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Economy Moving But Market's Wary; Occupy London Fallout; Cain Raises $3 Million This Month; Group Asks Bachmann to Get Out of GOP Race; Big Banks Opt Out of Debit Card Fees; Oakland Mayor Apologizes; Marco Rubio's "Bad Memory"; Anesthesia Dominates Testimony; Diesel Tanker Erupts into Fireball; Statue of Liberty Turns 125; Cards Force World Series Game 7; Half Naked Woman Arrested
Aired October 28, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys.
VELSHI: Good morning, Alina.
CHO: Good morning. Good morning, Ali, good morning, Carol. I'll see you both on Monday.
Meanwhile, welcome to all of you this morning. U.S. stock markets opened this hour, can they keep the rally going? Investors are riding on some good news but will it last?
The Dow finished up Thursday, 340 points. This could be its best October in a quarter century. And the economy is growing. The Gross National Product for the third quarter was nearly double the figure from April to June and that's thanks to consumer spending and more business investment.
Alison Kosik will join us in about half an hour for the Opening Bell, but right now let's talk to Chrystia Freeland, she's the global editor-at-large with Reuters.
Good morning. So what a difference a day makes. The Dow futures are already down this morning and we've learned that Whirlpool is cutting 5,000 jobs in North America and Europe. So it looks like that big rally from yesterday was not the real turnaround we were hoping for?
CHRYSTIA FREELAND, GLOBAL EDITOR-AT-LARGE, REUTERS: Well, I think the rally yesterday was really mostly about Europe. And I think the big question that the markets are asking is not so much is everything going to be fantastic and is there going to be a huge economic rebound in the U.S. and in the world.
The question is, is there going to be another disaster or is it going to be a slow, grinding, but ultimately positive recovery? And the news this week has been, you know, the chance of disaster prompted by Europe not getting its act together really decreased this week.
And so that's why I think, you know, we should be cautiously optimistic. This is a good -- this is a good outcome. It's not certain that Europe will be OK, but if Europe, you know, pulls back from the cliff, that is really good news for the world economy. CHO: Well, and Chrystia, isn't that because the European deal isn't completely done yet? I mean that's part of the problem. But also another problem, as you say, is the housing crisis which isn't going away.
FREELAND: That's right. I mean, you know, to start with Europe. The European deal, first of all, you know, the I's haven't been dotted and the T's haven't been crossed. So, you know, even this plan that we've had this week, we're not 100 percent sure it's going to be fully executed.
And then the other thing is we can't be 100 percent sure that the Europeans have put enough money behind that firewall. People this week have been talking about how Europe needed a financial bazooka and I think, you know, it's not quite a bazooka, it's heavy artillery, but maybe not a bazooka.
And then when if comes to the U.S., I think, you know, even absent the European issues, the U.S. economy, you know, still is shaky. A big issue, as you said, is housing. And then the other thing that really concerns me, because, also, of the huge social implications is unemployment.
CHO: Of course.
FREELAND: Even with the slight recovery that we're seeing, the unemployment number isn't budging and that's because you need a really strong recovery to start seeing unemployment go down.
CHO: That's right. We need to see it fall below 9 percent.
All right, Chrystia Freeland, we thank you so much for your perspective on this.
Meanwhile, the "Occupy Wall Street" is on the move and on key.
Today protesters are planning to march to five major banks and financial firms. They're delivering 6,000 letters railing against corporate greed and corruption.
Meanwhile in Atlanta, about 100 protesters had broken camp at the Martin Luther King Center. They say the civil right icon helps inspire their peaceful protest. The group was kicked out of a city park a few days earlier and promises to stay at the LMK site only overnight. Protesters say several private landowners have offered them a place to stay.
And a protester seriously injured in Oakland, California, is now showing signs of recovery. Scott Olsen is an Iraq war veteran who suffered a fractured skull Tuesday. Witnesses say he was struck by a tear gas canister fired by police officers. Today his condition has been upgraded to fair. Last hour, we heard from his roommate on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEITH SHANNON, SCOTT OLSEN'S ROOMMATE: He's awake now. He's not able to talk, though. Although he knows what he wants to say, he's not able to articulate it. He's able to write, although his spelling is pretty bad at the moment. But they're expecting a full recovery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Oakland's mayor has come out with a statement apologizing for the violence and promising an investigation.
The "Occupy" movement isn't limited to the United States. In London the protests spurred St. Paul's Cathedral to close. That's a first since World War II. Now today the doors are back open and our Zain Verjee has reaction live from London.
Hey, Zain, good morning. This is crazy.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It is. Good morning to you, Alina.
Let's go straight to the headlines and give you a flavor of what they're saying. The "Daily Telegraph" says this, "The parable of St. Paul's." It's written by the former archbishop of Canterbury and it says, "The very fact that they are prepared to continue their own protest at the expense of Christian worship in one of our greatest cathedral surely gives the lie to the protesters' claim that they represent 99 percent of society."
The "Independent," "The church is now well and truly in the dock," says the headline. "The Church of England has always trodden a narrow path between serving the needs of the wealthy and those of the poor. The problem with these good intentions is that over the centuries what has evolved is a naturally cautious and inherently tepid church."
Finally, Alina, take a look at "The Guardian." Its headline, "A conscience for St. Paul's." The guest editorial says, "The anti- capitalist peace camp is a communal right, a plea for sanctuary, the situation cries out for St. Paul's clergy to seize the occasion. Fleeing open the doors and hold more and more debate."
Alina, a senior cleric actually in St. Paul's Cathedral resigned yesterday and decided to step down and throw his support behind the protesters -- Alina.
CHO: Just an incredible story. Zain Verjee, live for us from London.
Zain, thank you, as always, great to see you.
Politics now. And the GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain is adding to his coffers.
Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is here with more on that.
Hey, Paul, good morning.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, Alina.
Well, Herman Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO, he's been rising in the polls in the race for the nomination, for the GOP nomination, and that's bringing more cash.
Catch this, $3 million. That's what the Cain campaign says they brought in since the beginning of the month. That's more than Herman Cain raised in the three-month -- July, August, and September, third quarter of fundraising.
Mark Block, the chief of staff to Herman Cain -- you remember him, the guy who is smoking that cigarette in that Web video earlier this week. He made the news yesterday on Erin Burnett right here on CNN.
Why is campaign cash important? Well, it pays for commercials, get- out-the-vote efforts, et cetera. It is important.
Alina, one other thing. And this is the -- well, it's one to talk about but it's not going to happen. Hillary Clinton. What if she decided to run for the White House in 2012? Not going to happen but take a look at this "TIME" magazine poll and you could see Hillary Clinton, according to this, a hypothetical matchups, doing better against Mitt Romney, then President Barack Obama. Also doing better against Rick Perry and Herman Cain in hypotheticals.
Alina, fun to talk about, but I think Hillary Clinton has been pretty straight on this. She has no desire to run for the White House next year.
CHO: Of course she's not. She's not going to make her boss mad. Four more years, though. We'll have to wait and see.
All right, Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much.
And we will have your next political update in one hour. And this reminder for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com.
Well, Halloween is not here yet but snow is in the forecast this weekend for parts of the northeast.
Let's check in with meteorologist Rob Marciano with a look at that. Is this true, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A bit of a trick maybe?
CHO: Maybe.
MARCIANO: Or a treat for some, right? Yes.
CHO: And when is it -- when is it going to --
MARCIANO: Tomorrow afternoon through Sunday morning.
CHO: Tomorrow afternoon.
MARCIANO: And there'll be wind around us that will (INAUDIBLE).
The Boston and New York cities probably won't get much more than an inch, but outside the cities, we could see certainly more than that.
CHO: So you're going to have to sneak that flight to the northeast soon to do that investigative snow report in the northeast.
MARCIANO: That and maybe some trick or treating.
CHO: That's right.
MARCIANO: Just for old time's sake.
CHO: OK. Rob, thank you very much.
MARCIANO: See you, Alina.
CHO: Presidential campaigns heat up and the current frontrunners refuse to cool down. Mitt Romney and Herman Cain are battling it out. And our Candy Crowley joins us with the latest from a busy week.
And what should be done with the monkeys, leopards and a grizzly bear that survived last week's Safari hunt by local deputies in Ohio. The widow of the animal's owner wants them back, but neighbors say no way.
"Cross Country" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Twelve minutes after the hour. Checking stories "Cross Country."
From California's Vandenberg Air Base, NASA successfully launched a new atmospheric satellite a couple of hours ago. The two-ton probe joins a fleet of others in orbit all designed to study our planet's climate and weather patterns.
In Ohio, six exotic animals will stay put. The widow of the man who freed 56 wild animals before killing himself wants custody. The state of Ohio will keep them quarantined.
And in Arlington, Virginia, two retirees, a business owner and a postal employee, joined President Obama for dinner last night. The four are donors to Obama's reelection campaign. They won the right to dine with the commander in chief in a campaign-sponsored raffle.
Only in America. It's been a busy week of presidential politics. Mitt Romney and Herman Cain are slugging it out for the top spot in the polls and this morning we've learned that Michele Bachmann is getting a nasty shove from a former cornerstone of her base.
Joining us now is Candy Crowley, chief political correspondent and host of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION."
So, Candy, let's talk about Bachmann. One of the Tea Party group is calling her -- for her to get out of the presidential race. How big of a deal is this?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first, let's sort of caveat what this call for her to step out of the race, where it's coming from, and that is, it's coming from a sizable portion of the Tea Party, but the Tea Party is this sort of amorphous group where, you know, a member of the Tea Party could be just a one-man band sitting in some city some place, or it can be, as this group seems to be, a rather larger group.
Nonetheless, it is very -- it is very desperate and so one Tea Party segment doesn't speak for the other.
Now to the question of how does it hurt Michele Bachmann, let's face it, she is in the low double digits in most of these polls. I don't see it hurting her any more than she's already been hurt. I do see it as indicative of one thing, and that is, a beginning of a realization by the conservative wing of the party or the Tea Party wing that if there is going to be a chance for a not Mitt Romney to win this, they're going to have to wino down the not Mitt Romneys.
And when you look around the two sort of Tea Party candidates or Tea Party favorites, Herman Cain and Rick Perry, both seem to be doing -- in Perry's case -- slightly better than Bachmann, in and Cain's case, a lot better than Bachmann.
So they're going to kind of coalesce around someone they need to narrow this field of Tea Party candidates, and I think that's what you're beginning to see with this particular push.
CHO: That's right. They're trying to get behind somebody who they think can win, right?
You know, when we take a look at the big picture in politics this week. Herman Cain smoking campaign ad, Rick Perry announcing he might skip some of those 18 debates.
What is your big takeaway, Candy?
CROWLEY: Actually, my big takeaway is always the economy because that's what this election is going to be about, barring some huge international incident. And what we have seen, as I'm sure you've been reporting, is big boost in the stock market. We've seen the president out there doing all these executive orders aimed at veterans, aimed at homeowners in trouble, aimed at students -- all those sort of kitchen table issues. The president sort of trying to reconnect with voters they feel they don't know this president any more.
So, to me, what you're seeing. They're certainly not doing any dances at the re-elect campaign headquarters, but you are seeing a slow creeping up, at least for this week of the president's approval numbers that are still well below 50 percent, which if you're an incumbent, you don't want to do. So, sort of looking that huge picture, which is a year from November, it has been a pretty good week for the president and a not so great week for Republicans. The Republicans, you know, Romney had some stumbles and Herman Cain had some stumbles, but they have time to make this up. So, the larger picture, I think, is sort of a net kind of weak plus for the president this week.
CHO: And what do you have coming up on Sunday on "STATE OF THE UNION"? That's the big question.
CROWLEY: The president's top campaign adviser David Axelrod will be with us, as well as Ron Paul. We'll get his take on the Tea Party power and any number of things going on in the Republican race.
CHO: All right. Candy, I'll see you again on Sunday and I'll be watching, again, as always. Thank you very much, Candy Crowley.
And join us Sunday for "STATE OF THE UNION with Candy Crowley, airs at 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern Time, right here on CNN.
The seventh billionth person is expected to be born this weekend and iReporters are creatively covering the countdown.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
CHO: We're going to show you some of the best iReports, next.
Plus, Kim Kardashian pulls a fast one, helping out her little brother by ticking a lot of people off. Your "Showbiz Headlines" are next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: All right. Let's get to your "Showbiz Headlines."
Director Peter Jackson isn't even done shooting his first hobbit movie in New Zealand, but he's already got a host for next November's world premiere. Jackson is confirming it will be in the Kiwi capital of Wellington, which also happens to be his hometown.
Bret Michaels is helping the Phoenix hospital that helped save his life. The Poison singer is designing a relaxation room for patient's families. He spent about two weeks there after suffering a stroke last year.
Kim Kardashian is getting some criticism for sneakily trying to help her brother, Rob. On Monday night, she tweeted what she claimed was Justin Bieber's phone number and said he was taking fans' call. Actually, it was the number to vote for Rob on "Dancing with the Stars." And guess what? He did end up surviving this week's cut -- pretty good strategy.
As the world readies for the birth of the 7 billionth person expected to arrive this weekend, our Zain Verjee is looking over some of the best iReports from CNN viewers just like yourself.
What have you got for us this morning, Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, when you throw a lot of iReports that are pretty cool. And when you throw out a number like 7 billion, Alina, you just kind of need to get your head around a massive figure like that.
Let me show you this iReport that was submitted by a seventh grade teacher in Chicago who asked all their students to try to visualize a big number like 7 billion would be. So, you can see, this video, it shows seventh graders just running around the building and if they ran around the building for 7 billion seconds, it would take 217 years and 133 million laps.
And then take a look at the iReporter Jerry Gonzales' video. He's saying that we need eight glasses of water a day, right, for optimal health. And in a year, we consume about 2,920 glasses of water. And, therefore, he says, we need to live 2.4 million years to consume 7 billion glasses of water.
So, you heard us both talking there. Let me just show you the last iReport. I really like this one. This is from Andy Clinton.
Take a listen to this as Koko the Monkey and the Cocky the Rooster teach kids about the number 7 billion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COCKY THE ROOSTER: How many is 7 billion that's what I want to see. How many is 7 billion oh, count along with me -- one plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Alina, Cocky the Rooster kind of sound like you every now and then. Just joking.
CHO: What are you talking about?
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: I'm just joking.
And he was actually estimating in that video that he was counting at a rate of two counts per second and at that rate it would take approximately 111 years to reach $7 billion. You know, so, I just want to throw down this challenge for you, Alina. How many designer outfits would you like around Manhattan to make 7 billion?
CHO: That I don't know the answer to. Zain, you always do this to me. You will have to come over here, cross the pond and we'll have to slug it out. You hear me?
VERJEE: We will.
CHO: Zain Verjee, great to see you, as always.
VERJEE: You, too.
CHO: Bank of America sparked outrage last month when it announced a $5 debt card fee. Remember that? Well, now, a month later, are big banks following suit?
Alison Kosik has been following this story for us from New York Stock Exchange.
So, Alison, what's the real story here? What's going on?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is kind of surprising, Alina, especially after the outrage after Bank of America said it was going to start charging its debt card users $5 a month. Now, it seems that most banks are not going to be following B of A's lead and most say it's not because of outrage over B of A. But, come on, that influence had to influence their thinking just a little bit, right?
Well, first of all, Chase will be continuing testing debt card fees through next month, but the "Wall Street Journal" is saying Chase is not going to make those fees stick.
Now, same with other major card issuers, U.S. Bancorp, Citigroup, KNC (ph), K-Corp, all of those will not have those monthly debt card fees either.
But reality is, they've still got to make up for all that lost revenue from a new regulation that limits how much money banks can make from those swipe fees.
So, Alina, what that essentially means is we could end up paying another way because, you know this, banks could be very, very creative -- Alina.
CHO: Yes, they are. Or some might say tricky.
You know, the opening bell is just less than six minutes away. The last time I checked, the Dow futures were down after that huge rally on the Dow yesterday.
What are you expecting today, Alison?
KOSIK: Exactly. The Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P futures all down about half a percent -- you know, not such a big surprise. Everybody had a chance to sleep on. I'm talking about the European debt plan.
So, there are some doubts about how effectively Europe is going to implement the debt plan. Also, it's pretty normal to see a bit of a step back after such a big surge on the markets because look how well the markets did. The stock market gained about $500 billion today and I think that momentum will carry through today -- Alina.
CHO: Well, you'll be watching it all for us. Alison Kosik live from the New York Stock Exchange -- Alison, thank you.
Coming up, a Republican rock star accused of lying about his family for political gain. Florida Senator Marco Rubio denies it and depends his bad memory.
And coming up, a landmark birthday for a national treasure. The Statue of Liberty turns 125 years old and celebrates with some 21st century editions. We'll explain in a live report, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Checking top stories now:
At least seven people are dead after a highway accident in Indiana. Police say a minivan may have hit a deer and stopped before a tractor trailer ran into it.
Stocks futures are down this morning after a big rally yesterday. The Dow moved past the 12,000 mark pushed by initial reports of the European debt deal. The market opens in less than a minute.
And the St. Louis Cardinals had two late-inning comebacks to beat the Texas Rangers in game six of the World Series. The deciding game seven is tonight.
This morning, we have a couple of updates on the "Occupy Oakland" movement in California. An Iraqi war veteran seriously injured in the police crackdown is now showing signs of recovery, and the mayor of Oakland under fire for the violence has issued an apology.
Dan Simon is live outside the hospital in Oakland.
So, how is this man, Scott Olsen, doing this morning?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alina, we're actually told he's expected to make a full recovery. His roommate came out just a short time ago and told us that he is doing well. That he has some bruising on his brain, but should be able to make a full recovery.
You know, what happened to him has really sort of galvanized the protesters and it caused some intense negative public relations, some negative P.R. for the city of Oakland and it caused the mayor to rethink the policy of telling the protesters to leave that plaza in front of city hall. She reverse-coursed and said they could come back and she issued a statement last night.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JEAN QUAN, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: I am very deeply saddened about what happened last Tuesday. It clearly didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. People were hurt and I am the mayor. So, I take responsibility and I apologize to those who were hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: It really raises the question, why the city? Why city leaders told the protesters to leave only to say they could come back a couple days later. Obviously, the negative backlash that the city received has caused them to rethink their policy.
It also caused the city of San Francisco to rethink things, as well. They were scheduled or they were supposed to tell the protesters to hit the road, as it were a couple of days ago. But the city of San Francisco is also saying that the protesters there can stay as well -- Alina.
CHO: Dan, I know you've been covering this for several days now. And earlier, we just saw the video of just how heated things got there during the protests. What is it like right now?
SIMON: Well, it seems remarkably calm, you know, after, you know, that protest that we saw a couple days ago where you saw that enormous clash with police, the city has basically flip-flopped and said, you know what? You're welcome to stay now.
The mayor has asked that they not camp overnight, but that plea is apparently being ignored. We're now seeing signs of another tent city cropping up there. And like I said, what happened to that Iraq vet, Scott Olsen, has been a focal point, a rallying point for the protesters here in Oakland and also around the country.
And I think, you know, that's caused the city to sort of back off and let the protesters do their thing and they don't seem to be interfering at this point.
CHO: All right, and similar situation, of course -- well, much larger playing out in New York.
Dan Simon, thank you very much for following this story for us.
I want to do a quick check of the big board now. The Dow down about 21 points after a huge rally yesterday. The Dow was up 340 points crossing above the 12,000 mark.
You can see, it still is on the news of European debt deal. We'll have to see what it does today, but so far the Dow is trading lower.
Coming up: there's a thin line between a lie and a mistake. So, which side is Senator Marco Rubio on? Your opinion might depend on your politics. We're going to dig into it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Thirty-six minutes after the hour.
A whole lot of Republicans think Florida Senator Marco Rubio would be the perfect vice presidential pick next year. But some Democrats say he lied about his family for political gain. And now, Rubio is on the defense.
Jim Acosta explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): During a series of events in Florida, Marco Rubio admitted what is now widely known, that he botched the details of his own family story. His parents did not come to the U.S. after Fidel Castro seized control in 1959 as Rubio's Senate web bio once stated. They came in 1956 as his corrected site states now.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R) FLORIDA: Do I wish I had known those dates earlier? Absolutely. Does it change anything? Absolutely not.
I was raised by exiles --
ACOSTA: A Democratic leaning political action committee called American Bridge 21st Century says the dates do matter, suggesting in this web video Rubio is not really a Cuban exile because his parents left the island before Castro took over.
Rubio referred to his family as exiles in this CNN interview last year.
RUBIO: It's hard to be apolitical when you're an exile or raised by exiles.
ACOSTA: The senator insists his parents are exiles because they couldn't go home.
RUBIO: And they spent the rest of their lives, my mom is still alive, separated permanently from the nation of their birth. That makes them both exiles and immigrants.
RODELL MOLLINEAU, AMERICAN BRIDGE, 21ST CENTURY: We hold Republicans accountable.
ACOSTA: But American Bridge president Rodell Mollineau acknowledged in an exclusive interview with CNN his group wants to do more than just set the record straight.
(on camera): Does it have anything to do with the fact he's being talked about as a potential vice presidential candidate in 2012?
MOLLINEAU: Oh, yes. I think it does. I'm not making any -- I'm not making any bones about that. That he is --
ACOSTA: Are you trying to knock him out of contention for 2012?
MOLLINEAU: Well, this is -- I think what we're finding here --
ACOSTA: Answer the question. Are you trying to knock him out of contention for 2012?
MOLLINEAU: I'm trying to allow the American people to know a little bit more about Marco Rubio. When he ran in --
ACOSTA: Why don't you just answer the question?
(voice-over): He finally did.
MOLLINEAU: We think Marco Rubio is someone being talked about, more by the media, to be a vice president.
ACOSTA: So this was a consideration?
MOLLINEAU: Yes, it was.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one junior senator who made it to the White House. Do we have a second on here?
(APPLAUSE)
ACOSTA: Despite pleas from Republicans, even in his home state, Rubio has ruled out being on the ticket in 2012, but that hasn't stopped the chatter in Washington. Top Republicans believe a vice presidential nominee Rubio could take Florida away from President Obama, who won the state by 200,000 votes in 2008.
American Bridge has plenty of money to go after Rubio, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from unions and big California donors -- like J.J. Abrams, the director of the new "Star Trek" movie.
But these phasers aren't unstunned, according to Rubio ally and Cuban- American Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R), FLORIDA: Marco Rubio is a conservative Hispanic. And as such, many liberal groups and many entities want to destroy his reputation.
ACOSTA (on camera): But Rubio is fighting fire with fire. His own political action committee has put out a flee for donations that accuses liberals of, quote, "coordinating attacks on the senator."
Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Jim, thank you.
This whole Marco Rubio controversy is the focus of a new op-ed column on CNN.com. Ruben Navarrette wrote it. He's a CNN contributor and nationally syndicated political columnist.
Ruben, good morning.
Now, you heard Jim Acosta's report, some Democrats are suggesting that Rubio's family aren't really Cuban exiles because his parents left the island before Castro took over. I mean, are we splitting hairs here? Are voters really going to care about this?
RUBEN NAVARRETTE, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Well, yes, Alina. I think, actually -- good morning -- I think we are splitting hairs. I don't think voters will care about this and I think that Rubio can make a compelling case. You can be both an exile and an immigrant.
If you leave a country you can't go back to, you can be an exile and considered both of those things. That would then mean that economic exiles, these are people like from Mexico, immigrants who come from Mexico could be considered economic exiles. They can't go home either because opportunities for them there, and it's difficult for them to come back. But I want to focus on what Jim Acosta said. This is a first rate journalist you have working at CNN because he zeroed in and he wouldn't let this person get away with this double talk about why they were going after Rubio.
When I was writing this column I couldn't figure whether I had more contempt for Rubio trying to feed me this story that he was the only Cuban-American in all of United States who doesn't know exactly to the day, to the minute when his family came from Cuba, or did I have more contempt for the liberal detractors who are trying to smear Rubio because -- let's face it, he's a threat to them, they know he's that good, they know he's got a bright future and they're trying to take him out.
So, kudos to Jim Acosta for nailing that guy down and admitting -- getting him to admit that much of this is political.
CHO: Jim Acosta is among the best in the business. That's right. Plus, he's a friend, so I'm a little bias.
But having said, you know, let's talk about that bright future. Marco Rubio -- for those who don't know -- is a 40-year-old Republican senator from Florida. GOP rock star on the short list as a possible V.P. candidate, even though he has ruled it out himself.
But he appeals to Latino voters and wouldn't this be a great way for Republicans to have a chance at winning Florida in 2012?
NAVARETTE: Right. No, they're going to win Florida, I think, anyway in 2012. I think that Rubio would help them win Florida.
But where Rubio becomes a cost completely, I don't think it's a smart move for Mitt Romney or Rick Perry or whoever ends up the nominee to choose Marco Rubio because Marco Rubio he has singlehandedly because of his views on immigration turned off many Mexican Americans. Two- thirds or so of the Latino pie are Mexican and Mexican/Americans.
And so, Rubio may win you Florida, but he's going to lose you, you know, Colorado, and Arizona, and Texas, and California, and all those other places because he's not very popular out there.
CHO: Got it. All right, Ruben Navarrette, thank you very much.
And you can read Ruben's op-ed column at CNN.com/opinion. And if you like, join the conversation. You can even leave a comment for him.
Coming up, a lady who doesn't look a day over 100. The Statue of Liberty turns 125. And to celebrate, his torch has gone high tech.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Forty-five minutes after the hour. Checking stories cross country.
The manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, on track to go to the jury next week. The defense's Propofol expert, their last and most important witness, will be back on the stand today.
Outside Houston, a tanker carrying an estimated 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel explodes into a fireball. It happened late last night, closing down portions of the freeway. We're told the driver of the truck is OK.
And around Boston yesterday, the first snow of the season fell and some roads are still slick today. Some areas saw up to three inches with more expected this weekend.
Today a national treasure turns 125 years old. We're talking about the Statue of Liberty. It is celebrating its anniversary with modern day technology. A series of live cameras are mounted -- mounted rather on her torch and giving you views never before seen.
Susan Candiotti is live for us on Liberty Island with more on this. Hey Susan, good morning.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alina. It is a cold but beautiful day out here on Liberty Island. The sun is shining and this is a big day, as you said, for many reasons, including this one; 125 years ago on this very day the Statue of Liberty Monument opened to the public for the very first time in 1886.
But as you said, Alina, looking up at the statue now, you are going to see amazing views that you never say before as they kick off some digital cameras that have now been mounted on the statue and specifically on the torch. There are five Web cams that will be streaming live video, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These five cameras will show you gorgeous views, including, for example, a view from the torch looking down. A view of the crown itself. Also, you'll see the skyline of New York City and beautiful views of the harbor.
They're going to be incredible. And to see them, you can go to the National Park Service Web site NPS.org, I believe it is. National Park Service and you'll be able to see all of them.
Also, it turns out today they naturalized 125 people from many, many countries. That ceremony just ended.
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CHO: All right, obviously, we're having some technical difficulties with Susan Candiotti, but we'll have more on this historic day. The Statue of Liberty turns 125, later on.
Coming up, there's new hope for an NBA deal, but today's talks are critical. If the league wants to have games in November. We'll have that story ahead in sports.
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CHO: We're watching stories making news later today.
At 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time St. Mary's College holds a news conference after moving more than 200 students to a cruise ship following an outbreak of mold in student dorms.
At 6:00 p.m. Eastern in New York, one of the machines Dr. Jack Kevorkian used in assisted suicide goes to auction.
And tonight at 8:30 Eastern in Indianapolis country music duo Sugarland returns to Indianapolis for a free concert. The first since seven people died during a stage collapse at the Indiana state fair back in August.
We are following lots of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's check in first with Alison Kosik. Hey Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Alina, Wall Street is delivering a treat for investors this month. October's shaping up to be the best month for stocks in almost four decades. I'm going to have a check of all the actions from the New York Stock Exchange in the next hour.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: And I'm Mark Preston in Washington. You know Michele Bachmann's candidacy for presidency was fueled by the Tea Party, but one of their spokesman right now is saying she needs to drop out of the race. I'll have more at the top of the hour.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Max Foster in London on the historic agreement to give girls equal rights to the British throne as boys -- Alina.
CHO: That's music to my ears, Max. Thank you very much. We look forward to all of that. Thanks.
And there are no limits for this college swimmer. Take a look, Phyllis Reffo joins the Pepperdine University Swim Team and the best part of it, she's 49 years old. We're going to tell you how she did it. Talk about her journey to this point, which includes work as a professional model. That's in the next hour.
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CHO: Welcome back. Jeff Fischel is here with a look at sports and it was a late night last night in the World Series.
JEFF FISCHEL, ANCHOR, HLN SPORTS: And really one of the most exciting nights anyone's ever seen. Not once, not twice -- the Rangers were one strike away from their first World Series title. But the St. Louis Cardinals would not die.
Here is the first time. Bottom of the ninth; two outs, two strikes, St. Louis hometown boy David Freese to deep right. Nelson Cruz, you have to go all out for that. It gets by him two runs score. The game is tied at 7-3 safe at third with a triple.
We go to the top of the 10th. Josh Hamilton gets the lead back for the Rangers. A two-run shot off Jason Mott. Hamilton's first homer of the post season. Texas now thinking we are going to win this, 9-7, Rangers.
But on the bottom of the 10th the Cards down to their last strike again. This time, its Lance Berkman, he comes through the single off the middle that scores John Jay. We are tied at 9.
Then in the bottom of the 11th, it's Freese again. He delivers the knockout punch deep to center and gone. The Cardinals win 10-9 on the walk off home run. The fan who caught the ball gave it to Freese in exchange of course for an autographed ball and bat. Freese's home run bat heading the Cooper's Town the baseball hall of fame.
Can this game be topped? We find out tonight in Game 7. One game decides it all.
This could be a key day. In the NBA lockout talks, players and owners appearing optimistic after yesterday's seven hour meeting, but the two sides still have to tackle the biggest dispute today, the revenue split, of course, that's the thing that had them both walking away from the negotiating table last week.
College football: Houston quarterback Case Keenum threw touchdown passes nine times, nine times, Mrs. Bueller, against Rice last night. This one was special. It was Keenum's 135th career touchdown pass. That sets an NCAA record, but he wasn't done. He threw for four more after that. Houston goes on to beat Rice 73-34.
Of course, everyone keeping an eye on Keenum and Houston. Their one of the smaller schools that could invade BCS territory and get one of the big bowl games at the end of the year. Right now they are undefeated.
CHO: I want to talk about the World Series for just a second.
FISCHEL: Yes let's do it.
CHO: And this is the deciding game.
FISCHEL: Tonight.
CHO: St. Louis has the hometown advantage.
FISCHEL: They do.
CHO: Clearly helped last night.
FISCHEL: It help you know and you know going back, it's been 32 years since a road team has won a Game 7 in the world series, so really you have to think --
CHO: Oh boy.
FISCHEL: So really you have to think -- now you have to give the Cardinals a favor. But both teams they used up all their pitchers last night. So both teams are scrambling what happens tonight. Chris Carpenter, who pitched just Game five it looks like he'll start tonight, but he's not going to be able to go as long as he usually goes.
CHO: The Texas Rangers have never won a World Series. I was kind of rooting for the underdog.
FISCHEL: Yes, you know, we were just talking during the break, one of the TV stations in Dallas actually sent out a text to fans, hey, the Rangers have won the World Series, they hit the send button a little too early for Rangers fan. They're wondering, I can't believe we came so close.
But they still have another shot tonight.
CHO: They do, right there.
FISCHEL: Yes, it can happen.
CHO: It's not over until it's over. Somebody famous said that once.
FISCHEL: Yes, Yogi Berra.
CHO: All right. Jeff Fischel, thank you very much.
FISCHEL: Yes, ok.
CHO: Police dashboard cameras capture eye popping video all the time, but rarely like this. CNN's Jeanne Moos has more.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Please step out of the car, miss. Oops. This miss was missing most of her clothes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She clocked a vehicle going 110 miles an hour.
MOOS: 28-year-old Erin Holdsworth (ph) of Hiram, Ohio may have been half naked. She was allegedly going full speed, as fast as 128 before stop sticks thrown on the road disabled her tires.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step out of the vehicle. Step out of the vehicle.
MOOS: Oh, she stepped out all right. Stepped out wearing a white thong and some sort of see-through fish-nety thing. She also sports lots of tattoos which we noticed when she literally kicked up a ruckus in the back seat of the cruiser.
Dash cam video of near naked drivers is pretty rare, though we did find a naked motorcycle rider pulled over for drunken driving in Florida.
I asked him what happened to his clothing and he said he lost it.
MOOS: We wanted to ask Erin Holdsworth, what happened to her clothing, but when we got someone we think was her on the phone, she told us to call her lawyer. And we haven't heard back from her.
A seven-mile high speed chase with a half naked driver even landed her on automotive blogs. The bad news for Holdsworth is, she's been charged with driving while impaired, speeding, reckless driving, et cetera. The only good news is that admirers seem smitten with the racy speed demon. "Was she's charged with theft as well, because she'd stolen my heart."
"Were you convicted? Because you got "fine" written all over you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 26 years of working in Bainbridge County as a police officer, I don't recall having a subject in such a state of undress.
MOOS: Early reports indicated she was wearing high heels, but that was a product of wishful thinking because those are clearly sneakers. At least she didn't get charged with DWU, driving while undressed.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
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