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Another Attack at U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan; Interview With Long Distance Swimmer Diana Nyad; Conrad Murray Trial; Saudi Women Gain Right To Vote; Talk Back Question; Watchdog Group Targets Apple

Aired September 26, 2011 - 11:59   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEUAX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed.

Investigators are trying to pin down a motive after an Afghan employee opened fire inside the U.S. embassy complex in Kabul. The shooting left one American dead at the CIA office. Security officers shot and killed the suspect, and authorities don't know if this was a workplace shooting by an unhappy employee or perhaps the work of a Taliban insider. The Haqqani network which is affiliated with the Taliban attacked the U.S. Embassy compound just two weeks ago.

Well, in three hours, the Palestinians' historic bid for statehood goes to the United Nations Security Council. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formally presented that proposal on Friday, you may recall.

Well, a vote is not likely for weeks, perhaps even months. Even then, the U.S. has pledged to veto that measure. The Obama administration wants Palestinians to achieve statehood through peace talks with Israel.

President Obama is on a West Coast swing promoting his new jobs bill. He's going to hold an Internet town hall from Mountain View, California. That's happening in about two hours. It's going to be on the job networking site LinkedIn.

The president attends three fund-raisers. That's happening later today, two in Los Angeles, one in San Diego.

Well, three rising House Republicans are also in Silicon Valley today for a town hall on jobs. In fact, just six miles from President Obama's location. Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan -- they call themselves the "Young Guns" of the House -- will take questions from Facebook employees.

Opening statements are set for tomorrow in Dr. Conrad Murray's trial in Los Angeles. Now, he is charged in the death of Michael Jackson. Prosecutors contend that Murray gave Jackson an overdose of anesthesia. Experts say finding a jury to hear the case was complicated by what's come to be known as the "CSI" effect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DAVID HALL, ACTOR, "CSI": Our show has impacted the culture, I guess you'd say, to the point where people expect CSI-type of evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY HONG, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: It's really frustration because it's unrealistic. I think they do understand that we don't have fancy cars to go out on the crime scene, and that we can't solve a case within hours. But I think a lot of people feel that what they see on TV is realistic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: That's interesting. I'm going to ask legal contributor Sunny Hostin about the jurors and what we've learned from their questionnaires in just a couple of minutes. I'm going to tell you this now. Half say they're Michael Jackson fans.

Well, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize has lost her battle with cancer. Wangari Maathai was 71 years ode. She founded the Greenbelt Movement, a tree-planting campaign to reverse deforestation.

Maathai won 98 percent of the vote when she was elected to Kenya's parliament. That was back in 2002. She was also awarded the Nobel Prize in 2004.

Well, now that summer vacation driving season is over, gas prices are now taking a noticeable dip. The Lundberg Survey says it costs, on average, $3.54 a gallon to gas up your tank, 12 cents a gallon cheaper than it was just two weeks ago.

Now back to our top story.

An American citizen is dead after an attack by a lone gunman at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. That happened yesterday. The shooter was killed by security personnel who were on the scene, but there are some big questions that remain over what his motives were, who sent him. It is just the latest in a string of deadly attacks in Afghanistan.

Our Nick Paton Walsh reports on what that violence means for American security.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't know the exact motivation for this particular attack. It could have been a disgruntled employee, perhaps, or there may be some kind of insurgent involvement. But certainly anyone working in that highly-secure annex would have to have gone through vetting, background checks, and of course being searched on the way in.

While people still don't know what happened here, that psychological impact is already I think being felt by people in Kabul. In three weeks, there has been this series of attacks in the most secure areas of the city where the Americans are supposed to have complete control. That long attack against the U.S. Embassy and the NATO headquarters, a more recent assassination of a senior Afghan peace negotiator in his home by a suicide bomber hiding a device in his turban, and today's attack, we're not quite sure exactly why it happened. But people will still be asking themselves, how is it that U.S. forces are allowing these things to occur in parts of Kabul, Kabul, remember, being the city they're supposed to have completely under their control, surrounded by a ring of steel? Now looking more and more vulnerable -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

Well, people are calling them "The Sopranos" of Afghanistan, a crime network that is threatening NATO's progress in the war. Well, they haven't taken responsibility for this latest attack, but the Haqqani network say they're responsible for the earlier attack at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Want to bring in Fran Townsend, on the phone from New York with more on this. Fran is a national security contributor for CNN, a member of the CIA external advisory committee, as well.

Fran, first of all, I want to ask about this latest attack here, because I would imagine that it would be quite frightening to people at the U.S. Embassy if they suspected that the Afghan employees who work with them are people they cannot trust, because that is such an important bond, to have that community working together inside the embassy in Kabul.

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely, Suzanne. The U.S. government relies on what we call foreign service nationals. That is, Afghan -- in this case Afghan nationals who work with Americans inside the embassy to do all sorts of things.

The thing that is inexplicable yet, anyway, is the fact that this individual was armed. The only sort of armed Afghans are the national police, the army. They have the outside perimeter. You go through that.

I've been to this embassy many times. You go through the Afghan checkpoint. You then get to the United States Marines, who are responsible for embassy security.

I don't recall any armed Afghans inside the wire, if you will, inside the embassy compound. And so it's very unusual.

No doubt, we understand from American authorities they're now investigating how it is possible that this individual got inside the wire. But let's remember, we've had incidents with American personnel shooting others on a military base overseas or inside the wire where American personnel are. And so sometimes it's one disgruntled individual. I think we don't know yet what the motivation is.

MALVEAUX: Right. Well, Fran, let's talk a little bit about some of the things that we've seen in just recently, in the last couple of weeks. I was there for the attack when the Taliban -- the Haqqani network hit the U.S. Embassy. Tell us a little bit about who this organization is, who this group is, how threatening they are to our security.

TOWNSEND: The Haqqani network has long been a frustration for American intelligence and military officials. They take refuge in the federally administered tribal area in Pakistan, and for all the sort of laudable activity that we've gotten the Pakistani intelligence and military to take in the tribal areas, the one place they wouldn't go ever was into north Waziristan, where the Haqqani network has its safe haven. And as we saw from Admiral Mullen's testimony last week, this is a source of increasing friction.

I had an individual -- a Pakistani individual -- say that relations have never been at a lower point. It starts with the Roy Davis case. That was the American contractor who shot and killed some Pakistanis. And they say it's just never improved, especially in the wake of the Bin Laden raid.

MALVEAUX: All right. Fran Townsend, thank you so much. I know there is a lot of work that needs to be done there in Afghanistan. Thank you very much.

Well, here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead.

First, women in Saudi Arabia win the right to vote. Sort of. Why some activists say we need to read between the lines.

Then, tax refunds. Part of Medicare, national parks now in jeopardy. We could be looking at another potential government shutdown.

Plus, look out for the pizza man? Well, Herman Cain, he pulled off a stunning upset in Florida. But, was it a flash in the pan? We've got some new numbers from our CNN presidential horse race poll.

And also, judging Conrad Murray. We're going to meet the 12 people selected to decide the fate of Michael Jackson's personal physician.

And, unfortunately, the third time wasn't the charm for a 62- year-old woman trying to swim from Cuba to Florida. Diana Nyad, she joins us to tell us what forced her out of the water.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: President Obama is on the West Coast today, raising money, promoting his jobs plan. The trip comes after a fiery speech at the Congressional Black Caucus this weekend, a side of the president that many have not seen.

It brings us to today's "Talk Back" question, and Carol Costello with our question.

Carol, I was that event, and this is not something -- it is not a side that President Obama allows folks to see, generally speaking, and that is a sense of frustration, a sense of anger. It is mixed, whether or not some of the CBC see that as directed at them, or maybe just meant to fire up and get some attention here. But clearly, it is getting a lot of attention.

COSTELLO: It absolutely is, Suzanne.

President Obama is kicking it up a notch these days. Hit with polls showing low approval ratings and loss of confidence in his economic plan, the president seems -- well, he seems fired up. As Politico's Roger Simon says, we're seeing a rock 'em sock 'em Obama.

Witness his passionate speech before the Congressional Black Caucus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to press on for jobs. I'm going to press on for equality. I'm going to press on for the sake of our children. I'm going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now.

I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In case you hadn't noticed, the new alpha Obama first appeared in that jobs speech before Congress, and then, when he blasted the rich for not paying their fair share of taxes. The president even acknowledged Sarah Palin's criticism of this "hopey changey" thing, sarcastically saying, "The hopey changey thing, it's still there."

In a private Democratic fund-raiser, President Obama was downright feisty, saying about Rick Perry, "You've got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change." And Mr. Obama said this about the Republican debate audiences. He said, "Cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay, come on."

No question about it, President Obama is throwing some red meat to a liberal base upset that he seems weak in the face of Republican attacks. Oh, but the big question this morning is -- and this is our "Talk Back" -- Is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Reverend Jesse Jackson, this last hour, he said he welcomed this new fiery Obama. He said he thought it was encouraging to see a little fire in the belly there.

COSTELLO: I think that the thing that really will work, though, is that people actually get back to work. But we'll see. MALVEAUX: Absolutely. All right, Carol. Thanks. Looking forward to the responses.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Here's your chance to "Choose the News." Text "22360" for the story you would like to see.

Text "1" for "Apple's Toxic Gases?" Apple makes iPads, iPhones, but is the company also making people sick? A Chinese watchdog group says an Apple plant is letting off toxic gases.

Text "2" for "Flying Ambulances." You won't need a siren for this ride to the hospital. A look at some adventures doctors who use special planes to treat patients trapped in isolated parts of Africa.

And text "3" for "Importing Style." One of Cuba's best known designers is reinventing the island's classic style, and celebrities like Sting, Danny Glover, jumping on board, riding the new look.

So, you can vote by texting "22360." Text "1" for "Apple's Toxic Gases?"; "2" for "Flying Ambulances"; or "3" for "Importing Cuba's Style."

The winning story is going to air later this hour.

All right. We're all bummed about this. We're all bummed. The third time was not the charge for long distance swimmer Diana Nyad. She may have not completed her Cuba-to-Florida swim, but she has proven time and time again that she is a fighter.

Nyad is joining us right now from Key West.

Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to talk to you last go-around.

You were so determined. You were exhausted. You tried a third time.

Diana, tell us what happened.

DIANA NYAD, LONG DISTANCE SWIMMER: Yes, Suzanne, how naive of me to put together a huge expedition like this. In the end, we had 50 people, highly intelligent people from all walks of life and navigation, shark experts, et cetera. I myself know what I'm doing in the ocean. I prepared for it. I prepared this body to make that voyage.

How naive of me not to think that the animals -- we were worried about the sharks, and we had a wonderful team of highly expert shark experts ready, never to do anything lethal, because that's their territory, we respect the sharks, but to keep me safe from them. How naive of us not to think that the jellyfish -- and I want to show you now -- I was stung all over the body.

I don't know if you can see this rip right here down the forearm and all the way across? Can you see that on camera?

MALVEAUX: Wow. Yes. Actually, I can see it, yes. That's amazing.

NYAD: I got those rips? Can you see it?

MALVEAUX: Yes.

NYAD: I have these rips all over the body. It's called a box jellyfish. And if you look it up on the Internet, it can kill you with cardiac and respiratory distress in two to three minutes. You're lucky to survive it.

So how naive of me to stand on the shore, Suzanne, and look across and say, is my body, is my mind strong enough to make it across these hundred miles? And the answer was yes.

And I can say to you today that I'm absolutely confident, brave, convinced that it's not the distance. I absolutely can swim across that body of water, but those jellyfish are deadly and they're too big for me. And that is the only thing that kept us from making our way to the Florida shore.

And you know what? It feels tragic in some ways. As you said, I thought third time's a charm, but when you're in against something -- Mother Nature, that's bigger than you -- there is nothing you can do about it.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And Diana, you said you could swim those 100 miles. You believe you can do that.

Is there an opportunity? Are you going to try again for that distance, perhaps not in those waters, but in another way? Or is that something that you feel that you need to try again?

NYAD: You know, the problem is that it's in my heart. It's very, very difficult to let go of. Need I say that I'm a person who doesn't let go of dreams very easily?

But these jellyfish are proliferating around the oceans of the world because of global warming. And we've had experts here give us lectures about it now just since this happened the last couple of days, that ocean swimmers are being stung everywhere. And you know what? They don't go on.

Once you're stung like this you're out. Over. There isn't a possibility. Your lungs are shut down.

One of the young men helping me on the swim came in the water, and he tried to help me. And just by touching me, on these stings, he went into a deep respiratory distress and paralyzation (ph) of the entire lung system.

MALVEAUX: Wow.

NYAD: This is very serious stuff. That's not the sport I want to be in.

I want to be in the mind game. I want to be in the game of strong shoulders and wonderful will. I don't want to encounter deadly jellyfish.

So you asked me, would I do it again? Not with the jellyfish in the water.

And I want to live big. I want to dream big. And I will continue to do that my whole life. But I can't -- I can't beat these guys. They're too much for me.

MALVEAUX: Well, Diana, the last time we spoke you sent a message to our viewers. You said be your best self -- your best self. And it sounds to me like you're saying dream big, live big, still pursue your dreams.

NYAD: There you go. I mean, you know, do I regret one minute of these last two years? I was living life large.

I had to be so intense focused on this dream. I had to surround myself with the most magnanimous and thoughtful people, and it was all worthwhile. Every minute of it was worthwhile.

MALVEAUX: All right. Diana, it's so nice to talk to you and see you again. As always, we wish you the very best. We look forward to see what your next adventure is going to be.

Thank you.

Twelve jurors, five alternates. You're going to hear the case against Michael Jackson's personal doctor. We're taking a closer look at the men and women on that jury. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So, Los Angeles gearing up for yet another very public trial. This one involves Dr. Conrad Murray. He is Michael Jackson's personal physician. Opening statements, they are set for tomorrow.

What do we know about this jury? Well, seven of the jurors are men, five are women. There are five Hispanics, six whites, one African-American.

Legal contributor Sunny Hostin from "In Session" on our sister network, truTV, joins me from New York.

Sunny, great to see you.

This is going to be a very interesting case, as we know, and an interesting jury. When you take a look at the racial component here, and you see five Hispanics, one African-American, do we think that race will matter in this particular case?

SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION," TRUTV: You know, I think that's the magic question, because we have an African-American defendant, and Michael Jackson was also African-American. So I think a lot of people, Suzanne, were very concerned when they saw the racial dynamic on this jury, because you are talking about only one African- American juror.

But I watched closely, as you know, the jury selection here, and I've read the jury questionnaire. And it appears to me that they used their strikes appropriately. It appears to me that they weren't -- either side wasn't trying to get rid of African-American jurors. And so, all in all, I think the process worked, and that's what's so important.

Whether or not that will -- the race dynamic will play a role in jury deliberations, I think is something that happens sometimes, happens more often than not in many cases, people say. But I don't think that we can guess that because of the -- just sort of the racial dynamic on this jury.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And I found this interesting. This is a jury that skews older. You're talking about most people in their late 50s, late 40s. These are folk who grew up with Michael Jackson, they remember him when he was part of the Jackson 5.

Does that work for or against the doctor in this case?

HOSTIN: You know, think it could work against the doctor, because people remember little Michael Jackson, and they grew up with him and they loved him so much. I mean, this is the king of pop, one of the greatest entertainers of our time. And so I think that could work against this defendant, especially, as we're showing here, six of them admitted to being Michael Jackson fans.

MALVEAUX: Yes.

HOSTIN: But let's face it, we are talking about Michael Jackson, just so beloved. And I think you'd have to live under a rock and be trying this case on Mars to pick a jury of people that didn't like Michael Jackson or hadn't listened to his music.

So I think what they tried to do, Suzanne, in picking this jury was to make sure that they got a jury that didn't necessarily not know anything about Michael Jackson, but that could render a fair decision. And in looking at the jury selection, I think that's what happened here.

MALVEAUX: OK. And what about the jurors who are big fans of shows like "CSI"? I mean, those jurors, generally, do they have higher expectations about how easily it is to -- that a crime can be solved? Does that help or hurt the doctor in this trial?

HOSTIN: They do. This "CSI" effect is very difficult.

You know I'm a former prosecutor, and I saw that when I was prosecuting cases. If you didn't have DNA, or if you didn't have these fancy forensic files during your case in chief, jurors were very skeptical. And I think though in this case, that is going to help, if they have those CSI people, because there is going to be a lot of medical testimony here. We're talking about Propofol, we're talking about self-injection, the possibility of that.

So you need people that like forensic files. You need people that love "CSI," because they've got to pick through this thing. So I actually think that type of juror is going to be helpful to both sides.

MALVEAUX: All right. This is going to be a fascinating case to watch.

HOSTIN: Oh, it is.

MALVEAUX: And Sunny, looking forward to seeing you cover all of that, analyze all of that.

We're going to be watching these opening statements tomorrow. They're expected to begin during our newscast, so keep your eyes open for that.

(NEWSBREAK)

MALVEAUX: And we are hearing now again those three words: possible government shutdown. If Congress doesn't act, who could be affected? Carl Azuz, he's going to be along in a minute to answer that question.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.

Up next, we're going to take a look at what is affected and what is not in the event of a government shutdown.

Then, the question, can Herman Cain pull off another upset. We've got some numbers from a brand new poll to show you. And later, Saudi women given the right to vote. But are they celebrating too early? Why some activists are saying they need to read the fine print.

So I bet you've heard this one before. Lawmakers in Washington can't seem to agree on how to keep the government running. They have until Friday, midnight to basically sum up some kind of spending deal. Otherwise, some federal agencies might have to shut down. So we're going in-depth now with CNN's Carl Azuz to tell us exactly what this means, and how people could be affected by this. Carl, we've been here, we've been down this road before. What are we talking about this Time?

CARL AZUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Could be talking about as many as 800,000 federal workers who might be sent home Suzanne. And that number comes from what happened when the government shut down back in 1995 to 1996. There were actually a pair of shutdowns in that winter. And roughly 800,000 employees were sent home. A lot of people agree, be around that same number today, and whether or not they get back pay, they'd be furloughed so they'd go home and not get anything at all, whether or not they get back pay would be up to Congress and that's not a done deal.

So as far as those who could be Directly affected, we're looking at around 800,000.

MALVEAUX: I remember the government shutdown, President Clinton's term. What will see the changes day to day, in terms of the workings of the government if it is shut down?

AZUZ: Well the impact on you and me and a lot of Americans would really affect most those who are waiting on the government to process something. So when you look in terms of IRS returns and refunds, any of those that are still outstanding could be delayed because the people who process those applications would be home. Same for passport, visa applications, Medicare applications, even small business loans. It is not that people won't get them. It's that they would be delayed. And then as far as national parks go, those could be shut down.

But "The New York Times" had an interesting way of putting this. They said in a government shutdown, the national zoo closes but the lions and tigers still get fed. And if you look at the list of things that might not be impacted by a government shutdown, it is a longer list. This is part of it. We're still going to get our mail. National defense still going to be taken care of, though some paychecks might be delayed. Social Security, people who are already on it, not applying for Social Security but who are already getting those checks, they still get them. Criminals would be continued to be prosecuted and pursued. Food inspection is considered essential for public safety so that would continue. And of course, air traffic control.

So the government's not going to allow a situation where you have a shutdown and the public safety is threatened. Those who are considered essential government employees would stay put.

MALVEAUX: And there's always that question about who is essential and who's not essential. It is a very sensitive subject. Have we ever seen this before where you've got a potential government shutdown three times in a year?

AZUZ: It is unusual that there's been that potential three times in a year. You go back to '95-'96 and you had a situation where you had two actual government shutdowns impacting a lot of people. But when you think about it, it kind of makes sense, that we're seeing the threat of a few government shutdowns this year because the previous one in April, the debt ceiling debate in the summer, and this one now, it is all about money and you never fight more about money than when you don't have it.

MALVEAUX: Makes a lot of sense. All right, Carl. Well let's hope it doesn't get to that point. We'll wait until Friday to see whether it gets to that point. All right thanks Carl. Reminder, vote for today's "Choose the News" winner. Text 22360 for the story you'd like to see, text 1 for, Apple's toxic gases. There's a Chinese watchdog group that says that an Apple plant is letting of fumes that are making folks sick. Text 2 for flying ambulances. This is a pretty cool story. Ride along with doctors who use special planes to rescue patients in Africa. Text 3 for importing style. One of Cuba's best known designers is re-inventing the island's classic style. Some big-name celebrities are wearing that new look. The winning story is going to air later this hour.

And Rick Perry having a bad week. His competitors are just itching to take advantage of all this. We're going to have the latest from the Republican horse race.

This is an interesting story. Dating during tough economic times. So, they say that's a challenge but they say especially if you are looking to marry a millionaire. In our "Smart is the new rich" report, Chief Business correspondent, Ali Velshi and Christine Romans, our Money Team, they sit down with TV's millionaire matchmaker. Here's part of the conversation on dating, and finances.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you're out there in the world, you got millions unemployed, struggling to pay down debt. If you're out of a job, do you let your date know that? Do you let them know, that you've got $35,000 -- >>

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I figure they're going to find out at some point.

ROMANS: Do they need to know the 580 Credit score?

PATTI STANGER, MILLOINARE MATCHMAKER: OK well the problem is going to be, that the women, if you're downtrodden, a man wants to rescue you. So that is attractive sometimes to the millionaire man. He likes the woman that doesn't challenge his opinions, doesn't have a better job than him.

ROMANS: How boring.

STANGER: I know, but that is biology. Now if you were a man, if you said that, to a women, what would we do? We'd run. We'd run, for the nearest exit.

VELSHI: Has that changed in this economy? With more people unemployed, with more people with debt. How do you discuss that?

I mean we talk about it all the time.

STANGER: You shouldn't be dating anyway, because if you can't take a girl out for dinner or cocktails or even Olive Garden, you shouldn't be dating.

VELSHI: Now here's--to what degree are you honest? (CROSSTALK)

How much do you talk to somebody about your financial situation and your debt? I mean starting from date one, when you don't want to overshoot, because you may not be able to do date two that way

STANGER: Have you ever dated when you were dating successful guys, they'd whine and complain they had no money. And you would hear it all the time. And they'd look at the bill at the end. Never, ever do that. You want to be able to be generous, you want to able to like, you know say, oh, I'm into this hobby, maybe it is wine, maybe it's, I don't know becoming a helicopter pilot. Which is saying I spend a lot of money but not leading with your money. When you lead with your money you attract a gold digger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So Mitt Romney got a big lift from Michigan. That happened this weekend. He rocketed ahead of national front-runner Rick Perry by more than 30 points in the state's Republican conference straw poll vote. It was also a very good weekend for presidential candidate Herman Cain. The former Godfather's Pizza CEO, got a surprise boost in the Florida straw poll. He beat both Perry and Romney in with 37% of the vote in that all important state. Today on CNN's "American Morning" Cain outlined his plan to rescue the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I have given a specific plan, "999" which is different from any of my other competitors. Because they are tying their plans for a boost in the economy to existing tax code. My plan is bold because it throws out the tax code and imposes a business flat tax of 9 percent, a personal flat tax of 9 percent, and a national sales tax of 9 percent. It replaces all of these taxes that people are now having to grapple with, and it provides certainty to the business community which is what they're looking for in order to grow this economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Easy to remember."999". But remember also that straw polls are rarely enough to change a race. A lot of people think though Rick Perry's lead could be in jeopardy though right now.

Jim Acosta, part of the best political team on television, is live from Washington. So Jim, tell us about this week for Perry. It does not look like it's been a very good one for him. Are we really seeing a shift in the Republican horse race?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLTICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Suzanne, you remember those headlines that came out after the Thursday debate, "Texas Toast". There were the straw polls you just mentioned over the weekend, Rick Perry didn't do so well in those straw polls. There was even a not so-flattering skit on "Saturday Night Live" that showed Governor Perry falling asleep at a podium on "SNL" Saturday night. Well you would think all of things would combine and add up to a new national poll that shows Rick Perry falling out of his front runner status. Well, you would be wrong. Let's take a look at the latest CNN/ORC poll, Rick Perry still comfortably in the lead right now, if you take Sarah Palin out of the race, where she is basically at this moment, Rick Perry at 30 percent, Mitt Romney 22 percent. Newt Gingrich 11 percent. Herman Cain, 9 percent, Ron Paul, 7 percent.

So this is interesting in that the conventional wisdom after Thursday night's debate was that Rick Perry might have done himself some mortal harm but if you look at this new CNN/ORC poll he is still very much the front runner in this race and will remain so unless something major happens in the near future. He is still looking pretty good at this point Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, how do the other candidates stack up against President Obama now?

ACOSTA: Well, that's the interesting -- that is an interesting thing to take a look at here. Because the Romney people have been saying that they've been beating that drum over the last several weeks. They've been saying, look, Mitt Romney is the more electable candidate if you take a look at what Rick Perry has said on Social Security, he is not a good viable general election candidate. So we asked how do the candidates stack up at this point against President Obama?

And it is interesting, if you look at Rick Perry, he doesn't do as well. 51 percent for President Obama, 46 percent for Rick Perry. So a five point lead for the President. You throw Romney into the mix against President Obama and numbers are different. President Obama just has a slim lead over Mitt Romney at this point, 49 percent to 48 percent.

But no doubt about it, this has been a good week for Mitt Romney. Perhaps a not so good week for Rick Perry. Perhaps that is not being reflected in these polls at this point. Maybe it might take another poll Suzanne, to get a fresh look at this. We did ask this question just in the day or two after that debate on Thursday night. So we'll have to wait and see whether or not Rick Perry maintains this front- runner status. But for the moment, after all that talk of "Texas Toast, there's still one lone star at the head of the GOP field at This point.

MALVEAUX: All right, we like that talk of Texas Toast. All right, he's still in the race. Still in the front.

ACOSTA: Maybe a little crispy around the edges but not quite toast.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks, Jim.

And the man all these candidates have their eyes on, President Obama, he's giving a speech at a town hall in California, that's today to continue to push his jobs plan. That's going to be at 2:00 p.m. eastern time. We're going to bring that to you live here in the "CNN Newsroom." Saudi women now have the right to vote. But what good is it if they're not allowed to drive themselves to the polls?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A reminder to vote for today's "Choose The News" winner. Text 22360 for the story you'd like to see. Text 1 for Apple's toxic gases. A Chinese watchdog group says an Apple plant is letting off fumes that are making folks sick. Text 2 for flying ambulances. Ride along doctors who use special planes to rescue patients in Africa. Text 3 for importing style. One of Cuba's best known designers is re-inventing the island's classic style and some big-name celebrities, they're wearing the new look. So, winning story is going to air later this hour.

Next story. They still are not allowed to drive, even open a bank account, but women in Saudi Arabia now have the right to vote and to run for office in local elections. But change may not happen right away. We're going to go now to Mohammed Jamjoom in Abu Dhabi for the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: By Saudi standards the announcement was historic. On Sunday, Saudi Arabian King Abdullah making a major announcement that in the next round of elections that women in Saudi Arabia would be able to participate more in the political arena. That they would be able to nominate themselves as candidates and that they would be able to nominate other candidates.

Now, while that's being interpreted in Saudi Arabia and outside of Saudi Arabia as the king saying that women will be granted the right to vote, now in Saudi Arabia some women activists who yesterday were elated at the news that they would be able to have a greater participation in the political process, are starting to wonder what exactly this statement means. And some disappointment is starting to set in.

I've spoken to some women's rights activists today and they've said that while it's great that the king is now suggesting that they will have the right to vote, this next round of municipal elections won't happen for at least another four years. That's 2015.

The king also said that women would be appointed as full-time members of the consultative council, the Shoura (ph) council, but that's not going to happen for at least another year and a half to two years. Women's activists saying they wished that the king had said that this could happen now and they're wondering why that didn't happen. They're saying that a lot can happen in the next year-and-a- half, two years to four years before the next round of elections happen. A lot can happen in that time. The more conservative aspects of the government there could try to reverse this decision. It could try to take the right for women to vote out of their hand before they actually officially get it. And that's where the disappointment lies today. Some are saying this is a real reality check and that the king should actually come out and re-assure them that this will happen and will happen as soon as possible.

Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: We're getting a lot of responses to today's "Talk Back" question. We asked, is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating? Well, Chris Yount says, "well, since he has made little attempt to work with Republicans, I think he's starting to unravel." Carol Costello's back with more of your responses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello joins us from New York with some of your responses.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of feedback to this question, Suzanne. The "Talk Back" question today, is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating?

This from Sandy. "He seems like an actor to me reading a new script. Seems fake after his caving in to Republicans over and over."

This from Joshua. "Thank you to President Obama for finally telling off Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, pointing out the absurdity of Perry, calling out the ridiculousness of Palin and holding his own cabinet accountable for their mistakes. If this is hope and change, I like it."

This from Ann. "Yes, Obama is getting me fired up. As an independent voter who has been longing for him to get tough."

This from Rosa. "I like my new fiery Obama, but I don't trust him yet. I'd like to see him pay more golf with Bill Clinton than John Boehner. It's a wait-and-see. Of course I'll probably vote for him, but it's not going to be easy for me."

This from Jason. "I'll take off my bedroom slippers if the president puts on his backbone."

Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

MALVEAUX: Carol, this is something you don't want to miss here.

GOP presidential candidates, they got kind of an "SNL" style introduction on the show. The season opener this weekend. I want you to watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Tonight's debate is between former Governor Mitt Romney, and Governor Rick Perry. There are also six other people who will never be president but showed up anyway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, Herman Cain, right? So he won the straw polls this weekend. He watched the show. He loved it so much that he actually says he's going to use some of those lines for the next debate. So here's what he liked.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": When you ask for it, pizza will be there in 10 minutes. If you order it, pizza will come. Pizza will come. Oh, pizza will most definitely come. And if you vote for me, America, I promise you that I will deliver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, I don't know what the real Herman Cain thinks about all this, but the pizza will come. You think that's what people are looking for, Carol? Something. Some promises that can just --

COSTELLO: Why not?

MALVEAUX: Some promise they can deliver on, right?

COSTELLO: Exactly. Exactly. At least we'll get our pizza maybe. Herman Cain seems to have done well in that area. He's been a great CEO for the pizza place. So, sure, why not.

MALVEAUX: I guess we've lowered our expectations a little, I think, from Washington.

Thank you, Carol.

You told us what you wanted to see. Your "Choose The News" story, that's just minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You voted. We listened. Here's your "Choose The News" winner. A Chinese watchdog group is targeting Apple. They say one of its factories is letting off toxic gases that are making people sick. CNN's Eunice Yoon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sunrise in Suzhou (ph), an industrial town in China dotted with factories churning out electronics for the world, benefiting residents like Miller Xu. The 33-year-old engineer moved for a job but now has second thoughts about living here. His biggest concern -- fumes from an alleged supplier to U.S. tech giant Apple right next to his apartment. "It makes you feel sick," he says.

YOON (on camera): This is one of the factories that environmentalists say makes products for Apple. The residents in the area have been complaining of the hazardous gas and you could really smell a strong odor.

YOON (voice-over): With the help of concerned citizens like Xu, veteran green activist Ma Jun tracked suspected polluters, like the one in Suzhou, in a seven month investigation targeting Apple in a 46- page report.

MA JUN, ENVIRONMENTALIST: They commit to insure highest social responsibility standards. If they cannot manage their supply chain, it's just empty talk.

YOON: In this town not far from Suzhou, residents complain suspected suppliers emit noxious gases right next to their local kindergarten. In the village next door, locals say they live daily with polluted water and air. Many attribute the high cancer rate here to the ever-worsening environment. Young villagers have moved away and the elderly who remain say they feel powerless in convincing the government to enforce its own laws.

"Our words are totally worthless to the authorities," 75-year-old Lu Baoyun says. "There's nothing we can do."

Activists Ma says public scrutiny is key. His group compiled a database of tens of thousands of local violators and regularly names and shams big brands.

JUN: Major companies like Apple, you know, come into China. They only care about the price.

YOON: In a statement, Apple said, "the companies we do business with must use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes." Since the findings, the company has discussed the report with Ma, who told CNN the two sides have now agreed to work together.

Officials in Suzhou say the factories we saw are regularly checked and meet China's code. As the factor next to Xu's home expands, he hopes to keep the company in like for himself and his family.

"Health cannot be the price of wealth, right?", he says. A philosophy shared by many in China's grassroots environmental movement.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Suzhou.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: If you choice didn't win or you just want to check out the runners up, I'll have links to them on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne. Thank you very much.