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Airport Death; Chrysler & UAW; Iraq Security Shooting; Gerri's Top Tips

Aired October 10, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: She died in police custody at Phoenix Airport. Today, new details about the investigation and the woman's husband speaks out. A CNN exclusive.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: An ivy league campus stunned by racism. A noose dangling from a professor's office door. Today, students protest.

HARRIS: Chrysler workers set for a possible strike. Deadline just an hour away this morning. Wednesday, October 10th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And at the top this hour, new developments in the case of a woman who died in police custody at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The investigation takes a twist and her family speaks out. CNN's Alina Cho with exclusive details.

Alina, good to see you. What have you learned?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we should be clear that we're going to begin with the audiotape and our viewers should know, Tony, that we obtained this audiotape with husband Noah Gotbaum's blessing. It is the first time that you're going to hear the husband of Carol Anne Gotbaum in his own words. In a passionate eulogy delivered Sunday in New York, Gotbaum talked about how he thought his wife's death could have been prevented.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOAH GOTBAUM, CAROL GOTBAUM'S HUSBAND: If the airline or the police authority had treated Carol with some modicum of sensitivity and grace, or one single person at that airport had put an arm around her shoulder, sat her down and given her some protection, she might still be with us today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Now after listening to the audiotapes, we've also learned that Carol Gotbaum wrote letters to each of her children in Ziploc bags while she was on her way to the airport. Remember, she was headed from New York to Tucson for alcohol rehab. And in his eulogy Noah Gotbaum also talked about his wife's sickness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOTBAUM: My beautiful girl was so ashamed to seek help. And many of us, myself included, perpetuated that because we simply didn't understand the disease. We said it can't be. Must be something else causing this. These are diseases that have to be understood and treated, not swept under the rug, demonized, and hushed up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Exactly how she died is still a mystery, but there are some new details about just what happened on the day she died. CNN has learned that Carol Gotbaum arrived at Phoenix Airport completely sober. We know that because she apparently sent a series of e-mail, made several phone calls, and, according to our source, was "entirely lucid."

Now we're told Gotbaum then went to a sports bar at the airport. By all accounts she had a bite to eat and likely a few drinks. Our source tells us that when the toxicology report comes out in the next several weeks, it will show that there was, indeed, alcohol in her system.

Now CNN has also learned that Gotbaum flew into a rage not when she missed her initial connection, as has been widely reported, but rather after she found out she could not get on to the next flight, which was also over booked. Now here's the explanation. A stranger kindly offered to give up his seat. She went to the gate with his ticket and was told she could not get onto the plane with someone else's boarding pass. That, she was told, would be a "security beach" and that explains something that a lot of people have been wondering about. Why she started yelling and screaming, I'm not a terrorist.

Now one other interesting detail we've learned is that the medical examiner, the very same woman who performed the autopsy on Gotbaum, her name is Ann Buckholtz (ph). She went to the holding cell where Gotbaum died, the very same one, and she essentially recreated the scene. The doctor was handcuffed and shackled. She was even secured to a bench and put in the same position. And she was able to do all of this, interestingly enough, because she was about the same size as Gotbaum. Both 5'7" and only a five pound different in their weight.

And, Tony, we're also told there were some photographs taken of that recreation, but so far those pictures have not been made public.

HARRIS: Well, I asked you at the top what had you learned, and you've learned plenty.

Alina Cho for us this morning.

Alina, thank you.

CHO: You bet.

COLLINS: Another noose found. This time at New York's Columbia University. An African-American professor says she found the noose on her office door in a teacher's college building. The professor's identity has not been confirmed but several sources say she's famous for her publications on racism. Police investigating the incident as a hate crime. Students, meanwhile, plan a walkout at 2:00 this afternoon to protest the symbol of racial hatred on their campus. That will be followed by an address from the president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger.

He issued a statement saying, "this is an assault on African- Americans and, therefore, it is an assault on every one of us. I know I speak on behalf of every member of our communities in condemning this horrible action. I also want to express our full support of Teacher's College and President Susan Furhman in dealing with this matter."

HARRIS: Also this morning, back at home but leaving office. The once missing Atlantic City mayor, Bob Levy, has resigned. Word of that coming just a short time ago here in the NEWSROOM. He mysteriously vanished two weeks ago. His lawyer says he was at a clinic known for mental health and substance abuse treatment. Earlier a city councilman asked a judge to decide whether Levy abandoned his office. A hearing was scheduled for Friday to see if Levy would actually keep his job.

COLLINS: One hour from now, Chrysler workers could learn whether they'll be working the assembly line or walking the picket line. Ali Velshi is live from New York now with more on this strike deadline.

All right. So what's on the table here, Ali?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's the same thing roughly that was on the table when the UAW was talking to General Motors. The car company, the Detroit based car companies, are paying about $25 more per hour in what they call total labor costs. That's not what the UAW worker gets as a paycheck. That's the amount per hour that is being paid for these benefits for retired workers.

Now as you remember, there was a deadline with GM. That passed. It was extended hour by hour and then all of a sudden they told them on a strike night they're going to strike on Monday morning and that's what happened.

Well, here's where we are with Chrysler. 11:00 a.m. is the strike deadline. UAW workers, 45,000 of them, have picked up their -- they signed up for their union pay, which is about $200 a week. They signed up for their picket duty starting at 11:00 this morning and that means there are some people ready to start picketing in 54 minutes.

We do not know whether they are putting the final -- you know, crossing the "t"s and dotting the "i"s on a contract, whether there's going to be a further extension, or whether, at 11:00, like has happened with GM, union reps will walk in and tell their workers to start filing out.

Now, as you know, we've got cameras in position. If that starts to happen, we will report what is going on at the 24 unionized Chrysler plants across the United States. Most guessing is that there isn't going to be a strike. But, you know, Heidi, that was the guessing the last time around with GM as well. COLLINS: Yes, it sure was.

So when we talk about this, how many workers and plants in the U.S. are actually going to be affected?

VELSHI: Well, 45,000 workers are unionized UAW workers in the United States. There are about 24 plants. But the issue here, of course, is that the minute there's a shutdown at an auto plant, the way the system works these days is just in time inventory. So that affects everybody down the line in auto plants along the way.

The only silver cloud, if there is one here, is that Chrysler had idled some plants to get rid of some backlog of cars. So they're not as quickly affected by a strike over the course of the next week or two. But the fact is, none of these companies are really in a position to face a strike or a stoppage. So the GM strike wasn't good for anyone. Not entirely clear what the union gained out of going on strike there. So we'll have to see. We've got less than an hour to go.

COLLINS: OK, Ali. And I'm sure you'll let us know as soon as you find out what's going to happen.

VELSHI: I will. Yes.

COLLINS: All right. Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business."

Thanks, Ali.

HARRIS: A new food warning to tell you about. Health officials say frozen Banquet and some store brand turkey and chicken pot pies may be linked to salmonella. The CDC says 139 casts were reported in 30 states. The pot pies were made by ConAgra and have the code "P-9" written on the box. ConAgra has stopped production for now. The company says the pot pies are safe if they're cooked properly, but folks are urged not to eat them until this whole situation is resolved.

COLLINS: The high school in Crandon, Wisconsin, welcoming students back today. Just days after a deadly rampage there. Six young people killed early Sunday were either students there or recent graduates. So was the shooter, off duty Sheriff's Deputy Tyler Peterson. Authorities say Peterson opened fire at a party at his ex- girlfriend's house over homecoming weekend. And we are learning more about how Peterson died. Authorities revealing he was shot once in the arm as police closed in, but they now say he apparently took his own life by shooting himself in the head three times.

HARRIS: The Army apparently winning its battle to sign up more recruits. New numbers due out this morning are expected to show the Army has reached its recruitment goal for the years. Officials upped the anti this time around, increasing the sign-up bonus to $20,000. The Army has offered bonuses of up to $15,000 in the past. The increase comes after missing its recruiting target two straight months. COLLINS: Building friendships in Iraq. Coalition counties get millions of U.S. dollars. What does the U.S. get in return? And is it worth the big payout? We're keeping them honest in the NEWSROOM.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I am Alessio Vinci in Baghdad. I'll have the very latest on yet another shooting incident involving a private security firm. Stay with us on CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Democrats and Republicans finding common ground. (INAUDIBLE) in both parties reach agreement on a key issue.

COLLINS: This guy takes great care of his hair. We're talking about a singular strand on his leg.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would protect it if I could, condition it, make sure that it stays nice and strong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait a minute, you put conditioner on it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: OK, that's just weird. World record contender. Get Guinness on the line, somebody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Bloody scene in Baghdad. New outrage after two women are killed by private security guards. Now Iraq identifies the company.

HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Richard Roberts on "Larry King Live" explaining a spending scandal. His father, Oral Roberts, comes to his defense in an exclusive interview. It is straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Iraq investigating another deadly shooting involving private security guards. CNN's Alessio Vinci with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Hours after the shooting incident, blood was still visible on the street and curbside of this downtown Baghdad neighborhood. Nineteen shots hit the car, killing two occupants instantly. They were two women.

Eyewitnesses say their car may have come too close to a convoy of four heavily armed vehicles belonging to a private security firm. Their guards, they say, perhaps felt threatened and opened fire.

"It is very difficult to describe the situation," this eyewitness said. "They were approaching a convoy from a distance when the guards opened the doors and shot at them with machine guns."

"What a shame," said this other witness. "Maybe the driver got confused or she was scared. And when she got scared, security guards frantically started shooting at them. Yes," says this Iraqi, "they killed both of them."

A spokesman for the Iraqi interior ministry said the Australian private security firm, Unity Resources Group, was responsible for the shooting. A company spokesman said it is working with Iraqi authorities to determine the circumstances of the incident. And that the first information they have is that the security team was approached at speed by a vehicle which failed to stop despite an escalation of warnings which included hand signals and a signal flare. The statement concludes, the company regrets the incident.

This latest incident comes as Iraqi investigators completed their probe into another shooting three weeks ago involving the U.S. private security firm Blackwater. In their report, investigators labeled the civilian deaths as premeditated murder and are recommending that Blackwater pay $8 million to each family of the 17 people killed. Blackwater maintains its guards were responding to an attack and acted properly.

But survivors and victims' family members say what they want is not compensation, but justice here in Iraq.

MOHAMMED ABDUL RAZZAQ, NINE-YEAR-OLD VICTIM'S FATHER, (through translator): Why should I ask for compensation? Will it bring back my son? Iraqi life is cheap.

VINCI: The Iraqi probe also calls on U.S. officials to hand over the Blackwater guards to face a possible trial here in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Quickly we will get to Alessio Vinci on this story, but first we want to take you to something where we are looking at Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates talking about the Armenian genocide. Let's listen in to why this is important. Just one moment.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: As an important, strategic ally, it is very critical in supporting the efforts that we're making in these crucial areas. I just want to note that General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker brought up the issue of this Armenian genocide resolution, as did Admiral Fallon and asked that we do everything that we could to make certain that it (INAUDIBLE). But, in turn, to Secretary Gates, let me just say that this is not (INAUDIBLE) fail to recognize the terrible tragedy of 1915, the mass killings that took place there.

In fact, President Bush has spoken about this issue repeatedly throughout his presidency. We have encouraged the Turkish government to work with the Armenian government to put together a way to overcome and reconcile these horrible -- this horrible past and these terrible differences. We believe that there's some improvement in Turkish Armenian relations.

So this is not to ignore what was a really terrible situation and we recognize the feelings of those who want to express their concern and their disdain for what happened many years ago. But the passage of this resolution at this time would, indeed, be very problematic for everything that we are trying to do in the Middle East because we are very dependent on a good Turkish, strategic ally to help with our efforts.

And maybe I could turn to Secretary Gates for a couple of comments.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Just a word or two.

The reason that the commanders raised this issue is our heavy dependence on Turkey in terms of resupply in Iraq (ph). About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq comes -- goes through Turkey. About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey. They believe clearly that access to airfields and to the roads and so on in Turkey would be very much put at risk if this resolution passes and the Turks react as strongly as we believe they will.

Just one other small fact is that, as you know, we're air lifting these MRAPs, these mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, right now into Iraq. Ninety-five percent of those MRAPs going into Iraq right now are flying -- are being flown in through Turkey. And so our heavy dependence on the Turks for access is really the reason the commanders raise this and why we're so concerned about the resolution.

Thank you.

RICE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can one resolution make that much difference?

COLLINS: OK. So here's what we're talking about.

Today they are considering a measure in the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding whether or not to label what happened during World War I in Armenia as genocide. This creates some problems according to the Turks and the Turkish president. The president, Bill Gul (ph), said that there would be serious troubles if Congress did adopt this measure, which you just heard Secretary Rice say that the president is opposed to because of, you heard Secretary Gates say, the heavy dependence on the Turks for access during the Iraq War. So this is going to be actually a very interesting vote happening today for something that occurred way back during World War I. Right before the fall of the Ottoman Empire. So we will continue to follow that for you.

In the meantime, Alessio Vinci has been standing by throughout all of this.

And, Alessio, you're joining us now when yesterday we were talking about this attack on a convoy in Iraq. We were wondering whether or not Blackwater was involved but we had discussed pretty much at length that there were several other private contractors involved. And now we know who this is, yes?

VINCI: That is correct, Heidi. It is an Australian company called United Resources Group, which has headquarters both in the UAE and in Dubai. And they pretty much came out right away yesterday by saying that their convoy was indeed involved in this shooting incident and they are saying that they are cooperating with Iraqi investigators to find out exactly what happened. They also said that they regret the incident.

So we are having a situation here where this security firm is trying to cooperate with authorities here. And by the way, the U.S. is investigating as well to try to come to the bottom of it and to see how these two women died.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Alessio, what more do we know about these two women and possibly what would have precipitated events like this?

VINCI: Well, what we do know is that there was a driver who was about a middle aged woman and the passenger was about in her early 30s. The driver was using this car as an unofficial taxi in order to support her family since the husband died a while back. And what we understand from eyewitnesses and also from a company statement, and that is that the car may have come too close to the security convoy and that perhaps the guards felt threatened and then they opened fire. The company insists that they did all the appropriate signs in order to warn them that they were coming to close, but that, obviously, came to no avail and they opened fire and they killed both women on board of it.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Alessio Vinci coming to us live out of Baghdad.

Alessio, thanks for standing by. Appreciate it.

HARRIS: OK. You hear that tick, tick, tick? Time running out on a deal at Chrysler. Thousands of auto workers threatening to strike this morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis.

Protecting yourself from identity theft just got easier. I'll give you the details next on "Top Tips" in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: And let's go ahead and have a look at the big board. Resting right now at 14,107, down about 60 points. Well 56 to be fair. Nasdaq also down one point. We'll talk more about this with Susan Lisovicz.

As you well know by now, about 30 minutes away from some news likely to come our way about the possible UAW strike. And we know Ali Velshi is following that as well. We will bring you that just as soon as we know what happens.

HARRIS: Well, here's the deal. By November 1st you will have a new weapon against identity theft -- credit freezes. Is this protection worth the time and the money? That's the question. Here with the answers, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

Gerri, great to see you.

WILLIS: Good to see you, Tony.

HARRIS: Security freezes, huh? Tell us about this.

WILLIS: Well, they give the consumer the option to lock down access to their credit file against anybody out there who may be trying to open up a new account or get new credit in their name. And by the end of the year, all three credit bureaus -- TransUnion, Experian and Equifax -- will let consumers freeze their credit reports.

HARRIS: What about this? Is this a good idea?

WILLIS: Well, freezing your credit is the very biggest step you can take in protecting your identity. But there are costs and they're high. You will have to freeze your credit report at all three credit bureaus, not just one, and that's going to cost you $30. Then if you want to apply for any kind of loan, you'll have to pay another $30 to unfreeze your accounts.

COLLINS: So should -- it doesn't sound like it -- should everyone -- is this kind of a one size fit all? Should everyone do this?

WILLIS: No. And here is why. Look, you know, there's a good chance the credit bureaus will streamline the freezing and unfreezing process so you'll only have to go to one place. You may even see lower rates. Look, there are simple things you can do out there to curb your risk of identity theft, like shredding documents, opting out of junk mail. But if you've already been the victim of ID theft, it is a good idea because these services from the credit bureaus are free for those folks. So take advantage. And, Tony, if you live in an apartment building or you're a student that uses a community mailbox, you know those ones that are all connected, you might want to consider the freeze because your risk of ID theft is much greater.

HARRIS: So this might not be the particular product for you, but are there some other products out there that might accomplish the same goal?

WILLIS: Well, you think of credit monitoring. That's a service that will alert you when there are inquiries into your account or any new accounts that are opened in your name. Now these services can cost $10 to $35 a month. Make sure you choose a service that monitors all three credit bureaus. Check out truecredit.com.

Tony.

HARRIS: All right. And we've got to get your e-mail box filled up this week. Oh, that's a -- well, no, Gerri, are you OK or should we move on?

WILLIS: It's the old hay fever.

HARRIS: It's the old hay fever. All right. If you've got questions for Gerri, let me do this, send them to cnn.com . . .

WILLIS: Toptips@cnn.com.

HARRIS: Toptips@cNN.

Gerri, good to see you. Thank you.

WILLIS: Thank you, Tony.

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Tony Harris and Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And coming up on the bottom of the hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Well, she missed her flight and soon Carol Gotbaum would be dead inside an airport holding cell. This morning, exclusive, new details to report. A source with knowledge of the case tells CNN, the medical examiner and officers handcuff and shackled her just like Gotbaum. The M.E. about the same size and weight as the dead woman. Gotbaum apparently became furious when she was not allowed to board a flight. Her destination, an alcohol rehab center. Her husband addressed that pain in his audiotaped eulogy shared exclusively with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOAH GOTBAUM, HUSBAND OF CAROL GOTBAUM: My beautiful girl was so ashamed to seek help, and many of us, myself included, perpetuated that because we simply didn't understand the disease. We said it can't be. It must be something else causing this. These are diseases that have to be understood and treated, not swept under the rug, demonized, and hushed up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Police say Gotbaum was apparently drinking before the incident. Her family insists she was not drunk. Authorities believe Gotbaum strangled herself while trying to escape her handcuffs.

HARRIS: And unfolding this morning, will they be working on the assembly line or walking the picket lines? Chrysler workers threatening to strike if there is no contract agreement. The deadline set by the United Auto Workers union is just about 30 minutes away. There are reports of progress, but key issues are still unresolved. Among the major sticking points, health care costs for Chrysler workers and retirees. The deadline for Chrysler follows a two-day strike by the UAW against General Motors. That happened last month, as you'll recall. The union expected to announce today whether members have approved the tentative contract with GM.

COLLINS: The founder of Oral Roberts University speaks out about the allegation his son and daughter-in-law misused school funds. Oral Roberts called "Larry King Live" last night. An exclusive interview. Richard and Lindsay Roberts were guests on the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ORAL ROBERTS: Like my son says, it was a surprise and sort of a shock, but we have been through some tough experiences in building Oral Roberts University beginning back in the 1960s, and we have survived them all and have built a university that we believe is for the glory of God. And when I heard this, I immediately went to the rules that the board of regents and I had set up years ago to handle any kind of allegation that came against the university. And we put those into place immediately. And I'm so proud that Richard and Lindsay have taken the lead. And I'm proud of them now.

KING: What do you make of the suit?

How shocked are you?

What do you make of the charges?

O. ROBERTS: Well, if I had not been experienced for 60 years in the healing ministry, facing certain types of allegations from time to time, I might have been terribly shocked. But I know my family. I know my son and daughter-in-law. I know my university. I know the 41-member board of regents. And I know the high standards we have. And I know, also, that I will be faithful and we will be faithful to the friends and partners who made Oral Roberts University possible.

KING: What counsel are you giving your son and daughter-in-law?

O. ROBERTS: I'm sorry?

I'm giving counsel to my daughter-in-law that the board of regents is going to -- well it has already found an outside firm that's never been a part of Oral Roberts University to look at each allegation separately, to check it out intimately and to report back. And if -- if there is anything out of line, we will bring it into order, like we have always done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The elder Roberts was at the center of controversy himself in 1987. He told supporters, God told him to raise $8 million for the university, or he would be, quote, "called home."

HARRIS: Democrats and Republicans find common ground. Gays in both parties reach agreement on a key issue. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Gays and lesbians in the political spotlight looking to gain ground on issues important to them.

CNN's Jill Dougherty reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Saturday night, Washington, D.C.: A black tie crowd of more than 3,000 turns out for the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay rights organization in the United States. Part Hollywood-style extravaganza, complete with live auction.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do we have someone at $35,000. Oh, $35,000. Honey, you're darling. Just stay standing so we can admire you.

DOUGHERTY: Part political convention with a decidedly Democratic slant. Special guest, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Violence fueled by bigotry has no part in our America.

DOUGHERTY: The message tonight from the organization's president, rally behind the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which would prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

JOE SOLMONEE, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: Put your emotions, and your intelligence and your convictions to work, and help me persuade Congress that the bill must pass.

DOUGHERTY: Jimmy Lasalvia (ph) and Scott Tucker are lobbying members of Congress for the same thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing?

DOUGHERTY: But they're Republicans, members of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay political organization.

PATRICK SAMMON, LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS: There's no question that the Republican Party isn't where it needs to be on gay and lesbian issues.

DOUGHERTY: Log Cabin president Patrick Sammon tells me he wants to free the Republican Party from social conservatives who've, quote, "held it hostage."

SAMMON: Because what we're talking about here is the future of the Republican Party, and polls are quickly moving in our direction, and our party risks being on the wrong side of history, and there's going to be electoral consequences for that. DOUGHERTY: DuPont circle, center of gay life in the nation's capital. People here are watching the presidential candidates and how they stand on gay issues.

KRIS PERRY, CHILDREN'S ADVOCATE: I think the candidates really need to deal with the gay marriage issue. I think it's the major civil rights issue that's facing the gay community right now, and it would be great if some candidate decided they were going to really take it on once and for all.

DOUGHERTY (on camera): It's hard to find many people here who don't support gay marriage, but there's also increasing political realism about what issues to push for during the 2008 presidential campaign.

(voice-over): Some people here fear that even politicians sympathetic to gay rights may play it safe on hot button issues.

RABBI BRUCE KAH, EQUAL RIGHTS CENTER: There's such a strong concern with getting the maximum amount of votes with the least amount of hostility.

DOUGHERTY: Bookstores here feature "Daddy's Roommate" and "Heather has Two Mommies," a tough sell in some other parts of the country. But gay rights supporters, Republicans and Democrats, are hoping that shifting the debate to a basic question of fairness will pay off politically in the end.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's get to Fredricka Whitfield in the NEWSROOM. And, Fred, let's see, the Supreme Court first Monday of October back in session, and already we have a decision?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes. They're busy, and parents of learning-disabled kids, in particular, you need to listen up, because this court ruling certainly could have ramifications in other school districts across the country. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower-court ruling that said New York City school districts should reimburse parents who enrolled their learning-disabled kids in private schools because the public schools were unable to teach them.

Now this case came from a case where Viacom executive Tom Freston had to enroll his child in a private school because the public schools couldn't teach his child. So Freston took on the New York City school district in court and actually won in a lower court. New York City school district wanted to take it even further, it becoming a U.S. Supreme Court case, and now the U.S. Supreme Court says certainly every public school district has to be able to accommodate every child, so as there is equal learning opportunities for everyone.

HARRIS: Yes. WHITFIELD: So certainly a huge victory, particularly for parents who are not able to afford private schools because their learning- disabled kids are not able to be instructed in their public school system.

HARRIS: And this will finally change some of the funding formulas for special education in public schools.

WHITFIELD: That's right.

HARRIS: So this is a big step in the right direction in that area. Fredricka Whitfield in the NEWSROOM for us. Fred, good to see you. Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Shipwrecked off the Alaskan coast. Now get this, it happened more than a century ago. Now a private dive team has spotted the wreckage of the Torrent. The ship set sail back in 1868, believe it or not. It's mission, to bring American law to Alaska. But it sank in Cook Inlet when violent tidal currents rammed it into a reef. The dive team discovered the wreckage in July. State officials asked them to keep it quiet for a while to protect the site from looters.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, a symbol of racial hatred at Columbia University prompting hate crimes investigation.

And more trouble for quarterback Michael Vick, this time a $20 million penalty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We want to bring in our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin right now on a Supreme Court decision that we just learned about just a short time ago. Jeffrey Toobin, obviously a court watcher. My goodness, he wrote a book about the Court -- oh, that is out on bookstores and on shelves right now.

Jeffrey, good morning to you.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, good morning.

The Supreme Court has issued this ruling that requires New York City schools to reimburse a businessman for private school education for his son, and the justices split 4-4 on this, which essentially means that the lower court ruling is upheld. What do you make of the decision?

TOOBIN: Well, this is a very frustrating thing for the court. Anthony Kennedy recused himself for reasons he didn't explain, and what happens when a -- the court splits 4-4 is that they don't write an opinion. The lower court opinion is affirmed, but there is no Supreme Court precedent on the subject.

So the short answer is this businessman, Viacom -- the former head of Viacom, Tom Preston, he wins his case to get his tuition reimbursed, but the issue is not settled for the country.

HARRIS: And maybe we can understand why we have the split here when you look a little closer at some of the details here. The lower court ruled that the city must pay for education for the learning disabled student even when the parents make a decision to enroll him in a private school after determining that the public schools didn't meet the child's needs.

TOOBIN: You know, this is a really, really tough case ...

HARRIS: Yes.

TOOBIN: ...and as illustrated by the fact that the court split 4-4 ...

HARRIS: Right.

TOOBIN: ...and I think what makes it so hard is that the court has interpreted the Individuals with Disabilities Act pretty broadly. I mean, they really want to make sure kids with disabilities get a good education, but here you have the New York City school system, which of course has a lot of financial demands on it ...

HARRIS: Yes.

TOOBIN: ...saying, look, this guy didn't even want to use our schools.

HARRIS: Right.

TOOBIN: He wanted to send this kid to a private school. We shouldn't have to pay his tuition, but the lower court said, well, according to the law, you have to reimburse him because that's what every disabled child is entitled to, rich or poor. Here, a rich child is entitled to reimbursement.

HARRIS: Well Jeffrey, does it -- the decision say to parents, boy, if you're in a school district that doesn't meet your needs, that you feel doesn't meet the needs of your child with special needs, that if you can muster the funds together to get that child into a school that does, there is hope here that you could be reimbursed?

TOOBIN: There is a hope here that you can be reimbursed, but you can be sure with this 4-4 resolution of the case, this legal issue will continue, and other courts will ...

HARRIS: Yes.

TOOBIN: ...struggle to figure out what the right thing to do is.

HARRIS: Our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. Jeffrey, thanks for weighing in, appreciate it. TOOBIN: All righty, man, see you.

COLLINS: Michael Vick thrown for a loss. An arbitrator siding with Vick's team, the Atlanta Falcons, he says the disgraced quarterback must pay back almost $20 million in bonuses. The NFL Players Association says it will appeal. Vick pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges. Sentencing is set for December 10th. He also faces a November trial on state dogfighting charges.

HARRIS: From the screen to the political stage, Fred Thompson's debate debut in the presidential race. Two political pundits weigh in.

COLLINS: Chrysler workers could move from the assembly line to the picket line. The clock is ticking. A strike deadline runs out this morning.

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COLLINS: A noose dangling on a professor's door at an Ivy League school. Today, students take action to protest racial hatred.

HARRIS: A coalition in Iraq. Is the U.S. paying other countries too much to help out?

CNN's Brian Todd is keeping them honest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Critics say it's a sign of a dwindling coalition in Iraq, one that doesn't give America much return for its investment. Latvia has a total of three troops in Iraq, staff officers in administrative and planning posts. Here's what the U.S. gives Latvia. For starters, nearly $4 million in military aid this year. And Latvia gets to send officers to the U.S. for training. That's part of a broader overall aid package to Latvia.

CHRISTOPHER PREBLE, CATO INSTITUTE: I think it is an awful lot of money, frankly, to maintain the fiction that this is a multi- national action. Vast majority of Americans, the vast majority of everyone else in the world, knows that this is an American mission. The U.S. is doing the lions share of the fighting.

TODD: Nobody's presented evidence of a direct tie between the assistance and Latvia's contributions in Iraq.

Another modest partner, Lithuania. Nine troops in combat to support duties.

(on camera): A Lithuanian official tells CNN his country's gotten about $6 million in military aid each year from the U.S. since the war started, in addition to millions more in other aid packages.

(voice-over): Some analysts feel U.S. aid to these countries is worth it. Countries like Latvia helped bring down the old Soviet Union they say, have been key strategic partners well before Iraq and ...

CLIFF MAY, FDN. FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Our soldiers and our marines are not just warriors. They're also diplomats, they're politicians, they're involved in reconstruction. That's a hugely important part of it. And so, if the foreign militaries who assist us get involved in that, that's fine.

TODD: And it's not all just behind the lines.

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