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Nomination is McCain's Ultimate Comeback; Unemployment Rate Hits 5-Year High; Haiti Reels from Hurricanes; North Carolina Braces for Hanna; Secretary Rice Makes Historic Visit to Libya

Aired September 05, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Leaving a trail of death in Haiti. Tropical Storm Hanna closes in on the U.S. East Coast, vacations cut short in the Carolinas. It's a day of packing up and getting out.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And John McCain speaks to the American people, but here's a question: did he connect? Out of the convention and back on the campaign trail, the fall campaign all begins right now.

WHITFIELD: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. Well, it is just two months before election day. The stage is now set in the battle for the Oval Office. With John McCain's nomination, both major parties now have their tickets officially in place.

The Arizona senator vowed to shake up Washington as he accepted Republican, the nomination last night in St. Paul, Minnesota. For McCain, carrying his party's banner is the ultimate comeback.

Here's CNN's senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An old warrior who survived hell and a political phoenix risen from the ashes of a campaign once declared dead, John McCain accepted his party's nomination Thursday and then painted himself as a non-party man.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I've been called a maverick. Someone who -- someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment; sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party; I don't work for a special interest; I don't work for myself. I work for you.

CROWLEY: He is facing the worst political environment Republicans have seen in decades, and he cannot win with Republican votes alone. So while McCain did take off a number of solidly conservative positions, he also chastised his party for losing its way. Because this night was about the place most voters live: in the middle, where they look for something new.

MCCAIN: Let me just offer an advance warning to the old big- spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second crowd: change is coming.

CROWLEY: It was a hard sell for a 72-year-old with 26 years on Capitol Hill, but change is the watch-word of the '08 election, so McCain sells the experience to bring change.

Still, even as he looks forward, the foundation of McCain's campaign is his past: the tale of a young soldier taken as a prisoner of war, tortured and imprisoned for five years.

MCCAIN: I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it, not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency, for its faith, and the wisdom, justice, and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.

CROWLEY: The experience informs his life, infuses his campaign, and provides his overarching theme: country first. John McCain is on a mission.

Candy Crowley, CNN, St. Paul, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And so now the conventions are over and now the sprint to November. A bit later on in the hour, we'll talk about the race for the White House with Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen and Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez.

Well, as John McCain accepted the Republican nomination, police faced off with throngs of protesters outside the convention. Almost 400 arrests were made on the final day, with police using tear gas and percussion grenades to control the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Police say most of the protesters were given citations for unlawful assembly, and then they were released. More than 800 people were arrested during the convention. That really hurts.

LEMON: All right. There is some brutal news out today on the state of our economy. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate jumped in August to a five-year high.

Our Ali Velshi has a look at the grim numbers. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The jobless rate in America has now soared to 6.1 percent. That is much higher than we expected it to come out at. It was 5.7 percent in July. This is a five-year high. You have to go back to September of 2003 to find an unemployment rate that's that high.

Now the unemployment rate measures those people who are in the workforce or looking for jobs. It's almost a bit of a misnomer, so I want to get that out of the way, and I want to talk about the more important number, and that is the number of jobs that were lost in August.

Eighty-four-thousand jobs lost in August. We were expecting 75,000 jobs to be lost. So when you put those 84 into the mix, and you make some adjustments for a few prior months, which were worse now than we initially thought, the total number of jobs lost for 2008 so far is 605,000 jobs. So that's 605,000 people -- fewer people who are working now than at the beginning of the year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That was our senior business correspondent, Ali Velshi.

And every month of 2008 has seen a net loss of jobs. In August, the industries heaviest hit included manufacturing, retail, and business services.

WHITFIELD: Well, it's a one-two punch of rotten news today. A banking industry group reports Americans are seeing their homes foreclosed in record numbers. The number of homes in the foreclosure process grew to one and a quarter million during the last quarter. At the same time, nearly three million owners were behind on mortgage payments.

And new foreclosure proceedings were launched against nearly a half million homes.

The worst hit states: still California and Florida. And we'll take a closer look at some of the numbers out today in about 20 minutes from now. Susan Lisovicz will join us live from the New York Stock Exchange.

LEMON: All right, so Hanna's almost here, and storm warnings are out from Charleston to just south of New York City. Winds could be so strong later this afternoon, Charleston's mayor is urging folks to stay off the streets.

All along the coastline, you see homes boarded up. The surf is kicking up, and emergency centers are open now. This could be a dress rehearsal for a scarier storm. We're talking about Hurricane Ike. Its current path has it approaching the Keys -- the Keys next week and then into the Gulf of Mexico right after that. Right now it's bearing down on the Bahamas. WHITFIELD: And for now, it appears Hurricane Ike may spare Haiti. That Caribbean nation certainly could use a break after getting slammed by three storms in three weeks.

Atika Shubert now takes a look at Haiti's misery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a scene of ruin and devastation. Flooding from Tropical Storm Hanna swept across parts of Haiti leaving more than 100 dead and thousands homeless. Clinging to rooftops and wading through city streets, Haitian residents are braving the aftermath of the latest storm to hit the region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We remember the last time this happened. It was the same situation. A lot of aid money was given for nothing. They did nothing with that money. If that money had been invested in this town, we would not be in this situation today.

SHUBERT: Water levels were reported at over 4 meters, or 13 feet, in some places, hampering humanitarian efforts to aid one of the world's poorest nations.

With food, medicine, and clean water already in short supply, residents may be facing a second and potentially more deadly crisis from hunger and disease.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If you keep going up there, you will see how many people are in trouble.

SHUBERT: The U.N. says it is stepping up its aid efforts to the hard-hit Goniaves region. But high flood waters continue to block access roads and the thousands in need of help. Ravaged by three storms in less than a month, Haitian residents are again bracing for the possibility of more bad weather and more misery.

Atika Shubert, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, Hanna's now hours away from making landfall somewhere in the Carolinas. Our Rob Marciano is tracking it from our weather center, and our Stephanie Elam is in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Seems like Rob and Stephanie, we just went through this.

So Stephanie, we're going to start with you. What precautions are they taking there?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well here, Don, it's definitely one of those things where everyone is aware of Hanna's approach. Everyone knows it's coming. Everyone's heard what it's done to Haiti, leaving that devastation and the flooding. But it seems that will probably be the worst of the storm. Here where it's expected to hit, they're still expecting for there to be some flooding, perhaps, but overall, they're not calling for people to evacuate. They're saying that they can make that call on their own. And as I look around from here, I can see people are still at their homes. I've seen people biking, walking their dogs, and even eating in restaurants, Don.

LEMON: Wow, OK. Stephanie Elam, as the storm approaches there. Thank you very much for that.

And let's talk NOW to CNN's Rob Marciano. Rob joins us now with the very latest on what's going on.

Rob, we're awaiting Hanna, but it's expected to hit right as a Cat 1?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Potentially. Right now the official forecast is to keep it below that status. But it's going to be real close.

Here's the center of it. One bad frame here. Forgive that. But there's been convection flaring up on the eastern shores of Florida. You're not expected to get a direct hit, but certainly you're getting some thunderstorms.

Already, though, spiraling feeder bands getting into the Outer Banks. We've got a couple of tornado warnings out for parts of extreme south North Carolina. And a couple of those have been, actually, reported on the ground in the form of a water spout.

Myrtle Beach, now you're about to get your first feeder band of squally weather. Charleston, as well, heading down towards Buford, Savannah. So we're starting to get into the act here, as far as getting this storm underway.

Winds 65 miles an hour. It's heading to the northwest, picking up steam at about 20. So the timing will bring it to the Carolina coastline later on tonight.

Here's the forecast track, making a north and northeastward turn. Notice the circles are not filled in. That would indicate a tropical storm, but we're going to be at about 70 miles an hour for an intensity there. And actually, it could be a weak tropical storm, still when it gets to eastern New England.

All right. Quickly on Ike. This is a Category 3 storm. That's -- that's your classic cloud signature there with the eye in the middle there. It is barreling westward at about 16 miles an hour, and the forecast cone brings it to Cuba, Florida, Florida Straits, maybe central Florida sometime Tuesday, maybe Wednesday of next week. And that's a scary scenario for sure. But let's get through Hanna first.

LEMON: All right. We shall see. Thank you very much, Rob Marciano, and Stephanie Elam, as well, in Wright Beach, North Carolina. A lot of you have been asking how my mom is doing after Hurricane Gustav caused so much devastation in her hometown of Baton Rouge. Well, hear for yourself next hour. She's going to talk to us. She'll be joining us again right here in the CNN NEWSROOM with an update.

WHITFIELD: She will be poolside there.

LEMON: She will...

WHITFIELD: That is a lovely pool.

LEMON: Well, it's usually blue, but it's kind of brown right now. Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, we're glad to be hearing from her.

LEMON: And there's usually a fence around it.

WHITFIELD: Yes. The -- oh, yes.

LEMON: A whole lot of things. And the tree is down, and you can't really see. She took those pictures from her -- her cell phone, so they're not as clear.

WHITFIELD: She's a photo journalist, isn't she?

LEMON: See all the chairs scattered? And there was a tree there and a fence.

WHITFIELD: Wow, all right. Well, we look forward to hearing from her.

Meantime, jail awaits Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. But he is hinting that he's not finished in politics. As part of his plea agreement for obstruction of justice, the scandal-ridden Democrat agreed to resign in two weeks and serve four months behind bars.

Addressing supporters last night, however, Kilpatrick signaled that he may not go away quietly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KWAME KILPATRICK, OUTGOING MAYOR OF DETROIT: I want to tell you, Detroit, that you're going to set me up for a comeback.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, under the terms -- and sealed there with a kiss by his wife. Under the terms of this agreement, Kilpatrick also will pay a million-dollar fine, serve five years on probation, and he cannot run for office during that time. Operative word.

LEMON: For the second time in as many weeks, Casey Anthony walked out of the Orange County, Florida, jail this morning under a half-million-dollar bond. Prosecutors call her the prime suspect in the disappearance of her 3-year-old daughter, Caylee. The 22-year-old mother was rearrested last week, accused of passing a bad check. Police fear that Caylee Anthony is dead. She hasn't been seen since June.

It's a landmark trip to North Africa. For the first time in more than a half century, an American secretary of state is visiting Libya. We'll have the latest on Condoleezza Rice's meeting with the man once branded the mad dog of the Middle East.

LEMON: And so if you're in the unemployment line, well, you've got a lot of company. You are not alone. We'll tell you about the latest jobless numbers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice officially ended decades of hostile American policy toward Libya today. She is in Tripoli to meet with Moammar Gadhafi, and so begins a rebuilding of a long-burned bridge.

Our State Department correspondent Zain Verjee is in Tripoli.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahmed Diaf is learning the words to a Bob Marley tune as we set out for a ride in his Tripoli cab. He says Libya's day has come. For the first time in 55 years, a U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, flies in to meet with Libya's leaders. This time the once-shunned Moammar Gadhafi.

AHMED DIAF, TRIPOLI CAB DRIVER: We know that once that relationship was not good, but I would like to (INAUDIBLE) America. I would like to emigrate to America. I listen about America's freedom.

VERJEE: Libya's coming out of the cold. Better relations, Ahmed hopes, will be good for business.

DIAF: We hope the American (INAUDIBLE) there's no problem here, not a reason.

VERJEE: Libyans are plugged into what's going on in the U.S. Many homes have satellite dishes. People tell us that they're tuning into the American political campaign.

The capital, Tripoli, is sleepy during these long days of Ramadan, but happening at night. People stay out until the small hours of the morning.

We meet Hamida and Hajir out shopping with friends in the old city. Hajir is a student at Tripoli College, where her professors are all American.

HAJIR, TRIPOLI STUDENT: Our relationship with America is good, and I hope it will come more good with Americans.

VERJEE: Hamida agrees, but adds, "The U.S. needs to understand the whole Arab world more and help it make peace."

At a nearby cafe, young men relax over a shisha (ph) pipe and card games. Jalal has lived abroad and tells us Libyans need American technology and help with education. "More U.S./Libya contact," he says, "will benefit young people who want to study in America."

JALAL OMRAN, TRIPOLI RESIDENT: I think I see a bright future for Libya. I mean, today's Libya and tomorrow's Libya, it's going to be a bright future.

VERJEE: A future these young Libyans say has the world at its feet and America in its sights.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Our Zain Verjee joins us now from Tripoli.

And Zain, what does Rice hope to accomplish on this trip?

VERJEE: Well, really, this is a symbolic trip. A secretary of state hasn't been in this country for 55 years. The United States is essentially bringing Libya out of the cold and back into the fold of the international community. They say it gave up the weapons of mass destruction. It's significantly helping on counterterrorism, as well.

Secretary Rice will be signing a few deals on security, education, cultural exchanges, agreements like that. But the symbolic impact of this visit is huge.

LEMON: All right, what -- so what's Libya doing to help on the war on terror, Zain?

VERJEE: Well, that's really a key issue here. I mean, the anniversary of September 11 is just a few days away. Fighting terrorism has become -- is a key issue, a central one in the presidential campaign, and on the minds of a lot of Americans.

So what's Libya doing? U.S. officials have told us that the Libyans are really giving them serious information, that they've been able to crack down on al Qaeda, that's becoming stronger in this region of North Africa that's known as the Maghreb.

Also, they say that the Libyans are stopping Libyan fighters from trying to go over to Iraq. So they're playing a key role -- Tony.

LEMON: Yes, but this is -- it's Don, by the way. But did the U.S. make a deal because of oil, Zain?

VERJEE: Sorry. I'm sorry, Don. My apologies.

LEMON: That's OK.

VERJEE: Oil is a motivating factor here. It really is key. I mean, throughout the convention what were we hearing? Drill, baby drill. Well, you know, Libya is all about oil, baby, oil. They have huge amounts of untapped resources here in Libya. American companies have already set up shop here, but they've been having a few hassles over the last few years. So Rice being here and signing deals and shaking hands is smoothing things over for U.S. oil companies to come in.

Right now American companies, you know, contribute about 600,000 to 700,000 barrels of oil coming up from Libya. So Libya's becoming very key in the world oil market. And because it has these massive reserves, the United States is looking this direction and is looking for an ally sitting here in Tripoli.

LEMON: All right, Zain Verjee in Tripoli. Thank you very much for your reporting, Zain. We appreciate it.

VERJEE: Sorry.

LEMON: And make sure you stay tuned to CNN.

That's OK. No worries.

Make sure you stay tuned to CNN. Later this afternoon, "THE SITUATION ROOM," Zain Verjee will have an exclusive one-on-one conversation with Condoleezza Rice. That's later on today, right here on CNN.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sarah Palin, now a household name. And she was the star at the Republican convention. Could that somehow turn out to be a problem for John McCain? We'll take a closer look.

LEMON: And what has happened to all those jobs? Unemployment soars, with no immediate sign of better things to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So bringing you new information that millions of Americans are out of work, and the numbers keep getting worse. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details on the government's monthly jobs report, and it's not good.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, and we've been hearing this news all year, Fred. And as a result, we're hearing that dreaded "R" word being tossed around a lot today on Wall Street. "R" as in "recession."

Employers cut 84,000 positions last month, pushing the total for the year above 600,000.

The big surprise, though, was in the government report on the unemployment rate. It made a huge move, surging from 5.7 percent in July up to 6.1 percent. That level is a five-year high.

The reaction on Wall Street right now, well, predictable, although kind of muted compared to what we saw earlier. Right now, the Dow coming off of the fourth worst point loss of the year, is doing nothing. Down one point. The NASDAQ's taking it a little bit harder; it's down about third of a percent, Fred. WHITFIELD: So Susan, we talk about the unemployment rate, you know, topping 6 percent. How does it stack up historically?

LISOVICZ: You know, historically, not bad in economic downturns, Fred. I mean, of course, if, you know -- if you're out of a job or can't find a job, you know, that doesn't really -- doesn't make you feel very good, now does it?

Many economists point out that the official unemployment number doesn't factor in discouraged workers who have simply stopped looking, and that would take the rate higher.

Just one year ago the jobless rate was more than a full percentage lower -- a full percentage point lower than 6 percent. Some economists point out it could go as high as 7 percent next year. All told, nearly 9.5 million people were unemployed last month.

It can be a blow to consumer confidence. It also can be a factor in the voting booth this December. There's only one more jobs report before the presidential election. As we've been saying, the economy is issue No. 1.

Senator McCain quick to tout his job creation program today. Senator Obama, talking up his tax credit plan. We'll be hearing a lot more about that from them.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LISOVICZ: We'll be taking it to you. We'll be covering that.

And next hour, Fred, we're going to be focusing in on the sectors that cut the most and if there were any job gains at all, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Helpful information, especially when you're trying to look for something. So, you know, if you find out what sectors are getting hit, there are...

LISOVICZ: There is actually some growth.

WHITFIELD: ... other areas to go. All right, that's good. Susan, thanks so much.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

LEMON: Well, the conventions are over. So what now? We'll ask Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen and Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It's 1:30 Eastern Time, and here are some of the stories that we're working on today.

Tropical Storm Hanna making waves already in the Carolinas. Hanna expected to hit tomorrow, perhaps around Myrtle Beach or a little farther north.

Hurricane Ike, well, that could visit South Florida early next week. And Ike is a big one.

At last word, a search continues for a missing crew member from a Coast Guard chopper that crashed off Honolulu. At least three of the crew were killed in the crash last night.

And Congressman Charles Rangel is under renewed scrutiny. Reports say the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee was inconsistent in reporting income he earned from a rental in the Dominican Republic.

LEMON: Well, the conventions are over. Let the home stretch begin. Now that Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are the official presidential nominees of their respective parties, the sprint toward November is underway.

OK, let's talk about all this now. Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen and Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez, thank you very much.

LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes.

LEMON: OK. Leslie, it is -- we were talking about the Dems last week, the Republicans this week. I'll start with you. Did John McCain make an effective case for himself last night?

SANCHEZ: I think he did a great job. If you look at the whole transformation of what happened in this convention, he engaged the Republican Party with the selection of Sarah Palin. He got people fundamentally focused on the distinct differences between Barack Obama and his candidacy. And he talked about country first versus me first.

It's a platform that tells his personal story. It talks about his commitment to leadership. And also, he talked about reaching across the aisle to get things done. And that's what I think what people are looking for, something that's going to break that Washington logjam.

LEMON: OK. I want you to hold that thought when you said engage the Republican Party with Sarah Palin. But I want Hilary to weigh in on this.

Do you feel that John McCain made an effective case for himself? And you -- I think you said he hit a single. You didn't think he hit it out of the park?

HILARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: No, I didn't think he hit it out of the park. You know, John McCain's a lovely guy. But, you know, I think when three quarters of your speech is about something that -- albeit, it was important -- happened 35 years ago. It was 35 years ago. And he's been in the Senate almost ever since. So there's just no record of the change he's promising.

And I was kind of a little puzzled at the end. There was this long rendition about "fight with me for this" and "fight with me for that." And it's not quite clear who he's fighting with.

LEMON: Yes, but...

ROSEN: And I think that's kind of an important point going forward.

When Barack Obama says we're going to lower middle-class taxes; we're going to create jobs; we're going to change the environmental policy; we're going to provide health care for everybody.

LEMON: But Hilary...

ROSEN: John McCain doesn't seem to have a vision for doing that.

LEMON: And, you know, I don't want -- I don't want to misquote you here or have you say the wrong thing. You're not downplaying John McCain's war record or his service by saying that (ph)?

ROSEN: No. Absolutely not. You know, I think everybody's honored his service. But -- but let's talk about the future.

LEMON: OK.

ROSEN: And let's not say that a 25-year Senate career, where nothing much got accomplished...

SANCHEZ: Wow.

ROSEN: ... should be ignored...

LEMON: OK.

ROSEN: ... for, you know, a heroic effort 35 years ago.

LEMON: All right, Hilary, you've made your point. Let's move on now.

You talked about electrifying and engaging the Republican base. I heard this over and over and over. But mostly, I've heard it from Republican strategists or people who are speaking for the Republican Party. Is it really true that he's electrified the base? Or is this just rhetoric coming out of the party?

ROSEN: Oh, I think he's electrified the base. There's no question about that. But the base isn't what either of these candidates are going to be fighting for, for the next eight weeks. What they're going to be fighting for are the 6 to 7 percent undecided that effectively decide every election.

LEMON: OK. Go ahead, Leslie.

SANCHEZ: If I can. ROSEN: And it says to those people is the issue.

LEMON: OK, Leslie, go ahead.

SANCHEZ: Let's talk about -- let's look at the reality. This, in every indicator, political indicator, the right track, wrong track of the country should be a Democratic year. But yet, we come out of this convention, and we are 50/50 tied. That bounce that Barack Obama had is gone.

ROSEN: That's not true.

SANCHEZ: And part of it has to do with the engagement. Absolutely -- part of that has to do with the engagement of getting the Republican Party excited again.

LEMON: But I've got to tell you -- there wasn't that much of a bounce. The polls didn't move either way for the Republican -- and of course, we're still waiting on the numbers from the Republican convention. But it didn't move that much after the Democratic.

SANCHEZ: But look at the fact that you have an incredible charismatic candidate in Barack Obama, somebody who raised tremendous amounts of money on the Internet, who's engaged and built a database, using mobile technology and the Internet, that we've never seen in the history of this country. And still it's incredibly close.

LEMON: OK.

SANCHEZ: He can't close the deal with middle-class voters. There's something fundamental...

ROSEN: I don't think...

LEMON: I've got to ask you guys this. I've got to -- hang on, hang on. I've got to ask you guys this, because this is coming from our viewers. We've been Twittering here: Twitter.com/DonLemonCNN. Here's what one viewer, one Twitter wants to know.

Said -- his name is Steve Boyd. And he said, "When is -- when is John McCain going to let Palin come out from behind just giving speeches and face the media? She hasn't given any personal interviews, and she's just giving talking points."

Go ahead, Leslie.

SANCHEZ: I think that's great. I think that comes right out of the Democratic talking points. Look at what the Democrats tried to do: discredit her, embarrass her, put her out there. Absolutely.

I think right now she's going to start out doing very controlled events. They're going to get her warmed up. Think about it. These candidates have had 18 months on the road.

And for all four of the candidates, I think that there's an important point there. Any small gaffe can be blown up, especially in these final days.

LEMON: So they're -- you're saying they're treating her with kid gloves? Is that what you're saying?

SANCHEZ: No, I'm saying that it's going to be an effort for her to engage voters on a one-to-one basis or smaller kind of intimate conversations, controlled conversations.

LEMON: OK.

SANCHEZ: Until she gets warmed up and she'll get out there.

LEMON: OK.

SANCHEZ: She has a good message. Look for the debates.

LEMON: All right. Hilary, I'm sorry, that's going to be the last word, because we're out of time. You're coming back to join us, right, in a little bit?

ROSEN: I will be.

LEMON: OK.

ROSEN: Yes.

LEMON: Hopefully, you'll get more time then. Hilary and Leslie, thank you, both.

And again, we on Twitter today, and we're talking about the election. It's Twitter.com/DonLemonCNN. And your responses are amazing. A lot of people have been asking about the election, both about Barack Obama and John McCain. It's all there Twitter.com/DonLemonCNN.

WHITFIELD: Hilary, sounding a little Schwarzenegger there: "I'll be back."

LEMON: I'll be back.

WHITFIELD: I'll be talking to her, coming up with Amy Holmes a little bit later on.

So will the buzz surrounding running mate Sarah Palin make it harder for John McCain to be heard? CNN's Carol Costello has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dare we say it? Some conservatives are. Sarah Palin is -- their Barack Obama. Charismatic, compelling, a rock star conservatives can love.

GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.

COSTELLO: Talker Rush Limbaugh called her fabulous, a once-in-a- lifetime politician who can spin a line.

PALIN: That luxury jet was over the top.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK SHOW RADIO HOST: She sold the state jet.

PALIN: I put it on eBay.

LIMBAUGH: "I put it on eBay." This lady has turned it all around.

And John McBrilliant pulls this off with the gutsy choice of Sarah Palin.

COSTELLO: This from a guy who once said if John McCain got the nomination, it would destroy the Republican Party. We'll say it again: just check out the morning papers. Sarah Palin is a rock star.

LARRY ELDER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I sort of feel a little bad for John McCain. He's not a great speechifier [SIC]. And, given how high a decibel level the -- the convention rose when Sarah Palin spoke, it's going to be hard for John McCain to deal with that.

COSTELLO: And that makes some Republicans nervous. Will this woman, dubbed a maverick, with her youth, her charm, her family and conservative agenda, overshadow the original maverick?

MCCAIN: My friends, she beat the odds...

COSTELLO: You know, the guy who's running for president.

JEANNE CUMMINGS, POLITICO.COM: The risk with choosing someone who's fresh and new is that they will be the exciting element. They will be the person that's most intriguing to those watching the event. And so John McCain does have to follow her, and he does have to perform well and grab center stage back.

COSTELLO: Cummings says McCain's lack of star power was apparent when he took the stage after Palin's speech. He seemed overwhelmed in the presence of so many Palins.

She says the only answer: McCain and Palin should limit joint appearances, and he should step it up.

Conservatives say they're not worried, though.

ELDER: Will she overshadow him? If she does, is that a bad thing? Most people are going to vote for a president based upon the president, not on No. 2.

COSTELLO (on camera): It is interesting. Conservative talkers were quick to point out that Sarah Palin's teleprompter was rolling too fast, forcing her to ad lib. It was as if to say, "See, our rack star can ad lib, and theirs can't."

Carol Costello, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, you may think it's a flu, but it could be a deadly lung fungus. Arthritis patients, you need to pay close attention to this medical news.

WHITFIELD: And the dust settles in the Republic of Georgia, but the tension and the blame and the fear, well, all of that still very much there. We'll have an exclusive interview with Russia's foreign minister and his take on where things stand now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Stronger warnings now are ordered for several popular arthritis drugs. The FDA has found that these medications can raise the risk of deadly infections.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us with more on that.

So how serious is this?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is very serious, Fred, because these are very popular drugs and because they seem linked to 45 deaths.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

COHEN: That is a lot of people, and it's from a fungal infection, which you wouldn't necessarily think for rheumatoid arthritis drug, but that is what the FDA is -- the FDA is warning about.

First, let's go over what these four drugs are. These are the drugs: Enbrel, Remicade, Humira and Cimzia. These are highly- advertised drugs. A lot of people are taking them.

This is what you need to watch out for if you're taking those drugs: fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue. Now, those can be signs of this deadly, or potentially deadly, fungal infection. And Fred, when you look at those signs -- fever, fatigue -- those...

WHITFIELD: They sound ordinary.

COHEN: They're very ordinary. So what's happening is that -- the patients are experiencing this, going to the doctor, who say basically, you know, "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning." Uh-uh (ph).

If you're on these drugs, you need to say, "Wait a second. Might I have that fungal infection?"

WHITFIELD: I'm really concerned about that, because I know my mom has taken arthritic drugs for a while, and I've got to check with her on that list.

So what do the makers of these drugs say? Are they standing by their product?

COHEN: Well, this is what they had to say. We heard back from all four of the makers of these drugs. This was their reaction to this story.

Centocor says, "Patient safety remains our primary focus at Centocor. We will fully cooperate with the FDA to strengthen existing warnings in the label for REMICADE regarding this risk of fungal infections."

This next one: "Information on histoplasmosis is already available in the HUMIRA label. Because this infection is rare and can go unrecognized, Abbott will strengthen existing education efforts and prescribing information to reinforce awareness among physicians."

This next one: "We will cooperate with the FDA to add additional warnings to the label of our drug Cimzia. We will also work with the FDA to increase awareness among the physicians, pharmacists and nurses."

From the makers of Enbrel, last one, here's this: "Amgen will work with the agency to finalize and communicate revised products labeling for ENBREL to both physicians and patients. Amgen and Wyeth are committed to the safety of patients... Both companies work with regulatory agencies to update the label periodically, as appropriate based on emerging information."

WHITFIELD: So I would imagine anybody taking these medications would want to be concerned, but there might be a certain segment that's a little bit more vulnerable to the next -- who needs to really be concerned?

COHEN: You know, there are. It's a geographic issue, of all the weird things. And the reason for that is that histoplasmosis, this fungus, is more common in certain parts of the company [SIC] -- country: in the Ohio River Valley and the Mississippi River Valley. So those are two things to remember.

I should also say there may be a link between these drugs and cancer for people ages 18 and younger. There have been reports of people age getting lymphoma when they're on these drugs. The FDA is investigating those reports.

WHITFIELD: I'm surprised and astounded that anyone under 18 would have to be on these drugs.

COHEN: Well, rheumatoid arthritis does affect people in that age.

WHITFIELD: Really?

COHEN: Yes. So...

WHITFIELD: I usually associate it with older -- yes.

COHEN: With older people, right. And that -- most people do. WHITFIELD: All right.

COHEN: OK.

WHITFIELD: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much. And of course, we can go to your Web site location to find out, maybe, the list of those drugs one more time?

COHEN: CNN.com/health.

WHITFIELD: Perfect. All right.

COHEN: OK, thanks.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Elizabeth.

And of course, for more health news online, you can find other information on that Web site, exactly, at CNN.com/health.

LEMON: All right, Fred. Well, a short war with Georgia, and now rumors that Russia is pondering a move on another Soviet state. We'll have an exclusive interview with Moscow's foreign minister.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Russian troops are out of Georgia now, so the conflict is over, right? Not exactly. It's now a war of words more than anything else.

Moscow officials blame the United States for starting the trouble. Washington and the West say Russia overreacted. And little is resolved on either side.

Russia's foreign minister spoke exclusively with CNN's senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, in Mosoow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are very strong words coming out of Washington, out of the United States, aren't they?

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Not the strongest. I've heard -- I've heard stronger.

CHANCE: This -- this whole episode over Georgia seems to have severely damaged relationships between the United States and Russia. Yet, Russia doesn't seem to be too concerned about it.

LAVROV: Not our choice. It's not our choice. Nothing we did had anything to do with pipelines: not gas pipelines, nor oil pipelines.

As for the Georgia being small (ph) and democratic, well, small (ph) is beautiful, and Georgia is beautiful. I love Georgia. And I love Georgian people. But democratic, I would not use the term to characterize the government -- government of Georgia.

CHANCE: Is Ukraine next? Does Russia have territorial ambitions in Ukraine?

LAVROV: Well, that's (ph) only in the capital of Georgia that you have -- that you can find how (INAUDIBLE) it is. I heard -- I heard the statement that Ukraine is next. I heard also a statement of your American ambassador to NATO, who said that now the NATO members must protect the Baltic states.

Probably it's, you know, nostalgic feeling and the desire to find some frontline states for NATO to get some issue (ph) to protect somebody. This -- this is a game, a virtual (ph) project which is aimed at painting us in black (ph) colors. We have no intention to raise questions about anybody's territorial dignity (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Lavrov kept his distance from Vladimir Putin's allegation that U.S. personnel fought against Russian troops. It was an accusation Putin made on television, where he knew it would be heard around the world. Both sides are still using the media and P.R. spin to try to further their causes.

Here now, CNN's Jill Dougherty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the edges of the Republican National Convention, a high-level panel discussion on international issues.

In the audience, a delegation from the Republic of Georgia.

GEORGI BARAMIDZE, GEORGIAN VICE PRIME MINISTER: Whoever will be elected, we are absolutely confident that, from both parties, Georgia will have very strong support.

DOUGHERTY: Support and access. The delegation met with both parties' campaigns.

The short war in Georgia was fought with bullets and sound bites.

MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI, PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA: The Russians have violated every point.

They're going through, really, just killing people.

We have this small, tiny democracy under attack from a giant neighbor, Russia.

DOUGHERTY: In the early hours of the conflict, Georgia's English-speaking, U.S.-educated president, Mikheil Saakashvili, gave a stream of live interviews to international medial outlets, including CNN. SAAKASHVILI: We believe that we are not alone, that we will be free, but we'll be free because the free world also wants us to be free.

DOUGHERTY: Saakashvili pitched his message to a Western audience, using words like "democracy" and "freedom."

Moscow tried to counter that with daily Russian-language briefings by an army general. It took three weeks before Russia's top leaders agreed to interviews with western reporters.

Meanwhile, a flood of editorials, most of them critical of Russia, hit key U.S. newspapers. A new Web site appeared: SOSGeorgia.org, critical of Russia and frequently hacked, supported, it said, by the Georgian government and a number of other unnamed sources.

SOS Georgia placed a full-page ad in the "Wall Street Journal" linking Lenin and Stalin with Putin.

Russia told its story in a supplement to the "Washington Post."

(on camera) Both Georgia and Russia used high-powered western P.R. agencies and lobbyists in their outreach to the government, the media and the public.

But Georgia, ever since its independence, has had deep friendships here in Washington among Democrats and Republicans.

(voice-over) Randy Shineman, for example, foreign public adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain, was a paid lobbyist for Georgia.

Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's vice-presidential candidate, made a fact-finding trip to Tbilisi, Georgia, shortly after the Georgian conflict ended.

But Moscow, too, is trying to leverage its influence, according to the U.S. State Department's point person on Georgia and the region.

MATTHEW BRYZA, STATE DEPARTMENT: Russia has been pumping in millions and millions of dollars into PR firms. And of course, has all kinds of contacts and inroads throughout U.S. society: in the government, in business, in the banking sector.

Russia is becoming a wealthier country. And so there are a lot of vested interests throughout this town on both sides of the aisle that would like to see the tension with Russia go away.

DOUGHERTY: The fighting may have stopped. But both sides have their own arsenal of public relations spin ready to launch again.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: What is Sarah Palin's effect on the GOP base? Well, we ask some of them next in our segment, "Election Express Yourself."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A week into John McCain's selection of his vice- presidential nominee, and voters are trying to quantify the Palin factor. Does she help or hinder the GOP ticket?

CNN's Sandra Endo has today's "Election Express Yourself."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Here in St. Paul, Minnesota, Republicans nominated their party's ticket. And people are sounding off on whether John McCain's No. 2 pick, Governor Sarah Palin, will help him win in November.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a great move by McCain. I think he picked a good one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's been in so many tabloids. I don't think that people really want that for what we're trying to accomplish as a country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With John McCain's age and with a female vice president, it's going to be a really interesting election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: McCain, God rest his soul if he dies and she's vice president and becomes president, whoo. I hope the beauty queen can handle Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's a woman. She's from Alaska. She's got a lot -- I think she's got a lot to offer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Palin will help the ticket greatly because she can garner some of the women votes that Hillary would have gotten.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think she has enough experience in world politics in order to be a factor, you know. I think she has a lot of growing and learning to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)