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American Morning
Tackling the Tax Issue: Extending Bush Tax Cuts Up for Debate; The Colleges Companies Love; President Obama to Give Second Back-to- School Address; Abusing Cough Suppressants
Aired September 14, 2010 - 06:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. It's Tuesday, September 14th. I'm Jim Acosta. John has the morning off.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Candy Crowley in for Kiran. Here are this morning's top stories.
We start with your tax bill. Congress back in session battling over whether to extend the Bush tax cuts or let them expire. Both parties are fractured right now. The long debate is about to begin. And If you're wondering what a tax hike would do to your take home pay, we got the numbers. You're not going to like them.
ACOSTA: Colleges company recruiters really love. Students looking for that leg up when it comes to landing a dream job, may be surprised. It's not always the ivy leagues that are favored by corporations. What are the best students hoping to get solid, well- paid jobs? We've got the list.
CROWLEY: And too many teens are getting high on stuff in their own medicine cabinets. The DEA is now asking parents to get involved. We'll tell you about the fight to make cough medicine a prescription drug.
ACOSTA: But up first this hour, we didn't forget. It's a political power house this Tuesday and CNN is the place to watch it all go down. Seven states head to the polls, voting in primaries that promise to make or break a candidate come November. And we're talking about specifically a few states out there. Delaware is one of them where we could have a make or break election.
CROWLEY: Yes. We're tracking key races in Delaware, but also in New York, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, D.C., Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and my home state of Maryland. But the hottest Delaware, that's where it's shaping up to be a knockout match between tea party backed candidate Christine O'Donnell and moderate Republican Mike Castle. This is all for a chance to snatch up Joe Biden's old seat.
This race is being watched across the country, and we've got the best political team on the ground this morning watching every move. And joining me right now on the phone is CNN's Shannon Travis. Good morning, Shannon. What does it feel like on the ground there?
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dramatic. And you've been following politics for a long time. The last time you've heard the words "cannibalism," "prostitution," and "death threats" used in a political race. That's what's going on right now here in this GOP primary in Delaware.
Let's pick through some of the specifics. As you just mentioned, Christine O'Donnell, she's the Republican backed by the tea party express. They pledged to spend about $200,000 on her race. She's the more conservative. Mike Castle is considered the more moderate, his critics say liberal.
In terms of the cannibalism, the Christine O'Donnell campaign say the Republican state party here in Delaware is eating its own, basically trying to do anything that they can, according to her campaign, to make sure she does not win the nomination.
In terms of the word prostitution, the state party chairman named Tom Ross, the chairman of the Republican Party here in Delaware, the critics say of Mike Castle's campaign, basically say that Mike Ross is in bed with Mike Castle and the tea party express is using words like "prostitution," strong language.
And in terms of death threats, that same guy, Tom Ross, our Brian Todd is reporting that he's actually received a death threat via a website because of his support for Mike Castle. So it's very dramatic. Voters are heading to the polls today, so hopefully this thing will be decided by later on this evening.
CROWLEY: OK. There's nasty and then there is ridiculous. It sounds like, in some of those cases they've crossed that line into ridiculous. Thanks so much, Shannon Travis for us on the ground there in Delaware.
ACOSTA: Who thought things would get so testy in Delaware.
CROWLEY: They have nice, mild politicians up there.
ACOSTA: They do.
Other key races this morning, Charlie Rangel facing an ethics scandal and five Democratic challengers including popular assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV. Rangel is still favored to win a 21st term. Former President Bill Clinton is voicing a last-minute robo-call on Rangel's behalf.
Over in Washington, D.C.
CROWLEY: Yes, Mayor Adrian Fenty is facing off against Vincent Gray. And he could find himself out of a job. When Fenty took office in 2007, he was a rising star. But his tough education reforms have ruffled a lot of feathers and he's trailing in the polls.
ACOSTA: And in New York, tea party challenger Carl Paladino is hoping to knock off Rick Lazio in the GOP primary for governor. Lazio is a former congressman backed by Republican and conservative leaders. Paladino is a millionaire developer from Buffalo, and the race is a dead heat according to a CNN college poll released Saturday. Rick Lazio still gunning for political office here in the empire state. CROWLEY: Exactly.
ACOSTA: At 7:40 eastern, we'll talk about the tea party and how it's dividing Republicans when we're joined by Kate Zernike, author of "Boiling Mad -- Inside Tea Party America." And CNN is your source of all things politics. If you can't check us out on TV, check us out online, CNN.com/politics.
CROWLEY: And this morning, we're learning more about last week's deadly explosion and fire in California. PG&E is beginning to inspect all of its gas pipelines in the state. Now critics are warning regulation has been lax for years, so much so, they're saying there are thousands of old, potentially leaky pipes across the country and the risk of another San Bruno-like event are better than average.
Ted Rowlands has the latest on the investigation in California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This gas station surveillance video shows the first moment of last Thursday's explosion. Watch closely as the man in the red vehicle gets out. First, you can see chunks of asphalt and debris, then a massive wall of flames shooting into the sky.
Within seconds, the fire grows larger. A woman carrying a baby runs across the street away from the flames while others seem attracted to the blaze. Some actually drive towards the fire. Nobody knew what was going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My first thought is the plane went down. And I run up half way down there, you know, the fire was pretty bad.
ROWLANDS: Across the street inside this grocery store, people say they first heard a strange hissing sound. Now watch as the sliding doors push in from the explosion. Watch it again in slow motion. The store quickly turns to chaos, people start running away from one of the exits while others desperately try to get out of the store.
Still unanswered -- what caused this massive explosion. Many people here are getting impatient waiting for answers.
BILL MAGOOLAGHAN, RESIDENT: My kids play at that park which is now melted. These are neighbors. The woman down the block, my dog played with her dog, and she's dead. It's not fair.
ROWLANDS: The investigation is centered on this section of pipe installed in 1948. Did the gas company PG&E miss warning signs that something was wrong before the explosion?
ROWLANDS (on camera): Several people in this neighborhood say in the days leading up to the explosion, they smelled gas. One person even says he saw and talked to a PG&E crew about a gas leak. But PG&E says according to their records, since the month of July, they've only been here twice. CHRISTOPHER P. JOHNS, PRESIDENT PG&E: In one instance, there was a small leak at the meter, which we replaced, fixed it right away. And in a second instance, there wasn't a leak found anywhere.
ROWLANDS: We may never know if there was a second leak and if so whether or not it was associated with the explosion. The pipe itself was last inspected in March. Keeping them honest, we asked for the results of that inspection, but we were told they couldn't be provided because of an ongoing investigation. We got the same response at a press conference.
GEISHA J. WILLIAMS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PG&E: That is part of the NTSB investigation and I really cannot share the findings of that particular assessment.
ROWLANDS: PG&E is taking responsibility, setting up a $100 million fund for victims. This week they plan on giving everyone whose home was destroyed up to $50,000, no strings attached. They claim it's the right thing to do. What's still unclear is what PG&E may have done wrong and whether there's a chance it could happen again.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, San Bruno, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Boy, you really feel for that one resident who said you know, my children play on the playground here and it's melted.
CROWLEY: Right.
ACOSTA: You've got to feel for those folks in terms of how --
CROWLEY: You do, but also -- that and the broader implication -- the immediate horribleness of being out of homes and the deaths, but then, yikes, across the country. You don't know what's underneath it. You don't think about it, actually.
ACOSTA: That's right. And there are the responsibilities of the utilities to keep everybody safe, as well.
All right, it is 7:08.
(WEATHER BREAK)
ACOSTA: Still to come, Congress is back in session after a long summer recess. And you would think they would come back in a really warm and fuzzy sort of mood, ready to get along with each other, get things done. Your taxes top the agenda, so you can scrap all that. Wait to hear what happens to your take home pay if the tax cuts are not extended.
CROWLEY: Plus, does the Ivy League school pay off in the short run? Or do companies prefer state schools? We have the results from a new survey. It is 10 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Let's talk taxes. It's the hot button topic on Capitol Hill now that Congress is back in session. The big debate -- whether to extend the Bush tax cuts. It didn't take long for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell long to throw down the gauntlet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Americans, Mr. President, have had it. They're tired of Democratic leaders in Washington pursuing the same government-driven programs that have done nothing but add to the debt and the burden of government.
We can't allow this administration to demand that small business owners in this country pay for its own fiscal recklessness. And that's why I'm introducing legislation today that ensures that no one in this country will pay higher income taxes next year than they are right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Maybe it's because all these Democrats and Republicans got plenty of rest during their congressional break. Our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is live in Washington this morning. Brianna, we're back into session just one day and they're firing back and forth at each other as if they didn't have time off.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the big battle playing out over the next weeks before Congress is again going to leave in early October for the election season. The reason what Mitch McConnell said is so important is this -- Republicans have said these Bush-era tax cuts, we want them to continue for everybody, including the wealthiest Americans. Of course, the White House wants them to expire for people making $250,000 or more. Republicans say that's going to hit small businesses that create jobs.
So on -- or really last week, you had Republicans kind of saying no, we want them all to continue. And then on Sunday, of course, we saw John Boehner, the top Republican in the House, kind of concede on a Sunday show saying, look, if all I have to choose from is saying yes to people making $250,000 or less continuing to get these tax cuts, OK. But what it shows is a little Republican disunity on this issue. You see Mitch McConnell not giving any ground there. He's saying no, we want it across the board. You see Boehner's own deputy, Eric Cantor, saying we want these tax cuts to continue across the board. And as you can imagine, President Obama really taking aim at some of the jumbled message here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We could get that done this week. But, we're still in this wrestling match with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell about the last two to three percent where on average we'd be giving them $100,000 for people making $1 million or more. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: And, of course, Republicans up until this point, Jim, one of the things, especially in the House, that they've had has been cohesion that they've all -- a lot of -- they mostly vote together. They really stick together. They're on message. And so this just shows, you know, sort of different things going on between the top Republican in the House and then some of his deputies very close to him. And also, of course, the top Republican over in the Senate.
ACOSTA: Yes, Brianna, it's interesting to hear the president say that at that backyard in northern Virginia yesterday. You know, he said that -- I'm in this wrestling match with John Boehner, but John Boehner was the one who came out on Sunday sounding like he was ready to make a deal. And so, are we making a deal? Or are we having a wrestling match here? It's interesting to hear the president come out and say that.
I mean, couldn't the minority leader argue that he was just simply trying to govern?
KEILAR: No. You know, certainly he could argue that. And what you will hear from his aides is that he was trying to undercut a White House argument that obviously they were fearful was taking hold. And that is that Republicans are holding tax cuts for the middle class hostage for tax cuts for the wealthy. But what you're hearing from Republican sources on this is that perhaps Boehner tipped his hand a little too soon. That this was something that he could have held out on as they argue for this. I mean, obviously in the House, Republicans don't have a whole lot of control about what's going to pass. And there are a lot of Democrats who, you know, feel the way Republicans do about this tax cut.
ACOSTA: All right. Brianna Keilar, our congressional correspondent in Washington for us this morning. Thanks, Brianna.
And if Congress does nothing about these Bush tax cuts and they're allowed to expire at the end of the year, there's going to be serious pain. Take a look at this.
"The Associated Press" reporting Americans earning between $20,000 and $30,000 a year would see a $756 increase in their income tax. For those earning between $50,000 and $75,000, prepare for a hike of over $1,100. And if you're earning between $100,000 and $200,000 a year, your paycheck will take a hit of over -- get this -- $3,600.
And, Candy, I mean, you just boil it down in dollars and cents there. I mean, this is real money that we're talking about in the middle of a very painful recession. But at the same time, the question has to be asked, nobody's asking this in Washington.
CROWLEY: Right.
ACOSTA: Can the country afford any of these tax cuts?
CROWLEY: Right. Right. So, what? $2.8 trillion it will cost to extend those just for the middle class --
ACOSTA: Right.
CROWLEY: -- for those making $250,000. $3.5 trillion if it's across the board.
ACOSTA: Yes.
CROWLEY: That's a lot of money to add to the deficit, although there's some people arguing it doesn't.
ACOSTA: Absolutely.
CROWLEY: So, it will play out undoubtedly.
ACOSTA: Yes, we'll be hearing about this for some time to come.
CROWLEY: Let me talk about what's in your medicine cabinet.
ACOSTA: Let's do that.
CROWLEY: Nyquil, Robitussin and Tylenol cold medicine. We're going to tell you why these common remedies that you reach for have every winter have become dangerous to have in your medicine cabinet.
It is 19 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
Education is said to be an investment. Don't we know that? One that will pay off in the future. And when it comes to landing that plum job after graduation, you might be a little surprised to learn businesses are favoring graduates of big state schools. According to a "Wall Street Journal" survey, the top three schools, Penn State, Texas A&M, and the University of Illinois at (INAUDIBLE) champagne.
Joining me now to talk about this, deputy personal finance editor Jennifer Merritt. She oversaw the research for the "Wall Street Journal."
So I guess, the bottom line here is for that first job, businesses seem to be preferring not the Ivy Leagues, but others. Now these are no slouch schools.
JENNIFER MERRITT, DEPUTY PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Right.
CROWLEY: This is not like, oh, gosh, let's take second best. Those are great schools. But why do you think this over the Ivy Leagues?
MERRITT: You know, it's for these entry level jobs that people are hoping to grow candidates into the company with. And so one of the reasons is that they come very academically prepared. They've all had a major. So they've really got the great, deep skills in a subject. And then because they've got to really fend for themselves at these big schools and take advantage of various resources and network and the wide networks, they're also able to sort of come in, hit the ground running, and have that well roundedness.
CROWLEY: So Ivy League graduates are seen as less --
MERRITT: They're less technically prepared in a lot of ways.
CROWLEY: OK.
MERRITT: Most Ivy League schools don't have majors in a traditional sense. They don't have a lot of that bread and butter course work that sort of teaches you marketing metrics, say, to go be a marketing assistant.
CROWLEY: OK. But is there -- like, what does the Ivy League offer?
MERRITT: Right.
CROWLEY: There has to be or there won't be so many people trying to get in.
(CROSSTALK)
MERRITT: Ivy League offers a lot. A lot of the recruiters said there was definitely a clear split. The Ivy League students offer a lot of cache, a lot of that prestige, a lot of that "put you in front of a client right away" type of thing and they're very, very smart. So if you're in a type of job, you've been hired for a type of position where someone can come in and they're really looking for someone to stay a couple of years and be in that sort of rotational program, a lot of companies say that they will look more to the Ivy Leagues.
CROWLEY: So the cache is in, well, we've got five Yale grads and --
MERRITT: Exactly.
CROWLEY: And six from Harvard.
MERRITT: And big, you know, big elite banks and big elite consulting firms, that's part of their stock and trade. So that's never going to go away.
CROWLEY: Right. And they bring networking.
MERRITT: Absolutely. That network and that name is just something that you can really kind of bank on.
CROWLEY: Right. And so you also found internships?
MERRITT: Absolutely. Internships are the new full-time hiring. That's what a lot of schools and a lot of companies told us. A lot of companies actually said that they've developed internships so that they're much more robust. And then they go out and seek -- interns at sophomore year and often in the first few weeks of your sophomore year. So you've got you kind of know what you want to know, and then they judge you and will sometimes offer you a job even before your junior year, but usually before your senior year.
CROWLEY: Let me just ask you -- interesting study -- is there a takeaway? Don't go to an Ivy League school? Or, you know, go to the University of Illinois? What's the takeaway from this?
MERRITT: I think the take away is that if you're looking for some of the fast-growing jobs, some of these big jobs that you don't have to go to an Ivy League school. You can go to a really great state school or other private institution and be just as hirable.
When I went to school, I went to a journalism school where I knew I'd get a good internship and a good job. And that's really just carried out in a bigger way now on the part of employers. Go to school. If you know what you want to do, pick a school where they're strong in that and where there's a lot of employers coming. And if you're thinking about a school, ask the career services office who comes to campus to recruit.
CROWLEY: Jennifer Merritt, "Wall Street Journal," thank you so much.
MERRITT: My pleasure.
CROWLEY: President Obama talking to students and teachers around the country today. It's his second annual back-to-school speech. So what's his message? Ed Henry live at the White House with a preview.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Candy, that's right. It's not just back to school for students, but back to school for the president, as well. He'll be in Philadelphia, and we're told he's going to get a little personal. I'll have those details straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Numbers about our educational system in this country. And President Obama will deliver a second back to school message to the nation's students today. And at this time last year, there was a lot of complaining before he gave that speech. Conservatives were worried the president would try to indoctrinate the nation's children to support his political agenda.
Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us now to talk about this. And, Ed, what is on the lesson plan today? No indoctrination in the plan today?
HENRY: That's right, Jim. I mean, this president has talked before about teachable moments. I guess he's taking it literally today.
There was a lot of charges of indoctrination last year, and then when the president gave the speech, it was pretty straightforward. It was essentially, you know, study hard, stay in school. It was pretty straightforward, and that's why this year there's been very little controversy in the run up to this. I think it's interesting the president is going to get a little personal, talk about when he was a student, how he had identity issues having a white mother and a black father, and a father who was not really there for him. So he gets a little personal and tries to connect with his students.
But then talks interestingly about both the fact that it's a time of war right now and this tough economy, telling the students at one point, quote, "You You read about the war in Afghanistan. You hear about the recession we've been through. You see it in your parents' faces and sense it in their voice. A lot of you are having to act a lot older than you are to be strong for your family while your brother or sister is serving overseas, to look after younger siblings while your mom works that second shift, to take on a part-time job while your dad is out of work."
So you see the president there trying to connect, not just on education, which is a central issue for so many families, but also about this economic recession that's hit so many families hard all around the country. They've heard all these political messages right now in the midterm election. He's trying to keep this non-political. In fact, I'm told, you know, the president has got a fundraiser in Philadelphia next week. And so some people are wondering -- pardon me -- why didn't the president just combine this official speech, do it next week when he's going to do some fund raising in Philadelphia. Very clear I'm hearing from Democratic officials he just wanted this to be completely separate. He didn't want to be doing any fund raising on the same day he's giving this speech. Didn't want even a whiff of politics here, Jim.
ACOSTA: Yes. Probably a good idea not to have a fundraiser on the same day he's talking to the students. Next, he'll be accused of what? Hitting the kids up for lunch money, maybe something like that.
HENRY: Yes, campaign contributions. Exactly.
All right. Ed Henry live at the White House. Thanks, Ed. Appreciate it.
HENRY: Thanks, Jim.
ACOSTA: We'll have live coverage of President Obama's back to school message from Philadelphia today. You can watch that right here on CNN starting at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: It is 7:30 in the east, 30 minutes past the hour. And that means time for this morning's top stories.
Secretary of state Hillary Clinton is hoping to write a new chapter in an old Mideast drama. This morning she's in Egypt for a new round of talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Negotiations are part of a process aimed at closing a peace deal within the next 12 months.
ACOSTA: Today, the French Senate is scheduled to vote on whether or not to outlaw burqas. Now, someone caught wearing a burqa in public could be fined up to $190. The lower House of Parliament overwhelmingly passed the legislation back in July.
CROWLEY: And intelligence officials say they have killed nine alleged militants in Pakistan. The group was hit by a suspected U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan. There's no word on exactly who was targeted. But in the past week, suspected U.S. drone strikes have taken out more than 30 suspected militants.
ACOSTA: And those suspected attacks are a reminder of just how dangerous some places in Pakistan are. Yet for the past week, our newest correspondent Kaj Larsen has journeyed to some of Pakistan's most remote and unsafe areas bringing us unprecedented coverage of a group of U.S. veterans with a special set of skills.
CROWLEY: They are called Team Rubicon and these guys don't ask questions, they just spring into action, risking their own lives to save the lives of others. Here's our Kaj Larsen from Islamabad, Pakistan, with an inside look you'll only see on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAJ LARSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the floods in Pakistan happened, I embedded myself with Team Rubicon. After 8,000 miles and three straight days of traveling from Islamabad to southern Punjab, Rubicon arrives to a dire humanitarian situation.
Thousands of people who more than a month into the crisis still had not received any medical aid.
(on camera): We're going to triage people and identify the sickest patients first. So while there was a lot of men lining up out here, the actual sickest patients were the women and the children who are kept separate and they are in the back.
We identified one baby who had all of the signs and appearance of severe dehydration. And now I'm bringing the supplies to Dr. Dolan so he can treat her.
(voice-over): Dr. Eduardo Dolan is a member of the team. Former Marine William McNulty, like all members of Team Rubicon learned emergency life saving skills in the military.
(on camera): What's the issue with this guy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The baby appears totally floppy. It's totally unresponsive.
LARSEN: We're going to bring this baby to see the Dr. Dolan right now.
Diarrhea, vomiting.
(voice-over): Nine-month-old baby Ali Hassan (ph) is in critical condition, suffering from severe dehydration. A treatable illness, but one that's already claimed the lives of hundreds of flood victims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many diarrhea stools today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two times a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two times a day. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need a 10 cc syringe. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have the 10 cc syringe?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or 20?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
LARSEN (on camera): Nothing? What's the biggest?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost there, guys.
LARSEN (voice-over): Time is critical. Baby Ali's pulse is getting weaker. Dr. Dolan immediately starts oral rehydration therapy by syringe. I watched how quickly baby Ali responded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, boom, baby woke up. For me as a physician, one of those moments where I know we saved a life.
Baby, what, about 45 minutes later was sitting up. He was alert. Eyes were - it was really magical in a way.
LARSEN (on camera): How dire was that circumstance?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that baby could have been dead by tonight.
LARSEN (voice-over): For baby Ali's worried mother, relief.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know you're feeling better.
LARSEN: Well enough now to make the journey back home, we followed baby Ali for a bit until we reached the end of the road, literally.
(on camera): This is the reality of Pakistan in the aftermath of the floods. Yes, we saw that baby make a miraculous recovery before our eyes. But now, he still has to trek an hour home through the water to his house, which is surrounded by the same dirty water that got him sick in the first place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any other sick ones?
LARSEN (voice-over): While Rubicon team members continue to treat people, a local Pakistani doctor informs us that there were more victims out there. Despite recommendations not to move for safety reasons, we loaded up once more. This time with a police escort as we move even farther into the hinterlands.
One of the things about Rubicon, it's not necessarily that they go places that others can't go, they go places that others won't go.
Going as far as our escort will take us, we decided to hike it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Places people overlook.
LARSEN (on camera): Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People that don't come out because they're not liked in the village.
LARSEN: So now we're treating some infants who have some diarrhea, infection. Team Rubicon spent the next three days treating these two infants and thousands of others. But as Team Rubicon ended their mission, these former military vets felt they had provided a small life raft in a sea of tragedy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I try to lend some medical expertise and experience here and hopefully help some people and save some lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things the veterans of T.R. talk about is that we're saving lives, not taking lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LARSEN: You know, Jim and Candy, when we finished the mission with Team Rubicon, we did exactly the same procedure that we did when we'd finish a mission in the service. We did an after action report. And when we got together the night after the mission and assessed what we had done, we were very proud of the fact that we had treated almost 3,000 people in the remote areas of Pakistan.
But we also acknowledge that it was just a drop in the bucket in terms of the amount of aid that's needed here.
CROWLEY: Kaj, let me ask you. You're going under these remote areas, are they surprised to see you? What is the initial reaction when you just kind of wander up and start helping?
LARSEN: The initial reaction, Candy, is one of gratitude. And frankly it really at that point doesn't matter to the people that we're helping what our background there is. Surprised and happy to see us at that point. Overall, a very positive reaction when you're delivering aid here.
CROWLEY: And I suspect one that's gratifying to you all. Thank you so much, Kaj Larsen, we appreciate your reports this week.
The final day of the midterm elections is getting underway in seven states today. We should say the final major primary day. There are a couple more to go. The tea party candidates today are hoping to make a big splash, but are they playing into the hands of Democrats.
Kate Zernike, author of "Boiling Mad Inside Tea Party America" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Three tea party candidates are looking to stage the next big upset today. We're tracking those races closely in New York, New Hampshire, and especially Delaware. The Republican primary for Senate in Delaware has everybody talking. Mike Castle is up against Christine O'Donnell who is backed by the tea party and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
ACOSTA: We know who that is. One person who wouldn't be surprised by another tea party win is Kate Zernike. She is a national correspondent for the "New York Times." She is also the author of the book "Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America."
And it does feel like we're living in their world. It's their world and we're just living in it. Let me ask you about this race in Delaware right now. I mean, a lot of predictions are that Christine O'Donnell could pull off this upset, but then there's some pushback in these last waning days saying Mike Castle's got this. He's going to pull this off. What is your sense looking at that race? Could this actually happen?
KATE ZERNIKE, AUTHOR "BOILING MAD: INSIDE TEA PARTY AMERICA": It could.
ACOSTA: Where did this come from?
ZERNIKE: Well, the same place that Joe Miller came from in Alaska and all these places. We've seen you know, people have spent so much time focusing on the tea party rallies and the tea party signs but they've really forgotten to think about how the tea party's been organizing.
While we've all been talking about these rallies and their signs, they've been in these meetings across the country, talking about really a hostile takeover of the Republican Party, which is what this is. They're really trying to move the Republican Party to the right. And that's what Christine O'Donnell wants to do. That said, Mike Castle has won more than 10 statewide elections in Delaware. So he's a really -
ACOSTA: Including governor.
ZERNIKE: Including governor. And they only have one congressman. So when he runs for Congress, he runs the whole state. So he's a really formidable candidate.
CROWLEY: And he's got an organization and Delaware's not Alaska. And he sees it coming and Lisa Murkowski did not see it coming in Alaska.
ZERNIKE: Exactly.
CROWLEY: It'll be interesting to see what will be a bigger surprise. Whether she wins or he wins. But let me ask you, when it comes to this Delaware race, we saw that she got endorsed by Sarah Palin. She got endorsed by the tea party express. But Freedom Works, which is Dick Armey, former Republican leader in the House, it's his group. But that group which has provided a lot of the organization and the structure for the tea party movement said, "you know what? We're not going to endorse her because we don't think she can win."
ZERNIKE: Right.
CROWLEY: It seems to me there's a split in the tea party over is it about fielding candidates who can win in November? Or is it about sending a message to the Republican Party win or lose?
ZERNIKE: Right. And look, Freedom Works did indeed say that, and I think they are much more savvy about how Washington works and about how politics works. But you have to remember for a lot of these tea party activists, they're new to politics and it's become more of a religion for them. I mean, people I talked to they feel like this is the most important thing that they've ever done with their lives. They quit their jobs to do this full time. They really believe in this.
ACOSTA: A lot of this is real.
ZERNIKE: It is very real for them. We've seen all of these victories. And if this happens in Delaware, it's going to be because of the zeal of these activists. They really are dedicated to this. But sometimes they hit up against reality. And the reality isn't Delaware. You know, it's a much more moderate state, which is why Mike Castle's been able to win.
ACOSTA: And Kate, you made an interesting point, a fascinating point just a few moment ago when you said that there are tea party leaders who are plotting a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. You've gone to many of these meetings with tea party activists. I've met with a lot of them myself and I found that they're not very guarded when it comes to making comments. I mean, they're not as political as some of the professional politicians in Washington.
So what are they saying behind the scenes in terms of this takeover? I mean, are they basically saying we're coming after the Republican Party and we want to be in charge of it?
ZERNIKE: Oh, yes. As one of the characters in my book says, "to get rid of the Democrats, we have to get rid of the Republicans." I mean, this is how they feel. The Republican Party has left them and has not shown candidates who are far enough to the right and they want to make their voices heard. They want to move the party back to the right.
CROWLEY: What does Washington look like if some of these - we haven't gotten to the ball here yet, which is, you know, in November. What does it look like if some of these tea party members do get into power, in particular in the Senate, where one person can have a pretty big effect?
ZERNIKE: Well, we've already heard from Rand Paul, what he says is who is the Senate candidate in Kentucky. He says when he gets to Washington, what he wants to do is ban together four or five other conservatives and stop up the business of the Senate for a week while they debate the balance budget amendment to the Constitution, which has never been able to pass.
So I think they really are thinking gridlock is OK if we make our point. I don't think it's gridlock all the time, but I do think that there's going to be a lot of further polarization. You know, there are some people who would say that allows people in the middle to find more common ground.
ACOSTA: And gridlock equals less government. ZERNIKE: Absolutely.
ACOSTA: Works right into their hands.
let me ask you about what the vice president just recently said. He referred to the Republican Party as the Republican Tea Party. And I'm just curious, I mean, are Democrats getting a little too giddy about this scenario that they think is unfolding that on Election Day all of these Tea Party candidates -- because Democrats perceive them as too extreme -- are going to fall on their face?
Is that as likely to happen if the Democrats see fit if this is a wave election? I mean, you could see the Democrats just wrong on that. That all these Tea Party candidates get (AUDIO GAP).
KATE ZERNIKE, AUTHOR, "BOILING MAD INSIDE TEA PARTY AMERICA": I think the Democrats are to a certain degree a little too giddy on that. It's a little bit race by race. In about 10 races across the country, there are third-party, Tea Party candidates who could really hand the election to the Democrats. But that's 10 races in an election year when we're talking about 100 competitive seats in the house.
So I think that what we need to watch is the Tea Party energy. Again, it's all about organizing, it's what they're doing behind the scenes and we really need to watch that. The Republicans and the Democrats need to take a lesson from that.
ACOSTA: And they've got the passion, which is why you're seeing people like David Plouffe come out, trying to get Democrats energized, get Democrats passionate. That's why he's talking about Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck running the Republican Party, trying to get Democrats worried about what may be coming down the pike.
Kate Zernike, from the "New York Times" and the author of the book "Boiling Mad," thanks for joining us this morning. It's going to be a fascinating read.
ZERNICKE: Thanks.
ACOSTA: Appreciate your time.
CROWLEY: Thanks, Kate.
Getting high is getting too easy for teens. The DEA says the war on drugs is moving to the shelves in your local pharmacy. Just ahead, find out the agency's plans for cough medicine. It is 46 minutes after the hour.
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ACOSTA: And we do have breaking news to report this morning. We can report at this hour that the female hiker Sarah Shourd has been detained in Iran for over a year now, has been released. We're getting that word now from Iran TV. And our Reza Sayah is working his sources. He's in Islamabad right now also working on this story. But this long ordeal for her family is apparently coming to an end. Not necessarily the case for those other two hikers.
CROWLEY: No, the other two males, one her fiance, and the other a friend, they'd been hiking along the Iran/Iraqi border. Iran has been very intransigent about this case. It sounds as though the other two will be tried for espionage.
Great news, we had heard that Sarah Shourd has been sick. Her family was quite worried about her. We are going to assume that the half million dollars in bail - that Iran has been demanding before they release her - has been paid. And that they will get her out of there pretty darn quickly. We know the Swiss Embassy has been acting since we have no diplomatic relations there, the Swiss Embassy has been acting as the go-between here.
So it's, you know, great news. But it just kind of underlines that those two young men have also been there for more than a year and remain there. And it must be tough for her because again, Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, both staying behind and I imagine they have a very close bond now. They had one before but they sure have one now.
ACOSTA: One thing we heard from our Reza Sayah yesterday is we were sort of wondering about this money to be paid. What is the deal with that? It almost felt like ransom that had to be paid in order to get her out of there. But as Reza Sayah was explaining, this was essentially bail money that was supposed to be paid on her behalf for her to be released. And with the understanding, obviously, under Iranian law to come back for her trial. Obviously that won't be the case. Once she leaves the country, she's going to be gone for good and that's for her own good, obviously.
CROWLEY: I mean, I guess the question to me has been all along - and this has been going on for the past couple of days where we expected her to be released --
ACOSTA: We weren't sure if this was going to happen.
CROWLEY: We weren't sure it was going to happen because of the money thing but it sounded like it was going to go. And the question is, why?
Iran has not been known for humanitarian gestures over time. The claim and her family's fears about her health have been ongoing since the mothers visited the three of them over there some time ago. And Iran has always -- it seems to me the Iranian government is always working it. There is something else going on. And I wonder what the message is here.
ACOSTA: It felt as if there were diplomatic string attached to the fate of these three hikers. And now that Sarah Shourd has been released, obviously there will be a back story behind all of this as to why this is happening now, and why just her. And as we have been mentioning the last couple of minutes here about this developing story, this breaking story that Sarah Shourd is about to be released from Iran - or that she has been released in Iran is exactly, you know, what happens next to these other two men. I mean, that's the big question is what happens to Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer as these days move forward? We're just going to have to wait and find out.
CROWLEY: Again, our Reza Sayah is, in fact, working his sources. We will have a full report at the top of the hour. In the meantime, we'll be back right after this.
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CROWLEY: Last year over 8,000 people landed in emergency rooms across the U.S. all because they were misusing over the counter cough suppressants. Most of them were teenagers. The problem is so bad the Drug Enforcement Administration has called in for reinforcements to tackle the problem.
Joining us this morning from Atlanta, our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Elizabeth, it seems to me everybody's always sort of gone to - teenagers looked at cough medicine to get cheap alcohol but this is more than that.
ELI8ZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. This is very different. This is a very powerful drug that when combined with other drugs, can cause death.
So what the Drug Enforcement Agency wants the know is they're asking the FDA will it save lives to change the rules and make these cough medicines by prescription only?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): Carl Hennan (ph) was your all-American teen. Good looking, talented, and popular. But Carl had a secret. For much of his high school years he was getting high on over the counter cough syrup.
His mother, Misty Fetko, a registered nurse, always talked to him about the effects of drugs and alcohol but never thought to talk about cough suppressants until she tried to wake him up one morning and couldn't.
MISTY FETKO, CARL'S MOTHER: Unfortunately I found him in his bed and at that point it was too late.
COHEN: That was in 2003. Since, Fetko has been on a mission to make sure other parents are aware that over the counter cough medicines it can be abused. When Fetko first discovered empty bottles of the stuff in the home, it never occurred to her that Carl might be doing something dangerous. But on the day he died it hit her. What triggered his death was sitting right there in her medicine cabinet. FETKO: It's inexpensive. The fact is, the kids don't have to have a scary drug dealer to obtain it.
COHEN: According to the Partnership for Drug-Free America, eight percent per 1.3 million teens have reported abusing over the counter cough suppressants over the last year. The ingredient is these medicine that creates the high is known as Dextromethorphan, or Dex.
(on camera): Dextromethorphan is found in all sorts of products on drugstore shelves. When you take a lot of it, it can create a euphoria and it can also raise your body temperature, your blood pressure, and your heart rate. And then if it's mixed with other drugs, it can kill you.
(voice-over): Dex-related emergency room visits increased more than 70 percent from 2004 to 2008. So the Drug Enforcement Administration is asking for help. They want advice from the Food and Drug Administration on whether to make products like Nyquil, Robitussin, and Tylenol cold medicine available by prescription only. Some say this is going overboard.
STEVE PASIERB, PARTNERSHIP FOR DRUG FREE AMERICACOSTA: When you've got inhalant abuse four times higher, marijuana abuse many, many times higher, compared to other drugs of abuse, this is not the most serious threat facing a lot of families.
COHEN: Cough medicine makers say their products help millions of people and should stay over the counter and parents are the key to curbing abuse.
LINDA SUYDAM, CONSUMER HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION: Many parents do not talk to their children but we know that parent that is talk to their children have a 50 percent decrease in using drugs.
COHEN: Missy Fetko agrees. She says restricting these medicines to prescription only probably won't help.
FETKO: It might be, you know, a short term quick fix so it's the access is still there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Now, the companies that make these cough suppressants, they've already put warning labels right on the bottles. Plus, they support this change. They say, keep it over the counter but make it illegal to sell it to anyone under the age of 18 - Candy.
CROWLEY: Thanks so much, Elizabeth Cohen.
Still to come, the latest in the American hiker released from custody in Iran. Reza Sayah, live with that at the top of the hour.
We are back in 90 seconds.
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