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Seepage Detected in Gulf; Williams & Tea Party Express Booted; Flying Customers to Gulf Coast; Alvin Greene Speaks Out; Literary Agent to Crack Addict; The Dream Act: Young People Wants Citizenship; Drilling Near Key West; Happy National Ice Cream Day

Aired July 18, 2010 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, we will catch you up on everything you need to know for your week ahead.

A crack in the Tea Party armor. One group is disowning another because of an offensive letter about, quote, "colored people." The Tea Party leader who dumped the Tea Party express is here.

Alvin Greene. The mystery South Carolina Senate candidate out on the stump. You'll hear him in his own words and you'll hear from voters on whether he won them over.

If you or anyone you know have ever dealt with addiction of any time, alcohol, drugs, anything, boy, we got a story that you need to see, a man you need to meet and a book you have to read.

We'll start with this though, just in to CNN, new developments tonight in the gulf oil disaster. It is day 90. And we're receiving word that there are, quote, "undetermined anomalies at the well head and that a seep has been detected at a distance from the well. This comes in a letter sent from National Incident Commander Thad Allen to BP's chief managing director Bob Dudley.

Let's go right to the ground now. CNN's David Mattingly is in New Orleans.

David, what are these anomalies, seepage, and what is Thad Allen referring to. How much concern should we have here?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Thad Allen at this point with this letter is not calling off these tests, but he's not asking that they go forward either. So we're waiting to find out exactly where this process is going to go. But he specifically refers to a detected seep, a distance from the well. This is the first we've heard about this and we know they've been very acutely watching for any type of seepage around the well area that would be a sign that this well might be leaking, even though BP at this point has said they've detected no leaks or no problems with the well. So that would be a cause of concern.

And also he mentions the undetermined anomalies at the well head. This could be what BP was referring to as bubbles that they've detected in some of the valves at the well head. And BP was sort of downplaying that earlier today. But Admiral Allen clearly saying that this is something we need to look at and something we need to pay attention to.

LEMON: Anything else in this letter, David, that we need to know about?

MATTINGLY: Well, this was a very direct letter to BP telling them how they are supposed to act and what he expects them to do from now on. And there's a particular quote in here. He was telling Bob Dudley, the managing director at BP that when seeps are detected, you are directed to marshal resources, quickly investigate and report findings to the government in no more than four hours.

I direct you to provide me with a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the well head be confirmed. And he goes on to say you must provide me with your latest containment plan and schedule in the event that the well integrity test is suspended. So he's telling BP that he wants them to be prepared and he wants to know exactly what they are going to do if they encounter a problem. And he wants to know that they're going to be prepared to get this well hooked up to send the oil up to the surface to containment vessels in that eventuality.

LEMON: OK. So then it doesn't say anything about oil. So we would assume that no oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. So is this considered a setback, and if so, how big or how small or not at all?

MATTINGLY: Well, again, he is not saying that we're suspending these tests. We're -- there's no indication, though, of how they're going to proceed from here. This could very well be Admiral Allen's letter to BP laying out the end game for this well telling them exactly how he wants them to do this, what sort of time schedules he wants them to meet and how they are supposed to respond when they see something.

LEMON: David Mattingly down in New Orleans. David, thank you very much. We're going to get more on this now. Because on the phone with us is Darryl Bourgoyne. He is the director of the Petroleum Engineering Lab at Louisiana State University.

First of all, sir, this is seepage from the gulf floor. Is that right to assume?

DARRYL BOURGOYNE, DIRECTOR, PETROLEUM ENGINEERING LAB, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY: Well, what I've read so far is unconfirmed seepage. And that could be just bubbles coming up. You know, there's microbes that generate biogenic methane in the Gulf of Mexico, I mean just like they do in the swamps further inland. They could be something along those lines. You know, BP has to do everything they can to confirm it's this benign source or is it something that would indicate a leak. You have to be able to differentiate. It sound like Admiral Allen will give him about four hours to do that.

LEMON: So right now we don't know if it's -- we don't know how much of a concern this should be, right?

BOURGOYNE: That's right. I mean, they detected something that looks like an anomaly and they need to run it to ground as to whether it really is. Even if it is seepage, the fact that they didn't say anything about the pressure dropping significantly indicates that it wouldn't be from a very big leak. So opening up and flowing and doing containment again is very viable method, I would suspect, to reduce any seepage, if there is any.

LEMON: So is this something we should expect in this process at this point?

BOURGOYNE: For sure, we shouldn't be surprised that anomalies were detected. I mean, stuff is bubbling up from the sea floor all the time. It just happens to be bubbling up around this well which, rightly so, the coast guard has been abundantly cautious and every anomaly has to be accounted for.

LEMON: Daryl Bourgoyne is the director of Petroleum Engineering Lab at Louisiana State University.

Thank you, sir.

Much, much more on these new developments tomorrow morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

We've also been following this developing political story for you all night. A rift in the Tea Party movement. A major player and his group getting the boot from the National Tea Party Federation after controversial comments on race.

The federation which may be the closest thing the movement has to centralization today kicked out Mark Williams and his group. The Tea Party express, which is perhaps the most recognizable group. Williams has been locked in a war of words with the NAACP this week. The civil rights group called on the Tea Party movement to condemn racism in its ranks. Here's Williams on CNN earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK WILLIAMS, TEA PARTY EXPRESS SPOKESMAN: Racists have their own movement. It's called the NAACP.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Williams then responded with a blog post pretending to be NAACP President Benjamin Jealous writing to Abraham Lincoln. Here's what he wrote. "We colored people have taken a vote and decided that we don't cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us colored people and we demand that it stop."

Well, Williams explained why he wrote the letter to CNN's John King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: What I did was successful. And I'm glad it was successful. I am sorry I had to go to those lengths to slap some sense into a lot of people who are so afraid of politically incorrect language that we can't get a conversation started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Williams later took the letter down but defended it as satire. Mark Williams was booked as a guest tonight on this program, but he backed out after the expulsion. And here's his mail to us.

He said, "Sorry, have to cancel. Traveling plans changed last minute." He did post a response to the federation's decision today on his blog. And it says impart, "The careless individual tea partier who assumed the mantel of leadership did so long enough to turn a critical and serious movement and delicate peace with skeptical groups into a world wrestling-style personality conflict with me at the center."

Next, you'll hear from Ben Jealous and from David Webb, what they have to say.

Plus, we'll have this for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALVIN GREENE, U.S. SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm the best candidate in the United States Senate race here in South Carolina. I am also the best candidate for the -- I am also the best choice for the Image Award next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Alvin Greene making a little joke there. He is unknown and under funded. Will all that change now that Alvin Greene made his first speech in his long-awaited campaign debut to become a senator from South Carolina? And was it enough for voters to vote for Greene? We asked two of them.

And don't just sit there. Make sure you become part of the conversation. Send me a message on Twitter and on Facebook, and check out my blog, CNN.com/Don. And look for us on four square as well. We're back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The National Tea Party Federation today kicking out prominent member Mark Williams and his Tea Party express. Williams wrote a controversial blog post using the words colored and Massa it repeatedly, and questioning emancipation. He said it was satire, but many weren't laughing. I asked the National Tea Party Federation spokesman David Webb whether he personally found Williams' comments racist.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAVID WEBB, SPOKESMAN, NATIONAL TEA PARTY FEDERATION: I found it offensive and I found it unnecessary. I found it self-aggrandizing of someone who wanted to insert himself into a conversation and get the headlines. We had a serious discussion --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But to use words like colored -- pardon me, pardon. To use words like colored and to say that, you know, we colored people, how else would we get a widescreen TV in every room, and words like Massa and then sign a letter saying Tom, which means Uncle Tom, precious Ben Jealous, head of the colored people's movement, you didn't find that racist?

WEBB: I didn't find it racist to me because I am above that. But the word --

LEMON: No, I don't mean to you. I mean him. I'm not talking about you. You didn't think that his actions were racist and what he wrote was racist?

WEBB: I don't know if I am the right person to determine that he's racist or not. I don't know what's in the man's heart. But I found it clearly offensive as did many other people, not just myself. That's why this action was voted on and taken. This is a movement that needs to focus on the issues. And when we're attacked, we need to talk about the issues, not get into this invective and hyperbole. And that's why Mark Williams is not a good representative and he has never been a Tea Party leader.

LEMON: So you said you did find it offensive, though, right -- am I correct?

WEBB: Offensive, clearly.

LEMON: You found it offensive.

WEBB: Yes.

LEMON: So that's why you booted him, but you don't think that the words that he put on paper was racist, and even as an African- American they didn't offend you.

WEBB: No, they didn't offend me as -- they didn't strike me as clearly racist, if that's the distinction. But they were certainly clearly offensive.

LEMON: OK. So then what -- does this in any way, you feel, and was this part of the rational for -- rationalization for kicking the Tea Party express and him out is that in some way he was proving Ben Jealous' point, the NAACP's point, that there some are racist factions and parts of the Tea Party, not the entire Tea Party? Do you think that he was proving their point in some sense?

WEBB: No, I think what he was doing was he was doing what he's always done. Constantly coming up with a way to be above it and over the top. He has been offensive in many, many respects in the past and it simply was time for them to make a decision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: OK, offensive but not racist. That's Webb's point of view. NAACP head Ben Jealous doesn't see any logic to that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BENJAMIN JEALOUS, NAACP PRESIDENT: He's extremely dishonest and disingenuous. This is a guy who just a couple of days ago said there was no way for them to police themselves. And then they did. Now he says that there's no fracture. And there is. You know, then he goes on to say that he's not sure that they've made racist statements, even looking at Webb's letter which says that slavery was a good gig. And, clearly, there are people making racist statements. He just needs to deal with reality.

As I've said before, you know, David Webb has shown some real leadership. But with -- but you've got to be honest with people. You can't have people just staring at you, staring at this letter and being like, I don't know if it's offensive. I don't know if it's racist. Clearly it was racially offensive. Clearly it was a racist statement. You know, clearly you can't see somebody's heart, but you can see their words and these words are deeply troubling.

LEMON: You did commend him, though, for breaking ties with the Tea Party express.

JEALOUS: Yes. Yeah, no, I mean, look, again, they have proved that they can do what Sarah Palin refused to admit they could do. You know, what so many others -- Fox News keeps trying to spin as impossible. Oh, we're so loosely federated. There's no way we can, you know, do what they just did. So, look. They need to just keep on heading down this road with increased power and prestige comes the increased responsibility to act responsibly. They need to stop the lies. You know, saying that we called them racist. We didn't. They need to stop the lies saying --

LEMON: Can you hang on one second? Can you hold on one second? That's what -- in all of this, and I listened to both sides. And I understand. When the other side says, right, when the tea partiers say this is clearly not the biggest issue facing the African-American community. And I asked you that earlier in the week. And so I agree with that point. I asked you about it and you responded.

The other thing is that I'm hearing is that saying that the entire Tea Party is racist. I have not heard you say the entire Tea Party is racist ever on television or during your speech.

JEALOUS: Yes, yes never. I mean, it's -- yes look, what we're doing will improve the country, it will improve civility. It will keep my people from getting hit over the head with signs by Tea Party folks and it will improve the Tea Party. Nobody will be better off than the Tea Party.

You know we have seen throughout history, look, when the Democrats harbored racists, blacks didn't really get involved a kind of -- you know states wide Dixiecrat Party. When they pushed them out, you know, blacks fled the Republican Party.

Now the Tea Party has a 21st century operation, has a choice to be a multiracial party. But if they're going to be a multiracial party, then they can't harbor these racist elements.

LEMON: And you've --

JEALOUS: They've got to keep doing what David Webb has been pushing them to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And head to our blog to check out both those interviews in their entirety. You can find it at CNN.com/Don.

You know, at least two people swept to their deaths in Kentucky. Homes, roads and bridges all washed away and people plucked from their rooftops.

And the oil disaster isn't keeping everyone from the Gulf Coast. As a matter of fact, that's why some pilots are flying people into a gulf coast town.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time now to check your top stories. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Pakistan, where she's working to improve the often tense relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two countries signed a landmark trade agreement today. It's part of the Obama administration's diplomatic efforts in the region where the architects of the 9/11 attacks are believed to be hiding. Secretary Clinton plans stops in Afghanistan and South Korea before heading home.

In Iraq, at least 43 people died in a suicide bombing outside Baghdad this morning. The attacker hit a group called, "The Awakening Council," former Sunni militants who now work for the government.

And the victims were waiting to pick up their paychecks. Another suicide bomber struck and waking council office near the Iraqi-Syrian border today killing three others.

The high water is receding in eastern Kentucky. But search teams are still looking for victims of overnight flash floods. At least two people died in Pike County. An estimated 200 homes are destroyed. Rescue teams worked through the night plucking people from their homes and from stranded cars. Several major roads and bridges are also damaged.

And in Chicago, a veteran police officer gunned down. Now the hunt is on for the suspects. Officer Michael Bailey was fatally shot outside his home early this morning after he finished an overnight shift. Police don't have anyone in custody, but they suspect more than one attacker. Bailey is the third Chicago police officer killed since May.

News at the oil leak has stopped. Could trigger a return of vacationers to the Gulf of Mexico. Well, some pilots in Alabama are trying to jump-start the local economy by flying in shoppers. Photo journalist Rod Griola was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are in Gulf shores, Alabama.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're all pilots in the Shelby County Airport in Clear, Alabama.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the Parrot Heads. We wanted to show them our appreciation for them making the effort to support our community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a conversation about two weeks ago, they decided they wanted to come down and do something here in the Gulf since the Gulf had been hurting so much with people not coming down and vacationing so, from there it went viral and we ended up with just a few people to actually a large number of people that flew down today. About 26 aircraft came down today, about 70 people.

What did you buy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hot cashews and almond, cinnamon glazed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I lost my job with a Dolphin Cruise Company because we had -- the dolphins literally have disappeared down here. It's really a ripple effect throughout the whole community. All of us have lost jobs, which means less money, which means less money we put out into the community.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that oil's not affecting anything that we've done today. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We have ocean breezes, good food. There's no reason not to come.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're fortunate to own an aircraft and we can get down here fairly quickly from Birmingham, about an hour, hour and a half flight, and we felt it was important for us to come down and spend money and help the people out on the Gulf. We have now had two meals and staying overnight and renting a hotel room and trying to spend all money and getting ready to go shopping.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We hope this will kind of give people the incentive to do this also.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Very nice.

His Democratic primary win caused quite a controversy. Now Alvin Greene makes his first campaign speech. He wants to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. Was today's speech enough to sway voters? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We go to South Carolina now, and the man who shook up the political world with last month's victory in the democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. I'm talking about Alvin Greene, of course. He delivered his first campaign speech today, giving state voters their first chance to hear what he stands for in his own words. And like most candidates, he started off his stump speech with a little humor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREENE: I'm the best candidate in the United States senate race here in South Carolina. I am also the best candidate -- I'm also the best choice for the Image Award next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, from there Greene got serious and made passing references to his campaign priorities, including jobs, transportation and education.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREENE: We need better education for our children. Parents need to take a more active part in their child's education, especially parents of underperforming students.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Greene's speech was mostly light on details and it did have its awkward moments. Here's Alvin Greene talking about the legal system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREENE: I know this guy that some folks got in trouble. This guy happened to be a person of color. This was in the fifth judicial circuit. Anyhow, this guy met the criteria for pretrial intervention, but was denied. That's same guy's trial was scheduled for last week, but was put off.

Anyway, moving on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: CNN's national political correspondent Jessica Yellin was in Manning, South Carolina for Alvin's Greene's speech. She says the audience gave the candidate mostly positive reviews.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It was Alvin Greene's first public appearance since he's won the election or the primary here hosted by the NAACP in his hometown.

And I did -- I'll tell you Don, the folks I interviewed before the speech were very skeptical and curious, too. I interviewed plenty of people who said they didn't know, based on what they've seen if he was up to the job. They didn't know who he was. And they were a little concerned that there wasn't more public information about him.

After the speech many of those same people had changed their mind and felt that he was not only up to the job and clear and delivered in his speech here, but he was introduced by a speaker who was a family friend who sort of framed this whole issue as something of a challenge for the community.

Saying that Alvin Greene really hasn't gotten a fair shake and it's up to these folks to stand behind him and make it clear that this guy really deserves the opportunity to be the next U.S. Senator from South Carolina if he could prove it.

And we can talk about the substance of the speech but I really think that's sort of what drove a lot of people to feel like they were really behind him and become more receptive to him than they had been at the beginning -- Don.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So the bottom line, did Alvin Greene earn some votes today with his first public address? That's the question. We asked two people who were there. Up first is Jerry Johnson, an unemployed veteran just like Alvin Greene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY JOHNSON, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: Honestly, not at this point because Alvin Greene walked through the door today. He was shrouded in mystery. He was an enigma. No one knew a whole lot about him. So, I don't think people -- a lot of people came in with the expectation that Alvin Greene was going to step up to the mike today and knock it out of the ballpark. I don't think that was the expectation at all.

I think that people want to hear what his platform was because he had some issues that he already put forth to the public. I think they want to see some substance behind those issues. I think that's what everyone came here for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will continue to listen to Mr. Greene and for me, personally at this point, I was very, very much more concerned about the process and Mr. Greene's treatment versus me making a determination today as to whether or not Mr. Green will win my vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: No word on when Alvin Greene might make another public appearance. We will keep you posted, though.

A drug-fueled ride directly to rock bottom. That's where my next guest found himself after he blew his savings on crack parties.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I remember my late 20s, looking for a way to control all this and if I read a book that showed me how it wasn't controllable and that there might have been some other way that wasn't death, I would probably seek that, whatever that solution was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Next, he's sharing the story of his fall and his climb back to the top.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: If you have ever struggled with addiction or you know someone who has, then take a seat for a few minutes and watch this. My next guest had it all. A handsome young man living in New York City with his own successful literary agency. Powerful friends, a live-in partner, money in the bank. But he had a very dark secret that eventually led to him losing it all. An addiction to crack cocaine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLEGG, AUTHOR: As an adult, I would have gotten more and more complicated with a double life that was less and less manageable until death again became the solution. And so, at the point of which I walked out the door of my life and only did drugs 24 hours a day. It was death that I was asking for and death that I was expecting.

I remember my late 20s, looking for a way to control all this. And if I had read a book that showed me how it wasn't controllable and that there might have been some other way that wasn't death, I would probably seek that, whatever that solution was. And if there was a book that had suggested that there might be a solution other than death, I might have tried to find it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Bill Clegg has just written that book. It's called "Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man." I talked with him and I started by asking him how he is doing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLEGG: I'm well. I'm very well. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me on.

LEMON: Well and sober?

CLEGG: Well and sober. I just had 5 years sobriety a few weeks ago. Which is a miracle to me and I'm very grateful.

LEMON: You know in the book -- it's amazing -- you talk about starting your own company and then having this dark secret and really losing it all, having these nights in expensive hotels and blowing it all on cocaine and vodka. Why did you -- why did you do it? CLEGG: Well, you know, for years, I managed my drinking and my drug use and, you know -- and, you know, every night that I thought I would have two drinks, it would become ten drinks. Every night that I thought I would come back at midnight, I would come back at 9:00 in the morning. And as the year progressed, my ability to manage that became less and less successful. And so, toward the end, it reduced to one desire, which was to get high and to seek oblivion, and I lost control.

And that's really the point with addiction and alcoholism, which is that, we struggle for years to control it as addicts and alcoholics, and then, at a certain point, we can't. It becomes completely unmanageable. And that's what happened with me in the end.

LEMON: Yes.

If you look, you're not the face of crack cocaine, even though most people would be surprised at who has tried crack cocaine or who uses crack cocaine. But you think of someone urban, you know, often someone who lives in poverty or what have you. And you're not that person. So what's your advice to anyone who may be suffering from this or anyone who is dealing with a family member or loved one suffering from this?

CLEGG: Well, my advice to anybody who is struggling with their alcohol use or their drug use, which is that if you find yourself trying to drink just two drinks or three drinks or you just -- you try and just do drugs once a week or once a month and you find yourself having ten drinks and then doing drugs every other night, you know, that's a good sign that there's a problem. And there won't be a moment when it becomes manageable. There won't be a moment when you're able to handle it any more than you are now. And so, you should step off, get help. There's plenty of programs to help addicts and alcoholics. And I suggest they find them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That was Bill Clegg. The book is called "Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man."

It is an amazing story of recovery, and of course, we wish him well.

They are illegal immigrants graduating from U.S. high schools. Could their dream of becoming a U.S. citizen soon be a reality?

And a special celebration for Nelson Mandela today. It is his 92nd birthday. We'll tell you how people are using his day as inspiration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Want to check your top stories.

A seep has been detected in the Gulf of Mexico. A letter from national incident commander Thad Allen to Bp describes it as being a distance from the well. Allen also refers to undetermined anomalies at the well head. And it's not clear yet exactly what that means. But for now, BP's new containment cap continues to hold tight. No oil has spilled from the broken well for three days now.

In Uganda, Interpol is using reconstructed photos to learn the identities of two suicide bombers. Authorities pieced together these images of the men they believed carried out a bombing in Kampala that killed 76 people last week. The blast hit a crowd that was watching the world cup final. An Islamist group took responsibility for the attacks saying it was retaliation for Uganda's support of the government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Happy birthday to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The grandchildren of Nelson Mandela sang to the former president of South Africa on his 92nd birthday today. Mandela has spent 27 years in prison before leading his country out of the white minority rule of apartheid. The U.N. today also proclaimed this day as the first annual Nelson Mandela International Day.

Vice President Joe Biden today commented on next year's planned U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan when asked about a book that quotes him as saying a whole lot of people will be leaving the country by then. While Biden acknowledged the accuracy of the quote and then clarified what he was trying to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's going to be a drawdown of forces as we transition. There are 34 districts in Afghanistan. And the plan is, as we train up the Afghanis, we are going to begin in August, say, OK, now you got this province. We no longer have to have American or NATO forces in that province. There will be a transition. And really what I was responding to was the idea that the president has been out maneuvered. I was saying, make it clear. And so it wasn't so much numbers I meant. It could be as few as a couple thousand troops. It could be more. But there will be a transition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The vice president described the job of training Afghan troops to take over for U.S. forces as painfully slow and difficult.

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants graduate from American high schools every year, and there is a new push to give them a shot at becoming U.S. citizens if they were brought here before they were 16. It's called the Dream Act. CNN's Kate Bolduan has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a dream these young people are fighting to make a reality, becoming U.S. citizens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it's to keep going. To keep going with my life. To have a future.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am undocumented student. I have been here since I was 6 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In our hearts and our minds, we feel like we're American.

BOLDUAN: 24-year-old Matias Ramos (ph), an undocumented immigrant and activist from across the country are gathering in Washington this week to put a new face on the fierce debate over immigration reform.

(on camera): Matias, why now? Why mobilize now? Why is this critical for you?

MATIAS RAMOS, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: Well, now is the time because, you know, we're headed into a summer where there's a lot of action on immigration. We're seeing a debate around immigration that really is framed all about gangs. It's all about criminals. And we've got to show the other side.

BOLDUAN (voice-over): With little chance Congress will act on comprehensive immigration reform this year, a pared down measure targeted toward young illegal immigrants is being touted as the only proposal with any shot at winning enough support on Capitol Hill.

(on camera): The Dream Act, as it's called, would offer undocumented young people a way to become U.S. citizens with conditions, including they graduate from an American high school, have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and they must attend college or join the military.

RAMOS: For thousands of people, the Dream Act is the only hope, that immediate hope of a bipartisan bill that is in Congress.

BOLDUAN: So how many people are we actually talking about here? The Non-Partisan Migration Policy Institute estimates that well, about 2 million people would be eligible under this legislation. Less than 40 percent, a little over 800,000, would actually obtain legal status.

(voice-over): Critics of the measure warn it's a slippery slope.

BOB DANE, FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM (FAIR): The so-called Dream Act is an amnesty plan disguised as an educational initiative. And like all amnesties, it's simply rewards illegal behavior and encourages more.

BOLDUAN: That is a debate Ramos says they are ready for.

RAMOS: This is about giving them an opportunity to prove that they are what this country needs.

BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: With the drilling ban in the gulf, oil companies are now looking to Cuba. I'll explain, next

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LEMON: A Spanish oil company could soon set up an oil rig just off the coast of Florida and there's nothing the U.S. can do to stop it. And as CNN's David Ariosto reports from Havana, it's part of a bold new plan to search for oil in Cuban waters.

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DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to oil drilling, Cuban-style. This is what many of Cuba's oil wells look like. They're onshore, land-based rigs and they are hauling up the black stuff for this country's energy depleted and cash-strapped economy. But the U.S. Geological Survey says there's much more out there, which has caught the attention of Spanish oil giant Repsol.

The company is part of a consortium exploring oil drilling in Cuban waters. But their plans have caused quite a stir among Florida politicians wary of BP's deepwater disaster.

Florida prohibits most deepwater drilling off its coasts but a 1977 treaty between the United States and Cuba divides the water between the two countries right down the middle. But that would allow oil companies to drill as close as 45 miles from the Florida Keys.

PHIL PETERS, CUBA ANALYST: This is clearly in Cuban territory. And it's Cuban territory that the United States has respected. Every president has respected that agreement since the Carter administration.

ARIOSTO: It's unclear how close to Florida the Repsol rig might be, but images like these have some calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to be more proactive in disaster preparedness with neighboring countries, especially Cuba.

PETERS: Why be bashful about dealing with the real problem we have. The fact is, if there's an accident in the areas where Cuba plans to drill, within three days, the Gulf Stream carries that oil to our shores. We have a very clear interest in preparing now for an emergency, such as we do with other countries. And so why is the Obama administration being so timid about it?

ARIOSTO: The near half century freeze in diplomatic relations hasn't helped. But many in Cuba welcome the Spanish investment.

"I think it's something good that they are looking to drill," this woman said, "because it's expensive. And if they do it, it will help improve the country."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "In this way, there are people working who may be able to get the oil which could be cheaper for us," this man said.

(voice-over): The region is rich with natural resources, housing billions of barrels of oil by recent estimates. But it's also home to pristine marine life already threatened by oil in the gulf. For now, Repsol is waiting for its Chinese-made rig to be built before moving ahead with oil exploration off the Cuban coast.

David Ariosto, CNN, Havana.

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LEMON: Now for a look at the stories that will be grabbing the headlines in the week ahead from the White House to the State Department to Hollywood. And we start tonight at the White House.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House. A big week for the president because on Tuesday, he's hosting the new British Prime Minister David Cameron for his first visit here at the White House. Important because that so-called special relationship between the two nations got frayed during the Gordon Brown years. The president wants to get it back on track, especially on major issues like the financial crisis and the war in Afghanistan.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jill Dougherty at the State Department. This coming week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on the road visiting South Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan. In Seoul, she'll discuss trade, as well as the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel that both countries blame on the north. In Vietnam, she'll mark the 15th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. And she'll also take part in meetings of the ASEAN regional forum. More discussions about North Korea and security. And then finally, Afghanistan and the state department's civilian role there.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser. Voters in Georgia head to the polls Tuesday as the state holds primaries. Among the hot races, the battle for governor. Wednesday, four-term Senator John McCain of Arizona faces off against his two Republican primary challengers. Former congressman and consumer radio talk show host J.D. Hayworth and Tea Party activist Jim Deacon. Friday's first debate was a bitter battle with lots of jabs.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" Brooke Anderson. And there will be big news breaking this week, especially on tuesday. That's the day Lindsay Lohan is scheduled to surrender to begin her 90-day jail sentence, and the day Mel Gibson and his ex have a big court hearing. We'll be there and bring you the big breaking news on "Showbiz Tonight" live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and still TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m.

LEMON: All right. Thanks guys.

Azadeh Ansari is here to tell us what is happening internationally? What is this the '90s? And you'll see why when I reveal -- let's go to Kabul first because that's where we will find the secretary of state.

AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK: Hillary Clinton, that's right, for the first ever International Afghanistan Conference. It's going to take place in the capital city of Kabul. And this is where delegates from around the world are planning to discuss strategies to hand over the power ultimately to the Afghan government.

LEMON: Now you'll see why I said is it the '90s again. Because we want to go to Vienna. And look, there you go.

ANSARI: And former President Bill Clinton. We can find him in Vienna at the International AIDS Conference. And Bill Gates as well will be there, too, to speak about some -- the upcoming treatments, cutting edge research that's taking place. And it's really staggering, Don, because right now, the world health organization has estimated that there's roughly 33.4 million people with HIV living right now and 2.7 million cases coming up every year. So we'll be keeping an eye on that.

LEMON: Yes. And, of course, the former president with the Clinton Foundation has done lots of work when it comes to AIDS research and helping people with HIV and AIDS around the country especially in Africa -- on the continent of Africa.

Thank you Azadeh Ansari, we appreciate it.

Cracking open the tomb to crack the mystery. The body of Simone Bolivar is unearthed after 200 years, but what are experts looking for.

And say it ain't so. Baskin-Robbins no longer 31 flavors? What's going on?

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LEMON: On Sunday we always want to catch you up on some of the news you may have missed the week before. And here's one. Simon Bolivar, the hero of Latin American independence has been exhumed from his tomb in Venezuela. The move was ordered by President Hugo Chavez. DNA from the corpse will be tested to determine the cause of death. Conventional wisdom is that Bolivar died of tuberculosis in 1830. But Chavez suspects he was poisoned by Colombian enemies.

From the air, Neverland ranch does look like a tourist attraction, and that's exactly what California's NAACP says should happen to Michael Jackson's estate. Allison Huffman, the chapter president told the "Sacramento Bee" that turning it into a state park could be a huge success. Huffman serves on the state's park commission.

It's National Ice Cream Day but be warned. Baskin-Robbins is retiring five of its flavors at the end of the month. Among those to get the deep freeze is french vanilla, which is my favorite, which was an original flavor of the company's first batch in 1945. Baskin- Robbins was founded on 31 flavors and will replace the retirees to keep its creed. And you have about an hour left to enjoy if you are on the east coast, National Ice Cream Day. We celebrated by inviting local Atlanta favorite into the studio earlier this evening. Technically, the King of Pop sells gourmet popsicles, not ice cream. But we love him and it was close enough so we said, hey, come on in. We'll take some ice cream and -- I mean, some popsicles and we'll pretend it's ice cream. We enjoyed it.

Thanks King of Pop and his brother, the Prince of Pop there.

And we want to thank this -- one observant twitter follower who alerted us to this. The crossword puzzle in this month's issue of "Ebony" magazine. It was very funny. Check out the clue for 19 across. It says if you can read it, Don, who despite a sour name, found a sweet spot at CNN.

If you still need the hint, he's handsome, intelligent and he's filled with humility. OK. The answer is me. And everybody in the studio is laughing.

I did not write that. I did not write that. Dan Donahue wrote that.

Thanks, "Ebony," for deeming me crossword worthy. Everyone says when you make the clue to a crossword, you've made it. I guess I've made it. I don't know. But anyway, I thank you for watching. I'm Don Lemon for CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here next weekend. Have a great week everyone. Thanks for watching.

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