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Analysis of Republican National Convention; Foreign Policy and the Election; Gustav's Aftermath: Assessing the Damage
Aired September 03, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Welcome from the CNN Election Center in New York. I'm Soledad O'Brien, with continuing coverage of the Republicans in St. Paul.
They're getting ready for a big night, as you can see inside as they prep the stage there. Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and running mate Sarah Palin -- a lot could be riding on her words and her demeanor this evening. Everyone will be watching her.
In addition, Senator McCain cranking up the attack ads, releasing a new one today. New polling to talk about and more.
Here to talk about all that is Robert Traynham. He is the Washington bureau chief for Comcast Network and political analyst for National Public Radio. And CNN political analyst Carl Bernstein is the author of "A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton."
Nice to see you both.
Carl, let's begin with you. And in fact, let's begin by running a little clip of Senator Lieberman speaking last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: Senator Barack Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who I think can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But, my friends, eloquence is no substitute for a record, not in these tough times for America.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: The crowd loved him. You heard cheering all through his speech. But do you think his message was effective outside of that crowd? He was literally calling on Democrats and Independents to think about John McCain.
CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think you have to look at it as part of a larger convention message. I think that he was the least effective speaker of the evening. The networks cut away from him.
O'BRIEN: Why do you think he was the least?
BERNSTEIN: I think he went on too long. And also, I think there's something about Joe Lieberman that gets reported to some extent, and that is how he is regarded in Washington by many of his fellow senators as a bit sanctimonious, both Republicans and Democrats.
Sometimes he doesn't go over too well. But certainly he's helpful, and he's helpful with Jewish voters in particular with whom he has some credibility. And he was the vice presidential nominee of the other party.
But the larger message of the night he fit into, and that is that the Republican Party, as they put it last night, is the party somehow of putting country first, as if the Democrats were not. It's not a particularly nice message. It really tries to lock up this idea that the Democrats are somehow beyond the fringe and unpatriotic.
We kept hearing the word "liberal," the media enemy last night. George Bush got up, the president of the United States, and talked about the angry left.
It all fit together. An old Republican message, it goes back to many years that somehow the Democrats are not fit to govern because they're less patriotic than the other side.
O'BRIEN: Here was Fred Thompson last night. He's a guy who's an actor, so he knows how to deliver a message.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED THOMPSON (R), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To deal with these challenges, the Democrats present a history-making nominee for president. History-making in that he's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president.
(APPLAUSE)
Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history-making Democrat-controlled Congress. History-making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Do you think he made his point, Robert? Do you think that -- I mean, certainly his delivery is significantly better than someone like Senator Lieberman. But do you think -- I mean, outside of the crowd right there, the American people?
ROBERT TRAYNHAM, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, COMCAST NETWORK: Yes. It was red meat for the crowd, there's no question about it.
Look, the U.S. Congress has about a 13 percent to 14 percent approval rating, and so what Fred Thompson was trying to say is, look, when John McCain gets into the White House, if in fact he gets to the White House, he'll put a little bit of law and order back into the White House. Look, this is a broader message that both Joe Lieberman and Fred Thompson are trying to speak to, and that is that Barack Obama is not ready to be president, John McCain is on day one.
There's about 12 percent of the American electorate out there that is undecided right now. If those undecideds break towards Barack Obama, there's a good chance that he will win the White House. Obviously, if they break towards John McCain, with his maverick stance, with Governor Palin, with her maverick stance, they will probably go with John McCain. It's that vital center there, Soledad, that 12 percent that both candidates are trying to speak to.
O'BRIEN: That's what everybody is trying to speak to.
President Bush, you know, thinking about that 12 percent, then, Robert, and also Carl, when President Bush gives the candidate a big thumbs-up, how much of a problem is that, especially when we see in polling his unpopularity numbers? I mean, his approval rating is at 38 percent, which is slightly better than it was, but still a pretty dismal number. Fifty-four percent of registered voters say they think McCain's policies would be the same as President Bush's.
How tricky of a dance is that? And were they able to pull it off?
Robert, why don't you start, and then I'll ask Carl to weigh in too.
TRAYNHAM: Well, I think it was absolutely brilliant for the president to be at the White House looking presidential, saying, you know what? I can't be there with you tonight because of Hurricane Gustav. So, you know, Republicans here were saying, what a sigh of relief that in fact he was not able to come, again, to do it via satellite.
Look, the president is a burden right know on the Republican Party. He is the reason why that Republicans right now have a horrible brand around the country. So with the president being at the White House, looking presidential, going to the Gulf and so forth, it's a blessing in disguise for Republicans because, again, they don't want him here.
BERNSTEIN: I don't think he looked particularly presidential, particularly given the nature and stridency of his message in terms of him being overtly political. I think it's very early for us to be trying to gauge the overall effect of this stuff on voters.
We need to sit back now, try and parse the message. But we're not going to be able to predict what the effect of this stuff is yet.
O'BRIEN: How about Sarah Palin? What do you think she has to say in her speech tonight? I mean, a lot of people don't know her. Jeanne Moos did a very funny piece earlier, where she just asked people, who is she? And...
BERNSTEIN: Well, there are two things going on at once about her. One is that she is really beginning to look to many professionals in the Republican Party, White House people, as well as some of those people out there in Minnesota, as if there's an awful lot of stuff about her that they didn't really recognize. And they're getting terribly worried about her. And she has got to somehow appear, I think, if she's going to be successful, perhaps a little more mainstream than she really is.
We keep learning new things about her. There's stories all over the papers today about various aspects of her career, her life in Alaska.
She's got a big problem, and the Republican Party has got a big problem with her. Yes, she is an opportunity in terms of energizing the so-called base of the Republican Party, but she's got to also help win over these Independent voters. And there seems to be accumulating evidence that there are things in her background, her demeanor, the story of her life as lived, that might be starting to push some of those Independent voters the other way. But, again, let's wait and see what she says.
O'BRIEN: Do you think that there is an inherent appeal, Robert, to Sarah Palin among Independents?
TRAYNHAM: Absolutely. Look, I mean, her life story is pretty fascinating.
She's a mom. She is a hunter. She is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association. She's very, very interesting for many different levels.
And I respectfully disagree with Carl. You know, what's based in reality here in Minneapolis is that a lot of the delegates here are extremely excited by the Palin vice presidency prospect.
Every time that her name is mentioned, the crowd goes through the roof. You know, I've asked a lot of the delegates, including just some bottom tiers and so forth in the elevators and the hallways, and I said, "What are your thoughts about Governor Palin in terms of the DWI with her husband and about the pregnancy with her daughter?"
And they're like, "You know what? It's life. It's family. You know, we go through these things all the time. This humanizes her even more."
So I think it's a bit of an exaggeration to say that she has a "big problem." I will say that she has a "big challenge" ahead in term of introducing herself to the American people, which she will do tonight. And she will probably do it in a very human way and say, I'm a mom, I'm a governor, but I'm also an American.
BERNSTEIN: I wasn't speaking to the delegates in the hall. I have little doubt that in terms of the delegates in the hall she's going to wow them and hit the ball out of the park.
O'BRIEN: But doesn't he have a point, which is at the end of the day... BERNSTEIN: There's a larger problem. And I'm not talking about being a mom or the problems with her daughter or anything of the kind. I'm talking about her political record, which we're learning more about.
It's becoming very clear that she was not sufficiently vetted by the McCain people, that they really didn't know things about her that might have made them think twice about this. And we're going to learn more, it's obvious.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I'm looking forward to her speech tonight.
Carl Bernstein and Robert Traynham, thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.
Remember the Hillary Clinton ad with the 3:00 in the morning phone call? Up next, the battle over who would have a better answer when that call comes in, John McCain, or is it Barack Obama?
We'll take a look at that. But first, these messages.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In these past eight years, I've sat at the resolute desk and reviewed the daily intelligence briefings, the threat assessments, and the reports from our commanders on the front lines. I've stood in the ruins of buildings knocked down by killers and promised the survivors I would never let them down.
I know the hard choices that fall solely to a president. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: And the implication of course is that the other guy's not ready. Par for the course at any convention, whether you're talking about the Republicans or the Democrats. Kind of what a convention is all about.
What we try to do is cut through the spin. So joining me now is Democratic foreign policy analyst James Rubin, who served as an assistant secretary of state in the Clinton administration, and McCain supporter Clifford May. He's the president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Nice to see you both.
You just heard what President Bush had to say. We have this latest polling that actually shows Barack Obama now closing that gap. Where Iraq was a big issue for John McCain, not so much anymore.
Economy, though, for voters seems to be the top issue. How important will Iraq policy be for voters, do you think?
JAMES RUBIN, DEMOCRATIC FOREIGN POLICY ANALYST: Well, I think in the end it will matter. The United States is at war in Iraq, in Afghanistan. The commander in chief role is unique. Only the president really has the ability to affect war, and I think the public may not regard the war in Iraq as its foremost concern. I do think, however, foreign affairs, national security in Iraq will play a big role in how they vote and who they vote for.
O'BRIEN: Cliff May, explain to me this poll, then. We'll pop it up. This is from August 29th through the 31st.
Obama was at 44 percent, now at 49 percent, when asked the question, "Who will better handle Iraq?" And John McCain, who talked a lot about how this was really his issue, this is his strength, was at 53 percent and has dropped to 48 percent.
CLIFF MAY, PRESIDENT, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: I think that suggests that Barack Obama made some very good speeches at the Democratic convention in Denver, and that more Americans are feeling OK about his lack of experience, perhaps because they think he has judgment that will compensate for it. But this will be an issue that will be debated over the next weeks and months.
The fact of the matter is, Barack Obama has no experience in foreign policy. He was against the war in Iraq. He was also against the surge, which prevented America from suffering a terrible defeat at the hands of al Qaeda in Iraq.
And Joe Biden, who is very experienced in foreign affairs, voted for the war in Iraq and then he was against the surge. And for a while he had a kind of strange plan to divide Iraq up into three countries. So I would say expect foreign affairs to continue to be a volatile subject, along with the economy, as you suggest, although I think energy is the long pole in the economic tent.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
Let's talk about Afghanistan. And give me a basic layout of the different policies between the two, Obama, McCain.
RUBIN: Well, here's the essence of the foreign policy debate. We're in a mess in Iraq, and the question is, why?
And the why is that George Bush, followed by John McCain, diverted America's attention and the world's attention away from the real threat to the United States from al Qaeda in Afghanistan, devoted our intelligence resources, our military resources, and squandered America's goodwill going into Iraq. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has been left to fester, and it has now gotten to the point -- think about it, how many years after the fall of the Taliban we're still fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan because George Bush, with John McCain's support, refused to realize -- and this is the job of a commander in chief, to understand priorities.
The priority to keep America safe is to go after al Qaeda. That's what Barack Obama has been talking about for years now. Finally, the rest of the country has realized we've got to focus in on Afghanistan, while John McCain still refuses to accept that Afghanistan is as crucial as it needs to be.
MAY: I've got to disagree with my friend Jamie on a couple of points. One, this week, Anbar Province, which just a couple of years ago was so under al Qaeda's control that military experts said there was no way we could get it back, was handed over to Iraqi authorities, democratically-elected Iraqi authorities, and the Iraqi security forces have taken over Anbar, and they've taken over control in 11 of 18 provinces.
As for Afghanistan, that was supposed to be NATO's mission. And it's politically incorrect to say, but NATO failed.
Now, General Petraeus, who turned things around in Iraq, despite opposition from people like Barack Obama and I guess Jamie, is looking at the situation of Afghanistan and looking how America can salvage that situation as well. It's tough, largely because al Qaeda is ensconced in Pakistan.
Now, I know Obama said during his speech that if he were president, he would go after Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. I would love Jamie to explain how he's going to do it. He also suggested that somehow John McCain is not or would not go after Osama bin Laden. That's a very strange suggestions which I wish some folks in the media would give some examination to.
RUBIN: Well, let me direct that addressly (sic), Soledad. This is the issue -- where should the United States have focused its resources? What is the priority for our country?
George Bush and John McCain diverted our attention away from al Qaeda, away from the threat in Afghanistan, all of our military resources, our intelligence resources, and got us into this mess in Iraq. Yes, we're cleaning it up, and that's good news. But a commander in chief has to have the whole picture in view, not just one picture.
He's not the field commander for Iraq. He's the commander in chief for the United States.
And Afghanistan is where al Qaeda is. It's still there six years later. Think about how long it's been that we've been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
And George Bush has failed to do anything about it, and John McCain still thinks everything that matters in the world of foreign policy is occurring in one province of Iraq, when the truth is that al Qaeda in Afghanistan should have been our priority. It still needs to be a priority. And under an Obama administration, it will be a priority.
MAY: Jamie, surely you understand that we could not have let al Qaeda and the Iranian-backed militias overtake Iraq, which is in the heart of Arab Middle East, oil rich, usually important. You know that as well as I know that.
Also, I'm sure that you understand that General Petraeus has done a fabulous job. It would be nice if people like Obama could say that.
RUBIN: I think he's done a terrific job, and so has Barack Obama.
MAY: Can you tell me what Barack Obama...
RUBIN: He says he's done a great job.
MAY: You think he'll keep Petraeus on in the next administration should he become president?
RUBIN: I have no idea. I have no idea.
O'BRIEN: Before we run out of time, I want to ask you about the recent test that we saw between Georgia and Russia.
RUBIN: Very important.
O'BRIEN: So break it down for me. Yes, clearly an important test at a crucial time when voters are trying to make a decision.
RUBIN: I think what you saw in the case of Georgia is what voters really, really need to think about. The fist reaction of John McCain was war. "I am a Georgian." This is the phrase John McCain used. It's something that John Kennedy used in Berlin when the United States prepared to fight for the safety of the people in Berlin.
It's a phrase that raises the idea of war. And that is not the first thing we want our commander in chief to do when there's a problem in the world, is rush to the use of force.
MAY: First of all...
RUBIN: John McCain doesn't understand that there are very complex issues in Georgia, in that region, that Barack Obama got it exactly right. Confront the Russians, but don't raise the idea that we're going to go to war first thing off the bat.
MAY: Jamie...
O'BRIEN: Go ahead, Cliff.
MAY: Jamie, when John F. Kennedy said that, we did not go to war, as I'm sure you know.
RUBIN: The Berlin airlift. We saved the people of Berlin. You know what I'm talking about.
MAY: I know what he's talking about. He was trying to say to the Russians, as John McCain did, we are not going to let you take over small countries with impunity.
RUBIN: We just did, Cliff. They just did. MAY: And meanwhile -- let me finish. Barack Obama, he fumbled on this, as I'm sure you know, by suggesting that it was the Georgians' fault as much as the Russians' fault.
RUBIN: He never suggested that. That's not correct.
MAY: What we need to do, we need to show the Russians -- I hope you agree with this -- that they cannot simply run roughshot not only over Georgia, but over the Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and all the countries of East Europe, while we sit back and hope that they will come to the U.N. and talk about it.
RUBIN: No.
MAY: Barack Obama said the U.N. should deal with it.
RUBIN: Barack Obama understands full well that what we need to do is to confront the Russians.
MAY: How? We should.
RUBIN: But fortunately, if Barack Obama were president, the first thing he's not going to do is reach for his pistol in his belt.
MAY: And neither do John McCain.
RUBIN: He's going to consider how to proceed.
O'BRIEN: And that will be our final word, gentlemen. Jamie Rubin and Clifford May, thanks to both of you. Appreciate your time.
One other note before we go. We just got a quote from Sarah Palin's top aide, Tucker Eskew, about her speech tonight.
He says this: "She's going to speak as a governor, a former mayor, and someone with both hands on the steering wheel of America's energy economy. She will detail her record of shaking up the status quo in Alaska and standing up to entrenched interests to put the government back on the side of the people. She will make the case for Senator McCain as the only candidate who's fought for America and the best man to protect us in dangerous times."
So we will see how she does when she delivers her speech later this evening.
That's it for now. Soledad O'Brien at the CNN Election Center in New York. I'll see you back here in just about 15 minutes, continuing our nonstop coverage of the convention.
Back to CNN NEWSROOM after these messages.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tropical thunder. One killer hurricane fades away. Another big storm bears down. Voluntary evacuations could begin along Georgia's coast today. Hanna expected to move north after a deadly rampage through the Caribbean. And more potential threats to the U.S. are on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast dealing with the aftermath of Gustav. Hundreds of thousands of people without power today, even more waiting to go back home after mass evacuations.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: The Gulf Coast tangled in the wreckage of Hurricane Gustav this morning. House of Louisiana's households are without electricity. Of the two million people who fled the storm, most are awaiting permission now to return home.
CNN's Sean Callebs is following the developments in this story live from New Orleans.
Hi there, Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
We're right in the heart of the French Quarter here on Bourbon and Bienville. Some signs of life here, people trickling back in, the power back on.
President Bush is scheduled to land in Baton Rouge shortly. He'll of course be greeted warmly by Republican Governor Bobby Jindal. Jindal really set the tone the days leading up to Gustav touching down.
It will be interesting to hear what people have to say to President Bush. It was almost three years ago to the day that he promised not to leave this area until they were complete after Katrina.
Meanwhile, the 1.9 million people who left, some are trickling back in. They're considered tier one, tier two personnel, those people vital to the city, medical professionals, business owners.
Those power outages, wow, 800,000 here in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. It could be weeks before juice is back on to this entire area.
But there are some signs of life. I want to take you and show you some positive news right inside the Desire (ph) oyster bar here in the French Quarter.
Hot food. We haven't eaten any, but it smells great. If you've bee eating tuna fish and peanut butter and everything else the past few days, this is like a feast, something Chef K. Paul (ph) would whip up.
But things are coming back. It's going to take a while. People talking about the levees, Heidi, but everything is holding up well.
Back to you.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thanks for the overall look.
Sean Callebs for us in New Orleans this morning.
Now, if you would like to help those affected by Hurricane Gustav, please go to our "Impact Your World" page, where you'll find links to groups offering assistance. That's at CNN.com/impact.
It's being called the single biggest outbreak of a rare strain of bacteria, and it's made more than 200 people sick. What you need to know, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: An investigation into an E. coli outbreak, it's made more than 200 people sick in Oklahoma. An exact source of the contamination has not been found.
Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here now with new details on this.
And often that's the case. We have so many questions about where it originated, and it takes a while to figure it out.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, absolutely, especially because this is rare. This is a rare type of E. coli. We don't hear about this much.
There's only been a handful of outbreaks of this E. coli. That's what it's called.
This is the epicenter, the Country Cottage Restaurant in Locust, Oklahoma. Nearly everyone who's gotten sick, all 200 of them, ate or worked there. As you can see now, it's closed.
They have interviewed more than 500 people, trying to figure out where it comes from, where it's coming from. Two hundred and six people sick, one death. As I said, the restaurant is now closed.
COLLINS: Yes. Well, where does it come from? I mean, have they narrowed it down to just this one place, or, you know, with all of the other issues that we've had with the lettuce and the tomatoes and so forth, it goes back and back and back oftentimes?
COHEN: It does. But you know what? It's interesting that it is so far just this one restaurant. It's not all over the place.
And we did find out -- an investigator told us that about five employees have been sick with diarrhea. And that might be a clue. It is possible that it came from an employee, from a worker there.
COLLINS: From a worker there.
COHEN: Right. It's possible.
COLLINS: All right. Well, obviously it's going to take a little while longer to figure out exactly where.
Elizabeth Cohen, we know you'll stay on top of it. Thank you very much.
Well, you never know who will stop in for a bite at the CNN Grill. We're serving up more Republican convention news from St. Paul, Minnesota.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: And good morning. Welcome back from the CNN Election Center in New York. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
As we continue our coverage of the 2008 Republican convention, which is taking place in St. Paul, Minnesota, radio host Garrison Keeler lives nearby. He is a Democrat and so are some of his neighbors. But he writes, "What matters is that for a few days TV will show a few pictures of the big bend in the Mississippi, the limestone bluffs, the capitol, cathedral, a tree shaded avenue or two, and some of the world will know that we exist.
And we might add it's a beautiful town, made more beautiful, really, by the weather. You can see it right there in those shots.
Tonight, though, some serious stuff and very high stakes for John McCain's running mate. Sarah Palin is on the speaker's list along with Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and others followed by the roll call vote, which will make John McCain officially the nominee.
Some new polling out suggests that John McCain may have his work cut out for him. Here to crunch some of those numbers, CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider with some of the latest numbers.
So, 41 percent of Americans, who were polled, say they are unfamiliar with Governor Palin. How big of a problem is that as she goes in to make her introductory speech to the nation?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, this will be her first introduction, first remarks to a wide audience. There has been a lot of curiosity about her. And what a lot of people are worried about is it going to be another Dan Quayle? Will she look like a deer caught in the head lights? She's got to come across as serious, competent, capable. Someone who answers the question, Yes, I'm qualified for the job. Because a lot of Americans are wondering, with her limited background, is she really qualified -- not to be vice president -- but to be president of the United States?
O'BRIEN: You know, it's interesting. Some people have talked about sort of sexism in the race. Certainly when we were talking about Hillary Clinton. Also questions come up again with Sarah Palin. And I'm curious is there a -- is it a tricky line to walk, as someone who is giving a big speech, to focus on the mom and the five kids and challenges of juggling all that? Or do you go sort of hard-core, not really focus on the family and the things that make you human, in order to give off, I'm a competent professional who could be VP and maybe president of this country? Is that going to be a challenge? SCHNEIDER: Of course it's a challenge. And I think she has to veer towards the second option. People know she's a mother, she has five children. That part of the story has been widely publicized. Questions have been raised. Even people asking, you know, if she has a disabled child and a daughter with a family problem, should she be running for vice president at all?
But, you know, that's not the issue. The issue is, is this person qualified to be president, president, of the United States? Because she will have to become president in a case of national crisis or emergency. And the question she has to answer is, am I qualified? Yes, I am. Here's what I know. Here's what I have done. Here's what I can do. She's just got to lay those fears to rest.
Dan Quayle did not, when he was first picked, and that created a big issue. He was elected, of course. People don't vote for vice president. They vote for president. But it created a big problem for that campaign. She wants to not create the same problem for this campaign.
O'BRIEN: Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman, we saw them really blast Barack Obama, in their attack-dog roles last night. In her speech, will she do that? Or is that unwise to do as you're introducing yourself to the nation, also be the attack dog?
SCHNEIDER: I think it would be unwise for her to play the role. Vice presidents usually do play attack dog. Because, frankly, she hasn't earned the standing yet to play that role. If that's what she's doing -- you know, that she's there simply to be the attack dog, I think it will diminish her role even further.
There will be plenty of opportunities in the campaign for her to become critical and harsh of her Democratic opponents. But I think on her first, initial venture before the public audience, she's got to make a strong, positive impression. I think being an attack dog really wouldn't help her.
O'BRIEN: Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney -- and you can see -- and I should mention she's not a speaker tonight, this is Cindy McCain you're looking at, live pictures on the floor doing her walk-through. She'll be speaking tomorrow night.
But that list I read you before, Bill, as former rivals, some might say they kind of run the problem of having to praise a guy that they -- you know, have been quoted attacking, not so long ago.
SCHNEIDER: They're the attack dogs. Sarah Palin can play that role later in the campaign. Tonight we're going to hear plenty of tough attacks from Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani. They're the ones who are going to go after Barack Obama and Joe Biden, talk about the need for someone fresh and new. And the whole line has to be, you know, we were rivals for John McCain. We've had our criticisms of John McCain, but let me tell you something, he's a whole lot better of than those Democrats. They have the standing to do it, and you're going to hear some very rough lines from them tonight. I think more from them than from Sarah Palin. O'BRIEN: It will be interesting to watch. It will be really interesting night tonight, watching all these speeches. Bill Schneider, always nice to catch up with you. Appreciate your time this morning.
SCHNEIDER: OK, great (ph).
O'BRIEN: Gay and lesbian Americans are a minority, a fairly vocal one, though, so why -- I should mention that the Republicans have traditionally kept a much lower profile. The question becomes, what is happening? The group that speaks for them is endorsing John McCain. We'll talk to a member of the Log Cabin Republicans right after this Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Gay and lesbian Americans are a minority, fairly local one, though, especially in the Democratic Party. Gay and lesbian Republicans, though, have traditionally kept a much lower profile.
I should mention you're seeing Cindy McCain there. She will be speaking tomorrow night. She was at the podium doing her walk-through.
Back to talking about gay and lesbian Republicans, since they've kept a much lower profile, there are some who are trying to change that, both the perception and the reality. Patrick Sammon is president of the group known as the Log Cabin Republicans.
Nice to see you, Patrick. Thanks for chatting with us.
PATRICK SAMMON, PRESIDENT, LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS: Good to be with you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
When you take a look at the 2008 Republican Party platform, there are lots of people who would say, some of the issues that are explicitly in that platform seem to go against what many gays and lesbians would want. Why are you, as a Log Cabin Republican, supporting the Republican Party?
SAMMON: Well, I think Senator McCain is an inclusive leader who can return the party to unifying core principals. In recent years, the party got off track by focusing on divisive social issues. Four years ago, President Bush ran for re-election trying to use gay and lesbian people as a wedge issue by supporting the federal marriage amendment.
Senator McCain is a much different kind of candidate. He's bringing the party together. He is someone who courageously voted against the federal marriage amendment and paid a price for among social conservatives.
So, I'm optimistic and Log Cabin is certainly proud to endorse Senator McCain. We're not going to agree on every issue, but at the same time he's someone who can bring the party together. And I think move it in a direction that's more inclusive. O'BRIEN: You mentioned the wedge issue. I guess, I would say well, you talk about Senator McCain, on the other hand of that is what is clearly an explicitly called for in the platform for the Republican Party is a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, a constitutional amendment. Obviously Senator John McCain, as the nominee -- official later, of course -- has signed off on that platform and is in agreement with that platform. That doesn't give you pause?
SAMMON: Oh, no, certainly I disagree with a lot of what's in the platform. Certainly what's in there related to gay rights, but I think that the platform is largely symbolic. The day after it is passed people don't pay attention to it. The important thing is that Senator McCain opposes the federal marriage amendment, opposed that constitutional amendment. I'd rather have a candidate that agrees with me than a platform that agrees with me.
It's also important to point out that among rank-and-file Republicans there's much stronger support for gay rights. Even among convention delegates, a CBS News poll showed that 49 percent of the GOP delegates favor civil unions or marriage of equality for gay and lesbian people. And 77 percent of Republicans don't think that a business should have the right to fire someone because of their sexual orientation; 64 percent of Republicans think that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military.
Certainly there's a loud and vocal segment of our party among social conservatives who are hostile to gay rights. But I think among rank-and-file Republicans I think there's much broader support for gay rights than people think.
O'BRIEN: But for all those statistics you just cited for me, if you were to go look on the Democratic side, you'd probably see those numbers significantly higher. It seems to some degree that Democrats would have more in common with your core issues and your core values than the Republicans. So why not support Democrats?
SAMMON: Well, I agree with 90 percent of what the Republican Party supports. I don't think government is the solution to every problem. I think we need an aggressive foreign policy that takes on the terrorists. I think we need fiscal responsibility. I don't think we need government intruding too deeply in health care. I think we need a market-based approach to health care reform. I think that with the economy, we need a limited government. We need businesses to have the ability to not have interference from government.
So across the board I'm supportive of Republican issues. At the same time, the Republican Party isn't where it needs to be on gay and lesbian issues. I'm the first to admit that. But I think it's important to work from inside the party to make it better because ultimately gay rights would be impossible to achieve unless there's support from both Republicans and Democrats.
O'BRIEN: Patrick Sammon is a Log Cabin Republican.
Thanks for talking with us. Certainly appreciate your time.
SAMMON: Good to be with you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
Much more convention coverage coming to you in just about 15 minutes and throughout the day, of course. In New York, I'm Soledad O'Brien at the CNN Election Center. I'll send it back to Atlanta and the CNN NEWSROOM right after this short break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody.
Tropical thunder: One killer hurricane fades away, three more storms expected to grow stronger. The closest to the U.S., now, Tropical Storm Hanna. Landfall as early as Friday. Carolinas right now in the projected path, but that, of course, could change. Two more potential threats on the horizon, Tropical Storms Ike and Josephine.
Let's get the very latest. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is in the weather center with just that.
Hi there, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, hi there, Heidi.
Yes, they are lined up out there. This satellite picture just shows that story, doesn't it? There you can see, down here near Hispaniola, this is where we have Hanna. This one is Ike and this one is Josephine.
We'll start you out with Hanna, because that's the storm of concern, at this hour. It shows the most immediate threat to the United States. This had is a very disorganized system now. It's just been kind of ripping itself apart a little bit, but it's still holding with those winds, maximum 60 miles per hour. It's going to take some time for the storm to become a little bit better organized. It's also fighting some dry air and some wind sheer so it's going to be so it's going to be tough to see any real significant strengthening for at least another 12 to 24 hours. But it still could get up there to a Category 1.
Believe it or not we're feeling the impact of this storm already with a very high risk of rip currents due to this low pressure, or this tropical storm, and high pressure to the north, is driving strong winds here. So rip currents from the Carolina coast all the way down through Florida.
The forecast track showing it taking a northwesterly turn and heading up towards the U.S. We're looking at the Carolinas most likely for landfall late on Friday, or possibly on Saturday.
After Hanna, we'll be dealing with Ike, which is a strong tropical storm, nearly a hurricane, probably becoming a hurricane even yet today. And this one we're more concerned about in terms of potential destruction. Because we think Ike could certainly become a major hurricane before all is said and done; but really too early to tell whether or not Ike will impact the U.S., Heidi. And, Josephine, right now, we're hopeful it won't be impacting anybody.
COLLINS: Boy, that'd be awesome.
JERAS: Wouldn't it?
COLLINS: All right, Jacqui, we know you're watching it closely. Let us know if we should come back to you.
But for the meantime, we want to get the latest on Gustav and its rampage across the Gulf Coast. Two million people, as you know, evacuated. The first are now beginning to return home. Just a few minutes ago, we learned New Orleans' mayor, Ray Nagin, now says evacuees can begin returning immediately.
Also this hour, President Bush arrives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He will survey the damage firsthand. Early insurance losses predicted as high as $10 billion. Even so, that's only one-fourth of hurricane Katrina's bill three years ago. Nearly half of all homes and businesses in Louisiana are without power. Restoring that electricity could take weeks.
A man with a troubled past in custody this morning. He is accused in a shooting death of six people. The killings occurred at several locations around the small town of Alger, Washington. Two other people were wounded. Isaac Zamora surrendered to authorities after a high- speed chase. Among those people killed during the spree? A motorists on Interstate 5 and a female sheriff's deputy, who had previously tried to help the suspect's family. Zamora has a criminal record and a history of mental illness.
Strong words from Pakistan today aimed at coalition troops in Afghanistan. The government saying an alleged cross-border raid is unacceptable and a gross violation of Pakistan's territory. Local leaders, from the Waziristan area, say at least 20 civilians were killed in the raid. There is no information on this yet from coalition officials. South Waziristan is considered, by the U.S. coalition, as a haven for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.
The dust has hardly settled. A been little more than two months since North Korea blew up this nuclear plant cooling tower. And now the Communist nation is reportedly reassembling the main nuclear facility. Japanese media says it is because the U.S. has not removed North Korea from its list of states that sponsor terrorism. Washington wants international verification that Pyongyang had ended its nuclear program before taking North Korea off that list.
Last week, we told you about Barack Obama's energy policy. This week we look at John McCain's policy and what kind of energy fix it can provide for you. CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix" from New York.
Hi, there, Poppy.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey, there.
Well, if John McCain is elected president, energy policy will be key in his first 100 days. And in a recent speech, John McCain said whoever controls oil, controls so much more than oil. That's certainly a big topic right now. That's why he's making a big push for domestic offshore drilling.
Now McCain says we have enormous energy reserves of our own in this country. And he says we can access them in an environmentally friendly way. Recently, his opponent, Barack Obama, warmed up to some limited offshore drilling. But that's not McCain's only difference with Obama. He also is pushing very hard for 45 new nuclear power plants in this country by the year 2030. Obama is less enthusiastic about that idea of more nuclear plants.
But unlike a lot of Republicans in the past, what we're seeing is that McCain's position share some common ground with Democrats. Saying quote, we need to draw on the best ideas of both parties for the common good. Aides are also saying, as I said, energy will be the focus if he is elected president in those first 100 days in office.
Now one example that McCain doesn't want to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, saying, we call it a refuge for a reason. Now, Obama does share that opinion with him. But guess who does not? Someone very familiar with the region, Alaska governor and McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. She has said, she hopes she will be able to convince McCain to change his mind. She says drilling can be accomplished in ANWAR without harming the environment. So, a pretty distinct difference between those two -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we'll be watching all of that. We know that the vice presidential candidate is speaking tonight in St. Paul, Minneapolis -- I'm sorry, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Thanks so much, Poppy. We'll talk to you later on.
We're going to take a quick break. We're back in a moment, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Family, friends, and admirers of Steve Fossett marking a moment of silence today. The 63-year-old adventurer disappeared exactly one year ago. He took off in a small plane from a Nevada ranch and never returned. Ground and aerial searches have not found any signs of Fossett. His wife filed documents to have him declared him legally dead and a court granted that request in February. The famed aviator set records in gliders, jets, boats, and balloons. He also swam the English Channel and climbed some of the earth's highest peaks.
Well, corporate America continues to hack away at jobs giving pink slips to thousands of people this summer. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange now with the grim details on that.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
Well, nearly 400,000 people lost their jobs this summer thanks to the credit crisis and high energy prices. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas says that puts job cuts between May and August at a six-year high. There was heavy downsizing in the automotive as well as government sectors. And at the current pace, annual job cuts could top 1 million for the first time since '05.
This comes just two days before the big headliner of the week, the government's monthly jobs report. That's due Friday morning. And every month, the U.S. economy, the largest in the world, has actually lost jobs -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So, what can we expect for the rest of the year do you think? More of the same, or maybe an end of the year turn around of some kind?
LISOVICZ: A year ago at this time there was a lot of hope for the second half of this year, but then we got that huge rally in oil prices. And now there's concerns that -- well, that things could actually get worse. The end of the year typically the heaviest job cutting period, companies scrambling to meet earnings goals, they're trying to cope with a slowing economy. Retailers may cut jobs as well, since the holiday sales expected to be weak.
What we're also seeing that's weak is the market for a second day in a row. Despite the fact that oil is down, the Dow is down 84, the Nasdaq is off 23.
Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: All right. Susan, we sure do appreciate that.
Meanwhile, CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now -- 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
But right now, back to our coverage of the Republican National Convention in St.Paul, Minnesota.
