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American Morning
Obama Vows to make BP Pay; Pain and Promises: Americans React to President Obama's Speech; Housing Market Weakness; "Cajun Ingenuity"; Big Oil Gets Blasted For Spill Plans; Obama's 'Battle Plan'
Aired June 16, 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 morning. It's Wednesday, it's the 16th of June. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us this morning. We have a lot of big stories we're following for you over the next 15 minutes.
Four hours from now, President Obama, as well as BP's top brass, will square off at the White House. The president promising the American people that he will make the oil giant pay for causing so much pain. He's also offering up a battle plan to end the disaster.
ROBERTS: Plenty of tough talk and a dash of hope offered up by the president last night, not to mention a few very ambitious promises. A lot of people along the Gulf Coast say they are feeling abandoned right now. They say those promises have a hollow ring to them.
CHETRY: Also, they're no better prepared than BP. Lawmakers slammed executives from four other big oil companies on Capitol Hill yesterday for their major spill plans. Exxon Mobil CEO even admitting that no one can handle a disaster like this.
And the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation right now. Go to CNN.com/amFIX.
ROBERTS: Later on this morning, President Obama goes face to face with the bosses of BP after promising America that he will make the oil giant pay for poisoning the Gulf of Mexico. For 58 sickening days now, crude oil has been pouring into the ocean.
CHETRY: The president going on national television last night saying that he will order BP executives to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the victims of the spill. He also offered up a battle plan, insisting that 90 percent of the oil spewing from the well will be contained in the coming weeks.
That will be quite a challenge though. Government scientists just revisited the flow estimates again. Up 50 percent now. As much as 60,000 barrels of oil now believed to be gushing into the sea every single day. President Obama insisting he'll make everyone impacted by the spill whole again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But make no mistake, we will fight this spill with everything we've got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever is necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So how did the president's speech play? Chris Lawrence is live in New Orleans. He's going to have that part of the story in just a moment.
Let's begin with Ed Henry though, who's live in Pensacola Beach this morning. Ed, tough talk, plenty of promises from the president last night. The question many people have down there I guess is, can he deliver?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. And you know, in terms of that tough talk, when he goes behind closed doors with BP later this morning, I can tell you some of his top aides tell me that he's prepared to invoke the legal authority to set up this escrow fund if BP doesn't go along. Now they say they would prefer to negotiate this out and have both sides to agree to setting this up. But if BP balks, they say they are ready to move forward.
And when you listen to what the president said last night, he framed this whole situation as a war, talking about first at the beginning about how U.S. troops were fighting Al Qaeda overseas, but meanwhile this oil is attacking our shores here at home. He talked a lot about fighting with all he's got for as long as it takes. Talked about a battle plan, mobilizing personnel to fight this, even as the president acknowledged though, it's going to go on for some time to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: But we have to recognize that despite our best efforts, oil has already caused damage to our coastline and its wildlife. And sadly, no matter how effective our response is, there will be more oil and more damage before this siege is done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Again, you hear the word "siege" there. This all about being a war. But again, the president still, even as he was laying out that case, was sort of trying to downplay expectations with the American people about some sort of quick fix here making it clear, this could drag on, John and Kiran.
CHETRY: It was interesting, because in some ways downplayed, in some ways optimistic talking about potentially in the coming days and weeks to be able to capture 90 percent of the oil. That was interesting. That caught a lot of people's attention. But also some key points that were not in the president's speech last night.
HENRY: Yes, certainly. I mean, if you look at the fact that shortly before the president spoke, the administration put out a new estimate on the flow rate, how much oil is seeping out into the ocean. They're saying on the upper end, it could be up to 60,000 barrels a day, far more than BP's original estimate of 1,000 to 5,000 barrels a day. And so why didn't the president mention that in his speech? Perhaps because it doesn't fit into his narrative that the government is all over this and has firm command and control of the situation if, you know, an untold amount of oil is still flowing out.
Secondly, he also did not give any details on this escrow account with BP. How much is it going to have? Is it going to be $10 billion, $15 billion? And also, which third party is going to administer it?
Now, White House aides say the reason why he didn't get into those details is that he's hoping to negotiate it behind closed doors today with BP officials. And they didn't want the president to get ahead of that. But obviously a lot is now riding on that meeting. A lot of people looking when that meeting ends to see whether or not this really is going to come together after the president promised to keep BP's feet to the fire, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Ed Henry for us this morning, thanks so much.
And right now in Louisiana, and all along the Gulf Coast, they're feeling the pain and evaluating the president's promises. Chris Lawrence joins us live from New Orleans now. When you talk to people after listening to that speech, do they believe that the president is handling this in the best possible way?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Not all together, Kiran. And you know, we really wanted to get a raw sense of what people were feeling as the president was talking, not an analyst take after the fact. One of the things that jumped out to some of our folks that we spoke with was when the president talked about his commission that will look at the issue and decide when it's safe to start deepwater drilling again.
The president said he wanted the commission to work as quickly as possible and do so thoroughly and impartially. The words "thoroughly and impartially" seem to carry a lot more weight here than the word "quickly."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: So we're sitting down to watch the president with Kent (ph) Wells who's with the Offshore Marine Service Association. Represents about 100 firms that service all those oil rigs. Things like that.
KENT (ph) WELLS, OFFSHORE MARINE SERVICE ASSOCIATION: The boats that go out and run the supplies out. The boats that carry the people out. The boat that saved 115 people who survived that accident. VOICE OF BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I talked to shrimpers and fishermen who don't know how they're going to support their families this year.
WELLS: What I'm not hearing here is some understanding that this is all part of one economy. He came down to Grand Isle. He said we won't abandon you. We've got 100,000 families that rely on our industry alone, the work boat sector, and they're feeling pretty abandoned tonight.
LAWRENCE: So it doesn't sound like he's going to lift the moratorium.
WELLS: I don't -- I don't hear any bending going on there. I mean nobody can disagree with what the president's saying about our need to clean up this spill, our need to drill safely, and our need to look to a future that's alternative energy and other renewable sources.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Maybe. But some watching the president say they're hearing too much about an energy bill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks to me like they're wanting to give -- to push through some legislation using this disaster.
OBAMA: The time to embrace a clean-energy future is now. Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's exactly what I was talking about. He's getting off subject now. He took the issue at hand, which is the disaster that we're experiencing, and then he transitioned it over here into just what we spoke of earlier about our addiction to fossil fuels and how more government regulation is going to save us from that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Now, Kent told me, must have been three or four times, he said you know I'm a conservative. You know I'm a conservative. But he did have some good things to say about the president as well. He said he looked very presidential and Kent said it looks like someone is now in charge. He felt he had a grasp of the situation and he said, honestly, before he veered off into the energy policy, he said I was actually going along with a few of the things that he was saying -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Very interesting to get the perspective on the ground, those people whose livelihoods, as you said, depend on the decisions that are being made now. Chris Lawrence for us this morning, thanks so much.
ROBERTS: Well, the president is scheduled to meet with BP executives at 10:15 Eastern this morning. He'll then hold a news conference, 12:15 Eastern. And, of course, CNN will carry that for you live. CHETRY: Well, in 30 minutes, breaking down the president's speech, as well as the battle plan with two people in the trenches. Craig Taffaro, the president of St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana, and Tony Kennon, he's the mayor of Orange Beach, Alabama.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, a jaywalking arrest takes a violent turn in Seattle. Have a look at this. Its home video shows the officer, Ian Walsh, struggling with two women he tried to detain for jaywalking. Police say they were verbally antagonistic and resisted arrest when the 17-year-old, the one in the pink there, pushes the officer. He then punches her in the face.
Community leaders claim that the officer used excessive force. The head of the Seattle police union though says the officer reacted after the suspects escalated the situation. Officials, as you can imagine, are investigating the incident.
CHETRY: Well, it's one way to say we're oil-free, we're open for business. Scuba divers from across the country meeting in Key West, Florida this weekend for some underwater scooter racing. They're lending support to the community, helping boost summer tourism. The event is actually part of an organized sport that races underwater vehicles around shipwrecks.
ROBERTS: Good weather, too, for underwater scooter racing.
CHETRY: Yes, not bad. Right?
ROBERTS: Doesn't matter. Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Jacqui Jeras in the weather center for us in Atlanta.
Good morning, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. You seem to have a lot of chop (ph) out there. Come on. The weather matters.
CHETRY: Yes, you needed to be nice and sweet.
ROBERTS: But when you're under water, it doesn't matter, right?
JERAS: It does matter if the wind is pushing the currents around and you can't get to the top, that could be a problem for a lot of people.
Hey, guys, good morning. Good morning, everybody. For the first time in what? Over a week? We're dealing with thunderstorms in a different part of the country this morning. How about that? We're watching the Great Lakes and we are concerned about what could happen later on today as this cold front approaches the northeast and could bring some very strong thunderstorms.
In the meantime, just spotty showers there for you towards New York, Philadelphia and D.C. But, say mid afternoon, we'll look for the threat of tornadoes and some damaging winds. We've also got clusters of thunderstorms across the southeast. And same story I'd say by midday, things are really going to get kicking. The hot and sticky weather continues but this cold front will bring a little relief to a few folks. We'll talk more about that coming up when I see you again. The weather always matters.
CHETRY: Yes, it does. He was just kidding.
ROBERTS: Not to try to diminish your role or anything, but once you're under water, I've always found it doesn't matter what it's doing on top.
JERAS: I hear what you're saying.
ROBERTS: All right.
CHETRY: He's never met a rip current.
JERAS: Hey, there you go.
ROBERTS: Yes, actually --
JERAS: Another good point, Kiran, thank you.
ROBERTS: Actually, he has. But that's a topic for another discussion.
JERAS: Oh, no.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Jacqui. See you soon.
CHETRY: Still to come on the Most News in the Morning, more details emerging about the American caught hunting Osama bin Laden. There were some questions about his mental state. Family members say no way, he is not crazy and they're speaking out.
Ten minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Fourteen minutes past the hour right now.
We're getting a look now at the American man who's accused of pretty much going on a one-man mission to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden. There's a look at Gary Faulkner, a construction worker from Colorado who's now being held in Pakistan. His family says that he traveled to the region six times since 9/11. CNN had a chance to talk with Faulkner's brother, Scott, and he says Gary is not crazy, that he's highly intelligent, that he loves his country and he's not forgotten what bin Laden did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SCOTT ERIC FAULKNER, BROTHER OF DETAINED AMERICAN, GARY FAULKNER: He's not psychotic. He is not schizophrenic. He doesn't hear voices. He's a very passionate person. And most people go through their lives without passion. They don't have something that they truly believe in and would give up everything in their life for.
Is this my passion? Absolutely not. But is it my brother's? It is. And as an American, he's doing something that we would all wish to do. If we saw Osama walking on the sidewalk, you and I -- well, I know I would probably put a bullet in the guy's head.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Scott Faulkner went on to say that his brother has kidney problems and is dying. He needs dialysis three times a week.
ROBERTS: A little dehydrated but doing much better, that's the word on CENTCOM commander General David Petraeus. He was escorted from a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing after fainting yesterday. General Petraeus tried to return but the committee opted to postpone the rest of the hearing until today.
He told our Dana Bash that he got a little bit dehydrated, adding that he had skipped breakfast.
CHETRY: Wow. Well, coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, are we headed toward a double dip? Not recession, but in the housing market. Christine Romans is here now with a preview.
Hey, Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. It's the biggest asset you will ever own. It's probably the biggest debt you will ever take on. It is your house.
If you're buying one, selling one or living in one, I'm going to tell you what the landscape looks like in the very near term for your biggest asset.
That's right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Nineteen minutes after the hour. We're back with the Most News in the Morning.
It was a virtual stampede. Virtual is the -- is the operative word here. On the first day customers could preorder the new iPhone -- that's the new 4G iPhone -- Apple and AT&T Web sites just couldn't handle the demand that led to long lines in AT&T retail stores and more disappointment when people got there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still broken. The server's still down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even the Apple people can't get their own Apple phones sold.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went to the AT&T store and they said that online it said to go to the store.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: AT&T says yesterday was its busiest online sales day ever. That new iPhone 4G is going to be available on the 24th of June.
CHETRY: So their Web site crashed when people were trying to order it? That's not what you want to hear from a tech company.
ROBERTS: They've been having trouble. Remember when Steve Jobs was trying to present the 4G iPhone --
CHETRY: And what? He couldn't get wireless access?
ROBERTS: He couldn't get his Wi-Fi up and working.
ROMANS: There were two producers in Atlanta yesterday, one who got hers and the other one who didn't, and they were dueling back -- wait! What -- what are you doing right? And it was --
ROBERTS: Just wait until today. Do it today.
ROMANS: Right. They're trying to be the first mover, always --
CHETRY: Yes. I mean there's a -- there -- it's funny, Apple has carved a niche of people who literally -- the iPad comes out, you have to have it that hour. I mean, that's --
ROMANS: It's (INAUDIBLE) every three seconds.
ROBERTS: What is it, something about the first lemming off the cliff?
CHETRY: That's right.
ROMANS: Maybe. Maybe.
Speaking of off the cliff, I want to talk to you a little bit about the housing market here because we have been really hoping for some spring stability in the housing market and -- and the value of your biggest asset, right? And we had this huge selling season, a lot of interest this -- this spring because of the homebuyer tax credit.
And now there are some concerns in a variety of different reports that maybe things are softening again in the housing market. Even a couple of analysts yesterday told -- telling me they think that we are in the beginning of a double dip for the housing market, meaning that prices could go lower again.
Let me tell you specifically what's the threat to recovery here for the housing market. The number one thing, joblessness. This is still a problem. If you have 7 or 8 million fewer jobs today than you did a few years ago, that means 7 or 8 million fewer people who can pay for their mortgage. You have elevated vacancy rates. There's something like 7 million homes, you guys, that are just sitting empty right now because people have lost their home. You have record foreclosures.
We have more people this year who will lose their home than will send a kid to their freshman year in college. I mean, think of that. So that's a real problem.
And then the end of the homebuyer tax credit, one reason why some of the Democrats would like to extend it a little -- sort of extend it so that people who are in the process right now can finish that by the end of -- the end of the summer.
CHETRY: One thing you pointed out, that was until unemployment starts to turn around, and until people start hiring, you're not going to see the job market turn around.
ROMANS: Right. And until the housing market turns around, more people aren't going to be able to take a new job somewhere across the country because they're under water. So these two things are really tied together. We haven't been able to break that -- break that lock yet.
There's another home builder survey yesterday that I found very interesting. It was weaker than many people expected. It showed a reading of 17, down five points. What does that mean? Well, a reading above 50 means that builders have a -- have a positive outlook about --
ROBERTS: But you're a long way from 50.
ROMANS: You're a long way from 50. Even as over the next 20 years -- demographers and economists say over the next 20 years we should see a surge of people who should be wanting to buy new homes or move into homes.
The very long term, the demographics say we need homes. The very short term, the numbers say people can't afford homes. Some parts of the country, affordability is a little bit better, but if you don't have a job, affordability doesn't mean anything for you if the housing price is down.
So it's still a job situation here for the housing market.
ROBERTS: Do you have a "Romans' Numeral" for us this morning?
ROMANS: I do. It's 6 million, and this is why so many people are real concerned about stability for the banks and for the housing market, because so many people are paying their bills late.
ROBERTS: Six million people are paying their mortgages late?
ROMANS: Six million are late in their mortgage. It's a record. We have never in this country -- 6 million people who couldn't -- that's the most important bill you write, the one you write at the beginning of the month, the one that you make that one first and then everything else comes after that. Six million people are late on their mortgages today.
ROBERTS: All right. Christine Romans, "Minding Your Business" today.
ROMANS: Sure.
ROBERTS: Thanks so much.
Next up on the Most News in the Morning, we're going to head back to the Gulf where frustration continues to grow over what some say is BP's slow response to the cleanup.
It's 23 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-six minutes after the hour. We're back with the Most News in the Morning.
It's a war against the shores. President Obama says the Gulf Coast is under assault from the oil spill, and on that point, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal would agree. But Jindal and other local officials say the clean-up effort isn't near what it needs to be, and they're putting their own ideas to work.
Our Ed Lavendera is following that for us. He's live in New Orleans this morning. And this is -- this is an interesting idea that they've been testing out. Now they're putting it to broader use, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, John. And it's an interesting idea in a crucial location. We spent the day with Governor Bobby Jindal in Barataria Bay, significant because in many ways the people down there just north of Grand Isle, Louisiana, straight south from New Orleans, and in many ways what's going on there, many people -- many critics say kind of highlights the chaos of the clean-up efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVENDERA (voice-over): On the edge of this oil-stained marsh grass, vacuum trucks sit on barges, crews using a plastic hose to suck oil out of the water. But this isn't an idea brought to you by BP or the federal government. It's what Governor Bobby Jindal likes to call "Cajun ingenuity."
GOV. BOBBY JINDAL (R), LOUISIANA: What was frustrating was before we did this, they were simply letting that oil sit there. We said that's not acceptable. You don't win this war by waiting for the oil to go away. You win this war by attacking that oil wherever it is away from our coast.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Here in Barataria Bay, the urgency of this oil disaster continues to heighten. We're about 15 miles north- northeast of the city of Grand Isle and officials say this is where they've seen the deepest reaches of this oil into the Louisiana marshland. JINDAL: So we're here in Barataria Bay. We're actually going to go see some of this heavy oil.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): On a boat tour of the bay with the Louisiana governor, patches of thick oil are spread across this state's richest fishing waters. Oil this far north is nothing short of a disaster.
But Grand Isle's mayor says red tape is still bogging down the clean-up efforts. He's fighting the federal government to get permits to build oil containment systems between barrier islands.
MAYOR DAVID CAMARDELLE, GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA: So we're asking new agencies out there to work with us, work with us and listen to us. And I guarantee you're going to be happy. It's going to come back after hurricane season. I can promise you that we're going to protect the estuaries, but we have to act now.
LAVANDERA: Governor Jindal says booms and skimmers didn't make it to this part of Louisiana before the oil creped into the bay. He says it's proof BP's clean-up plan simply wasn't adequate.
LAVENDERA (on camera): When you hear BP say we're doing everything we can, we're being as proactive as we can, nobody wants this cleaned up more than us --
JINDAL: Nonsense. Nonsense. And they didn't intensify this effort, fight this oil 15 to 20 miles out on the coast. Don't fight it in the wetlands where the shrimps, the fish, the crabs, the oysters are. Once the oil gets in here, the damage is already done.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Almost two months into this oil disaster, BP has been told to step up its clean-up efforts. But, out here, the fishermen who live off these waters aren't waiting around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: John, so far there are almost 10 of those vacuum barges deployed in and around that Louisiana coastline and they say that they have requests for almost 30 more. So we'll see how quickly or how long it takes to get those deployed into the waters.
They're not incredibly effective. So far, two of those in the first week that it's been used has only sucked up about 10,000 gallons. But it kind of highlights the point where many people along this coast feel they're at, that they've got to do whatever they can, even if it's just a little bit, to fight back this oil, John.
ROBERTS: Officials there in Jefferson Parish have got a plan to try to close off Barataria Bay. How -- how's that plan coming?
LAVANDERA: Well, that one's coming along slowly. You heard the mayor there in Grand Isle refer to it. Essentially you've got these barrier islands along the Louisiana coastline and they want to kind of barricade the passes between those -- those islands using barges and rocks. They're still waiting on -- on the permits to the rocks. But what they hope it would do, if they can close off about 80 percent of these passes, it would funnel the oil into one spot. Then they would bring in these vacuum barges and just start sucking out the oil from those much smaller spots. They say kind of concentrating the oil in one place they would think would be a much more effective way of trying to collect as much as they can.
ROBERTS: Sounds like a logical plan. Ed Lavendera for us this morning in New Orleans. Ed. Thanks so much.
That brings us to the half hour. It's time for this morning's top stories.
President Obama is preparing for a meeting at the White House this morning with top executives from BP. Last night, in a nationally televised speech, he promised the American people that he will make the oil giant pay for polluting the Gulf. He says that he expects 90 percent of the spewing oil to be contained within the next few weeks.
CHETRY: Teams exploring the West Virginia mine where 29 men died in April say they found a crack in the floor that could have allowed a methane leak before the explosion. But Massey Energy, owner of the Upper Big Branch mine, says that the crack has not been examined yet and they're not sure if that was the source of the methane explosion.
ROBERTS: The first United Nations plane filled with aid for Kyrgyzstan has touched down next door in Uzbekistan. As the crisis drags on, a senior U.S. official tells CNN, right now, America's focus is humanitarian but military options could also be considered. The official added though that the U.S. would not act alone.
Heavy arms fire broke out again early this morning in the city of Osh.
CHETRY: Well, the president's Gulf oil address came after executives from BP and four other big oil companies took an all-day beating on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers slammed all of their disaster response plans for appearing xeroxed, shoddy and lazy.
ROBERTS: And for listing the illusive Gulf of Mexico walrus -- you've heard of that, haven't you -- as a wildlife species that could be affected. This is just a taste of what BP chief, Tony Hayward, is going to hear tomorrow.
Dana Bash takes us inside.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, what we learned from the nearly six-hour hearing is that other oil companies have nearly identical deepwater disaster plans as BP, and that in those plans, two of the companies list a phone number for an expert who has been dead for five years.
(voice-over): Five big oil executives sworn in for the cameras.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole truth and nothing but the truth.
BASH: And skewered by lawmakers who called all five oil spill plans reviewed by the committee "cookie cutter" and "inadequate."
REP. HENRY WAXMAN (D), CHAIRMAN, ENERGY AND COMMERCE CMTE.: ExxonMobil, Chevron, Conoco Phillips and Shell are as unprepared as BP was, and that's a serious problem.
BASH: To show them as out of touch, the chairman berated the CEOs for including the protection of walruses in their oil spill plans.
REP. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: There aren't any walruses in the Gulf of Mexico, and there have not been for three million years.
TEX TILLERSON, CEO, EXXONMOBIL: That's unfortunate that walruses were included. And it's an embarrassment that they were included. But that's part of a larger marine mammal study that is used in -- that's used in preparing regional response plans.
BASH: To paint the picture of an industry more worried about image than safety, a power point to reveal ExxonMobil's media strategy in case of disaster, including 13 pre-written press releases.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While ExxonMobil has 40 pages on its media response strategy, its plan for resource protection is only five pages long. And its plan for oil removal is just nine pages long.
BASH: Then, a stunning moment of candor from ExxonMobil's CEO about its readiness for a massive oil spill.
TILLERSON: When these things happen, we are not well-equipped to deal with them.
BASH: But BP's competitors were also quick to distance themselves from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
WAXMAN: You think that they made mistakes. The answer you would give would be, yes?
TILLERSON: We would not have drilled the well the way they did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not a well we would have drilled with that mechanical set-up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The practices that we would not put in place were employed here.
BASH: But Democrats unloaded most of their anger on BP, accusing them of low-balling the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf.
MARKEY: Are you ready to apologize for getting that number so grossly wrong?
LAMAR MCKAY, BP AMERICA CHAIRMAN: I will just reiterate what Commandant Allen said -- is that those were not BP estimates.
MARKEY: One final chance. Apologize for getting that number wrong.
MCKAY: We are sorry for everything the Gulf Coast is going through.
BASH: And while some Republicans complained about the tone --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Child-like, accusatory, mean-spirited and petulant questioning.
BASH: -- others took it up a notch.
REP. CLIFF STEARNS (R), FLORIDA: I would call for your resignation. I'm calling for it for day -- today. I'm not asking for an apology. I'm asking you to resign.
REP. JOSEPH CAO (R), LOUISIANA: In the Asian culture, we do things differently. Different -- the samurai days, we'd just give you a knife and ask you to commit hara-kiri.
BASH (on camera): Not surprisingly, other Republicans aimed their anger not at BP but at President Obama. One GOP congressman calling him incompetent, and another calling the administration's response disjointed, confusing and frustrating. These lawmakers of both parties are going to have another chance to vent their frustration about the oil spill when they will have the controversial BP CEO, Tony Hayward, before them testifying on Thursday -- John and Kiran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And that's just the warm-up act.
CHETRY: Yes. But you also have to wonder -- I mean, there were regulators that were overseeing these plans, right, technically in the government.
ROBERTS: Or not overseeing.
CHETRY: Or not.
ROBERTS: Or not.
CHETRY: So, they should be on the hot seat, too, if that's the case.
Still ahead, coming up on the Most News in the Morning, we're going to talk to two officials from the Gulf Region, get their reaction to the president's speech last night. Did he say what they wanted to hear? We're going to ask them up next.
Thirty-five minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Now, a mobilization of this speed and magnitude will never be perfect, and new challenges will always arise. I saw and heard evidence of that during this trip. So if something isn't working, we want to hear about it. If there are problems in the operation, we will fix them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: President Obama admitting that there will be more problems ahead when it comes to trying to clean up the worst oil spill in American history and make sure that people are compensated and that the Gulf Coast can recover. For the first time in his presidency, he also talked to the nation from the Oval Office. But did people along the Gulf Coast hear what they needed to hear from the president?
Let's bring in the president right now of St. Bernard Parish, Craig Taffaro, and also the mayor of Orange Beach, Alabama, Tony Kennon.
Thanks to both of you for being with us this morning.
CRAIG TAFFARO, PRESIDENT OF ST. BERNARD PARISH, LOUISIANA: Good morning, Kiran.
MAYOR TONY KENNON, ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA: Thank you for having us.
CHETRY: Craig, let me just start with you. Did you hear what you wanted to hear from the president last night? Are you confident that the White House, that the administration, has a handle on what needs to be done?
TAFFARO: Well, you know, first and foremost, we are grateful that the president has made four trips to this region and I believe he's engaged.
But part of what we continue to fight is a lack of actual resources on the ground to be able to attack this oil in the water. That's what we are hoping to hear more of. And I'm grateful that the president wants to hear what in the operation is broken and what needs to be fixed. And those are the messages we will send up.
I think he understands it, but we need to have the resource. Just like he referred to World War II and putting a man on the moon, those operations were successful because there were equipment and resources provided to make those missions successful. That's what we need here in the Gulf Coast region, enough resources and assets so that we can make this a successful fight against this oil spill.
CHETRY: And, Mayor Kennon, what about you? You said that you think you need to see a little bit more fire in the president's eyes with this speech. What do you mean by that?
KENNON: Exactly that. I mean, I didn't see any grit in his craw. I didn't see the determination I want to see. I'm tired of hearing about cleaning up. We don't want to hear about that. That's the least we expect. No one's doing us a favor, to clean up.
We want you guys to fight the war offshore -- declare war, bring in the assets you need to win the war offshore. And then, let's get the financial remuneration out of BP and get that coming quickly as well.
CHETRY: You know, it's interesting that you say that, Tony, because there has been a steady drumbeat of calls from local parishes, leaders at the state level, to get more resources out in the water before the oil comes to shore. The president spoke last night about mobilizing the National Guard, saying that there are 17,000 National Guard members along the coast, talking about the Coast Guard itself leading this effort.
Do you think that the full might of the U.S. government is at work here when it comes to preventing the oil from coming ashore?
KENNON: I haven't seen it. I want the full might of the entire world here. You know, the Jones Act, all the other bureaucratic nonsense that's in the way of us taking care of business needs to be eliminated. And let's get serious about this. I feel like sometimes we're in the Land of Oz.
This is a catastrophe of biblical proportions and we're acting like it's a run-of-the-mill, everyday oil spill. It is time to attack the problem and fix it offshore.
CHETRY: OK. So, I want to ask you about this, Craig. The president said last night, and we just heard it, "If something isn't working, I want to hear about it." One of the things that you all continue to say is that what you don't think is working is that there is a chain of command that is totally clear that instructions given at the local level have to get approved all the way up and that that's adding to the delays.
What do you think needs to change?
TAFFARO: Well, you know, the communication has improved somewhat, and from our branch to our local unified command. But the issue is this: the structure of this event that BP is the responsible party, I think that's misunderstood in the process. BP is the responsible party, absolutely. They should be financially responsible for addressing and supporting the actions that need to take place. Not in a position where they can have power to veto anything.
So, as the Coast Guard continues to exercise that 51 percent of control on this issue, and within this incident, they should be able to force the issue of getting resources here. And that's where the -- that's where the breakdowns come in.
So, what we need the president to do is reach out and use had his presidential authority to every state in the Union to make sure that any assets that are anywhere in this country are brought to this theater. If there's a spill somewhere else, that those assets have been removed from, then certainly, we support bringing those assets back to where they came from. But this is where the disaster is right now, here, presently. That's where the assets should be, in this theater.
CHETRY: All right. Well, Mayor Kennon, I want to ask you about the situation when it comes to deep shore drilling -- deepwater drilling -- the moratorium that's in place right now. A lot of people living along the Gulf Coast say this is just adding insult to injury. That if you actually stop people's ability to earn a living, it's going to be even more disastrous than it already is on the Gulf Coast.
What is your take as you weigh that along with the safety issues? I mean, we saw from the testimony that many of these other oil companies have that same plan that clearly didn't do anything in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon incident. So, where do you stand on whether or not it's safe to continue and whether or not this moratorium makes sense?
KENNON: Well, I'm absolutely a drilling proponent. However, they were obviously not prepared for some type of catastrophic event at 5,000 feet. Now, no matter how much I want to drill, you have to have a contingency plan. I have a contingency plan if my dog catcher is out sick. So, it makes absolutely no sense they were not prepared for this situation in 5,000 feet of water.
So, until we get in a situation where they can handle something of that nature, we can't drill again deep water. That's my opinion.
CHETRY: What about you, Craig? Do you echo those sentiments -- that deep-water drilling needs to stop until they can make sure that something like this doesn't happen again?
TAFFARO: Well, our concern obviously is within this situation, we have many of our communities -- in fact, four of our local parishes will be further devastated by the moratorium on these deep-water exploration wells. We want to have safety. Obviously, that's of utmost -- the utmost priority for the Gulf Coast region.
But we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water. Absolutely, make the regulation agencies do their jobs. That way the safety factor is taken care of and people can continue to make a living.
Listen, the issue of green energy is a great concept. But let's not take in the midst of a disaster and promote a green energy agenda on the backs of, and at the cost of people's livelihoods that are already in peril.
CHETRY: Well, it's great to hear from you both this morning -- St. Bernard Parish president, Craig Taffaro, as well as the mayor of Orange Beach, Alabama, Tony Kennon. Thank you.
KENNON: Thank you.
TAFFARO: Thank you, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Jacqui Jeras in for Rob Marciano this morning. She's got the travel forecast right after the break. Don't go away.
It's 45 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Twelve minutes now to the top of the hour. If you sit hunched over a desk all day, it could be bad both for your back and for your waistline.
CHETRY: Yes, what if you can get your exercise that you need while you work? For example, we could be on a treadmill right now reading you the news.
ROBERTS: We kind of are, in case, you can't see.
CHETRY: Our Gary Tuchman explains on this morning's "Edge of Discovery."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): David Lee walks 25 miles a week without even leaving his office.
DAVID LEE, TREKDESK OWNER: It's quite comfortable just to walk, you know, all day long.
TUCHMAN: Lee owns a Trek Desk, a height-adjustable work station designed to fit over a treadmill. It allows users to type, talk, and think on their feet.
LEE: And when people come up and see it, initially, their reaction is, walk all day? Stand? Won't that hurt my feet? Won't I sweat? You walk at very slow speeds. It's just like walking down the hall, and you don't sweat when you walk down the hall. You won't sweat when you walk on a trek desk.
TUCHMAN: The trek desk costs around $500, but Dr. Elizabeth Joy believes the health benefits could be priceless.
DR. ELIZABETH JOY, SPORTS MEDICINE: When you're walking, you're burning about twice as many calories as you are sitting. Walking while you work should help people lose weight.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So, the trek desk costs $500 but does not come with the treadmill. You got to provide that yourself.
CHETRY: So, the small little desk part.
ROBERTS: The desk part.
CHETRY: Laptop, treadmill, phone, not included.
ROBERTS: Exactly.
Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Jacqui Jeras in Weather Center in Atlanta. Good morning, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, guys. We're dealing with showers and thunderstorms in a different part of the country this morning, believe it or not, but it's caused equal amounts of damage. Check out the pictures that we have for you out of the Indianapolis area where hundreds of Hoosiers are waking up without power this morning after storms roared through central parts of the state last evening. Sixty-plus--mile-per-hour winds brought down trees and power lines all across the area.
Now, that complex of thunderstorm is moving across the Great Lakes and heading down towards Canada at this hour, bringing some heavy downpours, nothing severe at this hour, and you can also see some of these thunderstorms moving across the northeastern corridor.
What you're going to get for the most part is just some spotty showers this morning, but as we head into the afternoon hours, we could see severe thunderstorms developing. This includes you just outside of New York City down into Philadelphia as well as Washington, D.C., and then a secondary area here across parts of the southeast, including you in Atlanta, Columbia, South Carolina, as well as Charlotte. Lots of travel delays expected as a result especially in the northeastern corridor.
Delays in Atlanta and Orlando, Chicago and Detroit, some minor delays due to wind, and then Denver and Los Angeles will see some windy conditions today as well. Who's going to Disneyland today? It's going to be a hot one out there, heat index 105 to 110. We'll talk a little more about this heat again in the next hour, guys. It's feeling really uncomfortable.
ROBERTS: Hey, when do the storms pop up here in New York?
JERAS: Did I say Disneyland? Somebody's yelling at me, Disney World.
ROBERTS: Somebody who's yelling -- I said, when do the storms pop up here in New York?
JERAS: Probably mid afternoon is when I expect them. You'll see some showers this morning but then mid afternoon --
ROBERTS: These folks who are flying home better be aware. Thanks so much, Jacqui.
CHETRY: This morning's top stories are just a couple of minutes away, including proving that you're more than just a transcript or a GPA. An SAT score, is YouTube the new college essay? An "A.M. Original" series taking a look at the way we see smart. ROBERTS: And SPF arms raise just the time for summer sun block hitting the triple digits now, sun blocks of 100 and above. Does it really mean anything anymore? I mean, once you get to 50 or 60, does it make any difference? We're paging Dr. Gupta for you this morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Fifty-five minutes after the hour. We want to take a couple of minutes to show you a new initiative from CNN.com. It's called "Home and Away," a tribute to our fallen war heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. and coalition causalities. We got the map of Iraq up over here on the right, and you see the circles that show where there have been U.S. and coalition casualties, larger the circle, the greater the number of casualties. And over here, the map of the United States which looks like it's just lit up. Those are the hometowns of people who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We want to introduce you today to Lance Corporal Adam John Vanalstein (ph), 21 years old from Superior, Wisconsin, killed when a homemade bomb detonated in Ramadi, Iraq on February 25, 2006. Memories of him now from his sister, Dee Meyers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF DEE MEYERS, SISTER OF MARINE KILLED IN IRAQ: My little brother, Adam, was the second child. I was 9 years old when he was born and so he kind of was an only child -- for, you know, the only child for quite some time. Adam loved to be outdoors. He loved to hunt and fish and anything, anything outside. We ended up buying a boat, and we have just great memories of us being out on the boat just being in the water, outside is all Adam needed and he was happy.
Our mom passed away when Adam was in 12th grade. He left for marine base camp in November of 2004. And he loved Iraq the minute he got there. He just couldn't believe he was there. He accomplished a dream, a goal. People try their whole life and here he was, 20 years old and he accomplished it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And you can learn more about the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price for America in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just logon to CNN.com/homeandaway.
Top stories coming your way right after the break. Stay with us.
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