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Critical Health Care Speech; Tribute to Walter Cronkite; Bankruptcies Surge in 2009
Aired September 09, 2009 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is Wednesday, September 9th, 09-09- 09. Hmm.
The faces of the stories driving the headlines in the CNN NEWSROOM for you.
President Obama -- a crucial address to Congress and the American people tonight. Can he save plans to overhaul the way we get medical treatment?
Major Augustus Brown, an Army surgeon on the job in Afghanistan. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports from a war zone hospital.
And Melanie Oudin, a Cinderella on the court. The biggest match of her young tennis career comes tonight at the U.S. Open.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
In the CNN NEWSROOM, we quickly get you caught up on the days hot headlines, and then we take the time to break down the big issues to find out why they really matter.
Leading the way this hour, a critical speech on health care. President Obama travels from the White House to Capitol Hill this evening in hopes of resuscitating his plans for health care reform. Aides say the president will spell out what he wants in the legislation.
Live reports from White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux and Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar just ahead.
Police say a bone fragment found near the home of sex offender Phillip Garrido is probably human. Investigators dug it up near the yard where Jaycee Dugard was held captive for 18 years. California officials are conducting more DNA tests on the bone. They need to determine if the man accused of kidnapping and raping Dugard is responsible for other crimes.
Our Larry King spoke to TV's Judge Judy about the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE JUDY: The thing that should outrage people is that he was out of prison. The safety of the community is our primary responsibility. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Garrido and his wife, Nancy, have pleaded not guilty to rape and kidnapping charges.
Live pictures of a memorial service under way for broadcasting legend Walter Cronkite, who died in July. President Obama among the dignitaries paying tribute at the ceremony in New York's Lincoln Center at this hour. Sir Howard Stringer, former chairman, I believe, of CBS News, speaking right now.
We will bring you the president's remarks live.
Cronkite anchored CBS nightly news from 1962 to 1981. He was known as the most trusted man in America.
Let's now focus on the critical issue of health care reform. A House Democrat says tonight could be a game-changer. One analyst says it may be the toughest speech President Obama has faced. The president goes before a joint session of Congress tonight trying to revive a health care reform effort that is in some quarters on life support.
White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux and Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar begin our live coverage this hour.
And Brianna, let's start with you.
A very important meeting on health care is either under way or about to get under way. What can you tell us about it?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, right now meeting with all of the Democrats on this committee. As you know, Tony, he's been talking now for months with a smaller group from this committee, a bipartisan group that we have begun calling the "Gang of 6," who have been working to find some bipartisan agreement on a health care overhaul.
And actually, this is Senator Kent Conrad, who is there at the stakeout as we speak. Not sure what he's saying at this point, but really anything that's coming out of this room and out of this Gang of 6, Tony, is certainly newsmaking.
I don't know if you want to listen to some of that.
HARRIS: Yes, I would love to. I echo your point here. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. KENT CONRAD (D), NORTH DAKOTA: Look, the president's job is to push because work expands to fill the time. And if he doesn't push, things tend to drift. But this idea that there's a drop-dead day or hour is absolutely counterproductive to doing something that is critically important. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys, we've got to go. No, we've got to go.
HARRIS: All right.
And Brianna, what we heard there was interesting, this idea that there is some drop-dead time date for getting the negotiations wrapped up was interesting, because we know that the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, wants some kind of an agreement on a proposal that he floated a couple days ago at some point today. Correct?
KEILAR: Yes. And sources have told us that's the case.
Senator Chuck Grassley told us this was the goal of Senator Baucus. And some sources have told us that Senator Baucus was essentially ready to cut bait if he wasn't going to go fishing today, if there wasn't going to be a bipartisan agreement.
But that was Senator Kent Conrad, also a Democrat. And he's been saying this all along, Tony -- do not rush us.
I have to say, much to the chagrin of some of the Democratic leaders. But he's really been pushing back on any deadline. So, he's basically saying, look, we don't have to get this done before President Obama's speech tonight, and it's counterproductive for there to be suggestions that we do.
HARRIS: Yes.
KEILAR: So, what are they talking about in this meeting? A source familiar with these discussions tells us Senator Baucus will be telling these Democrats about the proposal that he gave this Gang of 6, this bipartisan group. He's going to talk about the offer that he made. He's going to be talking to them about how he's going to be moving forward.
Is he going to talk about some of these proposed changes that have come from Republicans and maybe also Democrats? There was a deadline for 10:00 a.m. this morning for that, as you know, Tony. We're not sure he's going to be talking about that during this meeting, but there is another one this afternoon we're going to be watching especially carefully at 3:30 p.m., where he reconvenes with that small group, that Gang of 6.
HARRIS: OK, Brianna. Stay there for just a second.
Where is Suzanne?
Suzanne, if you would, hang on for just a second, because I'm just getting word that we have got some sound in that we want to play for everyone from House Minority Leader John Boehner.
And then, Brianna, if you would, react to this.
Let's play the sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), MINORITY LEADER: We welcome the president to the Capitol tonight, and we look forward to hearing what he has to say. But a question I have is, has the president been listening to the American people? I think the American people have made it pretty clear that they don't really want another lecture, they want a new plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: All right.
And let's do this, Suzanne. It tees you up perfectly here. Give us a sense of the tone and the substance of what we are likely to hear from the president tonight.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Tony.
Well, I had a chance to speak with Robert Gibbs this morning and, essentially, this is going to be a real aggressive case that the president is going to make, and he's going to make a number of points, partly for Republicans, as well as Democrats. A lot of what he's going to talk about is this public option, this government alternative to private insurance companies, and he's going to try to explain it in a way that people understand, that they get it.
For instance, he is going to talk about that if you are a small business owner, and you're going to try to get insurance for yourself and your family, there may be situations where you are rejected by a private insurance company. You would have this public option to turn to.
Now, there are a lot of people who are afraid of losing their own insurance, so he's also going to say this public option, although it's critical to this particular group, mostly doesn't affect a lot of other people, the 180 million people who get their insurance through their employer, or people who get it through the VA or Medicaid, things like that. So, he's going to spell it out so that White House aides say it's not like the bogeyman. You know, this kind of idea of a public option. That is really to help some of these Democrats and the liberals come along.
He's also going to offer something to the Republicans -- medical malpractice reform, the fact that so many doctors say they end up prescribing more procedures and tests and things like this that aren't necessary because they're worried about being sued, and that that costs a lot of money. So, he's going to say that that whole system needs to be reformed. That's a big nod to Republicans, as well as to doctors, who have been looking for that kind of nod from this president.
It is going to be conciliatory in a way. He's still seeking consensus.
I want you to take a listen. This is Robert Gibbs earlier today on whether or not the president is going to draw a line in the sand. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I don't think the president is going to get into outlining a series of veto threats. I think what the president is going to do is put forward his ideas for health care reform, try to bring Democrats and Republicans together to get something done this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Tony, the president is still open for negotiations. He has been on the phone.
Brianna said Senator Max Baucus, who is critical to that Gang of Six, he talked to Max Baucus yesterday. He's going to be on the phone again with him today. He is still open to ideas.
So, he's trying to show the American people he's got some specific ideas, but he also still wants to try to see if they can work this out amongst them. I asked about a timetable. Robert Gibbs only said until the end of the year, he's still hoping for some sort of health care reform legislation.
He is not writing his own legislation. I asked Gibbs about that. And the way he put it, he said, "Well, I'm not going to send up 1,400 pages of legalese to the Congress." We want them to try to kind of work this out and take the best ideas from the president, as well as the Congress.
HARRIS: Yes. That's terrific.
All right, ladies. Let's leave it there. We'll get another opportunity to talk later this hour, certainly next hour.
Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill. And at the White House, Suzanne Malveaux.
Ladies, appreciate it. Thank you.
And of course we invite you to join the conversation as well on our blog. What do you want to hear from the president tonight when he goes before a joint session of Congress to talk about his health plan?
Once again, here's the address, CNN.com/Tony.
And of course we will bring you the president's primetime speech on health care reform live. Again, his address before the joint session off Congress begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern with the best political team right here on CNN.
More and more of you are filing, sadly, for bankruptcy. Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is in the house with us to talk about that.
But first, let's look at the numbers on Wall Street. As you can see, the Dow has been up for most of the morning and up at this moment. The Dow up 31 points.
We are following these numbers throughout the morning, throughout the day, even, with Susan Lisovicz, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Want to take you very quickly now to New York City and the memorial service under way right now, this hour, for broadcasting news legend Walter Cronkite. You're looking at Nick Clooney. He, of course, is the father of actor George Clooney.
A long, long time ago, Nick Clooney was really a superstar news anchor in the Cincinnati market, also a columnist for one of the local papers there, as well. Nick Clooney remembers his friend, Walter Cronkite.
We are waiting for the remarks from President Barack Obama. When those begin, of course we'll take you back to New York.
Bankruptcy filings are surging this year, closing in on the one million mark. And it's -- wow, it's just September.
Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is here.
And Gerri, you told us how many months now to keep an eye on this number? Because it's going to be big. And here we are, just about a million, September.
What states have been hit the hardest so far?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, they're up 22 percent, which is a huge number, as you know. Let's drill down and look at those states with the highest filings.
Look at Nevada. It's huge. And obviously it's the foreclosure problem there that is really driving these bankruptcies. You lose your home, you probably lost your job. It's just a swirl of problems.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
WILLIS: Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana -- of course, these are filings per 1,000 people. So, they basically get rid of the idea if you're a large state with a large population, therefore you have a lot of bankruptcies. Otherwise, California would probably lead that list.
But, you know, a lot of people out there suffering. Those bankruptcies starting to get back to the levels of when bankruptcy law made it much easier to file bankruptcy, so we're seeing really coming up.
HARRIS: Well, what is it that people should consider before filing for bankruptcy? Because this is huge here.
WILLIS: Well, there are consequences.
HARRIS: Yes. WILLIS: Big-time consequences. For example, it obviously is on your credit record for seven to 10 years. It's obviously a big black mark on your credit score. And of course it hurts you when you go to look for a job.
If you have a job that requires a high level of security, you could be in big trouble. And you still have to make payments on your mortgage or your car loan in most cases. So, there are big-time consequences that follows you, dogs you, really, for a really long time.
HARRIS: And Gerri, how do you know if you really should consider this option of bankruptcy? How do you know?
WILLIS: Well, OK, I'm going to give you a rule of thumb, because people like that.
You know, if you're wonder, should I be filing today? If you have more debt than it would take you to pay off in five years, then you should be thinking about bankruptcy. Really, this should be a last resort. This is not the first thing you want to do.
Remember, there are some debts that are excluded from bankruptcy. So, if you have student loans, you're paying some kind of marital support, those things you're still going to have to pay. And, of course, if you have investments of any sort, CDs, stocks, mutual funds, you name it, that's all going to be available to creditors to help pay off your debt.
But Tony, I should say that if you have a 401(k), an IRA, they usually don't break into that. So, that kind of thing is safe.
But I really think the takeaway here is if you are in trouble right now, if you're really worried, you think you might have to go into bankruptcy, get a credit counselor first. Try to work out your debts. You can always call your creditors and say, hey, I really want to work out a plan here. Try to pay down this debt instead of going all of the way to bankruptcy, because that follows you for five to 10 years.
HARRIS: Right.
And give everyone the address again if they want to send you e- mail questions.
WILLIS: Gerri@cnn.com. Make sure you send us your e-mails. We love to answer your questions every Friday right here with Tony.
HARRIS: Well, it is so cool to have you back here in Atlanta. I know you're working on something huge that we can't really talk about. Top secret...
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIS: I'm not telling you anything off the record ever again. HARRIS: Because I work in front of a camera and I blab everything. But on Friday, more of your exclusive interview with Elmo right here...
WILLIS: Very exciting.
HARRIS: ... in the CNN NEWSROOM.
WILLIS: I'm telling you, fantastic.
HARRIS: I can't wait.
WILLIS: What a news source.
HARRIS: I can't wait for it. Thanks, Gerri. Appreciate it.
WILLIS: Thank you.
HARRIS: Other news we're following this morning.
You know, U.S. Marshals are right now preparing Bernard Madoff's boats and homes in Florida and Manhattan for sale. CNNMoney takes a tour of the properties and the boat with an elevator. You can see it all at CNNMoney.com.
Tom Brokaw speaking now at the memorial service for Walter Cronkite. Let's listen in for just a bit of the flavor of Tom Brokaw's remarks.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
TOM BROKAW, FORMER NBC ANCHOR: I was personally a witness to that. As a teenager in the remote reaches of the Great Plains, I didn't see television until I was 15 years old, and it was a small black and white set in the corner of our dining room. But it changed my life, because in many ways, Walter Cronkite and all of those early pioneers lifted a lamp and showed us the wider world, and allowed us to understand it more clearly and coherently, and in some cases to leave those places and to come here.
In the past several weeks there have been so many testimonials to Walter's long and storied career, his passion for the highest standards of journalism, his love of the sea and sailing, his enthusiasm for being Walter Cronkite, for having the good life that he earned and so richly deserved. There's little that I can add to all of that.
Instead, today I would like to remember another character of this man who was born in Missouri, educated in Texas, who lived in the world and grew up to be the most trusted man in America by a vote of his countrymen. I would like to commemorate his capacity for friendship that transcended cultures, generations and, yes, even competitive lines.
We're witness to that in this remarkable gathering today in this room and across the country, of course, not just in the famous faces and the big names. To the end of his life, Walter also had time for a call or even lunch with the foot soldiers of CBS News who were long removed from his daily needs. And of course there were those legendary friendships that went beyond the workday.
His University of Texas classmate, Eli Wallach, the great actor, is with us here today.
(APPLAUSE)
My colleague and great friend, the great...
HARRIS: All right. Why don't we do this -- because we want to squeeze in a little bit more of the day's news ahead of the remarks at this memorial service from President Obama. We'll break away for now as you take a look at Andy Rooney on the screen there now.
We'll break away for just a few moments and get you back to the memorial service for Walter Cronkite when President Obama begins his remarks. And let's see if we -- and maybe sneak in a couple of top stories for you.
The Supreme Court right now is rehearing what may turn out to be a landmark case on campaign finance law, specifically whether to ease restrictions on the ways corporations and unions spend money to sway voters. The case centers on a 90-minute film about then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
I told you, you need to watch this program every day, because I told you a week ago to keep this young woman on your radar. And now Melanie Oudin is moving to primetime.
Our Larry Smith joins us with more on this rising tennis sensation. There he is.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A feisty teen taking the tennis world by storm at just the right moment. Huh? Think about it -- the U.S. Open, September, New York.
Melanie Oudin is the one to watch. And this is coming from a man who loves Roger Federer.
The 17-year-old Georgia girl takes center stage tonight at the Open this evening. Can you imagine? She plays for a spot in the semifinals.
Larry Smith spoke to Oudin before she headed to the U.S. Open.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Serena and Venus Williams may be America's most famous tennis players, but Melanie Oudin has created all the buzz at the U.S. Open. The 17-year- old from Marietta, Georgia, started hitting balls at age 7, but her quest for greatness intensified. And by the seventh grade, she decided to become homeschooled.
MELANIE OUDIN, TENNIS PLAYER: It was to play more and to not get in trouble for missing so many days of school because of tournaments, because I wasn't allowed to. And I wanted to play tournaments, so I had to start homeschooling. And the amount of improvement that I got in that first year homeschooling was unbelievable.
SMITH: Oudin's focus on tennis improved her game, but didn't come without sacrifice. Like any teenager would, Melanie misses hanging out with her friends. But she also misses the bond she shared with her twin sister, Katherine.
OUDIN: We've always been close since we were little, but I think now we definitely -- we've drifted a little bit apart from each other just because I'm gone a lot. And then she's got different friends than I do and different interests and stuff. But we're both happy for each other.
SMITH: Oudin turned pro last year and received her first taste of fame two months ago after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. But that pales in comparison to what she's experiencing now.
On Monday, at the racket club where Oudin trains, Melanie's friends and fans watched her become the youngest American to advance to the U.S. Open Quarter Finals since Serena Williams in 1999.
TURHAN BERNE, MELAINE OUDIN SUPPORTER: She's as nice as she can be. She's the best sport, and she's a champion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Such a close match every time, but every time she pulls it off. And it's just great because you see her here every day, so dedicated, always working out.
SMITH: With Oudin's queue (ph) rating on the rise, her coach of eight years, Brian De Villiers, is intent on keeping her humble.
BRIAN DE VILLIERS, MELANIE OUDIN'S COACH: This weekend we were laying sod and doing yard work. I made her come and do it. I make her do everything the other kids do. She's no prima donna. You know, she has to understand, hey, this is your club, you help make it look good.
SMITH: That said, if Oudin wins the U.S. Open, she's pretty sure De Villiers will let her slide on eating one of her favorite things.
OUDIN: I love ice cream, and I can't really eat it that much when I'm playing tennis. So, I enjoy it on my off-season, but...
SMITH (on camera): So, you're counting down the days until your first ice cream cone? How many more days until you can get into that?
OUDIN: A lot. I mean, if I win the U.S. Open, I'm sure my coach will let me have an ice cream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: She cannot be that sweet. You've said it five different times here. She is that sweet.
SMITH: She's a great kid. She really is.
We spent probably two hours with her and her coach and her practice partners. She's a fantastic young lady.
Let me tell you something. Here's the thing you have to understand. Her coach, Brian De Villiers, I asked him point blank, "Why don't we see more American tennis players atop the rankings? Why is that?
HARRIS: Yes.
SMITH: He said, "Quite frankly, it's because kids in this society don't want to put the work in." He said the kids in Eastern Europe, they have tennis, that's all they have. Here, if something doesn't work out, OK, I can go to college, or I'll just go...
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: Yes. She has the work ethic. She said, "This is my job. I'm on the court four hours a day." And then another hour on top of that working out. She's very dedicated.
HARRIS: OK. A couple of points here, because we're going to get the bum's rush here in a moment (INAUDIBLE) because maybe I'm going to go long in the segment. I'm just telling you that ahead of time, so stay with me.
She's playing -- is it Carolina Wozniacki tonight?
SMITH: Yes.
HARRIS: All right. This is another sweet kid who was pulled to her last victory by the New York crowd.
Talk about how this stage is set tonight for Oudin, Ashe Stadium, right? Prime time with -- this is a huge moment.
Do you think she's up for this moment tonight?
SMITH: You know, what she's done so far, there's no question. She doesn't beat people with overpowering game and aces, whatever. It's footwork. It's technique. It's hard work.
There's a reason why she can't win this. I mean, can she beat one of the Williams sisters? I don't know if I'd go that far.
HARRIS: No, you went too far.
SMITH: But, can she win this tonight and get in the semifinals with all that? I think that she can.
HARRIS: So, you think she can win tonight?
SMITH: Sure.
HARRIS: All right. On the other side, she's got to play a semi, she's got to get through that.
Do you see her making the final? Because we want to wave this flag. We want to continue to hold (ph) this kid up.
SMITH: Well, here's the thing. This is the greatest story we've seen Jennifer Capriati and the Williams sisters. OK? It's been a decade since we've had a player like this that we could say, wow.
HARRIS: And Tracy Austin, even longer back than that.
SMITH: And even back further. As old as we are, exactly.
HARRIS: Long in the tooth here. Right.
SMITH: But when you talk about that in terms of -- that's why the country has jumped in and jumped behind her. It's such a great story.
She admitted to me three weeks ago -- she said, "I'm going to the Open as an underdog. I'm not the favorite of this."
And yet, even her coach said you're going to have to beat six Russians and a Williams to win this thing. They knew the pressures going in, and so far she's been up to the task. This is why this is so exciting, is because it's in New York, it's right here in our own country. It's one of our own players making this kind of Cinderella story. If you work hard, dreams do come true.
HARRIS: Are you trying to get up there?
SMITH: I will not be in New York. I'll be at her practice, the facility tonight, watching the game there tonight.
HARRIS: This is so much fun.
Larry, good to see you.
SMITH: Good seeing you.
HARRIS: Got to go. I'm in trouble.
President Obama goes to Capitol Hill tonight to make a prime-time pitch for health care reform.
It's your fault, Larry.
We're asking, what do you want to hear? Send us your comments to our blog, CNN.com/Tony.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right, let's rock. Health care, where things stand right now. Tonight, President Obama will press Congress to act on health care insurance reform. The speech is expected to run 30 minutes in length.
A key player in the debate, Senator Max Baucus, is huddling with Finance Committee Democrats right now. He is trying to come up with a compromise bill that will pass in the Senate.
2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin popularized the phrase "death panel" this summer. Despite criticism, she is sticking to it. Palin writes a blistering assessment of Democrats' health care reform plans in today's "Wall Street Journal." Palin says, "The Democrats' proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life-or-death health care matters."
Palin calls for market-oriented, patient-driven reform in her op ed. She says it can be achieved through tax breaks, vouchers, tort reform and undoing some state regulation.
After an angry August, President Obama will try to recapture control of the health care reform debate tonight. Let's look ahead. Nia Henderson is at "Politico" headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and CNN's national political correspondent Jessica Yellin is in New York.
Ladies, good to see you. Thanks for the time. Let's get right at it. Nia, public option or no public option. That seems to be the question right now. What do you think the president will say when he gets to that portion of the speech tonight?
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, "POLITICO": Well, White House sources are essentially saying he's going to come out strong for the public option, but he's not going to draw a line in the sand and say essentially that it's a deal breaker. So, I mean, what we're seeing is, there will be the support but also some wiggle room because the reality is that the public option probably cannot get out of the Senate. So, again, he'll signal to progressives that essentially he's for the public option, but it is in no way a deal breaker (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: Wow. All right. And Jessica, I'm going to come to you in a moment with that -- with your thoughts for this. But here is, Nia, your colleague just yesterday, Jim VandeHei, on this program talking about the public option.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM VANDEHEI, "POLITICO": There's not going to be a public option in this bill. There are not the votes in the House and Senate to get it through. The president knows it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: All right. Jessica, you just heard it from Jim, those comments yesterday. You just heard the same thing from Nia just a moment ago. What's your analysis on where we are?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I agree with Jim that there's not going to be a public option in the Senate version of this bill and that the president will be very clear that he likes it in theory, but it will be a clear indication he can live with a bill that doesn't have it. I'm going to break with conventional wisdom, Tony, though, and say that I don't think this is all about the public option.
I think the most important thing that we have to listen for from the president tonight is how specific he gets about what he wants in this bill. He has acknowledged today in an interview with ABC News that he was too ambiguous leading up to this, and that what he needs to do tonight is be clear about what he stands for. So, what we have to test for is how much of it is rhetoric and how much of it is very specific guidance to Congress about how they should move forward.
HARRIS: Nia, was he too ambiguous?
HENDERSON: Well, as Jessica said, he himself admitted that in the interview this morning. And, yes, he was too ambiguous. And you saw in August that the debate got away from him. It was essentially really dictated by the Republicans and their talking points, whether it was death panels or pulling the plug on grandma, so, he'll try to get specific tonight.
I mean, the question I think really is, how much staying power do speeches actually have? He might be able to move the needle a little bit, but how much is that going to stay? He'll go to a town hall or rally this Saturday and really try to keep the momentum going. But I think the question going forward is, how much staying power speeches can really have in this very divisive environment.
HARRIS: Jess, jump in here.
YELLIN: You know, I think this is one of those instances where, if the president surprises us and if he were to come out very clear with certain -- with specifics, he really could potentially change the debate. The danger here is, he could have staying power. But again, if this speech is a lot of lofty rhetoric, a lot of talk about why we need health care reform without specifics about how to get it done, then I think Nia is right, and this just becomes another speech.
HARRIS: Well, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. We've been talking about this for months now. What specifics can the president come forward with tonight that we haven't talked about ad nauseam on these programs? I mean, what is he going say? Nia, you take that one on first.
HENDERSON: Well, one of the things he's going to -- he's going to kind of give an olive branch to Republicans and talk about medical malpractice and that needing reform. He's also going to make it clear that the public option isn't some sort of boogeyman. It isn't something that everybody's going to have to go on. It's really going to be for a small segment of a population, if there is a sort of public option or even a co-op plan, which is what the language in this Max Baucus bill is.
But I think those are the kind of specifics he'll get down to. And then a general kind of lowering of the rhetoric. And also, just really kind of try to find a center because all of these debates so far have been really dictated by the far left and the far right, so he'll look for a real kind of happy medium here in his language tonight.
HARRIS: Jess, last word to you on this.
YELLIN: Well, Tony, look, the Democrats will agree, even those who are all over the place, all over the map, that 80 percent of health care reform is agreed to. People think that you need to cover more of the uninsured. People on both sides of the aisle think you need to bring down costs. There needs to be insurance reform. The big unknowns the big debate is really over how to pay for it, where to make trims. And that's where we should listen for the president. Does he talk about how to pay for all of this. How clear does he get on it?
HARRIS: Now, that tees this up. All right, Jessica, appreciate it. Nia, thank you as well.
We invite you to join the conversation on our blog. What do you want to hear from the president tonight when he goes before a joint session of Congress to talk about health care reform? Go to CNN.com/tony.
Let's look ahead to our CNN prime-time lineup. The president's address to a joint session of Congress live 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. At 9:00, a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" with reaction and analysis from both sides of the debate. Then, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" "Live from the Battle Zone" in Afghanistan.
Got to tell you, lots of feedback from the president's speech yesterday to kids about education -- 2,700 responses to our blog all about the president's speech yesterday. Producer Tyson Wheatley from cnn.com's iReport desk joining us now. And what are folks saying, Tyson?
TYSON WHEATLEY, CNN.COM PRODUCER: Hey, Tony. Well, we've been hearing a lot actually from parents and students on this issue, really a touchstone issue in the last few days.
Let's start with some images taken by 17-ear-old Stephanie Stoll. She's a senior at McHenry High School in Illinois. She was outside the school protesting yesterday along with dozens of fellow students who were upset that their school was not showing the speech. Now, many of these students watched from their laptops.
We contacted Stephanie's mother, and she said she's proud of her daughter for standing up for what she believes in. She thinks the seniors there should have been allowed to watch since most of them will be of voting age very soon.
Here's another perspective from a mother, Candice Barnhart of Monks Corner, South Carolina, who says she rarely agrees with President Obama, but as a parent and citizen respects his role as commander in chief. Candice let her high school freshman twins, Rebecca (ph) and Alex (ph), pictured here -- they're both 14 -- she let them read the transcript at breakfast and then decide for themselves yesterday whether to watch at school.
Rebecca ended up watching; Alex chose not to. Candice, meanwhile, said she would have preferred a prime-time speech so the parents could have watched it together with their kids.
Melissa Fosley of Yorba Linda, California, did watch the president's speech with her kids. This is her kids right here. The speech was not aired at school. So, she DVR'd it and played it after school. Then she turned the camera on her very adorable fifth-grader. Listen to his reaction to the president's speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the last lines of what he said: Don't let your country down. Don't let your parents down and most importantly don't let you yourself down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHEATLEY: All right, and one more to share with you, Tony. This from a 16-year-old. His name is Alex Yeo. He's a junior at Andover High School in Massachusetts. He says the school did not play the speech but says some of his teachers actually encouraged students to go home, watch it and make up their own minds. And, Tony, that's exactly what Alex did and offered up these thoughts. Let's watch.
HARRIS: Very good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX YEO, CNN IREPORTER: Some of the things he said about responsibility, working hard are things that people like me, who's a junior, I'm going to have to develop those because when I go off to college, my parents won't be there anymore. No matter how much the government does providing us with, like, supplies or paying teachers better or even my parents encouraging us, it is really up to us. And it's time to take grasp of my own future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHEATLEY: All right, Tony. There you have it, a good sampling of what everyone's talking about. A big thank-you to everyone who weighed in on this topic. We encourage you to go to ireport.com. Share your story.
HARRIS: Good stuff, Tyson. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Your money, your job, your credit. The CNN Money Team joining me next to count the change. The change?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories right now, a "New York Times" reporter who had been taken hostage over the weekend in Afghanistan has been freed in a raid by British commandos, but his Afghan translator and one of the commandos were killed.
Live pictures now from the memorial in New York for -- wow, for Walter Cronkite. It looks like a taped piece now from Andy Rooney. Maybe we should listen to just a bit of this. This could be pretty special.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY ROONEY, CBS'S "60 MINUTES": Walter joined CBS in 1950, recruited by Edward R. Murrow. I went to work for CBS in 1948, writing for Arthur Godfrey. Walter left the evening news in 1981, when he was 64 years old.
I guess that was the start of his most famous years, too. Two or three nights a week, 51 weeks a year, one organization after another would present Walter with some kind of an award or honor. One of the best things about giving Walter an award was that he always liked it. He was genuinely appreciative when someone gave him something.
Walter was one of the few people I've ever known who had actually worn out three tuxedos getting awards. He would have loved to be here now to hear us all saying nice things about him.
Walter wasn't just someone I knew casually, either. When I was suspended from CBS many years ago for some inappropriate remarks I made, Walter called me that day and said, I'd like to use whatever residual good will I have with the American people by being seen at dinner with you tonight.
I saw Walter all the time, of course. He joined me, for instance, in 1976 at a Scandinavian restaurant for a documentary I was doing for CBS about eating out in America. I modestly named it "Mr. Rooney Goes to Dinner."
I ate in the Copenhagen one day with a friend. He's a smorgasbord expert.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Andy Rooney in a prerecorded taped piece that's being played right now at the memorial service in New York for broadcast legend Walter Cronkite, who died in July at the age of 92.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, an Army reservist and a surgeon, has more work than he can handle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just don't ever see yourself after all of these years of education sitting in the middle of a desert trying to scrape dead tissue off a child. That was probably the worst day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta goes into the operating room in Afghanistan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Let's get to some business news now. As the recession wears on, Americans all across the country are putting the plastic away. A new survey from the Federal Reserve shows fewer Americans are living on credit these days.
Got thumbs-up here, Susan Lisovicz, but I know there's an impact on the market, the broader markets and the economy. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details, because, Susan, I know consumers have to spend. That's a big component of the overall economy.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really a critical element in the pace of recovery, right?
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: So, if we're not spending, we're probably going to be -- recovery's going to be a lot slower.
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Well, so let's talk about borrowing. We borrowed $2.5 trillion in July. Huge number, 12 zeros, but guess what, Tony, it's down $20 billion from the month before, just from the month before. And that is the biggest drop on record, according to the Federal Reserve.
Why is that? Well, because we used to be spending beyond our means. We're now saving.
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: We've been burned. That's one element. The other element, money's not that easy to get anymore, right?
HARRIS: Right.
LISOVICZ: So many of us find that we can't get the loan that we wanted to, or that our credit limits have been lowered. It all comes around to, once again, economic recovery. You know, both forces are at work, and the pace of recovery will certainly be impacted by it.
One thing that we are definitely buying today, Tony, stocks. The Dow and the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 all higher for the fourth day in a row.
HARRIS: Boy, I love you down there on the floor of the stock exchange with all the lights and the bells and the whistles. It's just terrific. See you next hour, Susan. Thank you.
LISOVICZ: You got it.
HARRIS: Make-or-break day for health care. Before President Obama delivers his big speech to the joint session of Congress, we are talking to our own panel. We're talking about real people who have been affected by our current system. What they like, what they don't and what they think about reform. That's next hour.
And did you know the health care debate is already Congress's most expensive ever? Our Josh Levs breaks down the costs of lobbying for reform.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hospitals short staffed, but the number of war-related injuries in Afghanistan is steadily rising. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta went on assignment with a vascular surgeon who truly knows the meaning of sacrifice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.
MAJ. AUGUSTUS BROWN, U.S. ARMY: Oh, that's a mess. OK.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. Army Major Augustus Brown is the only vascular surgeon for the entire country of Afghanistan.
BROWN: Probably an antipersonnel mine that he stepped on. And basically, it amputated his legs. His feet were gone. And we completed the amputations.
GUPTA: Brown is 43 years old. He's a long way from home, the same hometown as mine, which makes this all the more personal.
BROWN: This place has been attacked. You're risking your life to save others. The deal was when they need you for whatever they need you, go. That's it.
GUPTA (voice-over): The "go" call came January 29th. And there's been no rest for this battlefield surgeon.
(on camera): We're here in one of the trauma bays at the KAF Role III Hospital. It's an unusually quiet moment. But I wanted to give you an idea of the numbers here, which give you a reflection of what's happening in Kandahar, what's happening in Afghanistan.
On average, they used to see about 80 patients a month, mainly traumatic patients. By April it was 100 a month. And take a look at August, roughly 230 patients a month. And I think by fall, the numbers will increase even more.
(voice-over): U.S. troops, coalition forces, locals -- Dr. Brown treats them all. (on camera): They asked me to help out. They needed four surgeons. They only have three. This is what happens when you have a hospital as busy as this one.
One of your children was born while you were deployed?
BROWN: That's true.
GUPTA: How do you deal with that?
BROWN: It is a sacrifice to my family, but it's a privilege. Even when I'm back in Atlanta, and they ask, what do I enjoy most about surgery? The most fun I ever have is in -- when I'm at war.
GUPTA: When you had to say goodbye to your wife and your many kids, you have...
BROWN: Yes.
GUPTA: ... lots of kids, just like I do. Tell me about that conversation.
BROWN: It was hardest for my son. And the oldest is 6 years old. That's always hard. There's no silver lining in that. He gave me a good luck charm. It's a little stuffed dog. It's in my uniform in the back. I always go with it. The promise was, as long as I keep it on me I'll be safe.
GUPTA (voice-over): In talking to Major Augustus Brown, I realize there is a fear of death but he never lets it steal his thoughts. He finds, though, there are some images he can't shut, some that haunt him. Like this burned child, her only pain relief a package of candy.
BROWN: You just don't ever see yourself after all of those years of education sitting in the middle of a desert trying to scrape dead tissue off a child. That was probably the worst day. And they all lived, all of them. And they all got better.
But I think maybe 20 years down the road when everything settles down, if I could come back and see one of them alive, grown up, and you feel like it was worth it.
GUPTA (on camera): Now one thing worth pointing out about Dr. Brown is that he is a reservist. Most reservists stay in theater for about three months and then are asked if they wish to stay longer. He was asked that question, and he's chosen to stay a year.
I also want to show you something that's really boosted the morale here at Role III (ph). Take a look at this. That's Malik. He is doing very well. He's starting to move the left side of his body.
There was a lot of concern that he might not survive, and if he did, he'd be paralyzed on the left side. He is improving significantly by the day. And we're going to continue to have updates with him all week long. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Sanjay, appreciate it. Thank you.
Our Anderson Cooper takes you inside Afghanistan all this week, "Live from the Battle Zone." Don't miss this special "AC360" at 10:00 Eastern tonight.
