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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Presidential Candidates on the Attack; Tropical Storm Edouard Heads For Texas
Aired August 04, 2008 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, on the attack once more, with energy, John McCain hammering away, calling Barack Obama's new oil independence plan misguided, mocking his gas-saving advice, keeping it personal. Barack Obama saying McCain is in the pocket of big oil, counterpunching after a week of taking hits.
Tonight, the punch and counterpunch and the substance, extended excerpts of the candidates in their own words, so you can decide who's right for yourself.
Also tonight, what about Bill -- Clinton, of course? The ex- president speaking out, declaring, I'm not a racist. Tonight, you will hear why he said that and what he now thinks about what went wrong for Hillary Clinton.
Later, a major tropical storm getting stronger in the Gulf. It's going to hit Texas most likely in the morning. Expect it to be a hurricane -- new details on where Edouard is going and how big it's going to get -- or big it's going to be when it gets there.
Plus, a new clue in the mystery of the severed feet, yes, feet. Five have washed up so far. Now another foot appears. But where are they coming from?
We begin with Barack Obama and John McCain trading shots today, tough shots, over the issue voters say they care about most, energy prices. Ironically, gas and oil prices came down a bit today, even with the campaign temperature rising.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said -- and I quote -- "Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been 30 years in the making and was caused by the failures of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country."
Now, what Senator McCain neglected to mention was, during those 30 years, he was in Washington for 26 of them.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Senator Obama today in Lansing, Michigan, unveiling his plan to end American dependence on foreign oil within a decade, he says, bending a little on dipping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bring down short-term prices and signaling compromise on drilling offshore, a move his critics call a flip-flop.
Senator McCain today disagreeing sharply with Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These misguided policies would result in higher energy costs to American families and businesses and increased dependence on foreign oil. We're not going to achieve energy independence by inflating our tires.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: That last remark a reference to what Obama told a woman last week when asked what steps she could take now to save fuel. It was that kind of day, John McCain throwing punches, Barack Obama, after a week of taking a beating on TV and in the polls, trying to hit back.
The "Raw Politics" tonight from CNN's Ed Henry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the relief of some Republicans, John McCain is finally driving a consistent message by getting tough with Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MCCAIN CAMPAIGN AD)
NARRATOR: He's the biggest celebrity in the world.
AUDIENCE: Obama! Obama!
NARRATOR: But is he ready to lead?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: But other political heavyweights are slamming the new strategy, with McCain's former strategist, Mike Murphy, on NBC calling the Britney Spears ad dumb and clumsy, at a time when the political climate is awful for Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "MEET THE PRESS")
MIKE MURPHY, REPUBLICAN MEDIA STRATEGIST: Luckily for the party, McCain is a different kind of Republican. So, everything in the campaign ought to build toward that case. And when you get off into the small juvenile stuff about Britney Spears, you're distracting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: As for a second ad claiming Obama has anointed himself...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MCCAIN CAMPAIGN AD) OBAMA: This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS")
CHARLTON HESTON, ACTOR: Behold his mighty hand!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AUDIENCE: Obama! Obama! Obama!
(MUSIC)
NARRATOR: Barack Obama may be the one, but is he ready to lead?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: A.C. 360 contributor David Gergen charged on ABC, the ad is using code words to suggest Obama is out of the mainstream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THIS WEEK")
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: There are certain kind of signals. As a native of the South, I can tell you, when you see this Charlton Heston ad, "the one," that -- that's code for, he's uppity. He ought to stay in his place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY (on camera): The McCain camp vehemently denies that the ads are sending any signals other than this: They believe Obama is not ready to run the country.
(voice-over): And with CNN's latest national poll of polls showing Obama with just a three-point lead over McCain, Republican strategists think the negative ads are working.
JOHN FEEHERY, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: The new strategy is definitely having an impact of taking it to Barack Obama, knocking him off his stride.
HENRY: But McCain advisers privately say they realize there's a danger in the candidate coming off as too negative. That's why one of McCain's next moves is to try to pivot back to talking about a positive agenda.
FEEHERY: You have had a sense where he's been good cop. Now he's been bad cop. And he's going to go back to good cop.
HENRY: The easiest way for McCain to do that will be to pick a bad cop in the form of a running mate who is an attack dog. But Obama will soon be bringing in a vice presidential nominee of his own. And he's already going on the attack himself.
OBAMA: So, when Senator McCain talks about the failure of politicians in Washington to do anything about our energy crisis, it's important to remember that he's been part of that failure.
HENRY: Obama is determined to show that, unlike John Kerry in 2004, he's ready to punch back.
Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: We're going to have more from the candidates in-depth tonight, part of our commitment to giving you the raw facts, along with the "Raw Politics," so you can make up your own mind who is right.
First, though, a "Strategy Session" with CNN political analysts Carl Bernstein, and Roland Martin, along with CNN senior political contributor and GOP strategist Ed Rollins.
Ed, with these attacks on Obama, has McCain found his voice? Is it working for McCain?
ED ROLLINS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: For 48 hours, it worked. I mean, the critical thing here is, it wasn't his campaign, as much it was the national media that carried this campaign.
NBC, for three nights in a row, led -- led the news with this ad. That would have cost you $40 million to have the kind of advertising...
COOPER: So, those ads work?
ROLLINS: They worked because they were carried. If they were just on Facebook or something, they wouldn't have worked. So, the long, sustained campaign, whether he's going to beat him because he's an elitist or not, I don't think so.
But I think it did get McCain back on an aggressive footing. And I think, to a certain extent, it altered the momentum that was certainly -- certainly going the other way.
COOPER: Carl, does -- does Obama need to be more aggressive in countering these or in attacking...
CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, he was very disciplined.
I called a really major Republican tonight and asked him, is this really hurting Obama? He said, look -- and I quote him -- "McCain decided the only way he has a shot is to go negative. And I think John has turned increasingly nasty, to the point he's not himself. He's always been a happy warrior. And I think, right now, either his staff or he is presenting himself as angry, mad, upset, annoyed, and trying to provoke Obama."
Obama's not going to take the bait. But the real thing is, there's a long-term danger, as the correspondent in this piece said. And that is that -- that, look, this campaign, ultimately, is going to turn on character. And, on substance, and, in the year 2000, when he ran for president, you know, John McCain had the character issue nailed. It's fallen apart on him this time with this kind of stuff.
COOPER: Roland, Barack Obama, you can say he flip-flopped. You can say he pivoted on the issue of offshore drilling. But has he taken that issue away from John McCain successfully, or does he just get labeled a flip-flopper?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Not necessarily, because, first of all, John McCain changed his position, and he went completely for offshore oil drilling.
What Obama is saying that, I'm looking for a compromise, in the sense that, if we're able to advance our energy policy, I will accept this. The only problem with that is that, when you're running for your side, it's all about being definitive. I'm for. I'm against.
When you offer a compromise before you even get to the White House, it's sort of an issue, that you rarely hear candidates talk about compromises when they're running. It's always, I'm standing on either side of the issue. And, so, that's what the point is.
But, again, you know, the question is, will both of these people truly call for Congress to come back? We keep hearing them say that. But they really don't want it to happen. They want this political football to be in play when it comes to energy policy.
COOPER: Ed, do you buy that -- that Obama is just, you know, pivoting or, is this a flip-flop for him?
ROLLINS: I don't think it's a flip-flop. I think, at the end of the day, these are complicated issued. And, if they're going to basically do as they say they are, have a comprehensive energy plan or a comprehensive war plan, they have to have bipartisan support.
They're now down to fighting for the independents. Each side has got their Democrats or their Republicans, and it's this large segment in the middle that's getting larger and larger has not yet made up its mind. And that's the battlefield from now until the election.
BERNSTEIN: Energy is becoming a huge issue.
And the situation now, with a $500 billion deficit, is very different than when these guys enunciated their positions in the first place. And I think each of them, in one hand, is trying to make an honest attempt to deal with the reality, and not be backed into a corner.
But what's underlying all this that's so important is that McCain has really gone negative very early in the campaign.
MARTIN: Now, but, if you're McCain, you had to create some kind of traction. That's why you go negative.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNSTEIN: Yes, but it's so early. MARTIN: I understand that. But I think -- but, from Obama's standpoint, I think one thing that he should do -- because what John McCain has been setting up is, he's too naive, he's too young, he's inexperienced.
Obama should be saying, you know what? I'm going to let you sit here and spend your time dealing with Paris and Britney, while I focus on being a leader for the rest of the country. He should be invoking -- when the Bush administration and Rumsfeld and others were criticizing the French...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: You're saying he should be above the fray?
MARTIN: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Above the fray is different...
BERNSTEIN: That's what he has done the whole time.
MARTIN: Above the fray is different from saying, you know what, I'm not going to waste my time with childish behavior.
ROLLINS: The best thing both of them have going is, the Olympics are coming. It's going to be a great distraction for the country. And then we get to the conventions. And then we start the fall campaign, which is a seven-week campaign.
Both need a cooling-off period. The American public is tuned out on this campaign, I think, and they will get tuned back in again. But I think, for the summer, they're tuned off, as they should be.
COOPER: Carl Bernstein, Ed Rollins, Roland Martin, we're going to have more with you guys just in a moment.
Up next, the search for vice president -- with the race still tight in the polls, is Hillary Clinton now a real possibility for Barack Obama? We will talk about that.
We will also talk about it online. You can go to our blog, where the conversation is under way. I will be joining in shortly. The address there is AC360.com.
Later on the program, Bill Clinton speaking out. Regrets, yes, he says. Racism, no. Clinton speaks out for the first time about his role in the rough-and-tumble primary campaign.
Also tonight, where is Edouard heading? Growing stronger, we know that. It's getting closer to the Gulf Coast. We know that. Will it be a hurricane, and will it take a turn at the last minute? We will talk to Chad Myers.
Plus, the dramatic end to the search for Clark Rockefeller, that guy, and his young daughter. But who is this guy really? He has multiple aliases. Police are still searching for answers, though they found that little girl -- "Crime and Punishment" tonight on 360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, the veepstakes and the former President Bill Clinton speaking out -- speculation rising tonight about Barack Obama and John McCain's running mate picks. Senator Obama planning to be in Elkhart, Indiana, on Wednesday. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh will be there. This created a lot of buzz and speculation, but no sign Obama is going to be announcing anything about his V.P. pick then.
The same buzz today started humming around Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor after word got out that the McCain vetters asked him for personal documents. That's just the latest buzz.
The constant buzz concerns, of course, Hillary Clinton.
Continuing our "Strategy Session," Clinton biography Carl Bernstein, along with Roland Martin and Ed Rollins.
Ed, do you think Eric Cantor, first of all, is a serious contender?
ROLLINS: That's computer dating, putting someone who is a Jew...
(CROSSTALK)
ROLLINS: ... putting someone who is from Virginia, a young congressman who is conservative, and out pops a guy that nobody knows outside the Congress and outside his district. It would be a total waste, and a very nice man. He will be a future leader in Congress, but it would absolutely blow up in McCain's face.
COOPER: Carl, Barack Obama not hugely ahead in these poll of polls that we're looking at. A lot of Democrats getting concerned about that. Does this make Hillary Clinton more viable as a V.P. pick?
BERNSTEIN: Yes. It's very, very early, though. And -- but I will go out on a limb here and say, look, if Barack Obama wants to win the election with little risk, Hillary Clinton is probably the way to go.
She brings in Catholics. She brings in working-class people. She brings in the states that are in play. I think she wins in the election, unless -- unless it's really blown by -- you know, by -- by self-destruction.
At the same time, it's a lot of baggage.
COOPER: Roland...
(CROSSTALK)
BERNSTEIN: And you're going to hear the baggage when you go to the segment on Bill.
COOPER: Does that baggage, Roland, alienate the independents that they're trying to get?
MARTIN: Absolutely.
Also, do the math. George W. Bush won in 2004 with 65 million votes. Take Obama's 18, take Hillary Clinton's 18, what do you have? Thirty-six. You're still 29 million short.
The bottom line is, you need those independent voters. You do have the baggage. But, also, Clinton ran how much -- her campaign was leaking left and right. Obama ran a very tight ship. The Obama campaign does not want to have to deal with having to negotiate every single move with Hillary Clinton.
That is a top-down operation. Everybody else is underneath him. And, also, Bill Clinton comes into play. Look, I have talked to high- ranking Obama sources. It's very simple. She is not going to be the nominee. All the talk about, well, she might be there, what the polls say, it is not going to happen. Now, I don't know how more definitive...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: We're going to mark this tape.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Trust me, you can mark it.
COOPER: Ed, do you buy that?
ROLLINS: Ronald Reagan flew to Detroit in 1980, and the person he did not want on the ticket was George Bush. Three days later, George Bush was his ticket.
I think -- I agree with Carl. I think Hillary would be the strongest candidate on paper. I think you have to have a real sit- down and make sure that she cooperates, understands she's not number one, equally as important, Bill is not number one.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNSTEIN: One point. He's -- Obama is not going to do this unless he has to. But, if he has to, he will do it.
And -- and remember Jack Kennedy picking LBJ.
MARTIN: But also he -- he doesn't have to, Carl.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNSTEIN: No, no, Jack -- well, we don't know that yet. We will see what the situation -- he's waiting to see what the situation is going into that convention. COOPER: What would Kennedy picking LBJ tell you?
BERNSTEIN: It tells you that only the candidate himself knew who he was going to pick. Only his brother knew. And his brother was against LBJ.
And, in this case, I have talked to the same Obama people who say it's not going to happen, but only Obama and Michelle Obama know.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I want to play some of what Bill Clinton said in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America."
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: He was asked if he...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: He was asked if had any regrets. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA")
KATE SNOW, ABC REPORTER: Do you personally have any regrets about what you did campaigning for your wife?
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, but not the ones you think. And it would be counterproductive for me to talk about it. There are things that I wish I had urged her to do, things I wish I hadn't said -- things I wish I hadn't said. But I am not a racist. I never made a racist comment. And I didn't attack him personally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Roland, interesting kind of that he went there?
MARTIN: Yes, because, first of all, he's the prodigal son of the black community now. The black community was -- he was comfortable in the black community. He can't go there now, OK? He can't.
COOPER: Really?
MARTIN: He absolutely can't.
When Bill Clinton goes to black churches now, trust me, it's very tepid applause, where it used to be thunderous applause.
But here's the other reason why I think Hillary Clinton might not be nominee, primarily because of what you just saw. Bill Clinton can take the storyline. Tomorrow, the conversation around the watercoolers will be about that particular interview. And, so, remember what happened in 2000 with Al Gore, nominated at the convention. Bill Clinton goes off talking at a forum with a pastor. That becomes the storyline in the week of the convention. He takes oxygen out of the race.
ROLLINS: The biggest regret -- the biggest regret he should have had is, he should have gone back to Oxford, got his degree that he didn't finish, and let her run her own campaign, and she would have been a lot better off.
BERNSTEIN: Roland is right that this is the big problem. One, the elephant in this campaign is race, both from the point of view of the Republicans. And it was the...
MARTIN: Absolutely.
BERNSTEIN: And it was the elephant in the race when Hillary Clinton was running, but Bill Clinton says one thing that he really true. He is not a racist.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: But that wasn't even the question.
BERNSTEIN: No, I understand that.
(LAUGHTER)
BERNSTEIN: But what -- I think what's happened in this election here is, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton expected that she was going to be the nominee. And they both dreamed of a day when a black American could be president of the United States. They just never thought it was going to happen on their watch. And it has confounded them. And now it has confounded the Republicans.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: You know what? And I understand whether they come from, and also Hillary Clinton supporters. But here's the reality. She began with zero delegates. He began with zero delegates. You run the race. Whoever wins, wins. That's what you have to deal with.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNSTEIN: He beat her good.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Does it seem to you that he's gotten over the primary? I mean, he's...
ROLLINS: Oh, he's not over the primary. He's...
(CROSSTALK)
ROLLINS: This is about as insecure a man as you will ever find who has ever been president of the United States. And he basically wants to be loved by everybody. And he now feels that this is as much of a rejection of him as it is of her. And I think this was a group that was very important to him. And I think that he's -- I think he feels worse about that than anything else. He was the guy who thought he was the first black president. And, obviously, that's a community that was very supportive...
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: An answer real quick. The reality is, the people were driving this story.
I remember, when that happened in South Carolina, the Obama campaign didn't want to trust it. Trust me. I was getting e-mails from folks, saying, why aren't you saying something? It was African- Americans who were watching this campaign who were pressuring commentators and Web sites, saying, say something about this.
So, if Bill Clinton, when he somehow thinks that, well, it was the Obama campaign that drove this, no, it was regular, everyday African-Americans who were offended that when he was under the Monica Lewinsky scandal, his poll numbers were driven up, stayed there, because black voters had his back. And they said he turned his back on them. If he wants -- he needs to accept that as reality.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNSTEIN: He was self-destructive. That's all there is to it.
MARTIN: He needs to accept that.
COOPER: We're going to have more of the Bill Clinton coming up.
Carl Bernstein, thanks very much.
MARTIN: Thank you.
ROLLINS: Thank you.
COOPER: Ed Rollins, Roland Martin as well.
We have got a great in-depth look of the vice presidential contenders on our Web site, an interactive primary from CNN politics with pros and cons of each candidate. Find the link at our Web site, AC360.com.
Former President Clinton is generating some buzz of his own tonight. We talked a little bit about it. We will more of what he said on the record about his regrets over the primary his wife lost. And we will have more on why he says he's not a racist. That's just ahead.
Plus, Tropical Storm Edouard is picking up speed, bearing down on Louisiana and Texas. Where and when will it come ashore? We are going to have the latest forecast from Chad Myers.
Plus, a new and grisly clue in a stomach-turning mystery -- another human foot washes ashore just south of the U.S.-Canada border. Is it connected to five other feet found on Canada's beaches?
A bizarre story -- coming up on 360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Earlier, we told you about the nasty sparring today between Barack Obama and John McCain over energy, definitely the top story on the trail today.
And now we want to bring you some more of what the candidates said in their own words. It's part of our commitment to you to bring you the raw facts unfiltered from the campaign trail, so you can make up your own mind about who's right. You don't need TV commentators telling us.
CNN's Jessica Yellin joins me now.
Jessica, McCain found his voice, some would say, on this issue weeks ago. Today, Barack Obama tried to take the lead away from him. How did it go?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, for Barack Obama, it went well. He's on the offensive today.
He made the point that John McCain is in the pocket of big oil, and he also says that, despite all his years in Washington, John McCain has a do-nothing record on energy reform.
In addition to all this, Anderson, Obama outlined an aggressive new plan to reduce our use of foreign oil.
Let's listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: You won't hear me say this too often, but I could not agree more with the explanation that Senator McCain offered a few weeks ago. He said, and I quote, Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been 30 years in the making and was caused by the failures of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Now, what Senator McCain neglected to mention was during those 30 years, he was in Washington for 26 of them.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And in all that time he did little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
If I am president, I will immediately direct the full resources of the federal government and the full energy of the private sector, working with state and local governments, to achieve a single overarching goal. In 10 years, we will eliminate the need for oil from the entire Middle East and Venezuela, in 10 years time.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Ten years is how long it's going to take.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: And how does Obama plan to get there? Well, he says he will offer economic incentives, like tax rebates, to increase production of hybrids, to reduce the amount of electricity we use, and to encourage businesses to go to renewable energy. Anderson, he modestly calls this plan ambitious.
COOPER: Well, how about John McCain? I mean, he continued the attack today. How is he responding to it all?
YELLIN: Well, McCain keeps renewing his call for more offshore drilling.
As you discussed with the panel, that's widely popular with voters. So, he's continuing to hammer away on that theme, saying Obama is out of touch because he's not getting behind this aggressively.
Here's McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: We need to offshore drill for oil and natural gas. We need to drill here and we need to drill now. And anybody who says that we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face, or isn't giving the American people some straight talk.
Unfortunately, Senator Obama continues to oppose offshore drilling. He continues to oppose the use of nuclear power. These misguided policies would result in higher energy costs to American families and businesses and increased dependence on foreign oil. We're not going to achieve energy independence by inflating our tires.
I'm going to lead our nation to energy independence and I'm going to do it with a realistic and comprehensive all of the above approach that uses every resource available to finally solve this crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Now, in fact, Anderson, Obama has said that he will support a compromise that includes offshore drilling, as long as it's part of a larger energy plan.
As a result, McCain's aides are accusing Obama of flip-flopping on offshore drilling. And, meantime, as you heard, the candidate himself continues to say Obama opposes offshore drilling. So, the McCain camp is sort of having it both ways on this issue. And, so far, it all seems to be working for him. COOPER: All right, Jessica Yellin, thanks.
Still ahead tonight: Bill Clinton's regrets -- what he's saying now about attacking Obama, and why he says he's not a racist, why he brought that up, even.
Plus, Tropical Storm Edouard gaining strength, expected to be a hurricane when it hits Texas tomorrow. Chad Myers has the latest on its path and some severe weather hitting Chicago tonight.
And my close encounter with great white sharks -- it is our shot of the day -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, on the coast of Louisiana and Texas today, the first signs of Tropical Storm Edouard arrived. You can see the wind picking up. That didn't keep people away from the beaches or even out of the water right now.
That relaxed attitude doesn't change the forecast, however. Tonight, Edouard is threatening to whip itself into a hurricane as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico. Now, the governor of Louisiana has declared a state of emergency. Evacuation have begun -- begun in some parts of the state.
Let's get the latest from severe weather expert Chad Myers -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Anderson, the storm doesn't look very good tonight, as a matter of fact. The north side looks OK, but now it's only half-a-storm. So, what is that, half-a-hurricane? I guess that's still a tropical storm.
The north half of the storm still has a lot of storm movement with it, a lot of convection with it. But the southern half of the storm is almost completely gone. There's nothing left on radar whatsoever. And we're not going to see really too much -- I don't think -- too much intense just stormy weather tonight. I just don't see it in it.
But what it did happen -- what did happen, I think this storm moved a little bit to the north. So, maybe what was the middle of the cone of Galveston, Texas, maybe now the middle of the cone is maybe up toward Port Arthur. Here's a radar presentation of what happened.
I think this thing kind of drifted to the north. And, if it did, that would be great news, because, in fact, if the storm continues right over Galveston, and, then, obviously, over Houston, FEMA has put this number -- these numbers together -- this will be a $300 million storm.
Everywhere that you see here. These are census tracks right through Houston, Galveston Island. Everywhere that you see that dark red, that's $1 million in each census track of damage alone or more. And that's just going to go up from here if it goes right over Houston proper. You can see where that red line is. That's the forecast track. You move that track 50 miles to the right, there's not nearly as much to hit, and those numbers will probably go down to probably $100 million, possibly even less than that.
One more thing that happened tonight, Anderson. We had some pretty severe weather go right through Chicago. Even three reports of tornadoes on the ground around Chicago land. And we're watching, we're looking for damage. We've been looking for it all night long. Haven't seen anything too significant. Calling all kinds of emergency managers up there.
This is CLTV. Have a lot of lightning strikes earlier today. They have now all since moved into Michigan and Northern Indiana. We will get, though, the latest for you on any damage. We have Karen Maginnis here all night long, all over the overnight hours, keeping you up to date minute by minute by any changes in this Chicago weather or, of course, Edouard. She's here for us today.
COOPER: Chad, thanks for that.
Also ahead tonight, the fugitive and alleged kidnapper who claims he's a Rockefeller showed up in court today in khakis, loafers and shackles. Coming up, how the FBI found him, flushed him out and rescued his young daughter.
First, Erica Hill joins us with a "360 Bulletin" -- Erica.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Anderson, lawyers for indicted Senator Ted Stevens filed a motion today to move his September trial to his home state of Alaska, where he's campaigning for re-election. It is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., right now.
The six-term Senator is accused of failing to disclose more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations allegedly paid for by an energy services company. Stevens says he is innocent.
Conservative columnist and former CNN host Robert Novak said today he's retiring immediately to focus on treatment for a malignant brain tumor diagnosed last week. Novak told his long-time employer, "The Chicago Sun-Times," his prognosis is dire.
Actor Morgan Freeman remains in serious condition in a Memphis hospital tonight. The 71-year-old Oscar-winner suffered severe -- or several fractures, rather, when the car he was driving ran off a two- lane highway last night and flipped, Anderson.
COOPER: Wow.
All right. Here's tonight's "Beat 360" photo: Barack Obama talking with Senator Carl Levin after giving a speech in Levin's home state of Michigan. Kind of pointing at each other there.
Here's the caption from our staff winner, Kate: "Senator Levin shows Obama a variation of the fist bump: the index finger slide."
(SOUND EFFECT: LAUGHTER) COOPER: They're kind of sliding.
Anyway, think you can do better? Go to our Web site, AC360.com. Click on the "Beat 360" link. Send us your entry. We'll announce the winner at the end of the program. And, of course, the winner gets a nifty "Beat 360" T-shirt.
Up next, Bill Clinton, speaking out for the first time, is talking about the tough primary campaign and why he says the media gave him a raw deal.
Later, new developments in a bizarre mystery. Another severed foot washes up on shore, this time in the Pacific Northwest. The sixth foot to wash up. So who do they belong to? The mystery tonight on 360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Bill Clinton finally speaking out, the first time since the tough primary campaign ended. We know he's talked to Barack Obama on the phone, but so far he's not done any campaigning for him.
Up close tonight, here's 360's Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The former president was in Africa talking up health care, as he has before for his charitable foundation. But when ABC News asked if he has regrets about his performance in his wife's campaign against Obama, he did not sound charitable.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There are things that I wish I'd have chose to do, things I wish I had said, things I wish I hadn't said. But I am not a racist. I never made a racist comment, and I didn't attack him personally.
He hit her hard a couple times, and they hit us a few times. And weeks before she ever responded in kind. The only thing I ever got mad about was people in your line of work pretended that she had somehow started the negative stuff.
FOREMAN: Mr. Clinton took particular exception to media coverage of his wife and his work on her behalf.
CLINTON: I got bad press. Why? Because I told the truth. That there was a different standard applied to the finest candidate I every supported. Now, I would be glad, as soon as the election is over in January, to have this conversation with you and everybody else. I have very strong feelings about it.
FOREMAN: Mr. Clinton has said for weeks that he fully supports Senator Obama now. But it is still not clear what that means; not clear how much he will campaign for Obama, when he might speak at the Democratic convention, or what role he or his wife would play in an Obama administration. So those close to the Clintons are grumbling.
JOHN HARRIS, THE POLITICO: They feel that Barack Obama should be working harder to help Hillary Clinton retire her debt. They feel he should be looking more closely at Hillary Clinton as a vice- presidential nominee. They feel he should be paying more respect to both Clintons for the contributions they've made to the Democratic Party.
FOREMAN (on camera): Democratic Party leaders continue to say publicly all of this will be smoothed over by convention time. But privately, they are looking at their calendars.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Convention's not too far away.
Up next, "Crime & Punishment." Dramatic end to the search for the man claiming to be a Rockefeller and his young daughter.
Also ahead, the mystery of the missing feet. A sixth foot in a sneaker has washed up on a beach. Are they all connected? New details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight, this man, the so-called phony Rockefeller, is behind bars. His young daughter, the little girl she -- he allegedly kidnapped, is safe and sound. But the search for answers is far from over. Even with the arrest, authorities are baffled about who the suspect really is.
Erica Hill has tonight's "Crime & Punishment" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL (voice-over): An anonymous tip brought the FBI to Baltimore. A cunning sting with help from a local marina manager brought Clark Rockefeller out in the open. Told his boat was taking on water, Rockefeller left his daughter behind to go check on his sailboat. The FBI arrested him as soon as Rockefeller left the house.
COMMISSIONER EDWARD DAVIS, BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: At this time, Clark Rockefeller is in FBI custody in Baltimore and facing charges which include felony custodial kidnapping, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Investigators continue their efforts to determine Clark Rockefeller's true identity.
HILL: In Baltimore, Clark Rockefeller was known as Chip Smith. That's the name he used at the marina where he kept his boat for nine years. And it's the same name he used just a few weeks ago to buy the Baltimore home where he was arrested. It isn't his only alias. Boston police say he has used at least four other names. But the 48-year-old doesn't seem to have a Social Security card, a birth certificate, or a marriage license, even though he and Reigh's mother divorced last December.
Sandra Boss was granted custody of the little girl, in part because of concerns about her ex-husband's past. They now live in London, where Sandra Boss works.
Reigh's first supervised visit with her dad was last Sunday in Boston, when he allegedly kidnapped her. Sandra Boss issued a video plea, urging her ex-husband to surrender and speaking to her daughter.
SANDRA BOSS, MOTHER OF REIGH BOSS: I love you. I miss you so much. And remember you're always a princess.
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT THOMAS LEE, BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: One of the best moments in my police career was getting to personally tell Sandra Boss that we recovered her daughter.
HILL: Now reunited, Boss and Reigh, whom she calls Snooks, are said to be overjoyed.
But the questions about Rockefeller are still swirling. Whoever he is, we do know he isn't one of the Rockefellers. The famous family issued a statement denying any connection.
But he does seem to have plenty of cash. Police say he recently withdrew $300,000 to buy gold coins, and he bought the $450,000 Baltimore home with cash, leading many to believe he planned to start a new life there. Instead, he is headed back to Boston to face more charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And Anderson, he's headed to Boston because Rockefeller waived extradition. In fact, we're told he could be headed to Boston as early as tomorrow morning.
COOPER: When he bought the house in Baltimore, I guess it was, with cash, as Chip Smith, another alias, did the realtor think anything of it?
HILL: Not initially. Apparently, he'd just -- he had come up and said he was looking for a two- to three-bedroom house for himself and his daughter, that they would be relocating from Chile.
And they apparently -- they being the real-estate company, have said that they allowed him -- they helped to find him temporary housing. They allowed him to come into the office and use their Internet connection until everything was set, and they didn't really think anything of it until they were watching the news the other morning, and they saw pictures of Clark Rockefeller and said that's Chip Smith.
COOPER: Wow. Fascinating. All right. Erica, thanks.
Next on 360, the mystery of the severed feet deepens today after a sixth foot washes up. The latest on what is truly a bizarre story ahead.
And later, "The Shot." My underwater encounter, up close, with a Great White Shark and a little pale anchor.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight, an update on a strange story: a mystery that continues out west, centering on severed feet. As we've been reporting for a month, the feet in sneakers keep washing up along the coast. It's happened again. A sixth foot has now appeared, and authorities are trying to figure out where the feet are coming from.
360's Randi Kaye has the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Take a good look at this sneaker. Investigators say it still has a foot inside it, one of five feet found on Canadian shores in less than a year.
TERRY SMITH, BRITISH COLUMBIA CORONER: I can tell you that I've never run across something like this.
KAYE: Police say two people spotted the foot in waters between Vancouver Island and British Columbia's mainland. Like the others, it was still wearing a sneaker.
Of the five feet, the first four are right feet. This is the only left one. It's a mystery that has baffled investigators sense the first foot washed ashore in August 2007. Now it's getting international attention. Are they linked?
Recently, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said DNA testing on a right foot discovered on Valdez Island in February, and a left foot discovered in June on Western Island belonged to the same man. Police are looking through lists of missing people to try and find a match.
But how many more feet might be out there? And how did the victims die?
There is no shortage of theories. Some have suggested the feet belonged to stowaways on commercial ships. Others think it's the work of a serial killer.
ANNIE LINTEAU, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: We are reviewing all missing persons files. We are exploring the possibility that it could be people who may have drowned. It could be missing fishermen. It could be the remains of people who may have died in a plain crash.
KAYE: Three years ago, a float plane carrying five men crashed into the sea not far from Vancouver. Only one body was recovered. This woman's brother, the pilot, was never found.
SALLY FEAST, BROTHER DIED IN PLACE CRASH: Fifty yards away is where the boys took off from. And here we are just on the other side finding a foot.
KAYE: Relatives' DNA is being compared to DNA from the feet. Forensic scientist Larry Kobilinsky says even after all these years in the water, investigators can still get a good DNA sample from bones.
(on camera) Do socks and sneakers slow down the decomposition process at all?
LAWRENCE KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: Without a doubt. Having the severed part of the body, the foot, encased in a sneaker is going to protect it from decomposition.
KAYE: The sneakers may explain why feet are the only body part that's turned up. We checked with oceanographers, and we're told sneakers are so buoyant they can travel thousands of miles in the water, averaging about ten miles a day.
(voice-over) Investigators are focusing on the shoes for clues, too.
LINTEAU: The mate, where the shoe was produced, when, and where it was sold to shed some light on the identity of these people.
KAYE: So far, the feet do not appear to have been severed. No evidence of foul play.
All the answers, though, will take time. And the investigation has already been hampered by a hoax. Police were alerted to what was thought to be another foot in a black Adidas running shoe.
SANDRA MALONE, RV PARK MANAGER: Scared, you know, to think of, you know, that happening to a person. Their foot is actually, you know, sitting here on the beach.
KAYE: This woman says the sneaker was wrapped in seaweed with two bones sticking out of it. It turned out to be an animal paw. Investigators called the prank reprehensible.
So the search for clues continues, as police try to pair up the feet and figure out just how many victims they have on their hands.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Truly strange story.
We're going to follow several other stories tonight. Erica Hill joins us again with a "360 News and Business Bulletin" -- Erica.
HILL: Anderson, a U.S. military jury at Guantanamo Bay began deliberations today in the case against Osama bin Laden's former driver, Salim Hamdan. He's charged with conspiracy and material support of terrorism. His defense team says Hamdan was just a driver and had no part in planning attacks.
The price of oil today falling nearly $4 to settle at just over $120 a barrel. If you're keeping track, that is its lowest level in three months.
And the three-week old Brangelina twins are making their debut in both "Hello" and "People" magazine. Exclusive snapshots right in here that reportedly cost $14 million. All that cash expected to go to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which helps with humanitarian crisis around the world, Anderson.
COOPER: Have you seen the pictures?
HILL: I have.
COOPER: I haven't seen them.
HILL: What a good-looking family, I got to tell you.
COOPER: All right. Now our "Beat 360" winners. It's our daily challenge to you, the viewer, to actually show up our staffers and coming up with a better caption for the picture we post on our blog every day.
Barack Obama talking to Senator Karl Levin, that's the picture, after giving a speech in Levin's home state of Michigan, kind of touching fingers there.
Here's the caption from our staff winner, Kate: "Senator Levin shows Obama a variation on the fist bump: the index finger slide."
(SOUND EFFECT: LAUGHTER)
COOPER: The viewer winner is Bob from Massillon, Ohio. His caption: "What senators do best: point fingers!"
(SOUND EFFECT: DRUM BEAT)
HILL: I like it, Bob. I think it's good stuff.
COOPER: Simple but good. Right there. Clear.
Bob, your "Beat 360" T-shirt is on the way. Nice job. You can play out all the entries that we receive on our blog. Play along tomorrow by going to the Web site, AC360.com.
"The Shot" is next. What happens when a scared little anchor has a close encounter with a Great White Shark? We'll show you what -- some of what happened when I went to investigate Great White Sharks off the coast of Africa last week.
And at the top of the hour, the energy crisis. Barack Obama accused of flip-flopping on the issue, while John McCain's new attack ads leave him under fire. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Time now for "The Shot."
For our "Planet in Peril" series, Erica, I've encountered mountain gorillas, as you know, elephants, bugs bigger than my head. Now, it's Great White Sharks.
I spent last week diving with sharks off the coast of South Africa. That's me, looking ridiculous in my weight suit there. Went to learn about this often hated predator and cage-dived with them a couple of times. This is the first time we went in.
It was really an unbelievable experience. You actually, the sharks just come right up to the cage. They have a bait in the water. They chum the water so it's full of blood and fish guts and stuff.
HILL: You're in a cage but there's no top to the cage?
COOPER: There's no top to the cage. Correct.
HILL: So they could get in and get you if they wanted to?
COOPER: I guess if they were that motivated.
HILL: Thankfully, they did not.
COOPER: But it was -- it was incredible to get that close and these sharks were, like, 15 feet. They could get up to, I think, 20 feet long.
HILL: That's wild.
COOPER: Yes. That's a little bait there hanging in the water.
HILL: And all of those -- and those are all just little other fish that sort of swam along with the sharks?
COOPER: They, like, go for the bait, and then there's the fish that, like, latch onto the shark.
HILL: Which then latches onto your cage.
COOPER: Right, exactly.
HILL: That must be really comforting.
COOPER: But it's among the most remarkable experiences, to be that close.
HILL: Great pictures.
COOPER: That's all going to be in "Planet in Peril." A lot more of the video.
You can see all the most recent shots on our Web site, also, AC360.com. You can also check out other segments from the program. You can read the blog. You can check out the "Beat 360" picture You can see Erica Hill's personal journal.
HILL: That's funny, Anderson Cooper. I don't have a personal journal.
COOPER: You don't journal? You're not a journaler?
HILL: I'm not a journaler. No.
COOPER: You don't sit in coffee shops journaling? Writing stuff on your laptop.
HILL: No. No, I prefer to do that in the park.
COOPER: Don't you hate when people do that, in New York? Like you go to a coffee shop and you see people journaling?
HILL: Just writing. I wish I could do that. I don't have time for that.
COOPER: What are they writing? Who wants to write in public?
HILL: They're writing, "I love Anderson Cooper who signs (ph) with the sharks."
COOPER: Yes, yes, yes. All right, more on the sharks in our next hour. See how scientists are trying to track them.
Also, "Raw Politics," John McCain mocking Barack Obama's energy plan. Senator Obama slamming the money he's getting from big oil. That's what he says, at least. We've got the heat, also the facts about their programs and the candidates at length in their own words so you can make up your own mind who's right. That and more ahead on 360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight on the attack once more, with energy, John McCain hammering away, calling Barack Obama's new oil independence plan misguided, mocking his gas-saving advice, keeping it personal.
Barack Obama saying McCain is in the pocket of big oil, counterpunching after a week of taking hits.
Tonight, the punch and counterpunch and the substance, extended excerpts of the candidates in their own words so you can decide who's right for yourself.
Also tonight, what about Bill? Clinton, of course. The ex- president speaking out, declaring, "I'm not a racist." Tonight, you'll hear why he said that and what he now thinks about what went wrong for Hillary Clinton.
Later, a major tropical storm getting stronger in the Gulf. It is going to hit Texas most likely in the morning, expected to be a hurricane. New details on where Edouard is going and how big it's going to get -- how big it's going to be when it gets there.
Plus, a new clue in the mystery of the severed feet. Yes, feet. Five have washed up so far. Now another foot appears. But where are they coming from?
We begin with Barack Obama and John McCain trading shots today, tough shots, over the issue voters say they care about most: energy prices. Ironically, gas and oil prices came down a bit today, even with the campaign temperature rising. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-Il), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said, and I quote, our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been 30 years in the making and was caused by the failure of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country.
Now, what Senator McCain neglected to mention was during those 30 years, he was in Washington for 26 of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
