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NAACP and the Tea Party; Fathers Rebuilding Their Lives; New Idea on Gravity Challenges Einstein
Aired July 14, 2010 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up now to the top of the hour, a new rundown for you. NAACP taking on the Tea Party. We're going to talk to both camps here in just a moment.
Also in case of emergency, it's a bracelet for kids that's fashionable and could save their lives.
Also, gravity, it's the reason we're all firmly planted on the ground right now. But you'll never think of gravity the same way again. All that coming up this hour in the ""CNN NEWSROOM"."
Delegates to the NAACP, meanwhile, the convention, they have passed a resolution. That resolution condemns what they call extremist elements within the Tea Party, racist elements within the party.
Calling Tea Party leaders to repudiate members who use --
Delegates to the NAACP, meanwhile, the convention, they have passed a resolution. That resolution condemns what they call extremist elements within the Tea Party, racist elements within the party, call on Tea Party leaders to repudiate members who use racially-tinged language in their signs or in their speeches.
The NAACP says the resolution has generated controversy among conservatives whom the group says wrongly portray the resolution as condemning the entire Tea Party movement as racist.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN TODD JEALOUS, PRESIDENT, NAACP: We see Tea Party groups across this country, folks there holding up these signs and shaking them, and there's no sergeant at arms who goes, takes down the signs, and escorts them the way that we would do at our rallies, somebody who showed up with that sort of foolishness. So, you know, look, with increasing influence comes increasing responsibility to act responsibly.
You were irresponsible when you called us racist. We've never called you racist. That's a false debate.
We've simply asked you to repudiate the racists in your midst and insist that -- let this debate be about taxes and policy. Don't turn this into something that feels like the 1930s.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, again, the actual resolution -- the actual text of it not going to be released to the public until it's approved by the NAACP's national board of directors. What we saw happen this week is that the delegates to the NAACP convention, they actually voted. Some 2,000 of them voted to approve the language in the resolution. But, still, the board of directors, and I'm told by the office there of Ben Jealous, over the next two days, we should see the board of directors ratify it. That's when the actual text will be released to all of us.
Meanwhile, joining me right now, Mark Skoda, founder and chairman of the Memphis Tea Party. Also Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington's bureau.
Gentlemen, good to have you both here, two gentlemen I have spent some time with. You're both decent guys. So I hope we can have a good conversation here.
And I'll start with you, Mark, with the backdrop of my hometown of west Memphis, Arkansas, back there.
Let me ask you, first of all, as you heard from Ben Jealous, they're just asking for Tea Party leaders like yourself to repudiate some of those racist elements.
The first question, do you agree that there are some racist elements to the Tea Party movement?
MARK SKODA, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, MEMPHIS TEA PARTY: First of all, I think I disagree with the notion that the Tea Party movement is embracing racism. I think, clearly, in our nation there are people who are racists on both sides of the question, people both on the -- African-Americans who believe all whites are evil, and some whites who, regrettably, believe that people of color are evil.
The Tea Party, however, has been very clear about this. Indeed, we have rejected any forms of racism, derogatory conversation relative to people's gender or color or creed or sexual orientation.
I would suggest to you the problem we see is, I believe, somewhat of a theater around this whole issue. In particular, with the declaration that apparently is going to come out from the NAACP.
HOLMES: Now, Mark, let me ask you -- I want to back up to something you said. You say that the NAACP is accusing the Tea Party of embracing -- that was your word -- of in some way embracing racism. Do you believe, really, that's what the NAACP has said?
SKODA: Well, here's the problem. I think at the end of the day, we don't know.
One of the things I've tried not to comment on is what this supposed resolution is going to be. They haven't indicated what it is going to contain. They have a teaser up on the Web site. So I'm not going to speak to the NAACP's final perspective.
However, I would suggest that it has been indicated that they've used some old narrative which would suggest that racial epithets have been used. They have suggested that signage represents the entirety of the movement. And regrettably, this is just not the truth.
And I think at the end of the day, while there's been certainly a lot of emotion in the Tea Party movement, and certainly a lot of activism, I think in general most people have rejected all forms of racism.
HOLMES: All right.
Hilary, let me get you in here now.
On his point there, of course there are racial -- quite frankly, there are idiots in any bunch you put together. You're going to find a couple here or there. But to do something on this scale, an actual resolution -- and, yes, we'll see the text of it, but does it send the wrong message? Was this the message you were trying to send, and the message that a lot of people got, which the NAACP says the Tea Party is racist?
HILARY SHELTON, DIRECTOR OF NAACP, WASHINGTON BUREAU: Well, I hope it doesn't, people don't get that particular message. Quite frankly, the language in the resolution calls upon those within the Tea Party movement to repudiate the racist elements of the Tea Party. They would not call upon the Tea Party movement to do anything if we were painting with such a broad brush and saying the whole party is racist.
We know African-Americans and others that are part of the Tea Party movement. As a matter of fact, some of them even thanked us for raising that issue. They want to be active within the movement. They're part of one of the more rational, but clearly focused, components of the Tea Party movement, and they want to continue to do that.
They find themselves in the awkward position of having policy positions of their own that supports, actually, smaller government and supports lower taxes. But they find themselves side by side with some within the Tea Party movement that would carry those very racist signs, the kind of folks that would spit on African-American members of Congress, the kind of folks that would call the first sitting member of the U.S. Congress that happens to be gay the "F" word, and call the congressman from Kansas City, Missouri, the "N" word.
So, that raises some concerns, and we're simply calling upon them to actually notice this being utilized that way.
HOLMES: Well, Hilary, is it good enough that -- you heard Mark Skoda just a second ago. He rejects that type of stuff you're talking about. So, I mean, this is a leader of the Tea Party sitting right here with us. He repudiates that.
I mean, how many leaders do you need to come out and do that? I mean, what is acceptable?
SHELTON: Well, they all really need to, quite frankly. We know that there are six national sections of the Tea Party movement, segments of. Dick Armey is one, there are others in different places and whatnot. And they have different elements within their group.
We also know within the Tea Party movement, there are local Tea Party organizations as well. What we want to see is them all saying this is wrong.
I was on television yesterday with a member of the Tea Party movement that simply rejected off hand that there are no people like this participating in their program, and I'm sitting there looking at pictures taken of signs referring to the president of the United States as the "N" word. So we still have some work to do.
HOLMES: All right.
Well, Mark, I'm certainly going to let you get back in there right after a break.
Guys, don't go away. We're taking a quick break. We're going to have plenty more to say and talk about right after this.
Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Going to continue our conversation now with Mark Skoda, founder and chairman of the Memphis Tea Party. Also, Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington bureau. Again, talking about the delegates at the NAACP convention approving a resolution that asks the leaders of the Tea Party movement to repudiate some of the "racist elements" of the Tea Party movement.
Mark, let me get you to jump back in here on some of the things that Hilary was talking about before the break, which are, have leaders like yourself not done enough to repudiate some of those incidents we have seen around the country when it comes to maybe at a Tea Party rally or signs that have the "N" word, quite frankly, that we've seen, spitting in the face of a black congressman, things like that?
Have guys like yourself not done enough?
SKODA: Well, let me say this -- you know, some of the allegations relate to the Washington incident. We formed the national Tea Party Federation, which is a group of about 80-plus Tea Party leaders around the country, plus affiliates. We actually sent a letter to the Congressional Black Caucus offering our videos, asking for theirs, so we could indeed identify who was at fault in the altercations that were alleged.
We received no feedback. We asked for help. We want to do that.
The Tea Party leadership is a very reasonable group of people. And indeed, I would suggest to you that while there are fringe elements in all movements, that the folks that are leading these major organizations, who are making a different by getting the vote out, getting people elected, clearly have stated unequivocally that there's no room for this kind of derogatory speech. Indeed, no room for racism.
You know, in my own case, I recruited a woman, Charlotte Bergmann, who is an African-American conservative running for District 9 against Steve Cohen. I worked personally on Angela McGlowan (ph), another African-American woman in District 1 in Mississippi. I'm heavily involved with the Brinkley Heights Urban Academy.
You know, in Memphis, Tennessee, we have 60 percent African- American population in the city. It is untenable that I, as leader, would disenfranchise a relationship with a major part of my city. And indeed, worked heavily with a black church which I founded seven years with the pastor, Roscoe Perry, and indeed with Brinkley Heights, raised $500,000 to help underprivileged children in, frankly, crack- infested neighborhoods.
We are working very hard as conservatives to ensure that we have smaller government, that we use our own resources, and that we create different ideas. I regret -- and have great respect for the NAACP, but I regret that they've decided to take this action. Frankly, unnecessarily so.
HOLMES: Well, Hilary, you named earlier some of the groups that are a part of or affiliated with the Tea Party movement. I mean, can you tell me right now, what would be satisfactory? What are the names of the people, the leadership you talk about of the movement? Who do you want to come out in front of a microphone and say, we reject all of these racist elements and these racist incidents that have taken place, and possibly get you to a point where you would withdraw that resolution?
SHELTON: Well, it would be enough to have those within the Tea Party movement actually recognize that some of those involved in the fringe element, as mentioned before, are carryovers from very extremist organizations like the Council of Conservative Citizens and other groups that I don't believe carry the same concerns as the person I'm speaking to on the other end. That is, what he's saying is very reasonable.
Grassroots mass-movement organizations often have fringes that try to invade what they're trying to do in a very reasonable and systematic and even democratic way. It makes very good sense to raise issues and concerns that are different from others.
Conservative ideas, conservative issues around taxation, around spending, around those kind of concerns, that makes good sense. It's not that agenda that we're worried about. It's the signs we're seeing being carried. It's the epithets being utilized. It's the very troubling and inflammatory and racially-discriminatory language being used.
HOLMES: But again, Hilary, we're asking specifically, what is satisfactory? Because you're sitting here on live TV with one guy who is doing exactly what you're asking a leader to do, which is to repudiate all those fringe elements.
So, what exactly do you want them to do that would be satisfactory?
SHELTON: Whenever it comes up -- and it will come up again -- as you mentioned, there are those that are going to try to infiltrate everything they're doing to bring an illegitimate agenda to the table. Not just the agenda, but an illegitimate manner of handling these concerns.
We've seen it happen in the past. We're fearful that it will happen again.
And as our resolution calls for, they have to be prepared every step along way to repudiate these extremely problematic factions, messaging and signs that we see happening across the board. We have to make sure that we don't have those that show up. We have to be concerned with these issues usually from the left side, those people that would bring signs denigrating some member of Congress, or whatever the case might be. They may be extreme right wing.
We shut that down right away. And it is our hope that you'll see the importance of doing exactly the same thing. I believe that he does, but I hope that the other five faction leaders, as well as all those local organizations, will follow suit and do exactly the same thing.
HOLMES: Go ahead, Mark.
SKODA: I was hoping one thing I would ask the NAACP to do, and it revolves around the new Black Panther Party. I mean, Malik Shabazz has suggested that crackers and children of police be murdered. I would hope that he is as energetic --
SHELTON: Absolutely. Absolutely.
SKODA: -- in rejecting such a horrific fringe -- in fact, bordering on hate speech. And I would hope that you would do that also, beyond singling out the Tea Party.
SHELTON: We absolutely do.
SKODA: I think this -- the hysterical elements here, the hysterical elements on both sides, need to be tamped down. There is no room to relive the '60s.
SHELTON: Absolutely.
SKODA: We must continue to move forward. And I'm grateful that you've given us this forum to have a reasonable dialogue.
SHELTON: And I strongly agree with you about those very inflammatory statements made by members of the new Black Panther Party. There's no place for that kind of vitriolic language in a civilized, Democratic society. It has to stop. We have to address the real issues before us and stop digressing into these fringes that are unnecessary.
We strongly agree with you.
HOLMES: Mark, let me ask you, how damaging is something like this? And I want to talk about this resolution. And I say how damaging it is.
When you have such a revered organization as the NAACP, a revered civil rights organization, that has put something on paper having to do with the Tea Party movement, no matter what, people are going to listen to the NAACP. What people aren't getting is maybe what you just referenced, a calm conversation like we're having.
What you've seen in a lot of coverage is, again, two sides yelling back and forth at each other, unfortunately. So, how much does it hurt just the Tea Party movement itself, which, quite frankly, has been known as a conservative and sometimes, yes, even racist movement in some of the coverage? How much does it hurt to have a group like the NAACP come out and do something like this when you know most people aren't going to see this reasoned conversation?
SKODA: Well, I think it's -- regrettably, I think at the end of the day, it begins to marginalize some of the good work the NAACP does.
I think people who are part of this movement know who they are, know where their heart is. And I think if nothing else -- and certainly as I've talked to some of my members and received e-mails, there is a great energy afoot to repudiate, first of all, this position. And secondly, to get the vote out and change the makeup of Congress.
We're focused on the 2010 elections. And again, I have great respect for the NAACP. I live in stay where race issues -- where we had Martin Luther King assassinated, and we live with that every single day. And I recognize the absolute rawness of this issue on the psyche of African-Americans. And so there is no place for this.
And regrettably, I think we would try to find more common ground together than to find divisive language in such a resolution. So, I frankly don't believe this will have a major impact on the Tea Party movement. In fact, I would suggest that it may, in fact, animate further behavior to get the vote out, show up at the polls, and to be more active.
HOLMES: What about the affect on the NAACP, Hilary? I guess you could see it a couple of different ways.
Some people saying this is exactly what the NAACP should be doing, keeping people in check. On the other hand, some people might agree with Mark here in that it takes away from some of the other good work that the NAACP is doing.
SHELTON: Well, it is our hope that people see this exactly what it is. That as we're seeing problems on the horizon, as much as we've seen very well-disciplined members of the Tea Party as the person I'm talking to right now, raising the issues in a very relaxed kind of way, a very respectful way, we still have challenges.
People responded to what they've seen happening. They responded to what they've seen with the very racist-type signage, with the very racist and inflammatory language being utilized. And very well, what we've equipped them with in that resolution are tools to assess what's going on.
We made sure that we didn't paint the entire Tea Party with one broad brush, but raised the issues of those elements within. And it's our hope in raising these issues that we will begin to see a greater set of discipline being utilized by the Tea Party to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
I'm hearing that kind of commitment from our other person from the Tea Party in Memphis, and it is our hope we can see that in all the other factions of the Tea Party as well. And my guess is as the future moves on, we will probably find some issues I hope in the future we can agree on and work together to implement.
HOLMES: Finish it up for me, Mark. I know you want to get in there. Just a couple of seconds.
SKODA: If I may just say, Hilary, I would offer that I would be happy to broker a meeting with a number of our leaders to meet with the NAACP. So far, we've been talking at each other and not speaking with each other, and I would encourage us to do that if you so see it as helpful.
I think we need to have a good, open dialogue. And I would encourage you to accept an invitation to have me bring a number of leaders from around the country to meet with the NAACP and to discuss this in very good detail.
SHELTON: We will look forward to making that meeting happen. This sounds like just the kind of thing that needs to come out of a resolution like this passing.
HOLMES: All right. Got you both, guys, on the record. And I've got bot of your phone numbers as well.
Hilary Shelton, Mark Skoda, again, both of you gentlemen, glad I could have you both on, because I know you both, I've spent time with both of you. And no matter what anybody out there might think of these issues, you all, I know, are two reasonable and decent guys who can have this conversation. And I appreciate it.
I hope people got something out of it. And we look forward to the two groups working together down the road.
Good to see both of you guys.
SHELTON: Thanks, T.J.
SKODA: Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, rebuilding the lives of ex-cons by making every day Father's day. It's a way to "Build Up America," and that is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Thirty-eight thousand dollars, that's roughly what the state of New Jersey pays each year to keep a man in prison. But one program helps ex-cons rebuild their families and make amends for a life of crime. In turn, it helps "Build Up America."
Here now, CNN's Deborah Feyerick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fifty-seven- year-old Dawud Ward is the first to admit he wasted 30 years of his life on drugs and in jail.
DAWUD WARD, PARTICIPANT, FATHERS NOW: Had nowhere to go, nowhere to turn to.
FEYERICK: Two years ago, he hit bottom.
(on camera): At that moment, if somebody had come to you and leaned over and said, "You're going to be a teacher, in a couple of years you're going to be a teacher," what would you have said at that moment?
WARD: No, I wouldn't have believed it.
FEYERICK: And now you light up when you talk about being a teacher.
WARD: It's possible. Yes, I'm able to dream again.
FEYERICK (voice-over): It was one of those moments fate plays a hand. You saw a sign for Fathers Now, a nonprofit group in New Jersey helping men turn around their lives, teaching them how to get jobs and be good parents.
JOHN LESLIE (ph), PROGRAM CASE MANAGER: This is Jason (INAUDIBLE). He's one of our best graduates, in fact.
FEYERICK: Program case manager John Leslie (ph) can relate to his students. Drugs, prison, the hope of redemption.
(on camera): Is this about giving people another chance? Is this about giving people a first chance? Or is this about what that sign says, "We want our men back"?
LESLIE: It's basically that. It's basically about family reunification, and we want our men back.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Ninety percent of those in the Fathers Now program are ex-cons. It's not a requirement, just a reality. LESLIE: So, Dawud, you got your registration done?
FEYERICK: Out of the 110 guys who applied last semester, only 32 graduated. The majority quit even before classes started.
(on camera): At one point does a man decide, enough, I want to start living my life in a positive way, the way you did, the way these other men are doing?
LESLIE: It's a different point for every person. You know, everybody hits bottom. And you've got to know when your bottom comes.
FEYERICK (voice-over): For 23-year-old Steven Ziemlinski, an ex- Marine and aspiring tattoo artist, it was when he found himself fleeing from police over what he thought was a suspended driver's license. The course was a condition of probation.
STEVEN ZIEMLINSKI, PARTICIPANT, FATHERS NOW: I think it made me realize that a lot of people have a lot worse off than I imagined myself having it, because it puts it in perspective.
FEYERICK: Steve's daughter became the star of the class, filled with men like Keith Harrell. After 30 years as a self-described street thug, he now has a part-time job and is trying to be more of a dad to his six kids, inspired by son Shaquan, now a college junior.
KEITH HARRELL, PARTICIPANT, FATHERS NOW: They're my reason for wanting to do better, or focusing on doing better.
FEYERICK (on camera): Do you judge your dad for the kind of life he lived?
SHAQUAN BAKER, KEITH HARRELL'S SON: Not at all. I'd like to think that every mistake kind of makes you stronger.
FEYERICK: Do you ever see yourself going back to the life you were living?
HARRELL: No.
FEYERICK: Because why?
HARRELL: I have too much to lose.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Newark, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: OK. Usually I say I can explain, but I really can't explain what we're doing right now.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's OK. Neither can I.
HOLMES: Because we're talking about gravity. Now, this new idea of gravity, it literally now controls the order of our lives. It keeps us in place. We learned that stuff in school.
But, Chad, it's really going way "Off the Radar" this time.
MYERS: A "New York Times" article, guy in Netherlands is saying this is completely, completely wrong. Einstein didn't have a clue.
HOLMES: About gravity?
MYERS: Yes. Newton, off base. Apple never even occurred.
HOLMES: OK.
MYERS: We'll see.
Ball, Saran Wrap.
HOLMES: Got you.
MYERS: Big ball.
HOLMES: Big ball.
MYERS: Big Earth. Denting the universe.
HOLMES: The Earth is denting the universe is what we -- OK.
MYERS: Denting the force field.
HOLMES: All right.
MYERS: Ali (ph) is going to bring me over the soccer ball.
HOLMES: OK.
MYERS: If the Earth dents the force field of the world, of the universe, of the big bang theory, and this ball is close, it will be attracted to the big ball. This little ball is attracted because of gravity.
HOLMES: Yes.
MYERS: Well, we've known that.
HOLMES: We know it.
MYERS: We know that part.
Where's -- that was all that was for?
MYERS: You know what? Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
(LAUGHTER) MYERS: That is all said and good. That's what we believe. That's what we were taught.
Now, string theorists --
HOLMES: All right.
MYERS: -- kind of chaos theorists.
HOLMES: That's the official name, string?
MYERS: String theorists.
HOLMES: String theorists. All right.
MYERS: Yes. They say horse cookies, not even close. You guys are wrong.
It's entropy. It's thermodynamic processes that are pulling things together, not the weight. Like the little banner says, size doesn't matter? It's actually a thermodynamic process that is pulling you and I together.
Can you feel it?
HOLMES: I can't.
MYERS: No, me neither. The whole thing is trying to be explained by these theorists, by these physicists, by these very smart men that said, you know what? Yes, there's gravity. Yes, we're attached to the earth, but not for the reasons we think...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: we're attached to the earth. We have thermodynamic processes. There are atoms in our body being attracted to atoms in the earth, and it's all keeping us down. Another thing -- did you know that the chicken now happened before the egg? Did you figure that out?
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: I kind of suspected that.
MYERS: There are proteins in the ovaries of chickens that are only in the egg because of the ovary. So therefore, there could not be an egg without an ovary, and the chicken came before the egg. Two giant things in science in one day on your show!
HOLMES: OK, back to the string theorists, though. How many of them are there out there, these string theorists?
MYERS: Oh, lots.
HOLMES: Lots.
MYERS: Many. And now there are new papers coming out every day on the new theory of gravity.
HOLMES: OK, and again, it's just that we have -- our makeup -- we are attracted, like magnets almost, to the earth.
MYERS: Think about it like you have a thousand Christmas lights.
HOLMES: OK.
MYERS: You jumble them all up and you throw them on the ground, and next year you go to untangle them.
HOLMES: OK.
MYERS: The energy that you're using to untangle all those lights is the gravity that's keeping them all together.
HOLMES: OK. Is it just me...
MYERS: It is...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: I didn't get this.
MYERS: No.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right, "Off the Radar" is the name of the segment. We've got to get you back on the radar, I do believe, Chad.
MYERS: Yes, next week.
HOLMES: OK, Chad. Thank you. Quick break here. We're right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: To our "Globe Trekking" segment now. It has been a deadly 48 hours for U.S. and British forces in Afghanistan. That's our first stop today. Here is what we know. Eight U.S. and four British servicemembers killed over the past 48 hours, died in combat operations in southern Afghanistan. Thirty-four American servicemembers have been killed so far this month. Sixty U.S. servicemembers were killed in June, which was the deadliest month since the start of the war back in 2001.
Now, these developments coincide with deadly attacks by al Qaeda forces in Yemen, again, another place -- oops. Which way? Yemen is not up here. We'll "Globe Trek" later. Security officials there were killed in the southern part of that country.
Here are some of the facts you might not know about Yemen. It's a country that's playing an interesting role right now in the fight against al Qaeda. Yemen is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden. It's the poorest country in the Arab world. The country is dominated by various tribes and factions.
The government faces a violent separatist movement in the south and conflict with Shiite Muslims in the north. Washington warns Yemen could become al Qaeda's next operational base. Well, in a bid to slow or stop that development, U.S. and British military forces are training Yemeni security forces. These are some of the pictures we have of it. Now, none of the governments involved say much about the operation. Al Qaeda in Yemen claims it was behind the failed attempt to blow up a U.S. jetliner on Christmas Day. It also says it carried out the deadly attack on the U.S. embassy in 2008 and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000.
Now we head over to Hong Kong, where lawmakers there, labor leaders, as well as big business, all locked in a battle over whether this very rich territory should have its first-ever minimum wage. Lawmakers are debating the bill. A vote could come sometime this week, labor activists fighting for a minimum wage of $4.25. The average wage now is about $2.75 an hour. Most business owners opposed. And as you might expect, many politicians are on the fence. They favor paying workers a fair wage but not at the expense of the economy.
And so now a celebration of independence. France is observing Bastille Day. And what would that day be without parades along the Champs-Elysees? But it didn't go off without a bit of a flap. African troops from former French colonies marched in the parade, as well, and African leaders watched from the stands you see there. Critics denounced, though, this move, saying that some of the African leaders and troops should be facing trial for war crimes. The government dismissed the charges as unfounded. This holiday is the 50th (SIC) anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris in 1789 which triggered the French revolution.
Well, it is a way to keep kids in style and also keep them safe. Up next, we've got some jewelry for your child that that child should not go without.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hello, there. Welcome back. Checking some of the stories making headlines today. After a day's delay, government scientists expected to greenlight an important test on BP's gushing wellhead. It will determine -- or help determine the next step in containing all that oil. These are integrity tests. They were meant to get under way yesterday, but there was some concern about potential problems with the equipment.
Also, accusations fly at another contentious hearing on that planned New York City mosque. It'd part of a Muslim community center which is a few blocks away from Ground Zero. Opponents are trying to have the building declared a landmark to derail the project. The city's commission expected to vote on that sometime next month.
Also, an appeals court has smacked down the FCC, rejecting its indecency policy as way too vague. A group of broadcasters challenged the rules on 1st Amendment grounds after the agency got stricter about language used on the air. At issue here, so-called "fleeting expletives," cases where profanity just slipped in during live awards shows.
We turn to our "Mission Possible" today, and it's a very simple thing here that could save lives. It's called the ICOE bracelet. ICOE means "in case of emergency." The bracelet is for kids, and it has space on it for two emergency contact numbers, so if that child gets lost, there's a way for their parents to be notified.
This bracelet was created by Taylor and Chris Kersey, who join me now from Louisville, Kentucky. Guys, hello to you both. This sounds like a very simple thing that every kid should be wearing. Where'd you get the idea in the first place?
CHRIS KERSEY, CO-CREATOR OF ICOE BRACELETS: Well, we first started talking about it when I worked as a social worker and we handled cases sometimes of children being left accidentally by a day care or a caretaker at a playground or on a field trip. And then we had a child of our own, and it became much more important even then. So we figured if this is a concern of ours, it would have to be a concern of parents everywhere. So that's when we started talking about ideas of how to get that information with our children at all times.
HOLMES: Well, did it turn like -- or when you started talking to, I'm sure, other parents out there about this, a lot of people thought, Oh, yes, that makes sense, especially if you have young kids who are not going to have a cell phone on them or maybe can't remember their own phone number. They are literally just wearing it around every day.
TAYLOR KERSEY, CO-CREATOR OF ICOE BRACELETS: Yes, exactly. A lot of parents said they were looking for something like this and were never able to find anything that fit exactly right. And I mean, it surprised us that there wasn't anything out there when we thought of it. And so we just took it and ran with it.
HOLMES: Now, some of these numbers here are disturbing. They're from the Justice Department saying that about 2,100 children reported missing every single day. Again, these numbers to us from the Justice Department. I guess it was another key here -- it seems like bracelets, frankly, are all the rage, or they have been for several years if there's a cause of some kind. You know, you see athletes wearing them during games oftentimes, as well. So did you all go out of your way to make these things something that kids would be proud to wear?
TAYLOR KERSEY: Yes. There's a couple of things -- put a lot of thought into it. The white coating on the bracelet -- there's nine available colors. And medical and allergy bracelets come in maroon, but there's always a white coating on there so they would be distinguishable and identifiable from the other bracelets because, you're right, there are tons of them out there and we wanted everybody to know that these bracelets had emergency contact numbers on them.
HOLMES: Now, what age would you say should parents be having -- have these on their kids? I guess what age group would you be targeting, or which parents out there would you be targeting of what age kids?
CHRIS KERSEY: Well, we actually make them for all ages, even for adults. But our daughter is 2 now, and she's been wearing one since she was a year old. So they can start out as young as, you know, infants or toddlers all the way up to adults that may need them for health conditions.
HOLMES: Now, how long have you all had these out so far?
TAYLOR KERSEY: It's been going on about a year.
HOLMES: About a year now. Do you all have any success stories that you have that you could share with us, of a time when these things actually came in handy and somebody used that number to get a child back in touch with a parent?
TAYLOR KERSEY: There's only been a couple instances so far where they've come into play, and it's been more concern with the allergy bracelets. Any time they were at school and they were separate from their parents and they had a reaction, we had two different cases where they were able to immediately call the parents with the number on the child's bracelet.
HOLMES: All right, last thing here. I want you to tell people where they can find these bracelets, where they can get them, and how long does it take to have one made and how -- I assume there's a charge for it, as well.
CHRIS KERSEY: Correct. They are $5 each, regardless of size or how much information is on them. They can go to our Web site, which is ICOEBracelets.com and order them there. And we also have a phone number they can contact us at. But the best way to order is through our Web site.
HOLMES: And again, how long does it take to get one once you order with your number on it?
CHRIS KERSEY: Currently, we're looking at one to two weeks we ship them out.
HOLMES: Oh, OK. All right. Well, again, Taylor and Chris Kersey -- and I apologize for not calling on you all individually after each question. I saw you bumping each other with the arm, telling which one to answer.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: We all saw that, by the way! Just want to let you know. Look, guys, thanks so much for being here. This is a great and simple thing that could certainly, quite frankly, save some lives. Guys, thank you so much for being here. And great idea. You all have a good one.
CHRIS KERSEY: Great. Thanks. TAYLOR KERSEY: Thank you very much, T.J.
HOLMES: All right, well, President Obama calling in a man who knows a lot about money to talk about money. We're going live to the White House for more on today's meeting between the president and "the oracle." Ah! Oh, yes! Our guy, Ed! I forgot! (INAUDIBLE) supposed to be here today!
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HOLMES: All right, time now for our White House stakeout. Let me go ahead and turn (INAUDIBLE) and bring in my man, Ed Henry. Ed, I hope you saw that in that commercial break, right before we came to the commercial, I was genuinely excited to see you. I looked up and saw your face on TV. There's my guy, Ed. Ed, how are you doing?
(LAUGHTER)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm doing great. It's good to hear that. For a second there, I thought you were calling me "the oracle," and I thought that would be a great lead-in. Ali's never done that for me, so that's why you're my man.
HOLMES: All right, well, "the oracle of Omaha" -- this is the one I'm talking about. And if you need financial advice, and it seems like this country could use some, he might be a good guy to talk to.
HENRY: Yes, maybe the president needed to know about mutual funds or something. But actually, this was not on the president's schedule. I got a tip about it a few hours ago. We confirmed it, that Warren Buffett was here for what was a quiet meeting, about an hour in the Oval Office, we're told, one on one with the president. Robert Gibbs was just asked about it.
He says that, actually, Warren Buffett requested it. We're trying to dig more on what exactly they talked about, why did he want this meeting. We know the Wall Street reform bill has been kicking around. It's almost finished. Warren Buffett's been very interested in that and how it's going to change financial regulations.
But also, look, this president relied on Warren Buffett. He endorsed him in 2008, and he used him as a sort of informal adviser. And right, the president's been in this sort of fight with the business community, some corporate executives charging he has not been friendly to the business community. So that's very helpful, to have someone like the "oracle of Omaha," as you mention, who's got so much credibility on Wall Street, around the country, to be sitting down with him.
But I got to tell you one quick funny thing I just picked up from some White House aides, is during this meeting, the president apparently was teasing Warren Buffett, I'm told, about how his necktie was all frayed, it was so old, that the president himself decided to take one out of his personal collection and gave Warren Buffett a new necktie. This is a billionaire. Maybe that's partly why he's a billionaire. You and I nowhere near that. We spend a lot of money on our neckties. Doesn't always work out. This guy has an old necktie. The president felt bad for him, had to give him a new one.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Well, that is an interesting tidbit. But tell me, as well -- you said you had to be tipped off about this meeting. Was this so last-minute that they just didn't have time to tell you guys about it?
(CROSSTALK)
HENRY: We're trying to find out. You know, sometimes the White House doesn't put everything on the president's schedule. The night before, they'll give us a heads-up about two or three meetings that are coming up. In this case, they didn't give us a heads-up about Warren Buffett. Is that because it came together last minute or because they didn't want to sort of tip us off so our cameras might get Warren Buffett coming into the White House side door? We don't know yet.
Another big visitor's going to coming in a little while, and that's Bill Clinton, also meeting with President Obama and business leaders here. Funny because it started -- my colleague, Dan Lothian, and others were sort of pressing Robert Gibbs a moment ago about why all of a sudden we're seeing so much of Bill Clinton. He's coming in with these business leaders at 2:45, I think it is, just right about now, here at the White House.
And then just yesterday, I was reporting here on this show that President Clinton is going to be used by the White House, not a huge surprise, out on the campaign trail, fund-raising, campaign events. Robert Gibbs insisted he's not being used as a crutch. It's not like because of the president's dismal numbers right now. He needs to bring in Bill Clinton specifically with these business leaders. I'm told they're talking about energy reform. And Bill Clinton has a plan where wants to try to make office buildings around the country more green, not just individual homes. So that's why he's talking to business leaders.
But again, Warren Buffett and Bill Clinton, two people with a lot of credibility with corporate America, doesn't hurt this president at a time when he's doing battle in some ways with corporate America because this White House not only wants to mend fences with corporate America because they need their support maybe in November, they need the campaign contributions. Those Democratic candidates want to make sure that big business is not tilting their campaign money to Republicans in November.
HOLMES: And you wonder why we're seeing so much of Bill Clinton lately? There's an election coming down the road. Of course we're going to see Bill Clinton!
HENRY: Bubba is back, and it's not a surprise. I mean, I talked to one senior Democratic official who told me, Look, this is a great one-two punch because, you know, you've got certain states, like Bill Clinton's home state of Arkansas, where Barack Obama is not very popular. It's an important one-two punch, some Democrats think, to have both of them out there in the next 3-and-a-half months.
HOLMES: Yes, Bill Clinton's home state of Arkansas happens to be my home state of Arkansas.
HENRY: Oh, yes. That's right.
HOLMES: I'm not too popular there myself, either.
HENRY: I don't believe that for a second!
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Ed, buddy, good to see you, as always. I know they were giving you a hard time about your beard you had, but I thought it was a good look for you, my man.
HENRY: It was short-lived. Not a lot of people liked it. But my wife liked it so that's why I kept it (INAUDIBLE)
HOLMES: That's all that matters, my man. All right, good to see you, Ed, as always. Talk to you soon, buddy.
HENRY: Thanks, buddy.
HOLMES: Well, it's all about integrity and oil. That's what we're looking into in our "Wordplay" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, to our "Wordplay" now. Today, we are talking about integrity tests. That's what they're doing in the gulf right now, working with the new containment cap. Integrity -- the definition is "sound, unimpaired or perfect condition." But they aren't necessarily looking for the well to be in perfect condition. They just want to know if it can handle the pressure of a better cap. They want to know if there are other problems along the line before they seal it up. The integrity test could take anywhere from 6 to 48 hours to complete. BP says if the well fails the test, they'll have to rethink the new cap plan. Your word for today is "Integrity."
Well, coming up next, the "XYZ" that we have every single day. I'll let you know in today's "XYZ" what happened in today's show live on the air that caused me to rewrite my "XYZ." Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, in today's "XYZ," I have a different "XYZ" for you. I had written a different "XYZ," had it ready to go, but I just rewrote it about 20 minutes ago. Originally, I was writing about how many viewed Obama's election back in '08 as a step forward in this country for race relations, but also how some might view some of the events we have seen this week as steps in the wrong direction.
Exhibit A, Reverend Jesse Jackson, of course, a Civil Rights icon in this country. He equated the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers to a slave master, accused him of treating Lebron James like a runaway slave. That's what I had in my old "XYZ." Also, another step I talked about in that other one is that the NAACP, the oldest, most revered Civil Rights group in this country, passes a resolution at their annual conference referring to racist elements of the tea party movement, which has proven, of course, to be a force to be reckoned with in American politics.
Also wrote about conservative radio talk show powerhouse Rush Limbaugh saying that George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees who passed away yesterday, was a "cracker" who made a lot of African-Americans millionaires. Limbaugh, of course, was immediately rebuked by Reverend Al Sharpton. I wrote in that other "XYZ" that no matter what you think about the merits of each of those individual comments and incidents, you can't deny they didn't really serve as a unifying function.
I decided to rewrite this "XYZ," however, after I had a conversation live on the air here at the top of last hour with Mark Skoda (ph) and Hilary Shelton. Skoda is the head of the tea party in Memphis. Shelton is the bureau chief of the NAACP in D.C. And what I heard and what our viewers heard at the top of the hour was what we should all be hearing in this country possibly, which is constructive, intelligent and respectful conversation.
Much of the coverage you have seen about the NAACP and the back and forth with the tea party, you've just seen two sides fortify their positions and spew back and forth at each other. Well, you didn't see that today here on our show, and we shouldn't see that down the road. It was a reminder of the kind of conversation we should have and the conversation that can happen when cooler heads prevail. Those two gentlemen also right here on this show agreed to work together, to get together down the road, and we will hold them to that. That is my "XYZ" for today.
Now time for the "LIST." Rick, it's yours.
