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American Morning
Weiner Calls It Quits; Greek Dispute; Casey Anthony Murder Trial Riot; Riots Rock Vancouver After Canucks Lose Stanley Cup; A CNN Member Battles Bladder Cancer; More than a Game
Aired June 17, 2011 - 07:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Mitt Romney made a joke. Now some Democrats are saying it was actually insensitive to joke about unemployment. He is worth about $200 million. He was in Florida talking to a group of unemployed Americans. We will show the video and we'll let you judge for yourself.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. Welcome to the program. A brawl outside the courthouse in Florida for the Casey Anthony trial. Only one - 50 people in line. We will tell you what started it.
CHETRY: Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. So glad you're with us. It's Friday, June 17th.
ROMANS: All right. We begin with the exclusive behind-the-scenes story of the final hours of Congressman Anthony Weiner's career. Today he is out. Three weeks after an Internet sexting scandal turned his life into a Capitol Hill sideshow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY WEINER (D), FORMER CONGRESSMAN: I hoped to be able to continue the work that the citizens of my district elected me to do. The distraction that I have created has made that impossible. So, today, I am announcing my resignation from Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, Weiner called New York's lawmaker, Steve Israel, at a congressional picnic at the White House Wednesday night. That's when he told him about his plans to resign. We hear from Congressman Israel himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE ISRAEL (D), NEW YORK: He had already made the decision to resign, and he spoke with me. He said that he wanted to deliver that news to Leader Pelosi, and when he delivered the news to me and Leader Pelosi, he did talk about the fact that it is important now to go back to the issues and the challenges that this country faces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey! He's not with us!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Now, Weiner tried to resign with some dignity, but his news conference was more like a circus, complete heckling and cat calls.
Mary Snow with us. It certainly was an unusual -- and to a very unusual scandal.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And many Democrats on Capitol Hill are very eager to put this side show to a rest.
Congressman Steve Israel wouldn't talk about the personal factors in Weiner's decision that ultimately led him to step down after he had been defiant not to resign. Israel had several conversations with him.
But he did talk about some of the political factors and the equation. Here is what he said on "J.K., USA."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE ISRAEL (D), NEW YORK: One of the things that Congressman Weiner talked about over the past week was that, on Wednesday, the Republicans introduced a bill to privatize Social Security. After a month before, they tried to end Medicare. And he realized that this become had been a huge distraction from some serious challenges that we confront and some important fights that we need to have.
And now that he's made that decision, we can go back to addressing those challenges and quite honestly, fighting those fights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: One of the fights is over Medicare reform. Until a few weeks ago, Democrats were touting some success, that's because worries about a House Republican proposal on Medicare helped a Democrat win a special congressional election last month in a Republican district here in New York. It was quickly forgotten as the Weiner scandal dominated the headlines.
CHETRY: And so, that was one special election. Now, New York is gearing up another special election to fill Congressman Weiner's seat. What's next in that process?
SNOW: The governor has to call the special election and usually it happens 70 to 80 days after he calls it and the party leaders will pick the nominees. But we have been talking about the fact there has been a lot of speculation that this district could be eliminated as part of redistricting.
So, the thought is that would be two seats that need to be eliminated. The thought is one would be a Republican seat upstate and one become down state. And, obviously, this one has had a target on it ever since this started evolving.
So, the thing is, who are you going to get to fill for, you know, a lame duck session?
ROMANS: Maybe a seat that disappears quite frankly.
SNOW: Exactly.
ROMANS: All right. Mary Snow -- thank you so much, Mary.
CHETRY: Noticeably absent from Anthony Weiner's resignation speech was his wife Huma Abedin. She was seen entering their Queens, New York, apartment yesterday, right before the fallen congressman announced that he was stepping down so that they would have sometime to heal.
And that's something that President Obama says he would like to see happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wish Representative Weiner and his lovely wife well. You know, obviously, it's been a tough incident for them. But I'm confident that they'll refocus and he'll refocus and they'll end up to being able to bounce back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: So, what's next for Anthony Weiner? Well, one legal analyst says you can count on a political comeback.
Dan Abrams, founder of Mediaite.com appeared on CNN's "IN THE ARENA" last night. He told Eliot Spitzer the Big Apple can be very forgiving, even if Weiner's wife is not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN ABRAMS, FOUNDER, MEDIAITE.COM: By the way, I do think that he will be back. In New York City politics, within three years, he will have a leading role, I predict, in New York City politics. I'm not saying he's necessarily to be a married man. I have no idea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A check of the records shows Weiner has more than $350,000 in cash for a congressional re-election campaign and $4.5 million for a possible run for mayor of New York in 2013. If he runs for either office, he can keep those accounts active.
CHETRY: Now, to the Casey Anthony murder trial, where fireworks have already started this morning. This is hours before the first witness is called to the stand. You're looking at a video from about an hour and a half ago, a brawl erupting outside of the courthouse where dozens of spectators had been lining up overnight to get good seats in the courtroom.
According to local reporters there, two men apparently cut in line and things got ugly when they were confronted by other people waiting in line.
You remember, there are only 50 public seats and people have been lining up vying for them since the trial started.
Later this morning, the defense is expected to call more of the prosecution's forensic witnesses to the stand for cross-examination.
ROMANS: So, a same-sex marriage bill in New York state, one vote away from becoming law this morning. It's already passed the state assembly and a Senate vote could come as early as today. Right now, the Senate is split 31 to 31. The measure needs one more Republican backer to pass.
If it happens, Governor Andrew Cuomo will sign it and New York will become the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
CHETRY: It's back to the drawing board for California's budget. Governor Jerry Brown, the governor, vetoed it yesterday. State lawmakers passed the measure with $3 billion in cuts to schools and a plan to delay the repayment of $744 million that the state borrowed from its school districts.
Governor Brown rejected it, saying it doesn't do enough to address the nation's $26 billion deficit.
ROMANS: Speaking of deficit and debt, Vice President Joe Biden says they are making progress after weeks of talks aimed at spending cuts and raising the debt ceiling by the august deadline. He says they have done some first serious scrub of the entire federal budget, but there are differences that remain over whether to increase tax revenue and make cuts to federal health programs like Medicare.
CHETRY: Actress Angelina Jolie is visiting some of the thousands of Syrians who escaped the violence and are now camped out in Turkey.
ROMANS: Jolie arrived there this morning. She's there as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency.
According to Turkish officials, more than 8,900 Syrians have now fled to Turkey.
And our Arwa Damon has been showing you scenes what have it's like on the Turkish side of the border and the Syrian side of the border actually, some of the refugee camps there.
CHETRY: Israeli police say an explosion the killed four people and injured 55 others overnight was not a terrorist act. The blast leveled the top floor of a restaurant in Netanya, that is north of Tel Aviv. But police say it was caused by a gas canister that detonated. Some of the victims had to be removed from the rubble with cranes.
ROMANS: Students on the march in Santiago, Chile, protesting the state of education in that country. Some 70,000 people in all took to the streets and the capital. There were clashes with police. Protesters throwing stones and police responded by spraying tear gas and water cannons into the crowd. Organizers say the marches are necessary to force government reforms in education.
CHETRY: Well, women in Saudi Arabia are hoping for some reform there. They're fighting for their rights. A social media campaign encouraging Saudi women to break a driving ban by getting behind the wheel today.
The movement sparked by a woman detained after posting a video online of herself driving in May. Although it's not illegal, religious edicts limit women's activities. They often have to travel with a man and are not allowed to use public transportation.
ROMANS: A new addition to the traffic light. You may start seeing a fourth signal. It's a flashing yellow arrow. It makes drivers -- it allows them to make a left turn after yielding even when the light is red for traffic going straight. So far, it's been installed at more than 1,000 busy intersections across the country. Officials say it keeps traffic moving and even cuts down on gas usage.
The left hand lane --
CHETRY: Hopefully, it cuts down on accidents.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: Left-hand turn -- I don't know what the insurance statistics are, but I bet they show most, you know, slow accidents happening coming out of the left lane.
CHETRY: Well, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, Mitt Romney jokes that he's unemployed to a group of unemployed people that he was talking to in a coffee shop. Was it insensitive or was it just an attempt to get laughs?
ROMANS: And a routine speeding stop turned into a terrifying encounter. The officer is dragged across a busy intersection and the dash cam video is released.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Ten minutes past the hour right now.
You're looking at live pictures today in the Washington, D.C. area. We are learning right now that U.S. Park Police are investigating a suspicious person and this is in connection with a suspicious vehicle seen outside the Pentagon that led to several major road closures.
ROMANS: Yes. We're talking -- police are talking to this person now who may have led them actually to that car, but now, an investigation under way. There is a suspicious person there investigating the situation. We got a lot of roads closed near the Pentagon.
So, we'll keep you up-to-date on that. Barbara Starr is bringing this to us and we will check in and see how that is developing. We are told there's press conference and we'll monitor that and find out what exactly is the latest.
CHETRY: All right. Absolutely.
Well, meantime, Democrats are taking issue with what they called an insensitive joke made by Mitt Romney. The presidential candidate who is worth about $200 million was in Florida. He was talking to a group of unemployed people when he weighed in with a joke of his own about his employment status.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I should also tell my story. I'm also unemployed.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you on LinkedIn?
ROMNEY: Yes, actually. And I'm networking.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: He actually said he knows the job he is going for. But it's not unattainable, but he is going for a job.
CHETRY: He seemed to be trying to play of the fact that he is running for president and that, you know, that's why he is saying he's unemployed.
But Democratic National Committee chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, didn't see it that way. She put out a statement saying that being unemployed is not a joke.
ROMANS: And that brings to our question of the day. Mitt Romney's joke -- is it connecting with viewers when you're on the campaign trail or is it simply out of touch?
Mackenzie Blade on Facebook says, "Out of touch. He can't joke about something that is affecting so many people and ruining so many lives and then expect us to vote for him. Don't joke about it. Tell us what you plan to do" and they will decide whether to vote for you.
CHETRY: Send us an email, tweet, or tell us on Facebook. We'll read some more of your thoughts a little bit later in the hour.
ROMANS: All right. Armed with a nail gun -- a nail gun -- a man fends off a southern Michigan police in a six-hour standoff yesterday. Witnesses say this 50-year-old man chased his girlfriend down a street with a knife before barricading himself in his home. He began firing nails at officers who then set off a flash grenade and tear gas. Finally, police were able to tase him and arrest him.
CHETRY: A routine traffic stop takes a dangerous turn in West Palm Beach. The stunning dash cam video has now been released. This happened back in March.
A 62-year-old police officer was writing a ticket. He was pulling over a motorcyclist for speeding when the suspect floored the gas, dragging the officer across a busy intersection. The deputy recalls the scary moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEPUTY MIKE MUSTO, PALM BEACH COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: During these five seconds, a million thoughts went through my mind about how I could possibly get my gun hand loose and ready to do what I needed to do, or if I could just hang on for another second, maybe I could bring him off the bike with me. But I knew I was going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, the motorcyclist was arrested and, amazingly, the officer only suffered minor injuries. He was actually back to work a few days later.
CHETRY: Wow.
All right. It's 13 -- almost 14 minutes after the hour. That means Rob Marciano in the extreme weather center.
Good morning, Rob!
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hello, Christine and Kiran.
I want to start off of what's going on with the southwestern fires. Here's some video for you, a couple of fires. You know, we've been talking so much about the "wallow fire" which is now almost up to a half million acres -- got about 30 percent containment on that.
But the monument fire in southern Arizona is also forcing some evacuations and that is much smaller, but only 17 percent contained. You can see the -- just how ferocious those flames are burning yesterday, fan by winds. And we're going to see winds again today.
And red flag warnings have been posted from eastern Arizona and southern parts of Utah and Colorado and through most of New Mexico, because of the winds and low levels of humidity for a second day in a row.
The heat is not helping either. Childress, Texas, went 109 degrees. They are also baking across New Mexico and Texas the past week with temps well up over 100. Dodge City, Kansas, is getting in the act as well with 104 there.
The Northeast is seeing a little bit of rainfall this morning, some thunder and lightning that's rapidly moving off towards the North and East. Philadelphia and D.C. are in the clear and the heat is going to continue across parts of the South and East as well with temperatures well into the 90s for it seems like two or three weeks now.
Try to stay cool and enjoy your weekend -- Kiran, Christine.
ROMANS: You, too. You, too.
CHETRY: And hang out with the kittens. We got this video to show you about what happened when a curious kitten in Redding, California, found himself stuck inside of a pipe. Firefighters used a special pipe cutter and able to rescue the little guy, gently pulling him out by the scruff of his neck. They've done a lot of animal rescues. They say this one, though, pulling out of a pipe. There he is. Look. Stuck! They say that was a first, and they want to name the kitten, Piper.
You know, I always heard that, you know, the length of their whiskers, that's how they determine whether their body can fit inside something. So, if their whiskers touch each side, they don't go near it.
ROMANS: This is a little kitty. Apparently, his mommy hadn't taught him that one yet.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: All right. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, police in Vancouver using social media to track down these people who were rioting after the hometown Canucks lost the Stanley Cup final this week.
CHETRY: Also, a warning by European leaders. There is no time to lose when it comes out to a bailout for Greece. We'll have an update for you on that as well, and how it could affect world markets. It's 16 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: It's 19 minutes after the hour. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
The leaders of Germany and France say there is no time to lose when it comes to a bailout for Greece. They announced their support for reforming continuing talks on a second bailout this morning. The Greece government also appointed a new finance minister amidst increased pressure from protests, riots outside parliament this week.
Oil prices falling to a four-month low this morning as that debt crisis in Greece weighs on investors. Oil for July falling nearly 3 percent to 92 dollars a barrel in electronic trading.
With the August deadline for the national budget fast approaching, Vice President Joe Biden saying lawmakers have done a, quote, "first serious scrub of the entire federal budget," and negotiators will hunker down next week during four days of deficit cutting talks. Securities regulators considering civil fraud charges against credit rating companies for their involvement in mortgage bond deals that led to the financial crisis. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting this morning that the expanded probe includes Standard & Poor's and Moody's. CNN calls the SEP and the credit rating firm (INAUDIBLE) has not been returned.
And checking on the markets this morning. Futures for the Dow, the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 are all up slightly ahead of the morning of the opening bell this morning. Investors are vigilant over the problems in Greece.
Coming up next, punches are thrown outside the courthouse where Casey Anthony is on trial for murder. We'll be back right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let him go! Let her go!
CHETRY: A big brawl outside the courtroom where Casey Anthony is on trial for murder. Orlando police had to break up a fight a few hours ago. It started when two men were reportedly cut in line. Spectators line up in the middle of the night to try to get their hands on one of 50 public seats. Yes, fought in that courtroom to witness what's going on there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: It certainly is a crowd event. It's just odd to see those pictures of the brawls. Later this morning, the defense is expected to call more of the prosecution's forensic witnesses to the stand. Day one featured seven crime scene investigators and forensic scientists. Their testimony, exactly three years to the day since two-year-old Caylee Anthony was last seen alive.
And the defense able to establish that there is no conclusive DNA on any piece of evidence that links Casey to her daughter's murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE BAEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Did you test the adhesive side of the duct tape?
HEATHER SEUBERT, FBI DNA EXAMINER: Yes, I did.
BAEZ: And was there anything that you were able to find there?
SEUBERT: The information that was generated was inconclusive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Sunny Hostin is with us this morning. She's a legal contributor for "In Session" and a former federal prosecutor. So, they're trying to chip away, obviously, at the prosecution's case, but how damaging is this given that the prosecution did point out to the jury that there was a ton of weather damage, that this was six months later, and that it had rained and there had been flooding, and so, that it wouldn't be unlikely not to find fingerprints?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": Well, I don't know. I think it's actually pretty relevant. It's in the reasonable doubt realm. I mean, let's face it. If the prosecution's theory is that Caylee Anthony's -- that the murder weapon was a duct tape, and it was wrapped not once, not twice, but three times around her face, and for her remains there certainly was hair also attached to the duct tape, to find no DNA whatsoever on the sticky side of the duct tape.
ROMANS: Caylee's or Casey.
HOSTIN: Caylee's or Casey, but especially Caylee. That could lead one or two jurors to think, well, maybe, the tape wasn't really around her mouth. Maybe, it was around the bag. Maybe, it was around something else.
CHETRY: Well, wasn't it found on the skull? There's no doubt that that was -- I mean, there's no dispute that it was the skull of Caylee Anthony?
HOSTIN: That's right, but there is a theory that, perhaps, because of all the water damage and because of all the vegetation, that it moved up from someplace else. Perhaps, her arms, perhaps the bag. It's interesting because on my Facebook page, there are all of these theories about the duct tape not really being the murder weapon, perhaps, being somewhere else.
It was the trash area, unfortunately, where her remains were found, and so, a lot of folks were saying, you know, that duct tape was not the murder weapon, and that is the huge hole I think that the defense is trying to --
ROMANS: The prosecution did show that there was duct tape like this in the Anthony home?
HOSTIN: Yes, that's right. And it's unusual duct tape. It's not really found everywhere. Apparently, that duct tape was also used by George Anthony on some gas cans and also to put up some of those posters to finding Caylee.
ROMANS: Oh, that's sad. And so many things in this story are just so sad again and again. They're also trying to, I guess, play up the notion that Casey was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of either her father or her brother.
HOSTIN: Yes.
ROMANS: That there was something in this in the family.
HOSTIN: Yes, that's significant for this defense, because remember that explosive statement that was made. For 31 days, she was behaving as if a mother wouldn't act, but it's because she was sexually abused by George Anthony and also by Lee Anthony, the defense was able to sort of --
CHETRY: The brother.
HOSTIN: The brother. The defense was able to sort of back door it, which was really interesting to me, because we all think Casey Anthony has to get on the witness stand to talk about this abuse. Well, the FBI apparently took this paternity test to determine whether or not Lee Anthony, her brother, was, indeed, the father of Caylee Anthony.
The prosecution went crazy. I think it's probably the most vocal we've seen this prosecutor, Jeff Ashton, and he was very upset. He was objecting to it, but it got in front of the jury, and you can unring that bell. So, the jury heard that there was a paternity test.
CHETRY: But did the jury also then hear that the results were negative or not? That he was not the father?
HOSTIN: Yes, but it's still left the impression, why would someone take a paternity test.
ROMANS: Unless, this young woman is such a liar that the FBI was like, look, OK, we're going to call on your bluff, Casey Anthony, and we're going to do a paternity test.
HOSTIN: That's right.
ROMANS: You know, unless, they were calling her on her bluff.
HOSTIN: That's right. And I think the defense has to do something with that because the prosecution will.
CHETRY: Right.
HOSTIN: They have to call someone from the FBI or someone from law enforcement to explain why that paternity test was done.
CHETRY: And here's the other question. We keep saying, is Casey going to get on the stand? The thing to remember is if she does get on the stand and she can put forth, you know, her version and be questioned by her lawyers, the prosecution gets a crack at her. How devastating potentially could that be for her case?
HOSTIN: I mean, it's going to be so risky to put her on the witness stand because she's lied so many times, and her lies are not only memorialized in video and audio and memorialized everywhere, and I think it's going to be quite painful to watch if she gets on the witness stand because that would be every prosecutor's dream to cross- examine a pathological liar when you have the examples of the lies right with you.
But I do think it's probably the most compelling evidence for the defense that this child actually died accidentally by drowning and not being murdered by her mother. What other way do they prove it? I think they have to put Casey Anthony on the witness stand, and I also think that's why we're seeing those brawls for tickets because people think it's going to happen today, perhaps, tomorrow.
ROMANS: Have you seen anything like this?
HOSTIN: I've never seen anything like this.
ROMANS: It's like the people are lining up for the $50 wedding dresses in Filene's Basement.
HOSTIN: Exactly. Exactly.
ROMANS: It's so odd.
HOSTIN: It's become a circus. It's sort of, you know, I mean, we're in Orlando. It's a hot ticket. It's almost like going to Disney World.
CHETRY: Those people are disturbing (ph), I'm sorry.
HOSTIN: So involved here. I've never seen anything like this, and as you both know, I've covered so many cases and tried so many cases. It's really remarkable.
CHETRY: I just want to ask you about her facial expressions, Casey.
HOSTIN: Yes.
CHETRY: She looks to be laughing at some point. She's calling her defense attorney over.
HOSTIN: She's very engaged.
CHETRY: But she also seems whimsical or flippant at times. I'm just wondering, does the jury see all of her actions and reactions, her grinning and seeming to make some faces there?
HOSTIN: They watch everything. I mean, we know that there've been studies done and jurors consistently say we watch everything that a defendant will do. Sometimes, defendants crying equals the defendant's guilt, so they are watching every single thing. I will say she acts a little bit dissociated, and it's very interesting because that's part of the defense's strategy.
They're saying, of course, she acts this way because she was the victim of sexual abuse. What is the most compelling evidence of that? Casey Anthony getting on the witness stand and talking about it.
ROMANS: Defense experts keep trying to use the victim of alleged victim of sexual abuse to explain those 31 days. I have only heard from regular people who are jurors or regular people, someone who is abused, mothers don't kill their children. Plenty of people who are abused don't kill their children.
HOSTIN: I think that's right. I don't know how they --
ROMANS: The jury, how it plays with the jury will be interesting.
HOSTIN: If they believe she is sexually abused I think they may believe that Caylee drowned accidentally.
CHETRY: We will have to wait and see if she gets on the stand. Sunny Hostin, thanks, great to get your view.
Back to our top story this morning. Anthony Weiner may be an ex- congressman but he's leaving behind a campaign war chest that's worth millions.
ROMANS: That has a lot of people wondering what will become of all of that cash. Here is our Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The outgoing congressman references his humble financial background.
REP. ANTHONY WEINER, (D) NEW YORK: The middle class story of New York is my story and I'm very proud of that.
TODD: As for his current finances, Anthony Weiner has a few hundred thousand dollars in assets to fall back on if he needs it. According to disclosure forms, that includes a stock portfolio worth between $190,000 and $285,000. He has got more in campaign money. Election records show he's got more than $365,000 cash on hand in his war chest for a Congressional reelection campaign, and $4.5 million in his prospective campaign for New York City mayor in 2013.
TODD (on camera): What can they do with all of this money?
KEN GROSS, CAMPAIGN FINANCE EXPERT: Well, he can't take it with him and go to Disneyland. He's not able to convert it to personal use.
TODD (voice-over): Campaign finance expert Ken Gross was once chief of enforcement for the Federal Election Commission. Gross says Weiner could keep the accounts intact if he decides to run for either of those offices in the future.
But if he doesn't he has four options for those accounts. He could give the money to other candidates, he could give it to charity, he could give it to a party committee, or he could give it back to donors.
Ken Gross says donors to disgraced politicians often demand their money back. As for other candidates -
TODD (on camera): If he wants to give it to other candidates, would they take it or is he just too radioactive?
GROSS: I don't know. That's a tough one in his case, because, yes, he's leaving under a cloud but he's not going to prison. He didn't violate the law. I think some, for the time being, may think the money is a little radioactive, but over time I would not be surprised if other would accept contributions from him.
TODD: But since the scandal broke, democratic candidates have been under increasing pressure from Republicans to return the money Weiner gave them.
TODD (on camera): According to the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Republicans have targeted 20 of the democratic candidates who Weiner gave money to during his time in Congress and demanded that they give it back. The NRC says, so far, only seven of the candidates have given the money back.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: We are getting a better picket now of how widespread the violence in Vancouver was after the Stanley Cup and the rioting that took place in the city. The city exploding after the hometown Canucks lost game seven in the Stanley Cup final, 150 people went to the hospital we're learning for injuries, and there are even reports of a stabbing, as well as multiple head injuries from fighting. Police say nearly 100 people were arrested. Two police cruisers were set on fire.
In the meantime, they have time lapse video that puts this event into a very unique perspective that shows the city skyline from the beginning of the riots in the early part of the evening and then later into the night. There you see smoke billowing up on the center right part of your screen. You see it come up on the other side as well. Again, this is all time lapse of what was going on in Vancouver the night of the rioting.
ROMANS: The big cleanup is going on still in downtown Vancouver this morning. Rioting estimated to cost the city millions of dollars in damages. The signs of regret and support are visible this morning everywhere in the city. This CNN iReport shows some of the messages posted on the plywood boards covering up broken up and smashed store fronts. Many people posting messages like "We love Vancouver" and "All you need is love." But there is still anger this morning. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so disgusted with the way Vancouver acted. I've never been so embarrassed of the city in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live here. I'm a true fan. Vancouver did an amazing job getting as far as they did, and we have this.
CHRISTY CLARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA PREMIER: I'm really angry to see this is my city. It belongs to all British Columbians, all Canadians.
MAYOR GREGOR ROBERTSON, VANCOUVER, CANADA: It's shameful. It's absolutely disgraceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: Another iReporter captured this image. It says "On behalf I my team and my city, I'm sorry."
CHETRY: And it is the kiss tweeted around the world. A picture of a couple lying in the street in Vancouver seemingly locked in a passionate kiss. They appear to be oblivious to what is going on around them. It was captured by a photographer who was covering the postgame riots but even he said he is not sure if couple is kissing or is this staged? It's quite a memorable image.
ROMANS: If you thought you could just disappear into the mob mentality, the police are going through lots and lots of videos.
CHETRY: Facebook pictures to try to identify people throwing punches and rocks.
ROMANS: Still to come, the U.S. Open is being played in the suburbs of Washington this weekend, but another golf match nearby may get even more attention -- President Obama and House Speaker Boehner squaring off on the greens. So will we.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: That's right. We have our putters ready and we will be talking about the significance of this deficit open, I guess you could call it.
(LAUGHTER)
It's 36 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to "American Morning." Nick Charles means a lot to us here at CNN.
ROMANS: Now he is battling bladder cancer. But he hasn't lost his positive outlook on life and shares what he has learned about family, love, and faith. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Atlanta. He spent some time with Nick and his family. And this is a story, what is beautiful about this story, this is a story about living, isn't it, Sanjay?
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Very much so, no question about it, sometimes, really, reprioritizing your life when smacked in your face with your mortality, as Nick puts it.
It's tough to do a story like this, especially when it's someone we all know. Nick has been the original sports anchor at CNN and diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer two years ago and told at that time he had two years to live.
And he talks about these things that are called lessons from the fight. He was a big boxing guy and now these lessons from the fight are about his own fight and some of the things he wanted to tell me when I went to go visit him, but also to share with friends and family around the world.
There's some, you know, more general things and some specific things. One of the things he talked about was the fact that he keeps a journal now or he writes letter to his family, to his friends. He just writes in it every single day, just thoughts of the day. I asked him to tell me a little bit more about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK CHARLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I know it's going to take all of God's grace, which is never in short supply to make me live longer. I want to for you and mommy so we can be a family here in Santa Fe. Sorry about this. If god takes me home, it will be forever. Meanwhile, I'm not going anywhere today.
GUPTA (voice-over): It's so tough for Nick to write. And it's tough to hear. But Nick knows he at least had the chance to leave something behind.
GUPTA (on camera): How do you feel when you read those?
CHARLES: Oh, they are just so reinforcing to me. I know she is going to read them. I talk to people that they would long to hear their parents' voice or read something from them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: You know, it's interesting. He's sort of trying to leave some legacy behind, which is something that I've seen, you know, very common in people who are, again, confronted with their mortality. But Nick sort of raises this question, I think. He asked me and a lot of people what you would do if you suddenly were healthy your entire life and you have a five-year-old doubt and you're told you have a couple of years to live?
Nick breaks every day down into compartments. Short-term goals he calls it, and doesn't worry about the medium or long-term goals anymore. And as much as he lives in the present, he dreams really big. He and his wife Cory decided to build their dream house after his diagnosis. He picked out the color palettes. He wanted to throw himself into a project and plan where his daughter's closet is and where her prom dress will be someday. Those sorts of things make him really happy.
CHETRY: It's an amazing story and a sad one. For more on what Sanjay learned from Nick Charles, tune in Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Sanjay, thanks so much.
ROMANS: OK, this is just in to CNN now. U.S. park police are investigating a suspicious person who alerted them to a suspicious vehicle near the Pentagon.
CHETRY: We are learning new information on perhaps what authorities are dealing with mere. Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon with more on the investigation. Hi, Barbara. BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Again, this situation has been unfolding for about the last three hours. A press conference by the park police just concluded. They are confirming they have one man in custody that they took into custody overnight nearby at Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery is closed at night. This man was found in there and deemed to be a suspicious person when he could not provide answers about what he was doing there in the overnight hours.
By all accounts, he directed them to a vehicle parked in the bushes near the Pentagon on park police property that they have jurisdiction over. At this hour now, local law enforcement is looking at that vehicle, trying to determine if there are any suspicious devices or explosives associated with that vehicle. EOD, the explosive ordinance folks, are looking at that.
But at the same time, this could be potentially serious right now and they are taking precautions. Many areas around the Pentagon closed off while they do security sweeps, looking for any other potential explosive devices. Kiran, Christine?
ROMANS: They take these things so seriously, Barbara, because of just the high value of importance after all of these places in Washington, D.C. and New York City, of course. Barbara Starr, thank you very much.
STARR: Sure.
ROMANS: Next on "AMERICAN MORNING," hundreds of families force from their homes as winds fuel another wildfire in Arizona. We will have the details of that for you.
CHETRY: Also, two big golf events this weekend in the nation's capital. One is the U.S. Open. The other is the president and the speaker of the house in the deficit open? We will explain. Golf and politics. It's 45 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Its 46 minutes past the hour. Here's a look at your morning headlines today.
Former Congressman Anthony Weiner may have stepped down but don't count him out. A well-known CNN -- a well-known legal analyst told CNN yesterday Dan Evans (ph) by the way that he predicts Weiner will be back in New York politics within three years.
Vancouver police are blaming criminals and anarchists for the rioting after the city's Stanley Cup defeat. They say that they plan to arrest anyone involved in the violence that left 150 people injured and caused what's believed to be millions of dollars in damages.
In Arizona, another wildfire burning dangerously close to neighborhoods right near the Mexico border. More than 3,200 homes have been evacuated in the area. If the presidential election were held today President Obama would lose. That's according to a new Gallup Poll which found that 44 percent of registered voters say that they would vote for an unnamed Republican candidate. Whereas 39 percent say they would vote for President Obama.
The markets open in 45 minutes. Right now the DOW, the NASDAQ and the S&P futures all pointing up as investors wait for a new consumer index survey that's due out in the next hour.
You're caught up on the day's headlines. AMERICAN MORNING will be back after a quick break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DERRICK KAYONGO, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: A child of war can be simply described as a kid caught between a rock and a hard place. It's finding all of your pieces and trying to put them back together.
I do have something in common with these kids. You wake up every morning and thinking -- we just want to survive.
Sanitation isn't a priority. We have about two million kids that die of sanitation issues mainly because they don't wash their hands.
I am Derreck Kayongo, I'm a former a refugee and now I help people fight disease with sanitation.
Do you have some soap for me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes over here.
KAYONGO: Now, this is great.
The issue is not availability of soap but the issue is cost. Can they afford it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Housekeeping.
KAYONGO: Eight hundred million bars of soap for the hotel is thrown away in the U.S. alone every year. We're able to get a lot of soap which we can process and make a brand new soap part of it. We clean it, melt it and then cut it into fine bars. We box it and ship it.
CHILDREN: Welcome. Welcome. Welcome Derreck.
KAYONGO: Being here in Kenya at this orphanage is coming (INAUDIBLE) with good news. It's great for the children to have the bars of soap but also to use it so they can fight off diseases.
Those are clean. That's very good. One of the things I have learned from the kids is a sense of resilience. To know that they have the sense of hope and joy is remarkable. Do I feel like I'm having an impact on them? Yes, I think so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Well, there is an old saying if you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. And if you worked at it, it's golf.
CHETRY: Just when you want to see the two of us with golf clubs in our hands this morning, right. Well there is a reason why golf spelled backward as "flog". More than 200 million Americans --
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: 20 million.
CHETRY: Oh yes, you're right. It's 20 million.
ROMANS: Or maybe 200 million.
CHETRY: You never know if you count putt-putt. All right, 20 million though, continue to hack away for more business deals get done on the golf course than you can possibly imagine. And tomorrow, will they solve our nation's deficit crisis right now?
Well, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are going to put aside their differences and play 18 holes and some are jokingly called it the deficit open.
ROMANS: Yes but 18 holes -- they'll raise the debt ceiling and agree on budget cuts. Everything will be fine, right?
CHETRY: Exactly.
ROMANS: But here to talk about golf and how it builds relationships and the historical role golf has played with many of our presidents, CNN contributor, John Avlon and Mike Walker, senior editor of "Golf" magazine. Gentlemen.
CHETRY: Welcome to the two of you. We also have a little putting green that's like we're going -- we're all are going to be trying out.
ROMANS: We'll be displaying our short game completely.
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: What could possibly go wrong?
CHETRY: Exactly.
ROMANS: Let's talk, first, about this deficit summit. John Avlon, how important is this, these two foes and friends out on the golf course.
AVLON: Look, it's always good when people in politics get a chance to know each other as people and not just political opponents. And that's it. You're going to play 18 holes together. You're together for four hours. You're going to get to know each other a little bit.
And that's a good thing for the country because it's going to begin a conversation.
But at the end of the day this is a game. Golf though, a great political history, it's the game of presidents. 14 out of the last 17 presidents have played golf and some of them a lot.
ROMANS: But President Obama in golf is a new comer isn't he?
MIKE WALKER, SENIOR EDITOR, GOLF MAGAZINE & GOLF.COM: Yes he's only started playing maybe three or four years ago. I mean, I think, his experience is similar to a lot of people. He was a basketball player, he was an athlete, he's getting older, he turns 50.
And if you want to stay competitive you find a game like golf where he can still go out and he can have fun with his friends and he can try to compete, and I think that's why he likes it.
CHETRY: So -- and the other interesting thing, Mike, is that it would be -- it's a little lot easier to sort of discuss policy between holes than it is to try to make three-point shots on the basketball court. You know?
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: Certainly.
CHETRY: Defend your shots. And -- so why is golf sort of -- does it lend itself to conversation and to problem solving?
WALKER: I think that people get together over golf because it's a hard game. Like you said, it's flog, they face adversity together. You kind of get a sense of who you're playing with when they hit bad shots; you're all going to hit bad shots. There's a lot of down time and there's waiting.
But I think if they talk about the deficit, it's at the 19th hole. On the golf course I think it's going to be talking about the Bears, talking about the Bengals and just having a good time.
ROMANS: Washington, is that how you lay the groundwork then for the hard negotiating and the fighting that comes after?
AVLON: You know, just beginning a conversation going between people on the opposite side of the aisle always helps. In the past, I think folks did a beer summit or some version of that. They go back to their Sam Rayburn's office and have the bourbon and talk things over.
Now it's more golf but that's good; it's a mental game. And I think character is to some extent revealed in golf. Apparently Obama is very good at getting out of sand traps. That may be a political matter for the (INAUDIBLE).
CHETRY: And it's also funny because you have to -- I mean, they are political rivals, obviously, they have to have some mutual respect for each other to stand up for 18 holes. I mean that's not just grabbing quick lunch. That's a long time.
WALKER: Yes. Oh, you are spending the day together. I mean when you're a golf course, that's four hours. You're really spending quality time together.
ROMANS: And Boehner's good. Boehner is a good golfer.
AVLON: Boehner is a really good golfer.
CHETRY: Are you a good -- can you -- are you a good golfer?
ROMANS: You tell us about Boehner while we watch you.
CHETRY: Show us how we're supposed to do this. This is cool. It spits it back at you. You go first.
ROMANS: I like these.
WALKER: Was this from Tiger's childhood bedroom? Was this what he did --
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: Is this how he learned to play?
ROMANS: It probably was.
CHETRY: For Father's day this isn't a bad little set here, right.
ROMANS: I see his left foot is slightly behind his right foot.
CHETRY: Oh, wow. Who is going to follow that? John Avlon?
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: That's what it means to be the senior editor of "Golf" magazine.
CHETRY: Are you following that?
AVLON: I'd like to say he writes about golf. I write about politics. Keep my -- my grandfather who taught me how to play in Youngstown, Ohio, would be terrified and/or proud of this. We will see. No.
CHETRY: At least you made it -- at least you stayed on the green. I thought for a minute you might get a gutter ball.
ROMANS: Ok. Your turn.
CHETRY: I'm not quite a golfer. Bowling is more my game.
ROMAN: Bowling? We can bowl it, if you want. CHETRY: Did you say my left foot a little bit behind?
ROMANS: Well, that's what -- that's what Mike did.
AVLON: Power shot.
ROMANS: Nice.
AVLON: Power shot Kiran.
ROMANS: Try it again.
CHETRY: Christine, go for it.
ROMANS: I'll go.
CHETRY: This is what -- I don't see a lot of conversation getting done here.
ROMANS: I know.
CHETRY: We're not solving any crisis.
Whoa, Christine.
ROMANS: I did it just like you did.
CHETRY: As we can tell here, there is one golf expert.
AVLON: One guy impressed us with golf here.
WALKER: That's the thing. After you putt, then you talk. You know, you say nice shot.
ROMANS: I just did a little windmill there and that is the only problem.
CHETRY: This is much easier.
WALKER: Think about a window.
CHETRY: That's bad. There you go.
ROMANS: Boehner is a good golfer. The President is more of a newcomer. They're going to have four hours out with 18 holes to maybe talk about deficit reduction. But mostly -- don't you think there's political upticks in this too.
AVLON: Sure, sure.
And you know, apparently Boehner is a better golfer than the President so there is some competitive angle.
AVLON: Oh.
CHETRY: It doesn't make it in. AVLON: And Joe Biden in Ohio with Governor John Kasich.
WALKER: Hey, there. I'm going to give you a mulligan on that one.
AVLON: You know, Boehner and Joe Biden are also playing -- rather John Kasich, governor of Ohio and Vice President Biden are joining them so it's a foursome. And just the idea of them getting out on the course and having a friendly competition is healthy sign for our politics.
But this is really a time-honored thing. Eisenhower played over a hundred rounds a year. JFK was a great golfer. Even apparently the Bushes did the think called speed golf. The senior Bush, Daddy Bush played a round once in 85 minutes.
ROMANS: Are you kidding me?
AVLON: And Bill Clinton would take around six hours so he is taking his time here.
ROMANS: Wow. I would get tired.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: I know. I hear you. Well, it was great to talk to you, Mike. There is a real golf game taking place.
WALKER: There is.
CHETRY: The U.S. Open, right? People are paying more attention to this one right now. But we'll be watching.
Thanks so much for joining us. Mike Walker from "Golf" magazine; John Avlon great to see you as well.
ROMANS: "Golf" magazine currently has a bracket (ph) challenge featuring President Obama and John Boehner as one of the highly-touted first round matches. It also includes golf icons and celebrities. You can cast your vote at the magazine's Web site at golf.com.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Flog.com.
WALKER: Golf.com.
ROMANS: We will be right back. It's 58 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: That's going to wrap it up for us at AMERICAN MORNING for the week. Happy Friday, everybody.
CHETRY: Happy Friday, have a great one. Right now, "CNN NEWSROOM" with Kyra Phillips. I know you're a golfer. If you were here, you would have made it. By the way, the cameras were off and we went to commercial, we both sunk the shot.
