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American Morning
Pirates Attack Another U.S. Cargo Ship off Somalia; Tea Party Protests on Tax Day; The Path of Drugs Across the Borders; Rep. Ron Paul Discusses State, Not Federal Regulation of Narcotics; Former Mexico President Vicente Fox Talks About Working Together to Stop the Drug Trade
Aired April 15, 2009 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: We're crossing the top of the hour now. Thanks very much for joining us on this Wednesday. It's the 15th of April. Tax day.
John Roberts along with Kiran Chetry.
Good morning to you.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, too. And we have a lot on the agenda this morning. Big stories were breaking down in the next 15 minutes. We have breaking news.
Pirates attack another U.S. cargo ship off the Coast of Somalia, firing rocket-propelled grenades, automatic weapons. They didn't end up getting onboard, but certainly some terrifying moments as this was happening. The Navy came to the rescue yet again. One sailor even e- mailed his mom under fire. We're going to show you what he sent.
The Obama administration will name a border czar today. Officials say that it's former Justice Department Official Alan Bersin. He'll be in charge of dealing with the deadly drug-related violence that has started to spill over into the United States. That announcement coming just a day before President Obama visits Mexico for the first time as president.
And in honor of tax day -- tea parties. Hundreds of them scheduled from coast-to-coast. People fed up with bank bailouts and what they say is out of control government spending, and they're taking a page from the original tax protest back in 1773. They're hoping Washington is watching.
ROBERTS: First, to breaking news this morning. As we speak, a crew of about 20 sailors on their way to Kenya this morning under Navy escort after pirates attacked another U.S. cargo ship off of the coast of Somalia.
The USS Bainbridge again coming to the rescue with former hostage, Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama, still onboard. The pirates promised revenge for three dead comrades and this time they came with even bigger weapons and they used them, firing rocket-propelled grenades damaging the New York-based Liberty Sun. But unlike last time, they didn't get onboard this ship. The military says the crew is safe. But as the cargo ship took incoming fire, one sailor, Thomas Urbik, was sending e-mails to his mom. He wrote, "We are under attack by pirates. We are being hit by rockets, also bullets. We're barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. A rocket penetrated the bulkhead, but the hole is small."
Last night, Anderson Cooper spoke with Mrs. Urbik whose worst nightmare almost came true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATY URBIK, SON'S U.S. SHIP FIRED ON BY PIRATES (via telephone): My heart stopped. As soon as I realized that it wasn't going to be "a just kidding" after his comment because I had heard from him earlier this morning saying they had a plan with the Navy, they were being monitored.
They had been practicing drills to get into the engine room. And I was kind of breathing a sigh of relief after yesterday hearing about the pirates threatening to attack American ships and not taking hostages, just shooting them. And -- so, I opened up my e-mail and it was one of those surreal moments where am I really reading this? And I think my heart stopped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: We're tapping into the worldwide resources of CNN for the latest developments. Our Chris Lawrence is standing by live at the Pentagon for us this morning.
First, though, to David McKenzie who's live in Mombasa, Kenya.
David, outline it for us. How did this new attack happen?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the new attack happened much as that sailor described it. Somali pirates came up towards that cargo ship. They fired rocket-propelled grenades, small arms fire. It's obviously a terrifying moment for that crew. The crew hid away while those attacks happened.
Now the pirates weren't able to get on board that ship, which is really the key here. They can't get onboard the ship. They certainly can't hijack it.
And, of course, that extraordinary exchange between that sailor, Thomas Urbik, and his mother. She got that first e-mail. We just heard about that. Then, you know, she was terrified and then she saw a second e-mail in the inbox. And this is what Thomas Urbik had to say.
He said, "The Navy has showed up in full force and we're now under military escort. All is well. I love you all and thank you for the prayers."
So, John, really dramatic stuff. He said they got out. The USS Bainbridge was there again. Quite extraordinary, it was with the captain who had previously been under hostage himself. They got away safely and they are steaming towards Mombasa -- John.
ROBERTS: Incredible that he's still wrapped up in this whole situation. This latest attack on this New York-based boat comes three days after those three pirates were shot dead by Navy SEAL snipers. Pirates had vowed an escalation of violence as a result of that incident. Did you think that this kind of falls out of that? Or is this business as usual for the Somali pirates?
MCKENZIE: Well, I think, John, it's business as usual. They're not necessarily keeping tabs on what every pirate is saying on the shore. And, you know, such lucrative boats that they are taking for them. They can get, you know, a few million dollars off of each boat they take. So I think they're just, you know, ignoring the threats of the U.S. and the French navies and going after every boat they see.
But one thing to remember, John, is that this boat, you know, even the boat behind me, the Maersk Alabama is carrying food aid to Africa. And it's quite ironic that both of these boats who are essentially coming here to aid both Somalis, Kenyans, and people across the region and the Somali pirates, essentially, are stopping the food that is going to their own countryman.
ROBERTS: I guess to the pirates, booty is booty. David McKenzie for us in Mombasa, Kenya this morning. David, thanks so much for that.
And coming up at about 7:00 this time, we're going to be joined by the mother who received those harrowing e-mails from her son as his ship came under attack by pirates -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Meanwhile, the captain who's kidnapped by pirates and lived to tell about it was supposed to be heading home today. Now, he's still stuck at sea chasing down pirates.
Captain Richard Phillips was still on the USS Bainbridge when it had to take a detour to save the other ship. This morning we're seeing pictures also of the lifeboat he was held prisoner on for five days at sea.
CNN's Chris Lawrence joins us live from the Pentagon. What a twist of fate there. And also these new pictures. A lot of developments this morning, Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, exactly. It looks like Captain Phillips is going to be along for the ride at least for the time being, Kiran. But these pictures really give us our clearest view yet of the ships involved in that really daring rescue.
Let's take a look. You can take a look now, and you can see at least one of them. As we zoom in here, you can see the crew working on that lifeboat. And if you look closely at the pilot house, you can see at least one bullet hole where those Navy snipers fired. That gives you a great perspective right there on where they were at the rear of the ship. And again all this taking place with the Navy snipers lined up and they took out three pirates who were onboard that lifeboat, then shimmied over on the towline and rescued Captain Phillips.
Now, one of the heads -- the anti-piracy head of the International Maritime Organization is really praising that effort along with the U.S. and a recent French effort by their commandos as well is what needs to be done here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. POTTENGAL MUKUNDAN, INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU: If all flag states were to take that kind of robust action against the pirates, we would not have the problems of Somali piracy to the extent that we have today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: The Navy is trying to beef up patrols in that area but again it has limited ships. And so, the focus now will be trying to enlist other countries to put more of their ships into the effort.
CHETRY: All right. Chris Lawrence for us this morning. Thanks.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, they are mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore. Tea party protests taking place across the country on this tax day from California to Texas to our nation's capital and almost all points north and south along the east coast.
More than 2,000 rallies expected to take place according to Taxdayteaparty.com. Thousands of people upset with bank bailouts and government spending, and they are voicing that outrage today.
Our Jim Acosta joins us now live from Washington with more on all of this.
How did it all get started, Jim?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, as we know, it all started from a tirade from a reporter on a cable business show, Rick Santelli. And from there it snowballed into a conservative movement against President Obama's agenda. The organizers behind these Boston tea party-style rallies say these events, which do feature some tough anti-Obama rhetoric, may just be the beginning of a new energized Republican Party.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANTELLI, CNBC REPORTER: President Obama, are you listening?
ACOSTA (voice-over): What Rick Santelli unleashed has this way come. Ever since the CNBC reporter's rant against President Obama's plan to help troubled homeowners, conservatives have staged Boston tea party-style rallies across the country to protest what they describe as budget-busting bailouts gone wild. The grand daddy of them all set for tax day.
ROGER L. SIMON, PAJAMAS TV: I think in this situation we have people who are genuinely upset by the spending that's going on and they're scared. So they're organizing.
ACOSTA: Roger L. Simon is promoting the tea parties on his conservative Web site, Pajamas TV, where you can watch Sam Wurzelbacher, AKA Joe the Plumber, interview protesters at the rallies.
As Wurzelbacher found, some of the rhetoric can be extreme.
SAM WURZELBACHER, JOE THE PLUMBER: If you could waterboard Obama this weekend, what would you try to get out of him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I don't want to waterboard Obama.
SIMON: I don't approve of that. I would like to hope and I think that the majority of the people here are respectful.
ACOSTA: Republican strategist Keith Appell says conservatives have borrowed a page from the president's net roots playbook, organizing tea parties on-line.
KEITH APPELL, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Now you've got conservatives, you know, tweeting to one another on Twitter.
ACOSTA (on camera): Is this the new Republican Party that we're starting to see emerge here?
APPELL: Well, I think there has to be a new Republican Party. The Republican Party we've seen over the last few years hasn't done very well.
ACOSTA (voice-over): But some familiar faces are also at work. Promoters include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
GLENN BECK, FOX NEWS HOST: I'm sorry. I just love my country and I fear for it.
ACOSTA: And FOX News personality Glenn Beck who argues the tea party outrage harkens back to Howard Beale in the film "Network."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "NETWORK")
HOWARD BEALE: I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD KURTZ, "WASHINGTON POST" MEDIA CRITIC: I don't think I've ever seen a news network throw its weight behind a protest like we are seeing in the past few weeks with FOX and these tea parties. ACOSTA: The White House has plans to counter the tea party message with an event to remind Americans the president cut taxes in the stimulus.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Americans will see more money in their pockets as a direct result of the Making Work Pay tax cut that the president both campaigned on and passed through Congress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Now, tea party organizers have said they have no idea what the turnout will be like, saying they expect hundreds of rallies across the country today. But liberal tea party critics are not buying it. They call these events "Astroturf," arguing they don't come from the grassroots but from old Republican Party bosses, John.
ROBERTS: All right. Jim Acosta for us this morning. Jim, thanks so much.
Not everyone is outraged by bigger government. A new "USA Today" Gallup poll says 85 percent of people are OK with expanded government to deal with the financial crisis. But by a three-to-one margin, people want that bigger government cut back when the crisis is over.
CHETRY: And also breaking news this morning as we've been telling you about. Somali pirates opening fire on yet another U.S. ship. We're live in Chicago with a mother whose son was on the ship and frantically e-mailed her during the attack. Can you imagine?
Politicians spending your tax money on their pet projects. We're going to show you where some of your hard-earned dough is going.
It's ten and a half minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Twelve minutes past the hour now.
We're finding out more this morning about an American cargo ship that was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The attackers failed to take over "The Liberty Sun" yesterday, but they did inflict some damage to the vessel with grenade launchers and automatic weapons.
And Thomas Urbik, an engineer on "The Liberty Sun" was e-mailing home to his mom, Katy, during the attack. In fact, here's what he wrote.
"We're under attack by pirates. We're being hit by rockets, also bullets. We're barricaded in the engine room, and so far no one is hurt. A rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire too but put out."
Then a short time later, another e-mail. "The Navy has showed up, and we're under military escort. I love you all and thank you for your prayers."
Katy Urbik joins us live now from Chicago. Thanks for being with us this morning.
How much time, by the way, Katy, was between the first e-mail and the second? Because the first one must have stopped your heart.
URBIK: Yes. Actually I think the way they send out their e-mail signals, some can accumulate and they send them out at the same time. So, literally, the second e-mail was there as soon as I exited out of the first one. But that doesn't mean they came that quickly. I think it's a matter of when they send those signals up and send out the e- mails.
CHETRY: Right. And, I mean, to hear this from your own child, "We're under attack, there's bullets. So far, no one is hurt."
I mean, what was going through your mind?
URBIK: My heart started pounding. I had this, you know, "Is this really happening?" kind of moment. I really thought he might have -- I was waiting for the next line to say just kidding or LOL, or something like that because that's kind of his sense of humor. So it was just one of those, you know, hit you between the eye moments of this is reality right smack in my face.
CHETRY: Right. And you've known -- I mean, Thomas has been on the ship since February. You guys have talked about the dangers of traveling in this area off the Somalia coast. What has he told you about the precautions that they take, about maybe changes in the future to how they arm these cargo ships?
URBIK: Well, as far as precautions went thus far, he kept me pretty well informed to put my mind at ease that they had high- pressure hoses and strategies to get safe in the engine room if they were being boarded and their lookouts were, you know, stepped up in their watches. He has mentioned that, you know, this is not enough and he certainly is hoping for more defensive measures onboard after all of this has happened.
CHETRY: Right. I mean, we've seen just over the past few days that the situation with Captain Phillips, the U.S. Navy getting involved, the SEALs then being able to take out these three pirates and rescued the captain. But do you think more needs to be done? Do you think the U.S. government needs to take on a stronger role in patrolling this region of the world?
URBIK: Well, sure. That and, you know, American ships aren't the only ones getting attacked. And I'd like to see a worldwide resolve to put an end to these problems. In our modern age, it's kind of unimaginable that it can be so easy to take a ship that large and get that much money.
CHETRY: Right.
URBIK: I'm not really -- I'm not the expert on how to solve those problems, but I think we could begin with more security onboard the ships and more means for them to defend themselves.
CHETRY: Right.
URBIK: Because we're talking about an area so vast it would be unrealistic to expect the Navy to be Johnny-on-the-spot. They're rescuing you if you are under attack.
CHETRY: Exactly. Also as I understand it, he used to e-mail you every five days. Now, he's e-mailing you every 48 hours just to try to put your mind at ease. But you know, going forward in the future, I mean, what's it like knowing that this is the career path he's chosen that he's on these ships?
URBIK: Well, you know, he's definitely in the worst part of the world for piracy. And I think ordinarily when, you know, there's many, many shipping jobs you can have that don't put you in this kind of harm's way. So he'll probably be keeping a more careful eye on which jobs he actually accepts.
CHETRY: Right, I get it. When you see him, what's the first thing you're going to say?
URBIK: I love you. Thank God you're safe. Thank God for being an American and having, you know, a strong military that can, you know, safely see you in the port and thank God for protecting you.
CHETRY: All right. Absolutely. All right. Well, Katy Urbik, thanks so much for joining us this morning. I'm sure you're eagerly awaiting getting to actually hug your son in this ordeal.
URBIK: Yes, very much so.
CHETRY: Katy, thanks - John.
ROBERTS: The debate is raging over how to deal with America's obsession with drugs and the violent crime that that creates. Texas Congressman Ron Paul thinks he has a solution and his pitch might surprise you. Ron Paul joins us live coming up.
And from celebrities to average Joes, the tax sheets most wanted list is growing. And one state is taking notice in this recession. We'll tell you what it is and what they're doing.
Seventeen and a half minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
With the nation struggling through a recession and millions of Americans out of work, this was supposed to be a year to trim the pork. But the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste, says the opposite seems to be happening. The group just released its yearly pig book report on 2009 spending bill. Our Drew Griffin now with the skinny on all the fat -- Drew. DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: It is fat, John. The pig book is massive. Check out some of the worst offenders.
First up, the road to nowhere in West Virginia. We've been talking about this for years and years, and Senator Robert Byrd gets another $9.5 million for this very lonely road in West Virginia. It actually got the pig book's highway robbery award.
Other winners include Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, $1.8 million in swine odor and manure management research. California Congressman Howard Berman, $200,000 for tattoo removal. And former Republican Congressman Chris Shays for his $1.9 million earmark for the Pleasure Beach water taxi in Connecticut.
Now despite all those campaign promises from the president on down to clean up this pork, John, the pig book catalogs 11,610 earmark projects costing taxpayers $17.2 billion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID WILLIAMS, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: They believed the president when he came out and said that he was against earmarks. And what happened? The new Congress comes in -- oh, they continue to vote Republicans out in '08, mind you -- but the new Congress comes in and they spent $1 billion an hour since taking office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Now, in fairness, President Obama did inherit part of this year's pork from the Bush administration. But Mr. Obama also approved a huge chunk of it when he signed that big '09 spending bill in March. And while Senator Obama didn't ask for any earmarks during his campaign, plenty in his party did.
This year, the Democrats got the most. One analysis of strictly Democrat or Republican earmarks racked up $2.6 billion for Democrats and purely Republican earmarks, John, valued at about $1.9 billion.
ROBERTS: Now, Drew, all of these -- all of these projects, I mean, they come under fire because they're seen as pork barrel spending. But there are members of Congress, senators, who fiercely defend them. Tom Harkin, for example, is a fierce defender and proponent of this swine odor mitigation project in Iowa. He says if you live in Iowa, you know how extraordinarily important something like that is.
GRIFFIN: Yes. And on this tax day, I think a lot of people would be scratching their heads saying, really? You know, a lot of these projects -- and I know, John, that you've done plenty of reporting on this, are very questionable.
We were told there would be no museums. Remember, the president said no museums? Well, there's a $143,000 donation to the Natural History Museum out in Las Vegas. That's from Senator Harry Reid. So a lot of questionable spending here, especially questionable at this time.
ROBERTS: All right. Drew Griffin for us this morning with all that. Drew, good to see you this morning. Thanks so much for it -- Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. We're speaking to congressman -- a congressman called our drug war a total failure and says it's not working, that we have to start looking toward legalizing. We're going to hear from Congressman Ron Paul just ahead.
And still ahead, she shocked Simon and the world. The incredible story of a British reality TV contestant who's now a YouTube sensation. And why you should never judge a book by its cover.
It's 24 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: A day before President Obama heads down to Mexico City, the administration is set to name a border czar. White House sources tell us it's former Justice Department official Alan Bersin. He'll be in charge of dealing with the deadly drug-related violence that has started to spill over the border into the United States.
It's America's unending demand for illegal drugs that is helping to fuel this war. We're taking a serious look at the problem and searching for solutions in our special series, "Drug Nation."
Today, how drugs get in. Greedy drug cartels on one side who will do anything including kill to get their product over the border and get paid.
CNN's Deb Feyerick is at the San Ysidro port of entry where California meets Tijuana.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, the San Ysidro port of entry is the busiest border crossing between Mexico on that side of the yellow line and the United States on this side. More than 110,000 people pass through every day. And that makes it fertile ground for drug traffickers who are always looking for new ways to get more drugs into the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): When you see the Mexico-U.S. border for the first time, it's easy to understand why drug cartels are obsessed with it. It's so close, houses in Tijuana virtually touch the border fence opposite San Diego.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their bottom line is to make money and they're going to do whatever it is that they can to ensure that that happens. So they become very, very creative in the ways that they'll smuggle.
FEYERICK: Drug traffickers are throwing everything they've got at getting drugs into the U.S. They're smuggled over land in things like cables, toys, and holiday candles. Or, smuggled underground in sophisticated tunnels, some 100 discovered since 1990, along the more than 2,000-mile border. And on the water, where Captain Vincent DeLaurentis and his crew on the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton recently spent three months searching for drugs inbound to Mexico.
CAPTAIN VINCENT DELAURENTIS, COAST GUARD CUTTER HAMILTON: Every time we get a seizure, we put a new sticker up.
FEYERICK: Though they did not see any of the cartels' new high- tech semi-submersibles, they did capture six of the new hard to detect boats that travel mostly at night.
DELAURENTIS: And we seized six go-fast vessels that were carrying upwards of 15 tons of contraband.
FEYERICK: Port director Oscar Preciado oversees the San Ysidro crossing.
(on camera): How many cars do you find drugs in on any given day?
OSCAR PRECIADO, U.S. CUSTOMS & BORDER PROTECTION: Oh, we find between five and ten loads a day, from 50 pounds to 500 pounds of marijuana. They can be methamphetamine. It can be cocaine. It can be heroin.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Recent seizures include marijuana in tires and heroin in phony tanks, some with secret levers.
PRECIADO: They'll put it anywhere they can. And they're very creative in creating their own compartments too.
FEYERICK: With border security tighter than ever, Preciado says drug traffickers are now paying kids as young as 14 to smuggle dope, mostly marijuana.
PRECIADO: A lot of these are school kids. They've been crossing through here for years.
FEYERICK (on camera): So they may even recognize some of the border agents.
PRECIADO: Oh, yes, of course.
FEYERICK (voice-over): And with billions at stake, officials say cartels will try anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't catch the drugs, and what we want to do is make them spend more resources in order to get the drugs across the border.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: The quantity of drugs seized by federal agents is staggering. Still, as one official told us, only the drug cartels know for sure how much is actually making it into the U.S. -- John, Kiran.
CHETRY: Deb Feyerick for us with a really telling look there. Thank you.
In just 60 seconds, I'm going to be talking with Congressman Ron Paul about why he thinks we should legalize pot. Our on-line poll shows a lot of you agree with him.
First, though, a look at this morning's other top stories. Breaking news, pirates attacking yet another cargo ship off the coast of Somalia. The military saying that pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons but did not get onboard. One sailor e- mailed home during the attack. Now, a Navy escort is making sure they make it to Kenya OK.
First North Korea, now Iran claiming it will launch a new satellite into orbit. Iran's president says that a rocket with a range of up to 950 miles would send it to space. That, of course, has western countries worried.
And another state making a push to legalize gay marriage, New York. The governor David Paterson expected to introduce the bill today. He's hoping to build momentum by the other states that have been able to make it legal. The same bill that he introduced died two years ago.
And now back to our special report we're calling, "Drug Nation." The idea of legalizing marijuana to try to reduce crime is a hot topic right now in America and there's no shortage of opinions out here. In fact, here's what some of you are saying who called in to our AMFix hotline.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I smoke marijuana on an occasional basis. And it's a lot safer than alcohol. And I was wondering why it hasn't been legalized yet. And I think it could be a big boost to our economy and possibly save our economy.
CALLER: I, as well as other cancer patients, sometimes have to use a drug called Marinol which is artificial marijuana, THC. It costs the taxpayers in this case $1,800 every month for 60 tablets as opposed to - I can't imagine how much marijuana I would get for that price.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, joining us now from Texas is former presidential candidate and Congressman Dr. Ron Paul.
Thanks for joining us this morning, Congressman. Now I know you have some strong ideas...
REP. RON PAUL (R), TEXAS: Thank you.
CHETRY: ... about how this country is conducting its war on drugs. We just heard from some of our viewers who strongly support legalizing marijuana. Do you think we should legalize pot alone or all drugs including heroin, cocaine, and meth?
PAUL: Well, I think we should look at the federal drug war. And I would say the federal drug war has failed, so we should reject it.
When I talk about changing the law, I want to go back to the constitutional approach to a problem like this and that is through the states. Up until 1937, there wasn't even a law against marijuana and at that time they just passed the law to tax it. So we've had the experience in this country where we didn't have all these laws, but it was regulated by the state. Alcohol is legalized by the federal government, but it's regulated by state laws. So I'm thinking more of an approach like that.
But what upsets me so much is when the state tries to exert its authority over marijuana, like in California, they'll pass a law and say that sick people can use it. So people who are dying of AIDS or cancer are getting benefit from marijuana. Then the federal government comes in and says, we don't care about the state law. And they just override it and they put people into prison for this. We have over 500,000 people in prison that never committed a violent crime for drug use. And they are mandatory jail sentences under these conditions. This makes no sense.
CHETRY: Right.
PAUL: It's so expensive and it hasn't achieved anything.
CHETRY: So let me just get your position on this though. You think the federal government should just stay out of trying to legalize all drugs and that's not just marijuana, but all drugs?
PAUL: Right, and I would let the states deal with it. It would be a state issue on how they do it.
I recall as a youngster, when I worked in a drugstore, I sold codeine and cough medicine over the counter. I could buy it as a teenager and it wasn't a drug problem. So it isn't the lack of laws that causes the drug problem.
I mean, the real drug problem and disaster in this country is alcohol and nicotine. That's what's killing people. So we're dealing with a minutia, but we're creating a monstrous legal problem costing hundreds of billions of dollars and putting people in prison that should be treated as sick people. They shouldn't be treated as criminals. We treat alcoholics - what if we put all our alcoholics in prison? I mean, it makes no sense whatsoever.
Prohibition of alcohol was the biggest absurdity, social absurdity, and it committed a lot of problems. Back then, it was the borders between the United States and Canada. That's where the alcohol was coming in. From Canada back there in prohibition. Now it's Mexico.
But the problems we have is because the price of these drugs is about 1,000 times greater than it would be. Actually, some of this stuff is useless, if it's just allowed to be out in the open. So we've created most of the problems for ourselves and these drug wars are a consequence of our policy.
CHETRY: Well, let me just ask you this, is there are people that see your point of view, and in fact a lot of people do, but there are people that vehemently disagree. They believe that if we legalize drugs, especially hard drugs, that we're just going to see more addicts and we're going to see more pain.
In fact, I talked to a former DEA special agent, Robert Stutman, on our show on Monday. And he says that if you think that legalization is the right way to go, it's naive. Let's listen to his point.
PAUL: Well...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB STUTMAN, FORMER SPECIAL AGENT, DEA: You legalize, you will at least double, some studies say five to ten times as much. You give drugs to kids, they'll use them. Period. Anybody that thinks that's not true has never met a kid or a drug addict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Congressman, what about the position that we'll just be creating more addicts by making it easier for kids to get?
PAUL: Well, I would compare the statistics of how many people were using marijuana before 1937 and what kind of problems we've had. After it was made illegal and we created the drug war, we've had a massive increase of use in these drugs. So I think that very statistic refutes everything that he says.
And if you're looking for this so-called gateway drug, the most addicting drug, and it's claimed by many scientists, it's nicotine. That's more addictive than marijuana...
CHETRY: Right.
PAUL: ... and it kills more people.
So we're on the wrong track and we could do so much better by just coming to common sense, putting the responsibility on the individual and the family and the local community and our state governments. Instead of creating this monstrous drug war, which has only been going on since Nixon's time in the early 1970s, but literally hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent and it keeps getting worse. But there's a lot of law enforcement officials and a lot of judges... CHETRY: Right.
PAUL: ... that would like to see these rules changed.
CHETRY: OK. But Congressman, are you planning on introducing any legislation about legalizing drugs or leaving it in the hands of the state? I know you have an Industrial Hemp Farming Act that you're trying to get through with Barney Frank, but what about putting forth legislation to legalize drugs?
PAUL: Yes, I have in the past. I am not absolutely sure, I don't think I have done it this term. I did the one with the Industrial Hemp, which is one of the consequences of this crazy war. You can't even grow industrial hemp. It has nothing to do with smoking marijuana. And that would really create jobs and a lot of industry.
No, but in the past, I have to change the code on - on marijuana so it would be not prohibited by the federal government and the states would deal with it.
CHETRY: All right. So you're talking about marijuana in that instance? OK.
PAUL: Right.
CHETRY: Thank you for your point of view. I know, as I said, there's a lot of people who agree with you and have been weighing in on our Web site this morning. Congressman Ron Paul, always great to talk to you. Thanks so much.
PAUL: Thank you.
CHETRY: We also want to know what you think. So please go to our website, take our quick vote. We're asking, do you think the United States should legalize drugs? Six percent of you say don't legalize anything. Forty-nine percent in our poll say yes to all drugs, legalizing all drugs and 45 percent say just legalize marijuana. So go to cnn.com/amfix. We'd like to know what you think.
ROBERTS: And a quick programming note for you, coming up in about half an hour's time, we're going to speak exclusively with Mexico's former president, Vicente Fox, about the drug violence plaguing his country, how to stop it and what America can do to help.
But first, what do Burt Reynolds and comedian Sinbad have in common? Well, they owe a bundle in back taxes. We'll tell you, who else is on the taxpayers most wanted list.
And it's tax deadline day. At the top of the hour, the advantages of filing online and the mistakes that you should check for right now before you hit the send button.
It's 38 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, they have not been on the A-list for a long time, but the state of California has put some celebrities on another list, the list of most delinquent taxpayers. It's a list that's growing during this recession and CNN's Dan Simon takes a look through all the names.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Burt Reynolds is on it. So is singer Dionne Warwick, Sinbad too. They made California's list of the 250 most delinquent taxpayers. The list is published annually by law. Lawmakers thought it would motivate people to settle up, but does it really work?
BRENDA VOGT, CA FRANCHISEE TAX COURT: Actually it has. We've collected over $14 million this year based on this current list and our activities in letting people know that they are going to be potentially on the list.
SIMON: But unless they're celebrities, chances are you would not recognize the rest of the names.
Who ranks number one? His name Winson T. Lee, a self-described investor and owner of apartments. According to the state, he owes nearly $10 million. He lives in this house outside of San Francisco. No one came to the door. And he wasn't at this apartment complex either that he owns. But, to our surprise, Lee was OK talking to us when I reached him on the phone.
(on camera): When you saw that you were number one on the list, what did you think?
WINSTON T. LEE, OWES BACK TAXES (via telephone): I was embarrassed.
SIMON (voice-over): Lee admitted to us that he hasn't filed any tax returns for the last 10 to 15 years. He says he knows he's wrong and likened it to some kind of illness.
LEE: I think my illness is the inability to deal with this, you know, the tax season every year. And to deal with the amount of paper that - that people wanted me to go through in order to prepare their tax returns.
SIMON: He says that now he's trying to make amends, though he disputes the amount California says he owes. The state says it doesn't comment on specific cases, but that California taxpayers each year fail to pay around $6.5 billion. That would more than pay the annual salaries for every high schoolteacher in the state.
If you think that figure is large, the IRS says its unpaid taxes for the last several years total about $300 billion. That would cover half of the entire U.S. defense budget. And experts say unpaid taxes will increase because of the recession.
PROF. CHUCK SWENSON, USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: That gap's going to get bigger in tough times as people go from private sector where they're losing their jobs to self-employment where it's much easier to evade taxes.
SIMON: As for those celebs we mentioned, a rep for Dionne Warwick told us she's addressed the situation and has worked out a payment arrangement. Burt Reynolds spokesman said the actor has paid all his taxes and says the actor should be removed. And Sinbad, his rep just said no comment.
(on camera): Now to get your name off of this list, you either need to pay in full, reach some sort of compromise with the state, or file for bankruptcy.
Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: All right. Dan Simon, thanks for that.
Breaking news this morning, pirates attacking another U.S. ship and the Navy responding again with the rescued captain still in tow. We're live in Kenya with the latest.
And also, these tax day tea parties, close to 3,000 of them are scheduled across the country. Does the outrage reflect how the whole country is feeling? We're going to take a look at both sides.
It's 44 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
A look now at Columbus Circle. You see the taxis go round and round every morning. A lot of storms in the east today. Rob Marciano tracking the forecast for us.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: Home grown radicals, a new warning about a potential threat from the far right.
And a global star is born. She says that she's never been kissed, but now she's touching millions with her voice. She even made Simon Cowell melt. The story of the British reality show contestant that has everyone talking and many shedding tears of joy. Wait until you hear her.
It's 48 and a half minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, we've all heard that phrase, don't judge a book by its cover. And on a popular British reality television program with at least one familiar judge, that lesson was learned once again. And the woman with the voice is now an Internet sensation.
Our Alina Cho joins us now with this incredible story.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is. I know it's a cliche to say this, but you really have to see it to believe it, guys.
Good morning. Good morning, everybody. You know, 47-year-old Susan Boyle has never had a boyfriend, she's never been kissed, and by her own admission, she looks like a garage. But boy, can she carry a tune. All I can say is that a newsroom can be a pretty cynical place, but after a watching this, more than a few of us, myself included, were moved to tears.
Just watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "A STAR IS BORN")
SIMON COWELL, JUDGE: All right. So what's your name, darling?
SUSAN BOYLE, CONTESTANT, "A STAR IS BORN": My name is Susan Boyle.
COWELL: And how old are you, Susan?
BOYLE: I am 47. I'm trying to be a professional singer.
COWELL: And why hasn't it worked out so far, Susan?
BOYLE: Well, I've never been given the chance before, but here's hoping it will change.
BOYLE (singing): I dream a dream of time gone by. I dream of love that never dies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, if that doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy, I don't know what does. The song by the way was, "I Dreamed a Dream " from the musical "Les Miserables." How appropriate.
Now you saw the crowd jump to its feet, what about the judges? Well, it takes a lot to impress Simon Cowell, but this unassuming Scottish woman with a voice like an angel just may have found a way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "A STAR IS BORN")
PIERS MORGAN, JUDGE: Without a doubt that was the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show.
AMANDA HOLDEN, JUDGE: I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think that we were all being very cynical. And I mean that's the biggest wake-up call ever. And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
COWELL: I knew the minute you walked out... BOYLE: Oh, Simon!
COWELL: ... on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary and I was right.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHO: You can always count on Simon Cowell, huh?
Now Boyle, as you might imagine, is already an early favorite for the contest. The winner, by the way, will get about $150,000 and the chance to perform in front of the queen.
It really was really incredible to see. Like I said, moved a couple of people to tears. But you know, this has really become an Internet sensation. Just last night when I was watching it, 3.5 million views on YouTube; this morning, 5.5 million.
CHETRY: Now what are they going to try to do though? They're going to try to give her a makeover? If she goes through, they always do to the contestants.
CHO: I know. They always do. I hope they leave her just the way she is. She's great, you know. But it will probably happen, I guess. Thank you.
CHETRY: Beautiful voice. Thank you.
Here's what we're working on for you on this morning. We're going to talk exclusively with Mexico's former president, Vicente Fox. We're going to find out who he blames, who he thinks is to blame for the deadly drug violence and also how to fix the problem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News this Morning.
We are following this morning, of course, the latest news on the drug war. President Obama travels to Mexico tomorrow to talk about the deadly drug wars. It's a fight against - it's a fight that our next guest was knee-deep in himself. Who does former Mexican President Vicente Fox blame for the country's drug violence? The former president joins us now from Dallas, Texas, for an exclusive interview this morning.
Mr. President, good to talk to you. Thanks very much for taking the time today. Really appreciate it.
VICENTE FOX, FORMER PRESIDENT OF MEXICO: Good to talk to you, sir-John. A pleasure to be here in this program. Please, go ahead.
ROBERTS: Mr. President, people are wondering if Mexico is in danger of becoming a failed narco-state, what do you think?
FOX: That's far, far away. Obama can have a very safe trip to Mexico, and hopefully renew -- the optimism will be raised from working together, because this is a joint responsibility. Mexico is putting in a big effort to cut the supply of drugs to youth in this huge, mammoth U.S. consumer market of drugs.
ROBERTS: So where, Mr. President, do you believe the blame lies for - for the current state in Mexico? Is it - is it Mexico allowing these drug gangs to flourish, or is it that the United States' insatiable appetite for drugs, as the secretary of state has said?
FOX: It's a combination. It's a combination. On one side, this huge market of consumption here in the States. Number two, the large producing drug market countries in the south, the Colombias, the Venezuelas, today, Ecuador, Bolivias.
And so, Mexico just happens to be in between, doing a job that certainly we want to do for our own youth and for our own people in Mexico. But we are also working on this international arena, trying to bring peace, trying to cut drug supply to this market, which generates so much money that's used to bribe Mexican officials, used to buy weapons here in this same country. And that's what is putting this work very difficult.
So at the very end, we don't have to blame each other. What we have to do is work together, meet the challenge and solve the problem.
ROBERTS: Mr. President, during your administration, you've tried to crack down on the drug cartels. You yourself called it "the mother of all battles." You managed to put a lot of the cartel members in jail. But some people say that you also left a power vacuum among the drug cartels and the drug dealers that fueled, that was in part responsible for fuelling this incredible drug violence that we see now.
If you could go back and do it all over again, would do you it differently?
FOX: Those who are pinpointing myself are the PRI, former party that ruled the Mexico for 71 years, which is to blame for the corruption and the extended, extended lack of transparency in the nation.
Again, I think that we have to work together. Drug consumption, it's an evil, and cartels in Mexico because of the success of the actions of my government and Presidente Calderon's government is now fighting back and it's provoked this war.
But this war certainly be won by Mexican government, and so it will be if we work together. The sooner, the better.
ROBERTS: Now, President Calderon has taken a little bit different tack than you did, Mr. President. You used mostly the national police to actually go after the drug cartels. The military was used in a supporting role.
He's using the military as a centerpiece, particularly in Juarez, and, according to many reports, with pretty good results.
What about on this side of the border? If President Obama were to sign a waiver of the Posse Comitatus Act, it's feasible that he could use the U.S. military to go after drug cartel operations on this side of the border.
Do you think that would be a good idea? FOX: Well, that's time to start doing something here, because the question is, once the drug crosses the border, who takes it to the northern markets, like Chicago, New York, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and else?
There is organized crime in this nation that is moving that drug, that is distributing and it's selling it. So it's time for U.S. government. I would not recommend the army, as I did not recommend in Mexico to use the army. I think that's what we have police forces for, to meet this challenge and cut that supply and reduce the demand.
ROBERTS: All right.
Former President Vicente Fox of Mexico, it's good to talk to you this morning, sir. Thanks so much for taking the time.
FOX: Yes. And please come to Mexico. Everything is there waiting for you. No problem.
ROBERTS: All right. I think we're sending our Michael Ware down there, so keep an eye out.
Mr. President, thanks so much.
