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American Morning

Fix-It Bill Awaits Obama's Signature; Hazards of Health Reform; Three-Star General Challenges President Obama's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; Happy People Live Longer; New Homeowner Help

Aired March 26, 2010 - 06:00   ET

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

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning to you. Doesn't that sound great?

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes.

ROBERTS: Welcome to the Most News in the Morning. It's the 26th of March. I'm John Roberts.

CHETRY: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us this morning. We have a lot of big stories we'll be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.

First, health care now a done deal. The fixes to the bill are now headed back to the president's desk. We'll tell you how the changes could impact what you pay for insurance.

ROBERTS: Relief may be coming for millions of Americans facing foreclosure. The president set to unveil a plan that could temporarily eliminate monthly mortgage payments for many unemployed homeowners while slashing mortgage balances for some borrowers who are upside down in their homes. How you could qualify for some much need assistance just ahead.

CHETRY: And a three-star general and a four-star controversy. He's under fire from military brass for publicly challenging the president's plan to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which would allow gays to serve openly in the military. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is working that story this morning.

We also want to hear from you. Tell us what you think about any of the stories we're covering. Go to CNN.com/amFIX and join the live blog that's going on right now. We'll be able to listen to some of your comments as we read them on air throughout the show.

ROBERTS: But first, better buy a new box of pens. The health care overhaul is now complete. A bill of fixes has cleared the House and is now waiting for President Obama's signature. The White House called it a technicality but there are some big changes in there for seniors, the middle class and some families who are barely getting by.

Our Brianna Keilar is live for us in Washington this morning. What changes are we going to see right away? And which changes, Brianna, will get phased in over time? BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A couple of big ones for young people and children. If you are a young person up to the age of 26, this year you're going to be able to stay on your parents' insurance plan. And then if you're a child, you won't be allowed to be denied coverage. An insurance company cannot deny you coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition.

And then there's that tanning tax that kicks starting in July. So 10 percent tax on faking and baking right in time for beachwear season. And then there's a number of things that are going to take a few years before they go into effect. A lot of this stuff doesn't go into effect until 2014. Let's take a look at that.

Starting in 2014 is the mandate that says you're going to have to have insurance. Also, for adults on this pre-existing condition issue, that starts in 2014 where insurance companies cannot deny you coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition. And then in 2018, this is when that idea of preventative care being free kicks in. So we're talking about colonoscopies. We're talking about annual gynecological exams and just annual physicals as well.

ROBERTS: So over the next two weeks, you know, we've got the Easter break coming up. So Congress is going to be going home. Members of Congress will be going to their home districts. They'll be selling this plan to say it's a great idea. Here's what it's going to do for you. How critical is that process?

KEILAR: This is critical because, you know, when you talk with Democratic sources in leadership, they say if you voted yes, now is the time to own that yes. And now that you've passed something, you have something to sell. And this is the hard sell and it's very critical going into this tough election year especially for these members of Congress, these Democrats who are in these Republican- leaning districts, John, who voted yes on this health care bill.

ROBERTS: But a humor yesterday in the Senate when the votes were cast, the majority leader didn't quite get it right?

KEILAR: Yes, this is hilarious, right? And it's not the first time he's done this. So they have the vote yesterday in the Senate and Majority Leader Harry Reid actually initially voted no on this reconciliation bill. And the funny thing is, is when they have that key vote on Christmas Eve, John, he did the same thing. He corrects -- you know, he corrected d himself. So ultimately he voted yes. But it was -- there was quite a chuckle heard across the Senate floor and I think one of the senators said, oh, no, here he did it again or something like that. It was pretty funny.

ROBERTS: Caught up in the moment, I think is the way somebody put it.

KEILAR: Yes.

ROBERTS: Brianna Keilar, thanks so much. Good to see you this morning. CHETRY: Three minutes past the hour now. Voicemail, death threats, bullet holes through windows, suspicious envelopes filled with white powder, could you call it the hazards of health care reform. Fourteen members of Congress including two Republicans now claiming they've been targeted. Both parties blaming each other for fanning the flames of health care hate. Here's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Enzo Luciani is cutting glass at his Niagara Falls hardware store. Not for his famous next door neighbor, though she could use some.

ENZO LUCIANI, HARDWARE STORE OWNER: It had to be political.

CANDIOTTI: Luciani's neighbor is Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. Someone threw a brick into one of her home state offices over the weekend before her vote in favor of the president's health care bill. And in another office in Rochester, this threatening voicemail.

REP. LOUISE SLAUGHTER (D), NEW YORK: Well-trained snipers had been deployed. They could drop a person at a half mile. And they were to assassinate people, children mostly.

CANDIOTTI: To Enzo Luciani, the whole thing makes no sense. His family has been in this town in the hardware business for more than 70 years. You don't like what he sells, go somewhere else. Same goes for the congresswoman.

LUCIANI: Violence is not the answer. The answer is the vote. If you don't like what Slaughter had done, don't vote for her.

CANDIOTTI: Unlike Luciani, who approves of Slaughter's vote, winemaker Matteo Anello doesn't. Still, he says attacks against her and others are way off base.

MATTEO ANELLO, WINEMAKER: It's the best government on earth. You use the government to get to where you want to go, not to a bridge (ph).

CANDIOTTI: In western New York, constituents wonder who's behind it, a neighbor or an outsider?

MURRY DEFRANCO, NIAGARA FALLS: They're solid Democrats and I don't think that they would go after her. So I have to believe that it's somebody from out of this district.

CANDIOTTI: Representative Slaughter says opposition attacks have one goal in mind.

SLAUGHTER: To bring us down as a party in November.

CANDIOTTI: For her, the trouble stopped after Sunday's vote. Not so for fellow Democrat Anthony Weiner of New York. The FBI is investigating a package he received Thursday with white powder and a letter complaining about the health care bill. In Virginia, Republican Eric Cantor's office took a bullet through the window.

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R), VIRGINIA: Enough is enough, it has to stop.

CANDIOTTI: On that, GOP and Democratic leadership appeared to agree.

SLAUGHTER: Mrs. Speaker --

CANDIOTTI: For 80-year-old Congresswoman Slaughter, there is no turning back.

SLAUGHTER: My constituents know me and they know I'm not backing down, not backing off and they don't call me Slaughter for nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: The FBI is working with local police on this case and some others. It's unclear whether anyone will be charged. And it's also unclear whether Slaughter's largely Democratic district will stick with her come November, or whether her health care vote might turn her out of office. We'll see. But one thing is for sure, she's a pretty spunky lady.

CHETRY: She is, absolutely. But some scary times and scary things going on.

CANDIOTTI: Pretty much so.

CHETRY: Susan Candiotti this morning for us. Thanks so much.

CANDIOTTI: You're welcome.

And coming up at 7:15 Eastern this morning, we're going to be joined by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of California. He's going to explain why he thinks these threats require a special congressional hearing right now.

ROBERTS: New this morning, the White House ready to turn its attention from health care reform to America's struggling homeowners. Today, the president will unveil his new plan to tackle the foreclosure crisis. It requires lenders to temporarily slash or suspend mortgage payments for many unemployed borrowers who are falling behind. And for homeowners who owe a lot more than their house is worth, the administration wants to offer their lenders incentives to cut those mortgage balances.

Stephanie Elam is "Minding Your Business" this morning. She's going to break it all down for us at 6:20 Eastern.

CHETRY: More than 100 deaths could have been caused by Toyota's sudden acceleration defect. The "Los Angeles Times" reporting that the recent increase in deaths and also mounting complaints have safety officials calling for in-depth investigations of each fatal accident connected to Toyota's problems. The company has recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide. ROBERTS: And a New York City coyote proves that he is not so wily after all. After it eluded them for days, the NYPD finally cornered a wondering coyote at a parking lot yesterday. He was sedated and taken to the local ASPCA. It was the fourth time this year that a coyote was spotted in Manhattan.

CHETRY: They were calling him wily coyote, and then they called him Wally (ph), and then they realized it was a girl. It's OK.

Well, let's get a check on the morning's weather headlines with Rob Marciano. They were running around after this little coyote for days and days and days. When they finally had him, you have 30 police officers and one of them holding that crate.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It looks so frightened.

CHETRY: I know.

MARCIANO: Cute little guy --

CHETRY: Girl.

MARCIANO: Long snout -- girl, exactly, as you mentioned. Whatever the name may be, I'm glad that they got her where she needs to be.

A different day today certainly across the northeast than it was yesterday. Rain has moved in and so has the cooler temperatures. Check it out on the radar scope.

Up and down the I-95 corridor from D.C. to Boston, we've got some rainfall today. Most of the heavy precip is just offshore. But notice a little white mixing in across upstate New York, the Hudson Valley. So it gives you an idea that there is some chillier air behind this thing actually.

Temperatures are dropping below the freezing mark from Chicago to Columbus through Detroit as well. So the 60s and lower 70s of yesterday across D.C. and New York, that is a thing of the past at least for now. We will see another warm-up. I mean, we are heading into spring or at least summer. And that means warmer temperatures for sure.

Hey, listen, you guys kind of know I'm a closet NASCAR fan. Well, NASCAR has a new policy this year kind of giving a little bit more power to the hands of the drivers. And there's been some repercussions on the race track. We'll have that story for you in about 10, 15 minutes -- John and Kiran.

CHETRY: We look forward to it. Thanks, Rob.

ROBERTS: Still to come on the Most News in the Morning, an Army general takes a surprising stance speaking out against the Pentagon's new policy on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We've got that story coming right up for you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Twelve minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

A three-star Army general is feeling the heat from his superiors after publicly challenging the president on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," saying a repeal of the military policy on gays would be, quote, "ill- advised."

ROBERTS: So, is there a price to be paid for breaking ranks with the commander in chief on this controversial issue? Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has got that story.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, remember a few years ago when some generals were criticized for not speaking up when the war in Iraq was going badly? Well, now, another general is speaking up on a hot topic and he's getting in trouble for it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): Once a senior commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Benjamin Mixon now finds himself in very hot water after opposing President Obama's plans to allow gays to openly serve in the military. Mixon spoke out soon after the Pentagon announced it was considering how to handle the repeal.

LT. GEN. BENJAMIN MIXON, U.S. ARMY PACIFIC COMMANDER: The central question that has to be asked if homosexual activity is in accordance with those values of not only the military but those in America. That's not a question for me to answer.

STARR: But answer he did. In a letter to "Stars and Stripes," Mixon wrote, "Many service members, their families, veterans and citizens are wondering what to do to stop this ill-advised repeal." He also said, quote, "If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy."

The Pentagon leadership is furious.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think that for an active duty officer to comment on an issue like this is inappropriate.

STARR: Military officials tell CNN Mixon is now seen as challenging the commander-in-chief, President Obama. No one expects charges, but military law prohibits officers from using contemptuous words against the president.

So what did Mixon do wrong? Doesn't an officer have the right to free speech?

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: As a three-star leader in command by virtue of just that position alone, he has great influence. And all of us in uniform are obliged to certainly follow the direction of leadership right after the president. And I've said this before, the answer -- and you feel so strongly about it -- the answer is not advocacy. It is, in fact, to go with your feet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: The Pentagon says it is serving the troops, getting their opinions about lifting the ban on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and what it will mean to them. But the Pentagon also says that doesn't mean a three-star general can just go out in public and criticize the president -- John, Kiran.

CHETRY: Barbara Starr for us, thank you.

And by the way, we're taking a lot of your comments this morning on our blog, CNN.com/amFIX. We're going to read some of them a little bit later. But tell us what you think by heading there and weighing in.

ROBERTS: Coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, the White House unveiling a new plan to help homeowners who are trying to keep their homes. Stephanie Elam "Minding Your Business" this morning.

It's 15 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Eighteen minutes after the hour and Stephanie Elam in for Christine Romans today, "Minding Your Business." And just a couple of days after, this gives us another opportunity to say it, the SIG TARP issued a scathing indictment of the government's program to keep people in their homes. They have got a new plan.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: They have a new plan. It almost makes you feel like the Obama administration is happy to have something else to talk about other than health care at this point. And so now they are targeting something a lot of people in the country have been saying, can you help us out. We're in so much pain here and we need help.

So now we've got a new plan coming out from the Obama administration and it's will require that lenders go ahead and slash or eliminate some of the monthly mortgage payments for unemployed Americans who have borrowed for their mortgages. That's a pretty standard situation we've seen in the country. Keep in mind, a quarter of people with mortgages in this country underwater, meaning they owe more than their home is worth. That's a really big situation here.

So here's what's going to happen. The lenders would have to cut payments to no more than 31 percent of a borrower's income, and that's typically the amount of unemployment insurance for those people who are without jobs, and this would be there for three to six months. And they could also even in some cases let borrowers skip payments so that they could really get back on their footing here.

They will also offer incentives, the government will also offer incentives to the banks to help underwater borrowers by cutting their loan balances. Previously they just focused on the interest rate that they had. They wasn't helping out a lot of people. People weren't responding to that. So because of that, they were looking to cut the overall balance on the loan, which a lot of people is saying is way more helpful and then that keeps people from just walking away from this underwater property.

The other thing is that people who are underwater but they're still managing to make their payments, there's going to be some help for them to go ahead and refinance into a Federal Housing Administration-backed loan for some of these people.

CHETRY: So the big complaint was you have to basically stop paying and get into --

(CROSSTALK)

ELAM: You were in a better situation if you topped paying, right. You get more help, which was really kind of crazy.

And when you look at the defaults that we've seen recently, you know, in the beginning it was about the people who bought two or three homes and they had their home in Vegas and they had their home in Miami, but now it's not because of that, it's because of the economy. The economy has gotten so bad, so many people have lost their jobs that they don't have the money coming in to make these payments. And so that's the change here.

The initiatives will take effect over the next six months. And here's another point, it will be funded by the TARP. That was already set up, this $50 billion that is already been set up, so no more taxpayer money will be necessary and they are hoping that this will give the unemployed time to get back on their feet, find a job, makes their payments.

But the administration still admits that people, after six months, some of them are still going to come back and need more help and that unfortunately some of people are still going to will lose their homes. But the idea here is to help out more people and to keep more people in their homes because it's not good for the banks, it's not good for the economy if people are not paying mortgages.

ROBERTS: And we can rest assured, too, because it's in the TARP program that the SIG TARP will be overseeing.

ELAM: The SIG TARP. I actually think I thought about that at home the other night and started cracking up -- SIG TARP.

CHETRY: Special inspector general overseeing that, Neil Barofsky.

ELAM: Neil Barofsky, yes.

CHETRY: Pretty harsh words for the other program.

ELAM: That was not fun, that part wasn't fun. But overall, SIG TARP, just saying that.

ROBERTS: Stephanie Elam "Minding Your Business" this morning. Stephanie, thanks so much.

CHETRY: Still to come, a new rule for NASCAR it's supposed to make the races more fun, more exciting, but is it also putting drivers in more danger?

ROBERTS: And join that conversation at CNN.com/amFIX. Some of your comments coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: That's a website where you go to join the conversation CNN.com/amFIX. And we have a lot of comments coming into our live blog this morning on a lot of different issues that we've been talking about.

One of them, of course, is health care. Amellon (ph) writes, "If health care reform plan is so good, why are the people that voted for it exempt from it? The only way to truly measure if the American people want it is to put it to a vote of the people, not a bunch of corrupt politicians."

We're also talking about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy" in the military. John Crawford writes, "Homosexuality in the military has been going on for years. Some of the gay soldiers I've met while in the service have been better than the straight ones. Once again, America, get over it."

We also had a couple people writing in about the bill being passed. "Since the bill was passed two times" this is from Ally (ph), "the president has to sign it again, does that make it repeal proof?" She goes on to ask, "How would the GOP repeal it even if they won the House and Senate? Do they think people would want to be uninsured again?"

So we have a lot of conversations going this early in the morning. We'd like to hear your voice as well, so keep it coming, CNN.com/amFIX -- John.

ROBERTS: It's a weekend that NASCAR fans look forward to all year. They'll be watching to see if anyone can stop defending champion defeat Jimmie Johnson at the Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR superstars are known for their competitive edge on the track. In fact, fans look forward to them trading paint, as it's called. Recently, some drivers have been trying to crash into their rivals on purpose. Our Rob Marciano is in Atlanta this morning. He has an "AM Original."

And some of this, kind of, Rob, is to regenerate excitement in NASCAR racing, which has been seeing some of its crowds drop off a little bit lately.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, believe it or not, for as fast as these cars go, people are complaining it is getting bland. The numbers don't lie. Last year, 2009, attendance down well over 10 percent. You couldn't watch a race without seeing swaths of empty seats in the stands. And this year's Daytona 500, the great American race, the low television ratings since 1991. So NASCAR has decided to spice it up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO (voice-over): Reaching speeds nearly 200 miles an hour. Cars sometimes only inches apart.

(on camera): Bristol Motor Speedway, the world's fastest half mile. This is short track racing and here as they say, if you ain't rubbing, you ain't racing.

(voice-over): that's exactly what happened on the track on recent Sunday. This pileup was an accident, but what if the wreck is intentional? Some say many are and now some say there could be many more after NASCAR loosened the rules this year, stating they're putting racing back into the hands of the driver.

ROBBIE PEMBERTON, NASCAR VICE PRESIDENT OF COMPETITION: Always have it and have a good time. That's all I can say.

MARCIANO: That policy is open to interpretation. Earlier this month near Atlanta, Carl Edwards was knocked out of the race by Brad Keselowski. When Edwards returned to the track with no chance of winning, he retaliates, intentional wrecking Keselowski sending him flying into the air.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, NASCAR #12: It happened so fast. And there was a point where I thought -- I closed my eyes really quickly for thought I might have gone up in the grandstands.

MARCIANO (on camera): Carl Edwards in the 99 car just finished qualifying, but a lot of people think that he should have been suspended, the car parked at least for this race.

(voice-over): Instead, he received a three-race probation.

(on camera): Do you think that Carl Edwards should have gotten suspended?

KESELOWSKI: Well, like I said, I'm really not objective.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Denny Hamlin has had a few run-ins with Keselowski, too.

DENNY HAMLIN, NASCAR #11: He doesn't like me, I don't like him. But it's one of those things where, when we're on the racetrack, I'm not going to give one inch.

MARCIANO: Retired racer and NASCAR commentator Kyle Petty likes drivers getting more control, to an extent.

KYLE PETTY, RACING COMMENTATOR: It's OK to bump guys, and it always has been and it should always be in this sport. That's putting it back in the drivers' hands. When you go back in the garage area and sit for 150-plus laps and you sit and boil and you come back out and your main purpose in being on the racetrack is to take another driver out, that's uncalled for. That's got no place in this sport.

MARCIANO (on camera): Do you ever go home at night and start thinking to yourself, my goodness, I kind of let the dogs loose here. I don't know what's going to happen this year.

PEMBERTON: You know, you'll have races that are different. And occasionally, that might happen for various reasons. We've got a lot of hard competitors. We have to let them do what they need to do to put on a good show.

MARCIANO (voice-over): And this high speed show is not slowing down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Well, last weekend's race was relatively clean, at least for Bristol. Keselowski and Edwards were racing side by side for a time there and they were pretty far apart. So everybody, for the most part, behaved. This coming weekend is Martinsville. It's another short track. So there's going to be fierce competition for sure and definitely some trading of the paint.

But, you know, I asked a number of drivers, John and Kiran, do you feel -- are the cars so safe that you just have no fear and maybe you're driving more aggressively because of that? None of them said that. They still have a bit of fear. They know how dangerous it can be driving a car almost two tons, driving 200 miles an hour.

So hopefully, nobody gets hurt this year, but they're definitely looking to ramp things up just a little bit.

ROBERTS: And seeing what happened to Keselowski's car too when it went airborne and it came off the fence and the wall, and as he said, he thought he was going to go up in the stands, it's a dangerous game they're playing there.

MARCIANO: And you know, this new car is supposed to be safer. The same thing happened to Carl Edwards last year. They've got a fin in the back of the car that when it gets going backwards it seems to want to go up in the air. So they're going to rectify that this year as well and try to keep those cars a little bit closer to the ground.

ROBERTS: So they got the spoilers on the roof to keep them down and then the fin at that puts them up. Wow, you got to figure out the aerodynamics there.

Rob, thanks so much.

MARCIANO: All right, guys.

CHETRY: Crossing the half hour now and time for looking at our top stories. The health care overhaul bill is now complete. The bill of fixes waiting for President Obama's signature after it cleared the Senate and the House for the second time. Republican efforts to tie up the bill didn't stop it but they are promising to continue the fight until election day.

ROBERTS: Today, the president will announce a new plan to tackle the country's foreclosure crisis. He wants to require lenders to temporarily cut or eliminate mortgage payments for many unemployed home owners. And for those who are upside-down or under water, whatever you want to call it, owing more than their homes are worth, the White House wants to offer incentives to lenders to reduce those mortgage balances.

CHETRY: And right now, President Obama is in a statistical dead heat when it comes to the 2012 election. That's according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll which found that 47 percent would vote for the president while the exact same number, 47 percent would back any Republican challenger.

Our polling director says it may sound like a bad position to be in, but he says to remember Bill Clinton was down 15 points in March of 1994 and then won re-election two years later.

ROBERTS: Yes. Polls taken two year before the election aren't particularly relevant.

In the wake of a health care reform bill passing, things have been getting ugly in Washington and across the country.

CHETRY: Yes. Democrats and Republicans are both charging each other with fanning the flames to score political points. But who takes the cake for the most extreme behavior?

Well, John Avlon joins us with "Wingnuts of the Week." He's the senior political columnist at TheDailyBeast.com.

Thanks for being with us, John.

JOHN AVLON, COLUMNIST, THEDAILYBEAST.COM: Good to see you, guys.

CHETRY: So, we've heard these reports of death threats, rocks -- bricks being thrown through windows, a bullet breaking the windows of congressional offices across the country. And your pick for the wingnut on the right this week is someone who actually called for some of these attacks on his blog.

AVLON: That's right. Mike Vanderboegh, who is a militia leader, on his blog called for more bricks to be thrown at Democratic windows last Friday. Here's what he wrote, "If we break the windows of hundreds of thousands of Democratic Party headquarters across this country, we might just wake up enough of them to make defending ourselves at the muzzle of a rifle unnecessary."

CHETRY: And this week, he's been on the radio's talk show circuit as well, promoting this message. So, let's listen to what he said.

AVLON: Yes.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MIKE VANDERBOEGH, MILITIA LEADER: The only way we're going to avoid this, if possible, is to get across to the elites that we're not going to be worried so much about shooting the folks who come to shoot us. We will skip several levels and go straight for their throats.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHETRY: So, you interviewed Vanderboegh for your book.

AVLON: Yes.

CHETRY: Tell us about it. What is he like?

AVLON: He is a former late 1960s radical leftist who became a militia leader in the 1990s. He's part of this growing I call the "Hatriot Movement." It's a resurgence of the militias during this the first year of the Obama administration -- 300 percent in their ranks, according to Southern Poverty Law Center. And he has some influence on his blog.

Since he posted this on Friday, we had three subsequent acts of bricks going through Democratic Party congressional district offices. And it's an example of the kind of politics of incitement we're seeing, bubbling up from the grassroots and getting things even uglier than they are.

ROBERTS: So, John comes from all this, an independent perspective. We got the wingnut on the right. But now, we also have the wingnut on the left.

And who's that this week?

AVLON: That's right -- radio host Mike Malloy. Ugly rhetoric is not exclusive to the right at all. This week he went after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginny. Back story is that Mrs. Thomas formed an organization in sympathy with the Tea Party movement and said, "Look, I didn't give up my First Amendment rights when my husband became a Supreme Court justice." But that kind of rationale wasn't good enough for the extremes on the left.

Let's take a listen to what Mike Malloy said.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MIKE MALLOY, RADIO HOST: Now, this would be interesting because the teabaggers are essentially racist. Now, Clarence Thomas has always kind of adopted the attitude of the House Negro, so perhaps he'll do it this time also.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

AVLON: Yes. Yes.

ROBERTS: So, he said the tea party movement is racist and then he went and turned around and said that.

AVLON: Oh, let's not impose logic on the wingnut, shall we? Yes, it's race-baiting from the left. He also questioned whether or not the Thomases interracial marriage would be a problem for the Tea Party protesters. It is -- it is just ugly, ugly stuff.

CHETRY: And I want to ask you about this one. This week, you called out Sarah Palin. You're on "AC 360" and you're talking about this -- for stepping into the debate using a map where she showed congressional district that's were, quote, "targets" for trying to get the Democrat out and showed crosshairs over the different locations.

And her former running mate, John McCain -- Senator John McCain actually -- he supported her. He said this happens all the time. The targets are shown all the time when it comes to race -- congressional races that are taking place. He didn't seem to think it was as big of a deal as you do.

What do you think?

AVLON: I think the language of targeted districts has been used for a long time, of course. The issue is actually the gun scope on the map of each targeted district on Sarah Palin's map, particularly after the 10 death threats and now, more, we believe, have been lobbied at House members. That is not just --

CHETRY: Here's a look at her Facebook page where we see it.

AVLON: Yes. Once those death threats are made, those gun sites should come off. And the fact they haven't to date is a sign of poor judgment. And again, it's a politics of incitement.

ROBERTS: I think we do have a graphic here to show that this isn't the first time this has happened certainly. In 2006, race between -- in Arizona between Harry Mitchell and J.D. Hayworth -- there's a picture of J.D. Hayworth with crosshairs on him as well. So, both sides.

AVLON: And we absolutely condemn that. I mean, there's no -- there's no proper place for a gun sight to be placed on somebody in a political ad or in a political map. But especially for the former V.P. nominee of the GOP to keep those targets up on her map after the death threats now, and after we seen that escalation, she should take them down. And they are still not down.

ROBERTS: All right. John Avlon for us this morning with "Wingnuts of the Week" -- John, great to see you. We'll see you here next week.

AVLON: Good to see you.

CHETRY: And so, what do you think -- are wingnuts to blame for dysfunction in our government? You can check out John's commentary, wingnut commentary, on our Web site, CNN.com/amFIX.

ROBERTS: And coming up next on the Most News on the Morning: these kids say it's like learning to sing from Beyonce. Why a hedge funds manager is volunteering his time to teach inner city kids about money.

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ROBERTS: It's no secret that as a nation, we're spending far too much money. The national debt is about $12 trillion. And the average American family owes credit card companies between $8,000 and $10,000.

CHETRY: Yes, not exactly a bright spot in what's going on. But we did find one -- we found one businessman who's teaching teens to be smart with their money now so they don't find themselves buried under debt later in life.

Our Deb Feyerick is tracking issue number one for us this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may wonder what the co-founder of a multibillion dollar hedge funds is doing in Harlem. He's teaching a course on money or rather financial responsibility.

(on camera): What do you think is the biggest thing holding these kids back?

STEVEN MANDIS, HARLEM INVESTMENT TRAINING: Access.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Meet former Goldman Sachs banker and trader Steven Mandis. These are his students, most of them seniors at the Thurgood Marshall Academy on 135th Street.

(on camera): What would you say is the biggest misperception when it comes from people thinking about this area in the inner city?

MALCOLM WICKS, STUDENT: They would think that we are street smart and not actually book smart. But it's our goal and it's up to us to get past that.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Malcolm Wicks and his classmates grew up in the inner city surrounded by crime, drugs, poverty, gangs. Now, once a week after school, these teens learn about things like investing and mortgages.

MANDIS: How much do you typically want to have as a deposit when buying a home?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty.

MANDIS: About 20 percent.

WICKS: Everything I learn, I bring home to my parents and my family, and then so they will understand why I'm here.

FEYERICK (on camera): Are they -- are your parents like a little surprised? Do they say, boy, I wish I'd known that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Though Wall Street is just a subway ride away, none of them has ever spent time there, much less met someone who worked there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before Steve came, it always seemed like it was a secret and now, he like unveiled it.

FEYERICK: (INAUDIBLE) is 15 and the only sophomore in the group.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like learning to sing from Beyonce.

FEYERICK: Learning, for example, how to ask the right questions. Like today, they analyze the credit crisis, role playing and (INAUDIBLE) asks --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have proof and documentation?

MANDIS: I said, jeez, if somebody had asked that common question at the beginning, we probably wouldn't be in as big a trouble as we are. And it's a matter of giving them confidence that they understand that that's actually a very good question, that sort of a big part of finance.

FEYERICK (on camera): Before you started this class, when you thought about people who were really rich, who did you think of?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bill Gates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FEYERICK: Bill Gates. Who else?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oprah Winfrey.

FEYERICK: Oprah Winfrey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Athletes.

FEYERICK: Now, they've learned to see wealth differently.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not about how much you get to spend. It's about how much you can save.

FEYERICK: About how much you get to save. OK. And, Malcolm?

WICKS: Yes. She took the words out of my mouth.

FEYERICK: OK. In your mind, what is success if these kids go off to run a Fortune 500 company or something perhaps more modest?

MANDIS: Success, I think, is for them to be happy. And I think part of happiness is having control of your own financial destiny.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Now, all of teens, they know a lot more about money now and all will be going to college. But so far, only one plans to pursue a career in finance and maybe start a hedge fund.

CHETRY: That's great. And so, why did Steve do this, by the way? You know, he's the son of Greek immigrants and he started at Goldman Sachs. He knows what it was like to sort of come from a really modest beginning.

FEYERICK: Well, that's exactly right. And he has a real sense of social responsibility. He has a real sense of wanting to help these kids. He knows that this is the area where the children are among the most disadvantaged economically. And so, to bring some of the knowledge that he knows.

And it was so interesting, because one of kids said, when I asked him, what were your thoughts when you met Steven Mandis? He goes, where have you been all my life? So, there's a real need for this kind of information.

CHETRY: Yes, you have school-age kids. And I always wonder, you know, they should make personal finance mandatory. I mean, these are skills that you need, not as much geometry.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. People go -- are sent off to college and they don't even have basic understanding of what it is. So, imagine living in the inner city where that information may be even more difficult to come by.

CHETRY: Good stuff. He's done a good thing.

FEYERICK: Yes.

CHETRY: Great story. Thanks, Deb.

FEYERICK: Of course.

ROBERTS: A lot of comments coming in to our live blog this morning about a number of different topics. Let's take a look at a couple of them.

Melon writes his morning, talking about the threats of violence, he writes it in a kind of a humorous fashion. "Are you sure the violence is Republicant inspired? Are the Dumbocrats above scamming the American people again? There should be some evidence before passing judgment."

Also getting some comments here on health care as well; and we've also got more comments, too, on the violence. Chris Lovett writes, "I think that the lead Democrats and Republicans needs to stand together and show that all of this violence is wrong and needs to stop."

And how about this one here from Belen on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. "If I heard correctly, what was said was homosexual and homosexual activity is contrary to military and American values. Do people really think the gays can only think about sex." I think that such a statement has more about how it says than anything else.

So, keep those comments coming. CNN.com/amFIX. And all morning long, we'll share them with you -- Kiran.

CHETRY: All right, John. Thanks.

Well, it is now 44 minutes past the hour. Rob Marciano is coming along with a look at the travel forecast after the break. And then in 10 minutes, it's the video that no one can seem to get enough of. Was it a wipe or pat? Jeanne Moos takes a look at some of George W. Bush's other germaphobic moments.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

CHETRY: This morning's top stories just a few minutes away, including the President taking another shot at helping struggling homeowners. If you're under water or out of work, this could work for you. We'll have everything you need to know.

ROBERTS: At 10 minutes after, a bitter debate over sweets. A new study says that you may be better off eating spoonfuls of regular sugar than drinking all of those soft drinks plays with that dreaded high fruit dose corn syrup.

CHETRY: And at 15 minutes after, one-on-one with Congressman Darrell Issa, a Republican who wants an investigation into threats targeting Democrats over health care. Those stories and much more coming up at the top of the hour.

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ROBERTS: It's 54 minutes after the hour. Time for the Moos News in the Morning. Right now, you've probably seen the video that shows Former President Bush wiping his hands or doing something on Former President Clinton's arm during a trip to Haiti.

CHETRY: So, maybe it was just an active affection. Here's Jeanne Moos with her analysis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bill Clinton human handy wipe? With handy work like this while shaking hands in Haiti. Comedians didn't even have to write a joke, we just rolled the video.

UNKNOWN MALE: President Bush, the first time we've seen him in two months, this is what he does. He is the best.

MOOS: Former president's office had no comment on hand wipe gate, though some floated alternate theories.

UNKNOWN MALE: He is signaling to Clinton that he was ready to move on.

UNKNOWN MALE: Check out what some soft porn music does to the video --

And Bush thought marriage should be between a man and woman.

MOOS: Maybe the brouhaha over the back rub, he gave Germany' chancellor led to a more subtle affection of touch when he came to Bill Clinton. Former President Bush is said to be somewhat germophobic. Who wouldn't be shaking all those hands? Barack Obama writes in his book that when he shook President Bush's hand the first time they met, Bush turned to an aide nearby who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the president's hand. Not wanting to seem unhygienic, Obama wrote. I took a squirt.

UNKNOWN MALE: And by the way for germophobic, is Bill Clinton the best place to wipe your hands?

MOOS: Speaking of human hankies, remember that's what they called the stranger whose shoulder Oprah cried on after Obama won the election.

OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: At one point, I was just sobbing on his shoulder, mascara everywhere. Anyway, thank you, Mr. Man for letting me cry on your shoulder.

MOOS: Impersonators already tend to portray President Bush.

UNKNOWN MALE: Put the rock worm (ph) or credit card. I never dreamed I was paying 28 percent in interest rates.

MOOS: And somewhat uncouth (ph).

MOOS (on-camera): If George Bush wiped his hand on Bill Clinton and it's only an if, it wouldn't be the first time that he used someone as a human tissue.

MOOS (voice-over): Letterman loves the show. The time George Bush cleaned his glasses on a staff member during a commercial break. You have to hand it to the former president, at least he's clean.

Or at least wipe us.

Jeanne Moos, CNN.

New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: The cleaning of the glasses -- CHETRY: That's right. But the more I see that, I think he was just trying to say, come on. Let's get going. Let's get going.

ROBERTS: I don't know, because there's a certain lingering aspect to it to make sure that -- sometimes it's hot there, your hands are sweaty, sometimes, it feels good just going to get the sweat off your palms a little bit.

CHETRY: Put them on yourself, not your fellow president.

Fifty-six and a half minutes after the hour. Top stories coming your way in just a couple of minutes. Stay with us.

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