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Obama and Brazilian President Da Silva Meet; Mexican Drug Wars; Bin Laden Video
Aired March 14, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama and his economic team working on a Saturday. The president is also jumping into the middle of an international custody battle.
Osama bin Laden, reportedly, at it again -- a new videotape accusing Israel of a holocaust.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
We begin with a story just in to CNN: The raging violence on the Mexican border spilling over into the U.S. and getting worse by the day. Today, CNN has learned that several bodies have been found already buried around the city of Juarez, a flashpoint for deadly drug-related violence.
Here's what happened: A tip led Mexican police to the desert outside the city. Juarez is just across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Joining us now by phone, the mayor of Juarez, Jose Reyes Ferriz.
Thank you very much for joining us. You're getting new information in, Mayor, we're not sure if it's five bodies, six bodies, seven, and at one point nine, have been reported. What are hearing?
VOICE OF MAYOR JOSE REYES FERRIZ, CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO: Well, the state prosecutor is handling the case. They're investigating. They have forensic experts there at the scene. At this point, we understand there may be as many as nine bodies buried in this place where before some bodies had been found earlier, in other months. So it may be as many as nine bodies.
LEMON: And do we know what happened? We heard that there was a tip. Obviously, you think it was a drug-related. It has something to do with the cartel.
What are we hearing? Who might be behind this? And has anyone taken responsibility for this, Mayor?
FERRIZ: Not at this point. Nobody's taking responsibility, although we know that two rival drug cartels were fighting over the territory into the United States through the city of El Paso and the city of Juarez. So, we suspect that this is related to that war between those two drug cartels.
LEMON: OK. Thank you, Mayor. If you get anymore information, Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz, we appreciate it. Get back to us on CNN.
This is -- as we said -- the violence here is growing by the day. We have been reporting on the awful drug-related violence right at the Mexican border and spilling over into the United States and we are learning that more bodies have been found. The mayor of Juarez is confirming that for us. We're not exactly sure how many, but there are reports of up to nine.
Make sure you stay with CNN for all of the news as it concerns this violence.
And behind the violence are powerful organized crime syndicates, all fighting one another, and the Mexican government, for control of the drug trade. The Mexican government has deployed 10,000 federal troops to the city to deal with the rampant drug violence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Drugs, guns, money. It is a volatile cocktail that has killed about 7,000 people during the past two years in a ruthless war waging just south of the U.S. border. At the heart of the bloodshed are three major drug cartels, battling for control of tons of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs funneling north into the U.S.
The Tijuana cartel in green controls the Baja Peninsula. The east coast in yellow is the Gulf cartel. And in between, the vast orange territory controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel. Areas in red are where they are battling each other for control.
CHIEF DAVID AGUILAR, U.S. BORDER PATROL: That results in some of the infighting, some of the border violence that we are seeing. They are fighting for territory that they no longer operate with impunity.
LEMON: Mexican President Felipe Calderon blames the U.S. for the violence in his country. He says America's appetite for illegal drugs is one-half the problem. The other half ...
PRES. FELIPE CALDERON, MEXICO: We need to stop the flow of guns and weapons towards Mexico. Let me express to you that we seized in these two years more than 25,000 weapons and guns and more than 90 percent of them came from United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: As you may be sitting at home and saying, why do -- why should I be concerned about this? What does this have to do with me if I'm in the middle of the country and I'm not in a border town? A whole heck of a lot.
You will be surprised -- because tonight at 11:00 Eastern, we're digging deeper into the situation along the U.S./Mexican border. Including this: American teens working as Mexican drug cartel hit man. It is happening in some Texas border towns. Tonight at 11:00 Eastern, we will head there and talk to two mayors about what they're doing to protect their cities and their kids. And again, what it has to do with you. You may be surprised at how much it has to do with you. We'll take you there, 11:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.
Let's go to Washington now and President Obama's White House meeting with the president of Brazil. They covered everything from trade policy to ethanol, but it was the slowdown affecting the global economy that dominated this discussion.
Our Elaine Quijano is at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Obama played economic cheerleader-in-chief, one day after China said it was worried about the trillion dollars it's invested in U.S. debt.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: Not just the Chinese government, but every investor can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States.
QUIJANO: The president tried striking an optimistic and confident tone, but even his visitor, the Brazilian president, joked about how daunting a challenge Obama faces in trying to steer the battered U.S. economy back on track.
PRES. LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZIL (through translator): I don't want to be in his position.
QUIJANO: As the two presidents met in the Oval Office, Obama's treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, conferred with finance ministers in the UK.
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: This is a very challenging period and this is still evolving.
QUIJANO: Laying the groundwork for next month's G-20 Summit, a high- stakes meeting of the world's top economies. Few specifics on global financial efforts just yet, but Geithner said he's pleased with what he heard.
GEITHNER: A very strong commitment by the leaders of the world's most important countries to move together, to do what is necessary to bring recovery back on track.
QUIJANO: With the pressure on to help find a way out of the global crisis, President Obama dismissed any talk of a rift among G20 countries on the best approach.
OBAMA: In my mind, at least, there is no conflict or contradiction between the positions of the G-20 countries and how we're going to be moving forward.
QUIJANO (on camera): President Obama says financial regulation will be front and center in those global economic talks next month. And he says, while he's expecting differences in details, he's also expecting a productive meeting.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And one more note on that White House meeting. President Barack Obama did something a little unusual. He raised a sensitive issue with the Brazilian president, an international custody battle involving an American father and his son who is now in Brazil. It is generating growing buzz here in the U.S. and we'll have more on that in about seven minutes for you. We will break it down.
So, what is the G20 and what's going to go on? It is laying the groundwork for next month's summit of the 20 richest and emerging economies. The G20 was formed 10 years ago to promote financial stability in the wake of the Asian and Russian financial crises. It includes the eight richest countries: Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and, of course, the United States. The G20 accounts for 80 percent of the world's trade and represents two- thirds of its population.
Beginning Monday, get five days on Monday -- starting Monday, of unprecedented worldwide reporting on the money meltdown that's changing your life from CNN, the only news network that would take on a big story like this one.
Just who can lead us out of this crisis? What do all the numbers really mean? And where are the jobs?
Where are the jobs? That's probably the question most people want answered. "Road to Rescue: The CNN Survival Guide" -- all next week, only here on CNN.
And you can add another issue to President Barack Obama's ambitious agenda, the safety of your food supply. He's used today's weekly address to name former New York City health commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, his choice to head the Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Obama called the current food safety system a hazard to public health. He said he wants to see urgent reforms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Our system of inspection and enforcement is spread out so widely among so many people that it's difficult for different parts of our government to share information, work together, and solve problems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: President Barack Obama says many of the nation's food safety laws were written early last century. He's creating a special advisory group to update those laws.
Osama bin Laden is supposedly back on the Internet with a new message. The al Qaeda leader's condemnation towards Israel is posted on an Islamic Web site. Bin laden calls Israel's military operations in Gaza a, quote, "holocaust."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSAMA BIN LADEN, AL QAEDA LEADER (through translator): The holocaust of Gaza in the midst of this long siege is an important and historic event, an articulate tragedy which affirms the need for detachment of the Muslims from the hypocrites. It is not right that our condition after what happened in Gaza be like our condition prior to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: CNN international correspondent, Michael Ware, joins us now.
Michael, the al Qaeda leader's condemnation towards Israel is posted on an Islamic Web site.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, it has been, Don. And this is the second time that we've heard from Osama bin Laden this year, the last time being in January, of course.
Look, let's face it. In the world of militant Islam, an attack on Israel clearly is a no-brainer. So, this really isn't a new development in terms of al Qaeda philosophy or its targets for attack. I mean, this is a very common current in the Middle East.
However, what we do see is the fact that firstly, Osama's made the statement. Just that alone in itself reminds us that he's still out there. Also, the al Qaeda media production unit, As-Sahab been has also proven its ongoing sophistication by releasing this statement with transcripts in English and Arabic and English subtitles. So, it's not like we at the west have to subtitle because al Qaeda has done it for us. So, obviously, there's a message yet again to the west.
And finally, we see Osama touching upon one of the key tenants of his classic old school brand of al Qaeda fighting philosophy, and that's the near enemy. Attacking these Arab governments that seem to either collude with the west or by their acquiescence allow the west and particularly Israel to operate as they do. So, he's called for attacks on, you know, the system within Egypt and he's also specifically called for further attacks in Iraq that could hope to spread to Jordan.
LEMON: All right. CNN international correspondent, Michael Ware -- Michael, thank you.
WARE: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: And for the 20th time this year, arsonists have struck in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. An early morning blaze badly damaged two homes in the Philadelphia suburb and authorities say it was deliberately set. In addition to the fires inside Coatesville, an arson task force is also looking into several blazes outside the city.
Right now, a suspect awaits trial in connection with fires over a one- month span, starting in early January. They include a massive fire that engulfed 15 row homes. The latest blaze has residents even more on edge than they were.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAX MILLER, LANDLORD: There's got to be something done for the city of Coatesville. I mean, this is very tragic and shouldn't be happening a city like this. I mean, we need to bond together and make this go away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: What is going on behind the scenes? Are there any new details or leads in this? At 11:00 p.m. Eastern tonight, we will talk with a reporter who has been investigating this story and has been following it from the very beginning -- 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
A child custody battle becomes part of President Obama's agenda today -- an emotional case that has captured headlines around the world.
Also, tell us what's on your mine and become part of our show and our community here. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. We will get them on the air for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: President Obama did something today we don't see presidents do very often. He brought up a custody dispute during his meeting with the president of Brazil. Just after the two presidents met inside the White House, more than 100 people rallied outside in support of a New Jersey father who's trying to bring his son back from Brazil.
Our Jill Dougherty has more on this very emotional case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For more than four years, David Goldman has been fighting to get his son, Sean, back from Brazil. Now, this family tragedy has exploded into an international custody battle, just as President Barack Obama meets at the White House Saturday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
DAVID GOLDMAN, INVOLVED IN CUSTODY BATTLE: On a family vacation.
DOUGHERTY: David Goldman's Brazilian wife took, Sean, then 4 years old, to Rio for a vacation, but never returned. She filed for divorced, remarried, but died in childbirth, leaving Sean with his Brazilian stepfather.
GOLDMAN: I believed that -- that he would be coming home and we would finally be able to reunite.
DOUGHERTY: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken a personal interest in the case, pursuing it with her Brazilian counterpart. Thursday night, she phoned David Goldman.
THOMAS SHANNON, ASST. SECRETARY OF STATE: And underscored how important this case is to the United States and how hopeful we are of a positive resolution as quickly as possible.
DOUGHERTY: A Brazilian judge granted custody to the stepfather. Goldman is appealing. But both the U.S. and Brazilian governments agree Sean Goldman should be returned to his biological father.
But a senior Brazil diplomat tells CNN, "We have an independent judiciary in Brazil and we cannot interfere." Goldman is in Rio this week, able to visit with Sean. His last visit, he says, broke his heart.
GOLDMAN: He asked me where have I been for this amount of time, how come I never came to visit him.
DOUGHERTY (on camera): The State Department says 3,000 American children have been abducted by a parent to another country. Most never become public. This case -- fueled by media attention and lobbying by a U.S. senator -- shows how America's relations with other countries can be overshadowed by the fate of an 8-year-old boy.
Jill Dougherty, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: A lot of you are weighing in on this story and also what's happening in Mexico along the border. Here is what some folks are saying. You can see the one at the top of your screen there. Girlsugar says, here's what we should do, "Legalize drugs and tax them." Legalize drugs and tax them.
Here's what Ephilz is saying: "Nothing. There has been violence across the border, it's just getting media attention now. I lived in El Paso for three years."
Buzzardskorner says, nothing will be done due to the simple fact of not having the will and not desiring to give up the money -- which is so sad."
And more and more of you are writing in about this. And I'm trying to read these off the screen here. These are coming in real time and I'm reading them for you.
So, we appreciate your feedback and we'll get it on as well if you want to talk about this or also about the Brazil custody battle, and any story in our broadcast. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, iReport.com, tell us what you're thinking, your responses can get on the air like the ones I just read.
So, Lindsay Lohan, last hour, you guys talked a lot about this. A lot of you said, you know what, Don? I don't care about Lindsay Lohan. The economy, with everything that's going on, who gives a -- a you- know-what. I almost said it.
Well, the cops want to know where she is. They're interested in her. And she's a wanted starlet. Do you care?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Are you one of those people who never listen to the flight attendant, you just kind of go to sleep and zone out? Well, here's one you probably won't forget.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (rap singing): Fasten your seat belt, then put your trays up, press the button to make the seat back raise up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Yes, it's one of those things where you don't forget where you were, you know, one year ago.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, where were you when?
LEMON: Remember what we were doing, where were you when? And that was crazy. We're talking about tornadoes here in the Atlanta area. Surprising, I mean, to hit a city this size.
And there we go. That's some of the first pictures, Jacqui, remember we got it in.
JERAS: Yes.
LEMON: And you were on the air and you're preparing to do something. I was on the air, the first live shot that we got from out of here and it was just crazy -- just madness. There it is right there. We're going through all that stuff.
This stuff right here -- this is stuff that, Jacqui, that had just blown out of people's windows in the Omni Hotel and street signs that had fallen down. Look at people walking in the middle of all that debris.
JERAS: Yes, chairs and blankets. And there were so much glass, Don, everywhere. So many windows got blown out of CNN Center, a lot of hotels in the downtown district. Two people were killed.
And this was, you know, any of two tornadoes. Winds were about 100 miles per hour, they're estimating, when it went over the Georgia Dome. Of course, a lot of people who don't live in Atlanta were watching Georgia Dome that night ...
LEMON: Yes.
JERAS: ... because of the SEC tournament was taking place.
LEMON: But you brought up a very good point, and we covered this at 5:00 o'clock, that it's rare. I mean, it does happen. It doesn't hit big cities often but ...
JERAS: Right.
LEMON: ... it takes big cities a longer time to recover and we're still seeing some of the signs of the tornado right here.
JERAS: Yes, the Westin building downtown, it looks like a checkerboard. You can see black windows and you see the blue windows. And apparently, they were all special orders, they had a really hard time getting that all worked out.
LEMON: Wow.
JERAS: But -- yes -- imagine had that been a much stronger tornado, what would have happened in that kind of situation. Last year, by the way, was a banner year, so to speak, in terms of the number of tornados that we had.
This year so far, you know, it's kind of busy last weekend, but overall, we've been kind of quiet -- 86 reports, that's preliminary, so, that number could change. Ten in January, 44 in February, and 32 so far in March.
Now, look at the numbers from last year, including the Atlanta tornado: 360 reports January through March -- 84 in January, 147 in February, and 129 in March. That's like four times more than what we've been seeing so far this year.
Hopefully, we'll continue to keep those numbers low, but we're just getting started. You know, this is kind of the cusp of severe weather season. Look at the average number of tornadoes for March. We're definitely below that, 53. But look at the numbers as they go up. May, we see more tornadoes on average per month than any other month of the entire year.
Now, Atlanta, you know, this is a place we're watching for the weather this weekend, Don. It's ugly. He's giving me this look there, I know you don't like it, but we need it. So, try not to complain. I know your plans kind of got ruin.
The one thing that we do have to worry about is the potential of too much rain at one time. Two to three inches, we could be seeing some flooding. The smaller rivers and creeks are going to be filling up a little bit and that's really all that's going on across the country. It's pretty quiet overall.
LEMON: Can we just get it to rain right over the rivers and creeks and reservoirs?
JERAS: Just right over (INAUDIBLE).
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: The only place we want -- I know my daughter is trying to camp this weekend. Hello. Thank goodness for cabins and not tents. That's all I'm saying.
LEMON: And right over the flower beds and whatever.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: So, yes, good luck to your daughter, she's trying to camp?
JERAS: I know.
LEMON: I know. Really?
JERAS: Last weekend would have been a whole lot better. It was like 80 in Atlanta last weekend.
LEMON: All right. Good luck. What's -- tell me her name again?
JERAS: Aurora.
LEMON: Aurora, good luck to you. Good luck. Stay dry.
JERAS: She's not watching.
LEMON: She's not -- I know, I don't know if she has a TV out there.
JERAS: No TV in camp.
LEMON: She's maybe listening satellite radio. I'm sure you have it. You sent her away with no weather radio, of course.
JERAS: Of course. They have one at Girl Scout camp. All Girl Scout camps have it.
LEMON: All right. Good.
This one is not a Girl Scout right now, Jacqui, because everyone is asking, where in the heck is Lindsay Lohan. It is a $50,000 question this hour.
The Beverly Hills Police Department has issued a warrant for her arrest. The amount of bond, $50,000, Jacqui, and police won't say why they want Lohan, but there's speculation that it may be related to a probation violation back in 2007 for a conviction of drunken driving. Everyone wants her to get it together, please.
And then Miami police also working on this one. They have drug and alcohol tested -- tested Cleveland Brown wide receiver Donte Stallworth after his involvement in an accident that killed a pedestrian. A police spokesperson says Stallworth's Bentley hit a 49- year-old man who was crossing a busy roadway this morning. The victim was pronounced dead at a trauma center. It is not clear if he was jaywalking or any of the circumstances behind this.
And as of now, no charges against Stallworth, no word on the results of the drug and alcohol tests -- details to come.
OK. You guys are weighing in, and I know it's probably a lot about Lindsay Lohan. You guys really don't like us covering that story.
Here's what EileenLeft says, "Here's real problems to focus on and fix. Who cares about Lohan or any of the bubble gum brain act alikes?" Wow, why don't you tell us how you really feel? "A waste of energy." And Laughing Raccoon says, "Dial 1-800-who-cares. She is so unworthy of coverage in these trying times."
So, there you go. That's what you have to say and we want to hear. Even if you don't like it, we will put it on because we appreciate your constructive criticism and your feedback. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, iReport.com -- tell us what you're thinking.
Meantime, some amazing numbers to share with you tonight. This is a story that makes you think. Despite the incredibly tough times, African-Americans are a heck of a lot more optimistic than other races. Where -- depending on what you are, what race are you -- white, black, Puerto Rican, whatever you are, where do you fall in that? We're going tell you.
But why are African-Americans more optimistic?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. I want to tell you what's happening right now. CNN is working on a story that we led this broadcast with. It involves a raging violence on the Mexican border spilling over into the U.S. and getting worse by the day.
Today CNN has learned that a number of bodies have been found already buried around the city of Juarez. It is a flashpoint for deadly drug- related violence. A tip, we are told, led police, Mexican police to the desert outside of the city where they discovered those graves. Juarez is just across the border from El Paso, Texas. We talked to the mayor of Juarez at the top of this broadcast. We're working on that story for you. Details on it tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.
The economy and a custody dispute topped the agenda today when President Obama met with the president of Brazil. The custody battle involves an American father whose former wife took their son to Brazil, then she died several years later. The boy now lives with his stepfather's family.
New comments, reportedly, from Osama Bin Laden. The Al Qaeda leader condemns Israeli's most recent military offensive in Gaza. He calls it a holocaust. The message popped up on an Islamic website.
And for the 20th time this year, arsonists have struck in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. An early morning blaze damaged two homes in the Philadelphia suburb.
What does the future hold for your children? Will they be better off than you are? Here's how some people answered that question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, it's going to be better, but it takes people to work together to do that, though. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to be someone to point the finger and say gloom and doom, but you know, I think we all got to just pitch in and do our part.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope in a couple years things will turn around and be on the up side and things get better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When they get to my age, I think it will be much better. Much better. We're just going through tough times right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That's just some of our responses, some of our unscientific polling that we did on camera there. But a new poll finds some very interesting results. An economic mobility project poll suggests that 65 percent of African-Americans think their children have bright futures. That's compared with 51 percent of Hispanics and just 34 percent of whites. So interesting finding. We wanted to find out what was behind this. I ask John Hope Bryant of Operation Hope why the African-American community has so much more optimism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HOPE BRYANT, OPERATION HOPE: It's really funny to me, actually. It's ironic. We've been doing so much with so little for so long, we feel like we can almost do anything with nothing. And when you redefine success as going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm, because you didn't have money, you had to find value in other things, like your family, your spirituality, your relationships with other people, with god.
It gives you enormous resilience, and then your expectation levels change. And then when something like this happens, I was talking to Andrew Young, one of my mentors, and he was saying that I was talking someone from work and was like, how you are you doing this, his outlook now, I was poor before this, economically, I may be poor after this, but I'm happy.
And I think that really summarizes the black experience. That's why I think that what people are saying is, it will probably get worse, but I'm used to worse, but what I'm sure of is, it will get better, rainbows after storms. And when it does, for my children will be educated, for the first time, they're going to be professional, they're an - you don't have to be an athlete. You can be a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, a fireman. You can own a home in a major city for the first time in that black family's generation. That's amazing. And that's wonderful. And so we will always rise together. This is not so much I think a recession as an economic hard reboot.
LEMON: So then, so I have to ask you then, why - usually the questions that were asked in this survey, why Americans were at the bottom, they were less optimistic about certain things. Hispanics were somewhere in between African-Americans and whites. What is that?
BRYANT: Because black folk shout more at church. I mean we come from a place that really spiritually, it's based in Africa. It's spiritual at its base.
LEMON: And that's optimism, that's faith.
BRYANT: Well, it's easier to get to optimism through your faith than it is through a bank account balance. If your bank account balance goes down and that's what you've been putting - if you're a left brain thinker, completely analytical and the analytics go into the toilet, you're not going to be a very happy camper for very long. But if you're a right brain thinker, if you're contextual, if you understand the value of this experience and this conversation and what that means and friendship and having chicken dinners on Friday nights and just normal experiences, going to church on Sunday morning, and how that enriches your life, I think it makes you more resilient when things go bad, but it also, I think gives you a greater appreciation for the totality of life.
This is one of the rare experiences where black America might be actually a teacher, if you will, for, I think, proper context of what's really important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A lot of you are writing in to us about that. By the way, John Hope Bryant, thank you very much. A very interesting conversation. We'll try to get more of it on the air. We spoke in- depth about this. This one is not on there, because it's just coming in. We're doing this in real-time. Pause zen says "I don't feel like my own future is bright." I'll refresh here and read some of the ones we have on the screen there. But some people are not feeling that theirs is so bright.
One woman, here's what Amydamey says, "I'm a white, 33-year-old single woman, and I'm completely optimistic. The only way is up. You are absolutely right." And FauzZen says "we should legalize marijuana and take the money out of their banks." Wlperrie says "I figure out the perfect punishment for Bernie Madoff, put him in a cell with Lindsay Lohan, she will drive him nuts." The director says, "on Lohan, tell the police to check the clubs."
All right, guys. Hey, I love these. We want to know what's on your mind. Make sure you go to twitter. It's twitter.com/donlemoncnn. Facebook, myspace, or ireport as well.
Someone else is showing and I'm trying, weighing on it. I'm trying to read it. Barack Obama has given all of us hope. I feel that my future is bright. Delia, the artist says you must be in charge of your own destiny. Reading them real-time for you. So thank you. We really appreciate your feedback here. We want everyone to become part of our community. We do get your responses on.
Meantime, the NASA program gets $1 billion from the federal stimulus package, but there's new concern tonight that some of the money could end up wasted in outer space.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: NASA will take another try tomorrow at launching "Discovery." Managers scrubbed Wednesday's scheduled launch after finding a hydrogen gas leak. They still don't know what caused it. But they made repairs and they say they're ready to try again tomorrow, 7:43 p.m. Eastern. That falls during our hours, right? 7:43 p.m. Eastern. We're on from 6:00 to 8:00 tomorrow. So we'll have it for you. Make sure you tune in.
"Discovery," is supposed to deliver equipment to the International Space Station. If they can't launch by Tuesday, "Discovery" will have to wait its turn behind a Russian mission, scheduled to begin March 26th, fingers crossed. Hope everything works out.
Some lawmakers are turning up the pressure on President Barack Obama. They're urging him to fire a government watchdog that former President Bush put into office, then refuse to fire. Why should you care? Because some say this watchdog could waste up to $1 billion of your money.
CNN's Special Investigations Unit correspondent Abbi Boudreau has this exclusive story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBI BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT, CORRESPONDENT (correspondent): The bipartisan criticism of Robert Moot Cobb has been blistering.
REP. BART GORDON (D), SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CHAIRMAN: Apparently Mr. Cobb thought that he was supposed to be the lap dog rather than the watchdog of NASA.
BOUDREAU: Congressman Bart Gordon says he's worried there's no one to keep watch over the way NASA will spend the extra $1 billion it will get from the stimulus package.
GORDON: His own peers said that he wasn't doing his job, that he didn't understand the audit process and that he was not carrying out the investigation process.
BOUDREAU: Gordon, who chairs the House committee on Science and Technology and fellow democrat Brad Miller sent a letter to President Obama calling for him to fire Cobb. The letter reads, NAS cannot afford another four years with an ineffective inspector general, citing a December GAO report about NASA, the letter states Cobb's office was one of the least productive and NASA's audit operation is not working.
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: Inspector general are the first line of defense against the waste of taxpayers' money. And if he's not doing his job and you stick another $1 billion into it, then you just know that there's another $1 billion that there could be a lot of waste of it.
BOUDREAU: A 2006 investigation by a presidential integrity committee found Cobb engaged in abuse of authority and had a close relationship with the former NASA administrator that compromised his independence. Playing golf and traveling together on NASA aircraft for official business. Cobb declined a CNN interview, but he appeared before a joint house senate committee in 2007 to defend himself.
ROBERT COBB, NASA INSPECTOR GENERAL: At NASA I have taken the responsibilities of office under the Inspector General Act seriously and without compromise to root out and prevent fraud waste and abuse.
BOUDREAU: Several former employees told the committee a different story. How Cobb routinely called his staff names we cannot use on TV.
DEBRA HERZOG, FORMER DEPUTY ASST. INSPECTOR GENERAL: In an ensuing monologue, loudly peppered with profanities, Mr. Cobb insulted and ridiculed me.
BOUDREAU: That joint committee asked President Bush to remove Cobb. That never happened.
GORDON: President Obama needs to replace Mr. Cobb as quickly as possible with someone that can do the job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Abbi Boudreau contacted the Obama administration. Officials there had no immediate comment on the calls for Cobb to be fired. CNN also asked Cobb's spokesperson whether Cobb was prepared to oversee this extra $1 billion from the stimulus package, but he would not comment on it either.
When times are tough, it simply becomes cheaper to keep it - or cheaper to keep her, remember that song? We're talking about the potential junker out there in your driveway. Maybe I shouldn't have made that analogy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Auto dealerships may not be seeing as much business these days, but it's a different story for repair shops. Really, any repair shop. You can repair anything, business is up there. More people are deciding that it's cheaper to keep her. That old Johnny Taylor song. Cheaper to keep their cars in this instance that they already have instead of buying new ones. Here's Kate Bolduan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In today's struggling economy, this and this is music to mechanic Nui's ears.
NUI SHISOOK, AUTO SHOP OWNER: Everything all right?
BOLDUAN: While so many small businesses continue to close their doors, Nui Auto Services in Hyattsville, Maryland, is thriving. Is there any way you could even guess or estimate what kind of increase you've seen?
SHISOOK: About 20 percent. At least 20 percent. BOLDUAN: Instead of kicking the tires on new cars, more and more people are nursing their old ones back to health.
SHISOOK: The people who don't have money is still coming in, they just fix whatever it needs, whatever is necessary.
BOLDUAN: To keep it on the road?
SHISOOK: To keep it on the road. That's correct.
BOLDUAN: It's all in the numbers. U.S. auto sales plunged more than 40 percent last month compared to a year ago and the automotive service association is reporting 60 percent of its members are seeing an increase in business.
RON PYLE, PRESIDENT, AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE ASSOCIATION: Another thing that we noticed was that the average repair order, the size of each repair order grew.
BOLDUAN: And more repairs mean more parts and big business for auto parts stores like Darrel Wright's family-owned shop in Washington.
DARREL WRIGHT: It's an increase in the volume. Volume, we're doing way more business, the phones are ringing, you know, got customers walking in.
BOLDUAN: Customers looking for a bargain and hoping for longevity.
CHARLES BRYANT, CAR OWNER: Hopefully, by the time this wears out, the economy will be better.
ESTHER WHITE, CAR OWNER: It is a lot cheaper to pay for upkeep and maintenance than purchasing a new car.
BOLDUAN: Some advice -
SHISOOK: Every 3,000 miles, 4,000 miles, that's the best maintain a car.
BOLDUAN: Mechanics like Nui Shisook helping to fuel the economy one tune-up at a time. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Kate, thank you very much. A lot of you are weighing in on the topics we are discussing tonight. Here's what birdie says, simple question, how many die in the U.S. every year from legal drugs? How many die from marijuana? Sesmi(ph) says as long as the U.S. wants more drugs, dealers will work harder and more violently to supply. Edunny(ph) says, are reports from Mexico feeding on themselves. Mexico relies on tourist dollars. The area is not hurt by violence or hurt by bad news. Mjdouthit(ph) says, more whites are conservatives and those are the big pessimists. I don't know about that.
Delia the artist says, I feel that my future is bright. You must be in charge of your own destiny. And there are lots of new ones that are coming in that we're going to read to you later on in the broadcast. Twister, Facebook, myspace, i-report, I always enjoy reading your responses on the air because they're honest. Realtime. Thank you so much.
Here's the charter member of the best political team on television and he hosts the CNN "State of the Union." I'm talking about John King. What do you have on tap for tomorrow morning, John?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Don. You know, he was perhaps the most powerful and, in the eyes of many, the most controversial vice president in history. On Sunday morning as we prepare to mark the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war, Dick Cheney is our exclusive guest on "State of the Union." He is a man known for his blunt talk and provocative opinions. We'll ask Mr. Cheney about the many ways the new administration is breaking from and repudiating the policy he helped put in place. Don.
LEMON: All right, John King. Thank you very much.
Extreme makeover Oklahoma style. A church community in Washington, Oklahoma, put their own needs aside. They held a fund-raiser to help a deserving family to get a place to call home. The story now from Doug Warner of our affiliate KWTV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOUG WARNER, KWTV: If Ty Pennington only knew what he was missing. Dozens of Washington-Oklahoma faithful volunteers and first responders woke early.
CHARLOTTE SINGLETARY, VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: I knew that it was going to happen. I never had a doubt. I really didn't. My faith is that strong.
WARNER: To watch faith in action. Family and friends credit faith for helping 16-year-old Leah Hayes make it through a lifetime of unwelcome seizures and most recently brain surgery.
CASSIE HAYES, FAMILY MEMBER: It's just a miracle. I think it's all just an answer to god's prayers, you know. I think he's just watching over him and taking care of him.
WARNER: In the miracle part of this, how this small community of 500 people in Washington decided to take the Hayes family home and update it just a bit while Leah recovered from surgery, their home was leveled and we hit the air waves asking for help.
SINGLETARY: And then the very first piece that you guys did when we tore the house down and you had that plea that I needed concrete. And by noon that day, I had three concrete companies call me at the church.
WARNER: And so it went for nearly six months. They asked, and they received. Until Monday morning. Hi, it is Leah. How are you? That's when the town gave back to the Hayes family. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move that truck!
BETTY HAYES, LEAH'S MOTHER: I can't believe it. It's so pretty. This isn't our house.
WARNER: This is not what was sitting here six months ago.
HAYES: no, it isn't. No, it isn't. This is beautiful.
WARNER: For the first time, Betty and Leah laid their teary eyes on their new healthy home built by neighbors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got my hug.
WARNER: By the high school music teacher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every minute was worth it.
WARNER: And by dozens of others who for at least one day made Leah forget all about her world of seizures and surgeries.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you think? You like it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it.
HAYES: I thought my gift was to keep getting her back every time something happens to her. And then you give me this gift.
WARNER: A gift wrapped in a miracle and delivered by one of the smallest towns in Oklahoma.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was Doug Warner of our affiliate KWTV. Thank you so much for that story. Best of luck to them.
Are you one of those people who never listened to the flight attendant? You'll probably listen to this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fasten your seat belt then put your face up, press the button and make the seat back raise up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. You know the routine. Just before your flight takes off, you hear the usual drill about safety and about paying attention. And we really should all pay attention. But you probably never heard it done in this way before. Walt Maciborski. I said that right of our Dallas affiliate KDAF introduces us to the rapping flight attendant who is keeping his passengers informed and also entertained.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome aboard Southwest Airlines flight 372, service to Oklahoma City.
WALT MACIBORSKI, KDAF REPORTER: When David Holmes used to give the preflight instructions, the passengers would tune out and glaze over. Not anymore.
DAVID HOLMES, FLIGHT ATTENDANT: We're going to shake things up a little bit. I take them by surprise. I usually don't tell them I'm going to do it.
If you have seat on the row with the x, we're going to talk to you. So you might as well expect that you got to help us out in case we need you. If you want to, then we're going to re-seat you.
I don't know how they're going to react. I was in a good mood and I like that fun at work but then people start getting off the plane, telling me, that's the first time I've ever listened to the emergency instructions.
Before we leave, our advice is, put away your electronic devices, fasten your seatbelt then put your trays off, press the button and make the seat back ways up.
MACIBORSKI: David was discovered by a passenger who recorded his rap on his cell phone and says that she's going to put it on youtube.
HOLMES: And then I said, I dare you and two days later she did it. And two days after that, it was already 2,000 hits at that time.
MACIBORSKI: Now David is a youtube sensation and he's been doing the rap every since with rave reviews.
HOLMES: Sit back, relax, have a good time.
ERIC WOODROOF, PASSENTER: I've never experienced a rapping flight attendant. It's pretty awesome.
And I don't like rap. And I really like that. That was pretty good.
HOLMES: Thank you for the fact that I wasn't ignored. This is Southwest Airlines. Welcome aboard.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK. You know, I hate to be a debbie downer, whatever. That would drive me crazy. But you know good for him. I hope he gets more people to listen. I kind of want to relax when I get on. But hey, nice try. Keep it up. Very nice.
I want to read some of your comments here. I know I'm going to hear about it from you guys. Why not? You don't like rap, whatever. Here's what birdie says on twitter. Hey, Don, appreciate the mention. Good, we need unfiltered comment, let's keep it that way. Geejunny says make Mexico a state. Otherwise we have no power to stop what's going on. Bejewel says I still have my '92 Lexus SE-300 with nearly 200,000 miles not even considering a new ride. Japanese prods are great. OK. Media divo says is race even a factor in optimism? It seems the economy is blind. And it's dismal hold impacts all Americans and out outlets.
Say it again, Eddie? You're talking when I was reading. One minute to Campbell Brown. There you go. Now, that's a tease. Let's see, Rolf Norman says the next season of the real world is in Cancun. I guess I will not be auditioning after all. Drug war is affecting pop culture. Shilly Ray says I take offense to the last guest who said Africa is more spiritual than America. Though some deny it, America is faith-based.
We had some really, really good ones. Let's see if I didn't get to some I wanted to. The Lindsay Lohans were really funny. And we appreciate all your comments at Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, ireport.com. We'll get them on the air. If you want to reach out to me, I'm on there all the time. People say, is this really you? Yes, it's really me. Last night I was tweeting about food and my favorite which is a lobster roll from Mary's Fish Camp in New York. Yes, that was me.
Don Lemon live from the CNN Headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you right back here at 11:00 p.m. Eastern. "CAMPBELL BROWN: NO BIAS, NO BULL" right now.
