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Isaac Pounds Gulf Coast; Paul Ryan to Speak at Republican National Convention; Interview With Herman Cain

Aired August 29, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Mitt Romney's running mate, his number two here, Congressman Paul Ryan, officially introduces himself to tens of millions of Americans who will be watching tonight. We will get to all of that here in just a moment.

But first, we have to talk about this urgent situation along the Gulf Coast. It's now been almost a full day since Hurricane Isaac started battering the Gulf Coast and we are seeing the kinds of pictures really we had hoped we would never see coming out of there again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to get you over here to this truck I think over here, all right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, crews are out once again along the Gulf Coast region trying to save people who did not heed the call to evacuate.

I want you to listen to this woman who waited a little too long to get out of Isaac's way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tried to leave and then we didn't because we had nowhere to go. Then (INAUDIBLE) come on the TV and said that there's (INAUDIBLE) and that's been a breach in the levee. So then we were trying to leave, but trying to drive in the car you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

And with me being a diabetic, and I had a stroke, we were in the house. We stay in a trailer.

QUESTION: What's it like back there now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bad. Water is over the top of the roof. We had to break through the ceiling and come through the attic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: An emotional, emotional woman there. Thankfully, she is A-OK. Want to let you know Isaac has officially been downgraded to a tropical storm. No longer a hurricane. A tropical storm, but Isaac came on shore as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm packing a lot of rain with it. And when we remember Isaac in the future, when we talk about this in the future, it will be known as a flood maker and by the looks of these pictures you can see why.

Right now, the Gulf of Mexico is spilling over and flooding the main highway along the coast.

As were talking to John Zarrella, he was talking to us about Highway 90. But I want to get straight to Gulfport, Mississippi. Let's focus on this with David Mattingly, where I know, looking at you, my goodness, just keep your feet plants there, David, in those waves. Talk to me about the conditions where you are.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These conditions are exactly what I have been fighting all day long literally since before dawn.

We have had these hard winds. We have had just torrential rain. Just within the last hour, in fact, I have seen the hardest rain from this storm coming down. It was so dense and so thick that I couldn't see the ocean behind me. It was a complete whiteout with the rain that was coming in here.

But we have had tropical storm conditions since midnight of last night and now look at this. It's still going on. I spoke to the governor of Mississippi a couple of hours ago and he confirmed what we believed, that nobody really expected this storm to just park itself on the Gulf Coast.

As it turns out, Mississippi is really on the wrong side of this storm, as if there might be a good side, but this is the side, the eastern side, where all of the water typically is. And this water has just been falling relentlessly on Mississippi. They were revising their rainfall P.R. total predictions. Before we looking at possibly maybe a foot of water. Now it could be 18 inches of water. It may be even more than that by the time this storm is done, because it just won't leave -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: David Mattingly, if you can hear me through all this whipping wind, I was just talking to John Zarrella, who is also somewhere around you in Gulfport, talking to me about this Gulf Coast highway, Highway 90. Where is 90 compared to where you're standing right now and is it shut down?

MATTINGLY: Watch me.

This is Highway 90 right behind me. This is the westbound lane right here. The westbound lane right here is higher. It's open. Just beyond me, beyond that median is the eastbound lane. It's much lower. It's completely covered with water right now from the storm surge from the ocean. That's why Highway 90 right now is impassable.

BALDWIN: That is all you needed to say, David Mattingly. Look at that. That is the highway. And now it just looks like a massive ocean.

David Mattingly, thank you very much. We will check back in with you in Gulfport, Mississippi.

I want to take you to Louisiana now. We have been talking a lot about Plaquemines Parish. Really it's been a house by house by house rescue. Isaac's unrelenting rain there causing floodwater to top a levee. That surprised a lot of people, including parish President Billy Nungesser. Listen to this. This is his assessment of Isaac.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY NUNGESSER, PRESIDENT, PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA: No one thought this storm was going to do what it did to Plaquemines Parish. I myself, it doesn't matter about damage to a home, but to give you an idea, I had more damage from this storm than I did from Katrina and I rode out Katrina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: How about that? Rescue crews they were out and about answering 911 calls from people that didn't think Isaac was going to be so bad. Remember people were saying this is only a Category 1? Look at this now. More than 150 calls came in from Plaquemines Parish alone, including this guy rescued from his house along with his dogs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't think it would happen again. I have two trucks, brand-new a motor home underneath there never used. Gone.

QUESTION: Were you here for Katrina?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we left for Katrina. But that's it. I had enough. I ain't coming back no more.

QUESTION: Did you lose your home in Katrina too?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

QUESTION: So, now you have lost the same home twice?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Lost the same home twice. We wanted to play you a little bit more of his sound, but let's just say the language got a little colorful but given his situation can you blame him? He said he is too old for this "bleep."

I do have Kim Duplanche (ph) on the phone with me now. She lives in Braithwaite. This is in Plaquemines Parish. This is one of areas hardest hit. Take a look at the map and you can see where Plaquemines Parish is. Her home was flooded really up to the eve.

Kin, we're going to throw this picture up. The picture really tells the story. Are you with me on the phone, Kim?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am on the phone, yes.

BALDWIN: Kim, we're going to put this picture up here. You are in New Orleans. I just want to be fully transparent. Here it is. But this is your home in Braithwaite. Your husband and parents are in this home. They are waiting to leave. But walk me through this photo. What are we looking at?

This is actually the back of my home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My home sits on what's called Highway 39 in Braithwaite.

And I face the levee that was topped or breached. What you're looking at is my view to the Mississippi River. That's my second floor balcony. That is a picture that was taken outside of my daughter's bedroom. My home is a three-story home. But what you see to the right there is my single floor bedroom that kind of jets out from the main building of the home. It just kind of sticks out a little bit.

That chimney stack is a fireplace that I have in my bedroom. You can see that the water is all the way up past the gutter cans in where my bedroom is.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have 12 acres of property. That's my parents' double-wide home that's in the back. It's completely flooded. It sits elevated about three-and-a-half feet off the ground. Then the water goes up from there.

BALDWIN: My goodness.

I understand, Kim, that you lived in this home -- and forgive me I'm looking on screen because I was just looking at this picture. But you lived in this home. You were there for Katrina. Katrina came, three feet of water. You lost your home. You decide, you and your husband say we're going to rebuild and now this.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We decided to go ahead and rebuild. We kind of took a family vote and we wanted to go back to our home.

It was great. It's a beautiful place to live. It's a great community. There's a lot of people there. You can see from some of your other footage that everybody sticks together in that community. Everybody is friendly towards one another. The lady that was rescued off the roof, we're familiar with her family.

The gentleman, Jesse Shafer (ph) Jr., that has gone around, him and his father have been instrumental in the past with not just with Katrina but with Gustav and Hurricane Ike that came through as well. They were helping save that levee system in previous storms, so it's no surprise to me.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Forgive me for interrupting, but we were talking to Jesse (ph) and all those rescues. Kim, forgive me for interrupting, but just final question. When will you know if your home is a loss and do you stay and do you rebuild for a second time?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, my home is a loss.

We know that already. I'm not able to speak to my husband. My husband is still there. We're going to make that decision together. It's been our home for a long time. It's a beautiful place to live, like I should, and we have a lot of animals. It provides us a great place to raise all our animals and everything which is kind of the reason why my husband stayed.

But I'm not sure this time. It's one of those fool me once, shame on you, and fool me twice, shame on me. I'm not quite sure what we're going to do this time. We have to discuss that as a family. I have a senior in high school in the city of New Orleans and we have to discuss what we're going to do as a family with our children.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Thank you for sharing this photo. You have a son getting married. I can hear you. Go ahead. Forgive me. There's a little bit of a delay here. I'm sitting in Tampa and I know you're in New Orleans. But I just want to thank you for calling in and sharing your story. We wish you well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

BALDWIN: We're crossing our fingers for you and whatever it is you decide to do. Best of luck.

Isaac, it is turning north. Graham Ulkins of CNN affiliate WAFB is north of New Orleans in St. John, St. John Baptist Parish there, where rooftop evacuations are under way.

Graham, set the scene for me.

GRAHAM ULKINS, WAFB REPORTER: Yes. Hey, Brooke.

We're actually just on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans a little northwest from New Orleans. What's happening here is as you have heard all of this rain and all of this wind has been with us just for such a long time that it's pushing that storm surge from Lake Pontchartrain and it's going over into a neighborhood that's right on the edge of Lake Pontchartrain here in St. John Parish in LaPlace, Louisiana.

It's pushing all of that water into that neighborhood. Folks did not think that was going to happen. No one really thought it was going to happen since the storm has just been sitting here now. They are actually calling for anyone with boats to meet at the Home Depot on one of the main thoroughfares here and then they're trying to organize the boats.

They have also called in the National Guard to help with some of the rescues and help get some of these folks out of this one neighborhood. This is not a widespread thing. But in one neighborhood that buts up against Lake Pontchartrain, that storm surge just continues to batter the neighborhood and really is making that water rise a lot more quickly than folks thought.

BALDWIN: Graham, just quickly, did people think this would be the rain and flood event that it apparently has proven to be?

ULKINS: Definitely not. We heard it was going to be moving a little slowly, but we definitely thought it was going to get out of here a little bit quicker than this.

The problem here now is it's still sitting over us. We're still expecting a lot more wind and rain tonight, even late into the night and into tomorrow as well. There's really no telling how far some of these waters will rise in these low-lying areas.

This parish was under a voluntary evacuation that was issued ahead of the storm in these low-lying areas, but for the folks that chose not to leave, they're having to deal with this now, at least in this one neighborhood in this one parish here on the other side of New Orleans. But the rain and the wind continues to come down and there really is just no end in sight for these folks who really were caught off guard.

BALDWIN: Graham Ulkins from our affiliate WAFB, Graham, thank you very much.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

BALDWIN: We're going to talk about the Gulf Coast a little bit more here in a moment.

But, first, here in Tampa he's the Republican Party's most we will call him outspoken, outspoken figures who came out of nowhere, led the presidential polls for weeks and weeks. We will talk with the always interesting and revealing Herman Cain about his failed bid for president and his future plans. He joins me now on the Grill next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Back here live at the 2012 Republican National Convention.

Here at the CNN Grill in Tampa, Florida, I'm pleased to be joined by a businessman and former presidential candidate himself, Herman Cain of Georgia.

Hello, sir.

HERMAN CAIN (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, Brooke. I'm delighted.

BALDWIN: Good to see you.

CAIN: Thank you. Happy to be here.

BALDWIN: Let's just begin reflecting of the highs and lows of Herman Cain.

CAIN: Yes. Yes.

BALDWIN: It really goes back to October, when you were doing quite well in the polls. Just between us, were you measuring drapes for the White House yet?

CAIN: Not measuring drapes, but I was starting to pick out my Cabinet.

As a matter of fact, think about it. I was number one in the polls for four straight weeks, until this coordinated, vicious attack of my character and my life. And it impacted my family and ultimately that was the reason that I dropped out, because I had become a threat, obviously, but no.

BALDWIN: Picking out the Cabinet, but not the drapes. Let's revisit that era of Herman Cain. We're going to play a listen sound. This is from one of the debates. This was the one in Vegas, when you were talking about your 999 plan. Roll it.

CAIN: Right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAIN: No, no, no, no. You're going to pay the state sales tax, no matter what.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Right.

CAIN: Whether you throw out the existing code and you put in our plan, you're still going to pay that. That's apples and oranges.

ROMNEY: Fine. And I'm going to be getting a bushel basket that has apples and oranges in it, because I have got to pay both taxes, and the people in Nevada don't want to pay both taxes.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: Now let me make this comment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I remember watching that moment. I remember that.

CAIN: Yes. BALDWIN: Huge applause there.

CAIN: Yes.

BALDWIN: Do you think you would make a better president than Mitt Romney?

CAIN: I think that both of us would make great presidents in different ways.

BALDWIN: Who would be better?

CAIN: You can't say that.

And the reason is he has a different skill set, although I really admire his business experience, and I have a different skill set. So, I think that we both could be equally good presidents, in fact, great presidents, because of the fundamental similarities in our philosophy, our business approach.

For example, Mitt know what a budget. He's not going to try to run the United States without a budget. You can't succeed as a leader, as a CEO without a budget. We have a lot of similarities in that regard. Our styles are just different.

BALDWIN: Given the state of the country right now, who would be better?

CAIN: We would both be equally the same, Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right. You can't hurt a girl for trying. I'm just trying. I'm trying.

(LAUGHTER)

CAIN: It's quite all right.

BALDWIN: Would you consider yourself more a full-fledged member of the establishment of the Republican Party or do you refer being an outsider?

CAIN: I'm a constructive outsider.

BALDWIN: What does that mean?

CAIN: That means that I don't trash the Republican Party, but I do believe in all of those core conservative principles, and I relate well with some people that do not view themselves as part of the Republican establishment.

I'm a constructive outsider, but I'm also very devoted to trying to get the Romney/Ryan ticket elected.

BALDWIN: Question out of left field for you. Do you think President Obama -- how much credit does President Obama deserve for taking out -- finding and taking out bin Laden? CAIN: He gets 51 percent of the credit because he had to make the ultimate decision.

BALDWIN: Who gets 49?

CAIN: The 49 percent goes to the special forces, the intelligence work putting together the plan that goes all the way back to George Bush. He gets a large portion of it, absolutely, because they could not do that without him giving the final OK. He gets 51 percent of the credit.

BALDWIN: Why not more? So many people would say he was the man in charge. They found him. They have been hunting him down for years and years under other presidents. They didn't issue any orders. It was under President Obama.

CAIN: If the plans had not been in place, if the special forces had not already been trained, if all of the other things that led up to that key decision moment had not been put in place, he wouldn't have been able to make that final decision. That's why.

BALDWIN: You sound a little frustrated talking about that.

CAIN: No, I'm not frustrated.

(LAUGHTER)

CAIN: Let's talk about how we grow the economy.

BALDWIN: Let's talk about just right now, the space right now.

CAIN: Yes.

BALDWIN: You listen to Chris Christie last night. He really injected the enthusiasm into that. Just it was crazy, crazy on the convention floor last night. He talked about how for a leader respect is more important than being loved and how the nation right now needs Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

What is it about this moment right now that makes it a Mitt Romney moment?

CAIN: What makes it a Mitt Romney moment...

BALDWIN: Yes.

CAIN: ... is that this current administration has no positive results, other than making that 51 percent decision to take out Osama bin Laden, to point to.

Unemployment went up and stayed up. There are more people on welfare. There are more people on unemployment. The real unemployment rate is much higher than it is. The debate over Medicare.

BALDWIN: Some people blame previous administrations for handing them what they were dealt with.

CAIN: Right. Yes, what they dealt with. But let me tell you something about being a CEO most of my career.

Day one when you take over, you take ownership of solving the problem. You cannot blame your predecessor when you take over an organization. And there are things that President Obama could have done in order to make a difference, but he chose ideologically not to do them.

For example, the biggest thing that this president, with all due respect, would never do is to talk about reducing taxes across the board. If you look at the history of this country over the last 50 years, it works. The biggest flaw in President Obama's philosophy is that you don't raise revenue by raising taxes.

BALDWIN: No. I know that was something Governor Christie was trying to point out, his own personal example.

CAIN: Exactly. That was what he was trying to point out yesterday.

BALDWIN: Others, we know very well, would disagree with that.

CAIN: Yes.

BALDWIN: But we have to leave it there.

Herman Cain, thank you. Thanks for stopping by the Grill. I recommends the burgers.

(CROSSTALK)

CAIN: My pleasure. I'm going to eat now, on CNN.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Very tasty. All right. All right.

Moments ago, let's talk about your man Mitt Romney speaking live here before veterans. And the topic quickly, quickly turned to Iran. You will hear what he said next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just moments ago, Mitt Romney spoke at an American Legion convention in Indianapolis. The speech was also shown live via the satellite right here at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Let's listen to what it was he told the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: I know that you know that the world continues to be a dangerous place. Major powers are rapidly adding to their military capabilities, sometimes with intentions that may be very different than our own. The regime in Tehran leads chants of death to America and it's drawing close to nuclear weapons capabilities. The threat of radical Islamic terrorism persists, despite the welcome removal of Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders.

With instability in Pakistan and horrific violence in Syria, and with North Korea having shared nuclear technology, the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continues to be very real.

And, of course, we're still at war in Afghanistan. We still have uniformed men and women in conflict risking their lives just as you once did. How deeply we appreciate their sacrifice. We salute them. We honor them. We respect and love them.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: All of this is happening around the world now.

And yet for the past four years, President Obama has allowed our leadership to diminish. In dealings with other nations, he's given trust where it's not earned, insult where it's not deserved and apology where it's not due.

A fundamental principle of American foreign policy has long been to work closely with our allies, so there can be a greater effort to deter aggression before it breaks out into open conflict.

We used to nurture our alliances and stand up for our common values when it comes to friends and allies like Poland and the Czech Republic and Israel. And with nations that oppose us, like Iran and Cuba, President Obama has moved in the opposite direction.

Our foreign policy should take page from the U.S. Marine Corps, no better friend, no worse enemy.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Mitt Romney speaking there in Indianapolis at the American Legion convention. Of course, he will be back in Tampa. This is his week. This is his party. He will be accepting the nomination tomorrow night here in Tampa.

I want to take you back to the urgent situation along the Gulf Coast. We have to continue talking about Isaac. Rescues, they are under way as now tropical storm -- Tropical Storm Isaac wreaks havoc. Floodwaters overtop a levee and flood myriad homes.

We will get a live update, as folks are forced out in search of higher ground.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: So, live on the Gulf Coast and face hurricane season, year after year after year, I suppose you have to have some sense of humor.

CNN's Ed Lavandera covering Isaac from Grand Isle, Louisiana, from the house of shrimper Dean Blanchard. Listen to how this man views Isaac and, while you're listening, I want you to look closely at the floor, the floor of his house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's it like being trapped here, seeing all this water?

DEAN BLANCHARD, SHRIMPER: I feel like get in my truck and go ride, but we took a little water a while ago, so we'll let it go down another few inches.

LAVANDERA: It's gone down a little bit.

BLANCHARD: It's probably dropped about five or six inches in the last hour, but it looks like it stopped, you know? That's what's worrying. I was hoping it would continue to drop.

LAVANDERA: This is a cycle I just find amazing, when you sit here and you look out your side door ...

BLANCHARD: Yeah, yeah.

LAVANDERA: ... and you see water everywhere.

BLANCHARD: Well, everybody wants waterfront property.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Waterfront property? Eddie Lavandera, is he serious? I mean, I guess kudos to him for laughing about it.

LAVANDERA: We've been laughing for the last 36 hours with this guy. It's been unbelievable, but he's not lying about waterfront property. Just look at everything. The Gulf of Mexico, Brooke, out here.

And it's now been 24 hours since we've been experiencing and feeling conditions like this. We're surrounded by water. The good news is that it had gotten up to about six inches in the bottom floor below us. Right below us is the garage that had taken on some three to four feet of water. So, that is starting to recede.

But everywhere you see around us, this is a house over here and I wanted to show you, Brooke, over here, if you follow me this way, we've got a good view, finally. A lot of our view has been obscured by the rain that has coming down so intensely for the last 24 hours.

But we finally got a good view back over here this way toward -- this is the bay side. Looking out of the house this way, this is New Orleans over there, but what we've been trying to get a handle on is this is Dean Blanchard's shrimping operation, in fact, over here. And you see about three or four shrimp boats over there in the distance.

We can't get to them. We just spoke to the mayor who hasn't been able to get his emergency crews over there, either, but we've heard that there were three or four shrimpers that had decided to ride out this storm on their shrimp boats.

So, our belief is that there's some three or four guys over there just sitting inside those shrimp boats, locked down. We don't know if that's true, if they're still there or they've left at some point yesterday when it started getting ready bad. We can't make our way over there.

All I know is that last night it was lit up pretty well. There were lights on that boat that we could still see.

But, as you can tell, look outside here. We're talking three or four feet of water that this house is completely surrounded by.

The good news is that the storm and the eye of the storm, Brooke -- we took a direct hit here and the eye of the storm came over and we're hoping this thing is moving so slowly that these conditions just won't let up.

Brooke?

BALDWIN: I have seen those shrimp boats, Ed Lavandera, and I just can't imagine why someone would want to ride it out, but you're right. It is a new meaning to the phrase "waterfront property."

Glad you guys are all A-OK. Thank you.

We will take you back to the Gulf Coast in just a moment, but first, it's a hot button issue here on the campaign trail, the back- and-forth on healthcare reform. Mitt Romney promises to repeal ObamaCare, day one, if, in fact, he wins this election.

But what would Romney put in its place? Next, a closer look at his plan for seniors on Medicare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We've heard this promise, time and time again, from Mitt Romney. He says, if he is elected president, he will repeal ObamaCare. We are looking now at what Mitt Romney will do to replace it.

One provision of the healthcare law allows seniors to get discounts on some prescription drugs.

I want to talk to Elizabeth Cohen because, you know, one of the questions I know people have is, so, OK, but what discounts are they getting and what would they get to keep under said Romney plan?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brooke, the way that it works right now is that Medicare beneficiaries, senior citizens, at a certain spending level get a discount on drugs. It's a 50-percent discount on prescription drugs.

And the Obama administration says this has saved Medicare beneficiaries about $4 billion.

And as you said, Romney has been clear. He wants to reverse ObamaCare, which means seniors would no longer be getting those discounts on drugs, on prescription drugs.

BALDWIN: Then what would Romney do for seniors in the so-called "donut hole" instead?

COHEN: Right, that's - right, it's at that level, at that "donut hole"-level.

You know, we asked his spokesperson this and here's the way that she put it, basically. She said, you know what? Step away from the "donut hole" and look at Medicare as a bigger picture.

She says - these are here words -- that Obama had put $700 billion worth of cuts in Medicare and she says, if that happens, well, you know, my goodness, then that puts the entire program in jeopardy.

I'll read to you something that she wrote in an e-mail to me. She said a senior in the "donut hole" is still better off without ObamaCare.

But, Brooke, I will tell you that we looked at fact checks from two nonpartisan fact-check organizations. They say, no, the $700 billion isn't really cuts and that current beneficiaries will not be hurt with essential benefits, such as hospital care and care for doctors. They say these beneficiaries will not be hurt and that these aren't really cuts.

So, they really argue with what Romney says.

BALDWIN: People are paying very, very close attention to what Romney says because this is their health, after all, and, if he wins, he says, I'll repeal.

Elizabeth, thank you.

If you would like to learn more about Mitt Romney's approach to the so-called "donut hole," go to this website. Go to CNN.com/empoweredpatient.

Just in to us, President Obama speaking live in Virginia and an interesting moment. His speech was actually interrupted. We'll play that for you, next.

But first, live pictures inside the CNN Grill, Tampa, Florida. You're looking at our caricature wall. This place used to be a parking garage, would you believe? Built in six weeks. Getting torn down in four single days. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Want to play you a little sound here. This is the president speaking in one of my favorite places, Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia, a campaign conversation really turning to education. He's been to universities in Iowa and Colorado and now Virginia.

A little moment I want you to watch out for, he's actually interrupted. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The choice that you make in that one instance is going to shape your country. It's going to shape the world for decades to come.

I know that's a pretty heavy idea to lay on you on just the second day of class, but it's true.

The decisions that we make as a country right now on everything from the economy and jobs and taxes to education and energy and war and climate change.

All these decisions - all these decisions are going to be affecting your lives in very personal ways.

Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALES AND FEMALES: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

OBAMA: And, listen, I couldn't really hear what those young people were saying, but that's good that they're getting involved.

And, but what I'm trying to tell you here is don't just chant. You've got to vote.

You've got to vote. The decisions we make, war, peace, the economy, the environment, all those things are going to be decided and they're not just going to affect you. They're going to affect Malia and Sasha, too, my daughters.

So ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Sounds like the president when he was interrupted and I couldn't -- maybe your hearing was better than mine. I couldn't quite hear what was yelled, but making light of it, saying whatever you're going to chant, just do me a favor and vote. Vote, there he was in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Coming up next, just in to us, a detailed revealing look at the suffering in Syria, an undercover journalist shows us just how violent and brutal the situation there is as government forces try to keep the battle from reaching the president's doorstep. Please don't miss this exclusive report inside Syria.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A group monitoring the violence in Syria says more than 22,000 people have been killed, 22,000 since the uprising began a year-and-a-half ago, more than 120 killed, today alone.

And despite the numbers and the deaths, Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, says, and I'm quoting him, "The situation is much better."

Now, an exclusive report, CNN has obtained an extraordinary account of what's been going on inside Syria over the last two weeks.

For safety reasons, we are not naming this particular journalist. The voices, including that of this journalist, have been altered.

And we just have to warn you, as always. This is a war. This is war, up close. Some of the images you are about to see get very, very graphic. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even as battles raged in its suburbs, the center of Damascus remained a haven from the violence threatening to engulf the capital, but all that was changing.

Just got woken up by a series of explosions somewhere out there in the distance. It's like this every night, although it normally calms down just before the dawn prayer and then kicks back up as the day goes on, but tonight's been pretty bad.

Down on the street below, we can hear -- I don't know if you can hear the gunfire, but this is the closest it's ever been.

You can see they're all lining up for shelter by the side of the road under the buildings there. It sounds very, very close.

This is late afternoon, so it's still rush hour. For most of the time since we've been here, downtown's been pretty safe. We haven't really been able to go much beyond downtown for the last few days.

Almost everyday smoke clouds hover over the Damascus skyline. Checkpoints block every street and sandbags line street corners.

The battle has now spilled onto Bashar al Assad's very doorstep. And Syrian security forces, we're told, have responded by stepping up detentions and interrogations.

We got a chance to interview a pro-democracy activist who was recently released from detention. In spite of the stigma associated with the abuses he suffered, he wanted to tell us his story.

The families of those in detention aren't allowed to visit or to communicate with their loved ones. This mother told me she hadn't even received an official notification that her son is in government custody.

Back in central Damascus, for now at least, the gunfire have stopped, but for how much longer?

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BALDWIN: Before I let you go, I just wanted to take you behind the scenes because 50,000 people have gathered right here in Tampa for the Republican National Convention, so here we go inside the convention, onto the floor.

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BALDWIN: Welcome to the Republican National Convention. We are here at the Forum Building and we just wanted to lift the veil and take you inside, show you what it takes.

And in order to even go through those doors, you've got to have not just this press pass, you've got to have this to get on the floor, so let's go.

Here we are inside the Forum. You can see the big CNN Politics sign. That's what you normally see when you see our A-team on television.

Right now, we have scored, basically, front row. We are smack dab on the convention floor. Take a look this way and you can see what's happening right now.

This is the big delegate count and there was a huge applause, moments ago. They hit that magic number for Mitt Romney, 1,144 delegates.

Amazingly enough, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, speaking tonight, the keynote address, it was his home state of New Jersey that put Mitt Romney over that magic number.

Which speech are you most excited about and why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm certainly excited to hear Governor Romney's acceptance speech, but without a doubt Governor Chris Christie is a great speaker and he sort of lays it on the line. So, I think he'll be fun to watch.

BALDWIN: I saw an extra smile on your face when you say Chris Christie. What is it about him? What do you think he can really help really the undecided voters across the country?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's straightforward. He's frank. He doesn't beat around the bushes. He says what's on his mind and he drives it home.

BALDWIN: So you have 50,000 people here in Tampa for the RNC, but look at this, journalists, 15,000 journalists here in town covering the Republican National Convention, including this guy over my shoulder, Mr. Wolf Blitzer. These coal miner hats were your idea. Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I don't think people really realize that West Virginia is the energy capital of the nation. We have more coal. We have more natural gas. We have more oil in Marcellus shale.

We are the energy capital and I wanted people to know about it.

BALDWIN: For people who have never been to a convention, how the heck do you describe this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's fabulous. It's the biggest pep rally you'll ever attend and certainly a learning experience.

BALDWIN: Go Texas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go Texas. Texas, fight. T-E-X-A-S. Woo!

BALDWIN: The biggest piece of excitement comes, of course, Wednesday and Thursday nights when Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney accept their party's nominations are for vice president and president.

Then the battle comes for the win on November 6th.

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BALDWIN: One thousand, one hundred, forty-four, that magical nomination number Mitt Romney scored last night.

Let's keep you inside the Forum. Wolf?