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Hunt Under Way for Potential Mass Killer in New York City; Rep. Peter King Eludes to International Terrorism in New York; Slow Clean Up of Gulf Coast Oil Spill Spells Environmental

Aired May 02, 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: Two developing stories tonight, what potentially catastrophic consequences.

New York City, the capital of the world, on terror alert, and a hunt is on for the person who turned an SUV into a potent bomb capable of killing thousands.

And in the waters off the Gulf Coast lurks a killer to wildlife and business for years to come. The president is seeing it firsthand today, but this disaster may be far beyond his control.

Good evening, everyone.

We begin in the crossroads of the world, Times Square, in New York City, where investigators are scrambling to find a potential mass murderer on the loose right now. The person suspected of leaving a car bomb in the heart of that city. The dark green Nissan Pathfinder was abandoned last night at 45th and Broadway. The engine is still running and emergency flashers on.

New York police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, says surveillance cameras show someone walking away from the vehicle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE: We are currently examining video that shows a white male in his 40s in Shubert Alley, looking back in the direction of west 45th Street. He also was seen shedding a dark colored shirt, revealing a red one underneath. He put the darker one into a bag that he was carrying. This happened about a half block from where the vehicle was parked.

Detectives also are en route to a town in Pennsylvania where a tourist believes he may have captured the suspect's image on his video camera.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The SUV is now at a police garage in the Bronx where it's being searched for clues. Kelly says the vehicle contains two clocks, with batteries, a bird's nest of wires, dozens of large firecrackers, two gasoline full containers, three propane tanks and eight bags of unidentified substance. Had it detonated, Kelly says, it would have cut the vehicle in half and created and potential deadly fireball. An unlikely hero has emerged from a failed bomb attempt, a T- shirt vendor who tipped off police. So far, he's been a man of few words, but he is offering some advice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Do you feel good that you pointed this out?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it.

REPORTER: Do you feel good that you pointed this out? Do you feel like you made a difference?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was important for you.

REPORTER: To the people of New York, what do you want to tell them? What do you want to them to know from Lance? Your message, Lance, to the people of New York.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you see something, say something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The vendor tipped off a mounted New York City police officer who was the first to approach this suspicious vehicle and evacuate Times Square.

And we know that officer's name. His name is Wayne Rhatigan of the NYPD. He reportedly smelled gun powder near the SUV, saw smoke, and quickly called for backup. And that's when the evacuation began.

And tonight, Rhatigan has dinner plans with Mayor Bloomberg in Times Square as a reward for his actions and to demonstrate that the area is safe.

Let's go right now to CNN's Mary Snow. She is in Times Square.

Mary, the scare last night was just immense. How are people feeling today? It looks to me from behind you that people are just getting on with their lives and enjoying Times Square.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don, it's pretty remarkable. They certainly are. And, you know, this is such a busy time of a day here at Times Square, because shows are gearing up in a few hours on Broadway, people standing in line to buy tickets.

And, you know, I talked to one New Yorker who came in and said she was surprised to see how many tourists were out on the street. Also to applaud that T-shirt vendor who first alerted that New York City police officer, saying he'd really saved the day by going to police.

But, you know, people are saying that, unfortunately, this is the new reality, the new norm, if you will. And many of the tourists that I spoke with said that they are not deterred from changing their plans.

I also spoke to a trade group that represents the Broadway theaters. I asked them if they are doing anything differently in terms of security. They said they already had a security plan in place and they wouldn't disclose anything new. But, you know, bag searches are pretty common in these Broadway theaters. The theaters last night operated. Some of the shows were late but none were canceled and today the shows went on as well -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Mary Snow in Times Square -- Mary, stand by. We'll be getting back to you. Appreciate your reporting.

People say that they were scared by what they saw coming from the SUV with that device. Several witnesses say they say a small explosion from inside that seemed to last for more than a minute. Other witnesses were in the middle of a confusion after they heard an explosion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX VON DE BREGGAN, EYEWITNESS: I was standing there and suddenly, I saw a big flash light in the car. The explosion was not too big. It's like a small hand grenade in the car. The windows stayed it but it smoked.

STEVEN RAMIREZ, WITNESS: We were walking (INAUDIBLE) in 44th right down Broadway and we heard explosions down. And we honestly stopped. We didn't know what to do. And that's -- you know, we saw everybody else started running and we started running, too.

VICTORIA RODRIGUEZ, EYEWITNESS: Everybody just started being backed up and everybody was being pushed back. And the barriers started going up.

RAMIREZ: We knew something was wrong. We saw the ambulances and the cop cars. Everybody was facing towards the way we were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Authorities are dismissing a claim on the Internet about a Taliban being responsible for the failed car bomb. A video posted on the web purportedly by the Taliban in Pakistan say it is responsible for the attempted attack, but the tape does not mention any details, including New York City. CNN cannot verify if the posting is genuine. But one security expert says Americans should remain vigilant and not take anything for granted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAL LIFRIERI, SECURITY CONSULTANT: Well, I think based on the intelligence information that we have so far that's been released publicly, I think, you know, the mayor is correct. I think this kind of lends itself towards more domestic homegrown sort of terrorists. But the thing we need to caution about is that when we talk about terrorism, we right away jump to national terrorism or organized terrorism. And, in reality, the situation is that, you know, we have a lot of homegrown domestic individuals that are becoming troubling over the years and more so now with the advent of the Internet and capability to do research and be able to create devices like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And President Barack Obama was kept informed about the situation in New York, even as he dined with the Washington press corps last night at the White House Correspondents' dinner.

Let's go now to our Dan Lothian. He's at the White House with the very latest.

Hello, Dan. The president is doing some multitasking today and at the top of the list, this failed bomb plot in New York City and also the Gulf Coast.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. He's out there on the Gulf Coast but then he's making comments about what is going on in New York City as well.

What the administration will not do, Don, is really speculate about who might be behind the bomb attempt and what the motive might be. White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, is saying he will make no assumptions on that. And another senior administration official telling me that any conclusion as to who might be behind this, what the motive might be, would be, quote, "premature and unwarranted."

Now, President Obama, as he was out on the Gulf Coast, getting briefed on the situation there and then also down in Louisiana, getting briefed on the situation there and also taking a tour off the Gulf Coast there -- also made some comments about what the administration is doing as he tried to reassure Americans.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to do what's necessary to protect the American people to determine who's behind this potentially deadly act and to see that justice is done. And I'm going to continue to monitor the situation closely and do what it takes at home and abroad to safeguard the security of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: President Obama said that he has spoken with New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg. He promised continued support and he really wanted to make sure that the state and federal agencies involved in this investigation were probably coordinating in their effort to get to the bottom of it, Don.

LEMON: Hey, Dan, talk to me a little bit more about what he found as he was visiting the Gulf Coast. He was speaking there about New York City, but this is catastrophic, what's going on, and the potential for businesses, livelihood, and what it would do to wildlife there.

LOTHIAN: That's right. And you heard the president talk about that and what kind of economic impact it would have there. And he pledged that the government would do everything to make sure that those people who are impacted will be made whole.

In addition, he got briefed by officials there, the Coast Guard, about what is going on in the effort to not only tap this spill, this leak, but also deal with everything else that is a result of that -- and we are told by a White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, that the president heard about B.P.'s efforts to, quote, "place a dome and suction device over the well by May 7th or May 9th." Now that, we are told, was used in much shallower water after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And apparently was successful. So, that's something that's being looked at and the president was briefed on that.

And he also had a sort of off-the-record meeting as well. It was not on the schedule. He met with some local fishermen. Now, this is something that the president really wanted to do, to get a chance to meet face-to-face with those people on the ground there who are directly impacted by this major catastrophe.

Now, the president is coming back to Washington, but because of what has happened out there in Louisiana, off the Gulf Coast, the president was expected to go to New Jersey later this week, on Wednesday, in fact, to talk about the economy, but because of everything that's going on there, they have canceled that trip, Don.

LEMON: All right. Dan Lothian at the White House -- Dan, thank you very much.

We'll continue to talk more about the devastation in the south and what is happening in New York City right now. We're learning more details by the moment from that bomb scare.

Take a live look. This is a live picture. This is what New York City, specifically Times Square, looks like right now.

But it was a different story in the midst of all of it. Look at this. We're going to talk to the man who shot this video. Can you imagine being in the middle of all of this -- you're sitting there and someone says, "Get your belongings and get out" -- a New York City police officer? Frightening moment.

And something to think about next time your kid is feeling under the weather. A big recall affecting a slew of children's medicines. Parents, you want to know about this. So, pay close attention.

And don't just sit there. Be a part of the conversation. Make sure you logon to the social networking sites. We're reading your comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Boy, it's been a really, really busy news weekend. Check this out. Crews are making progress fixing a major water main break that left 2 million people in Boston without clean water. The big pipe break happened yesterday 10 miles west of Boston. Tens and thousands of people are still having to boil tap water for drinking or for cooking. That's because untreated water entered that system.

And parents pay close attention -- you need to check your medicine cabinets for liquid medications for your kids. The Food and Drug Administration is still investigating over 40 different over-the- counter children's liquid medications. You shouldn't use them because they don't meet quality standards. McNeil Consumer Healthcare issued the voluntary recall on Friday. Affected brands include -- pay attention -- Tylenol, Tylenol plus, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl, among others. So be careful, parents.

America's most famous investor held his annual shareholders meeting this weekend and everyone seemed to have the same question. What does Warren Buffett think about the U.S. economy? Is it really on the way to recovery?

Poppy Harlow from CNNMoney.com spoke with Buffett and here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN BUFFETT, CHMN. & CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: Well, the jobs are coming back slowly now. Business is coming back more than slowly. People have regained confidence to some degree. And the basic business that we have, we are seeing a real resurgence in demand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Buffett also said he remains a big supporter of Goldman Sachs and he downplayed the recent civil fraud charges filed against the bank.

Seven people are dead in Tennessee after a line of storms run heavy flooding and tornadoes hit the region over the weekend. Check out this mess at Vanderbilt Hospital. This is in Nashville. Water has been pouring in there and patients had to be moved from the medical center after the basement flooded. The water is just flooding the basement and the rest of the hospital is operating normally.

Fortunately, I'm not sure if it's all over. And for the answer to that, we check in with our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras.

Jacqui, what a mess there.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, and that's just the tip of the iceberg really, Don, because this is so widespread across the mid-south and it's getting worse in some areas at this hour. It's spreading further north and into the Appalachians, across Kentucky and into Indiana. And now, we're going to be watching states like Ohio as well as into Pennsylvania.

On top of the flooding, we're also watching for the threat of severe thunderstorms that could produce quite a bit of wind damage. We're going to start out in Tennessee because that is where the worse of it. You mentioned Nashville, we've also got a lot of flooding in the Memphis area. There you can see some of the Nashville pictures where the water has been extremely high.

The Doppler radar is now estimating up to 15 inches of rain has fallen here since Friday. Rivers are reaching historic levels. And at least 50 people had to be rescued out of the Nashville area.

There you can see the Coast Guard has been called in, as well as the National Guard, to help. And they've issued a civil emergency message asking people not to travel across central and western Tennessee at all because people are getting stranded.

In fact, there you see some of that video there at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the adjacent children's hospital where the basements are being flooded there. The emergency room in the main lobby in the children's hospital has also been flooded. But they say they are able to treat those patients, just in a different location in that hospital.

We've got flood watches in effect across 12 states now, Don, from Florida all the way up into Ohio. This is going to be ongoing at least through Monday. It takes a while for those waters to recede.

LEMON: So, keep it right there if you want to know the latest information. Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras will have it for you.

Jacqui, we appreciate it as always.

An environmental catastrophe lurks just off the shore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Every American affected by the spill should know this: your government will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to stop this crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: President Barack Obama gets a firsthand look at the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. We are live with details on how the Gulf Coast is bracing for the worst.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Listen, there's going to be a whole lot more to this story unfolding. We're talking about that failed car bomb in New York City and we're continuing our breaking news coverage now.

There were thousands of people out and about in Times Square last night. Many of them carrying cell phones with cameras, some just cameras, a little foot cameras or whatever, so much video. It's so easy to get video these days. Some of them turned into iReporters and sent in their video to CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLICE OFFICER: Everyone, wrap your food up. Let's go. Don't run. Don't run. Hurry up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That's a small bit of what our iReporter Matthew Derby gave us. He gave us nearly a dozen videos of what he was going through. And what you're seeing here, police evacuating the McDonald's in Times Square.

Matthew Derby's video was compelling we wanted to hear more from him. So, he joins us tonight from New York City.

Thank you, Matthew. I know it's been quite a long evening for you, quite a horrific event. We understand that you couldn't get into your hotel room because of all of the police blockades. So, truly, we thank you for joining us tonight.

So, tell us what happened at the McDonald's as you were in there. Was there a sense of panic or was it an orderly sort of evacuation at the facility?

MATTHEW DERBY, IREPORTER (via telephone): You know, actually, a little before I got into the McDonald's, the police were already evacuating the street. And they went -- you know they kind of increased the footprint, if you will, from 45th Street and 46th Street and that's when I went in to McDonald's thinking, OK, this probably was going to be a long night here.

So, you know, I get a refreshment. And then, you know. as we were in line, police were already closing up the front of McDonald's. And then I thought, oh, we're going to be stuck in here. So, I went upstairs and shot more video out the window and then that's when the police came in and they were just told everybody to please leave the premises and they were evacuating everybody, as you can see in the video.

It was organized, very well-organized. Nobody really panicked. Everybody just followed, you know, what the police said and got out of the building and went into the street. And then they started pushing everybody up the street. They evacuated the Times Square ticket area where that big red stair well is everybody takes their pictures in that big red eating area.

LEMON: TKTS sign (ph), right?

DERBY: Yes.

LEMON: Yes.

DERBY: And then, you know, they pushed everybody -- they kept on pushing everybody back and then they started telling everybody to go north. And, you know, that's when everybody thought, well, this is really, really getting very serious. So, it ended up pushing the blockade all the way to 46th Street. A lot of people there, as you said, social media, with their iPhones and their Smartphones and twittering and Facebooking and everything. According, if you will, to the event that was taking place in New York, it was very surreal because, again, you know, it's chaotic but it was organized chaos.

LEMON: OK. Matthew, stand by.

Can we hear this? I want to hear a little bit of it. Matthew, stand by. I just want to hear some of what was going on because I believe your camera caught some of the audio here.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Matthew, you see some of the people who are standing in the barricades here and you can see some of the police officers who are directing people. Last night, the mayor, the police commissioner, also the president of the United States commended New York City's investigators and the police department on handling this.

How do feel that the police department handled it?

DERBY: Oh, unbelievable. They did such a great job. I could not imagine how they could clear Times Square as fast and efficiently as they did. And, you know, it was -- it's a credit to the police department. I mean, you know, they are one of the best police departments in the world, in New York. They've gone through a lot and they've learned a lot.

Obviously, they exercise that the other night. And then, you know, the visitors and residents that were in -- everybody cooperated, which was --

LEMON: Matthew, let's listen a little bit.

There were -- I heard some ambulances there and I just wanted to see if you could hear what police were saying, too. Some of the folks here. Where from you visiting from, Matthew?

DERBY: I'm actually visiting from Honolulu, Hawaii. And I come to New York every year and didn't expect this to happen.

LEMON: Yes. Now, I said when I introduced you that you weren't able to get into your hotel. Were -- are you back in now?

DERBY: Yes. I was back in. They closed 45th Street all the way to 47th and they closed a block in each direction. I was able to go back (INAUDIBLE) probably out there until (INAUDIBLE).

LEMON: Matthew, speak up. Say again, I couldn't hear you.

DERBY: OK. I was out there until about midnight because they closed off 45th through 47th and a few blocks before that. So, you know -- and then they closed off two other blocks radius. So I wasn't able to get to my hotel until probably about midnight.

LEMON: All right.

DERBY: You know, I was on the scene with all of my video.

LEMON: Yes. Well, we appreciate that. We appreciate our iReporters. We're glad that you are -- everybody is safe, glad that you were able to get back into your hotel room and that you sent in this video.

Keep this in mind, Matthew Derby, you're an official CNN iReporter now. So, you should be very proud of that.

DERBY: Yes. Thank you so much. And --

LEMON: Thank you. Go ahead.

All right. Any way, I want to tell our viewers, please send your stories. Logon to iReport.com if you have any information or any stories, I should say, video that you want to show us or even photos. We'll look at them, we'll vet them and we'll get them on air like Matthew, if they are good -- if we deem so.

So, why would somebody want to blow up a car in Times Square? That is the question. One New York congressman has some theories about that and one of them involves some foul-mouth cartoon kid. We'll hear from Representative Peter King right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Listen, we want to update our top story right now. An all-out manhunt is under way right now for a potential mass killer. That's right. The suspect left a green Nissan Pathfinder in the heart of Times Square last night packed with explosive materials. Police were alerted when smoke began coming out of the vehicle and, had it detonated, it would have caused a huge fireball and caused untold casualties.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says surveillance cameras show someone walking away from the vehicle. And a tourist tells police he may have captured the suspect on his video camera.

Inside that vehicle, that you are looking at right there, check this out, Kelly says police recovered clocks, wires, firecrackers, propane tanks, gasoline cans, and an unknown substance. A multi-state hunt is under way for whoever is behind the filed car bombing in Times Square as New York police and federal agents comb for evidence at the scene. And they have a number of big leads.

Commissioner Kelly is outlining some of the clues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK CITY POLIE COMMISISIONER: The NYPD bomb squad used an exclusive charged to breach the gun locker that was found in the back of the vehicle. It was 55 inches tall, 32 inches wide, and contained eight bags of an unknown substance, as well as an inverted metal pot containing a bird's nest of wires and M-88 firecrackers. We are working with the city's Department of Environmental Protection to further identify the bagged material. Next, to the locker in the rear cargo area of the Pathfinder where three propane tanks weighing between 15 and 17 pounds. They are the kind used in backyard barbecues. One of them had M-88 firecrackers attached to its side, some of which detonated inside the vehicle. An M-88 is legal in some states, including Pennsylvania. On the back seat of the vehicle were two full five-gallon red plastic gasoline containers. Between them was a 16-ounce can filled with between 20 and 30 M-88 devices. Two clocks on the back seat floor of the vehicle were connected by wires to that can and possibly to the gun locker as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Let's get some expert analysis. You hear about all of these clues but we want to know what all of the clues mean, as well as where the investigation goes from here.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Joe Ruffini wrote, "When Terror Comes to Main Street." He's joining us now live from Denver.

Thank you so much for joining us, sir. I'm sure it's a busy time for people like you because lots of folks need clarification about what this is. You heard Commissioner Kelly saying that there's a videotape of a white man in his 40s, changing clothes near the scene. What do you make of that? Is that any indication that this may be the person who put that vehicle there?

JOE RUFFINI, AUTHOR & COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT: I think it's a little early, Don, in the investigation. I think the take-away points here for all Americans -- and this is the key -- is that this is not going to be the only car bomb that's found in a big American city. And that street vendor, that gentleman that noticed something was out of place and notified the police, his vigilance -- we probably don't know how many lives he may have saved. And that's the lesson for all of us. In this war against Islamist jihadist, it's not the first responders that are always going to be there to notice. It's got to be the citizens. This is a text-book example of how the average man on the street just being, not paranoid, but vigilant, can save lives as this war continues.

LEMON: So why do you say Islamist jihadists. How do we know this is not home-grown?

RUFFINI: It could be home-grown. The overall war on terror, the biggest global threat is the threat of Islamist jihad. There is several layers of terrorism today. This could be a home-grown terrorist not associated with the jihad. It could be a wannabe jihadist that simply identifies with the cause of al Qaeda and decided to take it on themselves to do something. The bottom line is we live in an age that is much more dangerous than it was many years ago and vigilance, not paranoia, is the key.

LEMON: One quick question before I let you go here. So where do we go next. You're saying to be vigilant. Where does this investigation go next? They say they have some videotape possibly of the car. They have got -- they someone possibly changing here. They told us what the devices are. So what happens next here, Mr. Ruffini? RUFFINI: Well, I have great faith in law enforcement. They've done a tremendous job since 9/11. They will find the perpetrator. They will determine, over time, whether this was an Islamist-jihadist type of attack, whether it was a home-grown independent of any religious or political cause. But I am sure that the men and women of law enforcement of New York City are going to get to the bottom of this. We just have to be patient because there is due process, there's due course, and I don't think we're going to get an answer, a complete answer very quickly. But I'll bet you within the next several days, it starts to sort itself out. They'll do the job.

LEMON: Thank you.

RUFFINI: They know what they're doing in New York.

LEMON: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Joe Ruffini, who wrote the book, "When Terror Comes to Main Street." We appreciate it. Have a good evening, OK?

RUFFINI: Thank you, sir.

LEMON: On CNN's "State of the Union," this morning, our Candy Crowley spoke to New York Representative Peter King about the failed car bomb. He has an interesting theory about the placement of this SUV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING, (R), NEW YORK: One possibility and, again, this is one possibility out of 100, but this vehicle was close to the Viacom building, which owns MTV and Comedy Central, and you have the issue with "South Park," which Islamic terrorists were threatened -- where threaten to have retribution for, to all of these things have to be looked at. Fortunately, a lot of evidence was left behind and you have the best police force in the world with the NYPD and you have the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York on top of it. And they will be moving as quickly as they possibly can. And we can be sure that it'll be a thoroughly exhaustive and professional investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Look at this. And you saw the video there.

Can we go right here because joining us now, my new friend -- he has been here -- he has here all last night -- is CNN political editor, Mark Preston.

Mark, let's talk about these big stories that are going on this weekend, talk about the terror event -- well, I guess the foiled plot, we should say, in New York City. Is this going to become a political issue?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: I think it's a very difficult issue for it to be politicized. The fact is Democrats and Republicans both have this idea, Don, that they really have to work together on fighting the idea of terrorism in the United States. Now, they might have different ideas about how to go about doing so, certainly sending troops over to Afghanistan and Iraq, what have you. But when it comes to these types of issues -- talking to Republicans today, they all tell me, they don't know how to address it.

LEMON: There is going to -- and you can see it starting now. You had the mayor last night saying, you know, terrorists around the world and then you had sources saying, hey, we don't know what it is, ifs it international terrorism or what? You heard the gentlemen, who is a retired colonel, say Islamist jihadists. There is going to be that debate. And that is somewhat political because what if it turns out to be home-grown? That takes it to a whole different level.

PRESTON: It takes you to a different level and we have seen it before. We saw it here just next door to us with the Olympic Park plumbing. Of course, Eric Rudolph (ph), he was an American citizen, who was --

LEMON: And Timothy McVeigh.

PRESTON: And Timothy McVeigh. So, look, we have our own problems here in the United States. It doesn't just have to come from overseas.

LEMON: So we'll see. It will play out we'll see. And then, we will go through it, report it and figure out what happened.

So let's get down to the gulf coast, really because that is a catastrophe in the making. Already a catastrophe, but -- to add insult to injury, once it reaches the shore, and it is going to reach the shore, no doubt about it, all of these efforts that they doing now, some are them are for naught because there's so much oil that's being pumped into the Gulf of Mexico, there's now way you can contain it, so there's going to be an environmental and economic impact there. So what about this whole Katrina sort of comparison to this. And, honestly, it's ticking a lot of people off because they don't -- they don't see the comparison.

PRESTON: Sure. It's an easy comparison to make, because it's in the same region that we saw Katrina. But the fact is that we saw 1800 people, more than 1800 people die down in New Orleans off the gulf coast of Katrina. We haven't seen that here with the oil spill.

This does become a political issue though, Don, on two levels. One, there's an eternal debate in the Democratic Party about whether President Obama should agree to offshore drilling, something that he's done so recently. And in addition to that, when he's talking about trying to revive the national economy and get people back to work, we see him down having to deal with this disaster, so.

LEMON: Yes. We've been talking that. A lot of people say that he backtracked on offshore drilling. If I was there last night at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, I would ask Michael Steele about "drill, baby, drill."

PRESTON: Drill, baby, drill. LEMON: How do you feel about those words now that, you know, that you see what's happening. Just to ask the question, to see if there's any sort of change in the way they feel. So it's going to be interesting.

Listen, this is going to affect the economy. The economy is already affected down in the gulf coast because of Katrina, and then the economy overall is not doing well. So implications for years, for months, maybe years to come.

Mark Preston, stick around. We'll be talking to you later on.

As we just told you, President Barack Obama visited the gulf coast today. We will go live to Dolphin Island, live, in Alabama, for a look at how the gulf coast is bracing for the worst, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, we have something just in to CNN here. It's developing news out of Alabama. The Alabama National Guard, we're being told, will be deployed. They're going to deploy soldiers to help with this oil spill. Again, this is just in. And I'm reading from an e-mail from the governor's office, from Governor Bob Riley. Governor Bob Riley says that Alabama National Guard soldiers on Sunday began installing barriers around a portion of Dolphin Island, filled with a chemical compound that will solidify if oil seeps through the barrier, that material can then be removed and disposed of safely after this is all over. The governor said 120 members of the National Guard's 711th Brigade Support Battalion were involved in the effort on Sunday. Again, 120 members of the National Guard will be putting barriers up around Dolphin Island.

For that, I want to go down to -- change of plans here a little bit. Let's go to CNN's Brian Todd. He's in Venice, Louisiana, where the president toured today. We'll talk about the president's visit after we talk to Brian.

Brian, the reason I want to talk to you about this is because you mentioned some of these chemical compounds that they were going to put into the water. And now they're having these National Guard members now -- starting now to put them in.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPNDENT: That's right, Don. But what B.P. is telling us is that they are not quite ready to put them in in large volume yet. They are saying that they've tested them out over the last two days and the tests were successful. But they are waiting to prepare the contaminants. They are waiting for a break in the weather. And that's been a key factor here. Right now, it's storming where we are. There's pretty high in tide and white caps out there. B.P. officials told us that it's preventing them from not only putting these chemical dispersants down into the water but also from laying boom along the coastline. It's been a very tough day for them in their attempts to do both those things.

LEMON: Brian, stand by. That's on the chemical part of it. I want to get back to you to talk to you about the capping this gush.

But let's go on and talk about the president's visit here. So Brian, stand by and I'll get you on the other side.

President Obama is vowing a relentless response to the oil spill disaster. He was in Venice, Louisiana, this afternoon for a firsthand look at the crisis and the response efforts. More than 1.5 million gallons of oil have gushed into the gulf waters from the ruptured B.P. well, deep below the sea floor. Right now, there's no end in sight. Mr. Obama promises the administration will spare no effort to stop the spill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: From day one, we have prepared and planned for the worst, even as we hoped for the best. And while we have prepared and reacted aggressively, I'm not going to rest, and none of the gentlemen and women who are here are going to rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil on the gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of this region are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The president emphasized, once again, that the oil giant, B.P. is responsible for that leak and will, in his words, pay the bill for the clean up.

We're back now to CNN's Brian Todd, joining us from Louisiana where the president toured today.

High winds, we are told, Brian, and rough seas all day have been hampering the efforts to coral that approaching oil. B.P. says it is still trying to shut down the gushing leak.

TODD: They are, Don. And they are having a lot of trouble with it. They are building a dome that they can try to lower into the water to try to capture some of the oil and siphon it out. We mentioned the chemical dispersants that they're trying to lower near the well head that's leaking to disburse the oil as soon as it comes out. But their chief effort in trying to actually stop the leak has also not worked. That's the use of these remote-controlled submersibles that have been basically hovering around this leak for several days in attempts to try to cap it. And those are supposed to be the principle back-up system to cap any leaks, and they simply haven't worked.

B.P. officials say that they are frustrated. They don't know why the submersibles are not working. This is also going to be a focal point of the investigation because there's another back-up system that could be in place but is not, and that's a remote-controlled switch that could shut off the well head in the event that the rig is damaged. Neither this rig nor any rig in the Gulf of Mexico has those because the U.S. law does not require them. Rigs in other countries have them. And some environmentalists believe that that could have made a difference here, although B.P. says it probably would not have. LEMON: Well, Brian, you can bet after this, there are going to be a lot of changes and a lot of assessing to see how this could be corrected so it doesn't happen again.

Brian Todd, thank you. Very good information.

In Venice, Louisiana, Brian Todd reported about these devices to stop these chemicals there and to solidify them. And now we're being told, as we said, from the Alabama governor, Bob Riley, that they are going to deploy -- they are deploying 120 members of the National Guard to put these devices, this chemical compound into the water to solidify the oil that may seep into the barriers.

Thank you, Brian. We'll continue to follow that story as well.

Tornadoes and floodwaters batter Tennessee. We'll get an update straight ahead for you.

And it's bound to be a tense night for the South Carolina governor. Will the attorney general go after him on ethics charges? He's got a lot of problems, doesn't he? Tomorrow is expected to be decision day for him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: I want to check some of your top stories right now. Seven people are dead in Tennessee after a line of storms brought heavy rain and flooding, tornadoes to the region over the weekend. Check out this mess. It's at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, water pouring in and patient had to be moved from the medical center after the basement flooded.

Delegates of 189 nations convene at the United Nations tomorrow for talks on the nuclear proliferation treaty. Expect some controversy because Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will speak during the opening session. He is likely to talk about Tehran's nuclear program. The 40-year-old treaty is designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Tomorrow, South Carolina's attorney general will announce whether Governor Mark Sanford should face criminal charges regarding his use of state aircraft. Sanford is accused of using state planes for personal and political purposes and buying expensive tickets for commercial flights. He was investigated after a sordid extra-marital affair was uncovered. Sanford has already paid $74,000 in types to settle civil charges he broke state ethics laws.

Cleveland, Ohio, sits on the southern shore of Lake Erie, once a major manufacturing center. The loss of industry and jobs has force it had to reinvent itself.

Our Deborah Feyerick goes to see how they are rebuilding America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hard to believe but not long ago, this indoor mountain bike park was a run down abandoned warehouse.

RAY PEETRO (ph), OWNER, MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK: My heart really thought it would work and I was prepared to lose it all.

FEYERICK: Ray Peetro (ph) spent his entire life savings and maxed out his credit cards to build a dream.

PEETRO (ph): I have been broke before, I might be broke again.

FEYERICK: Then just as the recession hit, Rayna Jennifer Thomas (ph), another Cleveland native, determined to raise her kids here.

Thomas runs Civic Innovation Lab, hoping first-time entrepreneurs turn big ideas into viable small businesses.

RAYNA JENNIFER THOMAS (ph), CIVIC INNOVATION LAB: We saw Ray's adventure sports as an economic driver.

FEYERICK (on camera): When you talk about an economic driver, what do you think?

THOMAS: We're looking for a place like Rays to fill hotel beds, to fill restaurants, to get people from out of state into our state.

FEYERICK (voice-over): The Innovation Lab gave Ray a $30,000 grant which he used, among other things, to add heaters and computerize his business.

PEETRO (ph): Some routers and we got some other computers.

FEYERICK: Perhaps more valuable, they hooked Ray up with a mentor.

BERNIE MORENO (ph), OWNER, MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP: He had that burning passion.

FEYERICK: Bernie Moreno helped Ray get the grant and helped him avoid the mistakes he made turning a fledgling Cleveland Mercedes Benz dealership into $180 million business.

Ray's is the largest indoor mountain bike park in the nation.

(on camera): And it is not riders. Advertisers, too, virtually everything here is sponsored. It is a small investment with a really big payoff. And what you see here at a warehouse in Cleveland goes viral on YouTube.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Cleveland, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Come on, Deb, I wanted to see you on one of those bikes. That would have would have been fun. Florida is known for wildlife, great beaches and good eats, but imagine this, you're there, you live there, you know it's coming, and there's nothing you can do. That big oil slick off the gulf coast, threatening their livelihood.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Another view now from the gulf oil spill emergency tonight. Tonight, all-platform journalist, Sarah Foyd (ph), headed to Seaside, Florida, where workers are keeping an eye on the shore and bracing for impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVE RAUSCHKOLB, OWNER, BUD ALLEY'S RESTAURANT: I'm not an expert on cleaning up oil spills. I own three restaurants on the beach here. I have been in business for 24 years. I have 150 employees who depend on me. And I'm only one with of thousands and thousands of people who really, really depend on a seasonal business that's going to come.

I think we need to take a serious look as to whether or not oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is a good idea at all. The Gulf of Mexico is like a -- like a big bathtub and, when an accident like this occurs, every bit of every coastline of every state is affected.

I started a movement last October called Hands Across the Sand. And we organized over 80 beaches, from Jacksonville Beach to Miami and Key West, all the way to Pensacola and we had thousands of people join hands, all across Florida, united against opening up the ban on oil drilling in Florida's waters.

And now that Floridians have oil on their lips, they don't like the taste of it. And every legislator who voted in favor of oil and has supported oil is going to have a really hard time cleaning the oil from their hands after this one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All righty. Thank you very much for that. Nice story there.