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Republican Politicians Attend Values Voters' Summit; President Obama to Promote Health Care Reform on Sunday Talk Shows; Police on to Prime Suspect in Yale Student Murder Case Even Before the Body was Found; Military Commanders Say More Troops Are Needed For Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan; Immigration Reform May Play a Role in Health Care; Deceased Soldier Received Posthumous Medal of Honor From President Obama

Aired September 19, 2009 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: They are mad as heck and want their political power back. Whether you call them the base of the Republican Party or the far right, right now social conservatives are gathering in Washington -- their goal, to take back the House, Senate and White House.

They are coming together for the annual "Values Voters'" summit. And anyone who hopes to win political office is in attendance there and ready to trash all things Democratic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MITT ROMNEY, (R) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Only a year ago, there were quite a few people in this city who were ready to write off this conservative movement. They were enthralled by Barack Obama's promise of near biblical transformations. Their legs were tingling.

(LAUGHTER)

He spoke majestically, framed by Greek columns.

Well, he can spin a speech, but he can't spin his record. I bet you never dreamed you would look back at Jimmy Carter as the good old days.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: Now, the administration, Speaker Pelosi and others, are wondering why Americans are showing up at tea parties, why so many Americans are showing up at our town hall meetings. I can tell you why. We are in the midst of a political rebellion in America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: "Political rebellion," let's find out a little bit more about what that means. Andy Barr is a reporter with Politico.com. He has been covering the "Values Voters'" summit. Good to see you.

ANDY BARR, POLITICO.COM: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: What does he mean by that, this political rebellion? BARR: I think what we are seeing, this is a huge event for the Republican Party in terms of, right now they have a lot of momentum on their side on a grassroots levels, on a movement level, even though they don't have the numbers in the House or Senate or proven electorally.

You are seeing the top players win the party. We're talking about Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, John Boehner, the minority leader of the Senate (sic). They all want to get in front of this. They want right now to be able to have a little bit leadership of really what is kind of a rebellion over the Obama presidency.

WHITFIELD: This is the Values Voters' summit, this is the fourth one, is that credit correct?

BARR: That's right. This is a big event for them in terms of marshalling all those social conservatives.

There are other events designed at the conservative movement. This though much more focused on those issues of life and other things that a lot of those folks, Mitt Romney and others want those people behind them and in their camps.

WHITFIELD: Does this have a particularly different tone or even agenda given that it's the fourth one and given that the climate, I guess, between the Republicans and Democrats has been rather heated?

BARR: No, I think that is very much carrying over. You're seeing a lot of guys are speaking with very pointed attacks against the administration.

The other thing right now that's different from this summit from the other ones is they feel like they have a little wind at their backs. They feel the movement is coming back. There's a lot of excitement and still a lot of anger at the administration.

But right now, they are looking at an election cycle that looks good for them, numbers across the country in terms of polling and generic ballot looking good for Republicans. They are excited right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did what took place last week or more than a week ago with Representative Joe Wilson in any way influence the tone of this summit?

BARR: I think Joe Wilson was emblematic of how the tone has been going. He spoke for a lot of people who really are angry at the administration.

Moderate Republicans are looking at it saying what's happening with the party? Why are they the ones leading the message for us? A lot of guys getting up and speaking today and yesterday haven't gone as far as Wilson did, but you're hearing a lot of the same heated rhetoric.

WHITFIELD: Andy Barr with Politico.com, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

BARR: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: FBI agents reportedly are spending a fourth day questioning a 24-year-old Afghan national about an alleged terror plot. Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us now from Denver.

Jeanne, this young man is not in custody, but has been questioned and questioned very extensively. So what now?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, this day has not played out as we expected it to. Najibullah Zazi, the man who is at the center of this investigation, the 24-year-old limo driver from Denver, was expected to be here talking to the FBI for a fourth day today. But he did not come.

Yesterday an administration official who is familiar with the matter told CNN that Zazi had admitted some ties with Al Qaeda. But today, Zazi's attorney denied that.

Zazi is, himself, in an interview with the "Denver Post." Zazi reportedly said "It is not true. I have nothing to hide. It is all media publications reporting whatever they want. They have been reporting all this nonsense." That's Zazi's reported comments to the "Denver Post."

Meanwhile, there is a new wrinkle in this investigation. A former counterterrorism official who is familiar with the investigation says that a group of Afghans tried to rent a U-Haul truck from an outlet in Queens, New York on the ninth of September. That's the day Zazi was trying to drive east from Denver to New York.

That rental attempt was unsuccessful according to this source, and says the FBI searched the U-Haul outlet on the 17th of this month.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jeanne Meserve in Denver, appreciate that.

In the meantime, Germany has bumped up its terror alert level this weekend. An Al Qaeda video threatens attacks after this month's national elections. A speaker warns German voters to support candidates who favor pulling German troops from Afghanistan.

The man tells Muslims in Germany Tuesday on the public during the first two weeks after the election.

President Obama is getting the message out about health care reform this weekend. Mr. Obama taped five interviews for the Sunday morning talk shows, including one with CNN.

White House Correspondent Dan Lothian joins us live from Washington with more on the president's media blitz. It used to be, Dan, that to get the interview with the president was either an exclusive or close to it. But now, you have four or five outlets that managed to get time the him. DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: This is the president reaching out, as they describe it here at the White House to different audiences. And so that's why they decided to sit down for the different networks.

This big push on health care reform really got underway, this latest front on the war, or the push for health care got underway in the joint session to Congress, the president gave.

And in following up we saw him this week at the University of Maryland really pushing hard to younger audience, a very enthusiastic and loud younger audience, the president making clear to them what health care form would be not only to them but also to their families.

Then of course the president sort of capping a week and sitting down for these five interviews, including with CNN's John King and "State of the Union." And then, of course, on Monday night president will be chatting it up with David Letterman.

Someone off runs they are trying to reach a wide audience because, as the White House sees it, there are a lot of people out there who still have a lot of questions, a lot of concerns. There has been a lot of misinformation, at least to the White House, and they leave that the president needs to get out there to set the record straight.

WHITFIELD: So that's part of the White House strategy, to stay out in front. The president wants to drown out all the other voices. He wants to be the first voice heard on health care reform?

LOTHIAN: That's right. And there's a lot of criticism that all these appearances may lead to some overexposure and cause Americans to tune out the president because they hear from him and see him so much.

But the White House doesn't see it that way. They think that while there are a lot of surrogates pushing health care reform, that the best person to answer is the criticism to address the need for reform is the president, that he's the best salesman. And so they don't think this is overexposure here.

WHITFIELD: Dan Lothian at the White House, thanks so much.

LOTHIAN: OK.

WHITFIELD: Is the first lady the president's secret weapon in this battle for health care reform? Michelle Obama spoke to a group of women and representatives from the health care industry on Friday.

She said overhauling the nation's health care system is critical in order for women to achieve equality. And she urged them to pay attention and get involved in the debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, U.S. FIRST LADY: For two years on the campaign trail, this was what I heard from women, that they were being crushed, crushed by the current structure of our health care. This is why we are fighting so hard for health insurance. This is it. This is the face of the fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A recent poll found that 76 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of the first lady. The White House is hoping those numbers will help amplify the message.

Tomorrow morning, 9:00 eastern time, President Obama sits down with John King to talk about health care reform, the economy, and a whole lot more. Get the full story on "State of the Union" tomorrow morning at 9:00 eastern.

One family takes living within its means seriously. They are taking a few weeks of unemployment benefits and making them last year. We'll see how they do it when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Utility crews have gotten the upper hand on some water main break that flooded much of the Baltimore suburb of Dundalk yesterday. Service has been restored as cleanup begins on saturated homes and businesses there. Baltimore's public works spokesman says the incident illustrates the nation's larger issue of failing infrastructure.

And in suburban Atlanta, water main break instead heavy rain that is blamed for this rather large sinkhole right there. It swallowed the only road in and out of a particular subdivision. Residents were trapped for a few hours until his current team a few tons fill dirt for a temporary fix.

(WEATHER BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Something else that doesn't really like too much rain, sometimes gardens. And I know that your victory garden, your recession garden has been looking oh so lovely. How about now?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Overall not bad.

For those of you who haven't been following this all along, back in April, garden expert Walter Reeves partnered up with us to see whether or not we could actually a novice gardener could plant --

WHITFIELD: You have become quite the expert. It looks good.

JERAS: Thanks to Walter. But I started with nothing.

And 7 million new Americans are starting a garden. We invested $150 and wanted to see if we could make money, break even, lose money. Here, take a look.

WHITFIELD: OK

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JERAS (on camera): Walter, we are back at the garden. It's September, it's fall, just about time to wrap things up for the season. Still have tomatoes going. And you can see my garden being taken over a little bit. Overall, I feel good about how we did.

WALTER REEVES, MASTER GARDENER: It's being taken over by strawberries. You are fabulous with strawberries. Look at this. They are climbing up the tomato vines. The strawberries are really fabulous here.

JERAS (voice-over): But not everything turned out so well. In addition to pests on my peas, powdery mildew and my zucchini plant producing. Reeves said next time spray with an organic fungicide before the mildew appears.

JERAS (on camera): So the blueberries, if you remember the history with the blueberries, this is what put us out of our budget rage.

REEVES: It cost a lot.

JERAS: It did, and I was hoping it would make up for it. I will tell you, the middle Bush produced a ton of blue berries, so I got quite a bit. But the two outside ones did not.

REEVES: Well, it takes a while for fruiting plants to get the energy the make the fruit. Many times you can't expect them to produce heavily the first year. But next year, as the root system gets more mature, it will produce more flowers and more fruit.

JERAS (voice-over): I'm hoping so.

JERAS (on camera): Overall, I think the harvest was successful. I logged everything I picked. I wrote down the dates and how many of each item. Some things I even weighed because that's how you compare it in the grocery store.

So the big question, did we make money, lose money, or break even? Let's find out.

JERAS (voice-over): Here's what we grew -- 48 Roma tomatoes, 31 strawberries, 14 bunches of herbs, two red pepper, six pints of blueberries, 128 green beans, 10 cucumbers, and zero zucchini.

JERAS (on camera): So here we are grocery store looking at some of the prices. You can see the cilantro and the parsley that we grew is really cheap, less than a dollar per bunch of those.

Some of the higher priced items are the red bell peppers. They are $4.99 a pound. Cucumbers are a cheap, those are under a dollar. But you are going to spend a lot more money if you tend to buy organic.

JERAS (voice-over): We invested $125.65 in supplies, seeds, and plants, another $17 for chicken wire and bird netting. So our cost was just under $150. How much did I save? The estimates grocery cost, $168.22. That was close.

Plus we had the added benefit that I used no chemicals.

JERAS (on camera): Walter, you want to thank you for helping us through this project this summer. A lot of people something. I certainly learned a lot. And hopefully we can turn on you for some expertise need more.

REEVES: If you need expertise, I'm a phone call or Web site away, sure.

But the one thing I would like for payment, how about a taste of tomatoes here?

JERAS: You can have more than one, my friend.

REEVES: I want that big red Roman right there. Boy, that is great. It's so sweet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: And Fredricka, I have a few of those upstairs for you.

WHITFIELD: Really?

JERAS: Yes. So if you're hungry, I'll bring them down in a minute.

WHITFIELD: It's a beautiful, impressive garden you have there.

JERAS: It was fun. I learned a lot. A lot of viewers did the same with me. Maybe in the coming hours will post comments that our viewers had with their gardens.

Walter Reeves says now is the time to prep your garden for the winter. So take out any dead plants that in there and mulch it if you are trying to save strawberries and that protect that soil.

WHITFIELD: Certain things will come back. Not all of it, though.

JERAS: Not all of it.

WHITFIELD: That's good. Very impressive. I can't wait to check out the tomatoes you have there. Thanks, Jacqui.

(LAUGHTER)

Workers in five states may be asking where is my economic recovery? Right now Oregon, California, Rhode Island, Nevada, and Michigan each have statewide unemployment rates in excess of 12 percent. In California, it's the worst jobless situation in 70 years. The national unemployment is 9.7 percent. All right this next story is a prime example of what we call jobless but not hopeless. Allan Chernoff introduces us to a family who is facing this new American reality with a kind of toughness and endurance that inspires.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Kiran and Chris Kubacki jogging home from an errand instead of driving. It's one of many cost-saving steps the Kubackis are taking since Kiran, the family bread winner was laid off in July from her software job.

CHRIS KUBACKI: At first it was instant panic, oh my gosh, we're going to lose the house tomorrow and we're going to be living on the street in a cardboard box.

CHERNOFF: Kiran decided to turn her loss into an opportunity to spend more time with the family while taking time to find another job she'd love.

So they Kubackis planned to stretch Kiran's unemployment checks and her 13-week severance to last a full year, determined not to dig into savings.

KIRAN KUBACKI, FACING LIFE WITHOUT A JOB: How do you do it? I have the rules posted, actually, at my desk.

CHERNOFF: Rules like, "Live within your means," which the Kubackis say they've always done. They're also do-it-yourselfers. Chris, a stay-at-home dad, who is a woodworker, builds toys for his son, Max.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad made it. That's the best.

CHERNOFF: For the first time, Kiran set up a budget. To stick to it, the family shops only for absolute necessities. The library is now a frequent stop, as are other free community resources.

KIRAN KUBACKI: We've had more fun since I lost my job than ever.

CHERNOFF: Having adopted a frugal lifestyle, the Kubackis say they now truly appreciate small luxuries.

KIRAN KUBACKI: And if you pick just a couple of luxuries like Hershey bars, you really enjoy them.

CHERNOFF: Even as they stretch, the Kubackis still donate 10 percent of her Kiran's unemployment check to their church. Living only a few doors away from the neighborhood food pantry, the Kubackis are often reminded of their blessings.

KIRAN KUBACKI: So I don't have a job right now. We've got a house, we've got food. We have nothing to complain about.

CHERNOFF: Allan Chernoff, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Police say they have figured out details of the crime even before the body of the Yale grad student was found.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Barred for life, that's the response from Cracker Barrel restaurants for the man accused of beating a female army reservist in one of its eateries in suburban Atlanta.

Forty-seven-year-old Troy West faces a trio of charges following the September 9 incident in Clayton County, Georgia. Witnesses say West went on a tirade of racial slurs as he hit and kicked the mother of a seven-year-old girl who actually witnessed the attack.

A judge tells of three surviving children of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to clean up their cat in the handling of their father's estate. The Kinds have been in a long running and very public squabble over funds and control of the estate.

The way is clear for Michael Jackson's mother to try to win control over her son's estate estimated to be worth over $500 million. A judge has ruled that Katherine Jackson can challenge the executors of the estate without being disinherited under a no contest clause in the pop star's will.

More top stories in about 20 minutes.

And we're also getting more details about the suspect charged for killing Yale grad student, Annie Le. It turns out police knew their prime suspect before they actually found Le's body.

CNN's Randi Kaye has the breakdown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ray Clark knew he was in trouble and knew he was being followed by more than half a dozen police investigators. He likely also knew where the investigation into Annie Le's death was heading.

New Haven Police Chief James Lewis told me he had his narcotics unit track Clark's every move. Even before they found Annie Le's body, Chief Lewis said he knew Clark was the prime suspect.

The head of the unit began following Clark Saturday night, the day before Le's body was found strangled and hidden inside a basement wall at the lab building where she worked alongside the man accused of killer her.

KAYE (on camera): At first narcotics officers didn't want Clark to know they were on his trail. That first night they camped outside his parents house in Cromwell, Connecticut, about 20 miles from Yale's campus.

The day Le's body was found, Clark played softball. Detectives were in the crowd.

KAYE (voice-over): By Monday, the day after Le's body was discovered, investigators changed the tactics. They wanted Clark to know they were tailing him. They parked right in front of his apartment and let their badges show while they walked around, mind games they were hoping would lead Clark to talk to them and maybe even confess. It didn't happen.

Tuesday morning, investigators went to him. Armed with search warrants, they wanted hair and fingernail DNA samples. Investigators focused on Clark in part because of what they saw in the more than 700 hours of lab video tape from the lab building security cameras. On that tape Ray Clark stood out.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told me Clark was seen leaving the building after someone, possibly him, pulled the fire alarm. He had his head in his hands and looked distraught.

After Clark gave a DNA sample, on Wednesday he got a room at this Super 8 hotel in his family's hometown. He stayed there with his parents, hiding from the media, likely knowing it wouldn't be long before officers came knocking, again.

By this time investigators had interviewed about 150 people and had collected 300 pieces of evidence. Then came the DNA match our source says clearly connects Clark to the murder, indicating the victim's DNA was found on Ray Clark.

Early Thursday morning, Clark was arrested and charged with killing Yale medical student Annie Le. He hasn't entered a plea. His lawyers aren't talking, and neither is he.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New Haven, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We have a "Health for Her" report coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's a dirty word, "cellulite." So what is it? And short of going under the knife, can you really get rid of it?

In our "Health for Her" segment here is senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Beverly Hunt is a dynamo. She stays in shape. But she has a secret. It's cellulite.

BEVERLY HUNT, CELLULITE SUFFERER: It's in the thighs and rear. Those are the primary quote unquote "sore spots."

COHEN: Cellulite forms when skin loses its elasticity and large fat cells from and create bulges and dimples. As many as 90 percent of women have cellulite, and according to dermatologist Dr. Howard Brooks, thin or heavy, any woman can develop cellulite.

DR. HOWARD BROOKS, DERMATOLOGIST: It does not matter if that women is black, white, Asian or eats right and does everything right, cellulite can still develop, unfortunately.

COHEN: Brook says there are a few things you can do to curve the dimples. First, quit smoking. Also, watch your weight and exercise your legs and buttocks.

BROOKS: That can firm up the skin and decrease the appearance of cellulite. It's still there, but decreases the appearance.

COHEN: Because cellulite formation is mostly genetic, Brooks confesses there isn't much you can do to get rid of it. There are some cosmetic procedures but they are expensive procedures and temporary. For now Beverly Hunt has decided to try laser and deep massage therapy to get rid of her secret.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan -- should the U.S. send more troops? Hear the arguments on Capitol Hill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The fight for Afghanistan is taking place on two fronts, Afghanistan and Washington. The battle on Capitol Hill, whether the U.S. should commit more troops to fight the Taliban. Here now is CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The latest suicide car bomb attack in the heart of Kabul, another day when insurgents made clear the capital city is not safe.

But suddenly the Obama administration and the president's top military advisors are split on the urgency to fix Afghanistan's security problems. Just days after the top military officers said --

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIR, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: A properly resource counterinsurgency probably means more resources.

STARR: The vice president said not so fast.

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: A decision on additional resources is premature and a distance off.

STARR: In an exclusive interview, Vice President Joe Biden said no more troops will be sent until the current 21,000 troop increase is in place and the Afghan election results are finalized, all still weeks away. But a senior U.S. military official tells CNN, General Stanly McChrystal, the top U.S. commander, has now decided how many more troops he needs, but he's been told by Washington don't send that request until you're asked for it.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There's been a lot of talk this week and the last two or three weeks about Afghanistan, and frankly, from my standpoint, everybody ought to take a deep breath.

STARR: The reason may be the White House is not ready to hear what the general has to say.

All indications are McChrystal now believes he needs 30,000 to 40,000 additional troops. Military sources tell us, they worry it's a huge decision the White House does not want to get in the way of other issues like health care.

But senior military officers have long signaled they can't wait too long given Afghanistan's collapsing security.

MULLEN: I think it is serious and it is deteriorating. I have said it over the last couple years. The insurgency is getting better, more sophisticated.

STARR (on camera): McChrystal plan may not remain under wraps for long. There are growing indications from some Republicans in Congress they want to hear from the general directly about what he has in mind.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: It's called the espresso, but it doesn't make coffee. You won't believe what you can get in an instant.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So you probably heard the theory that computers will be the death of books. CNN's Becky Anderson shows us new technology that could turn that idea on its head. It's the "Edge of Discovery" report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON: Blackwell's bookshop in London recently added over 400,000 titles to its inventory. But they didn't need to add more shelves, just this. It's called the espresso book machine. You won't find a latte here, but you can find many rare titles.

It only takes about five minutes for the espresso to print, cut, and bind a book.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's amazing. What an amazing thing.

ANDERSON: At Blackwell's out of print books cost $15, plus three cents per page. And it can also print unpublished books.

MARY CADE, UNPUBLISHED AUTHOR: I saw this machine and went how wonderful. I rushed down here and there it was. I immediately thought how fantastic.

ANDERSON: The espresso's maker says it will soon have a catalog of over 1 million titles. It might be awhile before it comes to a bookstore near you. There are only 22 machines like this in the world.

Becky Anderson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Immigration and health care reform, two topics that can stoke passionate debate inside and outside Congress. Why? What may happen to illegal immigrants could be crucial tests for the president's insurance overhaul plan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at the top stories right now.

Pakistani police raid two homes for illegal weapons. The man who owns the houses runs a firm that provides security for the U.S. embassy in Islamabad.

Police say they seized some five dozen unregistered rifles and are looking for the security firm's owner now.

A shooting on a Mexico City subway leaves two people dead. Watch as the man opens fire from a train car right there. Police had just confronted him about antigovernment graffiti. He kept firing until police subdued him. Eight people were wounded, three in the stampede that followed the gunfire.

And President Barack Obama is looking ahead to next week's meeting of G-20 leaders in Pittsburgh. In his weekly address today, the president says the summit will focus on creating jobs and regulation of the global financial system.

So, it's a hot button issue surrounding health care reform. Illegal immigrants are not supposed to be covered under the president's plan. But they could be if the millions of illegal immigrants already here were fast-tracked on to the road to citizenship. Our Lisa Sylvester explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Obama made it clear illegal immigrants should not receive benefits under the health care proposals. But he's also made clear that he supports the path of citizenship for millions of illegal aliens currently in the United States.

This is what he told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I do not believe we can extend coverage to those here illegally. If anything, this debate underscores the necessity of passing comprehensive immigration reform and resolving the issue of 12 million undocumented people living and working in this country once and for all.

SYLVESTER: Some sense a backdoor strategy in the making, that despite language in the health care bills that prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving subsidized health coverage, in the end, Representative Lamar Smith says they could still get coverage.

REP. LAMAR SMITH, (R) TEXAS: He's saying on one hand, the health care plan is not going to cover illegal immigrants. But then he's saying I want to give them amnesty, legalize them so they will be eligible for health care.

SYLVESTER: A White House advisor dismissed Smith's contention, saying immigration reform is not a means to get more immigrants into the health care system.

But law professor Jan Ting, a former immigration official who describes himself as an Obama supporter, says if millions more might be added to the health care system that should be a factor in the debate.

JAN TING, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: We are struggling to pay for health care reform without raising taxes. You know, it's a balancing act. And if you weigh in 12 or more million illegal aliens who are going to be legalized and eligible for benefits, that tilts the balance.

SYLVESTER (on camera): If immigration reform passes in Congress, one question is how soon would those receiving amnesty be eligible to sign up for government health assistance?

Under the 1996 welfare reform law, newly legalized immigrants have to wait at least five years before being eligible for programs like Medicare.

The National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights group, wants to eliminate any waiting period for immigrants with legal status.

Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: On the battlefield, first sergeant Jared Monti distinguished himself fighting insurgents and trying to save the life of a fellow soldier. We'll look at how President Obama is honoring him with the nation's highest reward for valor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A week-and-a half-after Representative Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" during the president's speech to Congress. He says he's eager to move on. Wilson held his first public event since the incident in South Carolina yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOE WILSON, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: Let's close the book on last week. Let's look ahead to work together for real health insurance reform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The House formerly admonished Wilson this week. But despite the cold shoulder he's gotten in Washington, Wilson's supporters donated more than $1.5 million since the controversy began.

So have Americans lost their manners? Are we out of control? We'll focus on that question in the newsroom at 4:00 p.m. eastern time with Judith Martin, Miss Manners, you know here.

And you can join part of the conversation as well. Politely tell us what you think. Check my page on Facebook and leave a comment or share your thoughts on my blog on your CNN Web site. Go to CNN.com/Fredericka.

So when a hero was needed, he answered the call, not once, but three times, and gave his life, trying to save another.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA: And may he comfort the entire Monti family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Obama paid tribute the sacrifice of First Sergeant Jared Monti this week. The president presented his family with a medal of honor for Monti's gallantry in Afghanistan. Our Ed Henry talks to Monti's father and explains how Monti distinguished himself on the battlefield.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A crisp New England morning in a small town outside Boston, Paul Monti is wrapping up the daily ritual in the garden he built to remember his son, Jared.

PAUL MONTI, FATHER OF SERGEANT FIRST CLASS JARED MONTI: I come out on the bench, sit in the flowers. This is where I get my solitude.

HENRY: Sergeant Jared Monti was killed in Afghanistan three years ago.

MONTI: I walk three hours every morning. There's a sign the town dedicated to Jared, it's a stone church at the intersection in town. I walk up to the sign, talk to him, and then complete a big loop. HENRY (on camera): What do you say, three years later?

MONTI: I tell him what's going on. What went on the day before, whatnot, father-son communication, sort of. It's kind of one-way.

HENRY (voice-over): The father wears his son's dog tags, has a shrine in the living room, and now, he is accepting his son's Medal of Honor from President Obama.

MONTI: It's wonderful meeting the president and it's wonderful having my son with the Medal of Honor. I would give all of it up to have my son back, everything. There's nothing I wouldn't give, even my own life, to get my son back.

HENRY: His comrades at Fort Drum struggle to keep their composure when talking about Sergeant Monti, how he risked his life trying not just once, but three times to save one of his wounded men.

SGT. CLIFFORD BAIRD, U.S. ARMY: If anybody deserved it, it was him. Despite his actions of going out three times, he's a hero. He's one of my heroes.

HENRY: It was June 21, 2006, in the rugged northeast corner of Afghanistan near Pakistan. According to a Pentagon account and CNN interviews with soldiers who were there, Sergeant Monti was leading a small patrol ambushed by dozens of Taliban fighters.

As Rocket propelled grenades flew past his head, Monti called for backup.

BAIRD: He just needed as much fire power as we could give them. I would definitely say he was calm. He definitely knew how to stay calm under fire.

HENRY: A young private named Brian Bradbury was badly wounded, unable to move, exposed to enemy fire. Another sergeant said he would get Bradbury, but Sergeant Mark James heard Monti say no.

SGT. MARK JAMES, U.S. ARMY: Bradbury was his guy, and so he was going to be the one to go get him back and bring him back to us.

HENRY: With bullets fling, Monti had to take cover. He ran out a second time, but the enemy fire got more intense. So he stopped and yelled for help. Then he ran out a third time.

JAMES: We knew he was going to get Bradbury. We all heard him scream.

HENRY: Sergeant Monti knew he was dying, and his family was in his final thoughts.

MONTI: He said the lord's prayer and he said "Tell my family I love them." And that's about the most meaningful thing that there is, that he thought of us in his last moments.

HENRY: Inspired, his squadron beat back the enemy. But then, a terrible twist. A U.S. helicopter lowered a medic to grab Bradbury, the young private Monti tried to save. As the two men were being raised in the air, a cable snapped. Bradbury and the medic plunged to their deaths.

It's frustrating, Paul Monti says, that U.S. troops have never had the proper resources in Afghanistan. But he insists his son did not die in vain.

MONTI: He died doing what he felt he had to do. It didn't matter, the end result, because that was him. He just did what the soldier's creed said, you never leave a soldier behind.

HENRY: When Jared was a young boy, he and his family posed for a photo outside the White House gates. Now that they're returning, what would he be saying to his father now?

MONTI: He would not want this medal. He would run and hide. He would say Dad, I was just doing my job. This is what I was supposed to do.

HENRY (on camera): I asked Paul Monti what advice he would give the president about the way ahead in Afghanistan. He said send more troops even if it's going to be difficult to sell to the American people. Paul Monti saying that after eight years, it's time to finally get the mission right.

Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Much more right after this.

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