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American Morning
Miners Alive & Waiting; Martin Short's Wife Dies; SeaWorld Death Not Killer Whale's Fault; Levi Johnston for Mayor?!; Lohan Out Early?; Pakistan's Aid Workers Ask for More Aid
Aired August 24, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: But critics say he's too extreme and question whether he's raising money for it in the Middle East. We'll look at the facts this morning.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: And the AMFix blog is up and running. Join the live conversation right now. Plenty to talk about. Just go to CNN.com/AMFix -- Kaye.
BOLDUAN: But up first, what some are calling the miracle of the miners in Chile. It's really an amazing story but far from over. The 33 men have been trapped underground since August 5th. Their families prayed that they were alive. Those prayers have been answered.
ACOSTA: Amazing sounds. And if you're wondering what that is, that was the Chilean national anthem from 2,500 feet down. Against all odds, proof they are alive. The miners also sent a message from below a note that said "all 33 of us are alive inside the shelter." But it's just the beginning for them. Rescue crews say they may not be able to reach them for months. And our Karl Penhaul has the latest from Chile.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF KARL PENHAUL, CNN VIDEO CORRESPONDENT: They actually have to bring in a different drill from a different part of Chile. Now, that drill is on its way, it has to be broken down into pieces. So, once that drill gets inside to the mine near where I am, it will then take several days to assemble it and then begin drilling down that 2,300 feet down to the shelter where the miners are. Now, this drill is not very far. I understand from experts that it can drill between 60 and 90 feet a day depending on what the rock like conditions are.
And it's not just a straight (INAUDIBLE) that they have a drill a small hole first. And then once they drill the small hole, then they go and drill a wider hole, a little bit wider than shoulder length, and it then that they can start to bring the men out. So do the math. You know, if there's a maximum 90 feet a day at 2,300 feet, you can see and that going to get twice, then progress is going to be very slow there. Like you say, people saying maybe they'll be out by Christmas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Incredible. Incredible that it may take that long.
BOLDUAN: And they say that down there, it's 90 to 95 degrees.
ACOSTA: Wow.
BOLDUAN: Thirty-three men in that. Amazing.
ACOSTA: And obviously, they don't have all of the comforts of the rest of us on the surface.
BOLDUAN: Exactly.
ACOSTA: I mean, they are in for a long ordeal, but it sounds like they got some serious expertise on the case and there's --
BOLDUAN: And they're still alive.
ACOSTA: And this may work out. I mean, our hats off to them and hope for the best.
Coming up at 7:10 eastern, we'll speak to Davitt McAteer. He's the former director of the Mine Safety and Health Administration about the conditions they're dealing with down there and whether the tiny lifeline they have right now is enough.
BOLDUAN: Former USDA staffer, Shirley Sherrod, will meet with her old boss this morning. Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack offered her a new job after Sherrod was forced to resign last month. You'll remember that. It's the first face-to-face meeting between the two since the race-related scandal that erupted after conservative activist, Andrew Breitbart, uploaded misleading and incomplete video of the speech Sherrod had given. Will she take the job? Brian Todd is following developments.
ACOSTA: And it's an election year of course and it's Tuesday. So, we got lots of primary action happening across the country. Americans are going to the polls today to vote. And voters will have their say in primaries in five different states -- Florida, Arizona, Alaska, Oklahoma and Vermont. Today got it all, incumbents, political new comers and some big dollar races.
BOLDUAN: Big dollars. And the GOP is slugging it out in Arizona. Incumbent Senator John McCain spending $20 million in his campaign against former congressman and conservative talk show host, J.D. Hayworth. Hayworth accusing McCain of not being a true conservative. This has gotten nasty.
ACOSTA: Oh, yes.
BOLDUAN: And he's telling our Jessica Yellin that McCain would lurch left once he was back in D.C.
ACOSTA: It's gotten testy at times down in Florida. Miami Democrat Congressman Kendrick Meek is facing a bitter battle from Jeff Greene, a celebrity-linked real estate billionaire. Apparently, he knows Mike Tyson. Greene made his fortune off the housing crash causing Congressman Meek to dub him "a meltdown mogul."
Greene challenged Meek's commitment to Israel, a big charge in a very Jewish populated state down there in Florida. On the Republican side, voters will decide on their candidate for the governor's race today.
BOLDUAN: And there's also Alaska and a big showdown in Alaska. Incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is one of the most recognized names in the state. She's facing a challenge from a little-known candidate, Joe Miller. Miller has picked up the backing of the tea party movement and Sarah Palin.
ACOSTA: Yes. And that doesn't hurt.
BOLDUAN: That doesn't hurt it seems.
ACOSTA: Probably doesn't hurt up in Alaska.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
ACOSTA: Also new this morning, the feds still checking the nation's egg supply for traces of salmonella linked to two Iowa farms. So far, half a billion eggs have been recalled. Recalls hit 17 states coast to coast. There's too many to name. But if your state's highlighted on the map there on your screen, make sure to check your cartons for a full list of which eggs are affected. Just head to our website, CNNhealth.com.
A representative for actor and comedian, Martin Short, confirms that Short's wife, Nancy Dolman, has died. No details about the time, location or cause of Dolman's death. They've not been released at this point. Emergency officials say the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an emergency call at the couple's home on Saturday. Short and Dolman were married for 30 years and have three children.
BOLDUAN: And Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren are officially divorced. They wished each other the best and promised to put their children first. The couple signed the paperwork in a Panama City, Florida court yesterday. The divorce comes nine months after Woods was accused of having a string of affairs.
ACOSTA: Police cruisers dash cam, look at this, catches the moment of impact as a car flies through the air, hits a bridge -- wow! Look at that. And explodes into pieces. I don't think he meant to do that. Witnesses say the driver was going at least 100 miles per hour through traffic when he suddenly lost control and went airborne.
Boy, if you need another reason to drive safe out on the roads, here it is. The 19-year-old driver was thrown from the car but was awake when he was taken to the hospital. Unbelievable!
BOLDUAN: The fact that it's caught on dash cam, you know, that's always the amazing thing, that this happened.
ACOSTA: Dash cams, they come in handy especially times like this because I mean if you just need another example as to why you got to be careful out there, I mean, don't go 100 miles per hour in traffic.
BOLDUAN: Maybe you, guys, are --
ACOSTA: Or better watch.
BOLDUAN: If you can take anything away from this morning.
Also this morning, there is a new Miss Universe.
ACOSTA: Really?
BOLDUAN: Did you know?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First runner-up is Jamaica which is Mexico, you are Miss Universe 2010.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: That's right. Miss Mexico is Miss Universe 2010. She beat out Miss Jamaica, you see the celebration there, as well as 81 other contestants for the crown in Las Vegas last night. The Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, sent his congrats via Twitter.
ACOSTA: Of course.
BOLDUAN: Of course. It's the only way to send --
ACOSTA: It is the only way. And you know, my problem with the Miss Universe pageant is that how do we know there are not hotter ladies somewhere else out in the galaxy? I mean, that every time I see that --
BOLDUAN: Mars. Mars.
ACOSTA: We just can't be sure. But I digress.
6:07. Let's get a quick check of this morning's headlines in the weather department. Rob Marciano in the Extreme Weather Center. Rob is not going to bail me out on this one.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No, I am. You know, I was thinking the exact same thing.
ACOSTA: Thank you.
MARCIANO: Not so many assumptions, at least, let's go with maybe Miss Solar System thing, then Miss Galaxy, but Miss Universe, from America to world --
ACOSTA: Not being presumptuous.
MARCIANO: Exactly. I would have that game in the first (ph) that's for sure. Good looking ladies, nonetheless.
ACOSTA: Absolutely.
MARCIANO: And the very down from (INAUDIBLE) from the whole night.
ACOSTA: I agree.
MARCIANO: Danielle, another lady we're looking at gaining strength. New hurricane of the season. Already the category 2 status. Winds of 100 miles an hour. It's way out there. And actually, in the last few hours, gotten a little bit disorganized. But nonetheless, it's there, it's big and it's bad. It is headed toward the U.S., but at the moment, we don't expect it to get all the way here.
A little bit of rain across the northeast, but it's going to be cool. It's kind of the backside of that system that rolled through yesterday very stubbornly, and we'll keeping temperatures down. It will be hot across Texas and across the West Coast. Our friends out there are really going to be sweating it out, at least 95 if not better than that in L.A.
Meanwhile, it will be 69 degrees in New York. Kind of drizzly, kind of cool and kind of camp, the east wind off the ocean, but that beats 95 or 100 degrees. Congratulations to Miss Universe. There may be one ideal (ph) out there somewhere that's more attractive.
BOLDUAN: There's always next year, you know. Which one are we going to be, Miss Pluto? Couldn't take part this year, there's always next year.
MARCIANO: That's right.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, Rob.
ACOSTA: Thank you, Rob.
BOLDUAN: Still to come on the Most News in the Morning, the debate over a planned Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero heats up. Now, new questions about the imam at the center of the controversy and a trip to Arab states paid for by the U.S. government. It's nine minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Good morning, everyone. Former president Jimmy Carter, he is going to North Korea. The Obama administration says it is a private humanitarian mission to free another American, a 31-year-old, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, from Boston. He was detained in April at the border with China and sentenced to eight years hard labor.
ACOSTA: A high level meeting today over the planned Islamic center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. New York Governor David Paterson says he plans to discuss it with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in New York, Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Both have suggested that moving the Islamic center would be a noble gesture.
BOLDUAN: And the governor has also offered to meet with the people behind the Islamic center. Right now, they're not commenting or backing down. And the imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is on a government- backed trip to the Middle East earlier (ph).
ACOSTA: Yes. He did some of this for the Bush administration even though critics all of a sudden are saying he is too extreme. So, has anything changed besides the politics? Randi Kaye is digging deeper for us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you're wondering what Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is doing in the Middle East, these pictures tell at least part of the story. This is the imam addressing guests at a Ramadan meal in Bahrain just yesterday. And this photo shows the imam praying at the ambassador's residence there. He's the man on the left. It's the imam's fourth -- again, fourth -- outreach trip overseas for the U.S. state department.
In 2007, he made two similar trips to the Middle East for the Bush administration, in January this year, he made his first trip for the Obama administration to Egypt. Imam Rauf needs about $100 million to build a mosque and Islamic community center two blocks from Ground Zero. If you believe the imam's strongest critics, then you might also believe he's overseas raising that money from extremist groups in countries that sponsor terrorism.
New York Republican Congressman Peter King told us, quote, "it might be appropriate to withhold details of his itinerary for security purposes while he is traveling. However, as soon as he returns, the state department must make full disclosure of everywhere he went and everyone he met." Keeping them honest, has the state department really been withholding itinerary details or anything else about this trip?
We asked a department spokesperson and were told, quote, "We've discussed where he's traveling to, the dates. We've been pretty open." Listen to this state department briefing from August 18th.
PHILIP J. CROWLEY, ASST. SECRETARY, STATE DEPT.: He will be travelling to the region at the end of this week, starting, as I recall, in Bahrain, then Qatar, then the United Arab Emirates. He has participated, I think, this is his fourth trip as part of international information program.
KAYE: The State Department has also offered up more details. It's a 15-day trip focused on outreach to Muslim countries and the imam will be traveling with rabbis, priests and other religious figures.
So why do some, like conservative blogger Pamela Geller, continue to fuel the outrage? Geller recently on "Fox News".
PAMELA GELLER, CONSERVATIVE BLOGGER: They're hooking him up with the biggest money in some of these countries that have very, very questionable ties to terrorists.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
KAYE (on camera): Hooking him up with terrorists looking to invest in a mosque and community center near Ground Zero? Hardly. First of all, as far as we can tell, not a single penny has been raised for this project. And, on top of that, the State Department says the imam knows the rules. The Department has tried over and over to set the record straight.
MARK C. TONER, ACTING DEPUTY DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Speakers are prohibited from - from raising money on - and using this program to raise money. He's aware of the prohibitions.
CROWLEY: He's there to promote this kind of international dialogue. They're there to provide perspective on behalf of the United States, and they're not to engage in personal business as part of - of the program that - that they're participating in. He has agreed to that.
KAYE (voice-over): Zeeshan Suhail, who has worked in the community with the imam, says he's a peaceful man, who's so effective at bringing people together that the State Department keeps calling on him.
ZEESHAN SUHAIL, MUSLIM CONSULTATIVE NETWORK: He's doing what he does best and what he's done for nearly 30, 40 years now, which is interfaith bridge building, you know, bringing communities together.
KAYE: Rabbi Irwin Kula has known Imam Rauf for more than a decade. He's traveled with him around the world.
KAYE (on camera): Is this all about stoking fear?
RABBI IRWIN KULA, HOST, SIMPLE WISDOM: You know, I think what it is there really is fear in the country, that what fear and anger does is it always clouds judgment, and what we have right now is it's like - it's like a wildfire.
KAYE (voice-over): A wildfire that no matter what the truth just keeps getting stoked.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Well, coming up at 6:40 Eastern, we will talk to the maverick in this debate, Congressman Ron Paul, a man who's never afraid to split with his party. He's now going after Newt Gingrich and other Republicans over their opposition to the Islamic center.
And, Kate, when you've got Howard Dean against the mosque and Ron Paul in favor of the mosque -
BOLDUAN: Right.
ACOSTA: -- something has - has gone - BOLDUAN: Awry in the universe?
ACOSTA: -- haywire - yes, in the universe.
BOLDUAN: Right. Stay in your lanes, folks. That's (INAUDIBLE) to stay. Stay in you lane.
ACOSTA: That's right.
BOLDUAN: Help us out.
ACOSTA: Or not, if - as the case may be.
BOLDUAN: Right. It helps (INAUDIBLE).
ACOSTA: That's right.
BOLDUAN: Next on the Most News in the Morning, money may not be able to buy happiness, but can it buy you success in politics? We're taking a closer look next.
It's 18 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Money and politics are generally synonymous, and with the political season in full swing, we're seeing more candidates spending millions on their campaigns.
ACOSTA: Yes, millions of their own dollars. This morning, Brianna Keilar shows us whether the wealthy really have an advantage.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jim and Kate.
Florida, California, Connecticut - you name it. Long-time politicians are finding themselves challenged by billionaires who can finance their own races. But it's not quite the advantage you might think it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(VIDEO OF ABBA'S "MONEY, MONEY, MONEY" PLAYS)
KEILAR (voice-over): To hear ABBA tell it, having money means you're golden. But these Swedish pop legends obviously weren't talking about politics.
Case in point, Florida, where billionaires are putting big bucks into their own races. Businessman Rick Scott is reported to have spent $50 million on his campaign for governor, running as an outsider.
RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA GOVERNOR NOMINEE CANDIDATE: The last thing the insiders want is a governor who owes his job only to the people.
KEILAR: But on the eve of Florida's primaries, Scott is falling behind Bill McCollum as they vie for the Republican nomination.
In Florida's senate race -
JEFF GREENE (D), FLORIDA SENATE NOMINEE CANDIDATE: I'm not taking a penny of special interest money.
KEILAR: Billionaire real estate tycoon Jeff Greene threw $14.4 million into his campaign coffer and touts his independent as a so- called self-funder.
GREENE: I will spend whatever it takes to get my message out and to be competitive against these career politicians who are funded by special interests and lobbyists.
KEILAR: Still, he's trailing Congressman Kendrick Meek, the leading contender for the Democratic nomination. And Meek's supporters, most notably Bill Clinton, have accused Greene of trying to buy his way into the race.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nearest I can see, that's the difference. One guy delivered for you, the other guy has more money and runs more ads.
KEILAR: There a number of high-profile Republicans paying their own way this election cycle. Pro wrestling mogul Linda McMahon has given herself $22 million in Connecticut's Senate race. In California, $5.5 million from former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, running for the Senate. And in the state governor's race, Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, has coughed up $104 million and is poised to break the record set by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
All of them are down in the polls. So maybe ABBA didn't have it right when they said this -
(VIDEO OF ABBA'S "MONEY, MONEY, MONEY" PLAYS)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: One of the big issues for voters, especially in these tough times, is how do you relate to a billionaire? When you're pinching pennies to get by, it might be hard to connect on a personal level with someone who can afford to spend tens of millions of dollars on their bid for office - Jim and Kate.
ACOSTA: Thank you, Brianna.
Coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, the feds fines SeaWorld after a trainer is killed by a killer whale. We'll have the details coming up next.
It's 24 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. There is new information this morning about the death of a trainer at SeaWorld. OSHA is saying it wasn't the killer whale's fault. It's fined the park $75,000 for violations that led to that horrible incident.
Brian Todd has more for us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to a government report, killer whale trainers like Dawn Brancheau did not have a safe work environment at SeaWorld. Brancheau was killed by blunt trauma and drowning after she was grabbed by the killer whale named Tilikum in February. This videotape by an eyewitness shows how she was working with the whale just before she was killed.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
VICTORIA BINIAK, SEAWORLD VISITOR: He jumped at - he's, like, he took off and it came back, he jumped up, grabbed her, and started thrashing around. And then her shoe fell off and he was - he was thrashing her around pretty good.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
TODD: According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, Tilikum had known aggressive tendencies and SeaWorld should be fined $75,000 for a willful safety violation, not recognizing hazards that could cause death.
SeaWorld disagrees saying OSHA's investigation shows a fundamental lack of understanding of whale safety. SeaWorld added in a statement, the demands of humane care require our zoological team to work in close physical proximity to these animals.
In this 2000 interview, Brancheau described what it's like to work with the animals, appearing with a different whale.
DAWN BRANCHEAU, FORMER SEAWORLD TRAINER: She gets to know me, what - what I look like, and the ways that I interact with her all throughout the day in shows and then in just spending time rubbing her down, which is something we really like to do as well.
TODD: But the government says SeaWorld trainers should be barred from performing with the animals, even if they stay dry, unless new safety provisions are made like physical barriers, new decking systems or oxygen supply systems for the trainers. But at least one former SeaWorld orca trainer, Carol Ray, believes the only way to keep a trainer safe is if they keep their distance and no longer go in the water.
CAROL RAY, FORMER SEAWORLD TRAINER: I don't think there's a solution that would have saved someone like Dawn if it involves water work with the animals. She was thrashed around, you know, dismembered, scalped, rammed, no spare air, no oxygen would have helped her in that situation. And I think that trainers getting in the water with those whales is just a recipe for disaster.
TODD: SeaWorld says it will appeal this finding. Meanwhile, it says its trainers are staying out of the water while it takes steps to implement recommendations from a safety review.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: All right. Thank you, Brian.
It is 29 minutes after the hour. That means it's time for this morning's top stories.
Trapped underground for three weeks and this may be just the beginning, 33 miners in Chile trapped by a cave-in have sent a message saying all of them are fine. But rescue workers say it could take at least four months to reach them. That's just unbelievable.
BOLDUAN: Unbelievable.
Former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod will meet with her former boss in a few hours. Secretary Tom Vilsack offered Sherrod a promotion after she was forced to resign over bogus claims of racism. Sherrod told the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" she'll make a decision about the job after today's meeting.
ACOSTA: It should be interesting.
And down in the gulf, thousands of dead fish found at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The president of the Louisiana St. Bernard Parish says there's some recoverable oil nearby and there have been oxygen issues in the water. State officials are investigating if the BP oil spill caused this.
BOLDUAN: It's the third week of agonizing work in Pakistan as aid organizations trying to help millions - literally millions of victims affected by massive flooding in that region. People are now running for higher ground as a second wave of monsoon floodwater flows southward.
ACOSTA: This all makes for a miserable and sometimes impossible job for aid workers. CNN's Kyung Lah has been in the country since flooding began, and she is in Pakistan this morning.
And, Kyung, aid workers say the conditions there are like nothing they've ever seen before. It's pretty bad, right?
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely nothing like they've ever seen. You think about 4 million people are homeless and trying to reach all of them who are in these refugee camps. That is the challenge.
A U.N. aid group says that the floods are outrunning our relief efforts. We spent one day with an aid worker who says that this disaster -- because she's been around the world at different disasters -- feels like to her, Hurricane Katrina times 10.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You see how bad the sewage facilities are here and the fact that, really, the number of people here are just overwhelming what basic facilities there are.
LAH: So, this is from the water -- this is from the water?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is -- yes. From the floodwater he's actually been in. Yesterday, babies were just basically being put in my arms and I was being asked to give them food, give them water or give them health.
This has been one of the hardest disasters I think I've ever worked in.
Both these children have been born since they've been displaced. This baby is 6 days old and this baby here is only 2 days old. So, they've basically been brought into the world and they're living in a makeshift school at the moment. The good thing is that this is actually a life that's come into the world rather than one we've actually lost as a result of the floods. But still, these children are really particularly vulnerable.
The child has been living in very dirty conditions and that basically she has diarrhea. That's the biggest risk for children, and particularly this child as well who's so small.
They're begging for food at the moment and just being able to not be able to give them the food when she so desperately need it at the moment is one of the hardest things.
LAH: Can the international community make a difference here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, they can.
LAH: It's that simple?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's that simple.
LAH: What's needed?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More money. More support and just the ability for us to be able to deliver this aid.
This is one of the questions here in this school. You've got a number of families living in this classroom.
The greatest fear is now that the number of deaths will increase significantly as a result of health diseases that come following the floods. It's incredibly frustrating. I think this one has been -- it's been one of the hardest disasters to actually see, to look at children who are on the verge of dying, to hold children who have got significant diseases that require treatment and realize that, you know, for the foreseeable future, this is what -- this is what their life holds for them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: Aid workers say that we are at a turning point in this country. A second wave of disaster is what they're calling it, if they can't get clean water, food and medicine to these people who are living here in these refugee camps. Many of the aid workers I've spoken to say that what these camps amount to is basically Petri dishes for disease unless they get those very vital supplies in -- Jim, Kate?
BOLDUAN: Kyung, that aid worker said the international community can make a difference here. U.S. has already pledged millions of dollars, both public and private. Why are aid workers then saying that they don't have enough? Is it just not enough money getting there fast enough?
LAH: It's both. Part of it is that the money needs to translate into a bottle of water. That takes time. So, yes, money has been pledged, especially by the United States. The United States is a single biggest donor in this relief effort. So, you may be wondering, where is all that money going? It's taking time.
The other issue is its' simply not enough money when you think about how many millions of people who are affected here. They simply need more say the aid workers.
BOLDUAN: Kyung Lah in Pakistan for us -- Kyung, great story, great work out there. Thanks so much.
And if you wish to help out with this disaster relief, you can find what you need to know on our Web site, just go to CNN.com/impact.
ACOSTA: Coming up next on the Most News in the Morning: always outspoken. I'll talk to Ron Paul about the ongoing debate over whether an Islamic center should be built near Ground Zero in New York.
It is 34 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: All right. In five states across the nation today, voters are heading to the polls in big primary races. We've got incumbents fighting to stay in office, plenty of mudslinging and major cash being dropped. And one of the issues propping up in a lot of these races is the controversy over a mosque and Islamic center in Lower Manhattan near Ground Zero.
Joining me for his unique take on all of this: Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul.
Congressman Paul, thanks for joining us this morning. Appreciate it. And --
REP. RON PAUL (R), TEXAS: Thank you. Good morning.
ACOSTA: Yes. I guess it's safe to say that you were Tea Party before Tea Party was cool, Congressman Paul. And we're noticing a lot of Tea Party candidates all over the country today. Is this going to be a big day for those candidates or do you think it's maybe going to be something that the incumbents will hang their hat on, like John McCain out in Arizona?
PAUL: Well, I think it will be a mixed bag and I think even though, say, half of the Tea Party candidates win, that's a pretty big deal. But, no, they're not going to win all their support -- you know, everybody they support. So, I think it will be pretty mixed.
ACOSTA: And let me ask you about one of the races up in Alaska. Sarah Palin has weighed in, throwing her weight behind the challenger in that race, Joe Miller, running against Senator Murkowski. And I'm just wondering, what do you make of Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, some of these big-name Republicans, sort of weighing in in individual races across the country? Do you think that's a good idea?
PAUL: Oh, I think pretty good. I'd do it but I'm very, very selective. I just have trouble finding the candidates I really get enthusiastic about. I want candidates that have, you know, a real constitutional take on foreign policy and civil liberties, the drug war, and also on economic matters.
But, no, I think for them to weigh in, but I want the people to sort all these positions out so that they know exactly what is being supported, what positions are being supported.
ACOSTA: You don't think it's meddling for somebody like Sarah Palin to go in to a contest like the one up in Alaska and throw her weight behind the challenger there or perhaps in another state like Georgia where she gets criticized somewhat for doing that down in Georgia?
PAUL: No, I wouldn't call it meddling. I think our presidents have done this for many, many decades, if not ever since the beginning of time -- beginning of our country. So, no, I think -- I think it's pretty traditional to do it. Maybe some people overdo it and exaggerate and do it just to build up, you know, chips and get people to support them later on.
But, no, I wouldn't use the word "meddling." But sometimes, I guess they get overly involved more than they should.
ACOSTA: Well, let me ask you about one of the issues that's come up during a lot of these contests all over the country, and that's the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. You came out very much in favor of that project, mainly along libertarian lines saying that, you know, property rights and freedom of religion rights are a big part of this.
And on your blog you wrote that opposition to the mosque is all about hate and Islamophobia. What did you mean about that?
PAUL: I think the people who are organizing that is one thing, but now that every candidate gets asked that question, I don't think you can put them all in that same category. But the organizers, the woman that put this out on her webpage, the people that picked up on it and preached this -- yes, I think that they want to continue the hatred toward Islam rather than al Qaeda in order to justify their foreign policy of intervention and nation-building and occupation, because if you don't have an enemy that you despise, it's hard to get that support.
You know, I think it's turned into another issue as well. Even your station has reported on this imam. He seems like a pretty reasonable person. So, if he's a reasonable person that worked for Bush as well as Obama and he's making inroads because he's trying to bring Christians, Jews and Muslims together. So, if that would happen, there wouldn't be as much hatred over there.
So, o I think maybe there are some now that are trying to, you know, destroy him and his reputation. I think that's going to backfire. It sounds to me -- and I don't know the individual, the imam -- but it sounds to me like he might be a very reasonable person.
So, in order to perpetuate this foreign policy, not only do they have for perpetuate the hate toward Islam, they have to destroy somebody who might be bringing the religious factions together.
ACOSTA: And what do you have to say about former House Speaker Newt Gingrich comparing this mosque near Ground Zero to having Nazi symbols outside of the Holocaust center? What did you think of that? Was that an appropriate comment do you think?
PAUL: Well, I think he's overstepped his bounds and I think that he'll suffer the consequences for it because it was over the top. I mean, to compare this imam with Hitler and the fact that there are mosques within that area already and that he ignores the fact that there are strip joints in this area and he has to go after an imam that is trying to bring people together -- you know, I think for a bright guy like Newt Gingrich on some of the issues, I would say, politically, he's made a major mistake.
ACOSTA: You think he should apologize for that comment?
PAUL: I don't believe in these apology games. I mean, he's going to have to apologize to himself. He's going to be sorry.
But being sorry about what he did and recognize it will be a much bigger deal than if the media comes and badgers him into making a public apology. But maybe he'll come around to that, but it should be spontaneous and earnest -- but not as a reaction to badgering by the media. When are you going to apologize?
ACOSTA: Right.
PAUL: I've never quite thought that was good.
ACOSTA: What about your son, Rand Paul, who's running for that Senate seat down in Kentucky -- he's taking a slightly different position than you and has essentially come out against the project. Is that causing any friction in the Paul family?
PAUL: No, no. I really haven't spoken to him about it. But I think he's in a category of most of the people who are running for office who get pushed, you know, and rightfully so, by their opposition or by the media and say, what is your position? Do you want it or not?
And -- I mean, he's taken a different position. But that isn't my concern as much as the people who started on the Web site and picked it up and the politician who's trying to gain a lot of points and they are the activists in promoting this mainly because they believe in intervention foreign policy and they want to make sure that Islam is blamed rather than al Qaeda.
And, so, yes, it's OK to have a disagreement on exactly what we should do with the mosque. As a matter of fact, my emphasis is not on should the mosque be built or shouldn't it be built. Man, that is very secondary. Everybody recognizes on private property and a place of worship, we're supposed to protect.
ACOSTA: Your problem is more the playing of politics. You feel some that there's somebody playing -- people are playing politics with this, is what you're essentially saying.
What about the president? Did he make a mistake weighing in on this controversy, do you think? Did he inflame this controversy by weighing in on it?
PAUL: You know, some people are saying this, especially on the conservative side. But actually, I didn't think his statement was all that bad. I thought it was conciliatory and trying to bring people together. I mean, he and Bush both hired the imam to go over and promote bringing the religious factors together. So, no, I -- I wouldn't go out of my way to condemn him for saying that.
Now, politically, he may have started (ph) the flames, you know, and because that just gave more ammunition to the conservatives who like to pick anything he says and make a political issued out of that, but I don't think it's a right one.
I'd rather pick issues like too much spending and why he's expanding the war in Afghanistan, but since too many conservatives like the expansion the war in Afghanistan, you know, they are willing to go on attack because he might send out message that they disagree with. Now, I don't think his statement was all that bad.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman Paul, thanks for joining us this morning. I think it's strange when Howard Dean is against this project and you're in favor, but I think it shows our political world has been turned upside down a little bit. But Congressman Paul, thanks --
PAUL: I think that might be good.
ACOSTA: Not such a bad thing. All right. Congressman Paul, thanks for joining us this morning and always, your unique perspective.
PAUL: Thank you.
ACOSTA: And we'll turn it back over to Kate -- Kate.
BOLDUAN: It is 46 minutes after the hour. Still to come on the Most News in the Morning, Rob is tracking hurricane Danielle, and we'll also have this morning's travel forecast right after the break. That's not all.
Later, a workout video, even a book? Just what you want to see this morning, the endorsement deals that could make "the situation" a multi-millionaire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Good morning, New York City. It is 66 degrees and obviously cloudy right now. Only getting up to 69 degrees later. It seems whenever I come to New York --
ACOSTA: Yes?
BOLDUAN: I bring freaky weather.
ACOSTA: Well thank you for doing that.
BOLDUAN: No problem.
ACOSTA: Yes, because now it feels like October.
BOLDUAN: I know. We went from like 175 to obviously --
ACOSTA: Exaggerating slightly.
BOLDUAN: Exaggerating a little bit.
ACOSTA: But no, it is very different out there.
BOLDUAN: Good morning, everyone.
ACOSTA: But we hope you're enjoying because it's been a hot summer.
You're going to love this next story --
BOLDUAN: Why is that?
ACOSTA: Pope Benedict declaring a vuvuzela-free zone when he visits the UK next month. His official website has a list of items that will not be allowed any events that he attends. Kate, do you want to give that a work? The horn that wore out are mute buttons during World Cup is one of them, and here it is right here. I mean, during the break before that story, you should have heard Kate on the vuvuzela.
BOLDUAN: I mean, I will not deny I did rock it, but I don't think our viewers need to experience it yet again this morning. We might surprise you. Just wait for the next break.
ACOSTA: That's right. And I think it may knock my earpiece out because I have to put that back in.
BOLDUAN: I'm sorry. It's always my fault. The weather, everything. It's ten minutes to the top of the hour. You will make it there, I promise. Let's get a quick check of the morning's headlines. Rob, help us, please.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm about to give you, you know, maybe a little -
ACOSTA: How was that working?
BOLDUAN: That was not me for everyone. That was Jim. That was not static. That was Jim attempting the vuvuzela.
MARCIANO: It was an attempt. I won't judge the attempt, but it was an attempt. We'll move on.
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: You got to warm up before you go on the air. Every great musician does that, Jim. You know that. That's a rookie move. Hey, tropical storm Danielle now a hurricane. Here it is, little bit less disorganized here in the last couple of frames, but nonetheless, it's category 2. It's run over the numbers. Category 2 storm now on the verge of becoming a major hurricane. Winds now at 100 miles an hour, gusting to 120 miles an hour.
And it's way out there in the Atlantic basically just over 2,000 miles still from Miami. It is heading in that direction, and this is the forecast now from the National Hurricane Center. We expect it to become a major hurricane. Wasn't sure about that a day or so ago but a major storm here but making and then making that northward turn and heading toward Bermuda as opposed to the U.S. and that's certainly a welcome sight.
We'll hope that this verifies, but we're pretty confident that it probably will make that turn off to and stay out at sea. But there's another strong tropical wave behind that. We're getting into the time of year now where things getting a little bit more hotter (ph). All right. Jim and Kate, we mentioned that it's cool across parts of New York, the northeast as a matter of fact with rainfall and wind yesterday with that nor'easter.
The back side of it kind of throwing in some ocean air, so it's a little bit damp and drizzly for much of the Northeastern third of the country. Some storms across parts of the south. Stronger cool front heading across the northern tier, but it is going to be hot across parts of south -- southern part of California. South Texas and central Texas got up to 107 in San Angelo. Austin, Texas got up to 106 yesterday. That's been a brutal summer for those folks. 101 expected in Dallas for high temperature and 90 degrees up in Blanton. Vuvuzela. Are you going for a second try? No.
ACOSTA: I think I better quit while I'm ahead, Rob.
MARCIANO: There you go.
ACOSTA: All right. And that would not be a rookie move to quit while I'm ahead.
MARCIANO: Very smart. Thank you, Rob. Appreciate it.
ACOSTA: This morning's top stories just minutes away, including they survived by sharing chunks of tuna and a single can of peaches. My goodness. Thirty-three miners trapped underground for three weeks in Chile. How will they make it for another four months? We will ask the former head of the Mine Safety Organization here in the U.S. about the rescue effort and a long, drilling wait ahead.
BOLDUAN: Shirley Sherrod finally meeting face to face --
ACOSTA: Remember her?
BOLDUAN: You do remember her. Meeting face to face with her former boss. Will she go back to the department that threw her kind of effectively under the bus? We'll have more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Look at those hard workers.
ACOSTA: Working hard behind the scenes. God bless them.
Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. A little shot of our control room there.
Bristol Palin's ex-fiance back in the news. He's good at this, getting back in the news. He's taken another step toward the mayoral race in Wasilla, Alaska. Levi Johnston has officially turned in his paperwork that confirms he will run for the 2011 election in that town. It's the same office Sarah Palin held before she became governor. So, that means in a couple years, he'll be on the vice presidential ticket. Maybe not. Johnston can now begin accepting campaign contributions.
BOLDUAN: And it sounds like Lindsay Lohan may soon be a free woman again. TMZ reports the judge in the troubled actress' case could issue an order today for her relief. Doctors at the UCLA Rehabilitation Center where Lindsay has been staying have recommended she be released but continue with outpatient care.
ACOSTA: Here's a disgusting dose of reality. MTV's Jersey Shore star, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, he is a multi-millionaire. The 29-year-old will likely rake in -- get this -- more than $5 million this year for his TV role and various endorsements. His appearances alone typically fetch tens of thousands of dollars. And apparently, the only pictures we have of him he is showing his abs.
BOLDUAN: I don't think he's allowed to appear otherwise.
ACOSTA: Is that right?
BOLDUAN: Apparently.
ACOSTA: Explains the $5 million, but there you go.
BOLDUAN: Exactly. Top stories coming your way after the break.
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