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Terrorism Ruled Out in Connecticut Factory Blast; Obama Seeks Republican Input for Health Care Reform; Eight Months Since Michael Jackson Death; Jenny Sanford To Discuss Marriage Problems with Barbara Walters

Aired February 07, 2010 - 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: Chaos at a power plant under construction. A huge explosion, at least five people are dead.

Mountains of snow. How will millions make it to work tomorrow?

And Sarah Palin takes on the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN, FORMER REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How is that hopey, changey stuff working out for you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We'll get to that in just a moment.

But first, we start with breaking news tonight. Moments ago, we learned at least five people were killed today in a massive explosion at a power plant under construction in central Connecticut. The huge blast rocked the countryside and could be heard and felt up to 20 miles away. Residents described it as an earthquake.

Here's what we know right now: the explosion happened just before noon, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time at a gas-fired utility owned by Kleen Energy. Fifty workers were inside the plant which was scheduled to go online later this year. In addition to the five confirmed deaths, at least 11 people were taken to a local hospital. Two others were taken to Hartford for treatment.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is at the scene tonight.

Susan, as you join us, what is happening there right now?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, they've got a search-and-rescue operation still going on and will plan to do that throughout tonight and into tomorrow. They'll probably swap out crews at about midnight. It is very cold. It is very windy at that site and very difficult work as they bring in search-and- rescue dogs to try to find out whether there are any additional survivors. You've heard at least 12 people are being cared for and also at least five people are dead.

Here's what the mayor said about that a little while ago. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR SEBASTIAN GIULIANO, MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT: Currently, urban search-and-rescue teams are on the premises, on site with dogs, attempting to locate or account for further victims. We know that 12 individuals have been injured, five individuals known to have lost their lives.

At this point, we can't really say the names. Families of victims have not all been notified.

There could be anywhere from 100 to 200 people working on the site on any given day. Exactly what that number is, that's the starting point and that's the number they can't really nail down, is how many were there today. What I generally was aware of is that they were -- they were purging gas lines all weekend long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: And the reason -- another reason they don't know exactly how many people were in there, according to the mayor, is that often, before they purge the lines and as they conduct tests, they usually evacuate people, he said, from the construction site. So, that is adding to the dilemma to try to find out exactly how many workers were around at that particular time, the precise moment about 11:19 is when -- this morning is when the first call came in.

So, at this hour, Don, they are calling on a number of different contractors that had people at that site to try to determine exactly who was there and who was not. In the meantime, we also know that the Red Cross is providing counseling and grief services to many of the families who are still waiting for word on what happened to their loved ones -- Don.

LEMON: And, Susan, you know, that press conference with the mayor held just moments ago notifying us that five people were dead, at least they say and they're still checking.

So, here's a question while I have you here for a little bit. As you drove in there, you probably saw the neighborhood surrounding this place and you heard from some of the people in the neighborhoods that it sounded -- they thought it was like an earthquake. What -- are there homes around and businesses? How -- and how close are they to this plant?

CANDIOTTI: Well, because we weren't allowed to get an up-close look at that, I can only tell you what -- how it has been described to me by fire officials here. And that there are not a number of homes in the immediate area, that this is basically a construction site, a plant in a rural area along a river road. The nearest home, we're told, is about a mile away from there. It's right along the river. And so, for the most part, you can imagine to have felt that upwards of maybe at least 20 miles away how strong that blast must have been.

LEMON: Yes, our Susan Candiotti joining us from the site of this explosion in Connecticut, where we're hearing from the mayor of the town where it happened that at least five people are dead. They're still checking. Twelve injured, taken to the hospital. We'll update you throughout the evening here on CNN.

In the meantime, let's talk some politics. It looked like a campaign speech. It sounded like a campaign speech. And Sarah Palin's keynote address at the tea party convention is only adding to talk about a potential run for the White House.

The former GOP vice presidential nominee had the crowd on its feet last night in Nashville. She covered a wide range of issues, including national security, and she had good things to say about the TEA party movement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: It's time for some tough actions like sanctions on Iran, and in places in the world where people are struggling and oppressed and they're fighting for freedom, America must stand with them. We need a clear foreign policy that stands with the people and for democracy, one that reflects both our values and our interests and it is in our best interests, because democracies don't go to war with each other. They can settle their differences peacefully.

I caution against allowing this movement to be defined by any one leader or politician. The TEA party movement is not a top-down operation. It's a ground-up call to action that is forcing both parties to change the way that they're doing business and that's beautiful.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

PALIN: This is about the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Oh, boy, what a night and what a speech. We saw it all unfold live here on CNN. We carried it live.

But CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser was actually in the room for last night's speech and he joins us to tell us.

So, what's going on here? It sounded to me, maybe --, and I don't know, is she setting herself up for, you know, a presidential run? I shouldn't say -- as the head of the tea party? That's a better question.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You heard it in that sound you just played there, Don. She said that there should not be any one leader of the TEA party. So, she doesn't want that role, but I think she wants to be associated with this movement because it's got a lot of energy. It's got a lot of power. These are a lot of the same people that were fervent supporters of her when she was the vice presidential nominee two years ago.

LEMON: Do we know exactly how many people are in this movement? We've been talking about this fractious right. There were 600 people who actually signed up for the convention but then I think 1,100 or 1,200 actually showed up for the speech.

So, is there -- you know, we've been calling it a movement. Can you actually say that it's a movement? Do we know?

STEINHAUSER: I think that's fair to say it's a movement. There are a number of national organizations and there are a ton of local chapters all across the country. That was part of what this convention was for people to come and learn how to build their own TEA party movements and strengthen them.

LEMON: OK. So, listen, here's the thing. She made a lot of -- she said a lot of things last night. And, you know, we are actually fact-checking some of them. We're going to have it a little bit later.

But, listen, you know, as candidate Obama or any candidate, it's easy to criticize and say things about the person in power. It's easy for candidate Obama to say things about President Bush. But until you're actually in that position, you don't know the challenges that go with leading or being in that position.

STEINHAUSER: Oh, it's always easy to be the party of no. It was very successful for the Democrats in 2006 when they were basically saying no to everything President Bush and the Republican Congress were doing. They won back Congress in '06. And we're seeing the same things from Republicans right now, saying no to almost everything that the president and Democrats who control Congress are proposing.

Will that be successful in 2010? But what's interesting about Palin, you mention this -- was this a stump speech? Was this a taste of things to come?

LEMON: Yes. I said -- I said, the head of the TEA party, but really, also, it was a campaign type speech. So, is she setting herself up?

STEINHAUSER: Well, yes. There was one gentleman in the room yesterday in Nashville who was handing out these. Now...

LEMON: You saw it here first.

STEINHAUSER: Palin 2012.

Now, listen, let's be honest. So she never said anything in her speech last night about running for the White House. It was brought up among the moderator and people cheered. In an interview today that ran on the Sunday talk shows, she said two things. She said, you know what, I'm not going to rule out anything. I'm not going to close any doors to what could be open down the road. And she also said that she would maybe consider a run for the White House if it was good for her and her family.

LEMON: Right.

STEINHAUSER: One thing for sure, we're going to see a lot more of her. She was campaigning today for Texas Governor Rick Perry. We're going to see her at two more TEA party events. She's going to be campaigning for a lot of people, a lot of Republicans and conservatives this year, Don.

LEMON: Yes. She said she's going to be out there. And she also mentioned, you know, people are saying -- and it's way too early -- that it may be her and Scott Brown right on the ticket in 2012. And that was the first thing she did besides, you know, saying it's great to be an American. She said she wanted to give a shout out to America's newest senator, saying he changed the game.

So, I don't know. Was this a setup for something or am I reading or looking into this too much?

STEINHAUSER: Well, it's fun to talk about that.

LEMON: Right.

STEINHAUSER: And, listen, Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts, that upset victory, has energized Republicans in a huge way. Coupled with those two gubernatorial victories back last November. But let's get through the midterms and then the race for the -- next race for the White House will get underway.

LEMON: Yes, it's very interesting. Right at 10:00 Eastern, people were saying, "Run, Sarah, run. Run, Sarah, run," that we noticed. So, who knows? Palin 2012. We shall see.

Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser, it's always nice to have you here.

By the way, Paul could not get back to D.C.

STEINHAUSER: Too much snow. Yes.

LEMON: Too much snow. We'll talk about that a little later on, too, Paul. Thank you very much.

So, they may have made good sound bites, right? But were Sarah Palin's comments accurate? We've put the thought to our CNN -- we send that to our fact-check desk, right, and we'll have the results coming up in our next hour. So, you want to stay -- stick around for that.

Washington, D.C.'s majestic sights, a big blur caused by a big whiteout. Check out these iReports. And just as the D.C. area starts to dig out of the blizzard, word of a second blast.

And South Carolina's first lady, Jenny Sanford, isn't standing by her man. Why some political wives leave and others stay when their husbands stray.

Also, time for you to weigh in. We want you to be a part of our show, part of the conversation. Logon to the social networking sites, we'll get your comments on the air.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: This is just in to CNN. We're just learning that government offices will be closed tomorrow in Washington, D.C. Government offices will be closed tomorrow in Washington, D.C.

Crews in the D.C. area are furiously clearing out major streets and highways there. So, they're closing government offices tomorrow. Snow suspended all flights into and out of Reagan National Airport today as well. Services at Dulles severely limited.

All of this because of that major snowstorm that went through there. Hundreds of thousands of people from Pennsylvania to New Jersey and points beyond, Virginia, have no power right now. So, we want to go to the ground and our Sarah Lee who is out toughing it at Reagan National Airport and she joins us now.

Again, we got that breaking news about government offices being closed and then the airport being closed. So, what's going to happen now, Sarah?

SARAH LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, right now at the airport, it is a standstill. Take a look behind me. Usually over at the x-ray machines, you might have a line of travelers. The traffic that comes through here on Sunday night would have people standing around to get their bags screened. But if you take a long shot down the terminal, you see there's really not a lot of people here at all.

Pretty much, there's the security personnel here, as well as some cleaning crews and just a few, I guess you could call them hopeful travelers -- some stragglers that are hoping that they'll reopen the airport sometime tonight. But does not look like it's likely, because take a look at this, the board -- canceled, canceled, canceled, canceled.

If we take a look at some video that we captured before the sun went down, you'll see what was going on out here outside the airport. The plow trucks were working. They've been working around the clock since the storm. They're trying to remove all of that snow off of the air field, the ramps and the runways.

But here at Reagan National, they do have a unique challenge and that's because this parcel of land is relatively small so they can't just push the snow. They actually have to scoop it up into dump trucks and then haul it away. That's why at Dulles International Airport, they were able to offer limited service there because they have a lot more room there to push out the snow so they were open to -- able to open one of the runways.

Up in Baltimore, Washington International Airport, there, too, they have challenges getting that one open as well. So that airport at this time is closed. They are hoping to get that open soon at sometime.

So, anyone watching this report, you have to keep in mind that there are going to be residual effects from this. A whole lot of people that were not able to get out of the airport on their flights over this weekend. Reagan National Airport, I can cite one example, about 700 flights on average move in and out of this airport on any given day. So, you know that there's going to be a lot of -- a lot of people trying to get out.

LEMON: A lot of people. It's a domino effect. It will affect probably almost every airport in the country who are trying to make connections there and what-have-you. You know it's bad when the airport is closed and empty.

Thank you very much -- Sarah Lee at Reagan National Airport.

We turn now to our meteorologist Bonnie Schneider to update us on the situation.

Bonnie, we said -- you said yesterday, the snow was tapering off but that was just the beginning of it. And now, you see what you were talking about.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. We still have all of this on the ground as you can see, almost three feet of snow, Don, in some locations. Check out Dulles airport -- 32.4 inches of snow. How do you even begin to get rid of that much snow, the weight of it alone?

Baltimore not much less than that. Annapolis, Atlantic City. Watch out for the winds. They're still pretty strong. So, we could still see some snow drifts.

But I want to show you what's going on right now. Here's the most recent radar picture showing you live what's happening. So far so good, right? You think everything is A-OK and snow removal, no problem. But what happens when you have another storm on top of the one that you already have now?

Now, we do have tonight and Monday, before all of this starts to get going. But it's going to happen. Winter storm watch now posted not for tonight but for Tuesday and Wednesday, all the way across Maryland, including Washington, D.C. and into Northern Virginia and Baltimore. This means we're seeing the potential for five inches or more of snow with a brand new storm system and it's not just the D.C. area that will be affected.

Right now, we're tracking snow, working its way across Nebraska into Kansas City. Check out Minneapolis getting hit with snow. Maybe not such a big deal, but how about a foot of snow over the next couple days?

This big storm system that's taking shape across the country will affect cities like Minneapolis and other big travel hubs. A winter storm warning is in effect right now for tonight. It's already just started. And that will go until tomorrow.

But then Tuesday and Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday, we're watching the Midwest. Milwaukee, Chicago -- a winter storm watch for you. We could see just under a foot of snow for Chicago. Chicago's a city that's been spared. All these storms seem to be hitting Washington but now, Chicago under the gun for snow, I'd say Tuesday into Wednesday and maybe even as early as Monday night.

So, this is a widespread area that will be affected. So, I want to open up the map to show you what's going on and how this storm could be so potent for the Mid-Atlantic and particularly the northeast this time around. You have energy right here in the southwest and all of that is tracking to the east. And then energy in the upper levels of the atmosphere will develop here in the upper Midwest. And this will all work its way to the north and to the east.

So, Don, this storm will take shape throughout the week and we're watching for possibly some heavy snow in the northeast this time as well. So, it's not over yet.

LEMON: Yes, not over.

SCHNEIDER: What a winter, right?

LEMON: Yes. Thank you very much, Bonnie.

And, again, we want to remind our viewers, this is our developing news on this broadcast that the government offices in Washington, D.C. will be closed tomorrow -- closed tomorrow because of all of this bad weather that they have gotten there. We've heard of collapsed roofs, people without electricity, and the roads, really, just closed -- not officially closed, but you can't get through, impassable. Government offices closed tomorrow in Washington, D.C.

We'll update you on that in this broadcast as we get more information.

Meantime, it's been almost eight months since the death of Michael Jackson and police have been focusing on his doctor. So, why hasn't his doctor turned himself in? They say it should happen next week. Will it? We'll update you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, this year, CNN will be telling the stories of the people who are building up America. We are traveling across the country talking to the men and women who are rebuilding the nation's economy, infrastructure, and, of course, spirit.

Tonight, Tom Foreman takes a look at a New Orleans company that after Hurricane Katrina decided it was time to get to work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Along with the thousands of homes and lives Katrina took on the gulf coast, countless livelihoods disappeared, too. Nearly 130,000 jobs were lost around New Orleans alone as businesses crumpled and their owners fled.

MATT WISDOM, TURBOSQUID: I was born and raised here.

FOREMAN: Matt Wisdom stood firm.

WISDOM: It wasn't clear we could return to anything we had known before.

FOREMAN (on camera): What made you decide to stay?

WISDOM: We just decided, you know, we can't be away from it. This is the time, either come and make it work or leave and find a new life.

FOREMAN: Now, where are we now?

WISDOM: We're in the TurboSquid headquarters office in New Orleans.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But Matt's fledgling company, TurboSquid, which sells 3D computer models for commercials, movies, even here on CNN, faced the same problem hundreds of others did. The town's communications, transportation, banking, and even basic civic services were in shambles.

(on camera): No one business or even hundreds of them could do anything about all of these difficulties they faced, so they got creative and they got coordinated. And a man in here knows exactly how it happened.

MICHAEL HECHT, GREATER NEW ORLEANS, INC.: This storm could have destroyed this whole place but it really gave us a chance at intense self-examination.

FOREMAN (voice-over): That's Michael Hecht with Greater New Orleans, Inc., an economic development group. Since the storm, he points out aggressive efforts to improve schools, provide tax incentives for industry, and a fresh business recruiting campaign have helped keep New Orleans' unemployment rates to less than half that of many other cities. In addition, ambitious young businesses like TurboSquid are being grouped into buildings specially refurbished and made available for them at special rates to encourage interaction, sharing of information, even markets.

The result?

HECHT: For every one older professional that we lost because of the storm, two younger professionals have moved in. What you are seeing here is one of the great comeback stories of our generation.

FOREMAN: At TurboSquid, Matt expanded sales into the global market and used the city's reputation as an arts center to draw talent to his firm.

(on camera): What have you learned here that would help other communities as they try to get through this economic hard time?

WISDOM: Some of it is to do what you're good at, is to focus on doing one thing or very few things incredibly well and building the best team of people around you.

FOREMAN (voice-over): It has worked. Matt's staff of 35 is twice as big as it was before the storm and the company is now the largest online vendor in the world of 3Ds. Not bad for a local boy who just wanted to build up his battered home and help others do the same.

Tom Foreman, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Building up America.

New developments in the case of those detained Americans in Haiti. Their Haitian attorney tells CNN he's quit. The 10 detained Americans remain behind bars in Haiti.

And Jenny Sanford's tell-all book prompts questions. Why do some political -- scorned political wives stay? And why do others go? We'll talk to a panel of experts about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Breaking news. And topping the news right now, at least five people were killed today when a gas line blew up at a power plant under construction in central Connecticut. The blast at the Kleen Energy plant in Middletown rocked the countryside for miles.

It's not clear how many construction workers were on the site at the time. The mayor says 12 people were injured. The explosion was so powerful it could be heard and felt 20 miles away.

Residents say it felt like an earthquake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH WERKHEISER, WITNESS: All of a sudden there was a big explosion and the flames were higher than the stack, itself. I never want to see anything like that in my life.

LYNNE TOWNSEND, WITNESS: It felt like an earthquake but it was more of an explosion because we were able to see it, visually see the fire and the flames coming out of -- between the two towers.

BERNADETTE NILAND, WITNESS: The flames were shooting up and it just rocked the whole place. Windows were blown out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The explosion came and we had pictures on the wall, that they were knocked on the ground and knickknacks and stuff fell on the floor. I thought my house exploded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Our Susan Candiotti is live from Middletown now. So, Susan, we heard from the mayor when he said five people and we also heard that dogs were searching for possible other people there. Do we know if they have everyone?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We don't know anything more than we did at the press conference. There are so many questions we have, and that's one of them.

One of the main difficulties here, according to investigators, is that they don't know exactly how many people were working that day because there are so many different contractors in part who have to know how many of their workers were at the site. And currently, they're trying to track everybody down and try to determine that.

The other part of this, Don, is that the mayor also indicated that when they are purging the line as part of the test, ongoing tests they had before the whole plant goes online later in the summer time, is that they usually evacuate people who are in the plant, near the plant. That's also adding to the difficulty to determine how many people were inside and how many people were outside.

They're not through looking, as you indicated. They plan to be here throughout the night and into tomorrow to determine whether there are other survivors or other fatalities -- Don?

LEMON: They said they were cleaning gas lines at the time. I guess we can rule out any foul play at this point, Susan, of terrorism or anything of the such?

CANDIOTTI: That's what investigators have said. They definitely have ruled out any kind of terrorism. But it remains to be seen, what did go on, because investigators say they have a terrific safety record at that particular location and construction site, and they've been working on this plant, I'm told, for at least three years.

LEMON: OK. And keeping families informed through the media or are they doing flyers, door to door? What are they doing?

CANDIOTTI: Well, they announced at the news conference that there is a number where people can call to find out more information about their loved ones. And also, at the city hall, the Red Cross is manning that. Take care of any relatives, friends, co-workers who have any questions and that includes grief counselors -- Don?

LEMON: Our Susan Candiotti at the scene of our breaking news story in Connecticut today. Thank you very much for that, Susan.

Also topping our news at this hour, another developing story. President Barack Obama says he will turn to the Republicans to help make his health care reform plan a reality. A White House official tells CNN the health care talks are on for later this month. That will involve the bipartisan bicameral congressional leadership.

Here's what President Obama said on CBS just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I want to do is to look at the Republican ideas that are out there. and I want to be very specific. How do you guys want to lower costs? How do you guys intend to reform the insurance markets so people with preexisting conditions, for example, can get health care? How do you want to make sure that the 30 million people who don't have health insurance can get it? What are your ideas specifically? And if we can go step by step through a series of these issues and arrive at some agreements, then procedurally there's no reason why we can't do it a lot faster than the process took last year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Our Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry joins us now by phone.

Ed, after the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, many said that the health care reform bill or at least possible legislation was over, and many might view this as a fait accompli by the president. What does it mean?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You're right, Don. I mean, certainly, it does appear health care is on life support, if you will, but the president, in sort of a dramatic development, is trying to breathe new life into it. I think if you think back to the Scott Brown election, the other thing some analysts were saying as well, especially a line being pushed by the White House, is now the Republicans have 41 votes in the Senate. They can either block things or try to help pass things. The White House has been trying to push the line that the Republicans need to be held accountable and they have to show that they are really willing to work with the president in a bipartisan way, meet him halfway, if you will. So I read this, in part, as the president sort of trying to call the Republican bluff and say, OK, you say you want to work with me. I'm going to call you to the White House. And what I'm told by a White House official is specifically this will happen on February 25th. It's going to be a half day of negotiations. As you mentioned, both parties as well as both the House and the Senate.

Also worth noting, these same leaders are getting together at the White House this Tuesday, in a couple days. They're supposed to talk about not just health care you about jobs bill and other, broader discussions. I think that's now going to set the table for what we see later this month.

But the bottom line, as you noted, health care is still in deep trouble. This doesn't mean that it's going to pass. And I think that the president can call all the meetings he wants, but until he gets specific, until he tells these leaders what does he want and what is he going to do to get it done, this is still just going to be an important development but it doesn't mean the job is going to get done until he really sort of pushes along exactly what he wants. He still has not gotten very specific on it.

LEMON: Very interesting. You said calling their bluff. We shall see. We've seen the back and forth, Ed. We've seen him saying we have to watch our tone and work together. And now it appears he is trying to do it, at least for now. So we shall see.

Our Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry.

Ed, if you get any more information please let us know. Thank you. HENRY: No doubt. Thanks, Don.

LEMON: We want to check more of our top stories. Federal investigators say they're going to rely on video, photos and witness testimony to determine what led to a fiery mid-air collision near Boulder, Colorado. IReporter Zach Mitchell heard the crash and grabbed these images with his cell phone. The two small planes fell to the ground, killing all three people onboard. One of the planes was towing a glider that managed to cut loose right before the crash. It landed safely and the three people onboard were unharmed.

More top stories right now. The Haitian lawyer for ten detained American missionaries tells CNN he has resigned. The Americans face kidnapping charges for attempting to take 33 Haitian children across the border into the Dominican Republic without the proper documentation. The attorney, Edwin Po (ph), tried unsuccessfully to get the Americans released. They are scheduled to return to court on Monday or Tuesday.

NASA will try again tomorrow morning to launch the space shuttle "Endeavour." CNN will bring it to you live, of course. Low clouds at the Kennedy Space Center forced NASA to scrub this morning's planned liftoff. "Endeavour" and its six astronauts are carrying a new room and observation deck to the international space station.

This time tomorrow, Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, is expected to be formally charged with involuntary manslaughter. There is a bit of a question, however, as to how Dr. Murray will end up in custody. According to the "New York Times," leaked documents suggest police want to arrest Murray while his attorney wants him to be allowed to surrender on his own.

You know it's hard to believe it has been almost eight months since Michael Jackson's death. So much has happened.

CNN's Ted Rowlands takes a look back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June 23rd, Michael Jackson is rehearsing for his upcoming "This is It" concert series.

(SINGING)

ROWLANDS: Two days later, at 12:21 in the afternoon, a 911 call is made from Jackson's rented Los Angeles home.

DISPATCHER: He's unconscious. He's not breathing?

CALLER: Yes. He's not breathing sir.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUTATION ROOM": Let's get back to breaking news. We're following Michael Jackson. The king of pop has been rushed to a local hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Jackson was the patient on this 911 call that they picked him up and they took him to the UCLA Medical Center.

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: My brother, the legendary king of pop, Michael Jackson, passed away on Thursday, June 25th, 2009, at 2:26 p.m.

WOLF: Look at these crowds developing outside UCLA Medical Center right now as word begins to spread that Michael Jackson is dead.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Michael's body already in the medical examiner's office. There is the body right there, choppered, no freeway procession, no traffic jams, just a short flight across town. Now, in addition to the investigation the outpouring. As you look, there are the crowds gathering tonight in many places, outside the hospital in Los Angeles, at his home, and at the Apollo Theater here in Harlem in New York.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is something that millions of people will never forget. It's devastating.

ROWLANDS: The death investigation quickly centered on Dr. Conrad Murray Jackson's personal physician who was with Jackson when he died. Listen closely for his voice in the background of the 911 call.

CALLER: Doctor, did you see what happened sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

CALLER: Sir, if you can please...

DISPATCHER: We're on our way.

ROWLANDS: That night police impounded Murray's car and, over the next few days, investigators removed what we learned is medical evidence from Jackson's home.

LEMON: I said you had some concerns about the physicians and the people around him during the last moments of his life?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I have. I have a lot of concerns.

ROWLANDS: Dr. Murray retained a lawyer and met with investigators.

ED CHERNOFF, DR. CONRAD MURRAY'S ATTORNEY: I can say this. There's nothing in his history, nothing that Dr. Murray knew, that would lead him to believe that he would go into sudden cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.

ROWLANDS: A source with knowledge of the investigation into Michael Jackson's death tells CNN that Dr. Conrad Murray gave Jackson the powerful drug Propofol within 24 hours of his death. Propofol is a heavy sedative typically used during surgery.

Others who treated Jackson would come out and say that the singer asked them over the years for the drug to use as a sleep aid.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I've never heard about this medication being given outside a hospital.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That hearse which has the casket, the body of Michael Jackson covered in really beautiful flowers is making its way to the Staples Center.

(SINGING)

ROWLANDS: On July 7th, more than 30 million people around the world watched a public tribute with Jackson's casket on the same stage he rehearsed on the day before he died.

(SINGING)

PARIS-MICHAEL JACKSON, DAUGHTER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much.

ROWLANDS: On July 22nd, a search warrant is served on Dr. Conrad Murray's Houston clinic. Others would follow in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Murray, according to a neighbor, was in the house while agents searched the home.

On August 18th, Murray releases this video statement on YouTube.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. CONRAD MURRAY, PHYSICIAN TO MICHAEL JACKSON: I have done all I could do. I told the truth. And I have faith the truth will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: On August 28th, Jackson's death is ruled a homicide.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: They found that he died from acute Propofol intoxication.

COOPER: There, the hearse carrying the body of Michael Jackson.

ROWLANDS: On September 3rd, Michael Jackson was laid to rest.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Iran's president not mincing words about his country's nuclear ambitions. The defiant step he says Iran is taking, making western countries, including the U.S., hot under the collar.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: You know, at a time when many wish Iran would limit its nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to kick it up a notch. He is giving an order for higher uranium enrichment.

Our Ivan Watson has been manning our Iran desk and joins us live.

This is a pretty clear message from Iran to the international community here. What are the implications?

IVAN WATSON, CNN: Well, first of all, it's really hard to understand what exactly Iran's position is sometimes because, just two days ago, the foreign minister said I think we can reach a deal with the western world. We're going to let western countries enrich 20 percent uranium for us, strongly enriched uranium. Then, just today, Ahmadinejad, President Ahmadinejad came out and said, you know what, it's not working out. We're going to go ahead and do it ourselves.

And already you've had really strong statements coming out from Western governments. The German defense minister calling today's statement a farce being played out, and saying that the outstretched hand of the international community has not only been taken but pushed back.

LEMON: So tough words from the Germans.

It's a very big week because this is all coming as Iran prepares for a significant anniversary and possible tension there this week.

WATSON: Absolutely. In the midst of the nuclear tensions, Iran is facing real big problems at home, real divisions within society. And what is happening is, on the 11th of February, you'll have the 31st anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Republic, and the opposition there that we've seen in the streets getting arrested en masse, show trials, really being persecuted by the government, has said that they're going to come out, along with the government- sponsored demonstrations and they want to demonstrate, too, for a better Islamic Republic. And the leaders have even said the Islamic Republic that exists right now is dictatorial, tyrannical, we have to get rid of that.

We've seen signs of a crackdown already ahead of this. Two people executed by hanging last week. We've had government officials warning that no opposition protests will be tolerated. And really interesting, for the first time, a hint of how they'll try to control the crowd. On the area where the state sponsored demonstrations and marches take place, for the first time, we're seeing loud speakers put up, and the implication being maybe that they're going to try to control the sound and the crowds out there.

Also eyewitnesses we've spoken with saying there are large numbers of people coming in from the countryside, young guys from the provinces, presumably to be used as security forces to stop the opposition.

LEMON: It is going to be a very big week when it comes to Iran. You'll be back in just a little bit. Thank you. Ivan Watson, back from Haiti.

Nice talking to you.

WATSON: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: And it's good to have you back.

WATSON: It's good to be back.

LEMON: Thank you very much.

We'll see Ivan back in a little bit in the next hour. We'll go deeper into the Iranian revolution. And we'll get a heads up on just what could happen in the country this Thursday.

Thank you, Ivan.

Her husband told the world that someone else was his soul mate. After that, Jenny Sanford decided to divorce South Carolina's governor. But why do other politicians' wives stay after the ultimate betrayal? We'll ask an expert panel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: What do all these women have in common, the women I'm going to mention? Suzanne Craig, Silda Spitzer, Dena McGreevy and Wendy Vitter? Well, they were betrayed by their politician husbands and had to suffer through it in the public eye.

Often, political wives stay with their husbands after a scandal like that, but for others, like Jenny Sanford, there's no going back. She's got a new tell-all book out about her marriage to south Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. and here's what she told Barbara Walters on ABC's "20-20."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA WALTERS, HOST, 20-20: What made you decide to file your divorce?

JENNY SANFORD, WIFE OF GOVENOR MARK SANFORD: I decided that I needed to remain strong and move on with my life and be the best I could be for our children. And that Mark needs to resolve some of his unresolved issues on his own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Jeff Gardere is a clinical psychologist. He is joining us from Los Angeles. Amelia McDonell-Parry is live in New York. She is the editor of thefrisky.com, which offers relationship advice.

Thank you both for joining us.

Listen, what I'm going to play for you next isn't the first time it happened. But I think it's really when it came to the public eye. I want to play these comments and then get your response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Not sitting here as some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wnynet. I'm sitting here because I love him and I respect him and I honor what he's been through, and what we've been through together. If that's not enough for people, then heck, don't vote for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Back in 1992, so 1992.

So Amelia, not everyone is doing that now, especially Ms. Sanford. What has changed since then?

AMELIA MCDONELL-PARRY, HOST, THEFRISKY.COM: Well, I think it kind of -- you know, I think there are two very different cases, first of all. I think that, first of all, Mark Sanford said publicly this woman he's been having the affair with was his soul mate. I don't know how you can go back to a marriage where the man is clearly not in it for the long haul. If you read the excerpts or read the Jenny Sanford book, what you discover is there has been marital problems for them for a very long time. and this goes way beyond just a simple one-occasion of him cheating. There have been many things going on for many, many, many years. And that led to her eventually leaving him.

LEMON: Yes, absolutely.

Jeff, it seems like, in some of these cases, we're finding out -- the case -- the Edwards case, the John Edwards case, Elizabeth Edwards, and the case with Jenny Sanford, you found out that they had heard about the affairs, gone on for a little bit. They tried to have their husband not see these women anymore. All of a sudden, it gets to this point. So I don't know, is it in some way -- should it -- should you head it off at the pass and say, you know what? Enough is enough. it happened once it's not going to happen again? I'm out of here.

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I agree with your other guest that a lot of these relationships, and these two that you're talking about, did not have a strong foundation, Don. These were guys who had troubles to begin with. They were not committed in the relationships to begin with. And these were women who do what women sometimes do, which is trying to repair a guy, trying to make something work that wasn't very strong, and, therefore, once it got to this situation where they were humiliated by these men, they said, that's it, we're not doing this. These guys are not stable emotionally. We're moving on. and they did the right thing by doing that.

LEMON: Isn't it tougher, I have to say, it's got to be tougher, you know, not necessarily for people who are in the public eye, like celebrities, because they don't have that added responsibility as being a role model as a politician does. I want to play this from Ted Haggard just a couple years ago, and I want to get your response to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED HAGGARD, FORMER WIFE OF TED HAGGARD: I knew he was more than this struggle. I knew that we had spent almost 30 years together and there was so much to salvage in our relationship that was worth fighting for. I knew that my faith instructed me to -- how to heal with him, how to forgive him, how to love him. so I depended on principles of scriptures to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The interview of Gayle and Ted Haggard from "Larry King" last week. The incident happened a couple years ago.

So what is the added pressure on top of it? Does being a politician put something else there that most people don't have to deal with?

GARDERE: I think in many ways, you're legislating morality to other people. then you have these skeletons in your closet and you're acting out in this way. I think where Ted Haggard is very lucky was that he had faith to rely on and had a wife that realized that this was a guy who had deep psychological issues, was trying to perpetrate a fraud in the kind of life he was living, but he repented. And because of her faith, she worked with him on that. That's what makes the difference. When both people in the couple, within that framework, want to make it work, they want to be successful, they try to atone for a lot of their sins and transgressions.

LEMON: I still think there is a -- you know, there's more of a political angle to this because Jenny Sanford said she wants to be married again, she wants to be in a relationship, Amelia. But she says, I'm not going to do it with a politician.

MCDONELL-PARRY: Yes.

LEMON: So I'm wondering if politicians have to have people like you. You have to them vote for you. Is it like, like me, like me, love me, love me, is that an issue in here?

MCDONELL-PARRY: Even if you listen to the Obamas speak about their marriage, it's hard to maintain a strong relationship when you are working in politics. A lot of these people are on the road a lot. These couples don't get a lot of time for themselves. It does take an extra dose of work for political couples to make things work.

I think in the case of Jenny Sanford, she'd been in this relationship for such a long time. There had been problems a long time. He had cheated before. And now he's publicly saying that this woman who lives in Argentina is his soul mate. The humiliation was just the icing on the cake.

LEMON: Yes. MCDONELL-PARRY: I don't blame her for leaving. Good for her.

LEMON: The first call, according to Mrs. Sanford, was from him saying, how did I do?

(LAUGHTER)

So, very interesting.

MCDONELL-PARRY: Yes. That's the thing. The level of disrespect coming from that man toward his wife was out of control.

LEMON: Amelia McDonell-Parry, Jeff Gardere, thank you so much. Interesting topic. I think we're going to be talking about is for...

GARDERE: Pleasure.

LEMON: This isn't the last time we'll talk about this, right?

Thank you, guys.

I'll tell you, Jenny Sanford will be speaking about how her husband cheated on her. Her stories, in her words, Monday night, 9:00 p.m. eastern, on "Larry King Live," 9:00 p.m. eastern on "Larry King Live" only on CNN.

The latest on today's deadly explosion at a Connecticut power plant.

We're taking Sarah Palin for her word, putting her address to the tea party movement under the microscope on the CNN "Fact Check" desk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time now for some of your comments as we do every day here on CNN. Here's what some folks are saying.

Most of you are weighing in on Sarah Palin. It's really touched a nerve last night in her speech.

Here's what one viewer says, "Here's hoping Palin will start a third-party movement and sail off into the sunset, taking half the GOP base with her."

Someone else says, "Why do you news guys even give her the time of day. She's ridiculous."

"Hopey-changey. What junior college did she graduate from?"

"Anyone who needs a crib note in order to remember to uplift the audience. Needs serious help."

On and on. And those were the comments that we got. So thank you so much for your comments. We appreciate it. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or iReport.com. We appreciate you weighing in.