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It's Romney and Ryan; Two Earthquakes Jolt Iran; Sinkhole the Size of a Football Field; Interview with Mark Neumann; Interview with Gwen Moore

Aired August 11, 2012 - 19:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Deborah Feyerick, at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Don Lemon is off.

Let's get you up to speed on the news making headlines.

The choice is made. Romney has a running mate. Now, it is Romney- Ryan on the Republican ticket. Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan is 43 years old and considered the party's go-to guy on budget and fiscal issues.

The White House has welcomed Ryan to the race. We'll find out if President Obama's re-election team is worried or energized, looking ahead to the debate and Election Day.

The so-called "green on blue" attacks in Afghanistan may be escalating. An Afghan believed to be a police officer opened fire and killed three U.S. Marines in the volatile Helmand province on Friday. It was the second attack on NATO troops in the same region in less than 24 hours. Early Friday, three American soldiers were killed by a man in an Afghan military uniform.

Rescue teams are combing through the rubble, searching for signs of life after two powerful earthquakes jolted northwest Iran. State-run news agencies report at least 180 people were killed and more than 1,300 injured when the quakes shook east Azerbaijan province. Four villages were reportedly leveled, 60 others severely damaged.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

FEYERICK: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. will develop a contingency plan with Turkey for Syria as rebels fight a bloody war against the Syrian government. Turkish officials said they are frustrated by what they see as a lack of U.S. support. The opposition says 80 people were killed in Syria today.

And Louisiana officials are desperately trying to find out if an underground fault cavern may be responsible for causing a massive sinkhole. The hole is as big as a football field and it's threatening to swallow homes and even more trees. A hundred and fifty homes have been evacuated. Residents may not be able to go back to their homes for up to a month. We're going to have a live report from Louisiana 25 minutes ahead.

Fans cheered and celebrated today when Usain Bolt led the Jamaican Olympic team to gold in the men's 4x100-meter relay. The Jamaican runners set a new world record in the event. The U.S. team won the silver medal. The U.S. scored gold today in the women's 4x400-meter relay. The Americans finished nearly four seconds ahead of the Russians. Jamaica won the bronze.

Mitt Romney fired a big gun today, telling the country he picked Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to join him on his race for the presidency. They've only been running mates for a day, just a couple of hours really, and Romney is already bracing for the Democratic attacks.

CNN's national political correspondent Jim Acosta is with a very fired up Republican crowd in Virginia -- Jim.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mitt Romney descended from the battleship, the USS Wisconsin, to issue a campaign call to arms for Republicans.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, we take another step forward in helping restore the promise of America.

ACOSTA: And there's no bigger gun in the conservative movement than the GOP's vice presidential candidate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Wow! Hey. And right in front of the USS Wisconsin, huh?

ACOSTA: The House Budget Committee chairman whose persona is equal parts fiscal hawk and Midwestern nice delivered a message straight out of the Ryan gospel.

RYAN: We won't duck the tough issues, we will lead.

(APPLAUSE)

RYAN: We won't blame others, we will take responsibility.

ACOSTA: Romney campaign officials said the GOP contender made his decision and called Ryan on August 1st, one day after he returned from his overseas. The two men then met four days later when Ryan accepted the offer.

For the first time campaigning as running mates across Virginia, they sharpened their rhetoric on the economy.

RYAN: It doesn't have to be this way. We can turn this thing around.

ACOSTA: Mitt Romney also warmed Republicans Ryan will soon come under attack from Democrats. After all, it was Ryan who once laid out a blueprint for cutting the deficit that included a plan to partially privatize Medicare for future seniors, potentially worry for older Americans. ROMNEY: We're going to talk about issues and a vision for America and not drag them down in the dirt like you're seeing from the Obama campaign.

ACOSTA: Sensing a Medicare mud fight, the Romney campaign released a memo that says, "As president, Romney will be putting together his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance."

But as one Romney adviser described the Ryan pick, "This was an important decision about how the governor plans to govern as president.

Still, there could be a generational upside. The 42-year-old Ryan, who's joined on stage by his wife and small children, could help the GOP ticket appeal to younger voters. A campaign aide tweeted out pictures of Ryan's children making sandwiches and playing on the Romney bus.

But the day was not without its glitches. Romney introduced Ryan as the man at the top of the ticket.

ROMNEY: Join me -- join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan.

ACOSTA: A mistake Romney correctly corrected.

ROMNEY: Every now and then I'm known to make a mistake. I did not make a mistake with this guy. But I can tell you this -- he's going to be the next vice president of the United States.

ACOSTA (on camera): As it turns out, President Obama made the same mistake introducing Joe Biden four years ago. If that's the worst mishap of the day, the Romney campaign will chalk up this rollout as a success.

From here, the ticket rolls on to North Carolina and then Paul Ryan's home state of Wisconsin.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Thanks, Jim.

And we go now to Wolf Blitzer from Washington.

And, Wolf, Paul Ryan not totally unexpected choice from Mitt Romney, but what is the Obama camp doing now in terms of strategy? How do they come at this?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: They think they have an opportunity to get involved in some of the most sensitive issues, especially for seniors, some of the older voters out there in key battleground states like Florida or Pennsylvania or Ohio, Virginia, because Paul Ryan is outspoken, his budget plan does call for major changes in the way Medicare, for example -- one of the entitlement programs -- is dealt with. He says anyone over 55 years old doesn't have to worry about those changes creating a voucher program, if you will, for Medicare recipients. But if you're under 55, he'd like to change it. The Democrats think that's an opening they can hit hard on and generate some support. So they say this is going to be good politics for them,.

What Paul Ryan and the Republicans say, at least those Republicans who support him, and I assume Mitt Romney is one of them since he selected them to be his vice presidential running mate, is if you don't deal with these entitlement programs like Medicare now, they're going to simply go away, the country can't afford them down the road. You got a crisis, you got to deal with it, you got to deal head on. You simply can't ignore it.

That's going to be the debate over the next 86, 87 days.

FEYERICK: That's what is going to be fascinating, sort of the substantive issues on where each candidate stands and really sort of what each is going to do in terms of those welfare programs.

But you spoke to Newt Gingrich a little bit ago. What is his reaction to the Romney-Ryan plan?

BLITZER: He thinks it's great. He was very supportive. He told me if he had won the presidential nomination, Paul Ryan would have certainly been on the short list as his presidential running mate. He thinks Ryan is very smart, loves his bold ideas on dealing with these entitlement programs.

Look, the downside to Paul Ryan, he's relatively young, only 42 years old, has no substantive national security or foreign policy experience. Almost all of this experience has been here in Washington as a congressman. He's been in Congress for 14 years, before that as a legislative aide. He worked for some think tanks in Washington.

So he really doesn't have a lot of private business experience or anything along those lines. But Mitt Romney brings a lot of that experience. They both spoke about how their partnership today, they both bring different skills to the table. They think that will help come November.

FEYERICK: Yes, absolutely. You're seeing on one ticket a businessman and a budget watcher, so kind of interesting there.

The president is going to be in Chicago. He's going to be doing some fund-raiser. Do you think a lot more people will come out and give money now that this has been decided?

BLITZER: I think there's going to be -- I know on the Republican side, this is certainly going to energize the Republican conservative base, because there were still plenty of conservatives out there who weren't really sure about Mitt Romney, given the positions he took when he was governor of Massachusetts, for example. They didn't believe he was one of them, if you will. They do certainly believe in Paul Ryan. So I think Paul Ryan is going to raise a ton of money for the Republican ticket. Right now, he's going to do really well. He couldn't have raised that money if we were just an outsider, if he were just a surrogate. But now he's on the ticket, he will go out there to these events. He'll raise a lot of money.

On the Democratic side, this will energize the Democratic base, as well. So a lot more money.

But what's good about all of this, Deb, I suspect the debate right now is going to be on the substantive policy issues as opposed to some of the tangential, very marginal issues that are out there.

FEYERICK: It's going to be fascinating to see what choices voters have and the issues who they decide who they're going to vote for. Wolf Blitzer in Washington, thanks so much.

BLITZER: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Well, later, a close look at who Paul Ryan is. Not just the politician, but the family man.

And a programming note: Sunday on "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY," a special two-hour edition on Romney's choice of VP running mate and reaction in the political arena. Plus, nasty campaign ads in swing states. More than 10,000 this month alone -- 10,000. Will it get any nastier? Candy is going to talk to senior advisers from both campaigns.

"STATE OF THE UNION", Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

And next, we'll go live to Paul Ryan's hometown to hear what his friends and neighbors are saying about his big day.

And later, a bin Laden-style raid caught on video. The target, a king pen inside a mansion. You'll see the drama play out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, he's the first candidate from Wisconsin on a major party ticket. Congressman Paul Ryan was born and raised in the community of Janesville and he still lives there is today.

CNN's Athena Jones traveled to his hometown and asked his neighbors what they think about their native son.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Folks here in Paul Ryan's home town of Janesville, Wisconsin, are reacting to the big news.

DIXIE JOHNSON, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDETN: I think he's an excellent candidate.

ETHAN EICHSTEDT-ANDERSON, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I personally don't like what he stands for.

JONES: The seven-term congressman who comes from a prominent local family is well known in this town of 63,000 people southwest of Milwaukee. He attended school here, is a parishioner at the Catholic Church, and his brick home on a quite street sits near the home of extended family.

Neighbors described him as down to earth.

CHRISTINE GARCHOW, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: We've spoken to him in the neighborhood, so we're friendly that way. Just a down home kind of guy, you know? He's in the Labor Day parade with his kids and his daughter was selling lemonade.

JONES: At a water ski tournament on the river, boaters celebrated what they call Ryan's vision and expressed hope he will help the GOP win this traditionally blue state.

MATT FARRA, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I think that he's got the country -- wants to get the country going where it needs to be going budget-wise and the economy. But it also makes you feel good as a Wisconsinite.

So I hope that helps others who are on the fence, or whichever, to lean on over.

JONES: While at the farmers market, just down the street from Ryan's district office, voters applauded Romney's choice for different reasons.

TOM SCHLEISNER, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I was very excited and inspired.

JONES (on camera): Why?

SCHLEISNER: Just because Paul has a great vision for America and I think he's the right choice.

JONES (voice-over): Some Democrats say the pick many conservatives are hailing as bold and outstanding because of Ryan's commitment to deep budget cuts, will end up boosting the Democratic ticket.

STEVE OLSON, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I'm totally elated.

JONES (on camera): Why is that?

OLSON: Because it's going to be easier now for the Democrats. They can attack two birds with one stone, and their fiscal restraint, read the records. They stand for the 1 percent and they're going to gut all the programs for the poor.

JONES (voice-over): Both detractors and supporters have good things to say about Ryan.

RICH BOSTWICK, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: He sticks to his belief and he's a big advocate for the district. I think he's a hardworking person.

GARCHOW: I think he's a man of integrity.

JONES: But ne thing voters we spoke with from both parties seemed a bit unsure of is whether the 42-year-old is ready to be president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's not old enough yet to know what he's doing.

JONES (on camera): Do you think that Paul Ryan, I mean, he's 42, do you think he's ready to be president?

FARRA: I don't know yet. I mean, that's kind of young.

JONES: Got it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: Now, while Ryan has won this district seven times, the state of Wisconsin hasn't gone red in a presidential election in nearly 30 years. That was Ronald Reagan back in 1984. It's hard to say whether a Romney-Ryan ticket will change that -- Deb.

FEYERICK: All right. Athena Jones for us live there in Paul Ryan's hometown -- thanks so much.

Well, it is a monster sinkhole. Residents evacuated from their homes, maybe for as long as a month.

And CNN just spoke to the company that some people want to hold accountable.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: It is the size of a football field, a massive sinkhole threatening to swallow up an entire neighborhood. A hundred and fifty homes have been evacuated, as Louisiana officials investigate whether an underground salt cavern may be to blame.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is live in Bayou Corne, Louisiana.

And, Ed, you just spoke with a company who manages the cavern. What are they telling you?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Deb, this company has been taking a lot of heat over the last few weeks. And now, the last few months here in this part of Louisiana. They're saying that they understand people's frustrations. They are frustrated -- they say they're just as frustrated many of these residents have been put out and will be put out of their homes because of these evacuation orders for the next several weeks. But they are trying to figure this out as quickly as possible.

That's the bottom line here, is that no one really knows for sure what has caused this sinkhole. There's a lot of attention being paid to this company that operates in this salt dome just on the property where this sinkhole happened. And a lot of focus on a cavern that was drilled and has been there for almost 30 years and perhaps that cavern collapsed and that's what caused this sinkhole.

The company says, though, they think this is as bad as it's going to get.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARTWRIGHT, PRESIDENT, UNITED BRINE SERVICES: So there was never any expectations that by plugging it, we would -- we would potentially lead to some catastrophic failure. And, you know, it's also I think a little premature to speculate or conclude that the cavern failed in and of itself. There may have been some other process in play here that could have caused the cavern to fail which may have caused the sinkhole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: So that company, Texas Brine, is actually based out of Houston. State officials here say that they're going to be forcing that company to help people who do evacuate from this area. It's not a forced evacuation. It's a highly suggested evacuation from this area, which applies to several hundred people, forcing that company to help those people with accommodations.

But now, the focus is on drilling a relief well into that cavern to test -- for integrity testing, and to figure out if indeed that cavern collapsed and is what has caused this sinkhole. But that is not expected to start until midweek and will probably take about 40 days.

So there's a lot of uncertainty. And, of course, local officials around here say out of an abundance of caution, they're going to stick with this mandatory evacuation order. There are -- for several thousand feet away, there are other caverns that have highly flammable vapors and liquids in them, and they're worried with all the ground shifting and all the movement, that those could be compromised and cause in the words of one official, a catastrophic event here. Many people believe that isn't necessarily likely. But out of abundance of caution, they want to take those steps and those local officials are standing by those evacuation orders tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF MIKE WAGUESPACK, ASSUMPTION PARISH, LOUISIANA: We hope once the relief well is done, we can send down sonar equipment or other equipment to find out what's going on there. That may be our answer, that may be our gas source. And if that is the gas source and they can vent it in a controlled fashion, we're done. We're done. We move on, OK?

But if the cavern is explored and that's not the source of the gas, then we don't know. We're going to have to start this process over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: And that will probably be the worst case scenario for residents around here, just trying to figure out what's going on. All of this started, interestingly enough, Deb, back at the end of May. There were people who had gone out on boats along this bayou water and found bubbles coming up out of the water, which is what first alerted people to something not quite right. They believe that is natural gas that is naturally occurs here in this area and is trying to get to the surface and they believe that's coming from that cavern. If that is indeed the case, they have at least been able to pinpoint where the problem is coming from.

But really what people around here want to know is just much ore it's going to get. And for now, officials are hopeful this is as bad as it will get. But it's something they will continue to monitor. There's water monitoring, air quality monitoring, all of that being done every day and testing that situation to make sure everything is OK.

And so far, all of those tests have come back normal -- Ed.

FEYERICK: And, you know, Ed, one quick question. When we talk about a sinkhole, because when I think about it, it's sort of the earth collapses and everything sort of falls in on itself. Do they have an understanding how much bigger this is going to get? Because obviously, the homes could be really resting on a foundation that is very vulnerable right now.

LAVANDERA: Well, in our conversations with the company, Texas Brine, today, they had a map and they were showing us that they -- what they think as far as wide as it can get, it's about 1,300 feet diameter across. Where we're standing now where the closest homes are, is probably about 2,000 feet. So everyone thinks even if this got to a catastrophic level here, that the homes -- it's not like all these homes would be falling into this sinkhole.

So there seems to be some tempered expectation. What they seem to be -- at least local officials and the parish officials here in this part of Louisiana are worried about that perhaps other sinkholes might emerge in other areas. And that is what they will continue to monitor. So, maybe a little connected with this one, but a sinkhole created in another area around that. That is what the apprehension is and the concern is about, as they try to get more information, and they say, you know, if they get more information, that makes them feel more secure, they'll start to change their orders and their recommendations for residents around here.

FEYERICK: Almost like a huge underground Swiss cheese and nobody know where is the holes are.

OK, Ed Lavandera, thank you so much there in Louisiana for us, covering that story, appreciate it.

Well, Paul Ryan was just 28 years old when he went after Wisconsin's House seat back in 1998. The man who held that seat until Ryan claimed it talks about what Ryan can do for the country. And that is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FEYERICK: Coming up on the half hour now. Hello, everyone. Let's take a look at the headlines. Congressman Paul Ryan is Mitt Romney's new running mate.

Just a few hours ago, Ryan got big cheers when he spoke at a rally in Virginia. Ryan is the architect of a proposed GOP budget plan that would overhaul Medicare and slash entitlement spending. He's a Catholic who opposes abortion and has voted against gay marriage. You'll hear how Democrats are reacting to Ryan in just a few minutes.

And it's been a deadly week for NATO troops in Afghanistan. An Afghan believed to be a police officer opened fire and killed three U.S. Marines in the volatile Helmand province Friday. It was the second attack on NATO troops in less than 24 hours and the fourth attack in less than a week.

Thousands of people are sleeping outside in northwestern Iran tonight after two powerful earthquakes and a series of aftershocks shook the region. Media reports that at least 180 people were killed. More than 1,300 injured. And the death toll is expected to rise. Emergency crews are now searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

Well, his departure opened the door for Congressman Paul Ryan's future. Then Congressman Mark Neumann left the House in 1998 to run for the U.S. Senate and worked to elect Paul Ryan as his replacement. Mark Neumann joins me now from Madison, Wisconsin. Thank you so much. You worked closely with Ryan on balancing the budget and he has stood very firm with his plan, he is ready to defend it. But is this going to give him some trouble, giving the Obama administration plenty really to counterattack?

MARK NEUMANN, (R), FORMER WISCONSIN CONGRESSMAN: I don't think so. I worked with Paul, first time I met him back in the '90s, we were working on plans to balance the budget back then, and we fought our way through and got -- actually got the budget balanced. And when I left, I think it was natural to talk to Paul Ryan. I found out he was from Janesville, my home town, it was just natural that he would run for that spot. I encouraged him to do so, and, you know, people now are going to see in Paul Ryan what I saw in Paul Ryan back then. And that's the ability to clearly articulate a message as to what we need to do to fix America. And his message of optimism and of an opportunity society where people can get a job and get a better life for themselves and their family, take personal responsibility for their lives and their family, the ability to articulate that message clearly and how to fix what's wrong in America, that is what Paul Ryan brings. And I sure think he is going to excite our base.

FEYERICK: Well, in a speech this afternoon, Ryan slammed President Obama's economic policies. Take a quick listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RYAN, REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Do you think the economy is headed in the right direction?

AUDIENCE: No!

RYAN: Do you think we're getting our debt and deficit under control?

AUDIENCE: No!

RYAN: Do you think the country is on the right track?

AUDIENCE: No!

RYAN: You know why?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

RYAN: Because President Obama is our president, and he's put all of his policies in place, and they're just not working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, it's one thing to say the budget isn't working. The question is, can it be fixed given everything that people are facing right now?

NEUMANN: Well, I think Paul Ryan is going to be a big help in that. If anybody understands this budget, Paul Ryan does, and I think he's a very important pick for Mitt Romney. Certainly, a great pick for Mitt Romney. You know what, everything he said, I totally agree with him. They've added $5 trillion in debt in the last four years. Our nation is on the brink of financial disaster if we don't get it turned around. We definitely need a Paul Ryan with his budget knowledge and expertise to get this thing turned around.

FEYERICK: But ...

NEUMANN: And then I keep going back to Paul is so optimistic. And that's what we need in this country today.

FEYERICK: When we look at the different policies, and clearly there are very defined distinctions. Is the gap between the haves and the have-nots simply going to grow and grow and grow?

NEUMANN: Well, I don't think it's that as much as a difference of opinion whether we need more government who does more things for people's lives or less government, with less government spending, where people take responsibility for themselves and their families. And I think Paul is a classic example of the all-American family with his three beautiful children. I mean, he's started as a small town kid in Janesville, Wisconsin, and he is going to become the vice president of the United States of America. I think he epitomizes what's so great about the United States, and I think he is going to make a great vice president.

FEYERICK: When we look at that, because a lot of people would argue otherwise. They're going to say look, people need Medicaid, they need Medicare.

NEUMANN: Sure. FEYERICK: There's a huge gap. People simply can't afford that. So if I'm hearing you correctly, just to play devil's advocate, you're saying take responsibility for your own care.

NEUMANN: Well, what I'm saying is that there are two different views of how you help poor people in America. One viewpoint would say government should step in and provide all the solutions to all the problems in this country. And, of course, that means more government spending and more government intervention in every aspect of our lives.

The other point of view would say now, wait a second -- we want an opportunity society where people have an opportunity to get a job and then get a job promotion, to have a better life for themselves and their family. That's where Paul comes down. He wants people to have an opportunity to have a job in this country. And he believes that if we are physically and mentally able to take care of ourselves in this country, that we ought to be doing it. But that's that opportunity society that you hear Paul Ryan talk about all the time, where people do have a chance to get a job, and do have a chance to get a job promotion, a better life for themselves and their family. That's the optimistic vision that Paul talks about all the time. I get to listen to him a lot, because I'm running for the United States Senate out here, so I see him quite a bit. And it's just great to listen to him, to hear his optimism and his talk about how we create an opportunity society, where people, those poor people you're talking about, they don't rely on government to fix the problem. They get a job and they go to work and they take care of themselves and their family, and then they get a job promotion and have an opportunity for a better life for themselves and their family.

And again, I think the compassionate side of it, I think if somebody is physically and mentally not able to work, we certainly want to take care of those folks. But if you are physically and mentally able to work, in this opportunity society that Paul talks about, there will be job opportunities and opportunities for promotions.

FEYERICK: All right. That is assuming that there are jobs there, in which they can work. Let me just ask one quick question, you said he's a very likable person, very likable individual.

NEUMANN: Yes.

FEYERICK: Do you think that will translate across parties or do you think he'll become much more of a polarizing figure?

NEUMANN: No, no, I think that's across -- that's across the whole board. When you see an all-American family like the Ryan family, three beautiful children, started in Janesville, Wisconsin, with no great push from anybody and worked hard, very hard to live the American dream and somebody like that who can become the vice president of the United States, this is the American dream. This is an all-American family and the values that they stand for, those are the values that we need in this great nation.

FEYERICK: OK, Congressman Mark Neumann, thank you so much. We really appreciate your insights on the -- on the pick of Paul Ryan as VP candidate. Thanks so much.

NEUMANN: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Well, a quick programming note. Tomorrow night at this time, 7:00 Eastern, we're going to be bringing you a CNN special on Paul Ryan, from his life to his family to his first two days as a candidate for vice president. That is tomorrow night. We'll see you here at 7:00 Eastern.

Well, conservatives, they are raving about Ryan. But how do the Democrats feel? Let's say they're less impressed by Mitt Romney's pick for vice president. Ahead, a Democratic member of Ryan's own delegation tells us where she thinks Romney went wrong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Democrats are howling about Congressman Paul Ryan's new role as the Republican vice presidential pick. President Obama's campaign says Ryan and Romney share a, quote, "flawed theory," unquote -- the big tax cuts for the wealthy will help the American economy. Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore joins us live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Congresswoman Moore, what is your reaction to the Paul Ryan pick?

REP. GWEN MOORE, (D), WISCONSIN: Actually, there I was quite surprised that he was chosen for this. Because I do think that we -- you know, Mitt Romney I think has benefited from campaigning at 30 feet and not being very specific about his proposals, what smaller government would mean, what he would do around the economy. But now that he has essentially married my good friend and colleague Paul Ryan, we're very clear about what Paul Ryan has sought to do for his entire time as a member of Congress and as the chair of the Budget Committee. He wants smaller government ...

FEYERICK: And congresswoman -- go ahead, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

MOORE: Well, I mean, he has sought in the past to privatize Social Security. He is basically eviscerating all of the entitlement programs, including Medicare, where he provides a voucher to seniors, which would essentially pass the increasing costs of health care onto seniors, and estimates are that it would be as much as $6,000 a year.

FEYERICK: So Congresswoman, while you call Congress -- while you call Representative Ryan a friend of yours, you don't necessarily agree with where he stands on economic issues?

MOORE: Oh, no, and he doesn't agree with me either. You know, I'm a member of the Budget Committee, so I've spent countless hours looking through his charts and his numbers, and his position is the same failed economic strategy that we've seen certainly over the last decade. Just to provide a lower tax burden on corporations, wealthy individuals, to increase taxes essentially on middle class folk. And raise no revenues, simply eviscerate all of the safety net programs, Medicare, Medicaid, and essentially provide no substantial deficit reduction. FEYERICK: Knowing Paul Ryan as you do, do you think he's the kind of person that will be able to compromise? Do you think that there will be some sort of collaboration in the process?

MOORE: Well, I think the next 80 or so days is not about compromising. I think what he's going to have to explain to the American people. He's a very personable person. It's hard not to like him. I'm sure that the Romney campaign will get some kind of bump, because he's a very cheerful and pleasant person. But I think when you peel back the layers of his plan, he'll have to explain to the American people what -- how he wants to fundamentally change the social contract.

FEYERICK: Congresswoman Moore, Gwen Moore from Wisconsin, we really thank you.

And the congresswoman touched on Paul Ryan's likability. Next, a close look at Ryan the politician and the family man.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, we've had a look at Paul Ryan the politician. But, as you know, he's also a husband and a father. Here's CNN's chief political analyst Gloria Borger.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: And Ryan is a man in a hurry. In Washington, he bunks in his congressional office. It's cheaper, near work, and closer to the House gym. Which is good since he's a fitness buff, who got some of his colleagues hooked on a grueling exercise routine called P90X.

RYAN: This is a great workout.

BORGER: In a way, he owes his devotion to fitness to his father. In particular, one day when the younger Ryan was still a teen.

(on camera): Your dad was 55 when he died and you were 16.

RYAN: 16.

BORGER: Years old. How did that affect you? You say you're more sensitive.

RYAN: You know, yeah, it -- I mean, I was just a young kid working at McDonald's that summer, and my mom was out visiting my sister who got a job in Denver and, you know, once I went to wake him up in the morning -- and he wasn't alive.

BORGER: You found him?

RYAN: So, I basically had to learn to sink or swim. My grandmother, who had Alzheimer's, moved in with us at the time, then my mom had to take care of her. My mom went back to school to learn a skill. And I did a lot of growing up very fast. It made me very -- I would say initiative prone. Live life to its fullest, because you never know how long it's going to last.

BORGER: But you had the opportunity to run for president at the age of 41, if you're in a hurry.

RYAN: Yeah, yeah, it's true. Nice boomerang on that.

BORGER: And you said -- and you said no.

RYAN: Sure, because I think there are other good people who can do this job, but there are other good people who can't raise my kids.

BORGER (voice-over): That didn't stop the push this past summer to try and draft Ryan to run. The argument is simple, he's proven he can take on the president.

RYAN: So, this is just the difference in philosophy.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No, no, look, I ...

RYAN: It is.

(CROSSTALK)

OBAMA: This is an important point.

BORGER: Bill Bennett says that Ryan really flashed onto the president's radar after some fiery exchanges at his health care summit last year.

BILL BENNETT, FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY: You can tell Barack Obama took notice. He went out and took the measure of him. Paul Ryan was in his brain a little bit.

BORGER: Actually, a lot. The White House seated Paul Ryan right upfront at the president's budget speech in April, and then proceeded to denounce his plan.

OBAMA: It simply -- it ends Medicare as we know.

RYAN: What I was thinking going into that speech, was you know what, we're getting divided government to work. We're actually, you know, compromising, getting things done. So what I got out of that was, political mode, you know, demagoguery ...

BORGER (on camera): Right.

RYAN: And try to, you know, sort of nullify the notion that there's an alternative path for this country.

BORGER (voice-over): With neither side budging, Ryan has settled in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Paul Ryan is the right guy!

BORGER: As a hero to Republicans and a devil to the Democrats. And he's OK with that. RYAN: They had an ad of me pushing some older woman off a cliff or something like that.

BORGER (on camera): It doesn't bother you?

RYAN: No, not really. Look, we have a normal life here in Janesville. My wife and I have three beautiful kids, and we have soccer on Saturdays, we have cub scouts, we have a normal life like everybody else. I go to Washington four days a week, which I call the silly place. You know, it's two different kind of worlds. And if we don't tackle these big problems, they're going to tackle us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And with a grueling month of the campaigning ahead, Paul Ryan may have just a little less time for family time.

Well, a quick programming note: tomorrow night at this time, 7:00 Eastern, we're going to be bringing you a CNN special on Paul Ryan from his life to his family, to his first two days as a candidate for vice president. That is tomorrow night. We will see you here at 7:00 Eastern.

And just ahead, a bin Laden-style raid on a mansion. Find out who was inside and how it ended.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF HINSON: What's being done to teach the teachers the intangibles in the classroom?

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: What you mean is that the teachers have a respect for the children, that's -- that's a real question that I have. When I'm looking to hire a teacher, what I want to find is a teacher who actually loves kids. Not just likes, because it's not always easy to like the kid, because kids are kids and they do things, right? They get on your nerves. But loving them is something entirely different. That you can do regardless of whether or not they're doing what they need to do.

We need to hire more people who love children. When you find people who love kids, then they have a greater tolerance for what kids do and don't do really well. And then you'll get people who better understand children. I like to hire coaches, because I think coaches typically have the best understanding of kids. They find multiple ways to get kids to learn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, next, caught on video, a paramilitary style raid. The target? A kingpin inside a mansion. We'll tell you who the big guy is and what law enforcement was after.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FEYERICK: A bin Laden-style raid goes down at the mansion of a sought-after Internet kingpin. And it's all caught on video that we're just about to show you. Well, the target of the raid? This man. Mega Upload founder, Kim Dotcom. Yes, that is his name, Dotcom. The FBI accuses him of orchestrating the biggest copyright infringement in U.S. history. Accusations that he denies as U.S. authorities shut his site down. But as far as the raid is concerned, the high court is listening to arguments today on whether New Zealand police went too far when they used a special tactics force. Here is Donna-Marie Lever of One News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gates are open.

DONNA-MARIE LEVER, ONE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, we can show you the police assault from the air. And moments later, how they closed in on the mansion from the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Dotcom has been shown the warrant to search the property.

LEVER: The Armed Offenders Squad and Special Tactics Group, backed by dog handlers and armed with firearms and tasers, made their way inside. You hear the moment they found their target, Kim Dotcom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Located target. Safe room. (inaudible).

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger.

LEVER: But today, police were pushed on whether the decision to use the top police response teams was appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had concerns about security stuff and the motivation to resist police executing the warrant. And motivation to protect Mr. Dotcom. And then in addition, it's just the firearms (inaudible).

LEVER: The court has heard when Kim Dotcom was eventually found in the mansion, police asked him to show them his hands, but that he didn't. They say it took several officers to push him to the ground, but they deny he was kicked and punched as he claims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did one of the officers in your presence strike him in the face?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not to my knowledge. There was no time for that.

LEVER: Police say one officer wearing boots did stand on Dotcom's hand once they had him on the ground, but said it wasn't intentional. More police officers are expected to give evidence.

Donna-Marie Lever, One News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Well, in that raid, police seized computers, hard drives, phones, nearly everything that can store digital information. And I'll also note that the high court ruled the search warrant in the raid? Get this, they were invalid. But take a look at this video from John Campbell of News 3 New Zealand. That's the panic button that Dotcom used when he realized someone was barging into his home. The button opens the door to this hideout that he calls the red room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It still took 13 minutes for the police to find Dotcom here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: As you heard, 13 minutes to find him. Well, on the day of the raid, Dotcom's pregnant wife was inside the home along with their three children and other guests. News 3 reports the commotion caused her to have contractions, which then sent her to the hospital.

I'm Deb Feyerick at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. "CNN PRESENTS: Mississippi Still Burning," that begins right now. Thanks for being with us. Stay with us now.