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Health Care Hatred: Threats Prompt Call for Congressional Hearing; Obama's New Plan to Help Homeowners; Congress Passes Health Care Reconciliation Bill; New Bin Laden Warning; A Military Dissenter; Not Just A Bump On The Head

Aired March 26, 2010 - 07:00   ET

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


JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning to you. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning, March the 26th. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. Here are the big stories we're breaking down in the next 15 minutes.

First, new help for homeowners and it could be coming soon. The president getting ready to offer up a sweeping new plan that could temporarily eliminate monthly mortgage payments for people who have no jobs while helping some mortgage holders who are considered under water get right side up again. How old it works (ph) ahead.

ROBERTS: Health care is now really a done deal. Yes, we mean it. Fixes to the original senate bill are now heading to President Obama's desk despite the GOP's last-ditch attempt to tie it up. We're going to tell you how the changes could impact what you will be paying for health insurance.

CHETRY: And a message from Osama Bin Laden. A new audio tape believed to be the voice of the al Qaeda leader warning the U.S. not to execute 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed or else. We're digging deeper on the latest message and the threat.

We also want to know what you think. The "AM Fix" blog is up and running. Join the conversation right. Go to CNN.com/amFIX.

ROBERTS: All right, so top story this morning, help for millions of homeowners. The president this morning ready to unveil a drastic sweeping plan aimed at one thing, stopping the swell of foreclosures from coast to coast. One expert telling Congress yesterday, if it fails, the consequences could be catastrophic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TAYLOR, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT COALITION: If we allow another eight million homes to go into foreclosure, it will be a devastating effect on our economy, and the job losses will continue to rise.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: The headline out of the White House -- President Obama wants banks to temporarily slash or eliminate monthly mortgage payments for many unemployed borrowers, and in some cases even reduce the loan's balance.

And of course that is stirring up controversy. Homeowners who have been paying on time, wondering what is in it for them.

And the CNN money team is up early, all over the story for you. Stephanie Elam will be breaking down the help being offered to people that owe more than their house is worth. Let's begin with Kate Bolduan. She's at the White House this morning. And Kate, the plan's main focus is on unemployed homeowners. How does it work?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, John. Some big details still remain a little bit unclear this morning, like how many people are going to be impacted by the program and how many homeowners are likely to qualify for help.

But senior administration officials tell CNN the focus of this latest attempt to tackle the foreclosure crisis is to better help the unemployed as well as people who owe more on the home than their home is worth.

So a big element of that, especially for the unemployed, is requiring lenders to temporarily -- to temporarily reduce monthly payments to no more than 31 percent of the homeowner's pretax income. So that would be clearly a very big help, especially because that is equivalent to about as much as they will be getting for unemployment insurance. And that would be for about three to six months.

And in some extreme cases, John, mortgage payments altogether could be suspended, a very big deal.

How will this be paid for? We're told -- administration officials say this will cost about $50 billion, but that they are going to be using existing funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, known as TARP, so no new taxes on the American taxpayer according to administration officials today.

So you can be very sure, John, that this administration while announcing this program, they are very much looking forward to more success in the program than previous attempts, especially the signature foreclosure prevention program that was announced last year that was really criticized for essentially being ineffective and doing too little to help combat the crisis, John.

ROBERTS: Kate Bolduan for us at the White House this morning. Kate, thanks.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, John.

CHETRY: So while a lot of this is to help the unemployed homeowners, they're not the only ones that could see a little bit of help under this plan. If you're upside down on your house, meaning you owe more than the house is worth, there might be something in there for you as well.

Stephanie Elam joins us now with more. One in four home owners, as you said earlier are underwater right now. They owe more than their home is actually worth. Is there help for them?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There is help. There are a lot of people in the situation as the economy got worse throughout the last couple of years. So if you take a look at what the plans are here to help out these people who have jobs, lenders are going to be asked to go ahead and cut the balance owed on the loans, if the amount is 15 percent more -- that's 15 percent more than what the home is worth. Now that's one of the parts of the plan.

The other part here is the government will double-payment to lenders that modify second mortgages, like piggyback loans or if there's a home equity line of credit. And the Fed says about half of the troubled homeowners actually have a second mortgage, so this would help them out. If they can't pay one mortgage, having to pay two would make it worse.

Now the third thing here is that they'll boost incentives for lenders that help out these people to keep them out of foreclosure even if they don't qualify for any of the plans for mortgage relief. Just keep them out of foreclosure, if the banks help out there, then the government will give them incentives for that.

The fourth target here is to target these underwater homeowners who are still making payments on time but refinancing them into loans that would be more affordable for them, that will be backed by the federal housing administration.

And they say the FHA will pay incentives to these lenders, and that will be if they go ahead and cut how much the borrowers owe on the primary mortgage by at least 10 percent.

So there's four different ways they are hoping to help out the people who may be underwater, still employed but still having a really hard time, and help them get back on the feet so they do not risk defaulting. That's the thing, you want to keep people out of defaulting and keep people in their homes. It's better for the entire economy.

CHETRY: So if you think you fit into one of these categories, who do you contact? Is the government going to contact you?

ELAM: We're still getting details on that. This is supposed to be rolled out over the next six months, so we have some time here before we get more information on how they plan to get this out to the American people who really need this help. But this is just the beginning stages of what we can expect over the rest of this year.

ROBERTS: Stephanie Elam, thanks.

ELAM: Thanks.

ROBERTS: If the election were to be held today instead of two and a half years from now, would you vote for Barack Obama? That's what we asked people in our latest CNN poll, and the results are pretty surprising.

And 47 percent of the people we asked say they would back President Obama while exactly the same number, 47 percent would support an unnamed Republican challenger. Our polling director say that may sound like a bad position to be in, but remember Bill Clinton was down 15 points to an unnamed Republican in March of 1994 and wound up winning the election handily two years later.

CHETRY: Karl Rove predicting that after health care Democrats could suffer, quote, "The wrath of the American people." The former senior adviser to President Bush told John King last night that Republicans could pick up 30 seats in the House and at least eight in the Senate.

ROBERTS: New threats against Republicans and Democrats in the wake of health care reform. Republican Congresswoman Ginny Brown- Waite received a voicemail from a caller stating there are people "that will make sure that this (expletive) does not live to see her next term."

Well, a Democratic congresswoman, Better McCollum, said she received a condom and vile letter after voting for reform. Her office said it received a shredded American flag soaked in gasoline as well. McCollum says she will "not back down in the face of attacks, threats, and violence."

ROBERTS: Despite Republicans' last stand to kill the bill, the health care bill is finally final. 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 big changes in there for seniors, the middle class, and some families barely getting by. Our Brianna Keilar is live in Washington. For folks at home who might not have read the entire bill, what's actually changing here?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You don't have the read the entire bill. We'll tell you what kicks in right away.

And a couple of things that are really popular having to do with young adults and children. The first is, if you are a young adult up to the age of 26, you can stay open your parents' insurance plan -- popular with kids coming out of college and parents, of course.

Another thing is insurance companies will not be able -- this goes into effect this year, will not be able to tell children that they can't be covered on the basis of a preexisting condition.

And then one that I think is really interesting, John, this tanning tax -- a 10 percent tax on what we call "fake and bake." That will go into effect in July just in time for beach season.

ROBERTS: And looking forward -- so that's what happens immediately. But this whole thing sort of rolls out over the next four years, and even longer in some cases. What changes go into effect later on?

KEILAR: Most of this doesn't go into effect in four years here. In 2014, that is when what is called the individual mandate that says you must have insurance, that goes into in effect. 2014 as well, adults get to join children as not being denied coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition.

And then several years down the road, 2018 preventative care is free. We're talking annual gynecological exams, physicals, colonoscopies, that type of thing, John.

ROBERTS: So it finally came around to a vote in the Senate yesterday. All of Democrats were excited to vote. And then Harry Reid so much so he kind of goofed a little bit?

KEILAR: So excited to vote, right, that he actually voted no accidentally. And this kind of created a little bit of a laugh across the Senate floor. So he went ahead and voted no. He changed his vote realizing he made a mistake.

And the funny thing, John, is he did the exact same thing on Christmas Eve when the Senate voted on health care reform. His office says he was so kind of concentrated on the moment, so much so that -- he was concentrating so much just kind of getting the votes together he kind of spaced.

ROBERTS: It's a good thing the Senate is not like jeopardy, you hit the buzzer and your answer is your answer and you can't take it back.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: That's right.

ROBERTS: Brianna Keilar this morning. Brianna, thanks.

Right after the break we're going to talk with Republican Congressman Darrell Issa. He's calling for a hearing into the threats of vandalism directed at Democrats over health care. He's dealt with something like it before himself.

What does he say to people who accuse his party of throwing gasoline on the fire?

CHETRY: Also new this morning, more than 100 deaths could have been linked somehow or caused somehow by Toyota's sudden acceleration defect. "The Los Angeles Times" is reporting that the recent increase in deaths and also the mounting complaints have safety officials now 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: A man in France could go to jail for hacking into President Obama's Twitter account. The FBI and French police hunted him for months before he was arrested. Prosecutors say the man also accessed Britney Spears Twitter page, and he did it simply by guessing the secret question used when someone forgets their password.

CHETRY: Nearly 90,000 people could have their power shut off in Iowa next week because they can't pay their bills. The record number of overdue accounts already totaling more than $35 million. Up until now many customers were protected by a law that prevents companies from turning off utilities during the winter.

ROBERTS: An FDA panel says kids and teens should be banned from using tanning beds, or at the very least salons should required to get a signed consent form from parents stating that they understand the dangers of "fake bake." Some tanning salon owners already require parental permission.

CHETRY: Researcher at Princeton University found that high fructose corn syrup causes significantly more weight gain than regular sugar. Those results are sitting well with corn farmers. They say their product is being made into a scapegoat for the nation's growing obesity crisis.

ROBERTS: And a balloon, a camera, and $747 -- that's all it took for a British man to take amazing picture that's even got NASA's attention. Robert Harrison says NASA officials saw his photos and called to ask, how did do you that? His answer, he says he put a camera into a plastic box, attached it to a helium balloon, and set it to take pictures and videos every five minutes.

Harrison says when the camera hit 22 miles in altitude, the balloon popped and a parachute brought it safely by back down to earth. You know the most amazing thing about all of that?

CHETRY: The camera didn't break?

ROBERTS: There wasn't a child inside the balloon.

(LAUGHTER)

CHETRY: There was a camera, not a kid. The camera was actually hiding in the den the whole time. No one knew it.

(WEATHER BREAK)

ROBERTS: Now, the very best video of the day. A Tennessee hound is attracting attention around the globe this morning. His name is Winston, and he has a pension for police cruisers.

An officer was running radar when the mixed breed got out of his pen and went to work on the police car's bumper. Despite the officer's repeated attempts to shake the dog loose by backing up his car, nothing would deter him.

Look at that. Winston got most of the bumper off. He is now on probation and has to go to obedience classes. He has six months to shape up before the judge will consider the case for dismissal. CHETRY: And look at his friends egging him on. Look at them.

ROBERTS: Barking away, Winston, go, go!

CHETRY: He definitely has terrier in him.

Well, 14 members of Congress claim to be the victims of health care reform hate, including two Republicans who are saying they were targeted as well. At 7:15 we're going to be joined by California Republican Darrell Issa. He says he thinks that these threats require a special congressional hearing right away.

And 7:50, playground weather is back. The kids tumble all the time, but how do you know when the little bump on their head is something much worse? I should pay attention since this happened to my little son. Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells you the warning signs, when it's just a bump and when it may be much more serious.

It's 14 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

We're talking about death threats, bullet holes in office windows, even a coffin dropped on a front lawn of one congressperson, calling it the hazards of health care reform.

ROBERTS: Fourteen members of Congressman now reporting death threats or acts of vandalism in the aftermath of this week's historic health care vote. Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner of New York, the latest to claim that he has been targeted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: Sometime this morning with the regular mail, there was a threatening letter with some white powder in it. That's bad and it's troubling. I'm more concerned about, you know, these people that work for me are not -- you know, they're not political apparatchiks. They're people who are there to help my constituents. And so sending something like that to my community office, it doesn't -- it goes far beyond political speech.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of California is calling for a congressional hearing to deal with these threats, and he joins us now live from Washington.

CHETRY: Thanks for being with us this morning, Congressman.

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: Thank you, Kiran.

CHETRY: What is the -- what do you hope to accomplish by holding this hearing? What do you want to get out there? ISSA: What I'm hoping to do is sort of two parts. First of all, make the public more aware that there have been ongoing credible and not so credible threats for years to both parties. And that we divide them into those which members feel are not just insulting and inappropriate but actually could lead to harm to their staff or themselves. And that if we feel that, if it's taken as credible, they're investigated and they're prosecuted and maybe put in perspective that health care is controversial. People have gone over the top. But they went over the top on the war. I remember even on the House floor, two of our members had wet red painted money thrown on them from the stands.

We've lived with this. It's part of our society. Hopefully what the hearing will do is both bring balance that it occurs but also an understanding by the public that they better not cross the line with the state assembly, the state Senate, governor or their congressman because if it's a credible threat, it will be prosecuted.

ROBERTS: Congressman Issa, this is something that you have personal experience with. One of your congressional offices was targeted in a bomb plot. A couple of members of the Jewish Defense League are under arrest because of it. But in terms of what the genesis of this is, is it the rhetoric going on in Congress and where do you draw the line between legitimate criticism and incitement to violence.

ISSA: Well, clearly, controversial votes create a higher level of this kind of angst. But we have it all the time. You'd be amazed how many times people call up just off their meds to every congressional office and we discard most of those.

This has been a year-long battle in which some members of Congress on both sides have used language on the House floor that creates sort of a feeling of injustice in the process. The process was followed. I think it was stretched, but I think it was inappropriate. And I think we're going to regret it both in the House and the Senate in the long run. But having said that, what the hearing is hoping to do is let's bring this back into perspective. Let's get the American people to understand that the ballot box is where you correct flaws on Capitol Hill. The constitution may have been trampled in the language. That's for the court to decide. But on the House floor, the process, the result of the last election was borne out in a predictable way. And I think the American people have to accept that if we don't have enough votes, we lose. If you want to change that this November and the November two years later, that's how we do it in America.

CHETRY: Well, you know, Virginia Congressman Tom Perriello, we had him on the show yesterday, a Democrat. He's been a target as well. Somebody published what they thought was his home address. It ended up being his brother's. And he told me yesterday that he felt that Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner should have come out more strongly against what's happening. He said that the comments that he made saying that we don't condone this but meanwhile, channel that anger into, you know, votes or working for your congressman. He said he should have been much stronger about it and said basically, if you did this, you should go to jail. Do you think your party is doing enough to tamp down the violence?

ISSA: Well, first of all, I think that we're trying to be measured in our response because this is not an amount so much greater than we would have expected. The vote for the gulf war, even the post Afghanistan conflict had similar situations.

What we're trying to do is make it clear. Both sides have experienced this, continue to experience it. Eric Cantor had a bullet put into his campaign office. What we're trying to make clear, though, is that together we want the public to understand the ballot box is the right place, not in fact violence. We want people to continue assembling here in Washington and their homes and peacefully do expressing themselves, because that's how we do it in America.

ROBERTS: Right.

ISSA: Elections make a difference, but protest is peaceful.

ROBERTS: Well, certainly, you know, we've seen a lot of heated election campaigns in the past, Congressman. And you know, one of the things that's out there right now is this graphic that Sarah Palin has put on her Facebook page which shows 20 Democratic districts, you know, being targeted with gun sites. There have been critics who say that's just beyond the pale. But Senator John McCain was asked about that yesterday on the "Today" show. Here's what he said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I have seen the rhetoric of targeted districts as long as I've been in politics. Please. This is any threat of violence is terrible. But to say that there's a targeted district or that we reload or go back into the fight again, please.

ANN CURRY, "TODAY" NEWS ANCHOR: Those are not my words. Those are her words.

MCCAIN: That's just language -- those are fine. They're used all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Do you agree, Congressman, that it's fine?

ISSA: John, no, Senator McCain is absolutely right that whether it's fine or not is a separate question that the public decide. But the Republicans and Democrats have used the term "targeted" and use targeting and reloading in regular dialogue. And of course, Sarah Palin may be a little more so as a rifle moose-hunting Alaskan finds it particularly fits her. But I've heard that -- I was once at the Democratic National Convention -- not convention but their gala dinner and I heard language much more along those lines. And that's in a gun control type crew.

ROBERTS: Right. Right.

ISSA: That language is being pointed out inappropriately.

ROBERTS: And you think that the graphic is appropriate as well?

ISSA: Well, look, if you want to make a point of something that incites a special action, pick something that was different than the rhetoric over the last decade and point it out. In the case of Sarah Palin, I'm not coming to her defense. I'm not a Sarah Palin supporter. But at the same time very, very much she is using what is typically used in politics. There's no special incitement. If we're going to take it out of the dialogue, if we're going to PC (ph) on that, that's fine. But we're going to be after PC (ph) in all the party.

The fact is, this is a great concern to us. Some of these threats are real. Tony Weiner getting powder. If you knew how many millions, tens of millions of dollars have been spent because of the anthrax attempt and continue to be spent, we take that serious. And I would expect that we will have federal law enforcement tracing that back just as we're going to trace back the coffin on the front lawn and all the other over the top real threats.

That is serious. We denounced it. We denounced it immediately. We're going to continue to. What the hearing is intended to show is let the public understand if you cross the line, you will be prosecuted because it cost the American people tens of millions of dollars. And intimidation of your representatives is the best way to destroy a democracy. And on the left and on the right it should not be accepted in any way, shape or form and we do denounce it.

CHETRY: All right. Congressman Darrell Issa, great to talk to you. Thanks for being with us.

ISSA: Thank you.

CHETRY: We also want to hear what you think about the health care debate. The live conversations happening right now on our blog. Keep the comments coming. CNN.com/amFIX is the place to go.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Well, checking our top stories right now at half past the hour. If you're out of work and in mortgage trouble, help could be on the way. Today, the Obama administration is announcing new steps that will be rolled out over the next few months to try to stop foreclosures. An official says that for some lenders they'll be required to reduce or flat-out stop monthly payments for up to six months. The plan will also include incentives for lenders to follow the new rules.

ROBERTS: If you have pre-ordered Apple's new iPad and plan on using it to read the "Wall Street Journal," "PC Magazine" and "Wired" report it's going to cost you $18 a month. That's on par with the Journal's $15 a month subscription rate for the Amazon Kindle. Both are still cheaper than the old school newspaper version; it's $29 a month.

CHETRY: And call it the mini T-Rex, scientists in Australia have found a hipbone fossil proving that the Tyrannosaurus dinosaur lived in the southern hemisphere. They say that this relative of the T-Rex was only about a third of the size as the big guy that we all know from "Jurassic Park." It is the first time that any fossils from the T-Rex family have been found south of the equator.

ROBERTS: A new audio message with a familiar warning to America. The tape believed to be from Osama Bin Laden says if suspected 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is executed, Al Qaeda will in turn kill any American it captures.

Joining us from Washington to talk more about this threat, former CIA officer Jack Rice and Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst and author of "The Osama Bin Laden I Know.' Great to see you this morning.

Peter, this tape comes just a couple of weeks after Leon Panetta, the CIA chief claimed that Al Qaeda was on the run. And we learned about this communication out there from Al Qaeda member saying they wanted to see more visible leadership from Bin Laden. Is there any tie-in between these two things, do you think?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Not necessarily. Because the time it takes for Bin Laden to get a tape and for the couriers to take it from whatever remote part of the tribal regions of Pakistan to a Jihadi web site or Al Jazeera, generally have been three weeks. So you know, a tape like this may have been generated more than three weeks ago. So I don't think there's a direct correlation but certainly, you know, Bin Laden reacted to the Christmas day plot. He's trying to stay relevant by releasing tapes that keep him in the news.

ROBERTS: Jack, an American serviceman is being held in Afghanistan by Taliban faction with close ties to Al Qaeda. You know, after this tape, how much concern do you think there will be for his well being? What about other U.S. troops deployed there in Afghanistan and maybe other areas of the world? Does this elevate the threat against them and what about just Americans who are traveling in countries where Al Qaeda might have a presence?

JACK RICE, FMR. CIA OFFICER: I was in Afghanistan right before Christmas. I don't think this changes that much. I mean, the fear was there before. The idea that Osama Bin Laden would say we're going to kill Americans doesn't really change anything. Because they were going to kill Americans before.

I didn't realize that something can change between then and now. So I think Peter's point is a very, very good one. What this is really about is about relevance to say, hey, we're still here, we're still in the game. We still have significance. It doesn't change the nature of what it is that they do or really even how we respond to it.

ROBERTS: Peter, do you think that this could possibly have any effect on the trial?

BERGEN: I doubt it. I mean, the decision about the trial is really a political one, John, at this point. I mean, as you know it's not going to happen in Manhattan, it may not happen in a civilian court. It looks like it may be heading to a military commission. That's a political decision that the administration is going to make.

ROBERTS: And Jack, you believe that this trial should actually take place in a civilian court. What's your reasoning behind that?

RICE: Well, in my mind what I want to see is transparency. This is not about Osama Bin Laden. This is about the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. I like the idea of charging Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in lower Manhattan that's where the crime was committed. I also like the idea where if you look at what we have done in the past, more than 300 trials have taken place since 9/11 in civilian courtrooms, only three military tribunals and two of those three serve less than a year in jail.

So if we look at the lack of success on the military side versus the amount of success on the civilian side, I'm more confident in the civilian side. And again, it's not about what Osama Bin Laden says. It's about the 1.5 billion Muslims that are watching. I want to be able to say to them, the best system in the world is the American federal justice system. Let's use it. Even for the likes of KSM.

ROBERTS: All right. And Peter, just a final question to you. What about the issue of seeking the death penalty against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and this idea that he wants to be made a martyr and maybe that might play into his hands and also playing into Bin Laden's hand with this trial?

BERGEN: You know, if you look at Jihadi web sites, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is, you know, presently imprisoned in the United States, is not a subject of any great discussion. I think he will obviously be executed. Timothy McVeigh was executed for killing 168 Americans. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed admitted this crime. I completely agree with Jack. You know, military commissions, they only had three of them, a rather uncertain way to go. The federal, you know, in New York state, federal trials of terrorists, 100 percent conviction rate. That's the right way to do it?

ROBERTS: All right. Peter Bergen, Jack Rice, great to see you this morning. Thanks so much for joining us.

CHETRY: Time for an "A.M. Original." Something you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING. This fall's mid-term elections are still more than six months away. But some lawmakers in Congress are already on the ropes. One of them, Senate majority leader Harry Reid. Our Jessica Yellin went one on one with the Nevada Democrat and asked him about the ballot box showdown that he's facing back home.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Senate majority leader Harry Reid is in the fight of his political life. And now Sarah Palin is rallying his critics riding the Tea Party Express in his hometown. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN (voice-over): In Nevada politics, the stakes couldn't be higher for Senator Harry Reid. His big bet on health care reform turned into a win in Washington. But it's not playing as well with voters back at home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the health care thing, he's screwing up big time. So he's out.

SEN. HARRY REID (D), NEVADA: Legislation -

YELLIN: After four terms in the U.S. Senate, the majority leader could lose his job this November. Polls show a majority of Nevadans don't like him and only a third would vote for him.

(on camera): Why do so much voters in Nevada dislike you?

REID: Well, I don't think many voters in Nevada dislike me. We have an economic situation in Nevada that is very difficult.

YELLIN (voice-over): Nevada is number one in the nation in home foreclosures. Number two in unemployment.

(on camera): The casino business has been battered the number of conventions here have plummeted. Gambling revenue was down more than a billion dollars last year. Folks who weren't here don't just blame it on the recession, they are mad at President Obama. Because twice he has told cash strapped Americans not to go blowing their money in Vegas. Plenty of folks who work here said Senator Reid should have convinced the President not to say that.

ANNOUNCER: Harry Reid, determination that makes a difference.

YELLIN (voice-over): Reid's message, thanks to his powerful post as majority leader, he can deliver in a way no freshman senator could.

REID: There are so many things that wouldn't happen but for the position that I have.

YELLIN: But because of that role he's become a lightning rod for Republican criticism and he's taking fire from all sides. Republican challengers Sue Lowden.

SUE LOWDEN, FMR. NEVADA REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADER: He has lost touch with what's going on here in Nevada. It's all about the jobs. His solution is to put the country more in debt to tax the country more.

YELLIN: And from a tea party contender, Scott Ashjian.

SCOTT ASHJIAN, TEA PARTY CONTENDER: Reid is definitely not doing the job. Reid is 70 years old and he should be playing golf in Florida, probably.

YELLIN: Even the dean of Nevada's political press corps says Reid has a different hand to play.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He says things that are intemperate. He's not very charismatic. He can't come back to the state and wow people.

YELLIN: Senator Reid has survived tough campaigns before but Republicans are betting this year his luck will run out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: Now keep in mind, Reid can raise as much money as he needs. His campaign thinks they can still win over hundreds of thousands of new Nevada voters, and with a tea party candidate on the ballot that could split the conservative vote and give Reid a narrow victory. John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: Jessica Yellin, this morning. Jessica, thanks.

Don't ask, don't tell. Barbara Starr coming up with the story of a former general who is now in some pretty hot water with the President and the Pentagon over his comments. 38 minutes now after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. President Obama wants to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." And Congress is now considering that.

ROBERTS: But one Army general has broken ranks with the commander in chief over the military's policy on gays and he is now under fire from top Pentagon brass. Our Barbara Starr is following these developments for us today.

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BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once a senior commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. 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: The essential 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, "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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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 a right to free speech?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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 up to the president. And I've said this before, the answer - and you feel so strongly about it, you know the answer is not advocacy. It is in fact, to vote with your feet.

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STARR: Well, you know, what did General Mixon really do wrong? Basically, a three star general is considered a public figure and he cannot come out in public and say what the president is doing is ill- advised. That's the kind of advice you're supposed to give in private. John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: All right. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning. Barbara, thanks.

CHETRY: We've been getting comments about this on our live blog this morning. Martin writes "Why is it that a general speaks out against gays in the military is wrong and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs gives his own opinion on national TV and there's nothing wrong. So if you're for the President's policy, then it's OK, if you're against it, then someone is a traitor. The law about military making comments about the military the general was not making it, the president, it was towards the policy. You can do better than this. Just my opinion."

ROBERTS: Yes. And we've got another comment, a little further down here this morning - did I go by it now? Here we are. Yes. This is from Polly, "the government kept Major Hasan in the military due to their investment in him." Remember that was the alleged Ft. Hood shooter, "and their need for psychologists. Lieutenant Choi received training and is an Arabic translator and a much needed asset in the fight against terrorism. However he can't serve any more because he's gay. What's wrong with our military?"

So some opinions there on our blog, CNN.com. Show you what the home page looks like so you know where you're going here. We've got so many comments now. It's a little bit of a haul to get back there, up there. CNN.com/amFIX.

Rob has got your weekend forecast, right after the break. It's 45 minutes after the hour.

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CHETRY: Forty-eight minutes past the hour right now. Time to get a check on the morning's weather headlines. (WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: Thanks so much, Rob.

CHETRY: All right. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. It's 50 minutes past the hour.

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ROBERTS: It's 53 and a half minutes after the hour. It's time for your "AM House Call," stories about your health.

It's springtime and more children playing outside, of course, but you might want to pay attention the next time your child takes what looks like an innocent tumble.

CHETRY: Yes. There is a new study warning that a bump on the head could turn serious and fast. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins us live here in New York today to give us more details. I was just showing you --

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I know.

CHETRY: My son bumped his head quite hard. It cannot (ph) look like a little cartoon character, you know, that bump, and you don't know if you should be worried or not.

GUPTA: I know and the same thing happens to me, and this is something that I do for a living. But obviously, parents worry about this, especially if you see a bump on the head and you don't really know when it's serious. A new study actually gives us some important numbers, I think, over looking at the rate of traumatic brain injuries across the population. In any giving year, about 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries, that's the bad news. The good news is that 1.4 million, a large majority of them, are seen in the ER and immediately sent home.

So, the vast majority of people go to the ER don't have something significant. Let me show you specifically, guys, what's happening here, what doctors are concerned about. If you look at something like this, the brain is inside the skull, takes some movement very quickly, and sort of bounces back and forth in the skull. That's the concern. That movement, back and forth, that can cause a little clot that forms over here. That's called a subdural hematoma, and this is something we reported on quite a bit in the news.

What was also interesting about this particular study was looking at who it affects most likely. What they found is really 3 age groups, children 0-4, teenagers 15-19, and elderly people 65 and older, but it was at 0-4 group and 65 and older group that really seemed to be the most affected. Real quick, you, guys, may have seen images like this in the past, but it's really important to sort of point out what this might look like as well. I don't know if you can tell here, but the -- we'll just show you something.

If this area in here, guys, I don't know if you can tell that, this white area, this is what's known as a subdural hematoma. It's blood actually pushing on the brain and that's the real concern. That's something where we get called as neurosurgeons to come in and try and do something about it.

ROBERTS: So, kids fall all the time, Sanjay. So, how does a parent know if the fall is serious and they should rush the child to the hospital?

GUPTA: Right, You know, and again, I can't stress this enough. Kiran and I were just talking about this in the break. The vast majority of kids are going to be fine, but there are certain signs that you can look for. And even with these signs, it doesn't mean the kids are going to be needed to be rushed off to the operating room. But take a look at the list here, the headache, obviously, is something that people are going to be wanting to pay attention to, but also the nausea and vomiting, that seems out of proportion, and if it's accompanied by the headache, that's important.

Parents know their kids the best. And so, a kid may be upset by what just happened. But if they also become listless, they sort of don't cry or they're just not interactive, that's going to be problematic, try putting some of your child's favorite things in front of them, whether it's food or toys. And if they simply seem uninterested, that can be a clue as well. The best tincture is really time more than anything else in terms of trying to figure this all of out. Wait a couple of hours and see if there's a problem.

CHETRY: Yes. We took him to the doctor, and the doctor said, make sure you keep him awake and see if he is acting normal, I guess, is the most important part of it all.

GUPTA: And that's what we do in the hospital often time, what are called every hour neurocheck. So, if the child is sleeping, we'll wake them up and make sure they're moving everything and that their eyes are seem conjugate in terms of the gaze, and again, the vast majority. I had the same thing happen to me, Kiran, and we did the same thing. We went to the hospital with my youngest child, and I was worried. You know, even that someone who talks about this stuff. It's still of concern to me.

ROBERTS: All right. Sanjay, great to see you this morning.

GUPTA: Thanks, guys.

CHETRY: Thanks, Sanjay. Your top story is coming your way in just two minutes. We're going to take a quick break, and we'll be right back.

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