Washington pundits and media big shots are at a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So in one phrase he manages to slam the media and Barack Obama at the same time. What does she have to do tonight, Tracey?
SCHMITT: Well, first of all, Fred Thompson was extremely fired up.
ROBERTS: Where was that Fred Thompson in the primary campaign? SCHMITT: I was going to say a lot of Republicans are scratching their head and saying where was this 12 months ago when you needed to be this way?
I think we're going to see from Governor Palin sort of the reintroduction of herself. She hasn't been out there publicly since she was announced and talking about her record of reform and talking about her executive experience. She's been batted around by the media in the last 48 hours and this is her time to shine. And I think Republicans are going to be very impressed. The base has already been energized, and it's going to be good night for the governor.
ROBERTS: Some people would say batted around. Some people would say that the media have asked the appropriate questions of somebody who is brand new and unknown.
So lots to talk about. Stay with us. Don't go away. We'll be back with a little bit more.
16 minutes after the hour. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
CHETRY: Balancing act.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was just your average hockey mom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A mother of five running for vice president. Is she facing a double standard?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, what's her husband doing? He can take care of them, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm proud that America's first female vice president will be a Republican woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: That's First Lady Laura Bush praising John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin. But this morning many questions are still being asked about the Alaska governor, including can she juggle a high- profile role in politics being a mother of five and soon to be grandmother? And her supporters say even asking that is a double standard. Here's CNN's Carol Costello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, there's actually a new video on John McCain's Web site touting Governor Palin as a maverick reformer. But talk of her pregnant daughter and her Down syndrome baby have drowned that out. In fact, there's a debate raging about whether Palin as a mother of five can lead the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): We've come a long way, baby. Unless you have babies.
SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was just your average hockey mom in Alaska.
COSTELLO: Sarah Palin's attempt to balance motherhood with political ambitions is generating plenty of debate among women. Some wonder if she can, given that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant and her newborn son has Down syndrome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a child who has special needs and I know how hard it is to work and have a child even though my husband really contributes to his upbringing. So I think it's particularly difficult when you have a child with special needs in addition to a new baby.
COSTELLO: There's plenty of buzz on conservative blogs, too. This post from spiritualbeliefnet.com. "The mom in me wonder why she's exposing her family to all of this garbage."
It's the kind of buzz rarely heard about career dads. Barack Obama, after all, has two young daughters. Some women told us they're miffed at that. After all, Sarah Palin has a husband, doesn't she?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, what's her husband doing? Is he a home husband? I mean, he can take care of them, too, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If a man could be vice president with a family of five, a woman could just as well be. Women are just as competent as men.
COSTELLO: One woman already in a position of influence agrees.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESWOMAN: I think that Sarah Palin has proven that you can choose as a woman to be a mother and be a strong executive and to have a wonderful, loving family.
COSTELLO: Other women say they're worried Palin, even with the help of her husband, won't be able to handle the job, which could reinforce the notion that working mothers really can't have it all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: You know, it's a debate many women say we should not be having in 2008. I mean, there are a million working women who are wonderful mothers. But there's also guilt associated with a working mom. And maybe that's why we're having this raging debate right now -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Carol Costello for us this morning with that. Carol, thanks very much.
Another killer storm may be getting ready to strike the United States. We'll have the latest on Hanna's track as two more storms gain strength this morning.
The legacy of George W.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are thankful that the damage in New Orleans was less than many had feared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: What will history have to say? And what does it mean for McCain? Inside Bush world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know the hard choices that fall solely to a president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know the hard choices that fall solely to a president. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Some high praise for John McCain from President Bush who addressed convention delegates via satellite from the White House. After eight years in office, the president proving to be both an asset and a liability for the Republican nominee.
Peter Baker is a contributing writer for the "New York Times" magazine. He wrote about the Bush legacy this past week and joins us now from Saint Paul.
Peter, good to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.
PETER BAKER, "NEW YORK TIMES" MAGAZINE: Good morning. Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: You know, we're talking about this balancing act for John McCain. He's running saying that he's going to fix what's broken in Washington. So presumably that includes what the White House broke. You know, at the same he does need to stay close in some ways to the president. How did he do in balancing that? How did that play out last night?
BAKER: Well, last night was a very interesting compromise. Of course, the original plan was for President Bush to come on the first night and then leave and go to Camp David and stay out of the sight for the rest of the week, leaving it to John McCain who would arrive after he had left and never even cross paths.
The hurricane obviously messed that up so they had him on last night only by satellite hookup and not in the 10:00 hour, which all of the major broadcast networks are going to be showing the convention. So it was sort of a diminished role here for the outgoing president.
Respectful. Remember these are the people here in this hall who still very much love the president and very much respect and admire him. You don't want to show disrespect to him with this audience.
On the other hand, he was not the highlighted performer last night. That was left to Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic senator from Connecticut.
CHETRY: Right. So it was presumably -- at least it was said that it was because of dealing with the aftermath of Gustav. Yet at the same time you had his wife, First Lady Laura Bush, with one of the most political speeches that I've seen her give. How did that sort of work out? He wasn't there, she was.
BAKER: She's a more popular figure in America today, so it's obviously no harm at all to have her featured here at the convention. The president could have come yesterday if he chose to. The hurricane by yesterday had played itself out, and he clearly was not in an emergency situation anymore.
I think they found the final setup that they did do, sort of a short eight-minute speech by remote to be a way of keeping his role, you know, diminished...
CHETRY: Right.
BAKER: ... and letting the evening go for John McCain. They didn't want to spend a second night on something other than introducing the country to John McCain.
CHETRY: Peter, let me ask you about this because you write in your piece, "To say that Bush is unpopular only begins to capture the historic depth of his estrangement from the American public. He's arguably the most disliked president in seven decades."
As we get further away from the presidency, 25, 50, 75 years down the road, do you think that negative image is going to stick with the president? Or do you think the perspective of history will change that?
BAKER: I think that will change. I mean, look, you know, we always have a way of looking back at our presidents and reevaluating. They go up and down in our assessment as the decades change. Look at not just Harry Truman but even Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson. Even Richard Nixon has periods where he is respected more than he was at the time he left office.
You know, so I think that people will tend to look back on this with less emotion in the future and come to a different conclusion. It's not necessarily better. I think that's something we don't know. But I think the passion of the moment at some point will cool and people will have moments of reassessment.
It's a very consequential presidency. After all, this is going to be a presidency people will be studying and analyzing and debating for a long time to come.
CHETRY: Absolutely. All right. Peter Baker, contributing writer for the "New York Times" magazine, thanks.
BAKER: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Coming up now on 30 minutes past the hour, and we are gearing up this morning for Sarah Palin's big speech tonight, her first and perhaps most important chance to define herself to voters.
But last night Republicans beat the drums for John McCain. And here's CNN's Ed Henry with that part of the story.
ED HENRY, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, after holding back on political attacks for one day because of the hurricane, Republicans and one independent Democrat let loose on Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees. Believe me, I know.
HENRY (voice-over): The Bushes passed the GOP torch to the McCains on day two of the Republican National Convention. As the current president, speaking by video feed from the White House, gave his blessing to a one-time bitter rival by playing the familiar terror card.
BUSH: To protect America, we must stay on the offense. Stop attacks before they happen and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain.
HENRY: A rare occasion where the president and first lady are merely warm-up acts to a former Hollywood actor who uses theatrical skills to speak movingly about McCain's time as a prisoner of war, using it to take a swipe at Barack Obama.
FRED THOMPSON (R), FMR. TENNESSEE SENATOR: John McCain's bones may have been broken but his spirit never was.
(APPLAUSE)
Wisdom, duty, honor. It's pretty clear they're two questions that we'll never have to ask ourselves. Who is this man and can we trust this man with the presidency.
HENRY: Former Senator Fred Thompson touted McCain's early and unpopular support of the military surge in Iraq, as an example of character. And mocked the hype about Obama's candidacy.
THOMPSON: History making in that he's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president.
HENRY: Then independent Democrat Joe Lieberman made a little history of his own. Appearing at his first Republican convention and angering Democrats by ripping Obama.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: Eloquence is no substitute for a record. Not in these tough times for America.
HENRY: Lieberman charged, unlike McCain, Obama has not reached across the aisle to solve problems. And he urged independent voters not to buy the claim that electing McCain would be a third Bush term.
LIEBERMAN: Trust me. God only made one John McCain. And he is his own man.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: The Obama camp fired back that all of the speakers left out any substantive talk about fixing the economy. Nevertheless, the attacks on Obama will continue Wednesday with Rudy Giuliani in primetime followed by VP nominee Sarah Palin for her first big moment in the sun.
John?
Kiran?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Ed Henry with a report from last night for us this morning.
This is the first time in 30 years that a sitting president has skipped a personal appearance at his party's convention. Here's more on that in an "A.M. Extra." The last no show was back in 1968 when Lyndon Johnson stayed at his ranch in Texas while the Democrats met in Chicago. The last time a vice president skipped was John Nance Garner in 1940. FDR also missed that year and delivered his acceptance speech by radio.
And just outside the Excel Center chaos erupting in the streets. Police say some protesters tried to make their way into the convention hall. Officers in riot gear fired back with tear gas or some other compound. CNN's Joe Johns witnessed the confrontation and joins us now to talk about it.
Joe, just how much chaos was there? Looks like an awful lot in those pictures.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting, John. Tuesday was a pretty quiet day here in this town but then the excitement came last night. It started out as a poverty march here in St. Paul between 1,000 and 2,000 people eventually ended up closing in on the convention complex perimeter.
Police said a small subset of that group actually started trying to climb the fence. Although we were never able to see that from our vantage point. One of the officers on some type of a public address system essentially issued a warning telling those people to get away from the perimeter or they would be subject to a variety of things including chemical agents. And just before that announcement ended, you see what happened there.
The police had launched not just tear gas but also what they were calling distraction devices and other things designed to make a lot of noise as well as smoke, clearly producing the desired effect. That group dispersed fairly quickly, running, in fact.
The original report had been that there were no arrests. But we are told that throughout the course of the day here in St. Paul, authorities did make about ten arrests. Whenever, morning, noon, night, what have you. You may have noticed there were some people in military uniforms. We're told that's National Guard just brought in for crowd control. About 150 of them.
Back to you, John.
ROBERTS: They were using those -- employing those flash band grenades there. I had a chance to experience those up close and personal covering some of these riots. The chemical agent that they used, Joe, it doesn't look like typical nerve gas which -- not nerve gas, I'm sorry -- the tear gas which burns sort of white. It's kind of almost like a purple-blue color. Is that pepper gas or something?
JOHNS: Yes. We were trying to figure out what it was. The authorities told us it was tear gas but, you know, from my personal experience, I've been hit by real tear gas in Washington, D.C. in riots and a couple of other places. And it wasn't that strong. It wasn't as strong as the tear gas I've been hit with. Also, the truth is there was a lot of wind out last night. So it's possible that the effects of it were sort of dispersed. Authorities do call it tear gas here, though.
ROBERTS: All right. Joe Johns for us this morning. And Joe, I expect that as we get further into this convention those protests will only ramp up. So, good to have you on the job there.
Kiran?
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, John. There are some other stories making news this morning. Alina Cho joins me now with those.
Good to see you, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Kiran, good morning. Good to see you. Good morning, everybody. And new this morning, Vice President Dick Cheney has arrived in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. It is the first stop of the three-nation tour. Mr. Cheney will be reassuring the former soviet nations that the U.S. backs their pro-West democracies. Of course, it's been a point of contention recently given what's been going on in Georgia. And later today, Mr.. Cheney heads to Georgia. The trip comes one month after Russian forces invaded that country.
Some health news for you now. It seems smoking is more of a threat to women's hearts than to men's. According to a study in Norway, women who smoke are more likely to have heart attacks more than a dozen years earlier than woman who don't smoke. The rate for men is six years earlier. The study says women who smoke are also more likely to go through menopause earlier. Researcher say smoking may eliminate a natural hormonal advantage that woman have which protects their hearts.
And Tiger Woods is celebrating another major, but this one is not a golf tournament. His wife is expecting their second child. Wood says on their Website, wife Elin is due in late winter, but there's no specific due date given. The couple's daughter, Sam, was born just last year. Tiger, of course, is recovering from knee surgery. He hasn't played since he won the U.S. open back in June. But that injury, Kiran, he says is both a blessing and a disappointment. He's had a little more time, as we now know...
CHETRY: Yes. (INAUDIBLE)
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CHO: ...To spend with the family.
CHETRY: To expand the family to a basketball team, but no, rather golfers, of course.
CHO: That's right. That's right. Many golfers.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Congratulations to both of them. Beautiful kids. They get any cuter, that couple.
Thanks a lot, Alina.
CHO: You bet.
CHETRY: Well, new weather trouble brewing this morning. Tropical Storm Hanna setting her sights for the East Coast. Plus, two more storms brewing in the Atlantic. We're live in the CNN weather center.
Reaching out.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The thing that he can't do is ignore African- Americans. And yet it's an extremely hard sell.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHETRY: Deborah Feyerick on whether McCain can expand his base by stealing votes from Obama.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need somebody especially on the Republican side to do things in a non-business as usual way.
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CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
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THOMPSON: The Democrats present a history-making nominee for president. History making in that he's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president.
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CHETRY: That was Senator Fred Thompson taking a hard shot at Barack Obama last night. And when it comes to African-American voters, what are John McCain's chances? Barack Obama is expected to take a wide margin, but that hasn't stopped McCain from competing for that vote.
Deb Feyerick joins me now with more on this.
Hi, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Kiran. Well, you know, a lot of women were insulted by the suggestion they voted for Hillary Clinton simply because she's a woman. And the same goes for some African-Americans who say they want to hear more from John McCain, especially on taxes and the economy.
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FEYERICK (voice-over): When it comes to African-American Voters, 88 percent say they plan to vote for Barack Obama. That's according to the latest poll by the Pew Research Center. Political insiders say that leaves a margin of black voters still in play. But can John McCain siphon off enough of the black vote to give him an edge? Loyal Republicans like Don Scoggins say there's a lot to like about McCain.
DONALD SCOGGINS, PRESIDENT, REPUBLICANS FOR BLACK EMPOWERMENT: Black Republicans, at least most that I know of, we are critical thinkers and I think we are going to think about which candidate is best for the country and best for I would say the black community.
FEYERICK: The Democratic convention attracted a record number of black delegates. More than a thousand. The Republican convention has drawn less than 40, the lowest number in four decades. Political insiders say that's a problem. (on camera): Does he have to work harder for each African-American vote in a sense? Because to not go after them, he alienates the community.
SCOGGINS: That is exactly right. I mean, the thing that he can't do is ignore African-Americans. And yet, it's an extremely hard sell.
FEYERICK (voice-over): McCain has made an effort to reach out to African-Americans. In July, he addressed the NAACP. In August he spoke to the National Urban League. But will it do any good? David * is with a Think Tank that focuses on African-Americans.
DAVID BOSITIS, JOINT CENTER FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES: There is no there, there. Those were just pro-former actions that were probably aimed as much at white voters as black voters.
FEYERICK: And unlike Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, who were part of George W. Bush's inner circle, political insider say McCain has no African-Americans with that kind of visibility.
BOSITIS: I'm not sure where John McCain's prospects are in terms of picking up additional voters. His prospects quite frankly right now, apart from energizing and mobilizing southern white religious conservatives and rural religious conservatives elsewhere don't look great.
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FEYERICK: Now traditionally newly registered white voters turn out in higher numbers than newly registered black voters. And political insiders say that's likely to change in this election. But getting them to the polls in November is going to be critical for Barack Obama. When you look at the Democratic primaries, though, black voter turnout jumped 115 percent. So lines at the poles are probably going to be unlike anything we have ever seen before.
CHETRY: That's an astounding number. We'll see if they turn out to vote on both sides. Very interesting. Thanks, Deb.
Dark horizon. Three storms brewing at sea. The latest on Hanna, Ike, and Josephine and why they could be a sign of things to come. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
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BUSH: As you know, my duties have me here in Washington tonight to oversee the federal government's efforts to help citizens recover from Hurricane Gustav. We are thankful that the damage in New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast was less than many had feared.
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ROBERTS: President Bush on Hurricane Gustav last night. And today, he heads to Louisiana to survey the damage from that storm. He's also scheduled to talk with local leaders about the recovery efforts there. On Monday, the president declared a disaster in 34 of Louisiana's parishes, paving the way for federal aid to help the people recover.
Production is resuming on oil rigs along the Gulf Coast. Yesterday, the oil company has begun flying workers back to their off shore platforms after initial assessments revealed that there was no significant damage to structures. The companies which evacuated the rigs since Gustavo's approach say they should be fully staffed within three to five days.
And as the gulf deals with the aftermath of Gustav, get this. Three more storms are gathering strength. Right now, including Tropical Storm Hanna, which is threatening the East Coast.
CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is at CNN's extreme weather headquarters. And Jacqui, I remember not too long ago, a few years ago, we had five of them lined up out there at one point. None of them seem to be threatening the United States, but we got threats from a lot of storms here potentially over the next week or so.
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CHETRY: Name game.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's her name?
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Does that ring any bells?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, no, it don't.
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CHETRY: Jeanne Moos gets some most unusual reactions to McCain's big pick.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: McCain's running mate?
MOOS: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama.
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CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
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CHETRY: Last week, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was really not on anyone's lips. Now, everyone knows her name. Well, maybe not everyone. Here's Jeanne Moos with an unconventional moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a few days ago, she was so new. Even those of us in the media needed a pronunciation guide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor Sarah Palin -- whatever. I'll learn it.
MOOS: And even now it takes a sec.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait a minute. It's Palin. What's her first name? I got Stephanie Palin, is it?
MOOS: Sarah Palin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God.
MOOS: Her name may not trip off the tongue. But her mini scandal has tongues wagging.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, God, we know her daughter is pregnant. Oh Lord, have mercy.
MOOS: From the cover of the "New York Post" to "US Weekly," makes a VP candidate almost wish she were back telling the news rather than making it.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And Sarah Palin is here with sports.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyway, the battle for Seattle continue this weekend.
MOOS: So does the battle over her candidacy.
(on camera): Do you care about the daughter being pregnant?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If she can't manage her children.
MOOS (voice-over): If this keeps up, she may long for the time she was known as --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's her name?
MOOS (on camera): Does that ring any bells?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, no, it don't.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: McCain's running mate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama.
MOOS (voice-over): With an unconventional moment, I'm Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
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ROBERTS: Getting to know her.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is.
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ROBERTS: John McCain's VP pick introduces herself to the nation tonight. Is she ready for primetime?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She didn't settle for the status quo, and she took on the establishment.
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ROBERTS: The pressure on Sarah Palin as she accepts the nomination. It's the "Most Politics in the Morning," live from the twin cities.
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LIEBERMAN: I am here to tell you what I think you know. But I want to speak to the people out there. Don't be fooled by some of these political statements and advertisements. Trust me, God only made one John McCain. And he is his own man.
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ROBERTS: At 57 minutes after the hour, Senator Joe Lieberman isn't the only person who may seem out of place at the RNC. There is a whole group of young minority voters trying to blaze a trail in St. Paul. They are known as the hip hop Republicans. Joining me now is one of them, Lenny McAllister.
Good morning to you.
LENNY MCALLISTER, BLOGGER, THEROOT.COM: Good morning, John.
So, you have committed to vote for Senator McCain despite the fact there is an African-American candidate, a historic candidate on the Democratic ticket. Why are you sticking with McCain?
MCALLISTER: It's about principles and it's about the policies that John McCain will put forward as a president. There's a level of appreciation for what Senator Barack Obama has been able to do for African-Americans historically during this political cycle. However, when it comes to the policies that we feel that black America and other Americans overall will need, we feel that Senator McCain will be more effective to move us forward after this election.
ROBERTS: You're feeling like there's a real home for you here in the Republican Party. When you look at this week's convention compared to 2000 and 2004, in those years you had Colin Powell, who was up giving a speech, Condoleezza Rice, J.C. Watts. None of those speakers are here. There are 40 African-Americans delegates. That's a four decade low here. Is it the amount of out reach that you want to see here?
MCALLISTER: No. It's obviously not the amount of outreach we want to see but we also see that there's an opportunity to really get the message and move forward. We understand that this is an opportunity with Barack Obama as the other presidential candidate to go after the diversity that we need in black America so that we're well-represented on both sides of the aisle.
So, seeing these type of statistics and this type of reality is not necessarily a bad thing. It's an opportunity to show this is where we are now and the only place we can go is off and out from here.
ROBERTS: You know, the Democratic presidential candidates seem to have a natural affinity with African-American voters. John McCain was trying to appeal to African-American voters. He's been doing that over the course of the campaign. But it was sort of illustrative the event that he had in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where he had one African-American on stage with him. I think there maybe two black faces in the audience and the rest of the folks who were there were white. Does that suggest that there's a problem here in connecting.
MCALLISTER: Well, part of it is we have Barack Obama on the other side. And this is a historical time. And black people, plenty, especially those over the age of 45 were involved with the civil rights movement, either as children or as adults had fought for those struggles. They see themselves as being obligated to what -- and many times say as the...
ROBERTS: So, were you saying you're a post-civil rights voter?
MCALLISTER: Well, as hip hop Republicans, we're between the ages of 20 and 45. And the way we define race and gender is completely different. Seeing a vice presidential candidate that's also a mother is not that much of a surprise to a hip hop Republican as it may be to other Republicans.
ROBERTS: Right. You know, you had an interesting perspective just before we went on the air here on Governor Palin. Tell me your thoughts on her and the whole roll out of her candidacy here.
MCALLISTER: Well, I think that the branding could have been done a little differently. If John McCain came out and said -- look, Sarah Palin is a maverick like me. She's gone in there, she's done reform, she's a soccer mom and she's just like the every day American but she believes in innovation and taking different approaches to bring solutions. That was the branding versus the all-American mom with the family values.
When these troubles and issues would have come up, he could very easily said -- look, she's a maverick just like me. And mavericks sometimes hit bumps in the road but those type of leaders are strong and they're able to get through it. It would have been an easier sell.
ROBERTS: So you think she was presented wrong initially?
MCALLISTER: I think there could have been a different way of presenting. I think it was a good presentation but with all these other things in the background, there was a different way to approach her in my opinion.
ROBERTS: Lenny McAllister, thanks for being with us this morning.
MCALLISTER: Thank you, John.
