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American Morning
Iran to Free U.S. Journalist; Former VP Defends Bush Administration; Star Trek's Stellar Opening; Charging Rent to Homeless; Cell Ban Considered after Trolley Accident
Aired May 11, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Crossing the top of the hour now. Thanks very much for being with us. It's Monday, it's the 11th of May. And here's what's on this morning's agenda of stories that we'll be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.
This morning, the United States combing the world for Osama bin Laden, despite the president of Pakistan saying he believes the terrorist leader is dead. But what do intelligence experts believe? We're live in London with new developments on that story this morning.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney on the attack, accusing the Obama administration of endangering America. Cheney appeared on "Face the Nation" on Sunday. He also had some choice words for former Secretary of State Colin Powell saying he stopped considering Powell a Republican when he endorsed Barack Obama for president last year.
And this morning, more fallout after a trolley collision in Boston injured dozens of people. The head of the Boston Area Transit Commission announcing plans to fire all train drivers if they even carry cell phones on board. This after the conductor admitted to sending a text message just before the crash occurred.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ROBERTS: And back to a story breaking just within the past hour. CNN learning that Iran will free American journalist Roxana Saberi, who was sentenced to eight years for spying. It could happen within the next hour. It's a major about face and it comes as a total surprise.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is an expert on her story, and she joins us now on the phone.
Christiane, what do you make of all of this? Because people as high as the Iranian President Ahmadinejad were saying she will get a fair trial, she'll get fair consideration.
Is this perhaps trying to maintain good relations with the United States?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, John, ever since she was arrested back in February, and the charges kept escalating, and ever since she had that one-day secret trial that led to her eight-year conviction in jail in Iran, the president of Iran then intervened. And while not directly telling the Iranian judiciary what to do, he did say publicly that Roxana Saberi should have the right to freely, legally, fairly and rapidly defend herself an appeal.
And ever since then, I've been reporting according to my contacts in Iran that this is likely to come to a fairly speedy end. That her sentence would likely be either commuted or completely reversed and that she would be released, because this is following a pattern of other previous Iranian-Americans who have been either taken into jail or under house arrest over the last several years.
And what, in fact, did happen is that the judiciary then has done this commuting of her sentence. It's gone to two years suspended sentence. And again, this follows several weeks of much more moderate language from the judiciary from her lawyers, from their judiciary spokesman saying they expected a positive outcome.
ROBERTS: All right. Apparently, she's going to be released potentially within the next hour or two. Her father who's been there in Iran following the case is apparently waiting for her outside of Evin prison. And as soon as we get word that she's out, we'll let you know.
Christiane Amanpour for us this morning.
Christiane, thanks so much.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President of Pakistan is repeating his claims that Osama bin Laden is dead. President Asif Ali Zardari appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," and he says despite his belief that the terrorist leader is dead, Pakistan will continue helping the rest of the world search for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASIF ALI ZARDARI, PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN: I've said before that I don't think he's alive.
DAVID GREGORY, NBC CORRESPONDENT: You believe that?
ZARDARI: I have a strong feeling, and I have reason to believe that because I've asked my counterparts and the American intelligence agency and they haven't heard of him since seven years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: No hard-core evidence, though, like, you know, a body.
Joining us now, Paula Newton, live from our London Bureau.
Why does the Pakistan president insist on saying this when he doesn't really have real evidence that Osama bin Laden is dead?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: And that's the key. He's saying to American intelligence authorities, look, I'm putting pressure on you. You show me some evidence that he is in this country.
Carol, we haven't heard anything different from Pakistani authorities behind the scenes on this topic really for years. The thing is, he continues to say it and repeat it publicly. And that poses a problem for the Obama administration.
Remember candidate Obama said that it was important to chase Bin Laden down to the, quote, "Cave where he lives." This will continue to hang them up in the issue of Pakistan. And right now, Pakistan as we talk about all last week really feeling a lot of pressure from the U.S. administration to kick up their presence in those trouble areas, to continue to look for the leaders of al Qaeda. But the Pakistanis pushing back. And this says a lot more about what's going on behind the scenes.
One key thing here, Carol. For years, the Pakistanis have said to the CIA, look, share your information, your intelligence about al Qaeda with us. Except for very rare exceptions, they have not done that.
And right now, this whole issue about Bin Laden, the Pakistanis know that this is a weakness on the American administration's part. They're still smarting from some of those comments from Secretary Clinton saying that the country was in fact a basket case. The head of the army in Pakistan not taking that very well at all. You can continue to see these kinds of remarks from President Zardari even if face-to-face it does seem as if relations with the United States are going a bit better - Carol.
COSTELLO: Paula Newton, thanks.
ROBERTS: Former Vice President Dick Cheney not mincing words when it comes to criticizing President Obama and defending the Bush administration. He's made several appearances on national talk shows to discuss his former administration's policies.
CNN's Jim Acosta joins us now live.
And Jim, what's the consensus here? Is the former vice president helping or hurting the Republican Party with his comments?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, right now, no Republicans are standing up to shout down the former vice president. And just a few days ago, Mr. Cheney appeared on an obscure North Dakota radio talk show, where he insisted Republicans should refrain from moderating their positions.
Then, he returned to one of his favorite settings, the Sunday talk show circuit, where he once again unloaded on his critics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I don't speak out, then where do we find ourselves, Bob? Then the critics have a free run, and there isn't anybody there on the other side to tell the truth. ACOSTA (voice-over): Far from a secure, undisclosed location, Vice President Dick Cheney is out in the open and sounding off. Whether it's on Rush Limbaugh's recent broadside that Colin Powell no longer belongs in the Republican Party...
CHENEY: Well, if I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh, I think. I think my take on it was Colin already left the party.
ACOSTA: ... or on the Bush administration's use of questionable interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists...
CHENEY: No regrets. I think it was absolutely the right thing to do. I'm convinced, absolutely convinced that we saved thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives.
ACOSTA: ... even as the Justice Department is weighing whether to prosecute Bush administration officials for authorizing harsh interrogation methods, Cheney stated the orders came straight from the top.
CHENEY: He basically authorized it. I mean, this was a presidential-level decision, and the decision went to the president and he signed off on it.
ACOSTA: Last week, the former vice president told the North Dakota radio program it would be a mistake for the GOP to moderate, even as "Time" magazine declared the Republican an endangered species. Other party leaders are echoing Cheney's message.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't want to moderate either. I think our policies, the principles of our party are as viable today as they have been in the past.
ACOSTA: Democrats like the sound of that.
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: If you poll Rush Limbaugh, Colin Powell, my money is on Colin Powell.
ACOSTA: Cheney is not the first vice president to take on his successors. Al Gore accused the Bush White House of using torture three years ago.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They violate the Geneva Conventions, the international convention against torture and our own laws against torture.
ACOSTA: Now, it's Cheney's turn.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you surprised, sir, you're the one who has to defend the administration that much?
CHENEY: That's the vice president's duty.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ACOSTA: Now, there is one question Cheney will not answer at this point, and that's whether he'd be willing to testify under oath about the Bush administration's interrogation policies - John.
ROBERTS: Jim Acosta for us this morning. Jim, thanks so much for that.
COSTELLO: You know, Jason Carol, our resident trekkie predicted this. That it would be a stellar weekend for his sci-fi redo.
The new Star Trek film directed by J.J. Abrams beamed up over $76 million in ticket sales at the box office in its opening weekend. That exceeded original estimates by over $25 million. The film was likely helped by some solid early reviews by Jason Carroll. The movie goes back to the early days of the original enterprise crew giving some back story on Kirk and Spock.
I wanted to see it so bad this weekend.
ROBERTS: Are you in town for the rest of the day?
COSTELLO: Yes.
ROBERTS: Or are you going home?
COSTELLO: Well, I'm going home, but not until later this afternoon.
(CROSSTALK)
Are you going to see it?
ROBERTS: I'm thinking about it. Yes.
COSTELLO: Fantastic.
ROBERTS: You know, I love the original series. You know, with Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner and those folks. And apparently, this takes you back to the feeling and the relationships of the original series.
COSTELLO: I was in love with Captain Kirk.
ROBERTS: Really?
COSTELLO: I wanted him to be my husband. I was, of course, 2 at the time.
In these tough economic times, New York City's working homeless now being told to pay up for a night at the shelter. But will the new plan help or hurt those less fortunate?
It's eight minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: New York City's homeless will soon be forced to pay up. City officials will begin charging rent to working families that are staying in public shelters. CNN's Jason Carroll is following the story.
And, you know, just on the face of it, it seems kind of cruel because these people are working. They're trying to get back up on their feet. And the government is now going to charge them.
CARROLL: Well, you know, from the city's perspective, they don't want to see these families becoming dependent on public assistance. That's one of the reasons why this policy was put into place. Regardless, though, some families have already gotten notices under their doors saying if they don't pay, they could lose their housing. One estimate shows hundreds of homeless working families could be affected by this new policy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): Homeless and living in a shelter. Princess Seaborn is now being forced to do something she never expected.
PRINCESS SEABORN, LIVING IN HOMELESS SHELTER: The city wants me to pay rent -- pay rent being in a shelter.
CARROLL: Princess and her daughter, Kenya, have been living in this New York City shelter for six months. She was told last week she would need to pay $345 a month to continue living there. Money, she says, she just does not have.
SEABORN: I tried to explain on my best behalf that I don't have it. And, you know, all I'm getting is pens and papers on my face, saying sign here, sign here. And obviously I have to sign.
CARROLL: This new policy is based on a 1997 state law which requires shelter residents with jobs to use a portion of their earnings to pay rent. The amount varies according to family size and what shelter is being used.
So, why is the city doing this now?
During a 2007 state audit, the city was required to pay back $2.4 million in housing aid that should have been supplemented by homeless families with income. City officials say they're just following the state mandate. CNN was denied an interview request but was provided with this statement.
"New York State law and regulation mandate this policy. We were the last jurisdiction in the state to have this policy implemented. Regardless, our objective remains to move families back into their own homes and into the community as quickly as possible."
Homeless advocates argue the new policy will actually prolong a person's stay at a shelter. ARNOLD COHEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HOMELESS: I think they fundamentally misunderstand in this policy is that money often goes to such things as child care, which has a direct impact on the ability of folks to leave the shelter system. So when they have child care, they're able to look for jobs, they're able to look for housing. But we're taking that -- essentially taking that money away from them.
CARROLL: In the meantime, more of New York's working homeless can expect to start paying rent to stay in shelters, a move Princess says isn't fair and she's appealing to the state to have her rent voided.
SEABORN: Why should we have to suffer because of the fallback? Because this is what it is -- it's a cutback.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: Well, New York's mayor defended the policy, telling a local paper here, quote, "We're told we have to do it, so we're doing it." Critics of the policy say the city should be taking more of a lead to get this policy reversed before some homeless families end up back out there on the street.
ROBERTS: Is there some consideration that maybe homeless people with dependent children are treated differently than those without?
CARROLL: You know, that's a good point. But not as of yet. Not according to the research that we found. But that's one of the things that homeless advocates say the city should consider. You know, if you're a working mom and part of the income that you're making is going towards, you know, day care or child care, that should be a consideration.
ROBERTS: Right. Let's see what happens with that. Jason, thanks so much for that.
CARROLL: You bet.
ROBERTS: Friendly fire coming from former Vice President Dick Cheney. He's taking on his own former Secretary of State Colin Powell, questioning his loyalty to the Republican Party. We're talking to our political panel about that and more just ahead.
And we just heard from Orbitz, they're launching an Internet campaign to lift the travel ban against Cuba. Coming up, we'll talk to one congressman who wants to go even farther and open it up to American business as well.
Fifteen minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Good morning, Washington, D.C. Lovely shot of the Capitol building today, but unfortunately beset by clouds. 57 degrees there right now. Later on, showers and a high of 62. Former Vice President Dick Cheney making some political headlines after saying President Obama is endangering the entire nation. He also took a shot at former Secretary of State Colin Powell, saying he didn't know that Powel was still a Republican. So why is he attacking both sides of the aisle?
For more, let's bring in our Democratic strategist Lisa Caputo and Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins.
Good morning to both of you.
LISA CAPUTO, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.
ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.
ROBERTS: Just to refresh our memories, let's listen to what the vice president told Bob Schieffer yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHENEY: Well, if I had to choose, in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh, I think. I think -- my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Ed, is the vice president an effective spokesman for the party? Will talk like that bring people into the Republican tent, because certainly it would seem you need some people?
ROLLINS: Well, he certainly has a right to defend what they did over the last eight years, since he was the architect of much of it. You know, it's his prerogative.
But at the end of the day is that we need to be looking forward, not backwards. Attacking someone like Colin Powell who did break a lot of hearts when he walked away and supported Obama. But he never was a partisan Republican. But he is a man of great stature and a man that obviously either party would like to have supporting them.
ROBERTS: And Lisa, I'm sure that the Democratic Party would welcome him with open arms.
CAPUTO: Oh, listen, Democrats couldn't love anything more than having Dick Cheney as the spokesperson of party.
But I have to tell you, when you look at just what's happening with the Republican Party, a quarter of all people who are registered to vote are Republicans. And the Republican Party is becoming less white, less rural, less Christian. You hear Colin Powell saying it's got to move to be more moderate...
ROLLINS: More, not less.
CAPUTO: Less. ROBERTS: Getting more.
CAPUTO: I mean more. I apologize. It's early. So having Cheney as a spokesperson just doesn't really reconcile with having a more moderate party.
ROBERTS: You know, there's an interesting article in Politico today. It points out that women make up 51 percent of the population in America, but only 10 percent of Republican members in the House and Senate. Democrats 22 percent in the House, Republicans 9.5 percent women, Senate Democrats 23 percent are women, GOP 10 percent.
They've got a gender problem here, Ed?
ROLLINS: Historically, women have always had to be better to get elected. And over the years, more and more have gotten elected, but it's never enough. I mean, some day it's going to be 50 percent just like medical schools, law schools. More will have to run, more will have to be supported. But it's a big problem and I think one of dilemmas that people had when they said they wanted to pick Sarah Palin.
You know, when you look at it, there were only three women governors, there were only four U.S. senators that were Republican. The choice was pretty narrow. And I think we need to expand that obviously.
CAPUTO: You think they'd try out somebody like Olympia Snowe a little more to attract that female vote. You know, moderate Republicans...
ROBERTS: She said that she feels like a contestant on "Survivor."
CAPUTO: She did.
ROBERTS: Yes.
CAPUTO: She did.
ROBERTS: So, one of the things we have to talk this morning -- George Stephanopoulos yesterday in his program dropped an interesting bomb, where he said that it was widely known inside the John Edwards campaign or widely suspected that he was having an affair, but they just keep going along with the campaign. But did if he had got within striking distance of getting the nomination, they would have torpedoed the campaign. They would have sabotaged it.
Do you believe that?
CAPUTO: Yes, I do believe it, actually. Because this is a group of people who at their core of Democrats first, and they would want what's best for the party. And I think that so many of that inner circle in the Edwards campaign were absolutely furious with John Edwards.
Absolutely furious.
ROBERTS: So why do you continue the campaign? Why not just come out and say, wait a minute --
ROLLINS: Well, I think, you know, it's always easy to second guess something after the fact. But the reality is, someone should have been the reality check and walk in and say, you've got to stop this behavior. It's going to blow up in your face. It's totally irresponsible to the thousands of people out there supporting you. It totally makes a hypocrite out of you, and either quit this race or stop this relationship.
ROBERTS: Wow. Pretty extraordinary.
CAPUTO: It is.
ROBERTS: They would allow it to continue, and then with the plan to -- they said that -- Stephanopoulos was saying they continued it because they never thought that he would become the nominee, but then if he got close.
CAPUTO: Right.
ROLLINS: They're right on that. But, you know, I think he hurt the party. He certainly hurt his family. And he turned out to be a hypocrite.
CAPUTO: It makes you wonder what the results would have been, at least in Iowa.
ROBERTS: Yes, because it could have turned things around for Hillary Clinton.
CAPUTO: It could have. It could have.
ROBERTS: Yes. All right.
Well, I guess we'll keep on analyzing this for years to come.
Ed Rollins, Lisa Caputo, always great to see you. Thanks so much.
ROLLINS: Great. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Carol.
COSTELLO: Hopefully not for years to come.
Visions of sandy beaches, cigars and profits. Lifting the Cuba travel ban may be a good move for business, but is it the right move for the United States? Hear from both sides just ahead.
It's 22 minutes past.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Back to a story that's breaking right now. CNN learning that Iran will free American journalist Roxana Saberi, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for spying in a secretive trial behind closed doors. It could happen within the next hour.
Her father, Reza Saberi, is waiting outside the gates of Evin prison right now. And he joins us on the telephone.
Mr. Saberi, I can't imagine the elation that you are experiencing right now as you wait for your daughter to walk out the doors of that prison.
What is the situation there right now?
REZA SABERI, FATHER OF U.S. REPORTER ON IRANIAN JAIL (via telephone): You know, many (INAUDIBLE) prison. Many reporters are here around us. We are surrounded by many reporters. And I would say there are hundreds of people, actually. Almost more than -- probably 200 people here, standing here. And they're waiting to see our daughter as she comes out of the door.
ROBERTS: Oh my goodness.
SABERI: And, yes, she was -- today, we heard the news that she'll be free as of today.
ROBERTS: Right. And where did your emotions go when you heard the news that she was going to be free? You thought that she was potentially going to be in jail for eight years.
SABERI: Well, we, of course, the appeals court, when we heard about the appeals court, we were very hopeful that it won't be the same sentence as before. It will be much lighter one. And this one came as a very happy news for us.
ROBERTS: I'm sure. You have been there -- you have been there for more than a month now fighting for your daughter's release. And now you're just moments away, potentially, from seeing her walk out the door of that prison and into your arms. You must be terribly happy today.
SABERI: That's right. Yes, it should be great excitement, yes.
ROBERTS: And how soon will she come back to the United States?
SABERI: We will come back as soon as possible. We will need some time to make the arrangements for the trip. And do some of the things here before leaving. So it should be soon. I don't know how soon, but it shouldn't be long before we return to the United States.
ROBERTS: Mr. Saberi, as a father of a daughter, myself, I just can't imagine how elated you are that this has all turned out so well. I mean, even after such an ordeal that you have been through. We thank you for taking the time, and we hope that the reunion with your daughter happens very soon.
Reza Saberi on the phone for us from Tehran.
SABERI: You're welcome. You're welcome.
ROBERTS: All right. Very good. Thank you - Carol.
COSTELLO: Such good news. Good for them.
It is 27 minutes past. Checking our top stories this morning.
Pope Benedict XVI is calling for the creation of a Palestinian state. Something Israel's prime minister has come out against. Hours ago, the pontiff became only the second Vatican leader to visit the Jewish state touching down in Tel Aviv. He will be officially welcomed in Jerusalem in the next hour, and will visit the Palestinian territories later this week.
The smoke clearing in Santa Barbara, California, and revealing more devastation. Authorities now face 77 homes burned to the ground. That's double the last figure that came out. Many of the 30,000 people ordered to get out of town were able to come home over the weekend. Investigators suspect power tools used to clear brush and reduce the wildfire threat actually started the fire.
And this morning's swift reaction after a trolley rear ended another trolley in Boston injuring nearly 50 people. Now, the conductor of one trolley told police he was text messaging at the time of the crash.
AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho has been following the story.
And it's just unbelievable that somebody would be texting while operating a trolley.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's intoxicating. You know, you get your BlackBerry and you can't help but look at it. And sometimes, you know, it can be deadly as we saw in California a year ago. But it is one of those here-we-go-again situations, guys.
Good morning, everybody.
You know, and the head of the Boston Transit Authority understandably furious about this. He has wasted no time taking action. As early as this week, all Boston city train, trolley and bus drivers will be ban from even carrying their cell phones or BlackBerrys when they're on the job. They are being told, essentially, leave it in the car, leave it at home, but when you board a train or bus to work, do not bring it with you.
NTSB investigators are in Boston right now. They have not yet spoken to the driver of that trolley, but they are gathering evidence, and it's becoming clear that the driver was distracted moments before the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBBIE HERSMAN, NTSB: We know that there were several signals, two green signals, a yellow signal, and a red signal coming out of the station. And the point of collision occurred 80 feet past that red signal. We did a sight distance test, and we know that the operator had the ability to see the trolley stopped in front of him 480 feet in advance of the collision. And so, all of those things are pieces of the puzzle that we're putting together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The driver of the trolley has been identified as 24-year- old Aden Quinn. Police say he admitted he was looking down at his phone and texting his girlfriend right before he slammed into the back of another trolley. The district attorney is said to be considering criminal charges, and Quinn is expected to be fired.
This, of course, is not the first time this has happened. Last September, I was talking about this a moment ago. Twenty-five people killed, 135 injured when a commuter train crashed into a freight train in California. The driver of the commuter train was texting 22 seconds before he ran a red light. And he had exchanged a total of 43 text messages while on duty that day.
Now the laws vary from state to state. After the commuter train crash back in September, California banned cell phone use by transit operators. And then there's the new don't even think about bringing your cell phone to work ban in Boston, going on. Nothing federal on the books just yet, guys.
But the NTSB, I know you spoke to that woman about an hour ago. And they are looking at the policies right now. I mean, you see these incidents happen time and time again, and you do start to wonder if there should be something federal on the books. So they are looking at it.
COSTELLO: Alina Cho, thanks.
The travel website Orbitz.com sees a land of opportunity in Cuba. Orbitz just launched a new site with the petition to end the nearly 50-year ban on travel to the communist country.
Many others who support ending the ban have been encouraged by President Obama's lifting of travel restrictions for family visits. Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush from Illinois is behind new legislation that would lift travel and economic restrictions. He's live this morning in Chicago.
And republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey is against the bill. He's live this morning in Washington.
Thanks to you both for joining us this morning.
REP. BOBBY RUSH (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: You guys sound a little sleepy. So you have to up the energy a little bit.
REP. CHRIS SMITH (R), NEW JERSEY: Oh, yes. COSTELLO: You're exhausted from Mother's Day, I know.
SMITH: Too much Mother's Day.
COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. Too much celebrating with mom.
Congressman Rush, let's start with you. You want to introduce this bill and you want to lift all travel restrictions, you want to lift the embargo. Are you expecting anything in return from Cuba?
RUSH: Well, of course. Cuba is going to - they're going to have to allow the Cuban people to travel freely. They're going to have to answer some of the other critical issues that they are facing that the world is asking them, critical questions.
But you know, I don't think that Cuba is in any way any different from any other country that we're trading with. Saudi Arabia has human rights violations, China has human rights violation. Nobody supports the human rights activities in North Korea and other places around the world. So why single Cuba out?
I think it's good for the American people. It is good for the Cuban people.
COSTELLO: Congressman, well, Congressman Smith - Congressman Smith, Congressman Rush has a point. I mean, Americans are free to travel to China, to visit what they want. We trade with China freely. So what's different about it?
SMITH: Well, frankly, I think China is a very poor example to pick up. Primarily, because of their human rights abuses. They have gulags and concentration camps that are filled with people whose only crime is trying to promote human rights and democracy in China. We all remember Tiananmen Square where things have gone from bad to worse since Tiananmen Square and it really makes...
COSTELLO: But I mean we can visit China despite all of that. So why not Cuba?
SMITH: Well, frankly, that's what the lessons learned ought to be. We ought to lift the travel ban, and even the embargo if and only if certain human rights conditions are met. Like the immediate, unconditional release of the over 200 political prisoners who every day spend time in solitary confinement. They are tortured with no compassion for them or their families.
And right now, there's a man, Antunez, who is on a hunger strike. This individual has spent 17 years-plus in the gulags of Castro's Cuba. COSTELLO: But you could say that about these other countries as well...
SMITH: You could say it about North Korea, as well. None of us will travel there either.
COSTELLO: That's true. Congressman Rush? Let Congressman Rush intervene...
RUSH: But Chris, my friend, you know, you're talking about someone, OK, who has a history of fighting for human rights. Who has been in the forefront of human rights not only here in America, but all across the world. And frankly, my friend, we have a number of people who are locked up in prison in this country. OK.
SMITH: Bobby, you're a good friend and a good colleague, but let me say very clearly...
RUSH: Absolutely.
SMITH: ... I have spent 29 years working on human rights issues. I've written several landmark laws on human rights. We have to be serious about those who are in prison, who are seeking nothing but democracy, freedom of the press, I would ask CNN. I would ask CNN to go to the prison...
RUSH: China ...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Let me interrupt for just a second. Gentlemen, gentlemen, let me interrupt for just a second.
Congressman Smith, there are many polls out there, the majority of Americans, especially the new generation of Americans wants the embargo lifted from Cuba and they want to freely travel there. I mean, take a look at the numbers.
And they're changing. And some of these are even coming from - these are just Cuban-Americans in favor of establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. So hasn't the tide turned? Isn't it time to move forward from policies of the past?
SMITH: Well, I think the policies of the future are human rights. If I could finish - the policies of the future is human rights.
And my hope would be that CNN would go into the prisons, visit with Dr. Oscar Bushette (ph) who got 25 years in the prison system and being tortured as we speak simply because he wants democracy in his country.
RUSH: We only have a few moments here, Chris.
SMITH: Go and visit him.
RUSH: Chris, we only have a few moments.
You know, your argument against China's argument, why we should allow Cuba to have normal trade relationship with the U.S., the American people are the best ambassadors of the American way of life, of democracy. Allowing...
SMITH: The American people won't be allowed to meet... COSTELLO: OK. We're going to have to end it there, because I can see there's going to be - gentlemen, we're going to have to end this here. I can see there's not going to be any common ground between them.
But thank you for joining us.
RUSH: He's our friend. We just disagree.
COSTELLO: I'm glad you're still friends after this. It makes me happy. Thanks to both of you this morning.
ROBERTS: Other than the fact the they're friends, there's no common ground.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
ROBERTS: There you are.
Reliance on the teleprompter to his perceived divinity. The president making fun of himself at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. See the comedian in chief in action. The highlights just ahead.
Plus, the commander of the Shuttle Atlantis was also a stunt pilot in the famous Hollywood film. If you don't recognize him, you might just recognize his finger.
It's 37 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Forty minutes now after the hour, and let's fast forward to stories that will be making news later on today.
At 11:30 Eastern, President Obama sits down in the Roosevelt Room with representatives of the health care industry. The groups are offering $2 trillion in spending reductions over the next 10 years to help pay for the president's health care overhaul.
An hour later the president takes to the podium to talk about that plan and we'll be carrying that live for you.
At 3:00 p.m. Eastern, NBA hall of famer Dave Bing will be sworn in as mayor of Detroit. He won in a special election last Tuesday. You'll remember that the city's former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resigned last fall after lying under oath about an extra marital affair.
And at one minute after 2:00 here in the East Coast, NASA scheduled to launch the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Forecasts are showing near perfect conditions for the launch. The shuttle is taking seven astronauts and hundreds of millions of dollars in new equipment for a rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope.
And while we're on the subject of the Atlantis crew, the shuttle's commander has an interesting Hollywood legacy. His piloting skills and one of his fingers, if you remember the scene, played a prominent role in the movie Top Gun. Our John Zarrella live with that story now at the Kennedy Space Center this morning.
You've got me intrigued, John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John, that's right.
You could call him the pilot to the stars. As you mentioned, Atlantis sitting on the launch pad behind me, fuelled and ready to go. Fifth and final visit to Hubble Space Telescope to upgrade and service Hubble. But Scott Altman, the commander of this mission, is a bit of a movie star, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Retired Navy pilot Scott Altman, commander of the Atlantis mission, knows a little something about flying space shuttles.
SCOTT ALTMAN, COMMANDER, ATLANTIS MISSION: That flight deck is starting to look neat, but crowded.
ZARRELLA: He also knows a little something about flying airplanes, in a movie.
ALTMAN: Flying a space shuttle is a little more challenging than what we did in the movie. I have to admit that, although the flying was a lot of fun.
ZARRELLA: The film was the 1986 hit "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise. Altman had just gotten back from a 7 1/2-months on board an aircraft carrier when he got the call.
ALTMAN: The skipper of our squadron picked four guys and he thought he could trust to have this kind of thing to break the rules a little bit.
ZARRELLA: And they sure broke the rules. Altman, now making his fourth trip into space, says in ways that would guarantee you lose your wings if you did them for anything but a movie. Like, buzzing the control tower.
He's in one of the film's most memorable scenes. While flying upside-down, inverted, Altman gives the pilot of the enemy plane the finger.
ALTMAN: But they said, go ahead and gesture at the other airplane. So, when you're looking at the scene where he's communicating with the Russian or the bad guy pilots in the movie, that would be my finger.
ZARRELLA: On one occasion, Altman says Cruise, who played the young naval aviator, flew with him in the backseat of the F-14 Tom Cat. Other actors did too. Altman got $23.00 a day for his work. The plane, $7,600 an hour. But Altman says some of the footage with the actors in the jets didn't work out so well for the director. ALTMAN: After a week of spending that much money on the airplanes, he decided that he couldn't use the footage, he didn't think it was worth the money because the actors all looked a little green, he said.
ZARRELLA: Altman may be one of the unheralded stars in the movie, but he didn't get to see it right away. He was on another seven-month carrier tour of duty when it was released.
John Zarrella, CNN, Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Well, you know, there's also another first on this mission. For the first time in the history of the space program, there are two shuttles on the launch pad with the express purpose of backup. Endeavor, which is on Launch Pad B over to my right here, is set up as a rescue vehicle. If, for whatever reason the crew of Atlantis got in trouble, Endeavor, with a four-man crew, could be launched within a week to go up and literally in a high wire act of space walks between the two vehicles, rescue the seven astronauts on board the shuttle of Atlantis. Something NASA doesn't want to do, but it's the first time they've ever had that capability -- John.
ROBERTS: That's some pretty serious backup there. That's incredible, $23.00 a day to be in the movie. And I love the way you put it, "I was 'communicating' with the other pilot."
ZARRELLA: Yes, "communicating."
ROBERTS: Great piece, John. Thanks so much. Enjoy the launch later on today. We'll be looking forward to your coverage.
ZARRELLA: Yes, Carol.
COSTELLO: That was a cool story.
Just launched a multi-million dollar project trying to understand deadly tornadoes and how to keep you safer in the process. We're live from Tornado Alley at the National Weather Center in Oklahoma. Coming your way next. It's 44 minutes past.
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COSTELLO: Oh, we're looking at Indianapolis this morning. It's cloudy there and 54 degrees. But later, oh, it's going to be a nice day, sunny and 86 degrees. Yes, still got to eat.
Farmers across this country can always rely on that, but the global economic downturn is still hitting farms of all types in every state. CNN's Sean Callebs has today's report in our ongoing series "Money in Main Street."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no moisture left in it. And without the moisture, this wheat is going to continue to die.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four generations, the Sellard's Farm in Bucklin, Kansas, Rob and Sylvia now own a whopping 14,000 acres. That's nearly 22 square miles. It's not easy or cheap.
ROB SELLARD, FARMER: You know, four to five years ago we were buying $350 to $400 a ton fertilizer. This wheat crop here, we would fertilize this last August, September, fertilize it with $1,100.
CALLEBS: The Sellards also raise Black Angus Cattle that make those tasty steaks that the corporate execs have always spent so lavishly on.
SELLARD: And with the fears in Wall Street, people stopped eating out so much, less beef is sold. Foreign countries don't - you know, they are struggling, too.
CALLEBS: Exports are slowly improving and the Sellards do have the option of hanging on to their prize cattle until prices improve.
SELLARD: If you were buying a new one, it's going to cost you about $240,000.
CALLEBS: In this economy, there is no money for a new tractor. So Sellard has to squeeze all he can out of this one.
There is some good news. Crop prices have been good the last couple of years. But falling stock prices, the credit crunch, many say things will get worse here before the economy turns the corner.
SELLARD: A plant goes into survival mode. These plants just shrivel and curl up.
CALLEBS (on camera): He's trying to hang on.
SELLARD: He's trying to hang on.
CALLEBS (voice-over): Just like the American farmer.
Sean Callebs, CNN, Bucklin, Kansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Well, they're calling him the "Comedian in Chief" this morning. The president reaching into his cabinet for some material and making himself the butt of a few jokes too. We've got the highlights of his monologue, just ahead.
Plus, chasing storms to understand how tornadoes really work. Our Rob Marciano live from tornado alley coming up next. It's now 50 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. A small army of scientists and storm chasers are all getting together this morning. It's the start of a $10 million project with just one aim, to understand tornadoes.
Our Rob Marciano is there live at the University of Oklahoma's National Weather Center. What are you going to be doing on this storm chase today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's not your every day storm chase, so it's going to last five weeks. As you mentioned, it's a multimillion dollar project. They did it once before, but that was 15 years ago. And they were actually able to document from start to finish the evolution of a tornado. And we've come long strides since then.
But the goal of this mission is to actually try to get the data that we'll need to predict how and when a storm will form, how long it will be on the ground, and how strong will it by, and obviously saving lives is the main goal.
I'm standing in front of some stuff you may have seen in Hollywood. This is Dorothy, if you saw the movie "Twister," they threw this in front of the tornado and it unhatched and the instruments went up into the tornado. This was also in the movie itself.
This is actually a real piece NOAA equipment. It was retired back in 1987. They tried to put this in front of a tornado, did so, but flipped over, not a whole lot of success with that. They'll have some of these, much lower pods. They'll also have, take a look at some of the equipment video. They'll have Doppler on wheels, we call it DOW, and there's an acronym for just about everything. And that will follow around the tornado if we manage to find some of those in the next couple of days. So we've got that.
And really 40 research vehicles in general in total - some of which are just modified ambulances that they put mobile radars on. Vortex 2, it stands for Verification of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment. There's seemingly an acronym for everything here in NOAA. And this is the second time they've done it and we hope to unravel the mysteries that are tornadoes. It should be a fascinating ride. John, back over to you.
ROBERTS: Sounds pretty exciting, Rob. Looking forward to what you've got to tell us in the next couple of days. Thanks so much -- Carol.
COSTELLO: He got the Queen of England an iPod, you think Wanda Sykes was going to let the president get away with that one? Don't miss the highlights of the weekend roasting. That's just ahead.
It's 54 minutes past the hour.
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COSTELLO: It's hard to describe how the White House Correspondents dinner went. It was the night Washington lets loose, as loose as Washington can possibly get. An uptight city, although I love it.
It's the night the president shows he can dish it out as well as take it. The material nearly always topical, and we all know that the best jokes are often based in a bit of truth.
Here's some highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would like to welcome you all to the 10-day anniversary of my first 100 days.
WANDA SYKES, COMEDIENNE: Whose idea was it to give the queen an iPod? What an awful gift.
Your aunt's idea? What is she going to do? Download "Lady Ga Ga"? What are you going to give the pope? A blue tooth?
OBAMA: Michelle Obama is here, first lady of the United States. Hasn't she been an outstanding first lady? She's even begun to bridge the differences that have divided us for so long, because no matter which party you belong to, we can all agree that Michelle has the right to "bare" arms.
SYKES: It's hard to poke fun at the president, you know, because he's so likable. Everybody likes t-shirts and bumper stickers, even the media. You know, you guys have been very favorable towards the president.
You know, it's funny to me that they've never caught you smoking, but they somehow always catch you with your shirt off.
OBAMA: All this change hasn't been easy. Change never is. So I've cut the tension by bringing a new friend to the White House. He's warm, he's cuddly, loyal, enthusiastic. You just have to keep him on a tight leash. Every once in a while he goes charging off in the wrong direction and gets himself into trouble. But enough about Joe Biden.
SYKES: You're taking the first lady out on dates? I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if I walked past the White House and see you out there mowing the lawn.
OBAMA: I believe that my next 100 days will be so successful I will be able to complete them in 72 days. And on the 73rd day, I will rest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That was my favorite joke.
ROBERTS: My favorite joke was one that actually wasn't in there. He was goofing on Rahm Emanuel and said tomorrow's Mother's Day and he says that presents a real dilemma for Rahm Emanuel because he has a problem saying the word day after mother.
COSTELLO: We all know what really means.
ROBERTS: Good joke.
COSTELLO: And the good thing is, that's a true story.
ROBERTS: Definitely, it is.
COSTELLO: It is.
ROBERTS: Great to see you this morning. Thanks for coming by.
COSTELLO: Sure. I'll be back in Washington tomorrow.
ROBERTS: Got you. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you back here again bright and early tomorrow.
COSTELLO: Right now here's CNN NEWSROOM with Heidi Collins.
