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Three Planes Nearly Collide At Reagan National; Obama Authorizes "Secret" Action In Syria; Spain Nabs Suspected Terrorists; Nuke Weapons Site Still Cutting Security; Crowds Show Up To Support Chick-Fil-A; Toyota Recalls 780,000 Vehicles; Bigger Pay Raises Next Year; Ann Romney's Horse Competes; "Farewell My Beloved Badminton"; U.S. Medalist Helps Young Gymnasts; Leyva's Towel Has A Twitter Account; U.S. Olympians Pay Medal Taxes; Five Inches Of Rain In One Hour; Deadly Typhoon Causes Sinkhole; Spain Nabs Suspected Terrorists

Aired August 02, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just in this morning, a collision narrowly averted at Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., involved three jets carrying a total of 192 passengers.

Two planes took off Tuesday afternoon heading toward a third plane already cleared to land. Those planes were seconds away, 12 seconds away from colliding in midair, when an air traffic controller realized a mistake had been made.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOWER: 3329, stand by. Hold on. We're trying to figure this out too. Stand by.

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: OK. We really don't have the fuel for this. We got to get on the ground pretty quick.

TOWER: Everybody standby -- we've got a couple of opposite direction arrivals. So it's going to be a little bit of a delay in your departures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All three planes reached their destinations eventually. Athena Jones is live at Reagan National Airport to tell us what the FAA is saying about this, this morning.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, the FAA says that there was a miscommunication, which I guess is fairly obvious, a miscommunication among air traffic controllers. They're continuing to look into this.

What happened on Tuesday afternoon is that air traffic controllers during this bad rainstorm decided to switch the direction planes were taking off and landing. They had been taking off and landing on Runway 1 in a direction south to north.

They changed that to have them takeoff and land north to south on Runway 19. We should note that Runway 19 and Runway 1 are the same runway. They just have those different numbers because of the direction that planes are landing, but that's where the mishap took place.

And as you mentioned, those planes were very, very close to possibly getting into trouble there. Now, the FAA is cautioning us against that specific figure of 12 seconds, but clearly, these huge airliners, heavy, going very, very quickly. There could have been a big problem there if the controllers hadn't realized their mistake.

COSTELLO: Something else that I noticed in listening to the control tower tapes. One, one of the pilots said, "what happened?" and you never really want your pilot to say that while he's flying a plane.

And two, he mentioned that fuel was critically low on board his plane and he might not be able to make the maneuver required. How concerned should we be about that part of the radio communication?

JONES: Well, it certainly raises eyebrows. I think listening to the air traffic control recordings are so fascinating because you really get a look into what was going on.

Certainly, one would hope that an airline wasn't coming in, an airplane wasn't coming in with absolutely fumes. So it's possible the pilot was trying to communicate that they weren't going to be able to circle for minutes and minutes and minutes.

We should learn more as we learn more of the story and as the FAA continues to investigate it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So, we'll let you do that. Athena Jones, thank you so much, reporting live from Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.

Turning now to the ongoing crisis in Syria, and news this morning the U.S. will provide covert assistance to rebels who are battling like this.

Sources telling CNN President Obama signed a secret order authorizing the action in the last several months. Let's bring in Mohammed Jamjoom. He is in Abu Dhabi.

So, the president, you know, issues this order. What kind of help will the United States provide these Syrian rebels?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it's unclear with this order exactly what type of aid will be provided. It's just not -- we're just not sure, we haven't gotten specifics on this specific order.

But in the past, the U.S. has said that they've provided nonlethal aid to the Syrian rebels -- communications equipment, humanitarian aid, intelligence on movements of Syrian troops that could be provided to Syrian rebels, things like that.

The Obama administration has said many times in the past that they're not ready to arm the rebels. They don't want to further militarize this very bloody conflict, one that's so chaotic in this Syrian civil war that's been going on. That having been said, though, the Syrian rebels and the opposition have stated very consistently the last several months that what they want more than anything else from the international community, and especially from the U.S., are more weapons.

Just a few days ago here in Abu Dhabi, I was at a press conference, the head of the Syrian National Council, one of the main opposition groups, stated very clearly what was need for the rebels more than anything else were antiaircraft guns, antitank guns.

He said that the rebels were fighting with primitive weapons and that the international community, the friends and allies of Syria would bear responsibility for any more massacres that might happen in Syria carried out by the regime against the people and against the rebels.

What's interesting here though is that in the last week, it's become clearer that Syrian rebels have become better organized, that they have better equipment, better weapons. And in the last few days, they've seized caches of weapons and even bases that were occupied by Syrian troops.

They've taken tanks, they've taken ammunition, and they're using those weapons now against the regime. They're even going after an air base in Northern Syria right now.

So, even though the Syrian rebels are better armed right now, they're still saying they need more help from the international community, and specifically, they want more weapons -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Mohammed Jamjoom reporting live for us this morning.

In Spain, the government announces new arrests against al Qaeda. Three suspected terrorists were rounded up over the last two days, and with the Spanish government call one of the biggest operations against the terror network. The suspects had information about remote-controlled airplanes and some had even experience making explosives and car bombs.

To Tennessee, where a high-security nuclear weapons site, is going to continue its plan to cut more than 30 security jobs. That's despite catching three peace activists, including an 82-year- old nun, trespassing on Saturday.

The three were arrested, accused of vandalizing and spray- painting a uranium facility. Federal officials tell Oakridge today staff cuts will not affect security.

Crowds flocked to Chick-Fil-A restaurants across the nation for Appreciation Day, which was organized by former Governor Mike Huckabee. It was to show support for the company after its president came out and says he is against same-sex marriage. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm out here to support the traditional marriage of men and women.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here to support the owners of this business and their Christian values.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that he's the owner of a private company, has a right to say what he wants, but I have the right not to eat chicken at his restaurant and I won't eat chicken at his restaurant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The event was not organized by Chick-Fil-A, and a spokeswoman says it will not release sales figures for yesterday.

If you drive a Toyota, listen up, there's a massive recall involving 780,000 vehicles, RAV 4s and Lexuses. At issue, a suspension problem that could cause crashes. The recall involves certain RAV 4 models and Lexus models.

Toyota says the potential problem occurs on cars that have had wheel alignment service. Motorists say they may hear a strange noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. Just take a look at that graphic.

You'll see the models affected, Toyota RAV 4s 2006 through 2011 models and the Lexus HS 250h, the 2010 model year. Those are the vehicles affected.

Some good news for you this morning, call it an early Christmas gift from your boss. A new survey shows that next year, American workers from teachers to service providers can expect an average pay raise of 2.9 percent.

That's actually up from 2.7 percent last year and there will be fewer salary freezes expected in 2013. Alison Kosik is live at the New York Stock Exchange. The 2.9 percent isn't much of a raise, but it's a raise.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Nothing to shake your nose up at, that's for sure. You know, this is the moment, though, Carol, to get your boss's attention, because you have to get them to jump on board, right?

Well, this is actually coming from a survey from Mercer. This is a consulting firm and what they did is they surveyed 1,500 mid-to-large sized businesses and guess what they found? They found that almost all of them, about 95 percent, say they actually plan to give raises next year.

But the size of your pay bump is really going to depend on what type of employee you are. Look at this. The survey found that if you're a top performer, you can expect a 4.5 percent raise next year. If you're considered an average worker, which by the way, is considered the biggest chunk of the workforce, you'd get an increase of about 2.5 percent.

And if you're viewed as a weak performer, you're looking at an increase of just 0.1 percent. What the survey found is that if you work at an oil or gas company, you're expected to get the biggest raises because workers there have a very specific skill set and companies feel like they have more pressure on them to reward their employees.

Plus, those places are typically pretty cash-rich. You know that, Carol. Education and health care sectors, those are going to see some raises, too, though they're not going to be as big. And you know what this is about. This is all about attracting and keeping your good employees. Hear that, boss?

COSTELLO: Yes. I like those words. What about perks?

KOSIK: Yes, and companies know about perks and they know that base pay, Carol, isn't just part of the equation if they want to keep their best employees. You know, workers want incentives too.

And mercer says many companies plan to keep offering these extra perks, like signing bonuses, cash rewards and bonuses for hitting certain targets.

Though in the current economic climate, let's all get real here, a lot of these things are just a cherry on top, the unemployment rate at 8.2 percent, almost 13 million people out of work.

I'll tell you what, many people, Carol, they are just happy to have a job. We can all relate to that -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That's absolutely true. Alison Kosik is reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange.

Ann Romney, she's cheering on her beloved horse, Rafalca today, as the horse makes its debut in the Olympics in London. Rafalca is participating in the dressage competition, sort of a horse ballet competition.

Ann Romney is in London to watch. Her husband, Mitt Romney, remains here in the United States so he can continue his campaign for president.

And one of those badminton players kicked out of the Olympics says she is quitting the sport entirely. Yu yang wrote this on her Chinese Twitter account, "Farewell my beloved badminton."

A total of eight players were accused of throwing matches to get more favorable draws in the next round. If Yu does retire from the game, she leaves behind a world number one ranking with her doubles partner.

You've heard of come-from-behind stories in sports. Well, U.S. Olympian Dannel Leyva has a great one to tell. The gymnast was competing in the men's all-around event.

He was mired in 19th place, and guess what? He makes a charge to grab a bronze medal. Dannel joins us from London to take us through the comeback. Welcome.

DANNEL LEYVA, TEAM USA GYMNAST: Hi. How's it going?

COSTELLO: Good. Congratulations!

LEYVA: Thank you. Thank you very much.

COSTELLO: So, you were in 19th place. It seems impossible that you could bounce back and win a bronze. Was the thought that it was impossible to win a medal ever in your mind?

LEYVA: At some point it was, definitely, you know, for sure, especially after that pommel horse routine. I didn't do the dismount I was supposed to do, or the way I was supposed to, rather, and the score ended up being very low.

And I'm pretty sure a lot of people ruled me off, but I just kept telling myself to keep going no matter what, and I kept telling myself, you're going to get a medal, you're going to get a medal, and it definitely helped.

COSTELLO: So, while you're performing, you know, and that takes immense concentration, is any of that in your mind?

LEYVA: Yes, I definitely used that whole situation, you know. I kind of bald it up and used it as positive energy for my upcoming events. Plus the fact that I knew that my last two were my strongest two, so I really just had to go out and have fun and show off and do the best routines I could.

COSTELLO: So, you're wearing your bronze medal. Where are you going to keep it, do you know yet?

LEYVA: I have no idea. I'm pretty sure my dad is going to put it somewhere to make sure I don't lose it or something.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about your dad, because he's also your coach, and you have a ritual, you two, before you perform. Tell us about that.

LEYVA: I don't know, I think we have quite a couple. I don't think there's just one. I think it's quite a couple of them, but I don't know. It's not like something that we practice. It's just something that we do, you know?

COSTELLO: Well, I'm talking about the one where he kisses you on the forehead and then grabs your ears.

LEYVA: That one. Yes, well, you see, he's been doing that not only with me, but with all of his athletes since we were very small. And here we would do it, or you know, he's not here, unfortunately, but I don't know. Like I said, he's been doing it since I was really small, so it's kind of been -- I've been very accustomed to that.

COSTELLO: So, is it more for you or for him?

LEYVA: I think it's for both of us, to be completely honest. It's funny, because the earlier days, you know, for the preliminaries and for the team finals.

He wasn't on the floor with me. He was up in the stands watching. So, we were joking around with the team and with the coaches, and I was like, all right, which one of you guys is going to kiss my head and stuff? And they're like, no, no, no! No, we're not going to do that.

COSTELLO: That's funny. I have to talk about your towel, your lucky towel. It has stars on it. The towel even has its own Twitter account and the towel is quite prolific.

Some of the tweets -- "My God, it's a fluff piece all about me." Another of the towel's tweets says "I look damn good on TV." Your towel has 10,000 followers. What is the towel's secret?

LEYVA: I have no idea. I don't even know who it is that has that account. It is hilarious that it has its own account, though. To be honest, it's more than just a lucky towel, you know. It's definitely developed into more than just that.

I use it to keep me concentrated and keep me focused in my training -- sorry, in my routines and in the moment, because otherwise, I get distracted too easily. And you know, I'd be watching and be like, my God, it's my turn! And I'd be caught off guard.

COSTELLO: You're kind of like a baseball player. You have superstitions. You have your towel. You have to have the ritual with your coach and your dad before you perform. That's kind of cool.

LEYVA: Yes. I mean, to be completely honest, all gymnasts have their own rituals on each event, and they're all different, you know. We all have our own little superstition type of thing that we kind of need.

COSTELLO: I understand that perfectly, I do. On a serious note, can you tell us about your work with up-and-coming gymnasts?

LEYVA: Yes. You know, it's great to be part of -- you know, one of my sponsors is helping me now to get back to one of the programs that helped he get where I am.

The program is called "Future Stars," and it really helped with the transition of being, you know, a compulsory athlete into being more of an optional, more of an elite athlete.

Like I said, it really helped me with my work ethic, with seeing what kind of work I need to put in. Citi is the one who is helping me. And it's a huge honor to know that I'm the face for them for that program, because like I said, you know, it did so much for me.

And you know, it's cool, because I'm not the only athlete that they're working with. They're working with 13 in total, and hopefully, everyone will support me on, you know, my team.

You just go to citi.com/everystep. It's called the every step of the way program, and it's definitely, it's an amazing program. I'm very glad to be part of it.

COSTELLO: Great. Well, congratulations, again, and America's proud. Thank you for being here.

LEYVA: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: U.S. winners at the Olympics are getting something extra with their medals, a tax bill. I should have asked Danell about that. You might not know that medal winners get cash awards $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $5,000 for bronze.

Medal winners are taxed on those amounts, but also taxed on the value of the medal. The group "Americans for Tax Reform," the Grover Norquist group, says gold medalists could have to pay upwards of $9,000, but a politifact analysis has one big caveat.

The tax bill would depend on how much each athlete earns outside of an Olympic event. If you're Michael Phelps with all your endorsements, of course, you will pay more than the others.

And by the way, Senator Marco Rubio has introduced a bill to eliminate the tax on medals, saying our Olympians should not be punished for their success.

There's a state of emergency in parts of Connecticut. Wait until you hear how much rain fell in an hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is 20 minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories now. A frightening moment near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, D.C. Three commercial airplanes almost collide in midair. Two planes had taken off heading toward a plane already cleared for landing. The planes came within 12 seconds of colliding. The FAA says it is investigating.

In Money News, the Postal Service is moving ahead on plans to cut hours at more than 13,000 post offices. Most of these cuts are in rural areas where there's less broadband internet and little reliable cell phone service. The Postal Service failed to make $5.5 billion prepayment for employee health benefits.

Several homes in Connecticut filled with water this morning. That's after five inches of rain fell in just one hour in Naugatuck. The flash floods turned roads into rivers and created huge sinkholes, prompting the mayor to declare a state of emergency.

And heavy rain from a powerful typhoon floods parts of Taiwan and the Philippines. At least 33 people were killed. The storm expected to make landfall in China in just a few hours.

And take a look at the damage it caused in Taipei. A huge sinkhole opened up below a man walking on the street. Rescue crews tried to save him, but the man died.

New developments this morning out of Spain, where three suspected al Qaeda members have been arrested. The interior minister calling this one of the biggest operations against al Qaeda in Spain.

Nic Robertson has more from London. Good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Apparently, at least two of these operatives who were hauled off a bus yesterday headed northwards in Spain from a southern city, were believed to be Russians or Chechens.

They didn't have any identification documents on them, but the apartment that they left behind in Cadiz, according to police, had had explosives there. The police are now searching for those explosives.

But what the interior minister, what the police are telling us now is that these two men pulled off the bus had had training in explosives, in weapons in Pakistan and Afghanistan, may have been connected to a Pakistani Jihadi group, and that they had plans on how to fly light aircraft.

And the police telling us that they believe they could have been using some kind of motorized paraglider to fly what the police have described as bus load of -- enough explosives to blow up a bus, to fly that potentially into possibly a Spanish or U.S./Spanish military base, naval base on the coast in southern Spain.

So, the Spanish authorities taking this very, very seriously -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live for us this morning, thanks.

Another day, another stump speech for the president in Ohio. Why can't the president close the deal in swing states like Ohio? It's our "talkback" question today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, why can't President Obama close the deal in swing states? The president stumped in Ohio yesterday for the ninth time this year, and what was the one word he kept repeating, built.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: America's not built from the top down. America is built from the middle out. America is built from the bottom up. America is built by farmers and factory workers and small businesses and companies that send American products overseas, not jobs overseas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Does all that talk of building have something to do with the president's now-infamous "you didn't build that" line from a few weeks ago? You know, the one Republicans have been using to bash him?

Well, that attack may be resonating on voters in swing states like Ohio, where despite an uptick in Ohio's economy, the hungry are still flocking to local food banks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CAMILLETTI, MANAGER, GOOD NEIGHBORS INC: Actually, we're going into the middle of the middle class now. We're reaching up to the suburban people, to people who used to have a nice home, a nice car. It is worse than it was three years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: This despite the fact the president's auto bailout helped Ohio with manufacturing jobs. It has an unemployment rate of 7.2 percent. That's below the national average.

A new Quinnipiac/CBS News/"New York Times" poll shows a majority of voters backing the president in three critical battleground states, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, but it's not all good news for the president.

According to the poll, although Mr. Obama is gaining support, it's mostly because of his personal likability or empathy. Most people say they trust Governor Romney more than the president to help their financial situation.

So, the "Talk Back" question this morning, why can't the president close the deal in these swing states? Facebook.com/carolcnn. I'll read your responses later this hour.

You've heard this saying, there's no crying in baseball. There were a lot of tears these days, especially at the Olympics. We'll discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 31 minutes past the hour. Checking our "Top Stories" now.

A frightening moment near Reagan International Airport near Washington, D.C. Three commercial airplanes almost collide in the sky. Two planes had taken off heading toward a plane already cleared for landing. The planes came within 12 seconds of colliding. The FAA now investigating.

The City of San Bernardino, California has officially filed for bankruptcy. That's after a $45 million budget shortfall. It joins two other California cities -- Stockton and Mammoth Lakes -- that are also bankrupt. The city will still provide services, though, like police -- from police and firefighters.

Chick-Fil-A reports record sales from yesterday's appreciation day organized by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange and what's Chick- Fil-A saying?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chick-Fil-A, as you said, is saying that it saw a record day of sales yesterday. The thing is the restaurant is not giving any specific numbers. And again, it doesn't have to. This is normal because Chick-Fil-A is a private company. It doesn't have to publicly report its results like the companies we report on, let's say first and second quarter earnings so far this year for these other companies.

Now but Chick-Fil-A is saying -- they have a statement they've issued. They said "We appreciate all of our customers and are glad to serve them at any time. Our goal is simple, to provide great, good, genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-Fil-A."

So they are trying to, I guess, spread the love. And you know, they say they're very humbled by the turnout. And you said it, you know, this turnout, a lot of it came from after Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor, went ahead and got the momentum going on Facebook. About half a million people -- more than a half million people signed up beforehand showing their support after Dan Cathy came out with his controversial remarks about gay marriage.

So not a huge surprise that that Chick-Fil-A is showing this much support after, you know, in such a polarizing issue -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, Chick-Fil-A was also quick to say, you know, we the company, didn't organize this appreciation day.

(CROSSTALK)

KOSIK: Exactly.

COSTELLO: This was organized by others. They're thanking customers for coming in yesterday. Of course, as you know, Alison, tomorrow there is going to be a kiss-in.

KOSIK: Yes.

COSTELLO: Gay rights groups are holding protests across the country. I don't know if they'll go in and -- you know, I don't think they're going to buy any products, but they are certainly going to be outside the restaurants.

KOSIK: And it's at least now their time to grab the headline, right?

COSTELLO: Right and Chick-Fil-A is also saying, hey, everything will be peaceful, all customers are welcome, we don't discriminate.

So we'll see what happens tomorrow.

KOSIK: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik live at the New York Stock Exchange.

COSTELLO: Ricky Berens won gold for the United States, then he might have broken a record at McDonald's. We'll talk about his 3,300- calorie meal. And oh, yes, his gold medal award-winning swimming.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Turning now to politics and the ongoing battle over who built American businesses. President Obama seeking to turn the backlash over remarks he made last month into a boom for his campaign, telling Ohio voters that Governor Romney's policies would benefit the wealthy and hurt the middle class.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello. America is not built from the top down. America's built from the middle out. America's built from the bottom up. America's built by farmers and factory workers and small businesses and companies that send American products overseas, not jobs overseas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Notice he did not insert the line "You didn't build that."

DAVID JOHNSON, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT "POLITIC 365": No, he didn't do that.

COSTELLO: David Johnson he's chief political correspondent for "Politic 365" and a professor of political science at Hiram College in Ohio. Welcome.

JOHNSON: I'm glad to be here.

COSTELLO: You were actually in Akron for that rally.

JOHNSON: Yes.

COSTELLO: And were telling me some fascinating things during the commercial break. So when the -- I mean who comprises the audience at these events like the one the President had in Akron?

JOHNSON: Right. It's not spontaneous. You have people who go in because they're interested and they're volunteers, but all campaigns they shuffle the people behind the President, they shuffle the people in front of the President, because they want to present the right demographic picture.

So he wants it to look like Akron, Ohio, so they made sure he had a number of blue-collar people, some moms, some young people. It's all fixed.

COSTELLO: How do you discern who's blue collar and who's white? Like, how exactly do you do that? They have a blue collar on.

JOHNSON: You look at the shirt, you look at the shirt. Exactly, exactly.

COSTELLO: So -- so they don't necessarily choose the people who are going to be at the event, but they arrange them.

JOHNSON: Right, exactly. It's kind of like, you know, you invite a bunch of people to your wedding but you set up the tables individually, and that's pretty much what they do at a campaign. I had a VIP ticket. I would have sat in the front row had I actually been there, just to observe.

And then people in the background, they want young people, they want older people, they want something that looks like what the campaign wants to bring out.

COSTELLO: So does that bug you?

JOHNSON: It doesn't bug me because everybody does it. I mean George Bush was doing that, Bill Clinton was doing it. It's -- it's all part of the charades, it's all part of the sort of the theater of American campaign.

COSTELLO: Ok so a recent poll taken by, I think CBS News/ Quinnipiac, showed that President Obama is inching up in support in swing states like Ohio.

JOHNSON: Right.

COSTELLO: Not by much, I mean, but he's ahead of Mitt Romney. Why do you think that is?

JOHNSON: I can tell you in Ohio in particular, he's got more people on the ground. Mitt Romney only has about 150 paid people on the ground. The Obama campaign has about 500 and it's supposed to go up another 100, 200 people in the next month.

Mitt Romney is spending his money on the air, Obama is spending his money on the ground. That seems to be helping Obama in the key swing states, at least right now.

COSTELLO: So all of those ads, because my parents live in Ohio, they're just being bombarded by ads. So that's not necessarily the best strategy when it comes to Ohio.

JOHNSON: Not when you're trying to get people out to vote. You've got to have somebody knock on your door, press the flesh, have your next neighbor say vote for Romney, vote for Obama. It's much more effective. Obama learned that in '08. That's how he went winning a lot of really close states.

COSTELLO: So in Ohio, the unemployment rate is what 7.2 percent. JOHNSON: Right.

COSTELLO: Which is below the national average, but it doesn't seem the vast majority of Ohioans are giving the President credit for that.

JOHNSON: Right.

COSTELLO: I mean, a lot of them saying no, it's because of our Republican Governor, John Kasich.

JOHNSON: Yes it's really weird, John Kasich was really unpopular for going after unions, but he's become more popular because the state's building. You see more construction in Cleveland you've seen in the last two years. You see things in Akron, you see things in Columbus.

So you know Ohio is doing better, but the President never gets enough credit and they always get too much blame for the economy. But in the end, Mitt Romney hasn't convinced people that he's responsible for it, either, so it's not helping him.

COSTELLO: Ok so quickly, last question, the polls. They don't really mean much now anyway, do they?

JOHNSON: Until people start paying attention. No one cares until after the Olympics, so the polls don't mean that much.

COSTELLO: I know. Jason Johnson, thanks so much.

JOHNSON: Always a pleasure.

COSTELLO: Ricky Berens won gold for the United States and then may have broken a record at McDonald's. You cannot believe what this man ate in one sitting -- 3,300 calories. We'll talk to him next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Swimmer Ricky Berens won a gold medal for the U.S. Tuesday night, his second overall in the London games and the second gold of his career. But he seems to be getting as much attention for what he did after the meet. We're talking about what may be a record- setting post-game meal.

Ricky joins us now from London. Hello.

RICKY BERENS, OLYMPIC SWIMMER: Hello there. How are you doing?

COSTELLO: I thought you'd be wearing your medals.

BERENS: They're tucked away right now.

COSTELLO: I know some athletes wear their medals and some don't. Why do you choose not to?

BERENS: You know, I have them around. I personally, I'm walking around the Olympic Park right now, I don't want them on, but I've got to keep them safe.

COSTELLO: I understand. I'd actually wear mine because I'm just like that, but I admire you for being modest.

Tell us what it was like to swim on the relay team with Michael Phelps. You all did such a fantastic job. What did that feel like when you're standing on the winners' podium?

Having Michael Phelps on a relay is probably one of the most confident things you can have, having him on, the world's greatest swimmer. It's something special.

In 2008, I was part of the epic eight gold medals, and to be part of that was a dream come true, and now to be part of Michael Phelps's 19 overall medals, it's incredible and something I'll tell my kids about.

COSTELLO: So, did he reward you? I mean, he should have gotten you a gift because you helped him out a lot.

BERENS: You know, he's helped us out more than we've helped him. Without him, I wouldn't have the Olympic medals that I do.

COSTELLO: What did he say before the race? Did he say anything to you?

BERENS: You know, he really just told us he had just come out of the 200-fly where he got upset by a couple hundredths, which I know he was very upset about. And he just came to the ready room and he said, you know, we're one right now with every single person in that relay. Let's do this together. I'm going last, so just kind of a 2 fly (ph), so give me a huge lead, and that's what we did. We went out there and we hammered it from the start, got him a big lead and he finished it off.

COSTELLO: I know, you did a fantastic job.

Ok, we have to talk about what you ate at McDonald's after a post swim -- two quarter-pounders with cheese, one big Mac, one six-piece nuggets, two medium fries and a medium McFlurry. If you're counting, that's 3,330 calories. How could you possibly eat all that in one sitting?

BERENS: I didn't eat it all. You know, we worked so hard to get to the Olympic games, to get a gold medal. We sacrifice so much. And now when you're finally finished, all you want to do is relax. You want to eat the foods that you haven't had a chance to in the last couple of years. And it's really just our time to enjoy.

And that McDonald's being the Olympic dining hall, it's just been calling our name this entire games, so it was, Conor Dwyer and I went and pigged out over there.

COSTELLO: Did you feel a little nauseated after you ate all that?

BERENS: Yes, that was kind of like a shock to the system.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Ricky Berens, for joining us. We appreciate it and congratulations.

BERENS: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: You've heard the saying there's no crying in baseball. Well, there's lots of tears these days, especially at the Olympics. We'll discuss.

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COSTELLO: So, let's talk more Olympics and the crying game and I don't mean that in a cruel way. It's just that crying has become part of not just the Olympic games, but all sports.

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COSTELLO: The agony of defeat startlingly clear at the Olympics. No matter the sport, tears often flow with every loss. Perhaps the most heartbreaking spectacle, American gymnast Jordyn Wieber. NBC couldn't resist, the cameras stayed on Wieber for so long a "New York Times" columnist wrote "NBC's concentration on Wieber wasn't just intense, it was melodramatic, voyeuristic and borderline sadistic. The real housewives of the uneven parallel bars."

Fact is, Wieber's on-camera distress is not limited to Olympic teenagers and it's not a new phenomenon. Michael Jordan cried, Wayne Gretzky cried. Yes, athletes have cried for a long time and the cameras love it. Brett Favre, anyone?

BRETT FAVRE, NFL PLAYER: I'd like to thank the Packers for giving me an opportunity, as well. I hope that every penny --

COSTELLO: Wide receiver Terrell Owens teared up after Dallas lost to the Giants in the playoff game. Yes, I know Cowboy fans, but back in the day, elite athletes didn't cry much, at least publicly. Remember the movie "A League of Their Own"?

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Now, you start using your head.

COSTELLO: It took place during World War II.

HANKS: Are you crying?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

HANKS: There's no crying in baseball.

COSTELLO: Today, there's plenty of crying in baseball, Mike Schmidt, anyone? Tennis, Andy Murray. Basketball, Lebron James. And the list goes on.

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COSTELLO: And joining us to talk more about this is sports psychologist Dr. Rick van Haveren and Tiki Barber, formerly a New York Giant. Welcome to you both.

DR. RICK VAN HAVEREN, SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST: Thank you.

TIKI BARBER, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: I can't wait to talk about this. So, Tiki, I have to ask you, have you ever cried publicly?

BARBER: I think I have, actually. When Wellington Mara, who was one of our team owners passed away and we played a game against the Washington Redskins that next weekend, I had a great day and it was an extremely emotional experience because we were all close to him as a man but also for what he represented. After being successful, sometimes you can't contain that emotion and it comes out in the form of tears. It's not a bad thing.

COSTELLO: No. I mean I know it's not a bad thing, it's just that it seems to be always captured on camera and I wonder if that bothers athletes.

BARBER: Well, you know, I don't think it bothers athletes. I think that we as a society had become so voyeuristic as was stated in that "New York Times" article, and we crave emotion. We crave to see the human side of these athletes who we built up to be invincible.

At the end of the day, we are all just human and I think the athletes that you're seeing at the Olympics are human. They cry when they're fail, they cry when they're successful because that's what they're really feeling.

COSTELLO: Well, Dr. Van Haveren, I just want to ask you this question. You know, we are looking at poor Justine (SIC) Wieber and she's crying and she can't stop crying and the camera is on her. And you wonder, you know, it goes through your mind, is she too wrapped up in her sport? Is this too much for her to bear?

VAN HAVEREN: I don't think it's too much. Like Tiki mentioned, in some way athletes are unique, but in other ways they're people like everyone else and they do have emotions. When they do well, when they don't do well, they're going to have those types of emotions.

COSTELLO: But couldn't your whole identity be wrapped up in this sport and if it's over for you, let's say at the Olympic Games, I mean could that mean like possible trouble down the road?

VAN HAVEREN: Well, definitely. If an athlete's identity is too involved and the whole identity in the family is too involved. Then an athlete might have problems down the road dealing with loss. Some research shows that athletes who have a high identity and experience an injury and their career is over, they typically have more difficulty coping than athletes who have more of a balanced identity.

COSTELLO: Yes. Because it's not just the gymnast who is losing, her whole family is losing because they poured their finances into this young athlete, all of their time and the athlete then, she bears the guilt of losing not only for herself and her team, but her family. VAN HAVEREN: That's correct. And that's a lot to manage, especially for some of the younger athletes. They might be 17 years old and they're doing very adult-type things and very adult roles but they are still teens and they have the coping skills and some of the emotions of any 17-year-old.

COSTELLO: Going back to the world of pro sports, Tiki, remember, I'm sure you remember Lou Gehrig, if anyone had reason to cry during his moving good-bye speech, Lou Gehrig did. Instead, he said he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth. Today though when athletes retire, the tears flow. When did that change?

BARBER: You know, I think it was different with Lou Gehrig. Obviously, he had a terminal illness and he wanted to present this stoic and in control person and it was important. But now I think we've gotten so wrapped up as athletes into what it is to be an athlete, to be honest with you.

At a very young age, your develop is arrested. It's an arrested development of a normal upbringing. So, when it's gone, it's very hard to accept that. Now you have to become a normal person. And you see a lot of problems for athletes, especially those that play professionally for a long time as they try to transition into the real world.

COSTELLO: So, does anyone help you guys with that?

BARBER: Well, there are a lot of resources that the NFL and other leagues put out there to help athletes make that transition, but it's hard. Because you have to almost see yourself as invincible and infallible that I can play this game forever otherwise you start doubting yourself and you risk not succeeding.

When that goes away -- when that, you know, facade comes down, it's very, very difficult to act like a normal person, again. But I think there are resources out there, if guys would accept it.

COSTELLO: Dr. Rick, Tiki Barber, thank you so much for joining us this morning. It was a great conversation.

I'm carol Costello. Thank you for joining us.

"CNN NEWSROOM" continues after a short break with Kyra Phillips.

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