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American Morning
Reviewing Day Four of the GOP Convention; Storms Lining Up in the Atlantic; Barack Obama Targets Women Voters
Aired September 04, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL BENNETT, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: She is strong. I was reading some of the liberal blogs there saying, Did we awaken a sleeping giant.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you know, another thing that some are wondering and talking about this morning is how much was authentically Sarah Palin and how much of that speech was crafted by advisers and strategists about what needed to be said.
BENNETT: Isn't that always the case? I mean, you have advisers and strategists checking. You don't think they check Barack Obama's speeches. Everybody gets their speeches checked.
But did she seem at home with the speech? Yes. Apparently, she did a lot spontaneously -- did a lot extemporaneously. Apparently. I've heard from a couple of sources that there were some teleprompter problems.
But look, if there were doubts about that, she's too soon going on out on the stump. We'll see if she can stand up and speak for herself without the teleprompter. I'm kind of guessing that she can.
CHETRY: One of the other interesting arguments that she was putting forth last night was about the lack of experience, saying that, you know, Barack Obama and Joe Biden don't really have any executive experience. But by that same token, doesn't it really say the same about McCain, who's, you know, a three decades' long senator but hasn't really run a business or a city?
BENNETT: Yes, but the combination in the ticket looks very strong. You know, I think it's pretty clear you're going to see some kind of divisional labor in this administration. John McCain is, you know, an expert on foreign policy. She knows a heck of a lot about energy and other issues.
Of course, the portfolio of the vice president covers all issues. But the point is, there's a question about her experience, and I don't think there is. I think she's done just fine. It's a question at the bottom of the ticket.
The question that we're suggesting that people ask about the Democrats is at the top of the ticket. The guy is the presidential candidate based on his speeches. Really, there's not much difference between him and Hillary Clinton. Because he is a gifted and eloquent speaker, extremely attractive guy, that's why he's the nominee. 110 present votes. That's what his record was in Chicago. That's just pretty thin group.
CHETRY: All right. Bill Bennett, good to get your take this morning. Thanks for being with us.
BENNETT: Thank you. Thank you.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up now on two minutes after the hour and coming to you live from the Xcel Center in Minnesota tonight, John McCain will come to this hall to officially accept the Republican nomination for president -- day four of the Republican National Convention.
Last night, though, it was all Sarah Palin. The Alaska governor slammed Barack Obama in her speech, attacking his stance on both the economy and national security. And she told the convention, when you put all the glamour aside there is only one choice that's clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When the cloud of rhetoric has passed, when the roar of the crowd fades away, when the stadium lights go out and those Styrofoam Greek homes are hauled back to some studio lot...
(LAUGHTER, CHEERS, APPLAUSE)
...when that happens, what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?
(LAUGHTER, CHEERS, APPLAUSE)
The answer -- the answer is to make government bigger, and take more of your money, and give you more orders from Washington, and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world.
America needs more energy. Our opponent is against producing it. Victory in Iraq is finally in sight, and he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay. He wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America, and he's worried that someone won't read them their rights.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, Governor Palin wasn't the only speaker to lash out at Barack Obama. Former candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani slamming Obama's record or what he called a lack of one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: He is the least experienced candidate for president of the United States in at least the last 100 years. Not a personal attack, a statement of fact. Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Giuliani also hit Obama for voting present rather than yes or no 130 times as a state senator.
John?
ROBERTS: Now, to a CNN exclusive, last hour we heard from Governor Palin's sister reacting to her historic nomination. What's the take from Sarah Palin's friends? Kyra Phillips joins us now live from Anchorage.
Good morning, Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Not just a friend but a best friend, going all of the way back to elementary school. Kristan Cole joining us this morning.
Good to see you again. We've been up all night.
KRISTAN COLE, GOV. PALIN'S LONGTIME FRIEND: Yes, it's been a lot of fun.
PHILLIPS: Let's get right down to these serious issues because I think you address this well on behalf of Sarah and the family. And there are a lot of stories out there, a lot of scrutiny out there from this investigation involving her former brother-in-law, the state trooper, to the pregnancy of her teenage daughter. I mean, there's been a lot of great press about the governor, but also there have been a lot of stories that are really attacking her character and her decision making.
COLE: Well, I think any of the news media items regarding her children have absolutely been off limits. And what I find so interesting is that everyone seems to agree and yet they keep doing it. I just think it's absurd to pull young adults and especially children of politicians who are not in public office. You know, they're private citizens. They deserve their privacy. And I hope that after all of the rhetoric the last week that people will draw a line in the sand, the press will respect that and let them have some privacy.
PHILLIPS: Let me ask you about her foreign policy experience. She's been criticized for that as well. What can you say about the fact that her son, her first born, is going to be deployed to Iraq in a week or so? Is this going to make an impact possibly on how much more she does pay attention to foreign affairs?
COLE: Well, she's been to Kuwait. She's been to Iraq. And she's been to Germany and talked with troops there. And the truth is, is that this war is top of mind for the country and obviously it will be top of mind for her as a mother as well.
PHILLIPS: You brought that up finally -- the fact that she's a mom and a leader. And a lot of people received a lot of heat for saying, can a mother of five lead the country? And I know that a number of you were insulted by that, the fact that that even came up.
COLE: Well, it was offensive to me as a mother of five myself and a small business owner to suggest that Governor Palin can't be the president of the United States just because she's a mother. I just think is an absurd statement. No one is asking Barack Obama if he can be president of the United States because he has two children and he's a father.
I think that statement just flies in the face of just how ridiculous some people in this country are when they're thinking about you can't be a mother and go to work and be an executive. I mean, there are women all over the country today, women waking up, they're going to go to work, they're going to make decisions, they're going to multitask, and she is, too. And I think the great thing is, is that last night I think the country got to identify with her in that role.
PHILLIPS: Kristan Cole, great talking to you and great meeting you.
COLE: Thank you. My pleasure.
PHILLIPS: John, you can see why -- well, you see the strength behind the woman right here. It's good friends all of the way back to elementary school to, of course, her family and even her sister Heather that we got to meet tonight, or last night.
ROBERTS: Pretty big extended family there in Anchorage. Kyra, thanks so much. Good work up there.
Seven minutes after the hour now.
CHETRY: Welcome to prime time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: I was just your average hockey mom and signed up for the PTA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Sarah Palin blows them away in St. Paul. So, what does she do for an encore? We're asking our panel, what's next?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: I guess a small town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Talk a little bit more about Sarah Palin's speech last tonight. What will happen tonight with Senator John McCain as he accepts the Republican nomination? Joining me, Democratic analyst Julian Epstein and Republican strategist Terry Holt. So, a lot of talk about small towns last night and Sarah Palin's speech, Terry. Is this election going to be fought in small town America?
TERRY HOLT, FORMER RNC SENIOR ADVISOR: Well, no, because Sarah Palin and John McCain will win handedly in small towns and red state America. And I think that one of the fundamental mistakes that Barack Obama's campaign made was last Friday picking on Sarah Palin because she's from a small town. It was what started all of this ground swell of support for Governor Palin. So, no, I don't think so. It will be caught...
ROBERTS: So you're...
HOLT: ...in the suburbs --
ROBERTS: So you're saying that John McCain and Sarah Palin will take all the small towns and people will fight for what's left?
HOLT: But that doesn't win the election. I think we'll have plenty to fight over, but it won't be small towns.
ROBERTS: Now, she's very conservative. We know her anti-abortion stance, conservative on other issues such as abstinence only education, guns, religion. Is this going to recreate the culture wars, do you think, Julian, in the next 16 years?
JULIAN EPSTEIN, DEMOCRATIC ANALYST: I think Terry and I think a lot of the Republicans would like it to be about that because the Republican brand is dead and they basically haven't offered during this convention anything positive about the problems that most Americans care about.
80 percent of Americans think we're on the wrong track, think the economy is off track, think that our position on international affairs generally have been mismanaged. What have Republicans offered on that? Well, they've taken a bunch of snide, kind of cheap shots at Barack Obama on a personal level and they've offered bumper sticker solutions in terms change.
Most Americans I don't think are going to buy that. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have been very, very specific about the change they want on the economy, on the war in Iraq, on the housing crisis, on a whole host of issues. I think at the end of the day that's what's going to win.
ROBERTS: Terry, we're going to hear more about wedge issues in the next 60 days and the issue number one, the economy, war in Iraq, Afghanistan, jobs, housing?
HOLT: Well, people care about those so-called wedge issues. But this election is going to be about the big significant issues. Who is better qualified to be commander-in-chief during dangerous times? Who is going to be a leader who can make decisions, not a leader who can vote 130 times present rather than yes or no. It's going to be about a commander-in-chief and a leader and not about the small issues that some or the other of us care about.
EPSTEIN: This is a change election. John McCain has voted with President Bush...
HOLT: And it will be a change whoever is elected.
EPSTEIN: 90 percent of the time. The American people think that the Republicans have run this country into a ditch in the last eight years and want to change. That's what Barack Obama and Joe Biden offer. That's why Barack Obama is leading in the polls.
ROBERTS: Despite all that, though, the numbers are still very close.
HOLT: That's right.
ROBERTS: Julian Epstein and Terry Holt, good to see you. 12-1/2 minutes after the hour.
CHETRY: Under the microscope. Political offspring thrust into the spotlight. What's it like? We're talking to someone who has felt the heat. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Barack Obama is not keeping a low profile during the Republican's convention. Instead, he has come out swinging hoping to gain ground with women voters.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for us this morning.
Suzanne, and after last night's speech by Governor Palin, a real battle is under way for women voters, very important voting bloc particularly those disaffected Hillary Clinton voters.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, John. And what we're seeing this week -- we're not seeing Barack Obama do any kind of big rallies or big speeches but really trying to hit kind of the small town America. And he specifically talking to female voters who went to a barbecue, a picnic just yesterday, on that small town bordering Pennsylvania, Ohio. And this is the gamble here. They figure that Barack Obama is going to come out, he's not going to respond directly to kind of the red meat rhetoric that we've heard from the Republicans but he's going to talk about economic issues. He's going to talk about specifics of his plan and how that relates, how it impacts female voters. So he's talking about raising the minimum wage, lowering taxes for 95 percent of American voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I was talking about my mom but let me talk about my grandmother.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Readying for Sarah Palin to take center stage. Barack Obama zeroed in on the female vote. OBAMA: Women are making 77 cents to every dollar that a man makes on the job. When I am president of the United States, we are going to pass equal pay for equal work.
MALVEAUX: Obama is trying to win over working-class white woman who may find John McCain's V.P. pick, Palin, an appealing alternative.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Ohio!
MALVEAUX: Some of those same women helped put Hillary Clinton over the top here in Ohio during the primaries.
OBAMA: When I think about my grandmother and what she could have done if she had been treated equally -- she had been treated fairly.
MALVEAUX: At Kent State University, Obama appeared with a single mother who makes minimum wage at a local bakery. He argued under his economic plan she would get at least $3,000 in direct relief. At the same time, Obama accused Republicans of ignoring women's struggles.
OBAMA: The truth of the matter is that the other party and John McCain don't get it. They don't get what Gabriel is going through. They don't get what most of you are going through. They just don't get it.
MALVEAUX: Obama went directly after Palin on the issue of equal pay.
OBAMA: I disagree with John McCain on this. And I disagree with Governor Palin on this. They think that the reason women aren't getting paid the same is because of different educational levels. That's just not true.
MALVEAUX: And in an effort to connect with his largely female audience, Obama talked about the impact of being raised by a single mother and how he struggled when she died.
OBAMA: I miss her dearly. And everything I owe, all my success, I owe to her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: So John, expect to hear more of that line, that personal story line from Barack Obama as well, and certainly hoping that that resonates with female voters. We've heard more about his story about his grandmother, how she was a secretary, worked her way up to becoming a vice president of a bank. We've heard more and more about his late mother and how difficult it was, struggle and sacrifice that they went through to support him as well as his sister.
So those are the kinds of things that you're going to be hearing from Barack Obama in these very intimate settings here. I mean, this is really designed to reach out to those blue collar voters and specifically the white female voters who did not necessarily come out and support him during the primaries.
John?
ROBERTS: Right. And pretty clear from last night's speech here at the Xcel Center, too, as well, Suzanne, that he has got some stiff competition on that front. Suzanne Malveaux for us in Pittsburgh. Suzanne, thanks so much.
18 minutes after the hour. Coming to you live from the Xcel Center, day number four of the Republican National Convention. The battle over Christian voters. Republicans had them locked up in 2004. Can the Democrats make inroads or has Sarah Palin now locked it up for John McCain? We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: An extremely dangerous Category 4. That's how forecasters are describing Hurricane Ike at this hour. And this storm is still a few days away but Hanna is nearly here -- the tropical storm passing by the Bahamas right now.
You see it there closest to the U.S. mainland, packing winds close to 70 miles an hour. Hurricane watches are now up for North and South Carolina. We get the latest on Ike and Hanna and also Josephine. Rob Marciano earlier describing this as a Congo line of storms making their way out of the Atlantic.
Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Hi there. I'm sure folks who live in the southeast wouldn't appreciate that party analogy but we do have three that are lined up. Josephine way out. They're not a huge concern.
Cat 4 here. This one certainly a concern for south part of the Gulf and southeast. And then Hanna, which is forecast as very close to becoming a Cat 1, which, by the way, a hurricane is a hurricane, a Cat 1 is nothing to sneeze at. That would do some damage for sure. And the computer model is coming into greater agreement as to where this may very well go. Potential landfall, Friday night into Saturday morning for the Carolinas.
It could shift east. That would obviously be the ideal scenario. And these storms have had a tendency to do that in the past. They just kind of skim the outer banks. That wouldn't be a bad deal. We'll see if that happens. We'll have an update at 11:00.
And then here's Ike, Cat 4. This thing is a beast and heading in a direction, I don't want to mention the "A" word here in south Florida, but folks there should prepare for the beginning of next week. Potentially a nasty storm ala Andrew, but we'll have a plenty of time to change that track in the coming days.
Kiran, back up to you.
CHETRY: Yes, hopefully it will change course, as you said, go up north and then out to sea. All right, Rob, we'll be checking in with you. Thanks. MARCIANO: OK.
CHETRY: So, how do you follow a crowd-pumping speech like Sarah Palin's? Well, very carefully. What experts say John McCain needs to do so his V.P. doesn't steal the show? You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin unleashing several sharp attacks against Barack Obama. Sorry for the noise here but they're reconstructing the entire Xcel Center for John McCain's speech tonight. Many Republicans counting on Palin to win back Christian conservatives who may not exactly be in love with Senator McCain.
Joining me now to talk more about Palin's speech is Republican strategist Ralph Reed.
Good to see you again, Ralph.
RALPH REED, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good to see you, John.
ROBERTS: So, do you call her nomination a shot right into the heart of evangelicals. Does she repair John McCain's lingering problems with the Christian right?
REED: Well, two things. First of all, I think that process was already under way. Let's give John McCain his due. He hit it out of the park at the Saddleback civil forum. He was already, according to the "TIME" magazine poll, winning 70 percent of this vote compared to Obama's 19.
So, this process -- this had already begun to turn. But I have to tell you, John, I've been -- this will be my eighth presidential campaign and I have never seen a vice presidential selection transform a race and energize and electrify the grassroots of the Republican Party in my career.
ROBERTS: And you also said that it was a brilliant head fake to float the names of Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman. Got people worried, then he came in with this, and created more enthusiasm. What if it isn't hadn't been the pick initially?
REED: And John, as you know, there were conflicting press accounts about how seriously they were looked at. They're both fine individuals.
ROBERTS: We talked to Lieberman the other day. Apparently, he was pretty seriously looked at.
REED: Well, in any event, I think what it did was it took a selection that would have been greeted very enthusiastically, regardless. And just turned it into something that was exciting, you know, it's something that is extraordinary because 60 days ago, you would have never thought that John McCain could win as high a percentage of the evangelical vote as George W. Bush did four years ago.
ROBERTS: At 75 percent.
REED: Now, I think it's possible.
ROBERTS: As you know, of course, there was some controversy swirling around her in the early days, particularly over the issues of her 17- year-old daughter, carrying a child. She addressed some of that last night. Let's listen to how she put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: From the inside, no family ever seems typical. And that's how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs as any other. The same challenges and the same joys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So, how did that play with Christian conservatives? This idea that my family is just like yours and we have our ups and downs, we have our problems.
REED: Well, good for her because I think this whole situation, and I have to say to some extent her critics have over-played their hand. Because the reality is that this has humanized her. It's made her more accessible. She was warm. She was compelling. And I think voters want to know that their leaders are real.
And this is a woman -- think about this for a minute, who, in six months, has learned that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, has given birth to a Down Syndrome baby, and has been selected as vice president of the United States -- nominee. This is a tough cookie. And one of the best things that can happen to somebody who's a politician, John, is to be underestimated. And she's been handed that gift.
ROBERTS: Which is why we saw Joe Biden not too long ago raising expectations for what might happen during the vice presidential debate on the 2nd. Ralph, it's good to see you. Thanks for dropping by.
REED: Good to see you.
ROBERTS: Appreciate it.
Kiran? CHETRY: 29 minutes past the hour now. They were chanting drill, baby drill, at the RNC, something Sarah Palin supports in her home state of Alaska. She talked about the vital need to get America off of foreign energy sources and her energy accomplishments as governor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
(APPLAUSE)
I fought to bring about the largest private sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
(APPLAUSE)
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are open, will lead America one step farther away from the dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart. The stakes for our nation could not be higher. When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we're forced to draw from our strategic petroleum reserves. And families cannot throw more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil. With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the caucuses and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN, ANCHOR: The Republicans said they were going to stay on offense. They did that last night. The Obama-Biden ticket taking quite a beating. Leading the charge was former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: And, yes, being president means being able to answer that call at 3:00 in the morning. And that's the one time we agree with Hillary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Joining me now CNN political contributor Paul Begala. I know you were watching all the speeches last night. And I asked you before, you said, no, I enjoy negative. You weren't that crazy about the sarcasm though. What did you think of Sarah Palin's speech last night?
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: I thought the parts that looked like she had written were quite good. The self definition, the self deprecation, when she said I'm a hockey mom, definition of a hockey mom, pit bull with lipstick, I thought it was very winning, very appealing. And then there was this turn. The campaign has released the fact that the speech was mostly written by President Bush's speech writer and mostly written before they knew who the candidate was. And that sarcasm, I think, is very unappealing. Ronald Reagan never used sarcasm. You want your audience to like you. Sarcasm is rooted in arrogance and a superiority that's very off putting.
So if I were her speech writer, ideologically, I'm opposed to her but setting that aside, I would use more of the self deprecation that she used at the beginning of the speech and less of that really kind of bitter sarcasm.
CHETRY: You know, but it really seen throughout all the speakers last night. Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, they all went after Barack Obama pretty hard last night. How does he respond back to that? They really hit the elitist, they brought up the bitter clinging to guns and religion and they also talked about inexperience and the fact that, let's say a state senator, he voted present more than 100 times and Rudy Giuliani said when you're a mayor you can't vote present.
BEGALA: Right. He needs to make this race about John McCain and George Bush, not about Barack Obama. He needs to pretend that McCain's running mate is not the Governor of Alaska who nobody heard of two weeks ago but instead the president of United States who for eight years has been setting policies that he will argue McCain wants to continue. I do think, the Democrat in me, when the Republican candidate owns seven homes, actually I think it's nine by my count, we can get to that in another time, seven homes in three time homes and the Democratic candidate was raised by a single mom on food stamps, went to school on scholarships, them calling him an elitist is really an interesting piece of work.
And I do think they would be able to fight back on that quite ably. You know, the contrast of the wealth of the two candidates is extraordinary. Most people, I think, would say John McCain is quite an elite at least with hundreds of millions of dollars at his disposal.
CHETRY: You're right, that's a Democrat and you talked about that. And we're going to hear what John McCain says tonight because all of the focus and all of the spotlight has certainly been on Palin knocking the GOP off their game this quickly.
BEGALA: John McCain is a 72-year-old man who has cancer four times. So his vice presidential candidate matters more than most. But still, people vote on the president. This is McCain's moment. I think he'll rise to it. But she has set the bar pretty high for him, as has Obama and as has Biden. We're having some terrific speech making just for those of us who love that kind of stuff. But we'll see how McCain does tonight.
CHETRY: All right. Everyone will be watching for sure. Paul Begala, great to see you. Thanks for coming in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHETRY (voice-over): Caught in the middle.
GERHART: This young man plunges into a maelstrom.
CHETRY: The 18-year-old dragged into the political spotlight. Friends of Levi Johnston speak out.
COLE: The decision they have made is honorable and I'm going to do everything I can to support, you know, the Palin family.
CHETRY: You're watching the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: You know, from the inside, no family ever seems typical. And that's how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs as any other, the same challenges, and the same joys. Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN, ANCHOR: That was vice presidential nominee Governor Sarah Palin reaching out to American families last night during her acceptance speech, saying we're just like you are. Sarah Palin's entire family was up on the national stage. Her kids, her baby, even the father of her teenage daughter's baby. But what's it like for a kid to see his myspace profile become part of an vice presidential election campaign? Our Jason Carroll is here now on that. Good morning, Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, John. You know, this is something that first families are well familiar with, how to keep your children out of the political spotlight? Many times the press cooperates, but not always.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): Senator John McCain warmly greeted 18-year-old Levi Johnston and his 17-year-old pregnant bride to be, Bristol, daughter of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Levi Johnston's introduction to the national spotlight not nearly as welcoming. His face and opinions previously known to just a few, now plastered on tabloids nationwide.
LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I can't speak for Levi, but I could speak for the - for many women across the country who feel that it's appalling that this poor child is being dragged into a political fistfight.
CARROLL: Kristen Cole is from Johnston's hometown in Wasilla, Alaska, about 40 miles from Anchorage. Her daughter is friends with Johnston. KRISTEN COLE, JOHNSTON FAMLY FRIEND: He is taking this relationship seriously. These two young people have been dating for quite some time. Again, I think that, you know, the decisions that they've made are honorable and I'm going to do everything I can to support, you know, the Palin family and their family.
CARROLL: On his myspace page now taken down, Johnston said he was in a relationship and called himself a red neck. "I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, so some fishing and shoot some, expletive." He also wrote, "I don't want kids."
ANN GERHART, LAURA BUSH BIOGRAPHER: I've been really struck by how this is one more example of our incredibly speeded up, logged on, plugged in culture.
CARROLL: Author Ann Gerhart wrote about President Bush's twin daughters whose episodes of underage drinking drew media attention. Something in which Johnston, she says, is getting a crash course.
GERHART: This young man plunges into, by accident in some ways, a maelstrom.
CARROLL: Historically the press has respected private boundaries around the children of politicians and their friends. But now the line seemed blurred. Senator McCain's daughter, Meghan, blogged about it. Writing, "it's a rough go being the son or daughter of a politician." Saying, "you can't fully understand it unless you have lived it." Levi Johnston, who's not even the son of a politician, is beginning to live it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And now that Johnston has made his formal debut, political observers say most likely he and Bristol Palin will exit stage left, quietly, that is, of course, if the press will allow them. John.
ROBERTS: Rather dramatic introduction to the political process. Jason Carroll for us this morning. Jason, thanks so much.
Coming up on 41 minutes now after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice-over): Under the microscope. Political offspring thrust into the spotlight. What's it like? We're talking to someone who has felt the heat. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: We saw the Governor's family sit with her including daughter, Bristol, sitting with her fiance by her side. Political pundits and late night talk show hosts are weighing in on the pregnant teen who now finds herself in the public spotlight as well as her fiance. Joining us now someone who knows what it's like to grow up a child of a national politician, Michael Reagan, son of the late President Ronald Reagan. Thanks for being with us this morning, Michael.
MICHAEL REAGAN, SON OF LATE PRES. RONALD REAGAN: Good morning.
CHETRY: Just give us, you know, your personal thoughts. What was going through your mind as all of this played out on the national scene?
REAGAN: It's very tough. I mean, when you are the child of someone famous, somebody who's running for president or vice president of the United States, I mean you're in a very precarious position because the media many times and the other side will come after you to try and make a point with your parent. As that happened with me with John Vandercamp here in Los Angeles back in 1979, 1980. They tried to, in fact, indict me on some bogus fraud situation. And ended up having to get an attorney, get out of that deal. I couldn't even find a job after my dad got elected president of the United States because the media was with you 24 hours a day.
And then they pigeonholed me as the adopted son of Ronald Reagan and they just would never let go of that. Ended up affecting my children, my son Cameron, my daughter Ashley because people would tell them they weren't really the grandchildren of the president of the United States because I was adopted and my family didn't want me. Ronald Reagan really wasn't my father.
Now you see this situation with this young girl. She will forever be known as the pregnant 17-year-old of Sarah Palin. And that is really unfortunate what they do. Children should be off limits.
CHETRY: How did you deal with all of that?
REAGAN: It wasn't very easy. I mean, I actually qualified for two years of my dad's administration for the earned income tax credit because people wouldn't give me a job because I had media around me 24 hours a day, Secret Service with me all the time. My son, Cameron, for example, going to school at the time would not be invited to school outings, if you will, or if other children had birthday parties. All the other kids would go to the party. Cameron would not be invited to the party because they were worried that Secret Service would in fact, look into their lives, look into their bank accounts. So they didn't want to bring Cameron into their home and had the Secret Service looking at them. So my son was left outside while the other kids were out there having fun and having cupcakes and all those things. And it affected us for years.
CHETRY: Yes, it certainly doesn't sound like it was easy. And you know, last night I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to decide whether or not they were going to have Bristol, as you said, there with her fiance, the 18-year-old Levi Johnston. How do these decisions get made? I mean, you had a first-hand look at how much access and how much you want to put your children out there in the spotlight.
REAGAN: Sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. They'll find your children wherever they are. And god forbid they do something that maybe you're not proud of because whatever that is, will be the front page of the newspaper, just like, you know, Bristol Palin out there. And I worry about the child because when she gives birth to that child, whether Sarah Palin becomes vice president of the United States or stays as governor of Alaska, what about that child? We'll hear about that child being born and how will people treat that child. Will that child be referred to as an illegitimate child as I was referred to when I was a child, who was adopted into the Reagan family, or, in fact, will people leave that family alone and let that young couple raise that child the way that child should be raised?
Thank god they've got great parents in Mr. and Mrs. Palin. In fact, that can be there for them. And it's so important that the parents come around and embrace that family, the daughter, the son-in-law to be, and, of course, the new baby coming in.
CHETRY: Well, thanks for your take this morning. Great to see you. Michael Reagan, eldest son of Ronald Reagan.
REAGAN: Thank you.
CHETRY: Thanks.
ROBERTS: 47 minutes now after the hour. Sarah Palin says she is ready to lead. We're taking a look at how she's done at home with the economy of Alaska. Our Gerri Willis is here "Minding your Business." Often, Gerri, there are far different pressures on the national level than there are at the state level but you kind of get an indication of how somebody would govern looking at how they've done at home and how has she done?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, we've been looking at that. And of course, Alaska is a very different situation than the nation. But what we found is she is a fiscal conservative, but not necessarily a fiscal conservative of the stripe that John McCain is. In fact, on some important issues they disagree.
Let's talk a little bit first about how Alaska is different. There is no state income tax. In fact, the state pays Alaskans. It's good to be Alaskan. Look at these numbers. There's something called a dividend that's paid to residents from the Alaska Permanent Fund. That comes from oil revenues, actually mineral lease revenues. It was established way before Sarah Palin came into office. But people get a lot of money. If you've been in a state a year or more you get quite a bit of dough. It could be as much as $2,000 this year.
Now, here is where Sarah Palin comes in. She established a resource rebate of $1,200 this year. This is big-time money for folks. Goes right to them. And it was basically a windfall profit. Now, what do we know that John McCain said about windfall profit taxes, he doesn't really like them. So a little difference there in their approach on economic issues, as you can see.
Take a look at how much Sarah Palin's family might get as a result of all this, some $22,400. This is big money for families there . Now, just to look a little further back in Palin's history when she was mayor of Wasilla. She essentially cut property taxes by about 3/4. She's certainly known for that. She's known for firing her chauffer, her chef, as governor.
And last night she said she sold the governor's luxury plane on ebay because she thought it was a frill that she didn't need and that Alaskans shouldn't be paying for. But her brand of fiscal conservatism is really populous and somewhat different from what John McCain has been talking about. John.
ROBERTS: All right. Gerri Willis for us this morning with that. Gerri, thanks so much.
Searching for scandal, magazines bump movie stars off the covers for the Sarah Palin story. What is the fascination with this family and what are they trying to dig up? You're watching the most news in the morning.
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PALIN: You know they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: There was Governor Sarah Palin embracing her background as a tough small town hockey mom. Governor Palin is quickly becoming the rising star of the Republican party. Her new high profile has celebrity magazines swarming. CNN's Lola Ogunnaike joins me now. When you look at the covers, that's not what you're usually seeing on "US Weekly," "In Touch" and "OK" magazine, usually it's the Hollywood type.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It's true. But she is this week's cover girl. She is on the cover of "US Weekly." She is on the cover of "OK." Excuse me, this side. She's on the cover of "People." And she is on the cover of "The National Inquirer." Four for four.
CHETRY: What are they saying? What are you hearing from the editors about why they decided - because they apparently knocked off what Halle Berry and her baby to put Sarah Palin on the cover? Why is she so enticing?
OGUNNAIKE: When I spoke with Janice Min, who is the editor in chief of "US Weekly", she told me that all anyone is talking about is Sarah Palin. They thought they were going to go with the Halle Berry cover but as soon as the story broke they decided, you know what, this woman is hot. She's going to sell magazines. We're going to go with her.
CHETRY: I can't help but miss the title there. It says "babies, lives and scandal."
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly.
CHETRY: Is there a negative slant to a lot of these covers and stories?
OGUNNAIKE: I think that cover lines are actually a little more provocative than the actual stories. I mean, this "US Weekly" cover line is very provocative but it's more of a comprehensive look at who she is as a politician, where she came from, and some of the controversy surrounding her. But for the most part, the "People" magazine issue, the "OK" issue and the "US Weekly" issue are pretty soft on her.
CHETRY: Poor Joe Biden, he is getting ignored. They're not running out to cover him on the cover of "US Weekly."
OGUNNAIKE: No, but, you know who they're talking about her on the "National Inquirer." They're not exactly soft of her. A lot of colorful allegations in this issue. And it's got the McCain camp, they're not so happy about it. In fact, they issued a statement saying this, Kiran, they're threatening to sue the magazine and they're saying "the smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the "National Inquirer" insinuating that Governor Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie." And that came from senior adviser Steve Schmidt.
CHETRY: This is very interesting that they're even responding. There was a lot of talk when the "National Inquirer" was trying to dig up information about John Edwards' affair, former presidential candidate, that no one was responding to it and so the issue really didn't come to light for a very long time.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, the McCain camp was out on this very quickly. They're acknowledging it. They're saying it's not true. They don't want this to fester at all. But when I spoke to the editor in chief of the "National Inquirer" yesterday he said, look, we got three reporters in Alaska, we're sending four more out there. This is a story that they're going to be on. Expect to see a lot more Palin in upcoming "National Inquirer" issues. It's not going away for them at all.
CHETRY: All right. Lola Ogunnaike, thank you.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
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CHETRY (voice-over): Meet the Palins.
PALIN: A perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig.
CHETRY: Jeanne Moos follows the bouncing baby boy and zooms in on his big sister who nearly stole the show. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States?
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CHETRY: That was John McCain along with the Palin clan last night. At least the on stage version of the Palin family anyways. Now the candid shots that you didn't see, from big sister Willow to baby Trig. Our Jeanne Moos caught the family's un-conventional moments on camera. The Palin kids, unplugged.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Meet the Republican party's new star, nah, not her, we mean -
PALIN: A perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig.
MOOS: Trig did a lot of traveling. Palin's baby, the child with Down syndrome, started the night in daughter Willow's arms. Showed up next cradled by Cindy McCain, sleeping soundly through Rudy Giuliani's applause line.
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When do they ever ask a man that question? When?
MOOS: Husband Todd then held and handed Trig over to daughter Piper. So that the handsome hubby could be introduced.
PALIN: Two decades and five children later, he's still my guy.
MOOS: We barely know the candidate for VP and already we're on a first-name busy with the Palin clan.
PALIN: Bristol and Willow and Piper.
MOOS: That's 17-year-old Bristol, the soon to wed pregnant daughter holding hands with her baby's father. Everywhere they went, they held hands. The VP pick from Alaska was celebrated with moose hats and snowy postcard views. There was Palin Power, Sisters for Sarah, we struck oil with Sarah.
And did we mention the hockey moms?
PALIN: I love those hockey moms. You know they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.
MOOS: Cindy McCain seemed smitten, and look where Trig ended up, finally awake, Trig seemed a bit freaked out by the limelight. Piper didn't seem to mind. She was captured on camera chewing on Trig's pacifier, picking something off him, and best of all, licking her hand to smooth Trig's hair. We haven't seen something like that since Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" featured former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz's questionable grooming. She's his spitting image but a whole lot cuter. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: And that's going to do it for us this morning. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
ROBERTS: All right. It's going to be a late night tonight with John McCain's speech and early morning tomorrow. Our convention coverage continues now with Soledad O'Brien in New York. Hey, Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN HOST: All right. Good morning to you, John and Kiran. And good morning, everyone.
