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American Morning
Taliban-Pakistani Peace Deal May be Crumbling; Protecting Pakistan's Nukes; Murtha's Nephew Got $4M in Work; Wall Street Rally Has World Markets Excited; Limbaugh Defending Palin; Four Years or Forty Years: How Long Can Democrats Own White House and Capitol Hill?
Aired May 05, 2009 - 07:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. It is Tuesday, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, if you will.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: There you go.
CHETRY: And it's Tuesday.
ROBERTS: Feliz Cinco de Mayo. Feliz Tuesday as well.
CHETRY: Yes, right.
ROBERTS: Here's what's on this morning's agenda, stories that we'll be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.
Developing right now, a peace deal with the Taliban appears to be crumbling in Pakistan. According to the "Associated Press," authorities are urging residents to get out of areas held by the Taliban in the northwest. Police say a suicide bomber killed at least five people there today.
Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, we spoke with Pakistan's ambassador to the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: My question this morning is, why can't the civilian government of Pakistan put down the Taliban and root out Al Qaeda?
HUSSEIN HAQQANI, PAKISTAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: I think that my answer to that would actually be a question. Why hasn't the United States with all the money at its disposal been able to put down the Taliban and Afghanistan since 9/11? The fact of the matter is that these guerilla fighters, they come in one place, fight, go away.
So, the important thing is a concerted effort and Pakistan and the United States are in fact planning to make that concerted effort.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: This all comes a day before President Obama welcomes Pakistan's president to Washington. More on that story coming your way in just a moment. Four Americans quarantined in China because of swine flu fears. A spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Beijing says two of the Americans were in Beijing. The other pair in a southern province. Two of those Americans have been released from quarantine. So far the U.S. government has not issued a statement of concern over China's treatment of the Americans.
And the sex scandal that brought John Edwards down now has him in some legal hot water. The former presidential candidate is the target of a federal investigation into whether his campaign misused campaign funds and a properly paid money to his mistress. Edwards and his wife Elizabeth deny any wrong doing.
CHETRY: We begin though with what could be President Obama's biggest national security challenge, it's the fight for Pakistan. The president is scheduled to meet with the Pakistan's President Asif ali Zardari tomorrow. Right now that country is entrenched in a power struggle with the Taliban.
CNN's Barbara Starr joins us now live from the Pentagon with more on this developing situation. Hey, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.
Well, when the two leaders sit down at the White House, one issue could not be more serious, it's the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Since a deal between Pakistani President Asif ali Zardari and the Taliban in the Swat Valley collapsed, the Islamabad government has faced the ultimate question from the U.S., are Pakistan's nuclear weapons really safe?
ADM. MICHAEL MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Obviously the worst downside of - with respect to Pakistan is that those nuclear weapons come under the control of terrorists.
STARR: Mullen emphasizes he doesn't see that happening.
MULLEN: I remain comfortable that the nuclear weapons in Pakistan are secure, that the Pakistani leadership and in particular, the military is very focused on this.
STARR: But a former CIA officer warned, it could all change.
ROLF MIDWATT-LARSSEN, SENIOR FELLOW, KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT: The most important concern is any possibility that instability might lead to a security breakdown where they might lose either material or parts of a weapon, or in the worse case, an entire weapon.
STARR: President Obama is promising billions in aid to Pakistan to fight the Taliban. Republicans and Democrats agree this time, strings have to be attached. HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to be measuring from every perspective, whether it's, you know, diplomatic and development efforts - excuse me - or military efforts or intelligence efforts.
STARR: Mullen who sounded the alarm call about declining security says he's more hopeful because the Pakistani military is attacking some militant strongholds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: But you know, Kiran, what really concerns the Pentagon at this point is that those Pakistani military offensives will continue against the Taliban, that they will be sustained. And what people here at the Pentagon are saying is no more billions of dollars in aid unless Pakistan can prove that it is, once and for all, really going after the militants - Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Thanks.
ROBERTS: The Middle East takes center stage at the White House today. President Obama will meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres for the first time since taking office. The administration is pressing for an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution.
Neither Peres nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports that, but Netanyahu says it is time to talk peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: We're prepared to resume peace negotiations without any delay and without any preconditions. The sooner, the better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Israeli leaders are also concerned about a potential nuclear threat from Iran.
Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha has never been shy about using his clout to deliver on projects. And as the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee that approves Pentagon spending, he has helped dozens of companies get billions of dollars in contracts. This morning, one of those contracts is raising a few eyebrows. "The Washington Post" reports Murtha's nephew got $4 million.
Joining me now is the reporter who broke the story, Carol Leonnig.
Carol, what did you find out about all this?
CAROL LEONNIG, REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, what we found is that over the last several years, John Murtha's nephew has been operating a business in Glen Burnie, a very quiet, sleepy-looking business that does warehousing and engineering support for various military contracts.
It's been the primary contractor, like the lead contractor on about $3.5 million in contracts in those years. And last year, it did $4 million in business that was as a subcontractor and as a primary contractor. What's interesting is that the nephew really doesn't want to discuss the details of what he does. And he said it's a homeland security matter. What he works on is preventing or preparing Americans for a terrorist attack and detecting warfare. But we're not really learning too much about what he does.
ROBERTS: We contacted Congressman Murtha's office last night and today looking for a statement. Didn't really get a statement, but the strong suggestion coming back from his spokesperson is that they don't know about this company. They've got no connection to it. They're not trying to get any money for this particular company.
It's the Pentagon that deals with these appropriations contracts and these services. I mean, what did you find out about that?
LEONNIG: Well, the reason we were interested in this company was, A, there was very little activity there. Almost no staff. One day when I visited, I was told everybody was gone. It just seemed odd.
The other thing that is interesting about it is and important is that one of Congressman Murtha's closest friends is under federal investigation for possibly illegal campaign contributions to Murtha and other lawmakers.
It's a lobbying firm that - the person runs a lobbying firm called PMA Group. And this lobbying firm has represented many defense contractors. And one of those clients hired MurTech to do some work. So we're just intrigued by the fact that one of the most power people responsible, sort of the last pen on the Defense Department's budget, also happens to have a nephew whose livelihood revolves around the Defense Department budget.
ROBERTS: You said that you talked to Robert Murtha Jr. That he was very circumspect about describing what his company does. Did you ask him whether or not his uncle had any influence in him getting that contract?
LEONNIG: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: And what did he say?
LEONNIG: He said no. He said it would be really unfortunate if anyone presumed that he didn't get the job based on his merits. He says he doesn't advertise being the congressman's nephew. Of course, his company is called MurTech, so there are many people who say who in the Pentagon doesn't know who this company is.
ROBERTS: And what did the Pentagon say to you?
LEONNIG: The Pentagon said that Congressman Murtha has never contacted them about MurTech, and that they make their decisions based on the federal regulations for procuring a contract.
But one thing that's interesting, John, is that in none of the contracts that we scrutinize of MurTechs, in none of them was there any other bidder but MurTech. One of the competition was prohibited, and then all the others, there was only one bidder, MurTech. That's also sort of a red flag for people about whether or not the taxpayers are getting their value.
ROBERTS: All right. Interesting story. And I'm sure one that we're going to hear more about as the day unfolds.
Carol Leonnig from "The Washington Post." Thanks for running in and talking to us this morning. We appreciate it.
LEONNIG: Thank you, John - Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, it's six minutes past the hour. We fast forward now through the stories that will be making news later today.
Watching the markets to see if stocks will continue to rally after Monday's strong close. The Dow jumped more than 200 points yesterday on signs that the economy might be starting to strengthen. The construction spending up and also banks holding strong against government stress tests. At least that's the hope.
So how is the economy doing?
Well, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Fed Chair Ben Bernanke delivers an economic progress report to Congress. He's expected to tell lawmakers the economy is coming around, but that it could still be years before things get back to normal.
And First Lady Michelle Obama will be at the U.N. today for Time's 100 Most Influential People. The gala reception taking place there. Before the event, at 4:00 p.m., she will meet with members of the U.S. mission to the U.N. Mrs. Obama and U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, will also be delivering remarks - John.
ROBERTS: Today is May the 5th, the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, but President Obama has already been celebrating. Yesterday, the president welcomed the Mexican ambassador and other guests to an early celebration at the White House. And here's how he opened the festivities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Welcome, the Cinco de Quatro...
(LAUGHTER)
Cinco de Mayo at the White House, we are a day early. But we always like to get a head start here at the Obama White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: See, the president actually flubbed a joke a little bit. You see, Cinco de Quatro was actually 5 to 4, and not the 4th of May. He meant to say Quatro de Mayo.
I was at the Washington Nationals Game on the weekend. And they were celebrating Al Rojo Vivo Day, which is the red live. You know, red, the color of the Washington nationals.
And, of course, I was making the joke that they were celebrating that, little known Hispanic holiday, Dose de Mayo.
CHETRY: Right, or A.K.A. any excuse to drink any day of the week.
ROBERTS: See, I didn't know that it was Tuesday today. But the president said Cinco de Quatro, so I figured I'm in pretty good company.
CHETRY: That's all right. You know why you don't, because you're going to be off later. So the week is in fast forward for you, anyway.
ROBERTS: Yes, kind of. I'm in Colorado giving two commencement addresses this week. So that will be fun.
CHETRY: Did you already write your speech?
ROBERTS: Yes, of course. Yes. I had it weeks ago.
CHETRY: Good for you.
ROBERTS: They want all that stuff in advance.
CHETRY: I know. I know. You're not a procrastinator at all.
ROBERTS: Glimmers - well, I am, but I try to get things done by the deadline.
Glimmers of hope on Wall Street and an important day ahead. Banks stress tests are on the way. Will they need another bailout? Your money, future, and reason to stay positive, ahead.
McDonald's and Starbucks taking their coffee war to the next level.
We'll tell you what the two famous brands are doing to sell you on their specialty brewed.
It's eight and a half minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
We have not seen the last of Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction from the 2004 Super Bowl. The Supreme Court has ordered a federal appellate court to reconsider its ruling last year in favor of CBS. The appeals court threw out the FCC's $550,000 fine for Jackson's breast-bearing performance, saying the incident lasted less than a second and should have been regarded as fleeting. Last week, the high court upheld the FCC's policy threatening fines on so-called fleeting expletives on live television.
A car chase being filmed in New York City for Nic Cage's new movie didn't go exactly according to script. Watch this closely. You can see one of the stunt cars, a Ferrari, starts to weave in and out of traffic here on the slick street, loses control, mounts a curve, ooh, through a light pole and into the front of a Sbarro's restaurant.
That light pole, by the way, came down, as you see on the wide shot, on top of somebody who is there. I don't know if that was an extra or if it was a member of the crew. He's lying there. The light pole's on his leg. And his friends saying, buddy, are you OK? It's like, move the light pole, move the light pole.
Two people suffered minor injuries. The scene was being filmed for the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."
The brewing coffee war between McDonald's and Starbucks going national. McDonald's launching a new ad campaign promoting its new line of specialty coffees with the brand name McCafe. Starbucks unveiled its own marketing offensive with a full page ad at the "New York Times" on Sunday, driving home a message of quality.
CHETRY: I have to remain mum because I'm not an impartial observer. I have a favorite.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Come on, tell us. You can't just throw it out like that.
CHETRY: I can't.
ROMANS: My favorite is tea.
CHETRY: Then you are an impartial observer.
ROBERTS: She's such a contrarian, you now.
CHETRY: Isn't she?
More of the big rally yesterday pushed stocks to their highest level as in nearly four months, so is this rally a sign that everyone has been hoping for, that perhaps the worst for the economy is over?
Well, Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business" today drinking and sipping her green tea.
ROMANS: God, I hope the worst is over.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: But you know, I'm already getting e-mails from people who are saying, come on, Christine, this is a classic bear market rally. This is, you know, just when you start to believe that it's going to be real, and it shows the end of this...
ROBERTS: You didn't look like you're wearing rose-colored glasses.
ROMANS: I know.
Well, look, there are a lot of things happening that are showing some signs of life, showing that the floor isn't falling out from underneath us anymore, you know? And Warren Buffett said that the Pearl Harbor moment is over and now we're fighting this war. And that is what you have to do before you can win, right? I mean, you get through the beginning. Now we're in the middle of it. And maybe we're going to have a recovery.
And John is looking at me quickly.
ROBERTS: I'm just looking how much of yesterday's rally had to do with what Buffett said over the weekend.
ROMANS: No, it didn't have anything to do with what Buffett had talked. It was about banks. It was about some manufacturing numbers that were a little bit better. It was about some housing numbers that were better. It was about these little signs of life in the economy. Glimmers of hope, the president has called them.
Look, stocks are up. Whatever is the reason, stocks are up 34 percent from the March lows. That is real. That is a big rally. If you had money that you were continuing to put into your 401(k), that was good for you.
Now, stress test results are going to be a problem here to get through. At least it's a hurdle to get through. The banks are going to be told by regulators starting today whether they need to raise more money, whether they have weaknesses in their books that have to be addressed. And then we'll find out about that on Thursday.
And there's a jobs report on Friday. We're expecting the unemployment rate to rise to maybe 8.9 percent. So keep in mind, even though you've got some signs of life in the economy or at least the stock market is expecting things are going to turn around eventually here, there are some, you know, near-term things to get through.
We're going to hear from Ben Bernanke today, the Fed chief. I'm really interested to see if he's going to put an expiration date on this - on this recession and say that he sees a recovery on a certain time down the road.
CHETRY: Because others are.
ROMANS: Because others are.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Some new economists are saying by the summer, maybe into the fall we should, by September we should. ROMANS: Yes. I mean, people are confident enough so they can start to say a recovery will begin sometime later this year or the beginning of next year. And that in itself is a sign of confidence we haven't had in a while.
CHETRY: Christine, thanks
ROMANS: Sure.
CHETRY: Well, Michelle Obama has been on the job for more than 100 days now as first lady. So what does she think about her role? She's opening up about that. Some candid moments with some school kids.
Also James Carville says the Democrats could rule Washington for the next 40 years if they follow a plan. We're talking live to the Democratic heavyweight to get some details at 15 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
Today, Michelle Obama marks "Cinco de Mayo" here in New York City after her husband celebrated "Cinco de Quarto" yesterday. But, yesterday, a celebration in Washington. The first lady, who like her husband, has been on the go since day one, opened up about her new role.
Alina Cho is here now with what the first lady had to say.
Good morning to you.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys. Good morning everybody.
You know, First Lady Michelle Obama has been asked about her style. She's been asked about Bo, the dog, even her children, Sasha and Malia. But it was a child's question that prompted her to reveal some of her feelings about her new job as America's first lady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: What has surprised you mostly about the White House?
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: See, this is a question.
Seriously, what has surprised me most. I think - you know, I didn't know that I would have this much fun doing what I'm doing, you know. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know how hard it would be. I didn't know how much work it would be. I didn't know completely what to expect. But what I found is that this is a really good job. I've always felt like public service is a really good thing to do. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: There you have it. With the swine flu outbreak in the news recently, Mrs. Obama also sent get well wishes to the people of Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OBAMA: We want to make sure that we're sending our thoughts and our prayers out to people as they're getting well and the rest of the people around the country as they're getting well from folks who have gotten the flu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: And in honor of "Cinco de Mayo," the first lady shared with the class her favorite food. What else? Mexican cuisine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OBAMA: I love tortillas. I love tamales. I love beans and rice. I love mole. I love all the mole sauces. I love beef and lamb and quesadilla. I mean, you name it. The question is what don't I like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Our cafeteria opened 20 minutes ago. The first lady will be here in New York today. We'll all be heading up soon. She's going to be paying a visit to the staff of the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice. Rice was an early supporter of President Obama. And tonight, the first lady will attend the always glitzy event, that would be "Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People."
But those kids, we talked about this before, they'll ask anything. You know, no fear.
ROBERTS: Are they celebrating "Cinco de Mayo" at the cafeteria? If they are, it will be a great day.
CHO: No, but there is food out there. All this talk about food, you know, I got to go up and get some breakfast.
ROBERTS: I'm with her, though. It's like, you know, sopa de pollo, all this - you know.
CHO: Guacamole.
ROBERTS: There's less that I -- there's less that I don't like than I do like, though.
CHO: True. Same.
ROBERTS: Alina, thanks so much.
CHETRY: I second that notion. Thanks, Alina.
Well, CNN exclusive, he's the mouthpiece for terrorists. Our Nic Robertson takes you behind enemy lines to Afghanistan, talks to a high-ranking spokesman for the Taliban.
Also, he doesn't want four more years. He wants 40 more years, and said it's possible. It's James Carville saying the Democrats are set to take over the White House, Capitol Hill for decades.
He's here to tell us why. He's walking in right now.
It's 21 minutes past the hour.
Hey, James.
JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I'm hungry. I'm hungry.
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": First of all, who's that guy?
David Souter?
Like I didn't even know what's on the thing, and he's quitting. He's 69. What kind of lifetime appointment don't you get, Souter? Kennedy, Scalia, they're in their 70s. Ginsburg's got a pancreatic cancer. She's still banging out opinions. Justice Stevens has been dead since '06. Still there. That's how much she respects the institution. Judge Judy's been serving longer than this guy. He's all like, I'm bored.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: All right. That was Jon Stewart's take on the soon to be vacant seat on Supreme Court.
It's 24 minutes past the hour.
Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
Time now for your Tuesday "Political Ticker." Republican Senator Orrin Hatch says that we could know this week who President Obama will nominate to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Hatch talked to President Obama by phone and then told Politico, quote, "I would think by the end of this week or over the weekend, he'll nominate somebody. I'm sure they've discussed this internally back and forth for months now."
Well, here's a bad headline for the struggling newspaper industry. When asked about a possible bailout for the dailies, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, quote, "I don't know what in all honesty government can do about it."
This just as "The Boston Globe" becomes the latest big city paper to say it may be forced to shut down.
And Republicans seem to be divided this morning over one of their own. Mitt Romney became the latest to take a bit of a slice, even though he was laughing when he said it at Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. Talked to our John King this weekend. Now, Rush Limbaugh is defending Palin. Limbaugh told his listeners that many GOP leaders hate and fear the former vice presidential hopeful and thinks she's, quote, "embarrassing."
And so with no clear leader and also some headline-grabbing snipes within the Republican Party, can the Democrats keep control of the White House and Capitol Hill?
Well, our next guest said forget four years, try 40. James Carville, a CNN contributor and the author of "40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation."
Thanks for being with us this morning. Your book's doing pretty well. It's only been out for a day.
CARVILLE: Yes.
CHETRY: Meanwhile, let's talk about Rush Limbaugh. So he defended Sarah Palin, saying that in last year's campaign, she was the most prominent, articulate voice for conservatism. Others seem to think she's a bit of a distraction. But what do you make of Rush's defense?
CARVILLE: Well, Rush is pretty consistent. He doesn't want anything in the Republican Party but a conservative party. He says that he wants John McCain out of the Republican Party. He wants Megan McCain out of the Republican Party. He's obviously delighted that Arlen Specter is gone. I think he would like to run some more people out.
And there's a wing of the Republican Party that thinks that the Republican Party ought to reflect Sarah Palin and what she stands for. Now there are a lot of Republicans that don't. And so you have these guys at this pizza mall trying to do something to expand the party. You have Rush sitting in his studio in Palm Beach saying, no, no, no, no, no, you're missing the whole point. What we need to do is become purer and just become better salesmen.
So, it's kind of fun to watch this thing try to go back and forth. You know, the problem is, I think Rush is, at least according to someone, is average age of about 67.2 years old. These people got 32 percent of the young voters in the last election. And they just, you know, they don't seem to much care about you unless you're old and white.
CHETRY: Well, let me ask you this, because you guys were in the catbird seat right now for sure. I mean, you have - you have a very popular president. You have Democratic control of Congress. So when you write your book, "40 More Years," isn't it easy to say that right now? I mean, back in 2004, 2005, the Republicans were talking about a permanent majority.
So what makes it different for the Democrats?
CARVILLE: Well, you're right. There's nothing easier that putting a book cover which is sort of a provocative one. First of all, dominance in 36-40-year increments is the norm in American presidential politics, and the Republicans have been the dominant presidential party for the last 40 years.
Secondly, young voters are going for the Republican Party. They're like, something like 66 to 34. And as these young voters come up through generations, they're going to be - if the past is anything to - they're going to hold their Democratic identity. The base of the Republican Party is basically whites over 65. I'm not an actuary - I'm not an actuary, but I think it's better 40 years from now to have people who are currently 20 than people who are currently 65.
CHETRY: Right. So, if I'm the GOP, if I'm a Republican, I'm saying to young people out there, look, Democrats are handing you trillions of dollars in debt, for other people, social security and Medicare, and if you succeed, we're going to take a lot of your money. So, isn't that a way to bring young people to look at the GOP and say maybe this is the party for me?
CARVILLE: Well, it might be but that would assume that young people didn't remember that it was the Republican Party that started piling all of the debt, the antiregulatory pro-corporate policies and things that are effectively causing all of this debt, that they got us in the war that they never thought about.
I think young people have a pretty good idea of what this is all about. Plus, they just see the Republican Party makes no effort whatsoever to relate to these young voters. And remember, Bush lost them in '04 by eight points and they have been abandoning the party for a long, long time.
CHETRY: The other interesting thing is just about the two-party system in general. I mean, we just had the latest survey when they asked people, and we've noted for sure a shrinking GOP.
CARVILLE: Right.
CHETRY: Twenty-one percent of people now say that they're not GOP, but 38 percent say they're independent.
CARVILLE: Right.
CHETRY: And when you take a look at which party can seem to bring in independents, you find that to be the Democrats.
CARVILLE: Well, look, as people move away from the Republican Party, most people will move to be an independent. As people move away from the center, moving away from being independent, they go to being Democrats. One thing, when I say 40 more years, I don't mean that the Democrats are going to win every election in 40 years. Obviously, they're going to lose I think some Congressional seats in 2010. You're not going to win three elections in a row.
My point is that the forces that the Republican Party have allowed to take place have chased an entire generation away from the Republican Party. The Republicans - you know, the funny thing about this is the Republicans acknowledge this, the smarter ones do. The kind of talk radio crowd out there. They're the tea baggers. And these clowns, they're just like they're just angry and mad.
But I can produce memoranda from some of the smartest young Republicans saying, you have to pay attention to this. We're losing our party. Now, do I think they're going to adjust and understand that they have to go beyond their talk radio southern base? Presumably, they will. But right now, they're mortified that they're going to lose the people in talk radio and the southern part of the party. This party is almost 50 percent of all of its congressional and Senate seats are in the old confederacy. They're kind of shelled back into being a regional party now and they're going to have to try to figure out a way to come out and expand themselves in this country.
CHETRY: All right. What would be your one piece of advice if you were helping them?
CARVILLE: It's what my dear friend Mark Shields (ph) once said that a political party is like a church. You should be seeking convicts - I mean, converts, not chasing out heretics. And they need more converts and they need to quit worrying about who's the heretic and who's not.
CHETRY: All right. Well, the book is out now. It's quite popular right now. And "40 More Years," and it was so nice that the president pose with you.
CARVILLE: It was.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: I mean, with all the stuff he has to worry about, he actually took the time to be on your book cover.
Always great to see you, James.
CARVILLE: Thank you.
CHETRY: Thanks for coming in.
CARVILLE: You bet.
ROBERTS: Thirty minutes after the hour now. Checking our top stories.
He is one of the most powerful members of Congress and helps to control the billions in Pentagon spending. And this morning the "Washington Post" reports the company owned by his nephew got $4 million from the Defense Department last year. Murtha's nephew told "The Post" the money, which was rewarded without competition, was for necessary logistical support. The congressman did not comment on the report but an officer who handled the matter said there was "nothing improper about the contract.
In just a few hours, President Obama meets with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the White House. Peres says his country is ready to make peace with the Palestinians. The Obama administration is pressing for a two-state solution, something Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is against. He says the potential nuclear threat from Iran may be their greatest concern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NETANYAHU: The common danger is echoed by Arab leaders throughout the Middle East. That is echoed by Israel repeatedly. It is echoed by Europeans, by many responsible governments around the world. And if I have to sum it up in one sentence, it is this - Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Obama in Washington later on this month.
The Taliban in Afghanistan is vowing to fight U.S. troops, promising to kill every soldier the Pentagon sends there. The secretive spokesman for the Afghan-Taliban leader Omar sat down for a rare and exclusive interview with CNN's Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZABIULLAH MUJAHID, SPOKESMAN, TALIBAN LEADER MULLAH OMAR (through translator): I will clearly tell you that there are more, we will kill them more. If there are few, we will kill them few. If the pentagon is thinking of changing its policy, we, too, are thinking of changing our policy.
If they want to send 20,000 to start a new campaign. This is a war. And we will see the war and make our policy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Extraordinary opportunity there to hear directly from the Taliban. Nic Robertson is in the Afghan capital of Kabul. He joins us now.
Nic, how does the Taliban think they can win against the world's most powerful army?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, when I asked the spokesman that question, he was laughing at the answer. He said the United States might have unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles that can target us, they may have aircraft that can drop bombs on us, they might have sophisticated equipment on the ground, but we know the country. We are fighting on the ground. We have successes on the ground.
And he said, principally, we're not afraid of dying. It's not a problem. He said we've got lots of suicide bombers. He boasted of having had enough suicide bombers already lined up for the next three or four months. But he also went on to say that he believes and the Taliban believed that Afghanistan is going to be President Obama's Vietnam. John?
ROBERTS: Afghan elections are also coming up. You asked the spokesman about that. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUJAHID (through translator): This is not an election. It is selection. People are selected from the White House. This is just a joke. We ask from our Muslim brothers in our population not to take part in this election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Did he tell you, Nic, are they going to try to disrupt those elections? And if so, how will they try to disrupt them?
ROBERTSON: One hundred percent is what he said. They're going to target government officials. They'll target members of parliament. They'll target anyone involved, helping try to run a polling station. And implicitly people turning up to take part in those elections which is scheduled for August.
It's a hugely important step for the country to take to elect a new president. It's very much part of this central part of U.S. policy here, European policy, to see that sort of democratic progress. And they are threatening to undermine it and they have serious influence in large parts of the country. So it does make you wonder, how much of a true representation the final outcome of these elections will be, John.
ROBERTS: I assume, Nic, when you say they're going to target those places, official polling places, et cetera, et cetera, they mean with violence. How do they justify the violence?
ROBERTSON: They say that they're fighting as a struggle against an occupying force. They say that they're trying to liberate the people of the country. You know, an opportunity in an interview like this is a chance to scratch the surface a little bit and try and get beyond some of the rhetoric. But you have to scratch pretty hard to find out there's a lot of rhetoric in there.
I asked him how he could justify suicide bombing. He said it has a history in Islam. But I said, can you win the fight here by military means alone? He admitted, no, the Taliban don't think they can win by military means alone. They will, at some point, get into talks if the conditions are right, talks with the government here.
The conditions for it right now are unacceptable to the United States, to the Afghan government. But it's a clear indication that there is an alternate path and it does set a difference between the Taliban and Al Qaeda, because Al Qaeda would never get into negotiations. They're scratching a little deeply, you begin to see some of the differences that exist here, John.
ROBERTS: Right.
Fascinating stuff this morning. Nic Robertson for us in Kabul. Nic, thanks so much.
And you can see Nic's entire exclusive interview with the secretive Taliban spokesman on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." That's tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN - Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, still ahead, minorities are accusing police of highway robbery, so to speak. They say they're being pulled over for even the smallest infractions and getting ripped off. Our Gary Tuchman went down to Texas for answers.
And as travel restrictions eased for Americans with relatives in Cuba? Our own Jim Acosta goes in search for his family there in the "Reporter's notebook" in the communist island.
Thirty-five minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: President Obama calls it a new beginning in U.S. relations with Cuba. He's easing travel restrictions, allowing Americans to visit their Cuban relatives and for many it means they can search for their roots for the very first time.
Being able to go back and find your family can certainly be an eye-opening, not to mention emotional experience. Our own Jim Acosta learned all of that first hand. Jim just returned from the island nation and he is with us now from Washington.
You filed some great reports. What was it like? Today you're talking about the more personal note on visiting Cuba. What was it like?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I tell you, Kiran, it was quite an experience. And you know, it's not one that I'm going to forget any time soon. And I have to say, it's not really in my reporter's DNA to write a story about myself but my dad is a Cuban immigrant. And I've always wanted to know more about my island roots.
We grabbed the camera and went in search of my family tree on Cuban soil.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): As the sun came up over Cuba's capital, we set out on the Malecon, the city's dramatic seawall to leave Havana's hustle and bustle. In just half an hour, my Cuban guide, Ernesto and I had made our way to the village where my father grew up. My dad left Cuba in 1962, just a couple of weeks before the Cuban missile crisis. He was 12 years old. His childhood memories were all I had ever known about the island. All of that was about to change.
At the church where my father was baptized, I met Yolanda. She told me for five pesos, I could have a certificate of my dad's baptism.
We then went to see her husband, known the Cuban side of my family all his life. He led me to my father's cousin who had no idea I existed. I told him we're on the island to report on U.S.-Cuba relations. He tells me they should get along. We swap stories, share a few family photos, and then with a hug, I'm off.
(on camera): It's always been a mystery to me who my family is. And all I had was stories from my father. And now I'm starting to put some faces with the stories. So this is a great day.
(voice-over): Not that the U.S. is making it easier for Cuban- Americans to visit their homeland, family reunions are cropping up across the island. Those families (INAUDIBLE) are still in charge. But Cuba's big star, Fidel, is in the twilight of his life.
And Cubans believe change is in the air, in the decades-old tensions with the U.S. as this elderly man told me in old Havana, "Me gusto Obama." Translation, "I like Obama."
There are glimpses of the land, Cuban exiles left behind. Children playing in the rain on the steps of Cuba's capital building. Classic American cars roaming the streets, all on an island that's waiting to see what's next.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And there are countless other Cuban-Americans on the same personal journey. And one way to sum up the feeling for many of these families is the sound we heard when our plane first landed in Havana. It was the sound of Cuban-Americans cheering. Kiran.
CHETRY: It's also exciting you said, you know, for your dad as well to be able to get his hands on some of those document, like his baptism certificate. Makes the big difference. He had to leave when he was 12 with nothing.
ACOSTA: That's right. You know, he tells me the story when he got to Vienna, Virginia, in northern Virginia where I grew up. It was in October of 1962. and he had felt cold weather for the first time. So there was a Presbyterian church over in Vienna. That is still there to this day that provided my family with coats and shoes and boots and that sort of thing. The kind of weather you need for Washington, D.C. in the winter time.
That's not really necessary down in Havana and I can tell you I know this all too well because when I got here in D.C. yesterday, Kiran, it was dreary. It was cloudy. It was raining. It was not like what it was down in Havana. It was hot down there but it was a lot of fun.
CHETRY: Wow. Great stuff. Jim, thanks so much.
ACOSTA: You bet.
ROBERTS: You can bet there will be an interesting dinner at the Acosta household this week.
CHETRY: Oh, yes.
ROBERTS: Ducking bullets on the high seas. New video just in to CNN of a new pirate attack. An up close look at the damage and the chaos as the crew sounds the alarm.
And then going 58 to 55 and losing your watch? Why cops in Texas maybe getting away with highway robbery and why minority drivers say they're being singled out. It's a special investigation that you don't want to miss.
It's 43 minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
CHETRY: Welcome back.
This morning we're getting our first look at video of a Somali pirate attack on a U.S. ship last month. It shows the speed boat heading away from the "Liberty Sun" after they fired a rocket- propelled grenade. Later you can hear gunshots as the crew ducked for cover. The pirates took off. All crew members were OK. The video will be shown during a Senate hearing on preventing pirate attacks later today -- John.
ROBERTS: Stunning allegations against a police force in Texas. Minority victims say they're being pulled over and ripped off and that the cops are the ones who are committing highway robbery.
CNN's Gary Tuchman has been on the case in Texas. He's here now with a sneak peek at his special investigation.
What in the world is going on?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, here's the deal. Texas and other states have forfeiture laws. What forfeiture laws are they allow police officers to pull your over and if they suspect you of a felony they can take your money and your valuables.
Now, it's a good law if it's done legally because the idea is not allow criminals to profit. But if you're not charged or found not guilty, you have to give the money back. And what our story is about is a little town in east Texas that allegedly, systematically takes hundreds of thousands of dollars away from innocent drivers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TUCHMAN (voice-over): Many of the people pulled over on Highway 59 tell us they are guilty of one thing and one thing only, driving while black or Latino.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is disproportionately going after racial minorities.
TUCHMAN: Are the allegations true? After our repeated calls were not returned, we found the people you just heard about. The cop who made most of these arrests.
(on camera): Officer? My name is Gary Tuchman with CNN. I want to know if you recognize this guy. We're doing a story of this guy, Roderick Daniels. He was pulled over here by you a year and a half ago, and you took his money and his jewelry. Do you recognize him?
(voice-over): The district attorney located here at a fund- raiser.
(on camera): Mr. Russell, do you have any comments about these allegations regarding the forfeiture accounts?
(voice-over): Both the D.A. and the cop were very surprised to see us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Now in legal papers everyone being sued says they're innocent. We talked to the lawyer for the district attorney who says the district attorney has complied with the laws of the Constitution of Texas and the Constitution of the United States. But we saw so many questions that had to be answered we decided we had to ask these questions to these people ourselves.
So what the police officer, what the D.A. said to us, what they didn't say to us, how we found them are all very interesting components of the story. But suffice it so to say, John, they were very surprised to see us.
ROBERTS: It's very interesting to see what that officer had in response to you. That's what you call in the TV business, a tease.
TUCHMAN: That's right.
ROBERTS: (INAUDIBLE) to see what's going on? What are the authorities doing with the money?
TUCHMAN: Well, under the law, the authorities, the police officers only allowed to use the money for law enforcement purposes. The district attorneys only allowed to use it for official purposes.
We got our hands on hundreds of checks that the district attorney signed. Many of them are clearly for official purposes. But other checks are written out for Halloween costumes, for candy for parties, for barbecue, for charities, she apparently likes. And also, the big check, the one we really didn't understand. The one we wanted the D.A. to talk to us about. She wrote a $10,000 check to the police officer who has pulled over most of these motorists.
ROBERTS: That's an interesting one to explain.
Do me a favor, for me and the folks at home, explain one more time how this law works?
TUCHMAN: The law works this way, forfeiture laws. If you're stopped in the highway and you're suspected of a felony, the police officers are allowed to take your money, your valuables. Because if you are a felon, let's say you're a drug dealer, you have money you made from your drugs, you have your cocaine in the car, they take it. They don't want you to profit with it. They don't want to arrest you and then you go home with the money. But if you're not charged, you're supposed to get the money back.
ROBERTS: OK. It's interesting. They can take anything in the car? Any kind of stuff?
TUCHMAN: If they have probable cause, search, take it from the car and then hang on to it until you're found not guilty or until you're not charged and they give it back to you. If you're found guilty, they keep it.
ROBERTS: Interesting. Thanks, Gary. Wow. Fascinating stuff.
Don't miss the rest Gary Tuchman's report tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on "AC 360" right here on CNN - Kiran.
CHETRY: Well Elizabeth Edwards sits down with Oprah Winfrey. Still battling cancer. We're going to see what Elizabeth Edwards told the talk show queen about her husband's infidelity.
And if you're trying to cut your budget but you don't want to add to your waist line, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us some workouts that anyone can afford. It's frugal fitness at 50 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, when money's tight, that $50 or $100 a month gym membership may seem like one of the first things that's easy to cut. And one personal trainer actually agrees. We're Paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta this morning for more.
You're always running around the country. I can't imagine, you don't go to a regular gym do, you?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't. You know, there's a lot of ways to get in shape on a very low budget. You know, even if you're traveling, such as I do. The frugal fitness, as you called it earlier. You can actually save money and get in shape at the same time.
Here's how.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): If it's a fit body you're after, don't worry. Money matters don't have to derail your plan.
JENNIFER COHEN, AUTHOR, "NO GYM REQUIRED": I really don't believe that the everyday average person needs to rely on a personal trainer to kind of motivate them and get them in shape. But I think the reality is most people can't afford it.
GUPTA: Jennifer Cohen, a fitness trainer by trade, says you don't even need her or even a gym membership. You just need a few basics to get started.
COHEN: Using your own body weight is a great way to tone your body.
GUPTA: And if you have just a little bit of money to spare, she says, invest in some exercise tools.
COHEN: A few hand weights, a couple of resistant bands, a medicine ball, and a platform. And you can get the same workout, if not better, doing it at home or in your office.
GUPTA: So, do you want to get started today? Just remember, start small.
COHEN: A squat using a ball on the wall to doing a push-up and in doing a tricep dip. And doing that circuit three or four times. You don't have to work out for 30 minutes at a time or 45 minutes at a time. You can do increments of 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at night.
GUPTA: Try to integrate some cardio drills like running in place, make sure to stretch, and talk to your doctor before starting any workout.
Last, but certainly not least, get your nutrition in check as well.
COHEN: You can work out all day, all night, if you're not eating properly, it makes no difference anyway.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Obviously you need to keep nutrition in mind. But one thing I'll add to all that as well, Kiran, if you're in a hotel room or if you're not at a gym, doing circuit training. So doing those lunges, followed by squats, followed by sit-ups, doing it very quickly, doing repetition of that, you're going to get a great workout. You're going to get very quickly and not spending any money at all. Kiran.
CHETRY: I agree. And also you know people, like she was talking about splitting up, a lot of people say, come on, really? 10 minutes in the morning. But if you're doing it at a higher intensity...
GUPTA: That's right.
CHETRY: You're really getting the same cardio benefit.
GUPTA: You're getting both aerobic and anaerobic workout, sort of combined and it can be intense and it can be very, very fast.
CHETRY: All right. Good stuff. Thanks, Sanjay.
GUPTA: Thank you.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: The wife of John Edwards opens up to Oprah about her husband's affair. Your first look at Elizabeth Edwards' candid interview about what she's been through. It's coming up on 56 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Just in to CNN. Two-time presidential candidate John Edwards is in serious hot water, facing a federal investigation into more than $100,000 in campaign funds paid to the woman he admitted having an affair with. Edwards and his wife deny any wrongdoing.
This comes at the same time that Elizabeth Edwards sat down with talk show queen Oprah Winfrey to talk about her husband's affair. Our Alina Cho here now with a preview. \ Good morning, Alina.
CHO: Good morning, guys.
We literally just got these clips FedExed to us.
Good morning, everybody.
In an interview with Oprah that is set to air this Thursday, Elizabeth Edwards talks very candidly about her marriage, her husband's affair and how she's dealing with her terminal cancer. She's asked whether she's still in love with her husband to which she responded, that's a complicated question.
Edwards also talks about the first time her husband met face to face with the woman with whom he had an affair, documentary filmmaker, Rielle Hunter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF JOHN EDWARDS: What John had said is this woman has spotted him in a hotel in which he was staying. He was meeting with someone in the restaurant bar area. And she had verified with someone who John works with that it was John.
And then John had gone to dinner. He didn't speak to her then, but he had gone to dinner at a nearby restaurant and then he had walked back to the hotel.
And when he walked back she was standing in front of the hotel and said to him, you are so hot.
I can't deliver it because I don't know how to deliver such a line.
But, you know, you are so hot, are the words she said to him. And it started...
OPRAH WINFREY, TV TALK SHOW HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": I think she probably said it a little differently.
EDWARDS: You think so?
WINFREY: You are so hot. Yes.
EDWARDS: Yes. Yes. You want to try? I'm not going there anyway.
WINFREY: You're not going there in any way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Edwards was also asked about the speculation that her husband is the father of Hunter's baby. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: The other woman has a baby?
EDWARDS: That's what I understand.
WINFREY: And there is great speculation that your husband, John Edwards, is the father of that baby.
EDWARDS: Right. That's what I understand. I've seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. Doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea.
WINFREY: You must have thought - you must have thought, is it or is it not?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Edwards, who most know is terminally ill with cancer, also said when she and her husband married 31 years ago she asked for but one gift. "I wanted him to be faithful to me."
Edwards' interview is timed with the release of her new book, it's called "Resilience" and that book is use out on May 12.
I know it's tough to watch, guys, that interview.
CHETRY: It is. CHO: You know Oprah actually went to their home in North Carolina. But she also interviewed John Edwards but they did not provide clips of that. But the Oprah interview will air on Thursday.
ROBERTS: That is almost painful to watch.
CHO: It is painful to watch. It is painful to watch.
CHETRY: All right. And just quickly, how is her cancer? Is she going to be OK?
CHO: She addressed it but unfortunately we only got limited clips, so we didn't hear specifically what she said about it. But the full interview will be on on Thursday.
ROBERTS: All right. Alina, thanks so much.
CHETRY: Yes. Thanks for that preview, Alina. We appreciate it. And thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you right back here tomorrow.
ROBERTS: Right now, here's "CNN NEWSROOM" with Heidi Collins.
