Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Gadhafi's Last Stand in Tripoli; Tropical Storm Irene Nearing U.S.

Aired August 21, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, thanks so much for joining us in the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Start with major breaking news out of Libya. The battle between rebels and government forces is escalating rapidly.

Gunfire and explosions rocked the capital today. Rebels say they're making substantial gains in their fight to seize the capital. And Reuters reports thousands of rebels were seen closing in on Tripoli today. NATO says Moammar Gadhafi's regime is, "crumbling." The Libyan government denies the rebels are making any gains. But a government official who asked not to be named concedes that parts of the capital and its suburbs are no longer in government hands. In an audio address broadcast on state TV today, Gadhafi vowed to fight until, "the last blood drops from every man and woman."

A fierce gun battle broke out today near the hotel where many international journalists are staying. CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance joins us live by phone from Tripoli. Matthew, you were in that very hotel. Tell us more about what's happening around it.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): Fredricka, it's a very bad line. I don't know whether you can hear me right now. But it is more than just an outbreak of gunshots that was heard outside the hotel. What we're experiencing here is (INAUDIBLE) essentially, you know, a major what appears to be a major battle for control of the Libyan capital all over Tripoli. There are fierce clashes under way of heavy machine gunfire, rocket-propelled grenades exploding. And that fighting has come very close, indeed, to the hotel where we've all been corralled over the course of the past several months to cover this crisis from the - from the government's, the Gadhafi loyalists' side.

Up until 24 hours ago though, the situation was very stable indeed in Tripoli. At the beginning of the crisis, there were some protests. They were put down by Gadhafi and his troops. But since then for months it's been pretty quiet and stable. All of that matter has changed. There's utter mayhem in the streets outside in Tripoli. The governments say they don't have control over large areas of the capital, particularly in the eastern suburbs.

And you know, we're hearing reports of - and hearing evidence in terms of gun battles of fierce clashes under way in other parts of the city as well including right in the center of town. So this is very much now a battle for control of the Libyan capital, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: And Matthew, you've been tweeting all the while saying a short while ago that international journalists are wearing flag jackets, many don't feel safe, that fingers are crossed. Is there a plan in place to find kind of a safe spot at that hotel if it comes to that.

CHANCE: I didn't quite catch you there, Fredricka. If you're talking about is there a planning place for us? Can you repeat your question?

WHITFIELD: Yes. How you and other journalists staying safe?

CHANCE: Yes, sorry. I can't hear you. Look, it's a very dangerous situation. We'll what we've done in this hotel is kind of grouped together on the basis of safety in numbers. Also coordinating what we're going to do in the worst-case scenario. It is a moment we're sort of focusing on trying to get whatever information we can from outside on the streets in Tripoli. We're still not permitted to go outside. And of course, in a situation like this when it's so volatile and there are so many armed groups including government loyalists out on the street in a high stake of tension nobody wants to go outside, actually, and see what's going on. But you know, we don't have to anyway. Because the fighting, it seems, is coming to us.

Just a few minutes ago, I heard some very loud RPG explosions what must have been very close to the hotel followed by, you know, intensive bursts of machine gunfire. And so it's a pretty scary, pretty dangerous situation. But this is happening not just in this hotel, (INAUDIBLE) and around it. It's happening all over the Libyan capital tonight at this battle rages.

WHITFIELD: And Matthew, I'm going to try one more time on a question. I know it's difficult to hear. But on state television there in Libya there was an anchor woman who went on the air brandishing a weapon, talking about trying to fight for Gadhafi's regime as well. Can you elaborate on that?

CHANCE: Yes. I mean just an indication of just how high the passions are running in this city. I think the channel was called El Libya. It's a state-run channel. I think it's owned by Colonel Gadhafi's son (INAUDIBLE). On it, you know, as fighting continued outside, there were shots apparently close to the television headquarters. The anchorwoman essentially pulled a pistol, waved it at the cameras and said that, you know, everybody in the television station was prepared to fight to the death. They would kill or be killed is what she started shouting at the cameras. And so it just gives you an indication of, you know, the level of emotion, the level of commitment amongst many of those people who are loyal to Colonel Gadhafi.

Of course, as we've been witnessing across the whole country, you know, it's by no means, you know, the whole of the country that feels that way. Of course, much of the country now, much of the city now, is in uprising against Colonel Gadhafi and his forces, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance, thank you, in Tripoli.

Let's move now west of Tripoli to the city of Zawiya. It is right on Moammar Gadhafi's supply route and where the rebels say they are in complete control after several days of fighting Libyan government forces. CNN's Sara Sidner is there this evening. So Sara, are rebels feeling that they have an advantage?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. To answer your question. We do know now that they have now held this city for a couple of days. We are still hearing some ammunition, we are still hearing some small arms fire and hearing some blasts that have just started up in the last day or so. But we were able to travel to the front lines today that have moved significantly farther outside of the city. They are now just 27 kilometers from Tripoli. That's about 15 miles from Tripoli. They pushed Gadhafi forces back way beyond the eastern gate.

And what you see is a lot of cars and a lot of trucks filled with ammunition. The rebels say they had another victory today. They were able to get a storage center for ammunition from the military, from Gadhafi's military. They are now using that ammunition against the Gadhafi forces and trying to push them even farther into Tripoli, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And give me an idea, you know, how important and vital Zawiya is that rebels managed to get the upper hand there?

SIDNER: This is a really important city for two major reasons. Number one, it's very close to Tripoli. And it is a supply route to Tripoli. And number two, it has a large fuel refinery which is the only functioning fuel refinery in the entire country at this point in time. Now, the rebels are now using that fuel refinery. There are large storage tanks filled with refined oil. They are starting to use to give gas to some of the people, the rebels that need it to get to and from the fight. So they're using what Gadhafi needs the most, which is fuel. Because fuel is extremely scarce in the capital. They've cut that supply route off. Not only can fuel - has fuel been stopped, but so has things like food and other supplies to get into Tripoli. So they really feel this is a major victory and they are ready to push forward.

We saw them pushing forward further and further and further into the vicinity of Tripoli. And, of course, they say that they do know that there are rebels who are inside of Tripoli who have been there waiting and watching and getting ready for the call to rise up. And now they've heard that call and that is exactly what's going on inside the capital. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Sara Sidner, thanks so much, in Zawiya.

So on the phone with me now General Wesley Clark. He is the former Supreme Allied commander in Europe and retired NATO military commander. So General Clark, you've talked to your sources on the ground in Libya. What are they saying to you about this latest spate of gun battle? General Clark? You able to hear me OK? I know it's very windy where you are. What are your sources saying on the ground in Libya?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY (RET.) (ON THE PHONE): They're saying it's extremely dangerous. They're saying there's lots of armed men out there running around. And that no one's in control. And this is the second day of this. And so the idea that Gadhafi could sort of fall back into Tripoli and make a last stand there, this is not fortress Stalingrad. He doesn't have cohesive forces. He's got a lot of mercenaries fighting for him. He cannot control access to the city so he cannot prevent the infiltration of arms, ammunition and more fighters.

If he is in Tripoli he's going to be driven down into a very small corner and we're - we're approaching the end game in this battle.

WHITFIELD: So you do believe that it's imminent that Moammar Gadhafi is going to lose power there?

CLARK: I think he's going to be forced - I think he's approaching a decision point. Where he's reaching his last opportunities to bargain effectively for his survival. And the survival of his family. And if he doesn't decide to do that, he's going to end up fleeing for his life.

WHITFIELD: There's so much gunfire going on. You said that no one is really in control. Isn't it very difficult to kind of find that demarcation between rebels versus Gadhafi supporters. And that could be a big problem, too, especially as it pertains to NATO forces being involved?

CLARK: Yes. I don't think you could expect to find very effective support for NATO other than when the lines stabilize in some way and they've got telephone communications on the ground. Until that time, what you're going to have is you're going to have NATO aircraft. You're going to have them striking fixed targets. If they see heavy equipment that's clearly Gadhafi's, maybe that can be targeted. But it is greatly adding to the stress felt by the Gadhafi forces.

WHITFIELD: So other than that, what other signals might NATO be looking for before it were to intensify its role?

CLARK: Well, I think there's a limit as to what NATO does intend to do. It's not going to put ground troops in. At least not to engage in an active fight. So far as we know, we don't have any forward air controllers on the ground. So we're not able to vector strikes in with precision from one building to the next. And what NATO is going to be looking for is either the shrinking of a perimeter of Gadhafi supporters, as the opposition coalesces and reports neighborhood by neighborhood that there's no more resistance, or they're going to be looking for some kind of signal from Gadhafi that he wants out.

WHITFIELD: General Wesley Clark, thanks so much for your input from Little Rock, Arkansas. Of course, we're going to continue to keep you posted on all that's taking place in Libya, as it pertains to the rebel fighting as well as the fighting of the supporters of Moammar Gadhafi there.

Meantime, back in this country forecasters say the southeastern U.S. should be on alert in the week ahead. Tropical storm Irene is moving through the Caribbean. We'll check in with Jacqui Jeras for the latest forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Forecasters are keeping a close watch on now tropical storm Irene in the southeastern U.S.. They should be on the alert in the week ahead. Jacqui Jeras tracking all that for us. You warned us it could turn into a tropical storm and here it is.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, yes, it very likely will turn into a hurricane, too. We want to give people a big heads up and a big reminder that the uncertainty as to where the storm is going and where it's going to be impacting the U.S. is still a bit of a question mark. And the models have been trending a little farther on off to the east. So you really need to stay tuned. The National Hurricane Center is going to have an updated advisory at 5:00 Eastern time. And we could see a shift in the track.

In the meantime, here's where we're at right now with Irene. This is really becoming a very large storm. The tropical storm force winds extend out 150 miles from the center of the storm. So that's, you know, each side. This thing is pushing 300 miles. Great outflow out ahead of the center of the storm. And the winds are very light. We do expect this to continue to intensify. Fifty mile per hour the maximum winds. You've got to get up to 74 for this thing to become a hurricane.

Now let's talk about the forecast track. These are the computer models. Take a note, this white line in the middle, that's the official track for the National Hurricane Center. But notice all of these models, sorry about that, all over here. So we cannot rule out an east coast potential either. So this is down the line. Keep in mind. The immediate concerns, what's been going on into the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico. We've already been seeing a lot of heavy showers and thundershowers.

Take a look at this. This is a radar of Puerto Rico. You can see those outer bands moving no through tropical storm force winds is expected with this. A good four to seven inches of rainfall as well. Intensification, as long as it stays over water, the more it interacts with the land here, the more it could weaken. So we don't know if we're going to be talking about a tropical storm or maybe a stronger hurricane, especially if it takes this more of a northerly track. So stay tuned. We're talking about the U.S. impact, you know, outside the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. And of course, Fredricka, that won't happen until Thursday probably so we still got a couple of days to prepare. Nhc.noaa.com. Go there. If you're not ready. You need to be now.

WHITFIELD: Yes, go there, and find at least your supply list if you're going to be in those areas too.

JERAS: Three days of food and water, at least.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you, Jacqui.

Up next, how to get your boss to notice you. We will answer this question. Does the squeaky wheel always get the grease? Our "Reclaim your Career" segment, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Every week we focus on ways to get a jump start in the workforce. In today's "Reclaim your Career" we're focusing on how to get your boss to notice you. Life coach Valorie Burton is the author of "Where Will You Go from Here." She is here with some strategies. OK. A lot of folks always feel there's a formula to get noticed or valued, et cetera. You say it really may begin with getting to know your boss. Knowing who he or she is, what makes them tick. What's their style.

VALORIE BURTON, AUTHOR "WHERE WILL YOU GO FROM HERE": It's different with every boss and with every company.

WHITFIELD: That's for starters.

BURTON: Yes. You need to see what is it that motivates my boss? You need to study your boss so you understand that. Because you may have some bosses that really value people being, you know, perfectionists. Everything has to be perfect. Others may enjoy the process. You need to say what makes my boss look good, right? And focus in on those things. If you know what motivates your boss, you can do those things and that will get you noticed.

WHITFIELD: OK. And just as you notice the boss's style, you've got to pay attention to your own style and be willing to make some adjustments because of kind of office or company culture?

BURTON: Yes. You have to take a look at the company culture, too. It's about studying that. Some people get very frustrated because they feel like the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Well, if that's what works at your company, you know what? You might need to squeak a little bit more. But at other companies it may not be the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So you want to make sure you're not a shameless self promoter at a company that really values team work and doesn't really value being loud and you know, really showing off a lot.

WHITFIELD: And then the role that you play or the position you have, you need to maximize it. You need to really kind of make sure you're doing all that you can and some.

BURTON: Yes. In your current role. So don't get so focused on that next promotion that you're not really focused on am I doing everything I can do in my job? So you need to say, you know what, what is the most persistent but fixable problem that I have the power to fix?

WHITFIELD: OK.

BURTON: You want to make sure you're doing everything you can do. That's what gets you to the next level.

WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. And then you say you need to discipline yourself.

BURTON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: What do you mean by this? That talent, your ability is not everything that matters.

BURTON: That's right. Talent is not enough. A lot of times we focus too much on I'm better at this. Well, you've got to have those people skills. You really need to look at what was my last performance review like? What are the things that maybe people complain a little bit about? I might be, you know, I might not like getting that constructive criticism. But I need to pay attention to it and make changes and adjustments.

WHITFIELD: And then there's the old adage, thanks, Bobby McPherson, "Don't worry, be happy." Something like that.

BURTON: Something like that. But you know, it's really kind of neat.

WHITFIELD: What you exude makes a difference.

BURTON: It makes a difference. There's research to back it up. That people who are happier, who have more positive emotion are more likely to get raises. They're more likely to be promoted. And on average they have higher income. So we think that it's success that makes us happy, but it's really the other way around. So you know what focus on having fun outside of work. And that will impact your work life.

WHITFIELD: It's like being likable. But it doesn't necessarily parallel with the whole, you know, good guys finish ahead or even sometimes last?

BURTON: Sometimes it's last. But you know what? We need to find those ways to be happier. Because work is stressful enough. So if you can, even if it's just a little bit of time you have, make sure you're doing things that give you some positive emotion.

WHITFIELD: You're going to spend a lot of time there at work. So you might as well make the most of it and be happy with it, right?

BURTON: Be happy with it. That gets you noticed. People like people that they like.

WHITFIELD: OK. Valorie Burton, thanks so much.

BURTON: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: A whole lot of sense.

All right. Meantime, a lot of people still want to travel even in this pinched economy. How can you afford it? Some tips after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Looking for a travel deal? Well, look no further. When you're looking to fly cheap, it is all about timing. Alison Kosik has done the research and tells you how to make sure the price is right in this "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The cost to fly is up about 10 to 20 percent higher than last summer. But you can still find the right price if you know when to buy your ticket.

GARE SAGLIE, TRAVELINE: Six to eight weeks out is probably not the best time to buy air fare. About four weeks out there is a little bit of what we call a sweet spot where air fare tends to soften a little bit. Air fares tend to go up again about two weeks out of your flight.

KOSIK: But if you can wait until the week you want to leave, airlines often give great deals to fill the remaining empty seats.

SAGLIE: The airlines will release usually on Tuesdays reduced airfare for later that week or into that weekend.

KOSIK: Signing up for deal alerts from airline and travel sites is key to take advantage of the quick sales that last only 24 to 48 hours. And connecting through Facebook and Twitter can also provide deals just for friends.

SAGLIE: We know now that a lot of last-minute deals are released exclusively through some of these social media sites. If you're a friend of that particular airline, better odds at getting that last- minute fare from them.

KOSIK: Buying at the last moment can cost you if all the seats are filled. So flexibility is a must with these deals. To get you on the go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Facing international pressure to step down, Syria's president speaks to his country about its future. We'll have a live report on Bashar Al Assad's speech.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More now on the breaking news out of Libya. NATO says Moammar Gadhafi's regime is "crumbling." Battles between rebel fighters and government forces are heating up. Rebels claim they have made substantial gains in their fight to seize the capital city. Thousands of rebels were reportedly seen closing in on Tripoli today. Gunfire and explosions rocked the city and battles raged outside a hotel where international journalists are stationed.

The Libyan government denies the rebels are making any gains, but a government official who asked not to be named concedes parts of the capital city and its suburbs are no longer in government hands. In an audio address broadcast on state TV today, Gadhafi called on all Libyans to stop colonizers from taking over Tripoli.

On to Mexico now where soccer players and fans ran for cover yesterday when gunfire rang out. Watch this and listen. This is in northern Mexico. Automatic gunfire sent everyone in the stadium scurrying. A police station nearby was under attack from gunmen. No one was killed. But it certainly shook up the soccer fans. The players with good reason to react that way. Their town sees a high level of drug cartel-related violence.

Saturday night football turned into fight night in San Francisco. Oh, my goodness. The game between the 49ers and their Cross Bay rivals, the Oakland Raiders is always contentious. The violence here erupted after San Francisco beat the Raiders, 17-3. Two shootings sent people to the hospital. The mayors of Oakland and San Francisco released a joint statement saying, "violence will not be tolerated in either of our stadiums."

And motorcyclists are hitting the road to honor 9/11 victims. Today they rode to the World Trade Center and laid a wreath in memory of those who died there. The ride supports a foundation that funds college scholarships for children of 9/11 first responders.

And speculation is growing today that the sexual assault charges against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn may be dropped. The woman making those charges has been asked to meet with prosecutors tomorrow in New York. No comment from the D.A.'s office. We will have much more news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Back to our top story, Libya now.

Joining me by phone is a resident of Tripoli who asked we not use her name for security reasons. So I understand you are on a balcony. There is a lot of fighting taking place in Tripoli right now. What are you able to see or hear even though it's nightfall there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via telephone): Yes. Hi. Well, right now it's not really fighting. The gunshots are from the brigades quite far away. If you'd like to hear, there is lots of -- there is lots of males gathered around in the streets chanting anti-Gadhafi slogans. Asking for Gadhafi to leave. Telling him that we've had enough, that we're with our brothers all over the world -- all over the country, sorry. Zawiyah, everywhere.

WHITFIELD: So while there's that shouting of anti-Gadhafi slogans, is anyone going as far as knocking on the doors of residents, trying to find out whose side people might be on?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes in other parts of the city, not exactly down where I am yet, I heard there's some -- some attacks going down. Apparently the brigades are attacking the -- the residents with -- with missiles. And brigades are hunting down the people, shooting people and stuff. But over here it's still not yet.

WHITFIELD: So how worried are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not really at all. This is the freedom we've been waiting for for 42 years. He has been president for 42 years. Not to mention the last six months where we weren't allowed to do anything here. You don't even know whether your neighbor is with or against. So today when the day came, I don't even know how to explain it. We're outside of the windows screaming. No one can control the other. Everyone is screaming. No one wants him; no one wants this, this dictator.

WHITFIELD: So and while you're expressing to me that you want him to go, do you feel bold enough to say that out loud? I realize others are. Do you feel, you know, safe enough to express yourself?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just unbelievable. Let me tell you that since the 20th of February, no one really has the guts to go out and scream in the streets because of -- he's arrested over 50,000 of our people. Today, people are going out. People are talking on the phone. We couldn't even talk on the phone before. Most of us had our phones closed because we were scared. There's no more fear. No more. Gadhafi is gone. We don't want him anymore. Game over.

WHITFIELD: When a news anchor goes on the air there on state run television and holds up a gun --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry.

WHITFIELD: Did you see that television news anchor who went on the air on state-run television today who held up a gun and said she and others will fight to their death in support of Gadhafi. Did you see any of that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're disgusting, sorry. We're fighting for Libya. They're fighting for Gadhafi. Gadhafi is a murder, he is a tyrant. He kills his own people. His hands are bloody. Him and all the people around him. I don't know what to say. All these people are only there because they're the few people that gathered what they want from him. The money, cars, they are fighting, that's what they want. They want their money. They want their cars. Because in the new Libya everyone will be free and everyone will get a share of this country's wealth. Not just Gadhafi and his friends and his little minority.

WHITFIELD: So as opponents and opponent forces close in on Tripoli, they apparently are saying they have a big victory in Zawiyah. Do you feel like it is a matter of days? Do you feel that it is imminent that Gadhafi will fall?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is gone. I'm telling you that in the capital, people are cheering anti-Gadhafi slogans. Gadhafi is done. That's it. I'm almost 100 percent sure by Friday he will be gone.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much for your time. We're not revealing your name for your own safety and at your request. Thanks so much for your time there to give us an idea of what you're experiencing, what you're feeling and what you're seeing right there in the capital city of Tripoli.

So meantime, after five months of a brutal crackdown against opposition protesters, now we're talking in Syria, that country's president faces growing calls to step down. But today no signs of that. President Bashar al-Assad spoke to his nation in an interview on state-run television there. CNN's Ivan Watson is covering the story from is Istanbul, Turkey. So Ivan tell me more about what he said and did it appear this is a president that's very defiant and determined to stay in power?

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's very interesting. I mean, he came out. This is the first time he's spoken to his citizens in more than two months, Fredricka. He stands accused, according to a recent United Nations Human Rights report of quote widespread systemic attacks against the civilian population which may amount to crimes against humanity. That's the United Nations. Instead of talked about the need for a political solution, the need for national dialogue. He talked about constitutional reform like a technocrat. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIA (via translator): we are now in a transitional period. There will be elections. There will be review of the constitution and that they, of course, throw out this transitional period which is very critical and very sensitive. It is important that we continue with the dialogue and firstly we need to start dialogue at the level to talk about political and social and, of course, about the problems and the services as well also parties do have time and they need time in order to be created and formed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, Fredricka, I talked to a Syrian opposition activist, part of a group that are gathering and meeting here in Istanbul, Syria's neighbor to the west in Turkey. He said Bashar Al-Assad just sounded delusional here because he has many times promised reform over the last five months and at the same time sent his military to attack cities and towns in recent days according to widespread evidence and testimony in YouTube videos and so on. That he used tanks, snipers and even warships opening fire on protesters in Syrian cities and towns.

Bashar al Assad has a credibility problem. Just days ago he told the U.N. secretary general that the military operations were over. They're clearly still under way. According to one prominent opposition group, at least 20 people have been killed alone in one Syrian province in the last 24 hours.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Ivan Watson in Istanbul, Turkey, thank you.

Now, politics back in this country. Jobs, creating them or bringing them back from overseas, it seems like everyone has an opinion on how best to do that. Well the topic dominated the Sunday talk shows today. Here are some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A city might also suggest, and let me suggest it here, that you all are putting things out there that you know, particularly the House Republicans will not go for so that you can then have that to run on.

DAVID AXELROD, SR. STRATEGIST, OBAMA CAMPAIGN: The president unveils the entire program, there's nothing in there that -- that reasonable people shouldn't be able to agree on. And if we make the House Republicans, particularly that Tea Party faction, if we make them the standard, we're in deep trouble. This is the group that almost brought us to the brink of default.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: The difference between the president's views and ours is we believe that business creates jobs. Close the loopholes that are so egregious and so outrageous to all of us. And get into ways that we can eliminate the deficit, which is our long- term problem, and create jobs which are short-term problem. Only unless businesses will invest and create jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've said that President Obama is out of ideas on the economy. What are your ideas?

JON HUNTSMAN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the most important step we can take in terms of perhaps immediate job creation is energy independence. Weaning ourselves away from this heroin like addiction to imported oil.

FMR. SEN. RICK SANTORUM, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need to do something to revitalize what I consider to be sort of the core of America which is our manufacturing base. The real middle of America that has shrunk is because we went from about 21 percent of jobs in this country when I was a kid being in manufacturing down to 9. That is what; we've lost those jobs overseas. We need to bring them back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you not feel as the representative and leader in your community that you need to be kind of continuing to push him publicly to do something specifically for the community?

REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS, (D) MARYLAND: By the way, I'm a big supporter of our president. But he said during the election process, he said, I will not tell you what you want to hear. I'll tell you what you need to hear. He needs to hear that there are a lot of people suffering. And 40 miles from here in Baltimore, we probably got black male unemployment of 40 percent. He needs to hear that. He needs to hear that -- he needs to hear that he needs to go back to the horse that brought him in. In other words, when he came in, he talked about hope. He talked about jobs. He talked about fairness. He's got to go back to those basic points.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you taking this particular constituency for granted because that's what it looks like to them?

AXELROD: Absolutely not. You know just because on the one trip the president doesn't stop in every community doesn't reflect a policy judgment or a commitment judgment on his part.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: From traveling to places to settle down, "Money" Magazine is out with its list of the best places to live. And this year it's focusing on towns with less than, fewer than 50,000 people. Can you guess the community that we're talking about today? Here's a clue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This town has something in common with the home of the Kentucky Derby and has more than 300 days of sunshine. What place has plenty of space to horse around in? We'll let you know after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What place has plenty of space to horse around? Number one on "Money" Magazine's list of best places to live is Louisville, Colorado. Not to be confused with Louisville, Kentucky. The outdoors is what attracts people to this town. It has 27 parks and 27miles of trails to keep you out of the sun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you get a little older and you need a little space and have a little family, Louisville is the perfect place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the perfect place to own a home. Real estate values in town have barely budged in six years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's been a really hot summer which means a whole lot of folks are very happy when it rains. But I don't know if the folks in the northeast are exuberant.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it is going to bring the temperature done. It certainly is and tomorrow will be a much more beautiful day.

WHITFIELD: It's been coming down hard. Right?

JERAS: Really hard. In fact, we're concerned about some flash flooding. The airports are a mess. Some of these storms are severe. So you really have to use a lot of caution here this weekend. There you see watch boxes. Severe thunderstorm watches are stacked up from Maine all the way down to North Carolina. That means conditions are ripe for strong, damaging winds in excess of 60 miles per hour.

On top of that, some large hail can be expected as well. This has been moving in through the Mid-Atlantic States, D.C., and Baltimore all have been hit hard in the last couple of hours. Now New York City starting to get surrounded by clusters of thunderstorms. Watch for your weather to go downhill. We do have one tornado warning that we want to mention. This is for Westchester and Putnam Counties in the state of New York until 5:15 local time. A Doppler radar indicated tornado. So get underground if you can to a safe shelter. There is a look at the airport, ground stops and people are not taking off from other airports to get into those cities so go ahead and call. Yes, it could be hours and hours today.

WHITFIELD: Oh, no. That's a drag.

JERAS: Not looking good.

WHITFIELD: Fingers crossed for folks out there. Thanks so much, Jacqui.

JERAS: Sure.

WHITFIELD: A sound as unique as the city where it's played.

(Singing)

WHITFIELD: A musical pioneer who is still wowing the crowds with the sound known as Go-Go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Washington, D.C., is a city like no other. And it has a sound you're not likely to find anywhere else. The fairly recently Grammy-nominated sound called Go-Go. It was pioneered by Chuck Brown more than five decades ago.

(Singing)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice over): A music style heavy on percussion and audience participation. It's called Go-Go music. Born and bred in Washington, D.C., back in the 1970s.

CHUCK BROWN, GO-GO SINGER/WRITER: its home grown. It's D.C. music. It's where it originated from. It'll always be here.

WHITFIELD: Chuck Brown has been living in Washington for nearly 70 years and performing for the last 50. Known by many as the Godfather of Go-Bo, Brown has been and remains the driving force behind this unique brand of music.

BROWN: I move to my own sound. Because I've always been inspired by people like James Brown, B.B. King. What it was.

I have my own distinguished sound. It don't mean a thing if you ain't got the Go-Go scene.

WHITFIELD: That distinguished sound, a blend of funk, rhythm and blues and hip-hop. Brown ultimately made it big in 1978 with the number one smash "Bustin' Loose."

DONNIE SIMPSON, RADIO TV PERSONALITY: That's the national anthem in D.C. There's no question. I feel like bustin loose. It was just the national anthem; it was there's no question. Such an amazing moment for Go-Go.

WHITFIELD: Go-Go reached peak popularity in the 1980s, and it didn't stop with Chuck Brown.

BROWN: You are going to like what you are going to hear. WHITFIELD: Go-Go music had its moments on the national and international stage. But it never went mainstream. But that's something that doesn't bother the D.C. faithful.

STEPHANIE STINES, GO-GO FAN: I like that D.C. owns Go-Go. When you hear it, you hear Go-Go, you think immediately D.C. So being a Washingtonian I'm proud of that.

JOANN SMITH, GO-GO FAN: It's really unique to D.C. It's something that was created here, and D.C. has ownership of it.

WHITFIELD: Never professionally trained, Brown is coming off his first Grammy nomination. And at 75 he is showing no signs of letting up.

BROWN: A lot of people ask me when I'm going to retire. That's something I always give the same answer. The reason I haven't retired, I'm still inspired. I still have a desire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. The Go-Go music still going strong.

A judge has ordered Casey Anthony to return to Orlando. We'll tell you why after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Casey Anthony's white Pontiac Sunbird has been destroyed. The car was crushed in a Florida junk yard on Thursday. Anthony as you recall was acquitted of murder in her 2-year-old daughter's death. The car and the odor emanating from its trunk had been central to the prosecution's case in the murder trial.

Car or not, Casey Anthony must make her way back to Orlando, Florida, by August 26th. A judge has ordered her to serve one year of supervised probation for a check fraud conviction. Anthony's attorneys have filed an emergency motion to block her return. Yesterday I talked to our legal guys Avery Friedman and Richard Herman about the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: I'm going out on a limb on this. Not much of one. I think there's about as much chance of getting a stay as Christine O'Donnell rebooking on Pierce Morgan. That's how likely it is. It is -- it is -- especially when Baez knows, the attorney that he conceded that it was upon release. So whatever -- the only argument that can be made, frankly, is a procedural one. I think Chief Judge Perry dealt with it very effectively in his 16-page opinion. That appeal or that stay, I think, is very, very unlikely.

WHITFIELD: So Richard, why -- why offer this latest distraction? Why would her attorneys now try to argue this when this was not -- this check -- bad check writing charge had nothing to do with time served and why she was released under the conditions in which she was released? RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes. Well, with all due respect to my partner -- my esteemed partner, they are denying the probation aspect. They're saying she completed her probation when she was incarcerated. And the Probation Department accordingly issued a correspondence saying that they monitored her and she successfully completed it.

Even though they know that the sentencing judge said probation will begin upon release from prison. So what Judge Perry has said to Baez is, listen, pal, you knew this all along. This is a frivolous case you're bringing right now. It borders on unethical conduct. We kind of gleaned last week that Baez might have a problem from this. Sure enough, this week we're hearing that there is some sort of ethical violation filed against him. I believe it's coming from the judge at a minimum in this particular case. And that'll be dealt with accordingly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: You can catch our legal guys every Saturday, Noon Eastern right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.