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American Morning

Wall Street's Wide Ride: Futures up after Dow Plunged 1,000 Points; Containment Dome Lowered; Times Square Suspect Video Shows Buying Fireworks; Who's In Charge in the U.K.?; Targeting "Citizen Terrorists"; The Science of Oil Slicks; L.T.'s Rape Charge; Experiment at Sea

Aired May 07, 2010 - 06:00   ET

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

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning to you. It's May the 7th. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. We have a lot of big stories we're talking about in the next 15 minutes.

First, hearts were certainly pounding from Wall Street to Main Street in one gut-wrenching hour yesterday. The Dow dropped nearly a thousand points before rebounding. So what happened? And was it the economic meltdown in Greece or human error?

ROBERTS: A high stakes experiment at sea under way this morning. Work crews lowering a 100-ton concrete dome to the ocean floor, desperately hoping it can cover a spewing well and contain a massive oil leak. If the dome doesn't work, the Gulf Coast could be facing an unprecedented environmental disaster.

CHETRY: And he has the right to remain silent, but the alleged Times Square bomber keeps talking to investigators. There's also new surveillance video showing Faisal Shahzad buying fireworks at a store in Pennsylvania last month. It may be the latest evidence connecting him to the failed car bombing in Times Square.

And, of course, the amFIX blog is up and running. We'd like you to join the live conversation now. Head to CNN.com/amFIX.

ROBERTS: But first, welcome news for your money. The Dow futures in positive territory this morning after a wild ride yesterday afternoon. What happened?

The Dow that was down significantly because of the financial crisis in Greece literally jumped off a cliff in the afternoon. There you can see it plunging almost 1,000 points from the opening, that deep valley there. That's nearly a nine percent loss. Stock prices did bounce back but the markets remain jittery. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei and Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed down. And right now, England's FTSE is also in negative territory.

Our Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business" this morning. So everybody is talking about was it an error, a trading error that prompted everything to go off a cliff?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It was -- there was obviously an error somewhere, because you had stocks like Accenture and others that were trading for pennies after being at $40 or $50 a share earlier in the day. That's just not rational. So something happened.

What happened here is you have the stock market very weak and actually putting in one of the worst days that we've seen in a year before this happened. Then suddenly at about 2:45, boom, something happened. Procter & Gamble shares lost 37 percent. Accenture, Boston Beer Company, a bunch of different companies suddenly fall of a cliff and the stock market was down more than 900 points. We have never in history seen such a big one-day point decline. And then just as rapidly, it bounced back.

Everyone was trying to figure out what was happening and a lot of people told me that the high frequency trading, the computerized trading, essentially the computers took over. Once, whatever happened that was the trigger, an erroneous trade, some kind of a technical glitch, there are numerous investigations we just don't know yet. But once that happens, the technical trading took over, the computers take over and the selling happened on that. So you had a huge decline here that was ferocious, tumultuous, the most dramatic one hour in Wall Street history. And that I can without any kind of equivocation.

CHETRY: It was described on some of the sites as violence on the Dow. But it's scary to know that if perhaps it was just an error, a keystroke error or whatever it might have been could have that impact that they were not able to control after that.

ROMANS: Here's the thing, we don't know what the error was. We don't know if it was a keystroke error. You have all these people speculating. It all looks to me like, you know, maybe somebody just --

ROBERTS: The way that some people have theorized what happened was somebody meant to sell 16 million worth of stocks but instead --

ROMANS: Or 16 million shares.

ROBERTS: -- put in 16 billion.

ROMANS: And then other people are saying that there was some sort of -- that there was some sort of a discrepancy between the futures contracts and the cash contracts, which my sources are telling me is much more likely than anything else than any kind of an individual stock trade.

The Nasdaq, it's going to be actually canceling some trades that are within 60 percent of one way or the other. They say they had no technology or system issues, that they are going to voluntary cancel a bunch of trades between 2:40 and 3:00.

So if you might have thought -- hey, if you woke up this morning, guys, wow I made a ton of money when that thing was down 900 points, maybe you didn't because they're going to be canceling some of these trades out. We're still investigating exactly what happened.

ROBERTS: So somebody who bought Accenture stock for pennies before it bounced back --

ROMANS: That trade will be canceled. I'm sure that trade will be canceled. But remember, there were a lot of things -- this was the thing that exacerbated what was already a very terrible day. And once it became clear that something was amiss, stock markets still closed down 348 points. That's still the worst day in more than a year.

ROBERTS: Yes.

ROMANS: Since those bad old days last spring.

ROBERTS: Not as bad as 1,000.

ROMANS: No, you're right. It was breathtaking. Just breathtaking and baffling.

ROBERTS: Thanks.

One thing weighing on traders minds' today is April's jobs report. It comes out at 8:30 Eastern. Of course, our CNN money team will be standing by to break it all down for you the second it's released.

CHETRY: Meantime, it could be a turning point today in the gulf this morning. Crews begin lowering a four-story containment dome over a leaking well. They're trying to position it over a rupture that's spewing thousands of gallons of fresh crude into the open city every day. Now in the next 72 hours, we should know if this underwater experiment will work. Officials from British Petroleum are hoping that the dome will be able to capture and funnel the leaking oil to a waiting tanker above.

David Mattingly is live for us this morning in Venice, Louisiana. And we know that this dome operation is something that they have never tried before at these depths. Give us an update on how it's going today?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So far so good. The dome is in place. They are lowering it away. It is the beginning of what could be a two-day journey to the ocean floor.

But again, this has never been tried before. They are learning as they go. Their plan is that they will lower this over the largest of the two remaining leaks at the bottom, hoping to contain 80 to 85 percent of the oil that's now spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.

While all of this is going on, everyone here has a tremendous sense that the clock is ticking because yesterday was the first time we saw oil coming ashore making impact with land. One of islands in the Chandeleur Island chain off the eastern coast of Louisiana, that was our first sign of an oil sheen actually hitting a shoreline.

There are also reports now of the oil migrating west past the mouth of the Mississippi River. This is a great source of concern for fishermen who thought that if these waters in the western part west of the Mississippi River were somehow spared, that they might be able to salvage something from this fishing season. So everyone watching this oil, watching where it goes and hoping that the source can be cut off to some degree to prevent this from getting any worse than it already is.

CHETRY: Yesterday, David, you talked about just how painstaking this operation is as they lower it and how careful they're going to be because this is their one shot, right? And they don't have another dome and it has to work out. Do you have any -- have you been getting any, I guess answers about how long it will take until they at least know that it is working? Or is it they will not know until they actually get it down there and start attempting to siphon it out?

MATTINGLY: Well, that they're telling us is that it's going to take a couple of days to get it down there and that by early next week, they should know if their plan is working. By early next week they should know if they're able to bring that oil up, pump it up to the surface to a containment vessel as they planned. But like we've been talking all along, this is something that they've never tried before. There are a lot of unknowns as they go down, and they're learning as they go. The worst case scenario here is that they lower this thing and somehow make this leak worse. That's the last thing they want to do, so they're being very careful and very meticulous in watching with the robotic cameras on the bottom to guide them as they try and put this in exactly the right place that needs to go.

CHETRY: So far so good, so fingers crossed. David Mattingly for us this morning in Venice, thanks.

ROBERTS: With every hour that passes, the crisis in the gulf worsens. That massive slick threatening some of the most sensitive wetlands in the nation. Offshore, the Chandeleur Islands, they are a wildlife national refuge there along with the Britain (ph) Islands.

Our Brooke Baldwin went out with a local fisherman for an exclusive look at a large orange slick from both on top of the water and underneath. Take a look at what she found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you take a look at some of the oil here in the water, we've noticed that it's at least about 18 inches deep. I've seen some fish already swimming through it. So to get a better glimpse as to what it really looks like under there, take a look with our underwater camera.

One of the biggest concerns here with this oil spill, of course, is the wildlife. And now we have a front row seat so what these experts are talking about.

This is New Harbor Island. There are hundreds of pelicans here. This is nesting season. The pelicans, their babies, and you can see here just about 10 feet from that shore, the authorities have put out this protective booming to do precisely that, try to protect this habitat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: All the techniques being tried right now to disperse or contain the oil slick were tested first at this secure government naval base in New Jersey. Cameras have never been permitted in there before but in less than 30 minutes time, our Allan Chernoff brings us an exclusive report from inside that facility. It's a fascinating place for oil spills happen all the time, on purpose.

CHETRY: And we're also following development this morning in the botch Times Square car bombing. Attorney General Eric Holder says that the suspect, Faisal Shahzad, is giving investigators, quote, "useful information." Meantime, there's new video here at the surface (ph) that shows Shahzad shopping in a Pennsylvania fireworks store buying the same kind of fireworks found in the smoking SUV that was parked in Times Square.

Susan Candiotti has been following all the developments in the story and she joins us now with more on this video in particular. What is it -- I guess, how much more of a picture is it painting for investigators?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it helps them build their case certainly, as this man, the suspect in this case, Faisal Shahzad, is still cooperating. I mean, the attorney general said that as recently as yesterday.

So this video shows what was happening and the date is believed to be March 8th of this year, obviously. And the first thing you see in the video is a dark colored SUV entering the parking lot of this place in northeastern Pennsylvania. Now you see the gentleman walk up to a desk. First thing he has to do is present a driver's license to prove that he lives out of state, which is required. And I am told that that driver's license matches the photograph that they have on record for this man.

Then he walks down the aisle and he takes a hand basket and he picks up the fireworks that he wants to buy. They're described by the storeowner as M-88s. And he paid cash, $95.28. They said he was cool, calm and collected, very inquisitive. They asked him if they could help him, but he said no. He would pick out things by himself. And then he checks out at the counter and takes his time.

Believe it or not, he spent about an hour in that store was in no hurry to leave. And then eventually you see him walk out and there goes that dark colored SUV. Now, of course the question is, is that the SUV Pathfinder that was used? We're unclear about that at this time because if in fact the date is March, that would have been before he purchased that SUV. So that remains unclear what car that was exactly.

CHETRY: And you had a chance to hear from the storeowner about what they think of the fact that these M- 88s, these fireworks were possibly going to be used to explode a bomb in Times Square. CANDIOTTI: They're scratching their heads about it. They don't get it because they said it's just -- it doesn't have enough powerful pyrotechnic compound in it. Only 50 milligrams and evidently that's the amount, the same amount that you get in 1/6 the size of an adult aspirin. And they said it just doesn't like the punch. Plus the fuses on that, you would have to light each fuse. They can't -- one can't spark another, spark another, spark another. Just doesn't do it. And they think he might have made -- he just didn't understand how that works that the M-88s are not powerful enough. Good thing.

ROBERTS: So we've seen lots of videos. We saw the video of the guy taking his shirt off, which turned out to be a false lead. We've seen some other pictures of this guy in Times Square. Are police or investigators still coming up with other videos?

CANDIOTTI: Oh, yes, because there are so many cameras in the city both belonging to the police and the private buildings. And one of my colleagues, Mary Snow, contacted yesterday some buildings around the area where that getaway car was parked. And so now we know it was around 48th, 38th Street, I think, and a couple of blocks over. And she talked to some building owners who said, yes, indeed, investigators have been buy and collected tapes so they're trying to document every step of the way.

ROBERTS: Susan Candiotti this morning on the investigation. Thanks, Susan.

CANDIOTTI: You're welcome.

ROBERTS: It's now 11 1/2 minutes after the hour. Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Reynolds Wolf in the extreme weather center for us this morning. Hi, Reynolds.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: That's a good thing. Thanks, Reynolds.

A political showdown in the U.K. this morning. The elections ending with the leaders of the two main parties in parliament locked in a heated debate about who might be in charge. It's a hung parliament right now. What's in store for the people of Great Britain and what means for this country.

Coming up on 14 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Yes. I need some high energy, upbeat music because we just had one of the wildest national elections we've ever seen in the U.K. There is no clear winner, thousands of people did not get the chance to cast their vote, and the political showdown between Britain's two main parties is just getting started. It's all still developing this morning.

We want to get you the very latest, some analysis of context and perspective with none other than our Becky Anderson who's been on the air since forever, covering all of this. She's live in London.

And where are we this morning, Becky?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Someone get that fat lady to sing, John, because we are nowhere, as far as we can tell, at this point.

It's been 13 hours since the polls closed in the U.K. and - in what was the most closely fought election in more than a generation. As things stand, we are looking at what is called a hung parliament, and that is because no one party in the U.K. has got a clear majority, and therefore a mandate to run a government going forward.

Listen, not all of the - the counts are in. It's 650 seats in parliament. You need 326, basically, for a clear majority, and if you don't get that, you've got to run a - a minority government and you got to ask your friends and your enemies to get on board as well.

So, as we stand, as I said, at the moment, no clear winner, although the opposition Conservatives have a bigger percentage of the vote, at around 36 percent, and more seats in government at this point. But, the way that the constitution runs here and the particularity of this British system is such that Gordon Brown has gone back to 10 Downing Street. He's - he's back behind the doors at his house and his office until such a time as he decides that he would like to stand down, the Labor Party will stand down, or he decides he can form a coalition government and go forward.

So on (INAUDIBLE) -

ROBERTS: Well - well, Becky let's take a look at - at the various combinations and permutations of what might happen. Gordon Brown could try to form a minority government, but then the opposition could gang up on him and hold a no confidence vote, bring it down. There'd have to be another election.

He could try to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg, or maybe the Conservatives could try to form a coalition with Nick Clegg. Do we know - do we know at all any inkling which way they're going to jump at this point?

ANDERSON: Do you know what, John? This is the most fascinating thing about this election. I would have wagered that as long as the Labor Party got enough seats to give the impression that they still had a mandate to govern with other people, the Liberal Democrats would have climbed into bed with them, as long as the Labor Party promised to take the issue of electoral reform into account.

And this is important to the (INAUDIBLE). Any - any coalition government will have to consider the issue of electoral reform, because that is the loser in this election process. We have a two- party system, generally, here in the U.K. and it's first past the post (ph). Of course the third party here wants what's called proportional representation, and that's what the Lib Dems want.

So, I'd have wagered to you, as long as the Labor Party got enough seats in government that it got into bed with the Lib Dems and they would have effectively been able to rule as a - as a coalition government.

But the problem here is that the Labor Party haven't quite got enough seats, even if every single one of these, some 54 Lib Dems, got into bed with them, they still don't have a clear majority. So what it looks like tonight - or today, sorry, because it 11:30 (ph) in the morning. We've been going since 9:00 last night.

What it looks like at this point is this -- there's a possibility that the Lib Dems may crawl into bed with the Conservative Party. Now, there's lots and lots of issues that they don't agree on. This -

ROBERTS: And -

ANDERSON: We need -

ROBERTS: All right now, if - if that happened, of course, you know, looking at it from our side of the pond here, if that happened, what does it to the relationship between the U.K. and the United States? Because Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democratic Party, he said he wants to end the special relationship between the U.K. and - and the United States, and David Cameron has said it - it needs a recalibration as well.

So if those two formed a coalition government, what would the relationship potentially look like?

ANDERSON: It would be interesting, wouldn't it?

I've got to say, at this point, if you ask most people on the streets of Britain whether they thought there was a special relationship or whether they wanted a special relationship with the U.S., people would probably be undecided about that. So even if the Labor Party-run government, going forward, I've got a feeling - there's been a sort of move away from this really tight relationship that we've seen in days of yore, particularly between Blair and Bush.

Listen, you know, most people this side of the pond are more excited about a relationship with Obama than they were about a relationship with Bush. You've got to watch this space for what happens with that U.S. relationship, not suggesting that the U.K. is going to move away from the space, I'm just suggesting that I think the U.K. electorate is looking for a perhaps looser or perhaps more two-way relationship than we believe we've had in the past.

ROBERTS: All right. Well, this isn't over by a long shot, so we'll be watching very, very closely for the next few days to see how it all unfolds.

And, Becky, in the meantime, we'll let you go home and get some kip. Thanks for staying up late for us.

ANDERSON: Thank you very much, John.

CHETRY: Twenty-two minutes past the hour, and there are big legal troubles now for a football legend accused of rape. Lawrence Taylor out on bail, denying the charges this morning involving a pimp and an under-aged prostitute. The story that he claims was a setup.

Also, the growing list of citizen terrorist from the accused Fort Hood shooter, now the suspected Times Square bomber. If they join the enemy, should they keep their rights? Some senators don't think so.

We'll take a look at both side of the debate.

Twenty-two minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Top stories coming your way in just about four minutes.

But first, new this morning, NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor is out on $75,000 bail after facing rape charges. Prosecutors say he had sex with a 16-year-old runaway and paid her $300. Taylor denies those charges.

The legendary New York Giants linebacker has had several off field problems, most of them dealing with drugs.

CHETRY: Iceland's volcano roaring back to life, spewing a plume of ash four and a half miles high. Meteorologists say there are no signs of the eruption ending soon and it is forcing airports in Western Ireland to shut down for a third time this week.

ROBERTS: We had Cash for Clunkers, now Cash for Caulkers is headed to the Senate. The House has approved the plan to reward homeowners for making their houses more energy efficient.

If the measure passes, you may be in line for thousands of dollars in rebates for sealing your windows and doors.

CHETRY: Racial tensions really high right now for a California high school all over a vice principal's decision to send five students home on Cinco de Mayo for wearing American flag t-shirts. The district is now apologizing for the decision.

One of the students tell the local ABC station that a school official called the shirts incendiary. A few dozen students walked out of class yesterday, some waving Mexican flags.

ROBERTS: An independent filmmaker should be very proud of his work this morning. His holdup scene at a local convenience store on Long Island looked so real that the cops came and broke it up. They mistook it for a real robbery after someone called 911 and yelled at an actor to "Drop the gun!"

The storeowner, who was playing himself in the film, said at first he thought the cops were part of the movie.

CHETRY: That could have gotten real ugly. Good thing it didn't.

ROBERTS: Aren't you supposed to get permits for this kind of thing?

CHETRY: Yes, probably.

ROBERTS: Wow.

American citizens, al Qaeda sympathizers, a new move that would strip accused terrorists of their rights by taking away their American citizenship. Jim Acosta has got the lowdown on that for us.

Twenty-seven minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Crossing the half hour, that means it's time for this Friday morning's top stories.

The race is on to get the containment dome over the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. At this hour, it is finally in the water and slowly being lowered. Crews say it could be this weekend before the four-story dome is correctly positioned to trap all that leaking oil.

CHETRY: The devastating flood waters in Nashville maybe receding. But rescue teams are still searching for several people reported missing. Right now, parts of downtown Nashville are open again. Schools, though, are still closed today. Last weekend's storm system killed 31 people across the southeast, 21 in Tennessee alone.

ROBERTS: And we're watching your money this morning coming on the heels of yesterday's near 1,000-point plunge. The Dow Futures right now are trading in positive territory. But an obvious concern for traders right now, fears that the financial crisis in Greece will spread and possibly undermine the world's economic recovery.

CHETRY: And as Christine Romans told us, some trades could be canceled -- some of those trades that happened in the last few hours when some stocks that were normally 40 bucks a share were trading for pennies.

ROBERTS: So, if you think you made a killing on some quick picks yesterday, maybe you didn't.

CHETRY: Also, a new bill is going forward after the citizenship of accused terrorists. It would allow the State Department to actually take away citizenship from people like the suspected Times Square bomber and others who try to attack the United States.

ROBERTS: The bill's sponsors say it's a tool that we need to fight a new war against terror.

Jim Acosta joins us live from Washington this morning.

This is getting some support, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It actually is. You know, and the fact that Faisal Shahzad is a recent U.S. citizen, as we've been saying all this week, has raised all sorts of national security questions. Members of Congress are starting to ask whether it's possible to strip American terrorists of their citizenship. They're even talking about whether it's time to update the application for naturalization.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): If the charges stick, Faisal Shahzad fits right in what's becoming a long line of U.S. citizens or legal residents at war with America. Shahzad became a citizen just last year.

Senior al Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn hails from Oregon. Online extremist Anwar al-Awlaki is born in New Mexico. Authorities say al- Awlaki inspired American citizen Nidal Hasan to carry out the massacre at Fort Hood. And accused Najibullah Zazi was a legal U.S. resident.

PETER BROOKES, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Osama bin Laden has talked about this sort of people, talked about having people who don't have to go through customs like the 9/11 hijackers did, who are actually here, what the military might say "inside the wire."

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: Those who join such groups, join our enemy, and should no longer be entitled to the rights and privileges of American citizenship.

ACOSTA: Some in Congress want to treat future American terror suspects as enemy combatants stripping them of their citizenship and the rights that come with it.

SEN. SCOTT BROWN (R), MASSACHUSETTS: This isn't a knee-jerk reaction. It reflects the changing nature of war in recent events.

ACOSTA (on camera): In your view is, this is unconstitutional.

JONATHAN TURLEY, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR: I think it's facially unconstitutional. I also think it is rather facially un- American.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Constitutional law professor, Jonathan Turley, questions how far the law would go.

TURLEY: Any loony toon can park his car in New York filled with fireworks and gasoline. It doesn't take a bloody genius that doesn't mean that our law has failed.

ACOSTA: One constitutional right at issue is the right to remain silent, the Miranda warning.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Is it true that every American has the right under the Fifth Amendment to a Miranda warning?

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Yes.

ACOSTA: But as Attorney General Eric Holder pointed out at a hearing, there is wiggle room. FEINSTEIN: Is there any exceptions?

HOLDER: Yes, there are exceptions to Miranda, and that is one of ways in which we conduct our interrogations of terrorism suspects.

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Candidates, please raise your right hand and repeat after me.

ACOSTA: Others in Washington want to look at the process used by the hundreds of thousands of people who become U.S. citizens each year, like these active duty soldiers sworn in by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

The current application for naturalization does ask potential citizens whether they are members of the communist party, or a terrorist organization. But there are no questions about al Qaeda or terror training camps.

Napolitano told NPR the form may be dated.

NAPOLITANO: As you read it, I suspect the form hasn't been changed for quite a while, and that may be something to look at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, late yesterday, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did confirm to me that the agency is now reviewing this application for naturalization, to, quote, "ensure that it meets our needs."

So, John and Kiran, there may be some changes coming. And there are members of Congress looking at this. Charles Grassley, Republican from Iowa, said he wants to see what Shahzad put down on this application. So, lots of questions out there.

CHETRY: Yes, a lot of people weighing in already, Jim. A couple of people are saying, look, if you're an American, you're an American. Karen saying that, you know, "You have to face due process just like any other American." But then there are others who say, you know what, they don't deserve rights in these cases because their plea bargaining and Miranda rights should not exist. So --

ACOSTA: And it's interesting to see who's taking which side in this. Yesterday, Nancy Pelosi said that she likes the spirit of this bill, but yet John Boehner, the House minority leader, said, how is this going to work? How are you going to strip people of their citizenship when in their criminal justice process?

So, it's interesting to see who's taking which side on this issue.

CHETRY: Very true. All right, Jim, thanks so much.

ACOSTA: You bet.

CHETRY: And we want to know what you think: should citizen terrorists lose their right as citizens if they're suspected of terror? In this case, he's still a suspect. Where is the line? Tell us, CNN.com/amFIX.

ROBERTS: Well, crews right now are lowering a massive containment dome into the ocean floor this morning, trying to cover a ruptured well that's spewing thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day. It's one of many techniques conceived and tested at the naval base in New Jersey.

Now, we should tell the cameras have never been allowed inside the oil spill research and training facility until now. And, of course, who else with the CNN exclusive but our own Allan Chernoff.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, when cleaning up an oil spill, how does the oil industry know exactly what to do? What techniques are going to work?

The research is done right here at the OHMSETT, the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank. This facility is run by the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service and it is the largest of its kind in the entire world. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire in the hole.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Oil sprays into the water, a slick forms and expands but it's all intentional.

(on camera): Here the government creates controlled oil spills in a giant tank more than two football fields long. Operators create ocean wave conditions, and then they use various techniques to clean it all up.

(voice-over): There are three primary plans of attack for cleaning oil spills in the water: burn the oil, apply chemical dispersants to break it down, or manually remove it. All three are at work in the Gulf of Mexico.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would try to use as many techniques as you can to remove the oil off the water and surface of the water.

CHERNOFF (on camera): You get out every form of artillery you've got?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Today, cleanup experts are practicing manual techniques to remove oil.

(on camera): Taking oil off the surface of the water is kind of like peeling the filling off of an oil of cooking, you're skimming it. And that's what all these various devices do, they skim the oil off the water, depending upon the grade of oil, how heavy it is, you use a different type of skimmer.

(voice-over): At OHMSETT, All different types of oil are sprayed into the tank from a moving bridge. Workers can test skimmers, various dispersants, even burning -- all in a safe, enclosed environment that simulates the ocean's salinity and even its wave patterns.

(on camera): We all know oil is lighter than water. That's an advantage when it comes to cleaning up a spill because the oil sits on top of the water. Using those booms, oil can actually be pushed into that skimmer and then it sucked up using this giant vacuum.

(voice-over): Cleanup workers from private industry, government and 24 countries around the world have come here to practice and research such techniques, including responders trying to clean the Gulf of Mexico right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to be prepared. So, you know, firemen have fire training centers. You know, paramedic staff have paramedic training centers and stuff. So, for responders, you have the OHMSETT tank right here.

CHERNOFF: The Gulf cleanup presents an immense challenge. Indeed, high waves have made it difficult to contain some oil, but the Minerals Management Service says industry and government are better prepared to handle this catastrophe than the Exxon Valdez disaster more than 20 years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's more equipment. There's more technology. Folks are better planned and better trained.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Thanks to the OHMSETT facility, the folks who are in the Gulf right now know exactly which techniques to use in each marine environment to clean up the mess -- John and Kiran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Allan Chernoff this morning -- Allan, thanks. Great piece.

As the oil slick in the Gulf threatens to spiral out of control this morning, a disturbing sighting rather by locals on beautiful beaches of Sand Island, Mississippi, tar balls literally everywhere. Our Rob Marciano has been down there covering this and went out to investigate. We'll have his report coming up in the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING.

Twenty minutes now to the top hour. It's Friday.

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ROBERTS: The Gulf oil disaster has sparked a high octane blame game in the world of politics.

CHETRY: Yes. People on the left and right are pointing fingers, and, in some case, floating conspiracy theories.

Independent analyst John Avlon is calling them out for what he calls "wingnuttery" behavior. He joins us this morning and talk about it.

Good morning. John.

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning.

CHETRY: So, you know, politicizing the oil spill -- that probably doesn't surprise you that much. But, I mean, as far as we know, this was an accident. This was something that went on. But there are others who are saying, maybe this was all part of a plan, maybe it had to do with the offshore drilling legislation?

AVLON: Yes. We're in a point right now in the wingnut wars where we can't even deal with a natural disaster like an oil spill without politicizing it. It's just, just crazy. Now, we're seeing the stuff a little bit from the left and the right.

On the right, it's not so surprising. One of the early adapters was Rush Limbaugh, sort of part of his stock in trade. He gave -- he took the airwaves, and I'll do my best Rush Limbaugh impersonation, to say this: "This bill, the cap-and-trade bill was strongly criticized by hardcore environmentalist wackos because it supposedly allowed more offshore drilling and nuclear plants, nuclear plant investments. So, since they're sending SWAT teams down there, folks, to inspect the other rigs, what better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plants, than by blowing up the rig? I'm just noting the timing here."

CHETRY: He's just putting it out there.

AVLON: He's just putting it out there, folks.

ROBERTS: He's not saying, he's just saying.

CHETRY: Right. And you say it's not that surprising to hear from Rush making comments like this. But you say there are other people that are sort of jumping on this possible conspiracy bandwagon that surprised you.

AVLON: Yes. I mean, you know, we come to expect this from the, you know, political entertainers and professional polarizers.

But when a member of the former U.S. government who should know better of all people, weighs in, well, that would be a heck of a job Michael Brown, FEMA director under Bush during Katrina, he should know by now that, you know, politicize natural disasters and yet --

CHETRY: And that's why you're calling him out. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BROWN, FMR. FEMA DIRECTOR: This is exactly what they want because now, he can pander to the environmentalists and say I'm going to shut it down because it's too dangerous. This president has never supported big oil. He's never supported offshore drilling. And now, he has an excuse to shut it back down.

(END VIDEO CLIP) AVLON: Seriously? This is exactly what they want? People who live in glass houses shouldn't be throwing stones, Michael Brown.

ROBERTS: Heck of a job there, Brownie.

AVLON: Heck of a job.

ROBERTS: OK. So, we got wingnuttery behavior on the right. Well, what about on the left?

AVLON: Well, this gets filed under "not helping." Obama administration Interior Secretary Ken Salazar coming up with an instantly infamous sound bite that's going to be used in campaign commercials and protests for a long time.

ROBERTS: Yes. He was on with Candy Crowley on "STATE OF THE UNION" on the weekend. Let's take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN SALAZAR, INTERIOR SECRETARY: Our job is basically to keep the boot on the neck of British petroleum to carry out the responsibilities that they have both under the law and contractually to move forward to stop this spill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: It's a tried and true political adage that in a campaign when your opponent is down, you keep your foot on his neck, but to keep the boot on the neck of BP while they were trying to work with them on the spill.

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, and all of a sudden, coming up a perfect sound byte to symbolize all of the opposition's accusations about anti-big -- big government anti-business rhetoric, I mean, not helping. Ken Salazar, not a good day for the Obama administration when that sound byte just got a gift (ph).

CHETRY: Yes, and also, honorary wing nuts, sometimes you just pick somebody because you just can't resist. Somebody who you highlighted before is Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. What is he saying now?

AVLON: This was out of limits even for Mahmoud. So, take a listen to what he was saying to questions about whether or not Osama Bin Laden was residing in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Is Osama Bin Laden in Tehran?

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT: Your question is laughable. I heard that Osama Bin Laden is in Washington, D.C.

QUESTION: No you didn't? AHMADINEJAD: Yes, I did. He's there because he was a previous partner of Mr. Bush. Rest assured that he's in Washington. I think there's a high chance he's there.

QUESTION: I don't agree, but thank you for your time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: George looked like he couldn't stand to look at him anymore at the end of that exchange.

AVLON: Yes, yes, you know --

ROBERTS: Come on, he was just yanking his chain.

AVLON: Yes, you've got to put it alongside previous statements. You have holocaust denial. 09/11 was an inside job, that there are no gays inside Iran. So, he's either the world's worst stand-up comic or a totally unhinged guy trying to pursue a nuclear bomb. That's not so funny.

ROBERTS: Or maybe a little of both. Or a little bit of both.

John, thanks so much. Great to see you this morning.

AVLON: Thank you.

CHETRY: Take care, John. And by the way, you can read John's wing nuts. We always put them up on the web, CNN.com/AmFIX.

ROBERTS: Reynolds Wolf got this morning's travel forecast right after the break. We'll be back in just a moment. Stay with us.

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ROBERTS: Good morning, Charlotte. We've got perfectly clear skies and a nice sun coming up. It's 68 degrees. Later on today, going to be hot, hot, hot under the sunshine, 89 degrees.

CHETRY: Just in time for the weekend. There you go. And we're going to get a check on the weather right with our own Reynolds Wolf who's in Extreme Weather Center in Atlanta today.

Good morning, Reynolds, nice to see you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: This morning's top stories just minutes away, including dropping the dome. An unprecedented operation right now to put a 100- ton cork on the gulf oil leak. We'll take you underwater for a murky look at this growing disaster.

CHETRY: At 35 minutes past the hour, he changed football and many called him the best defensive player of all time, but it's been trouble ever since for Lawrence Taylor. The NFL hall of famer now facing rape charges involving a pimp and underage prostitute. ROBERTS: And at 50 minutes after the hour, some of the things that are important when it comes to planning for your retirement. You might be surprised. Money, stress, and sex. Those stories and more coming your way at the top of the hour.

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CHETRY: Welcome to Friday. It's 55 minutes past the hour right now. We have a lot of blog comments coming in our live blog this morning especially about the question that's being tossed around now in Washington, whether or not somebody who was accused of being a quote "citizen terrorist should lose their citizenship."

ROBERTS: Yes, this is the bill that Senator Joe Lieberman has introduced.

CHETRY: And it's getting mixed reaction for sure. Let's read a couple of them when someone's convicted of terrorist and they should lose their citizenship.

This is from Curchek, "I do not think the government should be able to simply accuse someone of a crime and be able to revoke citizenship after its legally proven that the person is guilty of terrorism or prison (ph), I think the person should then lose their citizenship."

ROBERTS: We should remind folks that there are certain circumstances under which an American citizen can lose her citizenship and that is if they are going to fight for foreign armies if this kind of lump sating (ph) to the same category.

Karen writes to us to say, "Once one becomes a citizen of this country, then they are entitled to all of the protections that go along with it. He will have to face due process just like any other American, talking about Shahzad here. No one said that Timothy McVeigh shouldn't have had his due process," the Oklahoma bomber, of course.

You can join the conversation too right now at CNN.com/AmFIX. Let us know what you think about this particular question or any of the issues that we're covering this morning.

Top stories coming your way right after the break. We'll be right back.

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