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American Morning
The Delaware Debate; South American Idols; Apple Stock at All- Time High; Hawn's Foundation Unveils New Teaching Techniques for Children Under Stress
Aired October 14, 2010 - 07:59 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 on this Thursday October the 14th. Thanks so much for joining us on AMERICAN MORNING. I'm John Roberts in New York City.
Good morning, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, John. I'm Kiran Chetry, joining you guys live, this morning, from the University of Delaware campus in Newark, Delaware.
It was the site of the big debate last night between Senate candidates Christine O'Donnell and Chris Coons. We have a lot to talk about this morning so let's get right to it. By the way, that's a beautiful shot of the campus this morning. Bustling activity this early. We were all wondering, hey, did we get up this early when we were in college? I don't remember that.
Meanwhile, last night's debate, the Tea Party star Christine O'Donnell comparing her Democratic opponent at one point to Karl Marx. Chris Coons firing back calling her an extremist. He's going to be joining us live this hour, though, with more on what he would do, how he would vote if he indeed becomes the senator from Delaware.
ROBERTS: They are all out. The nation of Chile exhaling this morning. All 33 trapped miners are free after a flawless day-long rescue operation. Their children, newborn babies, wives, even a mistress, waiting for them. Some of the miners may leave the hospital today. We're live in Chile with the latest for you this morning for you.
CHETRY: Also, Apple reaching new highs. Its stock closing at just over $300 a share. Quite a feat for a company that was worth only $7 a share 10 years ago. What's behind the new benchmark? Could it be the new iPad? And could Apple soon be giving parents the power to oversee what their kids send via text message? We'll be talking about that today as well.
ROBERTS: But first this morning, she is trailing badly in the polls but Christine O'Donnell sure came out swinging last night in CNN's nationally televised Delaware Senate debate.
CHETRY: Yes, she really did. The Tea Party star attacked Democrat opponent Chris Coons right from the start, even in her opening statement, warning voters that he would hike their taxes. Coons fired back, as well, painting O'Donnell as a woman more concerned with slogans than actually solving problems.
The two candidates sparred on a number of issues, including the recently-passed health care forms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL (R), DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: Uncle Sam has no business coming in the examination room, coming between you and your doctor. That's exactly what this bill does.
CHRIS COONS (D), DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: Christine, give some concrete example of how -- that's a great slogan. You toss it around everywhere you go. But how does this bill actually put Uncle Sam in the examination room between doctors and patients? And if so, why did the organization that fights for and represents America's nurses, America's seniors, America's hospitals and America's doctors all endorse and support the bill?
O'DONNELL: And many of those branches on the state level, including here in Delaware, have said that we don't support what the national office has done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, heading into the debate, O'Donnell trailed Coons by 19 percent. This was in the latest CNN/"Time"/Opinion Research poll.
The question, though, this morning is: Did she do enough to cut that lead down?
And joining us with more on that is senior political analyst Gloria Borger, joins me this morning. You had a chance to view the debate last night, as well.
Welcome this morning.
She needed to reach out I think in some ways to moderates. There's a lot of undecided in the states. Nearly a quarter of people registered to vote in the state call themselves "other" besides Democrat or Republican. Did she do that last night?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: She tried when she was asked question about does she want to end the Department of Education, she said no, she didn't want to do that. I think her real goal last night was to try to change the narrative from being about her personally to being about the issue she wants to talk about, tax cuts, and try and put Chris Coons on the defensive a little bit.
So, she came out and she, you know, took shot after shot after him, particularly on the issue of raising taxes, when he was county executive. On health care, as we just saw, trying to portray him as a liberal Democrat, big spender, tied and tethered to Barack Obama, who as you know grown increasingly unpopular all over the country.
CHETRY: By the way, pardon the trash trucks and the noise. We laugh. This has got to be the cleanest campus in the country because we're seeing them go by every two minutes.
BORGER: I'm going to a lot of 8:00 a.m. classes too.
CHETRY: They sure are.
One of the other interesting parts last night was some critiques of Christine O'Donnell associated from the Democrats, have been some of the past statements that she's made, statements about, I think it was mice with fully functioning human brains. She said at one point. Some questions about her thoughts on teaching creationism versus evolution in school, and she was asked about that last night.
So, let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, MODERATOR: Do you believe evolutionism is a myth?
O'DONNELL: I believe that the local -- I was talking of what a local school taught and that should be taught -- that should be decided on the local community, but please let me respond to what he just said.
BLITZER: We let you respond, but answer the question. Do you believe evolution is a myth?
O'DONNELL: Local schools should make that decision. I made that remark based on --
BLITZER: But what do you believe? What do you believe?
O'DONNELL: What I believe is irrelevant.
BLITZER: Why is it irrelevant?
O'DONNELL: Because what I will support --
BLITZER: Voters want to know what you think.
O'DONNELL: -- what I will support in Washington, D.C. is the ability for the local school system to decide what is taught in their classrooms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: See, this is interesting, because she has defended and said many times before that she believes creationism should be taught in the classroom if you're teaching evolution. Did she make a mistake not answering that?
BORGER: Yes. I think -- I think it was one of the most evasive answers we saw. You know, it's always easy to say, oh, leave it up to the local level. And, you know, that's just the way not to answer the question. We know what she has said in the past about evolution and I think she needed to try and explain herself.
But clearly, she and her campaign advisers decided that they didn't want to do that -- that instead, they just wanted to sort of dismiss it and move along to "let's leave it more to the state and local levels." And as you know, Wolf Blitzer was quite aggressive in saying to her, you know just answer the question. And I don't think the folks who were watching got an answer to that last night.
CHETRY: That was -- that was interesting. To see how that exchange went and, again, just so people know, we have reached out to her campaign to see if she would join us and talk to us this morning. They declined that, saying that she was too busy, but we are going to be speaking in a few minutes to Delaware's Democratic candidate for Senate, Chris Coons. So, we look forward to hearing from him in about 10 minutes.
Gloria, great to get your perspective.
BORGER: She did get under his skin a little bit.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: We'll ask him about that. Thanks, Gloria -- John.
ROBERTS: Well, they are South American idols, Chile and many places around the world are celebrating the miracle rescue of 33 miners this morning. The final miner pulled to freedom last night, 54-year-old Luis Urzua. He was the captain, the man whose direction helped keep the group alive. Many of them could go leave the hospital and go back home today.
Gary Tuchman live for us in Copiapo, Chile, this morning where they're probably still celebrating.
Good morning, Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, good morning to you.
On this 70th day, the miners rested. After nearly 10 weeks, the 33 miners are safe and sound, home with their families -- most of them out of the hospital right now. But there are absolutely no serious medical conditions.
One of the miners had a slight case of pneumonia, some other minor issues. Minor issues for the miners, that is. But it's expected that most of them return to their families and return to their homes today.
This is Camp Hope. This is the city that sprouted out of nowhere over the last several weeks. There are more than 2,000 people there at its peak just yesterday.
But now, the families and friends of the miners are leaving. I think we miss them more than they miss us. You can see the press is packing up, too. And pretty soon, this will be completely desolate, like it has been for eon. This is where the mine is, the mine probably will never open again.
The workers do not live here. They live 45 minutes away, an hour away. There was no one here. It became a tent city. There are basically no creature comforts whatsoever and now it's being dismantled. That is good news.
It was absolutely amazing, John, how it worked out. The 33 miners were pulled out with this relatively crude-looking capsule attached to a wheel and a rope, pulled them all out in 22 hours. It's expected if everything went well, it would take 33 to 36 hours. Instead, they did it within a day.
And then six mine rescue experts were down the mine also, and they were pulled out successfully and now, the wheel will not spin again. The miners are also safe and they're all in good condition. This was a fairytale ending to an absolute disaster. It really is a wonderful story for us to cover -- John.
ROBERTS: Gary, as they were pulling up the last of the miners down in the cavern, 2,300 feet below the earth surface, they held up a sign and said "mission accomplished," and in this case, it was true. There must be an enormous sense of national pride there today.
TUCHMAN: Yes. No, there's so much pride here in Chile. I mean, these men became heroes to every Chilean. And what I was thinking about before we got here is that if there was a catastrophe during this rescue effort. If one miner was harmed, there could be such sorrow in this nation and the world, for that matter.
But instead, it's a massive celebration here in Chile and throughout the world. So many people were watching this and I won't be surprised if down the road, they'll make -- that's OK. People are wandering around. They're allowed to.
I won't be surprised if somebody, October 13th, the day this began here, at 12:10 a.m., and ending at 8:55, or actually 9:55 local time, I wouldn't be surprised if someday, October 13th is a national holiday in this country. That's how important this all was.
ROBERTS: And I love the fact, too, that Manuel Gonzalez, who was the first rescuer down into the cavern and the last one to come up, you know, he had such presence of mind about the -- you know, the sense of this being a national and international event, he waved to the camera, took a bow, got in the capsule and then went up. It's just amazing.
TUCHMAN: I mean, this man must be part of the early 21st century but -- I mean, it really was a television production. But in this case, sometimes, it's overdone. When you watch certain reality shows. I mean, this was a true reality show. This was reality.
And seeing all these pictures was absolutely amazing that all of us watching TV knew precisely what happened.
ROBERTS: The amazing stuff. Gary Tuchman for us in -- at Camp Esperanza in Copiapo -- thanks so much, Gary.
Kiran?
TUCHMAN: It was a nice day.
CHETRY: You're right, John. That was a moment to remember, for sure.
Also, we talked so much about all of the smallest details that were planned for the miners, including the free Oakley shades that they were wearing when they came up. It was really just the beginning of big changes for these miners' lives and perhaps big financial changes, as well. There is a report that each of them will receive $10,000. This is coming from a Chilean business tycoon. Other reports say each will receive $400,000 for exclusive television interviews.
They've also been invited to travel to Europe and all kinds of companies are apparently lining up to offer endorsement deals. There's also word of free gifts like iPods. Oakley already donating, as we talked about, the glasses they were wearing on the way up to protect their eyes after all these days in the darkness down there.
Also, plenty of job offers. Super Mario, you may remember Maria Sepulveda, the second miner brought up, said that he was born a miner and that he will die a miner.
But it is interesting, John, to hear about the offer of the money possibly coming from a Chilean tycoon because as we talked about yesterday, there was a lot of concern of being underground of how they would pay the bills, you know, during that time they were not able to earn a living, and many of their loved ones were not either because they were camped out there waiting for their rescue.
ROBERTS: Yes. And many of them may also be seeking compensation through the courts, as well. There's word that some of these miners and their families may be suing the mining company and maybe the Chilean government, as well.
Well, how cool is this? The Hubble space telescope catching a smash-up in deep space -- possibly a head on collision between two asteroids. The X-shaped object with a tail is the aftermath, seen somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Scientists estimate that it happened back in February of 2009 and that the blast caused by the collision was probably as powerful as a small atomic bomb.
Well, got some powerful weather out there today. Bonnie Schneider in the extreme center this morning. She's monitoring a couple of things, Hurricane Paula in the Caribbean, and as well, potential nor'easter coming in to New York City area today.
Good morning, Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. Good morning, John.
We are looking at two big weather makers. We'll start off in the Caribbean because we have a hurricane.
Now, this Hurricane Paula is a small, compact storm. But it is going to really bring quite a bit of damage, I believe to western Cuba, particularly where we have a mountainous terrain and also, a lot of rain expected, three to four inches.
But on the high side, some areas could see 10 inches of rain as this storm comes onshore, a category one hurricane, quickly weakening. We see as the forecast takes us into Friday and Saturday, the storm quickly downgrades and it looks like it's curving away from Florida. But there are parts of Florida and Florida Keys still under tropical storm watch due to some strong winds.
Well, winds and rain and not of a tropical nature but a nor'easter brewing. In the mid-Atlantic right now, the rain is turning to get heavier for the Washington, D.C. are and for Baltimore, as well. This is the beginning of storm system that will impact travel in a big way and anticipate delays today in Washington and across the Eastern Seaboard. More tomorrow, as well - John.
ROBERTS: Bonnie Schneider for us this morning -- Bonnie, thanks so much.
Well, wouldn't you want someone like Goldie Hawn to teach your kids about optimism, kindness and well being? Well, that's exactly what the Academy Award-winning actress and producer is doing now. Goldie Hawn is going to be here live in just a little while to explain exactly why she has assembled at team of neuroscientists and teachers to help our little kids stay on track in life -- Kiran.
CHETRY: That's wonderful. You know, Goldie Hawn and I went to the same high school and she is legendary, of course, at Montgomery Blair High School.
ROBERTS: Is there anybody who didn't go to Montgomery Blair?
CHETRY: Well, we had -- we got Carl Bernstein. We got Ben Stein. We got Goldie Hawn. We had a great, you know, a great run in the late '60s and early '70s. But, yes, we were thrilled to know she once walked the same hallways.
ROBERTS: She'll be here soon. It will be terrific to see her.
CHETRY: We look forward to that.
Also joining me here at the University of Delaware campus, one of Delaware's Senate hopefuls, Chris Coons. He is going to be talking to us about last night's debate with Christine O'Donnell, and what he has to say about it this morning. He's going to be joining us live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back. Fifteen minutes past the hour. You are looking at a shot of the Election Express Bus. We are here on the University of Delaware campus where -- boy, we had a great time last night watching the Delaware Senate Debate between Christine O'Donnell and candidate Chris Coons. A lot was discussed last night.
And joining us this morning, we're very happy that candidate Chris Coons decided to wake up with us and to talk some postgame after last night's debate. Thank you for being with us.
CHRIS COONS, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SENATE IN DELAWARE: Thanks for the chance to be here.
CHETRY: So, we watched the debate as well with a lot of Delaware voters last night at a restaurant right off campus, and some of the criticism of you off the bat was that they felt that you were in some cases dismissive of Christine O'Donnell. How do you view her as your competition? Do you think that she's a viable candidate?
COONS: Well, I take her seriously. She is the nominee of the Republican Party, and I think partly why Congressman Castle didn't win his primary was he didn't take her seriously enough. He did not realize there are a lot of folks in Delaware who are angry, who are frustrated and who are looking for real solutions. They are looking for somebody who is going to tackle this what is broken in Washington.
But frankly in last night's debate, with 35,000 Delawarians out of work, I didn't hear much substance from Miss O'Donnell. Mostly I heard attacks, criticisms, personal catchy slogans, but not a lot of real substance about what she would do moving forward and what I was hoping would come out of our first debate last night was a chance for Delaware's voters to learn more about our experience, our background, our views and our plans for how to move Delaware forward.
CHETRY: In her introduction, you both got two minutes right off the top, she said that if you want somebody that is going to go to Washington and raise your taxes just like he's done here in New Castle County, and then he's your guy. Did you find that upsetting?
COONS: Well, that upset me less than some of the things further on. As we got farther and farther into the debate, I think she got sharper, more personal, and strayed a little bit further from the truth in terms of characterizing my record here.
CHETRY: She also said she didn't grow up with a trust fund like you did. Did you find that upsetting?
COONS: What disturbed me, frankly, was that she wasn't focusing on the issues. My family started a business. My stepfather started a business here in Newark, in the basement with his parents, and along with much of my family and hundreds of hard working Delawarians. That small business grew to be quite successful. I thought that's what all of us were going to try and do.
And that's what I'd like to go and do in Washington is to fight for America's small businesses so that more families could have the experience of being successful, so that more kids can go to college, so that we can grow our way out of this recession. Frankly, I was somewhat surprised to have a Republican attacking me for the success of my family and for the hard work that we have put into this community. CHETRY: She was -- I guess, using that to defend why she had some unpaid college bills and said like many Americans I lived in debt or had trouble making ends meet at a point in time. But it was also interesting because in the beginning of the debate, she had you sort of defending President Obama, some of his policies as she talked about the stimulus providing no jobs, losing two million jobs and on and on. Do you agree with how this administration has handled the economic crisis and the unemployment rate?
COONS: Take the stimulus, for example. There were real positive things that have come out of the stimulus, but I have publicly criticized and disagreed with some of how it's been delivered, some of the spending. Some of its impact, it took too long for a lot of the money to get out. Some of the money has not been spent in the best ways.
But I know people, I have met people and I work with people whose jobs were funded and made possible through the stimulus. Investments in energy efficiency, investments in expanding private sector jobs here in Delaware. I was just down at the port of Wilmington a few weeks ago for a ribbon cutting of a new facility at the port that was made possible by recovery zone bonds that New Castle County was able to offer to a private employer that put 150 construction guys to work. I think that's a real positive impact.
CHETRY: It's a delicate balance, though, because those -- some of this anger that's been sort of shown by the Tea Party has been about what you would say is a development project and what others would call pork, saying, OK so that we go to Washington and we secure projects for our home state and that's what's wrong with incumbents and that is why there's a lot of incumbent anger. If you were to go to Washington, would you say no to pork barrel spending, to any type of spending that was outside of the programs that we have to spend on including Medicare and benefits, as well as military spending? I mean, would you hold the line on other spending?
COONS: Well, let's be clear about what you are saying. Would you hold the line on this, hold the line on that? I do think it's important to invest in infrastructure where it is for a public purpose, where it is going to put people to work and where it is going to strengthen our economy.
The Sitrasuco (ph) project at the port of Wilmington that I'm talking about is going to create more high quality, long-term jobs for Delaware. And it is a private activity. This was funded mostly through the private sector. The work was done in the private sector and it is going to create private sector jobs. I don't think that's pork barrel spending, I think that is helping to stimulate the local economy. My record --
CHETRY: You were both asked last night, where would you cut? Because we find ourselves in deficit spending, we find ourselves in debt. Where would you cut besides -- and I know that you talked about this trying to find a way out of the war in Afghanistan and stop with the defense spending? COONS: There is a broader list on my web site. But I talked last night about a number of things, about a freeze on discretionary nondefense spending. Something the President supported and I would also support. That would reduce a significant amount of projected increases in spending in the next three years.
Second, there's a number of programs in other departments, Department of Agriculture, price supports for commodities that no longer need price supports, that really have become more price support for corporate agriculture than for the family farms they were originally designed to support. There's a number of defense projects where even the Pentagon has said they don't want those particular platforms anymore. The C-17, for example.
But they continue to be built, they continue to be bought because of district politics, because of pork barrel politics. There are things we need to cut. My record as county executive was cutting $130 million in county spending and in a county this size, New Castle County, that's a significant amount. In capital and operating that I have cut out of our budget over the last six years.
CHETRY: One quick question. Because this is what if you indeed -- and you're up by 19 points right now, when you get to the Senate, you guys are going to be debating this middle class tax cut extension, whether or not they should be extended. If the bill before you includes it for all income earners, including those about $250,000, would you say yes to that bill? Would you sign it? Would you support it? You can't sign it yet. But you never know ten years down the road.
COONS: As I said last night, I would support extending all of the Bush income tax cuts but I think we need to look hard and for how long and at what cost. Any increase in income tax relief comes at the expense of other possible tax relief. I would like to prioritize a research and development tax credit, a manufacturing tax credit, a home office tax exemption that would I think help incentivize the creation of small businesses and small jobs. Some accelerated depreciation provisions for small businesses.
All of these increases or extensions of tax cuts come at the cost of increasing the deficit, increasing the debt. So, I would prioritize those that have the best chance in the short run of getting our market, getting our economy, getting our businesses back on track and creating jobs.
CHETRY: But, the bottom line, if the only bill before you to vote yes to was one that counted for everybody, including the high-end income earners, you would say yes?
COONS: If that's what it takes to reach a bipartisan compromise that we can move forward on, yes.
CHETRY: Well, it was great to talk to you this morning, Chris. Thank you so much, we appreciate it.
COONS: Great to talk with you. Thank you for being here in Delaware.
CHETRY: My pleasure. John?
ROBERTS: Should have, could have, would have. Apple stock at an all-time high this morning. Did you invest? Plus, now the iPhone maker is trying to take a stand against sexting. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business." Coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-six minutes after the hour. Christine Romans joins us now "Minding Your Business." Oh, to have bought Apple stock at seven bucks a share.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know. I know somebody who bought it at two bucks a share who is very, very happy, yes.
And I'm telling you another thing. A long time ago, I was noticing all these Apple boxes on the street and the first thing they say on Wall Street is buy what you know. People started buying Apple stock because they were noticing so many people buying their products, their iPods, their iPhones, now the iPads and the like. And the stock is now $300 a share for the first time yesterday it closed above $300 a share. This often happens with Apple stock before it has a big quarterly earnings report or before there is a big event where the President or the CEO speaks.
Next week is expected to release the latest statistics for the iPad which has gone blockbuster from its debut. The iPhone, other products, we'll get some numbers of just how much people are digging deep to buy those products even if the rest of the economy still feels like it's a little bit stagnant.
On Wednesday, they're also going to show the press their new Macintosh computers. Maybe respond to some of these persistent rumors that will add Verizon in the U.S. as another carrier for the iPhone by 2011. So, watching those shares. $300. And also, Apple separately, it has patented technology that would help parents block sexting from their children's phone. There is no commercial application we are told for this, quite yet. But this is a patent. Basically filter because of a keyword, or even an abbreviation, some of the things that are coming in and out of your kids' phones. Sexting of course is explicit text messages.
ROBERTS: Yes. It's only October the 14th but people are already turning toward the holidays, and you've got a way for people to put a little extra cash in their pocket.
ROMANS: If you want to buy the iPad for the holidays, you have five pay periods left. Think of that. Five pay periods left until Christmas. So, how do you save $500 between now and Christmas? I am telling you, it can be done. You can do it without a debt hangover by the beginning of the year. One of the things that we know is more than 13 million Americans right now are still paying off last Christmas' bills. You do not want to be that person. So, here's a checklist for you before you head into the holidays. Finding 500 bucks, one, stop paying for things you don't use. If you haven't been to the gym in six months, for God's sake, get rid of that membership, and go out and run around the block.
Also, check your cellular plan. You might be using data that you don't use. A lot of people have too much, frankly, that they are paying for on their cell plan. Eat in. Paula Deen, the queen of Southern cuisine told me this week, and said, Christine, if everybody would spend $35 for everyone to stay home once a week and cook with their family, they save 35 bucks. And boom, delete all the saved info on your online shopping sites, you're not tempted -- banish those ATM fees, if you have to. Go to a credit union if you are getting a checking account fees.
ROBERTS: Some good tips. Christine, thanks so much.
ROMANS: There you go.
ROBERTS: She's an academy-award winning actress and producer -- we have to get some WD40 for that. This morning, Goldie Hawn is here live to talk about her new passion in life. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: We're crossing the half hour right now. Time to take a look at the top stories this morning.
They are all out in Chile, 33 rescued miners as well as their rescuers all out of that mine. And the miners are being checked out at the hospital this still this morning after the survived longer than anyone else ever has underground.
Chile's health minister says one is being treated for pneumonia but that some may actually be able to leave the hospital today.
Also, check this out. This was the last man in the mine. The rescuer Manuel Gonzalez taking a bow before climbing into the Phoenix two and heading up, a fantastic moment caught on tape there. John?
ROBERTS: Hurricane Paula slowly turning toward the west coast of Cuba this morning. It is weakening but it could dump up to six inches of rain on the island right on the tobacco growing region. With sustained winds of 80 miles an hour, forecasters say by the time Paula reaches Havana tomorrow, it could be downgraded to a tropical depression.
CHETRY: And also, the Delaware Senate debate is one for the books this morning. Republican Christine O'Donnell, backed by the Tea Party, sparring with Democrat Chris Coons last night. It was all live on CNN. She called some of his ideas Marxist, warning voters he would hike taxes.
Coons appeared a short time ago on "AMERICAN MORNING." Here's what he said about his opponent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS COONS, (D) DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: I take her seriously. She is the nominee of the Republican Party and I think partly why Congressman Castle didn't win his primary was he didn't take her seriously enough. He didn't realize there's a lot of folks in Delaware who are angry and frustrated and looking for real solutions. They're looking for someone who's going to tackle what's broken in Washington.
But frankly in last night's debate, with 35,000 Delawareans out of work, I didn't hear much of substance from Ms. O'Donnell. Mostly I heard attacks, criticisms, personal, catchy slogans, but not a lot of real substance of what she would do moving forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Coons had a 19-point lead, by the way, in the latest CNN/"TIME" opinion research poll heading into last night's debate. Whether or not those numbers change after people had a chance to hear from the candidates we'll have to see in the next polls that come out in the days after that debate last night, John.
ROBERTS: It certainly was a coming out party of sorts for Christine O'Donnell. The Republican Senate hopeful, Tea Party sensation, making her debate debut here on CNN after laying low for weeks.
CHETRY: Yes. She had an interview with our Jim Acosta, but other than that she didn't talk much in the national media. But last night squared off with Democrat Chris Coons, the man she currently trails in the polls by nearly 20 points.
So here to discuss the Delaware debate and all things politics, our Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley joins us this morning, host of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION." Candy, good to see you.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
CHETRY: Delaware, boy, I think a quarter of the voters are not Republican or Democrats. They're other. And those are certainly voters she would have to win them over if she were to pull ahead or even out with the polls having her trailing so far behind. Did she accomplish that last night?
CROWLEY: Well, 19 points is a pretty big margin. Unless your opponent falls on his face and goes boom, you won't make up 19 points. Perhaps people will give her a second look.
But I think you said it all. This is an independent state. Even the Republican Party, the mainstream Republican Party as they like to call them, the traditional Republicans who backed Mike Castle, O'Donnell's opponent in the primary, took a look at this race the next day and thought she can't win in Delaware.
So nothing's impossible in this election cycle, as we know, but you can't make up 19 points unless your opponent falls down in the debate, and he did not.
ROBERTS: Her critics have been watching to see how she would answer substantive questions, and in the debate she was asked a very similar question to one that Sarah Palin was asked in the famous CBS interview about the Supreme Court decisions she didn't agree with. Let's look at how she answered that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What opinions of late that have come from the high court do you most object to?
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, (R) DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: Oh, gosh. Give me a specific one. I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, I can't, because I need you to tell me which ones you object to.
O'DONNELL: I'm very sorry. Right off the top of my head, I know that there are a lot. But I'll put it up on my Web site. I promise you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: That was -- what did you think of that, Candy? Was that a flub? Does it matter if she can answer a question about the Supreme Court off the top of her head?
CROWLEY: I think when you have a national unemployment rate of 9.6 percent, most people are not looking at Supreme Court decisions and saying, oh my gosh, she can't talk about this.
Having said that, certainly in presidential primaries Supreme Court nominees and the ability of a president to pick a nominee is, as you know, a huge vote getter outer. They get that a lot particularly on the Republican side.
It adds to -- insofar as that particular answer adds to she doesn't know anything, if it feeds into the storyline, then it's hurtful. But again, 9.6 unemployment rate -- it's lower, actually, in Delaware. Nonetheless, it is high. That's what people are looking at. They're not really looking at the Supreme Court decisions.
CHETRY: You know, Candy, that's what's interesting, as we're bringing up Chris Coons, her challenger, who, again, is 19 points ahead. If all goes right he will be the senator from Delaware in the midterm elections.
When I asked him how he would tackle the unemployment, he said he pointed to the stimulus projects saying they have been responsible for putting a lot of people back to work. And that has the Tea Partiers fired up that for Democrats the perception that more spending and more taxing is the way to go to turn the economy around.
CROWLEY: Sure. And listen, she certainly went out there trying to portray him as a rubber stamp. She said that a couple of times. He went out there trying to push her as far as he could to the right.
I think if this were a Tea Party candidate in a more Republican, more conservative state -- Alaska, Alabama, someplace like that -- she would have done herself a lot of good last night. I think she probably did do herself some good. But again, you look at the voting population in Delaware and it's just a real uphill climb for her.
Having said that, that's what he said about Mike Castle and he lost. So he's sitting home watching the debate, so we can't count anything out.
ROBERTS: Two and a half weeks, not much time to close a 19 point gap. Candy, great to see you this morning. Thanks so much.
ROBERTS: Coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, Academy-Award winner Goldie Hawn is here live in our studios, coming right up. It's 38 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 42 minutes after the hour. We are back with the Most News in the Morning.
She's come a long way from the "Laugh-In" days. Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn putting her trademark smile to some serious good through her nonprofit Hawn Foundation. She is developing a unique teaching program called "Mind Up." It's designed to teach kids how to reduce stress and strengthen the emotional wellbeing so that they can realize their full academic potential.
Goldie Hawn is here with us now. It's great to see you in person.
GOLDIE HAWN, ACTRESS: I love being here.
ROBERTS: It is great. We talk about this program, Mind Up. It's not the course. It's really it's a method of teaching, and whole new, different way of teaching kids.
HAWN: Yes. It is. It's very foundational. It basically is preparing their minds. They're giving them a sense of wellbeing and optimism to absorb information, to have a better experience in the classroom and also for teacher to have a better experience and more success, as well.
So the program we do call it a curriculum. Scholastic is actually publishing all of our data and our curriculum in February. It's really exciting. It's groundbreaking. If a child does not feel safe, optimistic, hopeful, and a lot of these fears eliminated, they're not going to learn. We're not creating a bedding ground for learning and retention.
ROBERTS: You contend if the brain is under stress, if the child is under stress --
HAWN: Yes. ROBERTS: -- that the pathways to the higher learning centers aren't open.
HAWN: Right.
ROBERTS: And so that the information just kind of gets stuck there.
HAWN: Right.
ROBERTS: So how does your program open up those pathways?
HAWN: OK, so one of the things I believed and of course all of our team also believed and understood with neuroscientists and positive psychologists involved in creating this program is that the brain is something that children know nothing about.
And I thought to myself, this is important that we share the potential of the brain. We know that we can change the brain by the way we think. If we think positive thoughts, our brain will actually lean toward that area.
So when a brain is frenzied, when we're upset, when we're fearful, all of these aspects of neurobiological firing, right, in this limbic system, which is in the center part of our brain, when that's active and a child is afraid, when there is a sense of failure, problems at home, they come in every day in school with real issues. We don't see them. Sometimes it's silent distress.
That little brain of theirs is not going to be opened up. So what they learn is, is that there's a part of the brain to quiet down in order to learn. So they get quiet three times a day and they understand the neurological link to the brain.
ROBERTS: One of the important parts of program is mindful breathing.
HAWN: Yes.
ROBERTS: Where they actually take a brain break I guess is what you call it.
HAWN: Yes, brain break.
ROBERTS: Where they sit there for five minutes or so, just breathe, focus on the breathing. It's almost like a meditation kind of thing.
HAWN: It's kind of -- I guess you could call it that. It really isn't meditation in the sense of meditation but you know how when we all of us grown-ups as we look at us and we say, God, I've got to take a break. Oh my God my brain is like, I've got to stare at the wall. Oh, I'm just -- I've got to get myself back to center.
These children have to do the same thing. We have to give them the opportunity to be able to do that. They have to have their brain breaks. They need to do this. And why? Because it brings them back down and grounds them. What is going to ground them? Where is the safe place inside of them?
And so, this is what they're learning and they're taking it like a duck to water. We do it from kindergarten to eighth grade and those I think are the real formative years. They take these tools and they apply them throughout their lives.
ROBERTS: Yesterday we took our cameras into the Harriet Tubman Elementary School in -- in Newark which as many people know is a very troubled school system where the program is.
HAWN: Yes.
ROBERTS: We want to take a quick break --
HAWN: Great.
ROBERTS: -- and when we come back we'll talk to the kids about how this program is working out for them. Stay with us.
HAWN: Thanks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Forty-eight -- 48 minutes after the hour.
We're back with Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn and we're talking about a new way to teach our children; a program that she helped develop called "Mind Up".
And just before the break, Goldie, I said that we sent our cameras into the Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Newark where they're using this program. We talked to the kids about what it means for them. Let's listen.
HAWN: Great.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYLER ABOAGYE, 2ND GRADE STUDENT, HARRIET TUBMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: I like it better because sometimes when I have like problems, I do it at home sometimes when my sister's like, bothering me.
TAMIA MITCHELL, 2ND GRADE STUDENT, HARRIET TUBMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: It can help you to relax your brain like if you're taking a test and you think about the "MindUp". It will help you to relax.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Children learn to focus more on it and they've realized what they're doing, instead of just reacting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So we saw there, them taking a little bit of a brain break; mindful breathing, focusing on their breathing. Those kids say that it works for them. What do you say to people who -- who might think that this a little too touchy-feely for school?
HAWN: Well, first of all the touchy-feely part is what we're missing. So I don't shy away from that. Our children need to touch, they need to reach out. They need to feel. We need to educate their hearts and their minds.
There's no reason why, you know, you should look at that and say this is wrong. What's wrong is that we're not -- we're not looking at that in our children.
So, giving them the empowerment to know how to manage, to regulate their own emotions, to recognize their own emotions, to know when their emotions are stopping them from doing things that actually bring success to them, this is -- these are the tools we're giving them.
ROBERTS: I also think it's -- it's fascinating that in this program you teach them to be kind. You teach altruism, caring.
HAWN: Yes, yes, we do. We have acts of kindness that the children do together. Now, mind you, this is not an add-on. This is integrated into the culture of the classroom which means that the "MindUp" program is really there to wrap all your curriculum around.
So you're not wasting the time. The teacher isn't going oh my gosh, it's another add-on. It is how do we create an optimistic classroom? And these things whether your mindful tasting or doing your adjectives to wrap around it --
ROBERTS: Right.
HAWN: -- we do social studies and learning things. Everything is filtered through this concept.
ROBERTS: Now -- now, last week or a week before we did a whole series on bullying, which is a huge problem.
HAWN: Yes. Wow.
ROBERTS: And the death of the poor kid from Rutgers University who leapt off the George Washington Bridge. You also developed coping strategies --
HAWN: Yes.
ROBERTS: -- for these kids to deal with bullies.
HAWN: Yes.
ROBERTS: How do you approach it?
HAWN: Yes. What we do is obviously before we react what we want to do is ask them to stay -- take a moment to not to do something they would be sorry for. In terms of understanding perspective-taking, which is what we do in the class, as well, is that we understand that each one of us has a different perspective. We all look at things differently.
That doesn't mean that we're all -- we're polarized. So in the acts of kindness, building empathy which is what we do, all of these things and not only prepares a child's mind, readying them for learning, but it creates social and emotional skills that need to happen.
One of -- I have a great little story. One of our little boy said, well, the way I use "MindUp" he said, is on the playground my best friend pushed me and it made me so angry and he said, I went off and I just sat there and I did my breathing and I gave myself a break and then I realized that if I hit him back, he wouldn't be my best friend anymore.
These are the kinds of thinking that we want. Not only for our children, we want it for our people making policies. We want it in there in the Capitol. We want our -- our level of humanity to be able to say, I'm going to think before I act.
ROBERTS: Well, it's interesting.
HAWN: Now, before I hurt that person, I'm going to think about what the ramifications are -- so empathy building, interconnectivity, building, you know, community in the classroom will take this out into the world.
So we cannot forget social and emotional skills are vital for success. The test is great. But a lot of these kids do wonderful in life. Maybe didn't do so well on their tests.
ROBERTS: Well, it's a fascinating new approach for learning.
HAWN: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Goldie, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
HAWN: I'm very excited about it.
ROBERTS: It's great to spend time with you.
HAWN: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Yes it's 52 minutes after the hour. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, everyone. I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider tracking Hurricane Paula.
Now, this storm is weakening as it approaches Cuba. You can see a lot of the wind shear is kind of breaking it up. We're expecting it to be downgraded to a tropical storm when we get the next advisory in around 11:00 this morning.
Back to the U.S. mainland, we are tracking the beginnings of a nor'easter. Impacting areas all the way across parts of the mid- Atlantic and certainly into New England, we're getting some rain from Paula down in Florida but look at all this rain headed across Washington, into New York City.
This will impact air travel in a huge way not just today in the D.C. area where the rain is starting to get more intense. But straight into tonight and tomorrow, we are really looking at some powerful wind with the system particularly for northern New England as it ramps up and gets going.
Here's a quick preview of some of the air travel delays we're anticipating from Atlanta, northward to Washington down through Charlotte; and Paula impacting wind and rain and possibly in south Florida as we go through the day today.
That is a look at your forecast. Stay tuned. AMERICAN MORNING will be right back after this.
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CHETRY: A beautiful shot this morning from the University of Delaware here in Newark this morning where it's 51 degrees, calm. We should enjoy the sunshine while we have it because a bit later like much of the East Coast we're going to be seeing some heavy rain throughout the area as they worry about a nor'easter making its way up the East Coast.
Meanwhile, we had a great time in our short stay in Delaware wrapping up the debate last night between Senate candidates Christine O'Donnell and Chris Coons. I'm going to hop on the Amtrak, John. Head back up to join you bright and early tomorrow morning.
ROBERTS: We will see you then. Get to the train station before you get rained on. Thanks, Kiran. We'll see you in the morning.
Meantime, the news continues here on CNN with Kyra Phillips in the "CNN NEWSROOM". Good morning Kyra.
