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President Obama's New Approval Numbers; Investigating Air France Flight 447; Latest on Iran
Aired June 19, 2009 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Look what they are finding from Air France Flight 447 and the chilling story it is telling us.
The ultimate word from the ultimate authority is in. Who really is this man? And will protesters obey?
With as little as we know about Ayatollah Khamenei, we will go down for you.
What do the president's newest approval numbers reveal?
Why was this man shot 12 times in the back? A report you will see only on this newscast.
And two follow-ups -- is this man the boy who vanished in 1955? DNA is in.
And is this accused lech and bigot impeached?
Oh, and this guy's act is one of the most viewed videos on CNN.com?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have got an important question for you, buddy. Are you on Twitter?
SANCHEZ: Make fun of me. Go ahead, as our national conversation for Friday...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Hello again, everybody.
Listen, we are going to start with Iran. But I think we are going to make a change here as we start the show. And the reason is, the story that we have been following for you for the better part of a week now about this federal judge in Texas named Samuel Kent, I don't know if you have heard, but he has already been convicted.
It would be easy to describe the way this man has behaved with the women on his staff and what he has said about African-Americans in a very elevated tone, because it would seem as a newscaster that maybe that's the type of language that I should use. But let me just be real frank with you. It is probably more proper to call it like it is in this case. This man has behaved like a pig. The things that he has done, the ways that he has acted, all but almost sexually abusing women in his own office, coming back to the office incredibly drunk, referring to his African-American as defendants using the N-word.
He has already been prosecuted. But he is still a federal judge. Now, think about that, as we bring you this breaking story that's developing right here in front of us. He is still a federal judge, and he is in a federal prison. There is a real irony there.
So, where is this story right now? It hasn't been since President William Jefferson Clinton that a person is impeached by the full Congress of the United States. As I bring you this story, we are possibly seconds away from the full Congress of the United States releasing its vote on whether this judge should be impeached, which means he would no longer be a judge, which means he would no longer be able -- be able to make the hundreds of thousands of dollars that he is still making as a federal judge.
Just to -- just, as we take you through the story, I want you to listen to some of the testimony about what some of the women had to say about him. These are women who have worked for this man, Samuel Kent.
Hit that, Rog.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CATHY MCBROOM, FORMER FEDERAL CASE MANAGER: He grabbed me. And when I say he grabbed me, he grabbed me with one hand sort of around my waist, and he started trying to kiss me. And he actually did force his tongue into my mouth. And at the same time that this was going on, he immediately started trying to remove my clothing by -- he pulled up my blouse. He got his hand underneath my bra and pulled everything up at once, so that my breasts were exposed.
DONNA WILKERSON, SECRETARY OF SAMUEL KENT: ... touching me inappropriately, groping me outside my clothes, then inside my clothes, both top and bottom, then attempting to and gaining penetration of my genitals with his hands.
He mocked, made racist comments. It pains me to say that he routinely used the N-word and abused criminal defendants who came before him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Unbelievable. These women withstood that type of treatment for a long time, afraid to say anything. Again, he's a -- he was a standing federal judge, not the kind of person that you take on.
Even lawyers -- it was even difficult, they said, these women, to find lawyers, because they were afraid lawyers that wouldn't want -- wouldn't want to stand up to this guy, because they might be representing another case in front of him in the future.
But they finally did. They took this man on. And they took him down, essentially, as far as the criminal proceedings go. But now this is different. This is an impeachment proceeding that is taking place right now. And what this means is, if the Congress does impeach him, and it is starting to look like they will, this will move on to the Senate, where his impeachment trial will begin.
But for all intent and purposes, he will be impeached by Congress and it looks like that is going to happen today. Let me just look at these numbers here with you. I'm looking at that screen. Make that screen as big as you possibly can for me there, Rog. Take me out of it, if you can.
All right. This is how it is coming in now. This is Article 2. All the articles are essentially the same. Look at this. Wow, look at that, not one single nay vote so far. Every -- and I didn't see how Article 1 -- thank you. Chris Hall (ph), my producer, just told me in my ear Article 1 passed without one single nay vote. And now Article 2 is looking like it's going to pass without one single nay vote either.
That's amazing. Boy, you would almost hate to be the congressman who actually votes nay in this case. It seems like that would almost be a story unto itself. Nonetheless, it looks like this -- this federal judge, Samuel Kent, is going down, that he will likely be impeached. When the full numbers are in, we are going to bring it to you.
Meanwhile, here's the news on Iran: The presidential election was fair. It was a fair election. It was honest. There was no vote- rigging that happened, no funny business. No laws were broken in Iran. Case closed. It's over. Everybody go home.
That's what this man says. Let's show you his picture, if we have it. No, that's not the man. His word -- there he is -- his word is supposed to be solid gold in Iran. When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks, there's nobody in Iran who can tell him he's wrong. They don't call him the supreme leader for nothing.
Ayatollah Khamenei spoke to the Iranian people earlier today. He made it crystal clear that he sees last week's vote as a clear victory for the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Now, I have got CNN's Ivan Watson. He's sitting right here next to me. He is going to be talking about this in just a moment.
First, Ivan, let's do this. Let's watch your report where I learned something and I think our audience is going to learn something about who this -- who this supreme leader is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for 20 years, he has been Iran's supreme religious leader, the most powerful man in the country. According to the constitution, Khamenei is the commander of the armed forces and the top judicial official in the country, with the power to dismiss Iran's elected president. Iran has only had one other supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. When he died in 1989, the Iranian leadership quickly changed the constitution to pave the way for Khamenei to become his successor, says Stanford University's Abbas Milani.
ABBAS MILANI, DIRECTOR OF IRANIAN STUDIES, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: In the initial constitution, you needed to be an ayatollah. And Mr. Khamenei is in no way an ayatollah. He is a low-level cleric.
WATSON: Khamenei started out his career as a political dissident, frequently imprisoned by the shah of Iran. In 1981, Khamenei narrowly survived an assassin's bomb hidden in a tape recorder. The attack left his right arm paralyzed to this day.
Today, it is a taboo to defy Iran's supreme leader. But that is exactly what the protesters have been doing. It is the biggest challenge yet to the supreme leader's 20-year hold on power.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Good stuff.
As a matter of fact, you know what? Ivan is here, and he is going to be taking us through this. And I think what Ivan is going to be able to do for us is take us through exactly what has happened today. You have been in contact, I understand, with some of the folks there.
I just saw a producer come out here and hand you a sheet of paper, which means they are getting information from the ground and...
WATSON: An e-mail from a trusted source in Tehran, yes.
SANCHEZ: Let's do this. Let's go ahead and get our break in, since we spent so much time on that other story having to do with the judge. Obviously, if there is information on the judge, we will bring you that as well.
But Ivan Watson's report on what's going on right now in, Tehran and we also have an expert on Ayatollah Khomeini as well. We're going to get his take on this.
Stay with us. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. There is a lot of stuff going on right now.
As a matter of fact, we are being told the president is going to be speaking any moment now. We have been planning to tell you about what's going on with the president's approval numbers. And they are significant, especially given what the president is going to be talking about today. We will put all that together for you in just a bit. And, obviously, we will take it live as soon as it happens.
But let me bring you this. It's what's going on right now in Iran. It is interesting that the ayatollah would come out and essentially say -- he is the supreme leader of Iran -- and say to his people that, look, enough is enough. Enough with the protests. This election was fair and square.
So, this comes down to a showdown. The supreme leader is saying it is over, essentially, stop protesting.
But will there still be protests? There are some that are scheduled for tomorrow?
Let's bring Ivan Watson into this question. This thing really is shaping up to be a bit of a showdown. This guy is the most important man in the country. He is revered for spiritual reasons, not for political reasons. Where is this heading?
WATSON: Well, he said he's not going to tolerate street protests, that they're illegal, and anybody who organizes them, they are going to be held accountable before the law. And the protesters, the opposition leaders, say they're going to hold a rally tomorrow.
SANCHEZ: But they're -- but the government, it seems, at least by, if nothing else, Tiananmen Square standards, has been pretty tolerant up to now. Are there indications, as a result of the ayatollah's speech, that everything will change, that, suddenly, they're going to go out there and brutally stop these people?
WATSON: I think his speech was pretty chilling today.
It was attended by the pro-government militia, who are known to be shock troops for the Islamic regime. We do know over the course of the week that there have -- they have been rounding up dozens of activists and political dissidents around the city at night, separate from the protests. So, if I was one of these demonstrators, if I was one of the opposition leaders, I would be worried right now.
SANCHEZ: What are you hearing from them? I understand that you have just been receiving some information. I saw somebody hand you a note.
WATSON: Right.
SANCHEZ: What are you...
(CROSSTALK)
WATSON: This is from one of our trusted sources in Tehran. And he is just describing that these militia, pro-government militia, called Basij, who are really known...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WATSON: ... to use force, clubs, chains, whatever, on political opposition. SANCHEZ: Kind of like thuggery? You could use that word...
(CROSSTALK)
WATSON: They are supported by the state, though.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WATSON: They have set up checkpoints. They are searching cars. They're looking for what he called troublemakers. And, despite that, you are still getting people on the rooftops yelling, "Allahu akbar," "God is great."
And that is seen as a sign of dissent against the regime.
SANCHEZ: If not even stronger than dissent, defiance, in defiance.
(CROSSTALK)
WATSON: Exactly, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Hamid Dabashi, is a professor at Columbia University. He's an expert on this topic.
Let's bring him, because he knows about Ayatollah Khamenei and can tell us.
Does this guy mean business, professor?
HAMID DABASHI, IRANIAN STUDIES PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Unfortunately, yes, Rick.
But as just Ivan told you, just before I came here, I also had phone calls, people knowing that I will be on the line soon, insisting to tell me that, within hours after his speech, people have followed. They (INAUDIBLE) going to the rooftops and screaming on the top of their head, "Allahu akbar," which means "God is great," but in this case has become a symbol of defiance.
It is a very scary and dangerous situation. They have cracked down on foreign correspondents. They have cracked down on Facebook, on Twitter. And then also they have arrested a number of known suspects of the reformists. So, the situation is quite dangerous.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Professor, what do Americans need to know about this fellow Khamenei? Because I don't think we have his equal in our government.
DABASHI: No, fortunately, you don't. You don't have that. That is maybe Reverend Jerry Falwell. If he had his way, he would have Ayatollah Khamenei.
SANCHEZ: Is he like the pope and the president all in one? DABASHI: No, he doesn't have the president. Before -- you don't need to assimilate him backward. He has political authority, supreme political authority, and supreme religious authority.
But, also, he has revolutionary credentials. He was very close to Ayatollah Khomeini. He was a target of assassination. He was the president of Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, between 1980 and 1988.
So, he is one of the...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: So, he has -- he has the power of our Supreme Court, sir, then. He could basically say, tomorrow, you know what? There are too many people who are dissatisfied. Let's do this election all over again. He could say that.
DABASHI: Not really.
It is very important not to turn him into an absolute tyrant, that whatever he says goes. First of all, notice that within hours after he says put an end to these demonstrations, people out are demonstrating.
But even without that, within the structure of the Islamic republic, there are multiplicities of sources of forces. And he is not juridically -- chief juridical establishment is very hierarchical and it is very, very strict.
And he -- in fact, Ayatollah Khomeini, just a year before his death, he ordered a redrafting of the constitution in a manner that he would be allowed top become the supreme leader. So, he is not in a position to issue religious edict.s
SANCHEZ: Well, I am little confused, then. Any one of you guys, Ivan or professor, can -- can perhaps answer this question for us. I think people at home want to know, what happens tomorrow? How big a blow would it be to him if 500,000 people take to the streets and protest, despite the fact they were told not to, in an act of defiance? What happens?
DABASHI: If I may say so, it would be a great blow and also extremely dangerous, Rick.
It is very important to understand the gravity of the situation. He means business. He has told in no uncertain terms to the oppositional leaders, to Mousavi, in particular, pack these demonstrators. Take them back home. There will be bloodshed, and the blood is on your hand.
SANCHEZ: Good lord. Professor, thanks for sharing your expertise with us, sir. We appreciate it.
Ivan, let me bring you back into the discussion. What are we hearing from Ahmadinejad? I heard that there was a quote he had released earlier in the week where he referred to the people protesting as dust. I don't imagine that was good word choice.
WATSON: No. And it made a lot of people very angry and it probably helped push people out on the streets to protest.
We saw him on Iranian state TV yesterday. And his language had completely changed. He claimed that the media had misunderstood his comments. And he called for unity. He said, we are all brothers, we are all friends, and everybody was a winner in last Friday's contentious elections.
SANCHEZ: What an amazing story. And we have been with it since it first started.
You are doing a great job on this, by the way. Good work. Appreciate it.
Well, let's do this. When we come back, we understand the president is going to start his comments now -- what Americans think now of the direction the country is headed as compared to what they thought last fall. This is an unbelievable trend that we are going to share with you.
Also, how can police shoot a man in the back 12 times and then be cleared of doing anything wrong? We are going to investigate this.
And, once again, let's show you that picture, the president about to come out and speak. His poll numbers are really pretty good. What's interesting is his standing on some of the issues that he is tackling, not so good. What does that mean? We will take you through it. Stay with us. We will take a break.
If the president comes out, we will jump into the break or bring him to you as it happens. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we are going to do something here that is pretty revolutionary. We're going to throw up a squad screen split. That's four screens, people. OK, we're going to put up my Twitter, my Facebook, and my MySpace account. All right, Perfect. Beautiful. All right, let's keep the show rolling. I like to get on...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Who is that guy? He is making fun of me. That's what he is doing. Whatever.
All right.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: When you stay in a job long enough, you start to own it.
Now, here is a question for you. How long has President Obama been at this new job of his? No cheating here. Well, let's take you through this. Remember that muffed oath of office. That was five months ago tomorrow, five months. It doesn't seem like he's been -- doesn't it seem to you like he has been there longer? It does to me.
Now, the numbers, five months in, and Americans still seem to like the man. Sixty-three percent say they approve of this president, according to the latest "New York Times" and CBS poll -- 63 percent, that's a pretty good knot.
But here is what I think is really amazing about this. Look at the trend. Look at this. Asked if they thought the country was heading in the right direction last October, 7 percent of you, 7 percent of Americans, on average, said that it was, 7 percent. And then it went into the teens, 20s and then eventually it got into the 30s. Now, five months later, it is up to 44 percent.
That's an incredible trend, incredible job. As a trend, it's impressive. But, now, there is another part of this, right? If you look at it just as a stagnant number and not as a trend, it is really not so good, because it also means -- I think you can put that back up, if you have got it, Rog. And you will see the other number underneath that last one -- 50 percent of Americans -- there it is -- see that? Fifty percent are still saying the direction of the country is not so good.
So, it's a yin and a yang, right?
Joining me now from Washington, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona. Also from Washington, Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus is joining us.
Ladies, good to have you as usual.
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thank you.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks, Rick.
SANCHEZ: All right.
They like him, him, the president, personally, but they are not really all that crazy about his policies. Is that why this president is about to give this speech that we are about to break in on or show you about fatherhood?
Maria?
CARDONA: No, absolutely not.
I think what you're looking at in this things polls are that you have to look at the trends. The number one is that he still has very high approval ratings. I think that it would be the envy of any politician. Are people worried about health care? Are people worried about the deficit and the economy? Absolutely. And you can put President Obama at the front of that line. And he has said so publicly. He said from the very beginning, Rick, that this was not going to be better overnight. He has only been in office for five months after he inherited eight years of disastrous neglect.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: But let's talk -- let's talk raw politics here. Come on. You know how the game is played.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: If he has got 63, he has got to keep that 63, Cheri. If that 63 starts to dwindle into the 40s and 30s, maybe, and some -- or lower 40s, where some of the other areas are on policy, he is in trouble.
Isn't that why he is giving this speech today about how dads need to be good guys and take care of their children?
JACOBUS: No, I am not going to go that far. I think it's a nice Friday afternoon pre-Father's Day presidential event that a lot of presidents, a lot of politicians would do.
But I would say this about his poll numbers. Clearly, people are increasingly not happy with his policies. That will eventually stick to his personal popularity, as people start making the connection. And the areas he's suffering on are areas that traditionally Republicans could have a real opportunity to move, if they got their act together.
So, the challenge for the Republicans, Rick -- this isn't just necessarily good news that Obama is not doing well on his policies that Republicans could move in on. We heard last week that more people -- more people consider themselves conservatives than...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Hold on. You are getting into a talking point. Let's not go there.
Let's do this instead.
(CROSSTALK)
JACOBUS: No, I was actually going -- I was actually leading to another point, that I think Republicans have to be careful.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Hold on. I have got a question for you that's going to let you take us there, all right?
(LAUGHTER) SANCHEZ: I love you like a sister.
Another poll number, and this talks one about what you are saying about the Republicans. He is getting grief from a lot of Republicans for maybe not being adamant or being strong enough on Iran. But take a look at the foreign policy numbers, 59 percent approval.
And let's take a look at another one. Let's go to the next one. Let's go to terrorism. I mean, terrorism, that's Bush and Cheney bread and butter. Yet, this president is doing pretty well there too, even with President Cheney -- or Vice President Cheney out there venting about this.
I mean, he has got 57 percent approval, only 24 percent disapproval. That would tell a lot of Americans that maybe some folks ain't listening to Dick Cheney. Don't know, Cheri. Just throwing that out there.
JACOBUS: Well, actually, you know what? The number -- when you get very specific about the issue, such as the closing of Guantanamo Bay and what is going to happen with those prisoners, and a number of different issues, such as torture, when you get more specific, Obama doesn't do very well.
So, Republicans have an opportunity to be stronger on issues that Republicans traditionally are strong on, such as fiscal issues and national security.
But the real problem is here, before Republicans get too excited about it, is, people are not identifying themselves as Republicans in this country. They are, however, in large numbers identifying themselves as conservatives, more than any other group.
The problem for Republicans is that those conservatives aren't necessarily saying that they are Republicans.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
JACOBUS: So, it is not that easy for Republicans out there right now.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: We have got those numbers as well.
Maria, is this a beat-down for Vice President Dick Cheney, given the fact that Obama's numbers on terrorism are as good as they are?
CARDONA: Absolutely.
I think what it says is what I think we have known -- at least Democrats have known all along, which is the American people really don't care what Dick Cheney says. He had his chance. He and the Bush administration had their chance. And they blew it. And you can see this in the Republican poll numbers. Twenty-five percent? That is like a historic low for the Republican Party. SANCHEZ: No, no, no, it's not -- it is not 25 percent. It is 28 percent.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: Twenty-eight percent is still not good, Rick.
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: And I think they have a lot to worry about.
SANCHEZ: Well, but it is not right either. So, let's go with the 28 percent. We got that, Republicans approving, disapproving -- 28 percent of Americans, including Republicans, I suppose, are saying that they approve of the Republican Party.
I mean, that's almost heading in the direction of the Whigs at this point. What do you do to salvage that, Cheri?
JACOBUS: Well, look, Nancy Pelosi's numbers, as we know, are lower than Dick Cheney's. I think that there is a lot of opportunity for Republicans, if they stick to the basics and be what Republicans are supposed to be, and listen to some of the conservatives on those issues that -- those national security issues, those fiscal issues, and smaller-government issues that attract a lot of independents and libertarians and middle-of-the-road Democrats.
If Republicans can do that, the numbers will get higher. They have got to stay away from these scandals, though. And these scandals are for -- are individuals. It's not a party scandal. And I have no answer for that. You have politicians...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: You are bringing up Ensign, and I didn't even mention it?
(CROSSTALK)
JACOBUS: I think it's a legitimate problem for Republicans. It's not something that the party is doing. It is these individuals in the party that are doing this. And it is a problem.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
JACOBUS: And it hurt us in the congressional elections. There is no just question about it. But in terms of policies, the American people, I think, tend to like Republicans on the big issues.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
JACOBUS: I would say one thing about President Obama. Remember, President Reagan always said, speak softly, but carry a big stick. President Obama now, with regard to, well, North Korea and Iran, he is speaking softly. He needs to show the American people and the world that he can carry the big stick...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Well, I will tell you what Americans are concerned -- I will tell you what Americans are concerned about.
They are concerned about health care and they are concerned about this president's stance on the auto industry, his numbers there, not good at all. Now, that -- you talk about opportunities for Republicans. That's where it may be.
Stay right there, guys. We are going to come back. The president should be speaking. We will listen to him and then we will take that on the other side.
By the way, there's the auto industry numbers. And there is the last speaker, I think, before the president is introduced.
Stay with us. We're going to be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We show you the Dow every day about this time.
Let's see what's going on with the president of the United States, about to give a speech. I was told moments ago that he should be getting introduced any moment now, nope, not yet. Cheri Jacobus still with us, so is Maria Cardona. Both of them talking about the president's pluses and minuses, interesting spirited conversation. I will tell you where the president really is not doing well. I think we can put -- he is doing 44 percent on health care, that's not good. But you know what he's even, there's health care, 44 percent approval, not a horrible number but not good comparatively speaking. You know where he is doing even worse? Americans do not like the way that this president has handled the bailout of the auto industry, 41 percent. How big of an opportunity is that for republicans? Both of you, but I suppose Cheri, start us off.
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: First of all, I don't like to really look at problems that affect the lives of the American people as necessarily just opportunities for republicans. I think we need to address the problems in a way that people are comfortable with and that solves the problems. I think republicans can do a lot to be a part of that process. What people are nervous about now with regard to health care, the auto industry and a number of other things, is too much government control, government takeover. We have lurched left very quickly in this country. Republicans haven't moved right, the center hasn't moved, but the democrats have moved left. And there is a perception there that too much government takeover without proving that the government can really do it is making a lot of people rightly nervous.
SANCHEZ: That's fair. Maria?
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST : I think that is not right. Are the American people concerned, absolutely. Again, President Obama will be at the front of that line. He would have preferred not to have taken over GM and be such a big part of this auto industry now. But he also wasn't willing to let this industry, which could be tracked back to the rise of the American middle class go under because it would mean thousands and thousands of American jobs. I think that the more the American people understand that, the more that they are going to give him the room to make sure that this goes right. On health care, again, a huge problem that has been rising in the last eight years and no one has done anything about it.
SANCHEZ: Maria, the question --
CARDONA: It's something that he's tackling head on.
SANCHEZ: Let's be a little more specific in our answers. The question that Cheri just posed is, it is not that he is doing something about it. She is not saying she doesn't want him to do something about it. She is saying, why is he making it such a left response or leftist solution? Why does the government have to go in and own and buy and give so much money?
CARDONA: It is not a government run solution. That is a huge republican talking point that they love to use because it rolls off the tongue. On health care, no one is talking about.
JACOBUS: It is true.
CARDONA: No one is talking about government-run health care. You are talking about options. There are 47 million people who are uninsured right now. Frankly, the way that we have been doing it so far is inaccessible and it's unsustainable. We have to do something different. That's exactly what this president is tackling.
SANCHEZ: Cheri, are they talking points, are they just republican talking points?
JACOBUS: No, they are not. I think that there needs to be a fair discussion about this in this country. When you look at the poll numbers that are out there and the pew numbers.
SANCHEZ: I am going to stop you real quick because I see in that very tiny screen that the president is coming out now to give his remarks. He is going to be talking on, well, on fatherhood. Let's listen.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Please be seated, be seated. Thank you so much. Let me first of all thank John and Joe and Juan Carlos and Aton and Mike for sharing their remarkable stories with us. Let me thank Mike Sarmanos for helping to guide us through this process. Where did Mike go? There he is over there. A couple of other people that I want to acknowledge, first of all our terrific Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, is here in the house. A dear friend of mine, former colleague in the senate, Senator Evan Bayh is here. [ Applause ]
Chicago's own Congressman Danny Davis, from the west side. Where is Danny? He was here a second ago. Give him a round of applause anyway. [ Applause ]
I want to thank kids from Life Pieces to Masterpieces and founder of the United Methodist Church. Thank you very much for your participation. I want to thank members of the Faith-based Advisory Council's Subcommittee on Fatherhood that has helped us to organize these events today. Good afternoon everybody. It is wonderful to see you. I see some familiar faces in the house. Brett, how you doing? It is great to have all of you here today as we gear up to celebrate father's day and to recognize the vital role that fathers play in our communities and obviously in our families. This town hall marks the beginning of a national conversation that we hope to start about fatherhood and personal responsibility, about how fathers across America are meeting the challenges in their families and communities and what government can do to support those who are having a difficult time.
Today, you have had a chance to hear from five of those fathers. Men who are doing an outstanding job of meeting their obligations in their own lives. We all know the difference that a responsible, committed father like those five gentlemen can make in the life of a child. Fathers are our first teachers and coaches. They are our mentors. They are our role models. They set an example of success and they push us to succeed, encourage us when we are struggling. They love us even when we disappoint them and they stand by us when nobody else will. When fathers are absent, when they abandon their responsibilities to their children, we know the damage that that does to our families.
Some of you know the statistics. Children who grow up without fathers are more likely to drop out of school and wind up in prison. They are more likely to have substance abuse problems. Run away from home and become teenage parents, themselves. I say this as someone who grew up without a father in my own life. I had a heroic mom and wonderful grandparents who helped raise me and my sister. It's because of them that I am able to stand here today. But despite all their extraordinary love and attention, that doesn't mean that I didn't feel my father's absence. That's something that leaves a hole in a child's heart that a government can't fill. Our government can build the best schools with the best teachers on earth but we still need fathers to ensure that kids are coming home and doing their homework and having a book instead of the TV remote every once in a while.
Government can put more cops on the streets but only fathers can make sure that those kids aren't on the streets in the first place. Government can create good jobs but we need fathers to train for these jobs and hold down these jobs and provide for their families. If we want our children to succeed in life, we need fathers to step up. We need fathers to understand that their work doesn't end with conception. What truly makes a man a father is the ability to raise a child and invest in that child. We need fathers to be involved in their kids' lives, not just when it is easy, not just during the afternoons in the park or at the zoo when it is all fun and games but when it is hard. When young people are struggling. There aren't any quick fixes or easy answers. That's when young people need compassion and patience as well as a little bit of tough love. Now, this is a challenge even in good times. It can be especially tough during times like these when parents have a lot on their minds. They are worrying about keeping their jobs or keeping their homes or their health care, paying their bills, trying to give their children the same opportunities that they had so it's understandable that parents get concerned. Some fathers who feel they can't support their families get distracted. Even those who are more fortunate may be physically present but emotionally absent. I know that some of the young men who are here today might have their own concerns one day about being a dad. Some of you might be worried that if you didn't have a father, then you don't know how to be one when your turn comes. Some of you might even use that as an excuse to say, well, if my dad wasn't around, why should I be?
Let's be clear. Just because your own father wasn't there for you, that's not an excuse for you to be absent also. It's all the more reason for you to be present. Now, there is no rule that says that you have to repeat your father's mistakes. Just the opposite. You have an obligation to break the cycle and to learn from those mistakes and to rise up where your own fathers fell short and to do better than they did with your own children. That's what I have tried to do in my life. When my daughters were born, I made a pledge to them and to myself that I would do everything I could to give them some things I didn't have. I decided that if I could be one thing in live, it would be to be a good father. I haven't always known exactly how to do that. I have made my share of mistakes. I have had to ask a lot of questions but I have also learned from men that I admire. One good example is Michelle's father, Frazier Robinson, who was a shining example of loving, responsible fatherhood. Here is a man who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when he was 30 years old but he still got up every day, went to a blue collar job. By the time I knew him, he was using two crutches to get around but he always was able to get to every dance recital, every ball game of Michelle's brother. He was there constantly and helped to shape extraordinary success for his children.
That's the standard that I strive for. Though I don't always meet it. As I said before, I have made mistakes as a parent and I am sure I will make plenty more. There have been days when the demands of work have taken me from my duties as a father and I have missed some moments in my daughters' lives that I will never get back. So I've been far from perfect. But, in the end, it is not about being perfect. It is not always about succeeding but it's about always trying. That's something everybody can do. It's about showing up and sticking with it and going back at it when you mess up and letting your kids know not just with words but with deeds that you love them and that you are always -- they are always your first priority.
We need dads but also men who aren't dads to make this kind of commitment not just in their own homes to their own families but to the many young people out there who aren't lucky enough to have responsible adults in their lives. We need committed, compassionate men to serve as mentors and tutors, big brothers and foster parents even if it's just for a couple hours a week of shooting hoops or helping with homework or just talking about what's going on in that young person's life. Even the smallest moments can end up having an enormous impact, a lasting impact on a child's life. So I am grateful to many of the organizations that are here, that are working on these issues. Some are faith-based, some are not. Some are government funded. Some are privately funded but all of you have those same commitments to making sure that we are lifting up the importance of fatherhood in our communities.
This is not the end, this is the beginning of what I hope is going to be a national dialogue. We are going to have regional town hall meetings as Mike may have mentioned to make sure that participants all across the country are starting to have that positive effect in their communities. I especially want to thank the young people who are here today. You are the ones who are going to have to carry this message forward. [ Applause ]
With that, I know we have already had some discussion and what I want to do is to see if we can expand the conversation. We should have some microphones in the audience so that everybody can be heard. Am I correct? Mike, are you going to be like Oprah?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not going to be like Oprah.
OBAMA: So what I want to do is just call on some folks. They can ask a question. They can share a story, organizations that are doing great work on fatherhood, please tell us a little bit about the work that you are doing and I want to especially hear from some of the young people who somehow ended up sitting in the back. I don't know how that happened. I will start with this young man right here. Introduce yourself. Stand up, please.
ROLAND WARREN: My name is Roland Warren, president of an organization called National Fatherhood Initiative. First, just thank you for what you are doing on this issue. A lot of folks have been sort of toiling on this issue for a number of years and to have you come forward and step up and make this a national priority is really important. One of the things I just want to say to you, your message in terms of the fact that even though you have had obviously tremendous success without your dad, the fact that you really needed him. That kids have a hole in their soul essentially without their dad I think it is pretty important. We really need to focus on that issue, that we have to change the legacy and help our kids pass on the legacy, to have our dads pass on a different legacy than maybe they inherited. I grew up without my dad as well and went to Princeton and things of that nature but I still needed him. That's one of the reasons I do the work that I do. So I really am delighted that you are doing the great work you are doing around this issue.
OBAMA: Thank you so much. I really want to emphasize this point about how just small moments and gestures can make a huge difference. You know, a lot of folks know I love playing basketball but it was my father who gave me my first basketball. Even though he wasn't a part of my life. In the few weeks that I was with him, he gave me a basketball. A lot of folks know I love jazz. Turns out he took me to my first jazz concert. I didn't remember this until later on in life. Just that imprint is powerful. Imagine if that's sustained every day. Especially young men when they hit the teenage years, to have somebody there who is there to steady them and to provide them with some guidance, that makes all the difference in the world.
Again, this is not to take away from the heroic work that moms are doing. It is to emphasize moms need some help. If you are a single mom like mine was, and maybe they are going to school or working, the pressures are enormous and having somebody else there who is able to carry on that child rearing responsibility is absolutely critical. Anybody else? Let me get one of these young people here. Go ahead.
LARRY HOLMES: Good afternoon everyone, my name is Larry Holmes. I attend Saint Auburn School for Boys. I would like to ask you a question?
OBAMA: Yes, go ahead.
HOLMES: Traveling from state to state, country to country, being the president, which one is funner, being a father or being a president?
OBAMA: Oh, wow. I mean this. Nothing is more fun than being a father. Now, my kids aren't teenagers yet. So I don't know whether that will maintain itself. But right now, the greatest joy I get is just hanging out with the girls and talking to them and watching them grow and succeed and probably the most fun that I have had since I have been president was actually at a parent/teacher's conference where the teachers were bragging on my children. I just sat there and I just basked in the glory. Nothing is more important than that. I think a lot of fathers can relate to that. Here is the important point, is that with as many responsibilities as I have, and I have a huge support structure and staff and whatnot, it turns out that you can still carve out time to make sure that you are having a conversation with your kids.
What it does mean is that fathers sometimes have to give up stuff that they would like to do instead, like just sit there and watch "Sports Center." I know we have D. Wade here. I like watching the highlights. Sometimes instead of watching the third, fourth, fifth time "Sports Center," I just watch it once so that I can then spend time with the girls because they don't like watching basketball that much. But being president is pretty fun too. No doubt about it. Great question. Next? Yes sir, right here. You have a microphone.
CHRIS MAPLE: Hi Mr. President, my name is Chris Maples. I founded an organization in Indianapolis called Dads, Inc. four years ago today actually. I hope that these dialogues continue to let everybody know, that this isn't a rich or poor, a north or south, a black or white. This affects everybody from the upper class to the lower class. That's who we work with, that broad range and over these four years I've heard dramatic stories of just so appreciative that we have a service in Indianapolis for all fathers and that everybody is appreciative of that. And I hope we can keep that up on a national level, too.
OBAMA: Absolutely. Absolutely. I think this is really important to emphasize, 23 percent of young people are growing up without fathers. Now, in the African-American community, it's close to 50 percent, maybe a little lower depending on the statistics that you look at. So, there is a real crisis going on in the African- American community on this issue, but it is a more pervasive issue. I just went to a wonderful organization called "Year Up" that has young people who are getting trained after high school, most of them, on specific job training skills, computer skills, but also how to conduct themselves in an office and write an e-mail and et cetera. And it was wonderful talking to these young people. But one of the things I said specifically to the young men is that you can't use anything as an excuse not to be involved with your children because kids, they won't judge you based on whether you're wealthy or poor. They will judge you if you are abusive to their mother. They will judge you in terms of you not showing up when they need you. That's what makes a difference.
And kids will respect their fathers if their fathers are showing kindness and are modeling that they're working hard and trying to do what's right for their families. You know, kids will understand that sometimes, you know, families fall on hard times. They get that. You know, Joe Biden is here, and Joe, actually, I want to talk to you because you had a terrific relationship with your dad, but there was a time where your dad fell on some hard times, and yet you still talk about him all the time as the most important guiding role model in your life.
JOE BIDEN: Mr. President, I think it's great what you're doing, by the way. This is a big deal. Folks you know the president said sometimes fathers make mistakes. I've made my share. One thing my father told me, there's a mistake a father should never make, and that is communicating to his child there's anything other than total, unconditional love. If there's total, unconditional love, that includes discipline. Total unconditional love, it doesn't matter whether you're rich or poor, whether or not you're a real smart dad or you're not such a smart dad, whether you're handsome or not so handsome. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Kids need love. And as a single parent, Mr. President, I did that for a while, having two sons, as Evan knows. And what I can say to you is my mom has an expression. He's always kidding me. I'm always saying my moms and dads' expressions. My mom has an expression and she said, I could hear her when I was a kid saying it to her peers. She said, be careful how you treat your children. You may need them someday.
And I want to tell you, the president knows my sons and my daughter. It doesn't change the happiest thing in the world is being a father. This day, my 40-year-old son is attorney general of the state of Delaware, the president seated, my 39-year-old son and my 27- year-old daughter. If my son, attorney general, Captain Biden walked in the door from Iraq today, the first thing he'd do is walk up and give me a kiss. I mean it. This is a kid who knows how to handle himself. But the point is it gives me more joy, and I think it gives every father in this room, more joy than any other thing that happens in your life, whether your son or daughter does that. Mr. President, you're a great president. You're a great dad and you're really good to be doing this. It's a big deal.
OBAMA: Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Anybody back here want to comment on some of the things they heard or saw or -- go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At one point, you had to decide you wanted to run for president. With two young daughters, can you share with us how you had to wrestle with that decision?
OBAMA: Well, it's a great question, and I think I've said this publicly before. The first question, the threshold question that I had to ask in conjunction with Michelle -- because this was a joint decision -- was could our family handle it. And frankly, if it hadn't been for Michelle's extraordinary strength and commitment, I could not have done it and would not have done it. And she was able to handle for big chunks of time being like a single mom. Now, I want to emphasize, we're luckier than most. We've got more resources than most. And so, I don't want to diminish how tough it is if you're working two shifts, you're coming home beat and then suddenly, you know, you're also expected to help on the homework and do all these things. It's a big challenge for a lot of families. And we had more resources than most. But it was still a very difficult decision.
Frankly, I don't think we would have made the same decision if our kids were a little older. Part of the reason it was OK was because when I started running Sasha was five, Malia was eight, and they were still in Chicago with my mother-in-law, and they had a whole network and a community and a family that could help and support them. And so, as a consequence, we figured out they would thrive. The person who suffered the most was me, because I would be calling from, you know, God knows where and they'd be having fun and laughing. And kids don't talk on the phone that well. So, I'd be -- Sasha, how was your day? Fine. What did you do? Nothing. You know those conversations. And so, there were times where just physically I wanted to just be with them and just couldn't. And so, it was the hardest part of deciding to run for president. The best thing about being president, by the way, is having a home office, because that means that -- you know, that means that I get home for dinner. And even if I have to go back to work. And that makes all the difference in the world. So, OK. Yes? Got one right behind you. No, no, right behind you. No. I wouldn't do that. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just kidding. I wanted to thank you very much. We started an initiative with Al Dodson and 100 Black Men called "Daddy's Promise," which really takes a look at fathers involving themselves in their daughters' lives. You've been a great image for that. What I just wanted to tell everybody is the service that you've given us just with the image of you and your family and your daughters has gone and made tenfold in terms of it being easier to tell men to involve themselves, because as we know the media and image is so powerful. I'd like to thank you very much for being up front on that.
OBAMA: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And encourage everyone to do so in your neighborhoods. As much as we look to this man and others in the media, it is those of you who are there on an everyday basis. And when you see parents with children, it goes a long, long way. So we thank you for that sir. OBAMA: I appreciate that. But I think you made the right point, which is it's one thing seeing people on TV. It's another thing seeing, you know, that young father down the street who's just like you except he's holding his baby in his arms or taking that toddler to the park or participating in the little league. That's where young people get sort of their images of what it means to be a man more than they do from whatever's on the screen. But I very much appreciate what you said. OK. I'm going to call on a token mom here just so that she could comment on these things.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good to see you. I want to say for women -- I'm a mother and a grandmother -- this is a day of celebration for us. We just felt our shoulders lifted, not having had a father, but I thank you for Bill Cowher and Mr. McDaniels from Run-DMC coming over to Ballue(ph). The only time you hear about Ballue High School is when someone is shot or killed. Today the kids asked us, they said, "They're coming to see us?" I want to thank you on their behalf, that you cared enough about children who are on the other side of the river enough.
SANCHEZ: This has been interesting to watch. Oftentimes we see the news only through the purview of politics, but here we have president of the United States speaking about something that's obviously equally important. To him, to me as a dad, and to I'm sure many of you, happy father's day as we take out this show. Happy father's day to all of you, as well, and to Wolf Blitzer, who's also a proud daddy. His show now, "The Situation Room."
