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Emergency Rescues in Paterson, New Jersey; 'Major Blow to al Qaeda;'; The Leadership of Rick Perry

Aired August 30, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Jim Acosta out of D.C. there.

Jim, thanks so much.

That does it for us. We'll see you back here bright and early in the morning.

Suzanne Malveaux taking it from the top.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

MALVEAUX: We're covering politics, but also dramatic rescues from Hurricane Irene. Still a lot of flooding going on.

PHILLIPS: In New Jersey. It's pretty amazing, what we've been seeing.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. Yes, we're going to speak to a couple officials there on the ground and some folks who are still trying to get out of that mess.

PHILLIPS: All right.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Kyra.

Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed for Tuesday, August 30th.

Here we go again. Rivers in New Jersey are bursting their banks today, overwhelmed by all the rain that Hurricane Irene dumped on the state. The Passaic River has been overrunning parts of Paterson, New Jersey. All morning this has been going on. Emergency workers pulled 1,700 people to safety after the Passaic flooded homes.

Now, Governor Chris Christie says that nine New Jersey rivers have surged to record flood levels, but thankfully, they are receding now. He says only one, the Passaic, hasn't crested.

The number of people killed now by Irene and its aftermath rose to 38 today across 11 states. I want to get the latest on the emergency rescues in Paterson, New Jersey. That is where we are taking a look at dramatic pictures throughout the morning.

On the phone with us is Sergeant Alex Popov of the Paterson Police Department.

And I understand that the fire department just rescued somebody from on top a bridge. What can you tell us about the rescue mission? And how many people are still in trouble?

SGT. ALEX POPOV, PATERSON POLICE DEPT.: Well, we're still receiving phone calls of people that are actually trapped in their homes, and we're trying to get them as fast as we can. The person that was rescued from the bridge actually fell into the river, and the fire department did pick them up by the boat. As far as I know, they're OK.

MALVEAUX: What are you facing today? Are there a lot of people who are in danger essentially, who have had to be either plucked out of the water or have been trapped in their homes or various places?

POPOV: Most of the rescue calls we're getting are people that are actually in their homes. Some have minimal power. And we are getting to them as fast as we can. We're rescuing elderly people, children, families, and even pets. We're getting them to safety and transporting them to a shelter.

MALVEAUX: Sergeant, how big is your job now?

POPOV: It's rapidly expanding now because of the rising tide, and our manpower is actually being stretched back because the roadways actually had to be moved -- closed further back from the river now.

MALVEAUX: So it's actually expected to get worse before it gets better?

POPOV: We're expecting the river to crest within a few hours, and hopefully then the waters will recede. And like I said, we're trying to get to as many people as we can in the amount of time that we have.

MALVEAUX: And Sergeant, what should people do if they are trapped in their homes and they still have not seen this river crest? What should they do to protect themselves?

POPOV: Basically, if they can't survive, we're asking that they call one of our two hotline numbers. I'll give them to you. It's at 973-321-1142 and 973-321-1195. And we are in contact with the Office of Emergency Management and the Paterson Fire Department, and we will get a boat out to their house and we will get them to safety.

MALVEAUX: If folks -- if they don't have working phones, if they don't have power, should they actually try to make it out on their own, or should they stay where they are, stay put at all costs? POPOV: We're asking them to do stay put. If they can somehow get word to a neighbor who may have a phone that is working or a cell phone, we will come get them.

MALVEAUX: All right. Sergeant, thank you so much.

And we will put that number up as soon as we get that number again. We're going to put it back up on the screen for you, so you can take a look if you know neighbors or people who might be trapped or in trouble. Give that number a call and make sure that they are taken well care of.

So, Prattsville, New York and surrounding communities in the Catskills have practically been washed off of the map. Just take look at this.

Dozens of people had to be rescued after Irene's rains poured from the mountains and wiped out roads. Even reporters who rushed to Prattsville to cover the flood ended up stuck.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGAN CRUZ, YNN REPORTER: Imagine where I'm standing. That creek flooded to this point, and actually a mile out of town even more. So, definitely, this is flooding that no one has ever seen here before. And yes, all the other smaller roads around this area have been flooded, so we are being told that there is no way for us to get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The Energy Department told us just a short time ago that more than three million customers on the eastern shore still don't have electricity. President Obama's top disaster officials are fanning out today to see Irene's mess.

FEMA Director Craig Fugate, he's heading to Vermont. Floods washed away 200 roads in the state, as well as a number of Vermont's storied covered bridges.

(NEWSBREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: Will the talk about Governor Rick Perry's intelligence help or hurt him in his run for the White House?

Carol Costello, wow, that's kind of a provocative question.

Carol, joining us from New York.

Hey.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am excited to read the responses to this question, Suzanne. So let's get back right to the "Talk Back," shall we? Rick Perry is on top of the GOP field, according to the latest CNN/ORC poll, so why are people asking if he is smart enough to be president? Politico.com even asked this question in a headline, "Is Rick Perry dumb?" and talked about his lack of intellectual credentials. It has aggravated some conservatives who are now debating whether President Obama is dumb.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS: Liberals like yourself refer to Reagan as an amiable dunce. You constantly attack Michele Bachmann's intelligence, Sarah Palin's intelligence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sean, that is true, by the way.

HANNITY: Wait a minute -- George Bush's intelligence. And then, all of a sudden, every liberal is a genius that drives the economy into a ditch, and then you say this guy is brilliant. And I'm just saying --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The sad part in all of this, it plays to the same old stereotypes. CNN contributor John Avlon says Republicans are either cruel or stupid. You know, either Cheney and Nixon cruel, or Reagan or Bush stupid. And Democrats, well, they're either naive and immoral. You know, Carter, naive; Clinton, immoral.

It is fair to wonder about Rick Perry's doubts about evolution and global warming, but when critics use the word "dumb," it eliminates any real debate about whether a candidate is prepared to be president.

Of course it may all backfire on Perry's critics. The "D" word -- you know, the "dumb" word -- may actually fire up conservatives and win Perry even more supporters.

So the "Talk Back" question today: Will talk about Perry's intelligence help or hurt him?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I will be eager to read your responses later this hour.

MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you, Carol.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: is month has been the deadliest ever for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Sixty-six American troops have died. That is the most since the conflict began almost 10 years ago. Thirty U.S. service members died in just one day when insurgents shot down their helicopter.

The death of al Qaeda's second in command is raising questions about the future of this terrorist organization. Atiyah Abd al-Rahman was killed in Pakistan, and he was considered a critical link between the lower ranks of al Qaeda, its affiliates, and its top leaders.

Well, U.S. officials say that his death is a major blow to al Qaeda. "The Washington Post" reports that Osama bin Laden had sent plans to Rahman, including the idea of attacking the U.S. on the 10th anniversary of September 11th. That is just less than two weeks from today.

So now that Rahman is gone, is the terrorist group al Qaeda, is its demise really in reach? We really don't know. But we want to talk to CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend. She is a former Homeland Security adviser, current member of the CIA External Committee.

And Fran, what do you make of this? Do you think al Qaeda's number two -- now he is now gone. How significant is that for this organization? Are we even safer?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, absolutely. Look, Abd al-Rahman was an individual with both historical ties and connections to many of those in the al Qaeda organization. He was a key link during the war in Iraq to Zarqawi, who is now dead.

He had a personal relationship with those in the al Qaeda core in the leadership, and the ability to reach beyond, out to the affiliates. We have seen the affiliates become -- gain strength over time like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, where they were responsible for the cargo plane attempted bombing and the Christmas Day underwear attempted bombing, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, who has been responsible just this week with an attack in Algeria.

And so the affiliates are gaining strength, and Rahman was one of these key people who was able to keep the connection between the al Qaeda core, which has been severely degraded, especially with the killing of Bin Laden, and the increasingly strong affiliates around the world.

MALVEAUX: So, Fran, we heard from Secretary Leon Panetta, just within a month or so, saying that strategic defeat of al Qaeda was within reach. Do we think that this organization, if you cut off its head, that essentially those affiliates are going to be so weakened, that this is not going to be a threat to the United States going forward?

TOWNSEND: No, I don't. Look, I do think that we have severely degraded the al Qaeda core, but I don't think that that suggests the defeat of al Qaeda overall.

In fact, as I said, Suzanne, look, these affiliates have gained some strength by virtue of their autonomy. They have not centered their leadership in the tribal areas where the U.S. and its allies have been very, very active. And so I think it's going to take a real sustained effort now, as well against these affiliates, just as we have gone against the core, and that is going to take time. MALVEAUX: Are we headed in the right direction, Fran, do you think, now that we are pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, 10,000 by the end of the year? Is that going to cripple and weaken our position in going after al Qaeda?

TOWNSEND: Well, look, the real -- what you worry about, what has kept the core in the tribal areas, is that that was their new safe haven once we denied them the safe haven in Afghanistan. The Taliban is strong in Afghanistan. You've got a weak central government in the Karzai government.

And, of course, the fear, and I think rightly, is that as you remove U.S. troops, you worry that as there is pressure in the tribal areas, they will push themselves back over into Afghanistan. What we see around the world, Suzanne, whether it's Yemen or Somalia, where there is a weak central government or an ungoverned space, it's always to the benefit of al Qaeda and our enemies. And so if we leave Afghanistan as a weak link or ungoverned state, you run the risk that they will find a safe haven again back in Afghanistan as they did before 9/11.

MALVEAUX: Fran, final question here. How concerned are you about the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in just two weeks?

TOWNSEND: Well, look, any large public gathering is always an attractive target, and we know at least Bin Laden was thinking and it. Al Qaeda is severely weakened, and they tend to historically not target on particular dates.

And I will tell you, Suzanne, the country and its defenses and its capability is far greater now than it was 10 years ago, and so I think we are much better positioned to tell people that they can go to these memorial events and the U.S. government can keep them safe. But it requires their active involvement. If we see Janet Napolitano saying, "See it, say it," Americans have to be aware of their surroundings.

MALVEAUX: All right. Fran Townsend, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

And of course the president it going to be addressing all of this. It's coming up at 11:55 Eastern. President Obama is going to be speaking to veterans, their families at the American Legions convention. That is in Minneapolis. And he's expected to talk about how veterans have been deeply impacted by unemployment.

We're going to take his speech live. Again, that is fairly soon. We're talking about 11:55 Eastern.

And Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, he is also speaking this hour at the National Convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars. That's in San Antonio, Texas.

About 8,000 veterans were expected at the event. You're taking a look at live pictures there from the venue. Romney is following Rick Perry, who spoke at the convention on Monday.

And whoever is scheduled, convention speakers, well, they seem to have some special political insight. Romney is also following Perry in the latest CNN/ORC poll of Republican candidates for president. Perry had almost a third of the support. Romney ranked second, with 18 percent. Perry just formally entered the race this month.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the Texas governor's appeal, as well as some of the not so shining moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rick Perry is described as a brash, calculating politician, but not above ending a satellite interview with a Houston TV station a few years ago with this bomb --

PERRY: Adios, MoFo.

LAVANDERA: "Adios, MoFo" became an instant snapshot. It inspired T-shirts and coffee mugs.

Ray Sullivan has spent more than 10 years working with the governor. He says Perry is a fun small-town guy. What you see is what you get.

RAY SULLIVAN, PERRY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: The American people don't want robots. They don't want sound bites. They want folks who speak from the heart. And that's what Rick Perry has always done.

LAVANDERA: But critics say behind closed doors, the governor can be vindictive and divisive.

MIKE VILLARREAL (D), TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: He's smart. He's aggressive. He's focused on winning elections.

LAVANDERA: Mike Villarreal is a graduate of Texas A&M, just like the governor and was elected as a Democratic state representative at the same time Perry became governor. He says Perry rarely gets involved in the nitty-gritty details of public policy.

VILLARREAL: He delegates out responsibility to governing. Governing decisions are largely driven by political polls, and -- and he keeps his sights set on winning the next election. And -- and so I wouldn't consider him dumb on governance. I just think that's not his priority.

SULLIVAN: Perry is a guy who sets a clear agenda, rolls up his sleeves, and gets to work taking his message to the people.

LAVANDERA (on camera): During Rick Perry's tenure as governor, there'd been a long trail of news stories alleging that major campaign donors have received preferential treatment from straight agencies, that they've been awarded lucrative state contracts or they've been appointed to government positions.

Critics say the governor has created a pay-to-play political culture in Texas.

Is the governor guilty of that?

SULLIVAN: Rick Perry is the most scrutinized, analyzed, probed elected official probably in Texas history. He's been very transparent.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): In last year's Texas governor's race, Perry's opponent called him "Part-Time Perry." The attack came after the governor's official schedule suggested several dozen days without state business, and a working week averaging just seven hours in the first half of 2010.

Perry says he works around the clock.

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've been the governor for ten years, and if there's -- if they've made anybody that can outwork me yet, please introduce me to him or her.

LAVANDERA: Even his staunchest political adversaries offer this warning: Rick Perry doesn't lose elections and should never be underestimated.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Members of Moammar Gadhafi's family now escaped to Algeria, but Libyan rebels say hold on a minute. The latest on their efforts to get the family back, that in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Rebel fighters in Libya are pushing toward Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, but the rebels now say it could take up to 10 days to seize control of the town. Now, earlier today, they gave Gadhafi's forces until Saturday to surrender or face a rebel attack.

Well, while the rebels were stepping up the hunt for Moammar Gadhafi, several of his family members are now in Algeria. Gadhafi's wife, two of his sons, and his daughter were allowed into Algeria on humanitarian grounds, but the head of the Libya's transitional government says, hey, wait, not so fast.

Our CNN international correspondent Dan Rivers, he is joining us live from Tripoli.

And Dan, you know, it's kind of confusing to people to realize, first of all, how they managed to get out of Libya, and whether or not they are actually going to return. What do we know?

DAN RIVERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, exactly.

We know very little about this crossing other than it happened at 8:45 local time. As you say, the Algerian government saying they were allowed over on humanitarian grounds, but there will be real anger here that they were allowed to leave, and demands already that they be extradited back to face jail. The National Transitional Council, the new sort of rebel government here, saying that if they are not brought back, they will consider it an act of aggression against the will of the Libyan people.

Several of Gadhafi's children, including the ones that have crossed over, are the subject to U.N. Security Council travel ban, so that is going to be an issue for Algeria, if the they are allowed to stay.

MALVEAUX: Right.

RIVERS: But the Algerian government hasn't recognized the new government here, and so this has put relations between the new government and the existing Algerian government in the deep freeze, to say the least.

MALVEAUX: And Dan, help us understand here, because Algeria took in Gadhafi relatives. They say it was on humanitarian grounds, and at least his son Hannibal, others have been accused of horrible things, crimes and abusing folks.

I mean, do they explain how they can be there on humanitarian grounds?

RIVERS: No. And frankly, I mean, that seems laughable when looked at in relation to Hannibal Gadhafi, particularly. He has got a terrible reputation.

He has been arrested numerous times for violent brawls and arguments with other people, with his wife in Switzerland, in London and so on. We had the story of the nanny that worked for Hannibal Gadhafi, and she alleged that Hannibal's wife, Aline, poured boiling water over her. So that's the kind of people you are dealing with, when you talk about Hannibal Gadhafi anyway.

The daughter of Colonel Gadhafi, Aisha, has just given birth. I think it was today. So that may be an indication of the humanitarian grounds. Perhaps they felt that they had to let this very heavily pregnant woman across so that she could give birth.

But they haven't really explained why the others were allowed over, or haven't explained anything, really, other than they have crossed over. We don't even know where the crossing point was.

MALVEAUX: All right. Dan, a lot of questions still surrounding that. And, of course, the hunt for Moammar Gadhafi also continues.

Thank you, Dan.

Well, she watched Irene's floodwaters wash away her home. We're going to talk with her about the devastation in the town of Prattsville, New York, and how she and others are coping.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here is a rundown of some of the stories ahead up next.

A woman stranded by devastating flooding in Prattsville, she tell tells us about the situation unfolding there right now.

Then, the defense suffers a serious setback in the manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's doctor.

And, later, the baby joy that went crazy, crazy on Twitter -- how spreading news about Beyonce's baby bump became a social media record.

Want to take you to live pictures Middletown, Connecticut. We are looking at pictures from our affiliate WFSB, and there you actually see what appears to be a rather large restaurant that has been flooded. That is the Connecticut River that has overswollen its banks.

A lot of people really trying to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Irene. This is just one of many areas where there has been severe flooding and live pictures. As you can see, it is very likely that restaurant closed for business as many of the businesses in the area are, because of this water, this presence of water, and just the time, the sheer time that it will take for that water to go down and for people to reclaim their property and to get back to life as normal, but again, just another picture of the scene that Irene left in its wake.

Well, there are roads that are flooded. There are towns that are cut off. There are still people who are stranded, and this is all about the Northeast staggering from the blow that it took from Hurricane Irene. The town of Prattsville, New York, it was hit hard by the flooding. State police rescued 21 people who were stranded in a home, and dozens more have taken refuge at the Huntersfield Christian Training Center.

Now, that is where Diana Salter is. She joins us by phone.

And, Diana, we have been talking to you the last couple of days really trying to get a sense of how you are doing. What happened to your home? Are you able to get any information about your house?

DIANA SALTER, FLOOD VICTIM: It's -- well, it is gone.

I literally saw my home float by me.

MALVEAUX: Were you --

SALTER: We got out with about 10 minutes to spare.

MALVEAUX: That must have been unbelievable to watch and see that happen. How did you manage to get out so quickly? SALTER: Well, we live right across the street from the Schoharie Creek, which always is a bad situation, but never this fast and this powerful.

And what happened was, I just said to my husband, get the collars on the dogs. I grabbed medicine, and we got them in our vehicles, and literally within 10 to 15 minutes the water was up to my thighs. And we got out and got up to a little bit of a crest of a hill where we lived and we saw one home go and another home and trucks and cars floating by. And then there was a big, huge model home double-wide that just crashed into our house, and it is gone. It is devastating. It is frightening.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: I am so sorry. I know that must be very difficult. And I understand that there were even neighbors close by, elderly, who you were able to get to as you were fleeing your home; is that right?

SALTER: Yes, we got our neighbor out. His house went. He is 92 years old. He is here with us.

And we were actually bringing him into our home. We were going to stay, and we would have never made it if we stayed. But when I saw the water in the field behind us just swirling like a raging river, I said, we have to go. Our other neighbor, their house exploded. It is horrible.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Diana, we are so glad that you didn't stay, that you were able to escape.

Where are you now? Can you describe or explain the conditions of this shelter where you are now?

SALTER: OK. We are at the Huntersfield Christian Training Center, and these people are amazing. And if anybody can help, we need batteries and flashlights. That is all they are asking for.

And we are up in the Catskill Mountains. We are up very high. A lot of the roads are devastated. Small roads are washed out, so it is difficult to get around. You know, you can't go anywhere. The town of Prattsville itself, there is really nothing left. They do have fire down there and stuff, but -- firemen and I believe that National Guard is down there as well.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Diana, has anybody told you whether or not there's going to be a rescue party that is on its way, or are you guys basically stuck there for a while?

SALTER: We are safe. We will be able to get out. It may take a long time, because roads need to be repaired. But we are OK up here. MALVEAUX: All right. Diana, we know it is difficult conditions that you and your family are enduring, but we certainly want you to hang on. We wish the very best for you. We know it is just a matter of days that people are going to be able to communicate with each other.

I want to go to a live event that we are being told. This is Mitt Romney. He is speaking before the Veterans of Foreign Wars in San Antonio, Texas. Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- are called upon to defend liberty.

We rightly call our fathers and mothers the greatest generation, but every woman and every man who has or now defends American liberty from the beaches of Normandy to the valleys of the Hindu Kush to the Mekong Delta share in their heritage of greatness. Every veteran is the greatest of his generation.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: The quiet heroes who fought for our country come from the most diverse backgrounds, from farmers to subway riders, Ph.D.s to high school graduates and from every ethnic background of the American melting pot.

But they are united by far more than what divides them. They believe in America. I believe in America. We believe in freedom and opportunity. We believe in the inherent dignity of every human being. We have deep and abiding faith in the goodness and the greatness of America.

But today we are united not only by our faith in America, but also our concern for America; 25 million Americans are out of work or stopped looking for work or have part-time jobs and need full-time employ. Home values have dropped more now than they did during the Great Depression.

National debt is now almost as great as our total economy. And we owe a huge chunk of that to China. This can't possibly stand as the legacy we plan to give to the next generation. And the peril of the mismanagement may be even more imminent.

We stand near the threshold of profound economic misery. Four more years on the same political path could prove disastrous. Now, I'm a conservative businessman. I spent most of my life outside politics dealing with real problems in the real economy.

Career politicians got us into this mess, and they simply don't know how to get us out.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: To win this fight for America's future, we're going to have to rise above politics.

When members of SEAL Team Six boarded their helicopters, they did so not as Republicans and Democrats. And the final image that Osama bin Laden took with him straight to hell was not a party symbol, not a Republican elephant or a Democratic donkey, but an American flag on the shoulder of one straight-shooting U.S. Navy SEAL. That is the way it ought to be.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: I start with the fundamental conviction that America is the greatest nation in the history of the world and a force for good. And while we are not perfect, I will not apologize for America.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: Our president has taken a different approach.

Have we ever had a president who was so eager to address the world with an apology on his lips and doubt on his heart? He seems truly confused not only about America's past, but also about its future. So critical was President Obama of America before the United Nations that Fidel Castro complimented him for his courage and brave gesture.

And Venezuelan dictator and thug Hugo Chavez joined in on the praise. We can't lead the world by hoping that the enemies will hate us less. Ronald Reagan rallied America with peace through strength. American strength is the only guarantee of liberty. American strength turned the Cuban missiles around. American strength caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. American strength yanked Saddam Hussein out of his spider hole.

With freedom as the cause, strength is the only sure defense. Today, President Obama is on a different course. First, the White House has proposed cutting military spending by $400 billion over the next 12 years. Then the president agreed to a budget process that could entail cutting defense spending by $850 billion.

The incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called cuts of that magnitude very high-risk. Defense Secretary Panetta has warned that it could have devastating effects on our national defense. And that is coming from someone who works for the president.

This is the first time in my memory that massive defense cuts were proposed without any reference to the missions that would be foreclosed and to the risks to our men and women in uniform. Cuts of this magnitude can only be the product of one of two different beliefs.

On the one hand is the wishful thinking that the world is becoming a safer place. The opposite is true. Consider simply the jihadists, a turbulent Middle East, an unstable Pakistan, a delusional North Korea, an assertive Russia, and an emerging global power called China.

Now, the world is not becoming safer.

MALVEAUX: You have been listening to Republican candidate, presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

We expect the president to also be addressing veterans as well. That's 11:55 Eastern. President Obama is going to speak to veterans and their families at the American Legion's convention. That is in Minneapolis. And he is expected to talk about how veterans have been deeply impacted by the economy and unemployment, this economic situation. We will take that speech live. Again, that is 11:55 Eastern.

Well, a jury convicted Warren Jeffs of sexually assaulting young girls, that just this month. Well, now the polygamist cult leader is in a hospital in critical condition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, mention of Michael Jackson's trial for molestation, that cannot happen at the upcoming manslaughter trial of his doctor.

But I first want to take a look -- on our talk on law and order, we want to talk about the polygamist cult leader who was just sentenced to life for sexual assault. Well, he is now in critical condition in a Texas hospital. That is Warren Jeffs. He had not been eating or drinking enough and suffered from other health problems.

That was according to a prison spokesman. Jeffs was sentenced to life, plus 20 years, for violating his, what he called his spiritual wives, girls ages 12 and 15.

Joining me now is Jean Casarez, correspondent for "In Session" on our sister network truTV.

Good to see you, Jean.

So, let's talk about this case first with Jeffs. Has he done something like this before, this fasting?

JEAN CASAREZ, TRUTV CORRESPONDENT: You know, Suzanne, he has, because he has been behind bars since 2006. That is when he was arrested and charged in Utah, remember, for accomplice to rape.

And when he was awaiting that trial, he exhibited behavior of not eating, one could say fasting, had to be hospitalized. Also, after he was taken to Arizona in 2008 to face charges, there were similar medical issues, but once he was extradited to Texas, there really has not been a lot of health issues of him refusing to eat, until now at this point.

And, of course, he was convicted several weeks ago of sexually assaulting, aggravated sexual assault to one minor, facing as you said a life term, plus 20 years.

MALVEAUX: And, so, Jean, what is the medical state now? Do we know?

CASAREZ: Well, we are learning right now -- and this is from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. They are saying that he is not in a medically-induced coma, as was reported, that he is responsive. He is in critical, but stable condition.

And it was not that he was fasting. He was eating some foods and was eating some liquids, but it was not in the amounts it believed would sustain his health, so a determination was made to take him to the hospital. Apparently, Suzanne, there are also some additional medical ailments that will not be released at this point, but they believe a full recovery.

MALVEAUX: OK.

And, Jean, let's turn the corner here to the Jackson -- the Conrad Murray trial. How significant is it that Jackson's alleged drug use has been ruled out in this case, that -- does that help? Who does that help or hurt?

CASAREZ: It definitely hurts the defense. It helps the prosecution.

You see, the prosecution wants to really put a narrow focus no the trial of Conrad Murray into the death of Michael Jackson, the days and hours right before Michael Jackson died, to show that Conrad Murray exhibited criminal behavior and caused the death of Michael Jackson.

But the defense wants a very broad picture to show that Michael Jackson was responsible for his own death. Why? Because, number one, he was a drug addict, allegedly, they say, and number two, because he could not face a 50-day tour of his music that was about to begin in the months to come, and so they want to show that he is responsible for his own death. It has been hurt by the judge's ruling.

MALVEAUX: All right, Jean, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Well, people in areas hard-hit by Hurricane Irene, they are not complaining about the forecast now, but the storm was not as powerful as predicted. CNN's John Zarrella is going to explain why.

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MALVEAUX: You have been sounding off on our talk-back question.

Carol Costello, she is in New York with some of your responses.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are riled up. And I like that.

Today's question is -- is Rick Perry's intelligence -- or questioning his intelligence, going to help him or hurt him?

This from Forrest. "Once the debates start with him in them, his level of intelligence will come out for all to see."

This from Amy: "Politics have become so intensity polarized that each side looks for ways to goad the other, and using dumb as a fast way to do that."

This from Zvi. And I hope I pronounced that one right. "You could give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he's playing to the worst anti-intellectualism of his base. However, what is far more important is how he will govern. Will he govern based on his opinions or will he govern based on facts on the ground?"

This from Lori: "Rick Perry's record includes growing the government work force despite fierce anti-government rhetoric, importing low-paying jobs that offer no benefits, calling federal officials traitors for political gain, and threatening secession. His natural intelligence is the least of my concerns." 8 Please, keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. And I will be back with you in about 15 minutes.

MALVEAUX: All right. Well, we know that those who are weighing in, they are the smart folks out there. So we will see what they have to say.

Thanks, Carol.

We are watching as well an event that is coming up. President Obama, he is going to be speaking to veterans and their families. That is happening at the American Legion's convention in Minneapolis. As soon as he begins, we will bring that to you live after the break.

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MALVEAUX: President Obama just started speaking to veterans and their families at the American Legion's convention in Minneapolis.

Let's take a listen in.