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Interview With Reverend Jesse Jackson; The Case Against Conrad Murray; Distance Swimmer Diana Nyad Holds Press Conference; President Obama Gives Fiery Speech to Black Caucus; Nyad's Swimming Setback
Aired September 26, 2011 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed for Monday, September 26th.
Now, we've seen this play out twice before this year. Now, for the third time, Washington is days away from a partial government shutdown. That is right. That is because Republicans and Democrats can't agree on how to pay for an emergency cash infusion for FEMA, as you know, the disaster relief agency.
The FEMA money is part of a spending bill to keep the government running through mid November.
Well, an Afghan working for the U.S. government opened fire at the CIA office inside the American embassy compound in Kabul. That happened today. The shooter killed one American before security officers took him out. Investigators aren't yet sure whether the man was a taliban plant.
The Haqqani network, a group aligned with the Taliban, attacked the American embassy complex just two weeks ago.
Protests and labor strikes rocked Athens today. Greeks are furious over government belt-tightening measures, particularly, a new tax on electricity. Now, the government is working to meet fiscal targets set by lenders in order to get the next installment of bailout money. Without that loan money, Greece could default in a couple of weeks.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal woke up on American soil for the first time in more than two years. That happened today. They say they spent more than 780 days in an Iranian prison. Iran sentenced them to eight years in prison for spying, but freed them on a million dollars bail last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH FATTAL, FREED AMERICAN: We had to go on a hunger strike repeatedly just to receive letters from our loved ones. Many times, too many times, we heard the screams of other prisoners being beaten, and there was nothing we could do to help them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Bauer and Fattal say they accidentally strayed into Iran while hiking.
Well, Texas Governor Rick Perry failed to live up to his front- runner's status this weekend. Mitt Romney won Michigan's straw poll by a 3-1 margin over Perry. Now, Romney's father served as Michigan governor in the '60s, making the son something of a home state favorite.
But in Florida, Herman Cain took top billing in the Republican straw poll. He drew twice as many votes as Perry, with Romney in third place.
Cain says he won because voters are beginning to notice his 999 tax plan. Here's how he explains it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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 the 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: Governor Perry jumped into the race for the GOP nomination. That was just six weeks ago. Instantly topped the polls, but critics say that Perry's debate performances have been kind of shaky, leaning to some doubts.
Well, in three-and-a-half hours we're going to get new details on the Washington Monument and perhaps when it's going to reopen to tourists. You know it's been closed since the earthquake ripped four cracks in that marble structure. That happened last month. And then Hurricane Irene left pools of standing water actually inside of the monument. Despite all that, engineers say that the monument is structurally sound.
We love this story. Diana Nyad she's now nursing some pretty serious welts, some bitter disappointment today. This was her second attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Well, that is now over. Repeated jellyfish stings forced her to call off the swim after -- that's right -- 42 hours and 67 miles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA NYAD, SWIMMER: Oh, my God. The first night, I felt my back was paralyzed. And I thought, wait a second, it's the Portuguese man-of-war sting. Oh, my God, I was in pain.
It swept across the lips, but it also swept across the front of the eyes and the nose. Just the entire face. Never ever in my life have I known pain like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: We're rooting for her. Nyad, who is 62 now, hints that she's not going to try again as severe asthma attack forced her to end her attempt at the Cuba to Florida record back in August.
Well, President Obama, he's on the West Coast today raising money, promoting his jobs plan. The trip comes really after a fiery speech at the Congressional Black Caucus. That happened this weekend, a side of the president that many people have not seen.
I was there. And it was something else.
I want to bring in to today's "Talk Back" question and Carol Costello with your question.
And Carol, I mean, really, it was a lot of emotion, it was a lot of passion, and it looked like frustration and anger coming from the president on stage. I had not seen that before.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he usually seems so robotic, but he did show emotion this time. And that's the subject of our "Talk Back" this afternoon.
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 fundraiser, 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: I'm so curious about this, Carol, because I talked to a lot of the CBC members, and they were really frustrated with him because they felt like, what, you're blaming us, you're putting this on us, you're telling us that we're being whiny here? We love the fire, but direct it at the right place.
Very curious to see how other folks read that who were outside of that room.
COSTELLO: I know. He asked them to take off their bedroom slippers and put on their marching shoes and march behind him, when, you know, the unemployment rate among African-Americans is, what, more than 16 percent?
MALVEAUX: Right. And there are some members of Congress who are saying, look, you know, you're a little late to the party here. Some are saying we were the ones who put forward these jobs plans, we were the ones who are holding these jobs fairs. Where were you when there was a jobs plan?
The president came back and said get on board. I've got this jobs plan, get on board. So I am very curious to see how people are going to read this one.
COSTELLO: Well, especially voters, because that's what it al boils down to. If the voters accept this new fiery rhetoric as a sign that he's actually fighting and has a plan that he wants to institute, and that resonates with them, but we'll see what our Facebook friends say about that.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead.
First, Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She is joining me to see if the president's fiery speech, as we have discussed, helped or her hurt him with the Congressional Black Caucus.
And then, pushing a war on poverty. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, he joins us with his focus on the nation's poor as the problem moves beyond inner cities and goes into the suburbs.
Plus, the manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's personal physician, that officially begins. We examine how both sides are preparing their case.
The days of free checking accounts, they're numbered. We're going to be live at the New York Stock Exchange with what this means for you and your money.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We've been talking a lot about the changing face of poverty in America. The numbers telling the story, really.
A whopping 46.2 million Americans are now living in poverty. That is more than 15 percent of the population.
And you might be surprised to know that most are in the suburbs. More than 15 million people in suburban America live below the poverty line. Now, the number of people receiving food stamps hit a record in January. That is $44.2 million. And with the unemployment rate stuck above 9 percent, almost 8.5 million people are receiving state or federal jobless benefits.
Reverend Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he's is in Athens, Ohio, today focusing on poverty in the United States. He joins us live.
Reverend, thank you so much for being with us. It is a pleasure to see you.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: Good morning.
MALVEAUX: Can you explain to us, first of all, why is it that poverty is now disproportionately impacting those who live in the suburbs?
JACKSON: Well, because those jobs have left, as well. But in many ways, poverty has been shown to be intractable in the Appalachian region, where these hardworking coal miners, steelworkers, chemical workers live.
It's why Lyndon Baines Johnson opened up the wall on poverty here at Ohio University in Athens to put the focus on the faceless poor. Most poor people are white, female and young. And you do not see that face. It will have -- if they come alive and begin to vote, they will have a tremendous impact upon the national dialogue.
MALVEAUX: And Reverend, what do you think needs to happen to create more jobs for that group specifically, and then also for the African-American community, which is now at about 17 percent unemployed?
JACKSON: Well, the jobs must be targeted zones of need. And that was the kind of genius of LBJ, is that wherever the pain is, is where the anesthesia must be.
I mean, the poorest district in congressional (ph) America is Harold Rogers' district in eastern Kentucky. So whether it is eastern Kentucky or whether it is here in this part of Appalachia, or L.A., or New York, there must be targeted jobs (INAUDIBLE).
People on welfare, for example, can't own a car. If they don't have public transportation to where the jobs are, then they're re- segregated and locked into poverty. And so public transportation is a piece of this.
Some direct jobs, not just indirect jobs, I think, are from tax cuts. And so our policy is intended to favor those from the deck of the ship, but not those from the hull of the ship, where the waters come in, (INAUDIBLE). Many people lost their will to work, their will to vote, they've beaten down by poverty.
And poverty is expensive because it contributes to surrender. Poverty is bad for your health. It affects infant mortality and life expectancy.
It's bad for education. People, let's say, without (ph) an education, let's say if they go to school, poverty is a crippling factor that we can address. Poverty is a crippling factor that we can address.
Why can't we right now commit (INAUDIBLE) malnutrition. We have an (INAUDIBLE). Why can't we right that and guarantee every child in school have access to a dentist and hearing and eye assistance? I mean, these are things that transcend these political divides.
MALVEAUX: And Reverend, we know that part of this is about creating jobs, obviously. On Saturday you and I attended the Congressional Black Caucus annual dinner where President Obama spoke about really pushing forward for his jobs bill. He wants this to pass in Congress.
And this is his message to the Congressional Black Caucus. Let's just listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Stop complaining! Stop grumbling! Stop crying!
We are going to press on! We've got work to do!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Reverend, he was fired up. He seemed frustrated. He seemed angry.
What did you make of his message, first of all, and what did you think about his tone, the fact that he is accusing the CBC of whining and complaining?
JACKSON: Well, I think that he -- well, he feels the pressure of the pain. I will not use the language of whining and complaining. People are crying out.
Those who are crying out, the congressional caucus, (INAUDIBLE), these are canaries in the mine. These are people saying we support you. We really want you to hear the impact of 30 percent unemployment.
People cannot get transportation. In the cities they're closing hospitals, they're closing schools, they're building jails, infant mortality rate is out of control, life expectancy is cut short. So they should be seen not as enemies, they should be seen as canaries who are friends seeking help. And if they get that help, they will be all winners.
MALVEAUX: Reverend, do you think his tone was helpful in winning over the Congressional Black Caucus?
JACKSON: It's hard to say. I thought he was inspired. He was excited, and he wanted to send a message that we're going to fight.
But to me, fighting is not just challenging the caucus, which is important, but those banks that drove people into foreclosure, they got bailed out with our links to lending and reinvestment. I mean, they need to be challenged in the real sense.
Those insurance companies that are going to have to pay out the public option, insurance rates are rising, the uninsured is rising. The Bush tax cut extension amounts to more money in all of the state budget deficits combined.
I think he's right, but that passion, and that passion that he showed should be broadly applied. I think it's a good tone for him, I think, because he believes in reconciliation, but sometimes confrontation precedes reconciliation. I think that he was on fire, and that fire must continue.
MALVEAUX: All right. Reverend Jackson, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, the jury is seated. The lawyers, now ready. Tomorrow we're going to hear opening statements in the trial of Michael Jackson's personal physician.
Dr. Conrad Murray was with Jackson when he died. He is now charged with involuntary manslaughter.
CNN's Ted Rowlands looks at the case against Dr. Murray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CONRAD MURRAY, DEFENDANT: Your honor, I am an innocent man.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The jury in the Conrad Murray manslaughter trial will have several questions to answer. One, did Dr. Murray give Michael Jackson a lethal dose of Propofol? Prosecutors say there's no doubt. Murray and his attorneys say there's no way.
ED CHERNOFF, DR. MURRAY'S ATTORNEY: There's no way that Dr. Murray would pump Michael Jackson full of Propofol sufficient for major surgery and walk out that room. It's not going to happen. That's not the doctor Dr. Murray is.
ROWLANDS: Murray claims the day Jackson died, he only administered 25 milligrams of Propofol, far less than what was found in Jackson's body by the coroner. (on camera): How did it get in him?
CHERNOFF: Well, that's a good question, Ted. Do you have any idea how it got in him?
ROWLANDS (voice-over): The defense is expected to argue that Jackson somehow gave himself the lethal dose.
(on camera): Could Michael Jackson have done it?
CHERNOFF: Is it possible for an individual to inject himself with a drug? Yes. Yes.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Before Jackson died, he spent hours struggling to go to sleep, according to a timeline Murray gave police. Murray says he gave Jackson five doses of three different drugs between 1:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. At 10:40 a.m., he says he gave Jackson the Propofol.
911 OPERATOR: Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Just the doctor, sir.
ROWLANDS: 911 was called at 12:21. Emergency responders will testify they believe Jackson was dead when they arrived.
Another question jurors must answer is, was using Propofol, an anesthetic for surgery, as a sleep aid so reckless, that Murray should be held responsible for Jackson's death?
(on camera): Doctor after doctor gets up and says, well, this should never be used outside a clinical setting, outside of a hospital or a clinic.
CHERNOFF: The fact that the circumstances may be unusual, may be demonstrated to be unusual, does not make it egregious. That alone does not make it egregious.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Murray's defense will argue Jackson was a drug addict and in horrible physical shape, and that he was getting drugs from other doctors that Murray didn't know about. Prosecutors plan to argue that Jackson was in good shape and plan to show this clip from the documentary "This Is It" of Jackson rehearsing just days before he died.
So, now, more than two years after Jackson's death, a Los Angeles jury will be presented with the case and ultimately decide whether or not Dr. Conrad Murray should be held responsible.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And next hour we're going to take a closer look at the makeup of that jury. Sunny Hostin from "In Session" on our sister network, truTV, she's going to join us to profile those jurors. We are also watching -- want to go live to an event. This is Diana Nyad. This is the long distance swimmer who tried to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, her second attempt to do that without a shark cage. It was cut short because of stings from jellyfish.
Let's listen in to her story.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
NYAD: And looking across that long passage of water and saying, "I did it. I'm ready." This body, these shoulders, and this mind is ready to traverse this distance.
I know it's going to be hard. I know I'm going to come to big, swollen lips and all kinds of chafing, and maybe some tears that Bonnie (ph) will help me get through, but I can do it. I've got the willpower. I've put in all the training.
I deserve it. I deserve walking up on that other shore. How naive of me not to think of these almost science fiction little animals in the water. I, on that first night --
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
NYAD: That's so rude.
(LAUGHTER)
NYAD: I think it's ARCO gas company telling me my bill's due.
On the first night, I'm swimming -- and I'm telling you, I hosted a series called "The Great Catch of the World," and we went around Belize for the jaguar, Africa for the lion and the leopard. And then we did the final suit in North America about the North American mountain lion.
And, I mean, all of you know if you give -- a dog, occasionally, so sweet and whatnot. But if a dog is in a moment of nature, when you're near it to chase something, you have forgotten how powerful and how fast that animal is, and that we are such pathetic animals compared to the animals -- all the other animals on Earth.
And that mountain lion, a little accident happened and it came at me and it pinned me down. It actually didn't bite me, but it took his jaws and put them around my calf and lynched me to the earth. It sat me down.
And I thought, oh, we go and watch Disney films and we go to Africa and we see the beautiful -- you have no idea how pathetic we are compared to the animal world. But that jellyfish -- and I asked John (ph), because this brother was with me. He came in to take that sting with me, and he had throwing up and the paralyzation (ph) of the lungs.
(INAUDIBLE) Bonnie (ph) would say, "John, it's 15 minutes behind you." He's going through the whole thing. He's taking every shot.
It's like you can die from these things. And he's done some research since because he was in the water and he saw them.
We thought Portuguese man-of-war, the big blue bubble, not Portuguese man-of-war. And he's going to tell you about it in a minute, and they can be easily fatal.
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
NYAD: OK. I'll turn it off now. I know how to work my phone.
So the first night I'm swimming and, ironically, it's like two hours we have beautiful -- like the first time we started off, glassy. And I'm cruising. And I'm thinking, this is what I trained for.
I'm on top of the water, and this is going to be 60 hours, and it's going to be glorious. And I'm going to go through the mind trip that all those hours in the meditative water take you to, even hallucinations. I'm going to enjoy it like that "Journey to Ithica." This is epic.
MALVEAUX: You're listening to Diana Nyad explaining how it was that her swim was going, and coming across those jellyfish, and how painful that was for her.
We are hoping to talk to Diana Nyad later on in the show and ask her a couple of questions ourselves about how she feels about pursuing her goal in the future, whether or not she will try again, and what that was like.
Well, prepare to say good-bye to free checking as you've known it. Banks rolling out all kinds of fees now, strings for people opening up an account.
Our Alison Kosik, she's going to join us with all the hoops you're going to have to jump through. That, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 in the next hour.
Banks now wrapping checking accounts, a lot of red tape. It is fallout from the recent financial reform bill that has already passed Congress.
Want to bring in our Alison Kosik. She joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange.
So, Alison, explain to us why this is happening. There are no free checking accounts. This is like a thing of the past now?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, keep in mind, Suzanne, free checking does exist. You just have to kind of look really, really hard to find it, because only 45 percent of the checking accounts out there are actually considered free. You compare that to just a year ago, where 65 percent were considered free.
And this is happening because banks are taking in less money. There are more regulations out there now. It means that it limits how much banks can charge or can collect on other fees. And what they're essentially trying to do is make up the lost revenue by putting a fee on your checking account. And it's pretty much sticking it to the consumer at this point -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: So, less than half of these checking accounts are free. How do people make sure that they get one of those, one of the ones that are free?
KOSIK: Exactly. So there is a trick to this, but you're going to have to follow some rules.
Now, if you want to really find true free checking, you would have to probably have your paycheck direct deposited into your account. You'll have to maintain a minimum balance.
And also, here's another trick. Try to have all of your banking done at one bank, meaning having your money market account, have your mortgage, have your savings account all with the same bank, and then you're more likely to have free checking -- Suzanne.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
MALVEAUX: President Obama tells black lawmakers, take off the bedroom shoes, put on your marching shoes. We're going to get reaction to his fired-up speech before the Congressional Black Caucus. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, she's going to join us live when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: President Obama is taking a lot of heat lately, not just from Republicans but also members of the Congressional Black Caucus. They have criticized the president as well. They say he hasn't done enough to deal with the high unemployment in the African- American community.
A CBC dinner over the weekend that I attended the president was fired up and firing back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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. I expect all of you to march with me and press on.
Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining. Stop grumbling. Stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do.
CBC, God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: We're going to find out how the president's speech went over with the members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, she is here with us from Capitol Hill.
Congressman Waters, thank you so much for joining us here.
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: Welcome.
MALVEAUX: Thank you. I saw you that evening. I wasn't able to actually pull you aside and ask for your reaction. But I know you were in the audience there when he threw that out there. What did you think?
WATERS: Well, I think the president is moving in a good direction. That's why the Congressional Black Caucus went out on the road to five cities, held town hall meetings, and then put the jobs fair together.
Number one, to recognize the pain and devastation in the African- American community. People want to work. And we challenged the conversation. They asked us to get this conversation going.
The president heard us and the president responded in his speech to us at the CBC. It was not as if I took it as an attack. I took it as having been successful in getting the president to talk about the joblessness in the African-American community.
Many of those people in the room are civil rights people who have marched, who have worked.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
WATERS: We don't -- we don't have bedroom slippers. We've been out there for years doing this kind of thing. So we take it that he just kind of got off the teleprompter a little bit and got fired up. But we don't -- we want to help him. We want to make sure that the base is protected.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
WATERS: And the conversation has begun. We didn't take a vacation during our break. We went to work. We went to Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles with thousands of people in line wanting jobs. And we put them together with employers to give them an opportunity.
MALVEAUX: Well --
WATERS: I think the president sees this and he appreciates that. We think that -- we go to support him.
MALVEAUX: OK. OK.
WATERS: We think that he should be re-elected. Yes.
MALVEAUX: Well, Congresswoman, I know -- having known you for quite some time I know you do not have bedroom slippers on. I know you have those marching shoes.
WATERS: Don't have any bedroom -- that's right.
MALVEAUX: When you listen to that, did you feel at all -- when he talked about stop grumbling or crying or whining, did you feel that he was accusing you or members of the CBC of not rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done and create jobs? You didn't take it that way?
WATERS: Well -- no. Well, I thought it was rather curious. That's what I've been describing it as. Because certainly those of us who are out on the road recognizing the pain and devastation of joblessness and the African-American community. Certainly, we're working. We weren't on vacation. We were out there working.
Those job fairs that we put together, thousands upon thousands of people came. They thanked us. So we don't know exactly who he was talking to. We think he just got off script and got fired up and had to say something. But we certainly don't think that he really meant that.
That he knows that not only have we been working and he certainly couldn't have been talking to the unemployed people telling them don't grumble.
MALVEAUX: Right. Well --
WATERS: People who don't have jobs have a right to say I want some help.
MALVEAUX: Well, Congresswoman, do you think there's anything --
WATERS: Yes. MALVEAUX: -- that he said that night that specifically addressed the problem of unemployment in the African-American community being as high as 17 percent and 40 percent when it comes to young black people? Is there anything he said that really addresses that specifically to your satisfaction?
WATERS: Well, one of the things that happened is the recognition of it. We have not heard him say black or African-American or 16.7 percent unemployment or that 40 to 50 percent unemployment among black youths that you just alluded to. So we think that the recognition of the pain was extremely important.
MALVEAUX: Why is that a big deal, just the fact that the president recognized those numbers? Isn't that something that he already should be doing?
WATERS: Well, it's a big deal because that's what we were challenged about in Detroit. They wanted to hear from us. They wanted to hear from the president. And that's extremely important, that people understand that the president gets it, that he knows what's going on.
This is unprecedented unemployment. The joblessness, the worse since the Great Depression. And since they have not heard it from him and we were able to help bring him to this point. Remember what I said in Detroit, are you ready for this conversation? Well, the conversation has started. The president gave recognition to it, and now we have to move very aggressively and we've go to fight very hard to do job creation.
MALVEAUX: OK.
WATERS: Not just tax breaks but job creation. And that's what they're looking for.
MALVEAUX: All right. Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it. Good to see you.
WATERS: You're welcome. Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Thank you.
President Obama is taking part in a town hall and jobs in Mountain View, California. That's happening today. And the forum is hosted by the LinkedIn jobs networking site. We're going to take you there live 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
Also following another story. Enduring swimmer Diana Nyad endured jellyfish, man-of-war. A white tip shark almost came too close for comfort but the 62-year-old ultimately she had to call it quits on her Cuba to Florida swim. Nyad did complete a historic Caribbean swim back in 1979.
So do you know where from? Was it Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands? That answer when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: So just before the break, we tested your memory endurance. Diana Nyad didn't complete her last Cuba to Florida swim. But back in 1979 the endurance swimmer did complete another Caribbean swim. From where? The answer, Bimini in the Bahamas.
Well, we are rooting for her. Nyad says it's hard to let go of her dream to swim from Cuba to Florida. She is 62 years old now. She has tried three times. Her latest attempt ended yesterday after a man-of-war sting paralyzed some of the muscles in her back. Now just moments ago, she said it was all worth it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA NYAD, ENDURANCE SWIMMER: It's all worth it. There is so much boldness in living life this way. We did it all. And no one can ever take it away from us. So I stand here proud. I really am.
(APPLAUSE)
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: We are rooting for her.
CNN's Matt Sloan followed her epic swim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT SLOAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, the third time was supposed to be the charm.
NYAD: I just know I can make it. I could have made it in 1978. Could have, should have, would have, you know? It was -- you know, it's worthless saying but we just had horrible, horrendous eight-foot seas. That was untenable for any swimmer. This last time it was the asthma just took me down. Now we have injections. We've met with the whole medical team.
SLOAN: A strong start in beautiful calm seas. But this third attempt at the extreme dream swim from Cuba to Florida quickly went south.
NYAD: Oh, my god. The first night, I felt I was paralyzed -- my back was paralyzed. And I thought, wait a second. It's for Portuguese man-of-war.
SLOAN: Tremendous pain, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and paralyzing fear.
NYAD: Portuguese man-of-war, I mean it's the just -- I know it's a deadly whip. Look at this thing.
SLOAN: But she kept on swimming. Then at dusk on the second night, another hit from another Portuguese man-of-war. This time across the face. NYAD: Oh, my god. I was in pain. I was in such pain. My lips, but it also swept across the front of the eyes and the nose. Just the entire face. Just -- never ever in my life have I known pain like that.
SLOAN: Diana came out of the water for nearly four hours for medical care, effectively ending her quest for the world record. But then she did something remarkable. She got back in the water and started swimming again.
NYAD: I kept swimming through it.
SLOAN: But By 11:00 a.m. on day two, some 41 hours into the swim, her fate became clear.
MARK SOLLINGER, TEAM CAPTAIN: We had done the numbers and the math for where Diana was and where she could end up navigationally in terms of where she's going to make this swim, and the answer was no, she was not.
SLOAN: At the end of the day for Diana it wasn't about how many hours she had trained or how much she wanted it. It was simply Diana against the elements.
NYAD: What a way to go. You have to accept disappointments, you know?
SLOAN: Matt Sloan, CNN, near Key West, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: We had a chance to talk to her after her second attempt. We're going to be talking to her again on her thoughts now, that in our next hour.
Well, Donald Trump back in the political spotlight. We're going to tell you which Republican presidential candidate he is meeting with today. That ahead on our political ticker update.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Well, it's surprise win for Herman Cain for an important battleground state. We want to bring you in Paul Steinhauser, part of The Best Political Team on Television, live from the political desk in Washington.
So, Paul, this was a surprise, I think, not only to Cain but also to a lot of other people, his win over the weekend.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLTICAL DIRECTOR: It sure was. This was a win of the crucial straw poll in Florida, a state that plays a very important role in picking the Republican presidential nominee.
I guess maybe it was a case of a voice or a protest by the activists there who voted against the field, and they didn't want any of the established candidates.
Let's look at the results. This was called Presidency 5, Suzanne. Big straw poll down there, finished up three day of debate and a lot of cattle calls as well. And look at that, Herman Cain at the top, 37 percent. Rick Perry, the Texas governor, who's the frontrunner in the national polls, he was expected to win this thing. A distant second place there at 15 percent. And former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney at 14 percent.
Let's go and look at the Michigan results. Yes, there were two straw polls this weekend, Suzanne. Another important one up in Michigan. And Romney the overwhelming favorite there and yes, he won a big victory there, taking more than half the vote.
Remember, he grew up in Michigan. His father was a popular governor there and Romney won the Republican primary there four years ago.
I guess for Rick Perry these results are troubling, to say the least. Remember, he had two uneven debate performances over the last two weeks. He's been knocked out or knocked up by the other Republican candidates over his stance on illegal immigration and border security. Maybe these straw poll results are a reflection of the tough times he's had over the last few weeks.
But these are straw polls. They are not the end all. If they were, I guess either Herman Cain or Ron Paul, who also does well in the straw polls, would be the nominee. And that's probably not going to happen, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Paul, I understand that Donald Trump trying to make himself relevant again, back in the political spotlight?
STEINHAUSER: Oh, front and center in that spotlight today because Mitt Romney will be meeting with Trump at Trump Towers in New York about two hours from now. It was just a week-and-a-half ago that Rick Perry met and had dinner with Trump as well.
Remember back in the spring, we spent a lot of time covering Donald Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul. Why? Because he flirted with a run for the nomination. He didn't do that in the end. But here he is again front and center. And I guess this give the candidates like Perry and like Romney some attention because we're talking about it, Suzanne.
MALVEUAX: All right. Paul, thank you. Appreciate it. For the latest political news, you know where to go. CNNpolitics.com.
Reminder to vote for today's Choose the News winner. Text 22360 for the story you would like to see. Text 1 for Apple's toxic gasses. A Chinese watchdog group says an Apple plant is letting off fumes that are making people sick.
Text 2 for Flying Ambulances. Ride along with doctors who use special plants to rescue patients in Africa. Text 3 for Importing Style. One of Cuba's best known designers re-inventing the island's classic style. Some big-name celebrities are wearing the new look. Winning story is going to air in the next hour.
We are getting a lot of responses to today's "Talk Back" question. We asked is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating?
Eric Davis says "Not really. Too little too late. He should have been fighting from day one." Carol Costello is back with more of your responses.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello, she joins us from New York with your responses.
And Carol, it is a great question here because -- saw President Pbama, he was -- he seemed frustrated, seemed angry, he seemed fired up before the Congressional Black Caucus and privately, you know, folks are saying they're insulted, they're complaining. Publicly, they're like oh, this is what we need to hear.
COSTELLO: Well, it depends on if you're a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Some not so happy with the president's new fiery rhetoric or an actual voter. And believe me, according to our Facebook page, and a lot of Democrats responded today, Suzanne, they're pretty happy with President Obama's new fiery persona. In fact that was the "Talk Back" question. Is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating?
This from Terry: "Do I hear a hell yeah? Sounded a lot like my old coach." This from Jacob: "We need a president that stands his ground and takes command. It's about time Mr. President did such a thing. He can't can't be on the defensive all the time, or uneducated people will believe GOP lies."
This from Steven: "He is fired up -- against the GOP. That's not leadership. That's partisan politics. When will he work to unite, not divide?"
This from Mark: "About time. I think he finally believes building a consensus with Republicans is impossible. Point out their obstructionism to the voters and hopefully replace them in 2012."
And this from Terry: "Yeah, team. It's about time he stopped acting like he's getting flogged every morning. He's the boss, not the mail room clerk!"
Keep the comments coming. Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be back with you in about 15 minutes.
MALVEUAX: All right. Thank you, Carol.
Another partisan stalemate on Capitol Hill. Partial government shutdown could be just days away. We'll explain the latest impasse. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right, so here we go again. Lawmakers at odds over how to keep the government operating. They have until midnight Friday to figure all this out. Otherwise some agencies could shut down.
Candy Crowley, the host of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," tells us what all of this fighting about.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: For the third time this year, a congressional stare-down threatens a government shutdown.
(on camera) Let me start with you, Senator Warner, and ask you if there is a point at which you think this is embarrassing.
SEN. MARK WARNER, (D) VIRGINIA: Yes. It is embarrassing.
CROWLEY: Are we there?
WARNER: Can we once again inflict on the country ands American people the spectacle of a near shutdown?
CROWLEY: The U.S. government runs out of money this week unless a temporary spending bill is passed on Capitol Hill. Inside the House version is money to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, which assists disaster victims, tornadoes in Joplin, hurricanes in the northeast. The remarkable thing is that basically Congress can't agree on something that everyone is for, funding FEMA. The crux of the matter is how and when to decide how to pay for it.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: The House version says that a disaster has to be dealt with, we're going to help people who have been affected by disasters, but we're going to start cutting the government in other places where the money is not so important.
CROWLEY: Senate Democrats have rejected the house version, saying that Republicans are proposing to pay for increased FEMA funds with cutbacks in programs that create jobs. Nobody's budging, ergo stalemate, a looming shutdown, and the politics that ensue.
ALEXANDER: I'll give the Senate Democratic leader most of the credit. He manufactured a crisis all week about disaster when there's no crisis. Everybody knows we're going to pay for every single penny of disaster aid that the president declares. And that FEMA certifies.
WARNER: One point about who to blame or not to blame on this current hopefully non-shutdown is that there is a group, and I do believe it is mostly centered in the House in terms of some of these Tea Party Republicans, who say on every issue we're going to make this a make or break.
CROWLEY: Pointing fingers about an impending shutdown can be good politics. But an actual shutdown is likely to hurt any politician in a 50-mile radius of Washington. Odds are good they'll figure this out. They have until Friday.
Candy Crowley CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
