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Palin Kicks Off Bus Tour; Obama Names New Joint Chiefs Chairman; Obama Takes Part in Honoring the Veterans; About 27 Percent of Young Veterans Jobless; Food Pyramid Going Away; Palin Vs. Bachmann; America: The "No Vacation Nation
Aired May 30, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West. I'm Carol Costello sitting in for Kyra Phillips.
Today, as you know, is Memorial Day, but it is a working holiday for some big-name politicians. The parades and gatherings are a traditional showcase for those considering a White House bid. We'll look at the presidential field taking shape.
A Saudi prince wants oil prices to fall, and fast, before the U.S. ramps up its development of alternative fuels. His warning to Arab oil producer comes amid a chilling prediction. Goldman Sachs says gas will reach $5 a gallon this summer.
And remembering the sacrifices at Arlington National Cemetery. This morning, President Obama takes part in ceremonies there, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Let's talk politics now. Presidential candidates, those who have declared and those likely to are reaching out to voters on this Memorial Day.
Oh, yes, Sarah Palin is using the holiday to kick off her nationwide bus tour. She rode into Washington Sunday on the back of a motorcycle for the annual Rolling Thunder event. After a couple of stops in D.C. today, Palin's one-nation tour heads to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
And that's where our Jim Acosta is.
So, Jim, tell us more.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
That's right. Sarah Palin will be out here later today, so we're told, and this is all a part of a campaign-style swing up the East Coast. She's going to be hitting a lot of historic sites, including Gettysburg where we are right now. This morning, she's at the National Archives and then heading over to Mt. Vernon.
Yesterday, as you just mentioned, Carol, she was on the back of a motorcycle, rolling across the Potomac River, into the nation's capital.
If she is getting into the 2012 race, you have to say one thing, she knows how to make an entrance, and it's got the political world in this country buzzing. Because the big question right now is what is she doing, what is she up to, and what does it mean for the rest of the field?
From what we understand, Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann are also out on the campaign trail today, but everybody is talking about Sarah Palin because she has that ability to really energize this race.
And speaking of how she's doing right now in the 2012 field, I mean, if you look at the polls, Carol, right now, she's not too far back in the pack, in second or third place, depending on which national poll you look at. So she certainly is positioned well to make a run at this, if she goes ahead and takes the plunge, which right now, it looks very much like a possibility at this point.
COSTELLO: I was just going to say, she's doing it her way. She's in a black T-shirt.
ACOSTA: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Motorcycle helmet, sunglasses. She looks kind of cool. What a contrast with, let's say, Tim Pawlenty whose -- I've never seen him in anything other than a suit.
ACOSTA: Right. Sort of like fire and ice, you could say, Carol.
I think the only way she could have made a more dramatic entrance yesterday, if she had jumped the Potomac on one of those motorcycles. This is obviously going to shake up this race. And a lot of Republicans are sitting there and watching and wondering, well, what is she going to do? And that's sort of all by design.
Sarah Palin's team has not put out many details about what she's doing over these next several days. The details come in late. And that, of course, generates its own amount of media attention, just in the mystery of it all. So she's keeping everybody guessing and I think she kind of likes it at this point.
COSTELLO: I think she does. I thought you were going to play a bit of sound that our Sandra Endo got over the weekend where she was talking --
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Oh, it's not. I know you were going to do something.
ACOSTA: Well, we certainly can.
COSTELLO: In the next hour you're going to do that.
ACOSTA: Well, no -- look, Carol, I was going to -- I was going to mention -- you know, in looking how Republicans view Sarah Palin at this point, Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, over the weekend was asked about the potential for a Sarah Palin candidacy, and he gave kind of a surprising answer.
If we can listen to, it's pretty interesting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: You know what I'm reminded of -- in how the Jimmy Carter White House was thinking in '79 and '80, they were pulling for Ronald Reagan. They thought he was too extreme and too old, and surely, if he were the nominee, they'd be just fine.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: So, you know, Mitch McConnell right there, Carol, talking about some of what's going on over at the White House right now. Obviously, the Obama political team is cheering the prospect of Sarah Palin running at this point, but you've got to keep in mind what Mitch McConnell is saying right there.
The Jimmy Carter White House did the exact same thing about Ronald Reagan in 1979 and 1980, they thought he had no chance of becoming president, and he shocked the world and obviously became president. Whether or not that can happen again with Sarah Palin, well, there's a lot of variables in that and we'll have to wait and see.
COSTELLO: Yes, we will.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Also, John McCain over the weekend said Sarah Palin could indeed beat Barack Obama.
Jim Acosta, many thanks so much.
ACOSTA: He did indeed. That's right.
COSTELLO: We'll get to you in Gettysburg in the next hour.
ACOSTA: You bet.
COSTELLO: While Sarah Palin is taking a tour of the East Coast, another conservative woman who might run for president has been testing the campaign waters out in Iowa. Of course, we're talking about Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
If Palin runs, is Bachmann's campaign toast? We'll talk more about that later.
Also on this Memorial Day, a changing of the guard atop the nation's military command. One hour from now, President Obama is expected to nominate Martin Dempsey as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He would become the nation's highest-ranking military officer, as well as a critical adviser to the president.
CNN's Ed Henry is at the White House.
Tell us what you know about this guy.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. I mean, you know, he's a West Point grad, and somebody who is very highly respected, because he's been helping to see -- oversee both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And the president, we're told, to expect him to make at least two more personnel announcements, as well. He's going to name a vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well, Admiral James Winnefeld. He's been in charge of the Northern Command.
And General Ray Odierno, someone we've known very well, been a television spokesman for the war effort in Iraq, in particular, but he's been fighting on the ground, who's had a son who served as well and lost in arm. He will be, we're told, Army Chief of Staff, will be nominated for that post to replace General Dempsey, who's currently the Army Chief of Staff.
When you ask what we know about him, he's only been Army Chief of Staff for a couple of months. He was expected to stay on there for some time, but with Admiral Mike Mullen going to be retiring, President Obama needed someone to step up. He's been very impressed, we're told, by General Dempsey.
Admiral Mullen, in fact, was on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" a short time ago, and was saying --really singing the praises of General Dempsey, saying he's somebody who really understands the needs of men and women in uniform.
I mentioned that General Odierno's son served. Three children for General Dempsey have served in the U.S. military as well. And I think the big picture here is the president wanted to announce this on Memorial Day, perhaps for some of those reasons, of sacrifice, et cetera, but also to show continuity.
Let's not forget, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he's stepping down in June. So there is a changing of the guard, as you noted. Leon Panetta, the CIA director, has been nominated to replace him. So when you have these people who are moving in a new post, they're all familiar faces, though. They've been in other jobs. I think the one key word is continuity. That's what the president's signal is here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, and you can see why, we're still in Iraq, we're still in Afghanistan, and we've got that thing going on in Libya.
Ed Henry live at the White House, thank you.
As you heard Ed say, we did hear from Admiral Mullen on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." He spoke to the men and women serving their country in uniform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: I just would send them a message of how special they are, and in particular, this Memorial Day, the losses that have occurred over the course of these wars, over 6,000 now, and the sacrifices of their families. And that through those losses, we as a country can commit to them, commit to our veterans, to commit to those who have sacrificed so much that we make sure we take care of them for the rest of their lives.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now let's head to Arlington National Cemetery and CNN's Chris Lawrence.
Chris, tell us about this section where you're standing, Section 60.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is where a lot of the men and the women who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried here in Section 60.
For a lot of the families here, they spent their Memorial Days, just like a lot of Americans did -- barbecues, picnics -- and then things changed. They lost a loved one in one of the wars over the last 10 years. And there are men, there are women, and I think when you see the birth dates, you start to get a real sense of the loss here.
Sergeant Ashley Moyer (ph) was only 22 years old. She was a truck driver during the Iraq war when she was killed.
Specialist Ross McGinnis was awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously. He was in a vehicle that was -- in which a grenade was thrown into the vehicle. The specialist had a chance to jump free from that vehicle and get out. Instead he chose to jump on the grenade and saved the lives of some of the -- some of the other men in that truck.
And as you watch around and you just kind of look around, you can see just how many families really take the entire day and really come and spend time with their loved ones. And also to see each other.
You have to remember, for a lot of people, they don't live here in the Washington area. Some people come out just for this day, and it's a chance for them not only to remember their loved ones, but also to talk to other families that are experiencing somewhat of the same thing -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Just heartbreaking pictures. And you're right. You see some of the birth dates, born in 1987, and so many young people are dying.
Chris, Arlington Cemetery was in the news for mislabeling graves, badly cared for graves. Is that situation fixed now?
LAWRENCE: Yes, and you know, I want to be clear, most of that trouble at Arlington didn't have to do with Section 60. There's 70 sections here at Arlington, and it really came out last summer in which some of the graves were mismarked, some were unmarked, some of the -- the urns were found in piles of dirt. There was found to be very poor recordkeeping.
The army has instituted a lot of changes. You know, changing the sort of line of succession, the chain of command, and which remains are handled. They're also in the process of taking aerial photos and taking photos of both the front and the back of every grave, so that they can then match that and look for any discrepancies.
But just on Friday, Virginia Senator Mark Warner took the army to task and said he feels that it has not been done quickly enough, that Congress has not been kept in the loop enough, about the changes that have been made, and he wants to see more of these changes and more of these updates done more quickly, to take care of some of these discrepancies for the families -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Chris Lawrence, live at Arlington National Cemetery, thank you.
Coming up next, we'll talk more about the extraordinary challenges our veterans face when they come home.
Well, this challenge might be the most shocking. Twenty-seven percent unemployment rate among young veterans. Those are veterans just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Why is that? We'll talk about that, next.
And surprising words this weekend from the prince of Saudi Arabia. The world's biggest oil exporter says oil prices are just too high. We'll tell you why he said that later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: As we honor our war dead on this Memorial Day, let's take a look at what our veterans are coming home to, the ones that are serving still.
They're coming home to unemployment. It's about two points higher than the average rate, and for veterans between the ages of 18 and 24, the jobless rate is 27 percent.
They're also dealing with homelessness. About 1 in 20 people living on the street or in a shelter served our country.
They're dealing with the spike in posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. And suicide has become a growing problem -- 156 suicides in the Army last year.
Listen to what the head of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Patty Murray, said about their plight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D), CHAIRMAN, VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: If we don't make sure that we help those men and women who are coming home today get a job, help with their physical and mental injuries, get through the benefits claim process -- 20 years from now, our country will have on its conscience a high number of veterans who we've lost because of suicide, who are homeless on the streets, and who have been lost. And I don't want to see that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Joseph Sharpe is the director of the economic division of the American Legion.
Welcome.
JOSEPH SHARPE, AMERICAN LEGION ECONOMIC DIV.: Thank you. Glad to be here.
COSTELLO: So this 27 percent unemployment rate among young veterans, that number is astounding. Why do you think it's so high?
SHARPE: Well, there are a couple of reasons. One is we're in a very deep recession, which makes the number of jobs available limited. And the thing is that with such a high recession and such demand for employment, those service members that are currently in the military or are being deployed are currently out of the job market. So, as they're performing their duty, time marches on and those individuals or their peers are able to compete for the few jobs that are left.
COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about that competition and job experience, because Patty Murray says that veterans who are coming home are actually afraid to put their service on their resume or job application because they're afraid the employer will put them at the bottom of the pack. That's crazy.
SHARPE: Well, one of our concerns, especially for the reserve and National Guard, is that since the paradigm has changed with the reserve component being used more frequently, and those individuals being deployed more frequently, there is some fear on many employers, especially those small businesses, that they're going to lose an individual that they desperately need. And because of that, some veterans are afraid to put the fact that they are reservists or they are in the National Guard for fear of not being hired because of that fact.
COSTELLO: So, how do we fix that?
SHARPE: Well, there are a number of things that we can do. We definitely need to redouble our efforts to assist veterans. We applaud the administration and members of Congress for really emphasizing the need of veterans at this particular time. We also applaud Senator Murray and other congressmen, as far as putting forth legislation to address that issue.
But one of the main things that we definitely need to do is first, for the reserve and National Guard, make sure that they are able to attend a transitional program that really, more or less, assists veterans, prior to their being -- before they leave the military.
COSTELLO: Right. So, job training. And that's one of the thing that Senator Murray, she's introducing legislation to not only require job training for our veterans, but also offering incentives for employers to hire them once they get home. And who knows how long that will take, to make it through the Senate and also the House. We'll see.
Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Sharpe. We appreciate it. SHARPE: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: We are remembering fallen soldiers across the country this Memorial Day. In Chesterton, Ohio, the Army flew home the remains of chief warrant officer, Christopher Thibodeau. He died when his helicopter crashed on a mission in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB THIBODEAU, CWO CHRISTOPHER THIBODEAU'S FATHER: Chris was what every dad wants his kid to be. He was hard working. He was honest. He's dedicated.
DOREEN THIBODEAU, CWO CHRISTOPHER THIBODEAU'S MOTHER: I miss him so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In West Salem, Ohio, family and friends remember First Lieutenant John Runkle, who died when insurgents attacked his unit near Kandahar, Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS RUNKLE, 1ST LT. JOHN RUNKLE'S MOTHER: Very honorable man. The most honorable person that I knew. In fact, my son is my role model.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And in Bremerton, Washington, a moving ceremony remembering nine servicemen. All nine died in uniform, but their remains had gone unclaimed until veterans groups decided to honor them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE CARROLL, COMBAT VETERAN INTERNATIONAL: It's a frightening thing to think that a human being could die and that no one would know to mark their grave, to say where they had come from, to know what they had done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We gathered as one to bury someone's son. And in a greater sense, we are their family, because we have shared a common bond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN will take you live to Arlington National Cemetery.
At 10:55 a.m., President Obama takes part of the ceremonies there, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Coming up next: taking down the government's food pyramid, block by block. The government is restructuring nutritional guidelines. You know what the shape of the pyramid will be? We'll show you in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Move over, food pyramid. There's a new symbol to get Americans to eat right.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here.
So, Elizabeth, the pyramid is no more.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. This pyramid is going to be disappearing. That's why we said RIP. It's been around almost 20 years.
And ta-da -- what we're going to have now is a dinner plate. Now, we don't know exactly what it's going to look like, Carol, because it hasn't been officially unveiled yet. But CNN's gotten word that the plate will be divided, so that you'll see half of what you'll eat every day are supposed to be fruits and veggies, smaller portions of a protein and a grain, and a little bit of dairy off to the side.
And they're really hoping that this icon sticks in people's head. But it isn't a pyramid.
COSTELLO: Right. I was just going to ask you, what was so wrong with the pyramid, anyway?
COHEN: Well, you know, take a look at it. You know, it's not exactly the finest public health image this country has ever generated. I'll just put it that way.
First of all, the stuff you're not supposed to eat is at the top, and that's sweets and fats. And usually we think of the top as the best. So, it's counterintuitive.
And also, Carol, you can see this -- there's this heavy emphasis on breads and grains. That's at the bottom, the biggest portion. And then, fruits and vegetables are smaller than grains -- which doesn't really make any sense, since experts, you know, nutritionists say you're supposed to eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
So, it just -- it didn't convey the message very well. You didn't just look at it and go -- oh, now I get what I'm supposed to do.
COSTELLO: Well, I'm just trying to figure out who actually ever looked to the pyramid because -- I mean, I learned it in school, but it's not like, oh, my gosh, how do I eat? I'm going to go to the pyramid.
COHEN: Exactly. I actually mentioned this to my daughters the other day. And they said, "Oh, yes, the pyramid, that thing, we learned about it in school. What was that again?" Like it didn't -- it really didn't sink into their heads. They're hoping that something like this which is so much simpler will really make more of an impact.
COSTELLO: I'm sure it will. But will Americans really pay attention to what exactly it's suggesting? COHEN: Right. I mean, that's a legitimate question. This is not how Americans eat. Americans do not -- or up to the most part, fill half their plates up with fruits and vegetables. It's going to take a lot more than an icon, even a really good icon, to get people to change their ways. They need to think of some other strategies, too.
COSTELLO: That's right. I'm thinking of moms all over America, honey, this is how you're supposed to eat. See that plate?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Elizabeth. We appreciate it.
COHEN: Thanks.
COSTELLO: The housing market crash, millions of homeowners faced foreclosure and the government promised to help. So, how did that rescue plan work out, anyway?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEIL BAROFSKY, FORMER TARP INSPECTOR GENERAL: It's a failure. I mean, I really think it's difficult to define it anything other than as an abject failure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Tough words from the government's own watchdog over the pram. We'll take a closer look.
And what if Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann both decide to run for president? They're both conservative women with Tea Party credentials. How do voters choose one over the other? We'll talk more about that, later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Most Americans say the price of oil is too high. And guess what? One of the world's biggest oil producers agrees.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: For millions of homeowners, it was a perfect storm -- the economy stalled, jobs disappeared, and the value of their homes plummeted. So with millions of Americans facing foreclosure, the government stepped in with a program to save their homes. But even the government's top watchdog says the program failed and failed miserably.
Brianna Keilar has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): February 2009. With millions of homeowners on the brink of foreclosure, President Obama rolled out his plan to keep families in their home. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The plan I'm announcing focuses on is rescuing families who played by the rules and acted responsibly. By refinancing loans for millions of families in traditional mortgages, who are under water or close to it --
KEILAR: Millions of families, up to four million, in fact, were supposed to avoid foreclosure under the plan. To date, it has kept just 630,000 in their homes. Neil Barofsky, the former independent watchdog for the program, has become its chief critic. This is his first interview since resigning last month.
(on camera): So how do you characterize the outcome of this program?
NEIL BAROFSKY, FORMER TARP INSPECTOR GENERAL: It's a failure. I really think it's difficult to define it anything other than an abject failure.
KEILAR (voice-over): Lenders whose loans to people who couldn't afford them led to the foreclosure crisis were supposed to modify loans so struggling homeowners could reduce their monthly payments. In exchange, the government would make an incentive payment to the lender. But it didn't really happen. Barofsky says it's because the payments are not enough. And there are no penalties for banks not participating.
(on camera): How many fines has treasury imposed in this program?
BAROFSKY: Zero. Not one. Notwithstanding the fact that in November of 2009, they issued a press release and said that they're going to start holding servicers accountable with penalties and withholding payments if they don't comply with the terms of their agreement. Nothing followed.
KEILAR (voice-over): While Barofsky blames the Treasury Department, Secretary Tim Geithner points a finger at the mortgage companies.
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: They are not putting enough resources in this effort. They are in the doing a good enough jobs of helping homeowners navigate through a very complicated, difficult process. They have to do a better job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar reporting.
Right now, more than 1.8 million homes are in foreclosure and every homeowner is feeling the effects. With home values continuing to slide, some experts predict the housing market will not hit bottom before next year.
And that makes some agonizing decisions for homeowners. Do they stay put or do they sell now? CNN's Allan Chernoff takes a closer look.
Checking our top stories now.
In Yemen, more deadly clashes between security forces and anti- government protesters. Nearly a dozen people reported killed and 160 hurt. Yemen's president has been meeting with advisers to talk about what he calls hostilities and crimes in his country.
A changing of the guard atop the nation's military command. Less than one hour from now, President Obama expected to nominate Martin Dempsey as the next chairman as the joint chiefs of staff to replace Admiral Mike Mullen. Dempsey would become the nation's highest ranking military officer.
And hackers hit the PBS web site. They posted a story saying that rapper Tupac Shakur is alive and living in New Zealand. Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in 1996. The hackers said they did it in retaliation for the network's program called "WikiSecrets."
A bit of breaking news. Shocking news, actually, from the college sports world. Ohio State has announced that football coach Jim Tressel has resigned. Tressel was caught up in a scandal surrounding several of his players selling memorabilia. Tressel at first said he knew nothing about it, but later acknowledged he had known about it for months. Tressel will be replaced in the upcoming season by interim coach Luke Fakell.
In other sports news, rookie JR Hildebrand was so close to winning the Indianapolis 500, but on the final turn of the final lap, Hildebrand crashed into the wall -- there he goes. He was trying to pass another driver. That gave Dan Wheldon an opening. He dashed past the rookie on his way to victory lane. It is the second time Wheldon's won the Indianapolis 500. Danica Patrick, by the way, finished 10th amid speculation she may leave the Indy car series for Nascar.
Speaking of Nascar, there was also a surprising finish in Charlotte last night. More sports for you in 20 minutes.
And while Sarah Palin's taking a tour of the East Coast, another conservative woman who might run for president has been testing the campaign waters out in Iowa. If Palin decides to run, does that kill it for Michele Bachmann? We'll talk more about that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Memorial Day is not just a day to remember our fallen heroes. Actually, it's also the start of a political campaign for president. Candidates will be out shaking hands and kissing babies, including the former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. He's in Iowa, and yes, he will participate in the proverbial pancake breakfast.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is set to watch a parade and attend more somber ceremonies in New Hampshire.
And Sarah Palin's "One Nation" bus is on its way to Gettysburg. It's part of a patriotic sights tour or more, who knows? If she does decide to run for president, John McCain, her one-time running mate, says she'll be fierce.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Of course, she can, she can. Now, whether she will or not, whether she'll even run or not, I don't know. But, you know, a lot of things happen in campaigns. You'll remember, I was written off a couple of times and we were able to come back. She certainly is a major factor and I believe that she can be very competitive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: If Palin's bus tour is headed down the road for a presidential run, perhaps the most interesting matchup among Republican candidates in the primary will be Palin versus Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Both women are conservatives, both women are Tea Party darlings, and both will make political history if they run for president on the Republican ticket.
Leslie Sanchez is the author of "You've Come a Long Way," a book about women in politics, and she's also a longtime political observer.
Welcome.
LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thank you. It's great to be here on this special day.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's great to have you.
OK, John McCain says Palin could beat President Obama. Is that possible when Palin doesn't exactly enjoy wide support from Independents and Democrats?
SANCHEZ: It would be a steep challenge. He is correct, I like that he used the word fierce, that she's a fierce campaigner, ferocious campaigner. She can mobilize not only the interest of social conservatives, evangelicals, but also the media limelight, which helps with fundraising dollars.
The biggest test for female candidates, in particular, was could they past the money test? I think Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin proved that in 2008. They broke that threshold. And now to have so many women, just not only here at the top of the ticket, but lining up, shows we've come a long way in the last quarter century in terms of these candidates. She, if she wants to be, could be very viable.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. OK, so let's go on to that subject matter, women and politics. On to Palin and Bachmann. Michele Bachmann will announce her plans later this week, but already some are saying, Bachmann shouldn't bottom because she's a carbon copy of Sarah Palin. Here's what Bachmann said about that on "JKUSA."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: My decision will be independent of whichever candidate gets in. I have great respect for Governor Palin, I consider her a friend. And if she gets in, she gets in. That won't impact whether or not I get in or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Leslie, you have to admit, Palin has certainly come up with a way to garner attention, you know, with her bus tour. Bachmann sees diminished now.
So if Palin runs, is Bachmann toast?
SANCHEZ: Not at all. I think -- the difference is, you can have more than one female candidate here. They're both applying and appealing to a certain base of the Republican Party when it comes to Iowa, looking at their own political strategies.
Sarah Palin has moved -- transcended politics into celebrity. She has to deal with highly polarizing numbers, the fact, to your point, she does not appeal to Independents. She has her own challenges. Michele Bachmann can take advantage of that.
The point is, there are more candidates that are aggressively appealing to -- these outsider candidates who are appealing to this concern about the direction of the country and it's good for all Republicans to have a healthy debate right now.
COSTELLO: There was an interesting article in the "L.A. Times" and they were talking with voters in Iowa. And this is what one independent voter in Iowa said about Bachmann/Palin.
She said, and it was a she, "I like what Bachmann has to say, but I think we need a very strong male candidate in order to defeat Obama. I wouldn't mind having a female president, but I don't think this is the election. After what happened to Sarah Palin, I don't think the country is ready yet."
Is she right?
SANCHEZ: Not -- I -- I would say that there are a lot of diverse views in Iowa, and I don't think gender should be a part of this. Unfortunately, we continue to look at things through that lens. It's not male, female, African-American, non-African-American, it's the issue of who can lead this country best, who has the best credentials, experience, and more importantly, who can bring people together.
That, for Sarah Palin, is going to be a challenge. For other candidates, I think, that have reached across the aisle and proven they can get things done in their states, many as governors, there's a clear opportunity. But overall, the electorate is fickle and they continue to want instant gratification and these candidates have to be very leery and careful with that.
COSTELLO: Leslie Sanchez, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
SANCHEZ: Thank you.
COSTELLO: CNN's John King is aboard the CNN Express, closely following Sarah Palin's nationwide bus tour. More on that tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on "JOHN KING USA" right here on CNN.
Americans get two or three weeks' vacation every year, yet barely half of us take all that time off. So do you know if we're better off or worse than other industrial countries when it comes to vacation, I'm talking about? I'll have that in two minutes.
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COSTELLO\: The Memorial Day holiday traditionally kicks off the summer vacation season, but are you among the millions of American who don't use all the days off coming to you? Take a look at this.
France mandates its workers get 30 days off every year. Germans get more than four weeks. In the states, there is no mandate. Now, typically, Americans get two or three weeks off a year, yet barely half of us take all of that vacation time. While nearly 90 percent of French workers take every single day.
What does that mean? What do workers do in other industrial countries? We wondered about that. So we've got reports on two from our Paula Hancock in Seoul and Kyung Lah in Tokyo. Let's start in Tokyo.
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KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the image that the world has of the Japanese workers, serious, buttoned up, and a very hard worker. I'm Kyung Lah in Tokyo. Well, guess what, everybody, that stereotype is true.
According to Japan's government, the average Japanese worker gets 18 paid holidays a year, but half, 50 percent of those workers, take only eight of those 18 days. That's less than half of their paid vacation. The reason why, there's this long-standing notion in corporate Japan that if you take all of your vacation days, you are lazy.
You're considered a better employee if you leave those vacation days on the table. Little wonder that there is a legal term here in Japan called karoshi (ph) which means death by overwork.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paula Hancocks in Seoul. South Koreans are one of the hardest working people in the world, to be considered a workaholic here is almost like a badge of honor. According to recent figures from the OECD, in 2009, South Koreans worked an average 52-hour workweek. That's compared to a 34- hour workweek in the United States.
So you would assume that vacations would be very precious. But not so, according to government figures, last year almost half of all vacation days were simply not taken; 48 percent of days off were worked through. Now, one of the reasons for this could be that it is quite a hierarchical society. It is frowned upon to actually arrive at work after your boss or to leave work before your boss. And even if your work done, it is considered a good idea to stay and be seen to stay so that you can get ahead.
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COSTELLO: So see we're not alone in our nuttiness. So we have this reminder for you for all you need to know about planning vacations, if you plan to indeed take a vacation, go right here. We'll tell you what to pack, the do's and don'ts of vacation. Head to our Web site CNN.com/travel, it is all there.
Checking stories cross country now. A lot of damage to clean up in Battle Creek, Michigan, after severe storms yesterday. Winds of up to 80 miles per hour damaged the city's business corridor, uprooted trees, toppling them on to houses and cars.
In Ft. Pierce, Florida, a sheriff's department helicopter crashed as it answered a call about a rollover accident. The sheriff's office says a gust of wind caught the chopper sending into a spin. And then, the helicopter crashed. The pilot was not seriously hurt.
Singer Sean Kingston's and a female passenger were injured when their jet ski crashed into a bridge in Miami. Kingston's record label says he is stabilized and refuted online claims that he died. Kingston's debut song, "Beautiful Girls" shot to the number one -- shot to number one rather in 2007.
A dad makes a terrific foul ball catch. So why did it make his son cry? Because dad knocked him over to get the ball. You'll see it in sports.
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COSTELLO: Several Memorial Day events are making news later today. President Obama takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. That will come your way at 10:55 a.m. Eastern.
Another event, this one in New York as part of the Fleet Week ceremonies aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum of replaying and the unfurling of a 100-foot-long flag on the flight deck of the air craft carrier. That will take place at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
And then at 1:00 Eastern, a service honoring the men and women who have fallen in service to the country at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington. The names of six servicemen are being added to that wall.
We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Chris Lawrence at Arlington National Cemetery.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes Carol, we're here in section 60, which is the section dedicated to those who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. For a lot of families here, the wounds are still very, very fresh. We're going to bring you some of these stories and make it more than just a piece of stone on a grave, coming up.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Jim Acosta in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where Sarah Palin takes her campaign-style bus tour later today. Is she running for president? It's too early to say "you betcha". I'll explain in just a few minutes.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Alison Kosik in New York. Just as gas prices are moving lower we're seeing predictions that the price could now hit $5 a gallon by the middle of the summer. I'll tell you why in the next hour.
COSTELLO: That again. Thanks to all of you.
And there's the standard marriage proposal, a guy on his knee with a ring and then there are public displays of proposal. We'll show you some of them in the next hour.
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COSTELLO: Ok. I'm kind of shocked by this. We have breaking news to tell you about from the sports world. Ohio State has announced that football coach Jim Tressel has resigned. Tressel was caught up in a scandal surrounding several of his players selling memorabilia. Tressel at first said he knew nothing about it but later acknowledged he had known about it for months. Tressel will be replaced in the upcoming season by interim coach Luke Fickell (ph).
In other sports news. Dale Earnhardt Junior was on his way to ending a 105-race winless streak but on the final lap of the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, Earnhardt started slowing down. Nobody knew what was happening. And guess what? His Chevy, it ran out of gas. Coming from back in the pack Kevin Harvick (ph) flew by Earnhardt to take the win, it's Harvick's third win this season and 17th overall.
Sunday night baseball, the Atlanta Braves hosting the Cincinnati Reds, Martin Prado gives the Braves a 2-1 lead with that home run, to the left field in the sixth inning.
Ok, let's go to the eighth inning now and Toronto makes a play in the field. Take a look. Puts up a single in one hop, and then he fires the ball home, the runner, out. The Braves hold on to win.
Another play at the plate. Rangers/Royals. Game tied at six, bottom of the ninth running for first place on the single, the Rangers Mike Napoli tries to score. The ball gives the catch to Bryan Pena in plenty of time but then Napoli slides right under him and he scores before the tag. Rangers win.
Tough weekend at the ballpark for a couple of kids, first a dad at the Houston Astros game makes a fantastic foul ball catch but rolls over his son to do it. Dad is hoping that ball will help the tears go away. Oh I bet mom is mad. And this dad at Dodgers Stadium actually drops his daughter trying to catch a foul ball.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And dad -- oh, there comes a foul ball. What happened to the kid? Oh, my goodness.
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COSTELLO: He doesn't get the ball but he does get a smack from his daughter.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch the kid.
Get it of here, dad.
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COSTELLO: That's just wrong.
And finally an awkward moment for a New York City cop. The umpire stops play in the first inning of the Mets game with the officer on the field. It's like get off the field. The officer didn't know the game had started. What? What me? A relief pitcher opened the bullpen gate to get him off the field and the game resumed.
