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Wrong Side of the Bench; U.S. Students Competing in Global Arena; Warren Buffett: Lower Taxes for Poor
Aired October 05, 2010 - 14:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: It is a new hour now, and I've got a new "Rundown."
When Warren Buffett talks, people listen. Well, we talked to him and asked for some investment advice. I'm going to bring that to you in just a little while, because you're going to want to listen to this answers.
Plus, you'll also want to listen to this guy, Mario Armstrong. He says he's got a way to make your kids more competitive in the global arena. We know American children have been falling behind in science, technology, engineering and math. Mario can tell you how they can catch up.
And did you know that 70 percent of African-American kids -- boys -- cannot swim? I did not know this. Our "Mission Possible" guest, Marcellus Wiley, is trying to change that. He's a former NFL star who has found a whole new field to work in.
But first, boy, this one's something else -- sex, drugs, guns and the gavel. Our lead story wouldn't get past the slush pile in a novel because it is so outlandish, but the people are real, the facts are alleged.
The upshot is this; a senior federal judge here in Atlanta, Jack T. Camp, is free on $50,000 bond after an FBI sting in which he allegedly tried to buy narcotics for his stripper girlfriend. Camp, who is 67 years old, appeared on the wrong side of the federal bench yesterday at a hearing in front of a visiting magistrate.
All the judges based here and prosecutors, for that matter, know Camp personally. They can't take part in this case.
It's a sizzling affidavit. An FBI agent outlines Camp's arrest last Friday night in the parking lot of a club where he allegedly bought cocaine, marijuana and prescription painkillers from an undercover agent.
He was accompanied, allegedly, by the unnamed stripper who he allegedly had been paying for sex for several months, and who had secretly been recording their conversations and cooperating with the feds. Camp's legal troubles are compounded by the charge that he was carrying two handguns at the time of the buy, but his lawyer insists this is, first and foremost, a domestic dispute.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL MORRISON, JUDGE CAMP'S ATTORNEY: Judge Camp is an Army veteran, served in Vietnam, attended The Citadel and has been a judge for over 20 years. And based on all that, he's going to make it through this.
This is really a case between Judge Camp and his wife. It's not a case about Judge Camp being a judge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Wow. Now that's -- there's a lot of stuff about this case that's fascinating.
I'm joined now by Lester Tate, who is going to help me through this. But first, let me tell you a little bit about what a federal judge is about.
The nation has 1,700 federal judges, give or take. They are hugely important.
They are the front line enforcers of federal laws and defenders of federal rights. They're appointed by presidents for life. They can be removed for their misdeeds, but only after impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial and conviction by the Senate.
In the history of the republic, only seven federal judges have been impeached, convicted and removed. Thomas Porteous may be the eighth. He's a federal judge from New Orleans who just had a Senate trial just last month on corruption charges.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves in the Camp case. All we have is charges here.
We do want to talk about the ramifications of judges accused of wrongdoing. Lester Tate is a veteran trial lawyer in the state and federal courts who now serves as president of the State Bar of Georgia. He's joining me now.
Lester, thank you for joining us.
LESTER TATE, PRESIDENT, STATE BAR OF GEORGIA: Thank you very much for having me.
VELSHI: And I'm not a lawyer, so I can't get ahead of ourselves. But that seemed unusual, what Camp's lawyer said, that first and foremost, this is a matter between Camp and his wife. Not if you're arrested in a parking lot attempting to allegedly buying drugs.
TATE: Well, certainly there are allegations of criminal wrongdoing in that as well, so it's not just a domestic abuse. I assume that probably what his lawyer was trying to say was that this did not involve any actual misconduct on the bench.
VELSHI: That is my question for my viewers, because if it's a guy in Atlanta who was buying drugs for his stripper girlfriend, fascinating though that might be, salacious though that might be, it's got nothing to do with my viewers in the rest of the country.
TATE: Right.
VELSHI: What has it got to do with the fact that he's a federal judge?
TATE: Well, I think what it has to do with a federal judge is if something is not OK for the public, it's not OK for a federal judge. Our whole system of rule of law is built on the fact that everybody obeys the same law, answers in the same way. And just as you, Ali, have talked about the presumption of innocence that attaches to him, that's the same presumption of innocence that's attached to everyone who has appeared before him in a criminal case.
VELSHI: Now, again, nothing happens until there is some sort of a case. He is subject to a normal criminal case at this point.
TATE: He's been arrested and is subject to a normal criminal case --
VELSHI: Or the proceedings that would otherwise --
TATE: The proceedings for that, exactly. And he's entitled to have a speedy trial. He could demand a speedy trial. You could do that.
There's all sorts of things. But he's also entitled to be indicted by a grand jury, and I don't think that's actually taken place yet.
VELSHI: Now, whether -- if he were to be convicted, that doesn't necessarily mean he's not a federal judge. Something else has to happen.
TATE: No, it doesn't. Or if he's acquitted, it doesn't mean that he's not going to be a federal judge. And he actually has senior status, as you know, which means it's sort of quasi-retirement.
He stepped down around the time President Obama was elected, although he was a Reagan appointee. But right now in the United States House of Representatives, you have Alcee Hastings, who was essentially acquitted of criminal misconduct, but was then impeached and removed from the federal bench and got elected to the United States House of Representatives.
VELSHI: All right. Are there enough people around here who can try this and participate in this case given how senior he is?
TATE: Well, I think so. I mean, there are over 600 federal judges throughout the nation. So I don't think you're going to have a problem getting that. But the folks here have done absolutely the right thing in that you want impartial justice.
VELSHI: Right.
TATE: And the U.S. Attorney's Office had recused itself. We have got a magistrate that came in yesterday from the middle district of Alabama. And I think Chief Justice Roberts has the authority to appoint another Article III judge to come in and actually hear that case.
VELSHI: Lester, thanks very much for clearing it up for us. We appreciate it.
TATE: Sure.
VELSHI: Lester Tate is the president of the State Bar of Georgia.
All right. It was a gruesome case -- gruesome -- a home invasion in an affluent Connecticut town. A mother and her two daughters murdered.
Today, a jury convicted Steven Hayes, a paroled burglar, of capital murder in the deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters age 11 and 17. Her husband, Dr. William Petit, was beaten with a baseball bat and tied up, but he survived the ordeal.
He spoke to reporters after the verdict, and it's our "Sound Effect."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going to be able to do it again? I mean, you've got a penalty phase, another trial, another penalty phase, three more trials to sit through.
DR. WILLIAM PETIT, VICTIMS' HUSBAND AND FATHER: People keep asking that question, "Why do you do it?" Or "How do you do it?"
I think most of you out here, you know, are good human beings. I think that you would all probably do the same thing for your families if your family was destroyed by evil.
I think that you would all try to do the same thing and be there for your family. I mean, it's the one thing you can do.
So do I really want to do it? Do I look forward to the ride every day? No. You know, I have a little nausea every time I get of the exit ramp, a little nausea every time I get out of the car and walk across the street. But I think -- I do it for my family, but I think all of you, I think, would do the same thing for your families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Petit was referring to the fact that not only is he there to see these prosecutions through, he's been particularly involved in his community. Many people are very surprised at how he's turned his life around and become someone who just helps out a lot in the community.
His wife, before they killed her, was forced to go to the bank and withdraw $15,000 and return home. And then they killed her. The killings took place July of 2007.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Hayes. A co- defendant will be tried separately.
OK. Coming up, American kids have been falling behind in science, technology, engineering and math. We have got a guy who has a way to help them catch up and be more competitive in the global arena. At least he's got a good explanation about a plan to do that.
"Chalk Talk" is coming up next with Mario Armstrong.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: A lot of excellent TV tonight. Bill Maher is going to be talking about Christine O'Donnell, the Senate candidate in Delaware. And then on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," there's that great series they're doing on bullying all week.
I have to tell you, I didn't know there was that much to talk about with bullying. There really is.
Here's a thing we talk about a lot on this show. I say the word "STEM" A lot. You hear my guests say the word "STEM." We're a little bit geeky on this show. We're a little science and technology obsessed. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It is an acronym for education and how our kids are educated in those areas.
We are not doing all that well in America. This is what America's success is based on, STEM education.
America produced the best scientists, the best people in technology, the best engineers, the best mathematicians. It's not happening.
President Obama is pushing all of this with all his might to help prepare American students to be competitive with their international peers. And joining me now to talk about this ambitious program is Mario Armstrong. He is an expert in many things -- he's a friendly face here at CNN -- but especially technology as it can apply to students.
Mario and I were together in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday at a conference about broadband equality --
MARIO ARMSTRONG, CEO MARIO ARMSTRONG MEDIA, LLC: That's right.
VELSHI: -- the Alliance for Digital Equality, which brought to light the idea that there are so many people in this country who just don't have simple access to the Internet, and affordably. They're left behind. They can't pay for it, and if it's there, they can't afford to buy it.
How do we get STEM experts out of our students if they don't have the Internet? Now, we'll talk about that topic separately, but there is an initiative you made very interesting to me that you were talking about that the administration is trying to get to get people to study.
ARMSTRONG: No, this is huge, Ali, and I really appreciate you putting a spotlight on this, because we are in this global situation right now. We're talking about global competitiveness. And right now we rank 25th out of 30 in math, according to the OECD, 21st out of 30 in science.
So we are way behind. And when you look at the BRIC countries and you look at globalization, we are in trouble.
VELSHI: When you say BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China.
ARMSTRONG: Russia, India, China.
VELSHI: They are pushing ahead on this STEM side of education.
ARMSTRONG: Absolutely. Hard core. Hard core.
This is from the top down, and that's what's been the difference. From the nation down from the top. So now we have a president --
VELSHI: By the way, some people call it socialism, but the fact is those countries force people to learn those things. We don't do that here.
ARMSTRONG: That's right, and not to the degree that they're doing it. So they are graduating programmers, computer scientists, innovators, people that can actually develop things and then manufacture and sell those things.
VELSHI: Right.
ARMSTRONG: And so we're losing that edge. I mean, a lot of people don't want to deal with this reality, but when you look back at 1970, 50 percent of the people in the world that had science and engineering doctorates were American.
VELSHI: Right.
ARMSTRONG: The projections now, according to the U.S. Department of Education, say that number will drop to about 15 percent in 2011.
VELSHI: Wow. OK.
ARMSTRONG: Fifteen from 50. So, how do we get the kids engaged?
I say this -- throw out all the stuff that's not working in the classroom. And one of the things that does not get into the classroom are video games.
VELSHI: Right.
ARMSTRONG: Parents I think are also a little bit not understanding of this. They think video games are isolation from social. VELSHI: Right.
ARMSTRONG: They think that they're negative in nature. And what we're missing is the learning process behind developing a video game.
At the end of the day, when you create a video game -- if you haven't looked at a video game design book, or look at how a game is created, then stop all the madness. You don't understand the educational potential that we are missing by getting our kids to relate to games.
VELSHI: Well, I just had those folks from Georgia Tech on talking about --
ARMSTRONG: Absolutely.
VELSHI: -- augmented reality in video games, because if you develop it there, it makes you think about how you solve a lot of the world's technological and engineering problems.
ARMSTRONG: That's right. And a lot of people think, well, Mario, you're just trying to create video game kids. And I'm like, no, you don't understand. That augmented reality piece you did earlier, they are transferable skills.
VELSHI: Right.
ARMSTRONG: Those skills can show up in other industries. So, no, it's not about necessarily creating video game kids.
Look, video games require critical thinking, problem solving, hypotheses. And when you peel back the layers of a game, there's physics, there's mathematics, there's algebra, geometric shapes.
VELSHI: So what are they doing to get kids interested in this?
ARMSTRONG: So we need to get them -- so the president has announced this national STEM Challenge. The Web site is stemchallenge.org, and it's a STEM challenge for middle school, as well as older kids, to really create a game that leverages math and science to get them interested and excited and win money or prizes for their school. So that's one.
But I think we need to take it a step further. I think our teachers and I think our legislators and educators really need to think about how we can take the process of developing games and make that supported curricula throughout the school.
VELSHI: Yes. Very interesting.
ARMSTRONG: And so I think that's really where the big shift could be.
VELSHI: I can see some resistance to this, but the idea is, what a great way to get kids who don't understand why that algebra problem has anything to do with their lives -- ARMSTRONG: Right, if they can't relate to it.
VELSHI: -- say build a video game that makes the world a better place. And all of a sudden, you've got programmers.
ARMSTRONG: Ali, you want to go to geometry class with me, or do you want to go and create a video game? Carnegie Mellon has done this with a program that I think kids can go out and use right away.
Parents, if you're watching, Alice.org.
VELSHI: OK.
ARMSTRONG: MIT has a program for kids called scratc.mit.edu.
These are programs that teach kids how to create games on the computer with programming in an easy, fun environment.
VELSHI: You are one of the smartest guys I know. Thank you for coming and telling us about this. What a great idea to get kids involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
ARMSTRONG: Thanks, Ali.
VELSHI: Mario Armstrong. You see him on CNN. We'll talk more to him again very shortly.
OK. Another guy who's really smart in this country, Warren Buffett.
Did you know I was going to compare you to Warren Buffett?
ARMSTRONG: No, I had no idea.
VELSHI: Warren Buffett, one of the world's wealthiest men, most respected investors, get this -- he said the rich need to pay more taxes, the poor need to pay less taxes. We'll also hear what he told CNN about the road to economic recovery right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Listen, when Warren Buffett talks, people listen. He spoke in Washington this morning at the Women in Power Summit. I don't understand why he's always at this summit, but that's another story.
Afterward, he sat down with CNN's Poppy Harlow. I get why she's there.
She joins me now from Washington.
Poppy has a great relationship with Warren Buffett. She interviews him on a regular basis.
But the world always wants to know, our viewers want to know, what does Warren Buffett think is happening with the economy, what does he think you should do about it?
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a great question.
I mean, look, Warren Buffett said, first of all, Ali, that in his mind, the recession isn't really over. For the average American, it's not over. Of course, it's been technically declared over, but in his words, what he's seeing in his business, is this recession has not ended.
He talked to us about economic recovery, where we stand, but he also said something he's never said before when it comes to those very controversial Bush tax cuts, especially when it comes to what should be done for poor people in this country when it comes to taxes.
Take a listen to part of our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WARREN BUFFETT, CHAIRMAN & CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: I think we should raise taxes on the very rich, and I think maybe we should cut taxes for the middle class, upper middle class, lower middle class.
HARLOW: Cut them more than the Bush tax cuts?
BUFFETT: It could well be. I believe that in terms of the -- we're taking in about 15 and a fraction percent of GDP in income in the United States. That isn't enough.
We're going to have to get more money from somebody. Now, the question is, do we get more money from the person that's going to serve me lunch today, or do we get it from me? I think we should get it from me.
HARLOW: You know, when we spoke, Warren, it was two years ago at this conference, and you equated the state of the economy to a great U.S. athlete in cardiac arrest. So where are we now?
BUFFETT: Well, we know that the patient is going to get well. I mean, the emergency treatment was successful, but it was one heck of an attack, and one like the patient very seldom experienced in a long, long lifetime.
So the recovery period is long. And we're in it now, and we should, in my book, feel extremely grateful. There was only one party that could have treated that patient, and that was government. They had the ability to stem what was otherwise going to be an implosion of the American economy.
BUFFETT: Should we be more grateful to the government than perhaps the American public is right now given the fact that you say they rescued us truly from the brink?
BUFFETT: Yes, I think so. I mean, when that happened, I made the judgment -- two judgments. One, only government could save us. And the government would. I mean, it was so clear.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: And you know what's interesting, Ali? He went on to say we should give President Bush more credit. This comes from Warren Buffett, who openly never voted for President Bush. He said we should give him more credit for stepping in and saving the economy when he did.
He also called people like former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson; Sheila Bair, head of the FDIC; Ben Bernanke, our Fed chairman; he called them heroes, Ali, saying they stepped in at exactly the right time. It's clear he doesn't think this economy has fully turned around. Still a lot of repair ahead. But very interesting what he said about taxes.
He's been outspoken about saying, "Tax rich people like me more." He has never before today said you need to cut taxes for the poor even more than they are already cut right now -- Ali.
VELSHI: And he brings up a good point. The TARP program was under President Bush, under a Bush-appointed treasury secretary, Henry Paulson, under a Bush-appointed FDIC chair. So the bottom line is he's trying to apportion the credit where it needs to go, at least for that part of the economy.
Good to see you, Poppy. Thanks, as always, for bringing this to us.
Poppy Harlow in Washington, D.C.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
VELSHI: Hey, listen, these miners, that's another fascinating story. They've survived underground for more than 60 days, trapped half a mile under there. Now the rescue of these 33 Chilean miners could happen as early as next week.
We're going "Globe Trekking" to tell you about this on the other side of the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: All right. Time now to go "Globe Trekking." First up, Chile. I cannot, cannot get away from this story. They are ever, ever so close. The attempt to rescue 33 miners who have been trapped about half a mile underground more than 60 days. The rescue staff -- shaft now only 524 feet from the miners.
Anxious family members have been camped out at the mine for weeks. They're waiting, they're praying, they're hoping. Just want to hug their loved ones again. Officials now say the most dangerous period is now because there's a possibility of a new cave-in.
Now, to try to prevent that from happening they're concerning whether to line the rescue shaft with steel casing. The drilling continues. They've been testing that capsule that would bring the miners one by one to the surface.
It's complicated, though. It's half a mile in a little, tiny capsule. How do you feel? I'm claustrophobic. I don't know even know what that would feel like. Do they sedate them? Can you -- you have to not sedate them too much, but they have to be relaxed.
Chile's president, by the way, says the rescue - listen to this. The rescue could begin as early as October 15th. So, things are going much faster than expected.
Let's go over to Israel now. Troubling case involving two Israeli soldiers. A military court has convicted them of using a nine-year-old Palestinian child as a human shield during an offensive in Gaza last year. They were found guilty of reckless endangerment and conduct unbecoming. It happened when the soldiers found bags in a home and ordered the boy to search them for explosives. No bombs were found. The boy was returned to his parents unharmed.
This is believed to be the first such conviction. In Israel, the use of civilians as human shields is banned in that country. Sentencing will be handed down at a later date.
In another incident, the Israeli military is investigating the video that you see here. Now, what it seems to show is an Israeli soldier dancing around a Palestinian who has been bound and blindfolded. Officials don't know when the video was shot. The clip first aired on Israeli television yesterday. In a statement, the military denounced the action seen in the video. It's the latest social media controversy to hit the Israeli military. This past summer, a female former Israeli soldier posted photos of herself posing in front of blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.
Let's go to New Delhi, India. The controversial Commonwealth Games underway, minus all the construction and other problems that plagued the events, raising questions whether any team would even show up. Team did, in fact, show up. No denying another big problem: empty seats. In a bid to counter that problem, the officials are opening doors, offering free admission.
Here's what caused our attention. The monkeys you see in these pictures. Get this: they've joined around100,000 security officers to keep people safe. Get this, the monkey's job is to keep other wild monkeys, which can be found all over New Delhi, from attempting the games.
The bad monkeys don't monkey around, by the way. They chase people, snatch their food, sometimes take a bite out of them. The good monkeys, it takes about two years to train them as part of the security detail. Fascinating.
OK, we have a former NFL player tackling the water and helping kids do the same. You're going to meet him in our "Mission Possible."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Given the dramatic things people admit on TV, this probably isn't a major admission. I definitely have never said this on TV. I'm not a swimmer. I've never actually learned to properly swim. I can keep myself afloat if I needed to, but not a strong swimmer. Don't really have any particular skill at swimming.
Always wanted to. I got to tell you, it's a little embarrassing at my age to be calling up and asking about swimming lessons, and someone say, "How old is your son.?" "It's for me."
I'm not alone in this, apparently. Marcellus Wylie is a former NFL player. This is a man's man. He's a defensive end - was a defensive end -- for the Bills, the Chargers, the Cowboys and the Jaguars, played ten seasons. He's an Ivy Leaguer, graduated from Columbia University in 1997. Despite all of that, he never learned to swim, either. I am now officially in good company!
But now -- he actually decided to do something about it. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCELLUS WYLIE, FORMER NFL PLAYER: You see those waves out there? They hit a lot harder than the players do in the NFL. I've never been more scared and intimidated of anything in this world.
You've got to float. You've got technique. You've got to move. You've got to breathe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: All right. Marcellus's first swim lesson just a day after six young African-American boys tragically drowned in a Louisiana River because they couldn't swim. Nearly 70 percent of all African-American youth can't swim. The fatal drowning rate for ages five to 14 is the highest. Three times that of white children.
Marcellus Wylie wanted to change that. He joins me now from D.C. Marcellus, when I first heard this - welcome, by the way. Good to have you on the show. When I first heard about this, I was fascinated. Why is this? Why do African-American kids not learn how to swim as much as white kids do?
WYLIE: Well, I think some of it is cultural. If you think about the African-American community, some of our escape routes out of the neighborhood is in athletics and entertainment, but when you focus in on athletics, it's more of a football and basketball. And culturally, we just can't go to our neighbor's house and se a swimming pool in his backyard. So, I think at a young age, you're not introduced to the sport and introduced to the lifestyle of what a swimmer is used to, and I think that starts the problem.
VELSHI: All right, so what got you thinking about this? Was it just that you couldn't swim or did you first see the stat? What got you involved?
WYLIE: Well, I never learned formally to swim. I think that was an issue my entire life. I actually learned at the age of 11 when I was walking past one of my friend's swimming pool in his backyard. I got pushed into the swimming pool.
Now, this is a guy who can't swim at all, but luckily I was just able to dive to the side and save myself. But I was thinking about that in the sense of what could happen if this wasn't just a swimming pool in a backyard? What if this was like the Kendricks Warner was in the Red River in Louisiana and how that would impact my life and how six people fatally drowned on that day?
VELSHI: So you decided there's something you can do to help others draw attention to this. But you needed to learn to swim.
WYLIE: Yes. I need to learn to swim. And I saw a group by the name of Optimist Sport that had a commitment to the active lifestyle and the healthy lifestyle to people involved with this cause. And that was my introduction to formally learning to swim. From that, it parlayed into an opportunity where I'm going to swim in the Pacific Ocean 1.2 miles. And that was my biggest fear.
Now, learning to swim was one thing. That's a small hurdle. Talking about going out there past the waves, past the pier and swimming in the ocean, that was my biggest fear.
VELSHI: All right. So, tell me about that.
WYLIE: Well, the first day I go out there, my experiences in the ocean had always been go to the waves, let them hit me at my knees, play around, kick the sand and walk out. The first time I had to challenge my fears and actually conquer my fears was when I swam past those same waves in the ocean.
And I was supported by a great group of people who understood how it was important for me to challenge my own fears and to overcome then. So, now I issue the same challenge to everyone. Whether it's swimming or there's something else in your life, you have to challenge yourself to go past your limits that are placed on you by yourself.
VELSHI: All right. The admirable part is one would look at you and say you went past those limits -- the Ivy League, the NFL. The fact you still have limits, and some of them are very basic that you've overcome, what a great message to others.
I'm going to have to get myself into some good swimming. Marcellus, one of these days, maybe we'll get a chance to take a dip at the same time.
WYLIE: I'll see you, Ali, in the Pacific Ocean.
VELSHI: Ah, see you in the Pacific Ocean.
Marcellus Wylie. He is an ESPN TV analyst, former all-pro NFL player. You can find more information on Marcellus and how you can help when you go to my blog, CNN.com/ali.
OK. Brighter days are ahead for Washington. It could mean lower electric bills for the White House. Ed Henry is going to explain why in an unusual "Stakeout" when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: OK. It's time now for the "Stakeout" with our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, whom I have not seen in days.
Ed, can you swim?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I can. What I love about this show is I learn something new not just about the world but about you every day. And I didn't know you couldn't swim. I can swim. I'll teach you, man.
VELSHI: All right. That's cool. We can do that. We can add a whole new level of wardrobe description to what we do. Do you do Speedos or -- you know?
HENRY: No. The -- what do they call -- board shorts. I got those in Hawaii from traveling with President Obama. They're a little longer. They're a little more forgiving.
VELSHI: All right. So, first thing we might have to go on a little trip to get ourselves some swimming attire. All right. That'd be fun.
HENRY: No, first, I think we have to go shopping.
VELSHI: Yes. We'll go shopping and then we'll go swimming. Then you'll teach me how to swim. All right. Very good. We've got a new activity.
What's going on in the White House?
HENRY: Well, you mentioned on the way in the president just announced today they're going to be putting solar panels on top of the White House residence at some point in early 2011. We'll give you a little look where they'll be going in general. This is going to be providing electricity to the White House residence, but also going to be a solar hot water heater that's going to heat up the water. So that they're not dependent upon normal fossil fuels, et cetera, et cetera, to provide energy here at the White House.
The back story that's interesting is that Jimmy Carter was actually way, way ahead of his time in the late '70s and actually installed solar panels here at the White House. Was kind of laughed at at the time. And when Ronald Reagan was elected, he basically moth-balled the solar panels and said he didn't want to have them here. So, they've been gone for a long time.
George W. Bush, we should point out for a brief time had solar panels here not to heat the residence or provide hot water or electricity or anything like that, but to basically heat up some of the operations on the White House grounds.
This would be the president really sort of walking the walk. He's talked about alternative energy, green jobs, et cetera, et cetera. This would be a way where the White House itself would be greened a little bit because this place is pretty old. Not exactly a green place. And so, it's a pretty interesting step forward.
VELSHI: Tell me about -- there's a summit on community colleges for the first time held at the White House. What's that about?
HENRY: yes. The president hosted it with Dr. Jill Biden. Wife, of course, of vice president Joe Biden. She actually teaches at a community college in northern Virginia.
What's fascinating about this is the president is trying to say this is a big economic issue for the future. He wants to get five million more people to graduate from community colleges between now and 2020 to try to restore -- you've talked a lot about this on the show, about how years ago the United States was at the top of the heap in terms of college graduates, slipped badly since then. So, he thinks community colleges are going to be the engine for that growth.
Interesting, though, that a lot of some of the for-profit colleges -- Kaplan and some of the other learning institutions are sort of pushing back. And they're lobbying now and basically saying they think the president is pouring too much federal aid, too much federal attention to the community colleges. They say the graduation rates there are not nearly as good and this is not going to really provide as many jobs as the president says long term.
But what he's looking at here at the White House, the president is basically saying when he hosts some of the CEOs here for his periodic meetings, they all talk about how they need highly skilled workers heading into the future. You know all about that in terms of improving the labor force. And they will take two-year grads instead of high school grads even if they can't get the four-year grads. The two-year grads, they think, are better than nothing.
VELSHI: This is the good topic to discuss, the for-profit versus the community colleges. We'll do that again.
Hey listen, I had a few tense moments on an airplane yesterday. I'm going to talk about it in my "XYZ." But as we were coming in for a landing, I was thinking about you because the last time I saw somebody with tense moments on an airplane, it was you doing something I was supposed to have been doing.
HENRY: It was that time you stuck me on that small World War II --
VELSHI: Yes, yes, I was on a bigger plane.
HENRY: -- almost crashed at --
VELSHI: Talk to you in a big, Ed. Good to see you, my friend. The senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry and "The Stakeout."
Hey, time now for a CNNpolitics.com update. Senior political editor Mark Preston. Deputy political director Paul Steinhauser watching developments from the CNNpolitics.com desk. Gentlemen, take it away. PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You got it, Ali. Let's start with Sharron Angle. She is the Republican Senate nominee in Nevada going after Harry Reid, challenging him in that race. Check this out. Dave Jenkins, our cameraman, please zip right in here to the CNN Political Ticker.
Up there right now, Angle made some interesting comments. She talked about the Republican party leaders having lost their principles. She made those comments a couple of days ago in a so- called secret meeting, but the audiotape came out. That's been making headlines.
Ali, why does that really matter? Because where is Sharron Angle today? Coming right here to Washington, D.C. to meet with some of those Republican party leaders to help raise money for her campaign. That could be an uncomfortable meeting after those comments.
Dave Jenkins, check this out as well. Let's move right over to the state of New York and that fascinating gubernatorial battle there between Andrew Cuomo, the state attorney general up there and Carl Paladino, the very outspoken Buffalo developer who is the Republican party's nominee. Brand new poll. You just saw the headline there. Andrew Cuomo up by 24 points, according to the Sienna College Poll. That's a lot larger than a poll that came out last week that had Cuomo up by only about 15 points. But we'll still keep our eyes on this race. It is a fascinating contest.
That's what I got. Over to my main man, Mark Preston.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Ali. Let's talk about the road map to the midterm elections. It's the CNN 100. If you go to CNNpolitics.com, you can get to CNN 100. What it is is the top 100 cases CNN is following.
In fact, we have a story up there today by Jim Spellman. He's our all-platform journalist out in Colorado. He has done a story on Betsy Markey. She's a freshman Democrat. She says she's running as an independent. Her Republican challenger is Cory Gardner, a state legislator. What he is saying she is beholden to Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama.
But very quickly, Ali -- you know, I was getting very nostalgic today thinking about our trip across the country on the CNN Express.
VELSHI: That's right. There's a little book about it.
PRESTON: There's a little book by Josh Reuben. And I was looking at some pictures and quickly, let's just take a look. Oh, there's Ali right there doing some hard-hitting journalism in Tombstone, Arizona, talking about the death of John King. The gunslinger, not our John King.
This is Ali. Looks like a live shot. He showed "Your Money" from Poppy's, which is a barbecue joint in Monaghan, Texas. I think you were more interested in the barbecue. And just moving along, a lot of people say how do you survive on the road? These late nights, these early mornings. Well, a lot of people do a lot of sleeping, and if you look, some of us, Ali, put a little something on our eyes to keep the light out. Little trip down memory lane.
VELSHI: Nice. Thanks. You have gone down a road that perhaps you shouldn't have gone down. It is now open warfare, Mark Preston.
(LAUGHTER)
VELSHI: It was fun traveling across the country with you, though. That was a big, fast trip. Mark and Paul, always a pleasure to see you both. Have a good afternoon, and we'll see you tomorrow.
And your next CNNpolitics.com update just an hour away. But "Wordplay" straight ahead. Today's word is from the world of business. So, it's right in my wheelhouse. Trust me.
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VELSHI: OK. Time now for "Wordplay" from the business world. We're talking about antitrust, which has nothing to do with honesty or trustworthiness necessarily.
The dictionary tells us it's an adjective meaning, quote, "opposing or intended to restrain trusts, monopolies or large combinations of business and capital, especially with a view to maintaining and promoting competition." End quote.
The U.S. government first moved to limit cartels and monopolies way back in 1890 with the Sherman Antitrust Act. It's still the basis of most of the government's anti-trust cases. Cases like the current antitrust complaint against Visa, Mastercard and American Express. It's got to do with swipe fees that the merchants pay the companies on every credit card transaction.
Visa and Mastercard have settled the case. AmEx is going to fight it.
OK, coming up. I have a special thank you for the crew of Delta Flight 413. I'll tell you why in my "XYZ."
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VELSHI: Time now for the "XYZ" of it. Yesterday afternoon, I flew from New York's Laguardia Airport to Atlanta on Delta Flight 413. I was asleep, but I woke up with a jolt on the final approach. The pilot had aborted the landing and throttled up. A few minutes later, the captain announced a problem with the wing flap and we would land without using the flaps, which would make for a fast approach. Not to worry, he said, though we'd see emergency vehicles at the read.
Well, minutes later, we were on the ground safely. The landing was smooth. The fire trucks were there. I'm not much for clapping when a plane lands. I tend to think a safe landing is included in the price. Yesterday, however, I clapped. Here at CNN, we hear about tricky landings much more often than you do. What you hear a lot about are irritating airline fees.
So today, as a guy who takes three or four flights a week, I want to say thanks to the hardworking airline employees who don't -- who we don't always appreciate. Yes, the airlines have their issues, but in the end, we rely on them to keep us safe. And I know they take that very seriously.
You've heard me say it before. I have a complex relationship with the nation's airlines. Sometimes they do things that frustrate me. For all of my years of flying they kept me safe, and they did so again yesterday. My thanks and the thanks of my fellow passengers to the crew of Delta Flight 413 and the team on the ground that brought us home.
That's my "XYZ." The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
