Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Trifecta of Storms Threatening U.S.; Heath Reform May Not Have Public Option; Rally in Atlanta Billed as "Biggest Town Hall"; Stimulus Money for National Parks; Two Congressmen Debate the Health Care Plan
Aired August 16, 2009 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Brace yourself. The first major storm of the hurricane season is about to hit the south. People are getting out. We are live.
Beyond the talking points: what's really in the health care proposal. We get to the bottom of it with two congressmen -- live.
Purple haze, back to the concert that changed the lives of millions of baby boomers and some say the world.
Plus...
(MUSIC)
LEMON: Beatlemania, even after all these years. Paul McCartney takes the stage right here in Atlanta.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
As we go on the air tonight. Some people along the gulf coast are packing up and getting out, all because of a trifecta of named storms, one of them about to hit Florida tonight. The most recently formed storm named Claudette will make landfall within the next few hours on the western panhandle. Forecasts predict Claudette could dump anywhere between three to 10 inches of rain. So, the flash flood threat is real there.
And we can't forget tropical depression Anna and tropical storm Bill, both of which are brewing out in the Atlantic Ocean. Bill could intensify to hurricane strength by later this evening.
Let's get to the person who knows all about this, our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, keeping tabs on all three storm systems. Jacqui, just last week, we're, you know, talking about how quiet the Atlantic was for this season. But so far, three storms in just two days.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, just like that. When conditions are favorable, Don, they are favorable and things can develop very quickly and that's exactly what has happened with Claudette. You know, this thing developed overnight and been strengthening a bit throughout the day, and now, we're looking at a tropical storm with maximum winds of 50 miles per hour. So, you know, it's not a hurricane but there are a lot of threats still associated with it. You need to take it very seriously. Heavy rainfall with flooding, winds that can be damaging, we could see tornados out of this as well.
So, let's go ahead and advance, and show you the radar picture because we're starting to feel some of those strong winds along with those rain bands as they move on in. We could see anywhere between three to six inches of rainfall over all into the panhandle area, but locally, heavier amounts.
Now, I'm going to show you kind of a closer view where the center of circulation is. We were thinking we might get landfall here on the cape area. But now, that storm took a little jog off to the west and we think the center of circulation is somewhere in here. So, landfall is going to be a bit little later and it's going to be a little farther western into the panhandle, maybe around Destin or Fort Walton Beach. So, somewhere between Panama City and Pensacola is the overall area. So, that's still a couple hours away.
We'll go ahead and put a little distance here this for you to give you a better idea. We think it's somewhere around 60, maybe 70 miles away and it's moving at about 15 miles per hour. We put a couple of those true viewers on here for you to give you an idea what some of those winds have been doing, and we've been seeing gusts around 40 miles per hour, Don, around Apalachicola. These are the sustained winds, so that doesn't include some of the gusts. But 20 miles per hour, 25 miles per hour, that is certainly a bit on the hefty side.
We got a picture here that I want to show you. This is a webcam shot and it is from the Panama City beach area, and this is from the Holiday Inn SunSpree on their roof cam. And there you can see some of those rough waves, winds about 20 miles per hour, but we're getting gusts in Apalachicola now around 45 miles per hour.
Our iReporters have been out there keeping an eye on the skies and keeping an eye on the beaches as well. These are from Jan Moll from Destin, Florida. She said she's had periods of very ominous- looking clouds and then periods of sunshine throughout the day today, with the palm trees swaying and the waves getting very rough. She said she's not too worried about this storm just yet but she's putting up her hurricane shutters just in case.
And Jan, thanks for sending us those pictures.
We ask you to send us what you see as well with tropical storm Claudette to iReport.com. But, of course, as always, stay safe.
And, Don, we'll continue to watch this. We're just hours away now from landfall.
LEMON: All right, Jacqui, keep us updated. Thank you very much.
Jacqui, let's get to the ground and Apalachicola's mayor, Van Johnson, joins us. Thank you, sir. What are the conditions like for you now?
MAYOR VAN JOHNSON, APALACHICOLA, FLORIDA (via telephone): Don, we have just picked up little rain in the city of Apalachicola due to the tropical storm.
LEMON: You picked up a little rain. Do you have any flooding or anything? It's not that bad for you yet? We're looking at pictures now. It appears to be a lot of rain but what about flooding?
JOHNSON: No. But we are expecting some localized flooding on some of the streets throughout the city.
LEMON: What are you doing for the residents now? Have you made plans? No one is moving out of here further east -- or further inland, I should say. There have been some voluntary evacuations because of the flooding.
JOHNSON: That's correct, Don, at Alligator Point. But within the city, we're just basically batting down the hatches and encouraging the residents to stay indoors in case emergency vehicles are called out.
LEMON: OK. Listen, I got to ask you something here because, you know, for Hurricane Katrina and Rita and all of that, a lot of the budgets were wiped out because of those storms. How are towns like yours holding up for these types of storms that are coming now?
JOHNSON: We're not. In fact, we're just hoping for the best. Budgets are real bad in small communities like Apalachicola.
LEMON: Yes. We can only imagine. We wish you the best. We're going to check in with you to see how you guys are doing, and if you get information, if anything happens or you want some information to get out, get back in touch with us, OK, Mayor?
JOHNSON: Appreciate it, Don.
LEMON: Mayor Van Johnson, Apalachicola.
If you're in the path of tropical storm Claudette, make sure you send us your photos, your videos and your stories -- like Jacqui Jeras said -- iReport.com and we'll try to get them on the air for you. But, please, we want you to stay safe in all of this.
Would you believe today's weather forecast for parts of California included the term, scattered smoke? Here's why -- there are currently 11 wildfires burning up and down California coast, all in varying degrees of containment.
The most serious maybe this one: the Lockheed Fire. It already charred some 10 square miles of Santa Cruz County, which is under a state of emergency. Besides dry and windy condition, fire crews are having to deal with the tough mountainous terrain. Thousands of people have fled their homes here. A government-funded insurance option to compete with private companies, critics of President Barack Obama's health care proposal say that is a deal breaker and that's why today's comments by the president's health secretary are causing such a buzz. Kathleen Sebelius tells CNN's John King that competition for private insurers can take different forms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: What we don't know is exactly what the Senate Finance Committee is likely to come up with. They've been more focused on a co-op, not-for-profit co-op as a competitor as opposed to a straight government-run program. And I think what's important is choice and competition. And I'm convinced, at the end of the day, the plan will have both of those. But that is not the essential element.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Washington.
Elaine, you know, it sounds as though the administration is backing off ever so slightly on a public option. Is that what's happening? Is that the perception that most people are seeing? But is that really what's happening?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, you know, it really does sound that way, Don. What Secretary Sebelius said there pretty much echoes what President Obama himself said yesterday at a town hall meeting. He basically acknowledged that a final deal would not necessarily need to include a public option.
Take a listen to what he said at a town hall meeting yesterday in Grand Junction, Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The public option, whether we have it or we don't have it, is not the entirety of health care reform. This is just one sliver of it, one aspect of it. And by the way, it's both the right and the left that have become so fixated on this that they forget everything else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: So, that's significant, Don. The president suggesting there that it is possible a final deal might not have that public option, also seeming to suggest that's not necessarily a make or break point, Don.
LEMON: OK. What about this idea we've been hearing about a health insurance cooperative. What is that? Is the administration really open to that idea?
QUIJANO: Yes, as we heard a moment ago from Secretary Sebelius, the White House is has signaled it is open to this idea of health co- op. It's something that's gaining traction on the Senate side. Democratic Senator Kent Conrad, who heads up the budget committee, envisions it this way: these co-ops would get federal start-up money, not all of the start-up costs would be covered by federal funding but some of it. The co-ops would be run by their members, not the government. So, we're not talking about government-controlled entities here.
Also, these co-ops would compete with for-profit insurers. And, Don, Senator Conrad thinks that for all those reason, this idea is going to appeal, he believes, to people on both sides of this debate.
LEMON: I have to ask, too -- what's the reaction from the Republicans on that proposal?
QUIJANO: Caution right now, Don. Senator Richard Shelby said this morning that it's something lawmakers should look at. He also said that it's far cry from the original proposals. As you know, Republicans have argued that a public option would just drive private insurance companies out of business. So, these co-ops could be viewed as the best way to try to assuage the concerns -- Don?
LEMON: All right. Elaine Quijano in Washington -- Elaine, thank you very much.
QUIJANO: Sure.
LEMON: Opponents of the president's health care proposals had their say here in Atlanta yesterday at a rally they billed as the "largest health care town hall" so far. Several thousand people who showed up at Centennial Olympic Park summed up their feelings with a single phrase, "hands off my health care."
I was there for a rally and talked with two of the organizers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Where was the outrage five years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, why all of a sudden this outrage now? At least the president is trying to reform health care but -- so where does the outrage suddenly come from?
ALLEN HARDAGE, DIRECTOR, AMERICA'S TOWN HALL: Don, this is the second town hall that I actually saw real Americans get up and ask questions. It wasn't a pre-selected group or a...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: You referred to that "real Americans," that's another term that really sets people off.
HARDAGE: Well, let me -- let me -- let me tell you what I mean by that.
LEMON: We're all real Americans, everybody.
HARDAGE: Anybody can get in... LEMON: Yes.
HARDAGE: ... and anybody can ask a question. And you've seen a completely different tenor in the town hall he held Tuesday and today than town halls we've been seeing so far in this debate. That's what I mean by real Americans.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: OK. So, maybe, you know what? The whole real American thing, can we lose that real Americans? Because everybody in this country who is a citizen of this country, we're all real Americans. And that's part of -- that is part of the issue that really sets people off and divides people.
So, let's get rid of that real Americans. We're all -- I'm real American, you're real American -- conservative, liberals, independent, we're all, poor and rich, real Americans.
HARDAGE: Absolutely.
LEMON: Continue your point.
HARDAGE: But here's my point. If we're going to open this debate up and have everybody come in and put their ideas forth, Virginia is absolutely right, he said it himself, this is a hard issue. So, we need to -- we need to bring everybody to the table, let's hear everybody's ideas and concerns and come up with a consensus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The Atlanta rally was sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity foundation and hosted by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey and several conservative radio hosts.
When it comes to health care, there's so much out there, so much to cover an hour, well, simply isn't enough. Make sure you check out CNN.com/healthcare. We feature ongoing coverage of the health care debate -- a list of town hall meetings from across the country and how health care reform might affect you know matter where you live.
Milwaukee's mayor tries to do the right thing and ends up in the hospital.
Also, 40 years after Woodstock, the baby boomers are having another flashback.
And Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com is how you get on the air
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The mayor of Milwaukee turned into a crime fighter last night when he heard a woman screaming for help outside at a state fair. But it seems no good deed goes unpunished. Major Tom Barrett was attacked by a man with a metal pipe when he tried to help out. He is hospitalized in stable condition with head and hand injuries.
Police say Barrett was leaving the fair with his children and niece when he saw a man attacking a woman. But when he called 911, the attacker changed targets and coming after the mayor instead, and beating him with a metal pipe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM ZAJA, WITNESS: So, we've seen a guy -- one guy down on the sidewalk in a pool of blood. And then we think that the other guy jumped over the fence and headed that way. It was a domestic thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the mayor of Milwaukee.
ZAJA: Yes. I didn't know that at the time. That's a shock.
JOHN BARRETT, MILWAUKEE MAYOR'S BROTHER: Tom stepped up and did the right thing. He called 911 and tried to calm the situation protecting a grandmother and her grandchild. As a result of his actions, Tom was attacked and struck repeatedly with a metal object. Tom's efforts protected the woman and the child. His efforts also protected members of our family as well. We're extremely proud of Tom's selflessness and his courage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. So, you'll be glad to know this. Police nabbed a suspect this morning and they don't think he knew that Barrett was Milwaukee's mayor.
A Missouri man jailed in Myanmar for taking a forbidden swim is in the clear now. John Yettaw landed in Thailand today, looking pale and worn out. But first, he met with U.S. Senator Jim Webb whose mercy mission got him out of a seven-year prison sentence. Yettaw was convicted for swimming to the home of detained democracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi. The unwanted earned the Nobel laureate an extra 18 months house arrest.
International uproar after a Bollywood VIP was questioned by immigration officials at the Newark Airport. Some angry fans are burning American flag in India while others are marching, clutching pictures of Shah Rukh Kahn. The 44-year-old said yesterday that he was held up for two hours because his last name showed up on a computer alert list. But immigration officials say it was just an hour long, routine stop. Now, the star says he's ready to move on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAH RUKH KHAN, BOLLYWOOD ACTOR: The main thing is that I left it behind me. It wasn't pleasant or nice, but also do respect the fact that it's meant to be a procedure which needs to be followed if you want to enter America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Khan is traveling to promote his new movie. It is about racial profiling of Muslims in a post-9/11 world.
I want to get you back now to our developing story that we started this newscast with. Tropical storm Claudette is about to make landfall on the Florida gulf coast.
Jason Lamming of our affiliate Bay New 9 is in Apalachicola.
Jason, it looks like you're already feeling the effects of the storm?
JASON LAMMING, BAY NEWS 9 REPORTER: Yes, we have. In fact, for the past couple hours, Don, we've seen the frontal rain bands from tropical storm Claudette heading and moving through Apalachicola.
We want to give you a live look. We're set up right next to the Apalachicola Bridge. Thankfully, the wind speed not high enough for authorities to shut that bridge down. But if you look at the water underneath, that's water from the Gulf of Mexico getting pushed into Apalachicola bay. That is going to contribute to a storm surge here of anywhere from about three to six feet. So, coastal flooding is a possibility as the evening progresses.
We're not expecting any major structural damage or debris problems in Apalachicola or, really, anywhere in the panhandle. We could see some downed trees. We are expecting some power outages as a result of this storm.
And, really, the worst weather is still to come behind us, south and east of us. That's where all the heavy convection is from this storm. Seven inches of rainfall expected through the overnight hours. And, you know, one of the big concerns of emergency workers for weather this evening is actually the risk for threat of tornados spinning off on some of these bands after the center of circulation of Claudette makes landfall. That's expected anywhere from 9:00 tonight until tomorrow morning -- Don?
LEMON: All right. Jason Lamming, Bay News 9, reporting live from Apalachicola -- we'll check in with Jason as soon as this storm progresses.
Three named storms in two days, the Atlantic hurricane season is -- all of a sudden -- in full swing as you can see. Boy, look at that radar. Our Jacqui Jeras in the CNN hurricane headquarters tracking all of the action for you.
Also, they are some of the most beautiful sights in the country. But will fixing them up really jump-start the economy? It's your tax money we're talking about here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The president veered off the health care stump for a few hours of private time with his family. Just few snapshots of President Obama, the Obamas, I should say, at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The first family, they were there yesterday. And before heading back to Washington today, they visited the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
OK. So we know that national parks are pretty. But should they be getting more of your tax dollars? That's a question.
A good chunk of the stimulus money is going to spruce up national parks around the country. And some people wonder what that qualifies as -- how that qualifies as stimulating the economy, including our Kate Bolduan.
Here's what she found out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Shenandoah, to the Grand Canyon -- America's national treasures in need of some serious repair?
ROCKY SCHROEDER, PARK RANGER: As you come around the back of the cabin, you'll see that the signing is all rotted along the ground, which means the dirt has come up to here and moisture has gotten in here and has rotted all this wood.
BOLDUAN: Rocky Schroeder is a park ranger at Prince William Forest Park, about 35 miles outside of Washington, where more than a dozen historic cabins are slated for repair.
More than 250 national parks are getting spruced up, thanks to the economic stimulus.
SCHROEDER: The stimulus will help keep our visitors here and keep 'em happy, keep 'em coming back.
BOLDUAN: The Park Service estimates national parks across the country face a $9 billion backlog of work. The stimulus is supposed to contribute $750 million to that. So far, about 10 percent is in the pipeline.
DAN WENK, ACTING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: It's campgrounds; it's campsites. It's amphitheatres for evening programs. It's the bathrooms. It's literally everything that we have to make our visits enjoyable.
BOLDUAN: Nearly $56 million is going to repair Washington landmarks. More than $14.5 million to Mesa Verde National Park, and nearly $11 million to the Grand Canyon, to name a few.
But when it comes to this money, you have to ask...
(on camera): How is money for national parks stimulus?
WENK: It's stimulus because we are putting people to work. We're putting -- we'll be putting people to work for the next two years. But it's also stimulus because we are creating a better place, increasing the visitor experience.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Some Republican lawmakers aren't buying it.
REP. JEB HENSARLING (R), TEXAS: Well, clearly, we need to improve our national parks. But nobody should confuse that with economic stimulus. I mean, frankly, that's just false advertising.
BOLDUAN: The Interior Department estimates this stimulus target will create about 8,000 jobs over two years, many will be temporary jobs. But this park ranger is confident it's a worthwhile investment.
SCHROEDER: The national parks are our past, our history, preserve that. That's where we come from. It will give an idea of where we're going.
BOLDUAN: Here at this Virginia park, they're hoping to put hammer to nail in the next month and park officials say they've had overwhelming interest. For projects like these they need to hire about six additional people, they've received nearly 200 applications.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, Prince William Forest Park.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Just before that story, we showed you the first family, their trip going to the national parks, the Grand Canyon or what-have-you. But this is the president and first family arriving in Phoenix, Arizona, just a short time ago. You see the president and his littlest one there getting off Air Force One. There's the rest of the family.
The president is going to speak tomorrow at the VFW National Convention in Phoenix where he is going to address the concerns of vets and also our men and women currently serving in Afghanistan. Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling there and covering the president and the politics and everything in between all along the way. We'll have it all for you right here on CNN. Again, the first family arriving in Phoenix.
Tropical storms are brewing. And one of them is about to slam into the Florida gulf coast. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is in the CNN hurricane headquarters. She's tracking all the action for you.
And a year after Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston, we check on the rebuilding.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK0
LEMON: All right. I'm joined -- I'm joining Jacqui Jeras in CNN hurricane headquarters. She's got all of it covered. This is Claudette, Ana and Bill, right?
JERAS: And, Bill, yes.
LEMON: The good thing about Claudette, you said is that it's moving and doesn't look like it's going to stall.
JERAS: Yes, and that is good news, you know, because you get a stalled out system, and then you're dealing with just torrential flooding. Right now, we're already expecting heavy rain, you know, which isn't great news, because we'll have some of that but won't be lingering forever.
So there you can see the latest on Claudette, a tropical storm, maximum sustained winds now 50 miles per hour. But we're getting gusts stronger than that and we're getting gusts along the coast easily in the 35-plus miles per hour range.
We'll show you the satellite picture and show you where all the rainfall is. We've seen some pretty hefty amounts. Apalachicola itself, a record rainfall of over two inches, about 2 1/3 at this time. And we do have the threat of tornadoes in addition to the flooding rains.
The storm itself is offshore, somewhere in this area here. So we missed the landfall in the point area and we're looking at that happening a couple hours from now, maybe around Destin or the Fort Walton Beach area. The storm is expected to make landfall late this evening and then make its way onshore through the panhandle and move through Alabama tomorrow, and much of the Deep South will be feeling the impact of Claudette with those heavy showers and thundershowers.
And there's another quick look at that Panama City beach camera from the Holiday Inn SunSpree rooftop. And you could see those waves are starting to kick up and become a little bit stronger at this time.
All right. Let's move to Ana. This is some good news for you -- is that Ana is very disorganized now. It has weakened. It's become a tropical depression. However, it's something that we still want to watch because as it's moving through the islands, we don't expect it to strengthen but as it gets into the Gulf of Mexico late in the week, that something that we certainly need to worry about it and it could regenerate itself.
Tropical storm Bill -- this one has been intensifying today. Bill is on the heels of Ana, but we think it's going to take more of a northerly track. As it does that, it won't be interacting with land, which means it has a potential for becoming a hurricane and possibly even a major hurricane.
You can see that in the forecast happening by Wednesday possibly, a category 3. The hurricane models are bringing it farther away from land than before. Hopefully, we'll watch Bill continue on that track. If it does, we don't have to worry about it in the U.S. But we still need to hold our breath at this point -- Don?
LEMON: All right, Jacqui, thank you. Keep us updated, please.
Tropical Storm Claudette has the Florida activating the state's emergency operations center. Spokesman John Cherry joins me now.
I understand the coastal counties in the Panhandle, Franklin, Wakulla, are staring down serious flood potential.
JOHN CHERRY, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER: Yes. In that area, there's localized potential of flooding and there's been voluntary evacuation in those areas. Basically because sometimes in those areas, roads can be cut off and things like that. They've done voluntary evacuations. There have been no mandatory evacuations in those areas.
We're mainly asking is for residents to stay off the roads tonight. If you do approach a flooded area on the roadway, turn around.
LEMON: This isn't the first, probably the thousandth time you've dealt with this. You deal with it all the time. You're used to these storms. When you hear Jacqui Jeras saying the storm is moving instead of stalling, that is good news for you.
CHERRY: Very good news. Last year, Tropical Storm Fay hung around for an extended period of time and stayed. we had record rainfall amounts. When they move out quicker, it helps a lot with flooding of rivers and streams and things like that.
LEMON: Thanks a lot. John Cherry from the Florida's emergency operations center. We appreciate that.
We want to go back to Jacqui Jeras.
Jacqui, it seems like a late start to the hurricane season this year. Was it just a year ago Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston? You and I were reporting on that right here.
JERAS: Absolutely. Not quite a year yet. It was actually, September 13th. Ike was a category 2 storm making landfall on Galveston Island, certainly the most memorable and devastating storm of last year. It was the third costliest U.S. hurricane of all time. You know, we're here in the middle of a new hurricane season. But, of course, Galveston is still in a state of recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARRY DEPINGRE, GALVESTON BUSINESS OWNER: This is really a beautiful shot. What could be worse than this? I'll be back, I just don't know when.
The water line was up to here.
JERAS (voice-over): That's Surf Styles owner, Garry Depingre, in September, after. Eight to nine feet of water and mud flooded his business of 29 years.
DEPINGRE: It was absolute sheer terror, devastation, depression, anything you can name in the way of being horrifying, you know. It was awful. The biggest challenge of my entire life, you know.
JERAS: As soon as you cross the bridge into Galveston, evidence of Ike is everywhere, on the shores, in neighborhoods and downtown.
JEFF SHOWSTROM, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Ike came and brought us to our knees. JERA: Jeff Showstrom, the city's director of economic development, remembers.
SHOWSTROM: 100 percent of businesses were impacted. If it wasn't the business, it was the owner's personal residence, and if it wasn't the owner, then it was the employees.
JERAS: He credits loans from local banks and owners themselves for the quick recovery.
SHOWSTROM: They didn't come to the street corner and put their head in their hands and wait for somebody to come help. They came and cleaned up.
JERAS: Depingre had no insurance. Looters took everything of value and emotions ran high. But he got a small business loan. It took him about four months. This is what Surf Styles looks like now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $33.99.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much.
JERAS: 70 percent of the businesses have reopened. Depingre is roughly breaking evening but couldn't be happier.
DEPINGRE: I'm home again. My shop is back alive. That's a miracle.
JERAS (on camera): Footsies is another business on the strand. While they had hope and dreams, just like Surf Styles, of re-opening, these doors remain closed and there are no plans to reopen.
ANN THOMAS, MAYOR OF GALVESTON: It's rough.
JERAS: Mayor Ann Thomas shows us around the hard-hit neighborhood of Bayou Shores. Residential areas are not bouncing back as quickly as the business sector. Many homeowners are rebuilding but others remain vacant or heavily damaged.
THOMAS: You can still see the damage here.
JERAS: Mayor Thomas says 25 percent of evacuees haven't returned to Galveston. Several schools closed and 200 teachers laid off. Federal money is coming in but it's not enough.
THOMAS: Our challenge right now, frankly, is to get FEMA to pay 100 percent reimburse for the work we have to do here. The government does what it can but the citizens themselves have to do some of the work. And they are doing it here. It's just slow. It's going to take time to rebuild.
JERAS: She says Galveston will look and feel different once rebuilt but it will be stronger and more resilient as a result of Ike.
A sentiment Garry Depingre exemplifies.
DEPINGRE: Stay driven, stay with it, you know. You can do it. If I can do it. Anybody can do it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JERAS: It's still a long road ahead. Galveston officials say it will be years before Galveston is back where it was, but they hope, overall, it will come back stronger than it was before -- Don?
LEMON: Everybody wants to stay. That's their home. They love of it so they continue to rebuild. We wish them the best of luck and, of course, safety.
JERAS: Absolutely. I'm sure they're all holding their breath a little bit with Ana and Bill out there. We'll see what happens in the coming days.
LEMON: Thank you, Jacqui.
As Jacqui mentioned earlier, make sure you send us your iReports. iReport.com will get your video and pictures on the air. Of course, we want you to be safe.
Beyond the talking points, what's really in the health care proposals? We get to the bottom of it with two congressmen live right here on CNN.
Also, 40 years after Woodstock, we're still tripping, man.
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: President Obama's latest health care town halls look a lot like his campaign rallies from a year ago. Saturday's event in Colorado included a speech, audience questions and plenty of applause lines. But bubbling just beneath the surface there is a lot at stake for this president. He is trying to regain his footing on his number- one issue.
He faced some very tough questions yesterday. For the first time, he showed the kind of passion his political opponents have been using against him. A good example is when he talked about those so- called death panels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First of all, when you make a comment like that -- I just lost my grandmother last year. I know what it's like to watch somebody you love, who's aging, deteriorate, and have to struggle with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Even as the president tries to answer his critics, he acknowledges his proposals are not perfect. But he says, doing nothing is simply not an option.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The truth is -- I want to be completely honest here. There is no perfect, painless silver bullet out there that solves every problem, gives everybody perfect health care for free. There isn't. I wish it was -- I wish there was. I wish I could just say, you know what, we're going to change the system. Everybody will get as much care as they want any time they want. Everybody will have it. And it won't cost anything. Doctors will be happy and nurses will be happy. Hospitals will be happy. Insurance companies will still make a lot of profits. Drug companies will be able to charge as much as they want. I can't do it. Nobody can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Let's talk about where things stand in the health care battle with two members of Congress, Representative Earl Blumenauer is an Oregon Democratic in Portland tonight. That's where he joins us from. Republican Congressman Michael Burgess is in Dallas. Before heading to Washington, Congressman Burgess was a practicing physician for more than 20 years.
I want to talk to you about the single-pay thing. I want to get to something we discussed earlier in the show and get your take on it. Health care co-op, a health care co-op, it seems to be making its way through Washington now.
Representative Burgess, talk to us about that and about possible Republican support for that. Would conservatives be open to that?
REP MICHAEL BURGESS, (R), TEXAS: It's interesting. In January, the Chamber of Commerce in Lubbock, Texas -- I don't represent Lubbock -- but they came to me because of my background as a physician, and say we have a co-op in Lubbock that works pretty well. We'd like to see the ability to expand that. We'd like to offer our services to people in Albuquerque, for example, and we're constrained from doing that. It's an idea that has percolated out there for a while.
Mind you, as the president said, there is no easy answer to this. I can remember several years ago in my medical group, we had a large medical group and we decided to self insure. and we had essentially gone bankrupt within three years time because of the vast cost.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I want to get Representative Blumenauer's thoughts on this real quickly and then we'll move through the points. So quickly, let's get through all of them.
What do you think of this co-op?
REP. EARL BLUMENAUER, (D), OREGON: The co-op is something that has an opportunity around the country. There are some larger co-ops, one in the Puget Sound area in the Pacific Northwest. If it was such a great idea, they would have been expanding all over the country. It's not that it's a bad idea, it doesn't provide the scale, at least it hasn't over the course of the last 40 or 50 years, to make a meaningful difference to solve people's problems.
LEMON: Let's talk about the public option because that's been debated a lot. I heard a lot about it on the Sunday talks, this morning, I heard a lot about it yesterday and as I was out at a town hall meeting. The president said the public option is just a sliver of the proposal. There is no bill. It is just a wish list the president has given. There are proposals out there. It's just a sliver.
The idea is that this public option is going to rule out everything, it's just going to be single pay. That's what people think, this is going to move everything to a single-pay. We're hearing that is not the truth.
I will let Mr. Blumenauer talk about that.
And then, Mr. Burgess, I will go to you.
BLUMENAUER: Absolutely. In the House bill, H.B. 3200, there is a provision for a public option. It would non-profit set up by the government to provide some meaningful competition. In 25 states, there is only one company that has 50 percent or more, in the vast majority of states you're just talking about two insurance companies. The public option would provide some competition to make sure people actually had a choice who needed it.
LEMON: Mr. Burgess.
BURGESS: I think you heard this morning the public option is a dead duck. Or what did Senator Conrad says, there's no point chasing this rabbit any longer. They don't have the votes for it in the Senate.
It is odd the president hasn't ever put out his vision of what he thinks health care reform ought to look like. He's been relying on three Democratic chairmen. Republicans have been frozen out of this deal a long time. Don't blame us for being obstructionist. It's Democrat versus Democrat that slowed this down and given the American people a chance to weigh in. And they've looked at it and are saying we don't like what we're seeing.
LEMON: The idea of the public option, isn't it being -- they're putting this out there -- is it sort of being hyped, this public option notion, because they're thinking that this is only option being offered, a public option. and I don't think people don't realize it's not the only option offered.
BURGESS: It will be an attrition of private insurance because it is difficult to compete with the government with their unlimited funding. plus you have this health care commissar, that will be set up that will tell every insurance company, the public and private, what they have to offer and how much they can charge for it. It's a minefield for the insurance companies to continue in business.
BLUMENAUER: That's not in the bill that everybody's going to be dictating prices. What the public option would be a variety of choices in the exchange that would be -- there would not be massive federal subsidies. There would only be enough money to start it up. It has to be self supporting. That's simply -- what Mike is talking about is not...
LEMON: That's what we want to get to the bottom of.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on, guys, hang on. I have to say, independent people who have done the research on the health care proposals have said what Mr. Blumenauer is saying is correct. It's not the only option and not the vast majority of the bill. And people are given misinformation and that's why they're showing up and yelling, because they don't know exactly what they're talking about when they are going out there.
We want to get to the bottom of the truth. I'm going to give you the chance to talk.
We have to take a break, when we come back, we'll talk more about this and we'll also take some of our viewer comments and viewer questions on this. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, more now on the discussion on what's actually in these health care proposals. Joining me now, Texas Republican, Michael Burgess, a congressman and medical doctor. Also Representative Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Democrat, joins us from Portland.
Let's talk about some of these -- I want to dispel some of the myths out there before we take questions and continue on. This idea of a death panel -- not so. We're being told that's completely not true. Abortions paid for by this plan -- not true.
BURGESS: No...
LEMON: Hang on. Hang on.
The language in the House Energy and Conference bill that federal money cannot be used for abortions. Seniors losing their doctors or waiting in lines -- not true. This is actually good for seniors. That's what the independent studies have said about this.
Now, on the Republican side, and the Democratic side, they're saying completely opposite. And fighting for this and fighting for that. Can't we get past that, guys? And work it out for the American people?
BURGESS: We should.
(CROSSTALK)
BURGESS: And end-of-life issues should not have been included as they were in this bill. We had not a single hearing on it. If it was as simple as what you say, Don...
BLUMENAUER: Mike, that's not true...
BURGESS: If it's as simple as what you say...
BLUMENAUER: That is not true.
BURGESS: Why does it have to be 10 or 15 pages in the bill? Why can it not just simply be a simple statement that says, hey...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: OK, here's the thing...
(CROSSTALK)
BURGRESS: ... for a doctor...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I think it's OK for you guys to debate -- hang on. Hang on, Congressman.
I think it's OK for everyone to debate end-of-life coverage. Don't call it death panels. That's a buzz phrase.
BLUMENAUER: The notion that was not debated, that it wasn't part of the committee process, is an absolute lie. We -- I'm on the Ways and Means Committee...
BURGESS: It's certainly not a part of our committee process.
BLUMENAUER: I'm on the Ways and Means committee. This is a Medicare provision that Ways and Means has jurisdiction over. I introduced bipartisan...
BURGRESS: I beg your pardon, Energy and Commerce has the jurisdiction.
BLUMENAUER: No, Medicare is Ways and Means jurisdiction...
BURGESS: Part B is Energy and Commerce.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on, let him finish. And then you can go ahead.
BLUMENAUER: We introduced this legislation. It was bipartisan. We had testimony over it. I have Republican co-sponsors, including his Republican doctor colleague, Charles Bustoni. Some of the most moving testimony for the need to give seniors this choice...
LEMON: OK, Mr. Blumenauer.
BLUMENAUER: ... came from members of Congress who felt their parents hadn't received it. It's not true it wasn't debated. It is supported across the board by AMA, by AARP...
LEMON: Let Mr. Burgess get in on this...
BLUMENAUER: I'm sorry. I just wanted to clarify...
BURGESS: First off, it is not choice. It is the ability to provide education. No one would disagree with paying the doctor to provide that educational event. I would, in fact, even go so far as if a patient or beneficiary wanted to avail themselves of the education, we ought to give them a break on the premium.
Where it got convoluted was Congress couldn't help itself and it had to say we're only going to pay the doctor to do this every five years...
BLUMENAUER: No, it's not.
BURGESS: Figuring the doctor would game the system and that's where the problems occurred.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: We're going to take some questions and some comments, guys. Hang on.
BURGESS: Why does it take 10 pages, 10 pages to go through this?
BLUMENAUER: They are entitled to, it at least every five years. Read the section.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: I fell like I'm at a town hall right now. So let me...
BLUMENAUER: Well, when people don't read the bill and they misrepresent...
BURGESS: Earl, in all honesty, this bill came out after July 15. You wanted to pass it before the August recess. You didn't want people to read this bill. You wanted Republicans...
LEMON: OK, so listen...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: OK, stop it, really, both of you.
Here's the thing. This is why people are so upset. When you look at half of all the foreclosures in the country, you look at half of all the bankruptcies, you know why that is, it's because people have problems affording health care. They have to go into foreclosure, they have to go into bankruptcy because they can't afford their health care. You guys are arguing the points on the conservative side, arguing the liberal side. Can't we just get beyond the partisan and just get this done for the American people?
BURGESS: Don, Don...
BLUMENAUER: I am...
BURGESS: If we had had this as an open process at the beginning, if we had wanted to tackle what is the number-one issue for people, it's pre-existing conditions and losing their insurance when they get a tough diagnosis. We can fix that. We can fix that in a bipartisan way. We could have fixed it before we went home for August recess.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: All right, so why don't you do it? Why don't we do it?
BURGESS: Maybe Earl can tell us why the Democratic leadership would not open the process up and let us fix the problem that's actually ailing the American people.
BLUMENAUER: And there were efforts in our committee -- and people can go back and they can look online and look at the committee hearings. They can find there were efforts -- for example, the end- of-life provision, was something I offered to try and promote bipartisan cooperation. The decision was made. You go look at what the Republicans authored.
BURGESS: Yeah, but the bill was written in secret...
(CROSSTAL)
LEMON: OK, guys, really. I want to get some of the viewer comments.
BLUMENAUER: Sure. That would be better.
LEMON: Here's aneworleansboy out there. I guess that would be New Orleans, Louisiana. He says, "In the new plan, will people still need insurance to seek medical attention in hospitals or what is the option for the poor?"
Go ahead, Representative Burgess.
BURGESS: Yes, people will still need insurance. If they're covered through the state exchanges in the public option, if it survives, there will either be a premium they'll pay or a subsidy they receive. If they receive a subsidy, their choices will be fairly limited.
LEMON: Mr. Blumenauer?
BLUMENAUER: The choice here is to make sure that everybody has access, either employer provided or that they can have subsidized care if they are not -- if they can't afford it. and there will be opportunities for people to have more choices. I think it's very straight forward, trying to make sure that everybody, for the first time, has that access and that nobody in America will go bankrupt because of health insurance costs. BURGRESS: Why don't we then leave the power in the hands of the individual like with the health savings account? Those are going to be deemed unqualified in the new plan. And many people, such as myself, who rely on a health savings account, won't have that any longer. and yet it's been shown that is the cheapest alternative. And that is what will hold costs down over time.
LEMON: All I have to say is I can see why some people are so frustrated by this, because just trying to talk to you guys, I can't get a word in edgewise. So can you imagine what the everyday American, how frustrated they are, especially if they don't have health care or you're dealing with health care?
Listen to us. We don't want the partisan. We don't want the left and the right. Nobody cares about that. People want health care reform. Work it out. Please. OK?
BURGESS: When we get back to Washington, I hope that is exactly what will happen.
LEMON: Thank you, guys.
What a long strange trip it has been. We take a stroll down memory lane on the 40th anniversary of the concert that defined a generation.
Plus, Sir Paul McCartney, old enough for Social Security, but young enough to rock the park.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This weekend is the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival. Half a million people descended on a muddy field in New York State for a little peace, love and rock 'n' roll. 32 bands performed during the four-day event. "Rolling Stone" has called Woodstock the most famous event in rock history.
(SINGING)
LEMON: It is about as close to real Beatlemania as many of us post-boomers will get. How do you know I'm a post-boomer? I could be a boomer. You never know. About 40,000 people got the chance to see and hear Paul McCartney last night in Atlanta. He played about two and a half hours, did a bunch of Beatles songs, Wings songs, and solo stuff as well and didn't let a little rain slow him down. The show is a benefit for the Piedmont Park Conservancy.
The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.
