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Top Syrian Defense Officials Killed; Olympic Security in Shambles?; Stuck Gas Pedals on Fords, Mazdas; Worst U.S. Drought since 1956; Batman's Bane Vs. Romney's Bain; Syria "Spinning Out of Control"; Romney's V.P. Choice; Jeremy Lin Heading to Houston
Aired July 18, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, breaking news out of Syria. The attacks getting closer to the president's inner circle this morning. The president's inner circle this morning, the defense minister and his deputy killed in a massive attack in Damascus. This could be a pivotal point in the uprising.
Safety alert. A new investigation to stuck accelerators. Your safety behind the wheel at risk this morning. Ford, Mazda -- we'll tell you what you should look for.
Minimum wage. Maximum controversy. New calls this morning to up the pay from $7.25 an hour. If your state raises its rate, does that mean higher unemployment?
Does Bane equal Bain? As "The Dark Knight Rises" pseudo claims that Batman has gone political.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Do you think that it is accidental that the name of the really vicious, fire-breathing, four- eyed, whatever it is, villain in this movie is named Bane?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So is the movie a reflection of the national mood or are Bruce Wayne and Barack Obama in cahoots?
Plus this.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Crops continue to struggle across America's corn belt as the record heat and drought continues. I'm Rob Marciano in Burnettsville, Indiana. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you, I'm Carol Costello. We have to begin with breaking news out of Syria. We just got word Syria's defense minister and deputy defense minister were targeted and killed. This is important because it brings the bloodshed well into the president's inner circle.
This could be the tipping point. The British Foreign minister says, "I think it's clear the situation is deteriorating rapidly."
Let's head live now to Ivan Watson with more.
Morning, Ivan.
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. The news of the deaths of two of the most senior officials in the Syrian government come from Syrian state TV no less, claiming that both of these men were killed in a suicide bombing targeting a national security headquarters in the Syrian capital.
And this news quite clearly a crippling blow because it's not only the defense minister but the deputy defense minister, Assef Shawkat, is in the brother-in-law of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Not only a blow to the government but personally to the inner circle of the Syrian president himself.
This deadly explosion comes after three days of fighting in the streets of Damascus as rebel fights have infiltrated and have been facing off against Syrian security forces in the backstreets and alleys of this ancient city. It has prompted the Syrian government to take the unprecedented step of moving in armored personnel carriers, tanks, armored vehicles into the city to try to protect itself, but also to move in helicopter gunships which eyewitnesses tell us have been firing into Syrian residential neighborhoods in the capital in an effort to try to uproot the rebel fighters.
We've spoken to a rebel fighter on the outskirts of Damascus within the last hour by phone. He claims that rebel battalions from across the capital city and from across the country themselves have converged on the capital in an effort to try to bring the fight to the steps of the presidential palace itself.
It's clear that the Syrian government still has helicopter gunships, tanks, it still has much more fire power than the rebels at this point. But its control of the capital itself has been shaken like never before over the course of this deadly 16-month uprising than has left more than 15,000 people dead -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ivan Watson, reporting live for us this morning.
Let's head to London now where the start of the Olympics just days away and the headlines are not about some of the world's greatest athletes. But major security problems. British military forced to deploy extra troops at the last minute after the private firm hired for the job failed to recruit enough security guards of its own. But despite the shortfall, Olympic organizers say the games will be safe.
Dan Rivers joins me now from Stratford, England. He's at the training center for the G4S, the security firm at the center of what some might call an Olympic-sized controversy.
So, Dan, the American Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his British counterpart are speaking right now on this very issue. So tell us where do things stand there now as far as the confidence level that our athletes will be faced? DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a lot of activity back here behind me with G4S recruits staff getting their uniforms finally getting their accreditation, some of them finally being told where they should go. But some are coming out still giving the impression that it's still pretty chaotic all this. One guy we talked to described it as a real mess.
One guy has been here three times already for the same training and is getting very frustrated. A lot of frustrated people coming out of here who frankly just want to get on with this and want to know what they're doing but feel like they're not being told where they're going or what they're doing or when they should turn up.
So there's clearly still some confusion here but they are obviously working very hard to try and shake this down. The CEO of this company got an absolute grilling yesterday in parliament, in front of a bunch of politicians, who didn't spare in any (INAUDIBLE), describing this as a shamble and as astonishing that they're going to still take their, what, $77 million management fee for this whole thing.
I think the underlying message about this is despite the problems with companies like this, the police and the army saying they will step in, already 3,500 troops to be mobilized to fill in some of the gaps and more are available if needed. It's not a great start but organizers are saying once the medals start being handed out, everyone is going to forget about this.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: They hope so. Dan Rivers reporting live for us this morning.
Stuck gas pedals on the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute vehicles again? And the federal government is now investigating whether they played a possible role in one fatal crash. And in another crash where the person suffered multiple injuries.
Nearly 100 reports have been filed by vehicle owners prompting an investigation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. More than half a million of the same vehicles all for model years 2001 through 2004 were recalled eight years ago for speed control cable issues. There are more than 700,000 of these cars still on the road today.
Athena Jones is live in Washington to tell us more. Is
So is this a new problem?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you mentioned, Carol, good morning, this is -- it's not clear at this point whether this is a totally new problem but there are certainly suggestions that it isn't completely new. We're talking about the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute SUV models from 2001 and 2004.
As you mentioned, 730,000 of these vehicles are being looked at according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
Now back in 2004 some of those same vehicles were recalled because the vehicle speed control cables and some of the new complaints suggest that it was the repairs done back in 2004 that could have led to the problem now, but, you know, 730,000 of these vehicles on the road. You can see we're standing on a busy street here. People are headed to work. This is something that people are certainly going to be concerned about.
We've reached out to Ford and Mazda, waiting to hear more from them. But as you know, this idea of acceleration problem isn't entirely new one. We know that Toyota had problems with this a couple of years ago -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So what are vehicle owners supposed to do?
JONES: Well, they'll certainly need to be paying attention to the news and if they have vehicles from this model year, again, the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute SUVs with the V6 engines from 2001 to 2004, unclear at this point whether there's going to be a recall. But this investigation has begun. And so certainly they'll want to pay attention and see what comes out of this -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. Athena Jones reporting live in Washington.
To politics now. Mitt Romney just can't shake calls to release more tax returns. And not because they're coming from Democrats. The latest call comes from Republican Governor Rick Perry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm a big believer that no matter who you are or what office you're running for, you should be as transparent as you can be with your tax returns and other aspects of your life so that people have the appropriate ability to judge your background.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And it's not just Rick Perry. The influential "National Review Online" writes in an editorial, quote, "Romney protests that he is not legally obligated to release any tax returns. Of course not. He is no longer in the realm of the private sector, though, where he can comply with the letter of the law and with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and leave it at that. Perceptions matter," end quote. Governor Romney, though, remains firm. Two years of tax returns is enough.
Mr. Romney is trying hard to change the discussion from his tax returns. His latest attempt accusing the president of being anti- business. His evidence, Mr. Obama's comments in a campaign stop in Virginia on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you are successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested roads and bridges. If you've got a business, that -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Romney surrogates have rallied around this issue. Though one of the surrogates' comments seemed offensive. Here's what John Sununu said on a conference call about the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SUNUNU, ROMNEY NATIONAL CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRMAN: The president clearly demonstrated that he has absolutely no idea how the American economy functions. The men and women all over America who have worked hard to build these businesses, their businesses, from the ground up is how our economy became the envy of the world. It is the American way, and I wish this president would learn how to be an American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Sununu then stepped back from that reference in an interview with Wolf Blitzer but he held fast to his criticism of the president on the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUNUNU: And frankly, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have used those words. And I apologize for using those words but I don't apologize to the idea that this president has demonstrated that he does not understand how jobs are created in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Is John Sununu a liability for the Romney campaign? No way, says GOP consultant Dave Carney. He tells the "Washington Post," Sununu is, quote, "not your milk toast metro sexual talking point surrogate," end quote.
One of the worst droughts to hit the United States in 100 years is taking a huge toll on this year's crops. In a state that grows the most corn, less than a third of the crops are in good condition. Now farmers and communities across the country are meeting to figure out what to do with their potentially pathetic harvest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAYNE HUMPHREYS, CORN FARMER: This is no longer a corn plant. This is a weed. This ear is probably not harvestable.
BILL TENTINGER, HOG FARMER: We've got exports. We've got the ethanol industry, and we've got the livestock industry. You know, and we've got some food industry that needs -- that uses some corn, too. And we've got all of them competing for that product.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Agriculture department has declared natural disasters in 26 states and in about two hours from now President Obama will discuss the drought with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
As I said, the drought is now considered the largest and worst since the mid 1950s. Take a look at the map. More than half the country is now affected.
Meteorologist Rob Marciano is in Burnettsville, Indiana, where I think the crops there have been hit worst of all?
MARCIANO: They have been, Carol. And this is pretty much the worst spot as far as the drought, the heat, and being in the heart of the corn belt, as well. Ironically, about a half an hour ago it poured down rain, probably about a third of an inch, about 20 minutes. Clearly not enough but these plants will take it.
This stalk should be over my head at the point. And just to give you an example of what a healthy ear of corn this time of year looks like, these are few and far between right here. This is what most of this corn looks like. And this is not a harvestable at this point. Some of this is not even pollinated. And that's the key. The bulk of the heat and most intense drought came during pollenization, which means that what they have now is all they're going to get regardless of the whatever rain shower comes down. All they have now is what they're struggling to maintain.
Earlier this morning I spoke with the farmer that actually owns this plot of land.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SCOTT, INDIANA FARMER: News keep referring to the drought of '88. And I guess at this point we think we're probably better at this date but we have potential to be much worse until we get major rainstorms coming through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: So they need a lot more than what we just had about 20 minutes ago. But putting things in perspective, they have had some good years in the past 10 or so years. So the more conservative farmers have, you know, built up a little bit of a cushion, if that's at all possible. And there are -- there is some insurance that a lot of these guys have for years just like this. But it goes well beyond just some struggling farmers as we -- as we pointed before you came to me, Carol, is that these little -- these species of corn, you know, they feed the cattle. They feed the pigs. They feed you. And they even supply some fuel.
So this is a huge industry that's taking quite a beating. And later on today, one of the undersecretaries of the Agricultural Department is going to be right here in this spot to take a tour and tell these folks what he can do and what the federal government can do at least a little bit to help out -- Carol. COSTELLO: Rob Marciano reporting live from Indiana this morning.
Two men caught on camera trying to rob a cafe, but oh, did they pick the wrong place. How a 71-year-old man saved the day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 17 minutes past the hour.
Checking our top stories now:
Breaking news out of Syria. We just got word Syria's defense minister and deputy defense minister were targeted and killed. This is important because it brings the bloodshed well into the president's inner circle. This could be the tipping point.
The British foreign minister says, "I think it's clear the situation is deteriorating rapidly."
The acting chief of the general services administration is freezing hiring and canceling most executive bonuses after a spending scandal two years ago. The agency spent more than $800,000 on a luxurious Vegas seminar for 300 employees.
In money news, a car buyer sues Hyundai claiming he is not getting 40 miles to the gallon as advertised. It's the second fuel economy lawsuit this year against an automaker. A woman successfully sued Honda, saying her Civic hybrid never did get 50 miles per gallon.
In sports, the dog from the silent movie "The Artist" was supposed to bring the ball from the pitcher's mound to home plate, before last night's Padres game. But Uggie ran towards the mascot and then dropped the ball. He may need more training to throw out the first pitch, but he sure looked cute.
In Florida, two would-be robbers storm an Internet cafe with a gun and a baseball bat but had the tables turned on them. They told everyone inside, don't move, and that's when a 71-year-old customer in the back pulled out his gun and he started shooting at them. He chased them out of the cafe. The suspects were later found and placed under arrest.
The anticipation is beyond fever pitch for Batman. Actually, the buzz surrounding this film is bizarre. First a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES")
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a storm coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You sound like you're looking forward to it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm adaptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Hmm. What if I told "The Dark Knight Rises" really is rising to $100 a ticket. Scalpers are very busy this morning.
The website Rotten Tomatoes dared to post a bad review on the site. So many fans protested in very vulgar ways the site had to shut down the comment section.
The editor-in-chief urging, quote, "Just take a deep breath, step away from the computer, and maybe go for a walk. Have a smoke if you need one. There are plenty of other things to get angry about like war, famine, poverty, and crime. But not movie reviews. Sincerely, Matt Atchity, editor-in-chief of Rotten Tomatoes."
And then, there's more, there's the political fallout. Some conservatives say Batman's archenemy in the film Bane, B-A-N-E, is really Bain, B-A-I-N, as in Mitt Romney's old company.
Media critic Eric Deggans is joining me to talk about this strange reaction to a movie that's not even out yet.
I mean, Eric, seriously? Why?
ERIC DEGGANS, MEDIA CRITIC: It's amazing. You brought me here to sort of translate comic book fan boy for you. So, I'll be happy for that for you.
COSTELLO: Oh, please try.
DEGGANS: This is an amazing movie. The reaction in a way is understandable if you understand comic book fan boys like myself. "The Dark Knight" series is considered one of the best comic book movies ever made. "The Dark Knight", the previous movies, considered one of the best comic book movies ever made.
So, I think a lot of fans are on the edge of their seat and are really hoping that Christopher Nolan figures out a way to wrap up this trilogy in a way that's worthy of the quality of the first two movies. So --
COSTELLO: But that doesn't really understand --
DEGGANS: -- if anybody indicates it may not be great --
COSTELLO: That doesn't explain why people wrote in to Rotten Tomatoes saying nasty things about critics when the fans haven't even seen the movie yet.
DEGGANS: I think it does, actually, because they are really invested in the movie. They want to believe it's good. And they are very skeptical of anyone who would try to trash it, particularly when they have so many hopes wrapped up in it.
I also think that the -- for us fan boys, again, you've got to understand this weird subculture. "The Avengers" came out, and I think it set the bar pretty high. It was a really well done comic book movie, and it raised expectations.
And now I think fans really want "The Dark Knight," the final movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," to at least rise to that level or be better, and they are very skeptical and critical of people to want to pull away from that legend.
COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about the, I guess, political fallout. The archenemy, Bane, I mean, is it possible that Hollywood said, hmm --
DEGGANS: No. No.
COSTELLO: Let's name this archenemy Bane and like pass Bane --
DEGGANS: No. No.
No, it's not possible. I mean, number one, the character was picked as the main villain just as the presidential race was getting started a long time ago. So I don't think this was in their minds. And the character itself was created almost 20 years ago in the Batman comic books.
Also, if you think about the batman legend, Bruce Wayne is a millionaire who runs a -- or billionaire who runs a very successful company that makes things. He is the hero of the story. So in a way, if they were sending a political message, they would be saying that Romney is the hero.
I don't understand why conservatives want to feel persecuted here. I mean, in the end, we know Batman is going to win. I'm not blowing any spoilers here. And he's the billionaire playboy industrialist. So I don't really understand.
COSTELLO: He's the nice rich guy who gets it, right?
DEGGANS: Exactly. Now, we do know that there may be some flavors of Occupy Wall Street in the message of the villain Bane. We can see that in the trailers that have been released.
And there's going to be talk about tension between the classes, between people who don't have feeling sort of persecuted by people who have. And wanting to take a piece of what the ultra-super rich have. That will be a theme in the movie.
But, again, the hero of this piece is a wealthy man. And he's going to win. So I think Rush Limbaugh should just take a chill pill and wait until the movie comes out.
COSTELLO: Eric, thank you so much for sharing. We appreciate it.
DEGGANS: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Eric.
The federal minimum wage has not increased in nearly three years. Now one group is calling for a day of action to pressure lawmakers. But some lawmakers don't want the minimum wage raised. We'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A new national campaign is launching today to raise the minimum wage. It's not a popular move. The federal minimum wage has not budged for three years. It remains stuck at $7.25 an hour.
And if you don't think this is an emotional issue, just ask voters in Wisconsin.
This is Republican Congressman Sean Duffy, who was confronted by a constituent who said, hey, congressman, let's talk about raising the minimum wage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONSTITUENT: When are you going to hold your next town hall meeting?
REP. SEAN DUFFY (R), WISCONSIN: We said we're going to do one every year, and we've done that.
So, if you want to come set up an appointment in my office, we'd be happy to have you come on by.
CONSTITUENT: What I'd like to know is the law -- there's a law to raise the minimum wage.
(END VDIEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That YouTube video courtesy of CREDO super PAC, a progressive organization. You might have guessed that already.
Democrats want to raise the minimum wage to nearly $10 an hour, but Republicans have blocked the efforts.
Corey Buckner is a waiter. He earns $2.83 an hour. That's the tipped minimum wage in Pennsylvania. And I want to explain that to viewers.
So $2.85 is the minimum wage in Pennsylvania because they factor in tips, et cetera, et cetera, right?
COREY BUCKNER, EARNS $2.83/HOUR+TIPS AS A SERVER: Correct.
COSTELLO: OK. First of all, welcome. We're glad you could join us. We really appreciate you being here and talking about this.
So, Corey --
BUCKNER: I appreciate it.
COSTELLO: -- with tips, along with your minimum wage of $2.85 an hour, how much do you earn?
BUCKNER: Roughly I can earn anywhere in between $50 a day to $150 a day. It's really based on the generosity of other people.
COSTELLO: And some days you don't get many tips at all or maybe none, right?
BUCKNER: Correct. Saturday, I didn't make -- I didn't have one table simply because the restaurant was slow. So I didn't make any money -- I made $12 that day about.
COSTELLO: So how much per year roughly do you make?
BUCKNER: Well, it's hard for me to say because I have switched jobs recently. But I would say somewhere in between $20,000 to $30,000.
COSTELLO: OK. So some people might say, that doesn't sound so bad. So tell me what it's like to live on that amount of money per year.
BUCKNER: Not too well, because at the moment I'm currently over $30,000 in debt due to school. And I can't go back to school because I owe my school $3,000. And I can't transfer my credits to another school if I chose to until I pay that 3 grand.
COSTELLO: So I'm sure you don't want to be a waiter for the rest of your life since you have that college education.
BUCKNER: No.
COSTELLO: So why are you still doing that?
BUCKNER: It's just a way of living. I mean, I don't even have insurance. I would say most restaurants don't even offer that or benefits to their employees. So at the moment, it's decent money. It's just a way for me to get by at the end of the day.
COSTELLO: Republicans say raising the minimum wage would hurt small business owners because they'd have to pay their employees more. And we don't need that right now in the midst of our economic downturn. What do you think?
BUCKNER: I think giving a little bit more to hardworking people who don't make enough to begin with is a very good thing. I can recall as a kid, when I say a child, I mean a college student, 19 years old, making $7.25 an hour and living with my parents, and having insurance, and still struggling, at the end of the day, to pay bills.
COSTELLO: And just the last question for you. Have you looked for another job that might pay more?
BUCKNER: Honestly, I would say -- here in Pittsburgh, it's kind of hard to find that. Here we have corporations like -- well, not a corporation, but UPMC we have here, which employees a lot of medical people. And then we also have Giant Eagle, which is another major corporation. And they start off at $7.25 an hour as well. It's very hard to find jobs in this economy. So I think raising the minimum wage would definitely help in some ways because it's bad enough that people can't find jobs to begin with.
COSTELLO: Corey, thanks for being here and sharing with us. We appreciate it.
Keep in mind we're talking about raising the federal minimum wage. Each state has the power to set its own rate. For example, in Washington state, the minimum wage is $9.04 an hour. In Puerto Rico, it's 4 bucks and change.
Christine Romans is our business correspondent. She is here to explain.
Christine, if states can raise the minimum wage, why should the federal rate be changed?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, every year, when there's a debate about this, it's ferocious, especially when you're not creating jobs quite frankly. The federal minimum wage prevails. When there's a choice between the two, and a state's minimum wage is lower, in almost all circumstances, with some exceptions for very small businesses or family-owned businesses or small farms, you have to pay that federal minimum of $7.25.
Now, the move -- the new move afoot here is it's been three years since it's been raised. It should be higher. Some people say it should be a livable wage.
You know, living on the minimum wage is about $15,500 a year. Can't raise -- certainly Corey knows better than anybody how difficult that is.
But what small business people say, Carol, they say, look, I'm barely holding on right now. If I have to raise wages $2 or $3 an hour, I'm definitely not going to hire anybody else and maybe I'm going to lay somebody else.
Part of the debate also has centered around, as it always does when there's this conversation every few years about raising it, Carol, centers around young people. If you have -- minimum wage jobs have often been where young people first get their foot in the door as they are finishing school or out of high school. And some of the debate is raised over, you know, maybe young people would not have a chance if the minimum wage were raised.
So, that's how -- that's how it falls along these ideological lines of making it a livable wage. No, don't hurt small business.
COSTELLO: And both sides have a valid point, right? Is there any evidence, though, I wonder tying the minimum wage to the number of jobs created or lost.
ROMANS: And, you know, this is -- so in 2006, something called the Fiscal Policy Institute studied this and found that states that had raised the minimum wage had better job creation from small business. But immediately conservative groups, Carol, came out and said that's because they were raising the minimum wage because they were already in a healthier position. That's why small businesses were hiring more, not because they raised the minimum wage, but because politically they were able to raise it because already times were good.
That was 2006. A lot has changed since then, Carol. We've been losing jobs overall ever since then, and conservatives will say, look, we raised the federal minimum wage, and we have been losing jobs ever since.
COSTELLO: Christine Romans, thanks for sorting it all out for us. We appreciate it.
New reaction from the Pentagon on the situation in Syria. I'll have that for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
COSTELLO: We started this newscast with breaking news out of Syria. The defense minister there and the deputy defense minister both killed in a targeted suicide bombing. This brings the violence very close to the president of Syria.
And now American officials are responding.
Let's head to the Pentagon and Barbara Starr.
What did Defense Secretary Leon Panetta say, Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we just finished a press conference with the secretary. He mainly in the past has left Syria to the diplomatic side of the house. Today, a very different tone, very different words from Leon Panetta. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's obvious that what is happening in Syria represents a real escalation in the fighting. And that all of the concerns that we've expressed, about the need for Assad to step down, the need for a peaceful transition, the need to achieve a peaceful solution to that situation, that by ignoring those appeals by the international community that the violence there has only gotten worse and the loss of lives has only increased -- which tells us that this is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: Rapidly spinning out of control. Carol, that is the first time we have heard that kind of assessment from the U.S. military from the Pentagon.
Secretary Panetta and the British minister of defense, who is also here today, also spoke about Syria's chemical weapons, and said they are now working through international partners to try and press the Assad regime to understand they absolutely cannot do anything with those chemical weapons, that they must keep them secure.
But I have to tell you, there were also very serious words about all of that. A lot of concern expressed about what is coming next in Syria -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. We're looking at live pictures out of Syria. What part of Syria is this from? Do we know? We don't know.
But this video coming in to us. And you can see a lot of unrest in Syria. And of course it's made its way to the capital now as we know because the defense minister and the deputy defense minister killed in their offices.
Barbara Starr, thanks so much for bringing us up to date.
It will likely be viewed as the biggest decision to date in the run for the White House. Our political panel weighs in on Mitt Romney's choice for V.P. and why these three men are reportedly on the short list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE GOMEZ-MARQUEZ: My name is Jose Gomez-Marquez. And I use toys to make affordable medical devices.
When we're using toys, it demystifies the process of medical technology. Often we look at these devices and we think that they are a black box and you need an expert to even take a screwdriver at it. You may not have the courage to hack a $1,000 device. But you definitely have the courage to hack something that's $5. And if you ad a little bit of ingenuity, it becomes something as powerful as a $1,000 medical device.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Turning now to politics, and a favorite game of political junkies in Washington and beyond, we call it the veep stakes. And this year, it's all about Mitt Romney and who he will pick for the number two slot.
The speculation set to intensify today as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a Romney surrogate, stumps for the Republican candidate in Ohio. While that state's senator, Rob Portman, also campaigns for Romney. Both men on a reportedly, quote, "V.P. short list for Romney."
So what will Romney's choice tell us about his strategy? And more importantly, will we even remember these people if Romney wins the White House? Seriously. You remember George H.W. Bush as president, not necessarily as President Reagan's vice president.
And honestly, can you remember what Al Gore actually did as Vice President under President Clinton? So let's talk about all that. Jason Johnson is chief political correspondent for Politic 365 and professor of political science at Hiram College. Let's also bring in Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. Welcome to you both.
JASON JOHNSON, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR POLITIC 365: It's good to be here.
RON BONJEAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thanks very much.
COSTELLO: I can't wait to have this conversation. I actually think we remember Vice Presidents more for the offbeat things they did. You know Dan Quayle misspelling "potato". Perhaps we remember Joe Biden best for this moment when an open mike captured his excitement about health care.
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JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
(EXPLETIVE DELETED)
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COSTELLO: Yes, he said "This is a big "f-ing" deal", if you didn't quite catch it. But I'm sure you remember it.
So Jason, we'll begin with you. Why not pick the most vanilla candidate out there?
JOHNSON: It's actually a smart idea. If you are trying to make like a big splash with your VP candidate, it means your campaign is already done. It's kind of like adding a new baby to a sitcom like to raise the ratings. Like you already know your show is done. So why are going to do that sort of thing?
So Mitt Romney should pick somebody boring, very simple, just like him and that will keep the focus on him because he is at the top of the ticket.
COSTELLO: So Ron, you're a big time strategist. Republican strategist, is that --
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BONJEAN: Thank you.
COSTELLO: -- is that what the -- is that what they think about when they go for the choice?
BONJEAN: Well, there are several things they think about. One is, you know, to Mitt Romney, trust is a big deal here. All three of these men that you listed can be trusted. All three of them have different qualities.
You know Rob Portman comes from Ohio, a battleground state. He's a solid campaigner and he's got economic experience plus he's worked with members on both sides of the isle. You know Pawlenty has been with the Romney campaign for a long time, hauled a lot of water for him without a lot of recognition. Although low key, he is considered very close to the Romney campaign too.
And Bobby Jindal has a great story to tell. A son of an immigrant, comes from the south, and that's something that Romney might need going into November.
COSTELLO: Ok. Well, let's talk about Rob Portman for just a bit. Because I have always wondered this. So I'm an Ohio voter and I was for many years. I never cast my ballot because the candidate picked someone from Ohio. I mean, do voters consider that? I mean, you work in Ohio, Jason.
JOHNSON: Yes. I am an Ohio voter too. We don't care. Nobody cares. They are not at the top of the ticket. The biggest myth is that this stuff actually affects voters, right? Voters are looking for who's at the top of the ticket and what they are going to do. Occasionally you can get some balance, occasionally somebody is creative.
There is no guarantee that Rob Portman is going to bring Ohio to Mitt Romney but he could pick somebody like Rob Portman because he is in the Senate and Romney hasn't been in Washington, D.C., and it may help him behind the scenes. That's a smart VP pick, someone who is going to help you behind the scenes, like a -- like a Biden, like a Dick Cheney but not someone who's going to win you the electoral college.
COSTELLO: Ok so Ron, if you were running things, if you were god of the Romney campaign, who would you choose?
BONJEAN: Oh, that's a loaded question. I'm not going to get myself into trouble by picking someone. I do think all three of those -- all three candidates right now are very solid. There's quite a few --
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COSTELLO: Oh that's such a cop-out. Come on, Ron. Come on.
(CROSSTALK)
BONJEAN: But they are -- they are all great people. They're all great people. They all bring to the table different qualities. And I do think, you know, for instance if Rob Portman was picked, I do think that -- that would make a big splash in Ohio. People would notice. It's the hometown Senator getting selected. That is actually a big deal.
Not necessarily seal the deal, but it would certainly help him raise the profile there. And it helps with fundraising, all kinds of things can benefit from that.
COSTELLO: Ok, Ron. We'll let you off the hook there. Because I only say that, Ron, because many Republicans don't seem thrilled by those choices because, you know, remember they floated Condoleezza Rice's name out there.
BONJEAN: Well, sure, yes.
COSTELLO: They said that would be a great pick. But no interest there I think from Condoleezza Rice.
BONJEAN: Well look, yes. You know, they are not -- they are not dynamic, exciting individuals. That's absolutely right. They are not you know, it's not the Sarah Palin type of choice that McCain made.
But that's not the type of election and campaign that's going on right now. You know Romney is looking for somebody that can be a solid number two, that can talk about the economy, that can -- that can really back him up. And he may announce before the convention, which would be -- which -- which could be very helpful to him.
COSTELLO: Ron Bonjean and Jason Johnson, thank you so much for being here today. It was fun.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
BONJEAN: Thank you.
COSTELLO: The fight to drink supersize sodas in New York is really heating up. Pepsi, Coke and soft drink lovers assemble for the battle.
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COSTELLO: Fifty-two minutes past the hour. Checking our "Top Stories" now.
Spinning out of control: that's how Defense Secretary Leon Panetta describes the situation in Syria today after an explosion killed the nation's Defense Minister and the Deputy Defense Minister, who happens to be the brother-in-law of the President, Bashar al- Assad. Panetta asked the international community must quote, "Bring maximum pressure on Assad to force him to step down."
In money news, just a week away from that ban on big sugary drinks in New York City and Coke and Pepsi are battling back. The companies have responded with a massive ad campaign. The anti-soda ban messages are appearing everywhere including in TV ads, movie marquees and even on airplanes banners.
In weather the heat is taking a toll on farmers and will hit your wallet. About 55 percent of the U.S. is in a drought, it's the worst drought since 1956. Withering crops means we'll likely pay higher food prices.
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COSTELLO: Jeremy Lin is heading to Houston as the New York Knicks decided not to match the Rockets' offer sheet Lin's three-year, $25 million contract with Houston is back-loaded with $14.8 million set for the final season. Had the Knicks matched the offer they would have been hit with a luxury tax for that third season, so they passed on the point guard. No hard feelings from Lin though. He tweeted, quote, "Much love and thankfulness to the Knicks and New York for your support this past year, easily the best year of my life. #forevergrateful."
Kobe Bryant is talking about how the challenges of his 2003 rape case helped him mature as a person. The Lakers star spoke about his dark days in a new interview with Graham Benzinger of Yahoo! Sports.
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KOBE BRYANT, L.A. LAKERS: There were times where it seems like the days were just endless. Like this is never going to end. This feeling, these dark times are never going to be over. And I think once you go through something like that you can't help but be different. You can't help but have a better sense of who you are.
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COSTELLO: Bryant wound up settling with his accuser. He admitted no guilt. That's a look at sports this morning.
