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Lou Dobbs This Week
Obama's Overseas Trip; T. Boone Pickens Interview
Aired July 27, 2008 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KITTY PILGRIM, HOST: Tonight: The Barack Obama road show returns to this country from Europe and the Middle East, independent voters here are still waiting to see if Obama has any new ideas to fix our economy.
And: Legendary oilman, T. Boone Pickens, tells the Congress how we can solve our energy crisis. And he spoke to Lou just before that testimony. We'll have Lou's full interview.
All that and much more: straight ahead tonight.
ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK: News, debate, and opinion. Here now: Kitty Pilgrim.
PILGRIM: Good evening, everybody.
Senator Obama, this week, tried to convince skeptical voters that he would be a strong commander-in-chief. Obama delivering a speech full of lofty rhetoric in Germany, praising Berliners for resisting communism. Well, no such thought for the citizens of Baghdad and their fight against terrorism. Obama is reemphasizing his determination to withdraw our combat troops from Iraq in 16 months regardless of security conditions, even overruling our top military commander in the Middle East on that issue.
Candy Crowley reports from Amman, Jordan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Barack Obama left Iraq as he went in to it, convinced that a 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops is doable. Not everybody is onboard, including someone who told him so -- Obama's chopper companion, General Davis Petraeus, commander of coalition forces.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D-IL) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that his concern has to do with wanting to retain as much flexibility as possible.
CROWLEY: Obama says it's not a matter of ignoring military brass on the ground, but as commander-in-chief, he would be prepared to overrule it.
OBAMA: I am factoring in their advice, but placing it in this broader strategic framework that is required.
CROWLEY: In addition to resistance from Petraeus, Obama also admitted to some trepidation from tribal leaders he met with in Sunni- controlled Anbar province.
OBAMA: It is true that some of the tribal leaders, as well as the local governor in Anbar, expressed concerns about a potential precipitous drawdown of U.S. troops -- which is why I haven't a precipitous drawdown. What I propose is a steady deliberate drawdown over the course of 16 months.
CROWLEY: Obama and his two fellow senators on the Iraq trip agreed that military and political progress has been made since the surge began. But Obama, hit repeatedly by McCain for opposing the surge, balked at calling it a success.
OBAMA: I believe that the situation in Iraq is more secure than it was a year and a half ago. I think that the definition of success depends on how you look at it.
CROWLEY: Obama's first post-Iraq news conference was held on the mountain top against the backdrop of Amman, Jordan, where he met and dined with the King Abdullah. It's a trip designed to shine up his foreign policy credibility back home, a presidential-style agenda, that Obama has to be careful to act as though he is already president. This is tricky.
OBAMA: There are a range of factors that I have to take into account as a commander-in-chief or a potential commander-in-chief.
CROWLEY: Obama brushed aside questions of McCain's criticism of him, hoping that will make the trip seem less like a campaign and more like what his political advisors insist it is, a discussion of political issues.
Still, Obama has a campaign camera in tow. They are considering using footage that is shot here for future ads.
OBAMA: Thank you very much everybody.
CROWLEY: Candy Crowley, CNN, Amman, Jordan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Senator Obama strongly opposed the surge in Iraq, the strategy which by any standard has led to a huge decline in violence. Obama is finding every reason possible not to acknowledge the success of the surge. He even claims the surge wasn't necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: With respect to the surge, you know, we don't know what would have happened if I -- if the plan that I put forward in January 2007, to put more pressure on the Iraqis to arrive at a political reconciliation, to begin a phased withdrawal, what would have happened had we pursued that strategy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: Well, Obama now supports a surge of our troops into Afghanistan. Obama saying he wants to deploy at least two more combat brigades into Afghanistan and that is more than 7,000 extra troops. However, Obama has not explained how a strategy that he opposed in Iraq would work in Afghanistan.
Senator McCain is refusing to be deterred by the media's failure to cover his campaign as extensively as Senator Obama's tour overseas. Now, McCain stepped up his criticism of Obama's policy on Iraq, and he declared Obama wants to reverse all the gains we've made in Iraq over the past year.
Dana Bash with the McCain campaign reports from Rochester, New Hampshire.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you are John McCain, looking for a little love. While Barack Obama's got the spotlight overseas, you come to New Hampshire -- the primary state that brought him back from the political dead.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R-AZ) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Coming back to New Hampshire is also like coming home.
BASH: It was here McCain debuted his favorite line about supporting the then-unpopular military surge in Iraq.
MCCAIN: I would rather lose a campaign than lose a war.
BASH: Now, a play on in his own words.
MCCAIN: It seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign.
BASH: McCain seized on Obama's comments while in Iraq that knowing what he knows now, he still would not have supported the troop surge.
MCCAIN: He was wrong then, he is wrong now, and he still fails to acknowledge -- he still fails to acknowledge that the surge succeeded. A remarkable -- remarkable.
BASH: He got wild applause for insisting the U.S. must not follow Obama's 16-month withdrawal plan.
MCCAIN: He wants to reverse the gains we have made and set a date for withdrawal which would endanger our progress in Iraq.
BASH: But not everyone agreed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We entered the Iraq war illegally, immorally and against international law.
BASH: One voter reminded McCain among other things, the Iraqi government now says it wants troops out. He shushed hecklers in the crowd.
MCCAIN: Could we all be respectful of everybody's point of view. BASH: She continued.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't it time to end the occupation, Senator?
BASH: He made his case.
MCCAIN: This war was badly mishandled. And we failed. I believe that a change in the strategy and the surge would succeed. And, indeed, it did.
BASH: Her turn.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Respectfully, I disagree with you completely.
MCCAIN: I figured that.
BASH (on camera): McCain's advisors are still trying to find new ways to grab attention away from Obama's overseas trip. One tactic is to tweak the media. The McCain campaign released a new video on its Web site called "Obama Love," it makes fun of the media by showing clips of reporters fawning over Obama.
Dana Bash, CNN, Rochester, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: And more evidence tonight of the huge political challenge facing Senator Obama on his return to this country. New polls show Obama is losing ground to Senator McCain in several important battleground states. And those polls suggest the national race is tightening -- as independently minded the voters shift their positions.
Bill Schneider has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Where does the presidential race stand? Quinnipiac University has just come out with four new polls of battleground states. They all show some movement toward McCain since last month.
Wisconsin, Barack Obama's lead has shrunk slightly from 13 points to 11. Wisconsin continues to lean Democratic.
Michigan is still close. Obama up by six in June and four by July, still a tossup.
Colorado, a five-point Obama lead has shifted to a near tie here, also a toss up.
The biggest shift -- Minnesota. Last month, Obama led McCain by 17 points, and now the race is virtually tied. Minnesota shifts from leaning Democratic to tossup.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Minnesota is a very unpredictable state. They elected Jesse Ventura to be their governor. You know, we have a very competitive Senate race right now. We have the Republican Party throwing a lot of money and a lot of resources in there.
SCHNEIDER: The Pew National Survey of Latinos shows Obama leading McCain by nearly three to one.
PRESTON: New Mexico is heavily Hispanic. And really, Hispanics traditionally have voted for the Democratic nominee. So, now that we have the Democratic primary over, we don't have a split in that vote.
SCHNEIDER: New Mexico moves from leading Republican to tossup. With those two changes, the electorate vote count gets a little closer -- Obama, 221; McCain, 189; with 128 electoral votes in tossup states. Both candidates well shy of the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
(on camera): Most of the interviews for these polls were done before Senator Obama's trip abroad. A national poll by NBC News and the "Wall Street Journal" finds that voters nationwide see Obama as a riskier choice than McCain.
Of course, Obama calls himself the candidate of change, and change always means risk. Obama's trip is intended to reassure voters that the risk is minimal. Is it working? We will see in the next round of polling.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Still to come, pro-amnesty Democrats demand universal health care for everyone, including illegal aliens. We'll have a special report.
And you won't believe the audacity of free trade advocates overseas. They're now telling us to import even more cheap labor to replace American workers.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Tonight: A political action committee called Progressive Democrats of America is pushing a major new plank for the Democratic Party. Now, the group wants what it calls "healthcare for all," and that includes illegal aliens. One leading member of Congress has already signed on.
Lisa Sylvester reports from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The group Progressive Democrats of America wants to end the Iraq war and plow the war funding into setting up a system of universal healthcare.
TIM CARPENTER, PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA: We believe in healthcare for all, we make it very clear, as Progressive Democrats of America, our goal fundamentally is to make sure that all of us have healthcare, all of us within the U.S. borders have healthcare.
SYLVESTER: And by all in U.S. borders, he says that includes everybody in the United States, including upwards of 12 million illegal aliens. The group is urging the Democratic Party to adopt a plank at the party's convention in Denver, guaranteeing accessible healthcare for all.
Congressman John Conyers from Michigan, a leading pro-amnesty advocate in Congress, is the first top Democratic delegate to sign up for the Progressive Democrats' platform on universal healthcare.
Critics charge that offering healthcare to millions of illegal aliens will encourage even more illegal immigration and is an attack on the concept of U.S. citizenship.
REP. TOM TANCREDO, (R) COLORADO: There is plenty of government- subsidized healthcare to go around. Now, we are adding another dimension of that people who are here who are not even supposed to be here, people who are not citizens.
SYLVESTER: Senator Barack Obama's position on extending healthcare to illegal aliens has been less than clear. When asked during a CNN debate in January if his healthcare plan includes extending healthcare to those here illegally, Obama said no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does your plan cover the 12 million or so illegal immigrants?
OBAMA: It does not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?
OBAMA: Well, because I think we've got limited resources.
SYLVESTER: But Obama has spoken many times of extending health insurance to the estimate 47 million uninsured in America and that number includes illegal aliens.
(on camera): This is not the first time that top Democrats in Congress have tried to give healthcare to illegal aliens. Last year, Democratic leaders tried and failed to expand the state's insurance program to give taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal aliens.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: As Lisa reported, there are an estimated 47 million people in this country who don't have health insurance, and as we have reported here, for years, there are 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the United States, and that means illegal aliens likely make up 40 percent of the uninsured in this country.
Well, there is outrage tonight over an attempt to bring in more cheap foreign labor at the expense of American workers. Free trade advocates in Geneva, Switzerland are telling us to change our policy and increase the number of temporary workers allowed here.
Bill Tucker has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Trade agreements and immigration policy wouldn't seem to have much in common, but workers and jobs are apparently becoming just commodities to be traded. In the latest round of trade talks within the World Trade Organization known as the Doha round, India is pressing the United States to create a new guest worker visa for highly-skilled workers, effectively skirting the cap on the H-1B visa.
It is a demand that relatively few people outside of trade negotiators are aware of and one expert in outsourcing is horrified.
RON HIRA, ROCHESTER INST. OF TECHNOLOGY: I just find it amazing, and unbelievable that we have this opaque and undemocratic process set up.
TUCKER: U.S. trade negotiators refused to discuss the detail of any negotiation at this point. If a new type of visa were created, it wouldn't be the first created by a trade agreement. In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement created the TN visa, allowing workers from Canada and Mexico to work in the United States indefinitely.
And in, virtually, every trade agreement since, there has been a provision allowing guest workers into the United States under what's known as trade and services. According to one group that lobbies for a more restricted trade policy, such provisions benefit foreign companies that provide outsourcing services.
JESSICA VAUGHAN, CTR. FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: We're giving concessions to companies so that they can establish a trade foothold in the United States, not to hire Americans and benefit our economy, but to bring in workers from the abroad.
TUCKER: Sixty-eight hundred guest worker visas were part of the free trade agreements with Singapore and Chile.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCKER: Those visas never made it into the final trade agreement because a number of senators were angry at them being included in a trade agreement, prompting a warning from several senators against the inclusion of any high-skilled visas in any future trade agreements. We have to wait and see if they stand by their work here.
PILGRIM: That's absolutely preposterous, isn't it?
TUCKER: It is and I don't think most people would know or have any clue, any idea that these trade agreements include agreements that were linked (ph) directly to immigration policy and how many people we're obligated to allow into the country. PILGRIM: It seems like that's the sovereign right, doesn't it, Bill?
TUCKER: It does, indeed.
PILGRIM: Thank you very much, Bill Tucker.
Well, President Bush, this week, is pressuring Congress on so-called free trade. The president is taking advantage of a Colombia Independence Day celebration. And he said lawmakers should approve the Colombia free trade agreement.
The president also pushed for approval of a Panama free trade deal. Panama, though, is being criticized for its tax-haven status for American corporations seeking to avoid U.S. taxes. Now, Congress has not taken action on either agreement, and there is no indication that it will do so.
Up next: Dangerous imports. Is our government incapable of protecting us? Tonight, consumer groups are demanding action. We have a special report.
And, San Francisco's illegal alien sanctuary policy may have led to tragedy for one family. We'll have that story and more, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: We have reported extensively on this broadcast about how the Consumer Product Safety Commission is grossly understaffed and underfunded. And now, consumer groups are demanding that Congress give the agency more money and more authority to protect Americans from dangerous products.
As Carrie Lee reports, those groups want action before Congress goes on yet another break this summer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six consumer groups are sending a strong (AUDIO BREAK) to Congress. A new report titled "Total Recall" says now is the time to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission before lawmakers break in August. It says recalls of toys and other products have risen sharply this year, despite promises last years to tackle the problem.
The reports states through the end of June 2008, the CPSC has already recorded 415 total recalls of products or a 22 percent increase in recalls since 2007. The CPSC attributes the increase to more investigation and greater enforcement. But that enforcement is still very limited.
Under current law, toys do not have to be tested for safety before they hit store shelves.
DAVID ARKUS, PUBLIC CITIZEN: The CPSC officials, if they catch a product at the border, that's imported, that violates the voluntary standard, even if it's obvious from plain sight that the product violates the voluntary standard, the CPSC can't stop it from going on the market.
LEE: That's one major issue highlighted in this report. It also demands a ban on toxic chemicals in toys and protections for whistleblower employees, independent testing, and better state regulation.
The Public Interest Research Group which contributed to the report blames the delay in legislation on special interests.
ED MIERZWINSKI, U.S. PIRG: For years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has been captured by lobbyist. Now, the lobbyists are telling Congress not to fix the commission. The toy industry overall is insisting that state attorneys-general can't test toys. And that's outrageous.
LEE: Congress has failed to act on reforming the CPSC for nearly a year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEE: A commission spokesperson says the CPSC welcomes new enforcement tools as long as they're the right tools to protect American families. But in the meantime, the agency has 400 employees, that's less than half the staff it had in 1980, and a budget of about $63 million. So, Kitty, a rather small organization with a big responsibility. And meanwhile for Congress, the clock is ticking on this. August is coming up very soon.
PILGRIM: Does it look they're going to get what they need because, clearly, this is an absolute crisis in this country?
LEE: It really is. And the people we spoke with, our sources, are optimistic. One says there's about a 50-50 chance that this bill will get passed. Others, less so. Let's see what happens.
PILGRIM: They have about a week.
Thanks very much, Carrie Lee.
Well, time now for some of your thoughts. And Carol in Florida, "I would rather that the national media spend less time swooning over Senator Obama and more time on the plethora of problems that are here at home."
Tom wrote to us from Florida, "Lou, I just changed my voter registration to independent. I feel great. Keep pointing out the facts so more people can see the light.
And, Vince in Virginia, "I am recently retired Air Force veteran and I was a Democrat. And now, the Democratic Party no longer speaks for the American people and neither are the Republicans. I am now an independent. Keep telling it as it is, Lou."
We love hearing from you. E-mail us: LouDobbs.com.
And please join Lou on the radio, Monday through Friday for the "Lou Dobbs Show." Go to LouDobbsRadio.com to find the local listings for the "Lou Dobbs Show" on the radio.
Coming up: A bold new plan to end our dependents on foreign oil. It comes from a surprising source, a legendary oilman.
Also ahead: Obamamania in Europe. But did Obama's world tour help or hurt his candidacy?
And: Some outrageous over San Francisco's illegal alien sanctuary policy after a triple homicide that could have been prevented. We'll have a special report on that.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: As Congress debates whether or not to drill offshore, there are vast deposits of natural gas in this country and they are a potentially important alternative to foreign oil.
Now, the Energy Department reports that with the current technology, this country has access to 1,744 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Americans now consume roughly 23 trillion cubic feet every year. At that rate, there is enough natural gas to satisfy the country's demands for the next 75 years, that's according to the Energy Department.
And conceivably, more natural gas could become available in the future with that advanced technologies. Well, one man who is calling for Congress to stop fighting and come together on offshore drilling is oilman, T. Boone Pickens. And he recently unveiled his Pickens Plan aimed at reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
Now, T. Boone is also the author of the new book, "The First Billion is the Hardest," and the book will be published in September.
T. Boone Pickens spoke with Lou earlier this week about the importance of finding alternative fuel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T. BOONE PICKENS, CHMN. BP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: You know, the problem is unbelievable for this country. We are in a crisis mode, and let me give it to you right quick. We are spending $700 billion a year on foreign oil -- $700 billion. We are going to break the country in less than 10 years. And we are now -- we are importing almost 70 percent of all the oil we use.
LOU DOBBS, HOST: Seventy percent and back when the first OPEC oil embargo began back in 1973, OPEC one, it was -- what was it -- it's about 20 percent.
PICKENS: Twenty 20 percent. 1991, it was 42 percent. And I said then, we're going to be 60 percent at the end of the century. And we were at 60 percent. I was told that I was a fool. I didn't know what I was talking about.
I can tell you now, you are almost 70, and you are going to be importing 80 percent in 10 years from now.
So, we have got to do something about it. And we can, Lou. The solution for it is natural gas. Natural gas can replace foreign oil.
DOBBS: Now, your plan is to have natural gas move into transportation, correct?
PICKENS: That's correct. It already is. There are eight million vehicles around the world on natural gas, and only 142,000 of them are in the United States. Can you believe, I mean, our leadership did not take us in the right direction. But not trying to place blame. It's really our problem, yours, mine and the rest of the people in America.
DOBBS: All right. You are exactly right. And the cost of conversion to natural gas for large vehicles, those dinosaurs or the gas guzzlers are the ones in most cases are the most readily convertible to natural gas, are they not?
PICKENS: OK. I am not interested in the passenger car as much as I am heavy-duty equipment. The government should move quickly to mandating all new vehicles that be purchased by the government would be natural gas vehicles. General Motors has 19 different vehicles that they make, but none in the United States. All of them out of the country, South america and Europe.
DOBBS: Right.
PICKENS: But here's something interesting, Gas Prom, last week, you know, the biggest company in the world, Russia. They announced they would put natural gas fueling stations all over Europe. Now, that's interesting, because it tells you that we are behind again. We are behind again. Here we are, we have natural gas, which is cleaner, and cheaper, abundant and domestic.
DOBBS: And let's be clear about this too. Gas Prom, the Russian oil energy company, is doing that not out of the goodness of its hearts, it's driving profits, but at the same time creating greater dependency in Europe, western and eastern Europe on Russian energy, because of the pipelines that move from Russia into Europe. So there is a strategic plan behind what they are doing as well. And there is no strategy in this country whatsoever even as a consumption economy we don't have a plan.
PICKENS: We have not had a plan in 40 years, Lou. What I want to do is to fold in the great resource we have in the central part of this country, which is wind. And then you have resource from Texas west to California, you've got solar. Those two resources have to be developed. And so when you develop the wind, you can then remove natural gas from power generation, and put it in the transportation fuel market. We can do that, and is it easy? Almost easy. There have to be some things, some hurdles to clear. But when you take that natural gas out of power generation, and put in transportation fuel, that's 22 percent of that 23 trillion that you mentioned. That amount you put into transportation would reduce our imports by 38 percent.
DOBBS: With that, I am going to round it off to 40 percent. That is an immense impact immediately. It's about $300 billion in savings a year.
PICKENS: That's right.
DOBBS: More on the out years as we move in to the next decade, where, you estimate, we could be transferring as much as $10 trillion in wealth from this country to primarily to the Middle East and other oil-producing nations unless we change directions and do so quickly.
PICKENS: OK. Quickly, you said 38 percent -
DOBBS: Right.
PICKENS: ... of the oil we import comes from the Mid East and Africa. And the two most unstable areas. And if we did this, we could do it in five to ten years, and we could get away from that dependency of 38 percent.
DOBBS: I want to point our, Boon Pickens is not offering a plan and a solution and strategy, he is also investing his money in wind power while others are talking about it and posturing and playing some ideological and partisan games. Boon Pickens, as always, it's a great pleasure to talk with you. Thanks for looking out for the country. We appreciate it.
PICKENS: Thank you, Lou.
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN ANCHOR: Former Vice President Al Gore continuing his campaign against offshore oil drilling. Gore is now making an outrageous comparison to the invasion of Iraq, and speaking at a net roots nation convention in Texas, Gore said "proposing to get a slight increase in oil drilling for fuel to be sold to China 10 or 15 years from now, as a solution to our rising gasoline prices makes as much sense as responding to an attack from Afghanistan by invading some other country." So, there you have it.
Coming up, outrage after San Francisco's illegal alien sanctuary policy leads to a triple homicide. We will have a special report and we'll also hear from a member of the victim's family.
And do we need any proof of the media's love affair with Senator Obama? Well, three of the nations top political analysts will join me to discuss that and much more. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: The illegal alien charged in the triple homicide of a father and his two sons in San Francisco last month. This week he pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. The city of San Francisco had shielded that suspect from deportation under the city's juvenile sanctuary law. And now the victims' family is demanding a federal investigation. Casey Wian reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Edwin Ramos pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and two lesser charges in San Francisco Federal Court Wednesday. Prosecutors say Ramos is an illegal alien gang member who shot and killed Tony Bologna and his two sons after a minor traffic dispute last month.
Ramos has a long criminal record. Four years ago at age 17 he was protected from deportation by San Francisco's policy of not turning over juvenile illegal alien felons to federal immigration authorities. Ramos' attorney says his client is not a gang member and wants a gag order on the case saying the Salvadorian national has been portrayed unfairly by the media.
ROBERT AMPARAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I sense a vigilantism. The comments, the messages, e-mails that I've received in my office.
WIAN: The victims' family opposed the request, and blames San Francisco sanctuary policy for the murder.
FRANK KENNEDY, VICTIM'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: Our family did not deserve this. And because of political aspirations from these politicians to gain votes in this and that and to shield illegal aliens and for illegal aliens to have more rights than taxpayers from the city and county of San Francisco is ridiculous.
WIAN: Kennedy wants an investigation into Ramos' release from the San Francisco Sheriff's Department custody in an unrelated case in April. A spokesperson for Mayor Gavin Newsom says the sheriff's department notified immigration and customs enforcement that Ramos was in custody by fax and he was released because ICE failed to request an immigration hold.
But and ICE spokeswoman flatly denies that, saying the agency received no such facts and in fact was never notified Ramos was in custody until more than after an hour after San Francisco let him out of jail. Wednesday, ICE assistant secretary Julie Myers wrote Newsom asking him to overturn the sanctuary policy to "better protect the citizens of San Francisco through the removal of criminals from the community." Mayor Newsom recently overturned the city's policy protecting juvenile illegal aliens convicted of felonies but the "San Francisco Chronicle" reports that another juvenile offender previously sent to a group home instead of to ICE for deportation escaped Monday by simply walking away. That brings the number of illegal alien juvenile drug dealers from San Francisco who fled group homes in the past month to 12, and 10 are still at large.
Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: As Casey just reported, Frank Kennedy, a member of the victims' family is speaking out, and he told Lou about the response from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to his family's tragic loss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANK KENNEDY, VICTIM'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: There has not been any response, Lou, from Gavin Newsom. He did make one phone call the day of the tragedy to my mother-in-law. He made a quick appearance at the funeral the day of the funeral. But, we have not had any contact from Mr. Newsom at all.
DOBBS: And what does the police department telling you? I mean, this sanctuary policy, to what degree do you hold the mayor and the city of San Francisco responsible for this tragic triple murder?
KENNEDY: Well, you know, Lou, as far as I am concerned, you know, there is federal laws put in place for a reason. And to have individual cities make up their own laws, and make the city of San Francisco a sanctuary for illegal aliens, it's absurd, you know, it's wrong. And to allow these illegal aliens to come in here with no background checks, and I mean, that's why we have immigration laws. And I do hold the city and county of San Francisco fully responsible - responsible for the deaths, the brutal murders of my brother-in-law and my two nephews.
DOBBS: What is your action when you think about the fact that Mayor Newsom has rather, with great - with complete sanctimonious arrogance, defended the sanctuary policy of the city. He is a point in fact approved money for the advertising of the sanctuary status of San Francisco to illegal aliens. How do you feel about that?
KENNEDY: Well, you know, the way that I feel about it is why does illegal aliens get all these preferential treatment over the taxpayers on the city and county of San Francisco when they're not even citizens of the United States. And you know, this is, you know, it's - it's totally wrong. And they went against the federal laws of the United States government, and we need to stop this. We need to overturn these sanctuaries. And send all these illegal immigrants back to their own countries.
DOBBS: Now, I understand you and your family asked the district attorney to pursue the death penalty in this case. Is that correct?
KENNEDY: Yes, I have. My family and myself have asked the district attorney's office -
DOBBS: What has been the reaction?
KENNEDY: Well, you know, there has not been too much said about it, Lou, to be honest with you, yet. If the city is behind us, they will go for the death penalty.
DOBBS: What is in your sense because there's - what is your sense of the mood of the community? Are the people of San Francisco at a point where they are willing to talk about the responsibility of citizenship and the responsibility of government, and the responsibility of citizens to take care of their fellow citizens?
KENNEDY: Yes. The public is outraged by this triple homicide of my family. We are getting calls from all over the United States. We have had calls from outside the country. We have relatives in Italy and Australia that have been following the story, and yes, the general public is outraged by this. And these politicians need to understand that you just don't implement these sanctuary laws and allow illegal people to come in and do whatever they want. DOBBS: Excuse me, Until this happened, as you pointed out, talking about the aspirations, political aspirations, there is no question, Governor Newsom - Mayor Newsom was seeking the governorship of the state of California. Precisely, at the time that his city, San Francisco was pursuing the sanctuary policies and shielding these illegal alien gang members. The idea that a man would try to build a political future on the backs of the sanctuary policy, what is your reaction?
KENNEDY: Well, you know, I just think that I can't believe that he would even do something like that. But, you know, every politician, you know, is trying to grab votes any way they can get them.
DOBBS: That's true.
KENNEDY: And to be honest with you, as far as I am concerned, the city and county of San Francisco with aiding and abetting Mr. Ramos when he was a juvenile and sending him out of San Francisco to another facility to protect him from the federal authorities. And the city and county is responsible for that. And I am tired of the finger pointing. Mr. Newsom and his people are pointing the fingers at the federal government, and you know -
DOBBS: Frank, I just want again to say thank you. And I know it's a difficult time. Again, we extend our condolences and our best wishes to you and to your family. Frank Kennedy.
KENNEDY: Thank you, very much, Lou.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: Coming up, Senator Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe, how it will affect his run for the White House, if at all. And Senator McCain tries to counter Obama's overseas swing. Now, is McCain successful? We will discuss these questions and more with our panel of distinguished political analysts. Stay with us.
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PILGRIM: Joining me now for more on Senator Barack Obama's trip overseas, and the media's coverage of that tour, joined by three of the best political analysts in the country, we have CNN contributor, democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, CNN contributor, syndicated columnist Miguel Perez, and in our Washington bureaus, CNN contributor, syndicated columnist, Diana West. And thanks for being with us.
I think the term media circus is not overstating this this week in the Obama campaign. Miguel, what are your thoughts?
MIGUEL PEREZ, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I agree. It was a long, long photo op. Many, many photo ops for Obama. Unfair coverage all the way, in terms of the media paying so much media attention to the Obama campaign. And the republicans are totally being ignored especially during this last week. And it's getting to the point now where it's very, very obvious that there is a media bias. PILGRIM: Diana.
DIANA WEST, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, absolutely. I would say instead of a circus, you might see an orgy. And I also wonder if maybe this could be some kind of turning point. I am not sure that Senator Obama will be going downhill from here, but I sort of think he cannot, he can not peak beyond this moment. This was way over the top.
PILGRIM: And yet, the substance of the speeches or lack of substance in the speeches was striking. I mean, they were very broad, very sweeping statements. But you know, really not much detail. Hank, is that your impression?
HANK SHEINKOPF, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I am a democrat, but I am a believer strongly in a free press corps that does it job. I must say that the press corps should spank itself quite clearly for not being more critical, more analytical, and more careful of what they have allowed themselves to this like dancers in a rock like choreography done by political consultants who are selling an image and not a human being and hope that the press will continue to say nothing about it.
PILGRIM: You know the Berlin speech, I would just like to touch on for a second, because Obama really asked for more European collaboration in Afghanistan, for them to join the global war on terror. But did - I mean given the sort of position of the European allies, was that - could that be seen as an accomplishment, Miguel?
PEREZ: The Berlin speech - I watched the whole thing. I happened to be home and I watched the whole thing live when he was delivering the speech and it struck me as, you know, why is he saying this now? I mean, he should be saying - actually, McCain said this later. He should be saying this when he's president. This was a speech for a president not for a candidate and it really was shocking to me the things that he was saying to try to appeal to American voters but to a European audience. It just didn't make sense to me.
SHEINKOPF: I think -
WEST: There's something else there though, if I might there on the speech. I think that he was definitely looking for a rendezvous with destiny. But I think what he put on display on a world stage is his complete disconnect from history. Here's a man who wants to be president of the United States or the world and he divorces historical events, good and evil, from specific actors, from people, from forces, from partisan politics, from movements. Everything is vague and utopian. And in Berlin, of all places, this showed tremendous ignorance and hubris.
PILGRIM: Diana, Hank is shaking his hand.
SHEINKOPF: I think that you're over the top about ignorance and hubris. What I would suggest is there's something else going on here. I'm not an expert in history, you may be but I am an expert in politics and political campaigns. I will tell you that speech was not directed toward the American public at large and nor was it directed towards the Europeans. It was directed at the youth, the younger vote that have seemed to have dissipated from their interests since Obama moved to the center on national security-related issues. And the fact was that, it had limited depth was very broad, had themes that those voters frankly feel good about, cooperation, America not doing it alone. Making the world safer by not having confrontation. Those are things they want to hear and those are voters that Obama needs.
PILGRIM: So you go to Europe to the speech to make a youth vote?
SHEINKOPF: You certainly do, for young American, absolutely.
PEREZ: Frankly I think that it might turn off a lot of the older Americans.
SHEINKOPF: No question.
PERES: Because of the fact that look you know here's a guy who is proving that he's very, very liberal in Europe, that's a problem. This is for young people.
PILGRIM: Go ahead, Diana.
WEST: I don't know how many young people will be paying that much attention except for perhaps for the pictures but we have him talking about, the wall came down. People can accomplish anything when they come together as one. This is not how Berlin was freed. The world came together behind cold warriors, partisan policies of conservative ideologues ultimately coalesced and rallied by Ronald Reagan. This is not a "Kumbaya", "We are the world" incident. This was a very difficult political fight and he ignores that and I think that he actually believes it.
PILGRIM: Miguel?
PEREZ: I just wanted to go back to the idea of the trip in itself. When McCain went to Latin America just recently, the media basically widespread criticism, why is he campaigning in Latin America when he should be appealing to U.S. voters? The same thing is happening with Obama now and I don't hear that criticism.
PILGRIM: Yes, that's true.
SHEINKOPF: Going back to the history, Diana. We're reliving 1931, let's put it in context. People are asleep. The youth want to get rid of the old people and they're willing to take - and they wanted to do that, to just put everything asleep for a while.
PILGRIM: We're going to hold it there. Hank, hold it there. We'll be right back in a minute. We'll have more ahead with our panel, so stay with us.
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PILGRIM: We're back with Hank Sheinkopf, Miguel Perez and Diana West. You know, let's turn to McCain now, we spent a lot of time on Obama. Now, McCain criticizing Obama saying he didn't have any foreign policy experience. He dared him to go overseas and then when he goes overseas, he criticizes him saying he's taken a premature victory lap. The media's in love with Obama. McCain went to a German restaurant and this is what he said at the German restaurant. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd love to give a speech in Germany to a political speech where a speech that may be the German people would be interested in, but I'd much prefer do as it president of the United States, rather than as a candidate - or for the office of presidency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: What I'd like to point out is what has the McCain campaign done this week? Have they played it right when all of the cameras were focused strongly overseas. Did they do the right thing this week, Miguel?
PEREZ: I think that they've done the best that they can, really, because I mean, at least a circus in Europe and the Middle East and they've done whatever they can. But look, McCain has made a good point this week because when Obama was asked about you know the surge when it was over in Iraq, he basically said look, the surge - the surge and he mumbled and he didn't have a coherent answer and he would not explain whether he's you know - he will not admit that the surge has succeeded. And McCain turned that around on him and said, listen, it is obviously more important for Obama to win the election than to win the war.
PILGRIM: You know the whole - every campaign should be really focusing on issues in this country. John McCain was here. He spent a lot of time talking about overseas' issues this week. But are they missing the point?
SHEINKOPF: John McCain is missing the point. And this is wrong. Competitive -- election should be competitive. Someone needs to tell him the election is not in December. It's in November. What he ought to have been doing this week instead of having ridiculous lunch in a German restaurant in Columbus, Ohio is going to an empty plant, or a half empty plant where people are working in Columbus, Ohio saying look I'm going to fix this. Here's is my plan. What's he doing in Germany? He should be here talking about the economic issues confronting this country. Didn't do it. Didn't take advantage and the problem here is that they not taken advantage of anything.
PILGRIM: Meanwhile this week, has been absolutely critical for the American public. We have the housing bill that's just crawling through Congress. We have gas prices that are through the roof. I mean these are serious domestic issues. No one's talking about them this week. This is a valuable week in congressional time that we've basically lost and the candidates have just dumped out of. Diana.
WEST: Well, I think what would have been a great competing image that was put aside because of weather was John McCain wanted to go to an oil rig off of the coast of Louisiana and was put off by the recent tropical storm there. Drilling in American waters is going to be a huge issue in this campaign. We'll see it emerge. I think - I don't think there was much John McCain could do besides poke fun by going to German restaurants and put campaign ads on airs - on the air in place like Berlin, New Hampshire, and so on. This is the sort of the only kind of tweaking he could really get in.
I do think that the campaign is competitive, strangely enough. Even though, as Hank points out, McCain was not doing much about we're not seeing a runaway Obama campaign in the polls. Which I think is probably quite heartening to the McCain campaign. It says something.
PILGRIM: All right, we have to hold it there. Thank you very much for being with us. Hank Sheinkopf, Miguel Perez, and Diana West, thank you. And thank you for joining us. Please join us tomorrow for all of us here, thanks for watching. Good night from New York.
