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Chicago Teachers on Strike; Alaskan Drilling Project Under Way; Congress Back to Work; Obama Gets Convention Bump; Chicago Teachers on Strike Today; Christians Urged to Register to Vote; Football and Politics Collide
Aired September 10, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: And tomorrow on STARTING POINT as we mark the 11th anniversary of September 11th, we'll be joined by former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, current Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and Homeland Security Committee Chairman, Peter King.
"CNN NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello begins right now.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Zoraida.
Happening now in the NEWSROOM, on strike. Tens of thousands of teachers on the picket line this morning. Some 400,000 students impacted. Parents then scrambling to find care for their kids.
Shifting message. The Romney camp walking back comments over Obamacare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course. There are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So we're asking, should Romney bend on Obamacare?
Arctic battle. Just off the northern coast of Alaska, oil giant Shell starting to drill into the sea. Environmentalists concerned about a repeat of BP's Gulf oil disaster.
And he's had four neck surgeries and missed the entire 2011 football season. But that does not matter for Peyton Manning. The Denver Broncos' quarterback looks like the Manning of old.
NEWSROOM starts now.
Good morning. Happy Monday to you. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. It's 8:00 a.m. in Chicago, but on this school day teachers are out of the classroom and on the picket line.
Nearly 30,000 union members are now on strike. The negotiations broke down last night over pay raise and a new way teachers are evaluated. That means some 400,000 public school students are out of class indefinitely.
CNN's Casey Wian is live outside an elementary school. Good morning.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. This is the sight that parents in Chicago did not want to see. Teachers not in their classrooms. Instead, outside of their schools walking the picket line. That started about 6:30 a.m. local time this morning after, as you mentioned, those talks broke down last night.
Those talks were described over the weekend as very intense, very productive. The two sides have said that they're very close on the issue of teacher pay. They're offering a 16 percent raise over four years for the average teacher. But the school board says they basically cannot offer anymore. They did all they could. Here's what the school board president had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID VITALE, PRESIDENT, CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION: The mayor said last night that this was a strike of choice, choice by the teachers. Teachers' union. That it was avoidable and it was. For the last several days, we have been negotiating intensely. We've made over 20 proposals to improve this offer. And apparently we were making proposals at the time they were out walking out on strike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIAN: Now some of the teachers we've spoken with this morning here, also the teachers union, saying that there are other issues that they are striking over. And the chief of those issues remain the working conditions that the teachers have in the schools, specifically a new way of evaluating these teachers that are tied to test scores.
The teachers union says that could result in the dismissal of up to 6,000 teachers over the next one or two years. They're also very concerned about health benefits. They say they do not want changes to their existing health programs.
In the meantime, Carol, what this means for parents, they're scrambling. Working parents scrambling to find arrangements for child care for their school age children. Schools like this have been opened for four hours this morning, starting in about a half hour. That's a temporary fix. It's not a full day. And it remains to be seen how many parents are actually going to be willing to drop off their kids for a temporary arrangement. Have those kids actually have to cross this picket line -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Tough. Casey Wian reporting live from Chicago this morning.
A controversial drilling project in Alaska now under way. Shell Oil is building an offshore oil well in Chukchi Sea, in the Chukchi Sea, that's 90 miles off the North Slope between the United States and Russia. Just the possibility of a disaster like the one in the Gulf back in 2010 has people in Alaska very concerned.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, this project has been in the works for, what, six years now?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It has been. And there's even been a two-year delay on it, Carol, for more safety testing because of the BP disaster that happened in the Gulf of Mexico.
Now I want to give you an idea of just what this project looks like. Look at this. This is the animation from Shell Oil of the site that we're talking about. Now what's happened here is the Obama administration, it gave the go ahead to start what it calls limited preparatory activities. And that includes installing a blowout preventer.
Yes, we all learned that term two years ago when BP's blowout preventer failed in the Gulf of Mexico and led to the biggest oil disaster in U.S. history. That prompted a moratorium on all offshore drilling and a review of pending projects. Otherwise Shell would have gotten this thing started two years ago.
Now the U.S. Geological Survey estimates we may be able to get more than 90 billion barrels of oil, Carol, from this part of the world. That's about a 13-year supply based on how much crude Americans use every day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Wow. Well, Shell says it could handle a big oil spill. But environmentalists are not so sure. Why?
KOSIK: Oh, yes. You know this. Environmentalists, gosh, they've really fought for this for decades. You know, first of all, they don't want drilling to disrupt the fragile wildlife habitat there. Second, there are big safety concerns with BP still very fresh on their minds. You know, Shell insists, though, it's taken every precaution. Sierra Club disagrees, saying approving this project is, quote, "like building -- like a building inspector letting a developer start construction on a skyscraper on shaky ground before the safety plans are even complete."
Locals are also worried about what a potential problem would do to the animals in the region that residents depend on for survival. But again, Carol, the government has put Shell through the wringer on this. It took six years to get approval. The project is going forward. And everybody's just hoping for the best -- Carol.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik, live at the New York Stock Exchange.
Congress is getting back to work today after a five-week recess. You're looking at live picture of Capitol Hill. I know. Looks lonely yet. That's because nobody, as in lawmakers, arriving just yet because the gavel doesn't come down until 2:00 p.m. Eastern. So they'll start arriving then.
Question is, will lawmakers actually accomplish anything when that gavel does come down? Gallup Poll shows that only 10 percent of Americans approve the job Congress is doing. That is an all-time low. With 57 days until the election, are they expected to do anything to turn that around?
Our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins us now.
So what can we expect on the Hill today?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me put up on the screen for you what we really expect between now and the election. And I'm not sure if you can consider one item a list. So let's look at it.
(LAUGHTER)
BASH: Fund the government. I mean it is Congress's basic function to make sure that the government is funded. The real job is to pass about a dozen spending bills. None of that has happened. But they all understand that it is politically dicey, to say the least, for both parties to allow the government to shut down. So they're going to make sure that it's funded for six months.
There are some things that may get done between now and the election. I emphasize "may." And the first on that list is helping victims of this summer's drought. Particularly the farmers. And of course, victims of the hurricane. And underneath that is a farm bill. That is going to be a pretty heavy lift if they can get it done. Farm bill is done for five years. It is a -- it is trillion dollars in spending. And it does some reforms, but there are some major party and regional differences over how to get that done -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. So we saw the first list. So what are some of the things that Congress will not be working on?
BASH: I know this is going to shock you. But that list is a lot longer. The things that they're not going to get done before the election. First and foremost, the so-called fiscal cliff. Now this is the whole idea that Congress -- excuse me -- that the government will have to cut spending. That's the law right now. And that those Bush-era tax cuts will expire by the end of the year.
Now most people here realize that that is going to be the number one issue that Congress is going to work on after the election because they have to between now and the end of the year. But there are other things that are really important that are likely going to fall by the wayside. Cyber security legislation which many in the intelligence community say is absolutely critical for national security, the Violence against Women Act, which is the law of the land, that is going to expire, and postal reform. May not sound like that big of a deal, but it really is a big deal for those of us who really still rely on snail mail.
COSTELLO: Dana Bash reporting live from Capitol Hill this morning.
Oh, let's talk sports. The fun kind. It had been 611 days since Peyton Manning played a meaningful football game. After last night it looked like he'd never been gone. Manning and the Denver Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19. Manning's first touchdown throw a 71- yard bomb. That was also record breaking. He becomes the fastest quarterback to throw 400 touchdowns quicker than Dan Marino or Brett Favre.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEYTON MANNING, DENVER BRONCOS QUARTERBACK: Dan Marino and Brett Favre are two of my favorite players of all time. Two of the best quarterbacks of all time. I don't really feel comfortable being in that -- in that company. But to be mentioned amongst them, it's truly humbling and quite an honor. And it's not one that I take lightly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Peyton, you're the man. Opening weekend ends tonight with a double header. The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Baltimore Ravens. Kick off 7:00 Eastern. Then the San Diego Charges visit the black hole for a date with the Oakland Raiders, that kicked off 10:15 p.m. Eastern.
On to the hard court now, Serena Williams just keeps on winning. The Olympic gold medalist took home her fourth, her fourth U.S. Open title. Williams fought off two match points to beat Victoria Azarenka in three sets on Sunday. It is her 15th grand slam title. I think she was happy.
On the men's side Andy Murray will try to keep his hot streak alive. The men's Olympic gold medalist takes on Novak Djokovic this afternoon.
And the President gets a boost in the polls and in the pizza shop. We'll have more on the man who literally gave Obama a lift.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: This just into CNN. The FBI says it has now arrested the mayor of Trenton, New Jersey. His name is Tony Mac, he now faces a public corruption charge after a two-year investigation. Feds have scheduled a noon news conference to explain the case against him. Of course we're making phone calls for you. We'll bring you more details as we get them in.
New polls show President Obama leading his Republican rival Mitt Romney by the largest margin since early July. A new Gallup Poll has the President in the lead by five percentage points with 49 percent versus Romney's 44 percent.
President got a bounce in the numbers in the days after the Democratic National Convention. At 4:00 p.m. Eastern today we'll release our own post-convention, post-job numbers poll.
That's not the only lift President Obama has gotten lately.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can't even -- come on, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to see what it is.
OBAMA: Good to see --
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: Look at that. Man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so excited.
OBAMA: Man, are you a power lifter or what?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The President got a giant bear hug from a very enthusiastic pizza shop owner when he stopped him for a slice while campaigning in Florida over the weekend. It actually reminded us of this picture back in July when an Olympic wrestler picked up the First Lady Michelle Obama.
What is it with picking up the Obamas?
CNN political director Mark Preston joins me now.
Good morning, Mark.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, Carol.
What do you think the Secret Service was thinking when that gentleman decided to pick the President up like that?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What is it? It's just so bizarre.
That pizza shop owner, I guess, was a Republican, right?
PRESTON: He was overcome with a little bit of excitement. Who wouldn't be excited, I guess, if the President showed up at your pizza shop?
COSTELLO: I guess not. He said as a Republican, he voted for Obama in the last election. I take it he's going to vote for him again this time.
Mark, let's talk about this latest poll and the latest fundraising figures for the President. He has a lot to be happy about.
PRESTON: He sure does. He's certainly seen a bump from what we've seen from this Gallup poll. As you said, we'll have our own poll in just a few hours that will really gauge where we are in the race after both conventions are over.
But he has good news when it comes to fundraising. You know, in the month of June, in the month of July, President Obama was outraised by the Republican National Committee and Mitt Romney. But now, however, Carol, in the month of August, he has outraised Mitt Romney by a few million dollars. If you look at these in your opinions right now, it shows that President Obama raised $114 million in the month of August. Mitt Romney raised $111.6 million.
So, only a couple million dollars more. But I think in many ways that has got to be a big victory for the Obama campaign, which had lost the two previous fundraising cycles there.
So, as we all know, money is the fuel that is going to really generate what happens in this election, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, it's a pretty good weekend for Obama. But not a great weekend for the Ryan or the Romney/Ryan team. Yesterday, Paul Ryan appeared on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos", and he had a hard time saying exactly which tax loopholes Mr. Romney would close. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Based on our experience, I think the best way to do this is to show the framework, show the youth lines of these plans, and then to work with Congress to do this. That's how you get things done. The other thing, George, is --
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: Isn't that a secret plan?
RYAN: No, no. No, no. What we don't want is a secret plan. What we don't want to do is cut some backroom deal like Obamacare and then hatch it to the country --
STEPHANOPOULOS: Why not specify the loophole now? Why not say right now?
RYAN: Because we want to do this -- we want to have this -- George, because we want to have this debate in the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But he's talking about after the election. And right now, the public has no idea which tax loopholes that Governor Romney wants to close to make up for these tax cuts that he wants to put into place for the wealthiest Americans.
PRESTON: And then you have to wonder if they even know what those tax loopholes are themselves right now, Carol. In politics, there's something to be said about not being very specific about what you want to do but to talk in broad platitudes. I think that's what we're seeing now from the Romney/Ryan ticket.
You know, they would also argue that what they've seen from President Obama and from Vice President Biden is going back to old solutions and, in fact, they don't have the plan.
So, this could potentially hurt them when it comes to the debates. I don't think it's going to hurt them right now. I don't think the American public are zeroed in on the specific point by point proposals. But I think when we get to the debates, when we see President Obama up against Mitt Romney and President Obama asks him for specifics to his plan, and if Mitt Romney doesn't have an answer then, that's when I think this could be problematic for the Romney ticket -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Mark Preston reporting live for us in Washington, thanks.
Mitt Romney also made some interesting comments on the President's health care plan, saying he actually likes some health care reform. That's the focus of today's talk back, next.
(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, should Mitt Romney bend on Obamacare? Strange question, yes, since Mitt Romney has long vowed to kill the bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: And I'll tell you one thing, we're going to have to have a president, and I'm that one, that's going to get rid of Obamacare. We're going to stop it on day one!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But now, we're not quite so sure. On NBC's "Meet the Press", Romney seemed to waffle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform, of course. There are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Romney said he wants to keep provisions requiring insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay longer on their parents' plan. The Romney camp says their candidate has consistently endorsed these positions.
Now, keep in mind, Romney is not embracing the individual mandate, the requirement that we all buy insurance, the one that health experts say will pay for all of that expanded coverage. And, yes, Governor Romney says he will still repeal Obamacare.
But do his latest comments make you more likely to vote for him? So, the talk back question this morning, should Romney bend on Obamacare?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Your comments later this hour.
Out of the classroom and on the picket line. Teachers strike against the nation's third largest school system. A veteran educator, a teacher, explains why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 26 minutes past the hour. Good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks for joining us today.
Stories we're watching right now in THE NEWSROOM:
We're a couple of ways away from the opening bell. Investors looking ahead to see what the Federal Reserve will do when it meets this week. The central bank's two-day meeting begins on Wednesday. The opening bell, by the way, will be rung by representatives from some top businesses in Colombia.
In south Florida, police are investigating a crash that killed one of their own while escorting President Obama in a motorcade. The 20-year veteran died yesterday after a truck hit his motorcycle. The White House says the President did not see the crash. The President has expressed his condolences to the officer's family.
In New York people are still cleaning up after two tornadoes touched down over the weekend. The first one hit a Queens neighborhood. Moments later another one with winds around 110 miles per hour slammed into Brooklyn. The storm knocked down trees, power lines and damaged buildings. No one was hurt.
This morning in Chicago, most public schools are empty, and the classrooms silent. Teachers are now on strike. Nearly 30,000 union members are off the job after months of negotiations finally broke down last night.
The main sticking points? Pay raises and a new way to evaluate teachers. That means some 400,000 public school students are out of class indefinitely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL (D), CHICAGO: I am disappointed that we have come to this point, given that all the other parties acknowledge how close we are, because this is a strike of choice. And because of how close we are, it is a strike that is unnecessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Let's talk to a veteran educator who will join the picket line today. Josephine Hamilton Perry has spent 30 years in the classroom, most of it as a teacher for the Chicago public school system.
Welcome.
JOSEPHINE HAMILTON PERRY, TEACHER, CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Good morning.
COSTELLO: I want to ask you first about what Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. If you are so close in negotiations, why decide to strike? PERRY: Well, I want to say that I would not believe that, because if we were that close, we would not even have spent as many hours and months that we have spent talking about this contract.
COSTELLO: There are many people in America without jobs right now. They would say, are you crazy? You teachers should be grateful you have a job.
PERRY: Well, we are. That, we are.
But we also want those people that are with jobs to know how hard we work every day. How hard we work for those students that will one day go into the workforce. It's our responsibility to put those students in the workforce and to prepare them to work.
COSTELLO: Some people might ask, though, how you're doing that when you're not in the classroom. You know, you're in charge of our nation's children and yet you're on strike and the kids, kind of, have no place to go.
PERRY: Well, Chicago here, we are survivors. And we would not say that that would be a major issue. Because we are a city with huge snowstorms, and our parents survive.
And we are a city of rich resources. And we are a city where we lend a helping hand. So that will not be a major concern.
COSTELLO: So you're saying that parents will easily find child care?
PERRY: I'm sure that they will. Matter of fact, I spoke with children this morning. And they're here because of lack of having something to do, but not because there's no one to take care of them.
COSTELLO: One of the sticks points is over teacher evaluations. Tell me why teachers don't like what the school board and the mayor are proposing.
PERRY: Well, because the evaluation system can be very biased. It can be very biased to older teachers. It can be very biased to inexperienced teachers. And it can also be very biased to those teachers that's in the middle of their career.
Having said that, it's not the most effective tool that should govern one's career.
COSTELLO: But I think that the other side would say that the goal here is to get rid of bad teachers. So what is the union proposing to get rid of bad teachers?
PERRY: I'm sorry. Would you clarify that for me?
COSTELLO: The other side would say --
PERRY: We have a little noise in the background.
COSTELLO: I know. A lot of beeps in support. The other side would say these new evaluations would get rid of bad teacher. How does the union propose to do this? It's not -- go ahead.
PERRY: The whole evaluation system is -- has a lot of flaws there. If they could come up with a tool that could effectively evaluate the tenured teacher, the new teachers, the teachers in the middle of their career, we would be at a junction where we would be satisfied with that. But the lack of having that tool is a serious issue for us.
COSTELLO: How long are teachers prepared to strike?
PERRY: You know, I cannot say that at this moment. I'm going to say as long as it takes and whatever it takes. We have had enough. And we are tired of being tired.
COSTELLO: Josephine Hamilton Perry, thank you so much for being with us this morning.
PERRY: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Paul McCartney announces four more concerts in North America to round out his on the run tour. See if he's coming to a town near you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's a dirty job. All new parents have to do it. But Beyonce and Jay-Z apparently do not turn up their noses at all those stinky diapers. They love it.
"Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer has the scoop.
Really?
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Say it.
COSTELLO: No, I'm not going to say it.
I can't believe they love to change diapers, though.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, listen, I've got the dirt on this story for you, carol. That's what I'm here for this morning. According to Beyonce she and Jay-Z share the load when it comes to changing baby Blue Ivy's diapers.
Now, Anderson Cooper just interviewed Beyonce for his talk show, and she says that she and her husband actually love -- yes she used the word "love" -- to change diapers. Her words, I love it. I love every moment of it. It's so beautiful.
And I'm sure there is a lot of love there. I think most parents would agree, maybe not a whole lot of beauty to changing a diaper. But she also tells Anderson that she makes sure to sing to Blue Ivy. I bet that's a whole lot more beautiful than her diaper duty. And she says, Carol, she sings nursery rhymes to her, including some that she makes up. This entire interview will air on Anderson's talk show as he fires up his new season later today.
COSTELLO: She's excited about being the new mom. We certainly understand that.
Paul McCartney, wow, he's got more energy than just about anybody I know.
HAMMER: Yes, this is great news. Paul McCartney's added some dates in the United States. He's now going to show up in St. Louis and Houston in addition to the dates he's already playing. He's also playing new dates in Canada -- Edmonton and Vancouver have been added to this itinerary.
And, obviously, there's been enormous demand for this tour. This is the same show that drew an estimated quarter of a million fans to a free concert in Mexico City. These new shows are happening in November. And these are rare cities for Paul McCartney.
He hasn't played in Houston for seven years, St. Louis for 11 years. And the last time he played a concert in Vancouver, well, he was a part of The Beatles. The Beatles played there in 1964, 48 years ago. McCartney hasn't been back since.
This will also be his first ever concert in Edmonton, Canada. And one final bit of Paul McCartney trivia for you this morning, Carol. I'm going to put you on the spot. This week in 1971, he had his very first number one hit without the Beatles this week. What do you think?
COSTELLO: It was from the "Band on the Run" album. Right?
HAMMER: And the song was?
COSTELLO: What?
HAMMER: We are so sorry.
COSTELLO: "Maybe I'm Amazed?"
HAMMER: "Uncle Albert." Along with Linda McCartney.
COSTELLO: I remember getting that album when I was 10 years old.
HAMMER: 10, hold on, I got to do the math.
COSTELLO: No, don't. Please don't. Everybody knows anyway. Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: You got it.
COSTELLO: A.J. will be back with us next hour for more showbiz headlines, including a major award for "American Idol" and all around diva Mariah Carey. CNN is taking an in-depth look at President Obama and Mitt Romney. Today, we're going to -- we're going to tell you how they compare when it comes to creating jobs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: You hear plenty of noise and plots of spin on the campaign trail around the big issues. So, CNN will be helping you to figure out where the candidates stand, as we size up issue by issue over the next three weeks. Today, we look at jobs creation.
Christine Romans is here to cut through the noise, break down the plans.
Good morning, Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. These plans, Carol, basically represent two very different world views about how to get out of this mess.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): Over eight percent unemployment, five million without work for six months or longer. More than 8 million only working part time.
If there's one thing Mitt Romney and Barack Obama can agree on, the economy, and more specifically, the jobs crisis in America is the issue of this race.
Mitt Romney's philosophy -- let the private sector create new jobs.
President Obama agrees, but thinks the federal government must play a larger role by investing in programs that may pay off in the future.
ROMNEY: I have a plan to create 12 million new jobs.
(APPLAUSE)
ROMANS: Romney advisers also claim their plans will add another 7 million jobs over the decade.
ROMNEY: Government doesn't create jobs. It's the private sector that creates jobs.
ROMANS: So what's in this Romney plan?
(on camera): First, Romney wants to overhaul the tax code by cutting marginal tax rates 20 percent across the board. He argues that people have more money in their pockets to buy things, in turn more jobs will be created to meet the demand for goods and services. Romney also claims regulations cost private business about $1.75 trillion a year. So he says he'll repeal Obamacare and Dodd-Frank financial regulation, much of which is still yet to be implemented.
He also plans to reform the regulatory system to make sure it balances the benefit to society with its cost to business.
Finally, by balancing the budget, Romney plans to inject confidence into the business environment. However, capping federal spending, it means hundreds of thousands fewer government jobs at the federal, state and local levels.
(voice-over): Supporters of Romney's plan say it'll create 12 million jobs conservatively. But no president has accomplished it in a single term since the data was first collected in the 1940s.
Now, for President Obama's plans to get more Americans back to work.
OBAMA: Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010, and that's why I'm calling for a new jobs bill tonight.
ROMANS: That jobs bill never panned out. And neither did the $477 billion effort he promoted last year, both essentially blocked by Congress. So, what does Mr. Obama want to do moving forward?
Similar to what he's proposed in the past.
OBAMA: We need to create more jobs faster. We need to fill the hole left by this recession faster. We need to come out of this crisis stronger.
ROMANS (on camera): He wants to create jobs in manufacturing and green energy through tax incentives and investment. More spending on infrastructure. The President signed a more than $100 billion transportation bill in July, extends mostly current programs through 2014.
The President also proposed spending $35 billion for school, police and fire department payrolls, along with another $130 billion to shore up state budgets. This was in his failed jobs plan last year.
Yet to be seen if he's re-elected whether those plans would have more success than they've had in the last three years.
(voice-over): Both candidates say they want to cut the corporate tax rate, expand energy jobs in the U.S. and support small business. Whoever is elected will probably have to do all that and much more to get us out of the jobs hole.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: OK, Christine. Here's the big question. Who's right?
ROMANS: You know, Carol, we won't know for sure until the history books are written. If we had a set formula for creating jobs, this would already be fixed.
Now, Romney obviously thinks tax cuts, Carol, are the way to stimulate job growth. The President thinks we need more spending to stimulate job growth. But economists, they don't all agree exactly on what's the best way, Carol.
COSTELLO: Would it be nice if we could just blend the best of the two plans together? But I guess that's --
ROMANS: That would require bipartisanship and everyone getting along.
COSTELLO: Yes. What am I thinking? Thank you, Christine.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Tomorrow, Ali Velshi takes a closer look at the debate over Wall Street reform. President Obama says we need to hold big banks accountable and protect consumers. Romney wants to erase Obama era and even some Bush era regulations and start from scratch.
Forty-five minutes past the hour. Checking our "Top Stories" now.
Just hours ago the U.S. officially handed over control of a prison at Bagram Air Base to the Afghan government. But it's temporarily halting the hand-over of a number of detainees. Some of them are believed to be high level members of the Taliban.
The crew of a U.S. cargo ship detained in Venezuela for more than a week could set sail as early as today. Authorities there have dropped charges against them. They'd been accused of arms trafficking. The State Department says rifles found onboard were for the crew's protection.
Tough times even for Jay Leno. A rep for NBC confirms the popular host of "The Tonight Show" took a 50 percent pay cut. That's about $15 million. And the show's budget cuts last month. He's not going -- he's not going anywhere, though. The rep also confirmed that Leno extended his contract until 2014. Actually, it would be NBC that extended Leno's contract until 2014.
Check this out. Why try on clothes for real when you've got one of these? 3D dressing rooms have been installed in 20 Bloomingdale's locations nationwide. It's called a swivel. And it allows shoppers to try on clothes and accessories virtually. This thing even allows you to e-mail or tweet your image to friends and family right then and there so they can weigh in on what you ought to buy. I love that. It will save so much time.
Mitt Romney made some interesting comments on President Obama's health care reform bill, saying he likes some of it. That's the focus of today's "Talk Back."
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COSTELLO: Just days after Democrats left Charlotte after their nominating convention, two conservative groups gathered there Sunday to encourage Christians to go to the polls on November 6th. The event was called "I Pledge", and it was simulcast to more than 200 churches across the country.
Headliners included the actor Kirk Cameron and Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council which claims 500,000 members nationwide.
Perkins discussed the event this morning on CNN's STARTING POINT.
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TONY PERKINS, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCKIL: And it was a call to faith, family and freedom. And it was a recognition of the issues facing our nation whether it's the economy and $16 trillion in debt that we have, which is a moral issue, or it was the issue of marriage or life or religious liberties, which we find under attack today.
And it was a call for them to -- to pray for our nation. Pray for our leaders, pray for the upcoming election. To prepare by registering and registering two or more friends to vote and then taking the pledge to actually vote on November 6th.
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COSTELLO: Organizers say they picked Charlotte because North Carolina voters recently amended the state's Constitution to recognize only legal unions between one man and one woman.
We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the big issues of the day. The question for you this morning, "Should Romney bend on Obamacare?"
This from Susan, "No, keep after it. Hit hard and heavy, President doesn't got a thing to show outside this monstrosity around his neck."
This from Mark, "To get the Republican nomination Romney had to get extreme, right-wing, radical. Now he's trying to get more mainstream and no, I'm still not voting for him."
This from Lindsay, "I don't want to vote for either of these people, the country needs to be rebuilt -- the country needs to be rebuilt not screwed up even more."
This from Julie. "Is it a flip flop when one candidate changes his views but evolving when the other candidate changes his? Both men are going to tell us anything to get our vote."
And this from John, "Not if he wants to keep his base. But then again, why wouldn't he flip flop on this, too."
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, keep the conversation going. And thank you for your comments.
An NFL linebacker now front and center over the same-sex marriage debate. Wait until you hear the response he's received for speaking out.
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COSTELLO: Same-sex marriage and the NFL don't usually intersect but they have now. It all started when Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo made it abundantly clear he supported same-sex marriage. He even donated football tickets to help the cause.
Ayanbadejo's comments infuriated Maryland state lawmaker Emmitt Burns. Burns wrote a scathing letter to Ayanbadejo's boss, the owner of the Baltimore Ravens. Here's part of that letter, quote -- the delegate said quote, "I believe Mr. Ayanbadejo should concentrate on football and steer clear of dividing the fan base. I'm requesting that you take the necessary action as a national football franchise owner to inhibit such expressions from your employee and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions," end quote.
Well, that letter in turn infuriated Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe who blasted Delegate Burns in scathing R-rated letter to deadspin.com. Kluwe said, "You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens like everyone else with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that it entails. Do the civil rights struggles of the past 200 mean absolutely nothing to you?"
The letter went on, and it's so R-rated we can't really read it on television.
Joining me now is Tiki Barber, former running back for the New York Giants and a CNN contributor. Hi, Tiki.
TIKI BARBER, FORMER NEW YORK GIANTS RUNNING BACK: Good morning Carol. How are you doing?
COSTELLO: I'm good. So let's start with this issue. Are you surprised that, you know, there's so much support for gay marriage in the NFL community?
BARBER: I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised, actually. I think it's about time that athletes in particular start standing up for a right that they feel is important to this country.
And this issue revolves around two things if you ask me about this. One, it's whether the state congressman has a right to ask an employee to tell an employee to be silent. I think that's absolutely egregious.
Secondly, should an athlete or should anyone in a public position use their influence, their brand, their personal capital to advocate for something that they really feel strongly about? And I think they absolutely should. And I commend Brendon Ayanbadejo for standing up and speaking out about something that he obviously feels strongly about.
COSTELLO: We're looking at a picture. There he is. That is him. And also Kluwe coming out, the punter from Minnesota coming up and supporting him so publicly. So do you think it will be long before we see an openly gay NFL player?
BARBER: I don't think it will be long. I think there are obviously gay players in the National Football League that you've seen a couple of retired guys come out afterwards. And it's only going to be a matter of time for when we start accepting them in this overly masculine culture where you feel like you shouldn't be a certain way. But obviously it's ok to be a certain way.
And I think the more that people talk about it, the more that it becomes an acceptable part of sports as it is in other sports. Eventually it will happen and it will be a good thing for this country and for the league.
COSTELLO: Ok. Let's get down to business now and talk about football.
Peyton manning, he sure looked like the Peyton of old last night.
BARBER: He did. After missing a year due to four surgeries on his neck, he came back. He wasn't completely sharp. He played a very difficult Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but when he had his opportunities he took advantage of them. He was classic Peyton Manning. He did them in a hurry-up situation. He just executes. That's 12 or 14 years of constant interactions and iterations and seeing these defenses over and over again and not being intimidated by them and making the plays. That's why Denver wanted him to come to the Mile-High City and hope that they can get them further along into the playoffs this year.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about the scoring, Sunday. The Redskins, Jets, Bears and Falcons all scored 40 or more points this weekend. That was insane.
BARBER: It's a constant battle, a chess match you might say for defenses trying to catch up to the new things that offenses are doing. And to be honest some of these defenses were just bad yesterday. I don't think that's a trend that you're going to see throughout the year.
But it's a testament to execution and it's also a testament to nerves and being the first game. There are certain things that are going to have to be worked out. Obviously a lot of mistakes on a lot of parts on some of these defenses, but you have to give the offenses credit as well, especially the New York Jets who in New York went through so much criticism with the Tim Tebow signing and all the lack of production in the preseason. They exploded when it mattered.
COSTELLO: Yes. I bet Mr. Ryan said, "Yes, take that and smoke it".
BARBER: Maybe you know something we don't know.
COSTELLO: I want to ask you about this female ref because, of course, I'm a Detroit Lions fan and she was on the field. It was great, but it was just so strange to see.
BARBER: It was. Shannon Easton broke a barrier that a lot of people didn't think would happen in the National Football League, which is a female ref being amongst all these massive men and trying to control the game. She was a line judge, so she wasn't actually in the action until the end of the game where she actually broke up a fight.
But I think it's a ceiling being broken. There will be some young girl who is going to say, you know what? Because she watched football with her dad every day, every Sunday, going to say I want to do that. That's an inspiration that you can't take away, and I think it's very important for the league to just keep developing young females to step into this job and do it effectively.
COSTELLO: Oh, that's awesome.
Tiki thanks, It's been fun.
