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Back-to-School Speech Backlash; Midlife Job Crisis; Health Reform Negotiations

Aired September 04, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time for your midday reset! I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM. It's noon in Washington where President Obama is accused of trying to indoctrinate the nation's school students with socialism!

It is 11:00 a.m. in Madison, Wisconsin, where chief business correspondent Ali Velshi is talking about the rising jobless rate in America.

And it is 9:00 a.m. in Los Angeles where many people are planning to spend the Labor Day weekend fighting a wildfire set by an arsonist.

Let's get started.

A back-to-school message by President Obama under fire from conservative critics. The White House says the television and Web address next Tuesday is a pep talk about staying in school and doing your best. Some parents applaud the message. Others say they're concerned the president is trying to advance his political agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEATHER LUGGETT, PARENT: What is it that the president is challenging me to do, and what new ideas is he asking me to think about? And to me, that means that he might be introducing some of his agenda which, as a conservative parent, I don't agree with.

ROBBI COOPER, PARENT: There's times when messages are not politically based. And I think any time that someone talks about education and kids staying in school, there's no other motivation for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: White House Correspondent Dan Lothian live with more on the backlash over the back-to-school speech.

Dan, I've got to ask you, is the White House in any way surprised by this reaction from, let's say, some parents and some school systems?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are. I mean, there's essentially been this revolt by the parents and the school systems, and they are quite surprised by it.

I was just at a gaggle with Robert Gibbs up in his office, and I asked him about the administration's reaction to what is going on and how strong these feelings were both online, and now we've seen it play out on television as well. And Robert Gibbs said the following.

He says, "I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president can't encourage young people to stay in school." And he went on to say that if going to school and speaking to young people is a political message, then someone should tell NBA, of course referencing the fact that the National Basketball Association has a campaign that encourages young people to stay in school.

What the administration is also pointing out, that this is not the first president to do something like this. They point to Ronald Reagan doing this, they point to former President Bush as well. As you might recall, back on 9/11, the president was in school at the time when the attacks occurred. And so, they keep bringing up two other Republican presidents have done similar things, and so this is yet another attempt just of a president going in and speak to young people across the country and encourage them to stay in school -- Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, Dan, but does Robert Gibbs at least acknowledge that the administration, in some ways, brought some of this on themselves by some of the language in the lesson plan that suggested, hey, students go and figure out ways that you can help the president?

LOTHIAN: Well, yes, clearly. I mean, he did not say that today, but other senior administration officials have said that, yes, they do realize that there was some confusion in the language.

HARRIS: Yes.

LOTHIAN: And that's why they, you know, tweaked it. And we're still waiting to find out exactly what's going to be said in that speech.

We have not seen the advanced copy yet, but we hope to take a look at it. And that's the big issue.

Obviously, there will be other things based on the reaction that we've seen now. But again, the White House pointing out that this is just an attempt. The president wanted to go in, talk to young people to stay in school, and perhaps cut down on the dropout rate that you're seeing across the country.

HARRIS: Yes. OK.

At the White House, Dan Lothian for us.

Dan, appreciate it. Thank you.

LOTHIAN: OK, Tony.

HARRIS: So, what do you think? Do us a favor. Go to CNN.com/Tony, leave us a comment, if you would.

Here's what some of you have told us so far. Bob says, "If parents believe that a 20-minute speech will brainwash their children, then they need to go back to school. If a 20-minute speech can brainwash children, then we should have no behavioral or drug problems in our schools. Let the speeches begin."

Bill says, "Here's the problem -- there is a lesson plan which comes with Obama's speech which requires students to make a pledge of service, not to the office of president of the United States, which would be fine, but to President Obama specifically. That is the difference. Imagine what would happen if students were forced to write a letter stating what they should do to help former President Bush during the lead-up to the Iraq War."

And Monique says, "As an educator and minister, I cannot believe we have turned back the clock to the McCarthy era. Words such as 'socialist' and 'communism' are being used to ignite fear. We are not allowing our children to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable."

Once again, CNN.com/Tony.

A more in-depth discussion ahead on the controversy over the president's back-to-school speech. We will talk with a guest from the American Enterprise Institute and the president of the National PTA. That should be pretty hot.

The jobless rate for August pushing closer to 10 percent. The Labor Department says companies eliminated 216,000 net jobs in August. That put the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent.

Almost 15 million Americans are out of work now. The number of jobs lost since the recession began in December of 2007, closing in on 7.5 million.

Now that they've been in power for seven months, a CNN/Opinion Research poll suggests Democrats are beginning to take ownership of the recession from Republicans. We asked, "Who's more responsible for current economic problems?" Twenty-seven percent blame Democrats. That's up six percentage points since May. Forty-one percent blame Republicans. That's down a dozen points from the spring.

Support for President Obama's economic recovery plan continues to slide. Fifty-two percent back his policies now. That compares to 58 percent in June and 65 percent in March.

Companies are lowering the boom on baby boomers during this recession.

CNN's Richard Roth now with a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Brooklyn, New York, jobs center is not where Aston Brown thought he'd wind up at the prime of his career. Brown is 56 years old. He spent years working as a sales rep for various industries and thought he was set for life. ASTON BROWN, JOB SEEKER: And I believed that when you get to a certain age, you would begin to grow in that job. You have experience, and you would expect maybe to retire in the job. Instead, you are in the field where it is extremely competitive trying to find a job. So, it is a bit frustrating.

ROTH: Millions of older U.S. workers face the same grim prospects nationwide. The jobless rate for men and women age 55 years and older recently hit seven percent, the highest level on record, with men being hit the hardest. Older workers are heading to job centers across the country, desperate for guidance.

ELISSA LEVINE, JOB SEEKER: Now it's, like, panic city. It's really tough. And the dream thing is to own a little restaurant. Now I would like to work in that business, but I can't get a job because restaurant work, they can hire anybody who doesn't have experience.

MIKE MORRIS, JOB SEEKER: It may be that time when I've got to look into something totally new. And that's sort of like, wow. Does that mean do I go back to school?

HENRY SILVERMAN, NEW YORK STATE DEPT. OF LABOR: We see the frustrations. I don't believe that people actually thought they would have to do a resume at the age of 50 or 55. I think that they felt that that was a younger person's deed, and they're not prepared to do it in many cases.

ROTH: It wasn't like this at all in recessions past. Seniority used to be a valued commodity in the workforce. Labor economists say that's all changed.

RICHARD JOHNSON, THE URBAN INSTITUTE: Elder workers were much less likely to be laid off than younger workers, and that's because they were protected by their seniority. Seniority is less important than it used to be. They say they value their experience, but they are really concerned about how costly they are and about the expense of hiring older people, training older people.

ROTH: Economists say as baby boomers age, this jobs crisis could get even more pronounced, especially as more people are forced to put off retirement.

Despite the challenges, some older workers at this center are upbeat. They say their years of experience will eventually pay off.

LEVINE: There are good things happening. You just have to tell yourself the good things, because everyone right now is in serious trouble in the whole country. You know, it's not like I'm alone.

ROTH: Hardly alone. Experts fear there will be many more older workers seeking support before the U.S. jobs picture brightens.

Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Later in the CNN NEWSROOM, we will crunch the new jobless numbers with our resident experts, CNN Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi, on the road in Madison, Wisconsin, and "YOUR $$$$$" co-host, Christine Romans, at the business desk in New York.

President Obama tries to hit the reset button on health care reform in a speech next week, and members of Congress return to dive back into the debate.

Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash with us, live from Washington.

Dana, good to see you.

You know, a lot of members of Congress are on break, but there are still some action taking place on the health care front.

What can you tell us?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, action taking place as we speak. Those six senators who we talked about for months before the congressional recess -- there you see the pictures of all of them -- they are the bipartisan negotiators who are on the Senate Finance Committee. They are having a conference call as we speak.

It started at 10:30 Eastern, so we're coming up about an hour and 45 minutes that they're talking. We just got an e-mail that they're actually still on the phone.

They are continuing negotiations, trying to come up with a bipartisan compromise, even though signals from the White House, signals from the Democratic leadership in the Senate, are that they do not think that this group is going to be able to actually come up with something by the deadline that they have actually now set for themselves. That deadline is September 15th. So, that's, like, a week and a half from now, Tony.

HARRIS: Wow.

BASH: But nevertheless, they are still working. And I think the key is those Republicans insist that they are still committed to getting a compromise, and they are on the call right now.

There's one Republican, though, we should mention, Olympia Snowe, who is a part of that group, who, as we just reported a couple of days ago, she is in separate talks with the White House. The White House actually reached out to them, according to a couple of sources familiar -- reached out to her, rather, according to a couple of sources familiar with those conversations, about an idea that she put on the table a long time ago, that controversial issue of a public option.

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: What she wants to do is put market reforms in place and hold off on that public option, only have that as a so-called trigger if market reforms don't increase competition and lower health care costs.

HARRIS: OK. And Dana, that's the Senate story. But things are far from settled in the House as well.

BASH: Right.

HARRIS: If you would, tell us about the time you spent recently with an undecided Democrat. And I gather you came away with some great access and insights.

BASH: I did. You know, I went to see a freshman Democrat yesterday who left for summer recess five weeks ago, as you said, undecided about the House health care bill. He still is undecided.

And, you know, we wanted to spend some time with him away from the town hall fury. And he was quietly meeting with constituents. And also, he delivered a tough message for the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): Here's something you haven't seen during the summer of angry town halls...

SUSAN BURTON, BUSINESS OWNER: Welcome so much for coming to my home.

REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D), VIRGINIA: Oh, my pleasure.

BURTON: Really appreciate it.

BASH: ... a health care house call.

Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly at Susan Burton's table, invited to hear her explain why she may have to cut health coverage for workers at her small business.

BURTON: A thousand for full family coverage, so that's the one we went with. That's outrageous for a group.

BASH: Connolly, a freshman, wants to back health care reform, but is wary because his Virginia district is fairly conservative. Afterwards, the congressman lamented that deep concern he heard here about the current health care system has been drowned out.

(on camera): Why is public opinion turning against public health care reform if you have stories like that?

CONNOLLY: Well, partly, we have had a steady drumbeat of the negative playing on people's fears and anxieties, and to some extent that's clearly taken hold.

This is the bill. This is the bill.

BASH (voice-over): In a car ride through his district, Connolly blamed his own party, especially the president, for losing control of the debate.

CONNOLLY: I think the White House, candidly, underestimated the passion on the other side. I think we underestimated the ability of the opposition to really initially frame the issue in outlandish ways.

BASH: Connolly goes back to his district office to see Democratic groups scrambling to reframe the debate and get his vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was the whole point of us getting people elected.

BASH: Members of a local union there to lobby him in one room, and, in another, volunteers from the president's political group, Organizing For America, deliver a box of petitions, and bring emotional stories of preexisting conditions that make insurance unaffordable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I had to resign from my job because of my health issues.

BASH: Connolly says those meetings are effective, but back in this car this Democrat with conservative constituents says what he really needs is better leadership from the president.

CONNOLLY: We need Obama to maybe put aside the cool, cerebral part of himself. We need a more passionate Obama who can directly articulate to Americans why we need health care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Now, Congressman Connolly, like many other Democrats from conservative districts, think his party's health care proposal taxes too much and doesn't do enough to cut health care costs long term. And, Tony, he told me that he really hopes the president will start engaging in the details that divide his own party. He said he wants him to "roll up his sleeves and cut a deal."

HARRIS: Yes. It is -- but it is hard. I tell you, the more that we stay entrenched in this story, the more difficult it is. And we'll see where it goes next week.

Dana, appreciate it. Thank you.

BASH: Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: The largest wildfire in Los Angeles County's history intentionally set, and now a homicide case. Two firefighters died battling the fire, and at one point more than 10,000 residents were told to flee the flames. About 232 square miles have burned since it erupted August 26th.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: So, the latest jobless numbers don't look so good. I'm going to talk to members of the CNNMoney team about where we're headed from here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Almost 15 million Americans are looking for a job and can't find one. The Labor department says the August unemployment rate climbed to 9.7 percent.

What's behind those numbers?

Let's ask "YOUR $$$$$" co-host Christine Romans at the New York business desk, and Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi. He is on the road in Madison, Wisconsin.

Good to see you both. Let's work on it a bit.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Got it.

HARRIS: Christine, let's start with you. Walk us through those numbers, what they really mean. Drill down sectors, help us understand this report.

ROMANS: Well, first of all, 14.9 million people in the labor market are looking for work. Hundreds of thousands of more have simply dropped out because they got discouraged after looking for a year and couldn't find it. And Tony, when you add up everybody who wants a full-time job, ready, willing and able to work a full-time job, but they don't have one, it's more than 25 million Americans. So, these are big numbers here.

We know that the pace of the job losses are slowing, and that's when you use a microscope at these numbers, that's what people like to look at. They say, look, at the beginning of the year we had 700,000 thousand people who lost their job in January. Now we have 216,000 who lost their job in August. That's the least number of people losing a job in almost a year.

HARRIS: That number is going to get lost, Christine. You know that number, which is a positive number in terms of a trend...

Ali, do you agree with me, that number is going to get lost in the reporting.

ROMANS: In the 9.7 percent.

HARRIS: Yes!

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is, but it is the one number that's probably more important to us. We need to see fewer and fewer jobs lost as we go along. And the influence of that number is huge in America, where we're driving around.

You know, we're on a college campus here in Wisconsin. It's a lot more hopeful.

Students are here getting an education. They think that that's going to lead to some sort of financial success in their lives. But along the road in those towns that I stopped at and I've talked to you in the course of the week, the jobs issue is the one that is most punishing to people. They understand that the real estate market is settling in with low interest rates. They understand the stock market has come back to some degree and still has a long way to go, but it's possibly moving in the right direction.

The jobs market is still not moving in the right direction. And that's the one that's influencing the purchasing decisions that people make and their lifestyles.

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: So, that is definitely the one we have to look at.

HARRIS: All right. And Christine -- and then to Ali -- even after the recession is officially declared over by all of the data that really matters to you guys, many of the jobs that have been shed in this recession will never come back as employers work us harder and pay us less.

Tell me where I'm yong there.

Christine, you first.

ROMANS: Well, I hope you're wrong. But, Tony, something really crazy has been happening in the labor market over the past not just few years, but 10 years, 15 years.

We are seeing a situation where it's easier because of globalization to simply switch a job out someplace else if it's a cheaper labor market. And we have seen that happening in spades.

You're already hearing labor economists talk about, if there are going to be new jobs created, maybe a company is going to take a risk on a facility, expanding a facility they have someplace else across the world instead of expanding it here. You're hearing people talk about that.

We also know -- Ali and I love to talk about this -- productivity.

HARRIS: Yes.

ROMANS: You know, they're squeezing more work out of you. You're doing your former colleagues' jobs. You're worried about losing your job. You're doing -- your productivity is up about 6.6 percent.

Do you think that employers are going to say when the recession's over, OK, everybody, go back to your jobs, relax, we're going to hire all those people back? If you're being more productive now, you're going to be expected to be more productive when things turn around.

HARRIS: Ali, jump in on this. VELSHI: But I do want to give one shameless plug to watch "YOUR $$$$$" this weekend, Saturday at 1:00 and Sunday at 3:00 Eastern, because actually are talking to a man who has been manufacturing a hair straightening irons. I think that's what' they're called, because you and I don't need one, Tony.

ROMANS: I brought one.

VELSHI: And he is going to bring back his manufacturing facility to the United States. He's going to start making these things. They will cost more, but he's going to start making them in the United States.

So, there are some people, a minority of people, who think that there can still be a manufacturing base in this country and it can actually grow, believe it or not.

HARRIS: All right. One last quick one. Here we go.

VELSHI: All right.

HARRIS: Employers are taking advantage of the bad economy to cut more jobs, Christine, than necessary, delaying hiring until the very last moment.

ROMANS: Right.

HARRIS: Hiring part-timers before full-timers, contractors before even part-timers. Thereby, avoiding the benefits obligations of hiring full-time people. And that's not going to change...

VELSHI: Yes.

HARRIS: ... short term, mid-term, long term.

Christine, then Ali.

ROMANS: They don't want to hire a bunch of people and then have the economy slip again, they've got to fire a bunch of people again. They want to be careful.

They start with temporary workers, they start with contractors, they start with part-time workers. That happens every single time.

And so, when you start to see that hiring increase, that, in a weird way, is a positive sign. Because eventually, loyalty always pays out more. They want to have their own loyal staff. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

HARRIS: Ali, your turn.

VELSHI: I do worry, though, about the shift. And again, it's not just this recession, but we've seen a shift towards employers hiring people where they don't have to pay them benefits, short of full time or contract work, and I do think you're going to see a lot more of that. And that's an important thing to think about in this health care debate. You might not be put out of a job, you may just not be in a job that has benefits in the next few years.

HARRIS: Christine, when is the show on this weekend?

ROMANS: Yes, it's Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00. And neither one of you guys need this flattening iron, do you?

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: You had to go -- oh, you couldn't help yourself, could you?

Thank you both.

ROMANS: Yes, but you can hear about this guy who is bringing the jobs back to America. It's a very interesting interview, Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00.

HARRIS: Don't try to turn it into a legitimate pitch. Don't even try it.

Christine, appreciate it.

Ali, as always, thank you.

The White House is going to start revealing who visits the executive mansion.

Let's get to our stop stories now.

A key to who may be trying to influence the president. We'll learn more. The opening of the visitors' list comes after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed several lawsuits.

Two transmission towers at KRKO Radio in Everett, Washington, came down overnight. Heavy equipment was used to topple the towers. The station's general manager told The Associated Press that a sign left at the scene says "ELF," which possibly stands for Earth Liberation Front, the hard-line environmental group.

Michael Jackson finally laid to rest. His family and about 200 of their closest friends were there. Elizabeth Taylor was among the mourners. Jackson was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.

We will get another check of our top stories in about 20 minutes.

New developments on the issue of private contractors in Afghanistan. We are bringing you the latest information.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Ten private security guards accused of wrongdoing at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan have been fired or resigned. They are leaving Kabul today.

Look at these images of the contractors. Naked orgies, hazing parties, and other humiliating activities prompted an investigation.

Now, the allegations against them came to light earlier this week when the watchdog group Project on Government Oversight sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The guards worked for the company ArmorGroup North America.

Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, a NATO airstrike on a pair of hijacked fuel tankers killed more than 90 people. Many of the dead were civilians who had rushed to the scene to collect fuel. NATO says the military believed there were no civilians near the trucks at the time of the strike. Officials learned afterward that was not the case.

The president wants to talk to schoolchildren. The whole idea has touched off a political firestorm. We're going to find out what's got so many so upset.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Another reminder for you to go to cnnmoney.com for the latest financial news and analysis. Our Money team doing a fantastic job. And I tell you what, probably more analysis on the August jobs report. You probably won't find a better breakdown on the numbers anywhere than at cnnmoney.com.

Let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange now. Just a little past three hours into the trading day. And a nice rally for stocks. The Dow is up 81 points. Anyone with NASDAQ numbers? The tech-heavy NASDAQ sector? All right, we are going to follow the numbers throughout the day for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Vice President Joe Biden has just announced a $500 million federal loan guarantee going to a California company that makes solar panels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today that we've closed a $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra. More than $500 million. This is the first in what the secretary's going to be announcing, the Department of Energy will be making available, for more than $30 billion in loan guarantees the recovery act is providing and will provide to American companies that are leading the way to a new, clean energy future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, this is the first time since the 1980s that the Department of Energy has given a loan. The money will be part of the $787 billion stimulus package.

Almost 15 million Americans are out of work. The Labor Department says 216,000 jobs were lost last month. That puts the nation's unemployment rate at 9.7 percent.

A NATO spokeswoman tells CNN, civilians were among the more than 90 people killed today in a NATO air strike in Afghanistan. The strike was aimed at a pair of fuel tankers that had been hijacked by militants. NATO says it didn't know civilians were there collecting fuel.

The largest fire in the history of Los Angeles County is now a homicide investigation. More on this story coming up in just a minute, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So the White House cause it a back-to-school pep talk. But a plan by President Obama to deliver a television and web address to students has set off a new controversy with critics. So what is this all about? Joining us to push past the headlines, Frederick Hess. He is a resident scholar and director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

And thanks for being here.

Also, Charles Saylors. He's the president of the National PTA.

All right, gentlemen, let's figure this thing out here.

Frederick, what's your view of the president's planned talk to students next week? Good idea? Bad idea? Take it away.

FREDERICK HESS, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: Sure. I think the talk itself is fine. No problem with a president giving a pep talk to the nation's children. The nation's first African-American president, who can speak so powerfully and movingly about the importance of education, certainly in a position to do a lot of good.

At least for me, the real concerns are in the way the speech has been marketed by the U.S. Department of Education, the materials that were produced to complement the speech, and really some of the concerns that raises about the way that the department has moved forward in an era when they have so many resources and are playing such an unprecedented role in shaping American schools.

HARRIS: What about the marketing? Help me drill down. What about the marketing bothers you?

HESS: Sure. So, for instance, the secretary of education's letter about the speech was careful to note in the context of his letter the president's efforts on health care, the president's efforts on the economic front, involvement of the United States in two wars abroad. I think fair-minded skeptics could be allowed to wonder whether or not the president's remarks were going to venture into these grounds or not.

HARRIS: Yes.

HESS: And the department didn't do a terrific job of explaining exactly how it would respect the delicate lines at play here.

HARRIS: Charles, what do you think?

CHARLES SAYLORS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL PTA: Well, when all is said and done, we're not going to know exactly what is said until it is said. You know, we have an opportunity here in the United States for parents, teachers and students to take part in a tremendous civics lesson, you know. When my child goes to school on Tuesday and sees this presentation and if he has opinions or comments about it that I may disagree with, it gives me, as a parent, an opportunity to engage my child and discuss the pros and cons of the presentation. To me, that's what's sad and what's been politicized that's being washed over, if you will, an opportunity here. To me personally . . .

HARRIS: Well, yes.

SAYLORS : To me personally, this should be something that's an ongoing, every-year opportunity, that the president of the United States, regardless of political affiliation, should be able to have a presentation and have a pep talk, if you will, to America's students because we need to be talking about . . .

HARRIS: Well, let me -- let me -- Charles, let me let Frederick get in here. He was smirking just a bit there. What are you thinking as you hear Charles thinking about this being a regular, maybe yearly pep talk at the beginning of the school year for students?

HESS: Actually, it wasn't intended as a smirk. As a former high school teacher -- it was more of a smile.

HARRIS: Oh, good, good, good.

HESS: At the beginning of the school year, of course, a lot of teachers and a lot of districts are wrestling with a whole bunch of obligations. They might have mixed feelings about trying to work in a presidential address.

I think Charles' larger point is right. I think having a president, particularly a president whom has succeed so magnificently through his own educational career, speak to American youth about the importance of education could be all to the good. Again, the question here is not so much the pep talk. I'm sure it will been innocuous and I'm sure it will be eloquent. What I'm concerned about are materials. The U.S. Department of Education had staff on taxpayer time craft materials which asked students, what could they do to help the president.

HARRIS: Yes. Now, that's been tweaked. Right?

HESS: Exactly. So, you know, which actually raises some of the concerns. Given that the Department of Education is playing a much more ambitious role in American schooling than it ever has previously, given the enormous influence being wielded by the secretary through "The Race to the Top," one would like to think they're being particularly sensitive to the notion that they are respecting dissenting views, left or right, on questions of schooling. And I think the fact that nobody caught some of these truly problematic provisions just raises concerns about whether or not they're asleep at the switch.

HARRIS: Right. So -- and at the very least you've raised the concerns. The concerns have been addressed. We don't have much of a debate here, do we, Charles? I mean, come on. Frederick, we don't have much of a debate here.

SAYLORS: I would certainly hope not. I mean I would certainly hope not. I mean, as a school board member in my hometown and as a parent of two children in school currently, I can certainly understand that if a parent has a concern about this particular presentation, it should be their right and their responsibility to opt out of the process. But the greater good is, we should be doing this as an annual event. We shouldn't be criticizing an effort to try to be aggressive in bringing our children up to be better in school, to not drop out of high school, to -- and work better in the classroom.

HARRIS: Charles -- yes. Charles, I can't let you filibuster. We've got agreement here. We've got -- in the broad principles, we've got agreement here. So, no filibustering. We're done. We're moving on. We've settled it right here.

Gentlemen, appreciate it. Have a great weekend. Thank you both.

HESS: Thank you much.

SAYLORS: Thank you very much for the time.

HARRIS: My pleasure.

President Obama gives his back-to-school speech Tuesday at noon. We will have live coverage and reaction right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Make-or-break debates over health care reform revving up again in Congress next week when lawmakers get back to work. People on both sides of the issue are crisscrossing the country to get their message out. We bring you both sides. First, a look at those voicing strong opposition to the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready for a Tea Party?

CROWD: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see the things that the Obama administration, the Democratic Congress are doing as really threatening the future of this country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe he's trouncing the Constitution.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Question everything our government is doing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's something happening. We don't know quite what it is. But it's happening. And people who ordinarily wouldn't turn out to the streets to protest are turning out to the streets to protest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the sleeping giant that has been awakened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Afroleninism (ph) coming to you on a silver platter, Barack Hussein Obama. He ain't my president, people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How dare they give tens of trillions of dollars to banks and it's the people who caused the trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels very grassroots to me and I love that quality.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some are feeling that they're losing control of the government, that the government's taken over control, that we're headed towards socialism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't want this to be a communist, socialist nation. That's what our troops died for is so we would not be enslaved by the Nazis or the communists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have the right for the government not to control my health care and my right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I have the right -- and I have the right to disagree with you, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like the person, they're going to say, take a pill and go die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, Mr. Reid, Miss Pelosi, support our troops in the United States military!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I singing it all night long, "you ain't nothing but a hound dog" Obama, telling us all these lies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Wow. All right. Now for a look at the other side. Some of president's former campaign people are involved in the push for health insurance reform. Here's our Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like an Obama campaign flashback, except for one thing, no Obama. Instead of a candidate to sell, there's a message, scrawled on the side of this bus, "health insurance reform now." The president's former campaign, now rolled into the DNC and called Organizing for America, is driving coast to coast looking for people like podiatrist Tanisha Richmond. A doctor who, get this, doesn't have her own health insurance. Her practice is so small, she says, she can't afford it.

DR. TANISHA RICHMOND, PODIATRIST: Well, I opted out because I couldn't afford to pay for my medications, my doctors' visits, and then also pay the premium for the health insurance.

ACOSTA: We boarded the Organizing for America bus to find a small team of political operatives, led by Obama campaign veteran Jeremy Bird. He insists the campaign is different this time.

JEREMY BIRD, DEP. DIRECTOR, ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA: When you compare the campaign to Organizing for America or this, it's apples to oranges. We are talking about . . .

ACOSTA (on camera): Really? Even with the Obama logo on the bus, barackobama.com on the bus? Really?

BIRD: Yes. Because what you're talking about is we're working on an issue in the off year and it shouldn't be compared to the campaign.

ACOSTA (voice-over): And there's something else about the bus. It says "insurance reform," not "health care reform." And there's no mention of the public option, the reform proposal that would give Americans the choice of joining a government insurance program.

BIRD: The public option is one component. But what we want to focus on is the whole package, which is we're going to cut costs. We're gong to cut costs for small businesses. We're going to cut costs for individuals, for families.

ACOSTA: Organizing for America is in a race of dueling buses. The conservative Tea Party Express is crossing the country with its own rallies against the reform plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They want to make us a socialist state.

BARBARA JONES, TEA PARTY ACTIVIST: We're the sleeping giant that has been awakened. I mean we're the silent majority that is no longer silent.

ACOSTA: But Democrats contend there is another sleeping giant that's just waking up. The one that put President Obama in the White House. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio argues the fight is far from finished.

SEN. SHERROD BROWN, (D) OHIO: I think the president needs to step forward, be more specific, more aggressively -- aggressively fight for a strong health care bill, a strong public option. I think he's going to do that.

ACOSTA (on camera): Can you support Democratic efforts for health care reform without a public option?

BROWN: I don't know.

ACOSTA: You're not sure?

BROWN: I'm not sure.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: And a reminder, the president resets his strategy on health insurance reform next week. And you can see his address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night. Also analysis from the best political team on television at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Orphaned, alone and far from home. They are known as the lost boys. It is just one of the stories we're following that matters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Historically, black colleges and universities, it's what we're talking about in our "What Matters" segment in partnership with "Essence" magazine. President Obama declared this National HBCU Week. The distinction comes as these schools face growing state and federal budget cuts that could threaten their very existence. Although black schools make up only 3 percent of U.S. colleges, they account for about 20 percent of bachelors degrees awarded to African-Americans. The schools produced such prominent alumni as Booker T. Washington and Thurgood Marshall.

Blacks and other minorities are getting hit extra hard by swine flu. A recent study in Chicago find blacks are four times more likely to be hospitalized for swine flu than whites. Latinos are also at higher risk. CDC officials say it is too early to draw any conclusions from the numbers. They say conditions such as asthma and diabetes may make minorities more susceptible to the H1N1 virus.

To Africa now where Sudan's bloody civil war has left many children orphaned and wandering alone, spread across the continent and beyond. They are known as the lost boys. Robyn Curnow has one young man's story of survival and sorrow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nestled beneath the footbridge leading to a Pretoria train station is this makeshift shop, where 25-year-old Aher Arop Bol sells sweets, cigarettes and phone calls. A dusty sanctuary offering stability for one of Sudan's so- called lost boys. From the ages of three to 18, Bol says he traveled more than 4,000 miles, crossing eight African countries without a passport.

Relying on the kindness of strangers, refugee camps and their own wits, he and thousands of other small children, mostly boys, were fleeing from the violence of southern Sudan. Bol ended up in South Africa. Other boys scattered across the world. He keeps in touch with them via the Internet and his FaceBook networking sites. For many of them, their tribe of lost boys is the only family they have left.

CURNOW (on camera): And he's in Norway?

AHER AROP BOL, SUDAN WAR REFUGEE: He's in Norway.

CURNOW: And you're in South Africa.

BOL: And I'm in South Africa.

CURNOW: All of you sort of lost boys are scattered around the world, aren't you?.

BOL: All over the world. And even -- a lot of them are from different areas.

CURNOW: Where are most of them based now?

BOL: Most of them based in America.

CURNOW: America.

CURNOW (voice-over): Growing up with these other Sudanese boys on the road, friends, who are now men, all of them forced to fend for themselves without parents or adult guidance, has made Bol determined to guide and support his younger brothers, who he only met in 2002. He proudly sends them to school in Uganda with the proceeds from his small shop. And in the evenings, he's studying for a law degree. With so little money to spare, he's struggling to pay for the university degree he so desperately wants.

So, he wrote a book about his experiences, hoping that could finance his education, and exocise (ph) the horrors of his childhood. It's a harrowing, but inspiring story of a kid in Africa who traveled so far just to find peace.

But his luck turned the day after we filmed here. Police raided these roadside shops, confiscating the trader's stock, including all of Bol's sweets and cigarettes, which he admits were illegal. Once again, he has nothing and must figure out how he is to survive the perils of poverty alone.

Robyn Curnow, CNN, Pretoria, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: I got a question for you. Are you tired of the whole "I'm right, you're wrong" debate over everything?

Kyra, I think we have found something that just about all of us can agree on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, well, well. Here is a story to inspire you. Got to tell you, with all of the gnashing of teeth in our national debate these days, this is a story we can all rally around. There she is. A 17-year-old rising tennis star's triumph at the U.S. Open. Melanie Oudin of Marietta, Georgia, defeated Elena Dementieva yesterday.

Now, Dementieva is a fabulous player. She was a favorite to win The Open until the Marietta mauler went to work. Got to tell you, the teeny, teeny Oudin is ranked 70th in the world. Dementieva the number four seed. Oudin's determination can be summed up with the word stamped on her shoe, "believe." Her next challenge, that woman right there, a third-round match against Maria Sharapova. Way to go, Melanie.

We are pushing forward with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with a woman with a pretty powerful forehand in her own right, Kyra Phillips.