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Barack Obama's Former Pastor Speaks Out Again; In L.A. Firefighters Battle Flames and Record April Heat; Shocking Case of Incest
Aired April 28, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I know exactly what you're trying to say, which I think he kept trying to reiterate that, that he is a pastor, that Barack Obama is a politician, a politician, meaning that, you know, they don't work together, and you know...
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ...at one point he joked about running for vice president. And he was kidding, but you know, again, I didn't really hear much laughter about that.
So I think you're absolutely right. But of course, the reality is, how will it affect the political race. I've been getting e-mails all morning from people who think -- white people, mostly, who think that this was great TV, that he was engaging and interesting, they liked what they were hearing. These are people who really didn't have a particularly high opinion of him having only heard sound bites before.
But I don't know that those are people who he necessarily is trying to engage.
HARRIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I mean it's unclear. I think there are people who hate him and they're going to use whatever he said...
HARRIS: I think you're right.
O'BRIEN: ...against the Barack Obama campaign. People who love him, I mean, the crowd of 10,000. You know that was the choir and he was the preacher, and then a mass in between who at least got to know Jeremiah Wright for the pastor that he is, love him or hate him, I think he felt like at least he'll be heard in his own words now, not through the filter of the media.
HARRIS: That so -- that is such an interesting point. We want to take up a few more with you. But maybe we'll get to talk to you on the other side of the top of the hour.
Soledad, great to talk to you this morning. Appreciate it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi Collins. HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Stay informed all day at the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.
Barack Obama's former pastor speaks out again. Last hour, politics, religion and differences in America. He paints his critics as hypocrites.
NGUYEN: The scene in the foothills of Los Angeles. Check it out. Firefighters battle flames and record April heat.
HARRIS: A shocking case of incest. A man holds his daughter captive for 24 years. Police say they have a confession today. Monday, April 28th.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: The Reverend Jeremiah Wright. He's not a politician, but he has loomed large in presidential politics. His longtime church member, Barack Obama, has been on the defensive for Wright's firebrand sermons, and now Wright is preaching to a national audience.
Just minutes ago he spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, and his remarks were as expected somewhat controversial. But the real fireworks may have come during the question-and-answer exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have said that the media have taken you out of context. Can you explain what you meant in the sermon shortly after 9/11 when you said the United States had brought the terrorist attacks on itself, quote, "America's chickens are coming home to roost."
WRIGHT: Have you heard the whole sermon? Have you heard the whole sermon?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I - most.
WRIGHT: No, no the whole sermon. That -- yes or no? No, you haven't heard the whole sermon? That nullifies that question.
Well, let me try to respond in a non-bombastic way.
If you heard the whole sermon -- first of all, you heard that I was quoting the ambassador from Iraq. That's number one. But number two, to quote the bible, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever you sow that you also shall..."
UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBERS: "Reap."
WRIGHT: Jesus said do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You cannot do terrorism on other people and expected never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic divisive principles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some critics have said that your sermons are unpatriotic. How do you feel about America and about being an American?
WRIGHT: I feel that those citizens who say they have never heard my sermons, nor do they know me, they are unfair accusations taken from sound bites and that which is looped over and over again on certain channels.
I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, I ask you to keep your comments and your applause to a minimum so that we can work in as many questions as possible.
Senator Obama has -- shhh. Please. We're trying to ask as many questions as possible today. So if you can keep your applause to a minimum.
Senator Obama has tried to explain away some of your most contentious comments and his distanced himself from you. It's clear that many people in his campaign consider you a detriment. In that context, why are you speaking out now?
WRIGHT: On November the 5th and on January 21st, I'll still be a pastor. As I said, this is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright, it has nothing to do with Senator Obama. This is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African-American tradition.
And why am I speaking out now? In our community we have something called playing the dozens. If you think I'm going to let you talk about my mama and her religious tradition and my daddy and his religious tradition and my grandma, you got another thing coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, last night the Reverend Wright spoke to 10,000 people at an NAACP fundraiser in Detroit, and at the end of that speech, he received a standing ovation.
So Jeremiah Wright -- is his message one of inspiration or one of division? We have a discussion on that ahead right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: The Democrats are on the campaign train in North Carolina today. That state along with Indiana holding primaries next week. And the Reverend Wright will likely get some attention.
CNN's Jim Acosta joins us now from Indianapolis.
And Jim, the Reverend Wright's comments, boy, I would imagine are affecting the Democrats.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it just might, Tony. You know, Barack Obama was asked about this yesterday as he walked out of brunch, and he had one sentence in terms of the response to Jeremiah Wright's comments. He said, well, I'll let you do the prognosticating. So clearly this is not the conversation that Senator Obama would like to have right now. He spent a good portion of the last 48 hours trying to redefine himself in this race after a very difficult loss there in Pennsylvania.
We saw Barack Obama playing basketball, some three-on-three basketball with some high school students in Kokomo, Indiana Friday night, and then over the weekend he essentially brushed aside a debate challenge from Hillary Clinton. She challenged Barack Obama to a Lincoln-Douglas style debate. And what's interesting about that is that the Obama campaign clearly would have a chance now if they were to go one on one to talk about this Wright controversy and some of the other big economic issues that are happening here in Indiana.
It's not just Pennsylvania and Ohio, Indiana's also suffered some major manufacturing losses, as has North Carolina. But the Obama campaign is saying no, we'd rather stick to our stump speeches to get our message across to voters. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Wright controversy changes any of that.
HARRIS: Boy, I cast wait to -- for you to get back to us with some sense of how the comments are playing on the campaign trail.
Jim Acosta for us in Indianapolis.
Jim, appreciate it. Thank you.
HARRIS: Republican John McCain in south Florida today. This hour he is touring a Miami children's hospital. Then he will take part in a health care round table.
Reporters are asking McCain about a "New York Times" report. The paper outlines his use of his wife's company private jet for campaign trips to a lower -- or at a lower cost than normal charter flights. In a terse comment, McCain simply said what he did was legal and appropriate.
Find more about the candidates at CNNPolitics.com. CNNPolitics.com is your source for everything political.
NGUYEN: Well, a man-made fire is raging out of control this morning. The 400-acre wildfire is burning near Sierra Madre, California. That's about 20 miles east of Los Angeles. And look at these pictures. The fire department says it's about 30 percent contained, and so far, no homes have burned. But more than 1,000 people have been forced to evacuate, including a groom and their 45 guests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GAFFREY: The concern we always have for a fire like this, they get trapped by the fire. In this particular case, the fire behavior was such that it could have come around the top of them and actually boxed them in. So the forest service decided it was time to get them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And fire officials say they do hope to have this fully contained by the end of the week. But I want to bring those live pictures back in because, according to earlier information, fire department officials were saying no homes have burned, but clearly this home right here is on fire and they're trying to save as much as they can of it. Obviously this is a fast moving fire and information is coming in very slowly.
But as we can see with our own eyes in this live picture -- well, we just lost it. But moments ago, clearly, at least one home is on fire.
We'll continue to follow this story.
HARRIS: Let's get a check on the weather now with Rob Marciano in the Severe Weather Center.
Rob, it's all about conditions there for the firefighters. What conditions are they going to have to work with today in trying to combat these wildfires?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: You said it, beneficial rains.
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: Yes. Could use it on SoCal, but they won't get it. They will get some cooler temperatures tomorrow and lighter winds which (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Well, they needed some help today. They are battling a wildfire. But as we were showing that picture a little bit earlier, I'd like to tell you the information is coming in very quickly. This particular fire, we are being told, as of right now, that it is not in relation to the wildfires.
HARRIS: Oh OK. OK.
NGUYEN: It is in Baldwin Park, California. One of the locators earlier had us believing it was near the wildfires that we were covering. So at this point, according to firefighters, they are correct in saying that no homes have burned because of the wildfire.
HARRIS: And this is a whole separate episode.
NGUYEN: We don't know what started this particular house fire.
HARRIS: Yes. Gas pressure and we are all feeling it. AAA reporting another record. You know, you're paying an average of $3.60 for a gallon of regular, premium, $3.96. Diesel off the charts, $4.24 right now. There is no relief in sight. Record oil prices are closing in on $120 a barrel. Supply disruptions in Nigeria and a weekend refinery strike in Scotland helping fuel the upward trend.
NGUYEN: Well, a father's sordid story. Listen to this. He is now confessing to keeping his daughter captive for decades, using her as a sex slave.
CNN's Frederick Pleitgen is in Austria today where there is a press conference going on right now.
But Frederick, this story is going to floor so many people who hear the details. Give them to us.
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, what we've heard so far today is that the police say they can't confirm that the man has confessed to holding his daughter as a captive for more than 24 years underneath the house that you see right behind me in a secret cellar room where he kept her and three other children. Now he also says that in all he fathered at least seven children with this woman. And he says that one of the kids died shortly after birth and that he got rid of the little baby's dead body by burning it in an oven inside the house.
And there are so many gruesome details to all of this, Betty. It's really hard to list them all. But one thing that I thought was really outrageous is that three of the kids that survived were taken away from their mother at a very, very early age, and they were legally adopted by this man. So you have to think about this. They were playing on the lawn out there. They were playing soccer out there. They had a make-shift pool in the backyard, all the while their mother and three of their siblings were being held in a cellar underneath that house.
And one thing that really people here are absolutely shocked by is when you see the pictures of that cellar down there, it's a very elaborate sort of set of rooms. But it's very dark, very damp and also a very narrow sort of set of rooms there.
And one thing that this woman told authorities, he said that in those 24 years, she did not one single time see the light of day. You have to think about this. The children that she had down there never in their life have seen the light of day until they were freed from that place only a couple of days ago -- Betty?
NGUYEN: So his daughter was kept as a sex slave for some 24 years. She had, what, six or seven children. Three of those children were adopted by their father, which essentially is their grandfather in a way. But the other three were held down in that basement. It is really one of those stories that it's hard to even comprehend.
But my question is, how did this information come to light? What happened that busted the door wide open on what was taking place inside that house?
PLEITGEN: Absolutely. This happened on Friday or Saturday. What happened is that one of the children who was down in that cellar became very, very ill. And when I say one of the children, this is a 19-year-old woman who became very ill and had to go to hospital. So what the father did was he agreed to send that child to hospital, but he made the mother attach a note to that child and stick that note in her pocket saying please treat my child in her handwriting.
Now what happened when that child came to the hospital is the doctors started asking questions, asking who is the mother of this 19- year-old woman, and that's when the investigation got started. And just shortly after that, they found the woman who was being held captive in that cellar underneath that house. And that's how all this came to light -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And Frederick, here's what's so shocking as well is this man was married as well, and supposedly his wife had no idea that his daughter was a sex slave downstairs in the basement?
PLEITGEN: Absolutely. That's something that many people here find very, very hard to believe. I mean, how can you live with a person who for 24 years has been holding your daughter captive, really right underneath your nose, and three other children as well?
Now apparently this man, who's now 73 years old, had a cover story. He was telling his wife, and he was also telling authorities, that his daughter had run away from home and that he believed that she'd become part of some religious cult here in Austria. He made his daughter write handwritten notes saying please don't look for me, I've run away from home. And he told the authorities that those three children that he later adopted were laid on his doorwell by his daughter who said that she couldn't take care of them.
So really, there was an elaborate cover story, but nevertheless, many people here in this town say they find it very, very difficult to believe that you can live with a person for 24 years and not know that something's wrong in your cellar.
NGUYEN: Well, the story is just so shocking. And I'm sure we're going to hear more details during that press conference today.
CNN's Frederick Pleitgen joining us from Amsterdam today.
Thank you so much, Frederick.
Actually, Austria, not Amsterdam. Thank you, Frederick.
HARRIS: We have a decision from the Supreme Court that we want to share with you this morning.
In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court has backed Indiana's law requiring voters to show photo identification, despite some concerns that thousands of elderly, poor, minority voters could be locked out of their right to vote. Again, the vote 6-3 actually allows Indiana to require the identification when it holds its statewide primary. That's scheduled, of course, for next month. At issue is whether state law designed to curb voter fraud ends up disenfranchising large groups of Americans who might lack proper documents to get the more enhanced photo identification.
So that decision from the Supreme Court this morning. The 6-3 vote backing Indiana's law requiring voters to show photo identification.
NGUYEN: And coming...
HARRIS: More on this (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: Yes. And also coming up, anger flares in the Mideast.
Children are killed and a neighborhood blames Israel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning again, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
A hidden world being revealed. An alleged case of modern-day slavery. Our special investigations unit is on the case.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: I want to tell you about this. Disaster in China this morning. A high-speed passenger train derailed and smashed into another passenger train. At least 70 people were killed. More than 400 injured. The state-run news agency said the government suspects human error is to blame. It is the worst train wreck in China in 10 years.
And some of the fiercest fighting in weeks in Iraq. The U.S. military says American and Iraqi troops killed 38 militants in a mostly Shiite area of Baghdad on Sunday. And among them, 22 fighters killed when a large group of, quote, "criminals," attacked a security checkpoint.
And U.S. officials say suspected Shiite militants are firing rockets and mortar into the heavily fortified Green Zone today. There are no reports of serious injuries at Green Zone or international zone.
It's where the U.S. and Iraqi governments offices are located.
HARRIS: They were just starting their day when their lives ended. A mother and four of her children, the victims of cross-border violence.
Our Ben Wedeman following this story from Jerusalem.
Ben, good morning to you. If you would, tell us what happened. BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, we understand, in fact, this family of five was sitting down to breakfast when, according to Palestinian medical and security sources, three Israeli tank rounds slammed into their home. The tank rounds killed four children, ages 15 months, 3, 4 and 6, in addition to their 40-year-old mother.
Now, Israeli security sources tell us or rather the military tells us that they were conducting routine -- what they had call routine operations in this area. It's in a village called Beit Hanoun, which is right near to the border with Israel. And that's from where many of these rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza into Israel.
In fact, since yesterday, around more than a dozen rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel. But in that instance, there have been no casualties or any damage or much damage to speak of. But this is really part of this ongoing attack and counter-attack that's been going on in Gaza, between Gaza and Israel for quite some time. Today obviously bringing in higher than usual casualties and obviously there's a lot of anger in Gaza over the fact that this family was killed this morning -- Tony?
HARRIS: Ben, President Bush is going to Israel in May, I believe the secretary of state, Secretary Rice is due in the area shortly. I'm just curious, you mentioned the back and forth here. Is there anything being done to bring the violence to an end?
WEDEMAN: Well, the Egyptian government is actually actively engaged in sort of going back and forth between Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza to work out some sort of ceasefire, if not an agreement in fact. And we know that the Americans are also anxious that some calm is achieved between Israel and Gaza, so that when President Bush comes here, in mid-May, to join in the celebrations surrounding the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel, that his visit will not be marred by this sort of images of violence and bloodshed that we've seen today -- Tony?
HARRIS: Ben Wedeman for us in Jerusalem.
Ben, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, could you use some extra cash?
HARRIS: Come on.
NGUYEN: The economic stimulus payment plan is going out today. In fact, you're going to get some of those checks today in your direct deposit.
We've got the deals and the details all of that coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, that is about as flat as can be. Betty? NGUYEN: Wow. I don't know if I've ever seen it so flat.
HARRIS: Do we need to check the batteries on the board?
NGUYEN: There we go. We got a little bit...
HARRIS: Oh OK. There's a little bit of movement there particularly flat today. The New York Stock Exchange, the big board.
We'll find out what's going on. Maybe there's something behind this. Maybe there isn't. We'll check in with Susan Lisovicz a little bit later this morning in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: All right. So you may be getting your stimulus payment as early as today. The Bush administration wants you to spend, spend, spend and spend again.
But personal finance editor Gerri Willis has a few ideas of her own.
And as people get that money in the bank today, Gerri, big question, what are some of the ways that retailers are really trying to give you an incentive to go ahead and use that cash?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, I have to tell you, it seems like almost every retailer is doing something. For example, Home Depot is offering specials on environmentally friendly appliances like energy-efficient washing machines. Staples is giving promotions to small businesses like no interest or payments for six months on certain purchases, or 10 percent off other purchases.
Sony is offering $400 discounts on certain HDTVs. So if you want to spend your money on some entertainment, you can do that. Zonde.com is a vacation rental Web site. They're offering 10 off bookings of $600 or more and 15 percent off bookings of $1,200 or more.
So there's a lot out there.
NGUYEN: Yes, there is. But you know what, I don't think that's just it. I have a feeling that if you use that whole check somewhere, you're going to get retailers saying, you know what? We'll give you a little extra something.
WILLIS: Well, that's right. You know, Sears and Kmart will give you an added incentive if you spend your entire stimulus check in the store. And if you're worried about the rising cost of food, Kroger will add 10 percent to the value of your check when you use them in $300 increments to buy gift cards. Supervalu, that's the parent of Albertson's and other grocery store chains, said that if you put your stimulus check on a gift card, you'll get an extra -- $30 for every $300.
So yes, there's a lot more out there.
NGUYEN: And what are some of the other smart moves people can make when they're deciding exactly what should they do with this money. Where's the best place to use it?
WILLIS: You know, I'm not a big fan of the retailers' plans. I think you've got to focus on your own stimulus plans. A lot of folks out there think this is all about found money. You may feel compelled to go out and spend it. But the most responsible thing you do is shore up your own finances. If you have high-interest credit card debt, put the money towards paying off those balances. Consider this, if you have a 3,000 balance with a 17 percent interest rate, not unusual, maybe you're paying just $50 a month, it would take you 11 years to pay off that debt. But if you send $1,200 and put an extra 100 bucks a month toward that debt, , it would be paid
O'BRIEN: Yes, I know exactly what you're trying to say, which I think he kept trying to reiterate that, that he is a pastor, that Barack Obama is a politician, a politician, meaning that, you know, they don't work together, and you know...
HARRIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ...at one point he joked about running for vice president. And he was kidding, but you know, again, I didn't really hear much laughter about that.
So I think you're absolutely right. But of course, the reality is, how will it affect the political race. I've been getting e-mails all morning from people who think -- white people, mostly, who think that this was great TV, that he was engaging and interesting, they liked what they were hearing. These are people who really didn't have a particularly high opinion of him having only heard sound bites before.
But I don't know that those are people who he necessarily is trying to engage.
HARRIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I mean it's unclear. I think there are people who hate him and they're going to use whatever he said...
HARRIS: I think you're right.
O'BRIEN: ...against the Barack Obama campaign. People who love him, I mean, the crowd of 10,000. You know that was the choir and he was the preacher, and then a mass in between who at least got to know Jeremiah Wright for the pastor that he is, love him or hate him, I think he felt like at least he'll be heard in his own words now, not through the filter of the media.
HARRIS: That so -- that is such an interesting point. We want to take up a few more with you. But maybe we'll get to talk to you on the other side of the top of the hour.
Soledad, great to talk to you this morning. Appreciate it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Stay informed all day at the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.
Barack Obama's former pastor speaks out again. Last hour, politics, religion and differences in America. He paints his critics as hypocrites.
NGUYEN: The scene in the foothills of Los Angeles. Check it out. Firefighters battle flames and record April heat.
HARRIS: A shocking case of incest. A man holds his daughter captive for 24 years. Police say they have a confession today. Monday, April 28th.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: The Reverend Jeremiah Wright. He's not a politician, but he has loomed large in presidential politics. His longtime church member, Barack Obama, has been on the defensive for Wright's firebrand sermons, and now Wright is preaching to a national audience.
Just minutes ago he spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, and his remarks were as expected somewhat controversial. But the real fireworks may have come during the question-and-answer exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have said that the media have taken you out of context. Can you explain what you meant in the sermon shortly after 9/11 when you said the United States had brought the terrorist attacks on itself, quote, "America's chickens are coming home to roost."
WRIGHT: Have you heard the whole sermon? Have you heard the whole sermon?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I - most.
WRIGHT: No, no the whole sermon. That -- yes or no? No, you haven't heard the whole sermon? That nullifies that question.
Well, let me try to respond in a non-bombastic way.
If you heard the whole sermon -- first of all, you heard that I was quoting the ambassador from Iraq. That's number one. But number two, to quote the bible, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever you sow that you also shall..."
UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBERS: "Reap."
WRIGHT: Jesus said do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You cannot do terrorism on other people and expected never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic divisive principles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some critics have said that your sermons are unpatriotic. How do you feel about America and about being an American?
WRIGHT: I feel that those citizens who say they have never heard my sermons, nor do they know me, they are unfair accusations taken from sound bites and that which is looped over and over again on certain channels.
I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, I ask you to keep your comments and your applause to a minimum so that we can work in as many questions as possible.
Senator Obama has -- shhh. Please. We're trying to ask as many questions as possible today. So if you can keep your applause to a minimum.
Senator Obama has tried to explain away some of your most contentious comments and his distanced himself from you. It's clear that many people in his campaign consider you a detriment. In that context, why are you speaking out now?
WRIGHT: On November the 5th and on January 21st, I'll still be a pastor. As I said, this is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright, it has nothing to do with Senator Obama. This is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African-American tradition.
And why am I speaking out now? In our community we have something called playing the dozens. If you think I'm going to let you talk about my mama and her religious tradition and my daddy and his religious tradition and my grandma, you got another thing coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, last night the Reverend Wright spoke to 10,000 people at an NAACP fundraiser in Detroit, and at the end of that speech, he received a standing ovation.
So Jeremiah Wright -- is his message one of inspiration or one of division? We have a discussion on that ahead right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: The Democrats are on the campaign train in North Carolina today. That state along with Indiana holding primaries next week. And the Reverend Wright will likely get some attention.
CNN's Jim Acosta joins us now from Indianapolis.
And Jim, the Reverend Wright's comments, boy, I would imagine are affecting the Democrats.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it just might, Tony. You know, Barack Obama was asked about this yesterday as he walked out of brunch, and he had one sentence in terms of the response to Jeremiah Wright's comments. He said, well, I'll let you do the prognosticating. So clearly this is not the conversation that Senator Obama would like to have right now. He spent a good portion of the last 48 hours trying to redefine himself in this race after a very difficult loss there in Pennsylvania.
We saw Barack Obama playing basketball, some three-on-three basketball with some high school students in Kokomo, Indiana Friday night, and then over the weekend he essentially brushed aside a debate challenge from Hillary Clinton. She challenged Barack Obama to a Lincoln-Douglas style debate. And what's interesting about that is that the Obama campaign clearly would have a chance now if they were to go one on one to talk about this Wright controversy and some of the other big economic issues that are happening here in Indiana.
It's not just Pennsylvania and Ohio, Indiana's also suffered some major manufacturing losses, as has North Carolina. But the Obama campaign is saying no, we'd rather stick to our stump speeches to get our message across to voters. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Wright controversy changes any of that.
HARRIS: Boy, I cast wait to -- for you to get back to us with some sense of how the comments are playing on the campaign trail.
Jim Acosta for us in Indianapolis.
Jim, appreciate it. Thank you.
HARRIS: Republican John McCain in south Florida today. This hour he is touring a Miami children's hospital. Then he will take part in a health care round table.
Reporters are asking McCain about a "New York Times" report. The paper outlines his use of his wife's company private jet for campaign trips to a lower -- or at a lower cost than normal charter flights. In a terse comment, McCain simply said what he did was legal and appropriate.
Find more about the candidates at CNNPolitics.com. CNNPolitics.com is your source for everything political.
NGUYEN: Well, a man-made fire is raging out of control this morning. The 400-acre wildfire is burning near Sierra Madre, California. That's about 20 miles east of Los Angeles. And look at these pictures. The fire department says it's about 30 percent contained, and so far, no homes have burned. But more than 1,000 people have been forced to evacuate, including a groom and their 45 guests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GAFFREY: The concern we always have for a fire like this, they get trapped by the fire. In this particular case, the fire behavior was such that it could have come around the top of them and actually boxed them in. So the forest service decided it was time to get them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And fire officials say they do hope to have this fully contained by the end of the week. But I want to bring those live pictures back in because, according to earlier information, fire department officials were saying no homes have burned, but clearly this home right here is on fire and they're trying to save as much as they can of it. Obviously this is a fast moving fire and information is coming in very slowly.
But as we can see with our own eyes in this live picture -- well, we just lost it. But moments ago, clearly, at least one home is on fire.
We'll continue to follow this story.
HARRIS: Let's get a check on the weather now with Rob Marciano in the Severe Weather Center.
Rob, it's all about conditions there for the firefighters. What conditions are they going to have to work with today in trying to combat these wildfires?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: You said it, beneficial rains.
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: Yes. Could use it on SoCal, but they won't get it. They will get some cooler temperatures tomorrow and lighter winds which (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Well, they needed some help today. They are battling a wildfire. But as we were showing that picture a little bit earlier, I'd like to tell you the information is coming in very quickly. This particular fire, we are being told, as of right now, that it is not in relation to the wildfires.
HARRIS: Oh OK. OK.
NGUYEN: It is in Baldwin Park, California. One of the locators earlier had us believing it was near the wildfires that we were covering. So at this point, according to firefighters, they are correct in saying that no homes have burned because of the wildfire.
HARRIS: And this is a whole separate episode.
NGUYEN: We don't know what started this particular house fire.
HARRIS: Yes. Gas pressure and we are all feeling it. AAA reporting another record. You know, you're paying an average of $3.60 for a gallon of regular, premium, $3.96. Diesel off the charts, $4.24 right now. There is no relief in sight. Record oil prices are closing in on $120 a barrel. Supply disruptions in Nigeria and a weekend refinery strike in Scotland helping fuel the upward trend.
NGUYEN: Well, a father's sordid story. Listen to this. He is now confessing to keeping his daughter captive for decades, using her as a sex slave.
CNN's Frederick Pleitgen is in Austria today where there is a press conference going on right now.
But Frederick, this story is going to floor so many people who hear the details. Give them to us.
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, what we've heard so far today is that the police say they can't confirm that the man has confessed to holding his daughter as a captive for more than 24 years underneath the house that you see right behind me in a secret cellar room where he kept her and three other children. Now he also says that in all he fathered at least seven children with this woman. And he says that one of the kids died shortly after birth and that he got rid of the little baby's dead body by burning it in an oven inside the house.
And there are so many gruesome details to all of this, Betty. It's really hard to list them all. But one thing that I thought was really outrageous is that three of the kids that survived were taken away from their mother at a very, very early age, and they were legally adopted by this man. So you have to think about this. They were playing on the lawn out there. They were playing soccer out there. They had a make-shift pool in the backyard, all the while their mother and three of their siblings were being held in a cellar underneath that house.
And one thing that really people here are absolutely shocked by is when you see the pictures of that cellar down there, it's a very elaborate sort of set of rooms. But it's very dark, very damp and also a very narrow sort of set of rooms there.
And one thing that this woman told authorities, he said that in those 24 years, she did not one single time see the light of day. You have to think about this. The children that she had down there never in their life have seen the light of day until they were freed from that place only a couple of days ago -- Betty?
NGUYEN: So his daughter was kept as a sex slave for some 24 years. She had, what, six or seven children. Three of those children were adopted by their father, which essentially is their grandfather in a way. But the other three were held down in that basement. It is really one of those stories that it's hard to even comprehend.
But my question is, how did this information come to light? What happened that busted the door wide open on what was taking place inside that house?
PLEITGEN: Absolutely. This happened on Friday or Saturday. What happened is that one of the children who was down in that cellar became very, very ill. And when I say one of the children, this is a 19-year-old woman who became very ill and had to go to hospital. So what the father did was he agreed to send that child to hospital, but he made the mother attach a note to that child and stick that note in her pocket saying please treat my child in her handwriting.
Now what happened when that child came to the hospital is the doctors started asking questions, asking who is the mother of this 19- year-old woman, and that's when the investigation got started. And just shortly after that, they found the woman who was being held captive in that cellar underneath that house. And that's how all this came to light -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And Frederick, here's what's so shocking as well is this man was married as well, and supposedly his wife had no idea that his daughter was a sex slave downstairs in the basement?
PLEITGEN: Absolutely. That's something that many people here find very, very hard to believe. I mean, how can you live with a person who for 24 years has been holding your daughter captive, really right underneath your nose, and three other children as well?
Now apparently this man, who's now 73 years old, had a cover story. He was telling his wife, and he was also telling authorities, that his daughter had run away from home and that he believed that she'd become part of some religious cult here in Austria. He made his daughter write handwritten notes saying please don't look for me, I've run away from home. And he told the authorities that those three children that he later adopted were laid on his doorwell by his daughter who said that she couldn't take care of them.
So really, there was an elaborate cover story, but nevertheless, many people here in this town say they find it very, very difficult to believe that you can live with a person for 24 years and not know that something's wrong in your cellar.
NGUYEN: Well, the story is just so shocking. And I'm sure we're going to hear more details during that press conference today.
CNN's Frederick Pleitgen joining us from Amsterdam today.
Thank you so much, Frederick.
Actually, Austria, not Amsterdam. Thank you, Frederick.
HARRIS: We have a decision from the Supreme Court that we want to share with you this morning.
In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court has backed Indiana's law requiring voters to show photo identification, despite some concerns that thousands of elderly, poor, minority voters could be locked out of their right to vote. Again, the vote 6-3 actually allows Indiana to require the identification when it holds its statewide primary. That's scheduled, of course, for next month. At issue is whether state law designed to curb voter fraud ends up disenfranchising large groups of Americans who might lack proper documents to get the more enhanced photo identification.
So that decision from the Supreme Court this morning. The 6-3 vote backing Indiana's law requiring voters to show photo identification.
NGUYEN: And coming...
HARRIS: More on this (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: Yes. And also coming up, anger flares in the Mideast.
Children are killed and a neighborhood blames Israel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning again, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
A hidden world being revealed. An alleged case of modern-day slavery. Our special investigations unit is on the case.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: I want to tell you about this. Disaster in China this morning. A high-speed passenger train derailed and smashed into another passenger train. At least 70 people were killed. More than 400 injured. The state-run news agency said the government suspects human error is to blame. It is the worst train wreck in China in 10 years.
And some of the fiercest fighting in weeks in Iraq. The U.S. military says American and Iraqi troops killed 38 militants in a mostly Shiite area of Baghdad on Sunday. And among them, 22 fighters killed when a large group of, quote, "criminals," attacked a security checkpoint.
And U.S. officials say suspected Shiite militants are firing rockets and mortar into the heavily fortified Green Zone today. There are no reports of serious injuries at Green Zone or international zone.
It's where the U.S. and Iraqi governments offices are located.
HARRIS: They were just starting their day when their lives ended. A mother and four of her children, the victims of cross-border violence.
Our Ben Wedeman following this story from Jerusalem.
Ben, good morning to you. If you would, tell us what happened. BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, we understand, in fact, this family of five was sitting down to breakfast when, according to Palestinian medical and security sources, three Israeli tank rounds slammed into their home. The tank rounds killed four children, ages 15 months, 3, 4 and 6, in addition to their 40-year-old mother.
Now, Israeli security sources tell us or rather the military tells us that they were conducting routine -- what they had call routine operations in this area. It's in a village called Beit Hanoun, which is right near to the border with Israel. And that's from where many of these rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza into Israel.
In fact, since yesterday, around more than a dozen rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel. But in that instance, there have been no casualties or any damage or much damage to speak of. But this is really part of this ongoing attack and counter-attack that's been going on in Gaza, between Gaza and Israel for quite some time. Today obviously bringing in higher than usual casualties and obviously there's a lot of anger in Gaza over the fact that this family was killed this morning -- Tony?
HARRIS: Ben, President Bush is going to Israel in May, I believe the secretary of state, Secretary Rice is due in the area shortly. I'm just curious, you mentioned the back and forth here. Is there anything being done to bring the violence to an end?
WEDEMAN: Well, the Egyptian government is actually actively engaged in sort of going back and forth between Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza to work out some sort of ceasefire, if not an agreement in fact. And we know that the Americans are also anxious that some calm is achieved between Israel and Gaza, so that when President Bush comes here, in mid-May, to join in the celebrations surrounding the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel, that his visit will not be marred by this sort of images of violence and bloodshed that we've seen today -- Tony?
HARRIS: Ben Wedeman for us in Jerusalem.
Ben, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, could you use some extra cash?
HARRIS: Come on.
NGUYEN: The economic stimulus payment plan is going out today. In fact, you're going to get some of those checks today in your direct deposit.
We've got the deals and the details all of that coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, that is about as flat as can be. Betty? NGUYEN: Wow. I don't know if I've ever seen it so flat.
HARRIS: Do we need to check the batteries on the board?
NGUYEN: There we go. We got a little bit...
HARRIS: Oh OK. There's a little bit of movement there particularly flat today. The New York Stock Exchange, the big board.
We'll find out what's going on. Maybe there's something behind this. Maybe there isn't. We'll check in with Susan Lisovicz a little bit later this morning in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: All right. So you may be getting your stimulus payment as early as today. The Bush administration wants you to spend, spend, spend and spend again.
But personal finance editor Gerri Willis has a few ideas of her own.
And as people get that money in the bank today, Gerri, big question, what are some of the ways that retailers are really trying to give you an incentive to go ahead and use that cash?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, I have to tell you, it seems like almost every retailer is doing something. For example, Home Depot is offering specials on environmentally friendly appliances like energy-efficient washing machines. Staples is giving promotions to small businesses like no interest or payments for six months on certain purchases, or 10 percent off other purchases.
Sony is offering $400 discounts on certain HDTVs. So if you want to spend your money on some entertainment, you can do that. Zonde.com is a vacation rental Web site. They're offering 10 off bookings of $600 or more and 15 percent off bookings of $1,200 or more.
So there's a lot out there.
NGUYEN: Yes, there is. But you know what, I don't think that's just it. I have a feeling that if you use that whole check somewhere, you're going to get retailers saying, you know what? We'll give you a little extra something.
WILLIS: Well, that's right. You know, Sears and Kmart will give you an added incentive if you spend your entire stimulus check in the store. And if you're worried about the rising cost of food, Kroger will add 10 percent to the value of your check when you use them in $300 increments to buy gift cards. Supervalu, that's the parent of Albertson's and other grocery store chains, said that if you put your stimulus check on a gift card, you'll get an extra -- $30 for every $300.
So yes, there's a lot more out there.
NGUYEN: And what are some of the other smart moves people can make when they're deciding exactly what should they do with this money. Where's the best place to use it?
WILLIS: You know, I'm not a big fan of the retailers' plans. I think you've got to focus on your own stimulus plans. A lot of folks out there think this is all about found money. You may feel compelled to go out and spend it. But the most responsible thing you do is shore up your own finances. If you have high-interest credit card debt, put the money towards paying off those balances. Consider this, if you have a 3,000 balance with a 17 percent interest rate, not unusual, maybe you're paying just $50 a month, it would take you 11 years to pay off that debt. But if you send $1,200 and put an extra 100 bucks a month toward that debt, it would be paid off in two years. So you can see very big differences. You've got to put your money where it will pay off for you.
NGUYEN: Well what about investing in yourself, like education and other things along those lines?
WILLIS: Great idea, Betty.
During a recession, your job security is issue No. 1, so think about taking some of your money to upgrade your skills. First, browse all the "Help Wanted" ads in your field and see what new skills or experience is required. Then look at local community college programs, or check out some online learning programs.
A great place to go is the American Association of Community Colleges for info. Their Web site -- aacc.nche.edu.
NGUYEN: Can you say that again?
No. I'm kidding.
WILLIS: It's on the screen. So check it out.
And if you have any questions, send them to us at toptips@CNN.com. We love hearing to hear from you.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
And you know we love hearing about the economy, because it is issue No. 1. And in fact, you're coming up at noon Eastern with some new tips for us. What's on the agenda?
WILLIS: We're talking about those stimulus checks. What you should do with them. And you've heard of "Cosmo," "Redbook," "Good Housekeeping," we'll talk to the woman behind all those magazines -- Hearst magazine president, Cathie Black.
NGUYEN: Interesting stuff. Can't wait.
Thank you, Gerri.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM for this Monday. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone, I'm Tony Harris.
Among our top stories, a man-made fire raging out of control this morning. The 400-acre wildfire is burning near Sierra Madre, California. That's about 20 miles east of Los Angeles.
The fire department says it's about 30 percent contained. So far, no homes have burned but more than 1,000 people have been forced to evacuate, including a bride and groom and their 45 guests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD GAFFREY, SIERRA MADRE SEARCH & RESCUE: The concern that we always have for someone in a fire like this is they get trapped by the fire. In this particular case, the fire behavior was such that it could have couldn't come around the top of them and actually boxed them in. So the forest service decided it was time to get them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Fire officials say they hope to have the fire fully contained by the end of the week.
NGUYEN: Barack Obama's former pastor -- he is striking back at critics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT, BARACK OBAMA'S FORMER PASTOR: I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The Reverend Jeremiah Wright defining himself in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Well, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his incendiary sermons have rallied some and enraged others. Longtime church member, Barack Obama, has distanced himself from some of the comments. Now, the Reverend Wright is speaking out louder than ever.
Let's get some perspective here. CNN contributor, Roland Martin, attended his speech last night in Detroit.
And David Gergen is a former White House insider, now serving as a CNN senior political analyst.
Good to talk to you both.
Let me start with you, Roland. Last night and today, particularly in the question-and-answer period today, I think we saw defiance. We saw the feistiness of Jeremiah Wright, particularly in the Q & A. But I just want your sense of this moment -- overall, last night and again today before the National Press Club.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well sure -- I think Reverend Jeremiah Wright, based upon the question-and-answer session today, actually blew it. I actually called this last week, my radio show, WVON in Chicago. I told my listeners that I felt that he should not appear before the National Press Club, that he was walking into a place that was not -- it was not his comfort zone. It was not, frankly, where he normally is. To take questions in an open ended format, on live television, was not to his advantage.
I did feel, though, that the interview with Bill Moyers -- it made sense, it was a different kind of environment. It was a controlled environment.
The speech last night before the NAACP was very well received. Some people disagreed with it. But still, it gave you a different sense of who he was. There were moments today I felt that he was too flippant. I felt that his tone was inappropriate and also the behavior there.
The issue is not substance; the issue is tone, how you come across in what you say. So there's no way in the world -- and also some of the comments he made today, the Obama campaign is going to have to address. He was even more so flippant with the whole issue of the Obama response as a politician more so than he was in the clips that the Moyers folks provided.
And so -- I would say, certainly, the Moyers interview, A; last night, B; today, F.
HARRIS: David, what do you think? Did he, in Roland's words, did he "blow it?"
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm sure Reverend Wright has many virtues. Loyalty to his former parishioner is not one of them.
I think that this has been narcissistic almost beyond belief. And this publicity offensive has been destructive for the Obama campaign. I think Obama, the senator has handled himself well under the circumstances. But our conversation about this started, what, was it last Thursday, and it's now five days that we've been talking about Reverend Wright again on the, you know, with the Indiana, critical Indiana primary, critical North Carolina primary just over the horizon.
Now John McCain has jumped into it and gone after Reverend Wright and Barack Obama. You know, this is becoming a circus for a great country. We're getting terribly off-course about the big, big issues of our time.
HARRIS: Roland, how damaging for Barack Obama?
MARTIN: Look -- well, first of all, this is still April. Obviously, you know, in terms of the Indiana primary, North Carolina is next week. You have a significant number of unsure voters out there. There is still a great distance between now and the November election.
And so now -- look, the Obama folks knew that they were going to have to deal with this. The question is -- how much longer is Reverend Wright going to talk?
Again, I felt that talking to Bill Moyers on -- the interview that aired on Friday, speaking last night, was enough because you're able to identify yourself. Even if he continues to preach around the country, he's got lots of preaching engagements, you're still operating in a pulpit and you're speaking about theological issues.
But once you go outside of that, once you get outside of your lane, now you're no longer in a comfort zone and then people look at you differently. People will look at Reverend Wright differently when he's in the pulpit than when he's at the podium at the National Press Club. That's why they always say, stay in your lane.
HARRIS: Did -- go ahead, David.
GERGEN: Roland, I appreciate the force of your point. And you've said it very eloquently in the past.
I do disagree on one thing. I think what he said in the pulpit is what's giving offense. And, you know, he gave highly politicized sermons. Now, one could say they were done through a theological lens. But the content -- it's the content of those sermons, and what he had to say about America, not whether he was in one lane or another lane, that I think is causing a real problem for the Obama campaign.
This is not to say he will derail the Obama campaign, but there is still a sliver of a chance that Hillary Clinton could take this nomination. And if she does that, you would have to look back and say Reverend Wright was a huge factor, if she were to take the nomination.
HARRIS: All right, let's take a break and let's continue our conversation in a moment with David Gergen and Roland Martin. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The Reverend Jeremiah Wright off the pulpit and onto a larger stage. Last hour He delivered his second speech to a national audience in less than 24 hours. Will his message create new problems for his longtime church member, Barack Obama? Let's get some perspective. CNN contributor Roland Martin attended his speech last night. And David Gergen is a former White House inside, now serving as a CNN senior political analyst.
Last night -- I saw the "Detroit Free Press," Roland, this morning, and part of the piece was about this not being a political speech last night. I actually saw it a little differently. And I'm curious to your thoughts on it. It was a speech, it seems to me, when he was using the rhetorical term "different is not deficient." It seemed to me he was saying that Barack Obama is different, but not deficient. He is part African, part America -- he is -- American. He is White. He is black. That seemed to be a message that I think had...
MARTIN: No, I don't...
HARRIS: You didn't see it that way?
MARTIN: No. First of all, I mean, I don't think that was even the connection there toward that he was speaking about Obama. I mean, he very clearly was talking about the reality that we have different cultures in America, that we do things differently; there's nothing wrong with that. He talked about music. He talked about education. He talked about several different things.
But also, toward the end of his speech, which I thought was the most important and most powerful, when he said, look, we have to deal as how we as Christians treat non-Christians, how black men treat women, how black men and their wives treat children, how Sunnis treat Shiites. He talked about that.
I mean, look, the front page of -- this is why I thought that the National Press Club appearance completely blew away and obliterated all whatever good he may have done. Today's front page of the "Detroit Free Press," says pushing change, "Controversial Preacher Urges Racial Understanding." In the Detroit news, "Fiery Wright Calls for Change." I think people understood this whole notion of two different Americas and how it's OK that we celebrate our culture. But when you take the questions that he answered at the National Press Club, you have basically stepped on your own story in less than 12 hours. That makes no sense whatsoever.
HARRIS: Yes, I guess the point I would make, David, is it seemed to me that the race more and more, you look at the results in Pennsylvania, and it looks like more and more there are camps forming here. And that race, whether we speak of it or not, is seemingly finding its way more and more into this race. And I was wondering if there was a moment being used, that window used by Reverend Wright to make that point, which I thought was powerful, that different does not mean deficient.
GERGEN: You know, those were important points to make. He's not the right person to be making it on behalf of Barack Obama in this campaign. Every time he appears, he just gives legitimacy and a hunger by those who oppose Barack Obama, to rerun those tapes, to keep him at the center of controversy, to let this overhang and define Barack Obama, when it has, you know -- it has very, very little to do. It's a very marginal piece of who Barack Obama is and what he stands for. And it takes attention away.
We have huge, huge problems facing this country. The candidates are increasingly coming down on opposite sides of them. We're having no discussion of that. Instead we're off on this sideshow.
HARRIS: Yes.
GERGEN: Which is -- and I think that, you know, this good preacher, I'm sure he's a fine man, and if he had taken Bill Moyers on a walking tour of his parish and shown people the good works that church was doing, you know, how it is helping the hungry, how it is looking after young kids, and the many other good things that church does, that would have been totally appropriate. But to be on this publicity blitz when we have to listen to his very views, you know, I think it's time for him to get off the stage, and, frankly, for the media to just move on.
MARTIN: You know, David, when he spoke at the National Press Club today, he actually did that. I mean, he talked about all these ministries the church is involved in. I mean, I thought his opening statement, he gave a theological, a sound opening statement. But again, the focus will not be on any of that. The focus will not be on the war, will not on their the HIV/AIDS ministry. Will not be any of that. It's going to be his answer to the AIDS question. It's going to his answer in terms of talking about Dick Cheney, and that's the problem with that.
GERGEN: If this man cares one wit about electing an African- American to the highest office of the land, he should get off the national stage. You know that.
HARRIS: Point blank.
MARTIN: Oh, I know it. I mean, I agree. I agree. It did not help at all. And frankly, it's going to invite more questions.
And so now the question is, Reverend Wright, where does he go next? Does he continue? Does he keep talking? Because absolutely...
GERGEN: He should just go away. Go back to the pulpit.
MARTIN: I've told my radio listeners that every day.
HARRIS: One final question for both of you, what does Barack Obama now do in the face of this?
MARTIN: I think what Barack Obama does, I think what Senator Obama does, he keeps moving, he keeps focusing on his message. But also he reiterates persistently, I am running for president, I speak for myself, I am the one who advocated these policies, and I am the one who will be sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue making decisions to affect you. That's what he has to do. He has to make it clear; it is not about anybody else out there, but me, Barack Obama.
HARRIS: David?
GERGEN: I also think that Barack Obama would serve himself well if he sat down now for additional interviews with the press and start pushing off and away from this. He handled himself well on Fox yesterday, with Chris Wallace. I think that if he now in Indiana and North Carolina were to buy an hour's worth of time in each media market and sit down in a roundtable discussion with the voters from that area, with working people and talk about his hopes and plans and let them fire away questions for what he's going to do, and let them just get a chance to know what's on his mind and what his priorities are, as opposed to this sideshow.
He needs to have a direct conversation with voters now, not a speech. We all know how marvelous he is in those speeches. But a direct conversation about what his hopes and dreams are to transform this country. And he needs to do that very directly with voters, with working people.
HARRIS: David Gergen, thank you. Roland Martin, thank you. Boy, we needed this this morning. Just a better handle to put it in a little bit better context. Thank you both.
GERGEN: Thank you.
NGUYEN: That was a good discussion. And folks will be talking about this today. Those tax rebates, they start going out. And you might just need it to buy gas. Look at that. A new record in the newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK, I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm just the messenger. Both oil and gasoline today jumped to new all-time highs. But relief may come this week. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to tell us how exactly that relief is coming and how much of a relief is it. Hey, Susan.
(FINANCIAL REPORT)
HARRIS: Held captive by her own father. Police say he fathered seven of her children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it's incomprehensible this man says. For 24 years he had to bring in food, other things. It's just unbelievable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Secrets of the cellar in the newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: History made in North Korea today. For the first time ever, the Olympic torch was carried through the streets. No one protested. North Korea has criticized demonstrations against the torch and other places along the relay route.
HARRIS: Good morning, everyone. You're informed with CNN. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Monday, 28th day of April. Here is what's on the run down.
NGUYEN: The Reverend Jeremiah Wright defiant and feisty before a national audience this morning. Is he hurting the Barack Obama campaign?
